(Notes from C.C.: George Simpson is Big Easy on our blog.)
Theme: HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAVE A BALL!
Today is the very last day of 2024. What's on the agenda to mark the last minute of this day?
It's the big reveal:
23 Down. New Year's Eve tradition in the Big Apple, and what can be found in 3-, 8-, 33-, and 37-Down?: BALL DROP. Yes, folks, if you stay up late enough, you can see the BALL DROP in New York City, replayed in various time zones, even here on the West coast. Not sure why we watch it, since it happened hours earlier! Regardless, you'll find two kinds of BALLs DROPping in each of the other theme answers.
The rest of the theme clues and answers are:
3 Down. Parmesan, e.g.: HARD CHEESE. Parmesan is a hard cheese. HARDBALL refers to baseball (the game or the ball itself), or to forceful tactics. CHEESEBALL can be an appetizer made of blended cheeses, an adjective meaning lacking taste or style, or a person who lacks taste or style.
 |
| This snow man is kind of a cheeseball. |
8 Down. Speedy way to the top: FAST TRACK. A course leading to rapid advancement is a FAST TRACK. A FASTBALL is the most common type of pitch in baseball. A TRACKBALL is a computer cursor control device.
 |
| Trackball. |
33 Down. Succotash ingredient: BUTTER BEAN. Succotash is a dish of corn kernels and lima beans. BUTTER BEAN is another name for lima bean. BUTTERBALL is a brand of turkey products, and has less common meanings, too, like chubby person. BEANBALL is a ball thrown with the intention of hurting another person, specifically by hitting them in the head.
37 Down. Political campaign funding source: SOFT MONEY. SOFT MONEY is a contribution to a political party that is not designated for a particular candidate, and thus avoids campaign contribution limits. SOFTBALL is an adaptation of baseball, played with a larger ball, with underhand pitches, and on a smaller diamond. MONEYBALL has a few meanings, but is most often identified with the 2003 book by Michael Lewis titled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, and with the 2011 film adaptation of the book.
 |
| DH says that he looks like Brad Pitt. He does not. |
Ready? Let's play ball!
1. Sound softened by acoustic foam: ECHO. Acoustic foam is a sound absorption material which reduces echo and improves sound quality within a room.
5. Hole-making tool: AWL. Aw, it's our friend AWL again!
8. Gemstone surface: FACET.
13. Yonder item: THAT. Yes, THAT item over yonder.
14. __ gin fizz: SLOE. Sloe gin is made from ripe sloe drupes which are small fruits closely related to plums. To make a sloe gin fizz, combine sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice; cover and shake, and then strain into a glass. Stir in club soda and garnish with a slice of lemon.
15. Supreme Being of Islam: ALLAH. Allah is the Arabic word for God, in particular, the God of Abraham.
16. Golf rental: CART.
17. Place for suckers?: CANDY STORE. The sweet kind of suckers:
13. Yonder item: THAT. Yes, THAT item over yonder.
14. __ gin fizz: SLOE. Sloe gin is made from ripe sloe drupes which are small fruits closely related to plums. To make a sloe gin fizz, combine sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice; cover and shake, and then strain into a glass. Stir in club soda and garnish with a slice of lemon.
15. Supreme Being of Islam: ALLAH. Allah is the Arabic word for God, in particular, the God of Abraham.
16. Golf rental: CART.
17. Place for suckers?: CANDY STORE. The sweet kind of suckers:
19. Grotesque: HIDEOUS.
21. Settle the score: GET EVEN.
22. Mobile home?: CRIB. My favorite part of a baby's room: the mobile that hangs over the crib.
21. Settle the score: GET EVEN.
22. Mobile home?: CRIB. My favorite part of a baby's room: the mobile that hangs over the crib.
23. Visibly embarrassed: BEET RED.
24. Fire pit residue: ASH.
26. "Tra-__": LA LA. Nonsense syllables standing in for song lyrics.
28. Grads-to-be: SRS. Those about to be graduates are SenioRS.
29. Much of a sunflower: STEM. Sunflowers do have very tall stems.
.jpg) |
| I photographed this sunflower in Slide Rock State Park near Sedona, Arizona. |
31. Honolulu hello: ALOHA.
33. __ window: BAY. A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a "bay" in a room.
 |
| Exterior view of a bay window. |
36. Floor plan calculations: AREAS.
38. Org. for Cubs and Tigers: MLB. Major League Baseball. Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.
39. Waterpark feature: CHUTE. AKA water slide, flume, or hydroslide. Great fun for kids.
41. Genre for "Dancing Queen": DISCO. "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976).
42. Citrus drink suffix: ADE. LemonADE, limeADE ... even orangeADE. Fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.
43. Toys with strings: KITES. Because YOYOS didn't work with the perpendicular entries.
44. Mimic: APE.
45. Like most house pets: FURRY.
47. Cardinals great Musial: STAN. "Stan the Man" (1920-2013) Musial was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB. If you have identified today's blogger, you know that STAN was all perps (perpendicular entries) for me.
38. Org. for Cubs and Tigers: MLB. Major League Baseball. Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.
39. Waterpark feature: CHUTE. AKA water slide, flume, or hydroslide. Great fun for kids.
41. Genre for "Dancing Queen": DISCO. "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976).
42. Citrus drink suffix: ADE. LemonADE, limeADE ... even orangeADE. Fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.
43. Toys with strings: KITES. Because YOYOS didn't work with the perpendicular entries.
44. Mimic: APE.
45. Like most house pets: FURRY.
47. Cardinals great Musial: STAN. "Stan the Man" (1920-2013) Musial was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB. If you have identified today's blogger, you know that STAN was all perps (perpendicular entries) for me.
 |
| Stan Musial |
48. High-elev. place: MTN. A high-elevation place is a mountain.
49. Scandinavian capital with many floating saunas: OSLO. Imagine a wood-fired sauna, on a boat, with big windows for sightseeing, and refreshing dips in the fjord! Brr! Not on my list. I do not love temperature shocks.
52. Punk music offshoot: EMO. Thanks to crossword puzzles, I am not completely ignorant of this EMOtional type of punk music.
53. Seafood-based party food: CLAM DIP.
56. Actor Epps: OMAR. Now, this fellow I remember from "House."
49. Scandinavian capital with many floating saunas: OSLO. Imagine a wood-fired sauna, on a boat, with big windows for sightseeing, and refreshing dips in the fjord! Brr! Not on my list. I do not love temperature shocks.
52. Punk music offshoot: EMO. Thanks to crossword puzzles, I am not completely ignorant of this EMOtional type of punk music.
53. Seafood-based party food: CLAM DIP.
56. Actor Epps: OMAR. Now, this fellow I remember from "House."
 |
| Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman on "House." |
58. Empty, as a bottle: POUR OUT.
59. Math course with variables: ALGEBRA. I wept with frustration through algebra classes, but I find it useful now to be able to solve for an unknown quantity.
62. Opinion survey completed with clicks: ONLINE POLL.
64. Greenish blue: TEAL.
65. Find a new purpose for: REUSE.
66. Knocks firmly: RAPS.
67. Billionth: Pref.: NANO. The prefix "nano" means one-billionth, or 10-9 . Teeny tiny.
68. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY.
69. Signs off on: OKS.
70. Poker pot starter: ANTE.
Down:
1. Engrave on glass: ETCH.
2. Cardamom-infused milky tea: CHAI. My morning ritual.
3. [Theme clue]
4. Playful marine mammal: OTTER. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has rescued sea OTTERs on display. Some of the otters are raising orphaned youngsters for release into the ocean.
5. "Regrettably ... ": ALAS.
6. Got the gold: WON.
7. Perch for potted plants: LEDGE. Always a challenge to find sunny spots for the indoor plants.
8. [Theme clue]
9. Takes in, say: ALTERS.
10. Garlic bulb segment: CLOVE.
11. Lop-__ rabbit: EARED. When my children were young, I purchased a lop-EARED (or floppy-eared) rabbit at a pet store. The poor thing had ear mites that required immediate treatment. Apparently, the breeding of rabbits for the cute but unnatural trait of floppy ears has resulted in serious ear and tooth disorders. In nature, a rabbit needs its upright ears to avoid predators. Luckily, our "Whiskers" didn't have any of those.
12. Afterward: THEN.
14. Diving acronym: SCUBA. Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
18. "Wow, that's bad!": YEESH.
20. Squeaky wheel remedy: OIL.
23. [Theme clue]
24. Burrito option: ASADA. Asada is Spanish for "roasted." Carne asada is roasted meat.
25. Bacon piece: STRIP.
27. University in Beaumont, Texas: LAMAR. A public university and member of the Texas State University System, Lamar University has 17,850 students enrolled in 96 undergraduate, 50 master's and eight doctoral degree programs. News to me -- all perps.
30. Apple variety: MAC. Mac, which is short for Macintosh, is Apple Inc.'s line of personal computers. Personal computers were Apple's original business line, but as of the end of 2024 they account for only about eight percent of the company's revenue.
 |
| Apple MacBook Pro |
32. Does as told: OBEYS.
33. [Theme clue]
34. First-string players: A TEAM.
35. Basic type of question: YES/NO.
37. [Theme clue]
40. He/him/__: HIS. Male pronouns.
46. Not justified: UNDUE.
48. Actress Tomei: MARISA. Marisa Tomei is an American actress who gained prominence for her performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992). She's been in many movies since, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress three times.
 |
| Marisa Tomei |
50. Lies around: LOLLS.
51. Shocked letters: OMG. Oh My Gosh! 😲
53. Ice cream holders: CONES.
54. Doozies: LULUS.
55. Tech support whiz: IT PRO. Information Technology Professional.
57. Big name in health insurance: AETNA.
58. Skin opening: PORE.
59. Range crossing eight countries: ALPS.
60. Tirade: RANT.
61. Soothing ingredient in some toners: ALOE.
63. Flooring wood: OAK.
51. Shocked letters: OMG. Oh My Gosh! 😲
53. Ice cream holders: CONES.
54. Doozies: LULUS.
55. Tech support whiz: IT PRO. Information Technology Professional.
57. Big name in health insurance: AETNA.
58. Skin opening: PORE.
59. Range crossing eight countries: ALPS.
60. Tirade: RANT.
61. Soothing ingredient in some toners: ALOE.
63. Flooring wood: OAK.
Here's the grid:
Let me know if I've DROPped the BALL anywhere in this review!
Wishing you all the best of years,
NaomiZ
47 comments:
What did SS say yesterday? That Monday’s puzzle was like a “speed walk”? Today that seems even more true. I don’t time myself as he and a few others do, but today’s time was definitely under five minutes! Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Monday came on Wednesday this week. Didn't notice the theme on my way through the grid -- d-o was looking at the across entries. D'oh. I'm always impressed when the theme matches both words of several two-word answers. Neat. Fess up, folks, did you also see HIDEOU_ and enter T without looking at the clue? Wite-Out, please. Congrats on another collab with C.C., B-E. Excellent recap, NaomiZ, even if you did need four perps for STAN.
TRACKBALL: My "mouse" of choice for several years.
CHUTE: One of the listed synonyms is "flume." We have fond memories of our visit to New Hampshire and its famous flume several years ago.
Hope you celebrate sensibly tonight. We'll have a quiet night at home with a "browsing" meal of smoked salmon, deviled eggs, various cheeses, crackers, and olives. Good-bye, 2024.
What?! The RustyBrain is up before the crack of noon? It’s like I finally got around to this year’s resolution only 364 days late. Oh well, there’s always next year…
As a long time lurker who came out of the closet, I’d like to thank CC and the gang for many pleasant hours of solving and reading the comments of others. As usual, I had a BALL with today’s puzzle!
Wishing all a Happy New Year!
The year is going by so fast...it seems like only Tuesday!
Guess I'm just in a hurry for this year to be over...
Tuesday puzzle. Kind of a knuckle ball to me, slight head scratchers… the kind I enjoy.
Greet the day and end the year.
Best wishes!
Thank you C.C. and Big Easy for the semi-CSO with ADE . Naomi, while the bean ball is to give the pitcher control of the strike zone, it really (normally) is not intended to hit or hurt the batter. The pitcher would be expelled from the game and more. I agree to find two words that work with a clue is a challenge though I thought this was a softball for solvers. Be careful and may 2025 be all you dream of and more.
Took 5:54 today for me to fumble my way through this one.
Bested again by the great SubG!
I had "seed" before "stem", crab dip before clam dip (never heard of that), and
I didn't know "butterbean". But, I knew today's actress (Marisa).
Happy 2025 everyone!
FIR. Today's puzzle was a nice parting year's gift, easy and simple. I had no problems with any of the cluing, all real straightforward.
I got through so fast that I didn't even notice the second "ball" in each of the down answers. And Moneyball is one of my favorite movies.
Overall a most enjoyable puzzle.
Happy New Year, everyone!
A fine and timely collaboration from C.C. and fellow Cornerite Big Easy. The fact that the second word of the theme answers also related to BALL eluded me also, impressive construction! SubG ~ I don’t time myself but the LAT on line puzzle keeps track for me, and today it told me that my FIR time was 7:53. I just use the time as a measure of difficulty, under 10 usually means it was not too hard. Years ago there was a Red Sox player who was destined for greatness, Tony Conigliaro, whose career pretty much ended when he was hit with a viscous BEAN BALL. A million people will be jammed around Times Square for tonight’s BALL DROP, no thanks, I was there a couple weeks ago and that’s about all the crowd I could handle.
NaomiZ ~ for someone who admittedly has a “sports allergy” you are a very proficient pinch hitter here on the Corner. I didn’t have to get to 47A to know it was you that was wielding the blog pen today, after reading many of your write-ups, you have a very recognizable style 😊. We always referred to 🍭’s as suckers, never lollipops.
FIR around 1:20 AM, EST. Zoe had "digestive issues" last night, and woke me up for a early morning trip outside. Had trouble getting back to sleep, so I did the puzzle on line. Too early to post here, so I went back to bed and slept until after 7, unusual for me. Hand up for seed->STEM, for my only erasure.
I've heard a BEAN BALL called "chin music," and "brush back pitch."
Pitcher Don Stanhouse of the Orioles was nicknamed "Stan the Man Unusual."
In nearby, rustic Cape Charles, they drop a crab trap to mark the beginning of the new year.
Hope everyone has a fun NYE, and a better 2025. Thanks to BE and CC for the fun, and to NaomiZ for another excellent review.
YEESH! OMG! Who made this puzzle? I'll give credit to the blog mistress.
It was completed so long ago I worked it today to see if I could do it without having to change an answer. I failed, putting YOYOS before quickly changing to KITES after the first perp.
I remember LAMAR U. as Lamar Tech and who was it's most famous student? The one and only JANIS JOPLIN.
Happy New Year and best wished for 2025,
Nice quick solve today - can't believe SubG and I came in under Speedy Solver- I always admire a dual word construction and the theme answers were vertical to boot!
Starting to slow down around here to be able to come to the blog- some of the family has already headed home and the last will leave in the morning
We keep moving back celebrating New Year's - used to be at midnight, then at NYC EST and now more like London GMT!
When I lived in STL - STAN Musial was still alive and very supportive of the community in retirement along with Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith
Thanks Naomi for the blog and BE & CC for the puzzle
Congrats to HG on the bowl win!
I knew the constructor of this puzzle had to be á neighbor of mine to include Lamar U in Beaumont. Congratulations Big Easy on á fun CW. Too bad I forgot to check that the second word also fit the theme. Impressive. As impressive is NaomiZ’s recap.
I bought my first Apple computer in 1989 and it’s been Apple all the way since.
I’m ready to POUR OUT á bottle of Champagne tonight and bid goodbye to 2024. I wish you all á happy, healthy 2025.
Good Morning! Fun puzzle and cleverly structured in tune with the holiday. And what a delightful surprise to see our constructors, Big Easy and CC!! Well done!
My only ESP was LAMAR, and no WOs – Yay!
Nice to see Naomi as our blogger. I didn’t pick up on the (to me) less familiar second connections to the theme until I came to the Corner. Thanks, Naomi. I agree with you completely about temperature shocks and EMO familiarity!! LOL 😄
Sending my Best Wishes to the Cornerites for a happy and healthy New Year.
I forgot to mention CC’s collaboration on this CW, the woman who has added so much fun to the solving of the LA Times puzzle with the creation of this Corner. 🥂
Musings
-A timely and fun inhouse puzzle for us.
-BEAN BALL – It amazes me that MLB hasn’t made batting helmets with face masks mandatory
-Rooms with lots of ECHOS are hard to navigate for this hearing aid wearer.
-Golf CART: It would take at least eight years for me to justify buying a cart for what I can pay for rent.
-I never understood why fun DISCO music generated such hate
-My knowledge of past and present MLB players compensates somewhat for my dearth of knowledge about rap groups and B-list actors and actresses.
-Elev. – I posted last week that LHASA has a McDonalds at 12,500’ above sea level
-Plants on the LEDGE or sill
-When I emerge from my Mac world, it is hard to help some kids with PC issues
-Brenda Lee, et al, had some great EMO music decades ago.
-Thanks, Nina, that’s one-in-a-row for the Huskers!
I agree with your comment about C.C. and the Corner, and she sure shares her talents mentoring other constructors.
Hola!
I started the puzzle about six a.m. then went back to bed, It was Tuesday Easy (see what I did there?) and after I finished, I set it down. CSO to my mother whose nickname was LALA.
I love CHEESE, HARD, SOFT, shredded or any way but you can take your CLAM DIP. I don't care for any kind of sea food.
I, also, cried my way through ALGEBRA I and II, calculus and most math classes. However, I loved all lit classes.
Around here we keep MTN. time. For me only OMAR Sharif comes to mind.
We had many FURRY animals when my daughter was growing up and she now has two adorable German shepherds.
Many thanks to the A-TEAM of C.C. and Big Easy!
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2025 bring you blessings and prosperity.
Yes, yo-yo b/4 kite! FIR, but I'm mad at myself for not even looking for the second theme word ball match up. It is so rare to find both theme words working the theme so well...
I've always wanted to construct a crossword puzzle, but I would never be happy enough with all the perps to get it finished. It would always be a work in progress. example, if I attempted a ball drop puzzle...
Good Morning:
What a pleasant surprise to see Big Easy’s name as a collaborator with our dear leader, CC. And what a pleasant experience to end the year on with their fun and clever offering, not to mention timely, as well. I join those who missed the second word connection, a feature that adds another layer of interest to the solve. I was unfamiliar with Lamar and I went astray with Crab instead of Clam Dip and Slice instead of Strip of Bacon, but the rest was smooth sailing. Favorite C/A was Mobile home=Crib.
Thanks, Big Easy and CC, for a fun solve and thanks, Naomi, for being so entertaining while enlightening our minds. Your explanation of the dual themers was spot-on. I also enjoyed the cute photo of the lop-eared bunny, the darling snowman cheese ball, and the lovely and talented Marisa Tomei.
I achieved my 600 th consecutive correct answer in Phrazle today. My streaks in Wordle and Connections pale in comparison, though.
Have a safe and happy celebration tonight. I may or may not make it until the ball drop.
WOW, 2025 already? It doesn’t seem that long ago that Y2K was looming with apprehension. Happy New Year to all! 🎊 🍷~🍷
A belated welcome aboard, Rusty Brain! 🎊
Quick ‘n easy with a dearth of PNs. Lots of familiar “friends” ANTE, ADE, AWL, ETCH etc. l
Took a lot of 🏀 🏈 🥎’s to come up with the theme. 🤭
Inkovers: Yikes/YEESH (sheesh, c’mon!)
We have an “IT PRO” assigned to our department, an intern who just turned 20 and has probably forgot more about computers than I’ve ever learnt.
What does Hercule Poirot have to do with “empty as a bottle”? Ooops never mind
😃.
See you all next year!
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun Big Easy and C.C., and Naomi.
I FIRed in good time, and saw the double BALL drop theme (although initially I was looking for Across themers at 17A).
Hand up for Seed before STEM and Crab before CLAM.
Favourite was the misdirection in the clue for CRIB.
I noted POUR crossing PORE.
We also had a plethora of O (and O sound) endings - ECHO, SLOE, EMO, IT PRO, DISCO, ALOE, OSLO.
And another plethora of Awe-sound endings - ALLAH, LALA, AREA(S), ALGEBRA, ALOHA, ASADA, MARISA.
Wishing you all a wonderful New Years Eve.
Hand up missed that both theme words involved a BALL DROP. Hand up very impressed.
NaomiZ I am also very impressed with your Sedona SUNFLOWER photo. Perfect composition and impressive depth of field.
Merlie made a stunning painting of my PETS that are not at all FURRY.
Never had FURRY PETS due to allergies. Always had eco-friendly amphibians or reptiles.
Good morning. Thank you, Big Easy and C.C., and and thank you, NaomiZ.
Loved it! This was a very timely puzzle for today. I think these are sometimes called "event" puzzles.
I have one to add. Defensive back's asset? Footspeed.
I've mentioned before that it seems unusual that the small borough of Donora, PA was the birthplace of STAN Musial, Ken Griffey Sr and Ken Griffey Jr. STAN and Jr are in the MLB HOF, and Sr was no slouch.
BEANBALL - Derived from throwing at the batter's head, slangily called a bean in days of yore.
I minced 8 CLOVEs of garlic for the braised ribs yesterday. Can't have too much garlic, IMHO.
Bowl mania starts today. 12 games over the next five days. Lots of hype.
As I type, #11 Alabama has run 10 plays and has had 3 turnovers. Unranked Michigan is playing lights-out football, and leads 16-0.
NaomiZ, did someone tell your DH that he looks like Brad Pitt? I have been told that I resemble Kevin Bacon. Especially from a distance. Like from a half mile away. :-)
Picard, Merlie is a talented artist! Well done! I love the brilliant colors!
What a pleasant way to usher out the old year. Clever, solid cues, proper names of actual well-known people, a timely theme, and a lively recap by NaomiZ. Onward to 2025! Bravo!
Picard...as someone with very little artistic talent, I stand in awe of people like Merlie. I may not know enough to be an art critic, but I know what pleases me!
Delightful end of the year puzzle today--many thanks, C.C. and Big Easy. And your commentary was very helpful and pleasant, thanks for that too, NaomiZ.
Well, when I saw CANDY STORE, I figured we were going to get some puzzle food today, and, sure enough, we got some HARD CHEESE, and some CLAM DIP, but that was about it except maybe for that BUTTER BEAN, although I'm not really sure what that is. So, ALAS, not a lot of snacks. But let's hope we all have a joyful New Year's Eve tradition, where we have a good supper, a nice evening, and then wait for the BALL DROP.
Have a happy, healthy, and productive 2025 coming up, everybody!
Picard, I echo Charlie Echo’s sentiments about Merlie’s talents.
OMG, Picard, I love those two frogs. Indeed Merlie is talented.
My first computer was an Apple too. I just sold it and was astounded at how much it sold for.
Like
Lucina, Charlie Echo, Irish Miss, Monkey Thank you for the very kind words about Merlie's painting of my non-FURRY PET frogs. I have passed this along to her.
Jinx I had to scroll way down on that page to see the selling price of your APPLE. OMG. $8,722.13 and I am curious about the 13c.
From Yesterday:
sumdaze I watched that SANTA BARBARA video and I was impressed as one who lives here. Not only did he capture the urban features. Including flying a drone through the Chromatic Gate! He also showed a couple of my favorite hiking trails in the mountains.
When I went to bed the night before the auction ended, the high bid was $2550 and I was delighted. I thought there might be a flurry of bidding at the very end, and was hoping that it would get bid up to as much as $3,000. I looked first thing the next day and saw the good news. I haven't mentioned it because Ebay took their sweet time paying me, but the money is in the bank now. Less, of course, shipping and their substantial cut.
Zip, Zip, Done! FIR in great Tuesday time (for me). Really liked this CW for many reasons, one of which is only 9 names, only 1 DNK. Thanx GS&CC for this delightful, and clever, CW. Thanx too to NaomiZ for 'spainin the theme and the rest of the great write-up. I thought up another Namie: "If my last name was Borden and I had a daughter, I'd name her Elizabeth. She'd grow up to be quite proficient with an axe." Anybody think of any?
The best cruise I had was on Finnish ship from Helsinki to Petersberg which had a bar to sauna to pool party!
Thanks!
Saw on TV that (crossword favorite) Rita Ora is going to be part of ABC's new year's eve show.
RIP Linda Lavin. She received two Golden Globe Awards, two Obie Awards, and a Tony Award. She sang the Alice theme song. Had that won a Grammy, she would have accomplished the (crossword favorite) EGOT. My favorite portrayal for her was as Phillis, as a Jewish mother in Mom.
Did anyone else see DUA LIPA on TV a few nights ago? She was on Colbert's show and is a beautiful woman!
I loved today's puzzle & write-up! Well done, Big Easy, C.C., and NaomiZ! So fun to have a holiday-themed puzzle by two Corner friends.
Fas: Mobile home? and POUR OUT crossing PORE
YEESH brought Jayce to mind.
Congrats it IM on her Phrazle streak!
Anon -T, check your email when convenient. 😉
Thanks, sumdaze, we’ll see how long this streak lasts!
nope - no emmy either. Just call me Scarecrow
I'd argue that "Soft Money" is not a source of funding but rather is a type of funding (defined by its destination) that may come from a number of different sources.
On the other hand, the clue is a darn sight better than anything I could come up with! :-)
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