Yesterday's Newsday puzzle used common animal metaphors:
23A: Go-getter (EAGER BEAVER) (Note: Eager they weren't, but "The Angry Beavers" was one of my favorite Nick cartoons. Here is a video of the classic episode featuring the Barry White bear. No copyright infringement intended).
25A: Cowardly one (FRAIDY CAT) (Note: I was a notorious fraidy cat as a child. I was scared of my own shadow). Here is some interesting trivia about the Cowardly Lion's (Bert Lahr) costume from "The Wizard of Oz."
45A: Usurer (LOAN SHARK)
76A: Courtroom whiz (LEGAL EAGLE)
84A: Experimental subject (GUINEA PIG) (Note: My parents would often tease me that I was the experiment that failed. Very nice, mom and dad! As an animal, however, guinea pigs are so cute!).
105A: Person above criticism (SACRED COW)
107A: Easy mark (SITTING DUCK) (See below Michael Bedard's famous lithograph). I didn't realize there was a book and a TV series based on this lithograph.
I'm still working on the quote-acrostic, which is nearly impossible. I will report on it when I'm finished.
Today's Cryptoquote is by Robert Frost (1874-1963): "Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." I looked up his bio on Wiki (not always the most reliable source) but he was prolific poet! His most famous poem probably is The Road Not Taken. There is a collection of his poems at the Jones library in Amherst, MA. For more information:
http://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/amherst/ma181_main.html
A more detailed bio of Frost is posted here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/robert-frost
Gail Grabowski's crossword theme was "Air Force", which had nothing to do with the armed-forces branch:
20A: Energy for a new effort (SECOND WIND)
40A: Has a chat (SHOOTS THE BREEZE)
60A: Early-stage manuscript (ROUGH DRAFT)
Saturday night there was a surprise party for my friend Vicki's birthday. I went to middle school and high school with Vicki but didn't know her very well. She is one of the most positive people I have ever met and she never complains about anything. Vicki married her life partner Flo in Connecticut almost a month ago.
John Rich won "Celebrity Apprentice" last night. This season was not the most exciting, but there were some very colorful characters (Gary Busey, Star Jones, Nene Leakes). Marlee Matlin's interpreter should get his own show!
Also, I watched the clowns from "Jerseylicious." It's all so phony and fake but it's a guilty pleasure. The best scene from last week was Christy jumping down Alexa's throat for not asking her about her pregnancy or her child. . . . Gayle (the salon owner) wants "world domination" and they tried to get into Guinness World Records for the most haircuts in an 8-hour day. The geniuses don't know how many centimeters are in an inch. Alexa compares the Gatsby to a used car lot! Last night they started a medispa and the employees told Gigi she needs like $100,000 in procedures. Needless to say, the medispa didn't go over too well. . . . Olivia made 2 snide remarks about Tracy's clothes (go Olivia!). . . . Filippo (the Gatsby's intern) got accepted to beauty school. There goes the neighborhood!
Jeff Conaway is still in a coma, and there was a story going around that George Clooney fell off a cliff (a hoax)!
Today at Loehmann's I bought the matching jacket for the workout pants that I bought on Friday, along with a matching t-shirt (TJ Maxx purchase).
We are finally getting our kitchen sink fixed. The pipe was all corroded and we need a major part. Our bathroom sink needed a new washer, which was repaired easily. No more drip, drip, drip.
On that note, have a great night everyone!
Signing off,
The Puzzlechick
