Theme: Double, Double - but not Toil and Trouble. Two-word phrases; each word starts with the same two letters.
20A. Earnings before the government's cut: PRETAX PROFITS
38A. Words on a "No Trespassing" sign: PRIVATE PROPERTY
54A. Invention that revolutionized book production: PRINTING PRESS
53D. Ad agency guys responsible for 20-, 38- and 54-Across?: PR MEN. Men, because there are two PR's per entry.
Argyle here. Nice spanner. Didn't really need a reveal but it's a cute reveal so ok. Brock has become quite the Monday specialist.
Across:
1. British bloke: CHAP
5. Title for a fictional fox: BR'ER
9. Pancake syrup tree: MAPLE
14. Prefix for "six": HEXA
15. Coleridge's "The __ of the Ancient Mariner": RIME
16. Partners of pains: ACHEs
17. Many Manet works: OILS
18. Like a grand-scale fail: EPIC
19. __ Islander: small-state resident: RHODE
23. End in __: come out even: A TIE
24. French street: RUE, as in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue". The Rue Morgue is a fictional street in Paris.
25. Cops' orgs.: PDs. Police Departments
28. Fave pal, in 67-Across: BFF. (Best Friends Forever). 67-Across. Cellphone messages: TEXTS
31. German pastry: STRUDEL. Braided Apple Walnut Strudel
33. Question as to technique: HOW
34. New Haven collegian: YALIE
36. Cribbage piece: PEG
37. Gossip columnist Barrett: RONA
42. Rockers' sound machines: AMPs
43. Speck in la mer: ÎLE
44. Coloring cosmetic: ROUGE
45. Chessmen and board, e.g.: SET
46. Squeaky clean, as hospital supplies: STERILE
49. Alternative to grass seed: SOD
50. "No seats" initials: SRO. (Standing-room only)
51. Big __: trademark burger: MAC
52. Gunk: GOOP
60. First appearance: DEBUT
62. Promises at the altar: I DO's
63. __ Hari: MATA
64. Smidge: SKOSH
65. "Me neither": "NOR I"
66. Getting people out of harm's way, for short: EVAC. (Evacuation) Who's next?
68. Secluded valley: GLEN
69. __ of the woods: NECK. Area.
Down:
1. Lamb serving: CHOP
2. Will beneficiary: HEIR
3. Rod on which wheels turn: AXLE
4. Rotini or rigatoni: PASTA
5. Secession approved in a 2016 U.K. referendum: BREXIT. (portmanteau of "British" and "exit")
6. Jack the __: RIPPER
7. Arab leader: EMIR
8. Piccolo relative: RECORDER. Grace Slick on the recorder, gives the song a haunted sound.
9. Actress Hemingway: MARIEL. Don't look to close.
10. German eight: ACHT. More German.
11. Element in matches: PHOSPHORUS. Wiki article White phosphorus hasn't been used for regular matches for some time but you can still get "strike-anywhere" matches.
12. Conducted: LED
13. Language suffix: ESE
21. On the Caribbean: AT SEA
22. En __: on a hot streak, slangily: FUEGO. Spanish, 'on fire'. (Don't play with matches!)
26. "Stick around": "DON'T GO"
27. Influenced: SWAYED
28. Road that avoids the city center: BYPASS
29. Crop raiser: FARMER
30. Container with an attached cover: FLIPTOP BOX
32. Michigan's __ Peninsula: UPPER
35. Drips in a hosp.: IVs
37. Classic roadster: REO. Ransom Eli Olds
39. Giant: TITAN
40. Putting in office: ELECTING
41. Surg. holding area: PRE-OP
46. Workers with anvils: SMITHS.
Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands ...
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.
47. Pay no mind: IGNORE
48. Begins a computer session: LOGS IN
55. Oxidation damage: RUST
56. Beloved star: IDOL
57. Roof gutter locale: EAVE
58. Like short, clipped notes, in mus.: STAC. (staccato)
59. Burlap container: SACK
60. Va. summer hours: DST. [Eastern](Daylight Saving Time)
61. __ out a living: EKE. Eek! Time to put this to bed.
Argyle
50 comments:
Up early to accommodate Zoe's urgent need for a walk. Erased Icon for IDOL and edT for DST. Learning moment was RECORDER as a woodwind.
Thanks to Brock for a nice Monday puzzle, and to Santa for your interesting tour.
I think I'll try to get some more shuteye. Zoe is sound asleep.
Did anyone find this a lil crunchy for a Monday ???
Jefferson Airplane then Jefferson Starship then Jefferson Enterprise... Hmmmm makes me wonder how Star Trek Enterprise got the name LOL......
Well I am the weather watcher again early this morning. We had some bad weather today in South Louisiana and a ton of rain. Also watching the 3 storms out there.
Me and Missy celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary yesterday and had a huge huge Fete at the house..
I wish I were friends with some folks on here on FB so I could share a few pics and such. Hollis Boo LuQuette is the Fb Page and Boo LuQuette is my You Tube channel
Stay safe ya'll and Plus Tard from Cajun Country Bon Matin ~!~!
Hi Y'all! Meaty puzzle today, Brock, thanks! I enjoyed it and the expo, Thanks, Argyle!
Boo, good to hear from you. Congratulations on your 5th wedding anniversary. We'd love to see your pictures. Can you send them to C.C.'s email? Hope the weather didn't dampen your festivities. I'm watching all those storms too, since my granddaughter is now in NOLA.
Where was fermatprime yesterday? Hope she's okay.
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Interesting Monday puzzle. I agree with Boo that this was a tad challenging for a Monday.
EN FUEGO is a new term for me. I'll forget it by this afternoon.
I learned that a Coloring Cosmetic is ROUGE and not Blush.
Happy Anniversary, Boo and may you have many, many more.
PK: I think New Orleans is safe from Maria, but we are all keeping an eye on the Atlantic storms.
QOD: Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. ~ Samuel Johnson (Sept. 19, 1709 ~ Dec. 13, 1784)
Good morning!
Yes there was a little crunch in the morning cereal. I liked it. Thanx, Brock and Argyle.
Have you ever noticed that it's always the seediest properties that display a "No Trespassing" sign?
DST -- Why Virginia?
Mom used to bake bread every week. She'd cut the dough for each loaf into thirds, form those pieces into rolls, and braid them before plopping into the bread pan. She said it gave the finished bread better structure.
We always called those PHOSPHORUS matches FARMER matches. Farmers would swipe 'em on their overalls to light 'em.
Good morning all!
I agree this had a bit of crunch to it for a Monday. However, I think it was due to so many long fills and words we don't see too often in CW's such as BREXIT, RECORDER, PHOSPHORUS, FLIP TOP BOX but that's just my take on it. Great work from Brock with a clever theme and cute reveal.
I was trying to think of other two word phrases with PR- the only thing I could think of was the board game "Pretty, Pretty Princess" (that's three, actually 😉) My daughters used to play it all the time. Evidently, it's no longer sold in stores.
Thanks, Argyle for the review. I had never heard that song by Jefferson Airplane. The RECORDER was beautiful in it. My girls used to play "Hot Cross Buns" on theirs incessantly. I think that's the only song they learned in music class for that instrument!
ACHES and pains- two old friends I'd like to be rid of. But they're hard to IGNORE. Thanks to all for your kind words regarding my fibromyalgia. We sure do have a wonderful group of people here on the blog :)
Am I the only one who's not familiar with SKOSH? Don't think I've ever heard of it. That was my only perp. I misspelled MARIEL - always think it's MUriel.
Just read an article in USA Today about the EVAC process on St. John. Those poor people - first Irma, now Maria barreling down on them. The lack of aid for the U.S. Virgin Islands is sad.
Boo- Happy Anniversary! Wishing you and Missy many more wonderful years of celebrating :)
Hope everyone has a great day!
Good day to all!
A fun Monday puzzle. Didn't need the reveal to catch the theme, but as Argyle pointed out, it was a nice bonus. Hand up for not knowing EN FUEGO, and like Hahtoolah said, probably forgotten by noon.
Thanks for being our faithful Monday guide, Argyle.
I am off to be the guest teacher for a group of second graders. I was with them a couple of weeks ago. They are sweet children, but many of them need to work on their listening skills.
Enjoy the day!
Oh, and Happy Anniversary Boo LuQuette! May you enjoy many more happy years together.
Boo, and others, I agree this one was crunchier than usual Monday fare. SKOSH is a Monday word?? Never heard of ELFUEGO, and DST seems strange when I've usually seen Daylight Savings listed by region....Eastern, Central, etc. But all that made it more interesting than usual for a Monday. Thanks, Bruce. And thanks, Argyle for filling in the blanks.
Hahtoolah, my mother used ROUGE back in the olden days, and I still have trouble remembering to say BLUSH. I thought I was so clever to enter BLUSH first today. I wasn't .
Yes, the weather here is threatening again. So far just rain. PK, the real storms seem to be far away from us this time. Y'all stay dry on the East Coast!
Happy anniversary, Boo and Missy!!
Oops...I see the dumb spell check changer Brock to Bruce....and dumb me didn't catch it! Sorry.
Good morning everyone.
Easy Monday. Straightforward solve.
RHODE Island - Supposedly named by an early Dutch navigator for the red hue of the cliffs on Block Island. RHODE is an early Dutch spelling for 'red'.
ÎLE - The circumflex on the 'i' in île denotes a long lost 's' in its spelling; another ˆ example. (We've kinda lost the 's' in the pronunciation of 'island', too.).
Great Monday CW with a little crunch. Thanks Brock and Argyle.
I moved along quickly until the SW corner. Hand up for EST before DST (I agree with d-otto that we have DST in many other locations than Va.).
I am not familiar with SKOSH. Perps to the rescue.
EN FUEGO was also unknown.
I noted the cross of CHAP and CHOP.
I'll take a CSO at 9D with BunnyM's spelling. Not one of those old-fashioned names that is making a comeback.
Interesting win for The Handmaid's Tale at Emmy Awards. We had DYSTOPIAN just last week. Among the Canadian connections is Toronto author Margaret Atwood who also was a consulting producer and had a brief cameo. And it was shot in Toronto, Hamilton, Cambridge.
Happy 5th Anniversary Boo LuQuette.
Wishing you all a good day!
Easy breezy Monday puzzle. Nothing really unknown. Only FUEGO was new in this phrase, guessable with the FU---, knowing fuego is the word for fire.
Like Swamp Cat, in my mom's day blush was called rouge.
My older son grills the most delicious lamb chops I have ever tasted.
Rime usually means frost. Using it for rhyme is archaic. I like Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, also Longfellow's The Village Blacksmith. Thanks for the sample, Argyle.
RECORDERS were used in our elementary school music classes.
MJ said, "They are sweet children, but many of them need to work on their listening skills." I agree. In my last years as a teacher I found the children's attention span, attention to detail, and listening skills were weaker and weaker over the years. My principal said we need to adjust to the new electronic age. I thought we needed to increase these skills.
Boo, congratulations on your anniversary.
I am taking Alan to the primary care doctor this morning. He has had one good day out of the last 12.
Our condo is almost finished in front. Now they have to finish the back. When that is done, I will begin to update the inside. We did the bathrooms last year. I keep reminding myself that it was well worth the inconvenience.
Musings
-Back in the sub saddle as this guardsman got called to St. Louis for the riots
-We spent $600 on a new MAPLE yesterday. Hey, we’re old!
-PR MEN buy swine lipstick by the truckload
-We have heavy rain today but no EVAC going on, I just need relief from bad weather aggressive drivers
-I remember MARIEL for the Personal Best ground breaking kiss that eventually happened between her and Patrice Donnely in 1982
-Sonny wrote Baby DON’T GO (3:11)
-IGNORE that man behind the curtain!
-This is what we called them
-Happy Anniversary Boo!
I've been a long-time follower of this blog and thought it was about time to contribute. Anyway, I thought today's offering was perfect for a Monday...lightly toasted with a hint of crunch.
I'm not a CHAP who lives on an ILE
NOR I spend much time AT SEA
my confines are rather STERILE
so there's no need to EVAC me
A FARMER am I, getting older
who shares his abode with a doodle
my doctor says "easy on the PASTA"
so now I eat just STRUDEL
Very Mondayish. I enjoy the easy ones.
Welcome, Coach J! Any story behind your name?
HG, I am not sure that is a recorder. Boo, many happy anniversaries ahead. I gave my first wife a wooden music box that started a tradition of music boxes.
I enjoyed the puzzle very much.
Jinx, I think Zoe and I were on the same time frame.
If you do not know SKOSH, it may be because it is pronounced with a long "O."
I did like the inclusion of Phosphorous and FUEGO. Many announcers use, "He's en Fuego" when an athlete is doing very well. Dan Patrick comes to mind.
Good Morning:
I was quite surprised to see a reveal as the theme was pretty obvious, so that was a nice Aha moment. I, too, noted the Chap/Chop cross. Needed perps for El Fuego and Skosh, otherwise, smooth sailing.
Thanks, Brock, for an easy, breezy start to the week and thanks, Argyle, for the expo.
Happy Anniversary, Boo and Missy.
Welcome, Coach J.
I have been disturbed four days in a row (including Sunday) by calls from a professional fund raiser for the American Heart Association. My Caller ID showed no name but all four calls had a different toll-free number. All the calls were before 9:00 am, one before 8:00 am. The calls went to my answering machine but, naturally, no message is left. I finally turned the ringer off last night but I must have done something wrong because it rang bright and early this morning. I get an inordinate amount of telemarketing ((mostly scams) calls and I think many of them are robo calls. If I don't recognize a number, I don't answer but it's still annoying. Any recommendations on a call-blocking device?
Our summer-like weather continues but I think we may be in for some tail-end effects from Jose. Our temps have been in the high 70's-low 80's range.
Have a great day.
I've never heard SKOSH.
Desper-otto: I'd forgotten about "farmer's matches" until your post. I remember them being called that,when I was a kid.
Thanks for the nice relaxing puzzle today.
Montana
Just before I started my comments my friend Kathy dropped by and we visited for a while. She is a hoot and I so enjoy her! She is the only person I know who uses the word SKOSH. Anyway, that delayed my blogging.
Thanks to Brock Wilson for today's grid. I was surprised to see "en FUEGO" and since I'm not a sports fan didn't know it was used in that context. Thank you, Lemonade, for providing that bit of info.
My maternal grandmother, who smoked and rolled her own cigarettes, always said "fosforos" (fose-for-ohs) when she wanted matches. In Spanish the ph is spelled f.
Spitz:
Interesting that RHODE means red. Thank you for that.
Coach J:
Welcome to the Corner! I hope we see more of you.
Boo:
Congratulations on 5 years!
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
PK:
I thought of you with FARMER.
So we're not supposed to look at Mariel "to close". Did you mean "too close"? Why? She doesn't look good enough for you at age 55? Or are you a George Clooney clone?
Cheap shot.
Otherwise, a nice Monday puzzle despite the dis.
Argyle, thanks for posting the link to the J-Airplane's Comin' Back.... It brings back memories, charmed but "haunted" as you say. I liked its warm, laid-back feel so much that I stole a passage of it decades ago for a radio ad. The spot aimed to entice local listeners to come to my college production of a sweet comedy called The Knack. This music, combined with memories of the play, and especially of those dear actors now lost to time, has warmed my whole morning.
Isn't it a gracious thing, how we can tap such amiable memories for one another?
And I thank Mr. Wilson for today's Ta- DA! Nice theme, neatly executed.
Yes, I have heard of SKOSH, although I didn't know anyone else was onto it.
EN FUEGO makes sense, although I'm surprised that it's clued as slang, presumably among English speakers.
As for fancy names for matches, we never called them anything but matches. If we had to make a distinction, we might have specified "stick matches" vs. "paper matches." But that's all.
Thanks, Brock, for a fun run, and great write-up, Argyle.
Boo, Happy 5th! Sounds like a good time was had by all.
HG, thanks for the tonette picture - brings back fun memories when I was very young.
I've never heard of "en fuego." Makes sense though. I've never listened to Dan Patrick and won't start - never liked the man, even when he was a two-bit local television sportscaster decades ago.
Haven't heard or used "skosh" since the 70's, but I do like the sound of it. Merriam-Webster: "The word skosh comes from the Japanese word sukoshi, which is pronounced 'skoh shee' and means 'a tiny bit' or 'a small amount.' The Japanese word was shortened by U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan after World War II. Later, in the Korean War, a small soldier was often nicknamed 'Skosh.'"
Mama always called those long, wooden boxed matches "kitchen matches."
IM - I think the "Do Not Call List" is still available - donotcall.gov: "After you register, other types of organizations may still call you, such as charities, political groups, debt collectors and surveys." Also, D-O mentioned some months ago, nomorobo.com Might want to check their websites - good luck!
Fun Monday puzzle, Brock--I really enjoyed it, many thanks. Like others, SKOSH and EN FUEGO were unfamiliar to me, but perps solved any problems. And I loved the way the theme answers just filled in so easily and made such easy sense. Argyle, I loved seeing the STRUDEL picture and reading your SMITHY poem--many thanks for that, Santa.
PK, now you have me worried about Fermatprime too. I miss her early daily posts.
Welcome to the blog, Coach J. And happy anniversary, Boo!
Have a great week, everybody!
I liked this puzzle. I saw the two-word entries where each word begins with P but I didn't notice they begin with PR. Nicely done. Filled in LOGS_N and the NORI told me the blank letter was I, not O. Saw the CHAP CHOP cross, which made me recall a long time ago when somebody called a cowboy a chaps chap.
Robocalls suck, but like Irish Miss, if we don't recognize the number we simply don't answer. And they rarely, if ever, leave a message. We figure if it's somebody who is "legitimately" trying to get in touch with us that they would leave a message.
SKOSH is an Americanized abbreviation of the Japanese word skoshi (my made-up spelling) which means "a little bit."
Joyeux anniversaire de mariage, Boo LuQuette!
There's a German electronic equipment manufacturer called Rohde & Schwarz. I was hoping the name meant Red and Black, but alas it doesn't, although schwarz does mean black. It's just the names of the two guys who founded the company, like Hewlett and Packard.
Best wishes to you all.
TX Ms, I guess I was typing at the same time you were. Didn't mean to duplicate what you said about SKOSH, which is more interesting than what I said about it.
Welcome Coach J. Please come and speak with us often. We have survived all these years with the freshness of new people adding to the mix.
Am I the only one who knew matches as ; LUCIFERS which ties in the phosphorus connection. It was cool to ignite with your fingernail, though often costly.
Spitz, we also called them das Streichholz.
My phone carrier advises me of robo or scam callers.
Levis registered a trademark for a line of jeans "with a skosh more room". If memory serves (and that is questionable), Brett Favre did a series of TV commercials for that line.
Another C.C. delight in the WSJ.
Here are new words we can look forward to seeing in future cws: Merriam Webster
Irish Miss, I have the same problem as you regarding unwanted phone calls, maybe worse. I haven't found any great solution. The toothless "Do Not Call Registry" hasn't helped at all. Some of the calls are from local people who are trying to drum up some work for their contracting business. I quickly wish them good luck but tell them I've got nothing for them. Some are charities; occasionally charities that I support. I tell them no. Sometimes I explain that they are a part of the unwelcome calls I get and therefore, that I won't support them if they call again. Sometimes it's a guy with an Indian accent telling me they are getting error messages from my PC and that they will fix everything for me. I sometimes egg them on by playing along; other times I tell them I have a Mac and hang up. Often it's a Robo-call given away by some tell-tale clicks I've gotten to recognize. Some of these calls use a machine that does a pretty good job responding to what you say and can almost pass for a real person.
If I'm downstairs, I often let the answering machine pick up. The cold-callers never leave a message. If I'm upstairs with no answering machine, I usually answer and then tell them NO. I sometimes get a call from a parent regarding tutoring so I need to be a bit careful.
So,I haven't found a good solution except for quickly hanging up after recognizing those tell-tale clicks. Good luck. Keep calm and carry on.
Brock: Thank you for a FUN Monday puzzle. Enjoyed the theme.
Good Job on the write-up Argyle.
Glad I didn't do an EVAC last week. Villa Incognito was safe and sound.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!
Happy Monday! Thanks for the fun, Brock! Thanks for the expo, Argyle!
BYwayS/BYPASS, onseT/DEBUT, didn't know FUEGO but perps helped out. I saw the two word answers starting with P but didn't catch on the the PR theme until Argyle explained it.
Michigan's UPPER Peninsula is not my NECK of the woods.
Robo calls--I let the answering machine pick up and as soon as it says "Hello", I turn it off. Hopefully they understand that a human is there and isn't going to answer.
Congratulations, Boo LuQuette, on your 5th anniversary. May you celebrate many more.
Welcome, Coach J!
Lemonade @ 1412: Re: lucifers - From my blog post of Sept 9, I stated in part: "LUCIFER is the Dutch word for a match (to light a fire), so the simile with Venus (to light up the morning sky) is apt." Venus was part of a clue that day. I wondered how that got to be part of the Dutch vocabulary. Thanks for the link.
AnonymousPVX, did you see the bandage just below her hairline, on her forehead?
I was headed for a 5 square DNF (on a Monday!?!) but pulled out an EPIC FIW (see: Actress crossing French - 9d x 24a).
WEES, Brock, quite crunchy for a Monday. Thanks for PRoffering the PRedicament for our solving PReoccupation. [what he's tryin' to say is "it was fun to put the quarter in the BOX."]
Thanks Argyle for kicking-off the after-party. Enjoyed Jefferson Airplane.
WOs: PRETAX incomes; Men b/f SET (yeah, chessmen is in the clue), RyME, STRoDle.
ESPs: ACHT (spelling), RONA, MATA, ILE. RUE & MARIEL would be too if I didn't guess an L.
With enough perps, El FUEGO was an educated guess 'cuz in Houston, you'll see "No Fumar" signs...
Fav: SKOSH. Just a fun word. Mom used to say, "I'll just have a SKOSH of that cake." Then cut a slice that would kill a horse. Brother & I: "You call that a SKOSH!?!" And, subsequently be admonished as ornery :-)
TxMs - thanks for the etymology of SKOSH. Did not know that...
F.Prime - please check in... You worry me everyday with your and tagline "Hope to see you tomorrow!"
Happy 5th BooL! I've seen your YouTube goodies - they always boost my confidence before I pop the Alfa's hood :-)
Welcome to the Corner Coach J. I enjoyed the prose.
Lem - never heard them called Lucifers but I do recall the "ol' light the (stick) match with your thumb-nail" trick after leaning the "Zippo flip-and-light on your jeans" trick. [It's how new smokers looked so Joe Cool] Thanks for the heads-up on the WSJ C.C. I hope the corner store still has a copy this eve.
IM - re: Robocalls. No one's answered the home phone since we moved in (land line exists for the alarm only). I never answer a number I don't know / maps to a contact on my cell; if there's no message I know they're not my BFF.
Let's see if I can beat Tawnya to The SMITHS...
Back to work. Play later.
Cheers, -T
TxMs @ 1:24 ~ Thanks for your helpful suggestions. Unfortunately, the donotcall.gov list is only complied with by reputable businesses, not the scammers and hucksters that target me. And even the legitimate callers like charities, pollsters, politicians, etc. are just as annoying. Nomorobo is for cell phones only, so that's not an option, either. I guess I'll try to follow Bill G's advice but I am definitely going to research call-blocking devices, especially since the political season is starting to heat up.
IrishMiss:
My solution for unwanted calls, and they are legion, is the same as Jayce. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer. My friends and family leave a message; unknown callers don't. I just ignore them.
AnonT:
Last night I watched Anthony Bourdain who was in Houston and showed the vast diversity of your city augmented by the immigration explosion there. Do you find it so? I recognized the freeway loops which you linked some time ago.
Argyle:
Again, I neglected to thank you for your efforts to illuminate the nuances of today's puzzle.
I no longer maintain a landline; alarms work well with cell phones these days. I also try to never answer an unfamiliar phone number, but work makes that difficult. If a number seems familiar I will answer and after hanging up, I will block the number. I also block those which go to the answering machine. My bad calls are way down.
Good luck.
Lucina - Yes, wonderfully so - Houston is (kinda) like Bourdain portrayed (I've never seen Bollywood at the grocery) - even in the burbs. There's a kitchen in the back of a gas-station around the corner that will build breakfast tacos that'll blow your taste-buds!
There's excellent Indian restaurants with curry so good your ears will smoke just from the smell of spice. Picking between them depends on how tame/Americanized your buddies' needs (I always try to go w/ just my Indian & Pakistani friends - Hong Kong buddy is always down with "hot" too).
There's a shop about 15 min away run by a Syrian jeweler who's wife makes Gyros that will FLIP your TOP. There's also a mini-market in the back with every spice you need for excellent hummus [or you can just get a quart to go].
The Vietnamese community is also big here - C.C. posted a Banh Mi a few weeks ago and my buddy and I argued where to go (we settled on closest to the office - $$ didn't; matter vendor was paying :-)). My dentist is Vietnamese and good friends w/ DW - she always takes us for spring rolls at her in-law's restaurant (next door!) after an appointment.
You can also find good Jamaican joints w/ little spicy meat pies (I don't know what they're called; but they're delicious) tucked away in random shopping centers. We even have a real NY Deli (with prices to match). And, after Katrina, the Cajun food finally got kick'd up a notch.
Fort Bend County and Sugar Land [NYT 2013] in particular, is the most diverse place in the US. The girls have celebrated Diwali at Montessori, Chinese New Years with their friends, we've been to Tet parties, and Eldest has even been to a Quinceanera (which is only smaller than an Italian wedding by a few).
There's parts of town where you can't spin your arms w/o hearing at least 3 other languages.
Oh, and of course, there's the BBQ -- where you can hear genuine 'Merican gibberish .
If you can't tell - I love the food and the people of H-Town. It's a long way from Corn Country but so much more exciting in both cultures & cuisines.
Cheers, -T
Oh, and did I ever mention the sushi?... -T
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Brock Wilson, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
Got through this fairly easily. Did not catch the theme until I came here. Did not look for it either. Early in the week I really do not need the theme to help with answers.
SKOSH is a word I learned as a teenager in Erie. It was the second part of a two-part definition. I will not go into the first part here.
Yes, MAPLE syrup. While I was hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2004 with my mother in Vermont, we came across Maple Syrup roadside stands. We bought quite a bit and took it back to Pennsylvania. Good stuff.
Did not know MARIEL, perps helped.
If I could re-do my life, it may have been as a FARMER.
Well, Perry Mason will be starting soon. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Fermatprime, please come back tomorrow! We miss you!
Anonymous T: don't forget the Phoenician grocery store, which also has interesting foods and Hugo's restaurant (hubby 's favorite).
Abejo, hope you and Mom were hiking the Appalachian Trail, aided by a car, and not "backpacking" and schlepping bottles of syrup back to the trail-head. Have to admit, nothin' better than Vermont maple syrup over Kodiak brand mix whole-wheat pancakes with a side of bacon.
Farmer? Hmm, grew up on a farm, and I know from hearing Dad's and other area farmers' laments over the years, it ain't a life for the faint-hearted. But considering all your irons-in-the-fire all over the map, it probably would've been a good fit for you.
PK?
AnonT and Hahtoolah:
Thank you. I'm glad to know Mr. Bourdain was spot on. I really enjoyed the Bollywood grocery store show! My BFF liked the cars!
I'm late because I had to finish Sunday first. That was not a speed run. I too messed up RUE/FUEGO/RECORDER. Can you imagine the former French teacher having a mind melt on RUE.
I identify a lot with what Bunny posted about taking notes etc. Especially when I'm driving a lot.
Tin. I was really worried about you but you knew what you were doing. NPR had a call-in from Lakeland saying that Irma's path was a familiar one to Tampanians.
Now, to check out the Sunday write-up and posts
WC
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