Puzzling thoughts:
First off, kudos to Nathan Hale - both our Nation's patriot and today's puzzle constructor - for their contributions. But since a Google search and a Crossword Corner search show nothing for "Nathan Hale Crossword Constructor", I must conclude that our Nation's patriot rose from the dead to generate this giggly grid. Or if indeed there IS a Crossword Constructor with the same name as one of our Nation's patriots, then perhaps this is his/their first published puzzle. If so, more kudos. A debut puzzle at LAT is one to be proud of!
Let's dig into this treat and see what kind of exchange Hale made ...
20-across. *Era known for Pegasus and other winged stallions?: WHEN HORSES FLY. Of course, the more common phrase is: "When PIGS fly" ...
33-across. *Tenderize steaks?: BEAT A DEAD COW. The more common phrase is "Beat a dead HORSE" - as this visual depicts
41-across. *Pet restriction set by the condo board?: DON'T HAVE A PIG. My favorite of the three punny clues. "Don't have a COW" is the more common phrase ... Gary Larson (the comic strip author, not the crossword constructor) says it best:
And the unifier: 56-across. Wall Street site, and what happened in order to form the answers to the starred clues?: STOCK EXCHANGE. Brilliant. Here is a STOCK "Exchange" that most investors would not welcome ...
Here is the grid:
Across:
1. Gives away: CEDES. An interesting read on the CESSION of Alaska by Russia
6. __ receipt: GIFT. A "must" nowadays for items purchased as GIFTs on Amazon, et al
10. Pros unlikely to use vacation time in April: CPAS. No rest for the weary ...
14. Cantina breakfast element: HUEVO. If we are truly giving a CSO to our Latin American cornerites, perhaps a video for them is in order?? Gawd I hope this means just what it says (Queremos Vacaciones = "We want vacations") ... sung by the famous trio "Tres HUEVOs" ... I know someone will find another version of "Tres HUEVOs" ...
15. Smell: ODOR. If we take this clue as a verb, could you then say: "I ODORed a rat?!"
16. Plus: ALSO.
17. Four pairs: OCTET. Couldn't it ALSO be two trios and one pair?
18. Machu Picchu's land: PERU. Home of the INCANs, too. Fun Fact #1: Did you know that Machu Picchu was where the INCANdescent light bulb was created?
19. Frog sound?: RASP. CROAK wouldn't fit; RASP as in a RASPy voice. Got a frog in your throat?
23. Goof: ERR.
24. Ambient musician Brian: ENO.
25. Like many hunter-gatherer societies: TRIBAL. [Vocabulary dot com] "TRIBAL SOCIETY: hunting and gathering society, hunting and gathering tribe group that supports itself by hunting and fishing and by gathering wild fruits and vegetables; usually nomadic
28. Want: DESIRE. Different than a NEED. Just ask my partner Margaret ... we had many "DESIRES" for our new house but focused on the NEEDS
30. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI. A little bit of info on the city of SIMI
32. Pub fare: ALE. I fancy a game of darts, myself
36. Either of the "Grey Gardens" women: EDIE. WAG. Short for EDITH
39. Actor Barinholtz: IKE. I guess "Presidential nickname" was too easy for a Friday
40. Greenlit: OK'ED. The term "Greenlight" has both a positive and negative connotation. It originated from the railroad industry as the "green light signal" meant it was OK to continue forward on the tracks. In slang, it means the OK to commit a crime or a "hit" [Dictionary dot com] [Wiktionary dot com]
46. State Dept. URL ender: GOV. Not to be confused with a State Dept. nickname: GUV
47. Famous __ cookies: AMOS. But if you didn't know the answer, how could you say he was "famous"??
48. Lackluster: ANEMIC. As in lacking luster
52. Contacts online: E-MAILS. Oh, the verb form. Not your contact "list"
54. Notable period: ERA. During the "dead ball ERA" in baseball, most pitchers had a very low ERA
55. Pleased sigh: AAH. What I didn't just sigh as I realized I still have nine more "across" clues, and all of the "down" clues left on which to comment ...
60. Rental car choice: AVIS. How about an SUV or SEDAN? Nope, neither fit here
62. "Rubyfruit Jungle" writer __ Mae Brown: RITA. If I were ever to have one of my crossword puzzles accepted by the LA Times, I know that I will have to bone up on my books, movies, plays, songs, et al, to make sure I have some robust clues! ;^)
63. Radical: ULTRA. ULTRA doesn't sound nearly as cool as "RADICAL"
64. "Whip It" rock band: DEVO. About time for another visual, Moe ...
65. Elemental unit: ATOM.
66. Sea-bound group: FLEET. Of course, Moe thought of a different definition for FLEET ... maybe it's my upcoming colonoscopy in early 2023 ... Fun Fact #2: Who created the FLEET Enema? Charles Brown Fleet, a young pharmacist who moved to Lynchburg, VA in 1869, invented and began selling his Fleet's Chap-Stick lip balm. In 1893, Fleet developed the formula for phospho-soda, the basic ingredient for the Fleet Enema" [Lynchburgvirginia dot gov]
67. Yoked team: OXEN. If you watch my video for 14-across, that would be Yolked team
68. Strong urges: YENS. Also, a weak currency
69. Directory items: FILES.
Down:
1. __ down: ate with relish: CHOWED. HOT DOG is what I eat with relish ...
2. Game that introduced the joker into modern playing cards: EUCHRE. Here is a link
3. Dissuades: DETERS.
4. Square: EVEN. JAKE fits, too
5. "Take that!": SO THERE. Lots of these type clues use the term "playground retort", but these sound so much more "adult" ... ;^)
6. Brand of helmet cams: GO PRO. Visual time:
7. __ of March: IDES. 15TH fits, too
8. Warning from a driver?: FORE.
9. "Would I lie to you?": TRUST ME. As an aside, I spent the better part of 45 years in Sales and Marketing ... please go back and re-read Fun Fact #1 to see if you "TRUST ME" ... ;^)
10. Soccer great Lloyd who wrote the memoir "When Nobody Was Watching": CARLI.
11. Listen to, as a recording: PLAY BACK. My fellow Stooges were these kind of "BACKS" - watch the first 10 seconds or the whole 3:42 of Curly, Larry, and Moe
12. Donkey: ASS. How many of you spell this word "A$$" when referring to a different definition?
13. Soak (up): SOP. Fun Fact #3: SOP is an acronym for: Standard Operating Procedure. It's a SOP to SOP up gravy with a roll or piece of bread
21. Window seat at the front of an airplane, often: ONE A. If the clue read "Aisle seat at the front ...", the answer could've been several choices depending on the aircraft's configuration. But the left window seat on ALL commercial aircraft is designated with the letter "A"
22. Cold, in Córdoba: FRIA. Una vez más, un video en español
26. Spiky succulent: ALOE. These "guys". We have an arboretum nearby that has a plethora of these. Here's one in bloom
27. More than off-color: LEWD. Moe-ku/haiku #1:
Former Bush VP
Took Methaqualone, then cursed.
New name? Dan QuaaLEWD
29. "Suuuuure": I BET. What skeptics might say about one or more of my "FUN FACTS"
30. "Land __ alive!": SAKES. We go from LEWD in 27-down to one of the milder oaths out there. I think this expression dates back to the '30's and '40's. Speaking for those my age and older, bless your heart to whomever came up with this clue! ;^)
31. Notion: IDEA. By this time, I've plum run out of IDEAs to make this blog more silly. Good thing, eh?!
34. Early DVR brand: TIVO. Fun Fact #4: TIVO is an acronym for Television Input Video Output
35. Old Venetian magistrate: DOGE. This clue - as the clue in 30-down - plays to an older crowd. Had the constructor or editor wanted to play to a younger crowd, the clue might've been: "Cryptocurrency starter"
36. Leg up: EDGE. Does that mean that a male dog has an EDGE over a female dog when doing their business?? Oops, the silliness just re-appeared ...
37. Unhappy ending: DOOM. Kinda like the character's name in the Spider-Man comics and Marvel movies
38. Like kudzu: INVASIVE. Fun Fact #5: Kudzu was intentionally introduced to North America by the Soil Erosion Service and Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s for the purpose of controlling soil erosion in the American Southeast
42. Saintly glow: HALO. Does this guy have one??
43. "Take a hike!": AM-SCRAY. In a puzzle where LIVESTOCK is featured, what better time to use a phrase that is in PIG Latin
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44. Pique-nique setting: PARC. Frawnch. Picnic in a PARk
45. Piqued: IN A HUFF. Wait a second ... didn't we just have pique in the clue above? Multiple meanings for Frawnch words spelled the same?? Do they think they're English???!!! ;^) [Dictionary dot com] says about the word origin: "mid 16th century (denoting animosity between two or more people): from French piquer (pique) ‘prick, irritate’
49. "Wolf Hall" novelist Hilary: MANTEL. [Wikipedia dot com] "Dame Hilary Mary Mantel DBE FRSL was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, Every Day Is Mother's Day, was released in 1985
Moe-ku/haiku #2:
A former slugger's
Fireplace shelf's built from bats.
It's Mickey's MANTEL
50. "No argument here": I AGREE.
51. Flouts the rules: CHEATS. [Collins Dictionary dot com] says: "What does flouts stand for?
To treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock. To flout the rules of propriety." Is CHEATS, then, a bit of a stretch???
53. "Here we go!": IT'S ON. A trailer from the movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"
54. Physicals: EXAMS. More of a dialog now, with your doctor/PCP/PA/Nurse Practitioner than an EXAM. About the only "physical" thing they do is to listen to your heart and lungs through a stethoscope
57. Sky box?: KITE. Ha Ha
58. Historic British school: ETON.
59. "__ Want for Christmas Is You": ALL I.
60. Hubbub: ADO.
61. Aggravate: VEX. Hope I haven't VEXed you with today's blog!
Comment to your heart's content below ... as an aside, yours truly had a published puzzle yesterday at Newsday. Click on this link if you'd care to take a stab at it. The puzzle is called "Young 'Uns" on November 3. Have fun! Thanks to MalMan who noticed it!!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteNeeded my trusty Wite-Out to correct NESS to DOOM. Otherwise, this one filled quickly and successfully. Clever theme that even d-o was able to suss. Nice debut, Nathan. Excellent expo, C-Moe.
TIVO : My first DVR was a DirecTV TIVO made by Sony. Taught me how to skip commercials -- a lesson I've never forgotten.
FNPR*, yesterday I tried to write "nextdoor" on another site, and their Otto-correct changed it to "another site." Repeatedly. Frustrating. Finally, on my third try, "N3xtd00r" passed muster.
*For No Particular Reason
5D had sit here vs so there. It seemed to work.
ReplyDeleteFIR, but erased DONT HAVE A cow before I sussed the theme, and frio for FRIA. DNK EDIE, IKE, RITA, DOGE or MANTEL. But I did know SIMI and GO PRO, so I got that goin' for me.
ReplyDeleteI've played quite a bit of EUCHRE, but never with jokers.
When I lived at the apex of Topanga Canyon Highway, ALOE grew wild in the undeveloped areas. Nice to be able to just cut a slice and squeeze it to ease sunburn.
Anyone remember any pig latin fills in a crossword? Kinda fun!
Thanks to Nathan (I choose to believe that is your real name, because I've met so many people over the years with improbable handles). And thanks to C-Moe for another fine review.
I traded-in this commodity in 7:32 today - without a crash.
ReplyDeleteI stumbled with the spelling of "doge," which muddled my ability to see "anemic". But, as SubG would say, I finished it right, so I'm happy.
I didn't know the same ones Jinx didn't know (other than spelling doge), and I don't care for "sky box" for "kite." Otherwise, clever theme and a good puzzle, though seemed a tad easy for a Friday.
FIR. Bit of a slog for me. Got the theme early and that helped. Favorite clue, sky box.
ReplyDeleteToday, a FIR after all my errors this week! And on Friday! I enjoyed your debut, Nathan, and your unique theme.
ReplyDeleteThe NW gave me trouble until I changed bridge to EUCHRE. I had suspected HUEVO was the breakfast item but needed perps to agree. I had several WOs at LEWD, mainly spelling issues after I thought of the word. More coffee, please!
Thanks, C Moe, for your helpful and entertaining review. You must have had more free time again since you included two Moe-kus. And congratulations on your recently published puzzle!
It's Friday, so have some fun today, everyone!
Dang! Wrote my comment then managed to close the site w/o posting it. Rats. Here goes again: Enjoyable CW, clever theme and good clues. I scanned the CW first, knew 24A ENO, so promptly wrote it in….to 23A, buggering-up the NW for a while until the V-8 can hit. Other W/Os FRIO:FRIA, and DOG:PIG, when the theme reveal filled and I realized I needed a PIG. That made ONAHUFF:INAHUFF change, which made more sense anyway. All-in-all, FIR in 24. Of the 8 proper names I only knew 3, the rest needed perps. Thanx NH for the nice CW, and congrats on your debut. Thanx too to C-Moe for his outstanding write-up. All the time and effort you put in is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a playful theme, maybe a little lighthearted for a Friday challenge but fun, nevertheless. There were a few unknowns, namely, Devo, Carli, Fria, and Ike, as clued. My only stumble was Aura/Halo, a frequent error of mine. I knew Hilary Mantel from book reviews and the news, as she passed away recently. I agree with KS on Sky Box=Kite as my favorite C/A.
Thanks, Nathan, for some Friday whimsy and congrats on the debut and thanks, Moe, for your usual dose of puns and humor. On a more serious note, the movie They Shoot Horses, Don’t They is one of the most depressing movies ever made, IMO, and the trailer for Grey Gardens reminded me of an earlier documentary which featured the two Edies in person, living their wretched lives in filth and squalor. It was very hard to watch. I loved all of the cartoons, especially the ones illustrating the theme answers.
BTW, Moe, I hope you and Margaret survived the move and are getting settled in and enjoying our new surroundings!
Have a great day.
Sorry, “your” new surroundings, not our.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-The new constructors with clever gimmicks just keep on coming. I wonder if they bring obscure names with them or Patti supplies them.
-Nice job, Moe and a fascinating read about Alaska. Who knew there was another Jefferson Davis?
-What is that ODOR/smell/aroma/scent? Very different!
-DEVO – Remember when MTV was about music and had those fun videos?
-Directory: C:\>dir
-To my great shame, I took way too long to see “driver” being a golf term
-TRUST ME. YOU BET.
-CHEATS – The Houston Astros still bear the stigma of 2017 World Series
-I’m subbing today and mostly proctoring EXAMS, i.e. doing nothing for $160
At last!
ReplyDeleteThe return of "gimmicky" Friday!
Enjoyable, fun, "and tough..."
(I love it when the theme helps you solve it in the end...)
Thanks for "splainin" it Chairman Moe, great write up!
(With the possible exception of the "yolked eggs." Groan... :)
Lots of whimsy in this CW. Certainly doable although there were several unknowns to me, but they filled in eventually.
ReplyDeleteInteresting info about Fleet.
ReplyDeleteGood morning. Thank you, Nathan, and thank you, Chairman Moe
A typo almost cost me the win. I had "ALL o want for Christmas..." and couldn't find a suitable letter for "Directory items" = FO-ES", and had no idea on the author's last name.
Other than that pause, it was pretty much a read a and fill crossword. Not a complaint. It's simply that this would never have been a Friday crossword during Rich's tenure.
CHOWED down" ate with relish. Moe, Hand up for relish with my occasional hot dogs. We use it more for home made tartar sauce.
TRUST ME - For immediate relief from leg cramps, eat a heaping teaspoon of pickle relish. It works. From an NIH PubMed article I read, "Acetic acid is postulated to mitigate cramping by decreasing alpha motor neuron activity through oropharyngeal stimulation and inhibitory neurotransmitter production, while aiding in the role acetylcholine plays in muscle contraction and relaxation."
From another article: "Pickle relish should work just as well as pickle juice for stopping a nighttime muscle cramp. Presumably, the sharp taste of the vinegar is largely responsible for triggering TRP (transient receptor potential) channels in nerves to reverse the muscle contraction."
Hi Y'all! Thank you, Nathan. Thank you, CMoe. Liked your expo cartoons.
ReplyDeleteThe theme VEXed me with the STOCK EXCHANGE. Before I saw the reveal I couldn't believe it would be necessary for a board to tell someone not to HAVE A PIG in their house so kept trying to insert doG. Forget reality in CW land. Took me a while to understand what was meant by STOCK EXCHANGE when I did fill it.
DNK: Grey Gardens, greenlit = OKED, DEVO, EUCRE, CARLI, ONE A, MANTEL.
Lots of red-letter runs on the right side of this puzzle. Didn't think it was easy at all, even tho it took 3 minutes less than yesterday. Maybe it's today's raining gloomy weather.
Fun Friday puzzle/ theme - if this is your LAT debut Nathan - congrats! and thanks to CM for fun blog with the humorous cartoons!
ReplyDeleteI struggled with the SE - didn't know the author of "Wolf Hall" though I knew of the book; and had a mental block with IN A HUFF and FLEET for awhile which made FILES slow to fill.
The DEVO song came out when I was in college - I thought of it as a fun song to dance to - so glad I never saw that music video because it would have ruined it for me - that was just tacky and awful in the objectification of women.
Thanks to CM for the blog and enjoyed your Newsday puzzle as well!
Hola!
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising to see HUEVO in a puzzle. And then there's AMSCRAY.
It's also surprising how easy this was for a Friday. I AGREE, WHEN PIGS FLY is the more common expression. So we have not only PIGS but pig Latin.
Believe it or not, dwarf PIGS are kept as pets.
ALL I want for Christmas reminds me that some radio stations have already started playing carols.
ETON followed by EXAMS is appropriate. But I hope no one CHEATS.
Thank you, Moe; I hope you are enjoying your new home.
Have a fabulous Friday, everyone!
Thanks, Speedy Solver (also known as Anonymous DNLC) for the shout out. Like some others, I didn’t know the author of “Wolf Hall” but the perps got it. I also didn’t get the gimmick at first, but by the time I got to “stock exchange “ I did. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, especially on a Friday, it didn't take too long to realize that we were dealing with a cat of a different color. As for the tour, it was the horse's pajamas.
ReplyDelete😂. I don’t have a pig in that hunt, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a dog’s ear.
Delete
ReplyDelete51 Down clue could have been “Houston Astros”.
If they’re playing they’re cheating.
I thought this puzzle was an enjoyable solve. Not as hard as some Fridays, but not a complete walk in the park (or parc?) either. AMSCRAY was fun and got me practicing my Pig Latin. The theme answers were entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI have read Wolf Hall and the other two books in the series. Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light. Hillary Mantel was a superlative writer.
The answer for Like Kudzu was certainly apt - don’t EVER plant it!
Thanks Nathan for a fun puzzle and Moe for the great tour.
Have a great weekend everyone - Endyway Irdbay
Challenging but neat Friday puzzle, many thanks, Nathan. And always enjoy your commentary, Chairman Moe, thanks to you too.
ReplyDeleteSTOCK EXCHANGE is way out of my league, so no relevant comments today. Have no DESIRE to check my FILES, will just hope they're OKED by whoever is in charge, and that no one is CHEATing. Nice to be retired and not have to take any EXAMS any more--well, except by my doctor on occasion. Even so, that's still a GIFT.
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
Thank you Nathan for a Fridayish puzzle and congrats on your HEROIC debut. I just plugged away off and on throughout the morning and eventually managed a FIR.
ReplyDeleteThanks MOE for another entertaining and informative review. Particularly like the theme expo.
Some favs:
36A EDIT. Got this on perps. The movie trailer and the story behind the original documentary was fascinating.
47A AMOS. I've never had one, but I think they're famous for their main ingredient, which is crossword glue.
63A ULTRA. Dude!
64A DEVO. Unusual. Do these guys come from a small town in Frawnch?
49D MANTEL. Is it a coincidence that HILARY MANTEL died just 5 weeks ago? I wonder how Patti managed that. Mantel is probably best known for her novel "Wolf Hall" about Oliver Cromwell and his ministrations to Henry VIII, which was later adapted to the stage and screen. I'm not a big fan of Cromwell, but I am to his nemesis Sir Thomas More. There were also stage and movie adaptations of More's life, A Man for All Seasons.
35D DOGE. The DOGE was the most powerful man in Venice. That city has been the setting for several operas, including I due Foscari ("The two Foscaris") about the DOGE and his son, who has been accused of murder.
54D EXAMS. Let's hope your gastroenterologist doesn't a use a stethoscope for your upcoming colonoscopy MOE.
Cheers,
Bill
p.s. Chris. Printing your puzzle and will let you know how I do.
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, CMoe and Nathan.
ReplyDeleteI waltzed through the top half of this CW, but slowed down in the south.
I smiled when I saw (even before the reveal) that the animals were exchanged. Can’t have a dog changed to DON’T HAVE A PIG (eliciting a smile with the PIG Latin).
But I arrived here to discover that I FIWed due to Canadian disadvantage- I had Remo changed to Simo instead of SIMI (ok my Spanish is lacking too with Froa instead of FRIA (it’s Froid in French). But I did get HUEVO!
Carly changed to CARLI with TRIBAL. IN A snit changed to HUFF with perps. I had I’m good before I AGREE.
I didn’t know ALOEs flowered.
SPOILER ALERT: We had FLEET in the Jumble words today.
Beautiful warm day here. Off to enjoy it while it lasts.
Wishing you all a great day.
Waseely: thank you for the info on Mantel. I meant to bring it up but forgot. The book was a fascinating read, though very long, and I also enjoyed the PBS series of “Wolf Hall”. And yes Dame Hilary Mantel died September 22 of this year.
ReplyDeleteWendy, you get the quip of the day. And there was strong competition, too.
ReplyDeleteBill, Don't remember why, but I think DEVO was contrived from "devolution" (degenerative evolution). For some reason, many groups in that era seemed to go for tarnished names. I won't even hint at the group's name that released Teenage Enema Nurse (catchphrase "this job stinks".)
In my siblings' days, they had names like Four Freshmen and The Platters. In my era we had Beatles, Iron Maiden, Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Animals, Styx, Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, The Who, The Guess Who, Moby Grape, Deep Purple, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Traffic, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Stone Poneys. You know, normal names.
Chris, I just finished your Newsday puzzle and really enjoyed it. It was a little easier than Nathan's but still had some crunch, particularly down South. But then yours was a Thursday and his is a Friday. I didn't see the theme, until just now, but I won't give it away in case others might want to try it.
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts 2:
ReplyDeleteBill S: glad you liked the puzzle. Joseph emailed me late yesterday to remind me I had it publish! I think there are a few more in the queue ... none here, though
Update on the move: we are coming up on 3 weeks here. We are about 85-90% unpacked, and are ticking off the list of "to do's" one by one - my thanks to Wendybird for her email about water conditioners
Jinx, I'm not familiar with the jokers in euchre either. Always played with the right and left bower (the two jacks)
CC has asked me to do next Friday, and MalMan will do the two Friday's following. After that he and I will alternate, as I did with Jason - Lemonade714, hope you're doing better
HG - I almost gave you a CSO with "FORE", but I'm guessing with your golf abilities, that word is one you rarely if ever utter
Lucina - we do like our new place. A little further out but we are just off the 60 so it's easy to get from here to there
Jinx @2:58 PM "Those were the days my friend, we'd thought they never end ...".
ReplyDeleteNowadays most of the music I listen to is by DWMs ("Dead White Males" (of course that would include some of the groups you listed!)). That said, classical DJs are diversifying into music by women and minorities, and most of it is actually pretty good.
All of the contemporary stuff I hear is the stuff that constructors throw at us bloggers. And I actually find a lot of that to be good as well. Still haven't warmed to RAP though. I think I could deal with the anger, but I've still got Margaret Farrar listening over my shoulder at all of the obscenities.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteDNF & FIW. I couldn't decide between DOGe|a and had no clue "Wolf Hail" author. ANEMIC ere I.
Oh, and I found I'm a bad speller in 2! languages - HaEVO.
Congrats on the LAT debut, Nathan. Very creative theme that I quite enjoyed.
C.Moe, what can I say? The expo's cherry on top was the Stooges taking Census.
WO: PARk (Did anyone else think Yogi Bear @44d?)
ESPs: IKE, CARLI, EDIE, RITA
Fav: DEVO //Weird Al fans (hey Picard!), Roku dropped the Weird Al mocumentary today. Stupid silly and DEVO represents at Dr. Demento's party.
Inanehiker - I agree re: DEVO's video. DEVO == DEVOlution (of man).
//Jinx beat me to it but I like how he hit on band-name fads. The 90's had some crazy ones too - remember Toad the Wet Sprocket [keepin' w/ the 'They Shoot Horses' IDEA]
Waseeley - I lean on my younger (CEO) brother (he's got a Dad Band goin' on) for good new music 'cuz everything I hear on the radio is auto-tuned crap! Unfortunately, my Bro is into straight-ahead rhythms (think WILCO / Death Cab for Cutie) - I need something with more syncopation. He did turn me onto Nathan & the Night Sweats which is fun.
HG / PVX - '17's revelation made me sick. There's getting an advantage and then there's CHEATing. Perhaps this year is a redemption - you can't cheat great pitching.
In *NIX, it's ">ls" not ">dir"; remember the old Apple ][ 'dir' command? ">catalogue"?
TTP - pickle juice is also good after a hard work-out. Cramps ≠ chance
STOCK EXCHANGE - my stock is finally flirting with $50/share again. I placed a sell order at $50.10 for 1/3rd of it. I hope I'm not being too greedy ;-)
Time to print C.Moe's puzzle.
Cheers, -T
Chairman Moe delivers today's witty STOCK EXCHANGEd XWD from Mr. Hale (historically, a fellow Yalie).
ReplyDeleteYep, I found this tricky but do-able PZL entertaining all the way through.
Not only were the individual themes fun to decode, but the real payoff was in the explanatory fill at 56A.
Thank you, Nathan Hale, whoever you are!
~ OMK
____________
DR: Four big diagonals, one at hand and three across the way.
The nearside diag's anagram (14 of 15 letters) describes a kind of assault based on non-lethal gases.
This is a...
"NAUSEATE ATTACK"!
A really fun puzzle today. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWendybird, good one!
FIW. I ERRed on 69A
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: Nathan Hale is a very clever constructor!
FAV: Warning from a driver?
Thanks C-Moe for your write-up, especially 52A. Oh, the verb form!
My first stumble was eight/OCTET
ReplyDeleteI had the croak/rasp since Sunday morning and an eye that looked like I'd met Mike Tyson in an alley. Getting slowly better with both
C-Moe, don't forget modern slang like HELLA
I've got one of those colos scheduled for 2023 too. So that's why it's called FLEET. But nothing compared to a prostate biopsy
Talk about controversial CSO's: CC had an ad 'Welcome to MOE's'
"No Particular? Place to Go All I could think of was Kokomo Jinx, great visuals on the second *
I never grok'ed the theme until C-Moe served up the V8 which Explained PIG(hi PK). I liked the HORSE one , sorry KS and YM but the KITE clue too(NTSO AMSCRAY)
I finally got out of the house to Breakfast Syation and they assaulted my ears with Anon-T's music. "Kitchen's day to pick the music?" I said to the waitress. "Yep". Later I caught her humming along
WC
BTW, isn't KARLI beautiful
Speaking of Russian colonial efforts in Alaska and California (Fort Ross), there were two Russian outposts in Hawaii (one each Maui and Kauai, IIRC). Both were too far from Alaska and couldn't support the Alaskan colonies' food needs.
ReplyDeleteTTP @10:55: The trouble with all these 'medical wonders' for curing nighttime leg cramps, is that in order to use them, you have to wake up first. I'm usually just struggling to find a leg position that halts the pain, too busy to wake up enough to go to the fridge.
ReplyDelete-T @ 3:34 -- I think the worst part off getting married and having kids, is that the ability to stay up to 2:30 AM and listen to groups like Nathan Rateliff & the Night Sweats has been utterly banished to Ultima Siberia. The freedom of time and attention needed to grok such groups (plus the time to drink and savor megadrams of E. & J. Gallo's dregs) is gone. (We never notice we are in paradise, until it's become past history.)
ReplyDeleteMichael, I thought holding my babies & raising children was more heavenly than what you were mentioning. Much more satisfying in the long run to old age.
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ReplyDeleteHa ! Michael, I just woke back up and decided to check for spam. My leg cramps are so severe that I have to get out bed and put the full weight of my body on my right leg to counter the muscle contraction, whether it is in my calf or thigh. There's no way I can sleep through these episodes. So a trip to the refrigerator is no big deal at that point.
AFAIC, in my case I don't believe it to be caused by dehydration, lack of nutrients or overexertion in exercise. It's one of, and the most severe of, various neurological symptoms that occur in my right leg and foot caused by what I believe to be the long term manifestations of sciatic nerve damage. My GP Family Dr. doesn't disagree, the chiropractors think they can cure it with spinal manipulation, the orthopedic surgeon and neurosurgeon both felt that surgery was the best approach... Me ? I believe in building abdominal core strength through exercise, and eating pickle relish :-)
Dash T, yes, pickle juice as stated in my last quoted paragraph above. Or even yellow mustard as the source for the acetic acid. I just find that eating a spoonful of pickle relish is more palatable and less noxious than eating a spoonful of yellow mustard or drinking pickle juice. Now, if we could somehow get that acetic acid into a lager or an ale. Hmm... Pickle Juice Lager, or Yellow Mustard Ale. That's the ticket !
TTP - This may sound silly but I got one of these to roll my dogs before bed. Waking up with restless legs kinda went away. Though I do like the idea of Mustard Beer - great for brats me thinks.
ReplyDeleteRe: chiropractors / surgeons - if you only have a hammer, every job is a nail.
Michael - LOL! I gathered over 500 CDs & cassettes before kids. After kids, I bought only seven or eight grown-up albums - eg not Barney / Disney / Raffi :-)
Cheers, -T
Pickle juice works to relieve leg cramps! I keep a jar on my bedstand just in case.
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ReplyDeleteDash T, any port in a storm, and if it works for you... I use Epsom salts for sore feet. Not always convenient, but when the dogs are really barking...
Lucina, be a dear and next time try a teaspoon of yellow mustard. It's just that I find sweet pickle relish the easiest to take of those three !