Theme: "Major League Divisions" - Eight different teams bookend the theme entries.
23. Groups for aspiring grandmasters: CHESS CLUBS. Cubs.
25. Vocalists who combine musical styles: RAP SINGERS. Rangers.
37. Weekend trips for two, e.g.: ROMANTIC GETAWAYS. Rays.
66. Frequent changes of direction: TWISTS AND TURNS. Twins.
73. Films that may follow a band on tour: ROCKUMENTARIES. Rockies. The only one-word entry. I just could not find a multi-word candidate.
101. Well-balanced people?: TIGHTROPE WALKERS. Tigers.
119. Unusual sorts: RARE BREEDS. Reds.
122. Music festival setups: MERCH TENTS. Mets.
I originality had a set of all National League teams, but two of the entries (GINGER PLANTS and PIECE RATES) were not quite solid, so I came up with this new set of 4 AL teams and 4 NL teams.
Patti redid the 37-, 38- and 57-Down area, here's my original grid. I think I know the problem. Can you guess why?
Some of you may not know this: Patti has been the editor for the Crossword Club for many years. She also constructed many Sunday grids herself. She has a keen eye for clue/answer dupes. As you can see from my write-up below, she caught a few of my goofs.
Across:
6. Country where Inca Kola originated: PERU. Guessable even if you don't know the answer, right?
 |
10. Remy's brother in "Ratatouille": EMILE.
15. Brahma and Vishnu: GODS.
19. Pungent: ACRID.
20. John of "Coming 2 America": AMOS.
21. Chart a new course for: REMAP.
22. Samoa's biggest city: APIA.
27. Pump part: HEEL.
28. Selling points: ASSETS.
30. Govt. prosecutors: DAS.
31. Elsie Fisher's "Despicable Me" voice role: AGNES. Shout-out to our dear Agnes.
32. Sign gas: NEON.
34. CBS News correspondent Barnett: ERROL. My original clue is [Documentarian Morris]. See how it partially dupes the 73A entry? Patti caught it!
36. Hardly holy: EVIL.
43. National Organ Donor Day mo.: FEB.
45. Steer clear of: EVADE.
46. Test prep giant: KAPLAN.
47. Neglected to mention: OMITTED.
50. "Kapow!": BAM.
51. Knightley of "Colette": KEIRA. Colette wrote "Gigi".
53. Website subunits: PAGES.
55. __ Fridays: TGI.
56. Clerical vestments: ALBS.
58. Kissing in a crowd, say: PDA. Public Display of Affection. When I grew up, couples did not even hold hands in public.
59. Poland Spring competitor: DASANI. From Coca-Cola.
62. "Let me put it this way ... ": I MEAN.
64. Swedish autos: SAABS.
69. Drain nuisance: CLOG. I've learned to comb my hair before I take a shower.
71. Starts a pot: ANTES.
72. Purrfect Delicacies brand: IAMS.
78. Chrome or silver: METAL.
81. Clear the board: ERASE.
82. One millionth of a meter: MICRON.
83. Garlic paste amt.: TSP.
85. __ musubi: meat-and-rice snack: SPAM. Wrapped with nori of course.
87. ESPN broadcaster Shriver: PAM.
88. Forge worker: SMITH.
90. Taquería bowlful: SALSA.
92. Gp. with a tour: PGA. The PGA Tour. They might lose Phil Mickelson.
93. Woke up late: SLEPT IN.
95. __ waist: EMPIRE.
98. Item that's made to measure: RULER.
100. Garment with hooks: BRA.
105. Land division: ACRE.
107. "Wonderwall" Britpop band: OASIS. Not familiar with the song. I used the desert clue.
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108. Lopsided victory: ROUT.
109. Sticky-footed lizard: GECKO.
111. Topological abbr.: MTN.
112. Audio interference: STATIC.
116. In __ of: LIEU.
124. "I hate to break up __": A SET.
125. To any extent: AT ALL.
126. "Pearls" Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. No other way to clue this entry.
127. Flared dress style: A-LINE.
128. Topiary evergreens: YEWS. Pretty.
129. Many a Twitch streamer: GAMER.
130. "Ain't happening": NOPE.
131. Navajo Nation tablelands: MESAS.
Down:
2. Tiger Balm target: ACHE.
3. Bright African snake: GREEN MAMBA. Venomous!
4. Send down the wrong path: MISLEAD.
5. Show stoppers?: ADS.
6. Chums: PALS.
7. Fast-running birds: EMUS.
8. Spa wrap: ROBE.
9. One of the largest tenants of Pittsburgh's tallest building: US STEEL. I wrote "the largest". Patti fact-checked!
10. Make a blunder: ERR.
11. Place for a lark: MEADOW.
12. Antelope whose name means "gazelle" in Zulu: IMPALA.
13. Highlands girl: LASS.
14. Prefix with center: EPI.
15. Present presented for fun: GAG GIFT.
16. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message from Birmingham Jail, for one: OPEN LETTER.
17. Desperate: DIRE.
18. Smart talk: SASS.
24. "__ win 'em all": CAN'T.
26. Pt. of USNA: NAV.
29. Mlle., in Managua: SRTA.
33. Short race, for short: ONE-K. And
35. Did a 33-Down, say: RAN. Close cross-reference by Patti.
36. "Hanna" actress Creed-Miles: ESME. Another "Hanna" star is Mireille ENOS. So happy with the new clue opportunities for these two entries.
37. Country star McEntire: REBA.
38. Cameo shapes: OVALS.
39. "Just joking!": I KID.
40. Unit in gemology: CARAT.
41. College application fig.: GPA.
42. Tantra specialist: YOGINI.
44. Kicked off: BEGAN.
48. "Am I the only one?": IS IT ME.
49. Loud noises: DINS.
52. Dr Teal's Pure __ Salt: EPSOM. I like the one with Vitamin C. Smells amazing.
53. So yesterday: PASSE.
54. Actress de la Reguera: ANA.
57. Stats for NFL defensive linemen: SACKS.
59. Tunisian currency: DINAR.
60. Four-footed Jetson: ASTRO.
61. Beer garden mug: STEIN.
63. Necessities: MUSTS.
65. Toni Morrison's "The __ Eye": BLUEST.
67. Timepiece: WATCH.
68. Softens, as sound: DAMPS.
70. Sign of spring: GEMINI. I had "Twins in the sky", which duped the key team TWINS.
73. Powerlifter's units: REPS.
74. Maker of Glide floss: ORAL B.
75. People who take the shots: CAMERA CREW.
76. Minor quibble: NIT.
77. Unblinking look: STARE.
79. Fruit-flavored cocktails: APPLETINIS.
80. Golden brew: LAGER.
84. Whole lot: SLEW.
86. Land of Opportunity?: MARS. Capitalized O.
89. Tiny arachnid: MITE.
90. Tentative taste: SIP.
91. "The Good Dinosaur" dinosaur: ARLO.
94. Sugar holders: PACKETS. Boomer can't have sugar or fake sugar
or coffee tomorrow morning to prep for the surgery. Water is OK though.
The tough part is no ibuprofen or Oxycodone for 5 days before surgery.
95. UFO beings: ETS.
96. Diagnostic pics: MRIS.
97. "Please Mr. __": POSTMAN.
99. Tiki bar instrument: UKULELE.
102. Pep rally shout: GO TEAM.
103. Pump part: HANDLE.
104. Curved structure: ARCH.
106. "Catastrophe" writer/star Delaney: ROB. Not familiar with him. I used [Rip off].
109. Slate-colored: GRAY.
110. Smooth sailing: EASE.
111. Parent company of Facebook: META.
113. Sleek, in car lingo: AERO.
114. Take a tumble: TRIP.
115. Slushy treat: ICEE.
117. Europe's tallest volcano: ETNA.
118. Puts into play: USES.
120. Cleaning cloth: RAG.
121. Canon choice, briefly: SLR.
123. Cap with a toorie: TAM.
We had a busy week: X-ray on Monday morning, then meeting with the orthopedic doctor, who said a surgery was needed. Then we visited Boomer's new oncologist, who postponed all of his cancer treatments until early June. He might try a new oral chemo on Boomer.
We
went back to the VA for more procedures to prep for the surgery:
meeting with the anesthesiologist, an EKG test, meeting with the pre-op
nurse, registering for the pre-admission, one more CT scan to see if there are bad cells in his left shoulder area. Pretty exhausting, but Boomer handled them well.
We're checking in tomorrow morning at 7:30am for Boomer's surgery at the VA hospital in Minneapolis. They'll put a metal ball inside his left shoulder.
 |
| VA Ortho, 5/9/2022 |
FIWrong. It's Sunday, so only one error.
ReplyDeleteMisspelt EPSOn, and didn't notice it changed the perp to gibberish.
Got the theme with the first themer I uncovered, CUBS, and confirmed by RANGERS.
There was a young miss from PERU,
Who didn't know just what to do.
"I know, since I'm INCA,
That something goes inta'
Later something comes out the wazoo!"
I think E.T.S come here all the time,
Because our fashion designers are so prime!
On the runways, for years,
Styles deserve only jeers,
But they'd align with an alien A-LINE!
{B+, B+.}
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteYay, no third DNF today. Had the circles. Forgot to look at 'em. But everything filled nicely, and no Wite-Out was required. YOGINI was a learning moment. Do you suppose they drink APPLETINIS? Thanx, C.C.² for a nice Sunday diversion. Best wishes to Boomer on tomorrow's surgery. (Metal ball in the shoulder sounds like a Revolutionary War wound.)
FIR despite my dislike for puzzles with circles. Had an almost mishap when I misspelled "gecko" with an "I ", and couldn't make heads or tails out of "camerairew". The light bulb finally lit up and I saw the light.
ReplyDeleteMontana here.
ReplyDeleteIf a puzzle has been created by CC, I can solve it, no matter the day. No problems today. I didn’t get the theme.
Thanks for what you do and for keeping us informed about Boomer.
Good health to you both.
Montana
FIR, but erased avoid for EVADE.
ReplyDeleteI had already printed out CC's USA Today puzzle, but idly dropped by the LAT site to see who today's constructor was. I saw CC's byline and knew it would be fun, so I did this one first. Glad I did.
Never heard of an EMPIRE waist, but I know nothing of fashion. For that matter, I know that a 12-hook model is a no-nonsense BRA, but what do you call a BRA that has only 2 hooks? A nonsense BRA? (I'd just call it "an easy-opening container".)
I didn't know PAM Shriver was a broadcaster, but I remember her from her tennis career.
STATIC made me thing of Steely Dan's masterpiece "FM" (no STATIC at all), which included members of the Eagles singing backup. Written for a movie by the same name, "FM" was excluded from their fantastic album "Aja", one of my ATFs.
I first thought of "Please Mr. Spaceman" by The Byrds, and only sorta remember "Please Mr. Postman", which, like The King's "Return to Sender", was a little before my time.
Gas gauge (and other analog meter) designers DAMP them to reduce oscillation effects like the sloshing of gas in the tank.
TRIPping will get you 2 minutes in the "sin bin" in the NHL. My Capitals can now take a nice, long summer break, while my other favorite team (Carolina Hurricanes) must toil on, having dispatched the Boston Bitcoins (at least that's what their emblem looks like) in game 7.
Thanks to CC for the unexpected opportunity to return to a Sunday LAT puzzle, and for reviewing your own work. "Metal ball" made me think of a dance where Iron Maiden might play. Best wishes to Boomer tomorrow.
Thanks, C.C., for a fun and doable puzzle. I didn't know "Meta" was the parent company of Facebook, but other than that had few problems. FIR, so I'm satisfied.
ReplyDeleteC.C. hit one out of the park today. I looked at the circles as I got to the bottom and noticed the ML team names. MERCH TENTS- never heard that term but it was an easy guess. No problems with the usual smattering of unknown proper names and an unknown clue & fill- Tantra and YOGINI. I thought it might be plural of 'tantrum'.
ReplyDeleteEMPIRE waist is a new term for me; perps.
SPAM musubi- perps
EMILE, OASIS, AGNES. ERROL, KEIRA, ESME, ANA, ARLO dinosaur, ROB- perps for those proper name fills
SAABS- should be clued like Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths, and Mercuries. No longer made.
"Land of Opportunity"- Arkansas didn't fit but MARS did.
126. "Pearls" Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. No other way to clue this entry. I only know of her filling crosswords but ARIE LUYENDYK won the INDY 500 twice.
Good luck Boomer.
A Sunday FIW, sigh, due to lack of attention or erratic proofreading. I had PAt instead of PAM and didn't notice the problems that caused with the perp. The beginning part, CATER, sounded good but I should have looked between it and CREW. Sunday puzzles take longer and I get in a hurry, unfortunately. But hey, it's a C.C. double header! How special to do her puzzle and get the constructor comments as well! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that some of the changes Patti made beside eliminating the dupes were changing to current culture references, the very thing that makes puzzles harder for older puzzlers and gets the most negative reactions.
Best wishes for Boomer's surgery in the morning. Hope it helps his arm heal and reduces problems for him in the future. Thanks for the update, C.C. My thoughts will be with you all this busy week.
Empire dresses were the distinctive styles worn by Jane Austen women characters in movies I've seen so I was familiar with the term.
Hope you all have a satisfying Sunday!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI’ll bet CC had a ball (pun intended) constructing this paean to her beloved sport. The title and the circles left no doubt about the theme, so the solve was as smooth as silk. My only nit is the absence of my Yankees. My only w/o was Iguna/Gecko but there were plenty of unknowns, as clued, as usual for a Sunday grid: Emile, Agnes, Errol, Esme, Ana, Rob, Arlo, Oasis, and the truly unknown, Yogini. We had several fun pairings with Bam/Pam/Spam, Ruler/Empire, Ache/Acre, Trip/Sip, Rob/Robe, Mtn/Etna, Lass/Tam, and GPA/PGA. Best of all was the Easter Egg of Astro. Also, there were only 24 three letter words which is an impressive feat for a Sunday grid. CSOs to Lucina and Moe (Mesas), Lucina (Salsa and Srta), Alan (Reba), Ray O and Inanehiker (MRIs), and the Golfing Gang (PGA).
Thanks, CC, for the puzzle and the write-up. Your theme was clever and well-executed and just right for a leisurely Sunday solve. Thanks, also for the CSO. Best wishes to Boomer for tomorrow’s surgery. He looks raring’ to go in that photo!
FLN
Bill W, I’m an avid Silkie fan and I miss his presence very much, as I have often mentioned. It’s been several years since we’ve seen his byline but what I remember and what I liked about his puzzles was that the difficulty in solving them was far outweighed by the satisfaction in completing them. He was a master at devious, devilish, and misleading cluing but his grids were clean and free of obscure, esoteric trivia. He provided just enough “easy” entries for you to get a foothold and then be able to chip away here and chip away there until you FIR. I think doing his puzzles was the beginning of the usage of P and P, (Patience and Perseverance), as they usually required plenty of both, but were well worth it, IMO.
Ray O, loved the lake photo. Tranquility personified.
Have a great day.
Just lurkin' 🥸
ReplyDeleteReady to start our Sunday papers 2 week old NYT
C C: your OASIS clue was more realistic...it's not a Saturday puzzle
YOGINI: Boo-Boo bear's original name ? 😆
Boomer, sound like you're heading for a left shoulder replacement. Folks I know who've had these have had great results. 👍
Thanks, C.C., for the puzzle, the recap, and especially the update. Hoping all goes as well as possible tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning.
ReplyDeleteI said I wasn't going to do anything today until I finished this puzzle. Better than baseball.
C.C., thank you for both the creation and the tour. I really enjoyed it. No lookups--just patient returns to the blanks. Enough trouble to please me when I found the solves. Once I got going, I forgot about the circles and the theme. Added fun.
Best wishes for tomorrow. Prayers all around from me. It will be a sunny day.
Well, waddaya know? I took one look at this massive CW and thought, "Oh, I'm sunk! I'm not gonna even try." But a second look revealed C.C. as constructor, I decided to give it a try afterall, and managed to FIR in 56 minutes. The ONLY reason it took so long was the SIZE of the CW: 21x21. The fill itself seemed to flow nicely, even with many DNKs: AMOS, AGNES, KAPLAN, ESME and EMPIRE. I couldn't figure out what EMPIRE had to do with WAIST, partially because dopey me was thinking WASTE [DOH!!] instead of WAIST, but even had I been thinking clearly, know NOTHING about fashion, so STILL wouldn't have known. W/Os: RARERBIRDS:RAREBREEDS, MAGNA:MAGMA, YOGIST:YOGINI. I got the theme immediately; knowing it was C.C. helped with that. Thanx C.C., for a Sunday CW I was actually able to do, and ENJOY doing, not struggle the entire time. And thanx too for the outstanding write-up. Best wishes, of course, to Boomer for his surgery, and with his medical issues. Do keep us all posted, please.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-IS IT just ME or was this a fun Sunday puzzle?
-Our town was the home of SPAM for years and I struggled with it.
-Land of Opportunity = Mars? Go NASA! Jay and the Americans sang, “Only in America, Land of opportunity”
-REMAP – If I ERR and miss a turn, Siri beeps and shows U-turns
-It has taken a lot of cwd’s to get vowel-rich APIA in my vocabulary. However, having learned Salinger’s ESME and All Nippon Airways was not helpful today
-Last week I enjoyed Kiera in this role as Alan Turig’s colleague and sotra wife
-That makes me 1,750,000 MICRONS tall
-The ISS flies at MACH 25, twenty-five times the speed of sound
-I never understood the humor of a GAG GIFT that immediately goes into the trash or junk drawer
-I KID – Don Rickles would be out of work today and have protestors at his house
Reading my post I realize I failed to mention that this CW was, as HG said, FUN!! Which (for me) is a very rare event for a Sunday CW. Most, I cannot do....in fact, most I don't even TRY to do. So what a huge treat to have a FUN Sunday CW. Thanx again, C.C.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw CC was the constructor of our Sunday puzzle, I rejoiced. It was Indeed a pleasure to solve. I too remember Silkie puzzles fondly. I loved their difficulty but the satisfaction of solving them anyway.
ReplyDeleteI may have missed it in the comments above but even if that is the case it won't hurt to note the CSO to the Twins in today's puzzle. There are certain folks here to whom it very likely brought a large smile.
ReplyDeleteSunday Lurk say...
ReplyDeleteYou're looking good Boomer! Love the ball-cap.
C.C. - We collaborated on a Sunday puzzle once* - I was so befuddled 'cuz there were so many words! //Cross-checking everything was exhausting.
Tip o' the Hat to Sunday constructors.
BTW - if I were given the early draft I'd have gone 'humm?' at ASTRO - Baseball is the theme and there's a bonus for Houston.
Patti served you well on OASIS (they were supposed to be the next Beatles but were a flash in the pan). Who's clue is "Land of Opportunity?" Even after reading the answer it took a MICRO sec to LOL.
{B+, B+} //nice use of slang
FLN / today: 1st, thanks C, Eh! for filling-in waseeley re: Barry Silk. IM, today, yes! When I finally conquered 2 Silkies I felt I was on par with The Cornerites. //even though y'all get Birdies every week ;-)
ATLGranny - Don't we do puzzles to keep our mind nimble? Yes, I too am out of my element with A&E post 2002 [when Youngest was born :-)] but learning the 'new' keeps me young at heart.
HG - re: ISS's orbit / MACH: In space there sound to compare it to? ;-)
//My suspension of disbelief in sci-fi movies ends when a scene showed a spaceship "banking" as if there was air...
Jinx - Great music references. I'll link Steely Dan [I saw Jeff Baxter at a private gig in Vegas - CEO of a high-tech security co. was buddies with him and he sat in for an after hours hacker party where the CEO lead the 'dad band'].
Oh, and LOL Bra. DW let me 'practice' the snaps on hers. I can now do a 3-clasp with one snap :-)
Y'all have a wonderful afternoon.
Cheers, -T
*Johnny Dangerously.
Thank you Zhouqin for a delightful Sunday puzzle, with an easily sussed theme*, just right cluing, lots of sparkly fill, and a generous helping of P&P with fair perps on the side - a perfect recipe for a FIR, thus extending my streak to two.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you C.C. for your incisive analysis. I'll bet you're getting inside info from the constructor. And thank you for keeping us up to date on your indomitable hubby, for whom we pray daily (and you too!)
Some favorites:
1A MAGMA. If it doesn't make it to the top it has to settle for becoming an intrusive IGNEOUS ROCK, e.g. Granite. They're very shy.
36A EVIL. Not the motor cycle dare devil, but the real thing.
73A ROCKUMENTARIES. The trailer for the Greatest of All Time: This is Spinal Tap (rated PG).
101A TIGHTROPE WALKING. Not recommended if you really are TIGHT. Or wearing a tight 100A.
119 RARE BREEDS. You run into a lot of them in these here parts.
1D MACH. Actually I think the 73A trailer might be a MACHUMENTARY.
Cheers,
Bill
* Leaving out the "O's" didn't hurt my feelings C.C., as they're not doing so hot this season.
ReplyDeleteThank you, C.C., for the puzzle, the write-up, and most of all the Boomer update. Prayers continue for you both.
-T @1:18 PM Johnny Dangerously reminded me of the Britbox series "The Last Detective", based on the "Dangerous Davies" crime novels. If Davies looks familiar, you might know him as Dr. Who #5, Peter Davison (pre-Y2K).
ReplyDeleteThis was a steady solve - once I had the CUBS portion of CHESS CLUBS filled out then the theme answers went quickly; once I had a few of the first or last letters I could fill in the team and get a leg up on the rest of those answers. CC included all 4 of the teams that only have 4 letters in their team names; conveniently there are 2 in the National League and 2 in the American League.
ReplyDeleteEMPIRE Waist was probably much easier for the women solvers- dresses with an EMPIRE Waist are some of the most comfortable sundresses and popular wedding dresses.
We sometimes have groups at the holidays bring a GAG GIFT- usually a white elephant not anything bought. One person opens and then the next can either take that person's gift or open a new one. One year it was a group of couples and everyone brought a wedding gift that they had never used (either because it was ghastly or because they got 4 of them and one of them couldn't be returned - floating candles anyone?) Lots of laughter ensues
Thanks CC for puzzle and blog
Prayers for tomorrow's procedure and peace and good cheer for tonight
Anon-T @ 1:18 PM
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about doing crossword puzzles to keep our minds nimble and will add because they are fun challenges. Learning about new cultural stuff is why we like to spend time with our younger family members and friends, too.
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteNo, Husker Gary - it wasn't just YOU who thought this was both a fun AND solvable puzzle. If the editors are reading these comments, this is JUST what kind of puzzle should be part of the norm, not the exception
Once I saw that C.C. was the constructor, I knew this would be both TIGHT and interesting. No TIGHT ROPE WALK at all. Been awhile since I solved with zero ERRors
Thanks for the fun puzzle and review. And no worries that the teams listed failed to include the PIRATES (my favorite NL team) or the INDIANS (my erstwhile favorite AL team until I heard that they're now known as the GUARDIANS)
Hoping for the best outcome for Boomer tomorrow and going forward
I enjoyed solving this puzzle, which I was able to do without looking anything up. That's the way I like it. And I really did learn some new information that I might actually remember and make use of, such as YOGINI.
ReplyDeleteYep, PERU as the answer for Inca Kola was guessable. I like that.
Because LW watches CBS news, I knew ERROL Barnett. He has an interesting accent.
Our neighbors are from Hawaii and have made musubi for us several times. They don't happen to call it SPAM musubi, just musubi.
I like the fill GREEN MAMBA and the clues for MEADOW and MARS.
A superbly crafted puzzle.
Good wishes to you all.
Boomer and CC Best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteCC I am not a sports fan, but I enjoyed the theme and relative lack of obscure proper names. Learning moment about the RAYS and ROCKIES which must not have existed when I was a kid.
Had MOCKUMENTARIES at first. Anyone else?
Bill Seeley Thanks for the Spinal Tap preview. That is definitely a MOCKUMENTARY! Did you know that it is the only film on IMDB that is rated on a scale of 11 instead of 10. Really.
Here I posed with my friend Ginny at a local MUSIC FESTIVAL MERCH TENT with our psychedelic purchases!
Here I photographed three lovely SRTAs in MANAGUA in front of their bank office.
Learning moments about YOGINI and EMPIRE WAIST. desper-otto Love your YOGINI/APPLETINIS joke! Very familiar with TANTRA as a path to enlightenment through sexual practice. You will see ancient depictions of this practice in Hindu and Buddhist art. But TANTRA actually refers to a wide range of practices.
Wow! A wonderful C.C. Sunday puzzle, along with a wonderful C.C. commentary! Sundays don't get any better than this. The only sadness is that we'll miss Boomer's Monday commentary, but so glad to hear that he's being carefully prepared for his surgery tomorrow, and will pray that it goes well, and that we'll see him back here the following Monday.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm not much of a sports person, I needed help to learn how the circles worked. But in themselves the long answers were fun, even if they were toughies for me.
Liked seeing GODS early on, but except for those clerical ALBS, there wasn't much religion. More would have been helpful, to counteract that EVIL.
We might have had some cars with those Swedish SAABS and an IMPALA, but that turned out not to be a car.
But lots of geography all around and that was great!
Have a good week coming up, everybody!
CC I almost forgot: As a fan of scientific exploration as the highest and most noble human activity, LAND OF OPPORTUNITY clue for MARS was my favorite!
ReplyDeleteThe dawasmaker post @ 4:18 looked phony to me, like maybe a bad AI daemon. Anyone try the link and still have normal computer operation?
ReplyDeleteSPAM is best fried and sliced thinly. Or chopped and put on pizza with pineapple
ReplyDeletePhil's not going to defend at PGA as CC alludes
OASIS clue is prime example of new xwording schtick.. Not that there's anything wrong with that
When I saw the K from SACKS I immediately inked YANK(ies). Messy wo. No Redsox either But that X is hard to clue.
I still don't get the MARS Clue unless it's obvious
I could go A- on #1, Owen
"a 3-clasp with one snap", Alas, too late
I've held back on prayers for Boomer but I'll add them for that surgery. I'll bet he's already done the Monday write-up
WC
I was slowed down by watching my Celtics prevail. Picard, I enjoyed the pix and psychedelic outfit. Btw, there's a series "Reacher" and the villain is Picard
DeleteHi Y'all! Thank you, C.C., for a challenging but enjoyable Sunday. Enjoyed your inside scoop in your expo.
ReplyDeleteCounted 20 unknowns, names or as clued, but managed to perp them with only a few red-letter runs. I actually finished in 8 minutes less than yesterday's puzzle. I came to the computer last night at 11 p.m. to do the puzzle and instead got side tracked to many pictures posted of my grandson's graduation party in another state. When I came to the Corner today, I was astonished to see that it was about a puzzle I had never seen. Boy, did I feel old & silly.
DASANI gave me fits because I knew it but couldn't remember what letter it started with.
Guys, an EMPIRE waist has a belt, seam, or decorative trim just under the bustline and was popular in Napoleon's empire days.
Only GAG GIFT I ever gave was a do-do bird made out of "horse apples" sprayed with plastic. Cute but insulting. Gave it to a brother-in-law who was full of it. He was delighted because he thought it came from someone he admired. He never did find out it was me. Most of the family knew it was me because he had behaved like a horse's patoot to me. They found it hilarious. The women who made and sold those things made a bundle that Christmas.
Best wishes to Boomer for a successful surgery. My brother had that surgery and it has been functionally successful. He's 76. Prayers for both Boomer & C.C. from my house.
WC - we (well NASA/JPL) sent the rover, Opportunity, to Mars.
ReplyDelete//Spam on pizza? You're one sick human being ;-)
Jinx - I've not had time to put the link in a sandbox but, yeah, a bot for sure.
Fun pix, Picard!
waseeley - Funny, I watched a Millennial react to This is Spinal Tap last night. //I couldn't sleep and YouTube pop'd it up.
LOL GAG gift PK!
Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteThank YOu CC for a very nice and doable Sunday puzzle, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I did and finished it this mornig, but I could not post my llittle letter ot he blog, because of some important things that had to be done ASAP.
Prayers and Best Wishes for Boomer's surgery tomorrow. I hope Boomer gets a respite from all the pain after this procedure, and all.
I did not know Yogini, I have heard of and met some female Yogis, but never referred to them as Yoginis.... As CC wrote, Yogi is generally gender neutral.... One who lives by practicing yoga, and living by its tenets....
One of my friends, an anesthia guy's wife name is Yogita ... but I think that has a different root, etymology, .... and meaning.
I read Picard's comment on Tantric Sex ... and the first time I had ever heard of it. It sounds interesting, beneficial and helpful for young people to practice that ... Unfort I am waay too old to even think of such esoteric things.... ;-)
Tantra ... a whole collection of Mantras ?? Mantra meaning a chant or repetttion of some sacred verses, ... they are supposed to help you after so many chantings get absorbed in your brain ...
Actually Tantra or Tantric practice is one of the spirituality of Buddhist and Hinduism teachings. I dont want tMI, so I'll stop right here.
Have a great week ahead, all u=you all, and Good Luck Boomer !!!
Late as usual — this time because of baseball; went to St. Louis for birthday weekend.
ReplyDeleteLoved the baseball theme!
Aero as cartalk was new to me.
Another Arie is Selinger of volleyball fame.
Only think of mathematics with topological — a quick search yielded no usage as synonym for topographical …