Water, Water, Everywhere ... but not in my Glass, my Cup, my Pitcher, or my Bowl.
17-Across. Sherlock Holmes costume accessory: MAGNIFYING GLASS.
22-Across. Means of sticking a shower caddy to a tile wall: SUCTION CUP.
35-Across. Support from the bullpen: RELIEF PITCHER.
46-Across. Annual football game in Arizona: FIESTA BOWL.
And the unifier
52-Across. Isn't credible, or a literal description of 17-, 22-, 35-, or 46-Across?: DOESN'T HOLD WATER.
I laughed when I got the reveal. While the last word of each theme answer could hold water, the answer as written is not an item that would hold water.
Across:
1. Mooch, as a smoke: BUM.
4. Royal elephant of children's literature: BABAR. We saw Babar just last Wednesday when he made an appearance in the puzzle. The Babar books have been around since 1931. They are not without controversy, however. [Name # 1, fictional.]
9. Functional: UTILE.
14. Slice of history: ERA.
15. Alpaca relative: LLAMA. This made me think of Ogden Nash and his thoughts on the Llama.
The one-l lama,
He’s a priest.
The two-l llama,
He’s a beast.
And I will bet
A silk pajama
There isn’t any
Three-l lllama.”
16. Inheritance from one's parents?: GENES. Cute clue. // and 56-Down. Makeup of 16-Across: DNA. We learned about Eugene Pool last Thursday.
20. Marriage: UNION.
21. Desert watering holes: OASES. Is the Cajun Oasis in the desert?
26. Fungus gnat, e.g.: PEST.
29. Paul Anka's "__ Beso": ESO. I'll spare your ears.
30. Score more than: BEAT. Earlier this Fall, the LSU Tigers beat the Georgia State Panthers in football by a score of 56 to 14.
31. Figure on the last float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: SANTA. And a shoutout to our dear Argyle. The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day / Annual Christmas Parade was in 1924.
 |
| This Float from 1924 was filled with oxygen, so was propped up on stilts instead of actually floating. |
32. To the left, at sea: APORT.
34. Takes effect: SETS IN.
38. Bibliography list: TITLES. A bibliography is a list of all of the sources used in preparing a research paper. The bibliography typically includes the authors' names and the titles of the works, such as papers, books, etc.
39. Neglects to mention: OMITS.
40. "The Good Place" creator Michael: SCHUR. I never saw The Good Place and am not familiar with Michael Schur (né Michael Herbert Schur; b. Oct. 29, 1975). The show was a sit-com that starred Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; Dec. 29, 1947). [Name # 2.]
 |
| Michael Schur is on the right. |
41. "Sunday NFL Countdown" network: ESPN.
42. Agcy. operating full-body scanners: TSA. This federal agency, the Transportation Security Administration, makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.
45. __ out a win: almost lost: EKED.
49. Convene again: RESIT. Meh!
51. Dubbed: NAMED.
57. Muse of poetry: ERATO. She makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. She is especially known for erotic poetry. Erato is one of the nine muses of Greek mythology. Can you name the other eight? [Name # 3, fictional.]
58. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA. Justice Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. She has served in the Supreme Court since August 2010. [Name # 4.]
59. Nail polish brand: OPI. We often see this nail polish brand in the puzzles, although the company prefers to be called a Nail Lacquer.
60. Luminous: AGLOW.
61. Weather forecast aid: RADAR.
62. Web portal with Bing: MSN.
Down:
1. Perplex: BEMUSE.
2. Ice planet beyond Saturn: URANUS. There are so many sophomoric jokes about this planet. Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens.
3. Realismo __: Isabel Allende genre: MÁGICO. Today's Spanish lesson. Isabel Allende (née Isabel Angélica Allende Llona; b. Aug. 2, 1942) novels incorporates Magical Realism, which is a style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Allende is a Chilean author and much of her works have been translated into English. Her novels are often based upon her personal experience and historical events, while weaving together elements of myth and realism.
 |
| Isabel Allende |
4. Russian pancakes: BLINI. They are supposed to be easy to make. I can't vouch for this because I have never tried to make Blini.
5. Melmac native of 1980s TV: ALF. Did you know that Alf's name stood for Alien Life Form? He was known for wanting to eat the family cat, which is probably why I never watched the show. [Name # 6, fictional.]
6. __ leaf: stew herb: BAY.
7. Bordeaux beau: AMI. Today's French lesson.
8. Expired, as time: RAN OUT.
9. Fleece-lined boots: UGGS. Ugg is right!
10. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.
11. Sort of: IN A SENSE.
12. "__ Misérables": LES. Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo (Feb. 26, 1802 ~ May 22, 1885). The book, which follows the lives of several people, focuses primarily on Jean Valjean, an ex-convict. Jean Valjean struggles for redemption. The novel culminates with the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris. The novel has also been adapted into movies and musicals. [Name adjacent.]
13. Serpentine curve: ESS.
18. "__ my cup of tea": NOT. A shoutout to Yellow Rocks as this was an expression she often used in her comments. Has anyone heard from her?
19. Athleta parent company: GAP. Or, if you're in London, you must mind the Gap.
23. Orchestral reeds: OBOES. A crossword staple.
24. Tank the efficacy of, in gamer slang: NERF. According to dictionary.com, Nerf means: "(in a video game) to reconfigure (an existing character or weapon), making it less powerful." The only Nerf I knew of was the Nerf Ball.
25. Arched-back yoga asana: CAT POSE. The Cat-Cow are common warm-up positions in yoga.
27. Risotto recipe verb: STIR. Yummers! I love a good risotto. It does take a long time to make and there is a lot of stirring to get the dish to come out just right.
28. Khaki kin: TAN.
31. Splinter group: SECT. This, too, is becoming a crossword staple.
32. Mentions indirectly: ALLUDES TO.
33. Docking spot: PIER.
34. Duration of employment: STINT.
35. Novelist Riordan: RICK. I am not familiar with this author. Rick Riordan (né Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.; b. June 5, 1964) writes fantasy novels. He is best known for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which is also a movie series. [Name # 7.]
36. Light and delicate: ETHEREAL.
37. Little rascals: IMPS.
38. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE. I always thought Thomas Stearns Eliot (Sept. 26, 1888 ~ Jan. 4, 1965) was British. He was actually born in St. Louis, Missouri, but renounced his American citizenship and became a British subject in 1939. [Name # 8.]
41. "Both would be fine": EITHER.
42. Narrow-headed drum: TOM-TOM.
43. Wins every game in a series: SWEEPS.
44. Astronaut Buzz who was the second man on the moon: ALDRIN. Besides being an astronaut, Buzz Aldrin (né Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.; b. Jan. 20, 1930), was also a jet fighter pilot. He flew 66 combat missions during the Korean War. He legally changed his name from Edwin to Buzz in 1988. [Name # 9.]
46. Athletic: FIT.
47. Peace Nobelist Sadat: ANWAR. In 1978, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Anwar Sadat (né Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat; Dec. 25, 1918 ~ Oct. 6, 1981) and Manachem Begin (Aug. 16, 1913 ~ Mar. 9, 1982) for jointly negotiating peace between Egypt and Israel. Sadly, Sadat was assassinated in 1981. [Name # 10.]
48. What did ewe say?: BAA.
50. Skier's surface: SNOW.
52. Anti-narcotics law gp.: DEA.
53. URL ending for charities: ORG. The difference between .com and .org.
54. Suffix with pay or Cray: -OLA. As in Payola, which is a criminal offense, and Crayola, which are crayons.
55. Conducted: LED. Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 ~ May 18, 1911) was Bohemian composer and one of the leading conductors of his time. He was from a little village called Kaliště, which is in what is now the Czech Republic. We visited Kaliště a few years ago because it is also the home town of hubby's great-grandfather. They were contemporaries.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
I'll be away for the next few weeks, but I know you will be in good hands. Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!
49 comments:
I avoided the possible Natick of “Rick” and Schur” with a WAG, and there were a couple of other WAGs as well, so this Tuesday puzzle definitely had some “crunch” to it. But I managed to FIR, anyway, so I’m happy.
FIR without erasure.
Today’s “Today is” list proves that anything can get its own day:
KRAMPUSNACHT
WORLD SOIL DAY
NATIONAL REPEAL DAY
WORLD TRICK SHOT DAY
NATIONAL SACHER TORTE DAY
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
INTERNATIONAL NINJA DAY
BATHTUB PARTY DAY
I’m gonna apply for “Help Jinx Learn to Spel Day.”
Score more than - BEAT. Golfers would beg to differ (except in events that use the Stableford scoring system, where high score wins.)
RADAR, because "crystal ball" wouldn't fit.
I've owned URLs in .ORG, .com and .net. There is no requirement to get any of the three (except your payment must clear.)
FLN - Lucina, I was so sad to read about your family's mounting health problems. To me, it seems hard to see a relative from a generation ahead of you ail, and even harder to see younger kin fall ill. Thoughts and prayers to your entire family.
Thanks to Amanda (light of my life, as Waylon Jennings would sing) for the fun, single WAG puzzle. And thanks and pleasant and safe travels to Ha2la.
Good morning!
Whew, despite the plethora of names, d-o managed to put this one in the win column. Even managed to see all of the non-water-holding objects. Nice theme, nice puzzle, nice recap. Thanx, Amanda and Hahtoolah.
RADAR: Today, weather forecasts are pretty darned accurate. But for most of my life, you could outscore the weatherman if you'd simply predict that tomorrow would be just like today.
OLA: The PayOLA scandals blew up in the late '50s/early '60s. It started with radio stations accepting payments for playing certain songs, and ended with TV game shows. ('21' and '$64,000 Question,' I'm lookin' at you.)
OASES: Methinks the visitors to the Cajun Oasis probably spend most of their time at nearby Delta Downs Casino.
FIR. And this despite having to deal with the crossing of Schur and Rick. So wrong!
I may be mistaken, but I thought Uranus was a gas giant, not an ice planet.
The theme was clever even though I failed to catch on to the idea that the answers in total couldn't hold water. I had to come here to get that gist.
This was a fun puzzle which was faster for me than yesterdays.
Without knowing the theme yet, I had wanted deerstalker hat for Sherlock before perps required the change to MAGNIFYING GLASS.
I really enjoyed "The Good Place" with all its metaphysical layers and ironies, but never knew the creator Michael SCHUR. But RICK Riordan was a gimme as one of my sons was a big fan of the Percy Jackson series of books when in middle school
One of my work partners last name is BABAR, but she pronounces it bobber - like with a fishing pole.
Thanks Susan for an entertaining blog and Amanda for the creative puzzle.
FLN Lucina- my heart aches for all you and your family are going through, will be praying for you all!
Took 4:46 today to finish this "dam" puzzle.
Schur seems pretty obscure, and as other have pointed out, crossing Rick wasn't good. Lucky for me, my kids were briefly into the Percy Jackson book series.
"Magico"? Really?
I debated between taped and named with "_a_ed" for dubbed. Tomtom rescued me, althgouh I don't see what's so narrow-headed about those drums.
Good Morning, Crossword friends. As I was doing this puzzle, I uncovered the Glass and Cup, so was sure that we were looking at drinking vessels.
Isabel Allende is a Peruvian writer and her books are written in Spanish, hence the term Realismo Mágico, which translates to Magical Realism in English.
QOD: There is a point when you go with what you’ve got. Or you don’t go. ~ Joan Didion (Dec. 5, 1934 ~ Dec. 23, 2021), American writer
FLN- Lucina, I am so sorry to hear about your niece and nephew. Prayers and virtual hugs to you and all of the family at this hard time.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Amanda and Hahtoolah (have a great holiday).
I FIRed in good time and got the DOESN’T HOLD WATER theme (and went back to see all those vessels).
No inkblots today, as I waited for the friendly perps to fill unknowns.
I noted APORT crossing PIER.
The OBOES are back today!
I prefer Google over MSN Bing.
Wishing you all a great day.
What other possible name could RI?K be? C’mon. Great puzzle, thanks!
Musings
-Wait a minute, all those last words hold water! Never mind…
-LES Miz is the only show I ever saw where the scenery got applause when the massive barricade was rolled out onto the stage.
-A woamn at Grand Island, NE Central Catholic just finished a 49-yr STINT as its VB coach
-So many other RICKS for a Tuesday puzzle. I wonder if Amanda or Patti came up with this one.
-My SNOW blower started on the third pull after sitting all summer.
-Some of us know of the fictional DEA agent Hank Schrader
-RICK crossing SCHUR avoided Natickville by having really only one logical possibility
-QOD corollary – Don’t let perfect get in the way of possible
-Three sub days in a row! 60+F the rest of the week, so…
-Thinking of you Lucina.
Good Morning:
The various vessels were easy to spot while solving, but the reveal was quite a surprise that took me a minute to fully understand and appreciate. Schur, Rick, and Nerf were unknowns, but easily perped. Santa, of course, brings memories of dear Argyle and Imps, of course, is a CSO to our resident one, CED.
Thanks, Amanda, for a Tuesday treat and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the fun and facts, as usual. Favorite comics today were the ones illustrating Genes, Radar, Pier, and ALF. (Never saw ALF, so I wasn't aware of his evil intentions towards the family cat). I never tire of seeing Nash's llama poem. Enjoy your holidays and respite from blogging.
FLN
Lucina, I am so sorry to hear such tragic news about your family members. Sending love and prayers. 🙏
Have a great day.
Mooch- back in college I remember this girl who smoked cigarettes but never had her own and the other guys called her BUM-a-weed, weed being used as a tobacco cigarette, not marijuana. A NW to SE fill exercise today as I tried to fill as many downs as possible without reading the cross clues. I managed to fill MAGNIFYING GLASS, SUCTION CUP, RELIEF PITCHER, and DOESN'T HOLD WATER without reading the clues. Enough perps were done to be able to guess.
MAGICO and RICK Riordan were unknowns and SCHUR joined the bunch. I see that Anon@8:12 didn't know them either.
UR-ANUS- what sophomoric jokes are you talking about?
Buzz ALDRIN was not the 2nd man on the moon; he landed at the same time as Armstrong.
A Rich 'NO NO' today- two A words. APORT and AGLOW
CanadianEh! I use both Google & Bing with Android & Edge on my split screen computer.
If he’s un AMI he may be “beau” but he’s not a “beau”. “Sherlock’s accessory” pipe and Watson too short. “Marriage” is a UNION? Try to go on strike and you may find yourself locked out 😦
Enjoyed the series “The Good Place” … the creator? Actually that would be the man upstairs.
So BEMUSE is not a synonym for “amuse” ….It’s only Tuesday and the PEST clue coulda been simpler. (what’s a fungus gnat?). I finally remembered OPI!
EEEther or EYEther: “Both would be fine”. Clothes usually FIT if yer FIT not FAT
RADAR
Perplexed Scotty to Kirk & company: “Should I ____ up now?”…… BEMUSE
Not guiltiness…..INASENSE
“Muse” of mistakes….ERATO
ERA of early anesthesia….ETHEREAL.
Can’t keep a Beau and his Chérie ____ …APORT
Agree with others, Lucina difficult family issues.
Good morning. Thank you, Amanda Cook. Thank you, Hahtoolah.
The 'toons tickled my funny bone today. Never saw the clues for OPI and MSN until reading the review.
I thought I failed this one. No congratulations message. Oops. One more letter needed. The H in ETHEREAL. I sure didn't know SCHUR. I also didn't know Riordan's first name of RICK, but with RI_K, the C was obvious. In fact, I didn't know of Riordan.
I guess the H would have been obvious too, if I had read the clue for ETHEREAL.
Saw the theme answers as I filled, but didn't know where we going with them. The reveal made the puzzle especially fun.
Did some of you ever think that Patti is intentionally crossing proper nouns just to show you that she's in charge, and that she can? Or do you think that's she's simply more open-minded about publishing submissions that have crossing names? We also had ANWAR and ELENA crossing. How could those names have been made more obscure, just to add a little bit of difficulty to the solve?
Perhaps, "Arabic word meaning more enlightened" for ANWAR, and "WNBA star Delle Donne" for ELENA?
Buzz ALDRIN, my next door neighbor's cousin. She's the lady I help. A lot.
Jinx, your "Today is" bon mots were missed this morning.
Lucina, from last night, I apologize for the mixed metaphor. Pillar, not beacon.
Hahtoolah, enjoy your time off, and read ya when you get back.
Good Morning! I thought today's was a good, but a tad crunchy, puzzle. Perps were in all the right places. Thanks, Amanda. And I loved the theme.
Perps for: MAGICO, NERF, GAP (as clued), SCHUR and RICK.
Thanks, Hah2lah, for a rollicking fun review. Wishing you a good holiday season and look forward to seeing you back in '24.
Note: See yesterday's Comments for a note from YellowRocks as you mentioned.
Lucina, my thoughts are with you and your family.
What a neat puzzle. If there were lots of names, I didn’t notice. Yes, a little Natick with SCHUR and RICK.
Hahtoolah regaled us with cute cartoons and nice bios. Enjoy your travels.
I happened to be wearing an ALPACA sweater from Peru as I was doing the puzzle.
So sorry Lucina about your family’s tragic health problems. I wish you the best.
A nice romp today. FIR despite the now-common flock of obscure names, which, thanks to decent perps, did not manage to suck the fun out. Great 'toons today Ha2la! (As usual!) Liked the TSA scanner! Lucina, here's hoping for a good outcome for your family.
Wait. Why am I complaining about names? I solved it in under 10. Guess I'm just jumping on the bandwagon of those that complain daily, even when the perps are fair and make a potentially unknown person's name readily apparent. (See RICK, above.) Maybe I shouldn't complain when I know the names, or when they can be sussed easily?
Maybe I should wait, and complain when I have unfamiliar crossing names that I can't suss because the clues aren't easy-peasy. Then I could rant about the puzzle being "not fun" and call it a crossnames puzzle, and call the names obscure (in spite of other solvers knowing them.) And then blame the constructors and the editor, just because I don't happen to know some artist, actor, or author's name, or some uncommon word. Well, unknown or uncommon to me, perhaps. Yeah, maybe that's it. Take it personally, and blame others for my own lack of knowledge. I could also point out each and every error that I think, real or imagined, is an editor's faux pas... You know, because editors have to be perfect. Hmmm.
I like solving puzzles. It's a fun and sometimes challenging brief diversion from much of the news of the pain and suffering and insanity that exists in the world today. And hey, it's free. I don't even pay for a subscription. In light of that alone, I presume writing a letter to the editor wouldn't make any difference. Just as making snide remarks and complaining here every day isn't going to make a difference.
So why do it? Maybe, just maybe, pick a nit every now and then, but no, I'm not going to get in the habit of daily complaining. It's of no value. It's of no value, unless a person is normally miserable, and then wants to share their miserable solving experience with others, hoping to find company that loves misery. Yeah, go ahead, jump on that bandwagon. Not me. I'm not solving and sharing my comments to have crossword angst. I'd quit solving long before that.
TTP, thanks for your feedback. Usually there are a mix of serious and/or worthy things in with the whimsical stuff, but (at least IMHO) it was all whimsy. I thought that any comments from me might dilute the tone of the celebrated days. I did have a few things already typed in, then I thought that my silence might be funnier.
Thank you Amanda and thank you Hahtoolah.
Did get a FIR. Didn't take the time to suss the theme. Thanks for the funny explanations Susan.
Some favs:
4A BABAR. As my recollections of BABAR are from my childhood (and more recently through crosswords), I wasn't aware of all the subtext until reading that excellent article you linked. BEGIN RANT: I can only say that we must learn to forgive the past, because it ends today and we are still a part of it. On a related note, the American Ornithological Society has decided that it won't rename the Baltimore Oriole, much beloved by Baltimore Oriole fans. It seems that some other birds have names prefixed by the name of former slave holders and it has been proposed that they be freed from these cages. I don't think we can ever make the past go away -- we can just learn from it and try not to make the same mistakes in the future. :END RANT.
40A SCHUR. DNK The Good Place, but it was the place where I dodged a NATICK.
2D URANUS. In Gustav Holz Planets, the emPHASis is on the first sylLABle.
5D ALF. I thought "Melmac" was a heat resistant plastic for making TUMBLERS, PLATES and BOWLS. I never saw the show either Cat and you have my sympathies.
9D UGGS. They remind me of those offensive Temu ads.
18D NOT. No YES! Please come back Yellow Rocks. We love you!
31D SECT. Isn't he a member of that SECT (a crazy lot) called the "Blogging Team", and who fixes organs to boot?
36D ETHEREAL. Also a packet sniffer.
55D LED. Not only was Gustav Mahler a great conductor, but he was also one of the greatest composers of the late 19th -- early 20th century. Here's the ETHEREAL Adagietto movement from his Symphony No. 5.
Cheers,
Bill
waseeley, didn't you mean Holst?
From last night, welcome back, YR. Good to see you posting again, and knowing that your absence wasn't due to health concerns.
Lucina, very sorry to hear of the troubles in your family. Twice in one week is a lot to take.
TTP at 12:07 -- YAY! You said it so well.
Lucina, thinking of you. Don't know what to possibly say, other than that you have reminded us to treasure every moment.
Also from yest, Big Easy gave me a huge learning moment. I thought I understood a lot of music, but I really don't know diddly...
Big Easy said:
Parsan- B-Flat instruments, C, E-Flat, and G. They ALL play the same notes but have different 'names' for the same note.
This had me scratching my head, and so I did a little research. my ignorance was not fully revealed until I watched a video half way down the page. How did Big Easy know this? He must play a musical instrument!
my guess is that Big Easy's instrument, is The Trumpet...
Waseely, I would love to see your kittens picture, but it came back 404, server not found. I am guessing the picture you used is on "your" computer, and not readily available to all on the internet. It needs to be on a permanent site. I use Shutterfly. But there are many others. Facebook can be used sometimes, but it is harder because most of it is behind a firewall, and sign ins are required. There is a way around this, but it is complicated. You can email me you pic like Irish Miss has done, and I can post it for you.
Todays puzzle, easy peasy, with the exception of the total Natick, Rick/Schur. Yes, all the perps around it filled in everything but the "C", and the "C" should have been a no brainer, but, the clue for Rick is and obscure name, making it sound foreign, and making the alphabet run for the C a lot harder as it could have been a vowel crossing sahur/sehur/Sihur/sohur/syhir, on a Tuesday?
And that giant caterpillar parade balloon? Filled with oxygen???
My goodness, a small leak, and a misplaced spark, and an entire city block could have been incinerated!
D-O @12:25 PM You WOOD by right!
Okay, I hate to see the Corner's many cat lovers a little grumpy today. Here's a chart developed by feline scientists to explain various uses for the surface of a mattress.
CED, would it really cause a massive fire? I'm thinking that the O2 would quickly dissipate into the (mostly nitrogen) atmosphere. It's hydrogen that is so dangerous.
Thanks, Amanda, for your imaginative puzzle! I loved your themers tied to a terrific unifier and the 4 long, vertical fills!
In yesterday's blog, I wrote for 44-D Beyond compare: PRIMO. English borrowed this word from the Italian word for "first".
Also, PRIMO is a 2023 coming-of-age TV show on Amazon Freevee. Michael Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is involved in it so I thought it would be good -- and it was!"
It was a complete coincidence that I mentioned Michael SCHUR. When I saw his name in today's puzzle I thought, "I wonder if my blog yesterday helped anyone on this answer today. It certainly helped me." Reading everyone's comments now, I see the answer to my question.
Hahtoolah! Thanks for your fun write-up! Today's FAVs: Sherlock Holmes comic, H2O cubed, Weather or Not Channel (It's no coincidence he's pointing towards CA. The Pacific Ocean makes our weather difficult to predict!), and the Co-existing BAY leaf. Enjoy your time off!
TTP. Thanks for the reminder.
FLN: Lucina, along with the other posters, I add my care and prayers for you, Regina, and the rest of your family.
I liked this puzzle and almost all your comments.
I liked the easy to spot theme and cute reveal. Thanks, Amanda.
SCHUR and RICK were perped. I thought the C was an easy wag. New to me was this use of NERF, but it was well perped.
Sumdaze, my favorite cartoon was the relief pitcher. Thanks for all the fun and info today.
Waseeley at 12:25 right on about Babar.
For example, I don't resent Lucy, for being a "daffy" housewife. Her version of wife does not impugn all of us wives. And look at all the clueless husbands on sitcoms.
Even though I am of German origin, the usually gruff caricature of German speech does not hurt my feelings.
TTP @12:25, yes, I agree. It's supposed to be a pleasant game, folks.
UGGS, not my cup of tea.
Our book club read two of Isabel Allende's novels in the past two years. We all enjoyed them.
Tonight we have our Oaks community tree lighting with old fashioned costumed carolers singing. Always fun.
David came today and helped me decorate and set up my tree.
Lucina, my thoughts are with you at this most difficult time.
Hahtoolah is on the job, doing this Cook's tour...
I loved BABAR as a kid. I still remember the words and music for the Fire Song:
"♫ Fire! Fire! The flames grow higher!
Someone lit a match and...
Forgot to put it out! ♬"
Hah! I do both asanas, the Cow and the CAT POSE, in my exercise routine--and I didn't even know it until now.
Thank you, Amanda Cook!
~ OMK
___________
DR: One diagonal, near side.
This one offers a number of anagrams, but I chose just one (11 of 15) for its curious nature.
Of all the things one might study at Annapolis, this strikes me as most specific (and peculiar).
Jimmy Carter was probably proficient in ...
"A PIGBOAT('s) RPM"!
Dear Blog friends,
I am truly heartbroken. My niece passed into eternity yesterday at the young age of 55. She leaves behind a crowd of people who loved her including her husband, a daughter, two brothers, a host of cousins, aunts, uncles and friends who are mourning her now.
Thank you all for your good wishes and support. I rely on this Blog more than I can say! Thank you for being my virtual friends.
Seriously, I suppose the RPM on a pig boat (or submarine) must refer to its (excuse me) "Screw."
We are generally familiar with the RPM on a car as referring to the revolutions of the crankshaft, but on a sub (or any ship) it must mean the spin of the screw "propeller."
~ OMK
Lucina ~ Forgive me for posting above just after your sad notice.
I am truly sorry to learn of the passing of your niece--and at such a young age. The loss must be immeasurable.
Please accept my condolences--to you and to all her family.
~ OMK
Lucina, my deepest condolences for the loss of your lovely and loved niece who is much too young to leave this world.
Lucina, most sincere sympathy on the loss of your beloved niece, may she rest in peace. 🙏
Isabel Allende is a Chilean writer, daughter of the late Salvador Allende who was assassinated while serving as president of Chile.
Lucina ==> heartfelt condolences to you and your niece's family 🙏
Lucina,
I am so sorry to hear that you lost Regina. It struck a particular chord in me because I lost a close friend to a cerebral aneurism. Susan and I shared an office, and one day she complained of a terrible headache. The next thing I knew she slumped to the floor, never regaining consciousness. At the hospital they did the usual surgery, but they could not save her. Susan was only in her early forties.
I know this will be a painful period for you, but I hope that the wonderful memories you have of Regina will help get you through this. Keep making tamales and sharing Regina stories!
Lucina: I am so sorry for your loss. May her memory be a blessing.
Lucina, how shocking this news must be. Please accept my heartfelt condolences....
Lucina, my condolences to you, and to your family, and all that loved her.
Hi All!
Thank you CED! You explained exactly my thinking [foreign lookin' name] at the Natick de jour and why I FIW by filling in RiaK.
Thanks for the (otherwise) outstanding puzzle, Amanda. Excellent theme.
Another Tuesday, another LOL review from Hahtoolah. Enjoy your time off.
WO: Usabl [oops] -> UTILE
ESPs: [see: DNF], NERF (as clued), OPI
Fav: ETHEREAL - "Sniffing the glue that holds the Internet together" //waseeley knows ;-)
Sumdaze: CA Weather hard to predict? Weather man came on and said, "If it's 70 in Carmel, 71 in Monterey, or 70 in ..., we've got you covered", I didn't hear the last town as my wife & I were laughing too hard.
The Good Place was really good. My favorite gag was the torture of sitting in a room for eternity with nothing but a New Yorker subscription [pile of New Yorkers in the center of the room]
Tortured: "Awe, com'on, you know I will never read all that."
Torturer: "And they'll keep coming [another NYer falls from the ceiling onto the stack], and coming [ibid], and coming [ibid]."
Cheers, -T
Oh, Lucina - I am so heavy-hearted to read about your Niece; I know how much she meant to you.
Warm & Loving thoughts to you and all those that loved her. -T
Anonymous @7:02. Isabel Allende was not the daughter of Salvador Allende but his niece.
Again, thank you all for your loving thoughts and your prayers. They mean a great deal to me.
Since her mother died a few years ago, Regina would tell me I was like a second mother to her and I accepted her as another daughter. We did many things together, including book club. And she was always the designated driver for me when we went together.
I am at a loss. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly. Also I am not sure how my nephew, her half-brother, is faring. It has been a busy and sad day but I shall call to inquire about him.
I erred about her surviving siblings. She has three half-sisters and a half-brother from her dad's (my brother) first marriage, and they are all very close as we all are to each other. I can hardly believe that they are all in their 50s and 60s.
Yes, I meant to also mention that Isabel Allende was Salvador Allende's niece.
Some of the confusion about Isabel Allende's relationship to former Chilean president, Salvador Allende, is that there are two (at least) Isabel Allendes.
The writer is the daughter of Tomas Allende, a diplomat and a cousin to Salvador. There is also an Isabel who was a politician, according to Wikipedia, and she is the youngest daughter of Salvador.
Given the propensity in Latin America for bestowing multiple family names, there may be still more Isabel Allendes, but I only spotted these two.
~ OMK
LUcina: Very sorry to hear of the sad news about your niece. Its very tragic indeed when someone close to you passes away ... ( and, by the Grace of God, you are left behind... **)
... Especially, when that someone is younger than you are. May God give you and her other close relatives the courage and strength to bear the loss.
** Lest my intentions be misinterpreted, ... despite of some very serious medical problems, last year, I survived ... among other things, ... after 84 days in the ICU ... and I wonder why. I am now awaiting, any moment, the expected demise of my great aunt, age 96, who is being kept alive, with heroic measures, in Conn.
********
The puzzle was very nice, and Hahtoolahs comments and commentary and cartoons were a delight, as usual. The final long answer was a real charm. Hahtoolah, thank you, ( like other bloggers - ) for your dedicated volunteer work, and have a great vacation.
As regarding ALF, I remember, it was a very funny show, and ALF was a really nice guy, with wholesome values. The fact that he was 'out' to get the cat, and eat it, was a running joke, which none of the audience would have ever taken seriously. I loved ALF...
ALF even entered 'in person' at one of the Oscar Academy awards show ... !!!
TTP's point about not being too persnickety on clues and answers is worth noting, and reflects my feelings exactly to the point .... I just didn't want to put it, in so many words, ... ( in writing in the blog...)
Have a great rest of the week, all you folks.
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