google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Tom Pepper and C.C. Burnikel

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Mar 21, 2023

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Tom Pepper and C.C. Burnikel

Our Vowels are Politically Correct:  Each theme answer is a two word phrase where the first word begins with P and the second word begins with C.  Note, too, that we have a vowel progression in each of the two words as we work our way through this very PC puzzle.  How cool is that!?!

17-Across. Black-and-white cruisers: PATROL CARS.  Hand up if your first thought was Police Car instead of Patrol Car.  Also known as Panda Cars.

26-Across. Former name of Ball Arena: PEPSI CENTER.  The Ball Arena, formerly known as the Pepsi Center, is in Denver, Colorado.  It's home to the Denver Nuggets (basketball), the Colorado Avalanche (hockey), and the Colorado Mammoth (lacrosse).

39-Across. Public space in London's West End: PICCADILLY CIRCUS.  Although it's a wild and crazy round-about, the Circus in the name is derived from the Latin word meaning circle.

53-Across. Influential duo: POWER COUPLE.  Iconic Power Couples from 1954 to 2020.

64-Across. Snack Pack product: PUDDING CUP.

And the unifier:

63-Down. Some laptops, and a hint to five long answers in this puzzle: PCs.  Is my MacBook a Personal Computer?  What's the difference between a PC (Personal Computer) and an Apple laptop?

Across:
1. Defeated player's concession: I LOST.

6. Phone download: APP.


9. Cobra's warning: HISS.


13. "Yes to Fresh" candy: MENTOS.  I knew of the candy, but not its catch-phrase.


15. Bath bathroom: LOO.  Why do the Brits use the word Loo?  Apparently, it comes from the French phrase guardez l'eau, which means "watch out for the water".  This French phrase was actually used when emptying out the chamber pot from the bedroom window.

16. Snack (on): MUNCH.  Detective Munch, played by the late Richard Belzer (Aug. 4, 1944 ~ Feb. 19, 2023), first appeared in the television series Homicide: Life on the Streets, before moving on to a Law & Order spinoff.  I wonder what snack he Munched on.


19. "Aw, shucks!": OH, GEE!

20. Fit to eat, to Muslims: HALAL.  Halal is an Arabic word that means lawful, or permitted.

21. Bygone Russian royal: TSAR.  Did you know that the word Tsar is derived from the Latin title of Caesar?


23. First digit in a googol: ONE.  The One (1) in a Googol is followed by 100 Zeros.  It's a really, really big number.

24. Little cut: SNIP.

29. Cargo weight: TON.

30. Sunscreen nos.: SPFs.  As in Sun Protection Factor.


31. Indonesian island between Java and Lombok: BALI.  There are lots of things to see and do in Bali.


32. "So that's it!": OH, I SEE.

34. Knee injury initials: ACL.  As in Anterior Cruciate Ligament.  We see this knee injury occasionally in the puzzles.

36. "What a shame!": TSK.


44. Oolong, e.g.: TEA.  Everything you wanted to know about Oolong Tea, but didn't know to ask.

45. Combat sport, briefly: MMA.  Short for Mixed Martial Arts.

46. "We did it!": HOORAY!

47. __ year: LEAP.  People born on February 29 are known as Leaplings.  My great-grandfather was a Leapling.

50. Blueprint detail, for short: SPEC.

52. Overhead trains: ELs.  Short for Elevated train.


57. Tuckered out: BEAT.

58. Spanish "that": ESO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

59. Short "And yet ... ": OTOH.  Textspeak for OThe Other Hand.

60. Hunter in the night sky: ORION.
62. Said yes to an invite, say: RSVP'D.  Today's French lesson.  The letters stand for répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates to Respond if you please.  A response, however, is really expected, whether you please or not.

68. Jigsaw puzzle part: PIECE.


69. Memorable period: ERA.


70. Cruise venues: OCEANS.


71. Beltway VIPs: SENs.  As in Senators

72. Add sound to: DUB.

73. Promotes aggressively: HYPES.

Down:
1. Little rascal: IMP.

2. Actress DeLaria: LEA.  Lea DeLaria (b. May 23, 1958) is best known for her portrayal of Carrie Black on Orange is the New Black.  [Name # 1.]


3. In a precarious position: ON THIN ICE.  Here's a fascinating video of someone who intentionally skates on thin ice.


4. Sandal fastener: STRAP.


5. Home Depot purchase: TOOL.

6. Fla. neighbor: ALA.  Alabama is Florida's neighbor.  Ever wonder why Alabama has such a small coastline?



7. Some dessert wines: PORTS.  Everything you wanted to know about Port Wines, but didn't know to ask.

8. "Could be": POSSIBLY.

9. "Come again?": HUH.

10. Gold bar: INGOT.  Everything you wanted to know about Gold Ingots, but didn't know to ask.


11. Play division: SCENE.

12. See-through: SHEER.  Before she was the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton (b. Jan. 9, 1982) took part in a fashion show while in college.


14. Hit with an open hand: SLAPPED.

16. Gourmet mushroom: MOREL.  These mushrooms used to be a crossword staple.


18. Score symbol: CLEF.


22. Obamacare, initially: ACA.  //  And 49-Down. The second "A" of 22-Down: ACT.  The actual name of Obamacare is the Affordable Care Act.

24. "Knock it off!": STOP.

25. Like nine games of the 2021 baseball season: NO HIT.  Read about all Nine No-Hit games.

27. Biblical song: PSALM.

28. Part of TNT: NITRO.  It's formal name is TriNitroToluene.

30. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.  The Dead Sea Scrolls can be seen at the Israel Museum: Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.


33. Weighing device: SCALE.

35. Bracelet fastener: CLASP.

37. Image in many a software tutorial: SCREENCAP.

38. __ Lumpur, Malaysia: KUALA.


40. "That was exhausting!": I'M POOPED.

41. "Toodle-oo!": CHEERIO!


42. Winter Games org.: IOC.  As in the International Olympic Committee.

43. Method: Abbr.: SYST.  As in System.

48. Slowly wear down: ERODE.

51. Trudge: PLOD.

53. Suspects, in police slang: PERPS.


54. Davis of "Do the Right Thing": OSSIE.  I saw Do the Right Thing when I was living in France.  It didn't translate well.  Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis; Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) played a character named Da Mayor.  [Name # 2.]


55. Like wicker baskets: WOVEN.


56. Freedom, in Swahili: UHURU.  It is also the first name of the former president of Kenya, who served in that Office from April 2013 until September 2022.


Uğuru Kenyatta (b. Oct. 26, 1961)

57. One over par, in golf: BOGEY.

61. Ruler division: INCH.


65. Perfume amount: DAB.

66. French article: UNE.  More of today's French lesson.

67. Ltr. add-ons: PSs.  As in PostScripts.

Here's the Grid:


חתולה



42 comments:

TTP said...


Thank you, Tom Pepper and C.C., and thank you Hahtoolah. Fun puzzle and review.

The first thing I noticed about this PC puzzle was that it was very apt creation for a Tom Pepper and C.C. collaboration. The inside baseball that may not be well known is that C.C. and Tom are good friends, and that she addresses him as Pepper, and he addresses her as C.C.

So, a PC (themed puzzle) by PC (Pepper/C.C.). How neat is that ?

I appreciated the vowel progression on the theme answers as well as them finding a gridspanner for the middle themer.

Fun review, Hahtoolah. The "They met on line" image was my favorite.

It's almost MOREL season, and this shroomer plans to be out in the woods hunting them as soon as the conditions are right.

Back later.

Subgenius said...

Thank you, TTP, for the “inside information “ on our founder, C.C. and her good friend Tom. I picked up on the gimmick after the first couple of themed fills, but hadn’t noticed the vowel progression until you pointed it out. This puzzle struck me as very Tuesdayish, if I can coin a word. In other words, it was pretty easy but had a little “crunch.” Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.

OwenKL said...

There was a matron from KUALA LUMPUR
Who wanted a coat of koala fur.
But that would be cruel,
So her children did rule
That all she could have was Kahlúa liqueur!

A young dancing maiden on BALI
Drew several men to their folly.
Enticed by her curves
From morals they'd swerve. --
What they paid for the films made her jolly!

OwenKL said...

{A, A.}

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Got through this one in short order, even noticed the P-C links, but not the vowel progression. TSK, to me, is more of a complaint than a "What a shame." Good collaboration, C.C. and Tom. Enjoyed the expo, Hahtoolah.

Thin Ice: In my ute we would skate on the mill pond once the ice reached 4" thickness. We didn't think of that as "thin ice."

BOGEY: Why is it called that? Did he golf?

MOREL: When I lived in Iowa, we enjoyed hunting them in the Iowa forests. They tasted great beer-battered and deep-fried. I wish you good luck on your quest, TTP.

inanehiker said...

Fun puzzle that was also PC - thanks to Tom Pepper and CC!

Susan, our computer corner people probably have a more technical explanation, but the PCs have different operating systems. Many use Windows, they are all the other computers that aren't Apples: Dells, HPs, Acer, ASUS, etc.

Lots of people hunt for MORELs around here in Missouri- everybody likes to keep their secret hunting spots to themselves

I was at a wedding for 4 days - so today is going to feel more like a Monday!

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Crossword friends. Thanks for the insight on the PC puzzle with the collaboration between C.C. and Tom Pepper.

QOD: People can say what they like about the eternal vanities, love, and truth and so on, but nothing’s as eternal as the dishes. ~ Margaret Mahy (Mar. 21, 1936 ~ July 23, 2012), New Zealand author of children’s books

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR without erasure. Didn't see the vowel movement.

The only thing I know about MENTOS is the news reports about kids that were blowing up 2 litre (OK, C-Eh?) soda bottles using them. But my dad taught me that anytime someone offers you a breath mint, take it.

I'm not into cruises, but my retired chem prof sister and her DH love to take European river cruises.

Nice, fresh clue for ALA. Nearly everyone knows some version of Sweet Home Alabama, but I like Stars Fell On Alabama better.

You're POOPED? Hope you cleaned yourself up!

Want to try a snack with a benefit? Try some gourmet popcorn from Prospector Popcorn. Today is National Down Day, and sales of this popcorn creates competitive and integrated employment for people with disabilities.

FLN - Lucina, sorry about your account getting hacked. Something similar happened to me, but I accidentally caught it and lost only about $25. I put an alert on my account to notify me of any deposits exceeding $0.01. (The thieves had set up a link to my account using the microdeposit / micorwithrawal routine that is part of normal account linking.) Interesting that we had an arena that lost its Ball, in light of your proposed retribution for those PERPS.

Thanks to Tom and CC for the fun. I'm so glad to see the collaboration between such good friends. And thanks to Ha2la for the clever, informative visual review.

KS said...

FIR, but never noticed the vowel following the P's and C', which I don't think was really needed. And yes, I too had police car until strap set me right. Nice Tuesday puzzle, only one proper name.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

A Pretty Cool offering from Tom and CC! I did see the vowel progression, but only when I got to Pudding Cup. I was surprised to see a reveal, as one wasn’t really necessary, but fitting, nonetheless. The Sea and Oceans duo was fun as were CC’s trademark declarative phrases: Oh, I See, I’m Pooped, and Oh, Gee. We also had a smattering of CC’s sports interests with No Hit and Bogey. No w/os but two unknowns with Lea and Uhuru.

Thanks, Tom and CC, for a fun Tuesday solve and thanks, Hahtoolah, for all the fun and facts in your review. Favorite cartoons today were the one for SPF and the Clothespin which, I must admit, took a few seconds to sink in. Too funny!

FLN

Lucina, so sorry to hear of your hacking problem. I hope you weren’t damaged too much financially.

Have a great day.

unclefred said...

A few correct WAGs and I managed to FIR. Didn’t notice the theme until I got to the reveal and went back to investigate, and even then didn’t see the very clever vowel progression. What a gem of a CW. Thanx, TP&CC. I did make a mess with PEPSICOPARK:PEPSICENTER W/O, though, and also KOALA:KUALA, ORIEN:ORION. Still, an appropriate for Tuesday level CW, with very few proper names. Another terrific Tuesday write-up from Hahtoolah capped off the start of the day, thanx, Hahtoolah.

ATLGranny said...

Hahtoolah's apt review confirmed my FIR today. What a special puzzle, constructed by the PC team of Tom Pepper and our own C.C.! Many thanks to you all.

The theme was elegantly constructed with not only the recurring PC words but also the vowel progression for both words: PA CA, PE CE etc. Well done, with a grid-spanning center, too!

PERPS came to the rescue while I filled as well as appearing in the SW corner. Hahtoolah, I enjoy your reviews and today especially smiled at the clever clothespin doll(s) you posted at the end.

Hope everything goes well for you today, Lucina, and that you all have a great day!

waseeley said...

Thank you Tom and C.C. for the Tuesday FIR. You guys are a real POWER COUPLE!

And thank you Hahtoolah for your usual informative and oft times hilarious review. Loved the Clothes Pins, another POWER COUPLE.

Some favs:

26A PEPSI CENTER. It's now the "Ball Arena"? Named for Lucy?

39A PICCADILLY CIRCUS. Another is the Circus Maximus in Rome, a big racing venue in olden times.

60A ORION. Cute toon Cat! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

70A OCEAN. We've only been on one cruise, to Bermuda to celebrate my Mom's 80th Birthday.

6D ALA. We went to my nephew's wedding there last year (you'll be hearing more about him on Thursday) and had a wonderful time. Everything they say about Southern hospitality is true.

37D SCREENCAP. A portmanteau I didn't know.

12D SHEER. I suppose that's what Prince William saw in her.

16D MOREL. I'm a mycophile and have heard great things about these fungi, but unfortunately they don't grow in our neck of the woods.

65D DAB. My favorite puzzler.

53D PERPS. What would we do without them?

Cheers,
Bill

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Tom and C.C., and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in good time and saw the PC theme, but missed the vowel progression.
Thanks TTP for the extra layer of PC collaboration.
Hand up for wanting Police Car.

I noted ONE and UNE, DAB and DUB, POOPED and LOO.
There were plenty of slang clues, but my only holdup was entering “ I got it” before OH I SEE. (I should have known I couldn’t repeat the IT from the clue.)

My other holdup was entering AHA (thinking Affordable Health Act) before ACA (ok I’m Canadian eh!), which held up CIRCUS.
But things soon fell into place.
I had no idea about the beltway, but SENS PERPed. I had to LIU to make sense. Another learning moment for this Canadian.
I knew UHURU from our safari in Kenya. There is a large park in downtown Nairobi with that name.
SCREENCAP was not a familiar term for me.

Yes, Jinx, I like your litre. That arena would have been the PEPSI CENTre here.
Lucina- Sorry to hear you were hacked.

Wishing you all a great day.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Easier than yesterday. Saw P C (politically correct?) but didn't look beyond to the vowel progression

Because of the P in APP I quickly wrote in perhaps for POSSIBLE, coming up one letter short..oops.."hit" is past tense here so SPLAPPED. Batman and Robin too long for POWER COUPLE 🦹‍♀️🦸.

"Star treks" Uhura gets her name from UHURU. "Perfume" or Brylcreem amount, DAB. SEA & OCEAN

Inkovers: policeCAR/PATROL, (hand(s) up!), bogie/BOGEY

I had to assume that besides the PUDDING PoPs that my kids and Grandkids enjoyed there must be a PUDDINGPUP to perp UNE (not one)

And INCH traditionally the distance from your bent thumb knuckle to the tip.

BEATer of an Aussie "bear"...KUALA LUMPUR
Bridal veils are essentially short_____ OVERHEAD TRAINS
The "Casablanca" star always golfed one over par hence the nickname...BOGEY (hi DO)
Bug's biblical nemesis, Yosemite....PSALM
Complaint at the end of fun cruise___ wine...PORT

I thought today was first day of Spring but Google says it was yesterday...anyway welcome Spring 🌱.... (puhlease no more snowstorms 🙄)

Sherry said...

Didn't know Uhuru but filled from crosses, except for the H from Otoh. Noticed the theme quickly. Good puzzle .

CrossEyedDave said...

WR-Os
(What Ray-O said...)
Seemed easier than yesterday...

Totally missed the reveal because it got filled in without ever seeing it.
I did miss the vowel movement, because I missed the second themer, seeing only "a" then "i" - it all went to fast.

Loved seeing the CSO to me at one down, don't tell Irish Miss I posted this...

Loved the write up comics!

The "P"erfect "C"omputer...

Lucina, how did you get hacked?
Did you call a number listed in a text?
This is scary stuff, inquiring minds want to know...

Monkey said...

Lovely puzzle, mercifully free of pop culture names that I’m not familiar with as a rule, very doable and fun. I also failed to see the vowel progression, a trick that adds a touch of elegance to the theme.

Hahtoolah did not disappoint with her selection of cartoons to illustrate the answers.

I too had police CARS at first and started to write perhaps for POSSIBLY.

At first I misspelled UHURU, inverting the H and R, but ERA corrected that. I remembered that word from a novel titled UHURU I read eons ago by Robert Ruark.

My wonderful Miniature Schnauzer was named BOGEY. We adopted him when he was 2 years old so he already had that name.

Charlie Echo said...

FIR. What a pleasant puzzle! I was just a tad overconfident today, and entered crosses without my usual perp waiting. Oops. POLICE/PATROL, I LOSE/I LOST, POLS/SENS, and HAWK/HYPE. Saved by the downs! Got the theme, but the vowel Progression Crept past me. Really appreciated the lack of pop cul and obscure names.

desper-otto said...

Crossword Curious -- Nope. Tom Pepper is a Minneapolis-based crossword constructor. TTP lives in the Chicago area.

Yellowrocks said...

Easy today. Saw PC with the second one. Forgot to look more deeply for the vowel progression. PC sped the solve. Only LEA De Laria was new to me.
I looked up MAC vs PC. I see inanehiker beat me to it. I always wondered why a MAC was not a PC.
Google says, "A Mac is a specific brand of personal computer produced by Apple. While Macs can run most operating systems, Mac OS is the standard. On the other hand, the term PC usually refers to a computer operating on a Windows OS."
In our Commons there is always a 1000 piece jigsaw in progress. It is a community effort and usually is finished in 2 to 4 days. When I was young I was mildly interested, but now I do not care to participate. I watch and socialize.
Susan, thanks for the interesting blog, especially the article about West Florida.
It all depends on the order a person solves. I had P-RO- so I didn't fall into the police car trap.
I always wonder why our forebears did not find emptying chamber pots out the window disgusting. Even not knowing about germs, it is not aesthetically pleasing.
TSK to me is very minor. I often said it to students and my kids with an ironic smile. They got the point, but did not feel berated.
I learned from Star Trek UHURU means freedom.

Acesaroundagain said...

Loved the puzzle. Straightforward and fun. Thanks Hahtoolah I had missed the vowel progression. GC

Lucina said...

Hola!

Thank you, C.C. and Tom for the spring frolic!

Hand up for POLICE CARS before PATROL CARS. I also see wite-out at HOORAY but don't know what was there first.

HALAL perped.

Here in the land of intense sunshine the highest possible SPFS are recommended.

I have flown over the Atlantic and Pacific OCEANS but never on a cruise. San Francisco to Hong Kong took fifteen hours to fly. I read an entire book on that trip.

I did not look for any vowel progression but thank you for pointing it out. That's clever!

CEDave:
The hacking occurred on my bank account. They blew through the credit union fire wall. I have yet to assess all the damage.

I love CHEERIOs cereal but had to give it up as it contains too much sugar.

Have a joyful day, everyone!

RosE said...

Greetings! What a nice puzzle today, even though I blundered through it before checking the perps. Thanks, Tom and CC. And thanks, TTP, for the inside glimpse to the P-C theme. Cheers to Pepper and CC! 😉
square -> CIRcle -> CIRCUS
BOGie -> BOGEY. Should know this by now for all the times it’s appeared in the CWs.
I saw the theme before I got to 63D, but not the vowel progression – very clever!!
I always appreciate a few gimmees (APP, LOO, TSAR, etc.), especially toward the end of the week, but I’ll take them any day!!
TEA, my first cup in the morning. Very interesting link. Thanks, Hah2lah for the fun and informative recap.
Loved the ORION toon. One of the few constellations I can spot. So romantic, chasing the Pleiades, seven sisters, across the sky, but never catching them….
ALA. Hah2lah, your link reminded me of a wonderful series on the History Channel called, How the States Got Their Shape. It shows up every once in a while. I recommend it.

Wilbur Charles said...

First Tuesday test in awhile. I actually inked booyah/HOORAY

Israel put a stranglehold on Dead Sea docs for 40 years

Oops, FIW on LiA/MiNTOS(as if I don't know MENTOS)

Big W on #1, Owen

OK, I LIU and see SCREENCAP is a snapshot of the screen(to the clipboard for future embedding). It's difficult but doable on Android by simultaneously pressing vol and off buttons

"Inkovers: policeCAR/PATROL, (hand(s) up!), bogie/BOGEY". Per Ray

WC

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

WAZ @ 8:29

You're a microfile? 😲....oh a MYCOPHILE! 😉

Well before you're banned in Florida maybe you can help me out...

These fungi appeared on this tree at my Adirondack place last year. The largest one about a foot high.

What are they?

🤔

CrossEyedDave said...

Chicken of the woods?
ID and poisonous lookalikes...

Anon-T,
Can you help ID Lucinas hacker methods?

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

CEW

I wouldn't say I was particularly afraid of the woods...😄


Misty said...

Fun Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Tom and C.C.. And always enjoy your commentary, Hahtoolah, thanks for that too.

Well, as soon as I saw MUNCH I started looking for food and was delighted to find some CHEERIOs for breakfast, and a PUDDING CUP, and even some MOREL mushrooms and then some MENTOS for dessert. Also looked for some drinks, and had to decide whether to POSSIBLY have TEA or PEPSI or some PORT. One of my best lunches, ever.

But I wasn't crazy about the travel SCENEs in this puzzle. As soon as I saw ON THE ICE, I decided I didn't want to go there. I'd rather go swimming in the SEA in BALI, or in the OCEANS of some other places. But I wish everybody a good time, wherever they go.

Have a great day, everybody.

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

Anyone else notice that this puzzle is a 16x15? I am pretty sure Old Man Keith will, as the diagonals are asymmetric

I actually noticed the P-C connection after I filled in the reveal @ 63-down. Prior to that, though, I DID notice the vowel progression ... however, I commented (to myself, of course) that it was too bad that Pepper and C.C. didn't find a suitable fit in 17-across; I had POLICE CARS entered there, and wouldn't delete it for the longest time

Obviously, the NW corner was the last to complete

Lots of fun learning moments today, Susan! Thanks for the great recap.

And a big thanks to Pepper and C.C. for the fun puzzle, complete with golf and baseball entries!

This is my limerick from Sept 30, 2017 regarding ORION:

At Lover's Lane there were parked many cars,
With nighttime view of the planets, like Mars.
When her date, Roosevelt,
Showed her Orion's Belt,
She said, "meh, I'll just rate it 3 Stars."

Charlie Echo said...

D-Otto @ 5:48......Iowa has forests? Driving across I must have missed them. Couldn't see the forest for the tr...er, I mean, corn stalks.

Anonymous said...

A puzzle by Dr. Pepper (Tom) and Coca Cola (CC) that's had Pepsi Center (PC) as one of the fills. Wow!

Who could ask for anything more. Great puzzle for a Tuesday wiith only LEA and SCREEN CAP as unknowns filled by perps.

Big Easy from my phone.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Trying to avoid TMI, suffice it to say I had some gastrointestinal issues and got started late today
--The smallest PATROL CAR we have ever seen was in Assissi, IT
-Seeing Who’s The Boss DUBBED into Italian was interesting too
-Omaha’s Creighton Bluejays beat Baylor last week at the BALL Center to get to the Sweet 16
-Yes, it is named by the people who make BALL canning items.
-Making an explosive fountain with MENTOS and a bottle of Diet Coke was a mainstay in my class
-Some think using rivets that did meet the SPECS helped doom the Titanic
-My uncle harvested MORELS in the spring and fried them up!
-Lovely job, Susan!

Kelly Clark said...


Beautiful job, Tom and C.C. -- loved it! Fun blog, Hahtoolah. Thanks to all for a fun time!

CrossEyedDave said...

LOL! Nice twist Ray-O!

Yellowrocks said...

Lucina, so sorry your account was hacked. What a mess to track it down and clean it up.
My bank account was hacked but the bank caught it right away and so did I. There were strange trial debits such as $0.31 and $0.67 in my account. We were onto the hackers before they got into real money. The bank was vey helpful in clearing it up. I have only two direct deposits and one automatic bill pay. I don't like automatic transactions.
Another time there was an attempt to get a credit card in my name. The credit card company temporarily denied it. Experian and the credit card company both informed me. I locked my credit and got new cards.
Thanks for the fun outing, Tom and Susan.

CrossEyedDave said...

After doing research this am,
This YouTube came up on my recommended viewing this afternoon...

banking hacks

Anon-t, I don't understand half of this, how can we protect ourselves?

Jayce said...

I loved this exceptionally pleasant puzzle and Hahtoolah's equally pleasant write-up. Thanks to you all.

Michael said...

Hatoolah @ 7:28 QOD "People can say what they like about the eternal vanities, love, and truth and so on, but nothing’s as eternal as the dishes."

While the aphorism is too true, i suspect that AutoCurse has changed "verities" into 'vanities.'

sumdaze said...

Thanks, Tom and C.C. for your Perfectly Clever puzzle! You took a simple idea and maximized its potential. FAV: the clue for CHEERIO

Hand up for PoliceCAR and missing the vowel progression.

Thanks, Hahtoolah, for your fun & interesting write-up. FAVs: ORION comic and skating video

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Great enjoyable puzzle and theme, Pepper & C.C.! Great expo, Susan.

PATROL CAR: the son-in-law of good Kansas friends of mine retired last week from the police force in Tom & C.C.'s neighborhood in Minnesota.

Last to fill: OTOH/UHURU cross. Also DNK: HALAL, MENTOS, LEA (as clued).

Lucina said...

YR
Thank you for sympathy. It has been a nightmare to call people and places. Luckily the person at the credit union is very knowledgeable and helpful. I now just have to be vigilant.