google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, February 1, 2024 ~ Emet Ozar

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Feb 1, 2024

Thursday, February 1, 2024 ~ Emet Ozar

SWF Seeking...


Escape - Rupert Holmes

15. *Device sold with some sheets of hard candy: TOFFEE HAMMER. You say so.
Toffee Hammer

22. *Took from the top: SKIMMED OFF. Taking the cream or a Salami Attack.

47. *"The Irishman" role for Al Pacino: JIMMY HOFFA. Jimmy's still alive, right?

58. *Teenage vampire slayer of film and TV: BUFFY SUMMERS. I didn't know Buffy had a last name.

35. Some partners, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: SAME SEX COUPLES.

All I can figure is MM (male-male) & FF (female-female) are paired up in the themers. Overall, Emet provided a nice Thursday puzzle that wasn't too difficult.

Across:
1. Yogurt-based drink: LASSI.
Recipes

6. Choose: OPT.

9. "The Equalizer" network: CBS. I've seen one or two partial episodes - I think Queen Latifah was (is?) in it.

12. Pins included in many Ikea furniture kits: DOWELS.
 
Who's NOT used these?

13. Oberlin College's state: OHIO. Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. [WikiP]

14. Horde member in Tolkien: ORC. Remember, ENTs (16' humanoids that look like trees) are good; ORCs bad. EFTs are salamander newts and are NOT part of LOTR.

15. [See: theme]

17. "The Marvels" director DaCosta: NIA.
Nia DaCosta

18. Zaftig: ROTUND. Zaftag: Yiddish origins for "pleasantly plump" woman. #Google

19. Genetic strand: RNA. Ribonucleic acid.

20. Happily __ after: EVER. All the Grimm Brothers' tales as told by Disney.

21. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

22. [See: theme]

25. Label: TAG.

26. "Nova" subj.: SCI. Nova, on PBS, is a great SCIence program.

28. Suffers: AILS.

29. Tokyo, long ago: EDO. Comes up about four times a year in puzzles.

30. Diner patron: EATER. A diner eats dinner at the diner.

33. Yuletide: NOEL.

35. [See: theme]

39. Stew meat: LAMB. Friday, I had lamb curry at an Indo-Pac place. It must be authentic - no pepper icon next to the menu item but it sure had a kick to it.

40. Style: TASTE.

41. Amber, for one: GEM.

43. Brand of kitchen bags: GLAD.
 

Don't get mad, get Glad

45. Dudes: HES. Guys & Bros was too long.

46. "It's __-brainer!": A NO. I didn't even have to think about this one.

47. [See: theme]

52. "Not only that ... ": ALSO. Oh, and, and, and...

53. Neck of the woods: AREA. As Pop [57d] says of his property, "It's my little postage stamp on the globe."

54. Salad dressing base: OIL. EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) was too long; perps said 'egg' was right out.

55. Crazy about: MAD FOR.

57. Pop: DAD. I call father both.

58. [See: theme]

61. Fig. affected by weather: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival is just that, an estimate.

62. Lago contents: AGUA. Spanish lesson for the day.

63. Removes, as a knot: UNTIES. Or, how dyslexics gather around a cause.

64. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL.

65. Sighs of pleasure: AHS.

66. Visibility reducers: MISTS. Could affect your ETA.

Down:
1. Ambitious aspiration: LOFTY GOAL. Anyone have any LOFTY GOALs for 2024? Mine is to get a HAM license.

2. Nasty: AWFUL. Mean was too short.

3. Observed: SEEN.

4. Winter coaster: SLED.

5. "More or less": ISH. Or so(ish).

6. "Wowza": OH MAMA. Should I rat-out BIL? He had salted carmel in dark chocolate for the first time. "Oh, damn, Oh, Oh, dude. Oh, Mama! Y'all need to check this out!" //he has a sheltered (meat & potatoes) pallet. Once, the Girls double-dog dared him to eat a blueberry and he was plussed.

7. Thanksgiving dessert: PIE. Being from the South, DW must have pecan; I gotta have pumpkin.

8. The Blue Jays, on sports crawls: TOR. Toronto Blue Jays, eh, C,Eh?

9. Chat sesh: CONVO. A chat ses[h]sion is a conv[o]ersation. #KidsTheseDays

10. Terse: BRIEF. [see: 9d]

11. Beginner's knitting project, perhaps: SCARF. For crocheting too (I made a lot of scarfs :-))

12. Tchotchkes: DOODADS. Thingies on the shelf.

13. Universal opening?: OMNI. Omnipresent, Omnivorous, Omniscient, Omnidirectional.

15. Hackneyed: TRITE. [see: this expo]

16. Genesis boat: ARK.

20. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.
 History [Time]

22. Locale: SITE.

23. Microscopic: MINUTE. Here's a word that, depending on long- or short- "I," has two different meanings. Primer is another.
//chatting with a hacker-buddy HAM on #discord I said I'd like a primer on the cheap-a** Baufeng radio I bought for my LOFTY GOAL. He thought I wanted to paint it :-)

24. Gets together quietly: ELOPES. Cute.

26. Proper: SEEMLY. I don't quite get this... I thought SEEMLY was baudy in a way.

27. World Heritage Site in Algiers: CASBAH. Cue The Clash.

Rock the Casbah

31. Business card no.: EXT. Phone number EXTention within your PBX (Private Branch Exchange).

32. Kelly Clarkson's first record label: RCA. Nipper's recording studio. Hi Misty!

34. Cost of a suit?: LEGAL FEES. Not a three-piece but a lawsuit.

36. Molten rock: MAGMA.
Rock Cycle

37. Federal org. that inspects workplaces: OSHA. Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

38. Features of many alarms: SENSORS. Motion sensors, break-glass noise sensors, magnet switches on the windows & doors, etc.

42. Heath-covered wastelands: MOORS. Emily Bronte comes to mind.

Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights [Python]

44. Foolish one: DOOFUS.

47. Over it all: JADED. Cynical.

48. Hopping mad: IRATE. PO'd was too short.

49. Purple Heart, e.g.: MEDAL. (Army) Bro has one.
Purple Heart

50. Sports org. based in Zurich: FIFA.  #Soccer

51. Pop __: FLY. Usually an easy catch in #Baseball.

52. Let in or let on: ADMIT. Bouncer ADMITs you or you ADMIT you did it.

55. Public transit system in San Francisco, familiarly: MUNI. I kept wanting BART but perps didn't agree.

56. Tsps. and tbsps.: AMTS. Don't confuse these two AMTS when using baking powder (ask me how I know).

58. Pasture sound: BAA.

59. "Blah": UGH.

60. Dim __: cuisine often served in steamer baskets: SUM.
Yummers!

The Grid:
The Grid


WOs: LOng shO[ts] -> LOFTY GOALS, bart -> MUNI
ESPs: LASSI, ROTUND, MUNI (oh, yeah)
Fav: I'll go w/ OMNI - any one else subscribe to the magazine back in the day?

Toss in your $0.02 below - I'll catch up with y'all later tonight. Have a great Friday eve!

Cheers, -T

45 comments:

  1. After staring at the puzzle for a while, I finally saw all the “M’s” and “F’s” and understood the reveal. Also, I I found some of the themed answers a bit obscure but in each case the perps were kind so there was no real problem. (By the way, the only reason I got “Buffy’s” last name was, by that time, knowing that it had to have two “m’s” in it.). Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. FIR without erasure.

    Welcome to Febru-ugly!

    Today is:
    NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY (President Lincoln signed what would become the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on February 1, 1865)
    NATIONAL GET UP DAY (reminds us to pick ourselves up when we've fallen and giving it (whatever it may be) another go)
    OPTIMIST DAY (recognizes the volunteers and the youth who support their communities in many different ways)
    NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY (made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and covered in a shell of toasted meringue)
    NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY (dark chocolate includes no added milk or butter)
    NATIONAL SERPENT DAY (Florida has an invasion of pythons. My young attorney / crew member told me that the difference between a dead snake in the road and a dead lawyer in the road is that the road under the dead snake only has skid marks on one side)

    The first time I visited Lake Texoma, DW and I decided to have dinner at a nice restaurant on the lake. I asked our young (16-18 yo) waitress what LAMB fries were. She turned several shades of red, and asked if I was familiar with Rocky Mountain Oysters. When I told her I was, she said "these are the same, just made from LAMBs."

    The DEL in Marina del Rey is spelled in lower case. Abbreviated MdR in local parlance. IIRC, it is the largest small-boat harbor in the world. Also a major income source for the City of Los Angeles.

    Had it not been for The Clash, I would have not known CASBAH.

    Thanks to Emet for the fun, easy-for-Thursday puzzle, and to Bayou Tony for the fun tour. But getting a HAM license is hardly a LOFTY GOAL. I got my first one when I was 12, and I don't think they even have a Morse code requirement any more. Easy-peasy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good morning!

    Took about 10 minutes for d-o to hammer the TOFFEE this morning. Saw the double-letters. Didn't notice they were M's and F's. (What about those E's in TOFFEE?) Still claiming the win. Thanx, Emet and Dash-T (Hand up for BART before MUNI elbowed in.)

    EDSEL: It was about that same time that Ford offered a hard-top convertible, the Skyliner. There was a mechanism that slid the metal roof back into the area where the trunk should be. Spare tire? Who needs a spare tire. Luggage? Just take day trips so no luggage is required.

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  4. Didn't get the theme. I couldn't figure out how JIMMY HOFFA was a same sex couple so I ignored it, as I often do. But the theme does make sense. I just don't take enough time to think through the various ways a theme is presented.

    No idea about TOFFEE HAMMER, and never heard of LASSI. Didn't know ROTUND or IDYL. Couldn't get a grip on the NE corner until I revealed NIA. I also wanted BART.

    Had to change BEEF to LAMB, DNA to RNA, and was thinking of SKIP MIDDLE for SKIMMED OFF but it didn't seem right so I didn't type it in. But it added to my difficulties in the NE corner.

    Not sure about JADED, but that's all it could be. Same with HES. That seems very awkward when I try to use it in place of dudes in any meaning, so I don't like that one at all.

    Anon-T, you're thinking of UNSEEMLY. SEEMLY is less used but is correct here.

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  5. Zaftig was a Natick to me, so I googled it. I found that there is a Zaftigs Delicatessen in Natick, Massachusetts! A Natick within The Natick!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Took 9:24 today for me to sniff ammonia.

    I didn't see the theme, but I'm usually not looking for one.

    I also thought of The Clash when entering "Casbah."

    Unseemly is bad. Seemly is good. Right?

    I didn't know this Nia, that the slaying Buffy had a last name, or that there is a thing called a toffee hammer. I'm not a fan of "hes" for "dudes."

    ReplyDelete
  7. SEEMLY (proper or apppropriate) might also be confused with SEamY (squalid or corrupt)

    LASSI was new to me. CASBAH was known from Charles Boyer's French-accented Pepe LeMoko in the film "Algiers", copied, of course, by Pepe LePew

    ZAFTIG was a term used like "curvy" today, a politer way to say somebody's "fat" (there are some attractive curves, and some not). Like "beefy" or "prosperous" for men

    ReplyDelete
  8. SWF Seeking ... BM ... the plot of that song reminded me (just a little) of the recent film Role Play starring Kaley Cuoco (TBBT's Penny) -- Rated R -- no sex, just lots of violence. The critics panned it but they did live Happily EVER After. Streaming on Prime.

    Oh yeah, the puzzle. Thank you Emet for an easy Thursday FIR (although this was the second time I solved it -- but that's not a TERSE story).

    And thank you -T for some very clever subbing. BION it actually took me a while to suss the theme, the first time around. Favorite bling -- MAGMA. Once a rockhound, always a rockhound.

    Some other favs:

    1A LASSI. Was the "SS" an Easter Egg?

    15A TOFFEE HAMMER. A DOO DAD if I EVER saw one!

    20A EVER. Some tales not told by Disney don't end so happily.

    45A HES. No SHES?

    54A OIL. EVOO? I thought VIRGINITY was a BINARY thing?

    57A DAD. When our first grandchild was born my son asked me "What do you want her to call you (she was very precious 😁)"? I said "Whatever she calls you with 'GRAND' in front of it".

    1D LOFTY GOAL. My LOFTY GOAL for this year is to get rid of at least 1000 books this year. We've got to start somewhere.

    6D OH MAMA. Clues like this make me 48D.

    63D UNTIES. A CSO to Jinx.

    Cheers,
    Bill

    Uh Tony -- today is Thursday.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Not a diFFicult coMMission for Emet today. I agree with KS about CONVO. Perhaps he could have used condo instead. Dia is an accepted abbreviation for the diameter of a circle.

    Thanks, -T for the stiFF graMMatical review of the puzzle today.

    If the world is not enough, maybe Bond would be satisfied with the solar system.

    Extinct

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wel., it seems like KS deleted his comment. That is probably why I couldn't publish my when I first tried. I had to refresh the page and reenter it and then KS's comment was gone and mine was published.

      Delete
  10. Quick for a Thor’s Day the theme? Took some head scratching: finally got it. FF two females and MM two males together.

    Inkovers: shawl/SCARF (“ambitious aspiration …. started out as an afghan)

    I know we’ve had it before but forgot the “yogurt drink”. Nice to see EDO is back after a long hiatus. We’ve also had CONVO previously but who says that in actual CONVOsation? 🤨.

    I wanted BART too. AMTS? almost tried meas

    “Blah” is UGH? …. alter cuz I thought it said “let in and let out but wouldn’t perp. Didn’t know that solidified sap was a GEM

    Anon Tony: “seemly” perchance you’re thinking of unseemly
    Kyna like I’m “whelmed”when I do a Monday puzzle but
    overwhelmed when It comes to Saturday. 😟

    Isn’t it AWFUL that the word AWFUL through over use and hyperbole has lost its real meaning.

    “The Incredible Shrinking Man” was getting “microscopic” by the ___….MINUTE
    ”Who’s the best, that’s me! “….. IRATE!
    What sports awards are often made of….MEDAL
    Active father…DOODAD
    Scots girl….LASSI

    Another total thaw. Snow gone again. Strange winter so far

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    Replies
    1. Ray -- O @10:20AM So you took it as a "menage a quatre"? 😀

      Delete
  11. Loved the puzzle -- thanks, Emet, and thanks for the tour, Dash T! I grasped the theme and it helped me solve Buffy's surname. Great fun, no complaints.

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  12. In spite of a few unknowns, this was a smooth puzzle. I had to look long and hard before finally seeing the MMs and FFs. Very clever. I had never heard of a TOFFEE HAMMER. I do like TOFFEE. I didn’t know BUFFY had a last name either. Zaftig is new to me.

    I discovered LASSI traveling in Turkey a few years ago. Tasty.

    We had DAD and DOODADS. Funny word that last one.

    A-t. Great review. I hope you get some sleep 😴

    ReplyDelete
  13. To FIR was no problem, just the unknowns which took 100% perps.
    TOFFEE HAMMER, LASSI (ad E to get a dog),CBS, ROTUND, DOODADS, NIA, RCA, CONVO, and Buffy's last name SUMMER.

    Never watched Buffy or heard of The Equalizer or The Marvels.
    Zaftig[ unknown but maybe instead of GLAD, let's just say HEFTY.
    Is Tchotchke another Yiddish word. New to me.
    Purple Heat MEDAL- the one you really are not looking to get.

    I guessed HOFFA after a few perps.
    CASBAH humbug- who determines it and why are the sites any more important than others.

    MM & FF were noticed but not in a sexy way.

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  14. Musings
    -MM/FF immediately stood out but I needed the reveal to see the sense of it
    -Opening with an obscure drink was no big deal
    -The movie Casino featured the process where the Mob SKIMMED OFF their money
    -Not so happily EVER after
    -If you’re a “foodie”, you’re missing something if you haven’t watched Diners, Drive Ins and Dives
    -“Sorry Charlie, StarKist doesn’t want tuna with good TASTE, they want tunas that TASTE good”
    -EDSEL Ford the man was a very successful business man, family man and patron of the arts. The lemon EDSEL car was named many years after his death.
    -SEEMLY is one of those words that are used much less frequently than their opposite, UNSEEMLY, non-plussed, unfurled, unkempt. Others?
    -Corruption in FIFA and the IOC have made news many times
    -My fav ice cream is Butter Brickle which contains bits of TOFFEE and was invented in Omaha. It is hard to find nowadays.
    -Nice job, Tony!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Puzzling thoughts:

    White Rabbit, White Rabbit (tomorrow features a different creature)

    Echoing what Big Easy said, almost word for word

    Thanks Emet and Dash T for the Thursday adventure

    16x15 grid today. 5 themers, all of even number length (12/10/14/10/12) fit much better into a wider grid. Think square peg into a round hole if you tried to squeeze this into a normal sized (15x15) grid

    Not sure I've seen LOFTY GOAL and/or LEGAL FEES too often in xword puzzles

    See y'all tomorrow

    ReplyDelete
  16. What Big Easy said. Easy despite unknowns and "meh" clues. CONVO? Really? The theme? Whoosh! Right on over my head. LASSI! What is it girl, did Timmy fall in the well AGAIN? Purple Heart, eg: "I forgot to duck" medal. Enjoyed the recap, -T!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good Afternoon:

    Where did the morning go? There were only a few unknowns today, i.e., Nia, Summers, and Muni (wanted BART) and while I've never heard of a Toffee Hammer, it certainly serves a purpose, and I had only one w/o as I mixed up Tasso (Ham) with Lassi (Drink). I have only seen Zaftig in novels and it was always used in a complimentary way indicating a voluptuous woman. Rotund, to me, is less than complimentary. Despite Tony's BIL's Oh Mama exclamation, it still seems green-paintish to me. The double letters made no sense until the surprise reveal.

    Thanks, Emet, and thanks, Tony, for a fun review and your always interesting asides. Always enjoy your references to Pop-isms!

    Bill, IIRC, your second cataract surgery was yesterday. Hope all is well.

    Have a great day.

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    Replies
    1. IM @11:41 AM Had the 2nd surgery on Monday and all is going well. I'm now using reading glasses until my eyes heal completely, then I suppose I'll get a new prescription w/graduated lens. Thanks to you and others who've asked.

      Delete
  18. Today’s puzzle flowed smoothly for me until I got to the SE, then had some crunch, but the downs got me to the finish line. Thanks, Emet. I didn’t go back and suss the theme, but Anon-T revealed it for me. Thanks, Tony!

    MAGMA: loved the diagram. One of my favorite classes in high school was Earth Science, but I don’t recall seeing rock described this way, but then, it was a looong time ago. 😂

    WO: M – wanted to enter M(OO), but AHS showed up and I changed it to BAA.

    TOFFEE – yum!! Maybe I should make some ….

    MISTS – clue seemed weak re: visibility. I wanted to go with “fog” but too many spaces.

    Waseeley, RE: books. I’m also in the process. Books-A-Million will buy them (for a pittance). Libraries will accept them, especially if they are having a fund raiser; community donation stores accept them & both will give you a donation slip for tax purposes (good idea to itemize them). Good Luck! All my current reading is now from Libby or Amazon e-books, but my husband loved hardcovers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hola!

    Thank you, Emet and Tony. What a nice way to begin this month!

    First, I have to say I was shocked that MUNI filled instead of BART with which I am more familiar. Wite-out required. And I had no idea about LASSI; thank you, perps. So much for my LOFTY GOAL of solving a puzzle without help. Thanks, ALEXA, for assistance with TCHOTCHKES.

    Also new to me is a TOFFEE HAMMER. I've never seen or used one.

    LEGAL FEES are never BRIEF.

    My daughter has a mini shrine to her father with his photo, MEDALS and awards.

    CSO to Misty at RCA.

    I believe the MOORS might be similar to our expanse of desert, without the cactus. They were mentioned often in The Secret Garden.

    CSO to Canadian EH at TORonto.

    It's nice (for me) that a little Spanish like AGUA slips into a puzzle.

    Have a very good day, everyone! Grocery shopping for me.



    ReplyDelete
  20. Lucina, not only are LEGAL FEES are never BRIEF, LEGAL BRIEFs are never BRIEF. First day lesson of Business Law class.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I didn't see the same sex theme until Tony explained it.
    IM, I agree. Zaftig is a compliment. Rotund is a knock.
    I hear seemly and not seemly, as well as unseemly. None of them seem obscure to me.
    "A toffee hammer is a very small hammer designed for breaking up sheets or slabs of hard toffee, such as bonfire toffee, into small pieces suitable for consumption. A toffee hammer is sometimes included as a novelty item in gift packs produced by toffee manufacturers.
    Toffee hammers were used by suffragettes, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union, for breaking windows as a form of protest during their campaign for votes for women."
    Too posh a term for me. I have never seen o ne.
    I hear and read CONVO from time to time. It is informal and not used by my generation.
    Amber and pearls are not gemstones, but they are organic gems. They are derived from living organisms. LIU
    I hesitated to write Buffy, not knowing she had a last name. Finally perps won.
    Yesterday the snow made a fairyland of the trees. So pretty. The snow did not lie on the roads and soon melted. Just the kind I like. We have not seen the sun for days and days. It is supposed to return this weekend.
    I am looing forward to Trivia Pursuit with wine and good friend this afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aw nuts,

    At first I couldn't see the same sex couples at all, then finally found the MMs. Seeing two Ms, I thought I had found the same sex couples, so I never even bothered to look for the EFing eFFs! Rats!

    Also, I thought Convo, was CONVOluted...

    Loved the Monty clip! And saved the brothers Grimm for later.

    Yes! I read Omni! Thanks for the reminder, because it is still available for reread online!

    Hmm, this is tricky...
    How do I post a silly theme link, without getting political...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CED @12:34 PM I think that Omni mermaid would definitely qualify as ZAFTIG.

      Delete
  23. I saw the FFs and MMs and then the reveal indeed explained the very woke theme. Hand up LASSI unknown. I dislike anything resembling milk. Learning moment.

    Here is my photo from a month ago of a rather unique EDSEL.

    What makes it unique is the location. Inside Lori's Diner in SF. With a MUNI stop across the street. We used to eat there every time we were in SF. Until the greedy landlord refused to accommodate their revenue loss during COVID. He figured they would never dare to close or move with the EDSEL and other stuff inside.

    The Lori's Diner owner packed everything off to a warehouse. The greedy owner lost years of rent and eventually caved. And it is all back as if nothing ever happened.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ding, ding, ding! - Billocohoes got to the bottom of my confusion. I was thinking SEamY but thought I'd heard it wrong all my life when I saw SEEMLY.

    Thanks to everyone for a finer connotation of Zaftig.

    CED - I didn't want to mention OMNI the other day (since it was in today's grid) but OMNI's where I learned how-to lucid dream.
    LOL comic!

    Picard - cool pic. And next time I'm in SFO, I'll have to check out Lori's Diner.

    Jinx - the goal is both Technician and General licenses. The reach is going for Extra license.

    Back to work. Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  25. Bayou Tony - They did away with all code requirements! When I was active, Tech was the same written test as the General, but 5 WPM code instead of 13. Also had to work 10 meter (or 6, I don't remember exactly) or higher frequencies. Extra required a bigger test and really fast code, 18 or 20 IIRC. Much faster than I can print.

    Maybe I'll pursue that track too, now that I'm not spending all my study time trying to stay current on project management.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dash-T, do you have to learn Morse. Back in my day the entry grade was a Novice license. You had to prove you could send/receive Morse at 5 WPM. Nobody was allowed to use a microphone until passing the Morse portion. Thought about it, but ultimately blew it off.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Picard @ 1:03 ~ Great photo! Seems the owner is fond of showcasing American-centric nostalgia, i.e., the iconic Edsel, the incomparable Nipper, and the irresistible Audrey Hepburn, as shown in the faux poster for "Breakfast at Lori's". Looks like a fun place to visit!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Challenging, but also fun Thursday puzzle, many thanks, Emet. And your commentary is always a pleasure, Anon-T, thanks for that too. And, especially, thank you and Lucina for remembering that my Dad worked for RCA for all those years. He's gone now, sadly, but he would have loved hearing about your kind comments.

    Lots of little themes popped up in this puzzle. Some were emotional like AWFUL and IRATE, which could SCARE people. But GLAD countered that, and UNTIES probably meant well. But it was a special gift to see both MAMA ad DAD in the puzzle. If they were still here, they'd thank you, Emet.

    So, have a great day, everybody, and, hopefully, better weather soon.

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonT and Irish Miss Thank you for your kind words about my EDSEL photo at Lori's Diner. Best breakfast in San Francisco, right near Union Square. We usually stay at the Cartwright Hotel, right next door.

    Irish Miss, thank you for your keen eye! Yes, the owner indeed is a gifted collector of such American memorabilia. More in the next room, too. I totally missed the "Breakfast at Lori's" poster as a takeoff on "Breakfast at Tiffany's"!

    According to the server who updated me on the situation with the owner, he owns at least one other restaurant and a warehouse. Giving him the upper hand with the greedy landlord. Such a happy ending! It all seems like a dream to have seen it totally gutted for years and then restored to perfection as if nothing ever happened!

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  30. Hand up for changing BART to MUNI. I also had ERSATZ instead of ROTUND. GUEST also became EATER and BEEF became LAMB. I didn't even see that "Blah":UGH clue/answer (thank goodness).

    I didn't understand the theme until you explained it, -T.

    I actually liked the EDSEL. Thought it was a darn good car.

    I think I could be happy eating dim SUM every day. On the other hand, maybe if I actually were to so I might get tired of it. Nah.

    To please my DAD I tried to get a ham license but never cared enough to get proficient at Morse Code. I liked everything else about radio, ham or otherwise, though. (I tried many things solely to try to please my father, but mostly did not complete them. I realize now it is because those things (e.g. Eagle Scout rank) were what he wanted and cared about, not what I wanted or cared about.)

    Tony Express, very cool about the Natick.

    Good wishes to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Had a ratty start because, back in My Day (late ‘60s early ‘70s…), drinkable yogurt was called kefir. After seeing nuthin’ would fit in with that, though, I eventually perped the LASSI. Go home!

    I’d filled a couple of the themers prior to getting SAMESEXCOUPLES, then it was “doh!!” time. Helped me FIR.

    Hand up for “bart” before MUNI, and “moo” before BAA. But I can’t quite buy into the clue for OHMAMA, it’s a bit of a stretch if y’ask me.

    @CharlieEcho, to have a CONVO, you need to be a millennial; us old guys, we have a talk, yeah?😎

    ====> Darren / L.A.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Darren @3:42 OM Kefir is a sour drink, whereas a Lassi is made from yogurt diluted with water and sweetened with honey.

      Delete
  32. Picard, ya gotta watch those h-a-p-p-y endings. Guys pay extra for those in seedy massage parlors. You should also be careful about how you communicate that your friend Jack is taking the day off. And if you see that friend in an airplane, don't ever say "hi" and his name.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Emet and AnonT.
    I FIRed and saw the double Fs and Ms, but it took the reveal for the Aha.

    Unknown-to-me LASSI, NIA, CONVO perped.
    Beef changed to LAMB (saying BAA?) for the stew.
    I didn’t know Nova, but SCI perped.
    Tel changed to EXT
    I learned EDO in my early CW-solving days about 15 years ago. I had a list of frequent fills that were originally unknown to me.

    Yes AnonT, I’ll take a CSO for those Blue Jays from TORono.

    Wishing you all a great day.

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  34. Picard
    Does that diner have a large enough eating area? And can you tell me where in San Francisco it is located? Maybe I can persuade my friends to go there.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Jinx Yes, I was pretty sure that is what it was about. Amazingly stupid that a single rare use of the expression causes censorship of the original meaning.

    One of my best friends is actually named Jack and I often think of the airplane issue when I greet him.

    Lucina Yes, Lori's Diner has plenty of dining area. Even with all of the juke boxes, gas pumps, cars and other large artifacts. Three rooms, if I remember correctly. It is on Sutter Street at the corner of Powell. There is a MUNI Cable Car stop right there. One block uphill from Union Square.

    Here is a photo of the outside of Lori's Diner with the EDSEL along with a photo of the MUNI Powell/Hyde Cable Car passing by.

    The MUNI Cable Car fare is a lot higher than the regular MUNI fare!

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  36. Thanks to Emet for a fun Thursday solve! FAV: Cost of a suit
    I didn't think I knew Buffy's last name but then the MM fished it out of the punchbowl.
    I don't see UGH as "Blah".
    Yep,...BART

    Happy to hear things went well for waseely's eye operations!

    Thanks to -T for another fun write up! I always smile your take on the puzzles!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Congratulations Waseely on your successful surgery.

    ReplyDelete

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