Hello Cornerites!
Theme:
Today, constructors Amanda Cook and Katie Hale are taking us through the steps to grow a garden. Although it might feel a bit late in the year for this activity, some of us are lucky enough to be able to plant Fall veggies while the soil is still warm. I like to sow lettuce and cilantro seeds in late September to harvest before the new year. Here are planting suggestions for a variety of climates:
Our puzzle has five, themed clues such that all have answers ending in a plant term; however, the full answers are not garden-related. Even though I consider myself to have a green thumb, the full answers were not always at my fingertips. I had to use the theme to fill in the ends then reason out the beginnings. Case in point, 17A.
17 Across. Potential March Madness bracket buster: SIXTEEN SEED. In basketball (as well as several other sports), a team's SEED is its initial ranking going into a tournament. SEEDs are used to determine the first-round matchups of the tournament and to place the teams in the tournament bracket. A "bracket buster" is a team that upsets a highly-ranked opponent in a tournament, ruining fans' bracket predictions. I drew red ovals around the SIXTEEN spots on this schedule:
25 Across. Hair coloring technique with an ombre effect: SHADOW ROOT.
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| Please direct any comments/questions to the Cornerites who follow this sport. |
25 Across. Hair coloring technique with an ombre effect: SHADOW ROOT.
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| See how her ROOTs are darker (SHADOWy) but they blend in, as opposed to just looking like her dye job grew out? |
37 Across. Mind-body connector: BRAINSTEM. This is the structure that connects the cerebrum (higher functions) of the brain to the spinal cord (brain/body message conduit) and cerebellum (mainly controls muscles).
51 Across. Electrifying industrial facility: POWERPLANT. 
60 Across. "Black Hole Sun" grunge band: SOUNDGARDEN. SOUNDGARDEN was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. The group broke up in 1997 then got back together in 2010. Sadly, Cornell committed suicided in 2017 when he was 52 years old. Here is the song from the clue:
Instead, I am embedding a lyrics video. As far as the lyrics go, Chris Cornell has been quoted as saying, "Lyrically it's probably the closest to me just playing with words for words' sake, of anything I've written. I guess it worked for a lot of people who hear it, but I have no idea how you'd begin to take that one literally."
We cruciverbalists enjoy 'playing with words', too!
No reveal was needed today. I like how the plant words progress in the same order they do when growing. We begin with a SEED. It first grows a ROOT then a STEM and, before you know it, leaves emerge on your PLANT. When you group several plants together, you have a GARDEN. Let's take a look at the grid and compare it to a seed germination diagram.
Across:
1. Physical effort: LABOR. a requirement for gardening
6. Girl Scout sash addition: BADGE. In case you are interested: Early Girl Scouting and New GS BADGEs for 2023
11. Flamenco cry: OLÉ.
1. Physical effort: LABOR. a requirement for gardening
6. Girl Scout sash addition: BADGE. In case you are interested: Early Girl Scouting and New GS BADGEs for 2023
11. Flamenco cry: OLÉ.
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| The word "flamingo" comes from the Latin and Spanish word "flamenco", which means "fire". |
14. Unaccompanied: ALONE. This made me think of the 1990 movie, Home Alone. Here is a Google ad (and its filming) starring Macaulay Culkin made in 2018. (2:19 min.)
15. Road one-eighty: U-TURN. utilitarian unabridged U_TURN underpinnings
16. "Industry Baby" rapper Lil __ X: NAS. "NAS" is my go-to for any "rapper" clue.
19. Egyptian viper: ASP. A viper is a poisonous snake. I took this viper's picture in Borneo. The image is fuzzy because I did not want to get close! You can click on the pic to enlarge it.
20. Comfort: SOLACE.
21. Rowboat pair: OARS.
23. Pilates surface: MAT.
29. "Gossip Girl" steps location: THE MET. unknown but suss-able
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| Gossip Girl is a TV show (CW network 2007-2012), based on a novel series by Cecily von Ziegesar, about privileged teens living on the Upper East Side. The METropolitan Museum of Art was a frequent hangout spot. |
"slimy and satisfying"
Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa teach Simba how to RUSTLE up some grub.
The Lion King (1994)
33. Gaseous water: VAPOR. refers to a gas-phase material that normally exists as a liquid or solid under a given set of conditions, e.g., temperature
34. Flying formations: VEES. The geese where I live make a lot of noise while flying. This article explains what all the honking is about.
36. "Frozen" princess: ELSA. It is easy to get her confused with her younger sister Anna. Both were princesses before becoming queens. Plus, there is the 4-letter-ends-with-"A" aspect....
40. Against: ANTI.
43. JPEG alternatives: PNGS. Both are formats for digital images.
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| I thought this graphic was helpful but I cannot think of why it says "weigh" instead of "way". Can someone explain? |
44. Prefix with scope or soft: MICRO-.
48. Floating basketball hoop, e.g.: POOL TOY.
50. "Leaving already?": SO SOON.
Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine's friend has overstayed his welcome? Don't tell my family & friends, but I think of it when I drive them back to the airport. (3:35 min.)
54. Whiskey grain: RYE. It is a plant so...Easter egg!
55. 1950s sitcom name: DESI. Tricky clue! It does not say, "the name of a 1950s sitcom".
56. Absorb, as a significant moment: SOAK IN.
59. Like most reruns: OLD.
65. Modernist architect who lived to be 102: PEI. 12 Iconic buildings by I.M. PEI
54. Whiskey grain: RYE. It is a plant so...Easter egg!
55. 1950s sitcom name: DESI. Tricky clue! It does not say, "the name of a 1950s sitcom".
56. Absorb, as a significant moment: SOAK IN.
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| Wouldn't it be wonderful to SOAK IN mountain views while SOAKing IN this hot tub? |
59. Like most reruns: OLD.
65. Modernist architect who lived to be 102: PEI. 12 Iconic buildings by I.M. PEI
66. Hebrew prophet: HOSEA. This 7:35 min. summary of the Book of HOSEA attempts to explain who HOSEA was and what path he walked.
67. Actress Mary Tyler __: MOORE. and 52 Down. 67-Across co-star: ASNER.
68. ID on an I-9 form: SSN. An I-9 is used to verify employment authorization in the U.S. Non-U.S. citizens filling out the form can leave the SSN box blank.
69. Not together: APART.
70. Adolescent emotion: ANGST. a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, and/or insecurity
Down:
1. __ Vegas: LAS.
2. "Moonlight" actor Mahershala: ALI.
3. Basic foxtrot move: BOX STEP.
4. Not fooled by: ONTO. to have knowledge, be suspicious, or be aware of one's actions, behavior, or intention
5. Fishing rod attachment: REEL.
6. Banana buy: BUNCH. and 38 Down. Each, informally: A POP.
67. Actress Mary Tyler __: MOORE. and 52 Down. 67-Across co-star: ASNER.
68. ID on an I-9 form: SSN. An I-9 is used to verify employment authorization in the U.S. Non-U.S. citizens filling out the form can leave the SSN box blank.
69. Not together: APART.
70. Adolescent emotion: ANGST. a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, and/or insecurity
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| The Scream. Edvard Munch (1893) He painted it when he was 30 but he said he had re-created a vision that had seized him as he walked one evening in his youth with two friends at sunset. Teen ANGST??? |
1. __ Vegas: LAS.
2. "Moonlight" actor Mahershala: ALI.
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| Maershala ALI as Juan in this 2016 indie film |
3. Basic foxtrot move: BOX STEP.
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| Back in our Jazzercise days, my friend Ang teased me mercilessly for not being able to do this. #GirlsCanBeDyslexicToo |
4. Not fooled by: ONTO. to have knowledge, be suspicious, or be aware of one's actions, behavior, or intention
5. Fishing rod attachment: REEL.
6. Banana buy: BUNCH. and 38 Down. Each, informally: A POP.
At 19¢ per banana (Trader Joe's), it's hard to think of a better buy.
7. Completely lost: AT SEA.
8. Invoice word: DUE.
9. Future MBA's exam: GRE. "Master of Business Administration" is abbreviated, so is the "Graduate Records Exam". It is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada, as well as a few other countries. "Master" is an important hint because it points to a post-baccalaureate exam. Try not to confuse it with the GED (General Educational Development test), an option for those who do not graduate from high school.
10. Provides with funds: ENDOWS.
11. Enjoying a hot streak: ON A ROLL.
12. Ropes at the rodeo: LASSOES. I am not throwing shade on the clue and perhaps it is a regional thing, moreover, I cannot speak for the rodeo community; but, in my cowboying experience on ranches, neither I nor anyone I worked with ever called it a "lasso". We call it a rope (noun) and it is used to rope (verb) cattle who require medical treatment.
9. Future MBA's exam: GRE. "Master of Business Administration" is abbreviated, so is the "Graduate Records Exam". It is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada, as well as a few other countries. "Master" is an important hint because it points to a post-baccalaureate exam. Try not to confuse it with the GED (General Educational Development test), an option for those who do not graduate from high school.
10. Provides with funds: ENDOWS.
11. Enjoying a hot streak: ON A ROLL.
12. Ropes at the rodeo: LASSOES. I am not throwing shade on the clue and perhaps it is a regional thing, moreover, I cannot speak for the rodeo community; but, in my cowboying experience on ranches, neither I nor anyone I worked with ever called it a "lasso". We call it a rope (noun) and it is used to rope (verb) cattle who require medical treatment.
13. Paranormal ability, for short: ESP. I sensed this would be the answer.
18. Sunrise direction: EAST.
22. Twin sister of Apollo: ARTEMIS. You can see why ARTEMIS is a good name for the NASA moon missions.
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| credit |
23. "The Hills" airer: MTV. Unfamiliar to me, this reality TV series began in 2006 and lasted for six seasons. I wonder if Amanda or Katie or Patti is a fan.
24. "Eureka!": AHA. an exclamation used to express satisfaction, triumph, or surprise
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| "Eureka" is also CA's state motto. It means, "I have found it!" For many years, CA was reached by sea so cartographers were unsure how it attached to the rest of the U.S. |
26. Put on clothes: DRESS. verb
27. Forcibly remove: OUST.
28. PreCheck org.: TSA.
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| DH has PreCheck but I do not so he kindly waits with me in my line. |
30. Alexander Calder sculptures: MOBILES.
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| I have visited his installation at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. many times. Some were huge. Some were small. I marveled at the combination of art and physics. I wonder if the MOBILES are still there. |
31. Mix up "their" and "there," e.g.: ERR. I see this err 😉 alot😉.
34. Pressed music medium: VINYL. How many grooves are on a VINYL LP? (answer at bottom)
35. 2023 World Cup finalists, briefly: ENG. Spain beat ENGland in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final, 1-0.
39. Moody music genre: EMO.
40. Smartphone program: APP.
41. Udon and soba: NOODLES. I like them both but I mostly cook with soba.
NOODLE note: Last week Picard and I were discussing NOODLE, nobility, and the song Yankee Doodle. This link fills some of the gaps in our discussion. (It is a long transcript. You might want to skip waaaaaaaaay down to the paragraph which begins, "And then the other thing that was so surprising to me is that 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'".)
42. Taken to the junkyard: TOWED IN.
45. Snack on a stick: CORN DOG.
46. Baseball Hall of Famer Campanella: ROY. He played for 18 seasons for four teams: Washington Elite Giants, Baltimore Elite Giants, Philadelphia Stars, and Brooklyn Dodgers. (Boomer could have told us more about him.)
42. Taken to the junkyard: TOWED IN.
45. Snack on a stick: CORN DOG.
46. Baseball Hall of Famer Campanella: ROY. He played for 18 seasons for four teams: Washington Elite Giants, Baltimore Elite Giants, Philadelphia Stars, and Brooklyn Dodgers. (Boomer could have told us more about him.)
47. Top Billboard spot: ONE. As of this writing, the #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 is Paint the Town Red by Doja Cat. Didn't we see her in a clue three Mondays ago?
49. Country singer Yearwood: TRISHA. her website
50. Male deer: STAG.
53. Greet wordlessly: NOD AT. In The Sting (1973), they 'greeted wordlessly' with a nose touch. (35 sec.)
57. __ Sutra: KAMA. Principles of Love
58. Word with Man or Maiden: IRON. IRON Man is a Marvel character. IRON Maiden is an English heavy medal band. Clever clue!
59. Mil. missions: OPS. "Military" is abbreviated, so is "OPerationS".
61. Alley-__ pass: OOP. Another basketball reference I did not know.... Basically, Player #1 throws the ball near the rim then Player #2 catches it and seals the deal in mid-air. Of course there are variations. The timing is spectacularly exciting!
62. Mex. and Can. neighbor: USA.
63. Triage sites, briefly: ERS. Emergency RoomS
64. Take-home pay: NET. I am grateful this is an accounting clue and not another basketball clue.
Answer to my 34D question: one. There is just one long spiral!
43 comments:
Pretty tough for a Monday, I’d say. More like a Wednesday or a Thursday, IMHO. For example, I first had “the set “ before I got “The Met” and that wasn’t the only place I originally went wrong. But I persevered, and managed to FIR, so I’m happy, though missing my usual Monday “walk in the park.” How did the rest of you do?
Good morning!
Enjoyably strolled through this garden in normal Wednesday time. I liked your abstract ASP art, sumdaze. Methinks the "weight" of the PNG relates to the "fatness" of the file. Thanx, Amanda and Katie. Sumdaze, d-o isn't much of a sports fan, but the four SIXTEEN SEEDs are matched against the four ONE SEEDs in the first round of March Madness. The 16s are expected to lose.
Flamenco cry: We've got a Flamingo street in our little town. We call it Flaming-O.
Pressed Music Medium: Commercial CDs and DVDs are also pressed. If those micro-pits had to be recorded bit-by-bit, they'd cost a fortune.
No M-o-W routes today. We delivered double meal-packs last Monday in preparation for the holiday.
In regard to the bracket buster clue, I am not sure what the red ovals are drawn around, but there are only 4 #16 seeds and they play the top seeds in each region. On the diagram, the number 16 seeds are the 2nd line down on the right and left and in the middle also on the right and left.
FIR, but erased ilsa for ELSA, and maybe a couple more. Worked the puzzle on line because Zoё was restless again, and I gave up and brought her downstairs a little after midnight. There she immediately crawled up on one of her beds and went to sleep. I suspect she heard something we can’t, maybe a squirrel on the porch off the bedroom. I'm convinced that paper-and-pencil is best for me.
Today is:
NATIONAL MOLDY CHEESE DAY (OK biochemists – isn't cheese essentially mold?)
NATIVE AMERICAN DAY (no, it isn’t sponsored by Elizabeth Warren)
NATIONAL LEIF ERIKSON DAY (not to be confused with former heart throb Leif Garrett)
COLUMBUS DAY (discovered the Bahama Islands, and shortly thereafter casinos opened)
NATIONAL ONLINE BANK DAY (two of mine have failed, and now are part of Bank of the Ozarks)
NATIONAL PRO-LIFE CUPCAKE DAY (no one said we couldn’t post politics AND religion…)
NATIONAL KICK BUTT DAY (I was able to kick nicotine and alcohol, and two out of three ain’t bad)
PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day (Shriners Hospitals for Children is a marvelous charity)
OK sumdaze and DO: Only two sixteen-seeds have won a March Madness game. The first was University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s upset of crossword-favorite UVA in 2018. The second was Fairleigh Dickinson besting Purdue just this year. In the bracket sumdaze posted, the 1 vs 16 games are on the outermost edges of the diagram, along with the games of 2 vs 15, 3 vs 14 etc. These are called "first round" games. Just to muddy the water, there are also 4 play-in games each year. This year, Fairleigh Dickinson had to beat Texas Southern just to BE the 16 seed.
FIR. Several clues seemed more suited to a Wednesday puzzle, but overall this was very doable.
Clever theme which took me a while to see, and even then I did not get the progression from seed to garden.
Took 4:38 today to watch this grow.
I like a puzzle that is circle-less and theme-less (c'mon, let me have this one).
I didn't know the "themet" reference. I thought it was "theme_".
I agree as to the crunchiness of this Monday puzzle- though the theme was straightforward.
I use computers but my understanding of them is not on the level of AnonT and many others on the blog - so for JPEGs I went to GIFs to PDFs to finally land on PNGs. I see PNG and think of Papua New Guinea as I have friends who live there.
Jinx covered the SIXTEEN SEED concept well.
IRON Maiden was also thought to be a medieval torture device - but I found the history behind it and the likelihood that it was made up in the renaissance interesting.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/iron-maiden-device
Time to jump into the week!
Thanks SD for the fun blog -the remake of "Home Alone" with Google was fun. and thanks to Amanda & Katie for the puzzle!
Happy birthday to all I missed over the last few days!
The MBA degree does not require applicants to take the GRE.
The purpose of SEEDs in a tournament is so that the best teams (in the opinion of the organizers) don't meet until the championship game. But they still have to beat everybody else.
My thought for IRON Man was Cal Ripken, Jr., or other athletes who play an entire game or season when substitutes are common.
The nit I have to pick is with is with Amanda and Katie or whoever created the 3D clue/answer. The box step is the basic move for the waltz. Notice that there are 6 moves in groups of 3 each. That is waltz timing. I took basic ballroom dance in my younger days. The basic move for the foxtrot male partner is: starting with the LEFT foot, step forward, then RIGHT foot step forward, then LEFT foot sidestep, finally RIGHT foot step together. Sort of an upside down "L" shape. You then repeat the sequence either forward or backward, etc.
The movement for your female partner would be the same except she would move backwards when her partner moves forward and forward when her partner moves backward AND she starts off with her RIGHT foot first. Got that??
FIR today using my regular plan solving strategy. Didn't see the theme but it seems a bit oblique. Have always liked the vision of "rustling" up some grub when I watched the old western shows/movies.
Rest of the puzzle was fine. Thanks to Amanda and Katie for their teamwork and Sumdaze for her recap.
Hasta la Vista, baby.
Thank you Amanda and Katie. I found the theme very interesting as a gardening has been a hobby of ours for the last 45 years or so.
Thank you sumdaze for an very nourishing review. Our diet is largely VEGETABLE based (salad and steamed greens every day), supplemented by dairy produces, seafood, and very little meat.
A few favs:
37A BRAIN STEM. Most, but not all, scientists believe that the MIND is an emergent property of the BRAIN. However here is a very interesting (but very long!) article on a recent conference of physicists and philosophers debating very real issues surrounding the "mind-body problem".
43A PNG. Could this be a pun? PNG files are "way" larger than JPG files, but "weight" is an adjective sometimes used to describe the degree of boldness in fonts? That said, both filetypes can express all degrees of boldness.
60A SOUND GARDEN. Here's the Maryland Agricultural Extension Service planting guide we use for our Spring and Fall vegetable GARDEN. If you'd like a Word or Excel version contact me via my profile email.
Cheers,
Bill
“Ombre?” (Ain’t that some kyna bad cowpoke?). SHADOWROOT ? Black Hole Sun? 16SEED? C’mon it’s only Monday 🙁!! Therefore not exactly a quick slam dunk. But where’s the beef, I mean the theme? Nary a ⚪️ not even ***’s What happened to the clue that ends: …”and a hint to today’s theme” ??
To do the puzzle you’d need a broad brush of intimate knowledge from sports (a seed/bracket buster) to hair coloring techniques (Shadow root) Are any of you professional basketball players ⛹️♀️⛹️and licensed hair colorists?👩🎤👨🎤? 😄
I’ve never seen a 🦊 do a BOXSTEP, in fact “they won’t dance, don’t ask them.”
Inkovers: inon/ONTO, steam/VAPOR, gif/PNG
Flamenco cry “who stole my castenets!!” 💃. Is OUST the Shakespearean form of OWIE?
This cash is not a gift just ____ ….ALONE
Top students list……ONAROLL
Smokeless user …. VAPOR
Spinach to Popeye…. POWERPLANT.
You ran out of Vidal’s shampoo____ ?….SOSOON
Dad joke: When geese fly in VEES why is one side sometimes longer? (More geese on that side) 🪿🪿🪿
Our local honkers can be seen and heard heading south
Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends here in the Corner. Enjoy your dinners and family time.
A bit of a crunch for a Monday but still an enjoyable puzzle. FIR but it took me two coffees to complete.
Thanks Amanda, Katie, and Sumdaze for the awesome recap….. kkFlorida
That was a little different, especially for a Monday. It took me a while to see the gardening references causing some ANGST. I had to wait until the POWER PLANT before the light bulb went on.
Sumdaze, I loved that video of the seal and the POOL TOY.
Our neighborhood geese hang around most of the year and frequently I see them flying from one area to another in their wondrous VEE formation. How lovely!
Thank You Amanda Cook and Katie Hale, for a nice Monday puzzle, which I enjoyed,... although I did not get the theme... The answers were, by and large not too unusual. ( for me - ).
Maybe its also my attitude, ... I approach every Monday, expecting it to be a romp in the park, with a positive attitude, and good spirits...
Thank You Sumdaze Renee, for a very interesting and in some clues, a though provoking blog. Thats what makes a blogmeisters commentary so useful ... Its fascinating that you apparently worked in a cattle ranch farm, alongside some cowboys !! The only time I have seen cowboys, was in a rodeo, and that was a rodeo-for-tourists, was 15 years ago, in Cody, Wyoming, on our way back, from Yellowstone. ( We had flown in and out of Billings, Mo.)
The article on geese, that you linked is from an Ohio outfit. I find it surprising that Ohio allows for culling/killing of deer, ( over 200,000 average, per season, mostly in So. Ohio ) and yet the (canadian) geese are a protected species... Probably, because they are not considered 'ours' but 'belonging' to Canada ?
Jinx Norfolk, I was very curious. What is the 'third' addiction, in addition to nicotine and alcohol, that you couldn't kick ... Re: Kick Butt day ? Maybe, its an addiction, I too have, but never thought about it ... because, I too, have kicked off nicotine and alcohol.
RE: ProLife issues ... The first ballot issues, in Ohio, in the last midterm by-election and the main election, thats coming 'ahead, ... has to do with exactly that issue.
Have a great Monday, and the rest of the week, you guys.
Good Morning! A nice puzzle to start the week. Thanks, Amanda & Katie.
I had some WOs: VIdeo -> VINYL, Pdfs -> PNGS (???- new to me) along with spelling ERRs: RUSTLES and TRISHA.
BOX STEP took me back to my youth to Mr. Furgeson’s Friday Night Dance Class. Nice memory.
Thanks, sumdaze for a fun and informative excursion on the Blog.
Musings
-Five progressive gimmicks with no reveal and Renee’s write-up works for me!
-My lovely wife thought it was unfair that the worst team in a tournament (SIXTEEN SEED) is thrown in against the best team in the first round. The upsets there are rare but fun!
-SIXTEEN SEEDS know they’ll probably get routed in the first round but they are thrilled to say they made the tournament.
-Trainloads of coal still roar past our golf course headed for various POWER PLANTS
-Some Lion King grub RUSTLING
-The “V’s” are heading south this time of year but some stragglers overwinter here
-You are my age if you remember ARTEMIS Gordon as James West’s sidekick in the 60’s TV show Wild, Wild West
-My free golfing APP gets a real workout during every round
-TRICIA not TRISHA it turns out
Got ‘er done in typical Wednesday time, although with a lot of messy W/Os = STEAM:VAPOR, RASSLES:RUSSLES:RUSTLES, INON:ONTO. So FIR, but made a mess doing so. Didn’t notice the theme, but I’m sure I’d have seen it had I looked. Very clever, especially getting them in order. I count 12 names: too many for a Monday. Could someone please enlighten me? Why is it sometimes “Los” and sometimes “Las”? Anyway, thanx for the clever and entertaining CW AC&KH. And thanx for the (as always) terrific write-up, Sumdaze.
Musings 2
-BADGE: Two sheriff’s deputies came to the room where I was subbing last week and said we would have an “intruder” drill in the afternoon and told me what to do. When the signal was given, I had my kids turn off the lights, lock the doors and hustle to a corner of the room where we could not be seen and sit in silence. After five minutes or so, the officers came around and really rattled the door handles and after five silent minutes in the dark my heart jumped into my throat as I imagined what that noise could have been.
Hola!
No time to read but I just have to say that on a Monday I failed! The center stumped me with Eng/VEES as I do not watch the World Cup and had no idea who even played. So, not ACES!
Later. I hope you all did better than I did. Have a great day, everyone!
FIR, although I found it a bit tougher than your average Monday puzzle. The obscure clues fell to WAGs and perps, which is as it should be! PNG? I thought that was what was done to remove someone who has diplomatic immunity. The gardening theme did not sink into my BRAIN STEM until Sumdaze 'splained it. D'oh! Great review, by the way. Love the slam-dunking otter. Thought of the original IRON MAN, Lou Gherig.
When I was applying for admission for an MBA program, many, many moons ago ... I had to 'sit' for, in addition to the GRE (for Business-) ... also the GMAT - Grad. Management Adm. Test, the ATGSB -Adv Test for Gr. Study in Bus., and ... TOEFL - Test of Eng.(as a ) Foreign Language... ;-o)
I was familiar with the concept of 'seeding' and seeds, as a statistical problem, ( also the standard used in major tennis tournaments -) but I was flabbergasted at the extent of knowledge and interest shown by our afficianados, here, on the actual nitty-gritty of choosing the actual seeds...
I was also not at all, familiar, with the concept of the Shadow Root ... when a lady's brown or black roots were 'showing' ... I would just assume that the lady did not have enough money to afford a complete and rigorous hair dyeing procedure... ( smart and sophisticated, me ...)
Good Afternoon:
This did have more crunch than a typical Monday, Artemis and Sound Garden, e.g, but I had no w/os and the perps were super-friendly, so no head-scratching. I saw the connection after picking up on Seed, Root, and Stem but was expecting a reveal clue. Turns out there was no need for one. Cute theme enhanced by some non-Monday level, complex fill. Always pleasing to see the talented twosome, Asner and Moore together.
Thanks, Amanda and Kate*, for a fun start to the week and thanks, sumdaze, for another fun and fact-filled review. I'm not sure which of your experiences surprises me more: photographing vipers in Borneo or roping cattle on an unspecified ranch. I hope there are more such escapades to hear about in the future! *I have a great niece named Amanda Kate.
Happy Thanksgiving, CanadianEh, don't eat too much 🦃
Have a great day.
Nice puzzle, filled it in with help from crosses. BTW, a vinyl record has TWO grooves, one on each side!
Always expect difficulty when I see Katie' name. But this included the gardening terms which helped me along. Thanks, Amanda & Katie.
Great review, Sumdaze. Worth the ANGST of the hard clues just to see an otter playing basketball in the water.
H. Gary - we have coal trains arriving at our port every day. They are unloaded (machinery actually turns the rail cars upside down to empty them - quicker than using the hopper gates) and the coal is then loaded onto ships and sent overseas. India and various European countries (via the Netherlands) are our largest customers.
Vid - ZZ Top explained it best, although they called it Tush.
Picard can fact check me, but I think PNG files are preferred by serious photographers because they are lossless, meaning that PNGs don't sacrifice pixel data to reduce file size.
Anon @12:01: Except Monty Python's Matching Tie and Handkerchief album, which had three groves. Side 2 would randomly play one or the other groove, depending on where the stylus landed on the VINYL.
Hand up I missed the GARDEN theme until I was completely finished. Fun! I have seen many CALDER MOBILES and many PEI buildings.
But here are my photos of BANANA flowers becoming BUNCHes at our local Montecito Hot Springs.
The Hot Springs created a unique microclimate for BANANAs in our otherwise cool town. Sadly, this area was completely destroyed in the 2017 fire and subsequent mudflow.
sumdaze Thank you for the Yankee Doodle NOODLE story that we had discussed recently! And thank you for all of your other illustrations.
Jinx Thank you for thinking of me with PNG. Yes, they are lossless. I don't use them for photography. But I do use them when doing screen captures. Including of the puzzles here. JPG uses fractals and makes sharp lines fuzzy. PNGs are better with sharp lines.
From Yesterday:
Vidwan Wow, you really made my day yesterday. Thank you for the very kind words about my photos. Yes, half of it is about cataloging them. I learned this from my father. It is important to notate photos at the time. This is valuable for remembering later where the photo was taken and who was in it. But it also comes in handy for searching for photos later.
Hi All!
A little crunch but nothing too obscure to make it a pleasant Monday solve. Thanks Amanda & Katie!
I really need to think comics for my expos. Both you (Sumdaze) and Hahtoolah put me to shame *hangs head*
Thanks for a great post-game!
WOs: mOSEs -> HOSEA
ESPs: THE MET, TRISHA (as clued. Clue it as Mom's name and I'd've nailed it)
Fav: RUSTLES up some grub.
I have Sound Garden's CD. You want to hear something that shouldn't be? Paul Anka covering Black Hole Sun.
PNG - Portable Network Graphic. As Sumdaze's .png explains, it's a bit larger (weighs more due to hi-res and lossless compression) than a .gif or .jpg but allows for transparency. Good quality format for interweb images.
@12:01 - LOL counting the flip-side's groove.
IRON Man is also a song by Black Sabbath (before Ozzy was poster-boy for "Just Say No").
A Happy Birthday to all C.C. honored yesterday and a Happy Thanksgiving C, Eh!
Cheers, -T
Oh, oh, did I miss some birthdays? Yesterday I did not even open the newspaper much less do the puzzle. It was a strange day for me, feeling lethargic and un-ambitious, mostly sleepy all day. Last night I slept very well and feel better today.
I'll check yesterday's blog and see what I missed.
Belated birthday good wishes to Jayce, Pat and husband and to dearly missed Dennis. I wonder if he still reads the blog.
I hope you all enjoyed great celebrations with your friends and families.
According to our newspaper, September has the most birthdays in the USA.
SIXTEEN SEED. I think I understand now. Thank you.
Yes, that otter is cute. He looks like he is having fun, doesn't he?
Lee@9:21. Your dance instructions make my dyslexic brain spin!
; )
waseeley@ 9:36. Looks like you can plant garlic and rhubarb. This summer I had a sangria with rhubarb in it. I liked it!
Vidwan827@10:15. IMHO, rodeos are more of an athletic competition than a demonstration of actual ranching practices. If I came across a sick calf that required medicine, the last thing I would want to do is chase it at full speed. Instead, I would throw a quick loop and treat the animal with as little stress as possible.
H-Gary @10:26. Thank you for reminding me of ARTEMIS Gordon. I remember the show from re-runs. Steampunk meets Old West.
Unclefred @ 10:27. Spanish is a gendered language. LAS is the feminine article to match a feminine noun. Los is the masculine article to match a masculine noun. I cannot explain how nouns are determined to be feminine or masculine.
H-Gary @ 10:27. I experienced an active shooter drill when I was coaching math teachers in Colorado. Knowing that Columbine is in CO impacted me deeply.
Anon@ 12:01. Touche!
Picard @ 12:44. Thank you for taking the time to read the link I left for you!
Lucina, I'll hazard a guess about why there are more births in December. My grandfather, who came of age in the 1800s, used to say that he married my grandmother on December 21st, because that was the shortest day and the longest night of that year. Even in these days of central heating and an overabundance of entertainment options, hitting the rack early and snuggling up is a great way to get through the long nights. And accidents cause people.
I liked yesterday’s ESPY puzzle and liked today’s somewhat less. Names and other unknowns got filled by the perps. I very much enjoyed your write-up today, sumdaze. Thanks to all for your birthday wishes yesterday (and today).
Good reading you y’all.
sumdaze @ 2:12 PM IIRC Rhubarb is a perennial. We used to grow it, but it was long since overgrown by weeds. It's often used to make rhubarb pie. We also used to plant garlic which is planted about this time of year to get a head start in the Spring. As we've scaled back our gardening over the years, we don't plant either anymore.
Thanx, Sumdaze @2:12. I should have been more specific, since I know Spanish is a gendered language, and I figured LOS and LAS must have to do with said gendering. But why is it Los Angeles but Las Vegas? So angels are male but meadows are female? Here in FLL, we have Las Olas Blvd. Waves are feminine? So you have to know which sex objects have been assigned. Oy. German is similarly complicated, with the addition of a neutral "gender", so you have "Der", "Die", and "Das". English is complicated enough! Thanx for confirming my suspicions, Sumdaze.
Thank you, Sumdaze, for 'splainin' this Cook/Hale PZL...
What gives? Our dance teacher used BOX STEP for the Waltz. Only the Waltz.
The Foxtrot was any direction you wanted, as long as you went, "One. Two. One-two-three"!
Hey, I think that old map of California is cool.
Rad, man!
The Gulf of California can feel that huge sometimes.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One diagonal, far side.
Its anagram (13 of 15) reminds me of that first refreshing evening drink after a day of exhausting LABOR.
Yes, I mean...
"A SUNDOWN EASER"!
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Amanda and Katie, and sumdaze.
I FIRed in good time, and saw the PLANT grow from a SEED in the GARDEN. (We were just missing the Leaves.)
One inkblot to change The Set to THE MET.
I had to many squares for the spelling, Lassos, that I am used to seeing. I tried adding a double O. Perps changed it to an E.
Lasso is a common word at the Calgary Stampede.
We had ALONE and APART..
We had several Double O’s (but not my Lassoos) with POOL, SO SOON, ROOT, MOORE.
Yes, this is Canadian Thanksgiving. I had our gang of 15 yesterday - recovering today!
Wishing you all a great day.
C, Eh! Surprised you didn't try a "U" first :-)
I've always heard that Calgary is Houston to the North #Rodeo
Cheers, -T
Thank you, Amanda and Katie, and thank you, sumdaze.
I found this puzzle to be incredibly easy. Many of the answers that others said were tough were in my wheelhouse.
sumdaze, are you going to rue the day you said you knew little about basketball? Probably not. From what I have witnessed, you will take it in stride as a learning experience.
Busy this AM. I had to see what you had to say about SOUNDGARDEN and "Black Hole Sun". That was a gimme for me. Grunge fan here. Chris Cornell was the vocalist for both Soundgarden and Audioslave. Listen to "Like A Stone" to the end to appreciate his vocals.
I think that as I have aged, and despite my exercise regimen, my cerebellum ignores my cerebrum. My golf game exemplifies that oh so well.
Let's give kudos to Amanda and Katie for spelling U-TURN correctly :>)
PNGs are fine for high quality, but JPEG and WEBP are better for webmasters that have consideration for end-users. PNGs are too slow-loading for users that don't have high speed internet.
I don't shop at Trader Joe's. They have too many FDA recalls. Search my blog link for FDA recalls.
ESP - "I sensed this would be the answer." - Funny.
TRISHA - We watch her cooking show on FOODTV. Her husband also has a claim to fame. Although, he has friends in low places.
Back to the MLB playoffs and Monday Night Football.
See all y'all later n'at!
LOL AnonT. Why didn’t I think of that! I put a U after O everywhere else.
Thanks for all the Thanksgiving wishes today.
From yesterday, Belated Happy Birthday to Jayce, Pat and husband, and Dennis. I hope you all had a great day.
InaneHiker @ 8:05 -- PNG can also mean "Persona Non Grata," diplomatic jargon for 'person not welcome,' and to be expelled from the country. India, for example, just PNGed a number of Canadian diplomats.
C.C., from yesterday, I see that I didn't post my comments. I am glad to hear those neighbors have moved, and that your friend Valerie was there when you needed.
As for your question about Amon-Ra St. Brown... He was out with an abdominal injury yesterday, but yes, he is good. Very good. A clutch receiver for the NFC North leading Detroit Lions.
Amon-Ra St. Brown played at USC before joining the Detroit Lions. He is developing into a star receiver in the NFL. He is fun to watch.
His brother Equanimeous St. Brown played at Notre Dame, played for the Green Bay Packers and is now with the Chicago Bears.
His brother Osiris St. Brown played for the Stanford Cardinal, but did not make it to the NFL.
All are gifted athletes.
All are smart. Their mother prioritized education, and learning other languages.
All three speak fluent German and French in addition to English.
Their father is a body builder who was a two time Mr Universe, and one time Mr World.
Amon-Ra is a star in the making if he can stay healthy and uninjured.
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