TITLE: Not OK, just O.
Jeffrey Wechsler is back! So is standard puzzle symmetry! I am happy to be blogging another puzzle from one of the LAT's masters.
Happy first Friday puzzle of June and the blend of the past and the future. A letter removal puzzle which is certainly a common Friday approach, but ramped up by the extensive wit and wisdom of our friend JW. For anyone wondering if his work would be part of the new order, here is a hint that a fun nicely put together puzzle will always be part of the LAT world. I for one cannot imagine the LAT without Jeffrey
Before the theme we have some other fun words, LENDERS, LESOTHO, NO MERCY, PARASOL, SCRIMPS, TREATED, WATERED, POOH POOH and VARIABLE. We also have much new stuff, so let us get to solving.
The themers:
20A. Medic with an office at Fisherman's Wharf?: THE DOC
25A. Leaders inclined to work as a group?: BLOC
When I think of BLOCKHEADS I think of Gumby the 1956 clay animation star who had a primary sidekick Pokey, a talking orange pony. He also had nemeses, the G and J Blockheads, a pair of antagonistic red humanoid figures with cube-shaped heads, one with the letter G on the block, the other with the letter J.
45A. Captain Hook's incredulous assessment of his nemesis?: WHAT A CROC
50A. Puts comfy shoes through rigorous testing?: HOLDS A MOC
All in all a tight theme that delivers the joy we expect on Fridays. But what else does this week bring?
1. Sarah Spain's network: ESPN. There are not many 4 letter networks so this proper name should not have unsettled many, and it is a true CSO to Bill G and other Cornell graduates who stop by the Corner. Sarah at 6' tall played basketball, field hockey and was a pentathlete from Illinois before becoming a broadcaster. Clearly not the person about whom to use a cheap casting pun about broads. A very specific reference which does not sound like JW.
5. Percussion set: HI-HAT. There is so much more to these set-ups than just cymbals.
LINK.
10. Cards: WITS. A Friday pairing of a very simple word, and an uncommon but real definition. Merriam-Webster (M-W) has it at number FIVE.
14. "Go on, git!": SHOO. All I can think of is Louboutin shoes for $25,000.00. Is this where the soul of America has gone?
15. Tickle: AMUSE. We have made it to definition 2b at M-W, which if you do not believe me you will need to look up.
16. __ were: AS IT. Dictionary.com says, "A shortening of “as if it were so,” this idiom has been in use since Chaucer's time (he had it in his Nun's Priest's Tale, c. 1386)." It is so nice to work Chaucer in here so Joseph and Bill might keep reading.
17. Textile machine: LOOM. Encyclopedia Britannica suggests these have been around for more than 7000 years! It also said they appeared independently in various parts of the world. We really need that way back machine to fact check which has become so important now. Mr. Peabody, a little help...
18. Nigerian seaport: LAGOS. Would it surprise you to learn Lagos (pronounced Lay-goss) had a population of 15.2 million people as of 2015 with both over-population and poverty and a rich cultural history and a plan for the future?
19. "Ciao": TATA. A strange blend of an accepted foreign word and a slang for goodbye made most popular by Tigger.
23. Expert: PRO. And we have an actual easy fill.
24. Extremely chill: SERENE. Serenity is one of the most published virtues now. The serenity prayer written by American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
31. Extremely cold: GELID. A Friday word derived from the Latin gerundive GELIDUS brought into English in the 17th century.
32. Channel marker: BUOY. The definition is an anchored float serving as a navigation mark, to show reefs or other hazards, or for mooring. This is derived they say from Portuguese, which makes sense to help you find any Port in a storm.
33. Picked up the tab: TREATED. If you come visit us in So. Fla. you will not need to split the bill, we will pick up the tab or feed you at our place.
35. BYU or NYU: SCH. If you know Brigham Young and New York Universities this is a gimme.
36. Sun screen: PARASOL. Since it is two words, it cannot be Coppertone. Thailand has a wonderful Umbrella Factory.
37. Strive (for): VIE. Vy is this not vee?
40. African country in the Maloti Mountains: LESOTHO. The Maloti Mountains are a mountain range of the highlands of the Kingdom of Lesotho. They extend for about 100 km into the South African Free State. Skiing in Africa anyone?
41. Drains: SAPS. Think of one's energy or bank account.
42. Summits: ACMES. A word mostly associated with Wile E. Coyote, but we were just up in the mountains.
47. Statue base: PLINTH. Back to wiki to learn this is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. It is the same thing as a pedestal.
49. Melber of MSNBC: ARI. There are so many Aris but this one is an attorney who has become the chief legal analyst for MSNBC, and hosts his own shows and podcasts.
56. Tropical spot: ISLE. A classic vague Friday clue.
57. Safari equine: ZEBRA. There are many Horse Safaris offered but equines are of the mammal family of Equidae (order Perissodactyla) that includes the modern horses, zebras, and asses, as well as more than 60 species known only from fossils.
58. Most CFOs: MBAS. Chief Financial Officer = Master of Business Adminstration.
60. Some game: DEER. Back to hunting...
61. "Middlemarch" novelist: ELIOT.
62. Bend at a barre: PLIE. Ballet.
63. Retired boomers: SSTS. Ha ha, sonic boomers not baby boomers.
64. Action: STEPS.
65. Blood bank fluids: SERA.
Down:
1. Subj. for those wishing to be bilingual: ESL. English as a Second Language.
2. Utterly beyond repair: SHOT.
3. Play down: POOH POOH. LINK.
4. Motto for the ruthless: NO MERCY.
5. Meteorological effect caused by refraction: HALO.
6. Desktop with an AppleCare option: i-MAC.
7. Literary award with a spaceship logo: HUGO.
8. Starting on: AS OF.
9. Lab work: TESTS.
10. Thinned (down): WATERED.
11. Pulitzer-winning journalist Wilkerson: ISABEL. Her self-description has Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, an interpreter of the human condition, and an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country, and our current era of upheaval.
12. Early ICBM: TITAN I.
13. Hung around: STAYED.
21. Play-__: DOH. I love the clue that avoid Homer Simpson
22. "Science of Logic" philosopher Georg: HEGEL.
25. Small ammo: BBS.
26. Director Jean-__ Godard: LUC.
27. LAX postings: ETAS.
28. Superhero once played by Stephen Amell on The CW: ARROW.
29. "__ Comes to Pemberley": P.D. James novel: DEATH.
30. Obama daughter: SASHA.
34. Friendly honk: TOOT.
36. Rats, gnats, and brats: PESTS.
37. Element in an algebraic equation: VARIABLE.
38. Wall St. event: IPO.
39. Key that exits full-screen mode: ESC.
40. Brand of packaged bagels: LENDERS.
41. Is extremely frugal: SCRIMPS.
42. Ladybug prey: APHIDS.
43. Shuts: CLOSES.
44. "The Gleaners" painter Jean-François: MILLET.
46. River that rises in the Bernese Alps: AAR.
48. Fuzzy states: HAZES.
51. Move to a warmer state?: MELT.
52. Drama honor: OBIE.
53. Cut short: CROP.
54. Ink: TATS.
55. Place to hibernate: LAIR.
59. "Wide Sargasso __": Jean Rhys novel: SEA.
I just lost the bottom half of my write-up, it is late and I have no energy or mind to recreate. I would tell you it was a great but at this point I doubt it. Thank you Jeffrey, sorry I am not who I used to be. I hope you all have fun and can now pick your own links. Lemonade out
46 comments:
DNF. All in the NE sector. Nearly all of it in fact. And I knew all of them is what really stings.
The theme AMUSED me.
HUGO decided to get himself some TATS
He was a drummer, so asked for HI-HATS.
When it was done,
He saw what he'd become!
A ritzy top hat, tipping TA-TA on his lats!
A PARASOL keeps off the sun, an umbrella the rain.
It would seem so alike, they'ed be TREATED the same.
They're like day and night;
One ladylike and light,
The other, so heavy wet, to carry it is a pain!
{A-, B+.}
I found this puzzle easier than the puzzles of the last few days. The gimmick was easily sussed, and there were few proper names I had to guess at. A very enjoyable outing. FIR, so I'm happy.
Good morning!
No reveal to miss. What's not to like? Zipped through this one in half the time I spent on yesterday's. Was this J-W pzl with no Shakespeare reference? Or did I miss it? No matter, it was an enjoyable romp. Thanx, Jeffrey and Lemonade.
Was able to finish in just under 11 minutes today.
OKL, I feel your pain - that top-right section was blank after my first pass, then I spent 3:30 finishing it thanks to some serious luck.
I didn't know (and wasn't a fan of) the clues/answers for: Luc and Hegel. Also didn't know Isabel, or there was a hero called "Arrow" ("Green Arrow" I'd heard of).
As usual with Mr. Wechsler, a solid Friday puzzle.
Sorry for all the link issues and the choppy final write-up, but the puzzle spoke for itself.
Will Shakespeare was likely excised during editing. Constructing is not for the egotists.
FIW. Crossing of proper names (no no) did me in. Lesotho and Lenders. Guessed a B instead of an L. Didn't know either one.
DNF, reduced to looking up ARROW and DEATH. Still had relo instead of MELT.
I don't eat at many seafood restaurants, but it seems like all of them mark their loos "BUOYs" and "gulls". I'm sure each is convinced of their creativity.
Except for inland waterways, green BUOYs always have odd numbers, and red ones have even numbers. Pass the red ones to your right and green ones to the left when you are coming home (red-right-returning).
Ladybugs are among my favorite critters. APHIDS among my least favorite. I've bought many packages of ladybugs and set them loose on APHIDS.
Thanks to JefWech for the fun. I was concerned that your submissions might not be compatible with Patti's editorship. And thanks to Lemony for the fun tour. I'll bet the bottom part was good too.
CED - Best wishes for short COVID and no long affects.
A Friday FIW with two bad squares, both of which I had questions about but didn't guess right. Actually I didn't question having THE DOC On THE BAY, even though AS On didn't seem right. And GELaD crossing TITAN a? Didn't stop to think it was more likely TITAN I. But the way the puzzle started, I didn't expect I would get so much right. So, I'm happy.
The theme was clear when I filled in BLOC HEADS and was a big help. Thanks, Jeffrey, for a fine puzzle.
Lemonade, I guessed it was you reviewing the puzzle early on and enjoyed it. Sorry you lost your links during the second half, but these things happen.
FLN: hope you get well soon CED.
And nice to hear from you Tinbeni.
Glad to see your post this morning, OwenKL. Hope everyone has a good start to the weekend. TGIF already!
Hi Y'all! Amusing theme and fun puzzle, Jeffrey! Interesting & informative, thanks, Lemony.
I see I'm not alone in having a snow job in the NE. Last to fill. None of the words/names that were right were anything I could come up with. DNK: HEGEL or ISABELLA. Didn't think GELID had anything to do with extreme cold. Tried "dieted" before WATERED had to be red-lettered in.
Wanted VARIAnts before VARIABLE, Tony B4 OBIE, relo B4 MELT.
DNK: LENDERS bagels, LESOTHO mountains, ARI, ARROW, DEATH.
Despite the confusion, I was just glad to keep filling back & forth in less time than past few days.
Well I managed to NOC this one out in 15:51, surprising myself with a FIR, considering the intimidation I initially felt when I saw the JW byline on a Friday with Patti editing, had been waiting for this! The only unknowns were ISABEL and MILLET, but those were easily perped. Thanks Jeff and Patti for an enjoyable solve, clever theme and clueing!
Lemonade ~~ thank you for the expo today, it seemed complete to me with links and all, maybe it has been fixed?
For a JW Friday puzzle it was easy to fill. The cross of PLINTH & MILLET took a WAG to finish as both were unknowns filled by perps. The other unknowns had solid perps and fell into place easily. ESPN, ISABEL Wilkinson, ARROW & Stephen Amell. Sargasso & SEA go together like steak and potatoes.
Subgenius- JW usually avoids proper names.
HIHAT- I know a few drummers in bands and I've heard HIHAT, TRAP SET, TOP HAT, TRAP HAT used when describing the various percussion instruments attached to the cymbal stand.
The dropped K was obvious after the misspelled Otis Redding song. But the theme could also have been rhymes such as BACH or LOCH. Had to wait for BLOC.
Good Morning:
JW can do no wrong in my book but I’d be very curious to know whose clues for these ordinary common words necessitated proper noun references: Sch, Arrow, Death, Lenders, Millet, and Sea. I’ll give Millet a pass based on JW’s Art background and concede that was probably his clue. The others, I doubt it. As usual these days, there are more than enough proper nouns/names in the grid without adding more unnecessary ones to the cluing.
The theme was obvious early on but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the solve. Jeffrey’s word wizardry never fails to elicit a chuckle or two and today’s tickler, for me, was What a Croc! My unknowns were Hugo, Isabel, and Millet, as clued. Some fun duos were Aphids/Pests, Tats/Tata, BBs/Shot, Wits/Amuse, and Sch/MBAs. Another treat was the creature mini theme with Zebra, Aphids, Croc, Deer, Pests, and Lair. CSOs to our Academics (Sch) and Lucina (ESL).
Thanks, Jeffrey W, for a fun Friday and thanks, Lemony, for the spot on analysis and informative commentary. Sorry you lost part of the blog.
FLN
CED, sorry you ended up sick and hope you bounce back quickly. (It wasn’t due to over-indulging in that wedding cake, was it? 😈)
Jayce, I’m sorry you experienced so much upset and turmoil. Do you have any other acceptable options?
CanadianEh, I have no strong feelings either way about the British monarchy but I admire Queen Elizabeth II very much. She will be a tough act to follow.
I watched a Tom Hanks movie last night titled News of The World and was once again awed by his talent. The setting was post Civil War 1870’s Texas that highlighted the harsh living conditions, lawlessness, and cultural clashes of that time. I really enjoyed it, mainly due to Mr. Hank’s powerful performance.
Have a great day.
Today is the 3rd of June, when we heard the news about Billy Joe McAllister... ....
Guess I "dont have a lick of sense (pass the biscuits please). Just realized I FIW..had DOC On instead of DOC OF 😮. Inkovers: heat/MELT, scat/SHOO..I'd go back to "choppin' cotton" if I knew what that meant.
If ya'll wanna know what BJ and I were throwin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge it's at the end of the comments....****😉
PARASOL ("goes with the sun") parapluie ("goes with the rain", French for umbrella 🌂)
"Retired boomers"? ..was thinking SSI, clever clue. In college spent time on a research vessel exploring the Sargasso SEA, amazing place. From "La Bohème": "che GELIDa manina" ("what a frosty little hand"). "Cards": IDs wouldn't work. No HIHATS in awhile. "Lab related" not a canine clue.
"Reveal party" or boater's shout: "it's a ____!!"....BUOY
For the big guy: FRUIT OF THE ____ "Large"..LOOM
Does your back still ache today?.....LESOTHO
Monopoly money...play ___..DOH
Can definitely do the job....VARIABLE
**** It was Momma's black-eyed peas ..🤢🤮
Loved it. When I see Jeffrey Wechsler’s name I know I’m in for a treat!
🐞🐞🐞🐞
LADYBUGS and aphids..
" As tradition goes during the Middle Ages a plague of small insects, most likely aphids, attacked the crops and threatened Europe with starvation. The people turned to praying for the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Their prayers were answered when a cloud of tiny orange-red insects speckled with black arrived and ate the offending pests. In gratitude, the people gave them the honorary name “Our Lady’s Beetle.” Over time, this was shortened to the “ladybeetle” or the “ladybird,” and in the United States became "Lady bug"
🐞🐞🐞🐞
Infinitely better than yesterday's Natick Cluster Fest. Perhaps Jeffrey Wechsler has enough status that the editor doesn't mangle his puzzles as much? Still some Natick clusters: ARROW/LESOTHO/DEATH as clued. And AAR/ARI. Nothing as horrid as yesterday.
Enjoyed the CK->C theme. Yes, words like GELID are Friday level and they are actual words.
From Yesterday:
Wilbur Charles Yes, I found that information on THE NATURAL on my own, which is what caused my comment. Am I correct that the story in the movie was much more tragic than in real life?
Easier than yesterday's puzzle. Lots of fun. Theme was obvious and easy. However, I shot myself in the foot with PARASOL crossing ARROW. One bad cell, B. I was thinking of sunscreen lotion, not sun screen. Cute clue.
If the only bagel you ever had was a packaged one like Lenders, you have not tried real bagels, fresh from the oven. Yummy.
I watch ARI most evenings.
Nice blog, Lemonade. Sorry your last half disappeared. I can sympathize. That happens to me quite a bit.
Yes, todays puzzle was better than yesterdays slog. CED sorry to hear you have COVID. Yesterday, I got my second Moderna booster and was up all night with chills alternating with sweats, and a headache from hell. Feel exhausted today, but headache is gone. Except for a sore arm, I didn’t have any reaction from my first three Moderna shots.
ROS loved the lady bug story.
Thank you Jeff Wech! This puzzle was so gettable for a Friday that I should have known it was you. It was completely OK with me and enabled me extend my streak to 1!.
Thanks Lemony for the illustrations, explications, and especially your pic of the MOCCASINS. AMOF I'm wearing a pair of that same brand right now. Very comfy, in fact I wear them indoors all the time.
Favs:
1A ESPN. As soon as I saw "Sarah Spain", I thought of D-O's rule and "here we go again". But ESL asked the question "What 4 letter network begins with E?" and then it was all good.
17A LOOM. The Jacguard loom, invented in 1804, was one of the first programmable machines, using punched cards to configure fabric patterns. This was the inspiration for the punched cards used by Herman Hollerith to input data into automated tabulators for the 1890 Census, and the computer age was off and running.
18A LAGOS. Also the capital city of Nigeria. I have two church friends originally from Nigeria, who used to return home during the cold weather here. The last time they went back to Lagos was in 2016, and for some reason they haven't been back since.
32A BUOY. A CSO to Jinx. The two major varieties are green and red. I used to date a young lady with a yacht, and learned the rule "Red right returning" from her dad. You can deduce all the other rules from that one.
12D TITANI. Got this on perps. Italian for more than one TITAN missile? DOH, the "I" is as Roman numeral!
22D HEGEL. Hegel turns out to be highly quotable. I usually associate him with the philosophical principle of "Dialectical materialism", i.e. Thesis + Antithesis = "Synthesis", the latter being a new world view or a paradigm shift. I happen to believe we're on the verge of the latter in Biology.
29D DEATH. I haven't read P.D. James novel, but we've streamed the TV series. It's a spinoff of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", beginning 6 years after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. Highly recommended. Here's a trailer.
Cheers,
Bill
p.s. to Lemony - seems like you covered all the clues. What did we miss?
p.p.s. To Jeff Wech: What, no Shakespeare? Lately I've been recommending a BBC series called "Shakespeare in Italy", narrated by architect and film maker Francesco da Mosta. It's available on Prime and Roku. Here's a trailer.
It continues to surprise me how different people react to CWs, some commenting on how easy it is, others, how difficult. Yesterday was a struggle from start to finish. Although I did fill today's CW, and in less time than yesterday, it was still a 37-minute struggle. Lots of DNKs: GELID, MILLET, PLINTH, TITANI, AMELL, DEATH (as clued) among them. I have never heard the word GELID. PLINTH I know the word but have never used it, so perps were needed. JW, when I see one of your CWs I know I will struggle, (except once when I didn't struggle). I did, in the end, fill every cell, but had to have some Google help. I never know whether to claim a FIR or not when I cheat. Lemonade, you didn't finish the write-up! We are gonna hafta drag you into a dark alley and give you a solid beating! LOL! Seriously, things happen. We all very much appreciate all the effort you put into these write-ups. It's a lot of effort: Thank You!
Ooooh! A Friday Wechsler toughie--but still managed to AMUSE us throughout--so, many thanks, Jeffrey. And always enjoy your commentary, Lemonade, thanks for that too.
Well, I got ESL instantly and that helped me get started with SHOO and LOOM. But the northeast corner was tough, so I started to feel less like a PRO.
But I tried to stay SERENE, looking for neat words to BUOY me up. PARASOL did just that.
I got ELIOT for the "Middlemarch" author, but wondered who that was and found GEORGE ELIOT. I kept thinking wasn't it a woman who wrote that? Turned out it was: MARY ANNE EVANS.
Happily remembered that Obama's daughter was SASHA.
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
DEER just came up yesterday
I inked in ELIOT but had trouble perping in the letters
I knew that award was for a SciFi pioneer. Yep, Victor
There's two Obama daughters. SASHA was all perps.
D-O, JW cited George ELIOT in place of Will
WC
The Hugo award was named for Hugo Gernsback.
IM - I've added "News of the World" to my list of movies to watch. I'm almost finished with Michener's "Texas", with only having a hundred pages or so to go. In his book, Texas settlers lived in jeopardy of being killed (or worse) by Comanches until early 20th century. It was also an illustration of excesses of mixing church and state, from the days when tejas was a territory of Mexico.
I'm a Tom Hanks fan. Several restaurants named dishes for him after he spent some time here filming "Captain Phillips", which I loved.
Another neat, tough-but-do-able Friday PZL, this one from our regular challenger, Mr. Wechsler.
Thank you, Lemonade for the fine follow-up.
Had SCAT before SHOO, GEN ? before SSTS, and (silliest of all) CABANAS before PARASOL.
Speaking of PARASOL, I see my learned colleagues have already noted (above) the difference in French between this and Parapluie, their parallel word for rain protection.
(Ze Frenshies, zey are sooo logical, no? )
Our English "Umbrella" comes from the Latin, Umbra for shade, by way of Italian, with the "Ella" part suggesting a diminutive; as it provides a "little shade."
Curiously, we employ this device to protect from rain OR sun.
~ OMK
____________
DR: Just the one near-side diagonal.
Its anagram (12 of 15 letters) is a new cheer adopted by the LA Rams fans--in support of #8, Matt Gay, who often makes game-winning field goals.
The cheer expresses the crowd's appreciation of both action-parts of Kicker Gay's anatomy.
It goes, "Rah, RAH...
HOORAH TIBIAE"!
Hola!
Thanks to JW who always offers a fair challenge. And I'll take a CSO at ESL which I taught for many years. Starting with that gives me a leg up.
But most of the puzzle was a struggle, first, because I don't feel 100% well, and second, well, it's JW. Sigh. It's the aging process.
I love HOLDS A MOC TRIAL!
Hesitation before entering SASHA. It could have been Malia. Waited for perps.
I've seen LENDERS bagels at the store though have not bought them.
I have no idea about ARROW or Stephen Arnell. Luckily the perps filled it.
ARI Melber is a favorite of mine on MSNBC. He is straightforward and frank.
MILLET. Isn't that also a green plant of some kind?
I hope you are all well though I can't say that for myself. Thank you, Lemonade, for soldiering on despite your problems.
Jinx:
I read Michener's TEXAS many years ago. It's a large tome!
Musings
-Jefferey never disappoints.
-I have known true WITS who could BOUY my spirits
-I play summer golf at 7am as our hot/humid weather can SAP my energy.
-OTOH, today’s weather was spectacular
-PLINTH and GELID were learned here
-I’ve never had coffee that needed to be WATERED down
-Oh, it’s TITAN I
-Somewhat obscure LESOTHO appeared with a little effort. Other unknown proper names yielded to persistence and crosses
Well, This is where I TITT. JW beats me again.
Hi All!
Fun & cute theme Jeffery. Thanks for restoring the LAT near-to what we expect ;-)
Thanks for the expo, Lem. I was pulling out my hair in the SW.
WOs/ESPs: [click link above]
Fav: Rhyming scheme on 36d was tons-o-fun.
{no grades #Priceless}
I don't know how I knew HEGEL... It's not like he's in the Philosopher's song :-)
Every SciFi fan knows the Hugos. #Isaac Asimov
I'm going to lean on Misty for this... I think I got George ELIOT for the wrong reason* [Afternoons & Coffeespoons - Crash Test Dummies]
Jinx: Tom Hanks is an American Treasure.
Which leads to the Jubilee... The Queen. MIL remembers her Coronation.
Me?, I kinda like the fact there's a family that keeps continuity / institutional knowledge -- even though they're pretty much irrelevant now. #MagnaCarta
Cheers, -T
*T.S. & George -- same person? //I should ask DW b/f making a fool of myself, eh?
Lucy feel better we need to keep as many happy voices here as possible. I am neither better nor worse so it is all good. I did not have much time so I attempted to shortcut the write-up by doing on the blog, but did not think about the fact I had never set up any blog parameters for the new computer I am working with. I did make many corrections this morning but as all seasoned bloggers know, you all do well with or without our words. As a group, you are wonderfully kind and fun
Waseeley, LAGOS is one of those former capital cities. It was replaced by Abuja back in '91.
Seventy years on the throne? Holy constipation, Batman!
HG, I am surprised a missile guy like you hesitated with the Titan I.
-T, you were so close. Plinth classes start again in the fall. I do admire how your mind wanders off into such entertaining alley and brings up so many fun links.
I like to think season 1 with Claire Foy was a fair representation of the young Princess and Queen. It was always flattering to many of the characters but that made it seem real. We can't do a series like that about JFK...
Owen, Anonymous, and PK, that NE section was the last area I filled.
KS, I had to do an alphabet run to get that L crossing LENDERS and LESOTHO. After that, I remembered Lesotho, but I have never heard of Lenders (Lender's?) bagels.
I liked this puzzle and am glad that Mr. Wechsler's wit clearly shone through. I especially liked WHAT A CROC and the clue for PESTS.
LW and I got our second boosters a couple of days ago; we both felt fatigue and general body aches, as well as sore arms, during the next day, and are feeling 100% back to normal now.
Irish Miss, thank you. I am considering alternatives. Already have had a CT scan, ultrasound, and what is called a "vibroscan." Going to submit to an endoscopy (Husker Gary can tell you about those) in a couple of weeks. I have already cut my alcohol intake to zero, am losing weight, and have been making all the other lifestyle and diet changes recommended for good liver health. I am not convinced having an MRI scan would result in a different "outcome" other than the measures I am already taking.
Good wishes to you all.
-T @2:08 PM HEGEL must have in your subconscious - he's in the Philosopher's Song at about 3:05 min. George Eliot was a pseudonym for for Brit novelist Mary Ann Evans. T.S. was American and actually wore pants.
HG @2:05 PM I learned GELID the same place Ray - O did, from Rudolfo searching on the floor for Mimi's key (CSO to Lucina) in La Boheme Act I.
Not all MOCK trials are fun and games. For some the verdict is predetermined and the trial is just for show.
Funny to think that Thomas Stearns and George share the same surname*.
Did she anticipate the fun of confusing 21st C. cruciverbalists?
~ OMK
____________
* Nice to know she was really an Evans, ergo at least part Welsh--just like my 100% Welsh Grandma Price. Yaki Da, Dewi!
How lovely to see a Wechsler on a Friday! After all my struggles all week, I found this to be easier than all of them. That's not to say I sailed through it, but it was nice to have fewer names, and most were guessable anyway. On skimming the comments, I see that most of you found this easier than the rest of the week too. Thanks, Jeffrey!
Bill could you explain your comment. "Not all MOCK trials are fun and games. For some the verdict is predetermined and the trial is just for show."
An example would help.
Show trials are often held by authoritarian regimes, sort of like a kangaroo court. Is that what you meant by mock trials, Bill?
A mock trial is a specific from of trial preparation that is not the same as a "show trial."
It is never open to the public, nor broadcast. This may just be a semantic issue which is why I asked for an example. Just curious what Bill has in mind
Lemony @5:56 PM I suppose I confused the two terms. It sounds like it has a technical definition within the American legal system. I had in mind Stalin's show trials, which certainly made a mockery of the Soviet "justice system".
waseeley, me too.
waseeley - sorry. My attempt at humour was a bit obtuse. The Philosopher's Song is where I learned all the names of people learned-people studied.
I was thinking MOC(K) TRIALS along the lines of practice b/f the real-deal (I assume lawyers do that, right Lem?) but I can see where some envision Kangaroo Courts in a Banana Republic.
The movers come for the first-wave of boxes & furniture tomorrow morning.* I could complain but it's a nice place to be where I can make mortgage on two houses while we slowly move all our stuff [Carlin].
Though I will complain... DW wants my soldering workbench out of the loft?!? That's my play-space!
Alas, I'm too tired to deal with it now and I'm feeling Kinks... 'Cuz tomorrow I get to Do it Again..
Cheers, -T
*Real Estate lady said 'You need to get rid of all this sh** for staging' :-)
Late, as usual to the game ... but I better post something ... O missed yesterday, altogether ...
Thank You Jeffrey W. for an enjoyable puzzle, I was worried about ESPN, the first answer, but it was correct. I dont know any 4 letter channels either.
Thank you Lemonade for an enjoyable review ... I dont know what you lost when transferring your work, but we certainly did not miss it .... the remaining review was all good, and in excellent shape. You truly are a word wizard ... your examples jump all over the place, and I learnt a lot.
I certainly know about MOCK TRIALS, .... all schools have them atleast once a semester, and sometimes the public is even invited. Its a sort of a debating society tests.
Well, its kinda late, so have a good weeekend all,
D-O: don't think "Seventy years on the throne? Holy constipation, Batman!" went by w/o an LOL.
Vidwan - I'm not sure I get it re: missing work [Office Space] :-)
Cheers, -T
Nice puzzle. A solid A.
Composed but not posted -T, They mentioned Hegel at the beginning and during the song
Thanks Anon for straightening me out on the original HUGO.
Victor was a little early for SciFi
An example of a MOC(k( trial would be Santa Claus for illegal entry
L214, I too have dared the hazards of direct blogging. And… I erased a long post yesterday while cutting and pasting. When I do paste on Android cell I have to indent to get away from the blue button
It was in a bad place in the previous version too
Perhaps LENDERS was local to NE; I recalled it after a few perps. -T, I can see the proper names but didn't we just mention DEER? You were thinking of "A Game".
Jayce, liver itself is good for the liver. It's a remarkable organ. I have an MRI next week for my prostate.. I'll memorize poems and stuff and recite while in the chamber.. Nothing like the prostate biopsy though
WC
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