I'm useless when it comes to crossword puzzles, but I think 24 across might be the obscure Seinfeld reference (although, I don't know how to spell it, either.)

Never mind. I'll just shut up.

The obscure Seinfeld reference (54A) is to "Rochelle, Rochelle", referenced 4-6 times and featured prominently in at least one episode. The first time it was a movie they are going to see. I also remember it being a video store topic when George finds out Susan has had her own erotic swerve. The most prominent one involves Bette Midler in the Broadway musical version where Kramer injures her in a softball game. The answer has nothing to do with Seinfeld though.

24A is action packed.

OMG - I was over-thinking it. I thought 24 across was about the beefarino episode and the "backwards breeze" was the horse farting. (Can I say "farting"?)

Sorry TBRS, Funtastic Thursday, as always, is an effluvia free zone. I only want to corrupt your mind, not your senses or sensibilities. Just imagine your puzzle-maker as an elegant gentlemen of refined taste sporting spats, a walking stick, and a monocle.

Sorry TBRS, Funtastic Thursday, as always, is an effluvia free zone. I only want to corrupt your mind, not your senses or sensibilities. Just imagine your puzzle-maker as an elegant gentlemen of refined taste sporting a top hat, spats, a walking stick, and a monocle.

Wow, this is a tough one!

Can I say "farting"? Retired in Elkridge, aka Mr. Old Fart always thought you could.

Tricky, indeed! There's no clue for 36 down, but there is one for the nonexistent 35 down.

I know when I'm out of my depth. Over to you, hmpstd, Lissa, RinE and Hal!

You should be carful of biting the hand of the masters, mate. Last week your puzzle was featured on the Sun home page and this week totally ignored. Coincidence or techno-geek revenge?

Just imagine your puzzle-maker as an elegant gentlemen of refined taste sporting a top hat, spats, a walking stick, and a monocle.

OMG is Mr. Peanut?

This one is definitely too hard to quickly do while pretending to be working. I've only gotten about half of it.

OOOOPS!

Thanks Hal. The clue labelled 35 Down is of course 36 Down.

Am I Mr. Peanut? I wish! That cat has style. I heard that he and Mr. Salty got married in California last week. They always seemed quite compatible.

Since I used to tell my students that there is no such thing as a stupid question, here goes: Is the only way to print this sucker out by copying it to a Word doc and then printing? Is there an "easier" way?

Piano Rob,
I did the same thing at first. Provided you are using a fairly decently recent version of Windows, say 2000 or newer, just leave you mouse hovered over the image.
A little toolbar pops up with several icons on it, allowing you to save, email or print the image. click on the little printer icon and your print dialog box opens. Print away!
Before I became a tech writer, I did computer tech support for a bunch of years for some rather ungrateful users (read=investment bankers). Probably how I acquired a taste for Makers Mark. The job certainly allowed me to afford it!

Darn, former Bucky!
I thought the same thing but you beat me to the comment.

I guess I was busy enjoying my Mystery Menu Prize!

thanks again!!

Hey Piano Rob,
I just remembered that the puzzle itself and the clues are two separate image files. So you have to do the steps I mentioned earlier for each image.

Mr. Owl/Peanut is a clever dude!

Dahlink, I'm out of this one. Between being dyslexic and having to work tonight, I'm not up for this.

I shall spend my limited energy attempting to think of a way to torment OMG back.

PRob - I printed it out fine at the office straight from the webpage (Safari). You can also right-click on the image(s) and save or print.

But I didn't have much success with the clues in the fleeting moments I had to work on it without someone walking into my office and seeing that I wasn't really working (despite pencil in hand and concentration countenance - that only works if someone is walking by; if they come in my office, they can see it's not real work).

This is a tough one. And I suck at crosswords, anyway. And I accidentally left it at the office tonight, so no doubt everyone will post their successes before I even see it again.

Sorry I missed you at the Trattoria. Maybe next week. Will you be there?

PCB Rob - so what was the prize?

Printing it out? Hmmm... I never thought about that since I have umpteen copies of various versions on my desk. But of course, they came from Word, not the blog. Can't you just print any web page from any browser? Hmmm.... you probably want a clean image of the puzzle and clues not broken up into pages randonmly.

If you right click on the image in Windows you can open the image and all you see is the puzzle grid. Then print that from the browser. Same with the clues.

Lissa, torment all you want. I welcome it.

I am willing to give clues if you are tormented.

Here are some particularly devilish ones:
55A Grain grinder's real breezy monogram
Grain grinder = Miller
Real = Genuine
Breezy = Draft
+ monogram = MGD

21A How mean was Moses Horwitz? Ask his brother Smuely and friend Levi, aka Shemp and Larry. Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

32A Misguided Civil War general = LEE --> EEL (misguided = reverse).

Bourbon Girl,
The prize was a jar of peach salsa made from locally grown Palisade peaches. Its very good!

thanks again Rob't from TBRS!

24A = ZESTING
I had a brain malfunction on this one. I will now go and get an MRI.

OH, I am so stupid! The clue would have been great if I got the right Paul Newman/Robert Redford movie! Clearly Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were NOT in The Sting. Ahhh, may thousands of angry fire ants eat me alive.

Backwards breeze = EZ --> ZE
ZE+STING

The Sting being a Paul Newman vehicle.

Thanks for the helpful hints, everyone.

OMG - I was invited to the overly salty wedding. It was tacky and I felt sodiumized.

The blog suddenly looks better to me (I use Safari for my main browser). An crazy happy banana guy is back--was he there yesterday?

I got a silly one!
35 Across Scalp Flanders is "SkinNed".
As in Ned Flanders from the Simpsons. And it's a kitchen verb.

This kind of clue reminds me of puzzles that used to be in the back of the New Yorker, maybe acrostics?

See, that's what screwed me up and made me think 24A was the obscure Seinfeld reference.

I thought the backwards breeze was the beefarino-induced fart and the Butch and Sundance vehicle was the carriage the horse was pulling. (All of this from the marble rye episode.)

THAT would have been an obscure Seinfeld reference.

I can't believe you used Julian Schnabel in a crossword. JULIENNED? I did like that movie he made with the paralyzed guy who blinked a novel.... Butterfly something? From last year. Schnabelled. Sweet & sour Krishna, that's ridiculously funny.

Hint: "ET" is part of two answers and clues.

Yeah TBRS, I appreciate your knowledge of the marble rye ep. In this case you don't need to know anything about Seinfeld, it's just a little in-joke. It's also what I would call misdirection by ornamentation. It's the direction of her path that matters, not her erotic adventures, whatever they were.

Why? Why? Why? That's just wrong. I am such a delicate flower.

OMG - if I had gotten down that far (to clue 54A), I would have known better.

I just started going down the clues looking for the Seinfeld one, then I got all fixated on #24 and didn't go further. Farther. Whichever.

You could do a "food and restaurants that appeared in Seinfeld" crossword, probably, but the audience might be limited.

Seinfeld...four?

Seinfeld food? Hmmm... I think that's a great idea, but you're right it might limit the audience. Maybe there's a way to do it and not exclude non-fans. I could put ... yadda yadda .. and then we're done.

The marble rye episode is my all time favorite - I love when Jerry snatches it from that old lady. Usually I would think that is mean, but it was exigent circumstances.

I have nothing to add here about the crossword, I haven't gotten very far. Sober. Now that I've been hitting the Makers, I'm wondering is there a prize for the worst, most diabolically inaccurate answers?

Bucky - great idea. the Seinfeld crossword is one I might actually be able to manage. Say yes, Owl Man.

Oh no, what is it with boys and Senfeld already. Get a room. I;m jealous because I always feel like the Elaine in social situations late;y. wise cracking goofballs and me. i need to get an adlt life. My ears are still ringing. I'm too old old for this crap.

You're too old? You're too old? Hah!