Leapfinger
Durham, NC
Durham, NC
'Similc or Enfamil' is a clue for BABY FOod, not BABY FORMULA. A clue for BABY FORMULA would be something like: "First, you find two people who love each other very, very much"
I know the song "Strange Fruit" made famous by Billie Holiday, but didn't retain (if it ever registered) that the TREE was a poplar. What I do recall is that the lyrics were an original poem by a Bronx schoolteacher, Abel Meeropol, who at one time had James Baldwin as a student. Meeropol was an open leftist, and adopted the two sons of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg when they were executed for espionage early 1950s. All old history now.
SOFA as I'm concerned, an ONION_BAGEL hasn't ONION enough to give you pungent breath. SAUSAGELINKs, otoh.... In LIU of either Oh the IRONY of thinking that little milk vetch plant was ASTRALagus! I understand it grows well in TOPS OIL... Merlin's autobiography: I, MAGE. The sequel, while in higher ed: GRE, O, GRE! Don't DUNST sound like it ought to be some kind of portmanteau verb? Like halfway between MUSTN'T and DAREN'T? Is it true that a ROBIN sings at dawn? I thought that was a rooster or crow, though that might also be a COCKTAIL. I'd love to TOKYO at face value but can't AGREE about Hospital concern being HEALTH, when focus was always Disease care more than HEALTH Care. Of late, they're all shifting toward being TERMINALLYbottomLINE /sliding softly into endrant so y'all don't have to interCEDE Loved the GLORIouS fill of ALLTHUMBS and AVANTGARDE, for non-downer Downs to balance the excellent Across themers. Appreciating the IRON-clad IRONY of BLOGPOST ending: HOST MEETS PEST TY VEERy Much, @Kiran Pandey, I enjoyed it SHO 'nuff!
This was so absoLUTELY worth the 53ish minutes it took to get there! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZOj-3W8GGAk" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZOj-3W8GGAk</a> Enjoyed every circuitous minute of it
Good to know that 'Tokarczuk' is the name of a minor planet, as well as a literary star. OLGA deserves a prize for the title alone of "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead".
A sunny little SO-FUN Saturday, hafta hand it freely that there's NO MEAN FEAT to WEEPOVER. Beautifully colloquial long ones that almost make it easy to remember the Comte de la Fere was one of Dumas' Mousquetaires who HELD EPEES, if not rapiers or sabers. Admitting problems with wanting two Ts in my MASERATIS, as well as a geographic marker along I-95, like the Macon-Dixon line... instead of ACELA Now comes the bottom & the WEEPOVER, despite a fair start with PULIS (Hungarian), LILITH (Cabala), BAATH (from somewhere that stores AA words) and BILL (don't we all?)... I *knew* ACDC was more likely than ABBA, but *really* wanted FEEL IT IN THE AIR and CAPITOL SHORTS, Also thought TRASH BLOSSOM more appropriate than CRASH BLOSSOM, having never heard of either. Didn't help that Tolstoy got in my head with his "All happy families" quote, which had me go with HOME where HERO should have rested. So it was a slow rassle with that miserable retort at 41D, and a look-up of the suspected COE University, sadly not on my radar till now. Finally realizing that 51A was a *coin* flip led the whole gallimaufrey "home" All in all, enjoyed the hand to hand combat with Kareem A, and will AIR my one working nit in a reply to self
Today's XWP couldn't have been more made-to-order for me without having Leapfingerprints all over it. A. I was in NewHaven back in the day of Wm Sloan Coffin when Doonesbury was just a newbie strip in the Yalie Dailey, and ANGELA_DAVIS came to town with her yard-wide AFRO. O MAN, and Huey Newton, also B. I'll rewatch DR_STRANGELOVE every time I POSSE-bly can, it never gets old. How tickled I was when I realized the bombardier was James Earl Jones in an early role, recognized just by That Voice! C. Followed Peter Sellers since the Gong Show, even unto The World of Henry ORIENT, where he's stalked by two tweens who find him SEXY although he's TUCCI-zee for words. D. Wonderfully inclusive to find the Buddha GOTANA consorting among all the FALLEN_ANGELS. There were plenty of places to scrabble but the only place I *really* gave my BRAIN A SIESTA was where I had DVORAK precede MAHLER, just because 6 letters fit, ach du lieber! Y'all are cherubs for allowing me space to unload, especially since UNO how I tend to rAMBLE. Nicely done, Joe Marquez!!
@The X-Phile --LOL! I suspect @NYC Nancy is past the point of taking suggestions, but probably will (along with myself) appreciate your good intentions.
I always love me a Kam Collins crossword, ever since his NYT debut when he chimed in on the comments, never fails to make it a chase and a treasure hunt. Great grid today is supported by a hilarious TWOHEADED column photograph, which I'll nitpick by suggesting it's a wallaby instead of a kangaroo. No way to tell its size, but a wallaby (like Joseph) has a coat of many colours. Could even be a pademelon! Once again, KamC made me glad I'm among the generations that enjoyed SESAME_STREET, which deserved every Emmy, and even made a place for Oscar. Plenty celebs were happy to BELT_LINES on that show: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqJjrtDFGpI" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqJjrtDFGpI</a> Admitting I was afraid 34A clue Bosom buddy might turn out to be BRA, but I spose 1A BRAY was close enough. Appreciated HEDY Lamarr (Hungarian), and happy we didn't die INTESTate. Me too about POLLIWOGS, Mr Collins. Give the man ARRAYS!!
32D. ARTISANAL Isn't that being rather judgemental? ...Myself knowing at least a few artists who are quite relaxed and tolerant. Myself also always loving a good laugh (esp on April Fuels Day) and having learned the hard way that sometimes it's wiser to keep said laughter under wraps... ...and tickled to remember the Old Old days when the NYT ran a segment titled LAUGH LINES that one time earned me an Honorable Mention Well played, Joe Marquez!!
@The X-Phile Wasn't sure weather anyone elae would notice crossing FAIR/AFOUL. OTOH, I liked seeing OLGA T, and also was OK with SHEPARD because of PULI, you know. Admitting my soft spot for all Hungarian dogs, but will remain cautious about imposing VIZSLA upon this room <a href="https://share.google/kRPkwyqJ9n0oM4htG" target="_blank">https://share.google/kRPkwyqJ9n0oM4htG</a>
@Don H -- Oh, ouch! Decades ago, I saw a return patient in Ortho, a graduate student in Geography who had taken up sky-diving. I think it was on her maiden jump that her chute failed to open, and she sustained fractures of both calcanei, both legs (upper and lower), multiple spine fractures and a basilar fracture of the skull which knocked out her pituitary gland. On account of that latter, she was on full hormone replacement, but otherwise doing beautifully with only some minor heel discomfort. So, sometimes a skydiver's skeleton could be described as MIRACULOUS
@Lewis-- Nice!! Silent laughter, suitable for a silent film!
@JohnWM You make some interesting mental connexions, JWM. Highly morbid, yet down-to-earth, as it were.
I think the votes are in. More Spoonerisms, please!
@lucky13 Si elle était si enceinte, cette mère had no business riding on the train.
@The X-Phile Not everyone can ferment controversies the way Amblin' Deb Amlen did.
@Sian, perhaps Canadian robins have more to rise up and sing about than US robins.
Some people might prefer A VOID AT ALL COSTS, but personally, I'm always pleased when a constructor offers me something like NEST SIN or a PEE RAT, so I can remember what it's like to be 9 or 10 years old again.
@Hugh Wow. I'm impressed. I was pushing the 1-hour mark. But I had two young cats who were ignoring my DO NOT DISTURB sign.
You regularly come up with very moving images your own self, @Lewis. Lovely to have you share your 'Ho, ho!' pings with us. "pungent"? Sure, ever since "tangent" "relinquish"? Certainly, "quirelsh" TYVM also, delightful elevator that you are.
@MOL --- Glad to see I'm not alone in suspecting that clue of ROBIN hoodwinking. Given those trees near my driveway, they seem to use my car as their Littlejohn.
@Mady Née not so. But when I first heard the Quebecois French, I didn't think I was hearing French either.
From today's Midi, with thanks: "I'm going to lead with a series of quick jabs to the mid-section." "And I'm going to parry with my left, follow with a right uppercut!" "Oof, look out! Here comes the haymaker!!" "Gnnaarff..." DIALOG BOX
You might make that spar for the course...
@Roberto For 1D, let me suggest you see "Cool Runnings" about the Old Limpic Jamaican BOBSLED team, to help you forever love all things BOBSLED. Agreeing that the DAFFODIL clue probably turned one corner too many, but then there's all that lonely cloud-wandering most of us did in high school with that old Wordsmith William, so that word's worth Something. Right?
@Rich in Atlanta Well it sure isn't Help me, Rwanda!! . . . (PS: I crawled a mile on my knees over broken glass to get here, so am pretty bushed; will now see if I still have a comment saved somewhere)
@The X-Phile "Cool Hand Luke" is one movie that I found harder to watch on a recent occasion than it had been in times past. It had just become that much more painful. And his fellow prisoners just wanted him to keep being their LOCAL HERO...
@Veevee -- Interesting. My Brazilian friends say 'Oie', and they come variously from Bahia, Sao Paulo and Rio (pronounced 'Hee-yo'). Go figueroa.
In today's Wordle forum, one commenter was bemoaning the news currently being aired about Cesar Chavez, which led me to reply with the classic trope of the Hero and the FATAL Flaw. Whatever the actual lethality of any flaws in question, I credit that forerunner as my break to see 33A was just FATAL
@RiA So you saved this to make it your '*late* puzzle find'? That's pretty subtle ;)
@RiA, I'm sure some of figured it out Strait away, even if they happen to abHor muzical parodies.
@Leapfinger noticed: The right side of the grid seems FAIR awash in testosterONE and MANly symbols: Besides the free-standing MAN HEMEN HERO PELE RAM NARC MASERATIS TTOP ATTACKER TAB (Hunter) BILL (He's Just My MAN) On the Left: Only OLGA and LILITH, maybe supported by DRS (some have no Y-chromosome) and HATS And of course BILL (paying our share) Looking at only quality, THAT SAYS A LOT; but if you consider quality, it could be a draw. Now I need to know: do DIGITAL SHORTS come in Bermuda length? Have a happy summery weekend and SAKI Toomey.
@Tony, I think you were mis-directed. Not a 'playground'; PCs is the common abbrev for where some games are played. Congrats on your 3 minute Saturday. I was chuffed coming in once at 15 minutes.
S'ALL RIGHTS, FELLAS; IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE END.
@Vislander Good to see some old buds, V.I.!
@Laurence of Bessarabia Right back atcha, LoBA! Still shiftless in Santa Monica, are you? Am betting those glorious grandboys are grandmen by now [yes, I remember that cheeky avatar you displayed a while back!]
@dutchiris @HeathieJ If they wanted to promote it, they should have called it "liverbest".
@Pax Ahimsa Gethen ... which I found breath-takingly clever in a puzzle of such modest stature.
@lucky13 I admire the time and N.R.G you invested in your comment. That took a Lot of bifurcated dedication!! ;D
@Red Carpet -- Just love how you snatched victory from the jaws of a fete!!
Sorry about t[t; parsing is just something I do, even when the parsee is ARTISANAL. I think what set it off was seeing "ARTISANAL water" at the store... not far from the "Grass-fed Cheeses". In spite of t[t, it's still a lovely, lovely word, and I'm a big proponent of free-range cheese.
Just like in "Deliverance" --- Dueling Pun Joes [she said, through a mouthful of matzoh crumbs...]
@G.T. The Vizsla is a gorgeous breed, as is the Kuvasz! but I don't think you could pay me enough to have a Puli or a Komondor, as I dread locks to take care of like that
@RiA BIGBANKTHEORY --- Wasn't that about the too-big-to-fail AIG bailout where all the execs got their bonuses at an island retreat Life imitates Crossword
OMG, @RiA!! Did you *really* misunderestimate me? PS: I forgive you.
@JJJJ -- I think that's the ticket: when something looks strange, you're duty-bound to look for some change (whatever that may be) that makes it not-strange anymore.
@Warren -- LOL, so I wasn't the only one!
I see an ample amount of reaction to FURSONA (both pro & con), and just want to add that it sure beats the CAT HAIRS off FUR babies.
@Ιασων -- I think it means up-with putting stuff not-with complaining, so I'll say no more. @KB, I think being "a" Stoic is a capital idea ;D