Theme: Beware the herds of March. A hidden word theme from Bruce, with "herd" being the concealed noun, as the reveal explains:
61A. Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50-Across is? : STOCKHOLDER
And we have:
17A. Dual-purpose machine : WASHER/DRYER. I had one in my London flat, there was no room for anything bigger. When I moved to the US I was taken about by the size of the appliances, particularly that you could fit more than a six-pack of beer and a pint of milk in the fridge.
26A. End of the end of "Gone With the Wind" : ANOTHER DAY. Tomorrow is ..
37A. Lower : FURTHER DOWN. Tricky clue, could be something to do with a cow, something to do with a sail, all kinds of options.
50A. Place to order matzo ball soup : KOSHER DELI. "All kosher delis are Jewish, but not all Jewish delis are kosher". Discuss. My favorite, Katz's in New York is "kosher style".
Straightforward theme from Bruce today, the theme entries are all solid and there's some nice fill too. Let's dig in and see what we've got:
Across:
1. Croquet surfaces : LAWNS. Did you know that the full name of Wimbledon (not Wimbleton, please) where the tennis championships are held is "The All-England Wimbledon Tennis and Croquet Club?" Wimbledon is a great place. There's a golf course I've played on Wimbledon Common where golfers have to wear a red shirt or sweater so that those strolling on the Common can see them coming and be alert for miss-hit balls whistling around their ears.
6. Chic : SMART
11. Christopher A. Wray's org. : F.B.I.
14. Roundish : OVATE
15. Course without much challenge : EASY "A"
16. Neurotic cartoon dog : REN and his buddy Stimpy.
19. Trauma ctrs. : E.R.S
20. Airport limo driver's concern, briefly : E.T.A. I'm glad I didn't have a limo driver meeting me at LAX on Tuesday from Chicago. There was an engineering problem with the plane that needed to be fixed, then a snowstorm that suspended operations for a while, then a de-icing, then Air Force One was flying into LAX which always causes delays for commerical traffic, then we had to wait 20 minutes for a gate to open up. The joys of travel. Added up to about three hours late. I've had worse.
21. "Later, dude" : PEACE
22. Scrawny : GAUNT
24. One in the woods? : BABE. I had "TREE" first. I was wrong, obviously.
28. Water filter brand : BRITA
30. Socialite adopted by the media : "IT" GIRL
31. In-house trial : TEST RUN
36. Cool drink : ADE
40. Court org. : A.B.A. American Basketball Association which merged with the NBA in 1976. Coincidentally I took this picture at the NBA office in Secaucus a couple of weeks ago of a poster which shows a few of the old ABA franchises. Miami Floridians, Oakland Oaks anyone?
42. Shut the door on : EXCLUDE
43. "How pathetic!" : SO LAME!
46. "Tree of Smoke" novelist Johnson : DENIS. Unknown to me, thank you, crosses.
55. Facebook entry : POST
56. Yarn coil : SKEIN
57. Words of urgency : I MUST. There was a breast augmentation exerciser marketed in the UK when I was growing up (I'm being serious) which had the advertising tag line "I Must, I Must, Improve My Bust". I learned this from reading my mom's copy of "Woman's Own" magazine.
59. WWII battle site, for short : IWO. Jima.
60. Rock concert effect : FOG
64. Tokyo-born artist : ONO. Yoko. Food! Ono is also an alternative name for the Hawai'ian wahoo fish.
65. Jazz pianist Chick : COREA
66. Flash of light : GLEAM
67. Word with cell or cent : RED
68. Vacuum attachments : HOSES
69. Like R.L. Stine stories : SCARY. "The Stephen King of children's writing". He looks pleasant enough.
Down:
1. Serious state of decline : LOW EBB
2. Personification : AVATAR
3. Pungent condiment : WASABI. Most wasabi you find is simply horseradish with a green food coloring. I get the genuine stuff from my local Japanese market, the flavor is a little more subtle.
4. __ degree : NTH
5. Flow slowly : SEEP
6. Four-door ride, usually : SEDAN. They call 'em "saloons" in the UK.
7. Call in a pool game : MARCO. Took me a while here. I was thinking bank shot, swerve, massé, something along the billiards lines.
8. Until now : AS YET
9. Manhattan liquor : RYE
10. Walmart rival : TARGET
11. Like some revealing slips? : FREUDIAN. Not wardrobe malfunctions.
12. Name associated with alpine rescues : BERNARD. St. Bernard rescue dogs. Don't forget the schnapps!
13. Fashion magazine : IN STYLE
18. Actor Stephen : REA
23. Tango land: Abbr. : ARG. Don't cry for me.
25. Words to a traitor : ET TU? Very apt for today.
27. Vishnu worshiper : HINDU
29. Fizzy prefix : AER-
32. Take the wheel : STEER
33. Appreciative text : THX
34. __ hall : REC
35. Bus. card address : U.R.L. Universal Resource Locator.
37. Baal : FALSE GOD
38. Like 2017 : ODD. 2017 was so last year. Odd number.
39. Lose it, in a way : WEEP
40. Requests : ASKS FOR
41. Trilogy starter : BOOK ONE
44. Sushi fish : AHI
45. Decent sort : MENSCH
47. "Darned if I know" : NO IDEA
48. "Cross my heart!" : I SWEAR!
49. Tempestuous : STORMY
51. Some designer gowns : DIORS
52. Award show VIP : EMCEE
53. Haas of "Witness" : LUKAS. First came to notice playing the role of the Amish boy in this movie. He's had a pretty successful acting and music career since. I'm not sure this is the most flattering picture though:
58. Outfits : TOGS
62. And : TOO
63. Business letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.
And - the grid.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
Argyle had surgery yesterday. He's stable right now. I'll let you know more information soon. Please continue keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!
61A. Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50-Across is? : STOCKHOLDER
And we have:
17A. Dual-purpose machine : WASHER/DRYER. I had one in my London flat, there was no room for anything bigger. When I moved to the US I was taken about by the size of the appliances, particularly that you could fit more than a six-pack of beer and a pint of milk in the fridge.
26A. End of the end of "Gone With the Wind" : ANOTHER DAY. Tomorrow is ..
37A. Lower : FURTHER DOWN. Tricky clue, could be something to do with a cow, something to do with a sail, all kinds of options.
50A. Place to order matzo ball soup : KOSHER DELI. "All kosher delis are Jewish, but not all Jewish delis are kosher". Discuss. My favorite, Katz's in New York is "kosher style".
Straightforward theme from Bruce today, the theme entries are all solid and there's some nice fill too. Let's dig in and see what we've got:
Across:
1. Croquet surfaces : LAWNS. Did you know that the full name of Wimbledon (not Wimbleton, please) where the tennis championships are held is "The All-England Wimbledon Tennis and Croquet Club?" Wimbledon is a great place. There's a golf course I've played on Wimbledon Common where golfers have to wear a red shirt or sweater so that those strolling on the Common can see them coming and be alert for miss-hit balls whistling around their ears.
6. Chic : SMART
11. Christopher A. Wray's org. : F.B.I.
14. Roundish : OVATE
15. Course without much challenge : EASY "A"
16. Neurotic cartoon dog : REN and his buddy Stimpy.
19. Trauma ctrs. : E.R.S
20. Airport limo driver's concern, briefly : E.T.A. I'm glad I didn't have a limo driver meeting me at LAX on Tuesday from Chicago. There was an engineering problem with the plane that needed to be fixed, then a snowstorm that suspended operations for a while, then a de-icing, then Air Force One was flying into LAX which always causes delays for commerical traffic, then we had to wait 20 minutes for a gate to open up. The joys of travel. Added up to about three hours late. I've had worse.
21. "Later, dude" : PEACE
22. Scrawny : GAUNT
24. One in the woods? : BABE. I had "TREE" first. I was wrong, obviously.
28. Water filter brand : BRITA
30. Socialite adopted by the media : "IT" GIRL
31. In-house trial : TEST RUN
36. Cool drink : ADE
40. Court org. : A.B.A. American Basketball Association which merged with the NBA in 1976. Coincidentally I took this picture at the NBA office in Secaucus a couple of weeks ago of a poster which shows a few of the old ABA franchises. Miami Floridians, Oakland Oaks anyone?
42. Shut the door on : EXCLUDE
43. "How pathetic!" : SO LAME!
46. "Tree of Smoke" novelist Johnson : DENIS. Unknown to me, thank you, crosses.
55. Facebook entry : POST
56. Yarn coil : SKEIN
57. Words of urgency : I MUST. There was a breast augmentation exerciser marketed in the UK when I was growing up (I'm being serious) which had the advertising tag line "I Must, I Must, Improve My Bust". I learned this from reading my mom's copy of "Woman's Own" magazine.
59. WWII battle site, for short : IWO. Jima.
60. Rock concert effect : FOG
64. Tokyo-born artist : ONO. Yoko. Food! Ono is also an alternative name for the Hawai'ian wahoo fish.
65. Jazz pianist Chick : COREA
66. Flash of light : GLEAM
67. Word with cell or cent : RED
68. Vacuum attachments : HOSES
69. Like R.L. Stine stories : SCARY. "The Stephen King of children's writing". He looks pleasant enough.
Down:
1. Serious state of decline : LOW EBB
2. Personification : AVATAR
3. Pungent condiment : WASABI. Most wasabi you find is simply horseradish with a green food coloring. I get the genuine stuff from my local Japanese market, the flavor is a little more subtle.
4. __ degree : NTH
5. Flow slowly : SEEP
6. Four-door ride, usually : SEDAN. They call 'em "saloons" in the UK.
7. Call in a pool game : MARCO. Took me a while here. I was thinking bank shot, swerve, massé, something along the billiards lines.
8. Until now : AS YET
9. Manhattan liquor : RYE
10. Walmart rival : TARGET
11. Like some revealing slips? : FREUDIAN. Not wardrobe malfunctions.
12. Name associated with alpine rescues : BERNARD. St. Bernard rescue dogs. Don't forget the schnapps!
13. Fashion magazine : IN STYLE
18. Actor Stephen : REA
23. Tango land: Abbr. : ARG. Don't cry for me.
25. Words to a traitor : ET TU? Very apt for today.
27. Vishnu worshiper : HINDU
29. Fizzy prefix : AER-
32. Take the wheel : STEER
33. Appreciative text : THX
34. __ hall : REC
35. Bus. card address : U.R.L. Universal Resource Locator.
37. Baal : FALSE GOD
38. Like 2017 : ODD. 2017 was so last year. Odd number.
39. Lose it, in a way : WEEP
40. Requests : ASKS FOR
41. Trilogy starter : BOOK ONE
44. Sushi fish : AHI
45. Decent sort : MENSCH
47. "Darned if I know" : NO IDEA
48. "Cross my heart!" : I SWEAR!
49. Tempestuous : STORMY
51. Some designer gowns : DIORS
52. Award show VIP : EMCEE
53. Haas of "Witness" : LUKAS. First came to notice playing the role of the Amish boy in this movie. He's had a pretty successful acting and music career since. I'm not sure this is the most flattering picture though:
58. Outfits : TOGS
62. And : TOO
63. Business letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.
And - the grid.
Steve
Argyle had surgery yesterday. He's stable right now. I'll let you know more information soon. Please continue keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!
52 comments:
You don't have to be SMART to win an EASY A.
You just have to know what and where to say!
"That suit looks very good on you!"
"As a teacher, he's a MENSCH, Dean Hugh!"
"I can get you STORMY Davis -- and I'll even pay!"
{A -- if it's not censored!}
I must have been on Bruce's wave-length today, it was pretty much a speed run until the SE slowed me down a tad. Thanks for the challenge, Bruce, and to Steve for the tour. Took a while (too long!) to make sense of 38D (Like 2017) as I wanted OLD there, but EXCLULE wasn't going to fool anybody but me. Thank goodness for a short alphabet run to bring order to my shrinking world. Funny the minor things that can slow you down in life's journey. A great day, all.
Interesting that Steve's photo that accompanied the ETA was of United Airlines, since that airline has been in the news a lot recently, with two stories about mishaps involving dogs. The first one was a sad story about a dog in the overhead compartment, and the second involved a dog sent to Japan instead of Kansas.
Owen: I think you meant STORMY Daniels.
Hand up for Tree before BABE.
40 across could also be American Bar Association, ABA. Depends on what the meaning of the word court is?
Good morning and happy Ides of March!
The midsection of this one almost did me in. Swapping WEEP for SNAP finally broke it open. THX, Bruce and Steve.
I always have problems remembering which is which: WASABI, WAPITI or MESABI.
THX is also George Lucas' (not LUKAS) set of standards for movie sound. It never really caught on.
FALSE GOD: The adjective seems superfluous.
Steve, ten percent of guys are color-blind, and to them those red shirts might as well be brown. Not stand-outish at all. BTW, I think that "Court group" was meant to be the American Bar Assn.
Later...
"Beware of the Ides of March". Good morning. O NO, Somehow I sensed that ET TU would be in today's puzzle after PI DAY yesterday but who could have guessed that Bruce would have made a futuristic FREUDIAN slip by including STORMY FURTHER DOWN in the same grid. Never noticed the HERD in the theme fills. I had a little trouble in the SE, filling RIGS and INC before TOGS and LLC took over.
DENIS Johnson, IN STYLE, LUKAS Haas- unknowns today.
Steve- people who stroll around ( and through) golf courses are asking to get hit; keeping golf balls in the fairway ain't that easy. And speaking of the A.B.A., recently I found out that one of my wife's friends' late husband owned the New Orleans Buccaneers. I loved their colored basketballs.
Calling Target a Wal-Mart competitor is a stretch. Costco and Amazon are the direct competition.
Rather easy, but I had two cells that I didn't have time for before I had to leave the coffee shop. I forgot to fill them in when I got home. I misspelled REA as RAE and I didn't have the C in MARCO or PEACE. If I had noticed, I am sure I would have gotten them. Steve, very interesting blog. I don't know how you stand all the traveling snafus. It would drive me nuts.
Yes, 2017 was a very ODD year.
Steve, in the US the appliances are getting bigger and bigger. This is not good when you have to replace a built-in.
I think many of our delis are Kosher style rather Kosher according to Jewish law.
It's hard to find real wasabi except on the Internet, but it is better tasting.
REN is the only 3 letter cartoon dog I know of.
I was at a resort where the walking paths for regular guests were alongside the golf course.
From Investopedia, "Target (TGT) is a discount retailer, which means that it generates revenue by offering competitively priced consumer goods. Similar companies competing directly with Target include Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Costco Wholesale (COST)." That one was a gimme for me.
Hand up for ABA, American Bar Association.
Plain-olds turned superlative:
A GLEAM is a "flash" of light?
To WEEP is to "lose it"? How 'bout SOB?
You can use straight bourbon or a blend in a "Manhattan," many recipes say, not just a RYE. One made with rye is usually called a "rye Manhattan."
Did it ever occur to you that the "court org." ABA might be the American Bar Association, and not a bygone basketball league?
And, speaking of SO LAME, the HERD held by a STOCKHOLDER.
I served coctails as a waitress. If the customer did not specify, he got rye in his Manhattan. "While rye is the traditional whiskey of choice, other commonly used whiskeys include Canadian whisky, bourbon, blended whiskey and Tennessee whiskey."
Good Morning:
Bruce never disappoints, at least IMO. There were some of his usual tricky clues and misdirections but nothing too serious. W/os included: Drive/Steer, Jewish/Kosher, and Inc/LLC. I did see the Herd(s) but the reveal was still a surprise. Thought of Madame Defarge at Skein. Overall, a pleasant solve.
Thanks, Bruce, for "herding"us along and thanks, Steve, for being our faithful guide. Just reading about your travel travails makes me weary!
PK and CanadianEh, thank you for the best wishes for my brother. The pneumonia and subsequent hospitalization may be a blessing in disguise as various tests revealed a defective heart valve. He is facing surgery when the pneumonia has been addressed. He is still spiking a fever so different types of antibiotics are being tried. He's not eating hardly at all which is a sure sign he's not himself. I hope I hear more encouraging news later today.
Anonymous @ 8:16 ~ If your goal is to be annoying and snarky, you are succeeding.
Have a great day.
Greetings!
Many wags today to fill in unknowns. Fortunately, all were correct. Favorite clue/answer was "Call in a pool game" for MARCO. I had been thinking that "pool" was referring to the game played on a felt covered table. Fun puzzle, great expo. Thanks, Bruce and Steve.
I came across a clue/answer in another puzzle the other day that I don't understand. The clue was "aWARds?". The answer was "DSOS". Can anyone help me understand this?
Enjoy the day!
Good morning everyone.
Anon @ 0816 - No pettiFOGgery allowed. Try and be more positive.
ET TU on the Ides of March today; not bad.
Herd theme not my cup-of-tea but I think many will like it. Knowing the theme, gave me the 'D' in ANOTHER DAY. Usual Thursday toughness. Had eel before AHI.
MENSCH - is much more than a decent sort to a Yiddish speaker. A Mensch is a person of integrity and honor, a "real" human being.
In German it means "person".
RYE - Tends to be used interchangeably with Canadian whiskey in our region. Seems to be used for many blended whiskeys, as well. It sets it apart from say, bourbon or Scotch. In any event, 3 letters were called for, and 'oat' is the only other 3 ltr grain I can think of.
FURTHER DOWN - If a metaphorical sense is meant, Further is ok. If a distance sense is meant then 'farther' DOWN would be correct.
MJ, inre aWARds . Since WAR was capitalized it suggested war time awards
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.
"Puzzling Thoughts":
A DNF/FIW for me today; 2/3 of my morning puzzles were KO's, as I also failed at Sudoku. At least I got the Jumble ...
A list of my errors: AVATE/OVATE; INC/LLC, and I never got "HOLDER" in 61a, nor GLEAM, nor TOGS. The "Panhandle" got me. Sheesh!
I, too thought that 7d had to do with billiards; and, like Steve, thought that 40a is perfectly described as the defunct basketball org. Of course, it could also mean the lawyer's group...dual credit ...
I saw the HERD of cattle (STOCK) in the long answers, but couldn't find a way to "corral" them ....
Moe-ku:
Woman therapist
Dressed IN STYLE. As she showed
Her FREUDIAN slip.
I filled it in without seeing the Theme until Steve pointed it out. A good Thursday puzzle from Bruce. With all of Steve's traveling, he is a consummate Tour Guide. Well done.
My hitches today: OVOID vs OVATE, TREE vs BABE, NBA vs ABA, and SODUMB vs SOLAME.
Unknowns filled in by perps: INSTYLE, DENIS, COREA and LUKAS. I usually don't know many proper names of artists, band members, authors, poets, etc. So I consider them fair game to look up. I didn't have to do that today, though.
Steve, I had no idea that a British Sedan is a Saloon. Saloons in the old west are where Marshall Dillon, Wyatt Earp and other heroes would drink and break up fights by drunks. The center of western life for cowboys.
During my working days I traveled a lot and saw more of flight attendants and hotel staff than I saw my family. I rarely fly anymore, and with the hassle of TSA, long lines, bag fees, cramped seats, etc. I don't miss it at all.
As the Soothsayer said to Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March." Be careful out there today.
Musings
-I made the bottom of this puzzle as difficult as I could and proper nouns were no help. My first insisting on HERDER (STOCK HERDER?) instead of HOLDER in the reveal was the big holdup
-My Jewish boss always told me, “Gary, I like my bacon very crisp!”
-EASY A - I took Elec.101 For Shop Teachers to finish my physics hours
-The E.R. doc used a skin adhesive instead of stitches on me last year after a box cutter incident
-Home-Ec girls used to bring TEST RUN food up to my room with mixed results
-Shooting lasers through dry ice fog was always a big hit!
-Wal-Mart has no rival in our town. Omaha is a 20-minute drive
-My neighbors 140-lb dog Sophie is a St BERNARD Pyrenes mix who loves being outside in winter
Hi guys,
Argyle had surgery yesterday. He's stable right now. I'll let you know more information soon. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Steve, think of the poor limo driver who was I in 2005. I dropped off at Logan about 5 PM, the flight didn't arrive until after midnight. The next winter I did my driving (shuttle) in Florida.
D-OTTO, the saying goes God or a Higher Power as we understand him. I prefer "As we DON'T understand Him .
My take: not bound by Time .
I liked your A.B.A. interpretation . Some of those teams made it to the NBA. One curious transaction: Buffalo relocated to San Diego and then the owner swapped franchises with the Boston Celtics. I don't know who or where the Diego/"Boston" team is today.
I was stumped by the TOGS etc stuff . I finally sussed* it out and replaced COREY with Corea. FIW
Would Argyle like corner visitors next week? There's about five of us within 90 minutes.
WC
* "Grok" is an NYT xword term
Ps . A is correct Owen. And W for moe .
That's so sweet, Wilbur, I'll ask Argyle when I talk to him later this afternoon.
So Anon@8:16 can't have an opinion on a puzzle if it doesn't agree with most of the posters here? Yeah, some clueing was a stretch and the theme was lame.
Too busy to check into the blog yesterday, so missed the news about your brother, Irish Miss. Will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. Also, Argyle--thank you for the update, C.C. Hope all goes well with him in the aftermath of the surgery.
Well, I got very little on my first run-through of this puzzle, and turned on my computer to prepare for cheating. But surprisingly it all filled in--delightfully, with so many clever and misleading clues. In the end I got the whole thing, except for a single square I forgot to fill in even though I would have gotten it--had I noticed. So I'm giving myself a TA-Dah (is that how you spell it?) on a great Thursday puzzle--many thanks, Bruce! I always recognize the write-up is from you, Steve, because of your travel stories.
One small gripe: I though PEACE was a bit far-fetched for "Later, dude" (though funny).
Enjoyed your limerick, Owen.
I've been on a golf course only once in my life, when a friend and I decided to take a little stroll. A cart came racing up immediately telling us to get off--we'd get our heads bonked if we kept walking. Never tried that again.
Have a great day, everybody.
Flighty: I thought it was Daniels, too [and you're right, it is], but when I tried to check the spelling on Google, it gave the following list of suggestions after "stormy d" & "stormy da"
stormy davis
stormy davis movies
stormy davis pictures
stormy davis age
stormy davis video
stormy definition
stormy day
stormy davis trump
stormy davis texas
stormy davis wiki
stormy davis interview
Dear Cornerites, and Cornerettes,
Happy Thursday, the Ides of March. Remember when Brutus asked Julius Caesar how many of his famous salads he had eaten, the reply was "Et tu Brute."
Thank you Mr. Bruce Haight. Yes I've HERD of cows. I got it on 17A so that helped the themers. I FIR in 35:04 which is a long time, but I went a long way.
40A Court org. : A.B.A. -- I took that to mean the American Bar Association. Aint that interesting. Is there an American "Beer" Assoc.?
Re 57A, I thought the catch phrase was "To bosom or bust" sung to the tune of "Thanks for the mammaries" which made Bob Hopeless hopeful. The exercise actually increases the underlying muscle, the Pectoralis Major which would bulk up the chest to some extent.
Today's paraprosdokian: "One time a guy handed me a picture and said 'Here's a picture of me when I was younger.' Every picture is of you when you were younger."
—A classic from Mitch Hedberg.
Dave
Thank you, Bruce Haight! I was on your wave length almost immediately and the entire top blossomed quickly except for the C in MARCO. Like others I was thinking of billiards but then PEACE emerged to finish it.
The bottom also emerged without incident though LUKAS is unknown to me. Any Yiddish terms I know I've learned from CWs so MENSCH filled once the _CH appeared. Good crossing of MENSCH/KOSHERDELI.
Spitz:
Thank you for pointing out the difference between farther/FURTHER, two of the most misused words in the language.
CSO to Madame DeFarge at SKEIN.
C.C., thank you for the news about Argyle. He shall be in my prayers.
Thank you, Steve, for revealing the theme. I neither saw nor looked for HERD but it makes sense.
Beware the ides of March, everyone! Have a blissful day!
Btw. Speaking of SUSSes and GROKs . That was a brilliant deduction YR* of DSOs .
Also, didn't anyone else think of the BEAR in the woods
I tried TRADER and RAIDER but it wouldn't perp. Like Tupperware that must BURP, xwords must PERP. There's the makin's of a l'ick Owen.
WC
* YR, if you've waitressed and taught elementary I can see why handling Anon's is child's play .
I loved the play on words with stock holder. 61A refers to an investor in stocks.
The theme answers held a different kind of stock, livestock herds, penned in or held in by the letters before and after. Most puzzle themes cannot be taken literally.
CC, any updates on Argyle?
Any updates on Aaron, PK?
Irish Miss, I must have missed the original post. My thoughts are with your brother, you and the family as he fights pneumonia and heart disease. May his health improve day by day.
Misty:
Re: PEACE. Think of hippies.
IrishMiss:
Somehow I missed the word about your brother so I'll have to go back and check your post. I shall pray for his recovery.
Wilbur Charles (from yesterday)
DST does not alter my "Toasts" ....
Though I "Toast-the-Sunset" everyday ... it is not always my "first" Scotch
nor my "last" (of the evening).
Cheers!
Well, a bit of a binary puzzle for me today....the upper 2/3 super easy, the bottom 1/3 super crunchy, had to work for the solve. Which was quite satisfying to get.
Horrible joke that actually applies to me....
It appears I am related to Royalty....
my dentist says I need a crown.
Ta- DA!
EASY A makes me think of Easy-Peasy, the perfect label for today's offering from Mr. Haight.
Lotsa double word fills. I almost took that to be the theme, while completely overlooking the "Herd" connection to STOCK HOLDER. My thanks to Steve for pointing it out.
Misty, good to see you back. No need to explain. Ah, I can remember the days when I was "Too busy" too.
It is certainly true that one of the weirdest things about retirement is how one gradually loses track of the calendar. Most of us mark off our weeks by using "Busy-" and "Too-busy days" versus "Free days" as mental signposts to keep us positioned in time.
In retirement we come to a fuller appreciation of Prof. Hawking's revelation that Time is an artificial construct w/o objective existence.
Spitz & Lucina, thanks for making the FURTHER/farther distinction clear, as it never hurts to be reminded of the finer points of language. I always try to keep in mind which to use on which occasion.
Sadly, this is one of those that's easy to misuse in the heat of the moment. I put it right up there alongside the Either/either question. I can never remember when I'm on the spot whether I am a long "eye" speaker or an "ee" one.
"Language is a virus. Oooh."
Argyle, be well. You have a great many friends and supporters!
____________
Diagonal Report: Just one today, the mirror slash, NE to SW. No sub-diags.
Wondering aloud - whether it is possible to have a single sub-diagonal? Hmm. I have never found one, and I am too lame a mathematician to work out if it is even possible to have a stand-alone single sub-diagonal.
It would have to be an asymmetrical grid, of course, with a top that isn't echoed in the bottom. If, for instance, today's pzl had two grid-spanners, at 17A and 28A, with no other change, that would permit a mirror sub-diagonal starting at square 14.
I guess I've answered my own query. As long as symmetry is a requirement, a single sub-diagonal is impossible.
I usually like Bruce Haight's puzzles and this one is no exception. Good stuff. I had trouble in the SE corner because I held onto ETO instead of IWO and LTD instead of LLC for too long; I also didn't know DENIS Johnson. Once I looked him up and learned his first name, that corner eventually got sorted out. Silly me, I had LUCAS Haas and Chick KOREA at first, even though I knew the C and K should be the other way around. I have heard Chick Corea play and I like his style. I remember Lukas Haas in Witness. I also remember Danny Glover did a good job as a very scary bad guy.
Best wishes to Argyle.
Wilber C:
"* "Grok" is an NYT xword term "
Well, they are probably using it, but its origin is with Robert Heinlein's novel, "Stranger in a Strange Land," which dates to 1961. (Wow! That looks like some date from the Middle Mesolithic ... but I lived through it.)
Herds of March - love it- thanks Steve!
Hi Y'all! Fun puzzle, thanks, Bruce. Enjoyed your personal experiences along with the rest of the expo, Steve.
I was expecting a harder puzzle on a Thursday with Bruce's name at the top. Roped those dogies into place in record time for me. Maybe as a (former) cattleman's wife, I just felt at home with the HERDs.
Last fill was the "C" in PEACE/MARCO cross. I join the cw HERD in having trouble with that one.
Unknowns: Christopher A. Wray (who dat?) was FBI, DENIS, COREA.
Steve: do they still play croquet at Wimbledon? Found that info very interesting.
TARGET is my store of choice over WalMart but they have only one store in this city as far as I know. WalMart has at least 4 plus Sam's Club.
PVX: great joke about the crown.
Argyle: Prayers and best wishes to Argyle for a speedy recovery.
Wilbur: please wait to visit Argyle until he is recovered. Having been in the hospital and definitely not at my best, I found it very annoying to have complete strangers stop by my room to get to meet me. People read my newspaper stories and thought they knew me. I did not want to receive them in my hospital gown in bed, feeling rotten and looking terrible.
IM: continuing prayers for your ailing brother. Hope he gets the right antibiotic soon.
Slogged through to the bitter end, FIW...
What finally helped me with most of the solve was
that I saw H.E.R. in every theme answer.
(never saw the "D" )
54d, suffix suggesting resemblance.
(I had "ISM")
StockMolder?
Her?
Ow! my brain hurts...
Classic herding cats!
and one you may not have seen,,,
CED: definitely chuckleworthy herding! LOL!
It is getting dicier to pick an FBI name that will still be relevant by the time a Xwd goes to print.
desper-otto 700A
All this write about "WASABI, WAPITI or MESABI" reminds me of the Lone Ranger when he finds out what Kemosabe means.
To prepare for PT school I took a course in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy where the finale was a dissection of a cat. I heard that it used to be a rabbit, but word got out that it was a "Bunny Course," EASY A.
Big Easy 749A
Walmart has changed their name. "As of Feb. 1, it will no longer be "Wal-Mart Stores" and will get rid of the hyphen and drop "stores" from its legal name." I thought they were going to some other word entirely. Whew, I will still recognize the building when I pass by. I haven't been in a store in years.
Spitzboov 9:28 AM
Please forgive me for holding my praise of your knowledge till this moment. I am in awe at its width and breadth. Time for my questions, what does your Avatar mean? How do you know German so well? Who is --BH? Duh, Better Half. I think your half is just fine.
Dave
Chairman Moe 1002A
Your Moe-kus are a lot like "Haikus." Today's was exceptionally good.
I found a good one
Winter Haiku:
I wake, reluctant;
to cold to get out of bed
but I need to pee.
Classic 5-7-5
Dave
YR--Thanks for explaining the DSOS answer for "aWARds?"
C.C.--Thanks for the update on Argyle.
CED--Loved the herding cats videos, especially the first one!
D4 @ 1608
It looks like you take notes on the blog posts.
Thank you for the kind words but they are undeserved. I think I'm in my 10th year in the Blog and I stand in awe of the talent and intelligence brought by all the correspondents. Our shipmate in the hospital stands at the apex of this group.. C.C. has cobbled together a wonderful commons for us to discuss the daily cw and exchange other pleasantries. Everyone here has their strong areas. I stink at literature, art, theater and modern music, but others shine when these are featured in the puzzles.
Avatar - My name means imp, rogue, or scamp in Low German.
The thumbnail is of my destroyer firing a weapon Alfa; at the time, a leading ASW weapon.
German - Born to German immigrants from northern Germany, I spoke German before English. Our parents spoke
L. German at home, but my sister and I would normally speak English. Our HS did not offer German, but I was able to take a semester in College. (Kazie - a former regular Corner blogger and German teacher is much better at the grammar aspects of it than I am.)
Chairman Moe,
Yes! An excellent classic haiku.
Haven't you noticed
how most things can be said or
written as haiku?
But it takes a cool
subject or else a sharp brain
to really hit home.
It's just like speaking English with a beat
That doesn't come out bouncing to five feet.
Thank you, O'Man Keith--I'll try to remember Ta-DA! And thank you, Lucina for giving PEACE a historical hippie context (although was the word DUDE in use in those days?).
Hi All!
Like PVX, a tale of two puzzles. I was SMART romping through the top but stumbled mightily FURTHER DOWN. I MUST say, 'twas fun. Thanks Bruce for another playful grid and swinging by the Corner.
Thanks Steve for the expo. I didn't need you for the theme but 'splainin' who COREA and LUKAS is - and you knew of them(?)... I always enjoy the bits of Around-the-World info. And, what Bruce said, fun Title.
The theme did elude me @1st. I saw the HERs and thought 61a was going to be values-investors that only invest in woman owned/operated companies. After filling STOCK HOLDER, I found the Ds on HER.
WOs: Rum->RYE, Short Stories b/f SCARY.
ESPs and lucky WAGS: DENIS, COREA, LUKAS, MENSCH. FALSE GOD took a while too 'cuz what's a Baal? (I had NO IDEA until perps).
Fav: FREUDIAN Slip as clue'd. Brilliant Bruce!
Jayce - I nearly entered ETO too - I put it in the margin for later.
I was stuck a long time on SO-A-M; every time I read the clue SO #SAD is all I could think.
{A} {Nice!}
IM - I too must have missed of your Brother's ails. GOD Speed to him, Aaron, and Argyle. SCARY situations.
//thanks for keeping us abreast C.C. - any idea when he'll be back at his POST? Not that I'm rushing him; just curious if you've HERD, er, heard.
OKL - I thought you intentionally SUB'd Davis as to sensor yourself to keep it apolitical :-)
OMK - LOL the revolving door at the FBI
D4 - Mitch is timeless. Thanks for that
CED - Double-Kudos! THX. (Oh, and D-O, I'm going to use LUCAS' std as a clue if I ever need THX)
Misty - what Lucina said; this hippie-at-heart says "PEACE" or "PEACE out" instead of "Later Gator."
YR - Since REN is the only 3-letter toon-dog you know... I bet you've never seen the show. I snap'd a snap of my REN doll for you. Now you'll thank me for the visual :-).
//BTW - if you squeeze the doll's belly, he does the opposite of BURP. Sorry, OMK (FLN), I like scatological humour (when done right).
Cheers, -T
Misty - I was just a BABE then, but I associate Dude w/ the '80's (Dude, where's my Car?) and "Man" with the Hippies (as in, "that's heavy, man.") -T
Misty & Anon T,
I'll take "Dude" back even FURTHER, to at least the '40s, when I came into consciousness, and probably back to the 19th C, when it had the meaning that was transferred to "Dude Ranch."
Merriam-Webster: 1 : a man extremely fastidious in dress and manner : dandy. 2 : a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range; especially : an Easterner in the West.
These are the only meanings it had when I was a kid. It was a put-down then, not the casual familiarity it has become.
AnonymousPVX:
LOL! I just saw your joke and it appears many of us might be related to royalty if wearing a "crown" qualifies.
Well based on PVX's revelation, I must be taking over part of Europe as I have three crowns coming in the near future.
Very nice puzzle by Bruce and write-up by Steve. Thank you both.
Argyle, you have all of our prayers.
CC: Thanks for the update on Argyle. Let him know we need him back on the blog so he has to get better soon! Recovery is never easy and we really wish him the best.
Late to the Corner with a busy work day. Got the theme answer and saw the HERDs but I was slow to figure out the connection. I can be very literal-minded.
KOSHER DELI crossing MENSCH caught my attention immediately! Glad you saw it, too, Lucina! Hand up for thinking STORMY DANIELS.
Big Easy: I also immediately thought of AMAZON as the Walmart rival. Slow to get TARGET. Our small city has none of those big stores.
Did anyone else think of this Paul McCartney song ANOTHER DAY?
I did not know the reference from Gone With the Wind. Learning moment.
My father had this RED Blood CELL clotting image on the cover of Science Magazine. It appeared for years in biology textbooks like this one.
I was very honored in recent years to get a call from someone who wanted to use it in a new textbook.
From yesterday:
PK: Glad you recognized the CSNY song Teach Your Children and liked the others I selected! I think you might enjoy some of their other music, too. Especially if you like Joan Baez. I had no records or tapes then, either. I depended on what I could catch on the radio. It was a big deal when my grandparents gave us their old vacuum tube FM radio. That was in the 70s.
Yellowrocks and D4E4H: Thanks for your take on EAST as clued. Glad you agree the clue was gramattically odd, Yellowrocks.
Anon T, Ol'Man Keith, and Lucina, thank you all again for clarifying the history of DUDE for me again!
Thanks for the "ANOTHER DAY" WIngs link Picard. Nice way to wind-DOWN the day. Peace out, -T
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