Another amusing theme. Is it just me being happy to be back blogging these puzzles? Or have the themes been extra fun lately? Today’s is a cute play on dot coms, with normal words beginning with “com” being clued wackily to make them sound tech-related. As in, “*Assurance from an internet company?” (COMPROMISE), “*Exposure for an internet company” (COMPRESS), and my personal favorite, “*Illustrative story from an internet company” (COMPARABLE). Hah!
In the fill, there were two entries that made me feel it was Wednesday – SPARGE, which is, apparently, to “Rinse with water, as grain in the brewing process,” and CABERS, the “Poles tossed in a Highland competition.” I vaguely remembered the second, but not the first. In my paper Webster’s from the ‘90s, it just gives “to splash or sprinkle,” from the Latin spargere, which means the same thing. I suppose it makes sense. I’m more familiar with the non-S variety, parge, which means to apply a thin coat of plaster or mortar to seal a wall. Interesting, right? This is what keeps you coming back to this blog! :)
To the list of things I didn’t know you may add the fact that Yoko ONO wrote something called “Mrs. Lennon,” and that Mao Zedong’s successor was named HUA Guofeng. Hopefully, I will now remember both. All.
Best clue: “Where seeds might be placed” (TOURNAMENT). But "Trait for a good waiter?" (PATIENCE) was also good, and funny, I'm guessing, because it's true.
- Horace
Silly me; it hit me just now reading the blog why "Trait for a good waiter" has a question mark. They mean the generic waiter, as in "one who waits" (for something)! As a former waiter of the restaurant variety, PATIENCE made such good sense that I didn't think any more about it. How many nights did I wait-- patiently or otherwise--for the kitchen to put out my customers' food?? Yes, this was a nice theme; .COMPARABLE was terrific. I also loved "Lightly strike, as a windowpane." The answer, TAPAT, seemed so pleasing and lyrical, and I felt as though I had heard it somewhere. I quick search just now reveals that it's from a line in Rosemary Clooney's holiday song Suzy Snowflake: "Here comes Suzy Snowflake/Dressed in a snow-white gown/Tap, tap, tappin' at your windowpane/To tell you she's in town" I wonder if that's what Gangi had in mind. Finally, that's no stiletto! Doesn't it need at least another 4-5 inches?
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought of you, specificially, when the double meaning came clear to me for PATIENCE. And when I came upon TAPAT, my mind went not to Clooney, but to Poe - "Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before./'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice...'"
DeleteAnd yeah, "kitten stiletto" googles as a thing, but I agree that there are kitten heels and there are stilettos, and they are two separate things.