LA Times Crossword Answers 20 Aug 14, Wednesday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Amy Johnson
THEME: Proverbial Parts … today’s themed answers are parts of well-known proverbs:

17A. Proverbial flying companions? BIRDS OF A FEATHER (flock together)
24A. Proverbial pavers? (the road to Hell is paved with) GOOD INTENTIONS
42A. Proverbial loser? HE WHO HESITATES (is lost)
56A. Proverbial pyrite? ALL THAT GLITTERS (is not gold)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 9m 06s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. House of Dana fragrance TABU
Tabu is a whole line of cosmetics and perfumes produced by the House of Dana. The company’s brand names were purchased by a Florida company called Dana Classic Fragrances in 1999.

5. Hiccups cure, so they say SCARE
Hiccups is a series of forced intakes of breath, caused by spasms in the muscles of the chest and throat. The most common cause of hiccups is some sort of irritation to the stomach or oesophagus, usually taking place while eating. Apparently, we don’t really understand the reason why we hiccup, but a favored suggestion is that it may be something that we inherited from our ancestors of long ago who didn’t stand up quite as straight as we do. Gravity helps us swallow our food, but animal who walk on all fours don’t have that advantage as the food moves horizontally down the throat and into the stomach. Such beasts are in greater need of an involuntary hiccup should some food get stuck. Just a theory …

10. Wilson’s predecessor TAFT
William Howard Taft may have been the 27th President of the United States, but his lifelong ambition was to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. President Taft was able to realize that dream in 1921, eight years after losing his bid for re-election as president. As Chief Justice, this former US President swore in two new presidents: Calvin Coolidge (in 1925) and Herbert Hoover (in 1929).

Woodrow Wilson was a professor at Princeton from 1890 to 1902 at which time he was promoted to president of the university. Professor Wilson had earned his PhD. at John Hopkins University in 1886, so that when he was elected 28th President of the United States in 1912, he became the only US President to hold a PhD.

14. Economist Greenspan ALAN
Alan Greenspan served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006, the longest anyone has held that post. He was appointed by President Reagan for a four-year term, and was reappointed by subsequent presidents until Greenspan retired. Outside of the world of economics, Greenspan is married to NBC journalist Andrea Mitchell, and back in the seventies he even dated Barbara Walters.

15. Senate aides PAGES
US Senate Pages are 16 and 17-year-old high school juniors who get to watch the political action up close in Washington, while doing the “gofer” jobs needed by the Senators and permanent staff. There are 30 Pages during the school year, 16 appointed by the majority party, and 14 by the minority. The list of former Senate Pages includes Amy Carter (daughter of the President), Chris Dodd (who became a Senator) and Spiro Agnew (who made it to the Vice President’s Office).

17. Proverbial flying companions? BIRDS OF A FEATHER (flock together)
The proverb “birds of a feather flock together” has been around a long time, since the mid-1500s. It is suggested that the original phrase might have been slightly mistranslated into English, perhaps from Latin, and that the verb “fly” might have been the original intent, instead of “flock”.

20. Bare runners STREAKERS
People have been running around naked for an awfully long time, but the application of the word “streaking” to the phenomenon only dates back to 1973. A journalist was reporting on a mass nude run of 533 people at the University of Maryland in 1973, and used the words “they are streaking (i.e. moving quickly) past me right now. It’s an incredible sight!”. The Associated Press picked up the story the next day, and interpreting “streaking” as the term to describe “running naked”, and we’ve been using it that way ever since.

21. Explosive trial N-TEST
There are two classes of nuclear weapons, both of which get the energy for the explosion from nuclear reactions. The first nuclear bombs developed, called atomic bombs (A-bombs), use fission reactions. In an atomic bomb, uranium nuclei are split into smaller nuclei with the release of an awful lot of energy in the process. The second class of nuclear weapons are fusion bombs. Fusion devices are also called thermonuclear weapons or hydrogen bombs (H-bombs). In a fusion reaction, the nuclei of hydrogen isotopes are fused together to form bigger nuclei, with the release of even greater amounts of energy than a fission reaction.

22. GPS suggestion RTE
A global positioning system (GPS) often suggest the best route (rte.).

23. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores SAO
São Miguel Island is the largest island in the archipelago of the Azores.

The Azores is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic lying about 1,000 miles west of Portugal. The Azores are an autonomous region belonging to Portugal.

24. Proverbial pavers? (the road to Hell is paved with) GOOD INTENTIONS
The exact origin of the proverb “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” seems to have lost in the mists of time, although a popular attribution is to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the twelfth century. Regardless, the meaning of the phrase is that good intentions are all very well, but pretty much useless unless acted on.

32. Blacksmith’s wear APRON
Traditionally there has been a distinction between a farrier and a blacksmith. A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

37. Station DEPOT
Our term “depot”, meaning a station or warehouse, derives from the word “dépôt”, French for “deposit” or “place of deposit”.

38. Sorority letters PHIS
Phi is the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet.

40. President before and after Medvedev PUTIN
Vladimir Putin became acting President of Russia at the very end of 1999 when Boris Yeltsin resigned. Putin was elected in his own right in 2000, re-elected in 2004, and then ran up against a term limit in 2008. In 2008 Putin was appointed by his successor, President Dmitry Medvedev, to the position of Prime Minister. Putin is a controversial figure, inside and outside Russia. On the one hand he led the country out of an economic crisis into a period of stability and relative prosperity. On the other hand he has been associated with government corruption and accused of allowing private concerns to have undue influence on government actions. And then there is the Crimea …

Dmitry Medvedev was the third President of Russia from from 2008 to 2012, at which time he was appointed as the country’s tenth Prime Minister. That appointment was made by Medvedev’s successor as president, Vladimir Putin. The president supposedly wields more power than the prime minister according to Russia’s constitution, although it is generally assumed that Putin has been calling most of the shots consistently for many years now. Medvedev had served as Putin’s campaign manager in the 2000 presidential election.

45. Sue Grafton’s “__ for Outlaw” O IS
Sue Grafton writes detective novels, and her “alphabet series” features the private investigator Kinsey Millhone. She started off with “A Is for Alibi” in 1982 and is working her way through the alphabet, most recently publishing “’W’ is for Wasted” in 2009. Apparently Ms. Grafton is working on her “X is for …” novel, and has already decided that “Z is for Zero” will be the final title in the series. What a clever naming system!

46. Ocasek of the Cars RIC
Ric Ocasek is an American musician of Czech heritage, and was the lead vocalist of the rock band known as the Cars.

47. Unskilled workers PEONS
A peon is a lowly worker with no real control over his/her working conditions. The word comes into English from Spanish where it has the same meaning.

50. Lose it GO BANANAS
We use “bananas” today to mean “crazy”, but back in the 1930s the term was underworld slang for “sexually perverted”.

56. Proverbial pyrite? ALL THAT GLITTERS (is not gold)
The proverb “all that glitters is not gold” was famously used by William Shakespeare in his play “The Merchant of Venice”, but it is thought that the phrase had already been around for some time.

Pyrite is a mineral, also known as a iron pyrite. Famously, it has an appearance very similar to gold, so has the nickname “fool’s gold”. Pyrite does find its way into some baubles, which go by the name of marcasite jewelry.

58. Muse of history CLIO
In Greek mythology, the Muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of Muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

– Calliope (epic poetry)
– Clio (history)
– Erato (lyric poetry)
– Euterpe (music)
– Melpomene (tragedy)
– Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
– Terpsichore (dance)
– Thalia (comedy)
– Urania (astronomy)

59. Gauchos’ gear BOLAS
Bolas are heavy balls connected by cords that constitute a throwing weapon. Bolas are often used to capture animals by tripping them as they run. The weapon is usually associated with gauchos, the South American cowboys.

60. Whistle-blowing Brockovich ERIN
Erin Brockovich is an environmental activists who is famous for the role she played in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating drinking water. Her story was told in a 2000 film title “Erin Brockovich” that starred Julia Roberts. Brockovich herself actually appeared in the film as she was given a cameo as a waitress in a restaurant scene.

61. Great Smokies st. TENN
The Great Smoky Mountains are a subrange of the Appalachians and are located in North Carolina and Tennessee. The “Smokies” lie almost entirely within the bounds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is the most-visited national park in the whole country. The name “Smoky” is a reference to the natural fog often seen hanging over the range. The fog is actually a vapor made up of volatile organic compounds released by the vegetation covering the peaks.

Down
3. “Last Comic Standing” judge Roseanne BARR
The comedienne Roseanne Barr is perhaps best known as the star of her own sitcom called “Roseanne” in which she played the character Roseanne Conner. In 2012 Barr unsuccessfully vied for the Green Party’s nomination for US President. She didn’t give up though, and was successful in winning the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party. In the 2012 presidential election she earned over 60,000 votes, and placed sixth in the list of candidates.

“Last Comic Standing” is a reality TV show in which stand-up comedians vie for a cash prize and a development contract with NBC for a comedy show. The current version of the show has Wanda Sykes as executive producer and JB Smoove as host.

7. Biology lab gel AGAR
Agar (also “agar-agar”) is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

9. Jargony suffix -ESE
“Jargon” can mean nonsensical and meaningless talk, or the specialized language of a particular group, trade or profession. The term is Old French, with the more usual meaning of “a chattering”. How apt …

10. Parlor art TATTOO
The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”, or informally as “ink”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.

11. Stadium named for a tennis great ASHE
The Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York opened in 1997 and is the largest outdoor, tennis-only venue in the world. The stadium is sometimes criticized for not having a retractable dome to protect the playing surface from inclement weather.

18. Nightie material SATIN
The material known as “satin” takes its name from “Zayton”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou. Quanzhou was used for the export of large amounts of silk to Europe.

19. Diarist Nin ANAIS
Anaïs Nin was a French author, famous for her journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

23. Never mind, to an editor STET
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

24. Meanders GADS
“To gad about” is to move around with little purpose. The word “gad” comes from the Middle English “gadden” meaning “to hurry”.

25. Talk show for 25 seasons, familiarly OPRAH
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” ran for twenty-five seasons, from 1986 to 2011, and is the highest-rated talk show ever broadcast on American television. The show won 47 Daytime Emmy Awards, and no doubt would have won more, but the host decided to stop submitting it for consideration way back in 2000.

28. “Silas Marner” foundling EPPIE
“Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe” is a novel written by George Eliot and first published in 1861. There’s an excellent BBC TV version of the tale (shown on PBS) starring Ben Kingsley in the title role, with Patsy Kensit playing Eppie, the young orphaned child that Marner takes under his wing.

29. Glowing signs NEONS
The basic design of neon lighting was first demonstrated at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Such lighting is made up of glass tubes containing a vacuum into which has been introduced a small amount of neon gas. When a voltage is applied between two electrodes inside the tube the neon gas “glows”, giving off the familiar light.

30. Like four Sandy Koufax games NO-HIT
Sandy Koufax is a retired baseball pitcher for the Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Koufax was the first player to win three Cy Young Awards, and the first player to pitch four no-hitters. He was also an iconic Jewish American in the field of sports, notably refusing to play in the first game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. When Koufax was invited to attend a White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month in 2010, President Obama remarked that he and Kofax had something in common. The president continued, “He can’t pitch on Yom Kippur. I can’t pitch.” Funny …

31. Book back SPINE
In the US, the convention is to write the title on the spine of a book from top-to-bottom. In most of Europe, the convention is to write the title from bottom-to-top. We have a lot of books in the “library” in our house from both sides of the Atlantic, and so there is much moving of the head from left to right as we glance along our bookshelves.

40. Scam using spam, perhaps PHISH
Phishing is the name given to the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PIN numbers etc.”

43. Chinese dumpling WONTON
A wonton is a dumpling used in Chinese cooking. Wontons are often boiled and served in a wonton soup.

44. Hold ’em declaration I RAISE
The official birthplace of the incredibly popular poker game of Texas Hold ‘Em is Robstown, Texas where the game dates back to the early 1900s. The game was introduced into Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan enthusiasts including Doyle Brunson, a champion often seen playing on TV today. Doyle Brunson published a poker strategy guide in 1978, and this really helped increase the popularity of the game. But it was the inclusion of Texas Hold ‘Em in the television line-up that really gave the game its explosive surge in popularity, with the size of the prize money just skyrocketing.

47. Kyoto Protocol, e.g. PACT
The Kyoto Protocol is designed to fight global warming and was adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. Almost 200 states have since signed the protocol and have committed to achieving the year 2012 targets laid down in the document. The most notable signature absent on the document is one representing the United States, as we are responsible for over one third of the greenhouse gases emitted across the world. The other significant polluters that have not ratified the agreement are China, India and Brazil.

48. Fashion monthly ELLE
“Elle” magazine was founded in 1945 in France and today has the highest circulation of any fashion magazine in the world. “Elle” is the French word for “she”. “Elle” is published monthly worldwide, although you can pick up a weekly edition if you live in France.

49. Lena of “Chocolat” OLIN
The lovely Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, the lovely Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland.

“Chocolat” is big screen adaption of the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. “Chocolat” tells the story of a young mother with a six-year-old daughter who opens up a chocolate shop in a French village. The mother is played by the lovely Juliette Binoche.

50. Pontiac muscle cars GTOS
The acronym GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, which is an Italian phrase that translates as “Grand Touring Homologated”. Italian car manufacturers started the tradition of calling their luxury performance cars “Gran Turismo”, and calling those cars they approved for racing “Gran Turismo Omologato”. The phrase “gran turismo omologato” translates as “grand touring homologated”, with “homologated” being a technical term signifying official approval.

53. Wolfe of fiction NERO
Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective and the hero of many stories published by author Rex Stout. There are 33 Nero Wolfe novels for us to read, and 39 short stories. There are also movie adaptations of two of the novels: “Meet Nero Wolfe” (1936) which features a young Rita Hayworth, and “The League of Frightened Men” (1937). One of Wolfe’s endearing traits is his love of good food and beer, so he is a pretty rotund character.

55. Some employee IDs SSNS
Social Security Number (SSN)

57. __ Dhabi ABU
Abu Dhabi is one of the seven Emirates that make up the federation known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two largest members of the UAE (geographically) are Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the only two of the seven members that have veto power over UAE policy. Before 1971, the UAE was a British Protectorate, a collection of sheikdoms. The sheikdoms entered into a maritime truce with Britain in 1835, after which they became known as the Trucial States, derived from the word “truce”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. House of Dana fragrance TABU
5. Hiccups cure, so they say SCARE
10. Wilson’s predecessor TAFT
14. Economist Greenspan ALAN
15. Senate aides PAGES
16. On a cruise ASEA
17. Proverbial flying companions? BIRDS OF A FEATHER (flock together)
20. Bare runners STREAKERS
21. Explosive trial N-TEST
22. GPS suggestion RTE
23. __ Miguel, largest of the Azores SAO
24. Proverbial pavers? (the road to Hell is paved with) GOOD INTENTIONS
32. Blacksmith’s wear APRON
33. Fencing equipment EPEES
34. Bow (out) OPT
36. Real bore DRAG
37. Station DEPOT
38. Sorority letters PHIS
39. Tended little ones SAT
40. President before and after Medvedev PUTIN
41. Move stealthily SLINK
42. Proverbial loser? HE WHO HESITATES (is lost)
45. Sue Grafton’s “__ for Outlaw” O IS
46. Ocasek of the Cars RIC
47. Unskilled workers PEONS
50. Lose it GO BANANAS
56. Proverbial pyrite? ALL THAT GLITTERS (is not gold)
58. Muse of history CLIO
59. Gauchos’ gear BOLAS
60. Whistle-blowing Brockovich ERIN
61. Great Smokies st. TENN
62. “I’m at your disposal” USE ME
63. Lays down the lawn SODS

Down
1. Keep __ on: observe TABS
2. Came down to earth ALIT
3. “Last Comic Standing” judge Roseanne BARR
4. Long shot UNDERDOG
5. Already claimed, with “for” SPOKEN
6. Stylish eatery CAFE
7. Biology lab gel AGAR
8. Officiates, briefly REFS
9. Jargony suffix -ESE
10. Parlor art TATTOO
11. Stadium named for a tennis great ASHE
12. Late charges, e.g. FEES
13. Lemony TART
18. Nightie material SATIN
19. Diarist Nin ANAIS
23. Never mind, to an editor STET
24. Meanders GADS
25. Talk show for 25 seasons, familiarly OPRAH
26. Deliver an address ORATE
27. Spots for caps and crowns TEETH
28. “Silas Marner” foundling EPPIE
29. Glowing signs NEONS
30. Like four Sandy Koufax games NO-HIT
31. Book back SPINE
35. Chiding sounds TSKS
37. Teams on police shows, often DUOS
38. Calms using concessions PLACATES
40. Scam using spam, perhaps PHISH
41. Stretch in the service STINT
43. Chinese dumpling WONTON
44. Hold ’em declaration I RAISE
47. Kyoto Protocol, e.g. PACT
48. Fashion monthly ELLE
49. Lena of “Chocolat” OLIN
50. Pontiac muscle cars GTOS
51. Eye lasciviously OGLE
52. “Kapow!” BLAM!
53. Wolfe of fiction NERO
54. Like Arizona’s climate, largely ARID
55. Some employee IDs SSNS
57. __ Dhabi ABU

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13 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 20 Aug 14, Wednesday”

  1. Enjoyed today's theme, not a typical add/delete a letter or such.
    Phis and Phish in the same grid? (Groan!)

    Have a great day all!

  2. Hello Bill, and friends,

    Fairly quick solve – it took me a short time to figure out the common long answers. Very cute and entertaining.

    45 years ago, my 'home paper', a requirement for graduation for a B.S. (in Chemical Engineering) was an essay on 'Design of a fluidized bed reactor, for the roasting of Iron Pyrites, for the manufacture of Sulfuric Acid'. Memories. I have several pyrite cubes on my desk.

    'All that glitters, is not gold'. Especially the US One dollar, golden (colored – ), coins, of Sacagawea and the various US Presidents.

    Manganese brass looks just like gold …. but has only copper, zinc and manganese.

    Have a nice day, all.

  3. Yeah, can't say too much about the grid. ALIT reared its ugly head again.

    Always wanted to meet Sandy Koufax. I hear he's very personable. In contract to Bob Gibson, who I met as an 8-year-old little league, as was every bit as intimidating as the stories said. 🙂

    Enjoy your Mittwoch, alles!

  4. Hello Bill et al –

    I liked the puzzle overall. "Blam"? I don't even remember that being on the old Batman series.

    Also I was a little disappointed that longshot was the clue for underdog instead of some reference to the cartoon character. I hear some parents these days don't like the fact that he took a pill for energy. There was an old cartoon when I was a kid called Tobor (robot backwards)the 8th man He derived his superpowers from cigarettes so I'd give poor Underdog a break.

    Lastly, hiccups. Everyone on the planet has their own hiccup remedy….so here's mine: I had a doctor tell me years ago that it's usually an acidic stomach that causes them. I take an antacid with water and eat something soothing – e.g. cheese or something. I've been using that cure for 20 years, and I don't ever remember it failing me.

    Best –

  5. Thursdays have been pretty hard for the most part lately, but this one went the other direction. Why is that we like a "harder" puzzle, as long as it's not "too" hard for us? (g). Let's see what tomorrow brings. See you all on the "flip side" as us old folks who recall records (especially 45's) liked to say at one time.

  6. Hi Bill, Vidwan, Sfingi, Addict, Piano Man, Jeff, Tony, Willie D and all of you solvers!
    I think I was not in the mood to do this puzzle, because on the first pass I came up with mostly nothing. Couldn't even think of ALAN Greenspan. The long answers were so spotty I couldn't even guess until ALL THAT GLITTERS appeared. Then it was more of a slog than fun. Dunno, just didn't care for this one. Technically, incomplete because of OLiN/CLiO.
    Now, hiccups….
    Don't know where I read it, or heard it, but I just cut a small piece of lemon (about garnish size) and put it in my mouth a chew it (rind and all)and poof!
    No more hiccups.
    It helps that I usually have Meyer lemons around, from neighbors who have trees.
    Meyers are very juicy and not as sour as the store bought kind.
    So next time try lemon.
    No rain for us. Sure wish we would get some.
    Have a great rest of the day, everyone.

  7. @Addict
    PHIS and PHISH … I missed that. At least they weren't crossing each other 🙂

    @Vidwan
    My brother and his family are arriving from Ireland this weekend, and will be staying in Gold Country just north of here. We are planning on visiting a gold mine, and maybe be doing a little panning for gold … or maybe iron pyrite 🙂

    @Willie
    Well, at least today's puzzle ALIT without an OREO in tow … 🙂

    @Jeff
    You know, I scratched my head at "BLAM!" as well. Here are some more familiar "terms" fromn the show. Thanks for the hiccup remedy. I might just try that!

    @Tony
    Well, today's was a little easier than the usual Thursday, maybe because today is Wednesday!

    @Pookie
    I must say that Jeff's suggested cure fo hiccups sounds more palatable, but someone who is desperate will try anything. My neighbor has a lemon tree that she hangs over into our backyard, and she kindly encourages to takes as much of the fruit as we need. So, we'll definitely be trying the lemon-cure for hiccups. Thank you!

  8. OMG Bill – I looked at that video and had as good a laugh as I've had all week. Wow – that's classic stuff. "Kapow" was, indeed, in the scene, but no "blam".

    And as another recommendation for the hiccup remedy, TUMS are my choice for the antacid with water – then any cheese you find palatable will calm down the situation.

  9. @Tony
    Trust me, I get the day mixed up all the time. One problem is that I am always doing the puzzle for a particular day on the evening before. Very confusing for my slow brain …

    @Jeff
    Wasn't the fight scene so scary? I think it's great to take a rest from the Hollywood fight scene and just watch some less spectacular fights, like in old Batman shows. Even better is watching Brits fight like real men fight, as in "Bridget Jones's Diary". Great stuff …

  10. Re: 30down. Who or what is Houfa? And what's funny about Obamas statement "he cant pitch on Yom Kippur
    I can' t. Pitch . I don' t get it. ?…????

  11. Hi there, Anonymous visitor.

    I was obviously moving too quickly when typing up this post. "Houfa" was meant to read "Kofax". I wasn't even close! All fixed now.

  12. @ anonymous:

    Sandy Koufax was an observant Jew. He is perhaps best remembered (aside from 3 Cy Young awards, 4 no hitters, a perfect game and the NL pitcher's Triple Crown) for refusing to pitch in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins, because it fell on Yom Kippur. The Twins thusly beat up on Don Drysdale for 7 or 8 runs in the game, but went on to win the Series in 7.

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