tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post5047224828441623138..comments2024-03-28T05:46:36.771-05:00Comments on L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday, July 5, 2008 Tom PruceZhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-37201530428020114092008-07-07T06:33:00.000-05:002008-07-07T06:33:00.000-05:00Embien,Thanks for the response. Now I see your poi...Embien,<BR/>Thanks for the response. Now I see your point. Your rant was on solid ground and I appreciate your sharing with us. I think crossword constructors value what we solvers think and some of theme do read this blog regularly.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-25691969285220034022008-07-06T17:18:00.000-05:002008-07-06T17:18:00.000-05:00@c.c. Embien, Are you new to TMS puzzle?I've been ...@c.c. Embien, Are you new to TMS puzzle?<BR/><BR/>I've been doing the TMS puzzle for years--it's the one that appears in my local paper (The Oregonian), along with the syndicated NYT xword. I'm just relatively new to the blog, and maybe my rant was a bit too much.<BR/><BR/>I didn't recognize SLOAN, but I'm no art expert. My point really was not that SLOAN was so bad, but that the "S" crossed another proper name (BENES). <BR/><BR/>Unless you absolutely know one of the proper names, you're only guessing at the letter that goes in the cross. I guessed correctly, putting in the "S" (what else could it be with _LOAN in the grid?), but that's quite a bit different than actually solving the puzzle, IMHO.embienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991001167394653649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-61002336085522046502008-07-06T14:35:00.000-05:002008-07-06T14:35:00.000-05:00Mh,What puzzle do you get on Sundays?Mh,<BR/>What puzzle do you get on Sundays?Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-27655144778619194482008-07-06T13:38:00.000-05:002008-07-06T13:38:00.000-05:00out of town yesterday and had to solve this on sun...out of town yesterday and had to solve this on sunday AM. Very difficult with lots of google time. Also lots of words that, while technically correct (I assume) are not used often. Like rascally. I *have* heard Elmer Fudd say "You wascally wabbit", so I assume it's a word.MHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06348375549703359344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-38475697937660457532008-07-06T11:39:00.000-05:002008-07-06T11:39:00.000-05:00CC: when his ass tore through... and pax out is '...CC: when his ass tore through... and pax out is 'peace out', which is a slang good bye.loishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03331538822790190512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-63905439998860362382008-07-06T04:16:00.000-05:002008-07-06T04:16:00.000-05:00Anonymous @7:08pm,Wouldn't that be too boring?Embi...Anonymous @7:08pm,<BR/>Wouldn't that be too boring?<BR/><BR/>Embien,<BR/>Are you new to TMS puzzle? SLOAN has appeared in our crossword several times since I started blogging. Ditto your points on those irksome intersections.<BR/><BR/>Lois,<BR/>"My hair was a little tousled when his <B>'astor'</B> through the field trying to escape and I had to get him back on track." What is the real word hidden behind <B>"astor"</B>? I cannot understand. What is <B>"Pax Out"</B>?Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-47053061535439057572008-07-06T01:46:00.000-05:002008-07-06T01:46:00.000-05:00embien: I take it you didn't like this puzzle?embien: I take it you didn't like this puzzle?loishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03331538822790190512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-1150744335658794402008-07-05T21:04:00.000-05:002008-07-05T21:04:00.000-05:00I call foul on this one. What legitimate construct...I call foul on this one. What legitimate constructor would cross the "M" in SMETANA with MEGAERA?<BR/><BR/>What legitimate constructor would cross the "S" in BENES (a name that even a Seinfeld fan would have trouble dredging up), with another proper name (SLOAN), clued with an incorrectly-named artwork at that?<BR/><BR/>What legitimate constructor would cross a non-word (SEDATEST, not found at dictionary.com or in my giant unabridged dictionary) with the <B>second</B>-largest port in Tunisia (SFAX)? We only know the largest port (Tunis) because it's the base of the country's name. The <B>second</B>-largest port? Only in Crosswordville.<BR/><BR/>AVOWABLE? Well, perhaps. "Confession" does appear in the fourth sense of the meaning of "avow". But to cross that with SMETANA and AGITATO, that's a bit too much for my taste.<BR/><BR/>Put me solidly in the camp of non-fans of Tom Pruce. I did the puzzle, but the crossing of obscure term/proper name with obscure term/proper name and the inclusion of non-words leaves a sour taste in my mouth.embienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991001167394653649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-4660338862541233312008-07-05T19:15:00.000-05:002008-07-05T19:15:00.000-05:00@dennis: i like the sentence 'i solved this one we...@dennis: i like the sentence 'i solved this one weirdly.' a perfectly dysfunctional description. thx for the info re: molest / harrass. and if i were pulling an allnighter i doubt i'd be coherent enough to solve any puzzle.<BR/><BR/>@nytanonimo: thanks for the mnemonic links.<BR/><BR/>@lois: holy hotwick idaHO .. i'm sure oklahoma has never seen a 4th quite like that.melissa beehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11617567775900623609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-16501266103281238982008-07-05T19:08:00.000-05:002008-07-05T19:08:00.000-05:00I would appreciate having a crossword puzzle with ...I would appreciate having a crossword puzzle with no geographical names,no Hebrew words, and no sports figures. A puzzle that relied primarily on English words only. Can you do it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-38287307879626548062008-07-05T15:01:00.000-05:002008-07-05T15:01:00.000-05:00C.C. Just as I was thinking about it, I realized ...C.C. Just as I was thinking about it, I realized that entrack means nothing...it in donator not donater, making it on track...still a duffus!Terrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01990181391548722384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-56896427592906505392008-07-05T14:35:00.000-05:002008-07-05T14:35:00.000-05:00(smacking my forehead" Well, DUH!!Obviously, I wa...(smacking my forehead" Well, DUH!!<BR/>Obviously, I was thinking of the man, and not the airport named for him. Thanks nytanonimo and crockett for setting me straight. I've been a world traveller and understand about ARRivals and departures, but I sure missed the boat with this one!<BR/><BR/>Barry, thanks for the help with "OBO." I've never sold a house, or bartered at the antiques market for anything of consequence, or I might have learned that term.KittyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666226081076161638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-73191103124538470592008-07-05T14:33:00.000-05:002008-07-05T14:33:00.000-05:00Yldgirl,It's ON TRACK.Yldgirl,<BR/>It's ON TRACK.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-74743821026492454762008-07-05T14:25:00.000-05:002008-07-05T14:25:00.000-05:00Ok, am I the only one who couldn't see a empty spa...Ok, am I the only one who couldn't see a empty space as a blank? None of my dictionaries used blank as term for empty. What a duffus I am! I thought the puzzle very tough obscure: Sfax, entrack, erose were all out of my league. <BR/>Lois, love your story.Terrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01990181391548722384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-42853730283210307292008-07-05T13:24:00.000-05:002008-07-05T13:24:00.000-05:00Crocket: thank you! Missed that ARR/JFK connection...Crocket: thank you! Missed that ARR/JFK connection. Won't miss it Tues though. <BR/>Kittyb: It's Grand Central here in Mayberry. Boy, let the word out that changes are afoot and the barnyard gets crowded! Hens cluckin, roosters crowin', cows come home, and horses start buckin'.Big flap! You know what the bulls are doin'. Their sh## is flyin' and gettin' deep. <BR/>Dennis: Yeah, fireworks were exceptionally explosive and the Roman Candles were roamin' all right...lit me up for sure! What a play! What a performance! He challenged my stamina. I challenged his eros(e)..not once but 'two time'(s)straight 'entre' nous. 'Agitato' was dampened to 'largo', and then I rebid for a tryst, OBO by the end of the 2nd <BR/>'act'. My hair was a little tousled when his 'astor' through the field trying to escape and I had to get him back on track. The Furies helped him become learned in the art of endearing harasses without molesting. It was truly worthy of confession! He is no longer erose, but quite erudite in the art of tryst-ing and being lei'd. Love the 4th of July! <BR/>Carol: you are hysterical! And You're right. Too late to pretend to be moral. I related real well to this puzzle with all those exciting words and the I da ho connection. Just needed time.<BR/><BR/>Pax out! Enjoy this gorgeous day!loishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03331538822790190512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-6470240938408423832008-07-05T12:23:00.000-05:002008-07-05T12:23:00.000-05:00"Bought the farm" was additionally eulogized in a ..."Bought the farm" was additionally eulogized in a Viet Nam era fighter pilot song called "Dear Mom". The chorus is: Dear Mom, your son is dead, he bought the farm today, He crashed his OV-10 on Ho Chi Minh’s highway. He made a rocket pass, and then he busted his ass. Hmm, Hmm, Hmm. <BR/> The rest is mostly unprintable.<BR/><BR/>PatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-88853521377578689572008-07-05T11:52:00.000-05:002008-07-05T11:52:00.000-05:00Dennis,Is your military meaning of "Buy the Farm" ...Dennis,<BR/>Is your military meaning of "Buy the Farm" the same with J. Oruska's (7:47am) "being killed"?<BR/><BR/>Argyle,<BR/>I strayed with you along the way.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous @9:31am,<BR/>Thank you.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-34347420421544619002008-07-05T11:43:00.000-05:002008-07-05T11:43:00.000-05:00Sallie,I've corrected my Bravo mistake, thank you....Sallie,<BR/>I've corrected my Bravo mistake, thank you. Please always feel free to let me know if you spot any error.<BR/><BR/>Crockett,<BR/>Yes, 63D is a new idiom to me. "Unfaithful" is a movie.<BR/><BR/>Lois,<BR/>I thought you would like the Three Furies painting, with all those whips and torches.<BR/><BR/>Carol,<BR/>You are amazing! You make the bland 55A perking up.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-90357539192506606552008-07-05T11:32:00.000-05:002008-07-05T11:32:00.000-05:00Hi C.C. and gang, Not an easy one for me today!! S...Hi C.C. and gang, <BR/>Not an easy one for me today!! So many I didn't know:<BR/>Smetana, Niter, Agitato, Avowable (a "real" word?), axons, Urey, Sfax<BR/><BR/>Dennis: Rascally, yes, that is like wascally wabbit :)<BR/><BR/>I see we have that cute Idaho city (55A) with us again.<BR/><BR/>We had a typical Portland 4th, showers off and on..and it's raining this morning but should be hot (for us:80's) next week, which is also typical.<BR/><BR/>Hope you all are enjoying this weekend.<BR/><BR/>Lois, I expected to see you "on track" and enjoying "trysting" with "oarsmen". Don't "dampen" their expectations or be afraid of becoming "immoral" 'cause it's too late, baby! :) :)carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863837914353193182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-60331396843542859232008-07-05T10:53:00.000-05:002008-07-05T10:53:00.000-05:00Good morning, everyone. A slow start, but I was ab...Good morning, everyone. A slow start, but I was able to ferret out everything finally. New words/names for me today were MEGAERA, ITALOS, UREY, SFAX, SLOAN, ASTOR, BENES. I'm not a TV watcher, so those references are usually difficult for me. C.C., was 63D a new idiom for you? The title of the SLOAN piece seems to be "Six O'Clock, Winter." Why not have the complete title in the clue? C.C., I see you have the same beef. Kittyb, ARR is an abbreviation for Arrival, which would be posted at JFK, PDX, LAX or any airport you wish to name. I see nytanonimo also answered this question. Barry, you're spot on about OBO.Crockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-39180474155948881992008-07-05T10:08:00.000-05:002008-07-05T10:08:00.000-05:00Oops. I meant discussing bravo and brava, bravi be...Oops. I meant discussing bravo and brava, bravi being plural.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-22089914602504282932008-07-05T10:06:00.000-05:002008-07-05T10:06:00.000-05:00As we have been discussing the uses of bravo and b...As we have been discussing the uses of bravo and bravi, the plural is bravi. Therefore, it should be"bravi to those tenacious Irish...."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-37544262163365573022008-07-05T09:31:00.000-05:002008-07-05T09:31:00.000-05:00Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman peace") was the long ...Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman peace") was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries AD. Since it was established by the Emperor Augustus it is sometimes called Pax Augustea. Its timing was approximately from 27 BC to 180 AD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-52812519895056981602008-07-05T09:14:00.000-05:002008-07-05T09:14:00.000-05:00Morning, all!Getting a bit of a late start this mo...Morning, all!<BR/><BR/>Getting a bit of a late start this morning as I actually slept in for a change. I hope everybody had a fine 4th of July. The weather cooperated nicely and our barbecue went off without a hitch.<BR/><BR/>Good puzzle today. Challenging enough to be interesting, but not so obscure as to be frustrating. I'd never heard of MEGAERA before, but fortunately was well acquainted with SMETANA and his piece "The Moldau." Also never heard of SFAX or UREY, but was able to get it easily from the perps.<BR/><BR/>Had some problems in the NE quadrant because I stubbornly refused to put anything other than SNRA ("Senora") for 27A and had UNKNOWN for 18A instead of UNNAMED. Once I realized my mistakes, however, everything else fell into place nicely.<BR/><BR/>[Oh, and KittyB -- I believe "OBO" is actually the abbreviation for "Or Best Offer" and not simply the word "Obo".]Barry G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17875477509288463142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-10321137742404789762008-07-05T08:25:00.000-05:002008-07-05T08:25:00.000-05:00I think JFK notice is ARR for arrival time as @JFK...I think JFK notice is ARR for arrival time as @JFK in NYC kittyb. Glad you enjoyed the link.NYTAnonimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02280444758529687355noreply@blogger.com