tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post8870463342207005067..comments2024-01-25T10:14:06.567-08:00Comments on L.A. Crossword Confidential: THURSDAY, December 24, 2009 — Elizabeth A. LongOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-65194283068489114142009-12-24T17:48:08.324-08:002009-12-24T17:48:08.324-08:00Just about to get off the train and enjoy Xmas fes...Just about to get off the train and enjoy Xmas festivities at Oma's house - the eve is also a German tradition, so I'm told.<br />As soon as the momentum builds big enuf it will be politically incorrect to mis-clue Irani and all will be well.<br />Happy, merry and more.Burner10noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-12742048284050103092009-12-24T16:08:36.226-08:002009-12-24T16:08:36.226-08:00@CW404 - Thanx. It's all good. I'm old and...@CW404 - Thanx. It's all good. I'm old and slipping. I think that's what I meant.<br /><br />@Tinbeni - thanx for the defense, but we do want the truth, right? Right now, Utica is 10% Bosnian, 20% Italian,15% Black; Irish, German, Polish each about 10%; PR and English each 5%. Most Euros moved to the suburbs or out of state. After the Indians it started out English and a little Dutch; then the Welsh came; then the Polish, Italian and Arabs during the factory period; then the Afro-Americans after WWI; then the Vietnamese, Cambodians; then the Bosnians, Russians, Africans. The new census should reveal the true numbers.<br /><br />I'm going to my husband's cousin Millie's place for the Christmas Eve meal - the Italians do the Eve, instead.Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-23139491974724466422009-12-24T14:28:41.473-08:002009-12-24T14:28:41.473-08:00@JNH
I'm not clicking on that Terra Firma Rein...@JNH<br />I'm not clicking on that Terra Firma Reindeer twice, haha.<br /><br />Plus I have been following Santa on the NORAD Tracks Santa website all day, saw him take-off, he has worked his way from the Pacific Islands thru Australia, Asia, Africa and is just about to Rome (hope he brings the Pope a nice toy).<br /><br />So my vote is Santa's Reindeer do fly ... and fast, he's already out of Rome,currently in Bosnis-Herzegovina heading to Split in Croatia.<br /><br />I think I need a Scotch to slow this all down.<br /><br />Cheers & Merry Christmas to one-and-all!!!Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-12189297304586931362009-12-24T14:22:10.118-08:002009-12-24T14:22:10.118-08:00Screwed the north west corner right off the git go...Screwed the north west corner right off the git go by putting in lemon for 1 down. Seems like I do this EVERY day. Traveled to the south and worked my way up, finally figured it when the light bulb went on and I thought of THONG, thought that was pretty funny.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all!chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-48754512525350944742009-12-24T14:12:01.861-08:002009-12-24T14:12:01.861-08:00I used to believe in Santa Claus, but now I have m...I used to believe in Santa Claus, but now I have my doubts!<br />Comeon now! I know pigs can fly, but you expect me to believe there actually are flying reindeer??<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaGQEskSKM" rel="nofollow">TERRE FIRMA REINDEER</a><br /><br />Hey, aunt Lucy, what was that stuff you just put in my eggnog?<br /><br />HERES to the best bloggers in the world (well, at least in my world)!<br />Amy, Angela, and Michael...<br />Cheers!JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-70754687124843331292009-12-24T14:02:03.454-08:002009-12-24T14:02:03.454-08:00Agree with most of the above. Hand up for tally-ho...Agree with most of the above. Hand up for tally-ho and s**t, and also stele.<br /><br />@PuzzleGirl: I've seen Orange use this edjumicate thing as well, so I finally looked it up. Up popped "edumacate, Homerized version of educate". Funny!<br /><br />We do the stockings on the eve, with lots of teasing gifts in them, some good stuff. The rest in the morning, while drinking coffee and eating different kinds of Dutch pastries.<br /><br />@JNH: it's Amy, Angela and Michael. All of you, thanks for the daily fun, merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2010!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-54625675374591808962009-12-24T13:57:33.563-08:002009-12-24T13:57:33.563-08:00@Sfingi
Over the last few months you have made man...@Sfingi<br />Over the last few months you have made many elucidations re:Utica.<br />The ethnic make-up seems to be interesting, are there any "European-Americans" still there?<br /><br />@JNH - the first clip you embeded was beautiful.<br />The second one I was trying to avoid (successfully) until ...<br />Believe it or not, IT IS one of the most played/requested at this time of year.<br /><br />@Tuttle - If my memory serves me, aren't you Capt.Hawkeye Pierce's imaginary friend?<br /><br />@Anon 12:45<br />If the Focus opening was a Ford. Wouldn't the answer be ... DOOR?<br />(But I like the way you were thinking).<br /><br />@CW404 Expert - way to jump on @Sfingi pronto! You may be correct, but I hope Santa brings you a lump of coal.Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-12908689169524184902009-12-24T13:13:20.418-08:002009-12-24T13:13:20.418-08:00@Sfingi - It was Anita Loos, not Anais Nin.@Sfingi - It was Anita Loos, not Anais Nin.CW404 Expertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-10184270916179844602009-12-24T12:48:26.216-08:002009-12-24T12:48:26.216-08:00@Tinbeni - Zogby is from Utica, and still has his ...@Tinbeni - Zogby is from Utica, and still has his business in Utica. Of course, I know him. He's married to his first wife and has 3 grown sons. He graduated from LeMoyne and SU. He built a new, larger building. We have plenty of foreign speakers, which is a plus. By the way, he's a Christian, as are most of the Lebanese (and Syrians) who came here a century ago. The Mideast loves kicking whole ethnic groups out. @Tuttle - Iranis)<br /><br />One writeover - "free" for LITE (diet label word). Had to Google for Yertle. Most children's and adolescent books were written after my time. PREPAYS hung me up for a strangely long time, and that's not something you can look up.<br /><br />Knew the town S of Las Cruces was not in NM, but it didn't occur that the abbrev for TX would be included.<br /><br />@Jeff - OHARE is closer to the Loop than I am. Most of us know 3 things about Chicago. That's where too much knowledge can hurt you.<br /><br />Anais Nin wrote Gentleman Prefer Blondes. A couple years later she wrote Gentlemen Marry Brunettes. Both became movies, but STYNE's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," is remembered.<br /><br />I was thinking, when I wanted "fore" for WHEE, that Tiger gives new meaning for "swinger."Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-54438292312614411272009-12-24T12:45:12.148-08:002009-12-24T12:45:12.148-08:00Just finished this puzzle. I wanted to throw a sug...Just finished this puzzle. I wanted to throw a suggestion out there for the clue for AUTO: any chance it is referencing a (Ford) Focus as an automobile?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-57296152338694446882009-12-24T10:22:08.098-08:002009-12-24T10:22:08.098-08:00What was this??? Did. Not. Like. I could not even ...What was this??? Did. Not. Like. I could not even parse STRETCHLIIMO for a minute. That's an odd bunch of letters. I live in Chicago, and OHARE is definitely NOT near the Loop, even by train. ESS and DEES? I so hate the spelled out letters.<br /><br />Also, had YAHOO for WAHOO for a moment. Two regular words that end in X...nice! (I'm not counting TX.) With the IT in place I was worried about the clue "___ happens"!!!<br /><br />Merry Christmas/Happy Festivus everyone!jeff in chicagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10492964479021891094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-44203871048094036222009-12-24T09:55:02.109-08:002009-12-24T09:55:02.109-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-74611139814592529502009-12-24T09:34:25.827-08:002009-12-24T09:34:25.827-08:00A lame WAHOO is about all I can muster for this pu...A lame WAHOO is about all I can muster for this puzzle. With 1A THONG - Spare Underwear I thought oh boy this is going to fun. Wrong! Had the same thoughts re: IRANI/ FARSI. Wanted S**T happens63A, but then we got SPREAD "SHEEET." LOL. Brown Sauces SOYS was just yuck. Hated the stupid abbreviation RESP and had no idea what RES meant until I came to the blog. Thank you PG. And then to boot there was the Roman Numeral math prob. I did like BELIZE - where my daughter went with her church youth group and had to sleep in a hut with chickens, goats and no plumbing. She also got to stay at Target Earth in the rain forest - hooray for composting toilets. On that note a Very Merry Christmas to all!CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-82424828316349790122009-12-24T09:09:04.679-08:002009-12-24T09:09:04.679-08:00@Margaret, I had ROPER first too. Didn't know...@Margaret, I had ROPER first too. Didn't know his first name, so didn't know it was wrong ;) Got ZOGBY w/ crosses.<br /><br />@Tuttle, thanks for the info! I KNEW IRANI was wrong, but didn't know *how* wrong. I had to write over FARSI. I had some Persian friends when I lived in Berlin, and they spoke Farsi.<br /><br />@everyone more or less ... agree, didn't like the theme much.<br /><br />Other complaints: TWO "spell out the letters" answers, ESS and DEES. Lazy. As w/ others, wanted TALLY (HO) rather than HALLO. Trying to remember if HALLO was used in Rita Mae Brown's fox hunting mysteries.<br /><br />Things I liked: LOVED "spare underwear"! Had to think about a 4-letter farm female (usually 3-letter, e.g. sow, ewe). Liked "Board for Nails" (EMERY).<br /><br />Overall an "ok" puzzle, not thrilled, but I had to work for it (especially the NW corner).gespensthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17345498521904521489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-77000639233949645732009-12-24T09:06:41.943-08:002009-12-24T09:06:41.943-08:00I finished this entertaining puzzle but made a cou...I finished this entertaining puzzle but made a couple of dumb mistakes that I won't even go into. Must have been half asleeep. Didn't know STELA or ZOGBY but was able to get them from crosses. I thought the theme was clever; with EXTENDED FAMILY, it took me a while to figure out which letter was going to be added -- had the F at first, without a good reason.<br /><br />HALLO (or halloo) is shouted by a hunter to signify that the fox has been seen breaking into the open, according to one on-line dictionary.<br /><br />To the blog hosts, constructors and editor, and all my fellow commenters: have a safe and happy holiday season.shrub5https://www.blogger.com/profile/09466867716773759568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-21206147406515822972009-12-24T09:02:38.927-08:002009-12-24T09:02:38.927-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-24834307115631292312009-12-24T08:56:30.364-08:002009-12-24T08:56:30.364-08:00Boy, I don't know ZOGBY at all. I skimmed thr...Boy, I don't know ZOGBY at all. I skimmed through the clues, saw "pollster" and had the O as the second of five letters... put ROPER automatically. Didn't even notice the first name John in the clue. I'll read more carefully next time!<br /><br />Thanks to you, RP and Orange for all the wonderful write-ups. Merry Christmas to you and hope your travel is safe and easy. <br /><br />PS I love Mom from the Incredibles -- the pic of Elastigirl is the only saving grace of this loony theme.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08341231728699840926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-77660298852365912822009-12-24T08:45:14.663-08:002009-12-24T08:45:14.663-08:00Preach it, Tuttle! I've been pointing this out...Preach it, Tuttle! I've been pointing this out for a few years now, and wish the word would get clued accurately. It would be a wickedly tough clue if clued accurately...which means the word would be inappropriate outside of Saturday puzzles. Which would cut down greatly on the number of times IRANI is in the grid! So it's win-win.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-33694142447125373082009-12-24T08:41:13.020-08:002009-12-24T08:41:13.020-08:00@Tuttle
Good info
Seems we keep going over this e...@Tuttle<br />Good info<br /><br />Seems we keep going over this error... when will the constructors learn this?JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-44431113575553838442009-12-24T08:36:45.070-08:002009-12-24T08:36:45.070-08:00Irani is just egregiously incorrect. On every leve...Irani is just egregiously incorrect. On every level. It's not a language and what it does refer to, an ethnic group of Zoroastrians, doesn't exist in the Middle East. The Iranis mostly live around Mumbai. In INDIA!<br /><br />Iranians live in Iran and they mostly speak Farsi and other Persian dialects. Iranis live in India and they speak Dari among themselves and Hindi, Marathi and/or English in public.<br /><br />The Iranis are descended from 18th and 19th century Iranian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India and are distinct from the Parsi Zoroastrians who emigrated from Iran in the 8th and 9th centuries and who speak, for the most part, Gujerati and English.Tuttlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-56528236787013594592009-12-24T08:32:02.331-08:002009-12-24T08:32:02.331-08:00I really disliked this puzzle. The theme came out ...I really disliked this puzzle. The theme came out as forced. There should have been some consistency of vowels between consonants for it to have a semblance of working, seeing SHEEET is just... <br /><br />I also do NOT like the onomatopoeia words since the option of variant spellings makes it a problematic affair. The rest of the fill was uninspired.*David*noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-25160058854461997592009-12-24T07:59:08.013-08:002009-12-24T07:59:08.013-08:00I thought the theme was great. Cute in fact. One...I thought the theme was great. Cute in fact. One more would have made it ...er ... greater.<br /><br />OT Perfect storms: When 3 things have to go wrong, in succession, in order mess one up.<br /><br />Local rag NYT (synd) puzzle today, I got absolutely nowhere. Themeless, big longs stacks. WTH?? (note the H = heck).<br />Check RP's blog, link not updated yet. No biggie, I can use 'the google' to find it. There it is, the wrong puzzle. Double WTH?? Back to the google, find it. It's synd. + 1 day = Friday, Nov 20th.<br /><br />AH! Now, Charlie don't do Fridays very well, so that's one mystery solved. The other? Local rag doesn't publish tomorrow, I guess they thought they're doing a favor by giving us the Friday puzzle!GLowenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-35786766385537582572009-12-24T07:46:58.592-08:002009-12-24T07:46:58.592-08:00Lovely Christmas present JNH - thank you so muchLovely Christmas present JNH - thank you so muchimsdavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12966770844825169981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45016966064096176832009-12-24T07:30:55.205-08:002009-12-24T07:30:55.205-08:00@JNH
Great Holiday DUET clip !!!
I know that AUTO...@JNH<br />Great Holiday DUET clip !!!<br /><br />I know that AUTOfocus is on most cameras. I was questioning that the "opening" is referred to as "auto" (probably just being picky).<br /><br />The funny thing with the "add a vowel" theme is that when I was doing the puzzle, I had my "I Love Spreadsheets" T-Shirt on (a Christmas present from a client). So when I was answering 54-A it became a major groan, leading to two more groans at liimo and faamily.Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-24005266801529474872009-12-24T07:19:04.551-08:002009-12-24T07:19:04.551-08:00Yeah, I'm all for a different gimmick but this...Yeah, I'm all for a different gimmick but this one's a little weird... Was amused that it was Elizabeth Long making a theme based on making things long. And ELPASOTX is such a crazy answer, but in the best kind of way.<br /><br />Don't see what's wrong with GOITER, though? They're just swollen, they don't ooze or do anything disgusting just make you look like you've swallowed a plate. I'd argue THONG is much closer to failing the breakfast test...Gareth Bainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17770425154034935768noreply@blogger.com