Hello Cornerites!
Today's theme is Ziploc-ed!
Constructor MaryEllen Uthlaut has locked in a fun take on the expression, ZIP IT!
Dr. Evil can elaborate...
15. "I hope you saved __ for dessert!": ROOM.
20. Scold harshly: LAMBASTE. Also, a marinade brand from New Zealand. 😜
22. More preposterous: DAFTER. "DAFT" is a Briticism that means "silly" or "foolish".
23. Mai __: tropical cocktail: TAI. A Mai TAI at Duke's Barefoot Bar on Waikiki Beach will run you $16 + tip.
24. Cost to travel by plane: AIR FARE.
31. Hi-__ monitor: RES.
32. Cry of disbelief: WHAT.
36. Easy throw: TOSS. Hand up for not being able to catch a set of keys when someone TOSSes them directly at me.
37. No longer together: APART. According to this Jack Johnson song, we're Better Together (2005).
39. Queen of Mount Olympus: HERA. HERA was the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth. The Romans called her Juno. She was Zeus' sister and wife. Together they reined on Mt. Olympus.
40. Tunneling insects with two sets of jaws: ANTS. I like clues that add knowledge. "Tunneling insects, four letters...we know it's ANTS but now we also know they have two sets of jaws. The outer pair is used for carrying objects such as food and for digging. The inner pair is used for chewing. Both pairs seem to love my dog's food.
41. Switched on: LIT. This works if they are both adjectives or verbs.
42. Warning wail: SIREN.
46. Transgression: MISDEED. an act that is criminal or bad
50. Mined matter: ORE.
51. National Guard building: ARMORY.
61. First-rate: A-ONE.
62. Writer Jong: ERICA. her website
63. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES. Mo Willems was born Feb. 11, 1968 in DES Plaines. He is a prolific author and illustrator of children's books. He became a favorite after publishing Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! in 2003. My local library has a whole shelf dedicated to his books.
25. Falafel wrapper: PITA.
26. Object of devotion: ICON.
27. Lean to one side: LIST. This definition is more often used when talking about a boat or a ship.
28. Justin Bieber's "One __ Lonely Girl": LESS. unfamiliar but easily sussed
29. Deliver an impassioned speech: ORATE.
32. Political party founded by Henry Clay in the 1830s: WHIG. History.com link
33. Sage, e.g.: HERB. Did anyone first think of "sage" as an adjective (wise through reflection or experience)?
34. Region: AREA.
35. Orange drink made from a powder: TANG. Have you every tried Hot TANG, made with boiling water?
37. Street-smart stray: ALLEY CAT.
38. Spotted with color: PIED. When I Googled images for PIED, it gave me a lot of pictures of unattractive feet. I do not recommend you try it. #HazzardsOfTheJob
42. Reacted to pollen, say: SNEEZED.
43. Blood bank fluids: SERA. Today I learned that "SERA" is the plural of "serum".
44. "Kinky Boots" Tony winner Billy: PORTER. Here he reflects on playing the role of Lola.
45. Fury: IRE. and 47 Down. Quite irritated: IRKED.
46. Catcher's protection: MASK.
48. Strike, quaintly: SMITE.
49. Feuding schools on "Cobra Kai": DOJOS. Cobra Kai is a TV series sequel to The Karate Kid. In June they announced that next season (its 6th season) will be its last.
52. Gift from one's parents?: GENE. cute
53. One of three on a tricycle: TIRE.
54. Long heroic tale: EPIC.
55. Puerto __: RICO.
Here's the grid:
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
starring Mike Meyers as Dr. Evil (50 sec.)
The four themers are all items that can have ZIPpers:
18 Across. Change holder: COIN PURSE.
25 Across. Decorative sham, for one: PILLOW COVER.
43 Across. Camper's bedding: SLEEPING BAG.
57 Across. Outerwear for hitting the slopes: SKI JACKET.
They are ZIP-tied together by the reveal:
59 Across. "Pipe down!," and an instruction for 18-, 25-, 43-, and 57-Across: ZIP IT.
The Smithsonian website has an article entitled, The Up and Down History of the Zipper. It credits Elias Howe with inventing the zipper in 1851. The zipper's next big milestone was its debut at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair as a "clasp locker". Gideon Sundback developed our modern version of the zipper in 1913. He called it a "separate fastener" and filed a patent in 1917. The B.F. Goodrich company gets the credit for calling it a "zipper" on their boots and tobacco pouches. French designers did not find a use for zippers in their garment designs until the late 1930s. In 2017, Talon International (a zipper supplier) unveiled a 3.1 mile (~5 km.) long, world record zipper as part of L.A.'s Fashion Week. National Zipper Day is on April 29.
Shall we ZIP ahead to the rest of the clues?
Across:
1. Double-deckers in checkers: KINGS. Great start!
6. RPM gauge: TACH. A TACHometer measures the Rotations Per Minute of a moving object.
10. Brand name on some blue jeans: GAP. GAP Jeans website
13. Be very fond of: ADORE.
14. Bit of fish tank gunk: ALGA. ALGA is singular. ALGAE is plural.
1. Double-deckers in checkers: KINGS. Great start!
6. RPM gauge: TACH. A TACHometer measures the Rotations Per Minute of a moving object.
10. Brand name on some blue jeans: GAP. GAP Jeans website
Seinfeld "So, do you wanna go to the GAP?"
13. Be very fond of: ADORE.
14. Bit of fish tank gunk: ALGA. ALGA is singular. ALGAE is plural.
Def. (noun): a simple, nonflowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue.
15. "I hope you saved __ for dessert!": ROOM.
Japanese people have a similar expression, which I like and have adopted. The word betsubara (別腹), composed of betsu (separate) and bara (stomach), literally says that your body has a second stomach for sweets. This way, you can be full from dinner but still have ROOM for dessert!
17. Any "Breaking Bad" episode, now: RERUN. Breaking Bad originally aired from 2008 to 2013, so if you are watching an episode now, you are watching a RERUN.
17. Any "Breaking Bad" episode, now: RERUN. Breaking Bad originally aired from 2008 to 2013, so if you are watching an episode now, you are watching a RERUN.
20. Scold harshly: LAMBASTE. Also, a marinade brand from New Zealand. 😜
22. More preposterous: DAFTER. "DAFT" is a Briticism that means "silly" or "foolish".
23. Mai __: tropical cocktail: TAI. A Mai TAI at Duke's Barefoot Bar on Waikiki Beach will run you $16 + tip.
24. Cost to travel by plane: AIR FARE.
30. More dangerous for winter driving: ICIER.
31. Hi-__ monitor: RES.
32. Cry of disbelief: WHAT.
36. Easy throw: TOSS. Hand up for not being able to catch a set of keys when someone TOSSes them directly at me.
37. No longer together: APART. According to this Jack Johnson song, we're Better Together (2005).
39. Queen of Mount Olympus: HERA. HERA was the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth. The Romans called her Juno. She was Zeus' sister and wife. Together they reined on Mt. Olympus.
 |
| Juno-Hera Campana (Lourve, Paris) more details |
40. Tunneling insects with two sets of jaws: ANTS. I like clues that add knowledge. "Tunneling insects, four letters...we know it's ANTS but now we also know they have two sets of jaws. The outer pair is used for carrying objects such as food and for digging. The inner pair is used for chewing. Both pairs seem to love my dog's food.
41. Switched on: LIT. This works if they are both adjectives or verbs.
42. Warning wail: SIREN.
46. Transgression: MISDEED. an act that is criminal or bad
50. Mined matter: ORE.
51. National Guard building: ARMORY.
 |
I visited he DC Armory to pick up my race packet when it used to be the location for the Marine Corps Marathon Expo. It is huge! This Joint Force Headquarters of both the Air and Army National Guard was built in 1941. It was designed by noted New York architect Electus D. Litchfield. Today the building serves as a sports and entertainment complex. more |
52. Friendly store employees by the front door: GREETERS. Lately (post-COVID) I have noticed that employees say, "Welcome in," when I enter a store. They say it at my gym, too. It seems to be the younger employees saying it. Has anyone else noticed this? At first it sounded odd but I am getting used to it.
60. High-fat, low-carb diet: KETO. This is what the Nutrition Diva said about the KETO diet.61. First-rate: A-ONE.
 |
| Due to his impressive lead, it is pretty safe for me to say today (Friday) that A-ONE cyclist Jonas Vingegaard won the 2023 Tour de France yesterday (Sunday). |
62. Writer Jong: ERICA. her website
63. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES. Mo Willems was born Feb. 11, 1968 in DES Plaines. He is a prolific author and illustrator of children's books. He became a favorite after publishing Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! in 2003. My local library has a whole shelf dedicated to his books.
64. Wedding cake layer: TIER. This cake has four ... um ... make that two tiers.
65. Hunter's plastic duck, e.g.: DECOY. 
Down:
1. Auto pioneer Benz: KARL. I wonder why the Mercedes-Benz website spells his name with a "C".
2. "I had no __!": IDEA. This is quite often the case.
3. Standard: NORM.
4. Pub __: casual fare: GRUB. I heard on the Good Job, Brain! podcast (the source of most of my trivia knowledge) that the microwave can be credited for 'elevating' pub GRUB from a bowl of nuts to mozzarella sticks.
5. Elizabeth Warren, for one: SENATOR. She was first elected as a U.S. SENATOR from Massachusetts on Nov. 6, 2012.
6. Element of a battle plan: TACTIC. Also, a mint marketed toward dyslexics. 😜
Down:
1. Auto pioneer Benz: KARL. I wonder why the Mercedes-Benz website spells his name with a "C".
2. "I had no __!": IDEA. This is quite often the case.
3. Standard: NORM.
4. Pub __: casual fare: GRUB. I heard on the Good Job, Brain! podcast (the source of most of my trivia knowledge) that the microwave can be credited for 'elevating' pub GRUB from a bowl of nuts to mozzarella sticks.
5. Elizabeth Warren, for one: SENATOR. She was first elected as a U.S. SENATOR from Massachusetts on Nov. 6, 2012.
6. Element of a battle plan: TACTIC. Also, a mint marketed toward dyslexics. 😜
7. Spiky succulent: ALOE. Here is an idea for making ALOE vera ice cubes to help soothe sunburns. 
8. Movie SFX: CGI. Special FX (effects) are often created by Computer-Generated Imagery.
9. Most easily reached: HANDIEST.
10. Brusque: GRUFF.
11. Primary artery: AORTA.
12. Puzzling problem: POSER.
16. __ mortals: MERE. MERE mortals are ordinary human beings -- not gods. The term is often used tongue in cheek.
19. "The Incredibles" family name: PARR. We've had this a few times but, being the MERE mortal that I am, I keep forgetting it.
21. Carpentry tool with teeth: SAW.
24. Declare with confidence: AVER. I looked up the difference between AVER and avow. This is what I learned:
8. Movie SFX: CGI. Special FX (effects) are often created by Computer-Generated Imagery.
9. Most easily reached: HANDIEST.
10. Brusque: GRUFF.
11. Primary artery: AORTA.
12. Puzzling problem: POSER.
16. __ mortals: MERE. MERE mortals are ordinary human beings -- not gods. The term is often used tongue in cheek.
 |
| for Better Call Saul fans |
19. "The Incredibles" family name: PARR. We've had this a few times but, being the MERE mortal that I am, I keep forgetting it.
 |
| Holly Hunter voices the mom. |
21. Carpentry tool with teeth: SAW.
24. Declare with confidence: AVER. I looked up the difference between AVER and avow. This is what I learned:
To aver is to affirm and to avow is to openly declare. There's some overlap with these words because when people want to aver something — state a truth — they probably also want to avow it — say it publicly. So remember, to aver is to verify, and to avow is to tell the whole world.
25. Falafel wrapper: PITA.
 |
| Yes, please! |
27. Lean to one side: LIST. This definition is more often used when talking about a boat or a ship.
28. Justin Bieber's "One __ Lonely Girl": LESS. unfamiliar but easily sussed
29. Deliver an impassioned speech: ORATE.
32. Political party founded by Henry Clay in the 1830s: WHIG. History.com link
33. Sage, e.g.: HERB. Did anyone first think of "sage" as an adjective (wise through reflection or experience)?
34. Region: AREA.
35. Orange drink made from a powder: TANG. Have you every tried Hot TANG, made with boiling water?
37. Street-smart stray: ALLEY CAT.
Disney's Aristocats (1970) "Thomas O'Malley Cat"
featuring Phil Harris and Eva Gabor
38. Spotted with color: PIED. When I Googled images for PIED, it gave me a lot of pictures of unattractive feet. I do not recommend you try it. #HazzardsOfTheJob
42. Reacted to pollen, say: SNEEZED.
43. Blood bank fluids: SERA. Today I learned that "SERA" is the plural of "serum".
44. "Kinky Boots" Tony winner Billy: PORTER. Here he reflects on playing the role of Lola.
45. Fury: IRE. and 47 Down. Quite irritated: IRKED.
46. Catcher's protection: MASK.
 |
| Buster Posey spent his entire 12-year MLB career with the SF Giants. |
48. Strike, quaintly: SMITE.
49. Feuding schools on "Cobra Kai": DOJOS. Cobra Kai is a TV series sequel to The Karate Kid. In June they announced that next season (its 6th season) will be its last.
52. Gift from one's parents?: GENE. cute
53. One of three on a tricycle: TIRE.
54. Long heroic tale: EPIC.
55. Puerto __: RICO.
 |
| I took this photo of a Tree Fern in Puerto RICO's El Yunque National Forest. It is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S.'s national forest system. |
56. "Don't leave": STAY. 
58. Colorful pond fish: KOI.
58. Colorful pond fish: KOI.
 |
| Today's Zen moment. |
That's all for today. I'm headed out now to take a ZIP drive. Have a good week!
36 comments:
Quick and clever. Very nice Monday level (unclefred level) CW. Only W/O = LEE:GAP. I wanted IFOL for 26D but looked at probable perps and saw it had to be ICON before I filled IDOL. So, FIR in usual Monday time. Thanx MEU for the fun. Thanx too to Sumdaze for the write-up, informative and enjoyable as always. AVER/AVOW thanx for that clarification, too. Have a good week, everyone. I hope it cools down a bit here in SOFLO: yesterdays “feels like” temp in FLL was 114! Oy!! This old man can’t leave the house in that kinda heat. Good thing I have the solar panels to run all my A.C. units.
IDOL not IFOL. Jeez!
I had the same process as Uncle Fred in regards to idol/icon. I also wasn’t familiar with the actor with the last name of “Porter.” Other than that, this puzzle was the usual Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Gotta love a pzl from a setter whose name begins with UT. ZIPped right through it. (Yes, years ago I had a zip drive. You? Speaking of drives, it appears that new drive has salvaged my music server. The restore has been underway for a little over an hour, and it's into the Cs now. It should finish late today -- the Vs "various artists" section is huge.) Here's another hand up for LEE before GAP elbowed in. Thanx, MaryEllen and sumdaze. (Liked the partially eaten chocolate rabbits. Laughed out loud at the mints marketed to dyslexics.)
FIR, but erased irate for IRKED. Should have known better from the clue.
My dad always carried a football-shaped plastic change holder. These things opened by squeezing the ends, and were usually emblazoned with an ad for a bank or funeral home. He called it his "pinch-penny" PURSE.
This avid camper hasn't slept in a SLEEPING BAG in more than 45 years. These days camping requires air conditioning, satellite TV, icemaker and washer/drier perqs.
Maybe my favorite Italian restaurant in the nation was Romano's on the corner of Center and Oakton streets in DES Plaines. Looks like it is going to be torn down to build a train station soon.
Couple of interesting Henry Clay facts:
1) The city of Ashland, KY is named for his estate in Lexington.
B) He had a problem with being too honest on the campaign trail. After one speech that put him out of the running for CIC, he famously quipped “I’d rather be right than be president.” Imagine a politician today who would speak candidly, let alone utter some nonsense like "ask not what your country can do for you."
Aside to C-Eh: "TIRE" is how we rebellious colonists spell TYRE.
Back when I traveled a lot, I tried to arrange my flights to clear customs in San Juan, Puerto RICO instead of Miami. The same rules applied, but the process was much easier.
Remember Switched On Bach?
Thanks to MaryEllen for the fun, Monday-appropriate puzzle, and to Sumdaze for the clever review.
FIR, despite not liking the clue for idol, and not knowing the actor Porter.
Overall this was a fairly typical Monday crossword.
Octopi, you know, are quite smart.
They have nine brains, for a start.
What God would impart,
"They were just spare parts,
So in the HANDIEST place they were parked!"
The bug battle was going to be EPIC.
A new weapon had entered the war pic!
The mites were concerned,
When from scouts they learned
The foe would be using tick-TAC-TICS!
{C, C+.}.
In 1851,the U.S. was 75 years old.
zip it?
61. First-rate: should be one A, (because A-one is a steak sauce...)
PSA a fix I have used many times...
Good Morning:
An easy, peasy Monday solve with a cute and well-hidden theme. Refreshingly tempered use of pop culture references and three letter words are appreciated pluses for any grid. Parr was unknown but easily perped. Seeing Mai Tai always evokes memories of a long ago neighbor’s Shih Tzu’s, Mai Tai and Ling Ling. My mother’s Coin Purse was a Change Purse. Any stray change I accumulate, which is rare as I use plastic for everything, goes into a piggy bank on my kitchen window sill, said bank being a pig-shaped ear of corn. 😂
Thanks, Mary Ellen, for a smooth start to the week and thanks, sumdaze, for the usual wry and witty review. Loved the bunnies and Thomas O’Malley, and the “Decoys.” Interesting history of the zipper and the two-jawed ants! You have a certain knack for making the mundane meaningful. 👏
FLN
PK, I’m glad your grocery delivery snafu was resolved satisfactorily. I’ve never had a similar problem, but I’ve had a couple of instances where the order was left on a neighbor’s doorstep one street (different name) over from mine, just because we share the same address number. I’ve had the same thing happen with food orders, also. Too much reliance on GPS or too much indifference?
Have a great day.
Thank you MaryEllen for a pleasant start to the week.
And thank you sumdaze for your insightful and funny review.
A few favs:
20A LAMBASTE. I had a bit of trouble with this one as it's LAMBAST in Britain, but perps don't lie.
35A ERICA. I liked the way you skirted ERICA's elephant in the room tie-in to today's theme. 😁
12D POSER. Today's puzzle was not a POSER.
32A WHAT. Favorite cartoon.
39A HERA. As she was the goddess of marriage, she had to keep a sharp eye out for her roving husband.
33D SAGE. Also the noun MAGE (singular of MAGI).
38D PIED. Often used description for a mottled horse.
65D DECOY. In Chesapeake bay country plastic DECOYS don't fool ducks, so Maryland hunters rely on a competitive cottage industry of craftsmen who carve and paint life-like floating sculptures of ducks. This is just one of dozens of events every year where their works are for sale.
Cheers,
Bill
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, MaryEllen and sumdaze.
I ZIPped through this CW to FIR, but thought we had some kind of BAG theme until the reveal. Cute.
One inkblot to change Idol to ICON. Another for Mitt to MASK.
Did we all think of Walmart with that GREETER?
Zippers have a Canadian connection that is close to home for me.
zipper
Wishing you all a great day.
Jinx- we Canadians rebelled and spell it TIRE also.
I see that others had the same Idol/ICON problem.
Thanks for the reminder re AVER/Avow. I always confirm with perps before inking darkly. AVER seems to be more commonly used in CWs.
FLN- Picard- wow re that volcano video!
Good Morning! Wonderful puzzle to start the week! Thanks, Mary Ellen!
Her name rang a bell. I used to record the puzzle crafters and found my first note of a Mary Ellen Uthlaut LAT puzzle was Monday, July 15, 2013, and many more which followed.
WO: idol -> ICON. I was locked into the modern definition in computer lingo.
36A: TOSS. Not that I was ever into sports, but the appeal of golf and bowling was that no one is throwing something at you!! 😲😱🤣
51A: ARMORY. A childhood memory of community pancake suppers at the ARMORY.
Sumdaze, loved the toon of the ALLEY CAT. Classic example of when animation was at its best!!
And thanks for the lesson on AVER / AVOW. I’d usually wimp out and wait for the perps to decide. Now I hope I’ll remember your mnemonic!
35D: My first thought about TANG was the astronaut’s drink.
Zip, Zip, done. A breezy Monday outing. Fell into the LEE/GAP on the way to an FIR. Great re-cap, Sumdaze! Loved the Multiverse & Decoys. Off and running today, headed for Oshkosh and the EAA airshow for a couple of days.
waseeley, ERICA was 62A - What elephant????
Smooth CW. Lots of good comments and funnies from Sumdaze. Great morning.
Hi All!
Quick Monday fun with the same hiccups as WEES. Thanks MaryEllen.
A delightful after-party kickoff as is above PAR, sumdaze. I'll be honest, I didn't understand the TACTIC / dyslexia joke until I read it 4x. #untie!
WOs: ALGe, IdOL, PILLOW case (shams are a sham! You just throw them on the floor at bedtime yet DW wants 'em on the bed in the AM- not a pillow!)
ESPs: PORTER, ERICA
Fav: HERB's clue had me thinking GURU far too long. Sure the V8 hurt, but it induced a giggle.
PARR - not clued as Jack for us young'ns.
{B, B+}
D-O: Glad you're backup is working. You have no idea how many folks have backups until they needed it only to discover it didn't work. "Have you [a generalized "you"] ever tested it? Anyone can take a backup but testing a restore..." (Apologies to Seinfield).
Speaking of backups - I still have two ZIP-drives if anyone needs an old backup read.
DW was in Puerto RICO last year with her students. She loved it - we plan to go for our Anniversary trip this year.
RosE - Coneheads on TANG.
Cheers, -T
Musings
-An inch and a half of rain means happy farmers but, “No golf for you!” Well, me, actually! :-)
-Hmmm… Is the gimmick the first words or the last words in the long fill? WHAT?
-How I loved telling my sister to, “KING ME!”
-That smart Seinfeld dialogue was A-ONE
-If I paid $20 for a MAI TAI, I’d ask for a doggy glass if I didn’t finish!
-RES: Yesterday we had “In medias ___”
-America’s most famous ARMORY was located at Harper’s Ferry, VA (now WV)
-GREETERS: You will get a nice smile if you return the greeting using their name on their badge
-Battle TACTIC: Why didn’t the Nazis figure out that we had cracked Enigma?
-Even ICONS are MERE MORTALS
-In softball, masks are also worn by all batters and some pitchers and infielders
-Enlightening and fun, Renee!
Hola!
No time to read now but finished the puzzle in good Monday time! Thanks to Mary Ellen and sumdaze.
AIRFARE is very familiar to me! I fly to SFO at least twice, maybe three times a year. Not a record but it takes me out of the heat. It's wonderful to have friends in northern California!
There is an ARMORY just outside of Scottsdale and before entering Phoenix. I believe it's for the Coast Guard.
Time to go. Have a wonderful day!
Embarassed to show my face on the blog with my Monday FIW, Foolishly guessed at H for GAH and HOSER..hOSER made more sense to me than POSER for but can't find a pair of GAu labeled jeans, plus who didn't put Lee jeans first) 👖. ("Elias, you invented the zipper?" "Howe?"..)
COINS? Oh yeah, those round shiny metals things we used to use to pay for stuff.
Many small town like ours have beautiful ARMORIES that look like medieval castles .... LIU:...."And it just so happened that the era of building armories in New York coincided with the popularization of Romanesque Revival in architecture"
Glad you're just IRKED and not ired
"Falafal wrapper": middle eastern guy way too long
A small mint candy ingested backward....TACTIC
"Cheers" greeting....NORM!
Jet plane meals...AIRFARE
In a tri-stooge melee someone eventually gets ___...PIED
Starting 2 week vacay. Yay 🙂
.
RoseE @10:02 AM I knew I should have resisted posting that! This year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Erica Jong's most famous novel, Fear of Flying, in which she coins a phrase that includes the word "ZIPLESS", a multi-layered pun that has forever become associated with the book, even for people who've never read it (e.g. moi). The following Wiki will explain it. I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect that with today's theme it is not coincidental that MaryEllen included that fill.
Nice easy puzzle to start the week.
I am “koi sitting” my friends koi pond for the next week. There are about 30 koi, some of them are huge, as she has had them for 15 years. They always give me a “splashy” greeting when they see me coming with their food. Gotta run before it gets hotter, another 115 day.
Anon-T, thanks for the chuckle! The Coneheads were one if the better skits on SNL.
Waseeley, sorry if I put you on the spot. I, too, never read the book. Nor do I know the term/phrase including ZIPLESS. I’ll leave it at that….
I'm happy to read that (almost -- sorry Ray-O) everyone is getting a good start to the week. Thank you for sharing the fun!
Waseeley. Yep, I was not going to go there but I think you are right about the 'non-coincidence'.
H-Gary @ 10:25. Same, same. As has been typical for Mondays, I was looking at the first half and the last half of the long fills. Oh, this time it's all of it!
Very easy today. IDOL before ICON, but quickly changed. Icon, "someone who is adored blindly and excessively."
At Walmart the greeter also checks you out as you leave. A shopper with a huge cartful of groceries hands the checker the receipt which she scans in seconds and okays it. It would take many minutes to check every item in the cart.
We loved the falafel in Israel.
My sister lived in Des Plaines for many years.
My everyday pillow shams are washable cotton with ruffled edges. They are pretty, durable and comfortable to sleep on. Many shams are very fancy, hard to clean and difficult to sleep on.
When camping we slept in a tent and used sleeping bags on air mattresses until I was 75. I love the sound of wind in tree tops and the feel of fresh air. Our only modern convenience was a nearby bath house and lavatory with running water and a spigot to fill our water container. After 75 we took a rustic cabin for two years, then a B&B for two years. Not I don't drive that far. We really miss camping.
I needed the reveal to see the theme.
CED @ 8:00. That zipper repair video is brilliant!
Addendum
-Here's an addition to Picard's amazing video from yesterday. A man from Papillion, NE runs a tourist business over there:
https://www.ketv.com/article/papillion-man-planning-tours-toward-erupting-volcano-in-iceland/44621380
-Joann took solved two problems with one stroke today. My golf was cacelled, she wanted to go shopping and does not want to see Oppenheimer although I do. She is going to drop me off at the theater and go shopping just a mile down the road in Omaha. Gotta love that woman!
Fun Monday puzzle, many thanks, MaryEllen. And always enjoy your commentaries, sumdaze, thanks for this one too.
This puzzle's IDEA was a bit about travel, somewhat of a NORM in puzzles, although no DAFTER than any others we've seen. The AIR FARE suggested we should probably have a COIN PURSE on us for handing out small treats and things to the PORTER and other helpers. Hopefully the inside AREA of the plane would not be ICIER than that outside winter weather, and that we'd get a SKI JACKET and a SLEEPING BAG just in case we needed them. When we arrived there were GREETERS there to cheer our arrival, which made this trip an A-ONE.
Some IRE in this puzzle too, warning us to avoid folks who were GRUFF, so we wouldn't get IRKED and be tempted to SMITE them which would be a big MISDEED and get us in trouble with our SENATOR. Let's just sit quietly in our seat, and pet our ALLEY CAT.
Have a fun week coming up, everybody.
Enjoyed the ZIP IT theme. Hand up LEE before GAP.
Here I was at the PUERTO RICO Capitol building as a teen.
My grandparents had moved to Florida and they generously paid for us to visit them and travel on to PUERTO RICO. Otherwise no way we could afford that. A wonderful experience.
From Yesterday and Today:
Anon at 1:07, AnonT, WilburCharles, CanadianEh Thank you for the kind words about our VOLCANIC MUST DO experience video.
Yes, it probably was crazy. I had a certain sense of peace that if I died there it would have been worth it. So amazing. The pilot was friends with the son of our guide and also with our bus driver. Our bus driver is also a commercial pilot, but he would have had to rent a plane under challenging circumstances.
No, not a Cessna. An Australian aircraft I had never heard of. A GippsAero GA8 Airvan. Apparently it fills a size gap that Cessna does not offer.
Here is some information on the web site of this tiny Iceland airline Circle Air.
Yes, a helicopter would have given a more gentle ride. As it was, he had to keep doing swooping "horseshoe" turns to allow people on each side of the plane to get a good view. The woman seated by my wife threw up.
Gary @12:19 PM I look forward to your review. Some of the scenes are pretty controversial. I read that it is getting mixed reviews in India.
H. Gary said "If I paid $20 for a MAI TAI, I’d ask for a doggy glass if I didn’t finish!" You can do that? All those years of imbibing and I never knew I didn't have to drink the last drop. Except in Vegas, where the casinos stocked "go cups" by all the exits. Aren't there poor people in Asia who are stone cold sober? You finish that boilermaker right now, buster!
I just finished Countdown 1945 by Mike Wallace's son Chris (who is now 76 years young.) It chronicles the 116 days between FDR's death and Japan's surrender. I also read Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Both included a lot of detail about the development of the bomb. I saw Manhattan as well, but like most things TV, it had a lot of artistic license (I think.) I would love to see Oppenheimer, but I don't think that my DW could sit through it without causing a scene.
Thank you Mary Ellen UThlaut and thank you, sumdaze. No issues except for my typos causing real puzzlement.
sumdaze, our greeters at Walmart seldom say anything first. They tend to gaze ahead, as if they wish they were doing something else. Most of them are pleasant and will smile when I say hello/good morning/how are you doing today? Yellowrocks, I have never seen our Walmart greeters check receipts. Is that a New Jersey thing ? Anyone else, anywhere else ? Costco always checks receipts on the way out. I've read that they do it to make sure you haven't left anything behind. Sounds like a spin to me.
Jinx, I remember Romanos in Des Plaines. My B.I.L & family, as well as a coworker lived just off of Oakton. Romano's has been closed a long time.
PK, during the early part of the pandemic, my groceries were delivered about 4 miles away. Same avenue name. Mine runs north-south. The other one runs east-west. The Door Dash driver wouldn't go back and get them. I called Door Dash customer support. They said they would look into it. Never heard back. I then spoke to a manager at Walmart. He apologized, and had my order refilled and sent a store employee to my house with the groceries a couple of hours later.
Dash T, I agree about the pillow shams. What a waste of a good pillow! But I caved long ago to keep the peace. Also, I have my Iomega Zip drive and both new and used disks. Not sure how they would connect to a Win 10/11. Not that I've tried. They are in one of the many boxes in the basement with others 80's and 90's and 00's tech. I'll donate them to some museum some day. Need a PCMCIA Ethernet adapter or PCMCIA 14.4 modem? :>)
I've been working on my AC. It went out. Not cooling. Pulled the covers off the condenser and hosed down the fins. Put a new compressor start capacitor in it. Still no worky. Called an HVAC company. I'd like to get it fixed before it gets hot, but it looks doubtful. It's going to get up to 90 tomorrow and possibly 92 on Wednesday. The good news is that it is 1 of 2 whole house units, and the other one is working fine. I'll just avoid that side of the house if he can't get here for a few days. I feel for my family in Texas, and everyone else that is suffering with this heat.
I enjoyed this puzzle, sumdaze's write-up, and all your comments.
FIR, although there were a couple of places where my initial fill had to be reconsidered, in order to accommodate the perps.
My grandfather always said that there is a separate compartment in our stomachs for dessert, so we didn’t have to save room.
While the Sam’s Clubs in my area have been checking receipts for a long time, the Walmarts have only started doing it for about a year now. I don’t mind, if it will keep the “shrinkage” down.
Thanks, MaryEllen and sumdaze!
At the Walmart near me they don't check receipts, the greeter simply greets. The only place where receipts are checked in detail is Costco. Just as an aside, our local Walmart is located on Reservation land so liquor is not sold there. I've had to explain that to out of state visitors and direct them to a different store.
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