A THEMELESS SAINT PATRICK'S DAY SATURDAY WITH ALAN OLSCHWANG
Another worthy Saturday puzzle! I fell for the bait and switch mode as the entire top tier fell easily after which I found I was in for a real fight. The triple stack of grid spanners was very impressive and helpful. I was so proud I got 39. Event on a fall highlight reel : INTERCEPTED PASS with
I _ T _ _ _ _ P _ _ D P _ A _.
Interestingly, those spanners made for a disproportionate number of Down clues as the 45 cells of the spanners didn't leave room for the usual number of horizontal entries.Here is an interview in 2009 with Alan conducted by C.C. where he reveals he is a retired lawyer who developed his love of crosswords by watching his Dad do them in ink so he, of course, eschews using a pencil.
I hope this St. Patty's Day finds you in fine fettle and that you got the same pleasure out of the puzzle that I did!
Let's start with the wonderful stacked grid spanners:
29. Hose : PAIR OF STOCKINGS - Each Radio City Rockette here is sporting a lovely PAIR OF STOCKINGS!
38. "Mom," e.g. : SITUATION COMEDY - Of all the SITUATION COMEDIES available, Alan chose this one
39. Event on a fall highlight reel : INTERCEPTED PASS - Some think this Malcom Butler INTERCEPTED PASS was the most important of all time as it won Super Bowl XLIX (I'm not sure why 49 is not IL). Some also say it was the dumbest play call in history.
Here's the balance of the former barrister's clues
Across
1. Surfers' banes : WIPEOUTS - Talk about spectacular!
9. Figures in Spanish skating : OCHOS - Figure 8's. Cool cluing!
14. Caught : IN A SNARE
15. Concord, for one : GRAPE - Not a PLANE as it turns out
16. NBC slogan that covered "Hill Street Blues," among others : MUST SEE TV - When I watched this scene from Hill Street my jaw dropped when Belker delivered this "best ever TV line" starting at 1:00. Worth the wait!
18. Took on cargo : LADED
19. Orchestra area : PIT
20. Some functionally limited applications : SHAREWARE - SHAREWARE all kids were playing in the late 70's - Lemonade Stand
22. WWII camp : STALAG - Some thought Hogan's Heroes set in STALAG 13 came out too soon after WWII
26. Feature of some lights : LESS TAR
27. NL West team : ARI - ARIZONA Diamondbacks
28. Wee : SMA - Here is SMA in a Burns stanza with an explanation I truly needed!
40. Zebra kin : ASS - Speaking of kin that are ASSES...
41. "Blueberries for __": kids' book awarded a 1949 Caldecott Honor : SAL - Last Saturday SAL was the name Jack Kerouac took for himself in On The Road.
42. Newsletter editor's filler : CLIP ART - My first, although limited, access to images for my files
47. Has an online chat with : SKYPES - We SKYPED our granddaughter in Grenoble, France last year. That sill amazes me!
51. Like evil villains : REDUNDANT - e.g. Absolutely essential, Fewer in number, Merge together... Others?
54. Skeletal start? : EXO - Great lobster meat lies beneath one which requires a nutcracker to break through
55. Sluggish : INERT
56. One who's not at all graceful : SORE LOSER
60. Put on : STAGE - Speaking of losers...
61. Popular Canadian beer : LAKEPORT - New to me
62. Opposite ends : POLES
63. License requirements, perhaps : EYE TESTS - It took about 15 seconds for me last year. Not what you would call an exhaustive process
Down
1. Timid types : WIMPS
2. Arctic inhabitant : INUIT
3. Ristorante regular? : PASTA
4. World-record finish? : EST - The margins of victory for Usain Bolt, the FASTEST man in the world, in successive Olympics5. Switch statuses : ONS - Switches have ONS and OFFS I guess. C.C. would call this "gluey fill" as it is less than desirable but is necessary to hold the puzzle together
6. Gulf states fed. : UAE - United Arab Emirates
7. Tijuana trio : TRES - Por favor, dénos TRES margaritas (Please give us three margaritas)
8. Newborn mentioned in Genesis 4:25 : SETH - Said to have been born after the death of his brother Abel
9. Gives more than the once-over : OGLES
10. Crows' crops : CRAWS - Like this gull, a crow has a Crop or CRAW where excess food is stored for later digestion or feeding young
11. Attacked : HAD AT
12. Work often with subtitles : OPERA - My favorite aria with Italian and English subtitles
13. Where the same questions are asked annually : SEDER - A ritual Jewish passover feast held on the 15th of Nisan
17. 1989 Firth/Bening movie : VALMONT - Also a huge world-wide manufacturer of center pivot irrigation systems 10 minutes from here in Valley, NE21. Log onto after a crash, say : REACCESS - Computer speak
23. "CSI: Miami" actress Eva : LARUE - Did Lash have grandchildren? 😏
24. Like the arena after the home team's winning goal : AROAR - Our old friend Marty hated the "A" words
25. Present with many options : GIFT CARD
28. Timetable listings : STOPS - I once asked a concierge in downtown Chicago what STOP I should look for on the Red Line to get out for the Cubs game. He looked at me and said, "If can't figure that out, you're the dumbest SOB in world! Just get out when everybody else does!" Uh, it was the Addison Ave. STOP.
30. River to the Rhone : AIN - Europe seems full of rivers that are full of water and vowels
31. Former comm. giant : ITT
32. Shuteye sessions : SIESTAS
33. Brownie maker : KODAK - The camera of my ute!
34. Suggest : IMPLY
35. "Great Public Schools for Every Student" org. : NEA
36. Whse. filler : GDS - Hey, those are my initials as well as an abbr. for GOODS
37. __ admin : SYS SYStem Administrator
42. Like fresh lettuce : CRISP
43. Slow tempo : LENTO - Not LARGO I guess
44. As good as it gets : IDEAL - Don't let IDEAL get in the way of possible
45. Completely cleanse : PURGE - His name is synonymous with that word to me46. Asks for a hand? : ANTES - Ya gotta pay to play!
48. Monterrey jack : PESOS - Ah the euphemisms for money
49. Apply : EXERT
50. Gets ready to file : SORTS
52. NCAA 'Cane's rival : NOLE - The Seminole Nation Of Florida fully supports the use of SEMINOLE as Florida State's athletic nickname. Below tribe members are shown with the FSU homecoming king and queen
53. Airplane platform? : TRAY
57. Supplement, with "out" : EKE
58. Give leave : LET - I give you leave to comment on Alan's fine puzzle
59. "... thus wide I'll __ my arms": "Hamlet" : OPE - So spoke Laertes
DA GRID
Tabhair do thuairim dúinn! (Please give us your opinion! in Gaelic)
Notes from C.C.:
Tried many times still could not reach Argyle yesterday. His friend Jennifer said Argyle had the phone off the hook by accident. She also said Argyle is still very tired and still groggy from medicine, but he's stable and doing OK. I'll update you when I have more news. Miss you, Santa!
Notes from C.C.:
Tried many times still could not reach Argyle yesterday. His friend Jennifer said Argyle had the phone off the hook by accident. She also said Argyle is still very tired and still groggy from medicine, but he's stable and doing OK. I'll update you when I have more news. Miss you, Santa!
56 comments:
FIR! Just don't asks how many passes it took. Last letter filled was a lucky WAG at the natick of NOlE + lAKEPORT. At "ask for a hand?" I was trying to think or a 5-letter word for "propose". At "Brownie maker" I was trying to think of a 5-letter word for Girl Scouts. And so on it went.
Prescience of the Blog: Tony yesterday of "No MOR-TARS", presaging LESS TAR?
The earthworm is oft a lonely soul,
A mate is hard to find down a hole!
The worm that it OGLES
Might not take proposals --
It may turn out to be its own opposite POLE!
Whenever you're aching, your blister's an oozer,
Of this magic PURGE you should be a user!
You MUST SEE it heal pain,
You will be well again!
My patented tonic will make you a SORE LOSER!
William, from his Normandy French pavilion
Plotted to STAGE an invasion of England!
He gave credit to wine
For his battle line --
He was named Conqueror, for his CONCORD GRAPE drinkin'!
{A-, A-, A.}
Good morning and happy St. Paddy's Day.
Got 'er done, but it was a struggle. Still, the train came into the station right on time, so life is good. The L in the NOLE/LAKEPORT cross was my final lucky WAG. Wasn't familiar with the beer, and couldn't imagine what a Nole might be, but I let it stand. Thanx, Alan and Husker. (I also do the crossword in ink, but I'm shameless in the application of Wite-Out, as required.)
Gave my REDUNDANT example on Thursday, though I called it "superfluous."
SE corner last to fall, never heard of Lakeport beer. 25 down, hard to solve if you read "present" as a verb.
Top 'o the morning to Ye all! ☘
I needed the help of a few Leprechauns this morning to combat Alan's Banshees but P and P paid off. I had Catnaps (Hi, Mr. Meow) before Siestas and Eco before Exo. Unknowns were Ain, Sal, and Lake Port (Hi, CanadianEh). Those stacked spanners were intimidating at first, but once I filled in a few letters, they fell into place and opened up the whole puzzle. The cluing was devilish but it's Saturday, so I won't complain. (Well, maybe just a little!)
Thanks, Alan, for a challenging but satisfactory solve and thanks, HG, for the spot-on summary and, most of all, the "Nessun Dorma" aria, one of my favorites, also. The lighting was very poor, though, so I couldn't really see the tenor clearly. He looked like a young Pavarotti (or Placido Domingo) but didn't sound like Luciano.
I m going to my sister's tonight for the annual St. Paddy Day's celebration. (She is cooking 12 corned beef briskets!) There will be 30+ family members, lots of food, lots of noise, lots of music and, just maybe, a wee dram of one's choice of spirits!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!
Hello Puzzlers -
Struggled mightily in places, mostly down south. Hand up for Catnaps before Siestas. Never heard of Lakeport beer, Nole made zero sense, never heard of that movie. Eke out doesn’t feel right as being analogous to supplement, but I’ll go read up on that.
Morning Husker, that laugh line from Hill Street must have been shocking in its day! I didn’t happen to see that episode (or many others, for that matter - didn’t get hooked).
Feliz dia de San Patricio!
Since the grid had so much Spanish, the salutation seemed appropriate. SIESTAS, OCHO, TRES and PESOS floated me right into Alan's wavelength though the center actually fell first. With only a few scattered letters I perceived all three long spanners. In fact, the entire top two thirds blossomed like a meadow in spring.
Last to fall was the SE and NOLE completely escaped me as I had NOLA and couldn't "see" EYETESTS. Airplane platform? Groan. TRAY!!!! I left one blank space.
And what, please tell, Gary is 'Cane?
Otherwise I feel good about finishing this in good time.
Thank you, Gary, for un excelente analasis.
Have un dia precioso, everyone!
I'm with Gary - really fast start that slowed down to sludge speed at the bottom.
Happy St. Pat's to everyone!
Saw this word ladder(change one letter for each new answer) on Sporcle today -
it reminded me of Owen as well as the celebration.
https://www.sporcle.com/games/Qaqaq/five_lines
Thanks HG and Alan!
Musings
-Lucina – It is common for sports people to call their team by the last syllable of their mascots. The CANES are short for the Miami HurriCANES and the NOLES are short for the Florida State SemiNOLES. Calling the Huskers the “Skers” never caught thank heaven!
Good Morning.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone who's celebrating. This Italian gal is done cooking and baking for the 100% Irish In-laws. Today's my day of rest. Tinbeni, you will have to have a wee dram for me. IM, too! 12 Briskets!!! I could barely find a pot for the 6 pounder I cooked last weekend.
Thanks, Alan. I stumbled a lot but plodded along. My fave today was LESS TAR. I sure had the wrong light on. Good old SAL. Robert McCloskey's books piqued my interest in Maine very, very long ago. I wanted Labatt, but Oh, Canada, that wasn't a good fit. I'll bet C.E. had that right on. Eh? I also accept the ONS as gluey fill, especially in such a fine puzzle as this.
Thanks, Gary. All the way around, you outdid yourself today. Your links were great, as were your comments. I'll bet those irrigation systems are mighty fine, but perhaps not as fine as a young Colin Firth. Mmmmm. I love the Addison Street stop story. It's practically the same advice my dad gave us when my brother and I took the El to a game for the first time. Unreserved grandstand seats were 50 cents! Yep, it was a bit ago.
Feel better, Argyle!
Slainte, everyone.
Good morning Cornerers,
Cleanup of 3-16:
I.m present and accounted for just like I was yesterday, 3-16 when CanadianEh! FLN 11:14 AM wrote "Where is everyone today?" I am the Cruciferic Rodney Dangerfield. If it were not for "Lack of respect," I'd get no respect at all. Gloom, dispair, and agony on me.
"I'll take a CSO at ERIE and MORTARS (Dave 2 will NET it)." Dave 2 doesn't get it. Please 'splain.
The posts FLN were few, 44, but very interesting. I could write a lot about most of them, but will refrain.
Dave
Good monring everyone.
Great intro today, Husker, thanks. Very informative.
We used to have Olschwang quite a bit. Always enjoyed his work, then. Tough one today and had to rely on red letters for VALMONT. Couldn't suss the LESS TAR. Sigh! But overall it was a bright puzzle and I had the time to work on it. Never heard of LAKEPORT beer, so, a learning. AIN was also a learning. About 3 X the size of the Battenkill, near Argyle.
Give leave - LET - - In ROTC we were taught that when overtaking and passing a more senior officer say, on a sidewalk, we were to say: "By your leave, Sir?". (As in LET me by?). I don't remember ever having to use that phrase.
ONS - Dutch for the pronoun 'us'. German is uns.
Best wishes for a good recovery to Argyle.
WEES about the difficulty level; a true Saturday effort and over half an hour were required. Great job, Mr. O! And HG, an excellent exposition as usual.
So glad to find that I was not alone in being unable to parse LESSTAR. The longer I stared at it the less sense it made, but the perps were solid.
Twelve briskets?! Egad!
It must be my old ears giving me fits, Gary, but try as I might I couldn't understand what I'm sure was the punch line of the clip from Hill Street Blues.
Have a green day everyone.
Not a walk in the park, but a satisfying solve, even though I missed one cell at a natcik, the V in VALMONT and TV. I never hear of VALMONT. The L was a lucky guess, because I couldn’t parse LESSTAR. OH! That kind of light. Hello, Spitz and WikWak. Great puzzle, Alan. Brilliant expo, Gary.
In re Burns’s poem. It seems the mice are kinder than the chipmunks, which a take just one bite out of each of my tomatoes and move on to the next, leaving me very few. I would gladly supply them with a sufficient amount if they would leave the rest untouched.
Lakeport Beer was perps and wags, Hello, Canadian Eh! Let’s hear it for Ontario.
Graceless sore losers stick in my craw, especially when they are vindictive. I had a kindergartner who was accidentally splashed by another student, so he poured water on her head. We had a talk. “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.” I hope he became a graceful man who overcomes the gracelessness of the present age.
Not a happy camper with Friday and Saturday's puzzle................
Took me wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long.
Saturday is usually a red letter day for me,
but I actually enjoyed this one.
I thought I was on the constructors wavelength,
and filled in about 50%. The other 50%...?
But what I had, plus what I didn't, led to many AHA! moments...
Learning moment: A Craw is an actual thing?
HG, that Hose imbed would have pleased Splynter...
(Ack! Why am I talking about Splynter in the past tense?)
Splynter! Where are you?
Also, that Jimmy Fallon pic needs a re-visit.
Happy St. Patty's day everyone!
WikWak, After the customer had sniffed between the drumsticks of two birds and declared them to be "not fresh", Belker said, "Lady could you pass a test like that?" As Dudley opined I'm sure the censors struggled with that line back then.
Washington to Maine fell fast; Southern California to Florida dropped after the unheard of LAKEPORT beer was filled by perps. Northern CA to Virginia just laughed at me with the unknown AIN, unheard of movie VALMONT, Blueberries for SAL, Eva LaRUE (Lash LARUE I know), and the unheard of SITUATION COMEDY- "Mom". Tried AAR for AIN, SAM for SAL, and OPINE for 'Suggest' instead of IMPLY. Not a chance to finish. Uncle.
"Cane's rival"- NOLES- easy. About 10 years ago We were driving from Disneyworld back to NOLA with a detour to Weeki Wachee, FL to see my wife's uncle. Stopped in Tallahassee to eat. Decided to spend the night there; BAD IDEA. Miami was playing Florida State. No available hotel rooms until we reached Crestview, FL-distance? 149 Miles.
SKYPE, Google Talk, Google Voice, Apple's Face Time- great ways to converse anywhere in the world at little or NO CHARGE if you have an internet connection.
Good afternoon, cornerites. Definitely a challenge today from Mr. O. I had many of the same false starts and write overs as everyone else and the maybe a few new ones. If I hadn't solved on the computer, I would have had an inkblot! FIR in the end, so TADA. I love a challenge. The sweetest victory is the hardest earned, so thanks, Mr. O, despite some cruelly devious cluing. Brilliant expo as always, HG.
BH is babysitting son and DIL at their place now. They have the Blond Tornado today and there must always be a responsible adult with them. I tell her that's why I can't babysit them. She doesn't seem to find that funny. Anyway, I'm enjoying the solitude and catching up on my todo list. I still have a lot of taxes to do. Maybe I'll get to them tomorrow. I doubt it.
I had a flash of insight last night. One of those "Well duh, of course" moments. I woke up after dinner in time for Final Jeopardy and after shouting out the answer, stumbled off to bed. Halfway up the stairs, it hit me. I know why I fall asleep every evening as soon as I eat. It's so obvious now. Despite all outward appearances, my skin is too tight! It must be. Every time my belly swells out, my eyelids slam shut. Anyone else?
Kidding aside, best wishes, thoughts and prayers to Argyle, Aaron, Jack, and all cornerites who are in pain for any reason. Get well soon.
12 briskets? Egad. I thought I was being ambitious cooking two today. One is about to start cooling to be sliced for sandwiches. The other, larger will be the star of tonight's Boiled Irish Dinner. Any leftovers unsuitable for Reubens will be chopped for hash.
Better get to it. Cya!
"Jewish passover feast"-Redundant?
Well, there was no way I could avoid cheating on this tough Saturday puzzle with those three grid-spanners in the middle (but nice construction, Alan). But I did get the top northwest and the bottom southeast corners, so that helped a little. Puzzles like this always make me admire the constructors--I mean, imagine coming up with something like this. So thanks again, Alan, and you too, Husker, for your always fun write-up.
Thanks for keeping us posted about Argyle, C.C. Hope he's doing better today.
Really enjoyed your limericks today, Owen.
What a fabulous St. Patrick's Day dinner, Irish Miss! You're so lucky to have such a big, fun, family. Have a great day, all you Irish bloggers.
And have a great weekend, everybody!
"Puzzling Thoughts":
FWCs; had to look up VALMONT & LAKEPORT. Only Canadian Beer I know begins with Molson or Labatt's. Neither fit. I had VA_MONT, but the V-8 can never hit, as I, too, was not thinking of cigarettes for 26a. Oddly, the last pack of smokes I had (quit in 1980) featured LESS TAR.
ALUET>INUIT and LARGO>LENTO.
I surprised myself by getting the three grid-spanners. I got KODAK/SKYPES, and that started the solve.
And Husker, our erstwhile Saturday re-capper would be proud of your picture which captured the answer to 29a. Nice SO to Splynter; hope you're doing well.
The defensive back
Cut off a car while driving.
INTERCEPTED PASS?
Thanks much for that Hill Street Blues scene. It made me laugh like crazy! I was addicted to that show. Groundbreaking.
Becky
Not much of a crowd today either, 3 PM EDT and 22 entries.
This was a toughie even for a Saturday. Had no idea with some of the clueing, struggled, and then all of a sudden I got on the same wavelength. Happy to get the solve.
Now for a corned beef and swiss sandwich.
Get well soon! Argyle
Husker: Well I didn't "solve" today's puzzle ... but I did enjoy your write-up.
Off to have a Rolling Rock Beer at Captain Jacks on the Anclote River.
It does come in a Green can.
Cheers!
Much of my youth was spent in Windsor Ontario guzzling Canadian Beer. LaBatts, Molsens, Moose head but never heard of lakeport. That and not getting Skypes made it a DNF because of Floride. 6 for 7 this week though and got all the grid spanners so I'll take it.
So cold on the Golf Course this week. High 50's started short weather and baseball back in Detroit. Now I complain if the mercury doesn't reach 70 !
Gary@10:15
Thank you! That is a truly obscure sports clue even for Saturday, IMO. Here the Arizona Diamondbacks are called the D'backs so I know about the naming but I've never heard of the Seminoles or Hurricanes as teams. Just me, I'm sure.
BlueHen:
Recently I encountered that name, the Blue Hens, in a book I read so it etched Delaware in my mind and I thought of you.
Jewish Passover dinner - not redundant.
Most people have dinner on Passover. Only Jewish celebrants call it SEDER. LOL
Sure and Alan gets my vote for putting out the most annoying puzzle this year! WEES! Very vague & obscure clues had me giving up and stomping on the red-letter train. I filled it but didn't "get" what everyone else didn't "get".
Gary, thank you for sweetening the day as best you could and carrying on Splynter's tradition of leg show multiplied.
I've heard the saying "Got stuck in my CRAW" but I'm two generations removed from chicken raisers and didn't associate it with "crop" which is what we raised.
Just when we thought we knew all the rivers in Europe: AIN? I AIN't gonna remember that one probably.
Bluehen: I am so afflicted by the condition of which you write. I have to get up and walk around the house during each commercial break to stay awake to see the end of any show I wanted to watch. No wonder I'm cranky.
Thanks for doing the Saint Paddy Day honors, HuskerG!
And thanks to Mr. Olschwang for today's workout. It was indeed a trial for me, even though I usually find grid spanners to be a big help. In the end I found I had racked up about five cheats. They started with a mild confirmation, then worked slowly around to outright peeks and ultimately OGLES at answers. That's how tough I found it.
My point of entry was WIPEOUTS. I'm not a surfer, but I will never forget the music I chose to back up my thesis production in grad drama school. It was Wipe Out, by the Surfaris. It's playing in my head as I type this.
As for St. Patrick's day, I can report that I had a couple of shocks this past year, related to today's Irishness. My wife gifted me last spring with the Ancestry spit test, and the results came back saying I am 58% "Irish." I was stunned. Happy, but surprised. In the living memory of my family, we didn't have any idea of that much Irishness. That was shock number one.
But within a week, I figured out what was going on. My mother was the child of a Welsh immigrant mom and a first generation Cornish dad. SO at least 50% of my genes had to be Celtic - ah, but not Irish. Shock number two.
I wrote to Ancestry about it, and they directed me to some fine print on their web site.
Be aware, folks! Ancestry lumps most British Celts as Irish, whether their ancestors ever saw the Emerald Isle or not!
But on a day like today, when all the world is Irish, the Ancestry fudge makes sense!
____________
Diagonal Report: Just one diagonal today, the mirror center line, NE to SW.
HG - re: your 1015 comment - but the Cornhuskers did get shortened to the Huskers!
Some crunch today but it is Saturday. Thanks for the fun Alan and Husker G. (LOL re your homage to Splynter with those Rockettes!)
Even this Canadian wanted to fill in Molsons or Labatts for the popular Canadian beer. I'm not much of a beer drinker but I do know LAKEPORT (24 for $24). There is quite a story behind the sale of the company to Labatts and subsequent closing of the Hamilton plant. But there is a good news story.
LakeportBrewing
Of course, my Canadian brain connected the beer with 29A Hose, and I thought we were going to get some HOSEr humour (Great White North)!
Like Lucina, I had noted the Spanish - PESOS, SIESTAS, TRES, OCHOS.
We had the Scottish "wee=SMA" but no Irish.
GDS, EST, LESSTAR, NOLE filled in but were not understood until I arrived here.
I had riptides before WIPEOUTS, and of course my Concord was a plane (although I think that is Concorde) before a GRAPE. There are not many Concord grapes grown in Niagara any more. The vineyards are full of grapes for wine.
Glad to hear that Aaron and Jack are improving. Continued best wishes for Argyle.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.
How can Lakeport be “popular” when nobody has heard of it.
IH, That's true that the Cornhuskers are usually shortened to Huskers but the modern trend is only use the final or first syllables. Boo "Skers!"
UNO Mavericks - Mavs
Iowa State Cyclones - Clones
Creighton Bluejays - Jays
Colorado Buffalos - Buffs
Ad Nauseam
Hi everybody. That was a perfectly good Saturday puzzle but, as always, I miss the extra layer to uncover of a clever theme. Oh well...
Important stuff next: Best wishes Argyle. I hope to find you back at your familiar post soon.
Guess what I had for lunch? Corned beef brisket with potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Very excellent!
HI All!
Late today and not much time to really think orthogonally about Alan's clueing. I got the NW but really stubbed my toe everywhere else. CORN is not Crows' crop, I OGLEd (pay attention to tense -T!), and had LED Star (green-star?) for lights - D'Oh! - nic-sticks.
Nothing worked in the middle. C, Eh!, I was on your wave-length with 'hose' and wanted PUCK IT UP ROYALLY which I would have filled if not for Fav SYS-Admin (Loved the "motivational" poster HG!)
"Mom" had nothing to do with palindromes as "fall highlight reals" had nothing to do with Chevy Chase :-(
Evil Villains ≠ Goateed or some such (think evil-Spock).
POLAR was close but no cigar.
Thanks Alan, but I WIPE'd OUT. Thanks HG for providing my "red-letters" (26a also had nothing to do with Red Lights [The Police - 8m].
IM - What time should I be there for dinner :-)
{A(ha!), A, A-} {cute}
HG & MDE Defarge - LOL the Red-line story. For Bro's bachelor-party we took in a Cubs game at Wrigley. Yep, got off the red-line when everyone else did. Good Times.
Tin - Rolling Rock is a green-labeled "beer" (I use that loosely). How about a TX and Green? - go w/ St. Arnold's Lawnmower or Weedwacker - a brewmaster's mistake in yeast during a brew of Lawnmower - gotta love these guys!
All my Girls are home! (DW is back from Italy and the Girls back from OU). Time for a nap so we can Green up tonight for Mexican ((?) - Eldest, at OU, misses real TexMex).
Keep on the mending Jack, Aaron, & Argyle.
Cheers, -T
Apparently Lakeport beer was popular in Canada at one time, even though we never heard of it here. Wikpedia: "Lakeport's share of the Ontario beer market rose from less than two percent in 2003 to seven percent in 2004 to ten percent in 2005 and eleven percent in 2006. In 2005, Lakeport had one of the top ten selling beers in Ontario. By 2006 two Lakeport beers were among the ten top selling beers in Ontario."
I can sympathize with falling asleep watching TV. TV shows feature very few ads in the beginning and save them all to just before the ending. I usually fall asleep a few minutes before the much anticipated ending of many shows, including Jeopardy. Sometimes I miss the Jeopardy winner and the winning answer. During who-dun-its I fall asleep during the reveal and wake up when the credits are rolling. If I record the shows for later I never get back to them.
We had corned beef Reubens for dinner a few minutes ago. Yummy.
OMK@2:42
My sister just did a DNA test. She and her DH did extensive research for something more accurate than Ancestry or 23 and Me (not an endorsement--just reporting). She did the National Geographic test. That makes sense to me since they have written scientifically/anthropologically about DNA and humans for many years now. Results just came in, and she said we need to meet to read all the extensive information. Most of us probably expect VERY extensive information since Henry Louis Gates did Finding Your Roots. I'm fairly certain his tests were VERY extensive and expensive and not available at Ancestry or Walgreens. A Lebanese (American) friend of mine found out she was Middle Eastern. Quite surprising, eh! Also, as Ben Affleck found out, the results may not be what one wants. Hence he, with ancestral slave holders, badgered PBS to block this info. (Came out in the Sony hack.) Tsk. Tsk. <(CW fill, doncha know!)
Apparently, today, everyone is Irish. Especially since it's Saturday!! ;-)
I believe I've mentioned before that I don't want to find out my DNA results as some of my family members have. For me, heritage is more important and we know our family heritage dating to the early 1600s; it's Hispanic at least roughly 90%. My great-grandfather was adopted and we're quite certain he was either German or Dutch. Thee is also a small percentage of Native American in there, too.
IM:
Am I too late for dinner? It sounds fabulous!
Mr. Alan Olschwang, you should be ashamed of yourself for making such a difficult CW. In each section, I was sure I would have to BAV, but somehow the letters came till I was at the Natick of 61A lAKEPORT, and 52D NOlE. I said to "L" with it, and FIR. I see that I'm in good company.
OwenKL 4:13 AM finished there also. Sir your first l'ick reminded me to LIU for earthworms mating. It is very interesting.
CanadianEh!, How many Lakeports have you had today? I like their slogan "Every lake has a port so lets all go and have a snort."
Thank you Mr, Husker Gary for an excellent review. I especially enjoyed " Nessun dorma." It killed me.
Today's paraprosdokian: What happens when all of the other birds fly off without you? You feel Ostrirchized.
Dave
Since I'm too late for Top o' the Mornin' can I just wish you a little piece off the bottom of the evening? Our St Paddys day parades and green beer fest were overwhelming, and the weather was perfect.
Almost as perfect as your poems, Owen!! A+ for all of them!!
The puzzle was fun but too much for me. HG, thanks for making sense of it for me.
IM, I'll be right over for dinner....but apparently I'll have to wait in line. (My actual dinner was a TexMex TV dinner heated quickly after working all day at the WWII museum.) So many of our visitors today had gone to the parades first that the whole place was green!
Get well, Argyle! We miss you. Prayers continuing....
I did know the Canes and the Noles. Is that a southern thing?
HG! I wonder if the shortening of athletic team names was perpetrated by sports writers trying to save space? Full confession, I once wrote for the sport section. We were graded by length ! DONT use an extra word! LOL
No, no, no! Lakeport isn't on any 'top twenty" Canadian Beer list. Do your research. My Canadian Sister-in-law never even heard of it.
I recently have heard people called "snowflakes." Other than pretty, cold, hexagonal crystals, do you know the term? I looked it up. It refers to people who think they are special and are easy offended.
Bill G - Yes. Snowflakes is a disparaging word used against Millennials with (probably) helicopter parents. It is for those "I'm so specials" that take offense at everything - AKA SJWs (social justice warriors - another "I'm brushing you off" phrase). I first heard the term on right-wing radio but now hear it from the likes of Bill Maher when the audience takes offense at a joke (just last night he used it after a joke got a groan). #What-ever :-)
Cheers, -T
Dept. of Odd Coincidences:
I attended the matinee of a new play, Cambodian Rock Band, at South Coast Rep today, a drama dealing in part with Cambodian refugees in Canada. And can you guess what beer they were serving to toast one another in Act I? You got it, boss: LAKEPORT!
I swear I never heard of this brand before this morning's Xwd. Die Welt ist klein, nicht?!
Sorry to hear Argyle is still feeling groggy. We miss his wit & good nature. Come back soon, sir!
Ya know...I like it when we repurpose a word like we did with "snowflake". Its the perfect description and will not affect the original purpose. Or does that offend you?
Probably offends the original snowflakes who can't defend themselves. Maybe that's why they are inundating the east. (Okay, maybe I'm hallucinating again.)
According to Wiki-UNohoo, LAKEPORT produces nine different beers and is a subsidiary of Labatt.
It is the "largest discount brewer" in Canada and has an eleven percent share of the market in Ontario, the only province in which it is sold.
I thought I blew it by having GIFT CART. I realized I'd just wrote REDUNDANT sloppily.
I wanted SITCOM for Moms but it wouldn't fit .And what kind of PASS fits the highlight reel? I got SITUATION COMEDY while driving .
I blew through a lot of gray matter working this out. STALAG I got mixed up with GULAG. But, after blowing it yesterday I'm back in a good mood with this FIR.
All A's Owen and nice work as usual C-Moe
Get well TWiMC
WC
CC: Thank you for the continued updates on Argyle!
Husker Gary: Thanks for the review and for the Rockettes!
Out all day leading a beautiful Sierra Club hike and then on to another event. Hand up this took several rounds to get that last fill at the bottom. Was stuck on "graceful" in a physical sense. Suddenly got SORE LOSER and things started to fall in place. Except EKE made no sense nor did NOLE. But they were the only possible answers.
I looked up EKE just now and found "supplement" is only an archaic usage. Never heard of "jack" as money. Has anyone here? Never heard of "MOM". Has anyone else? I think that clue was deliberately meant to be difficult. The clue for LET was also absurdly obscure.
I also just looked up the utterly unknown LAKEPORT beer. Not sure how "popular" it is. But it is rated very poorly in reviews. FIR, but even for a Saturday that lower bit seemed a bit too crunchy.
PK: Agree it was a learning moment about CRAWS.
I will leave you with my video and photos of our St Patrick's Day mini-parade here from last year.
Sorry to have to miss it this year for the first time!
Picard:
MOM is a humorous sitcom about a mother whose daughter and grandson live with her. They are both recovering alcoholics so it's rich in guilt and blame.
Your photos are, as usual, wonderful and interesting that it's a stroll and not a parade.
Picard - Yes, I've heard Jack as money ("Com'on bro, I've got the Jack, let's go"); not that I thought of it that way today (great c/a though Alan). And re: "Mom" as a sitcom, no. That's why, with it in quotes, I kept focusing on the word and thinking palindrome. #WIPEOUT
OMK - LOL. I wonder if you'd have even noticed Lakeport in the play had it not been in the puzzle; like buying a car and then noticing everyone else has the same model ride :-)
DW is still on Italian-time, so she's out. Girls are exhausted from their road-trip (and fajita-induced coma), so they're out. I'm again All Alone, All By My Self [TMBG's Finger Tips movement; the whole song is song "ideas" - John and Jon couldn't think of other words for each thought so mashed 'em together. See if you can keep up :-)]
First world -T problems - the June Bugs out here are driving me nuts. Can walk without stepping on one and the dumb-beetles keep smashing into my computers.
Cheers, -T
"Snowflake" was first used as a derogatory term in a phrase in the 1996 novel, Fight Club, and the line was carried over into the movie version, viz. "You are not special, you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake."
The term "Generation Snowflake" was used in 2015 to disparage Yale students who clamored to force their professors to intervene when costumes worn on campus during Halloween were considered to be racially offensive. A "Snowflake" who drew this opprobrium can be seen in this Shrieking Girl video.
I have to add, in fairness to other millennials, that by the time I retired from fulltime university teaching in 2015, my students would not have fallen into the "Snowflake" category. Maybe there is a bolder instinct in theater students, or it may be the west coast versus the east, but there it is.
OMK - Thanks for the in-depth on "snowflake." I didn't read the book nor see Fight Club so didn't know that.. I'm sure you know the "Shrieking Girl" video is a point-of-view edit... Not that it didn't happen but... [I know I heard something about the edit for full-outrage-effect; maybe on On the Medai(?))
My Millennial Girls are fairly well adjusted but will speak their minds when they see/know wrong; but they also know fun. So, my work is done*
C, -T
*OK, mostly it was DW's work. I'm just the guy that teaches them fart-jokes
Rats! I was hell-bent on "features of some lights" meaning lamps, etc. and couldn't get the L in Va_mont until I googled the movie, and even then I questioned "Les Star"? Geez!
Embarrassed confession, and I'm a smoker. Thanks, H-G for the duh explanation. That cell drove me crazy as it was the only one I hadn't filled in this great puzzle! Too late to read all the posts - will catch up tomorrow.
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