1960s Borgnine sitcom title role / TUE 2-17-15 / Clock radio toggle switch / Skateboarder's challenge

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Constructor: Bruce Haight

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium



THEME: "WHO LET THE DOGS OUT" (22A: 2000 novelty hit … or a hint to the answers to the nine starred clues) — starred clues are words that are also dog breeds. Black squares at center of the grid form a dog profile (see 1A: Enemy of the pictured animal (CAT))

Theme answers:
  • CHOW (1D: *Grub)
  • POM (11A: *Fruit juice brand)
  • BOXER (4D: *One working on a canvas?)
  • BLOODHOUND (53A: *Relentless pursuer)
  • HUSKY (66A: *Like Lauren Bacall's voice)
  • BEAGLE (10D: *Darwin's ship)
  • SETTER (34D: *Volleyball position)
  • PUG (56D: *___ nose)
  • POODLE (47D: *Kind of skirt or haircut)
Word of the Day: POM 
POM WonderfulLLC is a private company which sells an eponymous brand of beverages and fruit extracts. It was founded in 2002 by the billionaire industrial agriculture couple Stewart and Lynda Rae Resnick. Through Roll Global, their holding company, they are also affiliated with TelefloraFIJI Water, pesticide manufacturer Suterra, and Paramount Agribusiness. As a private company, POM Wonderful does not disclose its profits. In 2006, Newsweek has estimated that the company sales have increased from $12 million in 2003 to $91 million in that year. In recent years, the company has long been the subject of government prosecution due to its illegal marketing schemes. (wikipedia)
• • •

If Tuesday's not a disaster, I'm happy, so I'm happy. I mean, the fill is pretty bad all over the place (AMAH ORA OONA CRAT TYR ASA NTHS (?!!) ANEEL DONEE ORTO ENNE), and the "novelty song" in question is best left in the dustbin of history where it belongs, but I'm having trouble resisting the picture of the doggie. Apparently grid tricks are now good enough to placate me on a Tuesday. The dog breeds … well, there they are. Hither and yon. But the random placement of the dogs fits somewhat with the spirit of the puzzle. I mean, when you let the dogs out, they don't line up symmetrically in your yard. If they do … something deeply troubling is going on. I'd run. Fast.


If you can't decide whether to READ TO OR TO SAY HI TO TOTO, why not do both. And hey, TOTO's a dog, so that's kind of a bonus answer, as is RCA (with that "His Master's Voice" dog) and TYR (63D: Norse god of war), who is "destined to kill and be killed by Garm, the hound dog of Hel" (wikipedia). Don't say you never learned anything from the Rex Parker blog. I'm chock full of canine-related information.

[Sun ___ Moon]

My time was pretty normal, despite the biggish white spaces in the E and W. The puzzle is oversized by a column (16x15), so I figure if my time was normal despite the puzzle's being beefier, the overall difficulty must be somewhat easier than normal. Your experience may vary according to whether or not you recognize the STREET as a [Curb's place]. I don't. I think of the STREET as curb-adjacent, just as Della STREET is Mason-adjacent. SAMOAN is an anagram of A MASON. I would READ TO you from a Perry Mason if I had one handy, but I don't. Nope, wait; I lied. I collect vintage paperbacks, so I am actually adjacent to scores of Perry Mason paperbacks as we speak. "The card was in Della Street's handwriting and said, 'C.B. CAME IN. GOT CHECK $100. LOTS OF VISITORS—OFFICIAL—WAITING.'" That's from The Case of the Cautious Coquette. There are other Perry Mason cases which involve dogs, I'm sure, although the only ones I can see without digging too far into my collection are ones involving a crying swallow, a fan-dancer's horse, and a caretaker's CAT—Bam! Full circle. 1-Across! Didn't think I was making it back to the puzzle, did you?

 Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

P.S. you probably shouldn't have [Box up] as a clue when you've got BOXER in the grid. Probably.

93 comments:

Anonymous 12:07 AM  

Westminster Dog Show Monday, Tuesday.

Jeff Lewis 12:11 AM  

An epic piece of prose, Mr. Parker. Well written!

Clark 12:20 AM  

Well, we all enjoyed this puzzle 'cause that's just how it is when the dogs are out. But our two cats object to being called enemies of the dog. As I did the puzzle I had Roxie the dog in the crook of my right knee (knees do have crooks don't they?) and smack dab against her was Obi the bengal doing his best sphynx pose. It's one big peaceable kingdom around here.

AliasZ 12:46 AM  
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AliasZ 12:48 AM  


How much is that doggie in the puzzle,
The one with that funny snort?
I don't think he needs to wear a muzzle,
He seems such a friendly sort.

The grid art is cuter than a Scottish terrier. Solving the puzzle while watching the Westminster Dog Show was the icing on the cake. I would've liked to see a komondor, vizsla, kuvasz or puli in it, but you can't always get what you want. I enjoyed the asymmetry and the fact that the grid was STRETCHED OUT to 16 columns. It's good to break the monotony at times, although I DUNNO, I am not convinced WHO LET THE DOGS OUT was worth the extra column.

The nine theme entries plus the grid-spanning revealer do weigh it down with some less-than-optimal fill: NTHS, ASA, ANEEL, OONA, ORTO, SAYHITO (he could be a member of the Japanese Imperial Family) etc., and ISEULT is not all that Tuesday-friendly, but overall the fill was NOT SO BAD AT ALL.

The Breton lai is a form of romantic Medieval French and English narrative poem (song, melody) sung by minstrels. Marie de France was a poet, probably born in France, who lived in England in the late 12th Century and was most likely active in the court of King Henry II. She is the author of the collection titled Lais of Marie de France, a series of twelve short narrative poems/songs. She also translated Aesop's Fables from Middle English into Anglo-Norman French, and wrote "Espurgatoire seint Partiz" (the Purgatory of St. Patrick) based on a Latin text. The subject of one of her lais titled "Chevrefoil" (the honeysuckle) is an episode from the romance of Tristan et ISEULT.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Steve J 1:07 AM  

Cute puzzle - cute enough to forgive a lot of suboptimal to just plain bad fill. Nothing really stands out beyond the cuteness, but that's really all this needed.

My family's always owned Scottish terriers, so I'm particularly fond of the grid art in this one.

jae 1:22 AM  

A delightful medium Tues. for me.  Just wish Bruce had been able to work in Baha Men somewhere.  Fun solve, liked it.

JaxInL.A. 3:00 AM  

All dog lovers should see this terribly clever video By OK Go. Very fun. Liked the doggie at the center of the puzzle. Shades of Liz Gorski!

Sorry I rarely have time to comment here anymore, and hi to anyone who remembers me. Having a wonderful time, though, working for a member of Congress for the past year. Daughter just got accepted to Wesleyan! Life is good.

chefwen 3:01 AM  

Cute, cute, cute!

Couple of write overs. Raspy before HUSKY for Bacall's voice, AMFM for my toggle switch which gave me the cute FOODLE. Avatar is half POODLE, so that got fixed right away.

Loved seeing the little doggie come out of the printer upside down. Let out a big Awww.

Fun puzzle that was a joy to do. Love me my doggies (kitties too).

GILL I. 5:29 AM  

The Canadian BEAGLE Mr. P...and then he chews on his handlers pants!!!!! If he hadn't won the hound group I would have wailed...
Well of course I loved this puzzle. Did you see that BLOOD HOUND? and all you POODLE naysayers....they are smart as hell and if you don't foo foo them they look nifty.
Loved your puzzle Bruce except for ISEULT. (Is that a pooch?)

Anonymous 6:18 AM  

Smiled when I looked at the puzzle. Couldn't help but forgive the less than optimal fill. Also liked PYRO filling in just before PI clued RHO as next.

Lewis 6:36 AM  

@rex -- Great, great writeup! Whatever you had for dinner, have it again soon.

Right at the start I like how Bruce let the CAT out of the BAGS, and I like the down STAIR. Someone mentioned ARLO Guthrie this week, and I saw him in concert Saturday night, and now today's puzzle, so he's in my world at the moment (it was actually a terrific concert).

MOOT -- what does that mean again? (Just kidding.)

This puzzle has 16 double letters which ties for the highest since I've been monitoring, although it will need an asterisk for the extra column. I found it to be easy even for a Tuesday. Considering the theme, I think it needed a bit more bite.

Hartley70 7:01 AM  

Aww who doesn't love a good dog story? I couldn't be happier with this Tuesday, Rex's write-up or the day's comments so far. @Lewis is killing me today!

Danp 7:21 AM  

Today's write up was worth skipping the puzzle.

On nit on the puzzle, though. The themed clues seem to be looking for alternative meanings to dog names. But Bloodhound is clearly derivative. Same with poodle.

jberg 7:32 AM  

Aside from NTHS, ENCASE, and ANEEL, I was slightly bothered by the looseness of the revealer -- thought at first the theme was words to which a dog could be added, but hadn't been, and therefore was "out." This worked with 1D, CHOW hound, but not after that.

Cute picture, though.

But all that pales in comparison with the depressing announcement by our local transit agency that the subways will not be back to normal, after this last blizzard, for up to 30 days. It's only 18 days until we leave for our spring break in Florida, though - I really can't wait!

Dorothy Biggs 7:50 AM  

The dog/cat enemy thing exists only in cartoons...Tom and Jerry, Sylvester and Tweety (was the dog named Spike in those WB cartoons?), and other random Merry Melodies/Looney Toons cartoons. So while I knew the answer to the clue, it should've been given a ? or some kind of cartoon qualifier. I've never seen a household where the cats and dogs fight. They play and pester each other, but usually at the end of the day they are pals.

Now cat people may not like dogs...but that is a different story altogether.

I too had raSpY for Bacall's voice until I figured out the theme.

hi-c in place of POM...

ISEULT entirely by crosses.

One question...AMPM "toggle switch?" None of my clocks have that...they move to AM or PM as you go through the hours, but you can't just flip the time from one to the other. Maybe on my phone, when I set an appointment or an alarm I can "toggle" between AM or PM...but not my clock radio.

To Rex's point about Box/BOXER, I personally didn't care for the two OUTS (WHOLETTHEDOGSOUT and STRETCHEDOUT). I don't think that should've happened.

Unknown 7:59 AM  

Very cute bunch of doggies. So glad to see BLOODHOUND in there, in honor of our little hound, Daisy.

David Levy 8:01 AM  
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Tita 8:06 AM  


You had me at the doggie silhouette...
Just draw a dog in the grid, and our hearts all melt - well, I'm not abashed by that...

And wow - chock-full of theme answers...
CAT, Curb (your dog), Sick ASA, Hydrant attachment...TOTO, of course...

Only thing that would have made it perfect is RESCUE as an answer...

Hi @Jax!

Agree with @Clark - our kitten and our temporary live-in lab would play in the snow together and sleep together...

And somebody's got to say it - is 25D WS's attempt to curb the epidemic of man-spreading in our subways?

Loved the puzzle, Mr. Haight!
(Oops - except for "crisping"!?)

Lewis 8:08 AM  

Factoid: Fish have two AORTAs, one carrying the blood from the heart to the gills, and the other carrying it from the gills to the rest of the body. (Wikipedia)

Quotoid: "Wall STREET is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway." -- Warren Buffett

joho 8:10 AM  

@Susan McConnell, Daisy is adorable!

@Rex, speaking of adorable, the pic of you and your dog most definitely is! Wonderful write-up, too. I think dogs bring out the best in you.

I love that Bruce also provided food for that lonely CAT in the corner with CAT CHOW.

Super charming puzzle that put smiles on a lot of faces today.
Thank you, Bruce!

Z 8:31 AM  

My Samurai was fine with Shadow because she set him straight when Sam was a pup. Any other cat? Dinner. Of course, Sam's breed are ratters, so anything furry is game in his mind. If it squeaks or squeals - even better.

Agree on POODLEs. The dogs are fine, owners who turn their pets into fashion accessories on the other hand need to rethink their priorities.

Speaking of priorities, @ED - I disagree that calling out offensive words doesn't work. I do agree that there are more important things to get in a pet about. I also shake my head at people who can't seem to engage in a nuanced discussion about difficult subjects, preferring to get personal (looking at you anon10:46).

Fredd Smith 8:34 AM  

F

@JBerg --

Sorry to hear about your Boston Transit Authority breakdown with all the snow.

Gotta love your Mayor Marty Walsh's statement, though: "This is a nightmare. I haven't slept in 48 hours."

;-)

Anonymous 8:37 AM  

Why 22A a "novelty hit?," rather than just a "hit?"

13D ... Bruce or Rex couldn't come up with something more creative for MOOT than ____ Point ? Really? Even for a Tuesday, this is lame.



chefbea 8:47 AM  

what a great puzzle...and I'm not a dog lover. But when I printed out the puzzle and saw the doggie in the middle I knew it was going to be fun.

Had a poodle skirt way back when...Not a lover of wonder bread now but that was the only bread back in the days when I wore my poodle skirt.

Welcome back @JaxinLa

evil doug 8:49 AM  

Being offended is too easy, Z. It's become cliché, addictive--especially with the explosion of social media.

Legitimate reasons for taking offense have been overwhelmed by those feeling overlooked, lonely, trivialized, powerless--so these unfortunates invent a cause for themselves to transmit to the anonymous masses on Twitter and Facebook, and in turn gain the attention they yearn for as they clog up the arteries of honest causes.

And others--like Ludy, who I believe is fully sincere--also could choose to conquer those of ill will by simply ignoring them and thus removing their power. "Calling them out" just invites more of the same as it reinforces the offenders' misbehavior--like acknowledging the anonymous trolls on a blog....

Doug

Hartley70 8:49 AM  

Daisy is a beauty!

Don McBrien 8:58 AM  

Fun, easy Tuesday. AM / FM is usually a toggle. On most clock radios I've used AM / PM is not a toggle but you have to scroll through 12 hours. Only nit I could come up with for an otherwise great Tuesday puzzle.

Don McBrien 9:00 AM  

But luckily, the F of FM is easily changed to a P, so...no write-over! :)

Whirred Whacks 9:05 AM  

Fun puzzle: tough to beat a dog theme. Very enjoyable. Thanks Mr. Height!

Speaking of dogs, some of you were asking what I named the Corgi puppy that we got last month. Here's the short version. After a week of trying out various names, we settled on "Trudy Trooper" or "True" for short. We liked it because it was easy to say and also had a long U sound in it. Unfortunately, when we took "True" to the vet for her first visit, she was diagnosed as having a heart murmur (which she might have grown out of). Our breeder was surprised, and she offered to exchange "True" for one of her litter mates which we did. We got a male "red" Corgi. He's full of energy, and plays well with our other dogs. We've named him "Awesome Otto" or "Otto" for short. Otto loves climbing the hills on our property and just being outside (the temps have been in the low 70s for Presidents Day weekend).

Thanks for all your name suggestions.

Steve M 9:33 AM  

Woof

Teedmn 9:34 AM  

I thought I was getting better about looking at the grid layouts but I totally missed the Scottie pic when I printed the puzzle last night so that was a bonus when I read @Rex's write-up (and explained the 1A clue, which had me wondering what I'd missed).

Yesterday's NY Times had a cute quiz to match the dogs in the Westminster show to their owners. I got about half right so there might be something to the idea of dog/owner look-alikes.

Great Tuesday puzzle, Mr. Haight!

(When my husband and I walked into a cute little restaurant/deli in Milan in 2001, with white tablecloths and all, "WHO LET THE DOGS OUT" was playing and we just looked at each other and shook our heads in wonder).

Elaina 9:50 AM  

My daughter's cat is named ISOLDE (she's a musicologist and Wagner fan) so I immediately filled that in for 27A - thinking Yah! One cat among the dogs. I eventually remembered the French spelling but that held things up for quite a while.
I completed the puzzle with Fanny (the Lab)on one side of me and Clara (the cat) on the other. So much for 1A.

OTTO 9:54 AM  

Got to love the palindromic 4a and 8a BAGSGAB

AndrewB 9:56 AM  

The only reason I remember AM/PM is an alarm clock setting is "Seinfeld" (thanks Jean-Paul Jean-Paul, it was the separate knob anyway).

I got tripped up by "ENNE." I had "ETTE" filled in which held me up for about 5 minutes.

Good puzzle today though.

RAD2626 9:58 AM  

@WWhacks. Otto is a great name. I am sure when people see him they will go "Aaww, what a cute dog" so he will know his first name too.

Really fun puzzle for all the reasons stated. Five good puzzles in a row.

RnRGhost57 9:59 AM  

Fun write-up Rex. You've been on something of a roll.

mac 10:03 AM  

Fun Tuesday puzzle, and well timed with the dog show!

I actually had a gripe with yesterday's puzzle: the clue 1%-ers for elite. 1% is about money, elite not necessarily.

Another snow day....

Rhino 10:04 AM  

NTHS was terrible and I didn't like the clue for SKI, but hell I'm on vacation and will probably be drunk by noon. So big thumbs up for me.

Dorothy Biggs 10:40 AM  

@mac: Nashville is in day 2 of our new Ice Age. Unless something drastic happens, there will likely be a day 3 and perhaps a day 4.

Ugh.

Joseph Michael 10:43 AM  

Woof

mathguy 10:47 AM  

Let me join the chorus of cheers for Rex's effort today.

San Francisco may be the most dog-friendly city in the country. There are more dogs than children here.

Where did "They fought like cats and dogs" come from. I thought 1A was going to be CAR.

wreck 10:51 AM  

Reminds me of the cute CAR commercial where a family of Retrievers are driving a car (complete with a puppy in a child seat) where they all start barking for no apparent reason until you see a US Mail truck drive past them!

Nice, light hearted Tuesday!

Z 11:02 AM  

I did some looking at the "Do dogs hate cats" question. Lots of opinion but I didn't see a whole lot of actual research. The commonest answer seems to be the hate comes from miscommunication, but appropriate socialization when they are young can overcome it. Hmmmmmmm.

Carola 11:38 AM  

I'd say, "Too cute for words," except that doesn't really fit with a word puzzle. Loved the lighthearted theme and attendant grid friskiness that others have noted (I noticed CAT CHOW, PYRO x [pi]RHO, sick AS A, but not CAT + BAGS, hyrdrant, curb). Maybe TOSSES fits, too, thinking of all those frisbee and tennis ball-fetching DOGS. Great fun - thanks, Bruce Haight.

Anonymous 11:48 AM  

Rex must be friends with the constructor, because this puzzle sucked. Belongs in a Highlights magazine, not the NYT.

Masked and Anonym007Us 11:57 AM  

Asymmetric grid!
Doggies!
Grid art! ... ("Box"-er doggie?)
Unsquare grid!
EW-ER left behind the box-er doggie!
007 U's!
weejects galore!
CAT! No squirrel, but LEMURS!
rodeo.

M&A

p.s. @63: Yer times should be about normal. Puz had 76 words, average length under 5.

Tita 12:08 PM  

In the wild, 1A is accurate. An undisputed case of nature/nurture.

We unexpectedly got temporary custody of my sister's 70lb yellow lab a month after bringing home our rescues - a kitten and a cat.
The kitten and lab took to each other immediately...
Cat and lab fought like - well - cats and dogs. Even after 4 months, the best we could hope for was a truce at feeding time.

CATs are not food

bwalker 12:19 PM  

I solved the puzzle one minute, forty seconds faster than usual. It was fun finding all the breeds of dogs, and the timing in conjunction with the Westminster Dog Show was perfect. I had ISolde before ISEULT, but the rest went in pretty easily. Liked STRETCHED OUT and LOOK ONE'S BEST. Ernest Borgnine as MCHALE was a childhood favorite character. I don't usually gripe about fill, but it was terrible today.

@Whirred Whacks -- dogs respond well to names with clear consonants because they are easier to hear, and Otto is a good choice. I think cats naturally run from big predators, and dogs naturally chase running animals. I can tell you from bitter sorrow that, given the proper lack of supervision, dogs which sleep together with cats for months as in the Peaceable Kingdom can unexpectedly kill the "friend" in a fun chase.

beatrice 12:22 PM  



I'm a dog person myself, and I'm thrilled with all the puppy love on display here, but as the CAT enjoys pride of place in this puzzle, here is the famous 'Duet for Two CATs', a compilation piece based largely on bits from Rossini's 'Otello'(!). Of the versions available on YouTube, I especially liked this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFLF57vDYcQ

Numinous 12:26 PM  
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Numinous 12:36 PM  

Not much to say about this one; lots of dogs. Somehow I was reminded of that classic film by Louis Buñuel and Salvidor Dali, Un Chien Andalou which, ironically, lacks a single dog. This film was made in 1928 and was intended to shock and insult the French intellectual bourgeoisie. If you are easily shockable or intellectually bourgeois or French, you may wish to ignore the link.

What a wonderful way (1 A.) to start a puzzle about mans' best friend. Some here, I'm sure, will say that 1 A. is mans' best friend and what's all this nonsense about dogs? I did enjoy the non-canine cluing of the themers. Whizzed through this one so for me I'd have to rate it as Easy-Easy instead of half-Medium.

Leapfinger 12:48 PM  

@the Gillster, despite the memory of my well-loved DaisyMae BEAGLE, I was pulling for the Otter HOUND. He just looked so sweetly muttish.

The grid-art got me at Go! As a kid, one of my best toys was a pair of tiny Scotties (B&W) mounted on little magnetic bars. If one came up behind the other, Front-dog turned around to face the sniffer. You could also secretly play with them at dinner, running one up the table-cloth overhang, the other one magically keeping pace on the under-side.

Caught the theme when BOXER followed CHOW, and also expected the first-down placement in each section. I can do OK with some variation in placement, but maybe assigning BLOODHOUND to the mid-West section is a bit of a stretch. Took it as a good sign that the breeds I expected didn't show, and several of the inclusions surprised me.

Jumped the gun with Dixie Cups, and was all set to link "Iko, Iko", so CRATS was disappointing on two counts. Also ran an Isolde-Isolte-Yseult-

Yes, Lauren Bacall really was A TALL drink of water. She may have been HUSKY, but wasn't the MALEMUTE? [Pun-etic license]

Mark SPITZ when he gets angry.
Let me give you a POINTER. When I say "Cover me", that isn't a signal to run get an AFGHAN.
I'm always hearing about breeds that are new to me; The PLOTT thickens.
Benny Oyed, but SAM OYED even more. (No, I'm not trying to revive yesterday's discussion.)

Nice Tuesday puzzle, Mr. Haight; the theme was YORKIE to open all hearts. Weimaraner? Wei not?

Carola 12:50 PM  

@Beatrice - Delightful! Utterly charming performance.

@Numinous - Re: Chien - one might feel sick AS A dog after one particular scene!

dk 1:13 PM  

🌕🌕🌕🌕 (4 mOOOOns)

Best Tuesday in recent memory. Artful theme well executed.

The few bits of fill worthy of a poop bag (e.g., AMPM) were worth it.

Sit! Stay! Thank you Bruce.

AliasZ 1:21 PM  


For a change of pace, here is some ANDEAN Pan PIPE music.

thomasdcity 1:39 PM  

Very cute Monday. Watched the most recent episode of Downton Abbey last night so went to bed teary eyed over (spoiler alert) Isis being brought into her dad's bed. Very nice palate cleanser this. Sigh.

LaneB 1:57 PM  

Cute, fast, fun Tuesday edition for this(old) dog lover. Thanks, Mr. Haight.

Ludyjynn 2:20 PM  

The NYT finally hit my doorstep at 1:30 pm due to snow delay. Honey the dog announced its arrival and Felix the cat ran in the opposite direction. And yes, they get along just fine. Hungry for the puzzle, I tore into it and happily pounced on the doggie theme, having just watched the morning replay of Westminster's opening night results. FYI, the standard POODLE won its group, along w/ the beagle, shih tzu, and old English sheepdog. Other 3 groups and Best In Show will be telecast live, tonight. Can't wait. BTW, "Best In Show" is a Christopher Guest satire of the dog world well worth catching.

Found the puzz. delightful despite weak fill and felt it was easy. Laughed at MOOT showing its face so soon.

@Thomasdcity, I'm still teary-eyed regarding the Downton pooch. Beautifully acted scene by all hit close to home as presently, both of mine are seniors like Isis. Sigh.

@Evil and @Z, thanks; it is refreshing to be able to 'agree to disagree' on a topic in a civil manner, like ladies and GENTs.

Thanks, BH and WS, for a barking good time.





D-Squared Media NYC 2:45 PM  

Cruel joke on dog fearing me on my BDay!

Hartley70 2:54 PM  

I loved my magnetic Scottie's too and played with them for years. We were easily entertained in the 50's. I found a new set for my own kids but alas, they took an immediate backseat to electronic gimmickry.

Carola 3:04 PM  

For commenters on TV shows, if I may "beg" a favor - I'm always behind on the latest plot developments, and would be grateful if you'd throw me a bone with a spoiler alert.

Hartley70 3:06 PM  

I was wondering how the director/trainer got Isis to appear so convincing kaput. Are there canine Oscars? I sincerely hope she makes her exit offscreen this week, perhaps on Thursday. How can we viewers stand another upset?! Sob. Choke.

I too was entranced with last night's dog show. Right now the Beagle, Miss P I believe, has my heart. I usually root for a sporting breed winner, but one so seldom wins. It pays to be a terrier at Westminster!

Beam M'n'E up, Scotties 3:15 PM  

@Hartley: On a real cheap card table, you could put one magnetic scottie on top, and then drive it around, using the other scottie, underneath. Lil M&A used to set up obstacle courses and hold timed races. Hoppin over stuff was a tough maneuver.
It weren't much compared to Angry Birds, but hey -- it sure beat those dumb old crossword puzs. Too bad they didn't have dogs in the grid designs, back then. I mighta joined the dark side, sooner.
But, I digress…

M&A

p.s.'ses
Today's best weeject: TYR.

Also… I'm thinking that that west-central area of the grid musta been a tough "dog" to fill. Old Bruce escaped pretty well, with only AN EEL here and a ONE's there. And still managed to save ARLO! [Golf clap.]

GILL I. 3:41 PM  

@Tita....tres cute, CUTE, CUTE
There's a must see video making the rounds of a bunch of dogs and one cat romping on the shores of Australia...
@Hartley70...YES...Miss P is the Canadian BEAGLE stealing everyone's HART..;-)

john towle 3:43 PM  

If you keep learning new tricks,you'll never be an old dog.

Arf arf,

john

Ludyjynn 4:32 PM  

As I got a manicure, started thinking about all-time favorite dog ads. Like @Wreck, I get a kick out of the currently running series of Subaru "love" spots, w/ the golden retrievers and some older ones w/ a variety of other breeds. But the best, IMO, are the fairly recent series of Traveler's Insurance ads w/ Chopper, the blonde rescue mutt, who deserves a Clio Award for his acting. (Chopper is so good, I've caught him moonlighting in other product commercials)! All of these are viewable on YouTube, BTW. Type in "Subaru or Traveler's dog ads".

RIP, Leslie Gore.

evil doug 4:50 PM  

Ditto. How she's not in the rock HOF is unfathomable. Now she'll probably get it posthumously--she deserved better.

Evil

GILL I. 5:09 PM  

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...... :>(

evil doug 5:29 PM  

And now it's Ludy's turn to cry...

Aketi 5:39 PM  

@Tita, as a child, our CAT spent enough time outdoors to be sufficiently will enough to scare off all the neighborhood dogs, except our own Basse-poo hound. He inherited his father's POODLE fur and his mother's body shape and voice.

Good for your mom for taking up bocce at 91,

@Z,
I doubt socialization is going to help my newest adoptee, Charlie. He is exceedingly friendly with humans and overly friendly with our earlier adoptee, Faith. When I took him for his first checkup at the vets, he turned into a growling furious ball of hatred when an adorable St Benard entered the vets office. The ASPCA was not kidding when the entered the note "should not be adopted into a home with dogs." On the other hand I suspect he may be a Maine COON cat because of his decidedly DOG-like behavior. He likes to go on walks with me in the afternoon in our apartment building and loves it when you throw a ball for him.

@M&A and @Hartley.
Almost snorted tea up my nose over the magnetic Scottie races. Charlie actually picks up refrigerators magnets off the front of the refrigerator and drops them on the top of the refrigerator and that's thrm like hokey pucks until they finally fall to the floor. So I had visions of what he might do with those magnetic Scotties

Hartley70 5:45 PM  

@mac Speaking of dogs...we have a litter of 14 Stabyhoun pups here in town. I thought a Dutch girl might be interested to know a little bit of Holland was so close.

@m&a We must have had that same cheap table because I too could get them to move around from underneath. I've been a Scottie fan ever since. I don't recognize that symbol between your initials, sorry.

I hear Leslie Gore and it's junior high all over again in the best possible way.

evil doug 5:51 PM  

(For manda): "U's don't own me...."

Aketi 6:01 PM  

Ugh, once again my iPad typing turned "and bats them around like hokey pucks" into" that's them like hokey pucks."

Trying to motivate myself out from under the covers to go to MIxed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tonight which require going back out into the cold. So I'm procrastinating a minute longer thinking about the LEMURs I saw on my last international work/honeymoon trip to Madagascar.

Lesley Rocks, dude 6:08 PM  

@Evil,
M&Aybe I Know...

M&A

GILL I. 6:36 PM  

She's a fool

Leapfinger 8:56 PM  

@Hartley, I'm not sure that it was a question of being more easily entertained in the 1950s. It may have been that we had an appreciation of the potential for entertainment in things, maybe were more proactive than receptive in our approach to entertainment. Finding a dead sparrow outdoors wasn't just something to 'Eeeww" about, but an occasion for a fairly elaborate funeral.

@Lewis, fish have two thingers that can be called Aortas because they have a two-chambered heart; as you point out, one of the two vessels that leaves the single ventricle gives circulation to the body, and the other goes to the aerating organs (the gills). When the design of the heart advances to four chambers (with two ventricles), the vessel going to the aerating organs (now the lungs) gets to be re-named as the pulmonary artery. Hah! embryology finally found a use!

@Numi, it took courage to bring up Chien Andalou. I saw it decades ago, and remember reading that Bunuel wanted to make very clear at the outset that he was going to 'open people's eyes'. I think that knowing what was coming actually made it harder to watch.

@AliasZ, I must have been in minor key mode today; loved both the courtly curtsies of courtesy and the the 50 Shades of Andean Highs. A marvel that people could build those winding mountain roads. It was a treat to remember being on [other] mountain-tops, esp in the present time when hilly roads, frigid temps and 'black ice' spell some more days of cabin fever. I think I'm ready for Spring.

Going to the dogs now.

Veloso 10:26 PM  

I agree with most of the complaints here. A curb's place is not a STREET, the clue for SKI was rough, and clock radios don't have an AMPM toggle. And I'm too uneducated a heathen to have had any hope at all on the EsAU/IsEULT cross. (Or is ESAU another bit of crosswordese to commit to memory?)

But that aside, this was pretty cute. How can you stay mad at a puzzle with low-resolution pixel art of a puppy smack in the middle of the grid?

Numinous 12:44 AM  

I know it's very late and I'm sure everyone here is right in regards to thier own clock radios but I recall having several of them with a little slider switch on the side that toggled between AM and FM.

I origionally saw the Andalousian Dog in 1960 or 61, before I knew enough french to understand the title. There was an "ART" cinema a block and a half from where I grew up. I saw it there.

Anonymous 3:30 AM  

Very poignant.

Anonymous 4:48 PM  

I haven't read all of these,but in the late 60's or early 70's . there was a puz beyond dense with theme answers. Dog or cat breeds. Does anybody know how I can find it again? For more than thirty years I have been looking.

Thanx

Unknown 4:37 PM  

i am victoria by name and my boyfriend is ricky 6years ago he was
in police case that he joined a robbing group which lead him to jail
and ever since i have ben trying my best to work him out i borrowed
some money for his release and because of him i slept with the police
manager so he could help release him i have been trying my best until
6months ago he was released he didn't tell me i went their but was told he
is out i wanted to check their place on my way i saw him with surprise
i ran to huge him but he was not happy to see me to my greatest surprise
he told me it is over because i left him in jail without no help i was
too weak to explain how i have suffered for him because i was crying and
and speechless, ever since he doesn't call me if i do he doesn't pick i was
in pains i contacted 4 different spell casters and i was scammed nothing
works out then i lose hope i can't anything without him he is all i have
3days ago i saw a comment on get back plan that talked about sunlight i won't
have contacted because i saw she has done so many things and also a goddess
i contacted her and explained everything about me to her when she replied she
told me what to do and i did though i never have faith on her after a while
she mailed that the spell has been done that he will come now!!! i was waiting
for his call he never called 3hrs later i wanted to mail because i was very
desperate then someone knocked i said who is it the person kept quiet i went to
the door when i open i saw him holding a rose and knee i shouted not because
of what he did because of sunlight because of her truth and compassionate, then
i raise him and he kissed and we went for date and he begged and swore never to
never me again just as the goddess says, that night i mailed and thanked her very
much and i vowed i am going to tell those in pain just like i was. pls if you need
her help email sunlightspell@gmail.com and i advice pls don't lose hope she is real
thanks to you daughter of durga glory be unto your name love you...

walden kayla 8:43 AM  

I am karen by name and i am located in Spain,I recently saw a testimony about a spell caster of some sort in a blog I visit for relationship and dating counseling problems because i had been having serious problems with my boyfriend and we had been dating for 1 year, He just suddenly changed, He wasn't returning my calls, He started cheating, He was hurting me in so many ways i never thought possible and I just thought I should try this spell caster called MAMA ALUTA , Cos there are so many good comments about her on the website, But before i could read his post,I have already contacted many spell caster that cheated me out of my hard earned money without given me result.But when i meet this spell caster out of desperation of some sort.I decided to contact them to please render there help to me, I explained all the problems that i was going through to her and she told me all i needed to do to get this spell . At first everything felt dreamy and unbelievable, Their consultations and solution was a little bit easy and strange and I was scared a little cos I had read and heard lots of stories of fake spell casters, scams and i never really believed in magic. I played along with a little hope and faith and I was sent some few stuffs after everything and it worked like a miracle, everything went to a whole new direction, it was and is amazing. I guess it was all good faith that made me read That particular post that faithful day.I hope they could help other people too like they did to me. I did a little and I got everything I wanted and wished for, My husband, My family and my life back You can contact MAMA ALUTA at: madodospelltemple@gmail.com because she changed my life or contact her directely on her web site http://mamaalutaspellhome.webs.com/

spacecraft 12:22 PM  

ISEULT not Tuesday-friendly? I'll say, not even Saturday-civil. Neither is POM, which may be "wonderful" wherever the hell it's sold--but that's not any place I've ever been. Canada, maybe? IDUNNO.

The [Schnauzer?] in black is so cute I want to take him home. But where's the dog in the west central? We do find LEMURS there; I guess some of them can bark like a dog.

No, not easy-medium for me, with that ISolde "gimme." Even after I had to give it up for BEAGLE, I had no idea what the last letter was, and so the long 25d was slow to materialize. I still had the E there, so I'm going "SERET...???" Thus my time for a Tuesday was STRETCHEDOUT some. Call it medium with overtones of challenging.

If I ever find a [bottle?] [can?] of POM, I'll drink a TOAST to the little fellow in the middle, who raises this C to a B-.

Burma Shave 1:28 PM  

STREET TACT

The HUSKY SAMOAN girl was a PYRO.
That CAT SETTER fires all INAROW.
We don’t know ATALL what she said
when the GENT asked her about BREAD,
and if it’s now TOAST, IDUNNO.

--- TYR ORTO

Bill Young 1:40 PM  

We usually hate Tuesday puzzles but everyone likes dogs

DMG 1:44 PM  

Doggy grid made me smile- a good way to start the day! and, it helped me shed HiC for POM. Don't know how @Spacecraft has missed it-we have spells of being flooded with ads for "POM wonderful", touting the virtues of the juice..Or maybe I just see it in the coupon section? At anyrate, I tried it ONCE! Tossed the rest of the coupons. Only problem with the puzzle was confidently entering Isolde, only to,have it disappear cross by cross. That's about it!

rondo 1:49 PM  

This puz was TOTO much, with SAYHITO ORTO READTO. It almost went to the dogs.
Mostly agree with OFL’s write-up, one of his better prosaic attempts.
Tuesdays have been worse, but that’s a lot of black squares in the middle to make a dog. And that created lotsa 3s across the top. And there’s more of ‘em along the bottom.
This one’s OK at best.

rain forest 6:00 PM  

When I saw the pooch in the centre, I thought, "Liz Gorski". Wrong, doggie-breath, but maybe BH is a Gorski acolyte. Anyway, cute puzzle which I, like almost everyone else, enjoyed.

The novelty song in question was the absolute best to play at the beginning of a high school dance in 2000.

Nice Tuesday.

Anonymous 7:41 PM  

My only screwup was Isolde for iseult but enjoyed the puzzle a lot!
I'm an animal lover, and would love a pup, but I'm under contract to a very jealous calico who has attacked dogs and cats for venturing into her turf! I had a fish and she threw fits when I fed him. Thank goodness for the secure lid on the tank! One cat only is my fate, and I am her minion.

Unknown 6:33 AM  


!!! “LOVE is the key to LIFE”.DR Ehinome !!!

My name is Miss Mary Love am from Texas, am a woman who love and cherish my husband more than any other thing you can imagine on earth continent. My husband was so lovely and caring after 3years of marriage he was seriously ill and the doctor confirm and said he has a kidney infection that he needed a kidney donor, that was how I start searching for a good Samaritan who can help,doctor has given me a periodic hour that he will live just 26hours left, that was how I ask the doctor if I can be of help to my husband that was how he carried out the text,the confirming was successful, I was now having this taught that since 3 years now we got married I have not be able to get pregnant can I be able to get bring again? That was the question I ask the doctor, he never answer his response was did you want to lost your husband? I immediately reply no I can't afford to loose him. After the operation my husband came back to live and was healthy I was also OK with the instruction given to me by the doctor, after 3months my husband came home with another lady telling me, that is our new wife that will give us kids and take care of us, that was how I was confused and started crying all day, that was how my husband ran away with his new wife Clarabelle. Since then I was confuse don't no what to do that was how I went back to the doctor and tell him everything, he told me that, this is not just an ordinary it must be a spiritual problem that was how he gave me this email (ehinomespellcaster@gmail.com) that I should tell her all my problem that she can help that was how i contacted her and I do as instructed. After 3days and I have done what she ask me to do, my husband start searching for me and went back to the doctor, that was how we well settle she also told me not to worry that I will get pregnant, this month making it the fifth Month I contacted her am now 3months pregnant. These great spell cater is a great man, if you are any kind of problem you can contact him here on his email (ehinomespellcaster@gmail.com) website:http://ehinomespellcaster.yolasite.com +2348036345198

Lola Ken 4:46 PM  

I am hear to give testimony of how I got back my husband, we got married for more than 2 years and we have two kids. thing were going well with us and we are always happy. until one day my husband started to behave in a way I could not understand, I was very confused by the way he treat me and the kids. later that month he did not come again and he called me that he want a divorce, I asked him what have I done wrong to deserve this from him, all he was saying that he want a divorce and that he hates me and do not want to see me again in his life, I was mad and also frustrated do not know what to do, I was sick for more than 2 weeks because of the divorce. I love him so much he was everything to me without him my life is incomplete. I told my sister and she told me to contact a spell caster, I never believe in all this spell casting of a thing. I just want to try if something will come out of it. I contacted Dr. Azuka, at (dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com) for the return of my husband to me, they told me that my husband have been taken by another woman that she cast a spell on him that is why he hates me and also want us to divorce. then they told me that they have to cast a spell on him that will make him return to me and the kids, they cast the spell and after 3 days my husband called me and he told me that I should forgive him, he started to apologize on phone and said that he still love me that he did not know what happen to him that he left me. it was the spell that the Dr. Azuka, casted out on him that made him come back to me, today me and my family are now happy again today. thank you Dr. Azuka, for what you have done for me I would have been nothing today if not for your great help. I want you my friends who are passing through this kind of love problem of getting back their husband, wife , or ex boyfriend and girlfriend to contact (dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com) or Whats App him on +2348132777335 and you will see that your problem will be solved

Unknown 5:18 PM  


I was hurt and heart broken when a very big problem occurred in my marriage seven months ago, between me and my husband . so terrible that he took

the case to court for a divorce. he said that he never wanted to stay with me again,and that he didn't love me anymore.So he packed out of the house and

made me and my children passed through severe pain. I tried all my possible means to get him back,after much begging,but all to no avail.and he

confirmed it that he has made his decision,and he never wanted to see me again. So on one evening,as i was coming back from work,i met an old friend of

mine who asked of my husband .So i explained every thing to him,so he told me that the only way i can get my husband back,is to visit a spell

caster,because it has really worked for him too.So i never believed in spell,but i had no other choice,than to follow his advice. Then he gave me the Email

address of the spell caster whom he visited. So the next morning,i sent a mail to the address he gave to me,and the spell caster assured me that i will get

my husband back the next day. What an amazing statement!! I never believed,so he spoke with me, and told me everything that i need to do. Then the

next morning, So surprisingly, my husband who didn't call me for the past 7 months, gave me a call to inform me that he was coming back. So Amazing!!

So that was how he came back that same day,with lots of love and joy,and he apologized for his mistake,and for the pain he caused me and our children.

Then from that day,our relationship was now stronger than how it were before,by the help of Dr. gbojie. So, i will advice you out there if you have any

problem contact him, i give you 100% guarantee that he will help you.. Email him at: gbojiespiritualtemple@gmail.com,or call +2349057916767 Thank you

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