Theme: "Invitees" - T is inserted into each common phrase.
23A. Heavenly ruler? : ST. PETER'S T-SQUARE. St Peter's Square. So I listened to John Thavis interview with "Fresh Air" the other night. Wow, was I disillusioned. Corruption, turf battle.
35A. Game with swinging and dancing? : DISCO T-BALL. Disco ball.
43A. Theban king's dinosaur? : OEDIPUS T. REX. Oedipus Rex. King of Thebes.
69A. Economy-boosting govt. issue? : STIMULUS T-BILL. Stimulus bill. Been more than 4 years.
96A. Steaks served at roasts? : FUNNY T-BONES. Funny bones.
102A. Contraption that gives skiers a lift in more ways than one? : COFFEE T-BAR. Coffee bar.
118A. Motto for the Untouchables? : STAND BY YOUR T-MAN. "Stand by Your Man".
Neat to see those stalwart T* words we often see in Xwords elevated into theme entries today. Very clever gimmick.
Liz Gorski also constructed one of the puzzles for the coming ACPT. That's truly an All-Star lineup.
Across:
1. Sympathy seekers : MARTYRS. Thought of that Tunisian guy who set himself on fire. Without him, there probably would not have been Arab Spring.
8. Spring title on a beefcake calendar : MR. MAY. To me, Dave Winfield is the "Mr. May". Steinbrenner wanted a "Mr. October" (Reggie Jackson). Like Paul Molitor, Winfield was born in St. Paul.
13. Chills out : RESTS
18. Almond-flavored liqueur : AMARETTO
20. Ocean floor : SEA BED
22. Strain : EXERT
25. "The War Between the Tates" author Alison : LURIE. Not familiar with the book or the author.
26. Cub with many dingers : SOSA. He'll never make the Hall.
27. Wight or Man: Abbr. : ISL
28. Party org. : DNC. Or RNC.
29. Alarm : STARTLE
31. Best-selling physician : DR. SPOCK
37. "I'm responsible" : BLAME ME. How nice!
40. Cohn played by Pacino in "Angels in America" : ROY. Is it as good as "City of Angels"?
42. Sea eagles : ERNES
46. Bond girl Ekland : BRITT. No memory of this girl. She's in "The Man with the Golden Gun". Splynter's kind of girl.
47. Hubbub : ADO
50. Polish targets : NAILS. I still maintain that a man who's fully capable of taking care of himself should not visit a nail salon.
51. Surfer's gadget : REMOTE
53. Stereo on one's shoulder : BOOMBOX
55. Handed down, in a way : ORAL. Like folklore.
56. Still in the game : ALIVE
58. Kemo __ : SABE
60. The Green Wall of China is designed to slow its expansion : GOBI. Oh I read it "The Great Wall of China" and said "What?". This project started in 1978. Will be completed in 2050, supposedly. Lots of trees have been planted along the desert line.
61. City whose police cars sport a witch logo : SALEM. New trivia to me.
63. __ Nostra : COSA
64. Surpassed : OUTDID
66. Klutz : OAF
73. Bootery spec : EEE
74. Absolutely awful : STINKO
76. Writer Bagnold : ENID
77. Crimean Peninsula city : YALTA
79. Ripped : TORE
80. Fedora feature : BRIM
81. Pond flower : CALLA. Calla lily.
83. Sweet'__: drink additive : N LOW. Fake sugar.
87. As a group : EN MASSE
90. Prefix with -crat : TECHNO
92. "Revolutionary" Chopin work : ETUDE
93. Object in court : RES
94. Parishioner's obligation : TITHE
99. Pianist known for his Beethoven interpretations : ARRAU (Claudio). Chilean pianist.
100. See 62-Down : FOR. 62. With 100-Across, petition : ASK.
101. Freaky to the max : EERIEST
106. City in Pennsylvania Dutch country : LEBANON. Gimme for Yellowrocks.
109. Like some back roads : ONE LANE
110. Goat's cry : MAA
112. Golden, in Paris : D'OR. As in Palme D'or.
113. Poetic dusks : EENS
117. VersaVac maker : ORECK
123. Grammy-winning Gorme : EYDIE
124. Persian Gulf sight : TANKER
125. Warned : ON NOTICE
126. Overhaul the lawn : RE-SOD
127. Low voice : BASSO
128. Getty of "The Golden Girls" : ESTELLE
Down:
1. Sunday ritual : MASS. Boomer is a Catholic. He does not go to Church on Sundays.
2. "__ to PM": 2001 Christina Milian hit : AM TO. Typo in clue. Song title is simply "Am to Pm" (Argyle.)
3. Eschews the doorbell : RAPS
4. Purchases that give you a run for your money? : TREADMILLS. Great clue.
5. "Not __" : YET
6. Bus driver's course: Abbr. : RTE
7. Zebra patterns : STRIPES
8. Bks. in progress : MSS
9. Like some coll. courses : REQ'D. Like my Marxism/Leninism. Totally useless.
10. Cleansing rite associated with Easter : MAUNDY. Thursday.
11. Collectible calculators : ABACI
12. "__ out!" : YER
13. Empathize with : RELATE TO
14. Prosperous outlying areas : EXURBS
15. Mattress brand : SERTA
16. Flutist's warble : TRILL
17. __ wool : STEEL
19. __ buco : OSSO
21. Paint a picture of : DESCRIBE. "Paint my love, You should paint my love..."
24. Patient attention, briefly : TLC
30. Riding sidekick : TONTO
32. Workout count : REPs
33. The Mustangs of the NCAA's Conference USA : SMU. Southern Methodist University.
34. Doughnut box word : KREME
36. Sun. talk : SER
37. U2 frontman : BONO. Really love this. I like The Corrs.
38. Ill-fated king : LEAR
39. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit : ADIA
41. Tic-tac-toe loser : OXO
44. More fit : TRIMMER
45. Increase, with "up" : REV
46. Wild animal : BEAST
47. Humble home : ABODE
48. Maynard's pal in '50s-'60s TV : DOBIE. I can never remember this. "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis".
49. Rust, e.g. : OXIDE
52. General __ chicken : TSO'S. What's your favorite Chinese dish?
54. Corp. jet group : MGT
56. Choir member : ALTO
57. Worn wreath : LEI
59. Hanging Gardens site : BABYLON
63. Chewed stuff : CUD
64. Ceramic pot : OLLA. I wonder what they use the ollas for.
65. Max. : ULT
66. Sunbeam brand : OSTER
67. Make amends : ATONE
68. Tones (up) : FIRMS. My abs, your arms.
70. Marry : UNITE
71. Pie fruit : LIME
72. Potent conclusion? : IAL. Potential.
75. Teachers' org. : NEA
78. Louis XVI's queen : ANTOINETTE (Marie). Lovely entry.
80. Software development phase : BETA TEST. Annette is John Lampkin's beta solver.
81. Boor : CHURL
82. King Kong's love : ANN
84. Debussy's "Clair de __" : LUNE. French for "moon". Lune de miel. Honeymoon. Where did you spend yours?
85. Wordsworth works : ODES
86. Popular 19th-century heading : WEST.
88. Barely ran? : STREAKED. Nailed it. We've seen this clue before.
89. Fire truck device : SIREN
91. Money-managing exec : CFO
92. River of Spain : EBRO. Spain's longest river.
95. Where the action is : HUB
97. Timeline beginning : YEAR ONE
98. Widely used base : TEN. Base 10. Hard clue for me, though the concept is the same in Chinese.
99. Largest U.S. union org. : AFL-CIO
100. Ballpark staples : FRANKS
102. Dove : COOER
103. Sandwich order : ON RYE
104. Nourishes : FEEDS
105. Name on a range : AMANA. "Range" often refers to "Kitchen appliance" in Xwords.
107. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY
108. Aussie lad : BOYO. New to me.
111. Lemony drinks : ADES. Hello, Lemonade!
114. German painter Nolde : EMIL. No idea. Wiki said he was an expressionist, and "Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work". Kind of like van Gogh's bright yellow. Lucina saw my compact mirror. It's van Gogh's bedroom.
115. Salt in a lab : NaCL
116. Knife of yore : SNEE
119. Bar bill : TAB
120. "My man!" : BRO
121. Young __ : UNS
122. Break down : ROT
C.C.
60 comments:
Hello al!
Nifty puzzle, Elizabeth! Swell expo, CC!
Got the theme rather quickly. Lots of fun. Really liked OEDIPUSTREX!
Worked Reagle also. However, think a long entry is incorrect. Can't wait for Crossword Fiend to post comments. Let me know if any of you work it!
YR: Hope your rib heals soon. Is it taped up?
Cheers!
Morning, all!
Really fun puzzle today and smooth sailing throughout... except for the part where I completely crashed and burned.
The NW corner (got my compass point right this time) was just impenetrable for me today. Started out with ANISETTE instead of AMARETTO and things went downhill from there. Never heard of "AM TO to PM" and couldn't have guessed it. Is that a typo in the clue, or does the song title really have "to to" in it? Also, I was convinced that 1A had to end in ERS, so MARTYRS never occurred to me. And I just couldn't gets KNOCKS out of my head for 3D. It didn't fit, obviously, but it prevented me from thinking of anything else. I think I finally tried TAPS out of desperation...
Ah well.
[howthyp]
"AM to to PM" caused far too much consternation for me. I kept wanting to put the correct answer in, but then kept taking it out, thinking it couldn't possibly be correct.
Other than that, fun Sunday puzzle.
Anne Boleyn rather than Antoinette messed me up for a while, but eventually I figured out that there was a difference between English and French monarchs.
nice puzzle today plodded through. Not sure if I would consider Lebanon, PA part of PA dutch country. I like the towns bologna. But several years ago I got a speeding ticket in the town of course not a horse and buggy in sight.
A fun Sunday theme by a consistent constructor; very excited about the ACPT this year with anticipation of reports from Marti and JL.
Thanks for the shout out C.C. The painting you linked reminded me of our own wolf mom, who is still painting away.
In the 40's this morning, this weekend will be our winter. Enjoy all.
What a fun Sunday! Loved the theme.
The underlying religiosity is fascinating to me and definitely timely: MASS, MARTYRS, TITHE, MAUNDY, ATONE, STPETER and perhaps a REV is giving a SER wearing a hat with a big BRIM! There's even more MASS in ENMASSE!
I had STRollED before STREAKED.
Somebody here FIRMS up to become TRIMMER possibly using TREADMILLS?
I so enjoyed this one, Liz Gorski, you're the best!
Good morning!
I thought this one was gonna get me. I remembered Maynard G. Krebs, but couldn't remember his buddy's name. Howie sounded right, but wouldn't perp out. DOBIE was my final fill.
Oregon also caused some head scratching. Couldn't think of the U2 guy (Francis Gary Powers?), ill-fated king (Shah?), Sarah McLachlan hit (Who?). BLAME ME finally provided the key to put that section to bed.
It was interesting to see both TONTO and his riding buddy KEMO SABE (Lone Ranger) in the puzzle.
Don't think I've ever heard of MAUNDY. Does it fall on a Monday?
Good Morning, C.C. and friends. I loved this Sunday puzzle. It took me a while to get the gimmick, though, because I was thinking we would get a double dose of "ee's" It was FUNNY T-BONES that was my Rosetta Stone.
I, too, was confused by the type of AM to to PM. It just didn't make sense.
I saw AIDA on Broadway many years ago. It was fabulous.
Very cold here. It shouldn't be 40F in March!
QOD: Sometimes we start so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open. ~ Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 2013 ~ Aug. 2, 1922)
[talyng]
Fun puzzle by Ms. Gorski. Took me too long to suss out.
It's Maundy Thursday. Found the following at Wikipedia:
Derivation of the name "Maundy"
Most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34 by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. The phrase is used as the antiphon sung during the "Mandatum" ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community.
Hope everyone has a nice Sunday.
Good morning C.C. et al.
I liked the fact that I caught onto the theme early on, and was on Liz Gorski’s wavelength the whole way. I hope that bodes well for the ACPT next weekend. Hers will probably be the first one on Saturday, I’m guessing. I was able to fill in the other “T” words just by reading the clues, but had to think for a while and wait for perps to get the first parts. But a COFFEE T-BAR just doesn’t seem like something I would ride, LOL!
C.C., I also read “Great Wall”, but filled in GOBI anyway, and never even realized my mistake until I read your write-up! And SALEM was a gimme. It is known as “Witch City” because of the Salem Witch Trials that took place there in the late 1600s. Now, it is home of many witches and warlocks who practice Wicca.
Have a great day, everyone!
-The Episcopalian and Lutheran Churches also celebrate Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday on the Thurday before Easter. It falls just before Good Friday when Jesus was crucified.. It commemorates Jesus’ act of humility and service in washing the disciples’ feet and his commandment for them to be humble servants. The priest washes one parishioner’s feet and then he in turn washes someone else’s and on down the line.
I was surprised that Maundy Thursday was clued as associated with Easter, instead of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday is very solemn compared to the joyousness of Easter
-Another nit, in all my reading and personal experience I have found that CALLA lilies grow in soil instead of in ponds. We have many plantings of them around here.
-Lebanon, PA, where my sister lives, is in the heart of the PA Dutch country. When I visit her I go to the farmers’ market to buy PA Dutch treats, such as scrapple, crock pudding, and cup cheese. There are still some old time people with Dutch (actually German) accents, but the city is becoming polyglot like much of the northeast.
-Tonto called the Lone Ranger Kemo Sabe.
- This puzzle made me hungry for key lime pie,. I will have to make some soon.
-I finally realized that the extra 'to' in 2D must be a typo.
Thank you Elizabeth Gorski and thank you CC.
Dinner Impossible: Crossword Puzzle Crisis Pt 1
Good morning everyone.
Fun offering from Ms Gorski and easy enough for a Sunday. Like the theme; got a chuckle out of ST PETERS T SQUARE. Timely. Some easy ones like EBRO, and some difficult like EMIL. But the perps helped. Favorite fill was STINKO. No searches were needed.
I think Tinbeni started something.
Immensely enjoyable Sunday offering. Thank you.
TMI about Maundy from Wikipedia. Let's get a little more secular around here.
[krcdiiklec]
YR and Argyle, thanks for the note about 2D. I was wondering why it was called AM TO TO PM, but didn't bother looking it up...
Here is the song. 3:58
Hi Everyone ~~
Thanks for an enjoyable puzzle, Liz Gorski. I didn't struggle, but I didn't breeze through it either. I picked up on the theme with ST PETERS TSQUARE but before that was thinking we'd be seeing an extra E from 'Invite Es.' Knowing there'd be an extra T did help with some of the theme answers.
~ I liked some of the different cluing - 101A Freaky to the Max - EERIEST and 73A - Bootery spec - EEE.
~ Write-overs: Amp / REV and Pac / DNC.
~ I was stuck for a bit on 55A - Handed down in a way - ORAL - tricky!
~ Favorites: 88D - Rarely ran / STREAKED and 102D - Dove / COOER (was thinking first of the past tense of 'Dive')
~ Loved the misdirection of 86D - Popular 19th-century heading / WEST. I was about to ask to have it explained, when the light dawned - so clever!
~ 81A - Pond flower / CALLA . As in Calla Lily ... really? White calla lilies are my favorite flower and I never pictured them on a pond. What am I missing here?
Thanks for a wonderful write-up, C.C. ~ great info, comments and links! I always liked Dave Winfield's smile - even when he was with the Yankees. :-)
What a fun, clever romp. I am not going to be the one to say “It suited me to a “T”. My purchase provider (use it or lose it!) was MR MAY and I was off (more than usual). The SE needed cleaning up after MATE and a few others but if AMTO is right I am D’OR. (Oh, a typo like I thought! I’ll take a 100%)
Musings
-The majesty of ST PETER’S SQUARE impresses me more than its residents. Makes it hard to TITHE!
-Hillary rescued Bill’s (and her) political career by deciding to STAND BY HER MAN. Incurable? ;-)
-Scary modern MARTYRS
-I thought Alex Rodriguez had taken over that MR MAY appellation, CC ;-)
-7-year-old’s riddle this weekend, “Papa, what do you call a pineapple in the ocean (SEABED)?” Silly Answer
-After being accused of doping, SOSA said, “No habla ingles”. For God’s sake, admit it and move on.
-NAILS? Do I follow CC’s or Dudley’s admonitions?
-REMOTE – Seinfeld - “Men don’t want to know what is on TV; they want to know what else is on TV”
-Around here all major highways are two lanes each way. ONE WAY roads out west - AARRGGHH!
-Next time at the State Fair I gotta listen for the difference between MAA and BAA
-TREADMILLS w/TV’s make less than half the over 60 cardio machines at our Y but are the first to fill up.
-YER OUT? What Yogi expected to hear when Jackie stole home in 1955
-What TONTO really meant
-Chefwen, you’d better have a LEI (and muffin) waiting for me when I show up on your doorstep ;-)
-I listened for the SIRENS when we cruised the Rhine. No such luck.
-one to TEN in Chinese
Can we still access the puzzle through that alternate "emergency" route? I cannot cope with the new online format. It's awful and clumsy!
Hello, friends. Loved the links, C.C. and I'm really glad when they are posted as part of the commentary because for some reason mine appear behind the blog screen and I have to exit to see them. Weird!
Loved this puzzle by Elizabeth Gorski and sashayed quickly starting in the center. The NW was last to fall and never saw AMTO.
Count me in as a CALLA doubter. I have seen them only in soil not water and my first fill was LILLY as in the water kind.
Nice shoutout to my niece, EYDIE.
The NE was a bit challenging, too, because I didn't know LURIE and really wanted SUBURBS but with EXURBS the rest appeared, too.
As usual I failed to check my finished product and missed ORAL as I had TREADMILES for some reason and STAND BY YOUR TRAP don't ask me why.
But this was fun and thank you to anonymous for explaining MAUNDY as I was all set to do that. Knowledge of religion, all religion, is part of our culture and should be welcomed. This year I will be available to attend MAUNDY Thursday services. Haven't done so in a long time because of classes. It is a solemn, beautiful service.
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
Happy Sunday everyone!
Lots of overwrites today – ARISTO for TECHNO, SATES for FEEDS, SO SUE ME for BLAME ME, FAY for ANN, BAA for MAA, etc.
Finally caught onto the T-fill with Oedipus T-Rex, even though I originally wanted The Minotaur….
Couldn’t stop thinking of St. Peter’s Pearly Gates either in the NW….
Can’t believe I didn’t get YER (out) – c’mon Opening Day!
Nice to see both OSSA and OLLA in the same puzzle….
Have no clue what an EXURB is, other than it sounds like a suburb for exes, which would make it prosperous I suppose….
Fermatprime @ 6:07, are you referring to the really long two-clue answers for 57A and 79A, specifically the first four letters of 57A…(the Reagle puzzle)?
Good morning:
A typical Liz Gorski: clever, fun, and enough of a challenge for a Sunday. Thank you, Miss G and thank you, CC, for an engaging expo.
Particularly liked OedipusTrex and FunnyTbones. Had bureau before techno for crat, but perps quickly changed that.
CC, one of my favorite Chinese dishes is Lobster Cantonese; I also like Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. These may not be authentic Chinese offerings, but they sure are tasty. Answer to your honeymoon question: Barbados, with beaches of sand so white and fine, they look like sugar.
Have a nice Sunday.
Was in the spam filter, sorry.
TTP said...
Thank you Elizabeth Gorski and thank you CC.
Dinner Impossible: Crossword Puzzle Crisis Pt 1
March 3, 2013 at 9:48 AM
Maundy Thursday is the day when the Queen of England personally distributes a sample set of specially made coins, called Maundy coins, in a special 'Maundy' purse, to the 'poor', every year. The number of sets and recipients coincides with the Queens actual chronological age. These specially minted coins ( & sets) have a fabulous numismatic value and are often worth hundreds and thousands of British Pounds. The recipients themselves are selected based on the recommendations of various church denominations, and are often people who have done significant charity work and community service and they often live in that particular diocese.
Maundy coins.
To my mind, BOYO is Welsh first, Irish second and Australian pretty much never.
Tried Argyle's posting of TTP's hypertext direction to the Dinner Impossible Crossword Crisis Part 1 , etc.
So Cw experts are not only supposed to be astute in knowledge of all matters arcane, sports, music and the language itself but also have very deep pockets ?
How much do these off the wall, fastidious dinners cost at the ACPT tournament in New York City ? 200 clams a plate ? So that they can charm your inner child ?Everything fried in (stale ?) deep oil, and covered with fat, liver, lard and cholesterol. Accompanied by a 5 year supply of Lipitor and Nexium and the rest of the pharmocopeia to counteract.
If thats not bad enough - such small portions !! ;-)
Unfortunately, only Crossword Crisis(es) part 1 and 3 are on youtube.
Parts 4, 5, 6, and the conclusion (?), if any, are left to your fertile, cornographic imagination.
Oh Lordy, the things I learn on this blog....
Cornography(3:57)
Hello everybody. This puzzle made me work for it, but it was worth it.
I wanted GET out instead of YER out, and ARISTOcrat instead of TECHNOcrat. OEDIPUS TREX was my Rosetta Stone (hi, Hahtoolah.) I laughed when I got FUNNY TBONES. Agree about CALLA lilies; they grow like weeds around our house. I'll take some photos of them when they are in bloom in a few months.
Hard to say what my favorite Chinese food is; I love it all. I will never refuse jiaozi (dumplings), of course. LW and I have recently discovered a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that specializes in Shanghai style food, and we discovered a "fish gluten" dish we really like a lot. They look like fish balls, but they are hollow and about the size of small tennis balls. Many dishes we have never seen before. Shanghai cuisine seems to be quite unique, and is very distinct from Cantonese cooking and foods from northern China.
As for our honeymoon, we didn't really have one until our first wedding anniversary, at which event we went out to a fine restaurant where a good friend of ours worked. He cooked us flambé bananas at our table-side for dessert. Man oh man, he knew all the flourishes and wrist twists! Made our meal very special. He later went to Cornell and became a chef. His name was, guess what, Philippe. Yes, really.
Hi everyone:
Thank you C.C. and Ms. Gorski.
This was FUN!
Clever punnies and only had to look up BOYO (?) and EBRO.
Now to Merl Reagle.
C.C. I like potstickers. Mmm
That's my story and I'm "stickin'" to it.
Asian market has pre-made steamed buns.
Can they be baked when i get one home?
I know, stupid concept, but was just wondering.
-Argyle, loved that Cornography link. Dolly knows what pays the bills (esp. plastic surgery) but flaunts her assets in a “wink wink” manner that never makes you feel dirty afterwards. Titillation?
-Dolly Parton Bridge over the Mississippi
-Speaking of corn, we just got back from our small hometown 7 miles from here where they had these lovely Dutch/German treats. Sitting there was my 87 year old friend who is a TRUE cornhusker (small “c”) (4:55 but you’ll get the idea early).
-As you can see here, he finished 5th nationally against all comers at 85 years old. He was also shown on The History Channel episode about harvesting crops. He’s thinking of cutting back to the 10 minute competition @ 87 yrs old. Wow!
Here's another Shanghai dish my wife and I discovered, which we like a lot.
Oh, and this is what the fish gluten looks like. The "tennis balls" are semi "deflated."
Oops. Forgot to answer C.C.'s questions. I like almost any and all Chinese food but if I had to choose, lemon chicken.
After visiting Hong Kong, however, I am forever spoiled and my palate unsatisfied because the food there was extraordinary.
No honeymoon, but three years later we went to Hawaii.
How very interesting about the Maundy coins.
That was a very pleasant Sunday offering from Liz and CC. I didn't notice the typo in 2D. I caught on to the theme about halfway through. Very good.
I've got a new student to tutor starting this week. Since she's behind, I suggested it might be good to meet with her a couple of times to try to get her caught up. So she's coming today at 1:45 for her first session. I am looking forward to it.
I agree (as usual) with Lucina in that I like all Chinese food, Cantonese or Mandarin or ??. Of course I like almost all food in any case. If somebody cooks something that is a favorite, at home or in a restaurant, I'm almost sure to like it also.
Nobody commented on this which I posted late last night. Since I really, really liked the puzzle, I going to risk posting it again. "I just came across an old crossword puzzle I'd saved from Cruciverb about eight months ago. It is one of the cleverest theme ideas I've ever seen. Without giving too much away, it's a puzzle where a letter in several squares represents two letters or, in other words, a square contains two letters. A theme like that won't show up in an LAT puzzle, (please correct me if I'm wrong about that), but if you like clever themes and clever puzzles, this one is top-notch. It was in The Chronicle of Higher Education by George Barany on June 22nd, 2012. I highly recommend it."
RE: Chinese food. My favorite has become prawns in Grand Marnier sesame sauce. 2nd - Lemon chicken.
Prawns in Grand Marnier sesame sauce - Where can I find that? Sounds great!
learning moment for today-- didn't know T Square was a ruler. So I finished the puzzle but didn't know why...
Argyle @ 1459 - At "Bamboo Chinese Restaurant" here at The Orchard in New Hartford.
Bill G, I remember working a puzzle like that. But I can't remember if it was a Sunday LAT or a Sunday NYT (which shows up in the Barnacle on Thursdays).
I gather from the other posters that MAUNDY has nothing to do with the Mamas and the Papas. Oh no, I feel an earworm coming on....
BillG:
Sometime in the past I have done some of those multiple letters in one square puzzles, probably the NYTimes and it was frustrating. I guess I'm so conditioned to the one cell, one letter that it's difficult to adapt otherwise. I remember liking it at the end, but it was a bear to solve.
Bill G. @2:33, I remember doing that puzzle and all the praises it received from bloggers. But no, you would never see a rebus puzzle like that on the LAT - Rich just does not accept them.
Hi Y'all, Great puzzle, Liz! I caught on to putting in the T right away, but didn't understand the punniness until I was done and read it aloud.
Great expo & links, C.C!
I planted a CALLA lily --never bloomed. Too dry?
The Maundy Thursday explanation reminded me of my nephew's wedding. They decided as part of the matrimonial vows they would wash each others feet to express their humility and desire to serve each other.
They asked my Sis-in-law for a basin to do the ritual wash. Her big Tupperware bowl was rejected as not nice enough for the wedding. So she went out and bought an expensive silver punch bowl to the kid's delight (so much for humility).
During the ceremony, the foot washing took place down behind the altar and the silver bowl was not visible. My SIL was a bit unhappy. She said, "Now what do I do with it? Will anyone want to drink punch out of it?" I assured her that since no one had seen it, they would never know. She would.
For our honeymoon in May we went to Lake Texhoma near the AFB where my husband had once been stationed. My fondest memory is watching my big muscled husband in swim trunks and engineer boots picking wildflowers beside the highway for his laughing bride. Cars would slow up and looook. He looked like Ferdinand the bull among the daisies.
Bill G @ 2:33 - That was definitely a NYT and I remember Jace complaining about it. I can't wait to hear his comments about the NYT that his paper published today. (It was in my paper last week, and it was a BEAR.) Their puzzles have gotten so gimmicky, I am almost ready to give up doing them.
Jace @ 2:19 - Could you describe the ingredients in that Shanghai Rice Cake?
Spitz @ 2:50 - Your Prawns in Grand Marnier Sesame Sauce has my mouth watering!
I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. Had a Natick at the confluence of Roy and Maundy, but via the process of elimination, it had to be Y. Lots of unexpected clueing and no serious clunkers. First theme solve was Oedipus T Rex, and that came early enough to help a great deal.
Irish Miss, I just completed the day-old NYT puzzle. It was a brute, but I had enough perps to know something was afoot. Nearly gave up, but gave it one last push. HTG for a few crosses in order to get the gimmic and then it was game on. Very clever execution and theme dense (given the constraints) .
Jayce, that Shanghai place sounds great. Is the place you linked in Cupertino the actual reastaurant? If so I'll turn my CA son onto it. He's a serious foodie and it's not too far from where he lives.
We never had anything that truly resembled a honeymoon. The economy was diving in late 79, so we put it off.......as it turned out indefinitely. Then came kids. The closest facsimile was our trip to the Bay in 09 on our 30th. Not sure it made up for it, but we had a great time.
I need to ask Barbara 'cause I'm having some difficulty remembering all of the details of our honeymoon. (Hmm...maybe I better not ask.) I do remember all of the important stuff though...
We got married at Sage chapel at Cornell. I think we split the honeymoon into two parts; the New York part and the California part. The New York part was at the big World's Fair 1964/1965. The California part was camping in Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks.
D-O, Marti, Lucina, Irish Miss, thanks for the feedback about that puzzle.
Tutoring went well. Then Jordan and I did a science experiment. We mixed baking soda and vinegar to generate carbon dioxide. Then we used that to put out a candle. He liked it.
Off for a quick macchiato.
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Elizabeth Gorski, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a swell review.
TTP: Enjoyed the dinner prep part I. Waiting for Part II. Quite an exercise, for 500 people.
Puzzle was great. Got the theme with OEDIPUS TREX. The rest came easily. The T helped.
Had PotentATE for 72D. Fixed that to IAL later on. First ink blot.
Had LOON for 84D. Corrected that to LUNE.
Had SLIMMER first, then TRIMMER. Oh well.
That's all my writeovers. Not bad for me.
My wife just about has supper ready. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(konony)
My favorite Chinese food is pork fried rice. That is all I ever order.
Abejo
(arsnji)
Desper-otto...Ear Worm #2. How about Jimmy Buffett's "Come Maundy"?
Oh that NYT puzzle today - too clever for me. When I realized something was amiss, I looked at the answer grid and sure enough - backwards???? C'mon. It kind of ruined my whole Sunday a.m. routine.
Enjoyed Elizabeth Gorski's puzzle. Had to chuckle a few times. Nice job!
Our honeymoon was spent cruising the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. Sounds pretty exotic doesn't it? Just like the movie "Death on the Nile", without Maggie Smith and a dead body. A trip of a lifetime! Oh, did I mention my Sister and her 10 yr. son came along, too?
Enjoy whats left of the weekend!
I've only solved one Liz Gorski puzzle that I didn't love and this one wasn't it. Got it at DISCO T-BALL and just kind of zipped right through.
Don't worry Husker Gary, LEI (and muffins) waiting your arrival.
Love eating and cooking all sorts of Chinese food. Best Chinese cookbook IMHO is The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp. It doubles as a tour Guide.
Honeymooned in New Orleans, I was under 21 and the drinking age was still 18 there. I'm sure Tinbenni would agree, a no brainer!
There's always that Boomtown Rats song "I Don't Like Maundy's"...
GarlicGal:
LOL! While reading your post I was imagining you and your beloved on the Nile, enjoying the ambiance and the scenery. Then you mentioned your sister and her son. Made me chuckle.
Vegas Doc: Yep!
And surely CALLA lilies should be water lilies(?)
Missed out on my swim today as phone went out--the second time in a week with Time-Warner Cable. Repair person is at front gate ringing the doorbell. Evidently she did not receive proper instructions as to how to get into the house. (Hey, a woman repair person!)
Before computers, I worked the NYT puzzles in the Daily News here. Loved the rebus puzzles. Really thrilled when I grokked the theme!
Went to Seattle World's Fair for late honeymoon. By then he had already treated me so bad that I was quite miserable. Yuck.
Repair person has come and gone. Needs equipment from some male counterpart. *Sigh!*
That's "treated me so badly", I suppose?
C.C. thanks for your commentary on today's puzzle. I took a break today and came back to it. This was a fun Sunday solve with some nice words in it. Thanks to Elizabeth. The crossword event sounds fun.
CED: I hope if you find a real solution to the email problem you will let me know. I can't open the email links either. I don't have Windows 8 though. Computer problems can bring on a level of frustration that is beyond anything else. [sigh]
I am going through avatar withdrawal.
Is it possible to do yourself an injury from watching too much cuteness? Find out. Incredible cuteness!
[ZupoopyQbritches]
My husband and I took our time finishing the grid while intermittently watching "Untold Stories in the ER" marathon.
Liked popular 19th century heading-WEST. We just watched the 9 part Ken Burns series on the west so came easily.
YR- I missed you injuring ribs?? E-mail me so I know what happen, if you have time?
We honeymooned in a small cabin in Rockaway Beach, Missouri. The April weather dropped that weekend. We only had a fireplace which caused my DH to add wood at 12,2, and 4PM to the fire. We lasted 2 nights and then traveled back to a Travellodge in Lawrence, KS for the last night.
I'm sorry that I have nothing to report concerning my daughter's poor dog. I've not been able to reach her this weekend. I left a message. Thanks for your concern and suggestions.
Blue Iris, your story about adding wood to the fire reminded me of something my uncle told me many years ago. He was a very old-fashioned handy guy and build his own cabin/house in Culpepper, Virginia (near Herndon if you know where that is). His heat was provided by a high-quality wood stove. On cold nights, he would stoke the fire before going to bed. Then he would drink a glass of water. That ensured he would have to wake up in the middle to go pee and he would be able to add more wood to the stove.
He added wood at 12, 2 and 4 AM. (Mistakenly wrote PM). Bill, the cold woke us up. No Help Needed. LOL I had brought a beautiful white satin bridal negligee. Needed flannel PJs.
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