tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post744154957843132673..comments2024-03-28T05:46:36.771-05:00Comments on L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday May 9, 2009 Bruce VenzkeZhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-12698224218178608702009-05-09T22:33:00.000-05:002009-05-09T22:33:00.000-05:00Jano,
I appreciated your take on the other languag...Jano,<br />I appreciated your take on the other languages in puzzles. To me, a puzzle is better when it deals with words that are used in, or have influenced our own language. The XWs that rely on trivia, sports or entertainment figures from years gone by have no learning value. I have no interest in those things and don't care if I never learn about them, and those puzzles are no fun for me. <br /><br />Jazzbumpa doesn't think the ones I like are fun and vice versa. That's life, we're all different, and that's what I was pointing out the other night--contrasts between people cause them to deal with things differently.kaziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06761801803016465459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-88159935231530427392009-05-09T21:31:00.000-05:002009-05-09T21:31:00.000-05:00@embien So sorry for your loss of your furry frien...@embien So sorry for your loss of your furry friend and companion. <br /><br />@jeanne Your empathy for your neighbors is touching. I wish you well.<br /><br />@all Please cherish your mothers and have a good day with them in celebration of their gift to you. We lost Mom in December 2005 and for some reason this Mother's Day is hitting me hard. <br /><br />You all have a great evening and SundayCrockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-21891088086706938952009-05-09T18:46:00.000-05:002009-05-09T18:46:00.000-05:00Hello C.C. Dropped in to see what your defining b...Hello C.C. Dropped in to see what your defining board thought of this puzzle and some wry information about 'getting off' and 'large organs'. What I found is that no one really explained for you that the knot isn't the one in the rope that won't come untied in a pinch. This knot is the term used as a measurement of speed by the military - and perhaps everyone else, I don't know - on water and in the air. <br />The statute mile that we use ashore is 5,280 l.f. while the nautical mile is 6,076 l.f. One knot, then, is 1 nautical mile per hour. Hence, if one needs to convert one to another, one can say that 1 mph = about 0.87 knots per hour; conversely, 1 knot = about 1.13 mph. People who use them a lot, i.e. pilots and captains of big boats, can easily convert the values in their head.<br /><br />So I know what "getting off" means to me and a million other guys. What does it mean to you C.C.?<br /><br />Just kidding with you. I meant to stop at knots.<br /><br />I wish a very happy Mother's Day to all the mother's among us.<br /><br />hayrakehayrakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-67525208948000426632009-05-09T16:52:00.000-05:002009-05-09T16:52:00.000-05:00Jazzbumpa: "I have this weird fantasy about a xwrd...Jazzbumpa: "I have this weird fantasy about a xwrd that uses the same clue over and over to get to many different answers."<br /><br />Well your dream is an old reality for many, just do some NYT crosswords. <br /><br />My father-in-law was 20 months old when his mother and older brother were killed in a house fire. He and another brother and a sister survived, but his fahter was so distraught he ran away. There is much sadness in life. I sympathize with you and your reaction.Lemonade714https://www.blogger.com/profile/13642909374639570868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-302365391588301152009-05-09T16:44:00.000-05:002009-05-09T16:44:00.000-05:00C.C.
Okay, I understand now, but I do not always....C.C.<br /><br />Okay, I understand now, but I do not always. I guess that is what makes it all puzzling.Lemonade714https://www.blogger.com/profile/13642909374639570868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-53512425252653539132009-05-09T16:41:00.000-05:002009-05-09T16:41:00.000-05:00I was never able to finish the puzzle today, not o...I was never able to finish the puzzle today, not only because of difficulty, but the sound of fire engines, ambulances, etc. trying to put out a fire in a house less than a half mile from our home. We later found out that 2 children and their parents got out but a 7 yr. old and a 20 month old died in the fire. The house was an old farmhouse structure and made of all wood so it was engulfed rapidly. I didn’t personally know the family but saw the children playing outside occasionally. I’m grieving for a family I don’t know but can’t get them out of my mind. To lose your home to fire would be devastating but to also lose two children would be unbearable. I wish I had my children and grandchild to hug right now; for all that have your loved ones close, give them an extra hug tonight.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556624760211529996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-27676855385136812912009-05-09T16:05:00.000-05:002009-05-09T16:05:00.000-05:00Clear Ayes,
Your quote reminds me of the "Better t...Clear Ayes,<br />Your quote reminds me of the "Better to Err with Pope, than shine with Pye" explanation you gave to me last time.<br /><br />Lemonade,<br />See my 7D (FTS) comment earlier, I was actually expecting a NBA abbreviation 101 today.<br /><br />Anonymous @3:21pm,<br />Your comment is not welcome. Go back to lurking.<br /><br />Jazzbumpa,<br />D'oh! Does! Thanks.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-36962230805548505092009-05-09T15:46:00.000-05:002009-05-09T15:46:00.000-05:00Finally got to the puzzle and made it through -- w...Finally got to the puzzle and made it through -- with a bit of cheating. I would never have thought of "irked" for "got to." Didn't know Limon or Ovitz. <br /><br />Streets of Laredo was the first long answer I got, with some help from the perps. Bottom half was tougher than the top for me. Lots of clever clues. Hmmm. "Gets to" could also be used for 27A.<br /><br />I have this weird fantasy about a xwrd that uses the same clue over and over to <I>get to</I> many different answers.<br /><br />Teri Garr is just 3 days short of being 2 years older than I am. She was always a favorite of mine. She has MS, and isn't seen much anymore. Didn't reslize she had a brsin aneurysm till I saw it on her Wikipedia page. Tough problems. I wish her well.<br /><br />CC - I do think the stole lady is pretty. <br /><br />Which reminds me, the matter with that deer is he is in rut. Poor deer is desperate for some doe.<br /><br />Time for a glass of wine. Maybe a single malt later (no soda.)Jazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-76035850898597950862009-05-09T15:21:00.000-05:002009-05-09T15:21:00.000-05:00lemonade714, lo-li-ta is gone, (x)chefwalt is bac...lemonade714, lo-li-ta is gone, (x)chefwalt is back, it's all good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-25906824174499740672009-05-09T14:35:00.000-05:002009-05-09T14:35:00.000-05:00C.C,
Well we could have a seminar on various expr...C.C,<br /><br />Well we could have a seminar on various expressions in America for women's breasts, e.g. melons, grapefruits, boobs, funbags etc., but in the meantime, we continue you on our joint mission of knowledge and entertainment. Any help Lois, Carol? Ah, Lo-li-ta where are you? <br /><br />In a diagramless puzzle, you are given just the clues. You have decide the length of the answers and where the black squares go; it is not as difficult as it seems because the clues are numbered. For a nice tutorial go to <A HREF="http://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/aa033097.htm" REL="nofollow">DIAGRAMLESS</A>.Lemonade714https://www.blogger.com/profile/13642909374639570868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-91106933466750938192009-05-09T14:27:00.000-05:002009-05-09T14:27:00.000-05:00C.C. :o) I know this has been quoted here before...C.C. :o) I know this has been quoted here before, but your comment brought it back to mind. By Alexander Pope, in An Essay on Criticism, (1709):<br /><br />"A little learning is a dangerous thing; <br />Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:<br />There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,<br />And drinking largely sobers us again."<br /><br />So, now I must remember that BOTH Limon and Greco are well-known dancing Joses.Clear Ayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14463641770718104835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-61532075270939813982009-05-09T14:21:00.000-05:002009-05-09T14:21:00.000-05:0014:33 today. The stacked 15's indeed do look intim...<B>14:33 today.</B> The stacked 15's indeed do look intimidating initially, but always remember, they are usually very, very common phrases (not too many 15-letter words, after all). Also, all those 15's usually means that the crosses tend to be short, and hence a bunch of them can be filled in immediately.<br /><br />Here's an example from today's puzzle: TIE TAC, OTTOMAN, F_S (could be G or T in the middle), ILO, APER, SODA and ETO were gimmees, so TO FIRST BASE got filled in almost immediately, and most of I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT and OF LAREDO were already in there. The north was entirely filled in with barely two minutes gone.<br /><br />The south, on the other hand, took nearly all the time as I had DUST instead of RUST, HEMO instead of HEMA, and didn't know SKIN off the top of my head. Big problems.<br /><br />A very fun Saturday puzzle. Now off to watch The Player's on TV.embienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991001167394653649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-38405067120237315642009-05-09T13:56:00.000-05:002009-05-09T13:56:00.000-05:00Jano -
That's why I said, "IMHO."
YMMV, of cours...Jano -<br /><br />That's why I said, "IMHO."<br /><br />YMMV, of course.<br /><br />Different strokes.<br /><br />Cheers!Jazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-29436292176617403442009-05-09T13:38:00.000-05:002009-05-09T13:38:00.000-05:00Barry G,
Oh, no, PLO...
Lemonade,
Knockers is a n...Barry G,<br />Oh, no, PLO...<br /><br />Lemonade,<br />Knockers is a new slang to me. What knockers!<br /><br />Jano,<br />Your post reminds me of the old Matthew Higgins themeless we used to have on Saturdays. All his clues are so precise and dictionary-perfect, but so boring.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-84373245491995171942009-05-09T13:35:00.000-05:002009-05-09T13:35:00.000-05:00Argyle,
Interesting HAN TAO connection. However, I...Argyle,<br />Interesting HAN TAO connection. However, I don't believe it's the constructor's intention. Han Tao is a very obscure character in "Water Margin".<br /><br />Sunnie & Anonymous @ 1:16pm,<br />Hey, nice to hear from you. <br /><br />Anonymous @9:50am,<br />What is a diagramless puzzle?<br /><br />Clear Ayes,<br />Re: Jose GRECO. Another classic example of the more you know, the more trouble you have. Yes, I did notice that you always pay close attention to others' posts. You are Clear Ayes for a reason.Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12750267554729853785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-31565570871326885582009-05-09T13:16:00.000-05:002009-05-09T13:16:00.000-05:00I cannot believe someone else thinks like me ! Gre...I cannot believe someone else thinks like me ! Great hearing your thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-71539517675422169262009-05-09T12:41:00.000-05:002009-05-09T12:41:00.000-05:00I'll do the puzzle later.
Thanks all for your kin...I'll do the puzzle later.<br /><br />Thanks all for your kind comments. Our cat, who was over 22 years old, passed peacefully during the night. My wife and I spent many hours with him yesterday, as it was obviously near the end. Of course we are saddened, but he had many long and happy years with us and lived a good life, so we are at peace.<br /><br />So many of our animals (cats, ducks, chickens) have fallen victim to coyotes, owls, raccoons and neighboring dogs over the years in our rural environment that it is unusual when one leaves us peacefully.<br /><br />Thanks again for your kind thoughts.embienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991001167394653649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-65193841862744623862009-05-09T12:26:00.000-05:002009-05-09T12:26:00.000-05:00@Jazzbumpa 10:37,
I have the opposite feeling than...@Jazzbumpa 10:37,<br />I have the opposite feeling than you do about what you call flaws.<br />" Foreign languages, dead language numbers, and non-word letter strings"<br />Stretching out the limits of what words are used makes new puzzles much more interesting than just reading dictionary definitions, constantly repeated.<br />Well, that's just my take. <br />I hope you find something to enjoy in them!Janonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-76093292453084936812009-05-09T12:12:00.000-05:002009-05-09T12:12:00.000-05:00Thanks for the "save" Clear Ayes!
Sunnie, welcome...Thanks for the "save" Clear Ayes!<br /><br />Sunnie, welcome to the group. I second Clear Ayes....I'd love to see more of your quilts. As for the crosswords, we're all amateurs here. Some are just farther along that pathway than others. To my mind, we're both in good company!<br /><br />Thanks, WM! My new picture (avatar?) is a quilt I made for a friend. It's my color interpretation of a Jinny Beyer pattern, and reminds me of some of the crossword puzzles we've done.KittyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666226081076161638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-75915007942927347962009-05-09T11:52:00.000-05:002009-05-09T11:52:00.000-05:00Very intimidating at first glance. Went through an...Very intimidating at first glance. Went through and filled in things that I thought I knew, APER, SODA, INGA, NEHIS, HEMA, ACTI and a few others. 1A and 2A were giving me fits...I was trying to fit in some kind of Hula...Hawaiian, etc., as it was the only kind of acted out dance I could think of...came here for 1 and 2 across and then the puzzle slowly started to come together. Maybe my brain just needed a nudge.<br /><br />As usual, a few of the answers that I didn't fill in initially were actually correct when I got back to them. Pretty much the same unknowns as others. I am begining to see the light at the end of the tunnel for Fridays and Saturdays and at least, it isn't a train.<br /><br />KittieB...awesome new quilt!!!<br /><br />Sunnie...welcome.<br /><br />C.C. IMHO, soda ruins a really good single malt Scotch(whisky)...<br /><br />Mr. Parker...somehow it feels a bit better when you have to wrestle with it a bit too...thank you.<br /><br />Beautiful day...outta here...WMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840615580631001361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-64015421361939620102009-05-09T11:51:00.000-05:002009-05-09T11:51:00.000-05:00Good Morning All, When I first saw the grid, my h...Good Morning All, When I first saw the grid, my heart sank. I skipped 1A and was tickled that I'M A LITTLE TEA POT and STREETS OF LAREDO were gimmes. I went back starting with 1D and was able to fill in the top third with very little difficulty, although FTS and ILO were unknowns.<br /><br />I wanted Jose GRECO instead of LIMON, like most of you, TAPE instead of TIVO and DUST instead of RUST.<br /><br />I misread the clue for 56A as "Respond in a kind way" and couldn't figure out an answer for "vague putoff" so it took awhile to fill in the bottom section via the perps.<br /><br />Thanks to Dr. Dad's previous posts (yes, I was paying attention) I got the scientific ENZYMES without a problem.<br /><br />My favorite clues were for SMELTER and ONE-ARM.<br /><br /><I>Young Frankenstein</I> is a favorite comedy. Lemonade714 pointed out a great tag- line, but I'm afraid I couldn't choose and I'd have to link the whole movie. IMO Mel Brooks movies are second only to the Marx Brothers in inspired silliness.<br /><br />Sunnie, Welcome. We have some quilters here (Hi, KittyB) Please post some photos of your quilts. We'd love to see them.Clear Ayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14463641770718104835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-51601907746227851042009-05-09T11:28:00.000-05:002009-05-09T11:28:00.000-05:00Wow,I needed Xwords for Dummies today. My brain mu...Wow,I needed Xwords for Dummies today. My brain must have been asleep. That means I probably won't even look at the NYT puzzle in the paper tomorrow.<br />Have a great weekend.treefroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09555676766985705783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-62616044210735975462009-05-09T10:50:00.000-05:002009-05-09T10:50:00.000-05:00Solid stuff. Always liked making the triple stack...Solid stuff. Always liked making the triple stacks. I'm guessing he started with the entry AT SOME OTHER TIME as half the letters are vowels and the other half are very fluid friendly letters.<br />If anybody's looking for a stiffer themeless challenge, check out the puzzle on my blog.Brendan Emmett Quigleyhttp://www.brendanemmettquigley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-82020682034975579742009-05-09T10:39:00.000-05:002009-05-09T10:39:00.000-05:00Good morning:
I agree with Barry that the 15 lett...Good morning:<br /><br />I agree with Barry that the 15 letter fills make these intimidating at first, but then, by slowly plugging away, they come together. I like REF, SMELTER and DEDUCTS all of which misled a little. <br /><br />Like most, I begin by doing the 3 and 4 letter clues, and FTS (free throws) also could be FGS (field goals) so all I could put in was F_S, but the teapot made it all come together. SCOTCH and SODA was a very popular drink order, and CEN is surely centimeter. Yes. 'get to' is a slang, for example, "My wife always being late, really gets to me." <br /><br />I will never forget INGA and the classic <A HREF="http://www.hulu.com/watch/34219/young-frankenstein-what-knockers" REL="nofollow">What Knockers</A> line from the movie. <br /><br />PRETEST and APER are pretty bogus, but standard. Normally there are course prerequisites, and we see APER so much. <br /><br />C.C., thanks for the tip. Enjoy the week end, all. Tarrajo catch some big ones.Lemonade714https://www.blogger.com/profile/13642909374639570868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995532066584316410.post-82966037107233974972009-05-09T10:37:00.001-05:002009-05-09T10:37:00.001-05:00Hi all,
I had more trouble with this than some of...Hi all,<br /><br />I had more trouble with this than some of you posters. But there were lots of good clues. Especially liked NEHIS, LOTS, APER, SMELTER, CAB, OTTOMAN and ONE-ARM. Many of the answers I had to get through the perps today, and really only finished about 2/3 without some help. But it all filled in at the end. A little red letter help was needed.<br /><br />Thanks CC for the explanations on SLOT CARS and LOTS. The first I didn't know, the second just wasn't registering. I am guessing that CEN represents centimeter. If you are representing measurements in meters, the first decimal would represent the centimeter.<br /><br />Must be off. I have lots to be done. Graduation is next weekend, and I am out of town almost all next week. Can't wait for things to calm down in a week or so. Too much time away.KQhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265126111013180472noreply@blogger.com