The Commentariat got its knickers all in a twist (that’s British for “panties all in a bunch”), over whether ice cream and soup are “spooned” when served, as asserted in a clue. Many maintained ice cream is “scooped” and soup “ladled.” Close enough for crosswords, is my view. And one witness for the defense noted that both the scoop and the ladle are types of spoons.
This post made the whole contretemps worth it for me:
“I always call it scooping ice cream, even when I’m using 2 large spoons and trying (too often unsuccessfully) to form perfect quenelles. But I always ladle soup.”
“Quenelles!” What a great word, and new to me. According to Wikipedia, a quenelle is a mixture of creamed fish or meat, sometimes combined with breadcrumbs, with a light egg binding, formed into an egg-like shape, and then cooked. By extension, a quenelle may also be another food made into a similar shape, such as ice cream, sorbet, butter, or mashed potato quenelles.
The issue arose because the theme to the puzzle yesterday was JUGBAND, with the five theme answers starting off with instruments you would find in such an ensemble: WASHBOARD ABS, STOVEPIPE HAT, SPOONS OUT, BONES UP ON, and, JUG BAND itself. This video shows how to make a stovepipe for a jugband, and how it’s played (you blow into it).
Commenter Lewis shared this video with us of the Spoon Lady, who entertained him for many years busking in downtown Asheville.
Putting it all together, here’s some jugband music, just as the doctor prescribed.
In today’s puzzle, “Like the scent of some air fresheners” was PINEY, which some thought was a bit awkward. Can you find it in this Dylan song?
Didn’t I weep beside you
With the rain blowing in your hair?
I completely crashed on “2011 Peace Nobelist ___ Johnson Sirleaf.” It’s ELLEN. She was President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, the first elected female head of state in Africa. Her efforts to bring women into the peacekeeping process won her the Nobel Peace Prize. Liberia had a mild anti-gay statute that was never enforced. While she did not push for its repeal she held fast against efforts to pass far more onerous ones. Good job, El!
Get this — if you’re a fan of the TV comedy Parks and Recreation, Sirleaf’s niece is the actress Retta who played the character Donna Meagle on the show. Below is the Prez herself, followed by Retta.
This poem from today’s Writer’s Almanac is by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. It’s called “The Pennycandystore Beyond the El.”
The Pennycandystore beyond the El
is where I first
fell in love
with unreality
Jellybeans glowed in the semi-gloom
of that september afternoon
A cat upon the counter moved among
the licorice sticks
and tootsie rolls
and Oh Boy Gum
Outside the leaves were falling as they died
A wind had blown away the sun
A girl ran in
Her hair was rainy
Her breasts were breathless in the little room
Outside the leaves were falling
and they cried
Too soon! too soon!
It’s a compelling poem, no? I did a little googling to try to get a handle on how it’s been interpreted. Didn’t work. One writer said it’s about the death of humanity and that the girl was God. Puh-leeeze. I did note the stark difference between the store with the glowing jellybeans, and outside where the wind had blown away the sun. Is it about the passing of childhood “too soon?” One writer referred to the first time you (a boy) see a real girl and appreciate her force. Another said “Her hair was rainy” is the best line in the poem. There’s certainly more electricity to it than if he wrote “her hair was wet.”
Did she look like either of these?
Technology continues to take a larger role in baseball. Next season, each batter will be “measured” for his particular strike zone and each pitch will be determined to be a strike or ball electronically. That result will only be called into play if a batter challenges the umpire’s strike call, or the catcher/pitcher challenges a ball call. Each side gets two challenges per game, but a challenge is not charged if it’s proven right. I like it.
Owl Chatter sports consultant, the lovely women’s ice hockey player Sarah Fillier, has been following the story and was able to get us a shot of what the so-called “robot umpire” will look like. Thanks Sarah!
At 18A today, “Dance craze named for a Southern city,” was, of course, the CHARLESTON. I associate that business with your knees with it, but there’s a lot more to it, apparently. Here’s some “footage” from my grand-nephew’s bar mitzvah in Delaware.
Sometimes, with the whirlwind that is Washington DC, we lose sight of the eloquence. Here are some excerpts from Trump’s speech at the UN.
“In my first term, I built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had the best economy ever, history of the world, and I’m doing the same thing again, but this time it’s actually much bigger and even better. The numbers far surpass my record-setting first term.
“In a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were unendable. You’re never going to get them solved…. No president or prime minister, and for that matter, no other country, has ever done anything close to that, and I did it in just seven months. It’s never happened before. There’s never been anything like that. Very honored to have done it.
“You’re destroying your countries. They’re being destroyed. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe, and nobody’s doing anything to change it, to get them out. In London, they want Sharia Law. It’s not sustainable.
“I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.”
A senior foreign diplomat posted at the U.N. texted: “This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?”
I don’t know. Do we? What’s the embarrassing part?
Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 