The puzzle today opened the door for some limericking. At 31D the clue was “Playful poetry,” and the answer was LIGHT VERSE. Egs shared this one:
There was a young lady named Bright
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
In a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
And I shamelessly stole mine from Garrison Keillor who wrote it in honor of one of his kid’s teachers. He felt they worked so hard and were insufficiently appreciated.
There once was a teacher named Dede
Who came home to her squeeze and said: Sweetie
I’m so tired I’m wobbly
So pour me some Chablis
And don’t be emotionally needy.
We all have our weaknesses, areas that confound us in puzzles. I’m weak on rap stars and most current pop music names beyond the very biggest. Many folks grumble over Simpsons clues. Anyway, a big black hole for me is anything to do with fashion. So I learned a new term/definition today at 4D. Did you know that BODICE is what “the close-fitting part of a dress” is called? I would have guessed TOP.
Why so glum, princess?
Food items in the puzzle today included, at 19A: “Colombian cakes that have been around since pre-Columbian times.” AREPAS. Also, at 41D: “Sushi seaweed” was NORI. Here’s egs on them:
Boy: Hey Ma! Whose Colombian cakes are these?
Ma: Those AREPAS AREPAS.
Boy: At least it’s not seaweed, cause I don’t eat seaweed.
Ma: NORI.
The arepas really look good, said Tom droolingly.
Did someone mention NORI? NORI? We were taken to task yesterday by OC friend Norrie for not noting the Knicks’ great upset victory over the Bostoners earlier this week. The Celts are reeling from the loss of their star Tatum to injury, but Game 5 still won’t be a cakewalk. Are the ‘Bockers inching their way towards their first crown since the Willis Reed era? Hope so, but it’s still a long way to go, amirite Knicks City Dancers?
Was Owl Chatter spot-on yesterday, or what? Our selection of lady hockey player Mannon McMahon to feature was prescient. M scored the winning (and only) goal as Ottawa bested favored Montreal to go up 2-1 in the PWHL semi-finals. How’s this for an image of pure joy? Nice shot Philly!
Let’s feature Emily Clark today, brilliant skater for Ottawa. Em’s 29 and from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She skated brilliantly for Wisconsin in college, and scored a goal in the 2018 Winter Olympics for Canada in its 5-0 win over the Russians. She is the youngest of six hockey-playing kids in her family. Don’t ease up on Friday, Clark! Love those smoky killer eyes.
The Times Higher Education has named Brandeis University #10 on its list of Best Small Universities in the World, according to an email Brandeis sent me today. No other U.S. school is in the top 20.
Among the reasons cited for this honor was the success of Brandeis alumni which include Abbie Hoffman, Pulitzer Prize winners, leading authors, a Nobel laureate, creators of the TV show Friends, and the producer of the highly unpopular blog Owl Chatter, not to mention countless ex-cons and ne’er-do-wells (seriously, don’t mention them). Way to go, alma mater!
Let’s end tonight with Jung-hoo Lee. He’s a Korean ballplayer with the SF Giants. He plays the outfield and is doing well, hitting .288 with 27 RBI and 29 runs scored. He plays with speed and an obvious love of the game. A fan club for him has developed: the Hoo Lee Gans (get it? — hooligans). They wear fire wigs and special t-shirts.
Things went a little crazy (in a good way) last night. It was Korean Heritage Night so there was special food, music, and a Jung-hoo Lee jersey giveaway. Lee played the part by blasting a three-run dinger in the 8th inning — his first homer in front of the Hoo Lee Gans. You can imagine.
The following clip is the Korean broadcast of a Lee home run he hit a while back in Yankee Stadium. You don’t have to speak Korean to enjoy it.
Wish we could end with joy like that every night. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 