tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post1539510333066201980..comments2024-03-18T22:48:18.493-05:00Comments on L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday July 23, 2017 Mark McClainZhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-1185894556005799002017-07-26T14:37:05.843-05:002017-07-26T14:37:05.843-05:00Good Wednesday afternoon, folks. Just finished th...Good Wednesday afternoon, folks. Just finished the puzzle. Thank you, Mark McClain, for fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.<br /><br />This puzzle took me a while, but I kept at it. Finally finished.<br /><br />Liked the theme, even though I had a problem with a couple of them. Had ALTERNATING COLORS for 38A. CONTRASTING COLORS appeared after some perps.<br /><br />VARIANT SPELLINGS was my last to get. Had SEES TO for 109D. SELLS TO appeared after some study.<br /><br />Never heard of the author TROLLOPE.<br /><br />Had PIKE instead of TPKE for a while.<br /><br />Anyhow, I will cut this short. Since it is several days late, I am sure no one will read it.<br /><br />See you later today for today's puzzle, I hope.<br /><br />Abejo<br /><br />( )Abejohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10318111258011554517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-32794419154533911462017-07-25T19:26:37.599-05:002017-07-25T19:26:37.599-05:00I am very sorry for your loss, Agnes. We also have...I am very sorry for your loss, Agnes. We also have no children, just nieces and nephews. You have my deepest sympathy.<br /><br />Last to fall was TWO-L which took awhile to parse! But when I did, knowing Ogden Nash humor, I figured out the ONE-L lama is a priest, to rhyme with beast. I was right!<br /><br />Hand up for RTES before MAPS because GPS seemed to demand an abbreviation? I am still relatively new to crosswords, so is this wrong?<br /><br />Never heard of RIESEN. It does not show up on Wikipedia's list of chocolate brands:<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chocolate_bar_brands<br /><br />When I saw RI---- I was thinking RITTER which is a fairly common German chocolate brand here. Anyone else?<br /><br />GNAR is really a word?<br /><br />Hand up, never heard of "Fringe" which slowed down that bit.<br /><br />Other unknowns: TROLLOPE. TESS, NOH, REX, TAUPES, UTA, SIG<br /><br />Fun theme and a satisfying solve!Picardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401317669146538447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-63840410918892761302017-07-25T18:06:51.878-05:002017-07-25T18:06:51.878-05:00Does anyone else think 95 across "brought up ...Does anyone else think 95 across "brought up to speed" would be better for "Clued in" than "cued in"?Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12620510049808301698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-68512924639097627842017-07-24T06:09:21.357-05:002017-07-24T06:09:21.357-05:00It had to be GNU
It had to be GNU
That African moo...It had to be GNU<br />It had to be GNU<br />That African moo<br />Twas all that I knew.. <br /><br />So I peeked. And I checked NSYNC and that swan wasn't a trumpet but a CYGNET. <br /><br />What a mess but if I'd gone back and realized that SCENIC crossed ARRID I think I could have sussed EDENIC. <br /><br />PK, one can't use five letter words in here (like OBAMA I found out once) regardless of context). We get your excellent point though.<br /><br />Owen, I agree with CC and you responded in TRUMPs. <br /><br />Boy did I have a muddy middle. Muddled and solving made it very muddy. This pale imitation of Owen and C-Moe (CSO?) illustrates:<br /> <br />At McD's, solving<br />Children play, brain decaying. <br />Need? Inspiration.<br /><br />Or more accurately DIVERGENT THINKING<br /><br />WC<br /><br />PS. "Fringe" sounds interesting. <br /><br />PPS. No more British Open spoilers. I won't finish watching my tape until Wednesday. Btw. I had SPIETH, remember?<br /><br />TGIM<br /><br />Oh, almost forgot. Agnes, I'm so sorry about your nephew. Glad you're safe Melissa. Wilbur Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08905123297841127198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-35838779739156910972017-07-23T23:11:48.977-05:002017-07-23T23:11:48.977-05:00Oh Oh politics...but I came close too with my pen ...Oh Oh politics...but I came close too with my pen and ink but MADD was my first fill and Washington State was toast. How many different groups are there against driving impaired ? Of course in the US we have about 500 cancer charities and most are out and out scams,<br /><br />Politically speaking can I just thank my dear departed Dad for having the good sense to be born in Bathurst New Brunswick. I have to go down to the consulate to pick up my shining new Canadian eh passport !<br /><br />And for everyone else...elections have consequences. <br /><br />Thanks again pops !Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04657212130232818015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-71897741340127557522017-07-23T22:05:26.824-05:002017-07-23T22:05:26.824-05:00Sunday Lurk Say:
Thanks Mark for dropping in. I ...Sunday Lurk Say:<br /><br />Thanks Mark for dropping in. I didn't play but I can admire the art. I think quality of fill beats out fancy grids (unless the grid's-void is the theme) or touching on A-Z.<br /><br />IM, I'm so sorry for the loss of your nephew especially one so close to you.<br /><br />Maripro - the word you're looking for is <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptronym" rel="nofollow">Aptronym</a>. I love it when I bump against one.<br /><br />{B, A+, B+, A}<br /><br />D-O: $1.3M? @$75/ticket that means 17,333.3 folks need to show just to break-even. Even if they had tiered pricing - how many folk did they expect to show? Esp. In your neck of the woods. I think the "learning" your council members need is 1) rudimentary math and 2) they don't get your vote :-)<br />It's like the Smart Center we just opened up in Sugar Land. $83M to build and so far this year, $500,000 in extra tax revenue. OK, <i>so</i> the ROI is 81 years? Assuming no repairs needed in that time frame? It is cool, <a href="" rel="nofollow">Yes</a> is coming. [Bunny M - Yes w/ Geddy!]<br /><br />PK - Ditto. I'm also curious and see confluence of things and want to ask; sometimes I find I step in it. I was trying to answer C, Eh!'s Q re: NAFTA the way I see it (I guess someone could take what I said as biased). Sorry if you got dragged down w/ me!<br /><br />Today the girls & I did the grocery shopping and then made spiral-pasta salad, tomato-based Italian sausage & peppers (for grinders), and rigatoni for dinner. I think, with side salads, we're set for the week.<br /><br />Cheers, -TAnonymous Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00459563526290288425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-46288440837409970792017-07-23T21:49:38.458-05:002017-07-23T21:49:38.458-05:00Very late tonight after visiting with all 6 grandc...Very late tonight after visiting with all 6 grandchildren today. I finished this puzzle last night and wanted to thank Mark and C.C. For the fun.<br />I saw the theme and eventually got all the OTHER words.<br />Loved the new clue for ERIE. I wanted MADD for 1D but was sure of SPORE, and then I remembered the Students who joined the Mothers.<br /><br />Do they have ESSO in Britain? It is usually clued in relation to Canada but we do not call gas "petrol" here.<br /><br />I think I learned NOH and GNAR doing previous CWs.<br />I smiled at "PLEDGED" three rows below the sorority letters.<br /><br />Thanks for the verses Owen. I noted your CSO.<br /><br />Thanks AnonT for the NAFTA info. The talks are at the top of the radar screen here and I wasn't sure if the same importance was being given to them in the US. Another example of what Trudeau the Elder meant when he referred to the elephant twitching.<br /><br />Sympathy to Agnes on the sudden death of her nephew.<br /><br />Glad to hear Melissa was not hurt in accident. Hope there are no lingering after-effects.<br /><br />Off to recharge my batteries.CanadianEh!https://www.blogger.com/profile/05688358229402732332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-42757963834276962502017-07-23T20:32:26.753-05:002017-07-23T20:32:26.753-05:00Mark, I did like this puzzle and found it fun to f...Mark, I did like this puzzle and found it fun to fill the theme entries. I don't know why you would be concerned that the puzzle isn't exciting. We solve crossword puzzles. If we needed more excitement, we'd drive race cars. LOL!<br /><br />Jayce, thank you. I've always had this deep curiosity and the desire to know what makes people tick. Gots me in lotsa trouble.PKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570575955563406341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-57143056002320192992017-07-23T20:22:23.485-05:002017-07-23T20:22:23.485-05:00SPORE - (Random House Unabridged Dictionary 2nd ed...SPORE - (Random House Unabridged Dictionary 2nd edition) "2. A germ, germ cell, seed, or the like"Mark McClainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13106712629076081204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-39044492403396637102017-07-23T17:15:20.751-05:002017-07-23T17:15:20.751-05:00Fern seed?! Splutter, grumble, moan.
Fern
Any o...Fern seed?! Splutter, grumble, moan.<br /><br /><b>Fern</b><br /><br />Any of a group of some twenty thousand species of vascular plants classified in the division Pteridophyta that <b>lack seeds</b> and reproduce by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.<br /><br />https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/fern<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-44771011884319798412017-07-23T16:50:58.128-05:002017-07-23T16:50:58.128-05:00What a terrific puzzle. I always like your work, M...What a terrific puzzle. I always like your work, Mark. When I solved TRAP and RUSE I thought those were a couple instances of the "not the same" theme. Then came HAI and YES, STEAM and SAUTES, HAIKU and ODES, and the two four-letter Nevada cities. Unfortunately those distracted my THINKING from cottoning to the real theme entries.<br /><br />I loved the clues for NAKED, ANEW, ANY, and PSYCHIC.<br /><br />I like the character CHUNK on the TV show <i>Bull</i>.<br /><br />ON NO account will I ever again be persuaded to eat stinky Tofu.<br /><br /><i>Carl</i> threw me for a while because I thought the Germans always spelled it Karl, so it took me a tad longer than it should have for me to get ORFF.<br /><br />Well done, Mark!<br /><br />This puzzle took me much longer than usual because, for some reason, the "direction" that my typing went was the opposite of what I thought I had it set to. To say that more clearly, often when I was entering an across word such as LARDS I would fail to notice that my cursor was proceeding downwards, wiping out ALDA, EAGER, and RHODE. Then I would later wonder how the heck I made all those typos. Gotta be <i>reeeeal</i> careful using that LA Times Arkadium-based web page!<br /><br />Agnes, my condolences for the loss of your nephew, and hopeful wishes that you traverse your grief speedily.<br /><br />Melissa, glad you weren't hurt.<br /><br />PK, I admire your ability and willingness to better understand other people and their points of view by putting yourself in their shoes, or at least understanding where their shoes came from.<br /><br />Best wishes to you all.Jaycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15906163232315177399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-12599074958102861412017-07-23T15:19:04.364-05:002017-07-23T15:19:04.364-05:00I don't always do the Sunday puzzles because t...I don't always do the Sunday puzzles because they take so much precious time, but I arose early enough today to tackle this one from a contributor whose work I have enjoyed before. I'll have to say today's puzzle was a crunchier challenge than the usual Sunday, with too many learning moments to enumerate. Well done, Mark, and thanks for stopping by. CC, thanks for your usual sterling job on the expo. The amount of work and insight you bring to this corner is uplifting. By the way, I have to ask. What the heck is Stinky Tofu? That's a new one to me. Is it fermented? Is it delicious stinky like limburger cheese? Inquiring minds want to know. <br /><br />BTW, a rerun of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" program convinced me to invest in some Grains of Paradise (and trust me, invest is the correct word). They are an alternative to black pepper related to the ginger plant and from west Africa, and after loading my pepper mill with them I swear that I may never go back to pepper. GoP are much more complex and flavorful, with many new and more nuances of flavor. I highly recommend that you all try if the opportunity presents itself.Bluehenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11215040742633388939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-14396997738506032522017-07-23T14:49:49.790-05:002017-07-23T14:49:49.790-05:00PK, I know you aren't a troll, so I'll ref...PK, I know you aren't a troll, so I'll refrain from a reply.<br /><br />IM, I'm sure that every Cornerite (here in CornerSTAN) have felt the depths of spirit that comes with losing a loved one. My heart is with you while you bear the unbearable.<br /><br />Hand up for nSEC before MSEC, rteS before MAPS, and had "in NO account" before "ON NO account". I wanted XML before RSS became apparent. I guessed the Natick of TR_LLOPE x TW_L to be an "i", the first of my three bad cells. The other two were "by GOLLY" instead of "OH GOLLY" (too much ham radio in my ute). I just got lazy and missed the idea that PSYCyIC probably wasn't a good choice. Twelve vocabulary builders today, so I won't list them.<br /><br />Thanks to Mark and CC for a fun Sunday. It was just right for me - just a little over my head.Jinx in Norfolkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066853291104407732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-61293650741506682882017-07-23T14:28:40.519-05:002017-07-23T14:28:40.519-05:00Oh my! I got almost all of this one! Quite an ac...<br />Oh my! I got almost all of this one! Quite an accomplishment for me on a Sunday. Thanks, Mark, for the fun and the ego-lift. I even got the theme and didn't think it was un-exciting (is that a word.). Just different! Hehehe<br /><br />C.C. Your tour was wonderful as always. So sorry to hear about Agnes.<br /><br />Owen, I'm still laughing. Phases of the moon indeed!<br />SwampCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06893584705424353444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-82088152415691237762017-07-23T14:21:47.697-05:002017-07-23T14:21:47.697-05:00Nice smooth puzzle - fun to slowly piece together....Nice smooth puzzle - fun to slowly piece together. <br />Thanks Mark and CC!<br /><br />Condolences to Agnesinanehikernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-23401432273921369112017-07-23T13:24:51.356-05:002017-07-23T13:24:51.356-05:00Thanks, all for the comments, and C.C. for fine ex...Thanks, all for the comments, and C.C. for fine expo. I'll take your (accurate) comment about the blanks and word count as a compliment, as I do indeed strive for clean fill above all. Acknowledging the comments that the theme wasn't all that exciting (it wasn't), but you gotta agree it was different ;) . . . Corner fans are the greatest, though I could do without the political bickering (get enough of that elsewhere). Cheers to all!Mark McClainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13106712629076081204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-19143249763995735952017-07-23T12:40:21.631-05:002017-07-23T12:40:21.631-05:00Slept in really late today, so was going to skip a...Slept in really late today, so was going to skip any poems. But after seeing C.C.'s comment, I feel obligated, even if it is late in the day!<br /><br />MYSTIC claims spirits<br />supernatural reveal.<br />PSYCHIC claims science.<br /><br />Youth: skin SEDUCES.<br />Age: NAKED body? Ho hum.<br />Phases of the moon.<br /><br />Tourist insulted --<br />Llama has spit in his face!<br />Consigns it TWO 'L!<br /><br />Crossword Corner blog<br />amazing friendly venue<br />never a cross word!<br />OwenKLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16709695380239557575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-89683635651960841932017-07-23T12:12:13.315-05:002017-07-23T12:12:13.315-05:00Oh what fun the young Americans are having over th...Oh what fun the young Americans are having over there near the Irish Sea. #makinggolffunagain!Bowienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-77555455424474576432017-07-23T10:31:14.258-05:002017-07-23T10:31:14.258-05:00Musings
-For AB fans - I’d give this a 75. It had ...Musings<br />-<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c1JmsFE7o5U/hqdefault.jpg" rel="nofollow">For AB fans -</a> I’d give this a 75. It had a nice tune and was easy to dance to<br />-Starting with a biology term, a French word and a German composer yoked with MADD, DADD or SADD… <br />-Yes, C.C., DIVERGENT THINKING is a big part of puzzles and this blog<br />-<a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/images/Muth/Muth110410-2.jpg" rel="nofollow">Football fans will see who is being TRAPPED in this play</a><br />-BINGO! This is what I yell when my number is called at the DMV.<br />-Ernie Els <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YefULut6YrA" rel="nofollow">TAP IN nightmare </a> (:30)<br />-ODE? All I know is one on a Grecian urn and one to Billy Joe<br />-<a href="https://68.media.tumblr.com/8c7c63eab0000e2a1ee3b00aa4c98bf6/tumblr_n0jidnawRn1rc2qy0o1_1280.jpg" rel="nofollow">Father, son and grandson ALDA on a M*A*S*H episode</a><br />-<a href="http://images4.static-bluray.com/movies/covers/21056_front.jpg" rel="nofollow">Oh! That’s where the MYSTIC comes in</a><br />-SNEAK IN – Are there any drive-in theaters in your area?<br />-<a href="http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/battle-of-gettysburg-facts/the-roads-to-gettysburg/" rel="nofollow">TPKE’s leading to a famous historical site</a><br />-Times up. Gotta go join the other 86 Downs<br />Husker Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09980336006827988210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-15088877645060318752017-07-23T10:05:17.118-05:002017-07-23T10:05:17.118-05:00To further clarify my thought, anyone who has been...To further clarify my thought, anyone who has been around people of other ethnic groups, races, religions, or ethics has a different understanding than those people who have no contact with others. This was not referring to C.C. or Boomer or anyone else in a negative way. Please re-read what I said. The experiences of the man are different than most of us, right or wrong.PKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570575955563406341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-135841800774534652017-07-23T10:01:59.352-05:002017-07-23T10:01:59.352-05:00Trollope wrote about trollops. There's a "...Trollope wrote about trollops. There's a "nym" word for this, but I don't remember what it is. Help!<br />Thanks C.C. Your comments about crossword construction are interesting and instructive.<br />And thanks to Mark for a great start to the week.maripronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-57012807120671941912017-07-23T09:54:42.939-05:002017-07-23T09:54:42.939-05:00I like "GN" words and had two of them to...I like "GN" words and had two of them today. I have also seen GNARR and GNUR for growling sounds. <br /><br />This having to use the LA Times' site to do the puzzles is getting very old! No .puz files on Cruciverb for the last two weeks, and no explanation from the owner. Bummer. <br /><br />Always happy to see some Ogden Nash in the puzzle. <br /><br />This seemed easier to me than most Sundays are. There were a number of vertical clues/answers that I didn't see until I came here, as the horizontals had taken care of them first. <br /><br />Most neighborhoods around here are still cleaning up after Friday night's storms, and the flooding on the Fox, DesPlaines, and DuPage rivers continues to make life miserable for so many people. Yesterday the Fox, near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, was still about 6 feet over flood stage. <br /><br />That's it for now. Bye all. WikWakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14873144164842777944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-21903407111051251192017-07-23T09:51:59.459-05:002017-07-23T09:51:59.459-05:00Please note that I stress the reason for the "...Please note that I stress the reason for the "difference in attitude" in the Chief Tweeter post. I am not making a political statement or even a right and wrong statement. Just an observation.PKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570575955563406341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-41734989659820967542017-07-23T09:50:54.074-05:002017-07-23T09:50:54.074-05:00Pk. CC was born in a communist country. What'...Pk. CC was born in a communist country. What's your point? Boomer is a sympathizer? <br /><br />Face it. You dislike Trump. You'll look for any conjured reason to sully him. <br /><br />This blog is rolling downhill faster than the scores at Royal Birkdale.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-80739644651042084192017-07-23T09:43:20.246-05:002017-07-23T09:43:20.246-05:00Yesterday's discussion about the Chief Tweeter...Yesterday's discussion about the Chief Tweeter: why would anyone be surprised that his attitude toward Russia would be different than most Americans, especially those who lived through the cold war? After all the guy married two women who were born in Communist bloc nations. Ivana was born in Czechoslavakia before Communism went underground. Melania was born in Slovenia, formerly Yugoslavia. Her father was a card carrying Communist under dictator Marshall Tito. Her parents now are reportedly living in the USA White House to help with their young grandson Baron. American voters can be so naive.PKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570575955563406341noreply@blogger.com