Monday, December 25, 2017 ~ Peter Koetters

Theme: Just another Monday - A non-Christmas theme.

1. Babysitting nightmares ... or relatives of the ends of the four longest puzzle answers: BRATS. Yeah, don't have nightmares about sausages.

20. Piltdown Man, purportedly: THE MISSING LINK

26. Really skimpy, like the polka-dot bikini of song: TEENIE WEENIE

42. Hangover remedy, so they say: HAIR OF THE DOG

50. "Honestly speaking ... ": "TO BE QUITE FRANK ..."

Argyle here. I suppose a lot of people won't get a paper today so they wouldn't have a puzzle to do. Many others may skip today's puzzle so I understand giving us this rather generic piece. It's not a ruiner of your celebrations, I hope.  Ol' Man Keith gets a present today.

Across:

1. "See ya": "BYE"

4. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey __: OSWALD

10. Mediterranean exile isle: ELBA. The houses look fake.

14. Managed: RAN

15. Rain, to a picnic: RUINER. A bit strong; it's more like: Barbarian. to Rome.

16. Stereotypical techie: NERD. Once uncool sort who's now sort of cool. (Sunday)

17. Play part: ACT

18. Innermost foot digit: BIG TOE

19. New Mexico art community: TAOS. Historic Ledoux Street.

23. Vain gaits: STRUTS

24. Less hospitable: ICIER

31. River rollicker: OTTER

34. Finance guru Suze: ORMAN

35. Bearded Serengeti critter: GNU

36. Word after milk or meter: MAID

37. Confederacy foe: UNION

38. Stock holders?: POTS

39. Biblical craft: ARK

40. Where the heart is: CHEST

41. Dugout craft: CANOE

45. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON. "... considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history." Wiki. quote: "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

46. What drinks like Jolt provide: ENERGY. "All the sugar, twice the caffeine!"

55. Birth announcement word: GIRL

56. Like the bed of someone rushing out: UNMADE. Were you made to make your bed before presents?

57. Cell occupant: CON

58. A single time: ONCE

59. Big app for Apple: iTUNES

60. Angsty rock genre: EMO

61. Amazed sounds: OOHs

62. Deputized bands: POSSEs. They went thataway!

63. Lawn coating: DEW

Down:

2. Luxury boat: YACHT

3. Go in: ENTER

4. Moon, e.g.: ORBITER

5. Credit __: Zurich bank: SUISSE. Yes, I tried a W before changing to a U.

6. Powdered headwear: WIGS

7. Naysayer: ANTI

8. Writer Uris: LEON. "Exodus"

9. Bit of wine sediment: DREG. Usually plural.

10. Lure: ENTICE

11. Using for support: LEANING ON

12. Forcefully entered: BROKE INTO. Santa never did!

13. Website pop-ups: ADs

21. Muffled, as a trumpet: MUTED

22. Bank's claim: LIEN

25. Employ again: REUSE

27. Nine-piece combo: NONET

28. "When __ Eyes Are Smiling": IRISH. CSO to Troy Miss.

29. Overact: EMOTE

30. Pale: WAN

31. Nebraska city: OMAHA

“The Beautiful Old Market Entry to V. Mertz (in back to the right)”

32. "Pulp Fiction" writer/director Quentin: TARANTINO

33. Luau lamp: TIKI TORCH

37. TV dial letters: UHF. (Ultra high frequency), back in the days of tubes.

38. "Your table's ready" signaler: PAGER

40. Ice cream holder: CONE

41. Come clean: CONFESS

43. Paso __: California wine city: ROBLES

44. Political pundit Myers: DEE DEE

47. Sped: RACED

48. Garden-guarding figurine: GNOME

49. Informal "Catch my drift?": Y'KNOW?"

51. Witticism: QUIP

52. Golden rule preposition: UNTO

53. Irreverent radio host Don: IMUS. Still around.

54. Sunbathers' goals: TANs

55. Sticky stuff: GOO

Since the lyricist has a local connection to my area, I'll leave you with this song.

Argyle

C.C.: Here is Argyle Our Dear Santa

Notes from C.C.:
  

Happy Birthday to our Yellowrocks (Kathy), who's celebrating today with her son David and their family in New York. I thought of her every time I see a picture of vichyssoise or sand tarts or hear Butterfly Lovers, the classic Chinese music inspired by a great love story. Sending our best wishes to David as well.

Yellowrocks and son David, Sept 2016

Happy Birthday also to Lorraine (Fermatprime), who's been with the blog since Nov 2009.  Lorraine is an accomplished math professor and does many puzzles every day.

Thanksgiving, 2015

Snipped this great picture from Chairman Moe's Facebook. The Chairman (Chris) is a wine connoisseur.

Sunday, Dec 24, 2017 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Magnetism" - Each theme entry has a pair of opposites.

22A. *Criminal justice supervisor : PROBATION OFFICER. On/off.

33A. *"Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!" poet : PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY. He/She.

53A. *Get worse, with no way to stop : SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. In/Out.
 
80A *Nero Wolfe title that plays on the start of an old adage : WHERE THERE'S A WILL. Here/There.

96A. *1985 #1 hit for Paul Young : EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY. Me/You.

Reveal:

113. Maxim that applies to pairs hiding together in the answers to starred clues : OPPOSITES ATTRACT

What a great reveal. It describes the gimmick perfectly. Quite challenging to come up with a set where the antonyms are together.

I love the first two the most, as the key words ON/OFF, HE/SHE fully contained in other words.

Across:

1. 16th-century date : MDL. 1550.

4. Big name in shoes : MCAN. Not ECCO/NIKE.

8. Batted : WAS UP

13. See 2-Down : LINE. And 2. With 13-Across, write (to) : DROP A

17. Rail commonly found in water? : SORA

18. Perry of fashion : ELLIS

20. Kind of acid in proteins : AMINO

21. Any minute, old-style : ANON

25. Saturn vehicles? : UFOs. Nailed it.

26. Placing side by side : APPOSING

27. Cries of support : OLES. Had RAHS first.

28. Golf shot : STROKE

30. Wrinkly dog : SHAR PEI. Cantonese. Shar = Sand. Pei = Skin. So "Sand skin".

31. Common conjunction : NOR

32. Hanker : ACHE

41. __ Dictionary : URBAN. So many blush-worthy entries there.

44. Arles assents : OUIs

45. Bury : INTER

46. Amber __ : ALE

47. Delhi wrap : SARI

48. A little lower? : CALF. Low-er.

50. Paper size: Abbr. : LTR

51. Anime cousin : MANGA. Called Man Hua in Chinese. Same characters as Japanese. Man = "Whimsical". Ga/Hua just means "picture". Can also be a verb, meaning "draw".

59. Do serious damage to : SCAR

60. Hwy. : RTE

61. "My man!" : BRO. Clue echo with 107. "My man!" : DUDE

62. Notched, as a maple leaf : EROSE. 

63. Back in the bay : ASTERN

65. 1965 King arrest site : SELMA

67. Shortened, as a dict. : ABR. We use Abbr. as a hint in crossword clues.

68. Ballade's final stanza : ENVOI. You would think this is French for "envoy".

70. Complete : ENTIRE

73. Assume as fact : POSIT

75. Assist : AID

76. Eats or drinks : HAS. We're going to have Hormel Cure 81 Ham today. Boomer said it's the best. Do you have it in your area?

79. Israel's Golda : MEIR

85. Looked like a wolf? : OGLED

87. Oral health org. : ADA

88. Dovetail : MESH

89. In the Aegean : ASEA

90. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" newsman : TED

91. Word coined by writer Capek : ROBOT. In his "R.U. R" play.

93. Creek croaker : TOAD. Not FROG.

95. Tube, so to speak : TV SET

101. All the time : A LOT

102. Bit of work : ERG

103. Pretenses : FACADES

107. Poetic foot : DACTYL. Often the answer is  IAMBUS

110. __-up: hybrid musical piece : MASH

111. Church contribution : OFFERING

112. Wrinkly fruit : UGLI. Our local grocery stores have them. Pretty juicy.

117. Like Beethoven, late in life : DEAF . We also have 92. Ear specialist's science : OTOLOGY 

118. Agree to : GRANT

119. Composer of the short piano pieces "Le Yachting" and "Le Golf" : SATIE. I need "Erik" in the clue.

120. Hockey's Bobby et al. : ORRs. Only know one.

121. Go around in circles : EDDY

122. Goes up and down : YO-YOS

123. Once uncool sort who's now sort of cool : NERD

124. Inquisitive-sounding letter : WYE.

 Down:

1. Transmute : MORPH
 
3. Sensation before a delivery : LABOR PAIN. Nice fill.

4. Specialty : METIER

5. Medical center : CLINIC

6. Sleep like __ : A LOG

7. "Delta of Venus" author : NIN. Imagine my surprise to find this book at our dusty flea market.

8. Symbols of thinness : WAFERS

9. Author Martin : AMIS
 
10. [Not a typo] : SIC

11. Arles article : UNE

12. Company whose German pronunciation has two syllables : PORSCHE. Its Chinese name has three characters.

13. Victory symbol : LAUREL

14. Dope : INFO

15. Cozy corner : NOOK

16. Massachusetts motto opener : ENSE. Our old buddy is back.

17. Healthful retreats : SPAS

19. André Previn's adopted daughter : SOON-YI. Such a complicated life.
 
23. Quaker in the woods : ASPEN

24. Dentist's directive : FLOSS

29. Heat unit : THERM

32. 2017 World Series champ : ASTRO. Don't cheat. How many teams have never won a World Series?

34. Texter's "seize the day" : YOLO. You Only Live Once.

35. Devotee : BUFF
 
36. Sword handles : HILTS. Sometimes it's HAFTS.

37. It's usually just before dessert : ENTREE

38. Tilter's tool : LANCE

39. Knighted English composer : ELGAR (Edward)

40. Thirst (for) : YEARN

41. Cold War initials : USSR

42. Deeply engrossed : RAPT

43. Cracker topper : BRIE
 
48. Long-billed wader : CURLEW. Thank God I don't have that bill. I would have broken mine easily.

49. Elementary particle : ATOM

52. Stop on the Turin-Genoa railway : ASTI. The wine town.
 
54. Upper, in Ulm : OBER

55. Break off : CEASE

56. Comet's path : ORBIT

57. Needle point? : NORTH. Great clue.

58. Deluxe : LAVISH

64. Pop : SODA

65. Many a retired racehorse : SIRE
 
66. Tarzan's realm : APEDOM. Spell check does not like it.

69. Dundee disagreements : NAEs

70. Ham it up : EMOTE

71. Israeli desert : NEGEV

72. Piña colada garnish? : TILDE. Garnish, OK.
 
74. Declaim : ORATE

76. Boo relative : HISS

77. Sheltered in the Aegean : ALEE

78. Bed board : SLAT
 
81. Hard thing to kick : HABIT

82. Slate or Salon : EMAG

83. Change the decor of : REDO

84. Winding-road sign image : WAVY ARROW. Debut entry.

86. How Steven Wright jokes are spoken : DRYLY
  
93. Trunks : TORSI

94. Moral obligations : OUGHTS. Ought can be a noun also?

95. "Be silent," in music : TACET

97. Formally approve : RATIFY

98. Baking supplies : YEASTS. I've been eating this to increase my B12 intake. Won't buy again once this bottle is empty. Not fond of its taste. I'm thinking of trying Steve's Marmite next.

99. Fling : AFFAIR

100. Drifted gently : WAFTED

104. Book with a lock : DIARY
 
105. Yves' ink : ENCRE. Also new to me.

106. PD ranks : SGTs
 
108. Kept in barrels, maybe : AGED
 
109. Decked out : CLAD

110. Like early Elvis albums : MONO

111. Bone head? : OSTE. Prefix for "bone".
 
114. Adept : PRO

115. Wages : PAY
 
116. Suffix with Caesar : EAN

C.C.

Saturday, December 23, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

THEMELESS SATURDAY

Do you know that uneasy feeling you get when you're going down the first hill on a roller coaster? That's my feeling when I see a Jeff Wex puzzle anytime but doubly so on Saturday (See kitty on front right!)

Not to worry though, I had to dance around but earned an official "got 'er done"! DATA LIMIT did hold up the SW corner for a while until RATE became necessary. 

A very striking looking grid that complements Jeff's always wonderful cluing!

Now let's see what one of our favorite crossword elves has for us on this Christmas eve eve:

Across
1. With 1-Down, "Gadzooks!" : JUMPING and 1. See 1-Across : JEHOSAPHAT JEHOSAPHAT is a euphemism for Jesus or Jehovah and the phrase "By the shaking, jumping ghost of Jehosaphat" is first seen in the 1865 novel Paul Peabody

8. The Pleiades of myth, e.g. : SISTERS - My astronomy teacher called the Pleiades Constellation "The Shopping Cart"

15. Football's "Boomer" : ESIASON - Many feel he is the best Cincinnati Bengal QB ever. I'll bet our Boomer could beat him in an alley!

16. Oregon city named for a fur merchant : ASTORIA - John Jacob Astor's city is located very near the end of the line for Meriwether and William

17. Couldn't offer any justification : HAD NO GOOD REASON - C.C. ___ for letting me blog Saturday puzzles 

19. Old Monterey Bay fort : ORD - Abandoned in 1994, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority is working on it

20. Lipstick marketing word : SMEARLESS

21. Sizing letters : SML - I know it's an old joke but...

22. Lot : FATE

24. "Music for Airports" producer : ENO - Musical wallpaper

25. "Understood" 39-Across : AYE

26. Sacha Baron Cohen persona : ALI G - He's either your cup of tea or you're like me

27. Type of lizard found indoors? : LOUNGE - Bill Murray played one on SNL perfectly

31. Law enforcement support org. : PBA - Patrolman's Benevolent Association not a bowlers organization 

32. "Livin' La Vida __" : LOCA - Everyone was Living The Crazy Life with Ricky Martin in 1999

33. Like grapefruit : SOUR and they are to be avoided if you have bad 47. Blood test letters : LDL - Low-Density Lipoprotein numbers and are taking a statin

34. Seeks a better deal : HAGGLES and 42. Eco-friendly wheels : TESLAS - I wonder if you could HAGGLE on this $74,000 electric TESLA

36. Usain Bolt, vis-à-vis virtually everyone : FLEETER - The fleetest, er, fastest ever!

39. Where to hear 25-Across : ASEA

40. One might be convincing : LIAR

41. Back again : FRO

45. __ Major : URSA - The constellation URSA MAJOR contains the asterism (Not constellation) The Big Dipper in its rump and tail

46. Hockey legend : ORR 

48. Subtle "Listen up" : PSST

49. Stylish jeans feature : RIP - Uh, what's the point?

50. Data restriction on Twitter usage : RATE LIMIT - Not DATA

54. Camera initials : SLR

55. Mamet play featuring a rare nickel : AMERICAN BUFFALO - Yes, here on the Great Plains we know that is a bison

59. Piranhas, in Venezuela : CARIBES - A synonym

60. Part of the family group : IN A CLAN - That must be us!

61. As a group : EN MASSE - 15,000 of the 18,000 fans in Kansas City to see the lady Huskers win the national VB championship last week were Nebraska fans who went there EN MASSE

62. Bishop's purview : DIOCESE -We are in the "liberal" Omaha DIOCESE  but in the Lincoln DIOCESE the sisters mostly still wear habits


Down

2. Fort Benning, e.g. : US ARMY BASE - It's centennial is next year

3. Knight time : MIDDLE AGES  

4. Item wielded on "Chopped" : PAN - Competitive cooking shows are not on my menu

5. Equal start? : ISOs - ISOTHERMS from yesterday

6. Rich beverage : NOG - Much to the amusement of my wife and daughters, one year I seasoned EGG NOG with paprika and not nutmeg

7. Ancient spiritual groups : GNOSTICS - These works discovered in 1945 could have changed the course of Christianity if they had not been suppressed.

8. "Soldier of Love" Grammy winner : SADE - (shah DAY) I only know her Smooth Operator 

9. Mediterranean land : ISRAEL

10. Fuel in tins : STERNO - It lends an odd scent to every event where it is used.

11. Burns poem whose subject is "ugly, creepin" : TO A LOUSE - "Ye ugly, creepin', blast wonder, Detested, shunned by saunt an' sinner." Yikes!

12. Gaelic tongue : ERSE - Nollaig shona dhuit! (Merry Christmas!)

13. Lago feeders : RIOS - El  RIO Lerma desemboca en el Lago de Chapala (The river Lerma flows into Lake Chapala)

14. Lacking : SANS

18. TAG Heuer competitor : OMEGA - If you can afford $500 ripped jeans...

22. Critical subject in Roman history : FALL

23. Natural emollient : ALOE

28. Like much museum art : NOT FOR SALE - I doubt they'll ever take haggle on the Mona Lisa

29. Small raiding bands : GUERRILLAS - We had 'em on our side 

30. Unreliable, in a way : ERROR PRONE

35. Shopping mecca : GALLERIA - Is Amazon marking their demise?

36. Auction action starter : FIRST BID

37. Bonny one : LASS





38. Logician's "E" : ERAT - Makes sense to us math heads! 

40. Flowering plant in the legume family : LUPIN

43. Improv staples : AD LIBS

44. Examples of bad driving : SLICES

50. Hurdles, for one : RACE - A track event for very brave people

51. "I am __ / More sinn'd against than sinning": King Lear : A MAN

52. School division : TERM - Granddaughter's TERM in Grenoble, France has ended and she is back in the U.S.A. after a life-altering few months

53. Rapper with the albums "Harlem World" and "Welcome Back" : MASE - His lyrics are many steps below profane

56. Aussie college : UNI - Shorthand for University 

57. __ Schwarz : FAO - This FAO store where this scene from Big was filmed is now closed

58. TV monitor : FCC - Federal Communications Commission - Typical Jeff Wex cleverness!

And now a word from our bloggers...

DA GRID

Note from C.C.: 

Happy 73rd Birthday to Misty, our sweet and caring friend. Here's a picture of Misty and her husband Rowland. It was taken probably seven or eight years ago. From what I read on Misty's Facebook post, they were never apart during Christmas times. Thanks for being in our lives, Misty!

Friday, December 22, 2017, Paul Cuerdon

Title: Coming and Going

We have a palindrome puzzle presented by a constructor who had his debut puzzle here on a Friday in 2010 and was one of my first Friday blogs. LINK.  In researching past puzzles, I see 4 or 5 earlier such puzzles, including the use of two of the palindromes, but they are all clued very differently. Also. EGAD NO BONDAGE is all Paul and my favorite. For CED and others, WAS IT A CAT I SAW? is also new. I really enjoyed the cluing of the theme answers, as Paul showed wit and timeliness. We also have the fresh IN A BOX, DEVIANT and IT'S LATE. I await the verdict from the Corner jury.

17A. "The terrible tsar has arrived," either way? : TIS IVAN ON A VISIT (15). Ivan the terrible stops by.

27A. Disappointed reaction to the censored version of "Fifty Shades of Grey," either way? : EGAD NO BONDAGE (13). Very whimsical and a still modern phrase.

48A. Query about the Cheshire's grin, either way? : WAS IT A CAT I SAW? (14). Seeing only the teeth could inspire that question.

63. Mrs. Claus' remark about what she did to keep Santa home, either way? : TOO BAD I HID A BOOT.Would he ride without his signature black boots?

On to the rest...

Across:

1. Plodded (through) : WADED. I am never happy when 1 across does not fill immediately. I am not thrilled with definition, but what do I know.

6. Dies down: EBBS. More trickery but this did not fool me.

10. Not quite shut: AJAR. Of course, it is not a door.

14. Where something can be set for later: ASIDE. I like this one.

15. Protected at sea: ALEE.

16. Queen of Heaven: HERA. Hera is married to her brother Zeus and is titled as the Queen of Heaven. One of her characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus's other lovers and offspring and against the mortals who cross her. For more WIKI click.

20. Gambit: TACTIC. A gimme for any chess players in our readership.

21. __ Field: NYC stadium: CITI.  Where the Mets play in QUEENS. 

22. QB Peyton Manning has an NFL passing record 539 of them: TDS. Touchdowns.

23. "I could __ horse!" : EAT A. But why?

25. "Sommersby" actor: GERE. Richard. A very odd MOVIE. (2:00)

32. Amused initialism: LOL. Laugh Out Loud.

33. Clumsy boats: TUBS. Number 6 on the dictionary.com definition list. 6. Nautical. an old, slow, or clumsy vessel.

34. Sweethearts: LOVES.

37. Eponymous virologist: SALK.  Love the word EPONYMOUS; anyway- polio and the vaccine were important in my childhood, First my grandfather had contracted polio as a child, and as a cure they dug a hole and buried his affected leg to keep it from twisting, Second, my uncle was the county health officer and my brothers and I were used as test subjects.

39. Part of NAFTA: TRADE. North American Free Trade Agreement

42. 39-Across, perhaps: SELL.

43. Hawaiian greeting: ALOHA.

45. "The Americans" actress Russell: KERI.      LINK.

 
47. Magic org.? : NBA. Correct twice, Orlando and Johnson.

52. Chipmaker's prefix: NANO. Personally, I like YOCTO better.

53. A, in many orgs. : ASSN.

54. "__ who?!" : SEZ?

57. DEA agent: NARC.

59. Slip away: ELAPSE.

66. __ Domini: ANNO. A bit unnerving to see these two words both meaning YEAR next to each other in the grid. Latin/Italian

67. Calendario units: ANOS. Spanish/Portuguese.

68. Springsteen's "Born __": TO RUN.

69. Tuts: TSKS. Tut, tut- tsk, tsk

70. Wail: YOWL. We had an owl fall down our chimney one winter. Luckily the grate was up. Our long-haired dachshund was convinced it was meant to be her friend. The both yowled alot.

71. __ innings: EXTRA.

Down:

1. Measure of power: WATT. This too did not jump to mind, so it was a slow start.

2. Tibet's place: ASIA. A gimme.

3. __ jockey: DISC. Many predicted this profession would be gone by now.

4. Polished words: EDITED. He was looking for the verb, not the adjective.

5. Nowhere near the norm: DEVIANT. Harsh.

6. Ending with Tyrol: EAN. Very straightforward clue/fill for a Friday.

7. Common-interest group: BLOC.

8. Harmless: BENIGN. Bingo is back and one of our favorite calls- B9.

9. Ready for the curtain to open: SEATED.

10. Sushi tuna: AHI.

11. Kid: JEST.

12. Moistureless: ARID. Despite its frequent appearance as fill, ARID has never been clued this way in the LAT.

13. Traitors: RATS. Not really that simple.

18. Rebel, in a way: ACT OUT. Right next to traitors.

19. Like some memes: VIRAL.Does everyone know what a meme is?

24. ERA or RBI: ABBR. Tricky, as it seemed like a baseball clue.

26. Coaches' headaches: EGOS.

27. Big cat of film: ELSA. She is back and Frozen takes a back seat. I finally watched the entire movie (a favorite of my granddaughters) and I enjoyed it.

28. Certain score: GOAL.

29. Give the okay: ALLOW.

30. City near Kobe: OSAKA. Okay, we leave Europe for Japan.

31. Roulette bets: EVENS.

35. Actor Idris _ _: ELBA. Interesting choice to avoid ABLE WAS I. Perhaps an intentional extra hint?

36. Sandwich side: SLAW. I make a mean cole slaw.

38. Medieval Tatar chief: KHAN. Was this where the Han came to Geroge? LINK.

40. Ten up front? : DECA. A prefix meaning ten from Latin.

41. Undid: ERASED.

44. Pose in yoga: ASANA. Not one, but all of them.

46. Words just before leaving: IT'S LATE. Get me out of here!!!!

49. How Rome wasn't built? : IN A DAY. Cute. Nor was...

50. Piemonte city: TORINO. The first car I drove regularly was my Uncle's Torino station wagon. It had the fake wood panels.

51. Ready to be shipped: IN A BOX. Rather timely considering the holiday.

54. ERA or RBI: STAT. A baseball clue fake out.

55. An eternity: EONS.

56. Pass (out): ZONK.

58. Food on the trail: CHOW.

60. Wine named for an Iberian city: PORT. Where hopefully the wine is not made from...

61. __ grapes: SOUR.

62. Sicilian mountain: ETNA. So much Europe in this puzzle.

64. Derek and Peep: BOS.  Bo Derek and Little Bo Peep, interesting couple.

65. U.K. component: ISLand.  I think this is a great explanation, but I defer to Steve (Nice Cuppa if he stops by) and others. LINK.

Is that some Jingle Bells I hear in the distance? Good luck finishing your Xmas shopping if you haven't. I celebrated 3 years married to Oo yesterday and the beginning of winter. Hope you enjoyed the puzzle Thanks and welcome back Paul C. 2. Lemonade out.