Theme: PUTTING ON THE DOG (54A. Assuming an attitude of importance, and a hint to what ends 17-, 26- and 41-Across ) - The last words of all three phrase are hot dog toppings.
17A. Is well-versed in a subject : KNOWS ONE'S ONIONS. Don't know much about onions. I do know a lot about apples.
26A. Achieves required standards : CUTS THE MUSTARD.
41A. Obviously enjoys a meal : EATS WITH RELISH. "Ah, food!", said Steve.
Notice all the theme answers are in third person singular form. Very consistent.
C.C. again. Delighted with the theme. I bet Seen likes it too. Brings him right back to Marge Schott's $1 hotdogs. She made lots of bad decisions, uttered lots of thoughtless and offensive remarks, but she truly loved the Reds and baseball. And her dogs of course.
Across:
1. Filled with wonder : AWED
5. Trade punches : SPAR
9. Shire of "Rocky" : TALIA. Also Connie in "Godfather" series. Drove me crazy.
14. Hurry : RACE
15. Opportunity to play : TURN
16. Shi'ite leaders : IMAMS. So Sunni's leaders are not IMAMS?
20. Salon service : SET
21. Samoa's capital : APIA
22. Makes an offer for at auction : BIDS ON. I like E-Bay's Buy It Now.
23. Fertile desert spot : OASIS
25. Parisian summers : ETES. Wow, real summers.
31. Quick raid : FORAY
32. Hung. neighbor : AUST (Austria). Been there, Jayce?
33. "Who, me?" : MOI
34. __ rain : ACID
35. More than bad : WORSE
37. Skier's transport : T-BAR. Marti has probably been to every famous skill resort in the US.
38. Uno follower : DOS
39. One of those things : THAT
40. Prepare (oneself), as for a jolt : BRACE
45. Essence : PITH
46. Out of order : AMISS
47. Early birthday milestone : AGE ONE
50. Work subtitled "A Life": Abbr. : BIOG. Oh, biography.
51. Pale or brown brew : ALE
57. Pop singer John : ELTON
58. Herbal balm : ALOE. So, Lucia, can I grow aloes in Minnesota?
59. Roman robe : TOGA
60. Like hash in diners : SLUNG. I drew a blank.
61. Atlantic, to Brits : POND. I enjoy very much Steve & Nice Cuppa's British wits.
62. Acceptability on the street, in slang : CRED (Credential)
Down:
1. Torah holders : ARKS
2. Dwindle : WANE
3. Traveler to an environmentally protected area : ECO-TOURIST. I bet Melissa likes this answer. Great one.
4. Morning glistener : DEW
5. "No more!" : STOP IT
6. Discipline : PUNISH. Spanking was very very common in the neighborhood where I grew up.
7. Vicinity : AREA
8. MDs' co-workers : RNs
9. Most minuscule : TINIEST
10. Surrounded by : AMIDST
11. Vientiane's land : LAOS. They keep Kip there.
12. "__ expert, but ..." : I'M NO
13. The "A" in many org. names : ASSN
18. Cheeky : SASSY
19. Dense : OBTUSE. Tinbeni used this word a few times in the past, I always thought he meant "obscure", not "dense".
24. Ever so slightly : A TAD
25. Avian Aussies : EMUS. Funny clue, Kazie. Jimbo is doing well, by the way. Still bowls. 150 average. Not bad for a 87-year-old. His team leads in the league again this year.
26. Hershey's drink : COCOA
27. Worm's milieu : EARTH
28. Diplomatic official : AMBASSADOR. Here is our ambassador (Gary Locke) to China. Lovely family. He does not speak Chinese.
29. Motel victim? : ROACH. I don't understand this clue. All I can think of is "Psycho".
30. Desperate : DIRE
31. Lose brightness : FADE
35. Bleach : WHITEN
36. Promise : OATH
37. Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker : TRIS. Enshrined in the hall in 1937. Same year as Cy Young. Tony Oliva 2012!
39. Interweaving : TWINING
40. Bounty captain : BLIGH. From "Mutiny on the Bounty".
42. Exactly right : SPOT ON
43. Spoil, as a parade : RAIN ON. Three "On" dupes in this grid.
44. Hammed it up : EMOTED
47. Kong's kin : APES
48. Shore squawker : GULL
49. Caesar's disbelieving words : ET TU. "Et tu, Brute?"
50. Western tie : BOLO
52. Theater box : LOGE
53. "Yipes" : EGAD
55. Trendy clothing giant : GAP. Love Gap Jeans.
56. And more: Abbr. : ETC
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Is well-versed in a subject : KNOWS ONE'S ONIONS. Don't know much about onions. I do know a lot about apples.
26A. Achieves required standards : CUTS THE MUSTARD.
41A. Obviously enjoys a meal : EATS WITH RELISH. "Ah, food!", said Steve.
Notice all the theme answers are in third person singular form. Very consistent.
C.C. again. Delighted with the theme. I bet Seen likes it too. Brings him right back to Marge Schott's $1 hotdogs. She made lots of bad decisions, uttered lots of thoughtless and offensive remarks, but she truly loved the Reds and baseball. And her dogs of course.
Across:
1. Filled with wonder : AWED
5. Trade punches : SPAR
9. Shire of "Rocky" : TALIA. Also Connie in "Godfather" series. Drove me crazy.
14. Hurry : RACE
15. Opportunity to play : TURN
16. Shi'ite leaders : IMAMS. So Sunni's leaders are not IMAMS?
20. Salon service : SET
21. Samoa's capital : APIA
22. Makes an offer for at auction : BIDS ON. I like E-Bay's Buy It Now.
23. Fertile desert spot : OASIS
25. Parisian summers : ETES. Wow, real summers.
31. Quick raid : FORAY
32. Hung. neighbor : AUST (Austria). Been there, Jayce?
33. "Who, me?" : MOI
34. __ rain : ACID
35. More than bad : WORSE
37. Skier's transport : T-BAR. Marti has probably been to every famous skill resort in the US.
38. Uno follower : DOS
39. One of those things : THAT
40. Prepare (oneself), as for a jolt : BRACE
45. Essence : PITH
46. Out of order : AMISS
47. Early birthday milestone : AGE ONE
50. Work subtitled "A Life": Abbr. : BIOG. Oh, biography.
51. Pale or brown brew : ALE
57. Pop singer John : ELTON
58. Herbal balm : ALOE. So, Lucia, can I grow aloes in Minnesota?
59. Roman robe : TOGA
60. Like hash in diners : SLUNG. I drew a blank.
61. Atlantic, to Brits : POND. I enjoy very much Steve & Nice Cuppa's British wits.
62. Acceptability on the street, in slang : CRED (Credential)
Down:
1. Torah holders : ARKS
2. Dwindle : WANE
3. Traveler to an environmentally protected area : ECO-TOURIST. I bet Melissa likes this answer. Great one.
4. Morning glistener : DEW
5. "No more!" : STOP IT
6. Discipline : PUNISH. Spanking was very very common in the neighborhood where I grew up.
7. Vicinity : AREA
8. MDs' co-workers : RNs
9. Most minuscule : TINIEST
10. Surrounded by : AMIDST
11. Vientiane's land : LAOS. They keep Kip there.
12. "__ expert, but ..." : I'M NO
13. The "A" in many org. names : ASSN
18. Cheeky : SASSY
19. Dense : OBTUSE. Tinbeni used this word a few times in the past, I always thought he meant "obscure", not "dense".
24. Ever so slightly : A TAD
25. Avian Aussies : EMUS. Funny clue, Kazie. Jimbo is doing well, by the way. Still bowls. 150 average. Not bad for a 87-year-old. His team leads in the league again this year.
26. Hershey's drink : COCOA
27. Worm's milieu : EARTH
28. Diplomatic official : AMBASSADOR. Here is our ambassador (Gary Locke) to China. Lovely family. He does not speak Chinese.
29. Motel victim? : ROACH. I don't understand this clue. All I can think of is "Psycho".
30. Desperate : DIRE
31. Lose brightness : FADE
35. Bleach : WHITEN
36. Promise : OATH
37. Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker : TRIS. Enshrined in the hall in 1937. Same year as Cy Young. Tony Oliva 2012!
39. Interweaving : TWINING
40. Bounty captain : BLIGH. From "Mutiny on the Bounty".
42. Exactly right : SPOT ON
43. Spoil, as a parade : RAIN ON. Three "On" dupes in this grid.
44. Hammed it up : EMOTED
47. Kong's kin : APES
48. Shore squawker : GULL
49. Caesar's disbelieving words : ET TU. "Et tu, Brute?"
50. Western tie : BOLO
52. Theater box : LOGE
53. "Yipes" : EGAD
55. Trendy clothing giant : GAP. Love Gap Jeans.
56. And more: Abbr. : ETC
Answer grid.
C.C.
101 comments:
Morning, all!
Pretty straightforward Tuesday puzzle with one glaring exception... KNOWS ONES ONIONS??? PUTTING ON THE DOG is pretty obscure, but at least I've heard of it. I have never ever heard KNOWS ONES ONIONS before, though. I don't know if it's "old timey" or regional or modern slang or what, but it was definitely well outside my wheelhouse. Thank heavens the perps were all solid...
There seems to be a new format (which I don't like) but then I came across the old format. Any idea what's up?
Good Morning, C.C. and friends. This was a fun speed run this morning. Many of my answers were already filled in before I got a chance to read the clues. I enjoyed the theme, though. Almost made me hungry.
I never heard the expression to KNOW ONE'S ONIONS, but the other condiments, along with the perps, fixed that little problem.
A ROACH Motel is a brand of insect trap. I hope this helps, C.C.
I did learn that an Early Birthday Milestone is not Thirty, but AGE ONE. A bet few one year olds care about this milestone!
QOD: There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. ~ Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Hello Puzzlers -
Pretty much a read & write puzzle today. Paused at APIA 'cause I never heard of it, although I'll bet it has appeared before. Had to wait for perps to supply ONIONS, since that particular ending to the phrase is new to me.
All in all a smooth and tidy puzzle, no groaners. Nice to see your style again, C.C., you make it seem effortless!
Good morning, Cc and the gang.
It didn't take long to ketchup to the theme on this one. KNOWS ONES ONIONS isn't the most common phrase but I've heard it before. Otherwise, I might have been in a real pickle. (Is there anything else I can pile on this dog?)
Well, time to get my buns moving and head for the gym.
I think the authors must have made up that KNOWS ONES ONIONS answer. It seems nobody here, myself included, has ever heard that expression.
Otherwise, today's puzzle was a snap. Got everything SPOT ON.
RAIN ON! Yea! Won't hurt my parade. I'm gonna get rained on today, and I'm happy about that. Here in east Texas we're more than two feet shy for the year. I think this rain's going to be too late for my used-to-be lawn, though.
Good day folks,
Agree with the previous posters, an easy Tuesday solve.
KNOWS ONES ONIONS is a very familiar term to this New Englander. Still here it used occasionally.
Kept trying to think of Janet Leighs character name in Psycho. Couldn't dispute ROACH once it appeared though.
Think I'll grill some dogs for lunch today. Nothing like an All American diet two days before Thanksgiving!
Desper-otto:
Wish we could send you rain. Four+ inches here the last three days, and raining steadily as we speak. A lot of Kentucky hay has made its way to Texas this year, hope we don't need it back next year. The haul bill costs more than the hay.
C.C.: Excellent write-up!
I'm sure when I used OBTUSE I meant "dim-witted" ...
I like my Dog with ONIONS, MUSTARD & RELISH.
At least the constructor didn't put Catsup on that Hot Dog.
THAT's just wrong.
Had "a-bit" before "A-TAD" ... then when my parade was RAIN-ON ... it was ACID rain.
What-a-mess.
Didn't think I was an ECO-TOURIST when I went to the Galapagos Islands. Just curious.
Cheers to all at Sunset.
Probably the theme better stated would be hot dog toppings did the puzzle on line took a few minutes to get used to the platform provided by the LATimes not sure i like it. Otherwise puzzle was a nice tuesday warm up was able to do the puzzle with mostly the across clues.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Kurt and Jan-M, for a swell Tuesday puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the write-up.
C.C.; Slinging hash means working in a diner like a short-order cook. Fast and furious.
This puzzle went easily. Got the theme unifier first, then the three theme answers came easily. I vaguely seem to remember hearing KNOWS ONES ONIONS somewhere before. I guess we have all heard it now.
Our Latin Lesson: ET TU and ETC
Needed perps for APIA and TALIA
I like mustard and onions (especially Vidalia) on a dog. Dill pickle on the side. No ketchup!
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Re 17A, When the ONIONS idiom didn't roll off the tongue as easily as potatoes and oats, I wondered whether it might be regional or occupational (bartender?) in origin. Google's abnormally wide variety of explanations left quite a bit to be desired. So Hondo's NE usage (if not necessarily origin) is good enough for me.
I just don't know beans about this sorta thing.
Smooth Tuesday puzzle, interesting blog, CC. Grumpy, I enjoyed your clever comments.
I got KNOWS ONE’S ONIONS with just one perp to distinguish it from other choices. I remember it from years ago. I hear it occasionally now, but never from the young.
SLINGING HASH is still common among diner staff.
PUTTING ON THE DOG is also still common, especially in regard to pretentious folks.
We really loved COSTA RICO. Their way of preserving their natural features was to make it profitable by promoting ECOTOURISM. They do an excellent job. The trees, waterways, flora and fauna are lovely and very accessible. The locals are friendly and hospitable.
This new format is terrible. As far as I can tell, there is no option for "master," so incorrect letter are identified as you type them.
Good day, C.C. and all puzzlers.
Thank you once again, C.C. stepping up to the plate. I'm not sure if ALOES would grow in Wisconsin as they require heat. Perhaps indoors. You could try a small one to see how it fares.
Hot DOG! What a lovely speed run with food references before breakfast!
Hand up for not knowing KNOWSONES ONIONS. I confidently started with knows ones ps and qs but it didn't fit. Had to wait for ONIONS to appear.
We recently saw CUTSTHEMUSTARD in a Sunday puzzle.
I loved AUSTria! It's lush and beautiful with gorgeous landscapes and beautiful architecture.
Today I have a mammogram scheduled. Must have those girls checked.
You all have a terrific Tuesday!
.
Nice and easy puzzle today. Here in Chicago we're famous for not putting ketchup on our dogs, but I'm not sure why.
30A One of those things: THAT. I thought this clue was very vague. Maybe you've seen it before on this blog?
47A Early birthday milestone: AGE ONE. I found this oddly worded too.
Agree on 29D: Motel Victim: ROACH. But Marion Crane and Milton Arbogast don't work.
Do you know what happened to the Sunday puzzle? I started on "Pair Options" yesterday, but I was called away soon after. I went back to the site today, and there is the new format, but the Sunday Crossword is now "Swapping Spree" by Merl Reagle. My local paper carries the same as the LA Times, so I can still get it, and I will get to work two great Sunday puzzles this week instead of one!
"incorrect letter are identified as you type them"
What's the point of that? Whoever designed it obviously doesn't ever work puzzles! I may have to go back to the old pen and paper (yes, I use ink). I am in Louisville, KY, btw. And Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel puzzles are my favorite...
MarieP,
Wow. Strange format. Try click here. It still works in old format. But I expect changes there soon. You should go back and find Sunday's puzzle.
Hahtool,
Thanks.
Argyle et al,
This is the new format LA Times is using.
Good morning everyone. Thanks for the commentary, C.C.
An easy puzzle with a nice linear solve, top to bottom. Liked the theme a lot. Had everything I like on my dogs. Favorite mustard is Plochman's - Natural Stone Ground. No nits; and no searches needed.
29d - I assumed if one stayed at a "roach" motel, it was likely one could step or sit on one and it would be a victim.
Have a great day.
Al Cyone@5:36, Anon@7:59, MarieP@8:19, many puzzlers prefer the Cruciverb on-line format. The Across-Lite puzzle that appears there has a Preference Solve option you can choose so incorrect letters are not identified. The link is on C.C.'s main page on the right-hand side under Crossword Links. You have to sign in as a member, but it is free and easy to do. The daily LA Times puzzle is under "Archives" on the right side of the Cruciverb page. Cruciverb also displays the puzzle at 10 PM eastern time (7PM on the west coast) on the night before it appears in the newspaper, so you can get an early start if you want to.
Like Barry et alii, I've never heard the ONIONS expression before, unlike him, "putting on the dog" is well known to me. I understand it to equate "speaking with a plum in the mouth". But I guess it can refer to more than mere speech also.
APIA and TRIS were my only real unknowns, and the things that I needed a memory jog for came rather easily.
Nice and easy Tuesday. For a while there I felt the CWs were getting more difficult than normal. This week and last are so far more in stride with what I expect.
I have the newsletter done except for proofing and checking the address lists already. So I should have no trouble getting it out in plenty of time before mid December. I was afraid it might drag on through T'day and our son's visit.
Now to go and start getting ready for the big event later this week!
A hotdog without horseradish? Sacrilege! Oh well, this fun puzzle made up for that by two guys who “know their onions” – a phrase I’ve heard and used before.
Musings
-I had 50 kids at O’Hare in January and they skipped the Chicago Dog kiosk to go to Mickey D’s. Not me!
-I was on a SORTY (sp) before my FORAY and on a LIFT before I grabbed the TBAR
-“Moi?” asked Miss Piggy incredulously.
-Hung neighbor? Oh wait, there’s a period in there.
-TOGA elicits Animal House to this cultural barbarian
-In what movie did Andy get in trouble for using the word OBTUSE?
-Do you know peeps with overwhitened teeth?
-Bligh and Queeg made lousy captains but provided great movie characters
-Sea World restaurants put up netting to keep from GULLS from dive bombing for French fries
-A lot of Husker hay went south too, WH
I always solve the puzzle with pen and paper. That way I can sit at the kitchen table and sip coffee while solving it. And I don't have to worry about all that white-out on the computer monitor.
The Barnacle prints the LAT puzzle, but the interactive puzzle on their website is the Sheffer puzzle -- always Monday-level. so I never bother.
Addendum, Where were you and what were you doing at 12:30 pm CST 48 yrs ago today?
Husker,
When I heard about it I was in the bathroom and my mother came in after shopping and announced it through the bathroom door. I was in college and had a late start that day, but with the time difference I have no idea what time it was locally back in the days before DST, nor do I know how long the information had been available in Oz by the time she heard it from someone else, or what time zone you are quoting from--local Dallas?
Husker Gary, I was still in heaven waiting to be born ;)
Husker,
I was cutting calc class at UW Madison. I was window shopping on State Street in a store that had a TV display. After the initial bulletin, I tuned TV's to all three major networks and stood transfixed until it was official. Very sad day.
Thank you Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette for a very nice puzzle, and thank you, CC for a very interesting and delightful commentary.
I notice 'Roach Motel' has already been addressed - speaking from an old experience, I can vouch that it is very effective, although somewhat sadistic. Personally, on a philosophical level, I have some empathy for roaches, since they are the longest surviving critters from the dinosaur age, but others in my family are not so enamored. In fact, for such a rudimentary organism, they have a very sophisticated method of birth control. (when necessary - ). They can also stand large variances in temperature - as a scientist wrote - it is almost impossible to 'roast' a roach.
TMI ? Well, lets think of nicer things to roast for the coming days ...
Husker,
Walking across campus to a Chem class, saw people going into the Journalism Bldg. Followed, and joined a large group standing in front of the window that housed the teletype machine, now extinct.
That day joins January 28, 1986 as iconic days signifying the loss of innocence. Much more so than 9/11.
Husker:
I was in school thinking about the present I had gotten my Dad for his 44th birthday.
We didn't have THAT party that night.
Would that be The Shawshank Redemption.
The quip by Andy Dufresne: "How can you be so obtuse" to Warden Samuel Norton?
I vaguely remember my dad saying someone "knew his onions" which caused my brothers and I to make a lot of bad jokes about bad breath.
Loved the hot dog theme but had a problem with 10D - amidst. Shouldn't that be amid? Amidst is one of those words used by people who pronounce the T in often and other little things that drive me nuts, but today that could be a short putt rather than a drive.
With all the discussion about formats, has anyone found one that works on an iPad yet?
Husker:
I was teaching in Denver, one of the few sixth grades I taught. We had just returned from lunch and our principal came in with the news.
For the entire weekend we were mesmerized in front of the TV. The other "moment in time" for me was when my dad died. I was 10 then and in the midst of eating a hamburger.
Time to go.
Love learning "street lingo" but I had always heard "street creds."
"ecotourist" is that like a visitor to the rain forrest?
Have always heard "Cut the mustard" in a different context but the answer would still be the same.
Has anyone ever actually seen hash slung anywhere? :)
Always thought "putting on the dog" was making a showy display...
Re; November 22nd:I was @ the laundromat and another patron told me the awful news. It was a sunny day, but all of a sudden the sunshine looked like it does during a partial eclipse of the sun...
Don`t normally like hot dogs...but SO took too long in Sam`s one day so I tried one of their "Nathan`s" combos. I was presently surprised, reasonable and tasty. They even had packets of sauerkraut on demand.
Good work, as usual, CC.
Mari: You just had to rub it in, didn`t yah! :)
OK, who CUT THE cheese? EGAD, that new format stinks!
I do all of my crosswords on my phone using the Shortyz app - but the Sudoku puzzle is even WORSE than the CW puzzle on the LAT site.
I wonder what Gregg Allman thinks of his step-child? I'M NO Angel (4:33)
ELTON John is a gimme, but I love this song: Blessed (4:42) (from the album Made in England) My mom picked this song for our dance at my wedding. (Aww...)
Don't Break the OATH is a fantastic album by Mercyful Fate, but I doubt this crowd (except maybe Splynter) will appreciate a link.
Still no OASIS, Seen...
@Everyone with the new format in the LA Times online edition - IT SUCKS! Who on EARTH decided that was a good idea?
Wrong letters identified as you type, no "MASTER" mode and you can't review it when you're done. Hopeless. I'm going to have to find a new link somewhere that has a different format, otherwise it's goodbye from me.
KNOWS ONES ONIONS - perfectly OK with me, I'm sorry for anyone who hasn't heard it before who thinks Kurt and Jan-Michelle "made it up" (and Rich aided and abetted the invention) but comes under the "well-known phrases" heading in my book.
Liked the long downs.
HATED THE NEW FORMAT! Can I say that again? Thanks!
Definition: ECOTOURISM is: "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people."
It doesn't necesarily have to be the rain forest.
PUTTING ON THE DOG is putting on a showy display. It is probably value neutral, but to me it has negative connotations.
48 years ago on that Friday, while I was waiting for my husband to return from teaching, I was packing for the family to go spend the weekend with my inlaws. My two year old had just opened the desk drawer and uncorked the ink bottle, spilling ink everywhere. (Rememeber when the ink was sold separately from the pen?) As I was about the clean it up, my neighbor phoned with the news. My poor son's faux-pas is forever etched in memory.
Hi all,
This one was easier for me than yesterday. I did get hung up on 29D, just couldn't think of anything...thank you Hahtool for the enlightenment, makes perfect sense now :)
Barry G (and others), I think "knows one's onions" is probably both an old saying and a regional one. I knew it from somewhere in the misty past.
47D was another blunder for me, just couldn't come up with anything until the perps saved my hinny.
Raining VERY HARD here with high winds that are supposed to get worse as the day goes on. Going to be 75+ mph on our coast, so inland where we live will see gusts at 40+. Hooboy, no going out for a bike ride in that!!!
19 D. for obtuse = dense
Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins to Warden
Andy: How can you be so obtuse?
Warden Norton: What? What did you call me?
Andy: Obtuse. Is it deliberate?
It netted him many more years in prison plus punishment.
http://www.moviequotesandmore.com/shawshank-redemption-quotes-1.html#.TsvJaGAzLKQ
As anonymous@8:51 posted, Cruciverb.com and Across Lite is the way to go. I took a look at the LA Times site to see what the fuss is all about. Good Grief! What are they thinkin'?
Hello.
Like most I was watching the telly
in our college apartment.
Bavarian mustard and sauerkraut on a toasted bun.
Hope to be able to sit outside again and get some sun before it
rains. Will probably need the heavy robe and lap blanket to ward off the cold air.
Take care. eddy
Two more songs, a couple of oldies but goodies...
PUTTIN' ON THE Ritz (4:34) Taco!
Walkin' THE DOG (2:32) Rufus!
Good morning to C.C. and all, nice easy tues. also enjoyed the write-up. I also never heard of the onions reference, but sure like to cook with them. In our house one is a big milestone and the tradition I started is I bake the birthday child their own personal chocalate cake put them in their highchair and let them go for it. Lots of good photos having had six daughters,and continued it with 8 grands and number 9 this June. To Husker, I was 5 and my mom and I were shopping when the announcement came over the p.a. system. Even though I was very young I still remember it like yesterday
Terrific puzzle and a great write-up, C.C.--Many thanks.
Austria was easy for me since I was born there. However, that makes me miss 'sauerkraut' on my hot dog. (A little too long, I suppose).
On Nov. 22, 1963 I was teaching 5th grade in a parochial school in Bethesda, Maryland, when the announcement came over the PA system. We all knelt down and said a rosary.
I finished the puzzle early and was expecting to make some original contributions early on. But no! It's all been said already. I never heard KNOWS ONES ONIONS before this morning and I seriously dislike the new LA Times format. First, I had to sit through a 35-second advertisement. Then the format is clunky. There's no way to turn off "red letters" (which aren't red any more), you can't look at the finished puzzle at the end, the new colors are hard to read, etc. If it wasn't broke, why try to 'fix' it? I could got to AcrossLite on Cruciverb but I liked the old LAT format better than AcrossLite. If this format continues, I guess I'll have to switch to AcrossLite.
C.C., is there a way to continue to access the old format? Is there a way to contact Rich and vent our displeasure? Does he have any influence over the people who redesigned the format?
I hate to spend this effort discussing the format change rather than the puzzle. Other than ONIONS, I enjoyed the puzzle.
Hi There ~!
Hand up for not knowing my ONIONS, either.
As for where I was 68yrs ago, I was non-existent, but I do know that my parents, in England, were dating at the time, and my future father set fire to his motorcycle - for him it was a tragic day, too.
Splynter
I sailed through this one, and enjoyed it, as well as the comments, so much!
CC,my Mom had an aloe in a pretty flowerpot on the kitchen counter when I was growing up in ND, so if we had a cooking mishap, we could just cut off part of a leaf and squeeze it onto the burn
Husker, I was sitting in 3rd grade when the principle came to the classroom door with the news, and my teacher started crying. Our family was so sad, since we loved the Kennedys.
and if you are watching the Twins play, there HAS to be ketchup, mustard, and kraut on your hot dog.
How 'bout FORTY-eight years ago?
@CC - thanks for the "Ah, Food" shout-out :) I was overly-grumpy about the new format this morning and missed it!
Good morning all,
Well, I would have considered myself obtuse if I didn't get today's theme ...another fun puzzle.One hole..the M in imams/amidst- didn't stick with it long enough.
CC, thanks for the write up and updating us on Jimbo.
Steve, I have not heard the expression knows one's onions either,but I doubt if anyone here thinks they made it up.
bolo tie- I remember being so embarrassed when my Dad wore one.
Virginia, my DH set up the xwd thru Cruciverb on my ipad.Now when I'm out of town I don't have to spend time looking for the right newspaper.
Husker, I was crossing 7th St @ San Jose State-on my way to my next class.
Thx C.C. for another fine write up. It seems that you understood my posts yesterday perfectly.
I agree with the Chicago "no ketchup" rule. I visit Chicago often and some hot dog shops there don't even offer ketchup. I've told my nephews the "no ketchup rule" goes into effect once they turn 13. :)
Not around waaay back then.
Thanks Ant for not posting Oasis!
But how about this unusual Led Zeppelin song.
Remember that hot dog thrown at Tiger. I think it "had some mustard on it".
Yes, Virginia, there is an iPad app. I use it every day. Thanks to our own HeartRx for finding it!
It's called Crosswords, from StandAlone Software, at the Apple App Store. Price is $10. There is a method for downloading puzzles like ours each day. I get it from Cruciverb because it's available so early.
Good afternoon everyone.
This puzzle was so much fun. All the long ones came to be almost immediately, which is most unusual. And I didn't understand ROACH until I came here.
On the way home from the memorial service for my friend in D.C. I was in the middle seat. In the window seat was a man who announced to me that he was 6 ft. 10 inches tall, and he held a child in his lap. Therefore, with his left foot all on my side, I had about ½ the already small foot room. Kid yelled & kicked too. Wonderful flight.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Cheers
EXTRA, EXTRA! Read all about it!
Here is a link to the old format for today's puzzle:
Today's LAT on LAT
http://games.latimes.com/index_crossword.html?uc_feature_code=tmcal
I also typed it out so you can see it. You can copy and paste the link into your address bar.
The following link is similar, but allows for a specific date (rather than the current run date):
http://games.latimes.com/index_crossword.html?uc_feature_code=tmcal&uc_full_date=20111122
Just change the last four digits to access a specific date (though it still only goes back 30 days).
Not sure how long this will work, so use it while you can!
Number 29 down is a reference to a insect trap made by Black Flag. And, I believe the slogan was, "Roaches check in but they don't check out!"
Re: LA puzzle website. The Chicago Tribune version still has both the red letter version and the Master version. I started using this site some time ago because it seemed to have minimal annoying pop-ups.
"Knows ones onions" is a standard Brit phrase, and is common in New England too apparently.
The Roach Motel - "They check in but they don't check out" is also a very common phrase.
Agree about the new format - the colors are even terrible - and the 30 second Ad. I guessed it would not be free for ever.
NC
@JD - not naming names, but read the 6th comment from the top today
And for those of you who also do the Merl Reagle puzzle, here is that link:
Sunday Merl on LAT
http://games.latimes.com/index_crossword.html?uc_feature_code=lacal
Still looking for the old Sudoku link...
Yay! We got Sudoku!
Today's Sudoku on LAT
http://games.latimes.com/index_sudoku.html?uc_feature_code=lasud
OR
http://games.latimes.com/index_sudoku.html
And, again, to access a specific date:
http://games.latimes.com/index_sudoku.html?uc_feature_code=lasud&uc_full_date=20111121
Sorry for the excessive posts, C.C.!
C.C. and Anonymous@8:51, thanks for the info!
Hi gang -
I guess I do not know my onions when it comes to culinarilly derived slang. Was able to suss it from the perps, though.
"Hung. neighbor: elicited the most vivid and unwanted image since "hillside whizzers."
In my milieu, though, I guess I'm the Hung. neighbor, if partial ancestry counts.
I thought I put EVERYTHING - including catsup - on hot dogs, but sadly, never even thought of horse radish. I am so ashamed . . .
Rain in the forecast here, but so far, slow to arrive. I heard thunder a few minutes ago.
Cheers!
JzB
Good Morning Gang,
No time to read the blog yet, but I got 'er done with no problems. Just wanted to say 'hi' and that I have been doing the puzzles but so late by the time I've read all the comments, it's not worth sending anything in. Back to you as soon as I can make it! dodo
Husker Gary, 48 years ago today was the day I was due to be born. I must've determined that it was not the right time to enter the world, as I didn't emerge for another five days. What a terrible day!
Originally from Minnesota and always put ketchup (NOT catsup) on the hotdogs.
I was on my way back to Incarnation School in Minneapolis after eating lunch at home when a woman opened her front door and yelled "You kids hurry up and get to school. The president's been shot!". I did as I was told, good Catholic child that I was. But I never did figure out why I needed to hurry up!
Southerner here and the only time I have *ever* heard the 'onions' phrase is from British media. Never heard the 'dogs' phrase even once in my 40 years.
And we eat coleslaw on our dogs. None of this horseradish or sauerkraut!
Husker: I was standing in front of a copy machine (it had a two-part process and used liquid) in a San Francisco insurance broker's office where I was a claims "girl." Spent the weekend glued to the TV.
These are two videos starring owls. They are so adorable I would avoid them if you might have a problem with a sweetness overdose.
Head scratch
Two playmates
Steve, I hope 6 D was kidding....
Hi all,
I'm with Dodo. It's usually too late to post when I finally finish the puzzle.
Enjoyed the puzzle and actually got the the themes answers as I went along. Thanks to Kurt,Jan and C.C.
Husker-I was living in NE Kansas 48 years ago, on my way to Fall City, Nebraska to a meeting and the person driving told me. She said "the President has been shot." By the time we got to the meeting his death had been verifies.
When I lived in New Mexico, we had aloe plants around the hospital and homes and we used them for sun burn, etc.
About yesterdays puzzle, I've eaten beefalo burgers, they're not too different than hamburgers. And about cheese, I always eat Wisconsin cheese, usually baby swiss or co-jack.
Creature,I am so sorry for your loss.
I see there are a lot of new posters and I am glad to see that.
Marge
Hello everybody. Enjoyed the puzzle today. Enjoyed your write-up, C.C. Enjoyed all your comments, folks.
Never been to Austria, but have enjoyed photographs, travel shows, and concerts broadcast from there. Son's grade-school chum's father was from there, and man oh man did he have some strict and rigid ideas about discipline and "proper" behavior.
Was still in the military service on that fateful day; a group of us was playing cards together when somebody ran into the room with the news. We stayed glued to the radio for the rest of the day, each one of us shocked and mourning in his own private way.
I usually figure that an article was written by a Brit when words like whilst and amidst are used in it.
I was looking for but didn't find SweeTango apples in the supermarket today.
Best wishes to you all.
Rich Norris
You are a smart man. PUT THE OLD FORMAT BACK!!!!
Pretty pleeeease
48 years ago... I was working in the body shop at UPS. We had a radio back at my end of the shop and they broke in with news that a shot had been fired. First report was that the shot had probably missed. I turned up the volume and the mechanics started drifting back toward the radio.
The UPS District Manager, Division Manager and Shop Manager came back from lunch just then and asked what was going on. Based on the first reports, I said that someone took a shot at the president, but it appeared he was not hit. As the news reports became more ominous everyone became more somber. It was hard to get much done that afternoon after it was confirmed that president Kennedy had been killed. I felt very bad that I had sort of brushed it off after the first report.
JD, Steve: I plead guilty to being 6D, and yes, I was kidding.
I know Rich Norris wouldn't allow a non-verifiable expression to be used in a puzzle. But as you can tell from the postings here, it's not a well-known expression to our group of solvers. I've lived in WI, IA, IL, CA and TX, and I never heard it in my whole life as a person.
desper-otto:
It's all in how you parse it.
With the 3 "ON" answers:
BIDS-ON, STOP-ON and RAIN-ON ... at first I read my 17-A answer as:
knows-ones-ON-ions ...
Cheers !!!
Good evening C.C. et al.
Nice to C you today, C.C.! I also scratched my head over “motel victim” for ROACH. But the lightbulb finally came on when I remembered roach motels. We needed them when we lived in Los Angeles. Yuck!
Loved today’s theme and the clean fill – just right for a Tuesday. I am leaving again for AUST. next Tuesday. While in Innsbruck, I may take a few runs that have T-BARs, at the top of the glacier. Loved the clue “One of those things” for THAT.
I just got back from Chapel Hill this AM, so spent the day catching up on work and petting the cats. They both kind of looked like the little owl in your “petting” video, Bill. G. So cute!!
Lucina, I hope the tatas are ok after your exam today?
Virginia C. send me an email (just click on my blue avatar link), and I will give you the instructions for using the crossword app on your iPad.
desper-otto, I can't let that go.
...I never heard it in my whole life as a person.
Um, do you beleive in reincarnation.
You won't beleive where I was when I sorta heard the news; I was sitting in the receiving barracks on Parris Island after an all-night bus trip down from Albany. You can imagine the rumors that started flying. No TV or radio, of course. It was the next day when a drill instructor gave us the official news.
What great stories about 11/22/63, even those of you still, uh, in the pipeline.
To close the circle, I was playing cards with my five friends in the school cafeteria and a girl tapped me on the shoulder saying, “The President has been shot!” I thought it was another Vaughn Meader kind of story but when I looked up, she was crying. We trooped down to our senior history class where we listened to Walter Cronkite relay the events of the day on a 7 transistor radio that was the size of a deck of cards (high tech then).
Our school put on Arsenic and Old Lace that night after much discussion and Nebraska played Oklahoma the next day because Bud Wilkinson (Sooner coach and JFK’s friend) said, “JFK would have wanted us to play.”
Argyle, like you, I was in a barracks, but on the other side of the world in Okinawa. We were roused at around 2am with the news (initially thought the guy was just drunk)and immediately put on full alert. Felt very out of touch, and wondered who we were gonna go after.
Just now got to the puzzle; solid Tuesday level offering. I'm in the 'never heard of it' camp regarding 17A. The puzzle helped me decide on dinner; I still have cans of the chili that the Varsity (largest drive-in restaurant in the world) the in Atlanta uses on their chili dogs. Next best thing to being there.
Desper-otto,
I was gonna let it go (wrote the question and then erased it), but I'm with Argyle; I want to hear about your life as a non-person, or before you were a person, or......?
I just returned to my dormitory my junior year in high school after an intramural track event, and walked by the one TV allowed in the building. As soon as they said he was shot, we knew he was dead.
Awful, awful day.
WH:perhaps d-o was a cockroach as imagined by Kafka, which would fit in with the theme
Found this funny article about ketchup and hot dogs.
JzB: Ever witnessed Charley Marcuse @ Comerica? I like loud funny vendors at ballgames. GABP has a beer vendor that is a riot.
I can hear Dirty Harry as a hot dog vendor:
"You want ketchup? Well, do ya punk?"
Being a west coaster never heard of any of these ever!!! Asked a couple of older people they never heard of these either. breezed through but thought I was wrong "...knows onions..putting on the dog..." WTF!!!! But I loved all other clues I was awed at ageone and punished by the ecotourists. But over the pond like in Paris the west coast has real summers ta!
Husker, on 11/22/63, I was the bookkeeper for a car dealership and dashed into the county motor vehicle office to process some car titles. All the employees were standing around a desk listening to the radio and ignoring customers. I was very annoyed and spoke up to ask for service. One woman came over reluctantly to wait on me and told me JFK was dead.
My former husband's father had been a player in Texas state politics. He had run afoul of Lyndon Johnson somehow and had nothing good to say about him--very longly and loudly. So having heard how crooked he supposedly was, I fully expected to someday hear Johnson had hired Oswald. I read an article a few years ago expounding such a theory.
My feeling about Johnson was that he got things done, while JFK was still idealizing about them. It must have driven Johnson nuts.
=PK
Good Afternoon All, I've been keeping up with the comments and I was planning on stopping by tomorrow, but today's talk about hot dogs and JFK's assassination pulled me in.
About those hot dogs....I don't use ketchup, but the anti-sweet condiment argument doesn't stand up when candy sweet relish is favored by many. GAH likes that relish as well as onions, mustard and lots of melty cheese. I like mustard, onions and sauerkraut.
I was a bank teller in 1963 and heard the earliest news from a customer. I went home for lunch and watched Walter Cronkite report the worst. I had to go back to work, but I don't think we had more than a dozen customers for the rest of the day. Everyone was glued to their televisions.
I forgot what day this was. I was in my senior year of high school in the hall outside the band room talking with another student, rather loudly, and the band teacher hollered for us to be quite as there was an important announcement coming over the PA system.
Hard to believe. 48 years ago.
Abejo
I was a senior in H.S. I don't specifically remember getting the news. I do remember arriving home and waking up my father to tell him. He worked nights at the post office and slept in the day time.
I don't think there is any possibility Johnson was involved in the assassination. He went to his grave thinking Castro was behind it. Johnson was a big type A, personality and a real SOB. But he knew how to get things done.
Seen -
I never witnessed Charley Marcuse's act. Back in '04 the Tiger's banned him from singing, and the fans were unhappy. The Mud Hens invited him down to Toledo, and I think he appeared there for a game or two.
Charlie is a no-ketchup guy.
The LW is in his camp.
Cheers!
JzB
I'm reading "Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero" by Chris Matthews right now. I'm only as far as the description of the 1960 election, but the book portrays Kennedy as a very cool (even cold), deliberate politician. Kennedy beat Lyndon Johnson, whom he called "a riverboat gambler", at his own own game and pulled LBJ in as his running mate.
It's a very readable book and packs in a lot of personal anecdotes and quotes from Kennedy's friends, employees and admirers....including Richard Nixon (who would have thought?).
Perhaps even more intriguing, JFK thought Nixon was a very smart guy who came across poorly. He told an associate at the 1960 Convention that if Johnson were nominated as the 1960 presidential candidate, he would vote for Nixon. It didn't happen, so who knows if he meant it.
Hola Everyone, I don't have anything new to add about the puzzle itself. It was fun, easy and made me hungry. Hot dogs are a rare treat at our house because of the high sodium content and the sugar in the condiments. However, every once in a while we break our rules to be good.
Husker, I was dismissing my second graders to go to the busses when a High School teacher at our school burst into my room and made the announcement about Kennedy. We were living and teaching in Colombia SA at the time and the only English broadcast we could get was by short wave radio. We didn't have a TV and neither did any of the other teachers. It was a very upsetting time as we could not get a good news report for many hours. We all sat on the floor in the Administration building trying to find out any speck of news.
I've been having computer troubles and can't get the internet at times. Therefore the late night reports to the blog. We'll be traveling until next Sunday, so I'll have a lot to catch up on.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone.
How is this
for piebald music appreciation?
I'll bet the cows had never herd such udderly good music. Is that what they mean by 'contented cows'?
HeartRX:
Thank you. Yes, the girls fared well as they have been through the "wringer" a number of times.
One memory about the Kennedy assisnation that will be with us for the rest of our lives was the sympathy from the people of Colombia. Strangers stopped us on the street and said how sorry they were about our President. All of the fixed Colombian flags were flown with black ribbons tied around the tops and others were at half mast.
Kennedy was revered in Colombia as he started the Allianca para Progresso which brought Potable water, and other health improvements to the very poorest of the poor in Colombia. The people of Colombia were extremely appreciative.
The drug cartels weren't a problem at that time and we felt very safe living there. Times were different 48 years ago.
I was too young to vote when Kennedy was elected but like most teenagers, I thought he was great. My father-in-law (the aforementioned Texas pol) drove with me to Massachusetts where my husband was stationed with the army. FIL had a cousin whose husband was a Boston attorney and they were democrats and friends of the Kennedys. The cousins met us at the airport when FIL was flying home. FIL started teasing his cousin about voting for Kennedy, thinking it was a given. This silver haired Boston matron pulled herself erect and admitted voting for the other guy. "When one has watched someone growing up as we did Jack, one has trouble imagining he is presidential timbre," she said arrogantly. Shy small-town hick me was very impressed.
-PK
checking one two
Hi, everyone!
Okay. Really late again. Do not think many people read last night's late post as no one commented on Mozart link (parody).
Fast, nice puzzle. New authors?
Fine work, as usual, C. C.
I was in a seminar at Caltech, in the back of the hall. The dean came in and took me out of the room. He asked me (only female) whether or not we should announce and discontinue seminar.
Cheers!
Fermatprime, I'm one of the few folks who is up as late as you (since I'm in the PST time zone too). I saw the Mozart parody but didn't comment on it. Maybe it went over my head, or beside my head, or ...
Bill G.: Guess you have to love the Mozart horn concerto and enjoy these guys' humor... or...?
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