google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, November 16 2017 Jason Chapnick and C.C.Burnikel

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Nov 16, 2017

Thursday, November 16 2017 Jason Chapnick and C.C.Burnikel

Theme: Beer me up, Scottie! The beer part of the boilermaker is highlighted:

18A. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER

This is the cleanest example of TV Reporter incidents I could come up with. Google "TV Reporter Fail" and you'll see what I mean.



24A. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER

40A. Banish : CAST OUT

51A. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE

60A Half a boilermaker ... and what's aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER

Whisky shot, beer to back it up. Purdue University are nicknamed The Boilermakers, and have a game shout "Boiler Up", which I always find comical. Go Irish! Go Blue! Fight On! Woo Pig Sooey! Those are shouts I can get behind. Boiler Up? What the heck is that all about?

A corner duo today with Lemonade (Jason) and C.C. - the first joint effort was back in 2014. Neat theme, I've just started a new job with a company who's offices provide free draft beer - five varieties - in the common area. Next time I'm in the office I'll "cheers" you all with as many of the theme beers I can find. Forget the free coffee, I'm going for the Pilsner.

Across:

1. El Misti's land : PERU. What? I asked my Peruvian friend who was conveniently sitting next to me, it's a volcano.


5. Want as a price : ASK

8. Debit card action : SWIPE. Less common now, more INSERT with the chip thing.

13. Shock jock Don : IMUS. I think Howard Stern out-shocked him.

14. Invoice stamp : PAID

16. Schumer's "Trainwreck" co-star : HADER. I was so close to a personal Natick with HADER crossing PEELE. The "E" seemed the most likely.

17. Attend : COME

20. Takes too much, briefly : OD'S

22. Field mouse : VOLE. Is a vole a mouse? I thought they were different beasts.

23. Head light : HALO. Fun clue.

28. Status symbol suit : ARMANI. I have an Armani blazer, I never thought of it as a status symbol. I bought it in a thrift store in Toluca Lake for peanuts and I wear it often.

29. Pull : TOW

30. Lion's home : LAIR

31. Squad : TEAM

35. Cut corners : SKIMP. I majorly skimped on the blog last week, as in I didn't write it up at all. C.C. was so generous with my faux pas.

39. Subj. for many an au pair : ESL. I dated a Danish au pair many moons ago in London. She was a classic Danish blonde, smoked a pipe, drank LAGER and drew a lot of attention in the pub. Her English as a Second Language what just what you would expect from a Scandinavian. I was a mess at "Hello". She was working for the family of a great musician, she married a guitarist in a huge rock band. I could never compete with the riffs. Happy memories.

42. __-wop : DOO

43. Best Picture Oscar nominee directed by Ava DuVernay : SELMA

45. Little chirp : PEEP

46. Big name in banking : CITI

47. __ de Triomphe : ARC

49. Musical works : OPUSES. OPERA is the plural in Latin. Irregular.

57. MLB playoff event : ALCS. Hi, C.C! American League Championship Series

58. Like webs : SPUN

59. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG

63. Avian crop : CRAW. Something to get food stuck in. Pheasants eat little pebbles to avoid the sticking problem. I know this from dressing wild pheasant back in the old country.

66. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED

67. Fraught with danger : DIRE

68. Luke's sister : LEIA. I always struggle with the Star Wars clues. I know all the names, I never know who is related to whom.

69. Works behind, as a bar : TENDS. I was a bartender in an Irish bar in London as my evening job when I first moved to the Smoke when I was 18. Filing marine insurance claims during the day, earning minimum wage, pouring Guinness and whiskey (with the "E") and be quick about it. I really enjoyed it. I can still pour a perfect pint of the black stuff. That was the Irish boilermaker along with a shot of Jameson's.

70. List-ending letters : ETC

71. Reef dwellers : EELS

Down:

1. Many a JPEG file : PIC. Technically every JPEG is a picture.

2. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Usually miserably expressive. I'd post a musical link here to The Smiths but I'd only depress you all.

3. Means of spreading dirt? : RUMOR MILL. Located next to the water cooler.

4. Wheels with a history : USED CAR. I wanted all kinds of varieties like FERRIS or MODEL-T and found nothing would fit. Eventually the cent dropped.

5. On the mark : APT. An apt remark, an apt comment.

6. Shrewdly informed : SAVVY

7. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet : KIROV. Learning moment, thank you. I didn't know that the Kirov underwent a name change.

8. "Shameless" network, briefly : SHO. Had the "O". Went with HBO. Was wrong.

9. Bellicose sort : WAR HAWK. The WAR part was new to me. I know Hawk and Dove to describe the two opposing opinions.

10. Pet pendant : ID TAG

11. Comedy duo Key & __ : PEELE. See Natick note at 16A

12. Computer warning : ERROR

15. Sub station : DELIcatessen

19. Hide : PELT

21. One rising at dawn : SUN

24. Guys : MALES

25. Clear data from : ERASE

26. Actress Wilson of "Sleepless in Seattle" : RITA. Wanted OWEN and then read the clue properly.

27. Without a clue : LOST

32. Clairvoyance letters : ESP Both ESL and ESP today.

33. Put away the dishes? : ATE. Because "Empty the dishwasher, polish and replace in the cupboard" doesn't fit.

34. Stooge with bangs : MOE

36. Contrarian's reply : I DISAGREE

37. Econo Lodge, e.g. : MOTEL

38. Composure : POISE

40. Oakland Raiders' quarterback Derek : CARR. Oakland have had about five thousand QB's. It's hard not to have been a Raider quarterback.

41. Informed about : UP ON

44. Color that isn't an Earth tone? : MARS RED

46. Manicure concern : CUTICLE

48. Twenties, say : CASH

50. Vardon Trophy org. : P.G.A. The USA's Professional Golfer's Association award to the year's leader in scoring average. There's also a Harry Vardon Trophy in Europe too, awarded by the European Tour for a completely different reason just to muddy the issue. The P.G.A. Championship, the year's final major, awards the Wanamaker Trophy to the winner. Confused yet?

51. Order clothes : HABIT

52. Advil alternative : ALEVE

53. Strand at a chalet, maybe : ICE IN

54. Apple tablet : IPAD

55. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes" : SUSIE. I loved the Calvin and Hobbes strip, I was surprised didn't remember her name



56. Like argon and krypton : INERT. And me, after a long day.

61. Burnable media : CD'S

62. TiVo button : REC. REC/REW - wait for the cross.

64. Feel sick : AIL

65. "That __ close!" : WAS 

Well, here's the grid, and I'm on my way to blog redemption. I'm no longer the Cal Ripken Jr. of the corner! Sorry, C.C!

I'm off back to the UK tomorrow for a vacation over Thanksgiving week before I dive into my new job; so next week's Turkey Day blog will have an English accent. Quite ironic, really.

Steve



Notes from C.C.:

1) Congratulations on your new job, Steve! Sounds like a fun company. Do you still need to travel a lot?

2) Here are the two pictures Abejo (Bradley) took yesterday. Make sure you read his comments here. What a fun encounter. Nice to "see" you, Madame DeFarge!



  Madame DeFarge's License Plate

3) For those who are new on the blog, you can click here to see all the pictures of blog regulars. Please email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you want your picture included in the Blog Pictures archive also. I snipped some of yours from your blog Comments, Picard. I hope you don't mind.

60 comments:

tawnya said...

Good morning all!

What a fun ending to my night! Thank you CC and HG - you both did a great job on this one.

Had to wait to see if ALCS wanted to be NL or AL then DS or CS!

Several punny's and I appreciated them - "Order clothes" was my favorite.

Steve didn't want to post any Smiths songs? Don't panic there's no need to ask twice. There are too many great ones to share them all, so I'll end with There is a Light That Never Goes Out.

Going to bed...I'll try to check in later. Hoping all is well with you all. I didn't have internet for a week (I hate Mediacom) and have a lot to catch up on.

t.

OwenKL said...

Do porters like PORTER when their workday is done?
Do loggers like LAGER at the set of the sun?
Do stout fatties like me
Prefer STOUT on a spree?
Do folks groan in their ALE when they ail at a pun?

Storytellers on MARS have a HAIR-RAISING TALE
Of a VILLAGER on MERCURY, a typical MALE!
He said, "Hold my BEER
While I SUN-bathe out here!"
Now his PELT is burnt black, where once he WAS pale!

{A-, A-.}

Anonymous said...

Any musical genre, emo, rock, rap, opera, blues, and on and on... my thanks to all creative people with passion. Dancers, jugglers, mimes, actors, writers, artists, and on and on...
Don't stop. Please.

Anonymous said...

Key & Peele's East - West All Star Game skit is hilarious, if you've ever laughed at an NCAA or NFL football game intro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODZzSOelss

Argyle said...

I didn't laugh until the last player.

D4E4H said...

Tawnya: I'm new to the corner, but I've been around for a while. How have I missed the Smiths? Thank you for introducing them to me.

OwenKL: You got the grade letters correct but they need two pluses + +.

HG & CC: excellent puzzle.

CC: Cor-o-ners sent me to the WSJ for what the claimed was one of your puzzles. Not so, that person's given name was Zhougin. I did enjoy the puzzle.

Dave

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I agree, Steve, HADER/PEELE was a Natick, but my WAG was correct. CSO's to Lucina (ESL) and MOE(um...MOE). There was an uproar in our little town when one household wrote "Beer Me" in Christmas lights on their roof. I thought it was funny. Thanx, Lemonade and C.C.

D4E4H, today's puzzle wasn't co-authored by HG. It was Jason/"Lemonade714" who's been conspicuous in his absence on recent Fridays. And that WSJ puzzle was created by C.C. When you see her puzzles in the NYT or WSJ, she's listed as Zhouqin Burnikel.

desper-otto said...

Oops, forgot to thank Steve for today's writeup. Thanx, Steve. Congrats on the new gig. And just what is "the Smoke?"

That was a serendipitous meeting yesterday between Abejo and Mme DeFarge! Yes, they both live in the Chicago area, but still...

Anonymous said...

B for boring. F for fail. Be careful for what you beg for.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but didn't like the puzzle very much. It felt like it belonged in "People" magazine. I feel like a traitor to say that concerning a puzzle by our dears Lemony and CC, but I have an honesty compulsion.

OTOH I think that OKLs works were his best yet, and Steve benefited from his week off. Blimey, it was a good write-up.

I wanted "trainwreck" to be Schumer and Pelosi, but it wouldn't fit.

Erased Tug for TOW, tuxedo for ARMANI, and game for ALCS. The World Series this year seemed like a NLCS to me. The Astros were still NLERs when I divorced baseball.

Didn't know HADER, El Misti, SELMA, KIROV, RITA Wilson, or CARR.

Favorite today was SUSIE. My favorite SIL's name, plus I loved Calvin and Hobbs.

inanehiker said...

Enjoyed the theme- though I didn't know what a Boilermaker was except a Purdue athlete (and of course the original train/factory worker) A little history on the "Boiler Up" chant of Purdue:
https://purdue-traditions.weebly.com/boiler-up.html

Fun to see the story of the meet-up yesterday!
Thanks to Lemonade and CC!
And thanks Steve - hope your new work goes well- was happy to see that it was just a slip up and that you hadn't slipped! I'm sure you can find some ex-pats in the UK having a Thanksgiving feast somewhere! I had a unique experience celebrating the bicentennial of the US in London- not too many fireworks that night- but I did go to an interesting exhibit that Barclay's sponsored on the Revolutionary War from the British POV.

Barry T. said...

Thanksgiving in London: 1976, studying art in London on a "semeseter abroad". Lived in a (shabby, but comfortable) 5-storey townhouse off Glouscester Road having 5 flats, all occupied by U.S. kids on the same program. About 20 of us, in all. Coordinated a Thanksgiving feast for about 50 kids, total, once we included lots of our new London friends. Each of the flats responsible for a turkey (obtained, special-order, from Harrods!) as well as another dish or two, added to by other dishes brought by friends. Arranged long tables on each of the landings. I was the only kid who had any idea how to prep and cook a turkey, so one rep from each flat and I got together the night before for a turkey cleaning, stuffing and otherwise instructional dissertation. Next morning, all turkeys hit the ovens and, every half-hour after that I stood in the hallway and yelled "baste!", the response to which was the sound of 5 oven doors opening in unison. At dinner time, the stairwell was filled with wonderful people, wonderful food, and the salve of a fantastic Thanksgiving even when far from home. A great memory.

Big Easy said...

Free Beer? You mean Larry Ellison couldn't afford it at Oracle? Let's hope your next job doesn't require as much globe hopping. Okay, to the puzzle. I never noticed the 'suds' implanted in the theme fills. And never having tasted a 'boilermaker' I wouldn't have known that it had a beer chaser. But I did fill in C.C. & Lemonade's grid correctly.

My WAG finish was the cross of 'Comedy duo' and 'Trainwreck' of Schumer & Pelosi, I mean HADER & PEELE- never heard of either or "Trainwreck". And after reading other's comments, I see that Jinx was thinking along the same lines. SUSIE from the comic strip was also an unknown filled by perps.

AIG wasn't the only bailed out company. CITI was also bailed out by one of the Saudi princes that got 'detained' with his assets frozen in the Arab 'Game of Thrones' taking place over there.

D4E4H---CC & Zhouqin are one in the same

Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning!

Well, now I can no longer hide out. The real me has been exposed on the Corner! The photo turned out pretty well: the restaurant was very dark, and DH has never taken a phone photo. I think D-O really sums up the shock of such a chance meeting. Even though we live in the Chicago area, what are the odds that Abeyo would be walking past my car to the post office about 35 miles away. I wouldn't bet on that one, but I'm sure glad he did have those letters to post. BTW: Abeyo, PM me. I am unable to contact you through your email. The Comcast Mailer-Deamon is having none of it.

This was a fine puzzle for me. Thanks C.C. and Jason. Maybe we now know what Lemonade was doing during his absence. My faves were RUMOR MILL, USED CAR, MARS RED, and HABIT. Some of this fill felt quite fresh today. Nicely done.

Steve, thanks for the tour, as always quite informative. I agree about the Star Wars relatives! I saw the first one and now my grand kids inform me it wasn't the first episode! Who knew! ;) Your Raiders comment brought a chuckle to DH and me.

Speaking of Boilermakers: A young man I volunteered to tutor last Spring semester is playing sixth man on the Purdue BBall team. It was fun to see him on TV playing against Marquette the other night. Nice kid. A young man from the previous year is playing FB at Michigan State. Also a nice young man. It's fun for me after five years of retirement to be able to work with the kids. Hence, the Athletic Director's ability to recruit me for my new Monday afternoon job as Academic Coach to struggling athletes.

It's certainly been an interesting week here. I hope yours has been also.



kazie said...

Thanks, C.C. for the link to all those old photos today. Although I'm hardly a regular any more, it was great to be reminded of the time when I had the time to be one of our (then) little family circle. I was flattered that you've kept so many of the photos I've shared over the years, many of which were an effort mainly to share travel experiences with those here who don't have that opportunity. One of the Australian pictures with a group of my old friends showed a 98 year old grandmother, who is now 101 and still going strong. The one showing our granddaughters after the younger one's birth is two years old now, and those sisters are wonderful with each other, no real fights, and they each have a "baby" doll of their own now.

Thanks again for all you do for us!

Yellowrocks said...

Anon @ 7:15, IMO today's effort was A+ all around, Jason, CC, Steve and OKL. Very enjoyable.
Most of this was solved quickly with a brief hangup at each of two Naticks. The E seemed to be the only choice for PE-ELE and so HADER was filled with all perps.
It took me a while to supply the S for Series in ALCS, which gave me MARS RED. Cute!
CARR was filed with easy perps. M seemed the only choice for SEL_A, SELMA.
MISTI Volcano in PERU was a gimme, as was KIROV.
Here there are quite a few establishments that still swipe instead of using the chip reader, though they are in the minority.
HABIT was clever. I thought of it before I even looked at the grid. Lucina, it made me think of you. Did you wear a HABIT or don modern clothing?
Barry T. delightful Thanksgiving story.
Nice to see Abejo and Madame D's PIC.,
TAWNYA, thanks for the music.
Steve, best wishes on the new job. What is it you do now?
Barry T. delightful Thanksgiving story.
A vole is a small rodent; a relative of the mouse, the vole has a stouter body, a shorter, hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars. It is sometimes called a field mouse.
A new Armani suit costs $1000+
Here is the link inanehiker mentioned. The last line of the link is apropos.
Boiler up

Chairman Moe said...

"Puzzling Thoughts":

Hey, sorry for my recent absence - I've been hard at work / working hard, as well as taking a brief (brrr) trip north to see my son as well as some old friends.

Been doing the puzzles, off and on. Today's was very well "crafted", and probably appropriate in knowing as I do that Jason's son works for a craft beer distributor. Fitting STOUT, LAGER, ALE and PORTER was very clever; GOSE and IPA could've been included, too, but I won't complain.

Interesting coincidence too, that the Jumble in my morning paper has as its answer: HOPPED UP! Which is how many craft beer is made now, with hops dominating the flavor

Thanks Jason for including a CSO to yours truly/my moniker. Also a sort of SO to Tin with the solve "ICE IN". I guess a way of writing that would be: "Something not found - Tinbeni's Scotch glass"

I rarely have a clean sheet on Thursday, but today there were no CWE's. A few WAGS though. As others have said, the PEELE/HADER xing was an unknown. ESP led me to a "ta-da"

Lots of great clues and solves. I hope that either Lemony or CC stop by to comment

My limerick creations have been on hiatus. Although, I did have one I penned a few days ago that had a word that fit into yesterday's puzzle. It's a tad risqué ...

Female weightlifter was quite a catch;
And her spotter became her love match.
He found out his best work
Was when she'd clean and JERK;
It allowed him to balance her snatch

TTP said...


Excellent puzzle CC and Jason ! Very clever. Thanks Steve.

Abejo and Madame Defarge (FLN), Serendipity indeed ! How nice ! Pretty sure I know the restaurant where you had your chance encounter.

Anon-T (FLN), I decided to delete my post. Must have been while you were composing...

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Another great collaboration from Jason & C.C. Thanks. Thanks, Steve, and good luck on the new job.

Yay, I got the theme. I don't drink alcohol but I knew what a boilermaker was, although not the college cheer. I even recognized all the brews names in the theme long ones. Maybe I was a sot in a former life.

Barry T.: enjoyed your Thanksgiving story.

I'm off to the Salvation Army Thrift Store this morning with some clothes I liberated from 28 hangers in my closet plus some other places. My early Christmas gift to myself was some new winter everyday stuff. There wasn't room to hang it, which spurred the ambitious project. I thought my new washer was eroding my favorite older clothes until I realized some were over 25 yrs. old. Some are just going in the trash because of brittle elastic and shockingly worn holes.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Congrats on your new job, Steve. Good luck.

Nice treat by our own corner people today.
Got the theme after I finished. Pretty clever with the beer types. Guessed at KIROV - 5 letters. Seemed a little heavy on entertainment types, but I was lucky with WAGS and perps were helpful. Favorite clue was for HABIT.
VOLE story - Once, when my Dad was taking the final couple swaths in a hayfield, of cutting green chopped grass for silage, (the cut area is bare in this case,) VOLES were scurrying everywhere because they were running out of cover. I caught as many as I could (14), and stacked them in the tractor tool box. Upon returning to the barnyard, I yelled "Here Kitty-Kitty" several times and all the cats came from their separate LAIRS. After about 10 minutes the voles were all EATEN, and I had some happier feline friends.

PK said...

Moe, you naughty boy, that limerick almost counts as sexual harassment.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Like Kazie I’m not a regular anymore, but I still lurk a bit. It’s been fun reading the Thanksgiving tales; let me add a couple of my own.

Our month-long trip to sunny Australia began in mid November that year, meaning that we found ourselves on the prowl in Queensland on Thanksgiving Day looking for any form of turkey and maybe a scrap of cranberry. No luck. Not available. The locals had no idea what we were talking about. As I recall we settled for prawns.

On the other hand, last year a neighbor who has been our Thanksgiving guest for ages found she’d forgotten the holiday when extending an invitation to a young, newlywed English couple to stay a week at her place. No problem! The couple fit right in with my nutty family & friends, and despite never having heard of Thanksgiving before, declared it was now their favorite holiday by far. Such is the power of turkey dinner.

Howdy Steve, as ever I find myself thinking that yours is an interesting life!

SwampCat said...

Thanks Lemony, C.C., and Steve for a delightful start to the morning. The puzzle was great. Lots of clever clues like Put Away the Dishes, and Burnable Media. I liked LAIR instead of den for that familiar Lion.

And thanks for giving me a QB, even if it was Derek CARR, who as Steve pointed out, is one of many!

Steve, the write up was almost, not quite, better than the puzzle. Good luck in the new job.

Owen, ++

Lucina said...

Congratulations, Jason, on a well crafted puzzle and thanks to C.C. for her continued mentoring efforts.

This was a tale of two continents for me. The northern territory was a quick sashay with almost no problems. Only had to ERASE two cells, TOW/LUG and COME/CAME. No beef about PEELE. I don't know Key & PEELE but the name made sense. I liked ESL, of course.

In the southern territory it was a slog. First, I had OPERA which held up that area, couldn't recall SUSIE, and took a very long time with Poe's work. When that fell, so did it all. I smiled at HABIT. Yes, YR, I wore a HABIT for many years then street clothes. There is a photo so I'll have to check if it's included.

ALCS (ugh) almost made me fail. Barry T: I loved your story. Kazie, how nice to see you after a long absence.

Thank you, Steve; good to see you today. You make me chuckle sometimes.

Have a grand Thursday, everyone!

SwampCat said...

Interesting that Boiler Up is less familiar than Woo Pig Sooey. Football fans have a language all their own!

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Nicely done, C.C. and Lemon. Enjoyed the write up, Steve.

This is one of those puzzles I enjoy more looking back on than I did while working it.

Puzzle was just crunchy enough, with a smooth, tasty theme.

Shame they couldn't work in hefeweizen, though.

In the right side ad panel I see the same suede boot pic i used last time I blogged. Big brother is watching.

Time to hit the treadmill. Down 9 Lbs. since the beginning of August.

Cool regards!
JzB

Lucina said...

Where is Fermatprime? I hope all is well with her.

YR:
When you look at the blog photos you have to go far back on the "older posts" to see me in the HABIT.

D4E4H said...

DO: Thanks for pointing out to me that HG was not the co-author. Your explanation supports the saying that there are no coincidences. As I read on, I understood why everyone thanked Lemony, not Jason.

I'll extend my thanks anew to Jason Chapnick, AKA Lemonade714, AKA Lemony, and C.C. Burnikel for an excellent puzzle, and to Steve for his enjoyable review.

I'm working past puzzles, and want to praise Argyle, on Tues. 11-7, for the video of NYOBOES. They seem too whiney by themselves, but are important in an orchestra. My sister played the oboe in our high school band, and looked like her head was going to explode to get air thru the reed.

One answer was the Greek letter in plural, PSIs. When I looked at the puzzle answers I saw PSIS, an anatomical term for the two dimples in the small of one's back, the Posterior Superior Iliac Spine, a bony prominence where many muscles attach. There is no room for fat ergo the dimple.

In anatomy, for every "Superior," there must be an inferior (note all lower case with no quotes. How inferior is that? It is the PIIS. It has been so long that I have had to write this that I G'd it. Was it IPIS? I may not remember if I have had lunch or what it was, but I PIISed, and not down my leg this time.

You ask why are there not four dimples? An excellent question answered in the inferior name. These prominences are farther into the body, and are covered by the Gluteus Maximus. Yes there are also a Medius, and a Minimus like Russian nesting muscles.

Thanks for the video of Ke$ha. I had heard of her. I enjoyed the tune even despite the scary album cover. I learn something with each puzzle package.

Dave

Rick Papazian said...

I liked the way Jason Chapnick and C.C. Burnikel had the BEER CHASERs, chasing at the end of the long answers. Poe is a favorite of mine and I started writing short stories and my first failed novels in his style.
"Danish blonde, smoked a pipe, drank LAGER and drew a lot of attention in the pub." Steve! You have no pictures? I could use the description and pictures as "inspiration" in my writing.

And this Peruvian fellow sitting next to you? What time was this in the morning?

Just asking.

CanadianEh! said...

A crunchy Thursday but I FIR. Thanks for the fun Jason & C.C., and Steve.
(D4D4H-you may have seen HG in tawyna's post @4:14 (we'll plead tiredness for her!).)

I had a blizzard in the NE at first but I just kept plugging and smiled when I got the theme. Hand up for a close Natick at HADER and PEELE.

Guys are MALES today not HES; we may AIL but we are not ILLER!
I noted the CSOs to Tinbeni, CMoe, Lucina (smiled at the HABIT clue!) and can we stretch El Misti to a CSO to Misty?

I use the Tap function on my credit card more than the insert; almost never use the SWIPE. Tap is much faster but can only be used up to a certain dollar amount decided by the merchant (currently $100 at my grocery store).

Good to hear from you kazie and Dudley.
Great Thanksgiving story, Barry T.
Wonderful story of the meeting of Abejo and Madame DeFarge.

Enjoy the day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Today’s constructors? (2:48)
-C.C. and Lemon put a lovely strain on my brain box today – Order Clothes? Yay!
-Steve’s write-ups, working conditions and life experiences are incredible!
-I wouldn’t have to swipe or insert witht this method
-RUMOR MILL = Teacher’s lounge. If you want to really know, ASK the custodian
-Most of those WAR HAWKS haven’t ever and won’t ever don a uniform
-I am subbing today and KEY and PEELE’s (3:34) take on this job is hilarious. BTW, vis-à-vis names, I have these in my first class of juniors: Katelyn, Katrina, Kailey, Kailey and Kaytlyn
-SMOKE could have worked for computer warning
-Have you ever watched a TV panel on FOX or MSNBC? I DISAGREE comes up often
-Great QB’s like CARR can keep their POISE with a 260 lb linebacker coming straight at them
-Abejo’s and Madam DeFarge’s chance meeting is a great story!
-I had a student hear my voice across the entry plaza in Orlando at Disney Studios and ran over to say, “I’d know that voice anywhere!”

Chairman Moe said...

Well, my apology to anyone offended, although the last line does describe a legitimate weightlifting move.

Irish Miss said...

@Good Morning:

This offering had just enough crunch for a Thursday. The theme was well hidden (thumbs up!) and brought a nice Aha for this solver, at least. I knew Hader and Peele so no issue there. I don't watch SNL but Bill Hader has been on Charlie Rose and I've seen many clips of his SNL routines. Peele was all over the news yesterday airing his bewilderment (and displeasure) about his movie, "Get Out", receiving a Golden Globe nomination in the comedy category. It is a serious documentary about race relations. Like others, my fav was Order clothes=Habit. I did think of Lucina at ESL, and, of course, Moe and Tin. No w/os but perps were needed in a few spots. The only unknown to me was Mercury Villager.

Thanks, Lemony and CC, for an enjoyable solve and thanks, Steve, for the chatty, homey summary; you more than made up for last week's faux pas. Good luck on the new job and enjoy your holiday in the homeland.

I enjoyed all of the Thanksgiving stories, especially Barry T's. My most memorable Thanksgiving was the year my mother died and I just couldn't face celebrating the day without her, so my husband and I flew to Key West for a week's stay. Well, the day before Thanksgiving, I realized that I needed to be with family. We immediately flew back home, drove from Connecticut to my sister Peggy's, walked in unannounced and she burst into tears. In addition to her joy at us being there, she was welcoming an estranged child back into the family that day and we also learned of another sibling's spouse's budding sobriety. There was much to be thankful for that day and every day.

Madame Defarge, so nice to see you in person. Your posts reflect that million dollar smile, too!

Kazie and Dudley, don't be such strangers!

Have a great day.

D4E4H said...

Hi,

It's moi again. Please correct the last word in my earlier paragraph about oboes to read "Reeds." I can count.

CM 9:01 For how many REPs must one perform the limerick?

PK 9:11 "Shockingly worn holes" Don't throw them away. They're worth more than Armani suits.

Dudley 9:19 Thanksgiving is also my favorite holiday. It is the only one for which one does not buy presents.

Dave

TX Ms said...

Fun puzzle, C.C. and Lemon! Steve, I always love your anecdotes - your Danish girlfriend sounds like one-of-a-kind. Good luck on your new job - free beer?! Does the company have a Houston office?

I beg to differ re Raiders' QBs; they ain't got nothing on the Texans - think nine starting QBs in four years, and none of them good except for rookie Watson who, sadly, is out for the season.

"Trainwreck" is on FX tonight. Peele was a guest last night on Colbert.

Abejo and Madame D - what ARE the odds? Great photo of you two!

Barry T, thanks for sharing your '76 Thanksgiving - what "a great memory" indeed. Pretty enterprising group of students, all coming together to share a wonderful meal.

D-O, I was curious also as to Steve's "the Smoke", so I googled it, not knowing if Steve would reply today. Per Guardian.co.uk posters: “If you been in London in the '50s (or earlier), you wouldn't have asked. Pete Wigens, Stroud, Glos UK

“As an addendum to my earlier reply, I should say that I have never heard the capital referred to as "The Old Smoke", simply "The Smoke". Pete Wigens, Stroud, Glos U”

In reading other comments, it seems Londoners used coal as their heating/cooking sources until the '50s when the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed. TMI, I know, sorry.

D4E4H said...

Is this happening to anyone but me? I see or hear something, and memories from many years ago come forth. When HG 10:25 wrote about the meeting of Abejo and Madam Def, then reported one of his own, two came to mind. I was on the beach in Florida, went into the men's room, and next to me was a man with whom I worked in Louisville. Naturally neither of us knew that the other was in Florida.

The second chance meeting happened on I65 south of Louisville as I was heading to Baton Rouge, LA for a PT internship. i stopped at a McDonalds, and so did my best friend in the PT class. He was going north on the highway.

Dave

D4E4H said...


YR 8:55, "Boiler Up" talked about "The Debris." Some digging confirmed that it was the yearbook which was named for an obscure definition of the term "A collection of works."

It was first published in 1889, and put to rest in 2008 like so much these days.

Boiler up! CM Do you want to do this with your limerick?

Yuck, Yuck. Funny, one yuck is bad, but two are good.

Dave

Yellowrocks said...

Lucina thanks for directing me to the older photos and your fine picture. It was a trip down Memory Lane. There are pics of Cornerites we no longer hear from and of some who unfortunately have passed on. It is hard to believe I have been here almost six and a half years.
Speaking of chance meetings. After I was married and living in NJ my parents moved near a tiny village, Bethel, PA, population of about 500. At Disney World FL I spotted a man wearing a BETEL,PA. T-shirt. He was stunned that I had heard of his tiny village.
PA laborers and craftsmen come to NJ to work staying here for 5 weekdays at a time. I used to see workers from Bethel in our local coffee shop.
Small world, indeed.
Cable TV's so-called "news" shows on both sides are rumor mills, and even more so, many Facebook postings. The Internet is a huge rumor mill, posting and reposting much nonsense, along side much valuable info. You really have to be judicious in sorting fact from rumor.

CrossEyedDave said...

Have not read the Blog yet, because I have not finished the puzzle!
The SW corner is giving me fits!

Just finished reading last nites late posts,
Surprised to run into Abejo?
Why, he's everywhere...
My only surprise is who am I going to run into first?
Abejo, or Picard?

Irish Miss, hmm, a little late to bake a cake, but hope your anniversary is a happy one.

PK said...

d4e4h: The holes I had were far from fashionable. My favorite henley shirt has rows of little holes up the seam of each sleeve and down the side seam. No one wants to see anything I have peeking out if those holes decide to suddenly expand. The pairs of pants that are holy have the same disease along the inseam to the crotch on both legs.

Funny thing at The Thrift Store, my carefully packed boxes wouldn't fit in their collection boxes. The openings used to be much bigger but I guess homeless people were crawling in and sleeping nights. I tried the back door which was locked. So I ended up piling my four boxes, a large plastic container full of nice sweaters, and three bags full of little worn sneakers under a big sign that says, "Do not leave donations outside. Stealing donations is a crime!" As I drove off, I saw some gal drive up, see my pile and give me the dirtiest look. Then she opened the now-unlocked door. If she hadn't given me such a nasty look, I would have turned around and gone back to take the stuff inside. i'm hoping she was a volunteer and moved them in. My back was killing me.

My younger son, his wife and two oldest boys have plans to go with their town high schools' marching bands to parade in London on New Years day (hope the one boy is able to march). We've been having our Christmas gift exchange on Jan. 2 the last few years. This year we are having it on Thanksgiving Friday. My daughters are calling it "Thanksmas". The best thing about it is we'll all get together before anyone goes to the inlaws and picks up germs to exchange (hopefully).

PK said...

On one bus trip I took, I was the only one from my county with people from all over the state. In visiting with each supposed stranger during the two weeks we were gone, I found out I knew someone they knew in their town and every one of them knew someone I knew in my town. We all laughed saying we'd have to behave ourselves and not do anything we didn't want the folks back home to know.

AnonymousPVX said...

This seemed well clued and constructed. Despite the presence of the theme it was not needed to solve.

Jinx in Norfolk....the train wreck is Schumer and Pelosi? Uh-huh. Sure they are...in your world it’s all their fault. But at least they’re not pedophiles or excusers and supporters of same.

This is why politics should be left out of here...but if you want to start throwing stones...

Ol' Man Keith said...

Needed the perps today & had to be on guard against funny tenses and double meanings - but otherwise found this opus from J.C. & C.C. a smooth Thursday Ta- DA!

I especially appreciated it for being conducive to my favorite (NW to SE) diagonal starter solve. Check it out with a straight edge - a direct run from square #1 to #74, and not a single black square along the way!
A real beauty!
"WooHoo!" to borrow Misty's signature cheer!

Ol' Man Keith said...

Oh, I forgot to credit the theme. I wouldn't have found it so easy to fill 60A w/o knowing the theme.
It worked backwards for me. I'd already seen the hidden words (PORTER, LAGER, etc.), so they led me to start the key answer with BEER, and that in turn reminded me of an episode from my earlier years.
You know what I mean.
I'm talking about the time
I learned the value of the BEER CHASER...

Abejo said...

I am only about 2/3's through the puzzle, so I will not comment. Hope to finish it tonight. Heading to work now.

I still cannot believe meeting Madame DeFarge the way I did yesterday. Thank you, C.C., for posting the photos. I will probably check in tomorrow.

I will contact you, Madame DeFarge.

Abejo

( )

Tinbeni said...

Steve: Good job on the write-up.

Jason & C.C. Thank you for a FUN Thursday puzzle.
Yeah ... I really liked the "Boilermaker" theme.

Needed that ESP (Every-Single-Perp) to get KIROV & HADER. Both complete unknowns.

If Villa Incognito was a Swiss chalet, you would NEVER get stranded by being "_ _ _ IN."

Cheers!

Misty said...

Hmm, did this great C.C. and Lemonade puzzle begin with a shout out to me? Oh, wait, that's Misti with an "i" and it's a volcano! It's a good thing, because there were lots of unknowns so this one was a bit of a toughie for me. But I thought the theme was a lot of fun and as soon as I saw all that booze I thought "This may be Tinbeni's favorite puzzle of all time!" Where are you, Tinbeni?--I was so looking forward to seeing your post today! I did get some items that made me happy. Got KIROV immediately even though I also didn't know it was renamed. And I got HABIT instantly, with my Catholic background and teaching by nuns helping me out on that one. And in the same territory, I of course got HALO. So, lots of fun, and many thanks, C.C., Lemonade, and good luck with the new job, Steve!

Irish Miss, your Thanksgiving stories will be one of my favorites--a pure delight.

I will be visiting Dad and brother in Pennsylvania next week and gone for a week. Will miss you all, but glad to be visiting family for Thanksgiving.

Computer is still hot (and I don't mean gorgeously good-looking), but hasn't burst into flames yet. Woohoo on your great success today, Ol'Man Keith.

Have a great day, everybody!

Jayce said...

Fun puzzle; liked the beer theme. Agree, as Spitzboov said, that it seemed a little heavy on entertainment types. Some good cluing. Nice job, Jason and C.C.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks Lem & C.C. for you quaffy effort. I thought it played like a Tuesday but then, I guess "knowing" the constructors, I wasn't fooled by the trickery.

Great Expo Steve! I always enjoy your stories esp. w/ the view from both sides the Pond. You line about EMO made me thing of Marvin the Robot in HHGTTG; LOL. I also loved C&H but couldn't recall the girl's name until -USIE perp'd in. Good luck at the new gig.

WOs: DEpo b/f DELI (duh!), Tug b/f TOW, in-ON @41d; CD-R b/f CDS
ESPs: HADER
Educated WAGS (read: I didn't know as clue'd): Most the entertainment c/a's sans PEELE. ARC.
Sparkle: c/a's for IDTAGS, HABIT, HALO. AIL & ALE in the same puzzle.
Fav: How can it not be ALCS this year? Go 'Stros!
//Had a meeting w/ guy from Boston this week. I told him our guest WiFi password (it is Astros WS related) and he thank'd us for beating NY :-)

{A, A-} {A} - MOE: Your link doesn't work for me but I did know it was a weightlifting term.

Lucina - you got two CSOs today - I thought of you at ESL & HABIT.

TTP - didn't notice you deleted it. MISTy - it was that, for the first day or so, your computer should be doing the copious updates since it was "imaged." These can be resource intensive (read causing HEAT). Let it 'magicly' reboot a few times over the next day or three.

Nice to see yous Kazie and Dudley... Stop in when you can.

Those were some fun Thanksgiving and serendipity stories... If I think of one...

Tawnya - thank's for tunes while I read. Here's COME As You Are [Nirvana] for reciprocity.

TxMs & Swamp - when I had CA-R in place, I guessed CARR and thought "he played QB for the Texans too...?" Nope that was Derek's brother David (and I only knew CARR from the papers).

HG - I was self-debating should I link Substitute Teacher, I Said Bitch, or Auction Block. Chose the latter 'cuz SELMA.

Gotta go pack. Youngest & I go to Norman in the mornin' to visit Eldest.

Cheers, -T

Anonymous T said...

TTP - You deleted you again(?). Anyway, glad I read about the colder latitude. Duh, I'm going to Oklahoma - I should check the weather... Glad I did, I'da froze my butt off in the SKIMPy (for the weather) tees I packed!
And inre: away game - I planned it that way, Norman is a small town and I sit in enough traffic in HOU :-)

Misty - I forgot to tell you... I whipped up your Plated Pear Salad today for the 9th-floor Thanksgiving pot-luck. Here's the JPEG/PIC: Note the feta this time :-) [and, to date the photo, zoom-in on the upper left and see today's 1d - a happy accident]

I added a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dressing. You could barely taste it but it did Christmas it up. It was a big hit and folks asked me where I got the recipe... "Oh, Misty from the, um, crossword blog."

Cheers, -T

TX Ms said...

Anon-T, (non-NFL fans-please skip my comment!) glad you remembered the infamous QB CA-R surname, but the Texans shied away from drafting a QB, repeatedly, since 2002 (stupidly) because of that bad taste in their mouths: 4/2017: "...ESPN named quarterback David Carr as the Texans’ biggest draft bust. Carr has the distinction of being the first player drafted by the Texans before the franchise’s first season in 2002. But in his first year, he was sacked 76 times, an NFL record. Carr spent only five seasons with the Texans before Houston moved on and traded for Matt Schaub." Yeah, our O-Line still sucks. Texans passed on Derek (a shame IMO), but finally Rick Smith drafted Watson in 2017. But 2018 awaits!!

Anon-T, enjoy your OK visit with Eldest! Happy that "Misty's Pear Salad" was a hit at home and office! Guess that's what we're all going to call it from now on. Can't wait to try it.

Wilbur Charles said...

This was Fri-Sat tough for me. A lot of Naticks. I had MOLE and RCVD for a long time. The latter of course wasn't marked as an abbrev. But it finally came together when REPORTER stared at me.

Yes. YR, in hindsight it was fairly easy. CC and lemony were very crafty in their cluing and I was unSAVVY.

Loved all the commentary today. And the l'icks. Tsk tsk Owen, but he did use weight lifting terminology.

I have a strange meeting story. Some other time.

Misty, did you see Owen's link to the computer fan? My son used one. I hope your giving your new PC plenty of room to 'breathe'.

Is it me or did we have SKIMP with a C recently.

I looked through my photos per Steve - btw, great write-up- and I only liked the one with Betsy at the beach with a towel around her. Sanity prevailed.

G'night

WC

PS the theme saved me. I actually looked for LAGER and PORTER (when Pilsner wouldn't fit)

Picard said...

I am greatly honored to be included in the Blog Photos!

Thank you, CC! And thank you, Steve, for the pointer! I am one of the newer members of the community, I think, so this really is an honor.

This puzzle challenged me and hand up for the Natick at PEELE/HADER. No idea about either. Got it with a WAG to FIR. Hand up a learning moment that a VOLE is a mouse. The cross with the unknown KIROV was a bit tricky.

Other unknowns: RITA, VARDON TROPHY, ALCS, CARR. I don't know what a BOILER MAKER is, but at least I could guess it is a drink. Learning moment. I knew LAGER, STOUT and ALE so I got the theme. But I was confused when I saw PORTER, a total unknown. Learning moment!

Calvin and Hobbes is also probably my favorite comic. Some very deep ideas and social commentary that transcends the usual political spectrum. So, I was also surprised that I forgot SUSIE's name until I got it with crosses! Calvin was named after the 16th-century theologian John Calvin (Calvinism fame). His pet tiger Hobbes was named after the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Some deep philosophy is always there.

Two years ago I did this crazy bicycle ride to the ARC DE TRIOMPHE during a conference break near Notre Dame. The crazy part was riding around it in heavy traffic!

Paris has a wonderful system of bicycles you can borrow for a small fee. Similar to what I had done in Nice a few years earlier. There are many chaotic lanes of traffic circling the ARC DE TRIOMPHE and it must be scary even in a car. On a bicycle it was terrifying, but I made it! And I got some cool photos up close!

Not sure if people saw my photos yesterday at the TREVI FOUNTAIN and Spanish Steps in Rome. I wish we had more such public hangouts in the US... that are not just shopping malls!

Misty said...

Anon T, your pear salad is simply gorgeous! I am so flattered that you tried my recipe and improved it!

Wilbur, I asked my tech to check out the computer fan but he says it hasn't gotten great reviews so far, and suggests we wait a little. But if the heat continues, we may go for it.

The blog photos are wonderful, but no Misty? Need a photo, C.C.? I'll have to figure out how to dig one up.

Have a great day tomorrow, everybody!

(Did Tinbeni ever check in with us today?)

Lucina said...

Misty or AnonT:
Would you please repeat the recipe for the drizzle. Thank you. I can't wait to treat my family and friends to that salad. What a treat!

Picard:
Your photos are always impressive. I'm still riveted by the clarity. The Spanish steps evoked some great memories for me.

I forgot to mention that in St. Petersburg we were treated to the KIROV company and I also saw them in Phoenix one year when they were on tour. Their style is disciplined, graceful and perfectly synchronized when in a group. It's wonderful to watch.

Anonymous T said...

Lucina - Misty's base is 1/2 Maple Syrup 1/2 olive oil with a few drops of balsamic & a tiny bit of Dijon.

Yep - Tin's @315p

Picard - Once again, cool pics. CED's right, between you and Abejo we've probably ran into one of you :-)
//Story: While studying for her PhD (English, OU), DW would take a break from prescribed-reading and turn to guilty-please stuff.
One night, at The Library (APTly named bar next to campus), her and fellow PhD candidates were discussing their guilty-pleasure reading. Around the table...
"Austen"
"Cheap romance novels"
"Mysteries"
"Stephen King"
DW chimed in, "Calvin and Hobbes"
Everyone gawked (in awe?) for a moment not knowing she was referring to Watterson's work / my comics.

//Ok, my best Serendipity story...
In grad school @OU, among my study-buddies, there were two feMALEs - one from the UK and one from Algeria (they were inseparable (imaginably so, they were the only two females going for an MS in CS in my year)). We all got to know each other well.

Fast forward 4 years... I'm at my new job in Houston - we were a (very) small consultancy [I was the 6th hire]. At a "getting to know you" lunch w/ a buddy, we were chatting -- where we went to school, areas of study, where we were from, etc. He said he was from Algeria.

I asked "Which part?," trying to impress that I knew of Algeria [Mind you, I learned Algeria was a 'place' 4 years earlier].
"Algiers"
"Oh, I had a study-buddy from Algiers; You.., um, no, I guess you wouldn't know her."
"I donno, maybe"*
I told him her name.
"Oh, that's my sister-in-law," he said dryly.
//She is - he told me later he figured, 'Algiers, OU, CS? Yeah, that's her' :-). I saw her again at his house 2 years after that lunch w/ Eldest in TOW. Ah, the stories (and food!) we all shared.

Cheers, -T
*my buddy has a very wry sense of humour.

PK said...

Picard: lovely pictures of Trevi & Arc de Triumphe. Lovely detail work. How did you get pictures like that while riding a bike in traffic? Brave soul!

PK said...

AnonT: Is eldest coming home with you for Thanksgiving?

Lucina said...

AnonT:
Thank you. Those stories are jus astonishing. What a small world we all revolve in.

I don't have any of my own but my sister was visiting friends in Mexico one year and at the Museo Nacional she met our nephew who happened to be there at the same time. They were surprised to see each other!

Anonymous T said...

PK - that's a touchy point...

Eldest "thought" she only had Thanksgiving Th-Sun off and there was "too much to study before finals." "Come visit - Christmas is so far away..." So, I got tickets for Youngest and me to fly up the weekend after"Dad's weekend" / a home game. Everything was set.

Then, Tuesday (11/14), she 'discovered' that she get's Wednesday(11/22) off too and wants to drive down (Nana's guilt-trip?) for turkey.

So, the SAVVY feMALEs around me schemed that... I still fly up there w/ Yougest, I pay $$ for a hOTEL, Youngest stays in Eldest's dorm Sun/Mon/Tues (oh, and, dad, we need to buy her a sleeping bag) AND, the two of them drive down together Wednesday. Oy! My prodigy in one auto on the road for 8hr. I'll be a wreck.

But I'm SAVVY too, and I value PAZ, so not a PEEP out of me how much this silliness costing.*

Cheers, -T
*Eldest, MIL, if you're reading, you know ribbing is my POISE/disposition.