Sunday September 25, 2022 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

 

Theme: "Plush" (Plus -H) - H is added to each common phrase.

23A. Dormitory where honor roll students sleep?: HALL FOR THE BEST. All for the best.

46A. Ingredient for discerning brew masters?: SPECIAL HOPS. Special ops.

71A. Take care of eggs by sitting on them?: HEAT LIKE A BIRD. Eat like a bird.

92A. Learns about crops like maize?: HEARS OF CORN. Ears of corn.

117A. Cheap toupee?: BUDGET HAIRLINE. Budget airline.

15D. Light-up pumps?: ELECTRIC HEELS. Electrical eels.

57D. Weekly night for leftovers?: HASH WEDNESDAY. Ash Wednesday.

I linked this this interview about Gary Larson last time. Amy is his wife.

Gary is probably the most prolific LAT Sunday puzzle-maker the past few years. He's very fond of letter addition/deletion theme.

Across:

1. Little rascal: SCAMP.

6. Crunchy brownie piece: EDGE.

10. Natural bandage: SCAB. If your white blood count is low, your wound won't heal quickly.

14. Storm relief org.: FEMA.

18. Sierra Nevada lake: TAHOE.

19. Connections: TIES.

20. Skyline obscurer: HAZE. Xi'an is pretty polluted.

21. Ruck of "Spin City": ALAN.

22. Semis followers: FINALS.

26. Name of Davy Crockett's rifle: OLD BETSY. Unknown to me.

28. Enjoy again, as a favorite book: RE-READ.

29. Cubbies home: CHI. And 45. Cub's home: DEN.

30. __ carte: ALA.

31. "Fun Factory" clay: PLAY-DOH.

35. Tuft of feathers: CREST.

37. Name of B.B. King's guitar: LUCILLE. Also unknown to me.

41. Actor Mulroney: DERMOT.

43. Santa-tracking org.: NORAD.

48. Jazz lick: RIFF.

51. Sudoku digit: NINE.

52. Birdie topper: EAGLE.

53. Historical record: ANNAL.

54. App symbol: ICON.

55. Suzuki with 10 MLB Gold Gloves: ICHIRO.  See what comes up when you google  "August in Kansas City ..."

58. "Yosemite Valley Winter" photographer: ADAMS.

62. Do needlework: STITCH.

64. Dietary fiber: BRAN.

65. Forecast: PREDICT.

67. Charge for using, as an apartment: LEASE TO.

70. Apple platform: IOS.

74. New __: cap brand: ERA.

75. Cream cheese serving: SCHMEAR.

77. Genre revitalized by Britney Spears: TEEN POP. Christina Aguilera as well.

78. Thicken, as cream: CLOT.

79. Some year-end lists: WORSTS. Ken Tucker's year-end interviews with Terry Gross are always so good.

81. Calf's suckling spot: UDDER.

82. Turns way up: BLASTS.

84. Stadium level: TIER.

86. Rivendell inhabitants: ELVES. "The Lord of the Rings".

88. __ Island: ELLIS.

90. Tacks on: ADDS.

91. Went platinum?: DYED. Ha.

98. Lost cause: GONER.

100. Words on an orange juice container: NO PULP.

102. "Way to go, fella!": ATTA BOY.

103. Dodge: ELUDE.

106. Edible part of a pistachio: NUTMEAT.

108. Mystery writer Grafton: SUE.

109. Many pop-ups: ADS.

111. Refuse: LITTER. Noun "refuse".

113. Baggage handler?: TSA AGENT. Another great clue.

122. Duel choices: SWORDS.

123. Morales of "Ozark": ESAI.

124. With 112-Down, fish story: TALL. And 112. See 124-Across: TALE.

125. Song that might prompt a "Brava!": ARIA.

126. Cast: HEAVE.

127. Texter's "until next time": TTYL.

128. Turow book set at Harvard: ONE L. Just had this fill last Monday.

129. Burt's Bees product: BALM.

130. Fragrant compound: ESTER.

Down:

1. Not in bed yet: STILL UP.

2. Parker who was the 2020 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year: CANDACE. I bet this is Patti's clue.

3. "Pequod" captain: AHAB.

4. Mexican sauce flavored with chocolate: MOLE.

5. Fly, e.g.: PEST.

6. __ alcohol: ETHYL.

7. Jueves, por ejemplo: DIA. Thursday.

8. Salon goop: GEL.

9. Subj. for some citizenship applicants: ESL. Some of the questions on the citizenship test are pretty tough.

10. Help for a tight fit: SHOEHORN.

11. "Virgin River" novelist Robyn: CARR.

12. Tenochtitlan native: AZTEC.

13. "Joy Shtick" writer/comedian: BEHAR.

14. Terrif: FAB.

16. Classic TV series set in Korea: M*A*S*H.

17. Averse to: ANTI.

22. Farm young: FOALS.

24. Gift tag word: FROM.

25. Genesis plot: EDEN. D-Otto has mentioned Eden Prairie a few times. His sister and niece live here.

27. Be in a bee: SPELL.

32. Bustle: ADO.

33. "Okey-doke": YEP.

34. OB-GYNs, e.g.: DRS.

36. Former Seattle team, familiarly: SONICS.

38. Trap during a winter storm, say: ICE IN.

39. False witness: LIAR.

40. Spanish lake: LAGO.

42. Sardine cans: TINS.

44. "I'll take that as __": A NO.

47. Ticker: HEART.

49. Fistfight souvenir: FAT LIP.

50. Circular: FLIER.

53. Go up: ASCEND.

55. Sacred Nile bird: IBIS. The African sacred ibis.

56. Colorful clog: CROC.

59. Shoulder muscle, for short: DELT.

60. Parting words: ADIEUS.

61. Ready to be recorded: MIKED.

63. Bit: TAD.

65. To some degree: PARTLY.

66. Sealing stuff: TAPE.

68. Home run run: TROT. All Rise!

69. Stallion feed: OATS.

71. HRH part: HER.

72. Lightened (up): EASED.

73. Drill, e.g.: BORER.

76. Bite: MORSEL.

78. "Julius Caesar" role: CASCA.

80. Kristoff's reindeer in "Frozen": SVEN.

82. Dab at, as lipstick: BLOT.

83. British elevator: LIFT.

84. Graffiti signature: TAG.

85. Rite answer?: I DO. Good old clue.

87. Three-time "Modern Family" Emmy nominee: ED O'NEILL.

89. Future JDs' exams: LSATS.

92. Simple shelter: HUT.

93. Furniture wood: ELM.

94. Animal that beats its chest: APE.

95. Witness: OBSERVE.

96. Not as flat: ROUNDER.

97. Russian rejections: NYETS.

99. Govern: RULE.

101. Smooth engine sound: PURR.

104. "Likewise": DITTO.

105. One of the filmmaking Coen brothers: ETHAN. Both are working on their own projects now.

107. Crack squad: A TEAM.

109. Turn off the security cameras for, maybe: ABET.

110. Roomba target: DUST.

114. Queens, New York, stadium namesake: ASHE.

115. Dazzles: AWES.

116. Capricorn critter: GOAT.

118. Hodges who managed the Miracle Mets: GIL.

119. Chemist's workplace: LAB.

120. 401(k) kin: IRA.

121. Not a thing: NIL.

Boomer got his blood infusion last Monday. He has not perked up yet. The nurses said it might take up 5 to 7 days for him to feel better.

It was another challenging week, but it would be unimaginable without the generous help of Tom Pepper, who came to our house immediately after I called, drove us to the VA, spent a few hours with us at the VA and drove us back. He's been amazing, all these years.

 Tom Pepper, the 3rd MN Crossword Tournament, 6/23/2014

Sunday July 24, 2022 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

Theme: "The Old Switcheroo" - Pro and Con exchange places.

23A *Truly unappetizing French dish?: GROSS CONFIT. Gross profit.

25A. *In favor of monetary penalties?: PRO FINING. Confining.

48A. *Proposed bill?: A WORK IN CONGRESS. A work in progress.

67A. *Source of talent for a major-league franchise?: PRO STABLE. Constable.

71A. *Opposed to medical treatment?: CON CURING. Procuring.

92A. *Stall selling souvenirs on graduation day?: PROCESSION STAND. Concession stand.

114A. *Appeal from a jailhouse lawyer?: CON FILING. Profiling.

Reveal:

117. Both sides of an argument, and what have been switched to create the answers to the starred clues: PROS AND CONS.

I'm picturing how Chairman Mao would react to this puzzle. He probably find the first one very appealing. Nothing GROSS!

Four of the original phrases are one-word entries, Gary and Amy probably did not have many candidates to choose from.

Across:

1. "Dragnet" star Jack: WEBB. "Just the facts, ma'am."

5. Got to laugh: AMUSED.

11. Big galoots: APES.

15. Feathery scarves: BOAS.

19. Diva's delivery: ARIA.

20. Albania neighbor: KOSOVO. Its capital is Pristina.

21. Office note: MEMO.

22. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.

27. Ruhr Valley city: ESSEN.

28. On: ATOP.

30. Lhasa native: TIBETAN. You'll find tsampa in any Tibetan restaurant. Made of barley flour.

31. "The Optimist's Daughter" Pulitzer winner Welty: EUDORA.

35. Group in the minors: AA TEAM. The next is Triple-A.

38. Snoopy adversary: RED BARON.

42. Down source: EIDER.

43. Quaked: SHOOK.

51. Dull pain: ACHE.

52. __ fide: in bad faith: MALA.

53. Honeycomb figures: HEXAGONS.

54. Actor Sheen: MARTIN.

56. Left hanging: IN LIMBO.

59. "Time __ the essence": IS OF.

60. Animated short: CARTOON.

61. Lentil dish: DAL.

62. Cynthia Nixon's role on "The Gilded Age": ADA.

63. Some tribute pieces: FAN ART.

66. Salary: PAY.

73. __ Claire, Wisconsin: EAU. Minnesota is solid blue, but our neighbors are all red. 

74. Platitude: TRUISM.

76. Bovine chew: CUD.

77. Load from a lode: ORE.

78. Moving right along: AT SPEED.

80. Violinist Leopold: AUER. Learned from doing xwords.

82. Anka song with a Spanish title: ESO BESO.

86. Slowing down, musically: Abbr.: RITARD.

87. Cowardly Lion portrayer: BERT LAHR. Fun to see his full name.

90. Eurasian range: URAL.

91. Last name of both "Fargo" writers: COEN.

95. Fizzled out: ENDED.

97. German pronoun: EINES.

98. QB-to-receiver successes: TD PASSES.

99. Wife, in Spanish: ESPOSA. Boomer just calls me "Lao Po" (Old Wife).

101. Declare: ASSERT.

103. Nissan models: ALTIMAS.

107. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH.

109. First name in skin care: ESTEE. Here's their best seller. The Advance Night Repair.

121. "__ on First": book about comedian Costello: LOU'S.

122. Antioxidant berry: ACAI.

123. Czech currency: KORUNA. I thought they use Euro.

124. Aardvark meal: ANTS.

125. As many as: UP TO.

126. "Gin and Juice" rapper Snoop __: DOGG.

127. Verve: ENERGY.

128. Sushi bar soup: MISO. Miso alone is just the paste, which I use every day.

Down:

1. Minimum __: WAGE.

2. Commits a faux pas: ERRS.

3. Life stories: BIOS.

4. Military outpost: BASE.

5. Pedigree org.: AKC. The American Kennel Club.

6. Holstein sound: MOO.

7. Admiral's org.: USN.

8. As yet: SO FAR.

9. "A New Argentina" musical: EVITA.

10. Inflict on: DO TO.

11. Concert device: AMP.

12. Pay-__-view: PER.

13. Hams: EMOTERS. Spellcheck does not like this word.

14. "Modern Family" actress Vergara: SOFIA. Bill G likes her a lot. How are you doing, Bill?

15. Ecru kin: BONE.

16. Drop: OMIT.

17. Chlumsky of "Veep": ANNA.

18. Omen: SIGN.

24. Move stealthily: SNEAK.

26. Some early PCs: IBMS.

29. Form couples: PAIR OFF.

32. New England sch.: URI.

33. "Tiny Bubbles" singer: DON HO.

34. First word of "The Raven": ONCE.

36. Yemeni port: ADEN.

37. "Rizzoli & Isles" crime series novelist Gerritsen: TESS. I remember she was so excited when Rich used her as a clue for TESS a while ago.

 

38. "Bohemian Rhapsody" Oscar winner Malek: RAMI.

39. Actor McGregor: EWAN.

40. American Girl product: DOLL.

41. Intertwines: BRAIDS.

42. Frozen waffle brand: EGGO.

44. Sabrina portrayer Melissa Joan __: HART.

45. Squid relatives: OCTOPI.

46. Resident of Lima, Lisbon, or Athens: OHIOAN. Great clue angle.

47. Big name in smooth jazz: KENNY G.

49. Lime and rust: OXIDES.

50. Astronaut's insignia: NASA.

54. Bongbong of the Philippines: MARCOS. Current president. Son of the Imelda Marcos.

55. Conductor Toscanini: ARTURO.

57. Be relevant: MATTER.

58. Sounded loudly: BLARED.

60. Recycle bin item: CAN.

62. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.

64. Honda luxury cars: ACURAS.

65. Doze: NOD.

67. Guy of "Memento": PEARCE.

68. Allocate: RATION.

69. Got rid of: OUSTED.

70. Pal: BUD.

72. Counters: REBUTS.

75. Mime Marcel: MARCEAU. We see his BIP from time to time.

76. Collectible frames: CELS.

79. Glazier's item: PANE.

81. Sport-__: versatile vehicles: UTES.

82. Lose ground?: ERODE.

83. Noted times: ERAS.

84. All there: SANE.

85. Auto pioneer: OLDS.

87. Verve: BRIO.

88. A dog's age: EONS.

89. Chart toppers: HITS.

92. Soft drink giant: PEPSICO.

93. Scott Simon's network: NPR.

94. Filled: SATED.

96. "Sorry Not Sorry" singer Lovato: DEMI.

100. Bowl of greens: SALAD.

101. Composer Copland: AARON.

102. Land by the sea: SHORE.

103. Anti-censorship org.: ACLU.

104. Belt holder: LOOP.

105. Fastener with flanges: T NUT.

106. "Should that be the case ... ": IF SO.

108. Toll rd.: TPKE.

110. Bogus offer: SCAM.

111. "Beloved" novelist Morrison: TONI.

112. Sinus docs: ENTS.

113. Exxon's original brand name: ESSO.

115. Badger: NAG.

116. Band booking: GIG.

118. __ La Table: kitchenware retailer: SUR. My sister-in-law Connie sent us a nice kitchen towel from them. Too pretty to use.

119. Director Lee: ANG. Spelled as "An" in mainland China. Ange Lee is from Taiwan.

120. Anti vote: NAY.

 

Boomer completed his shoulder PT last Tuesday. He'll continue the OT for the next few weeks. He still can't type with his left hand, but he is able to put his left hand on the walker or the railing for stability now. Baby steps.

C.C.

Friday, May 27, 2022, Gary Larson and Amy Ensz

Theme: "What the 'EL??"

Puzzling thoughts:

This appears to be the second collaboration between Gary (not the comic strip artist/author) Larson and Amy Ensz. We saw their first one on Sunday, March 27, of this year. That puzzle used some familar Star Trek (CSO to Picard) terms and names, and the title was "The Final Frontier". Today's puzzle has a few familar phrases/names that were punned when the letters "EL" were omitted

As I alluded to on Monday, this puzzle was not as difficult; perhaps because most of Gary Larson's puzzles are "tight" and contain easy-to-suss entries. Let's see how the 'EL they came up with them!

17-across. *Genetically engineered retriever?: DESIGNER LAB. If you add the letters "EL" to "LAB", the phrase "DESIGNER LABEL" is one we all know and maybe own, despite their being grossly overpriced

24-across. *Colleague of an Idaho farmer?: POTATO PEER. Cute. Add the "EL" and you get "POTATO PEELER

36-across. *Advice to someone who doesn't want more kittens?: FIX THE CAT. Another brilliant play-on-words! The "EL" provides us with "FELIX THE CAT". Remember this cartoon movie?

52-across. *Teaches tricks to circus animals?: LION TRAINS. Tack on an "EL" to LION, and you get: "LIONEL TRAINS". I'm pretty sure I got a set of these back in my youth

And last, but not least: 57-across. *Food and water supplied during a marathon?: RACE RATIONS. Here, the "EL" goes after the second "R" and forms "RACE RELATIONS"

And of course the reveal: 67. Holiday song, and, phonetically, an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: NOEL. No "EL"

Maybe Gary and/or Amy will stop by and offer their comments as to how this one formed. On to the rest of the clues and fill!

Across:
1. __-relief: BAS. I always like it when I can begin filling in a crossword puzzle with 1-across. Given the three-letter entry, "BAS" immediately came to mind. What does it mean? [according to Pigmentti dot com] "Pronounced bah-relief, the term originally stems from the Italian phrase basso-relievo which directly translates to low relief. Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3D appearance which can be viewed from all angles with little distortion"

4. Sacks: BAGS. Which crossed with the singular, "4-down. Sack: BED.

8. Loose strands of hair: WISPS.

13. Tonsillectomy doc: ENT. Also, a treebeard in Lord of the Rings

14. Class struggle?: EXAM. TEST also fits

15. Point of contention: ISSUE.

16. Binary pronoun: HER. Along with its "clecho" in 34-down. Binary pronoun: SHE. Now that we have two female editors on the LA Times Crossword Puzzle staff I am guessing that we'll see more "HER's" and "SHE's".

Most people think of pronouns as they fall within the gender binary– with men using he/him/his and women using she/her/hers. However, gender neutral pronouns such as they, ze, xe, and others exist and are often used by non-binary people, who do not associate themselves with genders of man or woman

Of course, I couldn't pass this one without a haiku:

Do women in Penn-
Sylvania prefer drinking
At a HER-SHE bar?

20. Many a Riyadh resident: ARAB.

22. Family chart: TREE.

23. NYC airport near Citi Field: LGA. Citi Field is the home of the NY Mets; LGA is the airport code for LaGuardia

28. Care follower: BEAR. These plush toys

29. Relatively small upright: PIANINO. According to Merrium-Webster dot com: "Definition of pianino:

1 : a small upright piano especially : a 19th-century upright piano of limited range 2 : a coin-operated player piano

This:

30. Tammy of country: WYNETTE.

32. NFL stats: YDS.

33. Socket set: EYES. I initially thought of tools. You?

35. Let up: EASED.

39. Star in astronomy: SAGAN. As in "Carl" SAGAN: Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator

42. Of all time: EVER.

43. Hr. to go: ETD.

46. __ knot: WINDSOR. Does anyone still wear a tie anymore? I used to tie mine in a half WINDSOR, and made sure that the "dimple" was nice and straight! Here are the two WINDSOR knots, along with a four-in-hand:

And for those wanting a refresher course on how to tie them, a video:

49. Successful candidate: ELECTEE.

51. God with good aim: EROS. Cute clue

54. "Better Call Saul" network: AMC. I've not watched this but I hear it's quite good

55. Interminable time: AEON.

56. Nevada city: RENO.

62. Future louse: NIT.

63. Clip: SHEAR.

64. Draft category: ONE-A. I'm sure that a few of us guys who were of age back in the Vietnam War days had this category. I was ONE-A; then TWO-S; then ONE-H

65. New prefix: NEO.

66. Nonsensical: SILLY. I resemble this comment!

68. Start to sneeze?: ESS. The phonetic spelling of the letter "S"

Down:
1. "You should smile more": BE HAPPY. Or an erstwhile Bob Marley "hit" song; try to get THIS tune out of your head today!!

2. Barometer type: ANEROID. Dictionary dot com describes it as: "a device for measuring atmospheric pressure, often specially calibrated for use as an altimeter, consisting of a box or chamber partially exhausted of air, having an elastic top and a pointer to indicate the degree of compression of the top caused by the external air"

3. Soprano Teresa known for her recording of Berg's "Lulu": STRATAS. Another proper name with which I was unfamiliar; a CSO to CanadianEh! Here is a brief biography

5. Body spray brand: AXE. Popular among the younger crowd. I still have a bottle of the "original" Old Spice

6. Beetle juice?: GAS. Say it three times and the price per gallon will increase another thirty cents

7. Clobber, biblically: SMITE.

8. Port producer: WINERY. A CSO to Chairman Moe, I guess ... Port wine is made similar to "regular" wine, but goes through a shorter fermentation period to allow a greater amount of RS (residual sugar) to remain in the must. The wine is then "fortified" by adding distilled alcohol (usually brandy) to add more "proof" to the finished wine. This enables the wine to retain a sweeter flavor as well as to allow it to preserve longer. "Regular" wine is about 13.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), whereas Port is at or near 20%

9. "Amazing Grace" ending: I SEE. Copied from its lyrics:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I SEE

10. Abbreviation on old maps: SSR.

11. Young hens: PULLETS. In my early days of crossword puzzle construction I tried coming up with a puzzle that had punned phrases about fowl. This was one of my entries: PULLET SURPRISE (clue:*what a young hen got when she won an award for literature). The puzzle was rejected ...

12. Data storage company: SEAGATE. Read all about them

18. Got bigger: GREW.

19. Exposed: BARED. One of my limericks from the past:

In the nudist camp's recent enclosure,
If you join there, requires exposure
Of your BARED naked bod.
That is not really odd.
They are just giving you full "dis-clothesure"

21. Shut out: BAN. Also a brand name of a body spray - or deodorant

25. Promotional links: TIE-INS. Do you think there's one for WINDSOR Castle, or knot??!

26. Chalcedony with black and white bands: ONYX. Hard to solve this if you didn't know what the word Chalcedony means

27. One who's well-versed: POET. A CSO to many here at the CC Blog

28. Exhausted: BEAT. What I sometimes am after creating my recaps

31. Not as far: NEARER. CLOSER also fit

36. In things: FADS. Hula Hoop was the first FAD that came to mind

37. Square: EVEN. "Are we square?"

38. Hibernian, e.g.: CELT. If a CELT sleeps for a long period of time, do they Hibernian-ate?

39. __ jar: SWEAR. In the Apple TV show "Ted Lasso", one of the main characters, Roy Kent, has a 6-year old niece Phoebe who maintains a SWEAR tracking notebook for her uncle. Each time her uncle SWEARs, it costs him one quid. At the end of Season 1, Roy's SWEAR "jar" had a value of £1,236 (expletive below)

40. Meteorological concern: AIR MASS. I am leaving this blank for Ray-O-Sunshine to quip!

41. Ristorante dumplings: GNOCCHI. If Anonymous_T is lurking, maybe he can further enlighten us on this Italian dumpling

43. __ Aigner: fashion house known for accessories: ETIENNE. A DESIGNER LABel, for sure

44. Sneaks on the court?: TENNIES. A British term I think - short for Tennis Shoes - and the clue "sneaks" is short for sneakers

45. Classic autos advertised with the Cole Porter song "It's De-Lovely": DESOTOS. I was just a little tot in 1956 so I don't remember this ad

47. Cow owner in a Rockwell painting: O'LEARY. O'LEARY and 19th Century Immigrants in Chicago. There's a common myth that pops up anytime the Chicago Fire of 1871 comes up in conversation: that a woman named Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the cow kicked over a lantern, igniting the barn and starting the fire that would destroy much of the city

48. Real hoot: RIOT. A more positive way of clueing this word

50. Caboose, e.g.: CAR. BUTT didn't fit

53. Salad topper: ONION. They'll take your (good) breath away

55. Shrinking Asian sea: ARAL. Crossword-ese

58. Caterpillar roll fish: EEL. Ingredients: What is Caterpillar sushi made of? Known for its unique insect like appearance, the common caterpillar roll contains rice, nori sheets (nori = seaweed), cucumber, EEL (Unagi), and avocado. The interior of the roll includes eel and cucumber and the exterior is rice with the layers of avocado

59. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.

60. Word that indicates a name change: NEE.

61. ESPN reporter Paolantonio: SAL. This guy

Here is the grid:

On a personal note, today marks the 2nd Birthday of my grandson, Elliot. Kinda fitting that the puzzle involves the letters "EL", though I don't think I will call him by that nickname (unless his mom and dad do). Here is a picture of him a week before his birthday. Your Gramps loves you, Elliot!

Sorry, I had to include this as well ... aren't the laughs of little kids contagious??!!