google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday March 6, 2022 MaryEllen Uthlaut

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Mar 6, 2022

Sunday March 6, 2022 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: "Just Desserts" - Phrases are rephrased as if they're desserts.

 24. *Fruity dish that imparts a healthy glow?: PEACHES AND CREAM.

 34. *Blended drinks that leave something to be desired?: NO GREAT SHAKES.

 57. *Shortbread that doesn't crumble under pressure?: TOUGH COOKIE.

 65. *Pastry that doesn't live up to its hype?: PIE IN THE SKY.

 79. *Slice that's easy to make?: PIECE OF CAKE.

 98. *Triangular confections that are a credit to their baker?: BROWNIE POINTS.

 114. *Dish that's a metaphor for life?: A BOWL OF CHERRIES.

Actually each answer has two clue layers, one refers to its "dessert" part, the other is just the normal meaning. 

I suspect Rich added the asterisks as there are two long food-related entries:

105. Thin-sliced, browned bread: MELBA TOAST 

109. Turkey choice: WHITE MEAT.

Across:

1. Cause friction: CHAFE.

6. 70-year-old morning show: TODAY. The co-anchor Hoda Kotb appears in our grid occasionally. Friendly letter combo.

11. Small, deadly snakes: ASPS.

15. Actor's goal: PART.

19. One way to gain access: LOG IN.

20. Northern California town that once had a palindromic bakery: YREKA. This link says that "When the business closed and a gallery opened in the same spot, they named themselves the Yrella Gallery so that it would also form a palindrome."


21. First thing lost in the "For Want of a Nail" proverb: SHOE.

22. Many a solo: ARIA.

23. Air raid signal, e.g.: ALERT. My last TaskRabbit tasker is from Ukraine. He's only been here for a few months.

27. Significant Civil War concern: DESERTION.

29. Run-throughs: REHEARSALS.

30. Buzzers: BEES.  And 31. Nuisances: PESTS.

33. Ball-bearing peg: TEE. Some are taller. We also have 2. Flagstick holder: HOLE.


39. Resort area attractions: BEACHES.

43. Certain something: AURA.

44. River to the English Channel: SEINE.

45. Online message: POST. And 54. Memorandum: NOTE.

46. Used (up): ATE. Poor Boomer has to use the toilet after every meal. This side effect lasted about 8 days after his last chemo. We expect the same this around. He also has encountered some stomachache problem this time.

47. Music : verse :: poetry : __: STANZA.

50. Rule, briefly: REG. Regulation.

51. Indecent matter: SMUT. And 84D. Often blocked online lewdness: PORN.

53. Bring upon oneself: INCUR.

55. Casually shod: SANDALLED. Not a word I use.

59. Shell-covered edible: EGG. One more food items: 7. After-sandwich sandwich: OREO. 67. Deli hanger: SALAMI. 110. Often-shared sandwich: HERO.

60. Small valley: GLEN.

61. Tastes: SIPS.

62. Canada's most populous prov.: ONT.

63. Snorkeling spot: REEF.

69. Disney souvenir feature: EARS.


73. Airport abbr.: ARR.

75. Buds: PALS.

76. Long, long time: AEON.

78. Magna __ laude: CUM.

84. "What's done is done," e. g.: PLATITUDE. Great fill.

86. Implanted: SOWED.

87. Rich deposit: LODE.

88. __ constrictor: BOA.

89. Cookware coating: ENAMEL.

90. Flock female: EWE.

91. End of many a hammer: CLAW.

93. Kuhling of "Chicago Med": NORMA. Unknown to me.


95. For fear that: LEST.

96. Thigh-length outer garment: CAR COAT. Never heard of this term.

102. Tolkien creature: ORC.

103. Is right for: SUITS.

104. "The __ Must Be Crazy": 1980 comedy film: GODS.

117. Authority: SAY SO. The VA Occupational Therapist visited our home last week. She was shocked by how low Boomer's recliner is. She recommended a lift chair. We think we're just going to get this one from Amazon in a few months. It's friendly to a tall person.

 

118. Sauna covering: ROBE.

119. Many a retired racehorse: SIRE.

120. Off-the-wall: OUTRE.

121. Draco Malfoy's trademark expression: SNEER.


122. It opens many doors: KNOB.

123. H-shaped letters: ETAS.

124. Cultural character: ETHOS.

125. Test, as ore: ASSAY.

Down:

1. Dressed: CLAD.

3. Periods with names: AGES. Also works for ERAS.

4. Agitator: FIREBRAND.

5. Menu listing: ENTREE.

6. Keyboard pros: TYPISTS.

8. Campus leader: DEAN.

9. Westminster show org.: AKC. American Kennel Club.

10. "Boo-__!": cry of celebration: YAH.

11. Balance sheet heading: ASSETS.

12. Persian rulers: SHAHS.

13. Cornmeal product: PONE. Never had this.



14. Tranquilizes: SEDATES.

15. About 3.26 light-years: PARSEC. Also 79. Tiny time meas.: PSEC.

16. Space: AREA.

17. Omani money: RIAL.

18. Alternatives to mortarboards: TAMS.

25. Gaelic tongue: ERSE.

26. First act?: CREATION. Genesis.

28. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

31. Twinge: PANG.

32. Barely make, with "out": EKE.

34. Sadat's predecessor: NASSER. Here they are. Then Mubarak succeeded Sadat.


35. Service break?: OUTAGE. Another great clue.

36. Farm: GRANGE. Learning moment for me.

37. Calm: SERENE.

38. Hastened: HIED. 41. Needle case: ETUI. 42. Dried-up: SERE. Regulars in our old Tribune Daily days.

39. Joni Mitchell's "__ Sides Now": BOTH.

40. Break-in, nowadays: HACK.

45. Pooch with a turned-up nose: PUG.

48. Zig counterpart: ZAG.

49. Star NFL player: ALL-PRO.

51. Juniors-to-be: SOPHS.

52. Calliope, for one: MUSE.

56. Welcoming wreath: LEI. Hi there JimmyB!

57. Words on a spine: TITLE.

58. Acme cactus costume wearer: COYOTE.

61. Crawling reptile: SNAKE.

64. "Mirror of the mind": St. Jerome: FACE. OK, full quote is "The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart."

66. Air 2 or Pro: IPAD.

68. New Zealand parrot: KEA.

70. Insight: ACUMEN.

71. Least courteous: RUDEST.

72. Refines, as ore: SMELTS.

74. Gemstone from the sea: RED CORAL.



77. Diarist Anaïs: NIN.

80. Field of Dreams home: IOWA. Mall of America used to have  store called "Field of Dreams"  It's closed.

81. Pitcher sans arms: EWER. Fun clue.

82. Word with panel or screen: FLAT.

83. Holy animal?: COW. Thanks for the tape tip for cracked finger, ATLGranny!

85. Magic charms: TALISMANS.

88. Archery items: BOWS.

92. Source of intolerance: LACTOSE.

93. "Just kidding!": NOT.

94. Sponsorships: AEGISES. Learned from doing crosswords.

97. Spider's network: COBWEB.

98. Things beaten in searches, with "the": BUSHES. Beat the bushes.

99. Baptism, for one: RITE.

100. Lobster catcher: POT.

101. Texas or Ukraine city: ODESSA. Minnesota has quite a large Ukrainian Community.

103. Pelvic bones: SACRA.

105. Work on papers: MARK.

106. "... the __-coloured ink": Shak.: EBON.

107. Mexican wolf: LOBO. Hi there!

108. "What __?": OF IT.

109. In the company of: WITH.

111. Contacts can help them: EYES.

112. Having set sail: ASEA.

113. Whig rival: TORY.

115. __ v. Wade: ROE.

116. Well-worn track: RUT.

We had a busy week. Regular Monday & Tuesday morning PT and OT, then an extra home visit by a different OT.

Thursday was long, we were at the VA hospital for a full day for various appointments and chemo infusion. The neurosurgeon was happy with Boomer's latest MRI scan. Boomer's PSA also dropped to 365. Still sky high (0-4 is normal), but his PSA was 485 a month ago. So the chemo is working. His next chemo is March 23.

Friday was easier. Morning video test call with the Oncology, then we went to our local VA clinic for his annual diabetic checkup. His doctor was pleasantly surprised by how upbeat Boomer was. 

Here's Boomer with his OT Erin, who's trying to improve Boomer's balance. As you can see, Boomer was not steady at the start. Erin has a belt on Boomer so she can catch him if he falls.



36 comments:

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Slow going in the NW with ERAS crossing ALARMS. Circled back after finishing the rest and saw AGES and ALERTS. Phew. Ignominy averted. So the plural of TALISMAN isn't TALISMEN. Who gnu? Noticed the CSO to C-EH at ONT. Also saw the SMUT/PORN pairing. Enjoyed the outing, MaryEllen. Thanx for the update on Boomer, C.C. Good to hear that he's keeping his spirits up, despite the tough medical schedule.

desper-otto said...

ALERT and ALARM shouldn't have been pluralized above.

Subgenius said...

Like C.C., I never heard of "car coat." And I tried to put "bowl of cherries" without the "a" in front at first, but I corrected myself. FIR, so I'm happy.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased alarm for ALERT, text for POST, eta for ARR, teflon for ENAMEL, peen for CLAW, stud for SIRE, eras for AGES, ipod for IPAD, nsec for PSEC, and else for OF IT.

Noted a third golf tie-in: "slice" in the PIECE OF CAKE clue. Also POT and zig ZAG go together like a horse and carriage.

Growing up, we only got an NBC TV affiliate, so I remember TODAY out your way with Don Galloway.

I loved "The GODS Must Be Crazy". Proof that Coke is everywhere.

Thanks to MaryEllen for the fun challenge. I had trouble in the New Mexico area, but catching LACTOSE freed up the rest. And thanks to CC. It is great to hear the promising signs for Boomer.

KS said...

FIR, despite the carcoat entry which even my spell check tried to fix.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

As usual, I have mixed feelings about a Sunday puzzle. I liked the theme very much and, as CC pointed out, there were several clever clues and above average fill. But entries like Sandalled, ParSec/PSec, Aegises, Hied, Etui, Talismans, etc., plus total unknowns, as clued, like Kea and Norma, were sort of pesky distractions, I have watched every episode of Chicago Med and couldn’t come up with Norma Kuhling if my life depended on it. In all fairness, though, I finished without help because the crosses were fair but it was with a feeling of relief rather than satisfaction. I do like and admire ME’s work but I’m still on the fence about Sunday grids, in general.

Thanks, Mary Ellen, for the sweet theme and thanks, CC, for the wonderfully detailed analysis and for keeping us informed of Boomer’s progress. I admire you both for your strength and tenacity throughout this long and difficult fight. Good luck with the upcoming appointments. 🥰

FLN

Anon T, I take all of your comments with a grain or two of sugar! 🤗

Have a great day

Big Easy said...

No DESERTION today for this puzzle of DESSERTS. It was a rapid fill, aka a PIECE OF CAKE, with very few unknowns for a Sunday. YREKA was a definite unknown. EUREKA, KA & EUREKA Springs, AK I know but not that one.

SHOE and PLATITUDE were filled by perps- unknowns.
NORMA Kuhling- perps for her too.

Only two changes today. STUD to SIRE and IPOD to IPAD.

Best wishes Boomer. I know it's tough sledding.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-ERAS/AGES – Doncha ya just hate it when your first entry is wrong
-New jeans can CHAFE. CHAFF is the part of the sunflower seeds our birds leave in our feeders.
-The feigned camaraderie of network morning TV SUITS some but not me
-SOWED – My wife thinks it’s hilarious that I don’t SOW my radishes but plant them seed by seed
-A FIREBRAND in Nebraska’s Unicameral inspired a “term limit” law that finally ousted him
-I’m a decent TYPIST when I can see the text but not so much when I compose at the keyboard
-NASSER is best remembered for nationalizing the Suez Canal and ending the British AEGEIS over it
-BOTH SIDES NOW – What you see when you go from an employee to an employer
-Thanks for the update, C.C. Boomer has a long row to hoe and he is so lucky to have you!

billocohoes said...

Fastest Sunday in a while, if not ever.

A CAR COAT is a (usually men's) dress coat shorter than a full overcoat, so there isn't as much material under your seat and on the floor when you sit in a car.

ATLGranny said...

A super Sunday FIR that filled smoothly until my first WO at peen/CLAW. Two more at stud/SIRE and lol/NOT, so the bottom section was a little slower but ultimately FIR. I had a learning moment at AEGISES where I tried to fit in "legacies." And the theme was a winner today. Thanks for the fun, MaryEllen!

Thanks to C.C. for an excellent review and for the update on Boomer's progress and your busy schedule. It's good you are hearing positive feedback. Glad to hear taping your cracked fingers helps. Warmer weather is on the way, too.

Speaking of weather, I learned about the warmth and convenience of CAR COATS while growing up in the Midwest. Not so important in Atlanta. And about the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy," I want to mention that I enjoyed it so much I went back to see it in the theater two more times taking along family and friends who hadn't seen it yet.

Have a super Sunday, you all!

CrossEyedDave said...

My experience echoed Subgenius@6:54

Never heard of Taskrabbit,
sounds very useful. I tried it out
Typing in "remove coconuts" which was followed by an address request.
When I typed in my address they replied "not in your area."
(Maybe I should have specified coconut removal "from trees...")

"Grange" elicited a vague memory of a whodunnit movie way back when
(English, of course)
Where in order to find out "whodunnit " the only clue was a delivered newspaper
With a badly written "Grange" written on it.
The detectives had to decipher where this paper was del8vered to
Identify the whodunnit. But they thought it read, "garage " until the reveal
When they realized it was "grange."

Anyone remember this old English movie?

Anyone who can figure out this whodunnit will win an unjust dessert...

The Gods must be crazy
is a must see documentary style comedy.

here is the intro

Which will set up my next link

Cont...

CrossEyedDave said...

Cont...

Here is a continuation of The Gods Must Be Crazy intro
that explains the Coke Bottle reference,
and possibly every evil we have experienced since we were cast out of Eden...

What follows is a hilarious movie about a mans' mission to throw
An evil off the edge of the Earth. On the way we encounter
Fire stomping rhinos
Tree climbing Jeeps
And other absurdities that we probably deserve.

CrossEyedDave said...

Oh dear,
I had to cut the above post short,
as I could not find the entire movie free online
for you to watch, which I was going to post with
The admonition that if you did not watch it, I would
Post clips (up to my 5 posts allowed) daily and say
It was your "just desserts..."

Anywho,

here is a temperamental Land Rover with an inept driver
Which is just a small part of throwing this "evil" off the end of the earth.

Note,
I am trying to find a clip where he actually throws
The coke bottle off the end of the earth, but I keep finding
Silly stuff (crap?) to post.

waseeley said...

Thank you MaryEllen for a SWEET Sunday FIR.

And thank you C.C. for your delicious explanation. And also for keeping us up to date with Boomer's progress. He is one courageous man, married to an equally courageous woman.

A few favs:

20A YREKA. I always thought this was spelled EUREKA, as in the sound a miner makes when discovering a rich LODE. Clever of those new YREKA GALLERY owners.

21A SHOE. I always thought this quote came from Shakespeare, but apparently there are other possibilities.

27A DESERTION. Had ERS -> ING -> ION.

44A SEINE. "English" was a nice piece of indirection. A CSO to a constructor to clue AVON with "River to La Manche".

91A CLAW. PEEN didn't perp.

104A GODS. This is one of the funniest movies in the world. I think I've seen itnat least six times. CSO to Jinx - with two of us touting it somebody is bound to watch it.

105A MELBA. Named for the great Australian opera diva Nellie Melba. Here another great diva, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a New Zealander, pays tribute to her. Te Kanawa, who portrayed Melba in Downtown Abbey, celebrates her birthday on March 6, TODAY!

15D PARSEC and 79D PSEC. The first is a very large amount of distance and the second is a very small amount of time.

39D BOTH. Mitchell is one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and I include her as a peer of BOTH Schubert and Schumann. And they didn't write their own lyrics!

64D FACE. St. Jerome was also a Biblical scholar, who translated the Bible into Latin, the "lingua Franca" of his day. He is also famous for the quote "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ".

77D NIN. Nin's diary pairs with 51A SMUT and 84D PORN, but it's pretty tame by today's standards.

97D COBWEBS. Always thought that these formed spontaneously from dust particles, but apparently they're just dusty old spider webs, whose owners have moved out.

105D MARKS. A CSO to Misty, Yellowrocks and Lucina.

Cheers,
Bill

waseeley said...

Word of the Day irredenta

Pronunciation: ir-rê-dent-ê

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: A population of people belonging to one culture under the political domination of another.

Notes: Today's Word is an odd little fellow that looks like the plural of a Latin word, like datum : data, medium : media. Well, it isn't. It is a singular noun with a normal plural, irredentas. But it comes as no surprise that the noun derived from irredenta, irredentist, is an oddity too. An irredentist is not a member of an irredenta, but someone who believes that irredentas should be reunited with the nation sharing the same culture with them.

In Play: Perhaps the most famous irredentist military attack under the guise of redeeming an irredenta was Hitler's invasion of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia that started World War II. Hitler's excuse was to reunite the Sudeten German populations there with Germany. Before the war in Kosovo (former Yugoslavia), Kosovans were mostly an Albanian irredenta in Yugoslavia. Now that Kosovo is independent, the Serbian minority in Kosovo is becoming the irredenta.

Word History: Today's word and its usage came from the Italian phrase Italia irredenta "unredeemed Italy" and referred to those areas inhabited by Italians in other countries, such as Trieste, Corsica, and Dalmatia.

For more info see Word of the Day

Bill's comment: Apparently this is what Putin plans for Ukraine, but he will inevitably spawn myriads of IRREDENTISTS.

CrossEyedDave said...

Okaaay,

I can't find a decent clip
Of where he throws the "evil" off
The end of the Earth, so, here is a clip
with a truly terrifying alternate ending.
(Just fast forward the 1st two minutes...)

Wilbur Charles said...

How about "Illini great Red " for 36D

Just kidding was NOT lol

Easier than most as UNKs perped

WC

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

"Your Sunday Visitor" 😇

Just Lurking..and bragging..including today got Wordle in the second line 3 days in a row. 😊 (I look around and start with a random word with 2 vowels and sensible consonants, not the same word each time or ADIEU, more interesting that way)

I've never seen a triangular brownie mentioned in the write up. Aren't they by consensus square or rectangle? 😄. Italians in Trieste are living in Italy. It's the capital of the Italian regione (state) with the odd name Friuli Venezia-Giulia. (I have a cousin from there). Odder is the fact that the other Venezia (Venice) is the capital of a different regione..Veneto. End of the lezione di Geografia 😉

Speaking of Geography (We are?)

62. Canada's most populous prov.: ONT.

With apologies to Canada Eh'....

Jim Gaffigan's "The Map of Canada"

Keep on truckin' Boomer and stay hydrated.👍

Misty said...

Fun Sunday puzzle, Maryellen--with lots of tough long items but also lots of manageable stuff. Perfect for a Sunday, many thanks. And always appreciate your helpful write-up, C.C., and it's nice to get the update on Boomer. What a brave couple you are, working through this tough time so well. We all admire you both.

I was sure the Keyboard pro was going to be a PIANIST, but didn't work. Oh, TYPIST--that kind of keyboard. But ASPS and ASSETS helped with that corner.

Love Joni Mitchell's "BOTH Sides Now." It'll buzz in my head all day.

Never heard of YREKA. Here, in California?

ETUI comes up a lot in puzzles--great help.

My toughest word which I didn't get until the very last minute of solving was BEACHES for that 'Resort attraction." I must be an idiot, since I live in Laguna BEACH, and all I have to do is look down the hill to see the BEACHES. But I haven't been to a resort in a couple decades now, so that may be why it didn't occur to me.

Still, lots of fun--thanks again, everybody.
And continue to have a great weekend.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Speaking of Beaches. We were looking for a place to spend spring break April 18 - 22 with the kids and grandkids. My daughter still feels she doesn't want to fly (Eastern Massachusetts). So we chose a place within driving distance, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We are both about 6 hours drive from there heading south.

Anyone been?

Jerry S said...

IMHO don’t wait on the lift chair.
My dad didn’t think he needed one but when he finally got one, he LOVED it!
Made life easier for him.
I was so happy!

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you bMary Ellen Uthlaut for a long and challenging Sunday puzzle, that I enjoyed very much, puns and all....!!

Thank you CC for a long and detailed review, which cleared up a few doubts I had.
My prayers and hopes every night always include both of you, and I hope dear Boomer will continue to recover, and lead a better life.
Hopefully, this too, shall pass..

I could make out some of the themes and the food related entries, once I got a toehold, and after an hour I was able to complete it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Regarding cracked fingers tips and joints, I remember a Neutrogena balm/cream, but I could not find it on Google.

For repair of cracked skin and cuts in joints .....
I have extensively .... used a product called NEW SKIN ..... which works wonders, ... especially in healing the cuts and wounds,

It is a viscous fluid that you 'Paint ON' with the brush that is included in the bottle ...
It is like a tincture of Iodine/Benzoin / MercuryChrome ( very old) ... that also has a silicone coating that is quick drying ...

It is an antiseptic that also coats your fingers, skin etc., with a water proof coating to keep away moisture and especially bacteria .....
but you have to tape it with some wide non-latex, cloth, Band Aids for a couple of days, and avoid washing your hands ....( wear gloves etc.)

I have 5 bottles of the above in my medicine cabinet.

Have a great weekend everybody,
Onto easy Monday tomorrow !!!

Anonymous T said...

Sunday Lurk say...

Leave it to D-O to start our day with Lehrer. I'm loving it.

IM - so, um, no hard feelings, eh? :-) #Loveya!

Jinx, CED, waseeley, & ATLGranny - as a young lad left to my own devices (and HBO), I saw The Gods Must Be Crazy.
It took me years to a) remember the name of the movie b) explain to folks why it was so funny. And, I'm forever warp'd.

Boomer - you're rebounding that ball like a pro. I knows you'll keep at it.
Love to you Bro.

C.C. - I have a fear of mechanical chairs. I think it's 'cuz I got caught up in Gramps' when I was ~6.
If one was looking on, they'd have laughed their butt off but I was stuck up to my knees in the foot rest with my face on the floor.
// A bit o' wisdom: do not pretend / use the foot-rest as a diving board. Even if you're watching Summer Olympics.
You're welcome.

Cheers, -T

waseeley said...

MOI @11:15 AM Apology to CrossEyedDave for leaving him out of my CSO to Jinx for his touting of "The Gods Must be Crazy". Now we have 3 TGMBC evangelists. You won't regret it folks!

CanadianEh! said...

Superb Sunday. Thanks for the fun, Mary Ellen and C.C. (Thanks for the Boomer update. Continued thoughts and prayers for both of you.)
I required P& P for this CW, but with one red-letter correction, I finished.
The desserts were great, but I had to add A before BOWL OF CHERRIES, and my BROWNIEs are square (hi Ray-o).
I thought of Easy as PIE but easy was in the clue.
The British (Queen Elizabeth II is an example) are known for PEACHES AND CREAM complexions. The moist weather perhaps.

I shared 7 of the 10 rewrites that Jinx stated. I’ll spare you the three that I filled correctly from the start.
Like Misty, I tried to fit Pianist into the spot for TYPIST.
I smiled at TEE and TEA. We had ARR at the airport, but ETAS were Greek letters today.
SNAKE and ASPS had a dupe in the clueing.

I’ll take the CSO for ONT. Ray-o- thanks for the laughs with that MAP OF CANADA link. (Did you notice the non-native pronunciation of Toronto?)

Wishing you all a great day.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

PEACHES AND CREAM? 🍑

I prefer

PEACHES AND HERB!! 🎶🕺🎸

TXMs said...

This was a fun run compared to last Friday’s (“actress Dash”? and "bassy”?!). Hand up for quickly jotting ERAS bf AGES. CARCOAT – hadn’t heard that term used since the late 50’s-early 60’s. Billocohoes @9:40a succinctly gave the explanation; I heard the term used for women’s coats, but then again, what 10-yo girl is interested in men’s fashions? Gone by the wayside like the lap shawls used when riding in horse-drawn carriages. Fav clue: “spider network” for cobWEB. Per today’s Houston Chronicle, Looking Back on today's date: “1912: Oreo sandwich cookies were first introduced by the National Biscuit Company.” OREO also was an answer in the NYT c/w published today in the HC.

Boomer and C.C: After reading your past appointments (full day at the VA!), I’m amazed at your stamina. And yes, the chemo is working as evidenced by the scan and tests! As the dear Splynter used to close with ~onward~!

TXMs said...

Ray-O, Enjoyed the Peaches and Herb clip - blast from the past! thx

Malodorous Manatee said...

A sweet puzzle today solved by Valerie with a roughly a half-dozen consultations. Thanks for the update on Boomer, CC. Now it's time to continue to solve another puzzle: How to fit three adults, luggage, two sets of ski gear, two cats (and all of their paraphernalia), wine, food, whisky, a couple of appliances, and assorted other stuff into/on top of a small SUV for a thousand mile drive. I know, I am very lucky. There are far more serious problems.

Jayce said...

I enjoyed this puzzle despite its quirks. Quirks such as TALISMANS (hi desper-otto), SANDALLED, and the plural AEGISES. Loved the clues for COW, SEINE, KNOB, BUSHES, COYOTE, and CREATION. I briefly re-lived my feelings of fear of MRI scans when I saw Tranquilizes: SEDATES. Timely that ODESSA would be in a puzzle. I stubbornly held on to TEFLON for too long before the crosses finally changed my mind and ENAMEL it became.

Good wishes to you all and for Boomer's health.

Anonymous said...

First post after making use of your wares for many years. Thanks for ending many frustrating Sunday puzzles for me. This was my best finish in months. But I am driven to write because of Boomer. My husband and I have been in a similar situation for 3 years now and my heart and prayers go out to you both.
Sandy4

Malodorous Manatee said...

Hi, Sandy4!

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

TMXs @ 4:50

That song is the epitome and came at the height of the Disco movement.

Now if I could just find that red suit in my size. 🤔

TXMs said...

Ray-O, I'm sure all of us would love to chip in some $ for your flashy red suit, but only with a promise that you'd post your disco vid here for our enjoyment.

Michael said...

HuskerG @ 9:24:

"CHAFF is the part of the sunflower seeds our birds leave in our feeders."

CHAFF is also the name for the aluminum strips dropped by aircraft to spoof and confuse ground radar in air defense.

Michael said...

Waseeley @ 11:15:

"20A YREKA. I always thought this was spelled EUREKA, as in the sound a miner makes when discovering a rich LODE. "

That's because there are both a YREKA and a EUREKA in California ... YREKA is a few miles north oof WEED, CA.