Hello Cornerites!
sumdaze here. Veteran constructor Kevin Christian keeps us entertained with a fast & fun Monday solve. Our theme is: HOSERS
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| Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted Great White North on SCTV in the early 1980s. Bob is played by Rick Moranis (left) and Doug is played by Dave Thomas (right). They introduced this impressionable Lower 48-er to the Canadian term "hoser" (an unsophisticated, rural person). |
Now, for the actual puzzle.... We have 4 themers and a unifier:
17 Across. Baskin-Robbins option: WAFFLE CONE. 
25 Across. Lemon-lime soda brand discontinued in early 2023: SIERRA MIST.
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| a PepsiCo product |
37 Across. Wet postgame celebration: CHAMPAGNE SHOWER.
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| Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Wedding Crashers (2005) |
47 Across. Wealthy executive's plane: PRIVATE JET.
This themer answered the, "Are we doing 'foods'?" question.
59 Across. Backyard item with settings found at the ends of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 47-Across: GARDEN HOSE.
Technically, we are talking about an attachment to a GARDEN HOSE. Close enough! Works for me!
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| CONE, MIST, SHOWER, and JET are all settings on a spray nozzle for a GARDEN HOSE. (They seem to be specifically designed to land on the lever when I set them down so either I or my dog gets sprayed.) |
Across:
1. Sheets of paper: PAGES. Hand up for first thinking "reams", but I waited for perps.
6. Indian prince: RAJA.
10. Walk back and forth anxiously: PACE.
6. Indian prince: RAJA.
10. Walk back and forth anxiously: PACE.
14. Walled city near Madrid: AVILA.
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| You can take a train from Madrid to Avila for about 15 Euros. |
16. MC or Visa alternative: AMEX. credit cards
19. Green gemstone: JADE.
This past summer I was at an art fair where all the booths sold JADE. I saw some unpolished JADE and thought to myself, "Huh, I have a 6 lb. (2.7 kg.), bright green rock. I wonder if it is JADE?" I went home and did some research and found this video online. Prospector Dan shows three tests. I do not have the tools for Test #1 "Light Passing Through" (at 15 min.) or Test #2 "Hardness" (at 17 min.), so I decided to do Test #3 "Specific Gravity Test" (at 20:25 min.) When DH got home, I said, "We're going to do a Science experiment!" Our calculations equaled 3. My rock is JADE!
20. Minor complaint: NIT.
21. North Carolina campus: ELON. I learned this one from doing XWDs.
22. Dasani product: WATER. Easter egg #1!
23. Piggy bank opening: SLOT. 
28. __ monitor: prenatal device: FETAL. "FETAL" is an adjective which means "relating to a fetus."
30. Smidgen: IOTA.
31. One over par, in golf: BOGEY.
33. "Back in Black" rock band: AC🗲DC.
34. Part of TNT: TRI. Trinitrotoluene
41. Corn discard: COB.
42. "Yeah, right": I BET.
43. "Circle of Friends" novelist Binchy: MAEVE. She was an Irish novelist and playwright. (1939-2012).
44. Aspire laptop maker: ACER.
45. Big name in farm equipment: DEERE.
51. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.
54. Within the rules: LEGAL.
55. Part of TLC: CARE. Tender Loving CARE
20. Minor complaint: NIT.
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| knitters' NITs ??? |
22. Dasani product: WATER. Easter egg #1!
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| pricier than water from your GARDEN HOSE |
28. __ monitor: prenatal device: FETAL. "FETAL" is an adjective which means "relating to a fetus."
30. Smidgen: IOTA.
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| PSI'm sorry for the bad puns. |
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| Are the top two real? I do not remember hearing of them. |
33. "Back in Black" rock band: AC🗲DC.
34. Part of TNT: TRI. Trinitrotoluene
41. Corn discard: COB.
42. "Yeah, right": I BET.
43. "Circle of Friends" novelist Binchy: MAEVE. She was an Irish novelist and playwright. (1939-2012).
45. Big name in farm equipment: DEERE.
51. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.
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| Hmm....Is Earl a hoser? |
54. Within the rules: LEGAL.
55. Part of TLC: CARE. Tender Loving CARE
Sending some TLC out to C.C. this week. 💜
57. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR. In the past, Latvia was part of the Soviet Socialist Republic.
58. "Put a lid __!": ON IT. This idiom means to stop something before it gets out of control.
62. Sandals brand owned by Deckers: TEVA. Deckers was founded in Santa Barbara (Hi Picard!) in 1973. It acquired the UGG brand in 1995, TEVA in 2002, and Hoka (a running shoe brand) in 2012.
63. Figure skating leap: AXEL.
64. "Coming along?": YOU IN?
65. Fortuneteller: SEER.
66. Like grass at dawn: DEWY.
67. Adds to the poker pot: ANTES.
Down:
1. Chess pieces that are often moved first: PAWNS.
2. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.
3. Ability to speak persuasively: GIFT OF GAB. One source traces the origin of this idiom to the Middle English word 'gob', which means mouth, and 'gabbe' which means idle talk.
4. Santa's helper: ELF. With Christmas just 2 weeks away, I need some ELF help!
5. Black Friday event: SALE. Black Friday Around the World
6. Shrink back in fear: RECOIL. Easter egg #2! (sort of)
57. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR. In the past, Latvia was part of the Soviet Socialist Republic.
58. "Put a lid __!": ON IT. This idiom means to stop something before it gets out of control.
62. Sandals brand owned by Deckers: TEVA. Deckers was founded in Santa Barbara (Hi Picard!) in 1973. It acquired the UGG brand in 1995, TEVA in 2002, and Hoka (a running shoe brand) in 2012.
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| TEVAs are great for water activities! |
64. "Coming along?": YOU IN?
65. Fortuneteller: SEER.
66. Like grass at dawn: DEWY.
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| Huey, Dewey, & Louie on DEWY grass??? |
Down:
1. Chess pieces that are often moved first: PAWNS.
3. Ability to speak persuasively: GIFT OF GAB. One source traces the origin of this idiom to the Middle English word 'gob', which means mouth, and 'gabbe' which means idle talk.
4. Santa's helper: ELF. With Christmas just 2 weeks away, I need some ELF help!
5. Black Friday event: SALE. Black Friday Around the World
6. Shrink back in fear: RECOIL. Easter egg #2! (sort of)
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| After you finish watering, it is good to RE-COIL your GARDEN HOSE. (OK...it's just "coil" -- but this is more fun!) |
7. Make amends: ATONE.
8. Middle Brady girl: JAN.
9. Pub brew: ALE.
10. __ party: sleepover: PAJAMA. I started filling in S-L-U-M-B-E then ran out of boxes.
11. Valuable violin: AMATI. AMATI is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived from about 1538 to 1740. In May 2013, an auction record $654,588 was paid for an AMATI violin.
12. Gives over (to): CEDES.
13. Apply, as pressure: EXERT. I was thinking "massages"....
18. Actress Pataky: ELSA. She was born in Madrid on July 18, 1976 and is mostly known for being in the Fast & Furious movies.
8. Middle Brady girl: JAN.
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| Being the middle child, JAN sometimes got tired of her older sister, Marcia, getting all the attention. |
10. __ party: sleepover: PAJAMA. I started filling in S-L-U-M-B-E then ran out of boxes.
11. Valuable violin: AMATI. AMATI is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived from about 1538 to 1740. In May 2013, an auction record $654,588 was paid for an AMATI violin.
12. Gives over (to): CEDES.
13. Apply, as pressure: EXERT. I was thinking "massages"....
18. Actress Pataky: ELSA. She was born in Madrid on July 18, 1976 and is mostly known for being in the Fast & Furious movies.
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| sexy Elsa with her hunky husband Chris Hemsworth (Thor) |
22. "Don't think I won't!": WATCH ME. Fun clue & fill!
24. Overflow (with): TEEM.
26. Grain grown in a paddy: RICE.
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| I took this picture of a farmer harvesting his RICE in Japan. |
27. Towel holders: RODS.
29. Usual: TYPICAL.
31. Include on an email surreptitiously: BCC.
32. "Caught you!": OHO. an exclamation used to show pleased surprise or recognition
33. Picnic invader: ANT. They frequently invade XWD puzzles as well.
34. Announces on X: TWEETS OUT. Now that Twitter has been renamed X, I guess it would not sound right to say "Xes OUT".
35. Gun, as an engine: REV. Vroom! Vroom!
36. Wrath: IRE.
38. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.
39. Richard of "Sommersby": GERE. his IMBd page
40. Rowboat set: OARS.
44. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR. An AVATAR is a personalized graphical illustration that represents a computer user. Sometimes it is a character or alter ego that represents that user.
45. Lethal: DEADLY.
46. "To be," in French: ETRE.
47. Parcels of land: PLOTS.
48. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. her IMBd page
29. Usual: TYPICAL.
31. Include on an email surreptitiously: BCC.
32. "Caught you!": OHO. an exclamation used to show pleased surprise or recognition
33. Picnic invader: ANT. They frequently invade XWD puzzles as well.
34. Announces on X: TWEETS OUT. Now that Twitter has been renamed X, I guess it would not sound right to say "Xes OUT".
35. Gun, as an engine: REV. Vroom! Vroom!
36. Wrath: IRE.
38. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.
39. Richard of "Sommersby": GERE. his IMBd page
40. Rowboat set: OARS.
44. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR. An AVATAR is a personalized graphical illustration that represents a computer user. Sometimes it is a character or alter ego that represents that user.
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| Here is an excellent example ... and choice! |
45. Lethal: DEADLY.
46. "To be," in French: ETRE.
47. Parcels of land: PLOTS.
48. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. her IMBd page
49. "Uncle!": I GIVE.
50. Preppy clothing brand: J.CREW. This company turned 40 this year. It filed for bankruptcy in 2020 but it is still selling its Cape Cod look.
52. "Grumpy Old Men" actor Davis: OSSIE. (1917 - 2005) He led a distinguished life.
53. Small chirpy birds: WRENS.
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| Ossie Davis played Chuck in Grumpy Old Men (1993). |
53. Small chirpy birds: WRENS.
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| Wren ten tin ??? |
56. Irish New Age singer: ENYA. IIRC, RosE also likes ENYA's music. Since it is December, I am choosing Christmas Secrets (2006).
59. Wander (about): GAD. Def: (verb) go around from one place to another, in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.
59. Wander (about): GAD. Def: (verb) go around from one place to another, in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.
While GADding about the internet, I accidentally came across this history video entitled The Sunken Town of Gad, West Virginia (17:46 min.) Some of you might find it interesting. The town was lost to the Summersville Dam in 1966. I especially liked the interviews with the former residents. (Watch for the water skiers in the background at 5:34 min.!)
60. Logger's tool: AXE. The other day I watched firefighters loading up their truck after a false alarm. One carried a large AXE. #NotJustAStereotype
61. Sweetie: HON. Bs make HON.
60. Logger's tool: AXE. The other day I watched firefighters loading up their truck after a false alarm. One carried a large AXE. #NotJustAStereotype
61. Sweetie: HON. Bs make HON.
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a great week, everyone!
Oops! I just realized I forgot to add the grid. Better late than never....
The only thing I didn’t know was the sandals brand. Other than that, it was smooth sailing. FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteZip, zip, done. d-o even read the full reveal clue. It doesn't get better than that. Thanx, Kevin and sumdaze.
FIR with no erasure, thanks to waiting for perps to finish my CHAMPAGNE. My speling-challenged self could really boot that one!
ReplyDeleteToday is:
UNICEF BIRTHDAY (I used to sing the trick-or-treat song and collect money for them)
NATIONAL APP DAY (yeah, we need more phone apps in the world)
NATIONAL STRETCHING DAY (some folks prefer stretching the truth)
NATIONAL NOODLE RING DAY (at first I thought this was about circular thoughts)
INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY (no word on International Mole Hill Day)
The first machine that makes four WAFFLE CONEs at a time is still in use at Doumar's BBQ in Norfolk. Abe Doumar, a traveling salesman peddling paperweights, invented the WAFFLE CONE at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. He wanted ice cream, but that vendor had run out of paper cups. Abe bought a waffle from another vendor and rolled it up and had the ice cream vendor put a scoop in it. He spent the rest of the World's Fair selling ice cream in waffle cones. After the Fair, he sent for his family in Syria and opened a chain of ice cream stands. When a hurricane wiped out his Norfolk stand in 1933, he opened a restaurant in Norfolk to augment his business. It is still at that location.
I'm a big fan of TEVA sandals. Ken's too. But I tend to get the Kohl's brand when they are on sale at a quarter of the price of my favored brands.
Sumdaze, you may have heard of the golf term "double eagle." That's what I always heard 3 under par on a hole referred as. I've only heard "albatross" from TV announcers, but then again I don't often golf with people who can make a 2 on a par 5 or ace a par 4. The famous restaurant chain "Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse" wouldn't sound the same if it was "Del Frisco's Albatross Steakhouse." People would think they serve chicken steaks.
Thanks to Kevin for the fun Monday romp, and to sumdaze for the chuckles. But what is imbd? It's IMDB, for something like "internet movie data base."
KEEN sandals, not KEN.
ReplyDeleteTook 3:39 today for me to hose down this one.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "nozzle" is missing (from the theme I didn't notice).
As usual, I didn't know today's actress (Elsa) or today's writer (Maeve).
So, Jinx, does Del Frisco's serve eagle steaks there...?
This was a fast solve even for a Monday- but I wanted the theme reveal to be something with sprinkler and perps redirected to GARDEN HOSE
ReplyDeleteMy kids prefer Chacos over TEVAs for active adventure sandals, but KEENs if you need a closed toe sandal/shoe. I like KEENS for mission trips because they are more protective, but still breath in the 90+temps in Central America and Africa.
Thanks for the fun blog SD and Kevin for the puzzle!
FIR. This had way too many proper names for my liking, and answers Teva and Maeve seem a tad tough for a Monday.
ReplyDeleteI expected the reveal to be something other than hose, since the clues were nozzle or sprinkler settings.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI saw the related theme words but was confused by the Cone entry. I'm not familiar with that term relating to nozzle settings. Then, again, I'm not really familiar with nozzle settings from first hand experience, either. This was a smooth Monday solve with a few hesitations at AC DC, Teva, and Elsa, as clued. I liked the Avail/Avila crossing.
Thanks, Kevin, for a pleasant start to the week and thanks, sumdaze, for the great review and many chuckles. Favorites today were the Piggy Bank "diagnosis", which made me burst out laughing, the Greek letters bemoaning Gamma's misadventure with a reindeer, the Carrion luggage, and the playful pup crying Uncle! Your knack for finding these illustrations is amazing and very much appreciated.
Have a great day.
Easy "A" today. The theme reveal is a bit misleading, but OK. Most of the time they use Gatorade FIR the post-game on the field shower, not champagne, except in the locker rooms.
ReplyDeleteA smile and pat on the head for Kevin and Sumdaze for their close cooperation on today's offering.
All's well that ends in a well defined way
Treat
Hola!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kevin and sumdaze. For a Monday this one took a bit more thinking than usual. But that is a good thing, IMO. So I have no NIT to pick. (You knew that was coming.)
My GARDEN HOSE hangs on a wall COIL.
I hate to see those CHAMPAGNE SHOWERs. It makes me feel sticky just thinking about it.
This week I have a house full of guests who came for a wedding that took place Saturday and now they are staying for a funeral. It was unexpected.
I hope your Monday is joyful and peaceful, everyone!
ReplyDelete“Usual” TYPICAL Monday. No need to cry UNCLE (nor ANT nor ANTES)
No crazy proper names
The “Binchy clue (yikes I almost spelt that wrong😉) has been a frequent flyer so I MAEVE not known it in the past but not today.
“Hon”…. DEERE
St Teresa of AVILA headgear….AVAIL
Scottish actor MacGregor….YOUIN
The puzzle reminds me to bring my garden hose inside now that temps are plunging and detach the schnozzle. I forgot last year and needed a new one 🫤
Good Morning! Pretty straightforward this a.m. I liked it. Thanks, Kevin.
ReplyDeletePerps for ELSA and TEVA.
MAEVE: I’ve tried a couple of times to read her books, but I just don’t click with her characters.
WO: Maybe someday I will learn to spell BOGEY (ie -> EY) or verify the perps when it counts!! 🤔😄!!
Thanks, sumdaze, for the ENYA – what a lovely tune!! Her voice is so pure and a delight to listen to.
Love the playful pups and the dewy ducklings.
The term Hosers is new to me.
Ever have one of those days when you don't know what to post...
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-I clean the bird baths out with the JET setting and fill with the SHOWER setting
--Preventitive eyewear for CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS are now standard
-Yes, those names are real. There are some colorful, unprintable names for the BOGEYS too!
-My lovely bride remembers bringing in COBS and coal for her mother’s cookstove
-TEVA, MAEVE, ET AL. filled themselves in quietly
-In the last two weeks, the KC Chiefs have protested last-minute ref calls/non calls to no AVAIL
-A fun write-up and spot on title by our own RENEE (she told me she uses no diacritical marks)
Zip, zip, is right. Only total unknown was TEVA. True Monday puzzle, nice start to the week.
ReplyDeleteLucina I too hate to see those CHAMPAGNE SHOWERs because it is such a waste of a good beverage.
Sumdaze’s write up was fun and informative. However I don’t get the reference to “Easter egg”.
Thanks Kevin and Sumdaze for an easy and entertaining jog thru the park today.
ReplyDeleteThe clues and theme were just right for a Monday.
The recap was fun and I used to love the McKenzie brothers as they drank many Canadian brewskis and offered their unique form of northern humor.
…. kkflorida
A fast start for a Monday FIW. I did not get hosed on this one, eh! DNK MAEVE, ELSA, and TEVA, but they quickly filled in. My favorite sandals at one time were "Ho Chi Minhs". Custom made, and extremely affordable. Liked the "pawn shop" Sumdaze!
ReplyDeletesumdaze Thank you for the TEVA/DECKERS shout out! Yes, their headquarters and company store are just a five minute bike ride from our home.
ReplyDeleteHere I was at the Banaue RICE Terraces in the northern Philippines with many a PADDY.
They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sometimes called the 8th Wonder of the World. What is really impressive is that they have been farmed for thousands of years without a break. There were still head hunters in the area at the beginning of the 20th century. Not easy to get to when I went.
I got the HOSE theme answers. But the proper name cross of E?ON/E??A/?IERRA was a thumper for me. Could have been ETON/ETTA/TIERRA.
From Yesterday:
CC We all miss Boomer, but we can only imagine how your loss is so much greater.
Not sure if anyone saw my ENTS post yesterday; it was quite a coincidence.
From Saturday:
I actually FIR, but I was sure AODAI was wrong. I was amused that PLAY A PROPER NOUN IN SCRABBLE is to ERR. Wish that were true here!
Lee @8:54 Sometimes the Gatorade shower (sometimes called a Gatorade bath) comes before the game is actually over, if the team has safely put the game out of reach. In fact very often it happens with a few seconds left when there will not be another play run. A champagne shower always happens post-game, so I don't see an issue with that answer even if it's not immediately post-game on the field.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying reading your comments!
ReplyDeleteJinx@5:56. Your waffle cone story made me think of the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention."
Monkey@10:32. "Easter egg" is a term used in media (movies, video games, etc.) where the maker has sneaked in a hidden image that only true fans will notice. An example would be the house number that barely shows in a scene at the front door. That house number might be the year the original movie was made (in the case of a re-make). If you google this, you will find examples. Fans love spotting Easter eggs in movies. For XWD puzzles, some of us stretch this idea to a random fill that has a connection to the theme. In this case, WATER is connected to the GARDEN HOSE theme. The constructor probably did not force WATER to be in the puzzle but when it looked like WATER could work, he might have tried to keep it in. Perhaps another poster can elaborate further.
Picard@11:36. Nice paddy pic! So green!! The rice in my pic was more yellow because it was harvest time.
Anon @ 7:41 - Good point - I'm sure eagles taste like chicken too. Should ask one of the Dallas Cowboys - they fed on Eagles yesterday. I only ate at the Dallas Del Frisco's as the guest of a vendor. Superb steaks and wine list, but like Ruth's Chris, it is only on my rotation when someone else was paying. I think the one I went to was the original, but I know that the NYC outlet has become a thing for those folk who have to live there.
ReplyDeleteCED, there's a scene in Caddyshack where Carl (Bill Murray) is using his hose in that manner.
How many started with reams as one across? Liked the abet I bet cross
ReplyDeleteSumdaze. Thank you so much for the Easter egg explanation. I love movie Easter eggs, just didn’t know that was what they’re called.
ReplyDeletethis ones for Jinx...
ReplyDeletespeaking of Easter eggs...
G'day, hosers ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keven, for the cute Monday puzzle. Thanks, Sumdaze for the 'ka-loook-a-coo--Kacoo-ka-Coo " [Bob & Doug] review.
WO: BOGie->BOGEe->BOGEY (Hi RoseE!)
ESPs: ELSA, MAEVE
Fav: YOU IN? above ANTE tickled me.
Jinx & inanehiker - I like my Keens but DW doesn't 'cuz they hold the stinky (I'm not the only one). The similar (closed toe, inanehiker) L.L.Bean's don't stink as much and are machine washable ('cuz they're not leather).
Enjoyed reading y'all. Cheers, -T
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIR although I had to erase an N where a J went (RAJA/JAN - I had RANA/NAN)
Finished in very short time, but I still had an "AHA" moe-ment when the reveal appeared. Nice job, Kevin and Renee. Liked the C-Moe AVATAR
Enjoy the week ahead ... just finished doing our Xmas cards
Sumdaze is on the job for this Christian PZL...
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I recall a pleasant visit to AVILA in the late 80s.
A lot of history there. Especially of the 16th century.
WAFFLE CONEs are tasty--and chewy. Mmm.
I take mild issue with the caption saying ELSA Pataky is "mostly known for" the Fast & Furious films.
I don't believe she is "mostly" known for anything. Not yet, anyway.
I bet I'm not the only one who had to go with perps for her 1st name.
~ OMK
____________
DR (Diagonal Report): Three diagonals on the far side.
Unfortunately, the distribution of vowels and consonants is such as to render anagramming unlikely to produce much.
The middle diag is chock full of vowels, while the flanking diagonals are (therefore, naturally) consonant-fat.
Fun puzzle. Fun review.
ReplyDeleteI had to smile and nod knowingly at the aside, "They seem to be specifically designed to land on the lever when I set them down so either I or my dog gets sprayed."
The review only got better from there.
It's been a couple of long days.
Thank you, Kevin Christian, and thank you, Sumdaze.
ReplyDeleteThank You Kevin Christian for a nice and relatively easy Monday puzzle. I had it solved in good time, and even figured out the Hose connections.
Thank You Renee Sumdaze for the witty and charming commentary ... really enjoyed reading your chatty stuff and your very interesting and funny cartoon stock...
I was reading the blog at 5 am this morning, and I was a little doozy ... not having slept all night, despite 15 mg of Oxycodone, etc., ( long story -) ... and I read ...
"... They seemed to be specifically designed to land on the lever when I set them down so either I or my dog get SPAYED ..."
... And, I thought ... that sounds interesting .... I wonder how they designed thaat ...
The mind 'reads' anything that sounds reasonable, and familiar ....
In real life, we have had an 'automatic' underground sprinkler system around our house...
'Have had' means, we had one installed, but its been run down for the last 7 years, because we were too lazy to turn it on, after the winters ... so it doesn't work anymore. ... Some homeowners should never have a front yard .... just some sand and rocks, like New Mexico.
( sorry, Lucina ;-) )
Back to the blog ... I enjoyed reading all your comments, ... theres a Bob Hope every day...
Jinx, are you sure, its National Noodle Ring Day ... and not National Noodling Day ?? Noodling seems to be much more interesting ....
Chairman Moe ( of the wine fame ...) your answer, of RANA/NAN would have been just as accurate/appropriate ...because RANA certainly was a title, much like a 'king' in certain kingdoms in pre 1850's indian kingdoms ... especially in the Central West and North West India... like in Rajasthan and the Gujrath peninsula. Rana Pratap Singh (1540-1597) was perhaps,... - one of the most famous.
Sumdaze, ... the specific gravity of a rock, is hardly a definite test of its minearolgy. As I'm sure, you are well aware of.
BTW, Jade is a name for such a diverse agglomeration of rocks ... that some names like Nephrite ( meaning 'kidney like' ?) ... one of the major Jade mineral varieties, has been 'thrown out' by Geologists !!! ( See Wiki, under Jade - )
... Like the planet 'Pluto' ...
In my earlier days, when I was young and strong ...(!) ... I went to many garage sales, estate sales, house sales, etc., and collected many diverse useless things. In one case, at a Chinese manor, I ended with 14 boxes of Jade stones/ artifacts/ statues etc., ... it was then that I found out that Jade comes in a 101 colors from green .... to, red, white and blue ... and a whole range of densities....
Re:AVATAR ... I'm sure you knew that the word
Avatar is a Sanskrit word, Wiki
and ... in Hinduism - post Vedic times, meant 'descent, and represents a concept where a demi-God comes down to earth in a human or animal form/ visage ... an incarnation...
So, I guess our 'Avatars' make us Gods, of some sort ... if these Blogs ( ... or Games) are to be considered at one level 'below' that of Earth ... hmm, Hell ??
Have a good week, you all folks.