Theme: What can I say? Each two-word theme answer consists of a present participle functioning as adjective & a three-letter noun ending in G. Did I miss something?
17A. Lather-holding cup : SHAVING MUG - I shave my mug every morning, but the lather comes from a can.
25A. Sock mender's tool : DARNING EGG - I'm not sure why it's called an egg. Looks more like a bowling pin to me. But then, everything looks like a bowling pin to me.
36A. Violin knob for pitch adjustments : TUNING PEG - The clue reminded me of Frankie "Sweet Music" Viola adjusting pitches in the 1987 World Series.
48A. Retriever or pointer : HUNTING DOG - Ours was a German Shorthair named Bruno. He could scare up pheasants 100 yards away.
57A. Joke that gets funnier with repetition : RUNNING GAG - See Jack Benny later in this blog.
Can you find a phrase in the above pattern but ending in a three-letter noun ?IG, which would allow us to have different vowel variable in the last word.
Good Morning All. Argyle's computer is sick. This is the Boomer from snowy Minnesota, but Spring is in the air - finally.
Across:
1. World Wide __ : WEB- Gets more tangled every day.
4. Gunpowder element : SULFUR - that great firecracker smell on the 4th of July.
10. Turns seaward : EBBS - Hmmmm - I thought ebb just meant recede - like my hairline.
14. Firefighter's tool : AXE
15. Dream up : CREATE
16. Losing strategy? : DIET - Losing weight. I was trying to think of a four letter word defining the play of the NBA Timberwolves or Cavaliers.
19. Homely fruit : UGLI
20. Eye part containing the pupil : IRIS
21. Timeline divisions : ERAS - Eras divided by Timelines are indefinite. I would have used "Pitcher's stats"
23. Habit wearer : NUN - I was taught by the good Sisters of St. Joseph, and there is a great Benedictine Convent in Clyde, MO, but the long black robes are becoming a thing of the past, not worn by many sisters any longer.
24. Kimono sashes : OBIs
28. Magi : WISE MEN - Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar.
30. Sweden neighbor : NORWAY - Ya sure, you betcha!
31. Utmost degree : NTH
32. Church instrument : ORGAN
35. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS
38. "__ to that!" : AMEN
40. Ecstatic way to walk : ON AIR
41. Roman 700 : DCC
44. 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi : KRISTI. A past champion of "Dancing with the Stars".
46. As an alternative : INSTEAD
51. Heidi's heights : ALPS - I liked her better on the "Good Ship, Lollipop".
52. 2011 minus year of birth, roughly : AGE
53. It replaced the franc : EURO
54. Handling the job : ON IT
55. Member of an Iraqi minority : KURD. 17% of Iraq's population.
61. "Now ___ me down ..." : I LAY
62. Complete : ENTIRE
63. Hurry, old-style : HIE
64. Clearance event : SALE - See 65A.
65. Smells to high heaven : STINKS - Yeah, Stinks could also be a "Clearance Event."
66. Blasting sply. : TNT - I wasn't sure of "sply". TNT is in a lot of puzzles.
Down:
1. Used to be : WAS
2. Lettered piece of court evidence : EXHIBIT - I get it. I watch "Law and Order" on TNT.
3. Pessimistic about Wall Street : BEARISH - Not sure about the bear, but Wall street has been "ISH" for a couple of years.
4. Biol. and chem. : SCIs
5. Coffeepot for a crowd : URN
6. Jeans part : LEG
7. Hall of __: enshrined athlete : FAMER - My all time favorite is Harmon Killebrew, now fighting cancer. On his left is C.C.'s avatar Justin Morneau.
8. One-eighty : U-TURN
9. Win back : REGAIN
10. Campus e-mail address letters : EDU
11. Special report subject : BIG NEWS - Lots of special reports on CNN coming from Japan this week. Mother Nature can be nasty. I feel sad for those who lost loved ones, homes, and had their lives disrupted.
12. Sturgeon yielding expensive caviar : BELUGAS - I have heard of Beluga whales. The St. Croix River will sometimes yield Sturgeon over 90 pounds, but I had never heard of a beluga sturgeon. Also known as Huso huso, these sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea, and their eggs are the most expensive caviar around. Would you believe $7,000 to $10,000 per kilo?
13. Tight-fisted : STINGY - This word was invented for Jack Benny. Once a crook held him up, saying "Your money or your life!". The robber became impatient with Benny's silence, until he finally responded - "I'm thinking, I'm thinking".
18. Workbench clamp : VISE
22. Noisy sleepers : SNORERS - I stayed up all last night to see if I was one, but I didn't hear me snore at all.
24. Part of BYOB : OWN
25. Bruce of "Coming Home" : DERN
26. Prefix with -plasty : ANGIO
27. Pirate's quaff : GROG - Those ballplayers from Pittsburgh haven't had champagne for a while, but Snowshoe grog is wonderful on a cold day. A mixture of brandy and peppermint schnapps - keeps you warm in the winter.
29. Canadian lawman on horseback : MOUNTIE - Of course the most famous was Dudley Do-Right, constantly in pursuit of Boris and Natasha.
33. Raggedy doll : ANN - A wonderful simple kid's toy from years gone by. She had a twin brother Andy.
34. Whodunit writer Marsh : NGAIO. A Kiwi writer.
36. Try out : TEST
37. Unwelcome engine sound : PING - Has anyone noticed an engine ping doesn't sound like a ping at all. I once had a Ping putter - that thing could really ping. They don't make them like they used to.
38. Peppery salad green : ARUGULA - I use green peppers, or grind some fresh black pepper. Arugula sounds more like a former relief pitcher for the Twins and Mets: Rick Aguilera.
39. Twenty Questions choice : MINERAL - Toss in Animal and Vegetable and you've already used up 3 questions.
41. "Afternoon __": suggestive #1 hit of 1976 : DELIGHT
42. Ship's leader : CAPTAIN - Okay, but most military branches have captains. Those big ships like the USS Nimitz are actually led by Admirals. I don't remember Captain Kangaroo leading a ship, but I do remember that Mr. Green Jeans' pants had legs.
43. Jewel box contents, briefly : CDs
44. Military pants : KHAKIS - Khaki is a strange word. I think it actually describes a color, which is a light brown. The khaki uniform was between fatigues and full dress, and consisted of pants, shirt, and a soft cap.
45. Hardens : INURES
47. Zesty taste : TANG - Also an orange drink that astronauts made famous.
49. McJob holder : GRUNT - A bit condescending - I sold burgers for a few years back when they were 15 cents. Earned money for a car, a date now and then, and tuition, but never felt I was a grunt - (until I went into the Army).
50. "__ know you?" : DON'T I
54. Vending machine bills : ONES - Sad but true. Used to be you could buy most anything from a vending machine for a quarter or less. Now they have slot machines that accept $100 bills!
56. Hair coloring agent : DYE
58. Author Anaïs : NIN
59. Rub the wrong way : IRK
60. Retrieve : GET
Answer grid.
Boomer
17A. Lather-holding cup : SHAVING MUG - I shave my mug every morning, but the lather comes from a can.
25A. Sock mender's tool : DARNING EGG - I'm not sure why it's called an egg. Looks more like a bowling pin to me. But then, everything looks like a bowling pin to me.
36A. Violin knob for pitch adjustments : TUNING PEG - The clue reminded me of Frankie "Sweet Music" Viola adjusting pitches in the 1987 World Series.
48A. Retriever or pointer : HUNTING DOG - Ours was a German Shorthair named Bruno. He could scare up pheasants 100 yards away.
57A. Joke that gets funnier with repetition : RUNNING GAG - See Jack Benny later in this blog.
Can you find a phrase in the above pattern but ending in a three-letter noun ?IG, which would allow us to have different vowel variable in the last word.
Good Morning All. Argyle's computer is sick. This is the Boomer from snowy Minnesota, but Spring is in the air - finally.
Across:
1. World Wide __ : WEB- Gets more tangled every day.
4. Gunpowder element : SULFUR - that great firecracker smell on the 4th of July.
10. Turns seaward : EBBS - Hmmmm - I thought ebb just meant recede - like my hairline.
14. Firefighter's tool : AXE
15. Dream up : CREATE
16. Losing strategy? : DIET - Losing weight. I was trying to think of a four letter word defining the play of the NBA Timberwolves or Cavaliers.
19. Homely fruit : UGLI
20. Eye part containing the pupil : IRIS
21. Timeline divisions : ERAS - Eras divided by Timelines are indefinite. I would have used "Pitcher's stats"
23. Habit wearer : NUN - I was taught by the good Sisters of St. Joseph, and there is a great Benedictine Convent in Clyde, MO, but the long black robes are becoming a thing of the past, not worn by many sisters any longer.
24. Kimono sashes : OBIs
28. Magi : WISE MEN - Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar.
30. Sweden neighbor : NORWAY - Ya sure, you betcha!
31. Utmost degree : NTH
32. Church instrument : ORGAN
35. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS
38. "__ to that!" : AMEN
40. Ecstatic way to walk : ON AIR
41. Roman 700 : DCC
44. 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi : KRISTI. A past champion of "Dancing with the Stars".
46. As an alternative : INSTEAD
51. Heidi's heights : ALPS - I liked her better on the "Good Ship, Lollipop".
52. 2011 minus year of birth, roughly : AGE
53. It replaced the franc : EURO
54. Handling the job : ON IT
55. Member of an Iraqi minority : KURD. 17% of Iraq's population.
61. "Now ___ me down ..." : I LAY
62. Complete : ENTIRE
63. Hurry, old-style : HIE
64. Clearance event : SALE - See 65A.
65. Smells to high heaven : STINKS - Yeah, Stinks could also be a "Clearance Event."
66. Blasting sply. : TNT - I wasn't sure of "sply". TNT is in a lot of puzzles.
Down:
1. Used to be : WAS
2. Lettered piece of court evidence : EXHIBIT - I get it. I watch "Law and Order" on TNT.
3. Pessimistic about Wall Street : BEARISH - Not sure about the bear, but Wall street has been "ISH" for a couple of years.
4. Biol. and chem. : SCIs
5. Coffeepot for a crowd : URN
6. Jeans part : LEG
7. Hall of __: enshrined athlete : FAMER - My all time favorite is Harmon Killebrew, now fighting cancer. On his left is C.C.'s avatar Justin Morneau.
8. One-eighty : U-TURN
9. Win back : REGAIN
10. Campus e-mail address letters : EDU
11. Special report subject : BIG NEWS - Lots of special reports on CNN coming from Japan this week. Mother Nature can be nasty. I feel sad for those who lost loved ones, homes, and had their lives disrupted.
12. Sturgeon yielding expensive caviar : BELUGAS - I have heard of Beluga whales. The St. Croix River will sometimes yield Sturgeon over 90 pounds, but I had never heard of a beluga sturgeon. Also known as Huso huso, these sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea, and their eggs are the most expensive caviar around. Would you believe $7,000 to $10,000 per kilo?
13. Tight-fisted : STINGY - This word was invented for Jack Benny. Once a crook held him up, saying "Your money or your life!". The robber became impatient with Benny's silence, until he finally responded - "I'm thinking, I'm thinking".
18. Workbench clamp : VISE
22. Noisy sleepers : SNORERS - I stayed up all last night to see if I was one, but I didn't hear me snore at all.
24. Part of BYOB : OWN
25. Bruce of "Coming Home" : DERN
26. Prefix with -plasty : ANGIO
27. Pirate's quaff : GROG - Those ballplayers from Pittsburgh haven't had champagne for a while, but Snowshoe grog is wonderful on a cold day. A mixture of brandy and peppermint schnapps - keeps you warm in the winter.
29. Canadian lawman on horseback : MOUNTIE - Of course the most famous was Dudley Do-Right, constantly in pursuit of Boris and Natasha.
33. Raggedy doll : ANN - A wonderful simple kid's toy from years gone by. She had a twin brother Andy.
34. Whodunit writer Marsh : NGAIO. A Kiwi writer.
36. Try out : TEST
37. Unwelcome engine sound : PING - Has anyone noticed an engine ping doesn't sound like a ping at all. I once had a Ping putter - that thing could really ping. They don't make them like they used to.
38. Peppery salad green : ARUGULA - I use green peppers, or grind some fresh black pepper. Arugula sounds more like a former relief pitcher for the Twins and Mets: Rick Aguilera.
39. Twenty Questions choice : MINERAL - Toss in Animal and Vegetable and you've already used up 3 questions.
41. "Afternoon __": suggestive #1 hit of 1976 : DELIGHT
42. Ship's leader : CAPTAIN - Okay, but most military branches have captains. Those big ships like the USS Nimitz are actually led by Admirals. I don't remember Captain Kangaroo leading a ship, but I do remember that Mr. Green Jeans' pants had legs.
43. Jewel box contents, briefly : CDs
44. Military pants : KHAKIS - Khaki is a strange word. I think it actually describes a color, which is a light brown. The khaki uniform was between fatigues and full dress, and consisted of pants, shirt, and a soft cap.
45. Hardens : INURES
47. Zesty taste : TANG - Also an orange drink that astronauts made famous.
49. McJob holder : GRUNT - A bit condescending - I sold burgers for a few years back when they were 15 cents. Earned money for a car, a date now and then, and tuition, but never felt I was a grunt - (until I went into the Army).
50. "__ know you?" : DON'T I
54. Vending machine bills : ONES - Sad but true. Used to be you could buy most anything from a vending machine for a quarter or less. Now they have slot machines that accept $100 bills!
56. Hair coloring agent : DYE
58. Author Anaïs : NIN
59. Rub the wrong way : IRK
60. Retrieve : GET
Answer grid.
Boomer
