Today’s puzzle wasn’t very exciting, but it did have book titles in it, and one was “The Giving Tree.” Remember that one, mom and dad? The US Postal Service issued a stamp honoring it, and Shel Silverstein, the author.
There was a cartoon in the New Yorker (I think) that had the little boy looking up at the tree, just like in the book. It was called “The Re-Giving Tree,” and the tree tossed a gift box down to the boy and is saying “It’s a blender.”
I found it!
Farrah Fawcett was in the puzzle too. Here’s a shot of her that Andy Warhol took. She was only 62 when she died of cancer back in 2009.
In last Wednesday’s puzzle, for the clue “Part of a club,” I put down MEMBER, but it turned out to be TOMATO. The “club” was a club sandwich. D’oh! And Rex shared this unusual music video by Tierra Whack.
Miriam Webster’s “word of the day” today is LIMINAL. I don’t think I’ve ever used it. It describes an intermediate, or in-between, state — like those brief moments between sleep and wakefulness. It also describes something barely perceptible. The word comes from the noun “limen,” which refers to the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced, a threshold. And, thus, “subliminal” means below a threshold: something inadequate to produce a sensation.
The root is also present in “eliminate,” “sublime,” and “preliminary.”
Right off the bat, the clue at 1A mystified me: “‘Here’s looking at you, kid’ or ‘You can’t handle the truth!,’ famously.” I wrote in LINES, but that seemed unworthy. I worked around it and it turned out to be AD LIB. Really? Jack Nicholson came up with that on his own? He did. So did DeNiro with “You talking to me?” in Taxi Driver, and Richard Castellano (Clemenza) with “Take the cannoli,” in The Godfather.
So get this: Simon Hammett of the DMC (UK) posted this: The Heinz people are so tired of restaurants and cafés refilling their bottles with non-Heinz ketchup to ‘fool customers’ that they’ve developed a label sticker where the outer border matches the exact colour of genuine Heinz ketchup. If it matches (left), it’s the real deal. If it doesn’t (right), it’s condiment fraud.
Condiment fraud!
Frazer Martin says: Heinz is crap anyway try Wilkin & Sons Ltd Tiptree and you will never go back!
But Lewis Main said it’s not a fair comparison because Wilkin & Sons costs so much more. It’s like saying buy a Porsche instead of a smart car.
Then it got a little testy. Martin said: Seriously dude what are you rabbiting on about ffs [which I take to mean “for fuck’s sake”].
And Main shot back: Don’t cry. I’m just saying you’re saying Heinz is crap go to this and it’s not a fair comparison.
Martin had the last word (as of now): “There’s only one person crying and that’s yourself. I don’t see how comparing spending £2 extra for a bottle of ketchup is the same as saying spending an extra £50.000 on a Porsche.”
[I cannot begin to express how deeply I love this club.]
The roughly 5 hours of football I watched today, like a beached whale, covered a sweet Jets victory, a crappy Giants loss, and an exciting KC win over Cincy. The internet was mum on whether Tay would be in attendance, but she showed, and was suitably elated at the win. She was dressed in a Chiefs t-shirty sort of dress and black thigh-high boots. Oh, wait — Phil just sent this in — you don’t need my description:
Lookin’ good, babe. Have fun in KC tonight. If Travis takes you out to one of those steak places, be very careful with the ketchup.
See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 