google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday September 18, 2023 Dan Caprera

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Sep 18, 2023

Monday September 18, 2023 Dan Caprera

  

Hello Cornerites!

Constructor Dan Caprera is back with his 5th L.A. Times puzzle. He is known for fun and clever ideas. Let's see what he has dealt out for us today.

Theme:        Cut It Out  

There are four starred clues. Each has circles that draw attention to the first and last letters of the answers.

16 Across. *LGBT+ organization founded in 1990: QUEER NATION.  QUEEN

24 Across. *"Chin up!": KEEP SMILING.  KING
36 Across. *Musical film about a convict who learns to play the guitar in prison: JAILHOUSE ROCK.  JACK  
Of course it was Elvis who played that convict in 1957. This was his third movie.

49 Across. *Completely unapproachable: AS COLD AS ICE.  ACE  
Foreigner sang about this in 1977 on their debut album.

Dan shows his hand with the unifier at
59 Across. Prepare a deck before dealing, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do: CUT THE CARDS.

The names of four playing cards (QUEEN, KING, JACK, and ACE) have been "cut" into two parts.
As they say, "Trust everybody but cut the cards." If you are not a card player, you might want to go here to learn about the how & why of cutting cards.

With that, we'll CUT to the chase and look at the other 73 clues....

Across:
1. Cheese __: Wisconsin snack: CURDS.  I tried these once when I visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Oregon. Did you know they squeak in your mouth? You can learn why they squeak and much, much more here.

6. October birthstone: OPAL.  
I looked at a few charts. There is some disagreement. Apparently this is not as standardized as I thought.
I suggest you buy the one you like best.

10. Solemn oath: VOW.  

13. Turner of "Game of Thrones": SOPHIE.  
This is SOPHIE and SOPHIE's GoT character, Sansa Stark.

14. Lymph __: immune system part: NODE.  You have lymph NODES throughout your body, including your neck, armpits, and groin. From the Mayo Clinic website:  They function as filters, trapping viruses, bacteria, and other causes of illness before they can infect other parts of your body.

15. Amazement: AWE.

18. Bumped into: MET.  "MET" can mean a first-time meeting or it can refer to an encounter with an established friend (both past-tense). Context is the key.

19. Bone parallel to the radius: ULNA.

20. __-mo replay: SLO.  
A Harlem Globetrotter gives a fan a SLO-mo high five. (47 sec.)

21. Open, as a keg: TAP.  and  17 Down. Keg filler: ALE.

23. Use an abacus, perhaps: ADD.  One year I taught a summer school elective course on using an abacus. My students and I became surprisingly proficient. It was fun plus it reinforced basic math concepts in a way that felt "new" so the students were not saying, "This again. Ugh."

29. Sample size?: TASTE.  Cute clue! Think 'Costco'.

31. The North Star: POLARIS.  Great fill, Dan!
NASA website's POLARIS page
32. Hi-__ graphics: RES.

34. Doja Cat genre: RAP.  
Doja Cat doing some gardening chores.

35. Mineral that adds shimmer to cosmetics: MICA.  According to the internet, there is controversy over this ingredient.

40. Glass unit: PANE.  Think windows, not martinis.

41. Name on a 1950s campaign button: IKE.  Since there are no abbreviations in the clue, we were not looking for initials.  
His made the list of Time Magazine's Top 10 Campaign Ads.

42. In a funk: SAD.  If you are in a funk, l
istening to this song might cheer you up!  
Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry (1976)

43. Part of a bedroom set: DRESSER.  furniture

45. Kidney-related: RENAL.  "RENAL" is an adjective whereas "kidney" is a noun.
news about pig kidney transplant

53. Egg cells: OVA.  "Cells" is plural so we needed the plural of "ovum".
You probably know that the largest ovum today would be an ostrich's egg, but did you know that they are the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird?

54. MyHeritage sample: DNA.  I have not done this. Have you?

55. Bonfire residue: ASH.  
Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) Marshall goes for a walk (1 min.)
featuring Tom Hanks & Kim Cattrall

56. Sink annoyance: DRIP.

57. Sci-fi vehicle: UFO.  "Science Fiction" is abbreviated, so is Unidentified Flying Object.  

63. Clever remark: MOT.  as in "bon MOT"

64. Reflex hammer's target: KNEE.
65. Literary comparison: SIMILE.  See 49A.

66. Body spray with a Dark Temptation scent: AXE.  a FAV among constructors and teenage boys

67. Transgressions: SINS.

68. Fresh: SASSY.  

Down:
1. Might've: COULDA.  Coulda Shoulda Woulda

2. Radically changes: UPENDS.

3. Actress Perlman: RHEA.  She might best be known for her role on the TV show Cheers.
1 minute of some of Carla's best burns

4. N, NE, or NNE: DIR.  DIRection

5. __ of humor: SENSE.

6. Leading the pack: ON TOP.  
The Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las (1964)

7. Finger food at luaus: POI.  dig in

8. "Much __ About Nothing": ADO.  Shakespeare

9. Soup legume: LENTIL.  I eat a lot of LENTILs. Here's why:  

10. Like some "What We Do in the Shadows" characters: VAMPIRIC.  I am unfamiliar with the show but "shadows" and a couple of perps hinted that the answer would have something to do with vampires.

11. Have an open tab, say: OWE.  not an iPAD TABlet

12. Not just damp: WET.  

13. Crouch down: SQUAT.

22. Très chic: À LA MODE.  Def:  (adjective)  1. Fashionable, stylish. 2. topped with ice cream 
a fashionable amphibian

 
24. Topple (over): KEEL.  To KEEL over is to turn or upset so as to bring the wrong side or part uppermost. I am picturing a boat with the KEEL facing upwards. I had not thought of it that way before. In Hawaii, the word for overturning an outrigger canoe is to "huli". Also, chicken cooked on a rotisserie is called "huli huli chicken". It's a fun connection.
Another definition is to fall as in a faint.

25. Hot springs: SPAS.   They rhyme with "ahs". Coincidence?

26. Sulks: MOPES.

27. "The Last of Us" actor Offerman: NICK.  You might remember him as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. Or maybe you've read his book.  
NICK is unlikely to huli his canoe.

28. Agcy. managing federal real estate assets: GSA.  General Services Administration  gsa.gov
I think they are usually closed on Mondays.

30. Tests for fit: TRIES ON.  
33. __ away from: SHIED.

34. Actress McClanahan: RUE.

36. Pickle containers: JARS.  I like gherkins.

37. Often-amusing story: ANECDOTE.  
Sometimes this word is confused with "antidote".
38. Gumbo thickener: OKRA.

39. Hard to come by: RARE.   12 of the RAREst things on Earth (fixed) I have seen #3 at the Honolulu Zoo and I have grown #7 in my garden.

40. Tech replaced by smartphones: PDA.  Personal Digital Assistant
The Golden Age of PDAs was roughly 1992 to 2007.

44. Trousers: SLACKS.

46. Former "All Things Considered" host Michele: NORRIS.  ATC website
I recently read current host Mary Louise Kelly's book, It. Goes. So. Fast. It is mostly about work/life balance but she does tell a few stories about hosting this NPR program.

47. With zeal: AVIDLY.  a good thing

48. Run out, as insurance: LAPSE.  not a good thing

50. Fills fully: SATES.

51. "Kinda": -ISH.

52. Game with grandmasters: CHESS.  

56. River blockers: DAMS.  Here is a 2:30 min. video showing beavers building dams. So cute!!

57. Actress Thurman: UMA.  Here's UMA's dance scene with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994). IMHO, few are in John Travolta's league when it comes to movie dance scenes...Saturday Night FeverGreaseUrban CowboyPulp Fiction, plus plus.

58. Crafty one: FOX.

60. Mono- kin: UNI-.  Both are prefixes indicating "one".

61. X, at times: TEN.  Roman numeral
The cost of joining the Roman Numeral Society is exactly $499. They wouldn't let me in because I did not have ID.

62. Spy-fi org.: CIA.  

This is the completed grid. I liked that there was a little 'meat' in the SE today.

Now it's time for me to cut out and let you do the talking!
 
 

Notes from C.C.:

I made today's Atlas Obscura "Get So Emotional" puzzle. Click here to solve.

It's edited by Samir Patel, the editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura.
 

34 comments:

Subgenius said...

This puzzle to me had a bit more crunch than the “standard “ Monday puzzle. I did such things as replace “stoop” with “squat” and “talc” with “mica.” Nevertheless, I found this puzzle to be fair and sussable. FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Cute 'n' quick. Only needed my trusty Wite-Out to correct VAMPIRes to VAMPIRIC -- not really a Monday word. RENAL -- does that refer to a puzzle blogged by Renée? Thanx for the outing, Dan, and for the explication, sumdaze. (So we need to add abacus instructor to your list of weird accomplishments? BTW, your link for RARE dupes the link for NORRIS.)

DNA: I did take the test offered by Ancestry. One of my siblings did, also. We found out that we're brothers.

UMA: As chance would have it, I rewatched Pulp Fiction yesterday afternoon. Samuel L. Jackson's character is hilarious.

CURDS: We used to buy 'em at 1PM at the local cheese factory. The whey had just been drained off, and the curd was still warm, sliced into fingerlings, and salted. $0.15 for a half-pound bag straight out of the cheese vat. (Yeah, that was a few years ago.) The taste is similar to popcorn. Yum!

inanehiker said...

Fast and fun solve today.
Started out with CURDS which was a gimme - as I used to live in Wisconsin and you could pick up fresh ones (the squeakier the better) at the grocery store. My husband is from Tillamook, OR. We always take the kids to the cheese factory for cheese CURDS and ice cream when we visit - they make a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich there as well. For added decadence, you can get deep fried cheese CURDS at Culver's.

For all those who decided that bathing in AXE, Old Spice, and Brut was a good thing - please find an adjoining room to hang out in....

Learning moment - a non Monday definition for ALA MODE

Thanks SD and Dan!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but hand up for erasing VAMPIRes.

Today is:
NATIONAL HIV/AIDS AND AGING AWARENESS DAY (Magic Johnson was the first long-term survivor I remember)
AIR FORCE BIRTHDAY (“Why don’t we just buy one airplane and let the pilots take turns flying it.” Calvin Coolidge)
NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY (many joints in Virginia and Florida have Burger Monday specials)
WORLD BAMBOO DAY (about as easy to eradicate as kudzu – like herpes, bamboo is forever)

Last time I was in Maui, finger food were pupus.

I don't get "tres chic" for A LA MODE. I always thought A LA MODE was more like the Aerosmith's song Walk This Way.

The link didn't work for the 12 RAREst things, but I'm sure it includes "conservative viewpoints heard on NPR."

Sumdaze gave us quite the musical offering today, but I'll add Wet Willie's KEEP on SMILIN'.

I don't fall in with the "no circles" crowd, but having both circles and asterisks seems redundant.

Thanks for the Monday challenge, Dan, and thanks to Sumdaze for the extensive review.

OwenKL said...

TEN, JACK, QUEEN, KING, ACE
Are the cards you have to face
As the closer
To some poker --
But your four duces still win the place!

CURDS and whey, I'm sure you've heard
Are unrelated to the Kurds.
Nor to CARDS.
(That's not so hard.)
But don't get in the way of the Nerds!

KS said...

FIR. Overall I found this Monday puzzle a bit of a stretch in places. Vampiric? Mica? Seems to be an effort to fill a space with just anything.
I got the theme early without the reveal, which I really wanted as card shuffle.
This was not my favorite CW by a long shot

unclefred said...

Well, a CW right on my wavelength! Last time I had cheese curds was yesterday, at “Slacker’s Bar and Grill”, a surprisingly large Green Bay Packers bar here in Fort Lauderdale. The curds were good. My Packers, not good enough, getting beat by one point. They just didn’t seem able to stop the run. Anyway, first fill is “CURDS” second is “OPAL”, and I was born in October! So off to a good start. The only names I knew were “RHEA” and “UMA”, the others were perped in for an eventual FIR. For once I filled the reveal ahead of some of the theme fills, which helped a bit. Overall a nice CW, good start to the week. The only W/O was, as others mentioned, VAMPIRE:VAMPIRIC. I too did the Ancestry thing and found it useless: it told me nothing at all I didn’t already know, a waste of $150. Ala mode = new definition for me. Thanx, DC, for the fine Monday+ level CW. Thanx too to Sumdaze for the as always terrific write-up. Jinx, I listen to a fair amount of NPR, and watch a lot of PBS, and you are correct. Conservative viewpoints are rare. They pretty much stick to facts.

Anonymous said...

Took 5:32 to get to heavEN.
(The Ten card is needed for a royal flush.)

I agree with the above/earlier posts about this seeming non-Monday (which is ok), including vampiric and not knowing today's French clue/answer (alamode). My dissent, of course, is that I am in the "no circles crowd." So, without further ado,

Oh joy, circles!

I passed on cheese curds this summer at a brewery in Duluth, MN and then while driving through parts of northern Wisconsin. Unappetizing to me.

Monkey said...

Smooth CW this morning. Very few proper names to annoy me. So I KEpt SMILING.

The only little hick up was at OKRA. I wanted filé since that’s what’s used to make gumbo a little thicker and smooth.

Enjoyed Sumdaze’s recap.

CC, I didn’t know Atlas Obscura had crosswords. I follow that site on Facebook and love their entries.

CrossEyedDave said...

cut the curds?

CanadianEh! said...

Messy Monday. Thanks for the fun, Dan and sumdaze.
I FIRed and saw the CUT CARDS, but my page had more inkblots than the usual Monday.

I was debating between amends or emends, but CURDS UPENDed that.
Then I had Out On before ON TOP perped.
I had Talc before MICA, and VAMPIRal before IC.
The tense changed from SHIEs to SHIED.
Plus my sink had a Clog before a DRIP.

I noted TAP and RAP (and perhaps a few too many three-letter fills for Irish Miss’s liking).
We had OKRA and LENTILs today.
This Canadian had no idea what GSA stood for. Thanks sumdaze.

White cheese CURDS are used on Poutine, that Canadian “heart attack in a bowl” treat.
Blackberry was a PDA before it became a smart phone.
My sibling has done Ancestry DNA testing, and contacted a plethora of distant relatives to further his geneology study.

FLN- good to hear from you SwenglishMom.
Vidwan- thanks for the flour clarification

Wishing you all a great day.

RosE said...

Good Morning! The puzzle was somewhat of a slog for me today, but a fun theme. Thanks, Dan.

I had more fun reading your recap – thanks, sumdaze.
Still wondering what the RARE #3 & 7 are.

Why is snark so funny – if aimed at someone else (Rhea in Cheers and the shoe shopper husband) LOL!

WO: steer -> SHIED & VAMPIRes -> IC.
Perps for SOPHIE, NICK, GSA, NORRIS & AXE.

Inanehiker, Your suggestion to use CURDS in grilled cheese sounds good. I’ve never tried them but have seen them in the store. Now I have a reason!

Jinx, re: World Bamboo Day – my floors are bamboo, a renewable resource, so at least they’re good for something.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Sleight-of-hand magicians can seem to CUT and shuffle cards without doing either
-VOWS of chastity and poverty would seem to make some professions unappealing
-That SOPHIE would not be my CHOICE for this fill
-TASTE: We call that grazing when we are at Costco
-Hitler’s autobahn inspired IKE to build our interstate highway system
-My DRESSER and our bedroom set have passed the 50-yr mark
-23 and Me connected me to some of grandma’s sister’s descendants
-After a career of SQUATTING behind home plate, many MLB catchers wind up at first base or the outfield as long as they can still hit
-A classmate was told to stand and give an answer in geometry class and she was so embarrassed, she KEELED over
-TRY ON: After my weight loss, I may have to go down a size in shirts
-George NORRIS was the driving force that gave Nebraska the nation’s only unicameral legislature
-As usual, our renaissance woman Reneé (or Renee?), provided a fun review

Jinx in Norfolk said...

RosE, and I find bamboo beautiful to behold. The textiles they make from them are pretty good as well, but not, imo, as good as they claim. The only problem is if you plant them (or your neighbor plants them) they will take over your entire yard. I understand that the only "cure" is to bring in a Bobcat and replace the soil.

(I love snakeskin boots too, but I don't want a back yard full of them.)

U-Fred - Yup, NPR just recites facts, without any political bias at all. Except on days that end in "y."

Anonymous said...

"Conservative viewpoints are rare. They pretty much stick to facts."
You're kidding! Right?

Ray - O - Sunshine said...


No Z , came close to a pangram (RES not REZ) but a typical Monday with ⚪️⚪️⚪️’ed face and ACE cards cut in the theme answers

FYI: Caprera, an island in Italy named for its wild goats “capre” … same for the Island of Capri it’s believed (btw CAP’-ri not cap-RI’) Capricorn ♑️ “goat-horned”

Inkovers: shies/SHIED, VAMPIRes/IC

COULDA, Kinda? Who uses words like that cuz they’re wrong 😑… Doja 🙀genre?

I’ve been cut off from “ What We do in the Shadows”, (a clever funny series on FX about vampires, who I guess act VAMPIRIC?, trying to adjust to American urban life) due to our cable provider’s contractual dispute with Disney sponsored channels . The last straw for many subscribers who’ve since “cut the cable cord”

Have seen both GOT and “The Last of Us” (highly recommended, BTW) and once again didn’t remember those actors. But I RUE the day I ever forget Blanche

Didn’t know OKRA was a thickener, Canada Eh my BIL became addicted to “poutine” on our last trip to Montréal & Québec City

Little Miss Muffet was from Wisconsin . Too many spiders there frightened her a-whey to Illinois 🕷️

Changing a broken “glass unit” can be a ____…..PANE
Don’t forget to put ice cream on my pie “Remember the _____ !! ALAMODE”
To know it is to know nothing …..SQUAT

Chilly today at 62 but back in the 70s next week, probably this years Native American summer. 🌞


Anonymous said...

I’d had my morning coffee before starting this puzzle so I was playing with a full deck. A cute and clever theme with a little crunch for a Monday. Thanks Dan. An awesome recap Sumdaze….kkFlorida

sumdaze said...

Apologies for the link on 39D. I just now fixed it. Thank you for letting me know!

RosE said...

Ray-O, I thought (can I still say... Indian Summer?) was the warm spell which came after the first frost. Have you had a frost in NYS?

Picard said...

Enjoyed the CUT THE CARDS theme. Hand up I first expected SHUFFLE. It helped with the solve.

sumdaze Thanks for all of the amusing illustrations and explanations. Learning moment about CURDS being squeaky.

Here we were at our local Montecito HOT SPRINGS.

A fairly easy two mile mountain hike to a free SPA.

AnonymousPVX said...


I have tried the fried cheese curds at Culver’s, I’m open to new food. But I thought them bland.

Irish Miss said...

Good Afternoon

Delayed by a morning full of distractions, sidetracks, and chores. As several previous comments indicate, there was some crunch today but nothing egregious. Hand up for the Vampires/Vampiric miscue and perps were needed for the unknown Nick and Norris. Sophie (Turner), however, was a gimme as her split from Joe Jonas has been all over the news. The theme and reveal were Monday friendly, but the whopping 31 three letter words were not.

Thanks, Dan, and thanks, sumdaze, for another fact and fun-filled review. I especially enjoyed and never get tired of seeing Uma and John strut their stuff. John really showed his dancing chops in Saturday Night Fever. Sadly, though, Tom Hanks’ considerable acting chops could not salvage that disastrous screen adaptation of the excellent novel, The Bonfire of The Vanities. Favorite cartoon was the “Chess Nuts” and I was fascinated by the Eager Beaver’s industriousness. Great job, as always.

Have a great day.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...



RosE @ 12:19

No we have not had a frost …You got me thinking (very dangerous thing to do 🤫). Found this on Wiki An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Several sources describe a true Indian summer as not occurring until after the first frost, or more specifically the first "killing" frost. Other sources say it has to occur in November and should be called “Second Summer”

We’ve had such a rainy cool awful summer that temps now in the 70s seem tropical even though it will barely be Autumn when it happens

Misty said...

Delightful Monday puzzle, many thanks, Dan. And very entertaining commentary, Sumdaze, thanks for that too.

I kept wondering if SOPHIE and IKE might have MET while visiting friends at a JAIL and decided to get a snack and visit. They found a place where they ordered some RARE treats, like some POI, and cheese CURDS, and some LENTIL, and crackers with JARS of toppings, which SATED them nicely. They AVIDLY shared ANECDOTES and even confessed to some SINS, which didn't END their friendship. They decided to just KEEP SMILING, and figured before long IKE might get down on one KNEE and offer a VOW which would AWE SOPHIE. Now neither of them MOPES any longer and they just play CHESS every night and enjoy being married.

Have a great week coming up, everybody.

Charlie Echo said...

FIR about as quickly as I could write. Wanted DEF before RES, UAP before UFO, and ALAMODE was all perps, as were most of the names, but a fun run Monday. Great review, Sumdaze. Nice 'toons!

Ol' Man Keith said...

Sumdaze ("♫ Some of these days....♬") is guiding us through this Caprera XWD.

Hard to decide which -OULDA belonged at 1D... Didn't know if Wisc. favors WARDS or CURDS.

Whyn'tcha come over for a swim in my RENAL pool?
~ OMK
____________
DR:
One diag, far side.
Its anagram (13 of 15) would serve as a caption for a feminine version of courtship babble. ("♬ C'monna my house; my house-a come on!")
I mean...

"A WOMANLIKE WOO"!

sumdaze said...

I just did C.C.'s Atlas Obscura puzzle. So fun!

IM@12:42. "Delayed by a morning full of distractions, sidetracks, and chores." I hear ya!!

Lucina said...

Hola!

I can't believe I had not posted! I solved the puzzle quite early, returned to bed then as soon as I awoke and had breakfast went off to do errands. Now I am vaccinated for both flu and Covid-19, have the money I need for the trip, snacks for the plane, and decorations for one of the birthdays we will celebrate there. I also printed boarding passes and registered for the Believe Walk in Redlands which occurs on October 1st. It's doubtful that I shall be able to walk but I registered for the donation to the Cause.

Our flight tomorrow leaves at 9:00 and I am praying hard that the pilots' strike does not affect our trip!

Lucina said...

d-o
One of my brothers and a cousin also did the Ancestry thing and discovered they were related!
He did find some other distant relatives mostly in New Mexico where our parents originated.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

When I did 23 and Me, I expected the results would show some African and/or Native American heritage. I was darker complected than most of my school chums, and I didn't get sunburned as easily as most of them. Nope - I'm of various European extraction.

RosE said...

Ray-O, I look forward to Indian Summer whenever it occurs, and all the better if we have a couple of them!

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Hand up: VAMPIRes.

Thanks Dan for dealing us in. Thanks Sumdaze for fronting the ante - all ID of it ;-)

WOs: VAMPIRes, LENTeL, Gao -> GSA
ESPs: SOPHIE, ALA MODE as clued.
Fav: I'll go with CHESS. I play the computer every night (it usually wins)

I'd never voluntarily send my DNA anywhere.

If you've not seen "What We Do in the Shadows" [Trailer], it's kinda like The Office but with vampires & werewolves. DW liked it and what bits I saw were LOL.

Lucina - sounds like a great trip planned. Warning - if you're on United, you have to register your in-flight snack credit-card via the "app." I learned this the hard way on my recent trip to Vegas #NoBeerForMe.

I remember Indian Summer growing up in IL. Interesting about first-frost and Indian Summer.
//Here in Houston it's just Summer until it gets cold. It stays cold for a few weeks and then Summer returns for the year ;-)

Cheers, -T

Lucina said...

Thank you for the information about C.C.'s puzzle. Now I'll have one to solve on the plane. I cancelled the newspaper so won't have that one.

AnonT
Thanks for the warning, but no, we're going on Southwest. I have my own stash of snacks. And your weather sounds a bit like ours. We have about two or three weeks of winter cold and then it starts to warm again.

You all have a good rest of the week and I'll "see" you on the weekend.

Vidwan827 said...

I am horrifically late but I did want to comment
First for the easy puzzle ( it’s Monday -) that I solved at 2:00 am last night but could not comment cuz todays blog commentary had nog been uploaded …

Thank you Dan Caprera ( and thanks RayOSun for the derivation of the name Caprera !).
Fof a wonderful puzzle
Snc many thanks to Renee Sumdaze. For a very entertaining and informative blog !?!!!!!!
I really enjoyed reading through your blog and it song me down the rabbit hole many many times

And that, rather those side trips prevented me from reading the blog in one sitting …. Then urgent matters … and now it’s past midnight

But Sumdaze your blog was a delight
And that is what I wanted to comment on my post. ;-o))

Many of the letters snc posts above were also a pleasure to read and smile about.

Thank you all. And have a great week ahead!!!