17 A. Lend San Jose NHL players?: LOAN SHARKS. A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. The San Jose Sharks are currently in 8th place in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League. Would your team like to borrow one?
23 A. Ring up Los Angeles NFL players?: PHONE CHARGERS. A phone charger is the accessory you plug into your phone when the battery power is low. The L.A. Chargers are in 2nd place in the AFC West, behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Give them a call.
47 A. Improve Los Angeles MLB players?: PERFECT ANGELS. A perfect angel is an adorable and well behaved child. I cold not find a suitable definition on line, so I made this one up. The L.A. Angels finished the 1922 season in 3rd place in the Al West division, 33 games behind the 1st place Astros. There are certainly some opportunities for perfecting their play.
57 A. Videotape Miami NBA players?: RECORD HEAT. Record heat is the highest temperature reached on a given calendar day at a specific location. One could record the Miami basketball team with a camera or cell phone - if it's charged. They are currently in 3rd place in the Eastern conference of the National Basketball Association.
Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa on hand to announce today's game. I'm quite taken with today's theme. Sadly, though my local Detroit teams are all mired in mediocrity, but the Lions are showing signs of life, and have a slim chance of making the play-offs. On the other hand, I think we all have a sporting chance to get a good solve today. Let's check it out
Across:
1. Peony part: PETAL. Each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored.6. Tools that can be musical instruments: SAWS. Here is one.
10. Huge tubs: VATS. Large tanks or tubs used to hold liquid, especially in industry.
14. Venue for big concerts: ARENA. A level area surrounded by seats for spectators, in which sports, entertainments, and other public events are held.
15. Discontinued Apple gadget: I-POD. A portable electronic device for playing and storing digital audio and video files.
16. Cut covered by a SpongeBob bandage, e.g.: OWIE. Kid's name for a small injury, aka booboo.
19. Bridge pose discipline: YOGA. A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation.
20. Twisty curve: ESS. Shaped similar to the letter.
21. Late tourney game: SEMI. Short for semi-final. The winner advances to the final game.
22. Gingerbread person?: BAKER. Also the cookie person and the cake person, unless I'm misunderstanding.
27. Soothing succulents: ALOES. Any of several succulent plants, typically having a rosette of toothed fleshy leaves and bell-shaped or tubular flowers on long stems. Native to the Old World tropics, several species are cultivated commercially or as ornamentals.
29. Foray: SORTIE. An attack made by troops coming out from a position of defense.
30. Like much fall weather: COOL. At a fairly low temperature.
31. Admits as much: LETS ON. Reveal or divulges information to someone.
32. Stick (out): JUT. Extend out, over, or beyond the main body or line of something.
35. Workweek starter, for some: MONDAY. The day between Sunday and Tuesday.
37. Minnesota mining range: MESABI. A mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota.
39. First responder's group, for short: EMS. Emergency Medical Services.
40. Write-ups that still need some work: DRAFTS. Preliminary versions of pieces of writing.
44. "You can say that again!": AMEN. An Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer.
45. Safe to put away?: EDIBLE. Suitable to be eaten.
46. Elaborate cake layers: TIERS. A tiered cake is multiple, differently sized cakes, stacked atop one another to create height and drama that lends itself to becoming a focal point of the party.
51. Steer clear of: AVOID. Keep away from or stop oneself from doing something.
52. Chance to roll the dice, say: TURN. An opportunity or responsibility to do or use something before or after other people
53. __ Moines, Iowa: DES. The capitol city of Iowa.
56. Ancient France: GAUL. Gaul was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy, and Germany west of the Rhine.
60. Slight advantage: EDGE.
61. Jacob's twin in the Book of Genesis: ESAU. Esau is the elder son of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible. He was the progenitor of the Edomites and the elder brother of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandsons of Abraham and Sarah. Of the twins, Esau was the first to be born with Jacob following, holding his heel. Isaac was sixty years old when the boys were born.
62. Give body to, as hair: TEASE. Teasing, also known as backcombing or ratting, is a combing technique used to create volume at the root of your hair. The technique involves using a fine tooth comb to gently comb the hair downward toward your scalp, causing the hair to slightly tangle and create a voluminous final look.
63. Closing document: DEED. A legal document by which one person transfers land or buildings to another.
64. Gen-__: post-boomers: X-ERS. Generation X is the Western demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s as ending birth years, with the generation being generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980.
65. 63-Across holder: OWNER. A person who has legal possession of something.
Down:
1. Lacking color: PALE. Light in color or having little color.
2. Amorous archer: EROS. The ancient Greek god of love, identified by the Romans with Cupid.
3. Recipe measures: TEASPOONS. The teaspoon a unit of measure especially in cookery equal to ¹/₆ fluid ounce or ¹/₃ tablespoon (5 milliliters)
4. "The Dutch House" novelist Patchett: ANN. Ann Patchett [b. 1963] is an American author. She received the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, for her novel Bel Canto. Patchett's other novels include The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Run, State of Wonder, Commonwealth, and The Dutch House.
5. Rodeo ropes: LASSOS. A lasso, also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish and Mexican cowboy, then adopted by the cowboys of the United States.
6. Blue-eyed cat: SIAMESE. One of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century.
7. Yellow-orange fruit: APRICOT. A fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus Prunus. Usually, an apricot is from the species P. armeniaca, but the fruits of the other species in Prunus sect. Armeniaca are also called apricots.
8. Stir-fry pan: WOK. A large, bowl-shaped Chinese pan used for frying food quickly in hot oil:
9. '60s "New Left" gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society
10. Long journey: VOYAGE. As defined.
11. Stopped snoozing: AWOKE. Roused from sleeping.
12. Detroit ballplayer: TIGER. The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, established in 1901, they are also the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the AL
13. Mail-order pioneer: SEARS. Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as a mail ordering catalog company migrating to opening retail locations in 1925, the first in Chicago.
18. Barnyard layer: HEN. An egg-laying chicken.
22. Corned beef solution: BRINE. Water with a high concentration of table salt.
24. Gripped: HELD.
25. Timecard abbr.: HRS. Hours
26. Molecule makeup: ATOMS. An atom is the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element, consisting of a nucleus containing combinations of neutrons and protons and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus by electrical attraction; the number of protons determines the identity of the element.
27. Tippy top: ACME. Apex, peak, summit
28. Weaver's machine: LOOM. A machine for interlacing at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth.
31. Line of a song: LYRIC. The words
32. "Rebel Without a Cause" star: JAMES DEAN. James Byron Dean [1931 – 1955] was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in Giant (1956).
After his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in East of Eden.
33. App-based car service: UBER. A platform where those who drive and deliver can connect with riders, eaters, and restaurants. In cities where Uber is available, you can use the Uber app to request a ride. When a nearby driver accepts your request, the app displays an estimated time of arrival for the driver heading to your pickup location.
34. Altoids containers: TINS. Rectangular hinged metal boxes.
36. Chimed in with: ADDED. Contributed to the discussion.
38. Move effortlessly (through): SAIL. Glide.
41. Misty Copeland's dance troupe: Abbr.: ABT. American Ballet Theater, a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year.
42. Open freight train unit: FLATCAR. A flatcar is a piece of rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on a pair of trucks or bogies, one at each end containing four or six wheels. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry extra heavy or extra large loads are mounted on a pair of bogies under each end.
43. Flimsy: TENUOUS. Very weak or slight.
45. Submitted tax returns online: E-FILED.
46. Take care of: TEND TO. Pay attention, apply oneself.
47. Flipped (through): PAGED. Turned the pages of (a book, magazine, etc.) especially in a quick, steady manner.
48. Steer clear of: EVADE. Escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery.
49. Color for cheeks: ROUGE. A red powder or cream used as a cosmetic for coloring the cheeks or lips.
50. Watchdog's warning: GRR. Growling sound.
54. Simplicity: EASE. The quality or condition of being easy to understand or do.
55. Hip or tip ender: -STER. A suffix denoting a person engaged in or associated with a particular activity or thing.
57. Dinosaur voiced by Wallace Shawn in the "Toy Story" films: REX.
58. Opposite of WNW: ESE. West-north-west and East-south-east. The latter is the direction or compass point midway between east and southeast.
59. Chop down: HEW. Chop or cut something, especially wood or coal, with an axe, pick, or other tool.
That wraps up our sports outing. Hope you enjoyed the game, and that your team wins - unless they are playing mine, of course.
Below the puzzle are some bonus tracks from our Winter Wonders Concert on Monday.
Cool regards!
JzB
Jingle Bells, ala Count Basie
Sleigh Ride, a la Glenn Miller
Christmas Time Is Here
The Jody Grind
That's me with the stop time trombone solo at 3:15
46 comments:
Good morning!
Is San Diego now part of the L.A. megalopolis? Lived in S.D. briefly, but that was 50 years ago. The city may have changed a tad since then. "Steer clear of" evokes AVOID, whereas EVADE is to get away from or escape, IMO. Thought this was the easiest puzzle so far this week. Thanx, Susan and JzB (enjoyed your musical interludes at the end).
I agree with D-O that this was a remarkably easy puzzle, especially for a Wednesday. I’m going to keep my comments brief today and just say FIR, so I’m happy.
I finished in 4:49 without any Chaos.
(Chaos is an American professional lacrosse team.)
(Yes, I know that if I have to explain a joke, then it isn't funny....)
We're in agreement that this was an extra easy Wednesday puzzle, although Mesabi (?) and ABT were unknowns, as was today's female novelist.
Clever theme, and well-executed by having the different leagues represented.
I would've clued "Tiger" differently, given the sports team theme, but, of course, nobody asked me.
FIR with no erasures. IMO the easiest puzzle of the week, with the only total unknown was MESABI. Guess I need to reread my Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport novels.
Couldn't figure out what the hell D-O was talking about, then the V8 can hit. The CHARGERS moved to LA to cohabit the new stadium with the Rams. At least San Diego still has the Clippers. Oh, wait!
Your chance to roll the dice when you are playing backgammon is, in fact, your turn. But if you are playing craps, it is your "inning". It remains your inning until you "seven out" or just decide you don't want to roll anymore, like when the restaurant pages you for dinner.
Thanks to Susan for the Monday-level treat, and to JzB for the extensive tour.
FLN - Irish Miss, I don’t think our good friend “Anonymous” (who just chimed in at 6:57 a.m.) had any problem being referred to as
“Speedy Solver” (or “SS”). You may recall that yesterday he said he was “amused and flattered “ by it. He merely said he hesitates to refer to himself in that way. That makes sense to me. A man may be “amused and flattered “ at being called a genius but prefer not to refer to himself in that way for fear of being accused of arrogance or worse. Therefore, I am going to continue to call him “SS” or “Speedy Solver” and feel you are welcome to do so also, at least, IMHO. Okay, I”ll get off my high horse now. God bless!
FIR. I had no problem with this puzzle, I must have been on the constructors wavelength.
A rare one today- no unknowns. Wasn't sure of the spelling of MESABI. I had to think a little about the CHARGERS since they were in San Diego for 60 years.
X-ERS, Gen Y, Millennials- nobody wants to say how old they are
TEASE- DW calls that 'Texas Hair' when she sees older women with lots of teased hair
ROUGE- I think traveling Susan lives in Baton ROUGE
Hola!
Thank you, Jazzbumpa, for today's detailed analysis. I know we can count on you for a fine explanation. I'll listen to the concerts later so as not to awaken my household.
I love this wordplay! We can be assured that Susan Gelfand will deliver a playful punch.
MESABI was my only unknown term.
ANN Patchett is very familiar to me, having read not only The Dutch House, but others of her books as well. Once I like an author's style, I look for other works from her/him.
Now, VOYAGER, is a movie with Bette Davis.
AVOID/EVADE crossing is clever
The RECORD HEAT here was in June, 1990 when it reached 126 degrees. Even airplanes were grounded.
Yawn. I'm going back to bed. Have a fantastic day, everyone!
Good Morning:
I really liked this fun theme and, as mentioned, the tightness of it with all four major league sports being represented. I also liked the lack of pop culture references and proper names, the low three letter word count, and the clean fill. I stumbled over ABC/ABT and Flat Bed/Car, but there were no unknowns. Easy solve, yes, enjoyable solve, very!
Thanks, Susan, for a mid-week treat and thanks, JazzB, for the extensive expo. I enjoyed your musical offerings but not nearly as much as my late husband would have. He had a passion for music in general, but Jazz in particular.
SS @ 6:57 ~ I had the same thought about the cluing for Tiger.
SubG @ 7:20 ~ I agree with you 100 per cent. My point was to get our modest friend to choose an identifier that he’s comfortable using in his posts, just so we know, without any doubt, that it is our Speedy Solver!
FLN
Lucina, congrats on the new car.
Anon T, credit for renewing your interest in Sneakers belongs solely to SS.
Have a great day.
I zipped right through until I got to Gaul and found that the A and U were transposed. I had ROUGE in the wrong column
The SEARS in Dunnellon is finally calling it quits
When UBER came to Tampa Airport war was declared. At first the County was behind the cabbies and said drivers would attempt to have Uber drivers ticketed. TBTimes came out in support of Uber.
Money talks and usually wins. In. London the battle was even fiercer.
Xword dinosaur REX* was in NZ and naively assigned a replacement hence last Thursday's NYT RUCKUS
Jazzb I liked your SAW solo
I never even saw MESABI nor a few others as I raced through
Anon could end his post with SS much like I end mine with
WC
Oops, the was Paris where the UBER violence occurred
Musings
-A school-closing snow event is coming on this first day of winter.
-My aunt would have liked “Carry Chicago baseballers/BEAR CUBS”
-I SAW an old SAW about SAWS: Measure twice and cut once
-Jay Leno comes to mind when I see the word JUT
-My posts here start as DRAFTS in Word before I post them
-I wonder if Susan chose that ANN
-Our spoiled, blue-eyed SIAMESE is an integral part of our household
-Rappers’ names are seen here often but not their LYRICS
-Son-in-law always carries a TIN of Altoids but has never offered me one.
-Nice job, Jazz!
Along with cabs , Shared Ride services such as Super Shuttle were kiboshed
WC
WEES, easiest CW of the week. I was astonished to see it took me 17 to FIR, as I thought it went much faster. DNK MESABI. I do like WASABI, though, with sushi. Of the few proper names, (thanx, SG!) I only DNK ANN. Thanx, SG for the fun. Thanx too to JzB for the terrific write-up.
Easy puzzle for a Wednesday. MESABI was new to me, for once I knew the teams.
Five years ago, we rescued a Siamese kitten, the next day we got a call asking if we would adopt his twin brother, how could we say no? They have totally different personalities, definitely livened up our casa.
I see Lucina joins me in “Sweat-a-zona, 126° is muy caliente!
Keep warm, stay safe.
FLN, Lucina, re: keyless car key fobs.
Always have the second set of key fobs accessible somewhere until you get used to the dang thingie!
(And not your purse!)
I always drive with my key fob firmly attached to my pants with a carabiner, ever since my first experience with them.
(Story ensues:)
1st experience was a car rental, comes with one key fob. Drove it 50 miles away from the agency, and I absentmindedly tossed the fob on the passenger seat, slammed the door, walked around to the drivers side only to find the door locked with the key fob inside!
(I will leave out all the cursing that ensued,)
Suffice it to say, go thru "all" the car setup options, and find the one that says "automatically lock doors" and turn it off! Then you can throw away the key...
Found the puzzle fairly easy, (with bumps here and there) but found the wordplay very clever indeed. In fact I would love to find silly links to match all the different meanings, but I am afraid it would require copious amounts of beer, and I am trying to lose weight. (Makes me grumpy...)
The clue "elaborate cake layers" had me wishing for a different letter count.
(I was hoping it would be CEDs... :)
Thanks Jzb for the Xmas music, eases the grumpiness...
(But why can't I view it on YouTube, with a larger screen? Argh! Grumpiness returns)
Oh well,
Thank you Susan for an unusually easy puzzle. Is 35A a hint that it's MONDAY puzzle. I liked the theme, as once sussed it was helpful in filling the rest of the FILL. Even though I'm not a sports maven, I'd heard of all these teams.
And thank you JzB for your grammatically nuanced explanation of the theme and the other clues. And thanks for the Concert! 'tis the season!
Busy week and I've gotta go. I'll try to stop back later.
Cheers,
Bill
A welcome quick solve today. FIR. Thanks, Susan, for an enjoyable puzzle with a clever, but get-able theme, even for us sports- challenged folk. Is this constructor our Hahtoolah?
Thanks, JazzB, for your descriptive review. I admit to one WO when I EASEd before SAILing, later finding the right spot for EASE.
FLN
Glad your car search is over, Lucina.
Hope all are in the holiday spirit!
Hi All!
I liked it! Tight theme. Only ? was Tigers as clued (as mentioned).
Thanks for the puzzle Susan. My only problem was solving to the sound of jack-hammers going through the front porch (foundation work - yes, I have a knack for these homes :-( )
Learning expo and great music, JzB. Thanks!
WOs: LAR... -> LASSOS, started Evade and Avoid in each other's squares.
ESPs: ANN, MESABI
Fav: JAMES DEAN [The Eagles]
BigE - I'm an early XER: 1970. LOL Texas hair - Louisiana DW does everything she can to keep it straight (I like it when 'scrunchy' :-)).
HG - Have you seen any post-burn interviews w/ Jut-Jaw? Guy knows his cars and kept his sense of humor.
WC - at all the airports I've been at, Taxis get the good real-estate just outside of baggage. An Uber / Lyft user has to walk half-mile to the "share-ride" spot somewhere on L5 or L-4 of the parking garage.
Star Trek's VOYAGER Captain was Janeway. In the 1st Star Trek movie they were chasing V'Ger which was actually a (fictional #6) Voyager probe with letters missing ala Cloak of Ban Da-' E [Lego Movie]
Re: Toy Story - We were studying computer graphics' pipe-line in grad-school. We worked overnights at the lab trying to get rudimentary ray-tracing to render properly on Sun's Sparc 10s. We all felt cutting-edge doing our individual projects. And then Toy Story premiered. We all went (#Nerds!) - it was years ahead of what we were doing.
*Sound of jaws dropping*
Lots to do (and work beacons) before vacation! starts tomorrow.
Cheers, -T
WOS easy Wednesday and very COOL CW. Not only I’m not a Gen-exer, I’m not even a Boomer. What am I come to think of it?
Congratulations Lucina on your car purchase. Nissan Altimas are very pretty. Many years ago I had a Nissan Maxima and loved it. I agree the amount of paper work for a car purchase, even paying cash, is mind boggling.
Big Easy, are you saying Susan Gelfand lives in Baton ROUGE? So do I. Maybe I’ll run into her at Hi Nabor’s one day. LOL.
I’ll be a PERFECT ANGEL and not fuss about the deep freeze coming our way. GRR.
Greetings, I had a smooth sail through the puzzle today. Thanks, Susan. It started my day off happily. One WO: changed FLATbed to -CAR. DNK but may be the difference between a truck and a train.
Suspected the theme from the get-go and proved on target. MESABI all perps.
Thanks, JazzB for you very thorough and informative review. I loved the concert clips - you are multi-talented!!
Very straight forward puzzle. Favorite clue "safe to put away".
H-Gary, Maybe your SIL is just being nice. If someone offers you a breath mint, aren't they trying to tell you something? I've always heard "never say 'no thanks' when a breath mint is offered."
You think of Jay Leno when you see the word JUT. For some reason I think of the Gabor sisters.
Lucina, I had just moved to Phoenix a couple of months before that heat wave. Only the Boeing 737s were grounded, but since that's almost all that flew out of there, it seemed like they were all grounded. (Southwest and America West were the big dogs at Sky Harbor in those days, and both flew the 73s almost exclusively.) The reason they couldn't fly is that the takeoff settings (specifically the flaps setting, IIRC) tables only went to 120 degrees.
CED - My favorite rental car story involved a close work friend. Our office was in Phoenix, but the rest of our department worked in Dallas, and we traveled there often. On one trip he flew in, got a rental and drove to his first meeting. Afterward he drove to his hotel, opened the trunk to get his stuff, only to find someone else's stuff was there and his was not. After much investigation, it turned out that there were two identical cars from the same rental location that were keyed alike. Both parties eventually were reunited with their gear, but a lot of time was wasted figuring it out.
We have three nights of lows in the 30s this week, then a nice warm up starting Tuesday.
ATLGranny and Tante Nique, Susan Gelfand is not Hahtoolah, though they are both named Susan. So is dw. Hahtoolah does live in Louisiana -- not sure that it's Baton Rouge.
Great Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Susan. And, JazzB, your explanations were terrific this morning, very helpful and informative and complete--many thanks for that too.
Well, we don't have a RECORD HEAT so this is a good day to go to the ARENA and do some YOGA exercises, though it's probably good to AVOID extreme TURNs to avoid getting an OWIE. When you're done, say a thankful AMEN.
Then it's time to go on a bit of a food VOYAGE, and see what EDIBLES you can find. You might check with your BAKER, probably already standing by his WOK, with some TEASPOONS of BRINE ready to perk up that corned beef. Not much else to eat, unfortunately, except for a few APRICOTS in a few TINS. Well, we're not PERFECT ANGELS, so that'll have to do for us.
Have a great day, everybody.
Hi Gang -
Enjoyed this puzzle and putting the blog together.
Enjoyed your comments.
If anyone is interested, all the songs from Monday's concert are posted on my blog.
Concert
Sorry, they aren't on Youtube.
Cool regards!
JzB
D-O: IIRC, Hahtoolah is a 'Nawlins Cat through & through.
Jinx / Lucina - it's all about thermodynamics and the wings. Too hot? No air for lift.
//well, that's what I remember from Thermo 101 :-)
Can I vent for a moment? Please?
Foundation guys (the ones with jack hammers making the house quake) said they had to cut through the H2O line to level.
Now I need a plumber STAT!
Um, all the good-guy plumbers are gearing up for freeze-a-geddon. //This is Houston so, you know, two nights below 27F.
And I'm still supposed to clean house for DW's Christmas gift (?!?). Oy!
Cheers, -T
Anon-T, B-E said he thought Hahtoolah lived in Baton Rouge. I, too, thought she lived in Nawlins, but figured B-E probably knew better than me.
D-O: thanks for the clarification on Susan/ hahtoolah.
Anon-T: best of luck, finding a plumber.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Susan and JzB (great trombone solo).
I was on the right wavelength today (like KS), and FIRed with only a few inkblots.
I saw the theme, and DH (who loves APRICOTs) helped with the actual team names.
Was TIGER an Easter Egg or a Dud?
(May I suggest a themer- idiotic Vancouver NHL Team?)
Lariat changed to the plural LASSOS, Soirée party to SORTEE, Proofs to DRAFTS.
Like Anon SS, I needed perps for MESABI and ABT, but I knew ANN from reading Dutch House (and numerous appearances here previously).
I needed JzB’s explanation for “Tippy top”. I was thinking of a toy top tumbling over at the end of its revolutions. ACME perped, but made no sense (I thought it might be an American brand of too!). D”’uh!
For Canadians, the Eaton’s catalogue was iconic, (1884-1976), even before Simpson’s (later Simpson-SEARS). We composed our Christmas lists from the Eaton’s Christmas Wish Book.
Lucina- congrats on the new vehicle.
Wishing you all a great day.
C, Eh! Did Looney Toons not make it to Canada? (or your living room?)
Tippy-top ACME products purchased by Wile E. Coyote [Super Genius]. C, -T
Anyone can call themselves what they wish. Most guys I know would shy away from any nickname with “Speedy” in it.
AnonT- you mean there is a double-play on the ACME meaning. Not just JazzB’s “top, peak, summit” but Wile E Coyote’s Tip-Top ice cream and other ACME products? Great call!
(Plus that product catalog(ue) fits well with my SEARS and Eaton’s discussion today.)
I do remember those cartoons, but mostly the TNT.
CED @ 10:38. Regarding key fobs, I own a 2017 Jeep Renegade. Somehow, it knows when I leave the key fob inside the car. I can lock the doors, step out and shut the drivers door and it automatically unlocks! Cannot lock it with the key fob inside the car! As soon as I move it out of the car, I can lock the doors. I would love to know how it senses EXACTLY where the key fob is! It is a great feature.
Hi Y'all, Thanks, Susan, for a fun puzzle that was 7 minutes faster than yesterday's. Thanks, JzB for a great expo.
Liked the easy theme entries.
DNK: MESABI, altho I knew from reading novels that there was an iron range there. DNK: ABT.
ATLGranny, thanks for asking if Gelfand was our Hahtoolah. I wondered too. D-O, thanks for answering.
When I moved to the farm, there were 13 APRICOT trees in my yard. They didn't all produce fruit in any year, but I loved them. Only one alive & producing the year I left 31 years later.
AnonT: The jackhammer guy says he "HAD" to cut thru the water main? Sounds like a big OOPS to me. Hope their insurance will pay for your plumber.
I just found out I do not have more than a trickle of water! There are work trucks down the street. Hope they are repairing a water line. 20 degree weather last night. 30 now. Doesn't seem cold enough to be breaking pipes.
Lucina, glad you have wheels. Not fun to be afoot.
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR with little or no effort
Susan (the constructor) ==> this was a fun set and extremely "tight"
Ron, great job recapping and tromboning
-T, Maybe Leo will check in. At risk of overdriving my headlights, here's what I remember.
A pilot has to know the altitude of the airport. In addition, hot weather must be factored in, and is called "density altitude", which should probably be called "lack of density altitude." Meaning that as the temp goes up, the pilot has to add airport altitude. Affects flaps, and I think rotation speed (when the nose comes up).
The 757 could no doubt operate in the upper 120s, but since the tables for the 737 didn't go that far, no airline would permit it. (Probably banned by the FAA as well.)
Unfashionably late to the parry...
Shoulda been a Monday Puzzle.. easy...even the sports theme references were obvious.
A "journey" derives from a trip you can make in a day: (Fr) "jour"...Didn't know MESABI, sounds like a recent CW spicy condiment, Google says it's a iron range so must
be quite flat..😁
late tourney game? SEMI, usually a "truck" clue....Who put the APE in APRICOT!! 🦁 an EDIBLE fruit (best clue "safe to put away")
MONDAY, when repeated can't be trusted. 😠
Have great weaving import: ____ Large...LOOM
How to amass military (with beer)....DRAFTS
Lacrimal product...TIERS
Actual saw a bit of sun today.
I liked this puzzle and the fun theme. It only took 6 perps to get MESABI.
I always keep my car's key fob in my pocket and LW always keeps hers in her purse when we go out. (Our car came with 2 fobs.)
Good wishes to you all.
FIR. I enjoyed Susan's tight theme. Then I came to the Corner and appreciated it even more after reading JzB's explanation. I had not noticed the adj./verb aspect and the major U.S. sports spread.
Thanks, also for the ballet clip and the "bonus tracks". You had my foot tapping!
-T, when Uber came along it was just the opposite. Their customers needed only to walk out the departure gate and the Uber driver, clued in by cell, would pick them up at entrance.
Livery pickup was much more awkward. Also, Uber wasn't paying the airport. I'm not sure how that worked that out. Then again SEARS wiped out mom and pop, Walmart same for Sears and apres ca le deluge(Amazon)
We have three potential drivers for Rav4 so extra fob is in glove compartment. I can lock using the fob and obviously must lock every time I leave else anyone can drive away.
WC
FIR.
WEES about its being an easy puzzle, but I was in a hurry anyway, so I didn’t mind. The long sports fills are what really helped. Anytime I can get all of the long fills early, I can usually do very well.
Here is the first link I opened about the Phoenix airport and the heat:
Nope, Turns Out It Was Never Too Hot to Fly Out of Phoenix
I’m glad I looked it up first. Had I gone with my “I think…,” I would have been close, but not entirely correct.
Tante Nique @ 10:57 If you were born between 1928 and 1945 (like me), you are a member of the Silent Generation. Not a Boomer? Not an Xer? Millennial, perhaps? TC
TC, yup. I was born in 1941, I’m a sllent one. That’s not what DH says, however.
LEO III: You the man!
It was safe-operations and not Can't.
LOL! TanteNique / TokenCreek! Don't y'all be so quiet. :-)
WC - why do I imagine you as Taxi's Smart Alex Reiger?
Sitting in your cab being intellectual and all that? And I'm dumb Tony Banta :-)
To everyone: If you don't hear from me for a few days... Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Festivus for the Rest of Us.
I'm headed to IL in the morning, Eldest (already in WI w/ her buddy's family celebrating Solstice) will meet us there. My (CEO) Bro gets in on Friday and then, with all five of us kids (and our families) in one spot,... all hell breaks loose. Pop's hair is already white so he might start losing some.
//Pop's 72 and still has a full coif - I hope to be so lucky.
Feliz Navidad!
Cheers, -T
CED on 12-19-22, 2:35 PM. I found a partial answer to the oddball screw heads problem. The engineering types are trying to make their products inaccessible for us to fix, by using non-traditional fasteners. I beg the blog's indulgence, but if anyone needs these obscure bits STAT....
American Science in Skokie, IL [ SciPlus.com ] is selling a collection of ¼"-drive bits, $14.95 for it, cat. no. 96718.
The collection has --
Torx bits (T8 to T40), Tri-wings (Y1 - Y4)
Pozi (PZ1 to PZ3), 'Spanner heads' (U4 - U10)
Phillips PH1 and PH2, Torq (S6 - S10), 'Security Hex' H2 - H6
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