tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post6129448275743826632..comments2024-01-25T10:14:06.567-08:00Comments on L.A. Crossword Confidential: W E D N E S D A Y August 25, 2010 Michael J. DoranOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-18221508968310585392010-08-27T13:51:15.490-07:002010-08-27T13:51:15.490-07:00In English notaion, H is not a musical note or key...In English notaion, H is not a musical note or key, but in German notation it is the equivalent of B-natural. "B" in German notation is the English B-flat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-25979858324863446922010-08-26T07:50:39.041-07:002010-08-26T07:50:39.041-07:00@Anon 22:48: No. I can't vouch for the Latin,...@Anon 22:48: No. I can't vouch for the Latin, but the original meaning is quite precise. Decimation was a punishment used by the Roman army for mutinous or cowardly units: one in ten men was chosen by lot, and executed.<br /><br />The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_%28Roman_army%29" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia article</a> describes the procedure:<br /><i>A unit selected for punishment by decimation was divided into groups of ten; each group drew lots (Sortition), and the soldier on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning or clubbing. The remaining soldiers were given rations of barley instead of wheat and forced to sleep outside of the Roman encampment.<br /><br />Because the punishment fell by lot, all soldiers in the group were eligible for execution, regardless of the individual degree of fault, or rank and distinction.<br /><br />The leadership was usually executed independent of the 1 in 10 deaths of the rank and file.</i><br /><br />No comment on the usage dispute.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-15164254675288750412010-08-25T22:48:43.966-07:002010-08-25T22:48:43.966-07:00Just wondering... couldn't the original meanin...Just wondering... couldn't the original meaning of decimate have been something to the effect of "drawn down to 10%"? Or, been bastardized through the years to come to that meaning? Just asking...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-57626338692180783902010-08-25T18:27:12.794-07:002010-08-25T18:27:12.794-07:00OK - did anyone notice that yesterday I mentioned ...OK - did anyone notice that yesterday I mentioned my former high school friend DUN/Dunlop Scott (related to Demand Payment) and today DUNLOP was in the puzzle? That's a little freakin' weird??CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-77251052903999226942010-08-25T18:20:35.807-07:002010-08-25T18:20:35.807-07:00Re 20A clue: How can someone be an Apple hater?
R...Re 20A clue: How can someone be an Apple hater?<br /><br />Re MANURE: One of the more genteel words for what it is. OK by me any time of day.<br /><br />Going out to pick things in my veg garden before it gets NYCTO.shrub5https://www.blogger.com/profile/09466867716773759568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-15750858674192407522010-08-25T17:50:25.782-07:002010-08-25T17:50:25.782-07:00What's thr record number of comments? The blog...What's thr record number of comments? The blog was more fun than the puzzle!<br /><br />If one wrongly criticizes another wouldn't one wholeheartedly apologize? It damages credibility a little otherwise, n'est pas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-22076421948498946392010-08-25T14:56:48.524-07:002010-08-25T14:56:48.524-07:00I forgot to include TOQUE in my French list. Love...I forgot to include TOQUE in my French list. Love that word. <br /><br />Interesting that ST LÔ is in either the LAT or the NYT puzzle almost every day and today it's causing GNASHing of teeth because of the clue.CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-40828519387754758152010-08-25T14:49:11.226-07:002010-08-25T14:49:11.226-07:00Visibility is abbreviated a lot among divers, but ...Visibility is abbreviated a lot among divers, but I've always seen it spelled phonetically as VIZ, not VIS. Seems like a stretch.John Wolfendenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759716236594908137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-22982663327313909132010-08-25T14:44:52.697-07:002010-08-25T14:44:52.697-07:00@Zeke
I whole heartily apoligize.
In fact, I will ...@Zeke<br />I whole heartily apoligize.<br />In fact, I will make a toast to you at sunset.<br /><br />@Rex<br />I realize how "Decimated" has evolve in our language.<br />But I stand by my 1:59 comment.<br />Had I used the word, in Europe, to the locals there, in describing how St.Lo had been destroyed, I would have been severely rebuked.<br /><br /><br />New rule for me. If you're not "Blue" ... I'll no longer make any comment 'yeah or nay' ...Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-16701387156290698472010-08-25T14:29:11.524-07:002010-08-25T14:29:11.524-07:00Feisty day today, glad I did the puzzle late today...Feisty day today, glad I did the puzzle late today and got to read the threads that have occurred.<br /><br />I saw a mini soccer theme, UDINE is home to Udinese as @Tuttle has already pointed out and MANURE is how you pronounce ManU or Manchester United from where I am from. I jest, I jest, I fully expect to be octomated for this post, a bit more than decimated but much less than trimated ;^)<br /><br />Have fun everyone.<br /><br />Oh yeah, puzzle was all right, I like Mon/Tue puzzles better this week. Not the theme that has got my all right grade, rather, the large amount of crossword-ese reduces the amount of thinking, becomes just a memory exercise.Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14900988170432327664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-50740365870649307922010-08-25T14:22:12.829-07:002010-08-25T14:22:12.829-07:00No, the word should have been "DECIMATED.&quo...No, the word should have been "DECIMATED." <br /><br />Pick up a dictionary. "Reduce to the point of almost complete extermination" — that's in there. That meaning is in the language. That's what people normally mean when they use "decimate" these days. There is literally no question about the validity of the clue. None. As Amy, rightly, and apparently necessarily, said, the etymological origins of a word don't tell us anything about what that word comes to mean over time.<br /><br />And a decent human being would have apologized to Zeke.Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-63694303405770483092010-08-25T13:59:48.883-07:002010-08-25T13:59:48.883-07:00@Sfingi
Yup, deci = 10.
Maybe the word in the clue...@Sfingi<br />Yup, deci = 10.<br />Maybe the word in the clue should have been 'devastated' ... since, like Warsaw, Poland, St. Lo was reduced to ruble.<br /><br />Having been to both places. Talked with "my elder's" who survived the the ruin during WWII and subsequent re-building, had I made the statement:<br />"Boy, you guys were decimated." they would have laughed in my face, and corrected me.<br />"Kid, the destruction was almost complete."<br /><br />In St. LO, on the Church of Our Lady there are still scars on the wall of the bombing and bloodshed that took place.<br />(If you have seen the movie "The Longest Day" it is where the Red Buttons character hung when his parachute snagged on the building). <br /><br />In Warsaw, they found numerous blueprints and rebuild whole sections of the City back to what it looked like before the war.Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-84901296060538756782010-08-25T13:53:59.771-07:002010-08-25T13:53:59.771-07:00Did this while waiting for the doctor this morning...Did this while waiting for the doctor this morning which caused me to CHIME IN late. As far as the theme goes, I was thinking at first that the theme answers were relevant to LA. There's the Hollywood DELL which is a hillside neighborhood near the Hollywood Bowl. There's Beverly GLEN which is near Bel Air, also in the hills. And then there's the San Fernando VALLEY. Only thing is, I don't know where DALE fits in. Oh well, so much for that theory. <br /><br />I liked all the French stuff, RIEN, ST. LÔ, FRÈRE, ECU, LYON and ÈTUI. My downfall was the UDINE, CONJ cross. Yucky!<br /><br />Funny comments today!CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-13734862263546203662010-08-25T13:41:56.521-07:002010-08-25T13:41:56.521-07:00@anon 11:20 - we complain about ken ken and soduku...@anon 11:20 - we complain about ken ken and soduku during the rest of our day. and sometimes our sports teams.hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627015904603641109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-56432633370857388642010-08-25T13:17:00.000-07:002010-08-25T13:17:00.000-07:00I'm a big fan of HAYMAKER and CHIMEIN. But ha...I'm a big fan of HAYMAKER and CHIMEIN. But have to call MANURE on CONJ x'ing UDINE. Whoa.<br /><br />I liked the theme much more after thinking about it. Three names that are synonyms for each other - that's kind of cool!Jeff Chenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09513769920700232986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-46560836239528244722010-08-25T13:04:17.158-07:002010-08-25T13:04:17.158-07:00@Anon 12:58 - It's an abbreviation for visibil...@Anon 12:58 - It's an abbreviation for visibility. I've never seen visibility abbreviated, but that what it is.Always herenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-52327750714584790242010-08-25T13:03:12.397-07:002010-08-25T13:03:12.397-07:00@Tinbeni and all the little mice - In my humble op...@Tinbeni and all the little mice - In my humble opinion, decimate has the word 10 in it. This doesn't change. Deci doesn't become some other number from use or disuse. So, a dozen is 12, a baker's dozen is 13 and a crackhead's dozen is about 8. <br />A who-me-guy's decimation is not quite 10 or its opposite,or maybe even meaningless. Yeesh. <br />Why can't we all get along? Or step out of the mouse-hole shadows.<br /><br />@Anon1258 - how far you can see.<br /><br />Before I take my nap, Udine is actually 100,000 souls, very Slavic, but most famous for its beautiful Tiepolo ceiling fresco.<br /><a href="http://www.wga.hu/art/t/tiepolo/gianbatt/1udine/6udine.jpg" rel="nofollow">Jacob's Dream</a>Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-86355864810821918662010-08-25T12:58:56.605-07:002010-08-25T12:58:56.605-07:00I learned quite a bit with this one, thanks the wr...I learned quite a bit with this one, thanks the writeup and some of your comments. But I don't understand 47A. What the heck is a vis?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-74782715294637992652010-08-25T12:29:52.064-07:002010-08-25T12:29:52.064-07:00Oh no UDINE'T!
Not a very good puzzle. Theme ...Oh no UDINE'T!<br /><br />Not a very good puzzle. Theme = thin (don't follow your logic at all, Amy), theme answers uninspired, fill iffy—except, as you say, HAYMAKER, which is v. nice.<br /><br />@Zeke, quit looking at me funny, you bastard.<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45826512353638108862010-08-25T11:53:51.095-07:002010-08-25T11:53:51.095-07:00How the hell did I get dragged into this?
@Tinbeni...How the hell did I get dragged into this?<br />@Tinbeni - I was going to say you're being paranoid, but I think you're not being paranoid enough. If I have something to say, I'll say it and sign my name.Zekenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-37374778730391872662010-08-25T11:20:25.742-07:002010-08-25T11:20:25.742-07:00Wow. What do you people find to complain about dur...Wow. What do you people find to complain about during the rest of your day?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-79527119757767973572010-08-25T10:55:00.185-07:002010-08-25T10:55:00.185-07:00Didn't think of Toque for a chef because in Ca...Didn't think of Toque for a chef because in Canada the long woolen hat you wear in winter with the top part wound around your neck and face is a TOQUE.<br /><br />McDumouchel-BealAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-15614883588057582622010-08-25T10:05:23.899-07:002010-08-25T10:05:23.899-07:00Whoa there. Settle down, people.Whoa there. Settle down, people.PuzzleGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-28325132316583276052010-08-25T10:01:51.591-07:002010-08-25T10:01:51.591-07:00@ a guy said & @ Who, me?
Saint-Lô was almost...@ a guy said & @ Who, me?<br /><br />Saint-Lô was almost totally destroyed (95% according to common estimates) during the Battle of Normandy in World War II.<br /><br />Of course, if anyone other than *you* were to make a comment using "Sardonic humor" as I did in my first comment. I guess it is out of line.<br /><br />Since you always comment in 'black' why not use your real name? Hmmm, would that be ... Zeke?<br /><br />At least I always comment in "Blue" and don't hide my true identity.<br />You can even email me?Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-18377241917775170472010-08-25T10:00:01.273-07:002010-08-25T10:00:01.273-07:00I knew @Hazel, our resident geologist, would chime...I knew @Hazel, our resident geologist, would chime in about DELL, DALE, & GLEN being geological terms because, and I agree with her, they are geographic terms. Geology uses much more specific, (and arcane), terminology.<br /><br />My only writeover was misspelling EARNHearT. Dumb. Had to think a while about ONEBIT="at all", but accepted it in the end.<br /><br />My LAT WOTD is Nyctophobe.Rubehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773241241484881566noreply@blogger.com