Theme: SOUL OF MOTOWN (30A: 16A, 38A, and 55A, e.g.)
16A: "A Natural Woman" lady: ARETHA FRANKLIN
38A: "Part-Time Lover" man: STEVIE WONDER
55A: "Superfly" guy: CURTIS MAYFIELD
I could not finish this puzzle unassisted. I wish I could. I had a nightmare at the lower left corner. But I like this puzzle. I really like it.
I can't tell you what really constitutes a good puzzle. To quote Justice Stewart again: "I know it when I see it".
So many unexpected fills and surprising clues. Look at these compound words:
9A: Attacked: SET AT
14A: Baby Doll: CUTIE PIE
21A" Promotional links: TIE-INS
46A: For no profit: AT COST
50A: Lifter's shout: ALLEY-OOP
59A: Targeted: PREYED UPON
3D: Relished: ATE UP
22D: Spouse sibling: IN-LAW
44D: Can skip: NEEDN'T
48D: Dizzying designs: OP ART
50D: How much above?: A CUT
52D: Scientologist Hubbard: L RON
Quality clues, quality answers! This is the way crossword should be constructed and is indeed the way the new wave of constructors/editors like Stan Newman have been headed for.
Two irksome clues also:
58A: Home of the Huskies: UCONN. Definitely need a "for short" in the clue.
35D: Part of Canada's Y.T.: TER. Please don't use this clue again. It's cheating! Why not go with "Guam, e.g.: Abbr. "?
Across:
1A: Image digitizers: SCANNERS
19A: Western tip of England: LAND'S END. Foreign to me. Looks like a storm is coming.
24A: Harrison in "Star Wars": HAN. HAN Solo. FYI, HAN is also the largest among the 56 ethnic groups in China. It constitutes about 93% of the population, roughly 19% of the entire world population. I am a Han.
33A: Maestro Dorati: ANTAL. Have never heard of this conductor. Wikipedia says he was "especially well-known for his recordings of Tchaikovsky's music", and he was "the first conductor to record all three of Tchaikovsky's ballets - Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauity and The Nutcracker - complete."
41A: Tears into pieces: SHREDS
54A: Quilt with a washable cover: DUVET
60A: 1979 Alda senatorial role: TYNAN. The Seduction of Joe TYNAN. New to me. Both Meryl Streep & Rip Torn were (are??) in the cast. Is it a good movie?
61A: Shrill: STRIDENT
Down:
1D: Meager: SCANTY
2D: Screen arrow: CURSOR
8D: Caravan stopover: SERAI. I've never heard of this word.
9D: Grainy rocks: SANDSTONES
11D: Swimming pool edger: TILE. He is incredible. He has showed us how to turn an improbable into an afterthought!
18D: Capital of Spain?: ESS
24D: 1942 Bing Crosby film: HOLIDAY INN. I've never seen this movie. The only Bing Crosby movies I've seen are "The Country Girl" & "High Society". I adore Grace Kelley. I like "To Catch a Thief" & "Rear Window".
26D: Fabri or liquid finisher: ATOR. Commentator, Decorator as well.
27D: Hole maker: AWL. Interesting 7" Bone AWL.
39D: These, in Cadiz: ESTOS
40D: Morse code unit: DIT. No wobbling between DOT & DIT this time because I got DIS (42A: Bad-mouth) earlier on.
43D: Coty competitor: REVLON. L'Oreal is another major competitor of Coty, so are Unilever and P & G of course.
49D: Blue shoe leather: SUEDE. I don't understand this one, why "blue"?
51D: Ethel's tenant: LUCY. "I Love Lucy".
56D: Beatles song, "__ Blues": YER. "YER Blues". Saw this clue somewhere before.
57D: Murphy Brown's TV show: FYI. Completely unknown to me. I've never seen "Murphy Brown".
C.C.
16A: "A Natural Woman" lady: ARETHA FRANKLIN
38A: "Part-Time Lover" man: STEVIE WONDER
55A: "Superfly" guy: CURTIS MAYFIELD
I could not finish this puzzle unassisted. I wish I could. I had a nightmare at the lower left corner. But I like this puzzle. I really like it.
I can't tell you what really constitutes a good puzzle. To quote Justice Stewart again: "I know it when I see it".
So many unexpected fills and surprising clues. Look at these compound words:
9A: Attacked: SET AT
14A: Baby Doll: CUTIE PIE
21A" Promotional links: TIE-INS
46A: For no profit: AT COST
50A: Lifter's shout: ALLEY-OOP
59A: Targeted: PREYED UPON
3D: Relished: ATE UP
22D: Spouse sibling: IN-LAW
44D: Can skip: NEEDN'T
48D: Dizzying designs: OP ART
50D: How much above?: A CUT
52D: Scientologist Hubbard: L RON
Quality clues, quality answers! This is the way crossword should be constructed and is indeed the way the new wave of constructors/editors like Stan Newman have been headed for.
Two irksome clues also:
58A: Home of the Huskies: UCONN. Definitely need a "for short" in the clue.
35D: Part of Canada's Y.T.: TER. Please don't use this clue again. It's cheating! Why not go with "Guam, e.g.: Abbr. "?
Across:
1A: Image digitizers: SCANNERS
19A: Western tip of England: LAND'S END. Foreign to me. Looks like a storm is coming.
24A: Harrison in "Star Wars": HAN. HAN Solo. FYI, HAN is also the largest among the 56 ethnic groups in China. It constitutes about 93% of the population, roughly 19% of the entire world population. I am a Han.
33A: Maestro Dorati: ANTAL. Have never heard of this conductor. Wikipedia says he was "especially well-known for his recordings of Tchaikovsky's music", and he was "the first conductor to record all three of Tchaikovsky's ballets - Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauity and The Nutcracker - complete."
41A: Tears into pieces: SHREDS
54A: Quilt with a washable cover: DUVET
60A: 1979 Alda senatorial role: TYNAN. The Seduction of Joe TYNAN. New to me. Both Meryl Streep & Rip Torn were (are??) in the cast. Is it a good movie?
61A: Shrill: STRIDENT
Down:
1D: Meager: SCANTY
2D: Screen arrow: CURSOR
8D: Caravan stopover: SERAI. I've never heard of this word.
9D: Grainy rocks: SANDSTONES
11D: Swimming pool edger: TILE. He is incredible. He has showed us how to turn an improbable into an afterthought!
18D: Capital of Spain?: ESS
24D: 1942 Bing Crosby film: HOLIDAY INN. I've never seen this movie. The only Bing Crosby movies I've seen are "The Country Girl" & "High Society". I adore Grace Kelley. I like "To Catch a Thief" & "Rear Window".
26D: Fabri or liquid finisher: ATOR. Commentator, Decorator as well.
27D: Hole maker: AWL. Interesting 7" Bone AWL.
39D: These, in Cadiz: ESTOS
40D: Morse code unit: DIT. No wobbling between DOT & DIT this time because I got DIS (42A: Bad-mouth) earlier on.
43D: Coty competitor: REVLON. L'Oreal is another major competitor of Coty, so are Unilever and P & G of course.
49D: Blue shoe leather: SUEDE. I don't understand this one, why "blue"?
51D: Ethel's tenant: LUCY. "I Love Lucy".
56D: Beatles song, "__ Blues": YER. "YER Blues". Saw this clue somewhere before.
57D: Murphy Brown's TV show: FYI. Completely unknown to me. I've never seen "Murphy Brown".
C.C.
98 comments:
It took me a while to do today's puzzle: when I started doing it, I was eating an egg mcmuffin (for breakfast) and I was still working on it after I had finished my mcnuggets (for lunch).
My confidence had been shot as a result of yesterday's disastrous puzzle. I looked at the first few clues and thought "I have no idea". I was dumbfounded. I felt like one of those contestants on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" except there was no ten year old in the McDonalds who could help me… not one who could speak English anyway.
Things came together when I finally got SCANNERS. I was able to finish the rest of the puzzle during the bus ride home. Even though I had finished the puzzle, I nevertheless went to google because I had never heard of SET AT (set at: To attack or assail: The dogs set at the fox. The American Heritage® Dictionary), ANTAL Dorati, DIT, The Seduction of Joe TYNAN, COMPS (ie complimentaries), OP ART (ie optical art), the Beatles song "YER Blues" or the University of CONNecticut, although the latter was a bit of a gimme because I figured the "Huskies" were probably a college sports team. I also didn't realize that Ethel Mertz was LUCY Ricardo's landlady on I Love Lucy. Now I know. Finally, I didn't like the words STRIDENT and SCANTY: I know the word "scantily" (as in "scantily clad" = "barely dressed") but scanty was new to me. I wanted PALTRY instead.
I also had DNA instead of RNA so I got DEVLON instead of REVLON. (I was thinking of Devlin-McGregor, the pharmaceutical company from the movie The Fugitive.) For ALLEYOOP ("lifter's shout") I originally wrote OW MY BACK but L RON let me know I had to try again. I also had GIFTS instead of COMPS for "freebies".
They used the word ASS again so soon? Instead of cluing ASS as "Fool" or "Donkey" why don't they use "Part of T&A"?
I was amused to see "Come next" so soon after "Second-hand ride". No, please, please, please don't anybody ask me what I mean by that!
C.C., I watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while I was in Korea, confident that there would be subtitles. There were subtitles: Korean subtitles. They didn't help. I really didn't understand anything after the first two minutes into the movie.
Oh and I've actually been to LAND'S END in Cornwall! It was the first word I filled in!
Martin
Actually, "SANDSTONES" is the answer to 9D, not 8D and the clue is plural. The reason for "blue" in the clue for 49D is because of Elvis's "BLUE suede shooes".
Blue Suede Shoes is a song popularized by Elvis and originated by Carl Perkins.
Um... SANDSTONES wasn't the answer for 8D. That was SERAI (An inn built around a large court for accommodating caravans along trade routes in central and western Asia). The clue for SANDSTONES was "Grainy rocks" (9D).
If I am not mistaken, Holiday Inn was the movie in which Bing Crosby first sang "White Christmas". There was also a movie "White Christmas" that came out after the song became a hit. I put it in right after getting HAN.
Martin
Good morning C.C. and gang - a bit late this morning. Got the theme answers pretty quickly, as I've always been a huge Motown aficionado.
Some unusual clue/answers in this one; really enjoyed it. Back in the day, people would say "alley oop" when they'd give someone a boost up, like when climbing a tree. C.C., "Blue Suede Shoes" is a famous oldie song, first by Carl Perkins, then covered by Elvis Presley.
And C.C., have you lost your mind? Showing a picture of a SEVEN INCH BONE awl?? We may have 300 posts today, and that's just the sirens. Us guys will be busy reading all the male enhancement emails.
Lola, welcome to our ever-growing world; hope you enjoy the experience.
Have a great weekend; do something fun. Summer's rapidly getting away from us.
Martin,
You are amused, but I am bemused by your "Come Next" comment. I SCANNED the grid again, and could not find any clue that triggered your dysfunctional thought.
Laspeen,
Thank you. I mixed up 8D & 9D. I've never heard of SERAI.
Dennis,
Sometimes a bone AWL is just a bone AWL.
C.C., right. And a cigar is just a cigar.
C.C.,
In your newspaper, what was the clue for 18A?
Martin
Dennis,
Yeah, that's the ticket!
Martin,
You've slid down too deep into the black hole of dysfunctionality!
Good morning c.c., DF’s and all! A very nice puzzle, loved the theme ( a very easy fill) and enough weird words to keep me interested. I must agree that 35d TER was terrible X2, terrible clue, terrible word. 54A was new tom me, 58a (UCONN) a gimmie as I’m a fan of Big East basketball (even though my team, St. Johns, SUCKS).
@martin- maybe the Beatles song should have been “Come Together”.
Big weekend planed. It’s our company awards weekend, so lots of drinking and debauchery (and a little golf) are on the horizon. Have a great weekend everyone!
C.C.,
Okay, I don't understand "slid down too deep". I hope it doesn't mean the same thing as "cross the line" because I know I was in a lot of trouble the last time I did that.
Martin
xchefwalt,
"Come together... right now... over me"
Yeah. Sounds like a scene from a Japanese porno.
You know, I think I just figured out what DF stands for!
Martin
Xchefwalt,
You brought a smile to my face with your 35D comment. But what is X2? So good to see you early in the morning.
Martin,
Hmmm, you did cross the line, but not mine. My comment was meant to be a compliment. Man, you've crossed the River of Rubicon and are well on your way to the peak of Mountain Dysfunctionality (Xchef has been there).
Good morning everyone........
I liked this puzzle today. I also had trouble with the lower left corner. I had to Google a few. Had to Google Murphy Brown because I never watched it.
I loved the picture of Lands End CC.
And, don't you know who Meryl Streep is? Or did I misunderstand you?
I never heard of Serai either.
Martin, I love all your commments. And all the other DF's too. You are all so clever and take the time to make this all interesting. I just don't have much time in the mornings. I probably won't be back until Monday or Tuesday. I will miss all your commments.
Have a good weekend everyone.
Guess I'm the only dunce! Why is Murphy Brown "FYI"?
"NEEDNT" was a left field answer to Can Skip. I "neednt" work the puzzle tomorrow, because I refuse to spend more than 30 minutes on a daily puzzle.
Katherine,
I do know Meryl Streep and I like her. The reason I put a question mark there is because I don't know which word is correct: They WERE in the cast or they ARE in the cast. Which tense should I use?
Martin,
Dick, one of the 3D troika here (together with Dennis and Dr. Dad) would say to you: "Martin, you are so bad, and that is a good thing."
Katherine,
Thanks. I sometimes make jokes in my English class and when nobody laughs I say "Now hold on! Now I know you aren't understanding me because that was funny."
C.C.
"X2" means "times two" so "terrible X2" means "terrible terrible".
Martin
southern belle, in her show, Murphy Brown was the anchor for a tv newsmagazine called F.Y.I.
C.C.,
Each tense has its own valid meaning. If you ask somebody "I haven't seen this movie? Who's in it?" then the correct answer would be that so-in-so and so-in-so ARE in the movie. However, it is also true that they WERE in the movie when the movie was being made.
A similar question pops up when we talk about fiction: we say that Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley ARE characters that appear in the novel (and movie) A Christmas Carol but they also WERE characters that Dickens created when he wrote the novel. Don't feel bad. I just found this very point discussed here about halfway down the page.
Martin
If anyone is interested, I have built a modest Bed & Breakfast atop Mt. Dysfunctionality (I call it c.c.'s B&B). All “comers” are welcome (and encouraged), with special midnight buffets for discerning guests. (No) reservations welcome, walk-ups encouraged to come in and lie down.
Ayup, definitely a good puzzle. And definitely a challenge!
The SW corner didn't pose any problems for me, since I was familiar with Crosby's HOLIDAY INN and knew all the other verticals in that corner.
The SE corner, on the other hand, almost proved to be my own personal Waterloo. I didn't know if 43 was DNA or RNA. I've never heard of CURTIS MAYFIELD. I didn't know the name of the Beatles song. I had no idea what "Coty" was, and I couldn't remember the name of the fictional news program that Murphy Brown worked on or what you call a quilt with a washable cover. Oh -- and I also had a lot of trouble parsing the clue for 44D.
Things did eventually work themselves out, however. I finally figured out what 44D was asking for and, after a bit of further consternation, was able to get NEEDN'T (I just wasn't really thinking about contractions). That was enough to shake DUVET from the cobwebs and allowed me to guess RNA and REVLON. And then I stared at 55A, 59A, 56D and 57D for a loooong time. I came this close to putting PROBED ON for 59A, but I finally started to play the alphabet game with every vowel and consonant combination until I hit PREYED ON. That gave me _YI for 67D, which was enough to jog my memory and remember that the name of the show within a show (which I actually watched years ago) was called FYI (For Your Information).
At the very end I was left with CURTIS MA_FIELD for 55A and _ER for 56D. I suppose 55A's last name could have been MAXFIELD or MARFIELD or even MANFIELD, but MAYFIELD sounded more likely, even though "YER Blues" meant absolutely NOTHING to me and didn't seem like it could possibly be correct. None of the other possibilities seemed any better, though (NER Blues? XER Blues? RER Blues?) and so that was my final answer, Regis.
Other words I did not know (but was able to get via the perps) were ANTAL and SERAI. I had a hard time remembering TYNAN, but I did see the movie and was eventually able to recall it.
Good morning, DF's.
Struggled a bit this morning. Never heard of serai. Kept wanting to put besat (past tense of beset?) in for 9A but that didn't work. Didn't know Antal Dorati and kept trying to think of some area within the Yukon Territories as opposed to the abbreviation (Ter.). Then got stuck in the SE corner. Thank heaven for the "tie ins." Felt like I was getting "preyed on." I was actually "a cut" below and a bit scanty on solving this one. Some googling with the "cursor."
Not really a good time with this one. But I "needn't" have worried because "awls" well that "(Lands) ends" well.
Today is National Relaxation Day. And after this puzzle, I think that is what I will do.
Martin is definitely a dysfunctional. And I agree with Dennis again, C.C. - the supper sirens will latch onto that seven inch bone (awl or nothing) and never let go. And you will probably stir them up more with the link to Michael and mentioning "The SEDUCTION of Joe Tynan." Lois will be gone for sure.
Have a great Friday!
Just went back to yesterday and read comments after I had left.
Dennis in bunched up Vicky panties? I hope they're lacy. And you are correct - it was Quint. You owe clear ayes for Nantucket.
Lois - there's a rifle in today's puzzle. My wound is healed and I'm now armed with high power.
Everyone seems glad to see dick.
Top of the morning to you all, I liked today's puzzle even though (or because) it took me 45 minutes to do. I circled around it , putting in the words I was sure of, and then circled around it, taking out some of those words I was sure of that didn't work. I was online so when I put in that last letter and received my Congratulations, I was quite pleased. You see, if you put that last letter in and complete the grid and it doesn't congratulate you, it means you've messed up somewhere so you go back and check your answers. Is that cheating?
Maestro Dorati recording of the 1812 Overture is famous because it was the first to include real church bells and cannon fire.
SOUL OF OF MOTOWN?
"Blue Suede Shoes" was a big Elvis hit.
ted, I don't believe 'blue suede shoes' is part of the MOTOWN theme; only the 3 singers' names are.
Dennis - from yesterday: Just For You
Good morning, C. C. et al. Serai, Antal and Curtis Mayfield were my downfalls this morning. I didn't know Coty either. I did get Holiday Inn from the H in Han and the NN from 58A and 60A.
CC, I'm glad you saw your HAN culture in today's puzzle.
@Martin: Yes, Holiday Inn was the debut film for "White Christmas", the top selling single for much of the 20th century. If I'm not mistaken, it was displaced by Paul Anka's "Diana." I'm sure the current record industry, with all its hype, has pushed those two songs down in the rankings.
I'm gone for a week on an Alaskan cruise. I'll check in on the 25th. Try to behave while I'm gone.
Barry,
What is Ayup?
Dennis,
How long have we known each other? 6 months? Feel like I hardly KNOW you lately. Have to keep looking up at Clear Ayes' dictionary to see what you've been saying.
Doesitinink,
You did have an interesting thought on ERATO yesterday. It has the same root as "Erotic".
Argyle,
I like your "stayed in bed" poem last night. Thank for the succinct "monkey peered and saw money dwindling"explanation. Are you into classical music also? Well, you cheated, but you did not lie. You are still a great Santa.
Clear Ayes,
Thank you for the "poetic license". I think MH mentioned it awhile ago. I simply forgot.
Buckeye,
Sorry for changing your name into Hawkeye last night. I was cluelessly swept by your 7th wave and got lost in your OFF ocean. So was "Barbass" limerick your own creation or did you use some poetic license again?
The Who,
I love knowing that you "love reading this blog every day". It's a good feeling.
Lola,
So Mr. Olschwang always drives you to "meditation and deep breathing". You must have a very good posture by now I suppose.
Ken,
Enjoy your trip!
Barry,
What is Ayup?
It's a Northeastern U.S. dialectal term for "yes." It's related to "yup" and "yep" with a little bit of extra inflection on the initial consonant. It's more common in the extreme NE (New Hampshire, Vermont & Maine) than where I live (Massachusetts), but I always was a bit strange.
Another variation, btw, omits the final consonant entirely and would be spelled "ayuh."
c.c., I don't know what to say, other than that this group has totally corrupted my once pure mind. I fear there's no hope.
C.C.,
If you have any influence, why are contractions allowed. I did not like 44D.
Good Morning All,
Those compound words had me gritting my teeth..."What's this? Oh no, not another one!"
Got YER for Beatles __ Blues. It's off the White Album, in my opinion the best Beatles album of all. Yer Blues
HOB and ANTAL were new to me. I would have preferred "Caveman comic strip" for ALLEY OOP. I could be wrong, but I haven't heard any of the Olympic weightlifters using this interjection.
I had a problem with DIED for "Conked Out". A little Google post-puzzle (much more relaxing than a cigarette) gave "to fall asleep suddenly" as the first definition. A car or computer can conk out, but they can be repaired and brought back to life. DIED is so final.
SERAI came easy to me, thanks to all that high school poetry memorization. The 17th stanza of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
"Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai
Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day,
How Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp
Abode his destined Hour, and went his way."
Pretty heavy stuff for a 15 year old, but if anybody is interested,
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Martin: You made me laugh with your suggestion that ASS be clued as "Part of T&A". I don't think the editors have crossed that DF line yet.
Argyle: Sorry that you had to give up on "Stable Stall". Sometimes, there is no explanation if the clue is just plain lame. Maybe Mr. Olschwang will read the blog and take your comments to heart.
Dennis: Good catch on the Drdad's "Jaws" epitaph yesterday.
Thanks for all the nice comments yesterday. (self-deprecating moue, here) My brain seems to like all the more trivial stuff, but gives me problems on where I left the car keys.
good morning c.c. and all,
this puzzle charmed me .. right up my alley oop. loved the theme. did the top half first, a little slower on the bottom.
alot of bests came to mind with this puzzle. c.c., rear window is one of my all time favorite movies. best movie kiss ever. here is another great kiss (@ 2:30).
best stevie wonder tune.
best cover of yer blues, by jeff healey. note how he plays his guitar, flat like a slide. he was blind and died earlier this year).
@martin: ow my back .. haha. and then ensue. don't worry, i won't ask what it means, i grok. no such thing as too deep around here.
@dennis: cigars and bone awls and rifles, oh my.
@buckeye: what's the song title of the day? (you know i vodka you.)
Hi All,
I'm a newby to all of this....I loved this puzzle!!! It was easy enough and on a Friday. I only had to cheat 3x's (3 times).
Now on to the NYT...Good Luck!!
Dr. G,
Unfortunately I don't have any influence over Mr. Williams or TMS. Would you be happy if it's clued as "May neglect to"? I saw it's clued as "You ___ worry" at a NYT puzzle.
Melissa,
I simply adore Enya. How come you know so much about music and lyrics?
Kris,
Hey!
Yes this was a good puzzle. It took thought and effort but you could get it. I had to google for the singers names except for Stevie wonder. Love this blog.
Morning C.C. and all,
The lower left left me lower!
This was a good puzzle other than that. I didn't know Serai,dit,ator.
Was stopped too by 33A and 55A.
31D could have been clued as "kitchen utensil brand". Oxo has a great group of products and they last!
Ken, Have a wondeful trip, we'll miss you.
Drdad, Good one (Awl or nothing) I will take it awl off for the bone.
Alley-oop and away we go.
Dennis, somehow I don't think you'd be comfy in those silky things drdad linked. If so, read more male enhancement product ads. :)
Hi all. What a relief this puzzle was after the A.P.O. of yesterday.
Good morning everyone! Had to go to Mr. G for this one -- first time in a while. The SE corner did me in. New words today: CURTIS MAYFIELD, TYNAN, SERAI, HOB, ESTOS, YER, FYI.
C.C., I think your bone awl picture is 7 cm or about 3" in length. Did you catch your doubling of "OF" in the theme yet? "Blue Suede Shoes" was an Elvis hit back in the days.
Martin and barry, liked your comments today.
Ken, enjoy your cruise. What ship?
@melissa bea -- I find going slower on the bottom to be so much more pleasurable.
Welcome, mary. Fasten your seat belt and hold on tight!
Good morning, C.C. and all. I would have been here sooner, but I got sidetracked by the great kiss, and that sequed into the sex on the stairs scene from the remake of 'The Thomas Crowne Affair,' and I had to go cool off.
C.C., I agree with dr.g. I don't like contractions in the puzzles, either!
I can't remember if I responded to your question about suites. The music doesn't have to be written for dance. It's possible that there is no theme to it, other than the key or perhaps a motif.
When I started today's puzzle, I thought it was going to be a real toughie, but I kept plugging away and got it all without assistance. I didn't know CURTIS MAYFIELD, Or ANTAL.
Argyle, thanks for the info on Antal Dorati. I didn't know who had premiered that version of the 1812.
I want to nit-pick over the clue for DUVET" Quilt with a washable cover. It might be better phrased as "washable cover for a quilt." The cover is the duvet.
Ken, have a great time in Alaska. We've gone, and I'd very happily go again.
C.C. as I recall, Barry was full of interesting words yesterday, including "Feh" and "Meh" and "Bah" and "Oy Vey." He clearly indicated that he didn't care for yesterday's puzzle.
Welcome Kris_P!
I hope you all have a great Friday.
kris_p: Welcome!
This puzzle was relatively easy. I didn't immediately know all the answers, but most were subliminally available. I have found that when genetic material is clued they are usually looking for RNA even though DNA comes more readily to mind. Once I filled in A.Franklin and S. Wonder, C. Mayfield was a gimme. Have a great weekend everyone. Hopefully it won't be a Matthew Higgins Saturday.
@crockett: listen at you!! i was wondering if anyone would catch that.
KittyB,
Good point on DUVET. Thanks for SUITE.
Barry,
I ditto what KittyB said earlier about your use of "Feh", "Meh" & "Oy Vey" yesterday. Can't wait to see what you will bring tomorrow.
Crockett1947,
Fixed it only after reading your comment. I vodka you!
Ted @ 8:47am,
Sorry I did not quite understand what you wrote earlier.
Lola,
I like your A.P.O. abbreviation. I am definitely A.P.O. negative.
Who's Matthew Higgins?
Dr. Dad,
Matthew Higgins is our regular Saturday constructor who uses lots of affixes in his grid.
Good Morning...at least it still is for me! This is my first time leaving a comment here, but I view this blog daily. I also struggled with this puzzle, as there were a number of answers I had never heard of (YER, ANTAL, SERAI, etc). I was happy, for a change, as I figured out the theme, something I often struggle with!
This was a fun puzzle that did not take long to complete. The first two words I filled in were "scanners" and "cursor". I was hoping the theme had to do with computers, but "Soul of Motown" was more fun.
I have never associated Aretha Franklin with "A Natural Woman", but Carole King would not fill the spaces. A few cross words pointed me in the right direction!
I too had difficulty with the lower, left corner and had "C" instead of "N" where TYNAN and Holiday Inn crossed. The Alda role was not help, as it was not a film with which I was familiar. Holiday Inc...as in Toys Inc? I should have spent a few extra minutes thinking that through. And ALLEY OOP for lifter's shout was very weak. Caveman comic strip character would have been more apt.
I did enjoy an unintended pun in associating huskies with "UConn" (Yukon).
I struggled with this one today. Had to google often. Maybe I was too relaxed today as it is Relaxation day.
Crockett, let our bone stay at 7"!
C.C. a special thanks for the Michael Phelps link. That made my day!
xchefwalt, I plan on visiting your B&B often. Enjoy your awards weekend, if they are anything like ours, whooooo
Welcome to Tenacious! You will find that you will have to be tenacious to survive this dysfunctional group.
@cokato -- 7" or 3", it looks like it was hard enough to pierce whatever needed piercing. Sometimes it's not the size of the tool, it's the skill of the operator.
@cokato- Your account is established, your credit is great and we welcome you with open arms (and other things….)
This weekend is going to be all that and more (as a matter of fact, I’ve already started living in my own private Idaho). What’s even better is I used to be the executive Sous Chef at this hotel, and a lot of the staff that I became friends with are still there; so my room get upgraded to a bungalow suite, and I very rarely pay for anything (of course, I’m a VERY generous tipper).
Here is the property: Naples Grande Resort
Here is where I’ll be playing golf tomorrow morning: Naples Golf
Have fun everyone!
Here is where I’ll be playing golf tomorrow morning:
Have fun everyone!
xchefwalt, nice digs. How did they sneak that picture of me getting a massage without my knowledge?! And they did end with a finish! Whew.
Thank you for establishing my account I plan on coming there often!
crockett....well put. pardon the pun.
Goodmorning CC and DF's,
I thought this was going to be another bad puzzle day, but after getting about half of it I had to google the theme songs then things picked up and Iwas able to finish without much trouble. I didn't like alot of the clues. ie, setat for attacked, and the clue for duvet. she should have used comforter cover or something closer to a duvet. I didn't have a problem with home of the huskies, they are always in the final four it seems, both men and women.
The old Elvis tune ...you can do anything but lay off of my BLUE SUEDE SHOES...
CC, what is your take on the age issue with the Chineese GIRLS gymnastic team?
All-in-all not a bad puzzle though
Some very interesting reading here about Blue Suede Shoes. Johnny Cash told Carl Perkins that he (Carl) should write a song about these blue suede shoes but it wasn't until, at a dance, Carl heard a young man berating his date for scuffing his blue suede shoes. That night, he went home and wrote "Blue Suede Shoes".
Carl Perkins recorded the song and it was released in January of 1956. A month later, Elvis, who was friends with Carl, recorded the song, too, but didn't release it untill Carl's version was fading from the charts.
There is alot more to the story and I'm going back to finish reading it.
c.c. - I hope you don't think it's cheating if I get all the answers right the first time, do you?
@steve, don't forget to refresh your browser before you think your comment didn't post. That way you won't repeat yourself, repeat yourself, repeat yourself.
Cokato and I (C.C. too?) have a crush on Michael Phelps. Well, I have a crush, I think Cokato would like to crush him.
After c.c.'s "right to the point" questions yesterday, today's DF comments are sort of "easy does it". We haven't heard from Lois yet, so that may change :o)...I wonder when Carl will be back?
So many new folks are here today. Welcome. It makes me feel like an old timer, even though I've only been posting for a few weeks.
Argyle: Would "Stable Salon" have been a better clue on Wednesday? I know, "Salon" isn't the same as an OFFICE, but then "Stable" isn't even close to MANE.
Carol: You're right about OXO utensils, and they aren't expensive. Do you find the melon baller comes in handy? Oh oh, I've opened the door to a bunch of kitchen double entendres.
Buckeye: Are you resting today? Don't try to sneak away again!
Dennis: You may have been corrupted here, but I'll try to help out if Gertie digs herself in too deep.
Xchefwalt: G.A.H. would be green with envy about your golf destination. He makes do with what is locally available. (Yes, that is a double entendre.) It is 105 degrees outside right now and he is still out on our local course. I guess you can't keep a good man down. (Oops, there's another one.) Are muffin tops on your B&B breakfast menu?
@cokato- that'll be the theme for the B&B:
"Every day deserves a HAPPY ENDING"
Hi ya'll,
Thought I was going to ace this one since I worked the top half without any problems; But from there on the unknowns were too many to mention. Had to use Google and C.C. to finish.
Enjoy trying and wish I could remember all those words we've had in the past. That would help.
Thanks for the kind words C.C.. I really appreciate what you have to say.
Good day everyone-----
@clear ayes- muffin tops, bottoms, in-betweens....
Clear Ayes, I didn't know melons had balls!! What fun!!
Don't worry about Dennis, he can't really be unhappy about his "corruption"
It is going to be 103 here in Ptld today..yesterday hit 102. Waaaaayy too hot for me, thank god for central air. I'm staying right in my home!
Crockett, thanks for setting Steve straight about not repeating his comments over and over...they all get counted (I think)..C.C. is that true??
Welcome Tenacious, hope you can stay with us!!
crockett 1947, thanks I couldn't figure why it wouln't publish.
Jimbo, If it is any help to you, I began keeping a notebook of all the words I didn't know and were not in my c/w dictionary. A lot of them were Actors,Actresses, Composers, etc. Others were just weird words. That notebook has become quite large over the years..and has really come in handy!
clear ayes, no I would wanna crush him, maybe use my press and get a few strokes on him.
xchefwalt, everyday deserves a HAPPY ENDING, how about a HAPPY BEGINNING too? Menu:
muffin tops, strawberries and whipped cream, eggs benedick, pigs in a blanket.
carol, just an FYI - repeats get counted, as do deletes.
@dennis: well sure, repeats count .. but what exactly is a delete?
Clear ayes...some of the things I recall from my school days are the Desiderata, the poems of Khalil Gibran, and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
I had forgotten that
"The Moving Finger writes: and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."
and
"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
come from the Rubaiyat.
You've become a world-class interpreter for Gertie. It sounds as though you might have to offer your services for Crockett: The Quiet One, too! *G*
Welcome, Tenacious!
Wowwwwwww Xchefwalt! There's a little envy going on here.
Dear Husband and I visited the Gulf Coast of Florida for the first time this February. We saw the area from Clearwater to Turtle Key. I had my first grouper sandwich, and walked four of the beaches. What a lovely place to be when it's cold here!
Have a great weekend!
melissa bee, the ones that say "this post has been deleted by the author". They count as well for some reason.
Melissa bee, maybe a delete is just a reason to have more repeats...even more fun.
@dennis: i never count deletes. if ya know what i'm sayin ..
Carol, what happened to your pretty picture?
KittyB: LOL Maybe C.C. should make the Rubaiyat stanza beginning "The moving finger writes, etc" the motto of this blog.
No matter how deep a hole you dig for yourself, once you hit the "Publish" button, you can't take it back. Well, you can, but "Delete" should only be used in dire circumstances; right? MelissaB, Carol & Cokato?
I think most of us are usually willing to hit "Publish" and then it's -
"Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!" (Feel free to quote, sirens)
ayup...That is well used in Central and northern NY also. Right here in the Foothills of the Adirondakcs, I don't think there is a day go by that I don't hear someone say ayup. Even the police officers use it at the station but not on the air then it is 10-4 or affirm (instean of affirmative)
I have been doing the online version of the puzzle lately as that is on the internet before the paper gets delivered to the station. Only thing though is I print it out first and as I work the puzzle I fill my answers in on the web version and if a letter is wrong it puts it in red (yes I do regular instead of master) then I can make corrections. That makes the puzzle easier for me but less use of my brains. I really need to work it out first then add my answers to see where I went wrong after I get stuck or when I get done!
Have a Great Day everyone and a super weekend - I just got up from my morning nap afterworking the mids!
Nancy
@carol: right on.
@clear ayes: publishing is a serious business. a deletion is frustrating and i avoid it at all costs, unless it .. uh .. comes after (18a). i'm partial to stets. and repeats.
13:10 today (or should I say last night, as I did it online around midnight while watching the Olympics on TV).
Unknowns:
SERAI
ANTAL
It took a while for FYI to seep into my brain. Who knows the names of fictional TV programs within a fictional TV program, anyway?
There is a tie-in with "Natural Woman" (ARETHA FRANKLIN) and FYI. After Murphy Brown had her baby (despite Dan Quayle's objections), she sang "Natural Woman" at the close. I forget whether or not that was the final episode, but it was definitely a powerful emotional moment.
I agree with others who hated the clueing for DUVET, ALLEY OOP and TER. Ugh.
Carol,
Good idea--Think I will start one.(notebook).
Thanks for the suggestion.
One significant issue I have with today's puzzle is the fact that both Aretha Franklin and Curtis Mayfield WERE NOT MOTOWN ARTISTS!! Outside of this faux pas, the puzzle was enjoyable.
Wonderful catch Mark! Noticed that Curtis did produce one of Aretha's soundtracks.
Constructor - Editor...are you paying attention? We may be disfunctionals but we are on the ball. (Especially the supper sirens ;~)
clear ayes, you've done it again. Stable Salon is close to perfect, considering the number of salons that are puns, i.e. "the Best Little Hairhouse".
Nancyd, how are you able to print all of the clues? I've printed the result from online before but never the blank puzzle. Think I'll go try that out now -- too hot to do much of anything else.
Hello CC, DF's & awl: No time to do the puzzle but had to read the comments. CC that tool link was just inspiring, coupled w/that pic of MP? I'm awl done...awl in...awl about that!
Chef: CC's B&B? Count me in. I love muffins...stud muffins are my most favorite fare and prefer them topless. It's just down right awl inspiring.
Steve @ 1:25pm,
I don't believe there is any cheating involved.
Clear Ayes @ 2:46pm,
"Maybe C.C. should make the Rubaiyat stanza beginning "The moving finger writes, etc" the motto of this blog." Why? What's so special about "the moving finger writers"? "Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!" What's behind this line?
Melissa @ 11:44am,
"listen at you!! i was wondering if anyone would catch that.".Why did you say "listen at" instead of "listen to"? What's the difference?
What's the "deletion" you are talking about?
Embien,
That you for the "A Natural Woman" tie-in.
Crockett1947,
You've been surprising me lately.
Argyle @ 4:30pm,
"considering the number of salons that are puns, i.e. "the Best Little Hairhouse"." What are the puns here? I love your "Blue Suede Shoes" link earlier. Very interesting read. "No" to your cheating question earlier. But, please don't be too moral. MOREL, on the other hand, is a NOBLE (37A) quality.
Xchefwalt,
I did not expect you to have reservations so quickly... But can you change the name of your B&B into DF's B&B? I might have climbed to the edge of the cliff, but no further.
@c.c.:
Melissa,
I simply adore Enya. How come you know so much about music and lyrics?
just compensating for the fact that i have no musical talent by appreciating good tunes.
Why did you say "listen at" instead of "listen to"? What's the difference?
same same. just a slangy, southern belle way of saying it. those pesky prepositions again.
What's the "deletion" you are talking about?
think withdrawl. deposits are always better.
"The Moving Finger writes: and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."
C.C. This is one of the best known verses from "The Rubaiyat", which was written in the 12th century by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam.
This verse refers how once your destiny is written (the Moving Finger)in the Book of Fate , there is no way you can change it, no matter how religious or clever you are, or how much you may cry.
I thought it was analogous with how our bloggers sometimes post things and then might later want to rewrite it or take it back. The "Publish Your Comment" button is kind of like the Moving Finger. After we've all read the posts it is too late to take it back.
"Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead", is a quote credited to Civil War Union Admiral David Farragut, during the Battle of Mobile Bay. (Yes, I had to Google the particulars.) He disregarded the dangers of a minefield and ordered that his ship continue directly into battle. BTW, the Union Navy won that battle. What the statement has come to mean nowadays is - Don't worry about the discomfort or drawbacks of a situation. Just go right ahead with what you were doing. On this blog it would mean, just write what you want to and don't worry about what anybody else thinks. (Well, what C.C. thinks is pretty important :o)
c.c.@6:45pm, if you were asking what a pun is, here are some definations:
The humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.
A humorous play on words; "I do it for the pun of it".
But, if you were asking about my example; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was Broadway musical/movie. So beauty salons everywhere have called themselves the Best Little Hairhouse in (your town here)
Other salons:
Shear Magic
Chop Shop
Mane Street Cut & Curl
the Clipper Ship
Hair Razors (hair raisers)
and the classic
Hair Port
If you meant something else, that's ok, I had fun looking up these names.
Argyle, add "Curl Up & Dye" to that list.
C.C., just curious, why don't you ever comment to my blogs when they pertain to you? Have I done/typed something that offends you? Is it all the anon crap? I don't think I have been any racier than any other "siren" on your blog. Confused. Not signing anon as other cowards have done in the past. Just wondering.
clear ayes, seven for seven for Michael! What a humble guy, did you happen to hear his interview with Mark Spitz? What a talented and well spoken young man raised by a single Mom. Wonder if Dear old dad is now going to come out of the woodwork? Rumor has it that he will soon be worth about a quarter of a million dollars just in endorsements. Tiger Wood's manager has already been in contact with him and his Mom. Notice, Mom is is capitols, dad is not.
Cokato: Yippee, our guy (like he doesn't have a jillion other fans) won his seventh. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he can pull off the eighth one for the all-time record. I read that a newspaper wanted to interview his father, but dad refused. He said that he didn't want to take away from Michael's glory.
BTW, it isn't any of my business, but I couldn't help but read your previous post. I have noticed that you don't say much about your real life personal interests and keep mostly to the jokey siren persona. If C.C. hasn't responded to your posts, she may not have realized that a response was needed, and she wasn't offended or annoyed by anything you wrote.
There's a principle called "Occam's Razor" that states, "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." It kind of applies here. The most simple solution/explanation is that C.C., besides having a real personal life, has a lot of blog questions to answer and she has a lot of questions of her own. If C.C. has a problem, she will let you know right away. So relax and keep posting.
AAAhh! Two of my favorites still on the blog - clear ayes and cokato. cc. is a busy lady cokato. She'll respond when she can. Keep plugging. Phelps and Spitz had a mutual admiration society going for them for a while, but I remember Spitz when he "tore it up" One thing, Spitz was better looking, and I thought nobody would ever get 8 golds. Phelps should.
Go to the Mane Event for haircuts.
If melissa bee and kittyb are still awake, I'll feel like I died and gone to heaven. All of my favorite "nut cases" in one spot.
I must be off.
About time you showed up, Buckeye! Better late than never, though. California time is not even 10:30.. not so late here.
M. Spitz was a dreamboat in his time; my heart pitty-patted more than once when I saw that poster he had. M. Phelps isn't as handsome, but he certainly has a fantastic physique, which more than makes up for the lantern jaw and goofy (but cute) smile.
I going to check if Saturday's puzzle is available online yet. Good night all.
@buckeye: am indeed still awake .. good to see you back. i'll accept the 'nut case' label.
"To sleep,perchance to dream-ay,there's the rub."
IMBO
"Good night sweat prince(sses)".
IMBO
Hey buckeye, if you get a rub, I want one too.
Cheers, all!!
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