58. *Guffaw from the gut : BELLY LAUGH. Belly Dance.
35. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, e.g., and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be : DANCE PARTNERS
Melissa here. This was smooooth as a soft-shoe dance for me, with only a few question marks that filled in easily with perps. Fun dancing theme, with a center reveal.
Across
1. __ Khan: Rita Hayworth's husband : ALY. Right off the bat, no clue. I feel like I should have known Prince Aly Kahn's story.
4. Composure : APLOMB
10. Turkish title of honor : AGHA
14. Life story, briefly : BIO
15. Cigar-smoking George's spouse : GRACIE
16. Swag : LOOT
19. Former Mississippi senator Trent : LOTT
20. Where sailors go : OUT TO SEA
21. Like a disengaged engine : IN IDLE
23. Plant anchor : ROOT. Aerial roots of a curtain fig tree in Australia.
26. Bring up, as a topic : BROACH
29. Grant permission : LET
30. "Dig in" : EAT
31. Glacial historic period : ICE AGE
34. The Macarena, pet rocks, etc. : FADS
39. One, to Beethoven : EINS. German.
40. Regular practice : RITUAL
41. Quagmire : BOG
42. Fed. assistance program : SSI
44. Key related to D major : B MINOR
52. Pear center : CORE
53. __ powder : TALCUM
54. Unevenly balanced : LOPSIDED
57. Confident "Are you the one for this job?" response : I'M IT
60. Copenhagen native : DANE
61. Abode that's abuzz : APIARY. Tried beehive first - one too many letters.
62. Hawaii's Mauna __ : LOA
63. Those, to José : ESAS
64. Shorthand pros : STENOS
65. Sinusitis-treating MD : ENT
Down
1. Soak up : ABSORB
2. Bar bottle contents : LIQUOR
3. "I'm not the only one?" : YOU, TOO?
4. Farming prefix : AGRO
5. Air Force One VIP : PRES
6. Metal-threaded fabrics : LAMÉS
7. Atlantic or Pacific : OCEAN
8. Soccer star Hamm : MIA
9. Resemble : BE LIKE
10. TV's "Kate & __" : ALLIE
11. Name on a blimp : GOODYEAR
12. Detective's promising clues : HOT LEADS
13. Swears to : ATTESTS
18. Reaches : ATTAINS
22. Trawling gear : NET
25. Red flag : ALERT
27. 300, to Caesar : CCC
28. "__ Haw" : HEE
32. March follower : APRIL
33. Moo goo __ pan : GAI
34. Woman's name from the Latin for "happy" : FELICIA. Felicity didn't fit.
35. Scenes in shoeboxes : DIORAMAS
36. Actress Jolie : ANGELINA
37. Place for a bath : TUB. Yes, please.
38. '60s war zone, briefly : NAM
39. Drop in the sea : EBB TIDE
42. Product identifier similar to UPC : SKU
43. Ballroom dances : SAMBAS. More dancing. Kizomba evolved from Caribbean zouk, African semba, and Brazilian samba.
45. Little lump : NODULE
46. West Coast state : OREGON
47. Cardinal's headgear : RED HAT
49. Entr'__: play intervals : ACTES
50. "Dallas" Miss : ELLIE
51. __ Heights: disputed Mideast region : GOLAN. Look.
55. Fire: Pref. : PYRO
56. Stone and Stallone : SLYS
59. Able, facetiously : EPT
Melissa
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteMostly a smooth ride today, but I had two missteps that slowed me down a bit. The first was right off the bat where I tried AGA at 1A and then changed it to ALI. That mistake stayed there until the end when I noticed that IOUTOO didn't really make much sense.
The second was down south where I went with ONESIDED before finally changing it to LOPSIDED after I couldn't get the first three perps to work.
Cute theme, although I didn't need to know it to solve the theme answers. Which is just as well, since I've never heard of a snake dance before and that probably would have tripped me up had I needed to actually know it. I'm guessing it doesn't really involve two snakes dancing as pictured in the write up, but I'm too lazy to look it up right now...
Ah, what the heck:
ReplyDeletesnake dance
1. a ceremonial dance of the American Indian in which snakes or representations of snakes are handled or imitated by the dancers.
2. a parade or procession, especially in celebration of a sports victory, in which the participants weave in single file in a serpentine course.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteFun offering, Janice! Nice expo, mb.
Easy theme. Went very fast!
Time for bed!
Cheers!
FIW. The intersection of a French word (that I didn't notice was a plural) and a Spanish word did me in. I was leery of SKU (crossing TALCƏM), and the wrong generation of Kahn, AGA > ALY, and OFF TO SEA, both with too high a level of confidence, kept the NW in chaos for quite a while.
ReplyDeleteGood theme, which I didn't get until the reveal.
The anthropologist went OUT TO SEA;
To learn strange RITUAL treads, would he!
His sea-legs prance
Could BE LIKE a DANCE,
But his best? When he tipped an APIARY!
FELICIA's condoms numbered three-sixty-three,
Their cost was part of her servicing fee.
Not quite one a day,
Close enough she could say,
"This was a GOODYEAR of rubbers for me!"
"A SQUARE DANCE is square," said Timmy McGee,
"A BREAK DANCE is more the fashion for me!
I can twist like a SNAKE
With the moves that I make!"
"So can I," said his girl, BELLY DANCEr GRACIE!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the puzzle, mostly. IN IDLE, though, is definitely awkward. "Idling" or "In Park," but not "In Idle." Wasn't there also an AGHA Kahn? Probably no relation to Aly. Rita Hayworth was quite the dancer. In Salome she performed the Dance of the Seven Veils, but was interrupted by a head on a tray before it had progressed to the censorable part. CSO to YR with SQUARE Dance.
Melissa, you lost me with your Kenneth Branagh pic. I know him as an Irish actor who's played many roles, including a Swedish detective. I don't get the Dane connection. What am I missing?
Desper-Otto: I played the role of Hamlet, hence, I was a Dane for a Day.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's early. That's my story....
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the theme. Got a chuckle from the final answer (EPT). Made the same mistakes as Barry. [Should I abbreviate that to WBM = what Barry missed ?] SQUARE brought to mind Brubeck's unSQUARE dance. And here's a DANE with a DANCE.
ReplyDeleteAre the constructors here bothered by the appearance of "dances" in the clue for 43D? I don't mind, but I thought it was a general rule to avoid such.
Thanks for the writeup, Melissa!
"IN IDLE" didn't make sense to me either - yeah, I got it but I have never heard of anyone putting a vehicle "in idle".
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice and Melissa.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
(•_•)
<) )/
/ \
(•_•)
( (>
/ \
Liked drop in the sea for ebb tide.
Argyle, don't know of any IE/Hotmail issues. Hope it started working for you.
Word for today: Aplomb
ReplyDeleteHis Lordship was in the study when the butler approached and coughed
discreetly.
"May I ask you a question, My Lord?"
"Go ahead, Carson ," said His Lordship.
"I am doing the crossword in The Times and I have found a word I am
not too clear on."
"What word is that?" asked His Lordship.
"Aplomb," My Lord.
"Now that's a difficult one to explain. I would say it is
self-assurance or complete composure."
"Thank you, My Lord, but I'm still a little confused."
"Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Do you remember a
few months ago when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived to
spend a weekend with us?"
"I remember the occasion very well, My Lord. It gave the staff and
myself much pleasure to look after them."
"Also," continued the Earl of Grantham, "do you remember when Wills
plucked a rose for Kate in the rose garden?"
"I was present on that occasion, My Lord, ministering to their needs.
"While plucking the rose, a thorn embedded itself in his thumb very
deeply."
"I witnessed the incident, My Lord, and saw the Duchess herself
remove the thorn and bandage his thumb with her own dainty
handkerchief."
"That evening the hole that the rose made on his thumb was very sore.
Kate had to cut up his venison even though it was extremely tender."
"Yes, My Lord, I did see everything that transpired that evening."
"And do you remember the next morning while you were pouring coffee
for Her Ladyship, Kate inquired of Wills with a loud voice, 'Darling, does your prick still throb?' And you, Carson, did not spill one drop of coffee ?
THAT , Carson, is complete composure, or aplomb.
This one was right up my alley.... er, I mean dance floor. When I square danced Sunday afternoon a few tips (or sets) were done as "hot hash", the caller calling as fast as he could spit the words out. My knees kept up! Then last night I was an angel (or dancing helper) at square dance lessons. Tonight will be our club's dance night. It is also Pie Night. I am baking our family's special cheese pie with graham cracker crust, cream cheese, eggs and sour cream.
ReplyDeleteJust think, last year at this time I couldn't dance at all, even half a tip. It's wonderful to be back on the floor starting in July after my last knee replacement in May.
I remember the SNAKE dances at college football games. Now at weddings and banquets people line up one behind another with their hands on each other's shoulders and make a huge serpentine line called a Conga line as they dance around the hall. It resembles a snake dance.
Yellowrocks (Square dance hugs)
Melissa: Wonderful write-up & links. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteJanice: Thank You for a FUN Tuesday puzzle with a lively theme.
Fave today for me was obviously 2-d, Bar bottle contents, LIQUOR ... go figure, LOL !!!
The SUN is out, the drizzly rain has stopped, looks like we're heading for another beautiful SUNSET.
Toasts-to-ALL will be made on Veterans Day Eve!
Cheers!!!
ReplyDeleteThis one seemed awkward to me. I finished successfully, but lots of the clues were weird.
Even the reveal. PARTNERS? I think of SQUARE, etc, as a type of DANCE, not a DANCE PARTNER. Am I missing something?
I took DANCE PARTNERS to mean that the word SQUARE, for instance, was partnered with the word DANCE to name a dance. Belly, square, break and snake do not name a dance unless partnered with the word dance.
ReplyDelete1A- I didn't know Rita Hayworth's husbands name but I knew it wasn't Genghis Khan and I had heard of AGA so I filled it with 'A' and let the perps handle it. The rest was a speed run but just stared at 59D because EPT just didn't look right. It still doesn't. But the three crosses were solid. I never looked for the theme. APIOLGY was a recent word on Jeopardy and APIARY felt solid.
ReplyDeleteSKU- I don't like the clue. SKU is the abbreviation for SHELF KEEPING UNIT, and it has an assigned UNIVERSAL PRICE CODE-UPC and that's where the bar code comes from. Nt the same.
SSI- probably the most abused federal program. And which state has the highest percentage of its population on SSI, most of whom are faking it? You guessed it. The great state of Puerto Rico.
''Darling, does your prick still throb?''- Maybe the male dancer in Melissa's SAMBA video should answer after watching the moves of his partner.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Janice Luttrell, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Melissa Bee, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle was a little sticky for me to get through, but I made it. Only inkblot was 1A, where I had AGA for a while. after the Downs, I changed that to ALY. Read his BIO. Interesting.
Have not seen the word APLOMB in a while. BROACH, neither.
I wonder how many GOODYEAR blimps there are? There must be more than one.
Liked FELICIA. Now I know the source.
Lots to do today, including raking leaves.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Did anyone else think "Plant anchor" was going to be PAGE?
ReplyDeletePAGE? Why?
ReplyDeleteJimmy Page & Rober Plant
ReplyDeleteThe Battle Of Evermore(6:38)
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy, breezy romp, although I did as Barry did with Ali instead of Aly but it was quickly corrected. In idle and ept are on the clunky side but, overall, a fun and lively solve. Nice big CSO to YR and, even nicer, is hearing from YR herself about how far she has progressed with her favorite pastime! 💃
Thanks, Janice L., for a Tuesday treat and thanks, Melissa, for the neat expo.
Did anyone happen to do the NYT Sunday puzzle titled Three Peat, I think. It had to rank in the top three of the worst puzzles ever, IMO. The Old Gray Lady's puzzles "ain't what they used to be."
Tin, how did you ever bear liquor and _ _ _ (Age) in the same puzzle? 🍸
Have a great day.
Well, this would have been a delightful speed run if I hadn't gotten stuck on the cross of SSI and SKU (never heard of it). Is SSI some Social Security thing? If so, I suppose I should have gotten it, being a senior and everything. But the DANCE theme was a lot of fun, so thanks for that, Janice. And great pics, Melissa. I'm so glad you posted the one of George Burns and GRACIE Allen--two favorites of mine in the old days. I still remember hearing an interview with Burns after he lost Gracie--moving how much he missed her.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Tuesday, everybody.
Thanks Janice, for a fun Tuesday and Melissa, for a great write up.
ReplyDeleteMostly WEES with a few comments:
For the Dane picture I would have used this one
A_GREAT_DANE.
For the clue “where sailors go” I was wondering if the answer would be THE HEAD following the earlier “where soldiers go” cluing.
My internist kept missing the big wax clog I had until it turned into swimmer’s ear so I demanded a referral to an ENT: Ear, nose and throat specialist. Eventually a huge glob of what looked like wax and a bug just fell out on its own and I could hear on that side again.
I guess a socially EPT person would also be COUTH? Following the backwards derivations from inept and uncouth.
I hope the sun shines on all the Veterans’ Day parades tomorrow.
VS
Can someone explain the EPT answer? I'm clueless and curious. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI looked up the origin of the name FELICIA. It is from the feminine of FELIX which means LUCKY or SUCCESSFUL in Latin.
ReplyDeleteWe recall FELIX the lucky CAT. The name Phylicia Rashad also rang a bell. Same sound different spelling. She played the wife on The Cosby Show.
The basis of Phyliss comes from Greek for foliage, after a woman in a myth who killed herself over love and became an almond tree.
I had links, but I can't get the syntax to work. For one thing, the " from Word isn't the same as the " the html wants. I thought I had them fixed. Oh, well.
I think that Phylicia was just another spelling for Felicia as who wants to be called foliage?
VS
hebow44,
ReplyDeleteI posted your answer as you were posting your question.
A real thumper until I got the V8 moment.
VS
Melissa, wonderful write up as usual. Always look forward to you comments.
ReplyDeleteCaught on to the theme early and that helped. Found the South a little more dicey then the North. As a result, ended up with an FIW. Spelled TALCUM Talcom and wagged an A into square 42. The clues for 42A & 42D were unknowns. TALCUM... the O an overlooked error
GRACIE was a no brainer, always looked forward to her & George going back and forth. Funny stuff.
ANON @ 8:10. Either you can't count, can't read, or don't give a hoot about CC's rules.
Have a nice day everyone.
Hello, friends!
ReplyDeleteLate today due to a painful night with a sore tooth and I won't bore you with the saga of a recent visit to the dentist.
Thank you, Janice Lattrell for a lovely puzzle. I like it when so many are actual meaningful words. Ditto for AGA before ALY which I should know as they made constant headlines in their era.
The crossing of SEA with OCEAN was fun and partnering each theme word with DANCE was also amusing though not necessary for the solve.
Thanks, Melissa, for a great review!
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
In Spanish, feliz means happy as does the name, Felix.
ReplyDeleteEPT is country slang for APT.
ReplyDeleteHand up for thinking AGA I put the two A's in to see what the perps would do. Two hangups. Ebb and diodramas but the others filled them in.
Hello Everyone, A quick run through today. I made one error by misspelling Aly/Ali.
ReplyDeleteSo the answer was IOU Too? That made complete sense to me. Other than that everything else fell into place very nicely.
Thanks Melissa for your always interesting writeup with lots of links. Loved the "Square Dance" Picture.
Off to meetings, and to pick up my husband from his Chemo treatment later this afternoon.
Our alarm was set for 7:00 am but the phone rang at 6:28. The IRS was demanding that we call back and send in money or something awful would happen to us. I hope others haven't fallen for this awful scam. The calls are originating in Moses Lake, WA. This isn't the first time we've had this call, but never quite so early in the morning.
Have a great day, everyone.
Think of the word, INEPT, meaning awkward or unable, so EPT would mean the opposite, able.
ReplyDeleteI see I am late to the party and the only comment can be WEES.
ReplyDeleteLoved the CSO to YR; had Emir before AGHA and Ali before ALY.
I'll accept EPT (although not a fan) and IN IDLE (since we use the phrase In Park.
Love the word APLOMB!
Have a great day.
Perhaps some of you need to look up the definition of facetiously.
ReplyDeletemb you were looking out for the boys today; thanks for the links.
ReplyDeleteEarl G. nice story.
YR good to know you are dancing up a storm again.
Thanks Janice
Irish Miss @ 10:56
ReplyDeleteNo problem whatsoever with the clue/answer at 31-a, "Glacial historic period" being ICE-AGE.
Since it is asking about a "real-thing" that happened in the past.
And didn't violate my vow to NEVER enter that 3-letter word "_ _ _" forcing another D N F.
There has NEVER been an ICE-AGE here at Villa Incognito.
Everything here is always consumed NEAT !!!.
Well, my WAGs panned out, but I messed up 39A, one, to Beethoven.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was "Eine."
Which made me come to the Blog to find out why 16D reaches=attaine looked so fancy....
Re: Links, I can't top Melissa's, even though I tried...
I spent an inordinate amount of time watching this Popeye cartoon until I realized this crowd would not find it funny. (too much violence.)
I guess I will go with the old tried & true...
I would love to see this video.
Speaking of video...
&finally, when done, don't forget to thank your dance partner...
Nice puzzle. WEES. Chickie, you said it well: IOU too made sense to me also, so I thought ALI was correct.
ReplyDeleteThanks Janice and Melissa, and all who added some fun links.Pretty smooth until I got to apiary with Gowan and ept crossing to slow me down further. sInce I knew what an aviary was, this word seemed real.
ReplyDeleteCHickie, not fun waking up earlier than the alarm, but even worse getting a crank call.
Enjoy your evening.
I thought of Gary today. I got a call from our local high school. They have a sick math teacher and needed either a long-term sub or a permanent replacement for a mixture of some geometry classes and 2nd-year algebra classes. It might be fun to get back in the saddle again but I passed. Getting up early, going to staff meetings, grading papers, writing report cards, etc. for less money than I get for a couple of hours of tutoring. I think the tutoring brings me almost all of the satisfaction I got from teaching with almost none of the hassle.
ReplyDeleteIt's really windy out so I'm guessing a bike ride is out. Maybe I'll substitute a nap for the bike ride??
I sure would enjoy some home-made tamales. Anybody know where I can find any?
Make them yourself?
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-I loved Melissa’s examples and summation!
-I am late to the dance today because I did sub (dissected chicken wings), but like Bill I ain’t lookin’ for a long term job for all the reasons he listed plus at 1:30 today, I remembered why I retired.
-Blizzard warnings for tomorrow and so subbing may be out of the question
-We’re on our way out to supper but enjoyed reading the comments of this learned community!
Sorry about this BillG, but I have to give a point to the anon at 5:18. When I hear of a dish that I find intriguing, I look for recipes, check the ingredients list to see if they are locally available and estimate whether it's worth the effort to build it from scratch. Then, I typically consider whether I can grow most of those ingredients myself. Most of the dishes that I comment on here I cook myself, and for a majority of those I grow at least half the input.
ReplyDeleteIt's well and fine to be epicurious. But if the only effort put forth is writing a check, the result is diluted.
If it's a St. Louis Cardinal, his headgear is a RED CAP, not a RED HAT.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed melissa b's writeup as much as the puzzle today. Thanks! Thanks to Janice for a toe-tappin' puzzle w/ lots of sparkle.
I got BOG'd down in the SW. I didn't know how to spell ANGELINA, DI[A|O?]RAMAS nor did I know EINS, ESAS so there's some extra ink down there. Only other write-over was spa b/f TUB.
Liked NODULE, LIQUOR, ATTESTS. LET abutting EAT had me looking for cake. ICEAGE was just a FAD :-) And, what TTP said re: EBB TIDE c/a.
I wish 47d was clued as Linux Distro but that's still my Fav outside of the theme.
Plant, Page - cute guys.
@5:18Anon & Ave Joe - I think Bill G. was referring to Tamale discussion last night. Lucina's made 600 just for her! :-)
Chickie - LOL! IOU TOO?... I say that every time I go to the mailbox :-)
Cheers, -T
I'll say it again, guys and gals, you're welcome to come and join us for the tamale, er, holiday festivities. We'll be swimming in tamales. Three parties have been scheduled so far . . . .
ReplyDeletehi all - can't seem to make it here earlier than this.
ReplyDeletedesper-otto - branagh's hamlet is truly superb, with a stellar cast.
yellowrocks, knee replacement is not for sissies - glad for your success story.
lemonade, yes, and yw (i enjoy them as well).
big easy - agreed, but a present leading man is critical for kizomba - i'd follow that guy anywhere.
My buddy just sent me this - my happy-tears are almost dry... For fellow nerds: who need a good BELLY LAUGH.
ReplyDeleteCheers, -T
Once again, Salma Hayek's SNAKE DANCE.
ReplyDeleteAnon T....I am officially a nerd I need of a belly laugh!! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteSwampCat - glad you enjoyed it.... We have a form to join the Chess Club :-)
ReplyDeleteRe: BELLY DANCing... I got to see the true art in Cairo...
I'm not a strip-club kinda guy (seriously, I've never been to one nor would care to) but a buddy from Iran convinced me it was "art" and we'd get dinner (little tapas-kind-of things (delicious)) b/f heading to the airport for our return flight the US. There were whole families, wedding parties, etc, watching, clapping, and dancing as the BELLY DANCEr lead. Sure, it was a tad suggestive, but it was more like a fun party. Afterwards I saw the dancer talking to her mother & father at a table. The dancer was amazing and it is art...
Now, about convincing DW... :-)
Cheers, -T
Selma Hayek was worth watching, but she looks like a rank amateur next to the sidebar tape of a belly dancer on Santana's "Black Magic Woman". That's art, guys! I had a belly dancing record once when I was young and snaky, but I couldn't do that.
ReplyDeleteAnonT, I agree that belly dancing is an art form though I don't know much about it. I think the art form at strip clubs is a bit different...
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the machine and explanation in your "Belly Laugh" link. There may be patent infringement concerns though since I invented much the same machine a few years back...
I am terrible at chess. Even my grandson can swipe my queen when I get careless.
:>)
Sorry PK. you've exposed yourself.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fooled by the unfortunately poor imitations. Leave PK to her obscurity.
Bill G. I didn't know it was real art and equated the two (BELLY & strip) untill I saw the former. DW still kinda still equates them...
ReplyDeleteThe Rockwell clip reminded me of this Infomercial for the Flux Capacitor.
BTW, my USA Today Back to thte Future papers came in today. I got one for me and one ea. for my 2 brothers & 2 sisters - I'm framing mine for the office. $30 well spent.
Never let your guard down on the Queen! Three pieces should always protect her position. The King? Screw 'em, he's useless* :-)
Cheers, -T
*Castle on 6th thru 9th move King or Queen side - if no pawn has moved in that area, you've got good fortification. Crush Jordan ;-)
Did no one else think the answer to 54 across on Tuesday should have been 'oxymoron'?
ReplyDelete