1.08.2010

FRIDAY, Jan. 8, 2010 — Dan Naddor




THEME: MM to MP — change a letter, get a wacky answer...

One of 20 Dan Naddor puzzles still in the LAT pipeline (according to the lovely LAT obituary published the other day), so his fans have a lot to look forward to.

Found this one more challenging than the usual change-a-letter puzzle. Took me a while to get the theme — actually had to stop and look at the first two theme answers to figure out what it was because I was getting Nowhere with the front ends of the last three theme answers. Once I divined the premise, I was able to get those last three theme answers pretty easily and finish the thing off. I have one major criticism of this puzzle: a patch of 12 contiguous squares in the south-west-central part of the puzzle that I really, really wish I could excise and replace with something else, because the answers involved are all super-ugly abbreviations / contractions. This answer bloc includes the parallel Downs TFR, DESC, and EV'RY, as well as the "T" from TRS. Any one of these might have passed without notice (least jarring is EV'RY), but as a clump, they're borderline intolerable. I didn't know what TFR (31D: Mil. request) or DESC (39D: Invoice column hdg.) ("HDG.!!!?") even was — had to look both up when I was done ("transfer" and "description" (!) respectively). The "S" at TRS / DESC intersection was a flat-out (if slightly educated) guess.

Theme answers:
  • 18A: Cool body shop specialist? (bumper dude) — my favorite of the lot, as imagining the origin phrase makes me laugh.
  • 23A: Apple shipping vehicles? (computer trains)
  • 36A: Like overcrowded medical clinics? (cramped for exams)
  • 47A: Short, fat pen filler? (dumpy cartridge)
  • 54A: Laundry security device? (hamper lock)
Crosswordese 101: TYRO (29A: Inexperienced one) — a common crossword word, one I actually knew *before* I stared crosswords. Always sounds like a toy company to me (TYCO). Also reminds me of artist Tycho Brahe (great name for crosswords). Look for variant spelling TIRO.

What else?

  • 10A: Keyboardist Hess (MYRA) — nooooooo idea. She's a pianist. Why "keyboardist?"


  • 2D: Pop-jazz band named for an algae genus (Spyro Gyra) — not very pop. Had totally forgotten about them until I had almost every cross filled in.
  • 1A: Mil. awards (DSCs) — will do everything in my power to avoid mil. award abbreviations, of any type. So common, so various, so blech. This one stands for "Distinguished Service Cross."

Lastly, love the unintentional dogness of the puzzle. The NIP from a LAB PUP, and of course an ARF (here, clued correctly, as a simple [Pound sound]).

See you Monday,

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Mil. awards (DSCS); 5A: Pro's employee (AGENT); 10A: Keyboardist Hess (MYRA); 14A: Colorful deepwater fish (OPAH); 15A: Sylvester's "Rocky" co-star (TALIA); 16A: Like The Citadel, today (COED); 17A: High-tech unit (BYTE); 18A: Cool body shop specialist? (BUMPER DUDE); 20A: Destructive spree (RAMPAGE); 22A: Perrier rival (EVIAN); 23A: Apple shipping vehicles? (COMPUTER TRAINS); 26A: Ottoman officer (AGA); 27A: E-mail endings, at times (PSS); 28A: Staff (ROD); 29A: Inexperienced one (TYRO); 31A: Coffee-flavored liqueur (TIA MARIA); 36A: Like overcrowded medical clinics? (CRAMPED FOR EXAMS); 40A: Toot consequence (HANGOVER); 41A: Car with a bar (LIMO); 42A: __-80: old RadioShack computer (TRS); 43A: Lee side: Abbr. (CSA); 46A: Palindromic diarist (NIN); 47A: Short, fat pen filler? (DUMPY CARTRIDGE); 52A: Important peninsula in the Six-Day War, 1967 (SINAI); 53A: Pursue (GO AFTER); 54A: Laundry security device? (HAMPER LOCK); 57A: Much more than tickle (SLAY); 59A: "The __ lama, he's a priest ...": Nash (ONE L); 60A: Arigato : Japan :: __ : Germany (DANKE); 61A: Pal (MATE); 62A: Evening spread? (PATE); 63A: Hardly a miniature gulf (ABYSS); 64A: Regards (EYES); 1D: Baseball card stat (DOB); 2D: Pop-jazz band named for an algae genus (SPYRO GYRA); 3D: Twin-hulled boat (CATAMARAN); 4D: Curly's predecessor and successor (SHEMP); 5D: Turns to swing (AT BATS); 6D: Measuring instruments (GAUGES); 7D: Cartoon hunter (ELMER); 8D: Snort (NIP); 9D: __ Bo (TAE); 10D: Early 15th century year (MCDVI); 11D: Dealer's query (YOU IN); 12D: __ a beet (RED AS); 13D: City SSE of Sana'a (ADEN); 19D: Text file with program instructions (READ ME); 21D: __ tent (PUP); 23D: Call during a toss (CATCH); 24D: The Supremes, e.g. (TRIO); 25D: Engine sound (ROAR); 30D: Texter's "Yikes!" (OMG); 31D: Mil. request (TFR.); 32D: Rose of rock (AXL); 33D: Result of an ump's decision, maybe (RAIN DELAY); 34D: Come to a new land (IMMIGRATE); 35D: Together (AS ONE); 37D: Crusty entrée (POTPIE); 38D: "Climb __ Mountain": "The Sound of Music" song (EV'RY); 39D: Invoice column hdg. (DESC.); 43D: Stew holders (CROCKS); 44D: They may be raised during a game (STAKES); 45D: Pound sound (ARF); 47D: Grammy winner Krall (DIANA); 48D: Not yet fulfilled (UNMET); 49D: Sugar source (MAPLE); 50D: Torment (AGONY); 51D: Bell ringer's reply (IT'S ME); 52D: Artisan's work area (SHOP); 55D: Food no. usually shown in milligrams (RDA); 56D: Chemist's work area (LAB); 58D: "Amen!" ("YES!").

52 comments:

Rex Parker said...

There is now a comment limit. Three per reader. Go over and your comments will be deleted.

Thank you for understanding our desire to keep this comments section manageable — and welcoming to all readers.

RP

JOHNSNEVERHOME said...

Well today we get another nice Naddor treat!
I really loved this puzzle with its replacement-letter theme.
Lots of cute puns ala Naddor. Lots of nice fresh fill words, like DANKE, SINAI, MYRA (Hess), GAUGES, IMMIGRATE, CATAMARAN, and TIA MARIA.

OMG, this puzzle is sooo nostalgic for me (sorry Rex)!

Rocky: a great great movie with Sylvester Stallone and TALIA Shire.

ELMER Fudd as the “cartoon hunter.”

Then there were the “Four” Stooges: Moe, Curly, Larry, and SHEMP. Huh?

And a very Supreme TRIO

AXL Rose of rock.

DIANA Krall… mmmm! Fly Me to the Moon! Well and then there’s Sinatra’s rendition too.

I think this was the very first concert (with a pop-jazz band) that I took my younger son to (a century ago): SPYRO GYRA "Heliopolis" 1979
Whoa…what? HELIOpolis? Bingo!

And there’s my favorite poet, Ogden Nash and his “ONEL lama.”

Okay, now who likes Chicken POT PIE?

Someone please tell me about TIA MARIA.

Thanks Rex, for the nice writeup and the Dame Myra Hess clip. That pic of the old TRS-80 sure brings back memories. But I was a PDP-8 and PDP-11 guy myself. Just being a little snooty.

Time for breakfast at Apple Villa with Adrian… it’ll probably be their Apple Baby today.

Van55 said...

I liked the puzzle overall, with the punny theme answers.

The TRS/DESC cross stumped me even with a run through the alphabet. The S eluded me.

*David* said...

Too many abbreviations made this puzzle problematic. To make it worse they crossed each other which should be close to a no-no with DSCS/DOB and TRS/DESC/EVRY. I also didn't like having a five letter Roman numeral entry, if you're going Roamn numeral try to keep it to three letters maybe a four letter fill.

I did like SPYRO GYRA which I've seen in a couple of other puzzles and TIA MARIA. Those two stacked 9s in each corner going down were probably my favorite part of the puzzle.

imsdave said...

@Van55 - that S was the last letter in the grid for me (third run through the alphabet).

re: TFR - I had no clue - just did a little googling and one of the definitions is a bit more timely:

TFR (acronym) - Temporary Flight Restriction.

@*David* - (good name there) - TIAMARIA is vastly preferable to Kahlua and Spyro Gyra, besides being a good entry in a grid, is/was(?) a wonderful jazz/soft rock fusion band.

shrub5 said...

I had to google once to get the fish OPAH so I could finish the upper left corner. The baseball card stat DOB and the mil. award DSCS then fell into place. Thought that the puzzle was enough of a cerebral challenge for a Friday.

In addition to Rex's discovery of "unintentional dogness", I noticed a baseball mini-theme with CATCH, DOB, AT BATS and RAIN DELAY.

Surprised to learn SPYROGYRA was an algae genus and LOL'd at HANGOVER for toot consequence.

One and I'm done. (for now)

Anonymous said...

Can somebody please explain CSA for "lee side: Abbr."? I don't get it I'm afraid. Great puzzle. So sad about Dan Naddor.

Johnny said...

@Anonymous = The Lee was Robert E Lee, and CSA = Confederate States of America.

Anonymous said...

CSA is Confederate States of America, for Robert E. Lee
JB in VA
(we have to know this stuff)

Burner10 said...

Thanks for keeping the blogways more open - I was feeling a bit lost lately.
Also - didn't catch the DN obit link and very much appreciated the read (and moreso because of the loss) the puzzle.
I love coming here for the links - retro thanks for the Merl birthday puzzles (easy and sweet).
Today I feel oh so smart cuz I knew Spyro Gyra with the P from Opah (former 101). Happy Friday.

Anonymous said...

@Rex
Dame Myra Hess is more appropriately called a keyboardist, because she played several keyboard instruments:
clavichord, harpsichord, piano, and the pianoforte.
She was also considered a composer. A truly great musician!
Bach's work that she is playing was actually written as a choral piece.

Orange said...

Dummy cartridges are not so familiar to me, so the theme gets a B+. Any sort of cartridge, really, is boring, so punning on it doesn't bring home the whimsy.

The puzzle had to work hard to win me over after the DSCS/OPAH opening. If a puzzle must have fill like that (...and quite often, it's necessary to make other nice stuff fit together), man, it's best not to open with it in the upper left corner. DOB's clue wasn't doing much for me either, since date of birth is on a zillion things more resonant to me than baseball cards.

Googler said...

Does anyone know why, when I start typing clues into Google, it completes my search with the full clue? It feels as though some of you have already searched for the exact phrase and Google remembered it.

Seems a little spooky to me.

Tinbeni said...

My 1st computer was a Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80. My audit career involved looking at a few million invoices DESC (description) column heading (hdg). My lifestyle consumed a lot of POTPIEs. So the middle was a slam-dunk.

YES! Its friday and OMG a Dan Naddor. I knew the puns were coming. Puns with some BYTE! Great theme, got it early.

TIA MARIA (my aunt) is not something I would snort (NIP). You have to toot too much Scotch to get a HANGOVER!

TALIA, MYRA + DIANA lovely TRIO

Music, baseball, food & drink. Just about covers everything to GO AFTER!

Parsan said...

This was hard for me but I slogged through it. Expected the theme first word clues to fit answers: Apple-COMPUTER, Like overcrowded-CRAMPED, Short-DUMPY, Laundry-HAMPER, but couldn't get the Cool body shop specialist-BUMPER DUDE to make sense until the M substitution kicked in. Didn't like that clue.

Tech clues and abrevations filled in but left me--WTH! (my Mother taught me not to use that other word). CFR? DESC? TRS? READ ME? PSS? I get so tense at tech clues that even BYTE (so obvious) took a while.

However, DSC, DOB, AXL, ONEL, TYRO, CSA, NIN, SINAI and SHEMP got me started.

Had club (car) for LIMO, thought bell ringers had something to do with The Salvation Army (thank you!) and Shire for TALIA. Not my day!

Cool clued answers were YOU IN, RAIN DELAY, and HANGOVER.

Can someone explain the DANKE clue?

I know EVIAN is popular but we have good tap water, rated 3rd in the state recently. A French foreign exchange student living with us during the Perrier explosion in the US said they wouldn't drink it where she lived. My personal opinion is that bottled water is often a scam.
@SFINGI--One of the most popular ones here (or was) is bottled from the Utica city water supply!! Your water is better than ours, but we still are paying our water bills and buying your water???

@Rex--Thank you for the Bach.
Wonderful calming music. Perhaps we should have had it yesterday.
My piano teacher used to play MYRA Hess recordings for me to show me
what I should be doing. (it didn't help).













@Sfingi--

Anonymous said...

@Parsan
Both arigato and DANKE mean thank you in their countries Japan and Germany respectively

GLowe said...

@Googler;
A lot of fill clues are recycled, EG "Sewing Kit" or "Ornamental Case" for ETUI.
(My personal ETUI collection is spectacular! Especially the one that says "Mom went to Las Vegas and all I got was this lousy ETUI!")

... and, the google has a looooong memory. So it will autocomplete for you. It's also used by construtors (OK one kinda constructor) to test/complete phrases. Say I'm looking for something to go with an awesome theme word like .... LEATHER. I do this:
LEATHER A
LEATHER B
LEATHER C... (I could go on but there's a pattern here)

... and see what pops up, like TUSCADERO, or LUNGS. Then the theme phrase AQUALUNGS, the word LEATHER can precede.

So far this has worked well in selling 0 of several dozen puzzles!

Parsan said...

@Thanks Anon--Knew DANKE and should have put it together. Doh!

Sorry about the @Sfingi add on. My computer is acting up again and erasing or down spacing what I type.

It's early, but I guess I need a NIP of TIA MARIA on the rocks. Tasty but not as good as scotch!

chefbea said...

Fun puzzle but as many have said... too many abbreviations. I still don't know what Desc. is. anyone?

@JNH Tia Maria is a great after dinner drink; after you have had your scotch and chicken pot pie

Anonymous said...

DESC = the description column on an invoice. Crappy clue!

chefbea said...

Boy am I embarrassed for not knowing that. Guess you could say I'm as red as.....

Rex Parker said...

I explain DESC. in the write-up. Sigh.

GoG8rs said...

This was hard for me--especially the aforementioned SW corner. Couldn't get a handle on the "short, fat pen filler" and decided it wasn't about ink pens but livestock pens. Obviously that resulted in a lot of cross outs and back tracking. Sugar source also eluded me as all I could think of "canes" "beets'. Finally got "crammed for exams" so I had no notion of a crusty entree was until I, um, well, googled.
Wanted 51D , bell ringers reply to be " a peal" Ha ha
Always like the Nash "oneL" clue...one of my favorite poems beside his pelican poem, which I just learned from the google he didn't write. TMI !!!
"A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His mouth can hold more than his belly can,
He can hold in his beak,
Enough food for a week.
I'm damned if I know how the hell he can!"

GoG8rs said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GoG8rs said...

Sorry, don't know how to remove the double post. Anyone?

imsdave said...

just click on the trash can at the bottom of it GoG8rs

lit.doc said...

Thanks for the detailed critique, Rex. After the pummeling I got from this puzzle’s ROD and “Staff”, it helped to hear that the difficulty wasn’t merely in my imagination, or lack thereof. Wallowing my way through it (hung over) felt remarkably similar to how it felt last night watching Texas get their butts kicked by ‘bama while getting own butt kicked my the NYT puzz while administering Jameson’s to wounded area. So to speak.

Got the letter-replacement thing from COMPUTER TRAINS. Cute. I like (to me) clever word play in puzzles. But totally had a brain fart over “Toot consequence”. BAD SMELL, maybe? (Geez, I hope no one else is sufficiently under-medicated to have gone there.) But c’mon. A HANGOVER is something you get from overmedicating with e.g. Jameson’s (just a theory), not from a NIP or even a “Snort” of coke (again, just a theory).

Last letter filled was the cross of 31A “What?” and 31D “Huh?!”. Should have seen the break in and the T for _IAMARIA sooner, I suppose, as I’m sure I’ve seen ad’s for it, but I’ve never seen or tasted the product. And WTF is a TFR?! Googled it after finishing the puzz and found a list of I think twelve mil. uses of the abbr., but none of them sounded much like something to be requested.

Favorite moment of the day was the memory evoked by 7A’s “Cartoon hunter”. Wish I had the tech skill to rip and embed a video of Elmer Fudd singing “Kill da wabbit…” to the tune of Die Valküre. I’d be surprised if it weren’t on youtube. Think I’ll go find out.

Anonymous said...

@lit.doc: Rex explained TFR in his write-up. Sigh.
Right next to his explanation of DESC. Sigh.

@RP: I saved you one comment.

Rex Parker said...

Nobody reads. No bo dy reeeeeeads. Alas alack and lay-away.

rp

ddbmc said...

For 2a Pro's employee, I had "caddy," "toady," "PRman" before remembering "Agent." D'Oh.

Agree that there were too many abbrs. and contractions. Got the theme with "cramped for exams" answer, then worked back through the other puns.

Myra Hess was a ???? Thought it might be some obscure rock artist, but after reading about Dan Naddor, I should have known it would be a bit more high faloutin'.

Remembered Spyro Gyra from Bio 101 and the now defunct NYC radio station, CD101.9,used to play them quite a bit.

So I guess there is a mini-music theme going on here today, too, with Diana Krall (married to Elvis Costello AND it is THE ELVIS' birthday today Jail House Rock ), Myra Hess, aforementioned Spyro Gyra, The Supremes, Axl Rose (actually went with older son to a Guns and Roses Concert for 21st birthday. The big "IF" was IF Axl was going to show! Ear plugs needed), Tia Maria is not only a liqueur, but a songstress, and don't the Greeks sing/shout "Opah, Opah?(sp)" Rampage Music is the home of James Ryan, who does movie scores....ok, I might be stretching it.
Opa Opa
I'll zip it now!

lit.doc said...

@ Rex and @Anon 12:24 - Oops! OMG, I'm around high school students all day--could not reading the instructions be contagious??

mac said...

Agree with Rex's write-up, didn't enjoy this one too much. I also had a problem getting to the puzzle. My usual LAT puzzle icon on my toolbar would give me all I usually see except for it.

I don't mind the Latin numerals so much since it is 5 different letters. Was it Xan who did 6? Bumper dude is very funny. Cramped for exams could have been crammed as well in the sentence, that prevented me from seeing the theme quickly.

gespenst said...

RRRRRGH. My post was eaten. Hate that.

I did want to thank those who sent congrats on Wednesday, and props to ddbmc for catching the ghost reference :)

Unlike Rex, I got SPYROGYRA from the S alone (DSCS), but there were plenty of other answers I needed lots of crosses for. I definitely didn't get TFR till I read it in the writeup.

I wanted HEADS or TAILS for 23D, and even briefly entertained CAPUT (but TANG_V__ made no sense). The fact that PRYO sounded right perpetuated that mistake.

I enjoyed the puzzle overall, but then I like DN's puzzles. Sorry to hear of his death. I did yesterday's puzzle very late and read the writeup after this one.

I'm sure I had lots of other witty comments in my original (eaten) post but this will have to do.

BTW, I'm almost sorry I missed the fun yesterday ;)

gespenst said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CrazyCat said...

Good Friday Dan Naddor puzzle. His Obit yesterday was very touching. Sounds like a fun guy.

So this was somewhat challenging for me, but not too bad. I was able to figure out the theme at BUMPER DUDE (like the pic of the Hello Kitty BUMPER car) and was able to fill them all in pretty easily until I got to DUMPY CARTRIDGE - Don't know what a Dummy Cartridge is. So I just had DUMPY and had to wait for the crosses to fill in the rest.

Was somewhat troubled by the aforementioned offenders DSCS, DECS and TFR. Had no idea what any of them meant until Rex explained.

I was also confused by EVRY and wondered where the E went. Liked OMG my Yikes of choice. Other than that all was good.

Entropy said...

@gespenst
Heads or Tails there is always a CATCH.

Where is this Gulf of ABYSS?
Apparently is is 'hardly miniature' but I can't find it on any map

Anonymous said...

@Entropy, not only is it 'hardly miniature', it's also a 'gulf' and not a 'Gulf'.

Anonymous said...

@Entropy
That's a cool avatar. Are those OPAH?

imsdave said...

@anon 2:58 - they look like clown fish to me, but I'm sure Entropy will correct me if I'm wrong (that's been known to happen from time to time)

Entropy said...

@Anonymous 2:58
Clown fish ...

They laugh at those who have no name.
And those who think there is a difference between gulf and Gulf?

Anonymous said...

Would someone please explain why (64A) is clued "Regards" (EYES)?

Phil said...

@Anon - Regard (as a verb) has as one of its definitions 'To look at, observe', as does eye (as a verb). Hence, Regards = EYES

bluebell said...

We,too, had a TRS-80 as our first computer (bought secondhand). We've been through a number of computers since.

I associate Myra Hess with concerts at St. Martins in the Field during World War II (and, no, I wasn't there!). One of the comedy sketches in "Beyond the Fringe" uses a line about her.

Tinbeni said...

@bluebell
Yeah, the great TRS-80, by our standards today. POS (piece of s***).
I could do amortiztion schedules on them, a big deal 30 years ago.
Then I got an IBM-AT with ... wait for it ... 30MB hard drive, $8K.
When Apollo 11 went to the Moon their computers had the equivalence of a Commodore 64 on board.

GEICO now has ELMER Fudd in their ads.

TYRO, MYRA Hess, OPAH all learned from crossword puzzles. I try to explain this to my gal-pal but she thinks these things are a waste of time. I consider them a book-nerds hobby.

27-A "E-mail endings, at times" PSS (I know what it means) but Really??? Not based on the emails I receive. Most people email like they are texting. Hardly in letter form.

@Lit.doc. Tia Maria with coffee, before you face those children might brighten your day. Try it, you'll like it (but DO remember the source).

@Chefbea
I knew that your favorite clue was 12-d, I love your Avatar.

@Crazycatlady
After a few to many (something?) I pronounce it Ev'ry all the time.
But without yesterdays Tonic or Soda, I never have a HANGOVER ... and YES, that was my favorite answer!!!

@Entropy
Nice avatar, welcome to the party pal.

gespenst said...

I've been told that when the TRS-80came out, all the techno nerds were so enthralled it was nicknamed "Totally Replacing Sex"-80.

Though if they were that nerdy, were they getting any to begin with?

Whoops, I forgot to be PC again ;)

chefbea said...

@IMSDave you are playing the piano now??? instead of golf??

CrazyCat said...

@Tinbini - Much talk about HANGOVERS today. It's enough to make my head pound in AGONY. After yesterday's comment section, maybe they should change the blog name to Middle Aged Crossword Solvers Gone Wild.

Entropy said...

@genpenst
Yup! Those of us who were there when the first computers came out were nerdy alright.
I remember it well.

I bought my first Porsche at 20.
Lotus Elan at 23.
Ferrari at ... was it 27 or 28?

Traveled all over the world helping "this company and that company" update their systems. Just because I knew all about databases.
Had email 15 years before everyone else did when Windows-95 finally came out.

Took 3 company's public, and IPO's do not pay well.
So I retired at 52.

Though I did call my secretary an Executive Assistant ... she was a secretary. (oops, now that is a non-PC moment).

It was really HARD getting laid.

JOHNSNEVERHOME said...

Awhile back we were all discussing the Dutch Baby (and not Ronnie Reagan as a child).
Today I had my breakfast at Apple Villa with my BFF Sandy … had their specialty Apple Dutch Baby.
Now for me that really is TRS ("Totally Replacing Sex"). Don't tell Sandy I said that.

Tinbeni said...

@JNH
I thought is was around Christmas (after the BCE snafu) and aren't they called Dutch Baby Pancakes?
I never understood why small pancakes got so much coverage.

Hey, I'm a single guy, to me a pancake, however it is made or sizes-up, if it is edible, I say YES! With some MAPLE syrup.

@Crazycatlady
Well until today, with the 3 comment strict limit, even late at night, it WAS the MACSGW (AKA your, Middle Aged Crossword Solvers Gone Wild).

Today, when I checked, between market stuff I do for a living, I couldn't explain DESC to @Chefbea, another of my faves here (that was in Rex's write-up) and my first comment (@9:44 or 12:44EST)relating to my days as an Auditor because of our new limitations (which I do respect, and will honor).

If there are any comments re: HANGOVERs, well I will just have to CATCH them tomorrow.
AS ONE who is about to enjoy a late-night POT-PIE and maybe a wee-NIP of Scotch, all I can say is I hope the other 19 Dan Naddor crossword legacy puzzles are as much fun as this one was today.

Sfingi said...

@Parsan - just came on - very busy today shopping so I wouldn't have to go out in the cold spell. I drink tap water. I'm a notorious cheapskate, anyway. You probably mean Nirvana from Boonville.
Back in the '70s, the owners, the Rafizadeh Bros., were rumored to have connections to the SAVAK, Shah Pahlavi's secret police. I don't know nuttin.

TIAMARIA sounds good. I didn't know it was chocolate. I love Kahlua. But, does TIAMARIA have hot peppers?

I feel weird saying much about the late crossworder's last works. I din't know lots of stuff, though I figured the theme. I don't know what a DUMmYCARTRIDGE is, and had CRAMPEDpORtioNS.

Didn't know TAE-Bo, CSA, TFR, PSS, DSCS, MYRA Hess, DIANA Krall, RAINDELAY, STAKES (last two are sports). For bell ringers I couldn't get the Salvation Army out of my head.

@Entropy - We used to call the TRS-80 the Trash-80. Did you buy out my 2nd favorite employer Mohawk Data Sciences? Actually, the guy who did had to move to Switzerland to save his skin. I'm older than you. At first, things were wide open, and no one needed a degree. I had mine in Philosophy and the men were crewcut Air Force guys. Then, in the '70s, I started to hear, "We don't hire women programmers." I went back to school for 2 more degrees, to make up for lacking that little piece of flesh and became a math teacher in prison. My son has a Philo degree and works for BMC. Actually, it's a gene or a disease - a sister and hubster also have Philo degrees.

I knew of SHEMP, another brother; apparently there was yet another Stooge, a Curly-Joe deRita. There was a teacher who had a picture on his desk of the Stooges on his desk which said, "Any complaints, see my bosses."
Anyone ever hear of Paul Fericano's poetry movement called Stoogism? Actually quite good. I particularly like his poem "Sinatra, Sinatra," in which he uses the name as a verb. I have a large, overflowing cabinet of poetry, Including Fericano and Nash.

Naturally, I new DANKE, but I certainly had to Google the clue, a Japanese word. My son tells me everyone is learning Japanese.

Loved SPYROGYRA (very WISE), and anything Bugs Bunny.

@GLowe - Seems that Google saves every phrase I ever enter because they all come up in that box as I key in a search word.

@Anon917 - Thanx for inform/infor/info/inf (pick your fave abrev.) on Hess.

@Rex - I read your stuff, and even go back to it.

Jan said...

Couldn't get DESC and I write invoices all the time! Of course, having put in PARTRIDGE instead of CARTRIDGE didn't help! :) Thought a "dummy partridge" might have something to do with hunting...