Theme: FOOLPROOF
Make it foolproof and you'll discover a bigger fool.
 |
| Bruce (Wayne, not Venzke) tries to woo Catwoman |
19a. FOOLPROOF: CAN'T MISS.
58a. FOOLPROOF: IRON-CLAD.
8d. FOOLPROOF: SURE-FIRE.
38d. FOOLPROOF: IN THE BAG.
Bruce is a veteran constructor with > 20 years of puzzles under his belt. He offers us a nice pinwheel grid with little A&E today.
Across:
1. Mind reader's knack: ESP. Learn mentalism.
4. Register figure: COST. Cash register.
8. Winter transport: SLED.
12. Additive-free: PURE.
14. Length x width: AREA.
15. Smooth-talking: SUAVE.
16. Big-screen movie format: IMAX. 59' x 79' is a big-screen.
17. Sign on for another tour: RE-UP. (Army) Bro stopped RE-UPing after his 22nd year.
18. __ legend: URBAN. Some are (kinda) true.
19. [See: theme]
21. Smart, in a way: DRESSY.
22. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB.
 |
| Harmless |
25. Love of Spain: AMOR.
27. Won't take no for an answer: INSISTS. Makes an offer you can't refuse.
31. "You are here" display: MAP.
 |
| Meta, eh? |
34. Puts together, as Lego sets: BUILDS.
36. Plant anchor: ROOT.
37. Heart chambers: ATRIA.
39. Turn down?: DIM.
40. Cliff dwelling: AERIE. How is this fill not Cheers?
Cliff's Dwelling
41. Day break?: NOON. Cute - AM breaks to PM and you lunch.
42. Gecko or iguana: LIZARD.
44. Majestic tree: ELM.
45. Ginormous number: UMPTEEN. Pop always told me for the UMPTEENth time not to blah, blah,...
47. Alaskan gold rush town: NOME.
49. Chills out (with): HANGS.
51. Childbirth technique: LAMAZE. No painkillers method. DW called the anesthesiologist her new best friend.
55. Hacker's goal: ACCESS. Well, I mean access is a step but we probably have a larger goal. #lulz
58. [See: theme]
60. Investigation: PROBE.
61. "Tell me about it, __": "Grease" line: STUD.
You're the One That I Want
62. New Haven collegians: ELIS. ELIhu Yale donated a bucket-ton of money to Collegiate School and, in 1718, they changed the name of the school to Yale.
63. "Bike faster!": PEDAL. That ET Scene comes to mind.
64. High top __: hairstyle: FADE.
 |
| High top FADE |
65. Green land: EIRE. Biden was there last week.
66. Trade-show freebies: SWAG.
 |
| Stickers are the best SWAG [one of my laptops] |
67. Desert antelope: ORYX. I had ibeX.
 |
| Straight Horns |
68. Dragon roll fish: EEL. ? I know roe, shrimp tempura, and/or spicy tuna but not EEL. Took me a while to find a recipe that even mentions EEL in a Dragon roll.
Y'all that know better, please correct me.
Down:
1. Sweeping stories: EPICS. Oh, not the stories about much of my time in the Army.
Down:
1. Sweeping stories: EPICS. Oh, not the stories about much of my time in the Army.
Sweep and Mop and Dust the floor
Your Left. Right. Left.
#Army - Be All You Can Be ;-)
2. Herb in the spice blend za'atar: SUMAC. A Middle-Eastern blend that includes the herbs oregano, marjoram or thyme along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, as well as other spices. [internet]
3. Vital force, in yoga: PRANA. Prana is a Sanskrit word that has a number of interpretations in English, including "life force," "energy" and "vital principle." The term is used in Hindu and yogic philosophy to refer to all the manifest energy in the universe, present in both living beings and inanimate objects. [ibid]
4. Yukon game: CARIBOU.
5. Metal containers?: ORES.
6. Creator of the Lorax: SEUSS. Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote The Lorax in 1971.
7. Bar fixture: TAP.
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| Have 200 different beers and your name goes on a saucer on the wall. |
8. [See: Theme].
9. Chocolate or yellow dogs, for short: LABS.
 |
| Yellow, Black, and Chocolate |
10. Some NASA data-retrieval missions: EVAS. Extravehicular Activities - outside the spacecraft.
 |
| Outside the Tin Can [Chris Hadfield's version of Space Oddity] |
11. Refuse to admit: DENY.
13. Polar Ice gum brand: EXTRA.
15. Sees the sites: SURFS. Cute: SURFS web-sites.
20. Deadly African snake: MAMBA.
21. Commotions: DINS.
24. "Big Little Lies" actress Nicole: KIDMAN. HBO show that DW's has probably watched. Nicole's website.
26. Dependent (on): RIDING. I started 'relying' before running out of squares.
28. Feeling the effects of too much exercise, say: SORE. Hand-up if you also inked achE first.
29. Sweat and strain: TOIL.
30. Flute part: STEM. Champagne flutes have stems.
 |
| A Flute's Stem |
31. Premier League team, to fans: MAN-U. Soccer's, erm football's, Manchester United is a UK Premier League team. That and "don't use your hands" is near the extent of my knowledge of the sport.
//I'm learning more from Ted Lasso.
32. Tiny particle: ATOM.
33. Theater accessory: PROP.
35. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ.
38. [See: theme]
40. Jingle-writing guy: AD MAN.
42. Part of SLR: LENS.
43. Low-tech card file: ROLODEX. I have not heard "Rolodex" in years and, yet, the last puzzle I expo'd [Sunday 4/9] also had it?!?
46. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL. Cute but the "?" gave it away.
48. Toaster or roaster, maybe: EMCEE. Or both [Peter Falk toasts & roasts Ol' Blue Eyes - 11:53]
50. Stringed instrument in Hindi cinema: SITAR.
52. Four-time WNBA 3-Point Contest champion Quigley: ALLIE. After UChicago, she went onto Chicago Sky.
53. Former name of Kinshasa's country: ZAIRE. I didn't get the memo.
54. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.
55. Programs that may update on their own: APPS. On your iThing or 'Droid.
56. College sport on the water: CREW. Rowing.
57. Musical ending: CODA. Anyone else ink "aria" out of habit?
59. Football film starring Sean Astin: RUDY [IMDB]. No clue.
61. Hub northwest of LAX: SFO. Los Angeles International and, NW, San Francisco International.
The Grid:
Thank you Bruce for a fun puzzle with little bits of learning.
WOs: I always spell S[h]ure wrong, ibid PEDle, relyi->RIDING, ache->SORE, aria->CODA, ibex->ORYX
ESPs: PRANA, RUDY, ALLIE
Fav: SURFS for "Sees the [web] sites."
I hope the expo provided a little something for everyone. Y'all have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Cheers, -T
32. Tiny particle: ATOM.
33. Theater accessory: PROP.
35. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ.
38. [See: theme]
40. Jingle-writing guy: AD MAN.
42. Part of SLR: LENS.
43. Low-tech card file: ROLODEX. I have not heard "Rolodex" in years and, yet, the last puzzle I expo'd [Sunday 4/9] also had it?!?
46. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL. Cute but the "?" gave it away.
48. Toaster or roaster, maybe: EMCEE. Or both [Peter Falk toasts & roasts Ol' Blue Eyes - 11:53]
50. Stringed instrument in Hindi cinema: SITAR.
52. Four-time WNBA 3-Point Contest champion Quigley: ALLIE. After UChicago, she went onto Chicago Sky.
 |
| Allie Quigley |
53. Former name of Kinshasa's country: ZAIRE. I didn't get the memo.
54. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.
55. Programs that may update on their own: APPS. On your iThing or 'Droid.
56. College sport on the water: CREW. Rowing.
57. Musical ending: CODA. Anyone else ink "aria" out of habit?
59. Football film starring Sean Astin: RUDY [IMDB]. No clue.
61. Hub northwest of LAX: SFO. Los Angeles International and, NW, San Francisco International.
The Grid:
 |
| The Grid |
Thank you Bruce for a fun puzzle with little bits of learning.
WOs: I always spell S[h]ure wrong, ibid PEDle, relyi->RIDING, ache->SORE, aria->CODA, ibex->ORYX
ESPs: PRANA, RUDY, ALLIE
Fav: SURFS for "Sees the [web] sites."
I hope the expo provided a little something for everyone. Y'all have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Cheers, -T
Since you mentioned your favorite clue, T, I’ll mention mine. “Toasted or roasted, maybe” which turns out to be “emcee.” And though I can’t say for certain, it appears the cws this week are following a more traditional path of a small increase in difficulty each day than we have seen recently. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteI disagree, Subgenius, this one was easier than yesterday. Zoom, zoom, zip. Good to see Bruce's byline again. Recognized Dash-T's inimitable style almost immediately, and no, d-o didn't try ACHY. The S was already there. Thanx for the powderpuff, Bruce, and for the tour, Dash-T.
ROLODEX: Proud to say that I retired mine a couple of years ago. Also the little punch thingee that turned business cards into Rolodex cards.
RE-UP: In the Navy there's a mandatory "Shipover Lecture" where they promise all sorts of bennies (preferred duty station, promotion, etc.) if you'll RE-UP for another tour. In my case the lecture was somewhat abbreviated: "You don't wanna stay in, do ya?" "Nope."
FIR, but erased dot for MAP, oak for ELM, tees for SWAG, tours for SURFS, relies for RIDING, and caribus for CARIBOU. Bad spelars of the world, UNTIE!
ReplyDeleteIIRC, the first IMAX film was To Fly, commissioned for the grand opening of the National Air and Space Museum (the one on the mall, not the one at the airport.) Again IIRC, they showed a film on how IMAX worked and how To Fly was filmed. I spent all day at the museum, and left feeling that I could spend another whole day without absorbing everything I would like to encounter.
My ATRIA are always on my mind, since they are always in fibrillation.
MAMBA reminded me of MAMBo #5.
I remember seeing the statuesque KIDMAN standing nekkid alongside diminutive then-husband Cruise in the otherwise forgettable Eyes Wide Shut.
It was hard for me to believe that SFO is closer than LAX to HNL, but SFO really is quite a bit west of LAX.
Any puzzle that features LABradorS is a good puzzle. What good old overgrown goofballs they are.
Thanks to -T for the fine, chuckle-worthy review. BTW, I remember getting a CD-ROM as SWAG at COMDEX in Las Vegas. Few people had hardware to read them, since 1X drives were running the the $ thousands.
Jinx @7:06 AM Just thinking of our old LABS brings a smile to my lips. 😊
DeleteTook 5:32 for me to proof my way through this one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with SubG, that this was a tad more difficult than yesterday's, which was a tad more difficult than Monday's.
I had no idea on today's WNBA clue/answer, nor did I know the yoga thing.
Oryx crossing sitar, SFO, Rudy, and Rolodex could be problematic, but I escaped unscathed.
I enjoyed the show, "Big Little Lies."
Oryx Rudy stud fade Rolodex are all personal pronouns as clued
DeleteNot personal pronouns at all!
DeleteI used to be a great speller and an okay proofreader. Today DNF due to both spelling and proof reading which didn't catch it. This should have been easy.
ReplyDeleteI loved emcee.
FIW. Misspelled oryx which left me with Rude instead of Rudy for the football film, which I had never heard of. I was definitely not on the constructor's wavelength with this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a pretty straightforward offering with a few unknowns, Prana, Extra, and Allie, but perps did their job, so no problems an no w/os. I like this type of theme as I’m always curious to see how the theme word will be defined, in various ways. Also, as Jinx said, any puzzle featuring the lovable Lab has my vote!
Thanks, Bruce, for always being consistently enjoyable to solve (RIP, Gail) and thanks, Anon T, for always being funny and entertaining. Thanks for pinch hitting, also.
Have a great day.
Thanks Bruce for a Wednesday puzzle that wasn't boringly easy. It could be said that it had some downright devious clues. Anyway, hand up for a FIR!
ReplyDeleteSo, I saw you were reviewing today at RE-UP when you mentioned (Army) Bro, Anon-T. Good job explaining things for us. I was thinking musical flute for STEM, not glassware. My first WO was ados/DINS. But my messiest area was the Midwest where I hastily entered AortA/ATRIA and tried to make dawN work before I saw it had to be NOON. That and ORES were definitely devious!
I enjoyed the Grease link which will be my earworm today. Wow, 1978. Everyone was so young!
Do have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Yes, but mine was ACHy, also ados/DINS,Reliant/RIDING
ReplyDeleteRe. 3pt WNBA shooting. An NBA team lost a close game whilst missing 18 of 36 FT attempts.
In Nam they offered a 10k bonus to REUP. I told the Corporal "On one condition: It goes directly into the savings fund"(offering 10% interest)
I agree with subg etal that difficulty has upped a notch each day. But… FIR
WC
RRANA, RUDY, ALLIE, STUD, FADE- it took ESP from this not so SUAVE person to get those unknowns. Thank you perps.
ReplyDeleteWanted IBEX but the perps demanded ORYX.
SUMAC- the only kind I know I wouldn't eat.
Exciting week- my grandson won the New Orleans Regional High School Tennis championships in singles yesterday, beating the top seed 6-2, 6-1. His team (Jesuit HS)to the regional championship.
Yeah, ya got me with the flute part.
ReplyDeleteLessee, there's a head, body, and a neck joint. And an embouchure hole?
Foolproof?
I dunno...
ya got an hour and a half to spare?
Thank you Bruce for a fun puzzle with a clever theme, but it didn't FOOL ME.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you -T for all the fun and games. You never fail to amuse!
Favs:
1A ESP. I knew you were going to post that video. This guy begs to differ.
8A SLED. SKIS didn't perp.
21A DRESSY. Not a problem I have.
22A SCARAB. Looks suspiciously Japanese to me. If they turn up in your garden here are some organic ways for controlling them.
37A ATRIA. Mine flutter a bit. But ELIQUIS puts a stop to it for only $400 a month (of which fortunately Medicare pays 3/4's). This product should have gone generic years ago, but SQUIBB's clever lawyers keep finding ways to extend their patent.
51A LAMAZE. This is how DW delivered our son. She went into labor shortly after we left a screening of War and Peace, in which one of the women dies in childbirth. It took Teri 10 hours to deliver, during which her part time job was keeping me awake. In Lamaze the husband is the DOULA.
4D CARIBOU. Favorite clue.
28D SORE. It PAINS me to say it but 🤚.
31D MAN U. Watched two of our granddaughters get get shut out at soccer yesterday. I gave the younger an MVP for her agressive handling of the goalie position. Had the coach put her in during the first half, the score wouldn't have been so lopsided.
43D ROLODEX. "For every clue there is a season, turn, turn ...".
57D CODA. Or Children Of Deaf Adults.
Cheers,
Bill
Good Morning! Nice to see a Bruce Venzke puzzle. I’ve enjoyed his offerings over the years. Thanks, Bruce!
ReplyDeleteLABS, I’ve had six over my lifetime. So fun, so loveable, but alas, a young(er) person’s breed. Fond memories of all of them.
Flute, aah, that kind! I went with STEM because of the perps, but coulda been the musical instrument for all I know. Thanks, Anon-T for the pic to clarify.
Fun clip of Cheers. Witty show.
ESP: MANU, ALLIE, ORYX
WOs: ados -> DINS
And now I’m off to mow….
It is surprising that the scarab beetle, which is a dung (manure) beetle, is highly revered in Egypt. I have a lovely scarab bracelet featuring semi-precious stones.
ReplyDeleteScarabs text
I knew ORYX, but carelessly used an E instead of Y.
I thought of flute stem quickly.
This took me a less time than the Tuesday puzzle. I should have slowed down to proofread. An FIR was possible for me.
ORYX, RUDY and ROLODEX are proper nouns, not pronouns. Stud fade is a two part common noun.
A heart valve is giving me trouble. We are still figuring it out. The field of medicine is part art, part intuition and part science. It is not foolproof. Sometimes there are no easy answers. In some ways specialization keeps doctors from considering multiple reasons, with other body systems all acting together to produce the symptoms.
A fun Wednesday puzzle. We have a Lebanese bakery here and you can buy fresh Manakish (flatbread) with za’atar topping. It’s friggin delicious 😋 kkflorida
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun, though kind of easy, puzzle. Lots of good clues like the ones for EMCEE and NOON.
ReplyDeleteThe last obstacle was the south since I didn’t know FADE and STUD as clued and I wasn’t sure I was right entering ORYX.
The other unknown was MAN U, but perps insisted it was correct.
I appreciated the fact that this CW was light on pop culture proper names so I didn’t feel out of step with the world. Instead I had to rely on my little grey cells as my friend Hercule would say.
Thank you Bruce for the misdirected answers STEM, SURFS, CARIBOU, and my favorite EMCEE. And thanks to AnonT for explaining PRANA, FADE, showing the bike scene from ET, and starting off the morning with “You’re the One That I Want”.
ReplyDeletePlease correct me if I am wrong but 56d College sport on the water = CREW seemed wrong. Isn’t the sport rowing and the team members are CREW? Sport - basketball = cagers; baseball = the nine; football = squad.
A wonderful book about rowing is “The Boys on the Boat” by Daniel James Brown, about the sacrifices, grueling practices, defeats and triumphs of the University of Washington rowing team that competed in the 1936 Olympics. Rowing was an extremely popular sport at that time and the author writes that there were 70,000 spectators at one race when U Washington rowed against Princeton.
on the Hudson River across from West Point.
Can someone explain edible SUMAC and poison sumac (two words that stir up bad memories)? And why isn’t edible etible?
Waseeley @9:06 hand up for LAMAZE. And from yesterday, what is a Berger cookie?
Happy day, all!
This one was on the Monday-ish side. (For me, anyway.) Only stumble was RUDI/RUDY, corrected when that ORYX ambled past. DW and I are on yellow Lab # 3. A house is not a home if it lacks a Lab.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-1.77” of rain last night makes for a lot of smiles in our part of the world.
-Man plans and God laughs
-My high school buddy, our equivalent of Fonzie, had a last name of SUESS and pronounced it SEESE.
-A fun puzzle with just enough spice at 9 o’clock to work both ends of the pencil. PRANA was just bonus “learning”.
-I had seen the Shuttle IMAX show at KSC countless times. It became a place that was dark and cool and just right for a nap as my kids OOED and AWED.
-He knows the COST of everything and the value of nothing
-Lori Loughlin lied about her daughter’s being on USC’s CREW team and got into big trouble.
-Metal containers/ORES! Loved it.
-IDIOT PROOF? My cruise control quit working and I drove out to my dealer this morning and he showed me the stupid mistake I was making in 30 seconds!
-IDIOT PROOF2? – I am blowing my sprinklers today with freezing temps coming in a few days) and I forgot to close the bleed valve at the bottom of my compressor. It took 30 minutes to figure out what was wrong. I’m putting off my application to MENSA! :-)
Simple Wednesday, although I don't know "What Kind of Fool am I?" the theme was easy. Did the whole puzzle on my phone waiting in a Disney World line for the "Rise of the Resistance" ride in the new Star Wars park.
ReplyDelete"Yukon game"..how do you play CARIBOU? Is it a "reindeer game"?...😄. Caribou athem "Be it ever so humble there's no place like NOME".🎵....I like Cheers for "Cliff dwelling" too! CODA (It = "tail")...
Inkover: ados/DINS, thought "supporter of the arts" might be nails...perpwaited. Liked the clues for RIDING AND EMCEE
Never mambo with a ____ MAMBA
The philosopher's daughter...CANTMISS
Permanent garden dweller...NOME
Call the boss a jerk result..SUREFIRE
Young goat shepherd....KIDMAN
Wow, definitely worth the wait for the ride...loving the weather here.
Great job T.
WC, looks like you're a half-empty kind of guy, based on your comment:
ReplyDeleteRe. 3pt WNBA shooting. An NBA team lost a close game whilst missing 18 of 36 FT attempts.
I liked today's puzzle with its pinwheel grid! FAVs: Sees the sites and Toaster or roaster.
ReplyDeleteHand up for thinking musical flute.
Rudy was a terrific underdog movie about a walk-on at Notre Dame. I met the real-life Rudy about 20 years ago. He was giving motivational talks at a ranch that did events for orphan boys. They'd show the movie then he'd talk to the boys. Good for him! He said getting the movie made was as big of an underdog adventure as making the team.
Good stuff, AnonT! "Cheers" for Cliff dwelling. LOL! I'm also a Chad Carpenter fan.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteFirst rate job, Tony! Thank you.
And nifty puzzle, Bruce. Thank you for that. It took a little longer than I thought but got it all right in the end. I love LIZ Claiborne fashions! They are available in petite sizes, too. Not that I am petite, just short!
A LIZARD has lived in my patio for years though I don't know if it's the original one or his descendants. I'm just glad he/she keeps insects away.
My gr-grandson is into shapes and he INSISTS that I draw them for him on his etch-a-sketch. At age three he knows them all, triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, trapezoids, etc., but Nana must sketch them for him. And that is the extent of my drawing ability.
If you have not seen the movie, RUDY, you are missing a heart-warming story.
One of these mornings, very soon, I must go for a blood draw. Oh, the horror!
Owen, I don't tell you enough how much I enjoy your poems.
YR, I hope your heart valve problem can be resolved very soon.
Have a lovely day, everyone!
sumdaze, I just now read your post and I'm so impressed that you met RUDY! What a great experience that must have been for you and all in the audience.
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIR; as others said. a Bruce V puzzle usually delivers
Thanks -T for the pinch hit recap
Today was pay day for me; always brings a smile to my face
Fun Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Bruce. And thanks also for the helpful commentary, Anon T, appreciated that too.
ReplyDeleteFelt like this might be a bit of a set-up for AMOR, with a SUAVE, URBAN, DRESSY STUD who likes to HANG out in a bar, looking for a date. Hopefully they'll have a musician there, playing his SITAR, with a painting on an EASEL nearby. The fellow should be SURE FIRE for attracting a nice lady. Just hope she won't be turned off when he offers to drive her home in his EDSEL.
Have a great rest of the week, everybody.
Lucina,
ReplyDeleteIf you can make it to Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, my pre-med grandson can do your blood draw for you. He works there a few days a week as a phlebotomist (phleb) and does about 20 – 30/day. Last month he had to draw blood from a 5-day-old baby. He’s a great kid and you would like him.
parsan @10:58 AM Well for starters the cookies have their own wiki page. I was introduced to them at about age four when I tried to charge some at the local grocery store (at that time I was also introduced to the word "income"). Anyway, Berger Cookies were brought to America by German immigrants circa 1835 and have been sold in the Baltimore area every since. My son brought a couple of boxes to China as gifts when he adopted our second oldest grandson 15 years ago. The company now ships them all over the world (including China I suspect) and you can get them through the Net. WARNING: They are highly addictive! I've largely kicked the habit in recent years because of their impact on my waistline, so be advised.
ReplyDeletesumdaze @12:22 PM So now you're going to tell us you're an orphan boy! 😀
parsan at 10:58 AM (cont.) The Sumac referred to in the clue is a flowering shrub, whose berries are coated with a tart substance used as a flavoring. It grows in my area and I first heard it described as used by indigenous people for making "Indian Lemonade". I think naturalist Euell Gibbons had a recipe for it in his Stalking the Wild Asparagus
ReplyDeleteDidn’t have time to post before my Aqua Zumba. Was a fun easy Wednesday puzzle. MAN-U, PRANA, and ALLIE were new to me.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I read “The Apollo Murders” by Col. Chris Hadfield. The book is a historical science fiction story set in the Apollo era of space. Col. Hadfield, a former astronaut, shares his inside knowledge of both the American and Russian space programs. His descriptions of spaceflight makes this an informative fun mystery to read.
Over the years our labs have always brought us joy and laughter, and many tears when they cross the Rainbow Bridge.
ReplyDeleteNice Wednesday puzzle that went fast….like me…. I woke up today and am now 70. Which beats the alternative for sure.
At least my Social Security is now in effect, first check MAY 17th.
Big Easy @ 8:56. Congratulations on your grandson's achievements!
ReplyDeleteAnonymousPVX @ 2:37. Happy birthday!
AnonPVX, congrats on the milestone. Congrats also for having sufficient assets that you could delay your Social Security benefit to the max -- age 70. Did you take advantage of the years from retirement to age 70 while your income was reduced for tax-saving exercises, like ROTH IRA conversions?
ReplyDeleteHGary
ReplyDeleteI would love to meet your grandson and have him draw my blood. Let's see, if I take a pre-dawn flight I could be back in time to cook dinner and maybe even meet with my distant cousin who teaches in Omaha. Yes. Sure. I could do that!
Anon@1214. My point was 1. No WNBA team would ever miss ½ their fts and 2. An outrageous stat
ReplyDeleteI get blood drawn multiple times and at VA phlebotomy said "This might hurt" I responded "No problem I'm an ex- Marine. And she said " Oh, Marines are the biggest babies of all"
WC
I liked this puzzle. I usually like Bruce Venzke's work. An almost Natick for me was the crossing of FADE and RUDY, neither of which I knew; I wagged the D and got lucky. Not knowing STUD didn't help me either.
ReplyDeleteSome excellent cluing, as has already been pointed out by several of you.
Eliquis is an anticoagulant medication used to treat and prevent blood clots. It does not cure or stop atrial fibrillation.
Good wishes to you all.
Waseeley @2:26 - Thaks for the info on edible sumac. Is it the same plant that caused me to have blisters and rash from thighs to toes years ago? Any cookie sounds good to me and I have the body to prove it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymousPVX@2:37PM
ReplyDeleteHappy "round" Birthday to you!
You have an extra reason to celebrate entering a new decade: Social Security checks start. DH did the same thing and will be 80 tomorrow. Time flies when you're having fun!
Parsan @ 4:17 PM No, it's a completely different plant called simply Sumac. Poison sumac is a distant relative of poison ivy and poison oak. The oils of all of three cause rashes, itches, and blistering. If you spend any time in the woods, learn what they look like and stay away from them. If exposed, wash ASAP with soap and water.
ReplyDeleteJayce @4:13 PM You're right about Eliquis. What it prevents is strokes caused by the clots, but it doesn't affect your heart rhythm. Even my dental hygienist claims she can hear it when she takes my BP. So far my AFIB is asymptomatic.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteThanks, y'all, for the kind words about the expo.
Happy Birthday AnonPVX!
Congrats to you grandson!, BigE.
LOL those "maybe I'm not so bright" moments HG.
Waseeley - I was thinking about linking this Jolly ESP-Test video [12:11] instead of the how-to.
Good luck getting poked, Lucina.
Et.al - EMCEE was also a FAV but, being a tech, I went with the Web.
Parsan - I have no idea. Rowing 3 letters = oar; 4 = crew :-) And you're right, I had the same sumac question and should have included this "Poison sumac has clusters of white or light-green berries that sag downward on its branches, while the red berries of harmless sumac sit upright." I was trying to keep the time-to-read the blog ~ 5 minutes (assuming no link-clicking) and I already had what I learned about za'atar in there.
I agree LABs are the best. Sinbad was my childhood black lab; Pop's current (chocolate) lab is Tinker.
My first IMAX was Everest. Watching them cross the abyss on a rickety-looking extension ladder induced mild vertigo.
LOL Reindeers playing CARIBU, Ray-O!
Cheers, -T