sumdaze here. Today's grid delivers 4 themers plus a reveal. Let's take a closer look:
16 Across. Bed that may have a canopy: FOUR POSTER. 
22 Across. Prize announcement that often involves ping pong balls: LOTTO DRAWING. 
37 Across. Many a writing exercise in a fiction class: CHARACTER SKETCH.
49 Across. Spotted pattern appropriate for a catsuit: LEOPARD PRINT.
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| He's quite the catch. |
60 Across. Bizarre, and what the ends of 16-, 22-, 37-, and 49-Across are when redecorating: OFF THE WALL. Def.: (adj.) highly unusual; strange or very different, often intentionally.
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| It is also the slogan for Vans shoes. OFF THE WALL was a term coined when skateboarders in the mid '70s were landing new tricks in empty pools by literally skating OFF THE WALL. |
I see the connection between POSTER, DRAWING, SKETCH, and PRINT. However, for me, it is less clear how OFF THE WALL connects. It does make me think of my teenage bedroom. I had so many posters on my walls (e.g., Rocky, Devo, Let's Boogie, the 'Hang in There' cat, Yosemite's Half Dome) that I ran out of space. I had to resort to tacking posters on my ceiling. Perhaps Lynn is reminding us of when the POSTERs/DRAWINGs/SKETCHes/PRINTs of our youth eventually came OFF THE WALL to make room for a more sophisticated décor. Everyone has to grow up sometime....
Let's see what else the Queen of Mondays prepared for us today.
Across:
1. Goes halfsies with, say: SHARES. cute clue
7. Chat at length: GAB.
10. Yield to gravity: SAG. Congratulations if you have no idea what this means!
13. Sneak attack: AMBUSH. The gray cat shows how it is done:
14. Pollution-fighting org.: EPA. "Organization" is abbreviated, so is "Environmental Protection Agency".
15. "Aladdin" parrot named for a Shakespeare villain: IAGO. Sparknotes calls IAGO (from Othello) "possibly the most heinous villain of Shakespeare."
18. Grouchy one: CRAB.
19. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. Muy bien, gracias.
20. Tattle (on): RAT.
21. News outlets: MEDIA. "MEDIA" is a collective noun so it can be singular or plural.
26. Soup cooker: POT.
29. U-turn from NNW: SSE.
30. Sioux City citizen: IOWAN. Sioux City was founded in 1854. Its elevation is 1,201 ft (366 m.) and its population in 2021 was 85,617. Some famous Sioux City citizens are Fred Grandy (Gopher on The Love Boat), Jerry Mathers (Beaver on Leave it to Beaver), and the advice columnist twins Ann Landers & Abigail Van Buren, neither of whom has a rodent moniker.
31. Soil: EARTH. and 58 Down. Clump of dirt: CLOD.
33. Pea sheller's discard: POD.
34. Celestial Seasonings products: TEAS. Anyone who has taken the Celestial Seasonings factory tour in Boulder, CO will remember going into the Mint Room!
41. Japanese wrestling: SUMO. To win a match, the wrestler must push his opponent out of the 15 ft. diameter (4.54 m.) ring or make him fall down to the ground. This usually only takes a few seconds but there is a lot of lead-up. You can read more here.
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| These athletes are much more limber than one might think. It looks like the wrestler on the left will fall down to the ground first. |
42. Bounce: HOP.
43. Put pen to paper: WRITE.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss sing Please Read the Letter (1998).
44. Sat for a photo: POSED. How to Pose: 7 Easy Adjustments for More Flattering Photos
48. Govt. intel group: NSA. "Government" is abbreviated, so is "National Security Agency".
53. Bowler's hangout: ALLEY. Um, actually.....
54. West Coast sch. with the most Rose Bowl wins: USC. The University of Southern California Trojans have the most appearances (34) in the Tournament of Roses Football Game, giving them an advantage on the record for most wins (25). more stats
55. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
59. Commotion: STIR.
54. West Coast sch. with the most Rose Bowl wins: USC. The University of Southern California Trojans have the most appearances (34) in the Tournament of Roses Football Game, giving them an advantage on the record for most wins (25). more stats
55. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
59. Commotion: STIR.
63. Family lads: SONS. I wish they still did TV show opening credits like this one for My Three Sons (1960 - 1972).
64. File that might be e-signed: PDF. Portable Document Format
65. "Still ... ": EVEN SO.
67. Endeavor: TRY. Also, a British TV detective drama (2012 - 2023). Set in Oxford from 1965 - 1971, it is a prequel to the Inspector Morse series (1987 - 2000). Endeavor does a good job of recreating the fashion, settings, and cultural zeitgeist of the times.
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| Shaun Evans and Roger Allam star as young Inspector Morse and Fred Thursday, respectively. |
68. Like most pretzels and chips: SALTED. I had SALTy --> SAvory --> SALTED
Down:
1. Spot for valuables: SAFE. Jeff Sitar won the Lockmaster's International SAFEcracking Competition eight times! You can meet him in this 2:17 min. video:
2. Managed care gps.: HMOS. "Groups" is abbreviated and plural, so is "Health Maintenance OrganizationS". This webpage explains the difference between an HMO and a PPO.
3. Lie alongside: ABUT.
4. Like a farming community: RURAL. Speaking of TV shows with fun opening credits, how about this show featuring RURAL life?
5. Clairvoyant's claim: ESP. A clairvoyant is someone who claims to have a supernatural ability often called ExtraSensory Perception.
6. Summer attire: SHORTS.
7. Reach: GET TO.
3. Lie alongside: ABUT.
4. Like a farming community: RURAL. Speaking of TV shows with fun opening credits, how about this show featuring RURAL life?
Green Acres (1965 - 1971)
5. Clairvoyant's claim: ESP. A clairvoyant is someone who claims to have a supernatural ability often called ExtraSensory Perception.
7. Reach: GET TO.
8. Nonhuman primate: APE.
9. Soap unit: BAR.
10. Packed can of fish: SARDINE TIN. Yes, there have been many 3-letter fills today. I suppose that is the price one pays to fit in this pleasing fill, along with its symmetrical partner at 28 Down.
This is a mesmerizing video of Pacific SARDINEs, sea turtles, and tuna in a one million gallon tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a building which was once a SARDINE factory on Cannery Row. The last cannery closed in 1973.
Note: I recommend muting the sound to eliminate audio distractions.
11. From the top: AGAIN. This clue made me think of my musician grandfather's favorite TV show.
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| With a-one and a-two.... |
12. Portable evacuation kit: GO BAG. Here is a list of things to pack in your GO BAG.
15. Cold zero-calorie drink: ICE WATER. This was another amusing clue, along with its symmetrical partner at 32 Down.
17. Fill to the max: SATE.
21. Cavernous opening: MAW. Def: (noun) the receptible into which food is taken by swallowing; the throat, gullet, or jaws especially of a voracious animal; something suggesting of a gaping maw.
23. Org. that collects workplace injury data: OSHA. "Organization" is abbreviated, so is "Occupational Safety and Health Administration".
24. Designer Christian: DIOR.
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| This ensemble is from Christian DIOR's Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear collection. |
25. Fishing poles: RODS.
26. Muscles above abs: PECS.
27. Waikiki's island: O'AHU.
28. Acrobat's springboard: TRAMPOLINE. TRAMPOLINE is an Olympic event.
32. Highway officers: TROOPERS. Not all States use this term. In some States, these officers are called State Police, Highway Patrol, or State Patrol.
33. Vitality: PEP.
35. Plays a part: ACTS.
36. __ butter: moisturizer in L'Occitane products: SHEA.
38. One-named "Believe" singer: CHER. Believe is the title track from her 22nd studio album, which was released in 1998.
39. Chuck of "Meet the Press": TODD. Last month he announced he will be leaving the show to spend more time with his family.
40. "Crazy Rich Asians" novelist Kevin: KWAN. Kevin KWAN is a Singapore-born American author.
45. Give voice to: SAY. With only 3 letters, there were not a lot of options.
46. Formerly, quaintly: ERST.
47. Wealth: RICHES. Kevin KWAN's literary realm
49. Coach Ted played by Jason Sudeikis: LASSO. Annon-T recommends this show. I want to watch it but first I need to get HULU.
50. "Tiny Dancer" singer John: ELTON. This one always tricks me. I first think, "John ___."
51. Somewhat swollen: PUFFY.
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| puffer jackets |
52. Low-tech hair dryer: TOWEL. I liked this clue -- possibly because it appealed to my dry sense of humor.
ba-dum-TSSH
56. Gasp for breath: PANT. and 57 Down. Otherwise: ELSE.
61. WPA creator: FDR. "Works Progress Administration" is abbreviated, so is the name of the president who enacted it, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
I recently visited a WPA art exhibit. I was previously unaware of this program from the 1930s.
62. "Searching for Mexico" host Longoria: EVA. This is a travel & food TV show which first aired on March 26, 2023.
62. "Searching for Mexico" host Longoria: EVA. This is a travel & food TV show which first aired on March 26, 2023.
Here is the grid. You may or may not choose to PRINT it out and POST it on your WALL.
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!
46 comments:
I’m with you, Sumdaze. To me, it would make more sense if the reveal was “ON the wall” rather than “OFF the wall,” but then, it wouldn’t be a well-known slang phrase, would it? Also, when I solved the first themed clue “four poster,” I anticipated that this would be a “numerically” themed puzzle, but the next themed answer disabused me of that notion. And, I must confess, although it seems obvious now, at first I didn’t see the “connection “ of all the themed answers (not until the reveal, anyway). That said, FIR, so I’m happy. I trust the rest of you are, too, as this seemed to be another Monday “walk in the park.” Well, I seem to have carried on quite a bit more than I usually do, especially for a Monday, so I’ll “shut up “ now. Blessings!
Good morning!
There's a certain advantage to not reading the full reveal clue -- no need to wonder about the theme. Those non-theme vertical 8s and 10s were very nice. Thanx, Lynn and sumdaze. (Your comments on TROOPERS reminded me of this TV show opening.)
FOUR POSTER: Saw one in a recent HGTV show. What's the purpose when there's nothing attached to the posts?
HMOS: D-o will opt for the PPO every time.
EVA: Saw an episode of Searching for Mexico yesterday afternoon. A couple of times here mouth was saying "Delicioso," but her eyes were saying something else.
After owning my car for only four years, yesterday I learned how to close the back hatch from inside the vehicle. In my defense, I'd tried that button before; just never held it for 5 seconds. D'oh.
FIR, but erased splits for SHARES (way to start out by missing 1A, Jinx), aigo for IAGO (I blame decaf), pep for HOP, and ppos for HMOS.
I'm an HMO guy. The one I subscribe to is a subsidiary of the 800 pound gorilla hospital chain in the area, Sentara. Every doc we were using in our PPO is part of our network. I went from paying about $600 per month to nothing. In addition, the PPO seemed to only get us discounts, and paid hardly anything. I thought of it as catastrophic insurance. With the HMO, nearly all of our services are paid 100%.
SAG: Self-important Actors Gone (on strike.)
Boomer taught me that ALLEY isn't a bowling term.
Sumdaze hinted that Rose Bowl is the stadium, not the game. When I lived in LA, the correct answer would have been PCC (for Pasadena City College,) who played their home football games there. That's been more than 30 years, so they may have their own facilities now.
I worked in Lawrence Welk's building at the foot of Wilshire Blvd. He rode the same elevators as the rest of us, and once I was riding up to my 17th floor desk when one for our execs talked him into making the "popping Champaign cork" sound with his cheek. The few people in the car cheered.
So Chuck Todd decided to spend more time with his family. That's what I told them at the mill, but they just kept on a-grindin'. Kinda like when the owner of a losing team tells the press "I have full confidence in Coach Bagadonuts." Coach had better start looking for a new job.
FLN - WC, the 5 second rule states that any food item that hits the ground is still edible if picked up within 5 seconds. Of course, heath experts say it ain't so.
Thanks to Lynn for the fun, and to Sumdaze for the clever overview.
Ah, a marvelous Monday, great-start-to-the-week level CW: unclefred’s fave. No problems with today’s grid, the few proper names filling either by knowledge or easy perps as I worked the grid to FIR in average Monday time (for me). Chuck Todd, of Meet The Press, is someone I watch every Sunday, even though his habit or starting a sentence strong then gradually trailed off into an unintelligible mumble is very irritating. I have sent several Tweets to him to no avail. He seems like a nice guy, but I’m looking forward to him spending more time with his family. Thanx for this delightful CW LL. And thanx for the terrific write-up, Sumdaze. You mentioned Ted Lasso on Hulu. After about a year of a good friend telling me I should watch it, I finally binge watched the first two seasons on Saturday. It took all day. Most episodes are very good. If you decide to watch it don’t waste your time on the episode called “Coach Beard After Hours” or something like that. A terrible episode, totally unbelievable, and no connection whatever to the rest of the show. I hope all have a good week!!
Sumdaze, you mentioned Ted Lasso on Hulu. I watched it on Apple TV+.
A LOTTO. DRAWING to see who wins the POT
Will be watched with eagerness, like as not.
The PING-PONG BALL squad
In their wire pod
Will HOP to determine who has a shot!
Yesterday we SALUTED what today we SALTED,
Thus we exulted those whose rank was exalted!
A lazy princess, imperial,
With a quartet of cereal,
May have four Posts in a FOUR POSTER hed!
FIR, no problems with the cluing.
But the theme reveal makes no sense. I got the theme answers, and understood they were all alike, but "off the wall" is just too off the wall for me.
I think the tie-in for the theme answers is that each of the endings follow the word "wall". Wall poster, wall drawing, wall sketch, and wall print.
Good Morning:
Today’s offering highlights why Lynn is considered the Queen of Mondays. A well-hidden theme with a self-explanatory reveal, albeit open to interpretation*, straightforward cluing and fill, a clean, no-dreck grid, and a modicum of pop culture all add up to a fine Monday puzzle geared toward beginners. As sumdaze mentioned, there are a lot of three letter entries but the majority are actual words vs abbreviations or initialisms which, IMO, very much lessens any distraction in solving. *My interpretation of the reveal is that when you’re redecorating, a new paint job would require taking these items Off The Wall. My only unknown was Kwan but I’m sure Alley brought dear Boomer to mind for many of us.
Thanks, Lynn, you’re reign continues and thanks, sumdaze, for lots of chuckles and lots of interesting tidbits. My favorite cartoons were the Tattle Snake (Rat) and the Diving Competition (ESP) which made me laugh out loud. The photo of the Dutch Oven looks exactly like my Le Creuset in the same color. As soon as my new Smart TV is set up, Ted Lasso will be first on my list of must-see shows.
DO @ 6:05 ~ Don’t feel bad. I’ve owned my car for 22 years and just recently found out that it has a cigarette lighter. This discovery was purely by accident when my nephew borrowed my car and used it for his phone connection and forgot to reinsert the actual lighter. I found it on the console and, for a minute, had no idea what it was. (FWIW, my car has less than 29,000 miles. 🤣)
Have a great day.
DO - If the bed doesn't have posts, where do you attach the shackles?
Took 4:33 today for me to tack this one up.
Seems like Ms. Lempel and I have something in common. She's constructed 100 Monday puzzles; I've probably solved 100 Monday puzzles.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Ted Lasso" too, and like our dear unclefred, that Coach Beard After Dark episode is definitely skippable. I read that the show became a hit during season two, where the story was already written and mostly filmed, but the "network" wanted to add two more episodes. So, they added that episode and the Christmas one (which, although it has nothing to do with the main story arcs, is a lovely episode).
I love me a Lempel puzzle, and thank you Lynn for extending my FIR STREAK to TWO!
And thank you sumdaze for a funny, informative review. I'm especially impressed that you remember all the stuff in your teenage bedroom that you had to take OFF THE WALL before you left the NEST. And extra thanks for the correction on 53A. Somebody needs to clue Lynn on this one.
A few favs:
13A AMBUSH. I liked how the gray/white cat quickly turned the tables on the AMBUSHER.
15A IAGO. ... and possibly the most heinous villain in all of fiction, and certainly in all of OPERA. Here he is in Credo in un dio cruel from Verdi's Otello.
67A TRY. The thing I liked most about Endeavor and the preceding series (Inspector Morse) ("Morse, just Morse") is that he was often listening to OPERA while thinking about whodonit.
10D SARDINE TIN. Is the Monterey Bay Aquarium the one that appeared in a Star Trek episode?
51D PUFFY. Reminds me of this Seinfeld episode.
61D FDR. Teri's father worked for the WPA in Idaho after WWII. Among the many projects of the WPA was the creation of the Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, one of our favorite vacation spots.
Cheers,
Bill
Fun Monday- IM gave a great explanation of the OFF THE WALL theme. I remember 10 + years back taking all the posters and drawings OFF THE WALL and painting my daughter's bedroom a pale sage color with a few paintings and storing the rest for her as mementos.
We are big Ted LASSO fans - just getting around to watching the final 2 episodes of season 3 on Apple+ TV. The character and Jason Sudeikis the actor playing him are from Kansas where I grew up so lots of references to Kansas City and the state of Kansas. We'll miss it now that it is over.
We have a state Highway Patrol - but those who work there who are out in the field are called State TROOPERS
Time to start to work
Thanks SD and Lynn for a enjoyable start to the week!
Good Morning! Today’s puzzle was a quick start to the week. Thanks, Lynn.
I had to wait for the perps for the only unknown, KWAN.
A remembrance of Boomer on a Monday – how nice. I can hear him fussing – it’s a LANE!!
Thanks, sumdaze, for weaving fun into your recap. Loved the TV intros & toons.
SARDINES – like a murmuration of starlings of the sea!
A bit of crunch for a Moon Day but not "Off the Wall.
Inkovers: cia/NSA, CHARACTERsearch/SKETCH,
How do we know that a CRAB (crustacean) is grouchy?
Perpwaited on GAB not yak and AGAIN not above.
DO @ 6:05 AM re: bedpost..It's the place to put your chewing gum overnight. 🙂
Whenever I read ..."He wants to spend more time with his family" I wonder ...what if they don't wanna spend more time with him 😄
Currently on strike.....SAG
What a draftsman does...LOTTODRAWING
Little and Gere.....RICHES
You lost...IOWAN
Joke target.....ABUT
Top 'o the week to all.
Lovely MondayCW from the queen. IM☘️ said it all well, including her interpretation of the theme which was also mine as I solved. (Like new 22 year old car, and with a cigarette lighter to boot.)
USC, DH’s alma mater.
Sumdaze, loved the cat ambush video.
Hmm,
The Monday level puzzle everyone has been asking for...
(And still some people complain..)
Daughter #1 has a four poster bed that does nothing also.
But it was a Christmas carols Ebenezer Scrooge that enlightened me to their purposes.
The posts hold the top sheet cover that keeps the dust off the bed, and supports the curtains that keep out the night air.
(And a few ghosts...)
Hmm,
How to add a silly theme link?
Or, you could just hang your Halo on it...
Musings
-Another .5” of rain this morning. The EARTH and the CLODS are damp this summer.
-EVEN SO, no one is complaining in this RURAL area as the pivots are idle.
-My newspaper was soaked lying three feet from my covered porch. I wrote to the Omaha paper’s delivery people AGAIN.
-GAB: GET TO the point!!
-TODD’s ratings had sunk to the lowest of the three Sunday news shows, so…
-My in-laws loved the Welk show too and the WPA built their favorite dance hall
-The biggest issue with Highway Patrol was working with Broderick Crawford’s drinking
-Nice job, Renee! Tattler snake? :-)
-FORE!
SHARES not splits;e-sign: clue today, answer yesterday
Iced tea didn't fit. In RURAL Fla it's called sweet tea and getting unsweetened is difficult
Thankfully easy Monday
WC
Zip, zoom, done, an old fashioned Monday walk in the park. I liked this marvelous theme. My interpretation was the same as IM's. The key word in the clue is redecorating.
Many police procedure novels talk of GO BAGS, so the investigators can take off suddenly to follow clues.
We have been saying ice water and ice cream without the D for decades. Ice tea without the D is becoming more and more acceptable.
Grammar check: "The original phrase is iced tea, and this spelling is still more common in print. Yet for many English speakers, ice tea more closely resembles the pronunciation, and this spelling has gained significant ground in 21st-century writing. There might still be some English speakers who consider it incorrect, but it is common in informal writing and is even making inroads in edited publications." The times they are achanging.
Sweet tea? Noooo. I prefer ice water. My family and I love unsweetened black ice tea and drink it year round.
Four poster beds originally held curtains for warmth and privacy. Todays four posters are considered elegant by some, not utilitarian.
I enjoyed reading your various interpretations on the theme.
D-O @ 6:05 cracked me up this a.m.
unclefred @ 7:37. Apple TV+. Thanks for the correction! Would not have been good if I signed up for Hulu expecting Ted Lasso. Oof!
My research shows that the surface on which the bowling ball rolls can be called a lane (most commonly) or an alley. The facility can be called a bowling alley or termed bowling lanes. Both are very common in the names of these facilities. People who are really into certain fields have specific definitions and discount common in the language definitions. I find crosswords puzzles are frequently not that specific.
waseeley @ 8:30. Morse/opera ... and crossword puzzles!
I have not watched the final season of "Endeavor" because the show kept getting darker. I suspect that is to bridge to the older Morse. I want to keep my image of a more optimistic character. Do you think I should watch the final season?
I did not know that trivia about Star Trek. The internet says the MB Aquarium was used as a filming location for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
H. Gary, last week we had lunch on the deck overlooking the eighteenth green of the Piankatank River golf club. They had several signs posted instructing players to apply bug spray on paved areas only, because DEET kills grass faster than Roundup. Before I called BS, I thought I would consult with Professor Google, who flashed up this picture. Guess it's a thing after all.
Huzzah! A Monday puzzle on a Monday. FIR, after the SPLIT/SHARE opening. IM said it perfectly...."a no-drek puzzle" indeed. Another great write-up Sumdaze! NTSB crash investigators also use GO BAGS. Puts me in mind of the old phrase, "Go bag or stay home" (oh, BIG? -Never mind.)
sumdaze @10:26 AM DUH! Crosswords! How could I forget those? And beer stains? We haven't watched any of the final season of the prequel yet. In fact we lost track of it sometime after Endeavor's precinct was merged into one full of bent cops. I'd like to figure out where I left off before continuing.
On related note -- have you seen Roger Allam in the series Murder in Provence, co-starring Nancy Carroll (Father Brown)? I highly recommend it.
Owen, you did post 'em early -- at 7:40. They're still there.
Yes, I would take each of those things (and everything else) OFF THE WALL when painting (redecorating).
Sumdaze, I laughed at your observation about the Landers sisters in relation to two other Sioux City celebs.
Just as Boomer was, I was a member of the earlier ABC (American Bowling Congress) and from 2005 on, a member of the USBC (United States Bowling Congress). The USBC was formed when the ABC merged with the WIBC (Women's International B.C.) Both the ABC and USBC sent newsletters out to members. I don't specifically recall whether it was during the ABC or the early USBC time frame, but I do specifically recall that the bowing congress was trying to improve the general public perception of bowling as a means to address the dwindling participation in bowling.
The main PR campaign was to promote bowling as a healthy family-oriented entertainment activity. As such, members were asked to use more positive terms like bowling houses and bowling lanes, rather than the perceived negative image terms of alleys and gutters. The owners and proprietors of bowling establishments were asked to do the same and most did quickly. The PR campaign drove new business. Bowling centers started promoting bowling birthday parties as a friendly, fun, and safe alternative to parties at home. Weekly scheduled times for "Cosmic bowling" with flashing colored lights, strobes and amplified music drew groups of younger bowlers to many centers on the weekend evenings.
In many places, bowling centers have become more community minded, hosting bowling events for both local and national charitable causes, with the mutual benefit of drawing in new audiences and people that might otherwise not give bowling a try. I've bowled in such events, from raising funds to offset medical expenses for a young man that was severely injured in a motorcycle accident, to bowling annually in the Junior Achievement fundraising event, and bowling to raise funds to fight cancer.
League bowlers are the mainstay of the bowling centers, and yet for many members, words like alley and gutters will long be heard despite the efforts. For some the terms grate, while others take it in stride. And yes, I still occasionally throw a ball in the gutter (or ditch) rather than in the channel. :>)
Delightful Monday puzzle, many thanks, Lynn. And your pictures were a pleasure, thanks for those too, Sumdaze.
Well, this puzzle made me feel as though we were going on a bit of a journey, maybe to OAHU or to IOWA. Had to get dressed in some DIOR SHORTS or PANTS, and enjoyed the scenery on the way with lots of animals, a CRAB, a RAT, an APE, and a LEOPARD--I guess we'd need a LASSO to capture that one. But soon it was time for lunch at a friendly BAR, and we were served SARDINES, along with a POT of TEA and SALTED ICE WATER (ugh). Not the best meal we ever had--I think it's time to go home.
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
waseeley @ 12:20. No, I have not seen "Murder in Provence". Thanks for the recommendation! I will give it a try because I like Roger Allam -- and the Brit detectives genre, in general. I love "Death in Paradise". Yes, it's predictable but the main characters and island scenery have me hooked.
TTP, I still have fond memories of my early career as a pinsetter. Each pinsetter would normally handle two lanes, and could earn about 10 cents per line. Wow.
TTP @ 12:43. I'm happy you liked the Sioux City joke. I actually wrote that before Saturday's puzzle had the RODENT fill so I was ready for that clue.
; )
Thank you for the background info on bowling centers. I'm going to save that for future reference.
{B, B+.} Sorry, more typos than usual.
inanehiker and TTP nailed the reveal...it works with the mention of "redecorating" in the clue. Super Lynn puzzle, as always, and an enjoyable sumdaze blog...thanks!
Kelly <---wincing just a tad at the clue for ALLEY...and remembering Boomer...
D-O, that doesn't sound like very much money. I'm sure it varied quite a bit depending on whether it was during league bowling or open bowling, but how much did it work out to be on an hourly basis? $1? Did you use earplugs ?
Sumdaze, you were well-prepared then!
I've been stuck inside so far today, due to the smoke from the Canadian fires, but conditions are improving quickly. I still may not go outside as I have another case of contact dermatitis after working to clean up one of my neighbor's long-neglected gardens for a few hours on Saturday morning. It has been at least ten years since I last remember her gardening back there. Maybe longer. She's wanted it cleaned up and mentioned it to me late last year, but she couldn't do it, and her grandsons never seem to have had the time (or inclination).
It was overgrown with weeds and volunteer maples and choke cherry saplings. I got after it, cutting the saplings, pulling the weeds, raking the area clean, and getting all of the brush out to the street for today's brush pickup. I put the rotting remnants of six home made wooden planter boxes in the corner so I could get them out to the garbage later this week. She seemed happy at first because everything was cleaned up, but then she was disappointed that I moved the boxes. She said that was where she grew her sunflowers. The boxes were rotten and fell apart at the touch. Then she wanted to know what happened to her violets. There were no violets, and I'm not sure if she was remembering something else that might have been growing there at some point back in time. I didn't ask anything of her for doing it, but now I'm saddened that she's disappointed. Perhaps I should have left it for her grandsons.
What to do? I just put on a fresh coat of calamine lotion...
sumdaze brings us today's Lempel PZL...
EZ Peezy Monday appropriate.
I never seem to spot the theme while solving a XWD. This was no exception.
Now that it's over, I appreciate its skill.
Nicely done, Ms. Lempel!
~ OMK
____________
DR: Three diagonals, all on the far side.
The central diag is overflowing with vowels. Its skimpy consonant load gives us a variety of anagrams, but none longer than six letters.
I choose...
"REGGAE"!
And if we allow a borrowing of consonants from the lowest (deepest) diag, we can have a tastier, more tuneful anagram.
I identify this combo as a Caribbean song about
a deep-dish apple pudding, a ...
"REGGAE PANDOWDY"!!
I had to jump through a lot of identity hoops to post my contribution (above).
It is as if Google needs to constantly see me prove that I am myself. Not a robot.
I don't know if others are faced with the same hurdles, but I don't like this.
At all.
Maybe it is a problem with my Mac. I dunno. It has been acting up lately--more than usual.
If I disappear from the Corner, this will be the reason.
~ OMK
I liked this puzzle for all the reasons given by you all and have disliked Chuck Todd for all the same reasons mentioned herein.
Keith, don't click on the "I'm not a robot" box. Just click "Preview" and then "Publish". Of course, save what you wrote before previewing, so you can paste it in again if something goes wrong.
TTP @2:34 PM Ouch! "No good deed goes unpunished" 🙃
OMK @2:42 PM Google can spot an actor a mile away! 😄
TTP, I'm a beginning gardner. This spring I eradicated some poke, ivy and an assortment of other weeds. I watched as a pretty plant was growing, and after a week or two I realized that it was spreading quickly. This morning I checked on my PlantNet app, and it is dayflower. It is edible and has medicinal uses, but its growth habit makes most folks consider it to be a weed. So now I have a new hobby starting tomorrow morning - pulling dayflower out of the garden. At least my problem is self-inflicted.
TTP @ 2:43 You did a nice thing for your neighbor. It would have been nice to be thanked but unfortunately the world is full of glass-half-empty people wallowing in negativity and complaint.
I hope you can let your good deed be its own reward.
Jinx @4:23 PM Do the buds have a slightly oniony taste? Are the flowers yellow or orange. Around these parts they're call Day Lily's.
Jinx @4:23 PM Here's the scoop on Daylilies.
TTP - I would recommend Zanfel Poison Ivy Wash - which you apply- suds up and the wash off - can be done multiple times if needed and can help it from cropping up in areas that got some exposure but hadn't fully shown up
So thoughtful that you helped her - she sounds like she has some early dementia
Enjoyed watching the final episodes of the final season of "Endeavor" - would definitely recommend
I watched "Lawrence Welk' many a time with my grandparents. My sister and I would try and choose which Lennon sister we wanted to be
inanehiker, thank you. I'll be heading to Walmart first thing in the morning. It's in stock and I've jotted down the aisle number so I can get in and out.
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