google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday May 21, 2018 Jake Braun

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May 21, 2018

Monday May 21, 2018 Jake Braun

Theme: INSIDE JOKE (61. Humor shared by a select few ... and by this puzzle's circles) - Three synonyms of jokes are hidden in three theme entries.

17A. Like #1 hits: TOP RANKING.

29A. Stands for sheets with notes: MUSIC RACKS.

44A. For a full license, it's 17 or 18 in most states: DRIVING AGE.

Boomer here.  

Good morning all.  I am sure you were able to CRACK a GAG while you solved this puzzle.  Much simpler Monday offering than last week. We finally got two new doors on our humble home last week.  Now C.C. can open them with one arm, and I can open them without the colorful language.
 
Across:

1. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA.

6. Sore after exercise: ACHY. Billy Ray Cyrus had a Breaky Heart

10. Landlocked African nation: CHAD. Okay, but my clue would have been Mr. Mitchell of the famous 60s Trio.


14. They're entered in court: PLEAS.

15. One of Pittsburgh's three rivers: OHIO. What is round on the ends and High in the middle?

16. Hawaii County seat: HILO. A song of love is a sad song, Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hilo.

19. Wide-eyed: AGOG.

20. Buffet fuel: STERNO. This would be a backwoods buffet.  Most casino buffets use steam tables.

21. Sewn medical treatment: STITCHES.

23. 36 inches: YARD.  How many were in Tom Brady's passing stats this year?

25. "So that's your game!": OHO.

26. Auto loan default result: REPO.

35. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E MIN. I think this was my grade on my first Latin test.

36. Rice field: PADDY. A fixture in Vietnam, but also Paddy O'Furniture is a famous Irish furniture store.  Is Irish furniture always green?


37. Shirt with a slogan: TEE. First time I've seen this word in a puzzle without a golf reference.

38. School basics: ABCS.

39. Pub beer orders: PINTS.

40. Cup of joe: JAVA. How many names can you think of for coffee?

41. Writing desk room, perhaps: DEN.

42. Classic orange soda: FANTA. A Coca Cola Company product - comes in many flavors but I don't see it in stores around Minnesota.

43. Inch or mile, e.g.: UNIT. Also a term for an Army Company.  Add a "wit" and it's what the sergeant called any one of us.

47. Macy's department: MEN'S. - History lesson.  Macy's in Minnesota was once Dayton's, owned by the family of our current Governor, Mark.  Dayton's was very popular years ago.  Macy's is high class but a bit on the pricey side.


48. LeBron, e.g., briefly: CAV. Looks like the Celtics are handling Mr. James pretty well in the playoffs.

49. Nose-in-the-air type: SNOB.

51. Challenging words: I DARE YOU. Sometimes you get "Double Dared"

56. Privy to the scheme: IN ON IT.

60. Sushi seaweed: NORI. This is seaweed that people eat! Not me.


63. Leg joint: KNEE.

64. Litter yippers: PUPS.

65. Sufferer healed by Jesus: LEPER.

66. Apt "ayes" anagram: YEAS. All in favor ?

67. Exxon, formerly: ESSO.

68. Substitutes' squad: B TEAM.  As opposed to the team of George Peppard and Mr. T who called everyone "Sucka", not lollipop. 

Down:

1. Tenants' qtrs.: APTS.

2. Vegas machine: SLOT.  Remember the old machines where you put coins in the slot.  Now they only take paper money.

3. Le Pew of skunkdom: PEPE. A famous skunk created in the 40s.  I think he fell in love with Penelope Pussycat.

4. Bags you don't check: CARRY-ONS.  I really hate it when people carry on bags that my bowling balls would fit into, then stuff them overhead. Two other cross-referenced answers: 31. 4-Down attachments: ID TAGS. 34. 4-Down may be stored under them: SEATS.  Not the bowling ball size though.

5. Yoga position: ASANA.

6. Hunky-dory: A-OK.  NASA talk in Houston I believe.

7. Letters after phis: CHIS. It's Greek to me.

8. Dash, as of a spice: HINT.

9. Quotable Berra: YOGI.  One of my all time favorite Yankees.  "When you get to a fork in the road, Take it."  Finished his career as a Met.

10. "One, two, one-two-three" dance: CHA CHA.

11. Like more efficient gas: HIGH OCTANE. Since Octo is eight in Spanish and ten in Month number, why is high octane 89-92 ? 

12. Botanical balm: ALOE.  Add VERA and we have a plant on our deck.


13. Kennel barkers: DOGS.

18. Usual: NORM. After the movie "Psycho" I think people stopped naming their sons, Norm. (Apologies to any Normans here on the blog today).

22. Whig rival: TORY.  I think people believe that Whigs and Tories became Republicans and Democrats, however after the big wedding Saturday, I think there's a bit of Whig in all of us.

24. Fooling: DUPING.

26. Check, as an invoice: RE-ADD.

27. Fireplace glower: EMBER.

28. Park place with tables: PICNIC AREA.

30. North Pole letter recipient: SANTA. Memories of Argyle here.

32. DJ's assortment: CDS.

33. Actor Costner: KEVIN.  One of my favorites, especially as Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  I think he bought into a casino in Deadwood, SD but it did not do well.

39. Flying Peter: PAN.

40. 747, e.g.: JUMBO JET. We don't see them much any more.  The 737 seems to be the jet of choice these days.

42. Pentagon side count: FIVE.  Hand slap gimme.

45. Isn't the same for everyone: VARIES.

46. Oklahoma city: ENID.

50. 16 oz.: ONE LB.  Okay - Libra is Latin for scale. That is how "pound" got the "LB" abbreviation.  This is why Latin drove me insanis.

51. Pitch-black: INKY.  I once scored 208,000 on a Pac Man machine at Great America Amusement Park in Northern Illinois.  When I finally lost there were about ten people behind me watching.  Inky was one of the characters in the game.  I think he was the blue one.

52. All finished: DONE. Almost

53. "Jeepers!": YIPE.

54. Heavy burden: ONUS.

55. Govt. mail agency: USPS. - We have 80,000 people in Brooklyn Park.  The mail gets delivered, but not always on time.

57. "Uh-uh": NOPE.

58. Flat-package furniture chain: IKEA. We have a huge IKEA store near the Mall of America. 

59. Senate six years: TERM.  33 seats are up for grabs in 169 days!

62. Prefix with metric: ISO.

Boomer


61 comments:

TTP said...

Good morning. Thank you Jake Braun and thank you Boomer !

Didn't know NORI, but perps said it had to be. Don't recall the Lucy Baines song.

Stopped at the IKEA in Schaumburg yesterday. Last and only time I was there was probably fifteen or twenty years ago, and that was in and out. Parking lot was crowded. OMG ! The place is huge. It's like a mall.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! No circles and the puzzle disappeared entirely when I got TaDa. I blame it on the rain yesterday. Anyway I didn't get a theme. Pretty cute tho. Thanks, Jake, for a fun beginning to the day.

Thanks, Boomer, you keep us in STITCHES (aka giggle fits). What did you replace: garage doors or house entrance doors? I used to have garage doors that almost broke my bones during operation.

Catered dinners in venues without steam tables still use STERNO.

OHO & OHIO both? Oh oh! NORI will remain a NO NO at my table. Besides, being land-locked here, we don't have sea weed -- just toxic blue green algae.



OwenKL said...

In my imagination, the way that things should be
Is the way my childhood was, in my memory!
When I sailed an orange ocean,
Waves of soda pop in motion,
It was, tho, only make believe -- a child's FANTA-sea!

The DOG catcher is on the hunt, feral PUPS to sieze!
But some parasites have been learning A.B.C.S!
They've asked the A.S.P.C.A's
Not to make the mongrels bathe,
Now their legal TEAM is hoping that the fleas' PLEAS please!

Some PRANKSTERS are at work, to strange depths are stooping
Seeking out new marks in a different grouping!
From APARTMENTS full of phones,
Promising to make folk's clones,
But they're just con artists -- it's suckers they are DUPING!

It was in the bleak December
And each separate dying EMBER
With a showing quite dramatic
Gave a death scene so climactic
That INSIDE I shall remember --
Nevermore!

{A-, A, B+, C.}

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Everything was Jake this morning, Wite-Out not required. Boomer, I had no idea you could carry a tune -- impressive. The Barnacle had the circles, so even d-o got the theme. Thanx, Jake and Boomer.

HIGH OCTANE: In my ute the Milwaukee Braves baseball games were broadcast on a statewide network, sponsored by Clark Super 100 gasoline -- 100 octane. Leaded, of course.

MENS -- The department store of my ute was H.C. Prange's (pronounced prang-ees). Started in Sheboygan but spread to most of the state's major cities. Our "local" store was 35 miles away -- a 7-story building in downtown Appleton. All gone now.

NORM: Always reminds me of Cheers!

ONE LB: Learning moment about the Libra LB. Thanx, Boomer.

Boomer said...

PK - Good morning. It was the front door which always seemed to be stuck and I think the hardware was rusted or corroded. Also, the sliding door to our deck which had weathered 38 years of winters and summers. Our garage door is hanging in there for now, but it's on the list.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but had to erase orange crush for FANTA. Oh, please!

Boomer, my dad's name for OHIO was "oh-aitch-ten". Also, I once CARRied ON an 8-lb anchor, 20 feet of chain, and 100 feet of rope. I realized I needed a second anchor for the Marina del Rey to San Diego race I was flying in for, and had to borrow one from a fellow member of the Arizona Yacht Club (yes, there really is one). Pre-9/11, of course. There are plenty of jumbo jets around, just not many 747s. Most transatlantic and transcontinental flights use "heavies", but twin-engine ones. Finally, I'm glad the USPS eventually works where you live. They are awful here in Norfolk, especially if you dare ask them to forward or hold your mail.

DJs using CDs - how quaint. OK you Cornerite Chemheads, is HIGH OCTANE more efficient than other gas? I know it's needed for high compression engines, but cars designed for regular usually don't get better mileage by using premium gas.

Thanks to Jake Braum for a really fun (except for the "uh-uh" clue) Monday puzzle, and thanks to Mr. CC for another fine and funny tour.

Lemonade714 said...

Boomer, humor and singing, wow!

Proving once again that less is more, Jake gives us a very doable puzzle with only three themers. Each consistently had the last letter of the first word attach to the beginning of the second, nice! Much better than trying to squeeze a fourth that was flat.

Lots of fun, and nice job with the LB explanation and recognizing Argyle Boomer; thanks and thanks Jake.

inanehiker said...

Quick romp through this morning's puzzle- always welcome to get to work on time!

All the department stores in the different cities I've lived in: The Jones store in KC, Stix Baer and Fuller in KC and STL and Famous Barr in STL, Marshall Fields in Chicago and Madison have all become Macy's or Dillards. I'm glad you can get still get Marshall Fields' Frango mints in the Macy's stores. As the malls and big department stores overall decline nationwide- it will interesting to see what happens...

Thanks Jake and Boomer!

D4E4H said...

Good Monday Cornies.

- - First I must thank Anonymous T for showing me that Jake and Elwood really were "The Blues Brothers". I only knew them from SNL.

- - Tony, be on the lookout for an e-mail.

- - Now to the CW, thank you Mr. Jake Braun for this Easy Peasy Monday CW. I FIR in 23:29.

- - Thank you Boomer for your excellent review.

Ðave

billocohoes said...

Took a while to parse READD, and PINTS suggested that 16 oz. equals ONE pt.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Easy solve; no searches needed.
OCTANE - Agree with Jinx. Only efficiency would be energy per gallon,usually not a concern for most drivers.
My understanding is when gasoline first came into use, it was mostly heptane and octane would be added to give it the proper compression/firing properties. It is called octane because it has 8 carbon atoms in a molecule. (Recalling organic chemistry from 60 years ago).

Yellowrocks said...

The circles were a giveaway for me. Getting PRANK quickly and seeing three themers, two with five circles and one with three circles, I assumed we were looking for synonyms of PRANK. It was cool that three other fill answers tied in. Pranks often use DUPING. They can include co-conspirators who are IN ON IT. And some begin with I DARE YOU.
High end buffets use chafing dishes with Sterno rather than steam tables. Steam tables are déclassé.
Macy’s quality has gone down hill in these last years and many stores here are closing. The same applies to Sears.
NORI is used to wrap sushi. Although it comes from the sea, it is shipped to inland markets, too. And, of course, you can get it from Amazon.
Octane does, indeed, come from the root for eight, octo.
Dictioanry.com: hydrocarbon of the methane series, 1872, coined from octo- (see octa- ) + -ane; so called because it has eight carbon atoms. I see you beat me to it, Spitz, by just a few minutes. I lost my post and had to retype it.
After a busy weekend when I didn’t have time to post, I am back in the grove. I’ll tell you about it later.

Madame Defarge said...

Good Morning!

It's 62 degrees in my house! I refuse to turn on the heat; it's May 21!!! No real threat to Madame, I have plenty of knitted warm woolies.

First of all, C.C., thanks for the double duty yesterday. I loved the puzzle, which I finally finished this morning.

Jake, this was quite a bit of Monday fun. Nicely done. Thanks, Boomer, for the tour and another aria. Superb!

Have a sunny day everyone. I'll have to try extra hard here. Old Sol is hiding pretty well today. Rain, rain, rain. AND cooler near the Lake as the weather people here like to say!

Anonymous said...

Had "highertest" in 11 down for a brief time. Figured out 61 across immediately and wrote that one in first. "readd" gave me fits too.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-What a hoot, Boomer! A fun write-up and musical sendup.
-Every “ING” word today reminded me of C.C.’s brilliant Sunday puzzle of yesterday
-The PLEA sometimes has no relation to guilt or innocence
-The Buffet fuel in Omaha is Warren’s money
-Of these four options, I got the third one last time. I wonder if Lucina had need of any of these
-Nesbitt’s was the orange soda of my ute
-You always know the SNOB in a sitcom will get his comeuppance before the last commercial
-B-TEAM has succumbed to JV here
-I played penny SLOTS for an hour once and my hands were filthy afterwards
-NASA’s opposite of A-OK is the understated “No Joy”
-Yesterday, C.C. said that that ALOE plant was in danger from too much water
-Oh, it’s READD not READD
-Our USPS carrier is always on time and her bad muffler announces her arrival

WikWak said...

(Still thawing out from yesterday’s parade)

Rain, rain, rain. I swear I saw a robin doing the backstroke in the gutter this morning. If you went strictly by the available light outside, you'd think it was late evening, not mid-morning.

I was able to do this one left to right, top to bottom; first glance at the down clues was in Boomer's expo.

Favorite clue: litter yippers for PUPS.

Boomer, I thought of Chad Mitchell too. Great expo.

Have a great (& dry) day, all!

WikWak said...

Husker: READD, not READD—cute. You must have posted while I was typing.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

What a merry Monday with mirth and music from our Minnesota moderator! An easy, breezy start to the week with a "humorous" theme. I was looking for pint in some form for the 16oz but finally got the correct reference of pound. Filling in Santa was sad. The orange soda of my youth was Tru Ade but I guess that was a regional brand. 7 Up was pretty popular, as was Coke but, these days, Pepsi is my preference.

Thanks, Jake, for a fun solve and thanks, Boomer, for the summary and the serenade.

We have a bright, sunny day with temps reaching 75 or so but more rain tomorrow. So far, Spring has sprung a leak!

CED, happy traveling.

Have a great day.

PK said...

Hi Jinx & Spitz & YR: (I just had to say Hi Jinx to go with the theme.) I was told to use HIGH OCTANE gas several years ago because I drove my car so seldom the intake jets (?) had gummed up (those aren't the words I wanted). Anyway I've used H-O gas to keep them cleaner and flowing. I guess that would be high efficiency, wouldn't it.

Boomer, glad your door problem is fixed. My door between the house & garage was stuck last year. I used tools on it once. My son came and fixed it. He said, "Mom, did you see this? It looks like someone used a crowbar to break in." "Yeah, me!" Nuff said.

Madam, It was only 70* in my house & 59* outside today. I was miserable & my nose was running. Okay, I'm a wimp but I turned the heat back on this morning. We had a hot week when my A/C wasn't working. Since the A/C is fixed, the weather has been cool and rainy. I held out and wore sweaters until now.

WikWak, chances are that robin you thought was doing the backstroke in the gutter had drowned from breathing the wet air.

tinbeni said...

Boomer: Nice write-up.

Fave today, of course, was 39-a, PINTS ... I do enjoy PINTS!

Needed ESP to get NORI ... I'm not up on the types of seaweed.

GO LIGHTNING !!!

Cheers!

D4E4H said...

- - 6A - Sore after exercise: ACHY. - Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart 1992
- - We thought he was cutting the edge then. The slut didn't fall far from the tree. Mylee loves her pasties.

- - After 10A we are blessed with the singing debut of none other than Boomer with recitation also. I enjoyed his Lucy (she spells it with an "I") Baines song, and didn't mind LIU.
- - Luci Baines Johnson Turpin (born July 2, 1947) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She is the younger daughter of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson.
- - What confuses me is the point in the review in which it rests. Does she have some connection to CHAD?

- - The answer to 15A riddle, my belly. What are the names of the two rivers which meet at Three Rivers Stadium to become the Ohio?

- - 9B - Quotable Berra: YOGI. - My favorite: "Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours."

OwenKL at 6:43 AM
- - I'm glad you feel like l'icking today. I agree with your grading. All were good, but the first two were best.

Ðave

Misty said...

Perfect Monday puzzle, Jake--easy and fun--I sailed right through it and loved it! Many thanks! I cracked up when I saw "SKUNKDOM'--never heard that one before. Also didn't know NORI but perps helped. Boomer, your write-ups are a delight. Many thanks for the POUND-LB-LIBRA explanation--that was new to me. Also sweet memory of our SANTA, Argyle. Glad you have good doors working again.

Owen, I enjoyed your dog limerick.

Desper-otto, I too thought of NORM in "Cheers." Didn't we have Bebe Neuwirth just a day or two ago? "Cheers" just lives on and on! Cheers!

Have a good, if rainy, day, everybody!

oc4beach said...


No circles on the Mensa site, so I didn't get the theme until Boomer 'splained it. Nice Monday puzzle from Jake and Boomer made the tour through the grid interesting.

Only misstep was AHA before perps changed it to OHO. I don't know if I ever say OHO, but I have used AHA.

Like Radar on M.A.S.H. the orange pop (or soda) in PA was NEHI. His favorite was Grape NEHI. Also, like Irish Miss, we had TruAde. But TruAde was non-carbonated so it didn't have the fizz that NEHI had. Our HS football coach didn't let the players drink any Cokes or other carbonated drinks, but we could have TruAde.

Misty: I hope you are seeing better now.

Have a great day everyone.


Picard said...

Got the theme right away, making for a smooth Monday sail!

I do like to eat seaweed. Learning moment that variety is called NORI. I have a friend in the lava flow zone of Hawaii. His neighbor's house was destroyed, but his is hanging on by a thread. He has relocated to near HILO. I have some photos there, but would have to dig them out.

Here I was at perhaps the most legendary RICE PADDY in the world: The Banaue Rice Terraces.

These are thousands of years old and still being cultivated. Truly one of the wonders of the world. I have more photos there. Perhaps another time.

Here I was at the Borobudur temple on JAVA.

I have more photos there. Perhaps another time.

From yesterday:
Wilbur Charles: I am happy you knew of Maggie Lettvin! So, you watched her fitness TV show Maggie and the Beautiful Machine?

Learning moment about BIG BERTHA and the Krupp family. The Krupp family was responsible not only for creating horrific weapons of mass destruction. They also made them with Jewish slave labor.

Chairman Moe said...

"Puzzling thoughts":

After a brutal weekend of puzzles (JJJJJeff's Saturday, and CC's Sunday) it was nice to have an easy, breezy Monday

No write-overs today; needed some perps, here and there, but everything fit neatly into the grid

FANTA -sea; good one, Owen!

Hope you'll like my punny three-liners:

Vultures who fly coach
Are only allowed to bring
One CARRY-ON [sic]

"Do you eat sushi?"
"Yes. But don't like the seaweed."
"That is odd; NOR I"

{boo/hiss; meh}

john28man said...

I'm showing my age when I report that I worked as a stock boy in Marshall Fields Budget Men's hosiery and underwear during 1952-3.

Lucina said...

Solving this puzzle brought a bit of sadness, first in filling SANTA then CARRY ONS, reminding me of the trip I missed. And today I will go have the STITCHES removed from my nose, Gary. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been rubbing ALOE vera juice on my wounds hoping to diminish the Fu-Man-Chu look.

Thank you, Boomer, for the fun you bring to the commentary. According to my Latin dictionary not only does libra mean scales but also the Roman pound.

In Spanish libra means pound. We order about 60 libras de masa for tamales. (60 pounds of masa).

My favorite KEVIN Kostner movie is still Dances with Wolves.

I never shop at IKEA but frequently shop at Macy's and YR, I'm sorry to disagree with you but I believe Macy's products are still very viable. The main reason they and most stores are closing is internet shopping.

Have a fantastic day, everyone!





fermatprime@gmail.com said...

Greetings!

Thanks to Jake and Boomer!

Went to grandson's BA graduation yesterday. Lasted over 4 hours. Was in dreadful pain from sitting in wheelchair and in car. Afterwards from sitting at restaurant and in car coming home. Still hurt all over. (Had to get up after a few hours of sleep because the college figured it would be hot. Ha! Quite the contrary! Saw ex after umpteen years. Also daughter. Was quite friendly, even though I supposedly have worst aura on planet!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Misty said...

Chairman Moe, I loved your haikus (is that what they are?).

Fermatprime, sorry that the graduation and its aftermath were so tough for you, but hope you still found some elements of it rewarding. I bet your grandson appreciated your going to the trouble to attend.

Oc4beach, thank you for asking about my eyes. The right eye is much better--not totally normal yet, but pretty close. I may try to get glasses sooner than the date the office proposed for the initial set. It would just be so great to have nearly normal vision again.

Jayce said...

Nice puzzle. Easy but still fun. I noticed FANTA crossing SANTA, and we also had DOGS and PUPS. In fact, there were plenty of plural entries today, including APTS, CHIS, PLEAS, STITCHES, MUSIC RACKS, SEATS, ABCS, CARRYONS, ID TAGS, PINTS, CDS, and YEAS, in addition to the aforementioned DOGS and PUPS. Whew!

My favorite Kevin Costner movie is also Dances with Wolves. I, too, enjoy Yogi's sayings, whether or not it was he who actually said them.

Boomer, I like (I dare say we all like) your sense of humor. Glad you got your doors replaced.

Owen, terrific verses today. Thank you. Chairman Moe, you too.

I wonder how much longer LeBron James will stay with the CAVs.

Lots of Latin names/abbrs for chemical elements: Lead-Pb(Plumbum), Sodium-Na(Natrium), Gold-Au(Aurum), yesterday's Silver-Ag(Argentium), Potassium-K(Kalium), Iron-Fe(Ferrum), Tin-Sn(Stannum), and Mercury-Hg(Hydrargyrum), and others. I once had to go to the emergency room because I had "high K."

My wife and I like to watch the British detective shows ("Inspector So-and-so") and get a kick out of how often the inspector and his partner, after solving the crime, would look at each other and simultaneously call out, "PINT!"

Three cheers for Cheers!

Good wishes to you all.

Yellowrocks said...

v

Yellowrocks said...

Lucina and Jayce, Dances with Wolves is one of my favorites, too.
On Saturday my friend, Arthur, and I went on a 12 hour Mystery Bus Tour with a neighboring Square Dance Club. We were not told in advance where we would go or what we would see. Our first sightseeing stop was at the “Fish Church,” First Presbyterian, in Stamford, CT. The church is in the shape of a fish, an early Christian symbol. The sanctuary walls are all made of stained glass, not just the windows. It is surprising that it holds together. Stunningly beautiful. This YouTube picture gives you an idea of how it looks, although you may not like the music.
stained glass Then we visited the Victorian Lockwood-Matthews Mansion in Norwalk, CT. It is in wonderful shape and has lovely interiors and furniture. Built in the 1860’s it had indoor plumbing, sinks and toilets. A large granite slab underneath provided air conditioning. The woodwork, composed of many different woods, was amazing as well as the ceiling frescos. We had an excellent, enthusiastic docent. One of the best Mansion tours ever.
Afterwards there was a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant and square dancing at a local club.
I returned with an aching back and legs, but happy and content.

Yellowrocks said...

MY preview button on this blog has eaten many posts today. I have my post in WORD, Justin case.

AnonymousPVX said...

A nice Monday puzzle with just a hint of crunch.

AnonymousPVX said...

Madame DeFarge.....do you use a thermometer to tell the date? Then why use a calendar to determine temperature?

Life is too short, if you are cold turn on the heat.

Michael said...

FWIW, and IIRC from when I pumped gas in high school -- a classified number of decades ago --, it's octane NUMBER that is posted at pumps. Long ago, engines would knock (continue to fire) after being turned off, due to hot carbon deposits in the cylinders. To prevent this, the octane level of gasoline was raised to clean the deposits out.

And by the time we get to 8 carbon atoms in one molecule, there are so many isomers around that 'octane' is just a convenient name for the measurement of antiknock capability.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

D2 - My favorite Yogi quote references the famous NYC restaurant, Sardi's. "Nobody goes there any more - it's too crowded".

Chairman Moe said...

Misty, I call them punny haikus (or Moe-kus) but I think there's a formal name for them. I try to keep the 5-7-5 syllable phrasing.

Glad you enjoyed! Ditto, Jayce

Ol' Man Keith said...

Boomer, your victorious Pac-Man score put me in mind of the cartoon in the current New Yorker.
It shows a line of little white spots and a big yellow Pac-Man entering the frame stage right. "Oh my God! Dots!" says Pac-Man, "I used to eat so many of these in the eighties!"

Today's Xwd entry by Mr. Braun was easy-peasy, with just enough of a chew to keep it from being too simple, as in the past, when Monday pzls were as smooth as breathing. Here there's at least a chance I'll hold my breath a second or two before exhaling the fill.
I found that to be the case in the center left sector where for a moment I was not certain of the musical key while at the same time unsure how to read the clue for 26D. Husker Gary appears to have been stymied too. (READD vs. READD)

In the end, it was a neat Ta- DA! for yrs truly & his Ol' Walnut.

fermatprime, sorry about your 4-hour ordeal, but I know your grandson appreciated your presence. One of the things I remember about my grandad - my dad's dad - is that he made it to my graduation.
I used to be the reader at many of our commencements. In the early days we held them outdoors, which can present a serious problem in SoCal. The hot sun would always knock out a few of the older guests.
Over a five year period, we would lose a few of the grads as well.
(Temporarily I mean, until shade & cold compresses would bring them back.)
Young and resilient as they were, they just were not used to sitting for hours under beating sun rays, dressed all in black, and wearing what amounts to solar panels on their heads.

~ OMK


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Diagonal Report:
Two diagonals, perfectly symmetrical, crossing at the "N" in PINTS. No hidden messages.

PK said...

Picard: Where are the Baneau Rice Paddies located. I'm guessing somewhere in China. Truly amazing since they literally "moved a mountain" or at least transferred the dirt probably in hand baskets to make it floodable. Which leads me to wonder about the water source other than rain, ditching & and natural downward flow. Sorry, it's the farmer in me.

Macy's located at a mall here then closed after only a few years because they didn't study their market. They didn't stock what local people would buy.

Fermatprime: I am amazed at your courage in attending that graduation. I don't know whether your grandson could appreciate all the pain you experienced to attend. Mine would have no clue. Maybe it would be worthwhile just to have your estranged daughter be pleasant to you, maddening as that type of situation can be. I lack your fortitude and watched my recent grad on TV. Bless you and hugs to you.

D4E4H said...

Boomer At 58D you mentioned Mall of America. Does it seem to be losing business like other retail outlets?

Picard and Mike Sherline You have e-mail.

Picard at 12:10 PM
- - The Banaue Rice Terraces look beautiful, but seem to be too costly to make a profit on the rice. I saw, and still see "Banana" Rice Terraces.
On to the Borobudur temple on JAVA. I see "Boudoir" this time. I want to know what giant rings the hand bells behind you?
- - "Jewish slave labor" caused this thought. Wouldn't Hitler have saved money by spaying, and neutering? Sorry for the horrible thought about the
Holocaust.

john28man at 12:34 PM
- - If I read the clues correctly, you were 24 in 1952. You may be the Senior Senator of the Corner. We are each showing our age. Not only can we not do what we used to, we can't remember what it was, or whether or not we had lunch, let alone what it might have been.

fermatprime at 12:47 PM
- - Wrote "(Had to get up after a few hours of sleep because the college figured it would be hot." - Could you have two thoughts mixed together?

Misty at 1:04 PM
- - Lynn recently had cataract surgery, and found the hard way that, yes, Medicare would pay for glasses after each surgery, but only through certain vendors.

Jayce at 1:39 PM
- - Wrote "I once had to go to the emergency room because I had 'high K.' " - I am on the potassium ion "K+". I need it to replace K+ lost via Lasix. I get cramps when it is too low, and yet it could cause a heart attack if too high.

Enough of me for now.

Ðave

Wilbur Charles said...

Boomer, back in Cleveland it was the Celtics who were handled. Tonight will tell a lot about both teams.

In my 'ute the Boston Braves left for spring training in '53 and never came back. As Yogi would say "They we're very popular but no one went".*

Picard. I was aware of Maggie but didn't really watch. The name caught my eye.

I returned carts at the newly opened GEM store near Boston(1962). I sometimes think I may have been the world's first. I was the certainly the world's worst.

I enjoyed licks and kus. This was an old fashioned Monday level xword you can invite your friends too.

WC

* I see Jinx had the same idea

Ol' Man Keith said...

I would have signed on earlier today, but I was busy composing notes for an ex-student who sent me a draft of his director's notes for the program of his next play.

Now I know I no longer have to do this. I retired over two years ago. But of course I keep track of former students and feel a twinge of pride whenever they get a new assignment or open another show. Health issues (and laziness) prevent me from getting out to see many of their productions, but I always look forward to their visits.

And occasionally I get to advise on their program notes. I don't know who gets the greater benefit - me or the ex-student.

~ OMK

PS. I know there are other retirees sharing this Corner and some who'll be joining us soon in these fair pastures.
Some may wish to sever ties to former occupations, the better to devote time to travel or for other new projects. I find what works best for me - so far - is to remain living near our campus so that old colleagues and former students can drop in for often lively talks about what's going on in our field and - dare I say the "P" word here? - politics.

It keeps the blood pulsing.

Wilbur Charles said...

Oh, btw. I love Boomer write-ups . I'm getting up the courage to listen to him sing.

WC

Wilbur Charles said...

Btw, did I see a Mr T reference? Here's another: HBD Mr T . (66, canyabelieveit?)

WC

D4E4H said...

Yellowrocks at 2:00 PM and 2:25 PM
- - I couldn't have "ved" it better myself.

- - The “Fish Church,” First Presbyterian, in Stamford, CT was a study in glass Ichthyology although there was not an ichthus to be seen.
- - I stayed for the next video, Highland Cathedral performed at Westminster Church, Oklahoma City. I've watched it 4 times so far. Kleenex is going to have to put on an extra shift. I have cried each time the bagpipes begin. Wow!

Ðave

Dow Jones said...

FYI

Tuesday's (5/22/18) edition of the Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle is constructed by C.C. Burnikel. It is titled "Rollbacks". It is available now on the website: WSJ.com (hover over Life & Arts and click on WSJ Puzzles). Enjoy !

SwampCat said...

What a fun romp for a Monday! Thanks, Jake. Boomer, you are a treasure! I'm still laughing.

Owen, all A's as far as I am concerned. Chuckle worthy!

I dont know Brady's YARDS, because whatever they were, Drew Brees had more.... Than anybody!

Maybe we should add football to the prohibitions against religion and politics!! Hehehehehehe

Anonymous said...

Monday, Monday, so good to me. Monday mornin', it was all I hoped it would be. This was a quick one, got the theme, only one w/o: erie/OHIO.

Thanks, Jake Braun, for the fun experience! Thanks, Boomer, for your humorous expo!

Of course, my favorites were ASPCA, DOGS and PUPS! Mine is sleeping on the couch next to me.

Have a great week. This one has started out well!

Misty said...

Thanks, Dave. I'll look into it.

Lucina said...

My STITCHES were removed without incident and I was regaled by the nice people in the ER. ER nurses and doctors have to be very special people.

Fermat:
I'm so sorry to hear about your travails at your grandson's graduation and like others, I hope he appreciates your attendance there.

Picard:
Those are spectacular photos!

SwampCat said...

Yay, Lucina! The bruises will fade now. Hang in there!

Misty said...

Lucina, so glad you had a good experience and that you can look forward to a good recovery. Keep us posted on how things go.

Picard said...

Thank you for all of the comments and interest in my posting today.

PK: Yes, the Banaue Rice Terraces were a major engineering achievement. The details of construction seem to be unknown, but obviously they were built by hand. Long before modern machinery. They are located in the northern part of the island of Luzon. This is the most northern island of what is now the Philippines.

D4E4H: Yes, the Banaue Rice Terraces indeed are in economic danger. Rice growing still is happening there. But tourism is more profitable. The terraces need constant maintenance. Without rice farmers willing to do that work the whole industry will fall apart. I got there at a very sweet spot in history. The roads were still very primitive. I think it is easier to get in now. Which will make even more of an economic disparity between farming and tourism. Just a hundred years ago there were head hunting cannibals in the area. Maybe it will return to that.

As for Hitler and sterilization, this page from the US Holocaust Museum talks about those policies.

Sterilization was mostly reserved for people with certain mental and physical disabilities. Logistically this could happen because they already were in medical facilities. You may want to explore the rest of that site better to understand how this all happened.

Wilbur Charles: Thanks for explaining about Maggie. I had no way to watch the show normally, either, as I had no TV. But one time I was visiting my parents and watched it. Maggie was using her husband Jerry as a perfect example of what not to do. She described him as "fat" and a smoker. Apparently he was quite different when they met. But they were very devoted to each other. As I said at his memorial, Jerry explained that he and Maggie would "fight in public and save the best times for themselves".

Lucina: Thank you for the kind words! Over time I will try to display more photos from each of those extraordinary places.

Madame Defarge said...

AnonPVX: My house is cold. I am not. I have knit plenty of shawls to keep me warm. 😉

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks Jake for letting us in on the JOKE. I got all the SLOTs filled for the FIR. And Boomer, fun expo; I'll echo thanks for libra == pound (and your insanis :-)). Now it makes sense the Pound Sterling's symbol is £. Thanks Jayce for following-on with other OHOs! symbol-wise.

WO: ACHe
ESP: NORI - I should know this; the Girls eat seasoned seaweed all the time.

FavFANTA 'cuz of what OKL did with it.

{A,B+,B+,A} {groan, Nice}

Boomer - let's see: Java, joe, mud, go-juice.

The department store of my ute was Myers Brothers - it was also an official BSA store so, in addition to Catholic uniforms, I got my sash & Merit Badges to sew on it there too.

PK - LOL Hi Jinx! The pun's in my head we UNTIE! (Hi Jinx!) on the same WO. I've got a buddy who goes by Chuck, so... "What's Up-Chuck?" Buddy Joe? "Morning Joe."

Fermat - that sounds awful. Hopefully it will be appreciated down the road.

Lucina: good to hear all's healing nose-wise; same re: Misty eyes.

Picard - you sure that's not a green-screen :-) Hellava vantage point.

OMK - That New Yorker caption made me think of Bill Maher's "the 80's, when coke was cute." :-)

Cheers, -T

CanadianEh! said...

Late to the party again on this Victoria Day Holiday. Beautiful day here and I enjoyed the outdoors. This CW was part of the fun. Thanks Jake and Boomer.

I smiled at all the UNITs - YARD, PINTS, ONE LB. None of them were metric LOL.

Like PK, I noted OHO and OHIO; like Jayce, I noted FANTA and SANTA (and like all of you, thought of Argyle!)

LeBron and his CAVs have knocked out our Toronto Raptors three years in a row.

Off to the fireworks!

Abejo said...

Good evening, folks. Thank you, Jake Braun, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.

Nice song, Boomer!

Puzzle went quite easily today. I even let my wife help. She can jump into a puzzle at times.

Liked the theme.

Any tough ones today were easily perped. As in NORI.

TTP: Been to IKEA in Schaumburg. You should eat breakfast there. You get bacon and eggs for pennies.

Anyhow, I have some stuff to do, so I will sign off. Like enter yesterday's puzzle. Took me a while but I got it done.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Anonymous T said...

Anyone see Bizarro today? A bit puzzle APT considering PINT & OMK's aside on Brit cop shows. -T

D4E4H said...

Anon T,
Thanks for my Blues Brothers primer, and also Bizarro.

Dave

Wilbur Charles said...

Anon-T, for once I had my daily routine of sports, Comics, Bridge, OP-ED and finally xword out of order. So when I finally saw Bizarro it didn't click .

Celtics put up a fight but the CAVS B-TEAM played well and the big guy... Ok, LeBron was LeBron

Of course if we had Kyrie....

WC