Theme: Terms of Endearment - Career-specific phrases identifying one's object of affection.
17. Beekeeper's valentine?: HONEY BUNCH. A beekeeper is a person who owns and breeds bees, especially for their honey. Their love is sweet.
25. Juice barista's valentine?: MAIN SQUEEZE. A juice barista prepares and serves fruit-based beverages, which presumably involves some squeezing. The main squeeze is someone's preferred girl/boyfriend or lover. No indication is given for the one in second place.
37. Optometrist's valentine?: GOOD LOOKING. Optometrists examine, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders that affect your eyes and vision. A good looking person is one who is physically attractive, either with or without glasses, on either of you.
52. Aesthetician's valentine?: SWEET CHEEKS. An aesthetician is a person trained to administer facials, advise customers on makeup and the care of skin and hair, etc. I did not know that. So the reference is to the attractiveness of the beloved's facial shape. My mind never even considered the callipygian alternative. Nope, not even for a microsecond.
61. Baker's valentine?: STUD MUFFIN. This is a sexually attractive, usually muscular young man. Unlike a culinary muffin, which is a small domed cake or quick bread made from batter or dough.
Hi, Gang, and happy Valentine's Ash Wednesday! JazzBumpa here to share the love. Margi and Katie have cooked up some tasty treats for us, and a bit of Valentine's eye-candy. And then comes Lent. So let's have some fun while we can.
1. Plot points?: BEDS. I guess this refers to garden beds in a plot of land, rather than a moment in a story that affects the character or the direction of the story in some way. Am I missing anything?
5. Reply-all email storm deterrents: BCCS. Blind copies, where the list of recipients is not revealed.
9. Horse breed native to the Middle East and North Africa: ARAB. A breed of horse with historic roots on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest modern breeds.
13. In a frenzy: AMOK. With uncontrolled and disruptive behavior.
14. Desert succulents: ALOES. An evergreen perennial, it also originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world.
16. Common piercing spot: LOBE. For ear rings.
19. Chaucer chapter: TALE. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's magnum opus.
20. Up and about: AWAKE. Out of bed and in motion.
21. Meditation retreat: ASHRAM. As defined.
23. "Karma is a __ / Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me": Taylor Swift lyric: CAT. Ode to a contented pet.
28. Almost overflow: BRIM. Filled to the very edge of a container.
30. Yokohama drama: NOH. traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from Shinto rites.
31. Consumer advocate Ralph: NADER. Ralph Nader [b. 1934] is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes, and a perennial presidential candidate.
32. Spanish title: SEÑORA. A title or form of address used of or to a Spanish-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.
35. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.
41. Yemeni port: ADEN. Aden is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km east of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and north of the Gulf of Aden.
5. Reply-all email storm deterrents: BCCS. Blind copies, where the list of recipients is not revealed.
9. Horse breed native to the Middle East and North Africa: ARAB. A breed of horse with historic roots on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest modern breeds.
13. In a frenzy: AMOK. With uncontrolled and disruptive behavior.
14. Desert succulents: ALOES. An evergreen perennial, it also originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world.
16. Common piercing spot: LOBE. For ear rings.
19. Chaucer chapter: TALE. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's magnum opus.
20. Up and about: AWAKE. Out of bed and in motion.
21. Meditation retreat: ASHRAM. As defined.
23. "Karma is a __ / Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me": Taylor Swift lyric: CAT. Ode to a contented pet.
28. Almost overflow: BRIM. Filled to the very edge of a container.
30. Yokohama drama: NOH. traditional Japanese masked drama with dance and song, evolved from Shinto rites.
31. Consumer advocate Ralph: NADER. Ralph Nader [b. 1934] is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes, and a perennial presidential candidate.
32. Spanish title: SEÑORA. A title or form of address used of or to a Spanish-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.
35. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.
41. Yemeni port: ADEN. Aden is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km east of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and north of the Gulf of Aden.
From Google Maps
42. Buys time: STALLS. Delays an event temporarily so as to have longer to improve one's own position.
45. Packs in, as coffee: TAMPS. Rams or packs (a substance) down or into something firmly. I've never tamped coffee.
49. Performer's routine: ACT. Perform a fictional role in a play, movie, or television production.
51. Nursery rhyme vessel: PAIL. A usually cylindrical container with a handle. Don't fall down when carrying one, you could break something.
56. Snoop: SPY. Investigate or look around furtively in an attempt to find out something, especially information about someone's private affairs.
57. "Never would have thought": THAT SO? Expression of surprise or disbelief
58. Vegas lights: NEONS. Fluorescent lamps filled with neon, and inert gas
60. Monopoly payment: RENT. A fee charged to a player who lands on somebody else's property
66. Midrange voice type: ALTO. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by either low women's or high men's voices. It is pitched lower than soprano, and higher than baritone.
67. "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" writer: AESOP. Aesop [c. 620–564 BCE] was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day.
68. Spicy __ roll: TUNA. A saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which averages 2 m and is believed to live up to 50 years.
69. Devious plan: PLOY. A tactic intended to embarrass or frustrate an opponent, or to trick someone to achieve an often concealed objective.
70. Parking lot mishap: DENT. Making a bad impression.
71. Healthy piece: SLAB. A large, thick, flat piece of stone, concrete, or wood. Though, in this case, it's probably a piece of meat.
Down:
1. "A Christmas Carol" cry: BAH. Frequent utterance of Ebenezer Scrooge. His redemption by three spirits has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday in the English-speaking world
2. Intense music genre: EMO. Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and post-hardcore from the mid–1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore scene.
3. Making a gift of: DONATING. Giving money or goods for a good cause, for example to a charity.
4. Misrepresent, as data: SKEW. To distort from a true value or symmetrical form
5. Braided bread often filled with chocolate or cinnamon: BABKA. A sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora.
6. Make aware: CLUE IN. Provide information about a particular item or event.
7. Swindle: CON. Use deception to deprive someone of money or possessions.
8. "Just wait a __": SEC. Request for someone to briefly pause an action.
9. Tennis and golf legend Gibson: ALTHEA. Althea Neale Gibson [1927 - 2003] was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event.
10. Showed displeasure like a dragon: ROARED. A roar is a a full, deep, prolonged cry uttered by a lion or other large wild animal. Why a fictional creature was chosen is a bit of a mystery.
11. Burning: ABLAZE. On fire. Keep your distance. AFLAME has 4 of the same letters.
12. Pricey German wheels, informally: BEEMER. A BMW automobile, a product of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly abbreviated to BMW, a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
15. "Inside the NBA" analyst, familiarly: SHAQ. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, known commonly as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA.
18. Thanksgiving vegetable: YAM. Only maybe. Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.
22. Naturally bright: SUNLIT. Like an atrium, a large open-air or skylight-covered space surrounded by a building.
23. "Survivor" network: CBS. Columbia Broadcasting System
24. "__ we having fun yet?": ARE. The second person singular present and first, second, third person plural present of be. Well - are we?
26. Never ever: NOT ONCE. Ain't gonna happen.
27. "Get out!": SHOO. A word said to frighten or drive away a person or animal. And never, ever come back!
29. Dairy farm sound: MOO. Bovine utterance. Not to be confused with an udderance, though moo utterers do have udders.
33. Events with a lot of insult comedy: ROASTS. A banquet at which the guest of honor is subjected to good-natured ridicule.
34. Put in: ADD. To put something with something else to increase the number or amount or to make it more important. Or, to voice an opinion in an on-going discussion.
36. Allows: OKs. Grants assent or permission.
38. Two-time Emmy winner Remini: LEAH. Leah Marie Remini [b. 1970] is an American actress. She starred as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Vanessa Celluci in the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait, both alongside Kevin James.
39. Snooze: NAP. A short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours.
40. Generous pour: GLASSFUL. An amount contained by or sufficient to fill a glass or tumbler, possibly to the brim.
43. Gloss target: LIP. Gloss is a cosmetic used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes to add a subtle color. It is distributed as a fluid or a soft solid. A lip is either of the two fleshy parts which form the upper and lower edges of the opening of the mouth. Their primary purpose is to make sounds on the trombone.
44. Wily: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
45. Sandal style: T-STRAP. Having a single or multiple strap attached to a shoe to hold it on the foot or having a purely ornamental function and passing either above the instep near the arch or around the ankle.
46. "Gosh darn it!": AW HELL. Slangy expressions of disappointment.
47. Treating unkindly: MEAN TO. Purposefully being rude or saying or doing something to hurt someone.
48. Object in a game of fetch: PET TOY. Toys specifically marketed for dogs to play with come in many varieties, including dog bones, puppy toys, balls, tug toys, training aids, squeaky toys, etc. As far as I know, attempting to play fetch with cats is doomed to failure.
50. Connective tissue: TENDON. A flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone.
53. Spanish "thing": COSA. Literal translation.
54. Well-groomed: KEMPT. Maintained in a neat and clean condition; well cared for.
55. Trifling sum: SOU. A former French coin of low value.
45. Packs in, as coffee: TAMPS. Rams or packs (a substance) down or into something firmly. I've never tamped coffee.
49. Performer's routine: ACT. Perform a fictional role in a play, movie, or television production.
51. Nursery rhyme vessel: PAIL. A usually cylindrical container with a handle. Don't fall down when carrying one, you could break something.
56. Snoop: SPY. Investigate or look around furtively in an attempt to find out something, especially information about someone's private affairs.
57. "Never would have thought": THAT SO? Expression of surprise or disbelief
58. Vegas lights: NEONS. Fluorescent lamps filled with neon, and inert gas
60. Monopoly payment: RENT. A fee charged to a player who lands on somebody else's property
66. Midrange voice type: ALTO. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by either low women's or high men's voices. It is pitched lower than soprano, and higher than baritone.
67. "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" writer: AESOP. Aesop [c. 620–564 BCE] was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day.
68. Spicy __ roll: TUNA. A saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which averages 2 m and is believed to live up to 50 years.
69. Devious plan: PLOY. A tactic intended to embarrass or frustrate an opponent, or to trick someone to achieve an often concealed objective.
70. Parking lot mishap: DENT. Making a bad impression.
71. Healthy piece: SLAB. A large, thick, flat piece of stone, concrete, or wood. Though, in this case, it's probably a piece of meat.
Down:
1. "A Christmas Carol" cry: BAH. Frequent utterance of Ebenezer Scrooge. His redemption by three spirits has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday in the English-speaking world
2. Intense music genre: EMO. Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and post-hardcore from the mid–1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore scene.
3. Making a gift of: DONATING. Giving money or goods for a good cause, for example to a charity.
4. Misrepresent, as data: SKEW. To distort from a true value or symmetrical form
5. Braided bread often filled with chocolate or cinnamon: BABKA. A sweet braided bread which originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. It is popular in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora.
6. Make aware: CLUE IN. Provide information about a particular item or event.
7. Swindle: CON. Use deception to deprive someone of money or possessions.
8. "Just wait a __": SEC. Request for someone to briefly pause an action.
9. Tennis and golf legend Gibson: ALTHEA. Althea Neale Gibson [1927 - 2003] was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event.
10. Showed displeasure like a dragon: ROARED. A roar is a a full, deep, prolonged cry uttered by a lion or other large wild animal. Why a fictional creature was chosen is a bit of a mystery.
11. Burning: ABLAZE. On fire. Keep your distance. AFLAME has 4 of the same letters.
12. Pricey German wheels, informally: BEEMER. A BMW automobile, a product of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, commonly abbreviated to BMW, a German multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
15. "Inside the NBA" analyst, familiarly: SHAQ. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, known commonly as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA.
18. Thanksgiving vegetable: YAM. Only maybe. Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.
22. Naturally bright: SUNLIT. Like an atrium, a large open-air or skylight-covered space surrounded by a building.
23. "Survivor" network: CBS. Columbia Broadcasting System
24. "__ we having fun yet?": ARE. The second person singular present and first, second, third person plural present of be. Well - are we?
26. Never ever: NOT ONCE. Ain't gonna happen.
27. "Get out!": SHOO. A word said to frighten or drive away a person or animal. And never, ever come back!
29. Dairy farm sound: MOO. Bovine utterance. Not to be confused with an udderance, though moo utterers do have udders.
33. Events with a lot of insult comedy: ROASTS. A banquet at which the guest of honor is subjected to good-natured ridicule.
34. Put in: ADD. To put something with something else to increase the number or amount or to make it more important. Or, to voice an opinion in an on-going discussion.
36. Allows: OKs. Grants assent or permission.
38. Two-time Emmy winner Remini: LEAH. Leah Marie Remini [b. 1970] is an American actress. She starred as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Vanessa Celluci in the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait, both alongside Kevin James.
39. Snooze: NAP. A short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours.
40. Generous pour: GLASSFUL. An amount contained by or sufficient to fill a glass or tumbler, possibly to the brim.
43. Gloss target: LIP. Gloss is a cosmetic used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes to add a subtle color. It is distributed as a fluid or a soft solid. A lip is either of the two fleshy parts which form the upper and lower edges of the opening of the mouth. Their primary purpose is to make sounds on the trombone.
44. Wily: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
45. Sandal style: T-STRAP. Having a single or multiple strap attached to a shoe to hold it on the foot or having a purely ornamental function and passing either above the instep near the arch or around the ankle.
46. "Gosh darn it!": AW HELL. Slangy expressions of disappointment.
47. Treating unkindly: MEAN TO. Purposefully being rude or saying or doing something to hurt someone.
48. Object in a game of fetch: PET TOY. Toys specifically marketed for dogs to play with come in many varieties, including dog bones, puppy toys, balls, tug toys, training aids, squeaky toys, etc. As far as I know, attempting to play fetch with cats is doomed to failure.
50. Connective tissue: TENDON. A flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone.
53. Spanish "thing": COSA. Literal translation.
54. Well-groomed: KEMPT. Maintained in a neat and clean condition; well cared for.
55. Trifling sum: SOU. A former French coin of low value.
59. Crypto artworks, for short: NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens -- blockchain-based tokens that each represent a unique asset like a piece of art, digital content, or media. An NFT can be thought of as an irrevocable digital certificate of ownership and authenticity for a given asset, whether digital or physical.
62. Nickname for Edward or Theodore: TED. It's unclear to me how TED is derived from either of them. But I knew I guy named Roland who went by Ron. This whole thing is about as confusing as NFTs
63. Not let go to waste: USE. Consume or put in to action - not let something sit idle.
64. "Go-To Dinners" cookbook writer Garten: INA. Ina Rosenberg Garten [b. 1948] is an American television cook and author. She is host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and was a former staff member of the Office of Management and Budget.
65. Capture: NAB. In this context, apprehend a wrong-doer.
Hope you found something sweet to enjoy in this basket of Valentine treats.
Cool regards!
Cool regards!
JzB
I understood some of the themed answers, but not all. (I had to get on this site to understand “Sweet cheeks,” for example .) Nevertheless, they were all solid, in-the-language phrases that kept the puzzle from being very difficult. (And it’s not quite a panagram because, among other things, it doesn’t have a “j” or an “x .”) Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy. And Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!
ReplyDeleteFIR, but erased cacti for ALOES and pry for SPY.
ReplyDeleteToday is:
VALENTINE'S DAY (AKA take your significant other out to dinner day)
ASH WEDNESDAY (AKA Aspirin Day in NOLA)
NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY (I’ll have chocolate-filled chocolates, please)
NATIONAL FERRIS WHEEL DAY (Erik Larson’s superb book The Devil in the White City describes how the Ferris Wheel was created and built for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair)
When I briefly worked in Venezuela, the custom was that on Valentine's day, gentlemen took their mistresses out to dinner early and their wives out for dinner later.
Anyone know if Vegas lights are trending away for NEON to LED? I'd bet on it. (When they resurrected the giant Domino Sugar sign in Baltimore, they used LEDs that look like the original NEONS.)
I'm shocked, shocked, to find H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS in this family blog.
Thanks to Margi and Katie for the fun, and to JzB for the fine review and the nice sculpture.
Hands up for cacti!
DeleteShocked as well! Was sure it would end up being OH WELL… And you don’t even wanna know my first thought when I saw “Karma is a ___”
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMargi and Katie showed us some love this morning, and led me astray in several spots: CLUE IN/INFORM, PRY/SPY, PLOT/PLOY. Chances to utilize my trusty Wite-Out. Enjoyed your always-esoteric expo, JzB (Callipgian? Now that's a 64-dollar word. Cheeky.)
SEÑORA: Also an old song by the original Kingston Trio.
DO, think Bootylicious
DeleteFIR. And Happy Valentines Day to all.
ReplyDeleteA few nits with the cluing. BCC's and brim seem a stretch to me given the clues. And in my entire life I have never tamped coffee, or know anyone who ever said that they did.
The theme was clever and appropriate to the day and fun to suss out. I especially liked main squeeze.
Morning! Espresso grounds are tamped. Never tamped my coffee grounds. I also assume garden beds are being referenced in "plot points?" but not completely sure how that tracks. Have a great day everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn my (Polish-American) family, BABKA wasn't braided, just a big round loaf, often with golden raisins.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter taught one of her cats to fetch. But I'm convinced it's only "fetch" from a human viewpoint; dogs play "chase" and only bring a toy back so you'll throw it again.
Took 6:39 today to find the coder's valentine (secret admirer).
ReplyDeleteI agree the bccs and brim clues seemed a little off.
I knew today's actress (Leah) & athlete (Althea), but not today's Spanish lesson (cosa).
Thank you for the very thorough review.
Easy but fun puzzle MS & KH. Thank you JB for explaining the tubers. Hand up for sweet potatoes.
ReplyDeleteA SLAB of meat, pie or cake is hearty, but ‘healthy”? I understand BEDS are plots, but points?
Does anyone else (probably only blog ladies) remember the “ HONEY BUNCH” series of books by Helen Louise Thorndyke? Early readers, “Honey Bunch - Her First Trip in an Airplane”, H.B - Her Fist Trip to the Zoo”, etc. I thought she had such an exciting life!
billocohoes @7:20 - Congratulations to your daughter! My Freddy will not fetch.
Happy❤️ Day, all!
testing
ReplyDeleteCute theme for Valentine's day - weird day with the overlap of that and also Ash Wednesday. I wonder if the ashes on people's foreheads will be in the shape of a heart today instead of a cross? or a cross inside a heart?
ReplyDeleteThe coffee that gets in the little metal holders is TAMPED down before it is put into the espresso machine.
Thanks JzB for the informative blog - (at first I thought it might be Splynter for some unknown reason) and to Margi & Katie for the fun puzzle!
Anon@7:55 -- Haven't you ever heard of the Cosa Nostra -- "our thing."
ReplyDeleteA clever and fun Valentines Day offering.
ReplyDeleteI’m taking my “main squeeze” for a romantic supper tonite and will pick up some 🌹 roses this afternoon.
Thanks Margi and Katie for a delightful puzzle
……. kkFlorida
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteCute and timely theme. My favorite C/A was Beekeeper's valentine=Honey Bunch. Cosa was the only unknown and I had no w/os but almost threw in Plot before Ploy and Cacti before Aloes. I, too, found some of the cluing off-kilter, plus the awkward-sounding Aw Heck imposter. There was a mini animal theme with Moo, Arab, Cat, Tuna, and Pet, and stretching it, Shoo!
Thanks, Margi and Katie, and thanks, JazzB, for the detailed, entertaining, and informative review. As usual, your understated humor is notice and appreciated. Coincidentally, it was announced today that Shaq's number was just retired by The Magic, first ever in the team's history.
Jinx @ 5:28 ~ I read and enjoyed The Devil In The White City years ago. That novel and City of Light, which was about the development of Niagara Falls hydroelectric power, shared many similarities.
Happy Valentine's Day! 💘
Hola!
ReplyDeleteYea! My test went through without having to prove my I.D.
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
And thanks to Margi, Katie and Jazzbumpa for a fun time. I finished in good time, sans coffee, thinking I would return to bed.
No unknowns were found in this puzzle, I'm happy to say. I learned ASHRAM when I read EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert.
T-STRAP sandals are my everyday wear, even in winter except sometimes when I go outside.
And I'm not too old to appreciate a GOOD LOOKING STUD MUFFIN. Thank you for that photo!
COSA was my first fill and I was surprised to see it. It just proves that what is easy for some is difficult for others.
Have a happy, love filled day, everyone!
Typical midweek challenge but the Valentine theme should have been “Synonyms of Bae 😝
ReplyDeleteInkovers: astir/AWARE, agog/AMOK, cacti/ALOES, Challa/BABKA
DW buys a BABKA (Babcia = “grandmother” in Polish) sometimes once a week and I’ve never seen “Babka” braided, (Bill C.) that’s why I filled Challa which I spelt wrong (Challah).
Isn’t the “object in a game of fetch” to bring the stick back? 🐕. Nursery rhyme vessel I see is not rub-a-dub….atub. 🛁
TED from “Edward” makes as much sense as Peg from “Margaret” (Margi)
Thought the “horse breed” was Arabian not ARAB which I think of as a person. But that’s always the answer to a not too uncommon clue. Ah! I’ve been erroneously saying kept like “unkept” (sloppy) in this month of “Febuary” 😉
So BRIM is a verb here.
Is it a “Yokohama drama”? NOH?… Known familiarly as Yo mama. 😃. “Treating unkindly” while camping: MEANTO In a lean to?
Simon’s pieman product….. AWARE
Man cave…. ADEN
“So long, ____ later!” ALTHEA
JzB, thanks for doing all the research
💝 to all
Cute puzzle for Valentine's Day. The theme was evident early on. Only Leah and NFT where new to me, but others required a perp or two to jog my memory.
ReplyDeleteI questioned tamping coffee, but Portland Mainer set me straight. Yes, I have heard of tamping Espresso when you brew it. In baking, tamping brown sugar is more common.
A few perps led to BABKA, but, I too, question the braiding. I looked up images. None were braided. Was the constructor thinking of Challah?
Brim is a verb, too, but not often used. Brimming is more common. Eyes brimming with tears, heart brimming with love or hope, glass brimming with Glenmorangie Scotch (David bought me a bottle of that for Christmas. Heavenly.)
COSA Nostra, translated "our thing", was a gimme.
David and Motoko ordered flowers for me for Valentine's day. They hadn't arrived in the US by yesterday, due to the multistate snow storm. I will likely get them tomorrow. Most of the flowers sold in the US come from overseas.
Happy Valentine's Day to all.
I have researched this often. It seems ARAB and ARABIAN are both correct. In fiction, Arab is more commonly found than Arabian.
ReplyDeleteIn shoes, including sandals, T straps have straps in a T shape on the instep, no matter what they are attached to. The T shape is the defining factor, the sine qua non.
Thanks, JzB, for Callipyge and the rest of the great write up.
ReplyDeleteHappy V.D. to all.
Good Morning! A fun Valentine theme today – thanks, Margi & Katie.
ReplyDeleteNo unknown or obscure names – Yea! I just had some hesitations with spelling which the perps handily resolved.
ESP: NFTS
WOs: cacti -> ALOES; set -> ACT;
Ugh – FIW: erred on plot -> PLOY
Learning moment: BRIM is a verb as in “fill to the brim.” I always thought in that use it was a noun meaning edge. And, yes, also a noun as part of a hat.
Thanks, JazzB, for a recap filled with fun and great info!
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Our very warm February days have me thinking about tilling up those BEDS
-A class that is running AMOK will make you not sub there any more
-My granddaughters love Taylor Swift and CATS
-TAMP: we called this “an elephant foot”. We used it before we poured a SLAB.
-DONATING is a wonderful thing but be prepared for an onslaught of other requests
-SKEW: 100% of people who eat carrots will die
-My golf course sees a lot of pickups and very few BEEMERS in the parking lot
-How many of these have you never ever done NOT even ONCE
-INA is not in the same class as ERIE but it’s getting close
-NFT’S: Any port in a storm
-5:30 pm was the latest reservation we could get for tonight
p.s. My score on the Never Have I Ever test was 15.
ReplyDeleteGot 'r done, but it was kind of a stretch today. IM said it for me..."off kilter" sums it up nicely, but that may just be me. YMMV. NFTS always seemed like such a idiotic scam to me. P. T. Barnum probably would have loved them!
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ReplyDeleteYes, espresso coffee is tamped….and the device is a “tamper”.
I use a “leveler” now, no more tamper. And no more tamper tantrums (sorry, here all week, tip your server).
Okay, first world issue…BMW…autos/SUVs are BIMMERS, motorcycles are BEEMERS. This will be on the test.
Today's Valentine puzzle was a treat. Didn't know the tennis player or Emmy winner, but FIR and liked it. JazzBumpa's review was a hoot. I read his answer for "Gloss target" aloud to DH. ARE we having fun yet? You betcha!
ReplyDeleteI always like timely themes. This one was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI too erased cacti for ALOES, plot for PLOY.and aflame for ABLAZE enabling the SQUEEZE that led me to the theme.
The SW was the last to fill. It took me a while to understand that the “object” being fetch was a TOY. I wanted stick.
JB thanks for the nice recap.
MalMan, you wish me happy VD? Makes me crabby.
ReplyDeleteH.Gary, I haven't done 11, at least that I remember. SKEW: ESPN's college basketball announcer Jimmy Dykes says that he likes to brag about his playing career at Arkansas. He played in 27 games, and Arkansas went 27-0 in those games. The kicker is that he was a bench teammate who only played at the end of the game when an Arkansas victory was assured. There were 27 such wins over his four year career.
H.Gary, you would use a TAMPer to TAMP concrete before you float it.
ReplyDeleteAnon.PVX - I did not know that! My 2013 Bimmer (not BEEMER), alas, probably needs a new catalytic converter that will be a too expensive repair for an 11 year old car. I no longer drive (“Hello inanehiker - hope your brother backs you up!) but I have people drive me in my car. The loss of “wheels” is a life-altering event.
ReplyDeleteTimely puzzle that I enjoyed. I also enjoyed your recap Jazz. Great humor. GC
ReplyDeletebillocohoes@7:20, I used to have a cat who loved to fetch. He would chase these small felt balls and bring them back to me. He was a Siberian and very smart. He also learned how to open the bifold doors on our coat closet and then go on and take a nap. My cats don't get TUNA or any other fish. Wild felines don't have fish in their diet.
ReplyDeleteFIW, entered PLOt instead of PLOY and didn't correct it for PETTOY. The tobacco in a pipe also gets tamped so it burns slower.
While you could use neon in fluorescent bulbs, argon is more common and is at very low pressure.
This Easter I will make Easter BABKA bread for our family. It doesn't have any TWistS to it, although you probably could shape it that way before baking.
Thanks to Margi and Katie for your submission and congrats to JzB for the recap.
All that glitters is not gold, it could be rhinestones.
Punchbuggy.
Fun Valentine theme!
ReplyDeleteJazzbumpa Thank you for the learning moment about the Venus Callipyge with her SWEET CHEEKS. I had no idea. I had a coworker friend at the Smithsonian who used to ogle a woman in the Smithsonian cafeteria, naming her SWEET CHEEKS.
AW HELL seems a lot stronger than GOSH DARN IT.
Here I was with RALPH NADER in 2007 in Alaska on a cruise with The Nation magazine.
He was signing a copy of his then new book Seventeen Traditions. He grew up not far from me in New England, raised with the same values and traditions: Be a good citizen. Good citizenship is the highest honor. A wonderful short book.
Hi everyone! First-time post here. I may be a little younger than most crossword fans but I still like to do em the old-fashioned way with pen and [news]paper.
ReplyDeleteBarely couldn’t finish around the SWEETCHEEKS area. Didn’t think of SOU so I had IOU. Never heard of T-STRAP. The clue for TAMPS is great, just thought it would be an O there for OH HELL. And the Yemeni/Remini cross formed a blockade for me.
Thanks to Margi and Katie for a cute puzzle that made me miss my sweetie-pie!
What a day. Worked the puzzle at 6:00 am. Went to the hospital at 7:00am. Got an electric shock for aFib. Out by 11:00. Back MD said I was back in rhythm but DW said I still can't dance. Went for a Valentine's day lunch with DW. Back home by 1:30.
ReplyDeleteIt was a DNF. COSA was an unknown and I'd never seen KEMPT without UN. I had SWEET but would have never filled CHEEKS, even with SWEET__EE_S already on the grid. The saying is new to me as was "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse". BABKA was also unknown but HONEY BUNCH and MAIN SQUEEZE took care of it.
CAT and any other Swift lyrics are not known by this 'STUD MUFFIN'.
ALTHEA Gibson was a gimme for her tennis career but I didn't know about the golf.
NFT- who would buy something that can't be resold?
Garten and cooking- Don't know anything about the book buy INA joins ORA, OTT, & ORR as staples.
Greetings, Arizona Jim. Come on in, the water's fine. Chairman Moe, our alternate Friday blogger, hails from Mesa. And methinks Lucina is from Scottsdale. What part of AZ do you call home?
ReplyDeleteSmack dab in the middle! Camp Verde
DeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI did the puzzle earlier today at the Dr.'s office. Been sick for 3.5 days and you know what CUTIE PIE says after putting up with you.
Fun Valentine's Day puzzle, Margi & Katie. I've called DW 17a, 25a, 37a, 52a but never received a 61a :-)
Thanks for the fantastic expo, JzB. Intro songs were great and who can't appreciate Venus.
WO: Sc(at) -> SHOO; PLOt - > PLOY
DNF: LiAH|ADiN
Fav: TOOLS. I gots tools to fix tools, I got tools (Tim Allen).
AzJim - Welcome to the peanut gallery! I joined the x-word corner ~10 years ago when I was in my 40s. When I mentioned who said what at The Corner, DW would ask "Is that one of your octogenarian friends." She wasn't entirely wrong ;-)
HG - I scored a 10. What does that mean? There wasn't a score that said "boring" or "wow!" at the end.
Pop & I made this "poor-man's" TAMPer to, um, pound sand before laying stones.
BigE - early on one could resell NFTs for $$$*. Now they're as worthless as a PET-rock.
Enjoyed reading y'all from my sick-bed!
Cheers, -T
*NOT ONCE buying an NFT would have given me another point in HG's quiz. For value, it was dumber than CryptoCoins.
Thank you! Joining in my 40s as well.
DeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIR with no mistakes or write overs
[spoiler alert] - there are at least two words in today's puzzle that also appear in Friday's
HG @ 10:50 ==> I scored a 7 - must be a bit more adventurous, perhaps? And FTR, I don't have any tattoos, and have not flown in a helicopter or gone SCUBA diving ...
Thanks to the constructors and recapper for today's puzzle
MalMan's comment (Jinx noticed, too) reminded me of a Moe-ku I wrote some 5 or 6 years ago. Don't know if I entered it here, but if not:
Guy sent a hurried
Text message for Valentines:
"Happy VD Day"
I thought “Non-fungible Tokens” meant you couldn’t us them to by shrooms 🍄🍄
ReplyDeleteAnd VD day? Should be included in Jinx’s list as “NATIONAL STD DAY” 🫣
Thank you, Margi Stevenson and Katie Hale, and thank you Jazzbumpa.
ReplyDeleteMy day got away from me. What was the puzzle about? Oh yeah. No complaints here. EZPZ.
DW got a big bar of Harison Premium Swiss Milk Chocolate, and a Bissel Power Steamer.
Better than the woman in Peru who went out of her apartment to greet the big teddy bears outside her door today. One of the teddy bears arrested her. They knew she was dealing drugs, and they found 1000 packets of cocaine in her home.
Okay, so the power steamer was from me. I can clearly see through the window of the oven door again! Making bacon in the oven is easier, but it's easier to clean the stove top.
Never have I ever - 10 of those things... 11 if you don't count the Gulf as an ocean. Ah, make it 11 anyway 'cause I can't swim. It was more like wading and flailing around.
C-Moe, were you just throwing in flying in a helicopter? :>)
D'Oh! I meant the power steamer was for me, although it was also from me.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Arizona Jim. If you keep an open mind and ignore the daily whiners, you'll enjoy reading each of the daily blogger's reviews of the puzzle, and most of the comments.
TTP - C.Moe made me go back and re-count my Never Evers 'cuz of the helicopter.
ReplyDeleteI've been in a chopper 3x. Twice in a transport while NATO training in Germany (lots of hyperbolic / nuclear cooling towers in the country side, I noticed) and once from a Warrant Officer who visited our Reserves training. It was a Bell - both he and the Huey was from the Vietnam era. //and he flew like Mad Murdock from the A-Team. Scared me something, he did.
Giving Birth on the quiz wasn't fair. It only applies to 50+% of the population.
Cheers, -T
Wound up with 8 on HGs quiz.
ReplyDelete... happy to see that at least a few of you caught it.
ReplyDeleteMM, I saw it but didn't comment. Funny.
ReplyDeleteDash T, I was RA at the 70th AVIM at Coleman Barracks in '76, and my CO was pushing me to WOFTS (Warrant Officer Flight Training School) that would have extended my commitment by years, and I wasn't gung ho about that. Next thing you know, I was transferred to a wheeled and track vehicle maintenance battalion in the Black Forest in Karlsruhe. That turned out to be the best time of my service to this country.
FWIW, I didn't do rotor wing or vehicle maintenance at either Coleman or Gerzewski (Karlsruhe), other than on my 5 ton multi-fuel tractor trailer, which was ODAA (Other Duties As Assigned.)
ReplyDeleteI ran the "mechanized" (computerized) stock control systems at both kasernes. That was an NCR 500 DCAS system. Parlayed that into my 35+ year career. Be all that you can be. Go Army!
TTP - funny your computer Post. I ONCE got out of Reserve "summer camp" re-writing /customizing software for Top. #ArmyStrong!
ReplyDelete//I did love hanging in the motorpool. I almost learned how to play dominoes but only got as far as "Baby Needs a new Pair of Shoes." :-)
Obligatory SNL NFT sketch.
Cheers, -T
HG @ 10:41 -- "-DONATING is a wonderful thing but be prepared for an onslaught of other requests."
ReplyDeleteAdd to that an election year, and it's a wonder that mailmen (or postalettes) don't quit: junk mail by the ton!
Hello, Arizona Jim. Welcome, neighbor! Or should I say, fellow Arizonian. BTW, today is Arizona's anniversary of statehood. Yes, we are the sweetheart state.
ReplyDeleteI'll see myself out.
Haha. Cool!
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