"The Play's The Thing" - April 9, 2021

[Michelle B]

Fun one! And I didn't need all weekend! A tankard of hard cider, methinks.

[MajordomoTom]

... slides one down the bar ... I like the cut of your jib.

[Softie]

On shore! As a Shakespeare ignoramus I enjoyed the things I got to learn along the way in solving this one.

[DrTom]

Not that I should talk, being from Philly. "Do yous wants some jawn? That jawn made me need to drink some wudder."

And then there is NE PA (Scranton - home of the Office) where the English language is used sparingly.

Ah, I used to have to spend 3 days a week in Scranton. Flew in from the 'burgH and always thought of Harry Chapin's "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" every time I passed the highway sign for Moosic. Loved how the building across from the Erie-Lackawanna Station/Hotel had a mural of a map of the town on it. I always knew there was an escape route at hand.

Finally, to complete my PA vagabondness, I lived in Philly but "jawn" escapes me? Is that some implication of talking (jawing)?

"Jawn" can mean almost anything. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawn

Well I have driven down "banana road" into Scranton any number of times because I worked in a peat bog in the Poconos (Gouldsboro, PA) and I can tell you it is nowhere to have bad brakes. It was also good that it was in my youth where I consumed almost no alcohol (by local standards) so I never descended the road with an elevated BAL.

What is sad is that the Scranton of my youth was a rather viable city with shopping, movies, transportation, etc, and it has now died to an almost ghost town. Heck they would probably welcome 30,000 lbs of bananas just for something to do.

[DrTom]

I was born and raised in Central PA, went to Penn State, and then moved to Massachusetts for grad school. When my wife, who is from Arlington, MA (pronounced "Aahlington") first met my mother, who still lives in Philipsburg, PA (pronounced "Phlpsbrg"), her first words were "Excuse me?" It was a good thing I spoke both languages and could act as interpreter. Still comes in handy 30 years later.

And could either one pronounce Worcester right? and then there is Medford - pronounced "Mehfud"

I have had the pleasure of teaching people how to pronounce Gloucester (Glahstah) and Worcester (Woostah) correctly. Kevin White was the quintesential mayor of "the shity of Bohstn".

So then, it is NOT "What's this here sauce"?

[Colin]

To be on the beach,
Or not to be on the beach?
Conundrum!... Ashore!

[Tom Shea]

I guess the Guinness did the trick last evening, while listening to some killer jams by Ledward Kaapana, Dwight Kanae and Henry Kapono. Firmly on shore with light trade winds and warm temps. Another enjoyable evening in store.

Tossed Isaac a tip on the way to the shore launch. His undeclared income has taken quite a hit the past two months. I'm sure it will pick up through the next few.

[HunterX]

Not that I should talk, being from Philly. "Do yous wants some jawn? That jawn made me need to drink some wudder."

And then there is NE PA.....

DrTom
Come to New England and ask a local for directions - you are just as likely to get them including "turn left where the firehouse used to be" or head toward Centerville which is not a town but a name of a village that was incorporated into a town 100 years ago. The best is in Boston which is a combination of many towns over the years but they never changed the names so there are four different Washington Streets in Boston - (Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, the South End)

My favorite New England directions?
Q - "Can I take this road to Portland?"
A - "Uh-yup. But they got plenty a roads up there already."
Q - "Ah. Have you lived here all your life?"
A - "Not yet."

[HunterX]

Oh... On the beach. Hours ago. But then the old fashions... and wine... yada yada yada...

Pretty straight-forward one I'd say. Grid was was pretty quick. Meta quicker. But good. Did require the assistance of A. Jeeves (or his modern equivalent) for a bit of the meta.

[Tom Shea]

Not that I should talk, being from Philly. "Do yous wants some jawn? That jawn made me need to drink some wudder."

...

DrTom
Come to New England and ask a local for directions - you are just as likely to get them including "turn left where the firehouse used to be" or head toward Centerville which is not a town but a name of a village that was incorporated into a town 100 years ago. The best is in Boston which is a combination of many towns over the years but they never changed the names so there are four different Washington Streets in Boston - (Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, the South End)

As for street signs, the city saves money by not putting signs for the main thoroughfares (only the side streets) at a lot of intersections. Before GPS, it was easy to have no idea what street you were on.

Then there's the fact that there are over 600,000 (well pre-corona at least) college students living there, each of which seems to have stolen at least one of the signs that did exist.

Then there's the street named Worcester Square in the south end.

[Scraps]

I, too, was a pre-med major but fortunately was able to include an elective that used this text:

I bought the same text almost 45 years ago.

My copy shows a little more wear than yours because I used it to get my adolescent boys interested in Shakespeare by pointing out some of his fart jokes.

[FrankH]

Wasn't able to get to it until Friday afternoon, but I am happy to report I am on shore.

[eagle1279]

Ashore! Got the meta before finishing the grid, but with considerable help from the interwebs.

[diplomatt]

On the beach!

[tigerfly222]

After a miss last week (and the week before? I can't recall), I'm happy to report in from shore!

Have a lovely weekend, all!

[M and M]

We were working on this from a far time zone so we are a little off our timing - but we still made it to the beach. Loved it, too.

[Joe Ross]

...

DrTom
Come to New England and ask a local for directions - you are just as likely to get them including "turn left where the firehouse used to be" or head toward Centerville which is not a town but a name of a village that was incorporated into a town 100 years ago. The best is in Boston which is a combination of many towns over the years but they never changed the names so there are four different Washington Streets in Boston - (Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, the South End)

As for street signs, the city saves money by not putting signs for the main thoroughfares (only the side streets) at a lot of intersections. Before GPS, it was easy to have no idea what street you were on.

Then there's the fact that there are over 600,000 (well pre-corona at least) college students living there, each of which seems to have stolen at least one of the signs that did exist.

Then there's the street named Worcester Square in the south end.

I spent three months in Boston one weekend, thirteen months ago, moving my daughter there. We entered the city in a baptism of fire in an underpowered U-Haul, dragging her small SUV on a trailer. Even GPS gave up at several critical turns & lane changes

We survived by taking the same attitude toward driving that the locals do: That's my lane you're in & my truck + SUV are bigger than whatever you're driving. The consistent one-finger salutes were taken as sincere & friendly compliments on my driving skills.

[Bob cruise director]

Good early morning muggles

I will be out all day so this is our morning mimosa mobbed shore report

We have 208 on the shore and Isaac misses the tips after the last couple of weeks

Our shore group includes
C=64
TPS
Brian M
Kay
Mike H
Al
David K
Meg
Cap'n Rick
Heidi
Wendy
Barbara K
HeadinHome
sharkicicles
michaelm
sanmilton
Jim and Anita
Squirrelly718
Joe R
Beth A
oldjudge
Andrew B
Schmeel
boharr
MatthewL
ky-mike
higgysue
jrdad
LittleGood
Beth T
Moi
CallMeShane
Dan A
hunkra
NuYear68
mattythewsjpuzzler
geetee
auee89
Tina
Dannyvee
joequavis
SusieG
Chris
mbryant
dplass
Dave C
Gman
Jean
SReh26
DrTom
JeanneC
Eric P
Larrry
Franklin
Glyn
Laura
RobM
JimJim
Georgeall
streroto
Tom Mueller
Scott M
ajk
Cindy
joe
ladybird
Pembroke
minimuggle
Cindy N
BrennerTJ
Dow Jones
Bird Lives
Rita and George
Tmart
Jace54
dudeski
TeamDoubleTow
Jeremy
Richard
Ergcat
Janet P
RDaleHall
Tripod
Tom Wi
fuggedabowdit
adodz
Nalugirl
Inca
tim1217
samandcam
whimsy
Omnibus
Cosmo
hoover
Commodore
CPJohnson
Steveb
MamaE
Doc
Bob Kerfuffle
scraps
ALS
Prozach
MikeM000
Joepickett
JetStream
Trey and Marion
Homer
dap2180
otlaolap
jhseeman
Crest
joes
NDStegs
Alan H
EmilyW
Hidden in 3D
mikeh
b4alltime
Kas
LaurenB
seahawks seashanty
Peter
Lacangah
TeaJenny
copperriver
EVJ
Debbie
Henry Paul
SewYoung
Sean
mikeB
tonearm
escapeartist
Matthew
802puzzler
Les
dk letter
MaineMarge
TheCatt
Plymouth Rock
Beth C
Kris Zacharias
sf592000
JaneGummy
Barry
Blair
lbary
Diane
John77
Grover
cinny
edot
cbarbee
Ed S
TomandDenise
Jackie88
Mark C
Anthony Sarnicola
Billy M
DannyWalter
Dennis
stmv
Toby
DCBilly
Guy L
Thurman8er
meowmiao71
KscX
Mister Squawk
Tony S
Joseph B
PQ63
Peter L
Bonnibel
Susan G
Powers2020
Deb
ReB
bskptkl
spotter
ImOnToo
William
yourpalsal
iggystan
Scott L
BigRedBob
tobivillanovi
Geoduck
Joseph Tompson
dpl11
MajorDomoTom
M and M
wb93
HunterX
Colin
Michelle B
PJM
RichA2
eagle1279
Frank
tigerfly222
Softie
zacmoretz
Michael S
martimeryard
Matthew Wang
Tom S

[DianeA]

no need “to be or not” - onshore, grateful for sophomore college literature course...though, being raised in Pittsburgh, PA, thought soliloquy was simply “or not”

(Grew up hearing “Your room needs cleaned up” and “the car needs washed” and “the garbage needs taken out”...)

Absolutely....i don't even remember the English teachers disabusing us of these. When i went to college in east/central PA, I also had to explain such regionalisms as "red up the table", what are "yins" doing?, and needing to "warsh" the car. (Aside, i do prefer the Oxford comma).

[mitchel674]

I'm on the beach. This one practically jumps off the grid. Funny how that works sometimes!