Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Doug Peterson

Having a BAD HAIR DAY, so I'm Off to the Salon:  This theme threw me for a moment until I wrote down each of the answers and stared at them for a few moments.   The last word of each theme answer describes what can be done to one's hair.  We had a BAD HAIR DAY last Friday, so today, after getting Waves, Highlights, Treatment, Extensions and Streaks, we'll look Great!

17-Across. Patterns recorded by an EEG: BRAIN WAVES.

23-Across. Items on a TV headline ticker: NEWS HIGHLIGHTS.

35-Across. Passive-aggressive refusal to speak: SILENT TREATMENT.

49-Across. .doc and .pdf, for example: FILE EXTENSIONS.

56-Across. Uninterrupted periods of success: HOT STREAKS.

Across:

1. All-hrs. cash devices: ATMS.  As in Automatic Teller Machines.  This is a crossword staple.

5. Flower from a bulb: TULIP.  A brief history of the Tulip.  We associate tulips with Holland, but they are not actually native to that country.

10. Hoppy brewpub orders, for short: IPAS.  As in India Pale Ales.  Another crossword staple.  Ever wonder how the India Pale Ale got its name?

14. Langston Hughes, for one: POET.  I discovered Langston Hughes (né James Mercer Langston Hughes; Feb. 1, 1901 ~ May 22, 1967) when I was in high school and absolutely fell in love with his poetry.   [Name #1.]

15. "Step __!": ASIDE.

16. "Sticky" grain in some sushi: RICE.

19. Native of ancient Peru: INCA.  The Incas are probably best known for the creation of Machu Picchu.

20. Prefix with natal: NEO-.  As in Neonatal.

21. Gets the better of: ACES OUT.  I am not familiar with this phrase.

28. WNW's opposite: ESE.  Compass points.

29. Draft rating: ONE-A.  Everything you wanted to know about selective service classifications but didn't know to ask.

30. Go up: RISE.

31. Flavoring in a shaker: SALT.

33. Camera letters: SLR.  As in Single-Lens Reflex.  Another crossword staple.  Everything you wanted to know about the Single-Lens Reflex camera, but didn't know to ask.

34. The Pointer Sisters' "__ So Shy": HE'S.  [Name # 2.]

41. Extinct New Zealand bird: MOA.  Why did they die off?

42. TSA checkpoint needs: IDs.  As in Identification cards, be it a driver's license or passport.

43. Flat-bottomed barge: SCOW.  This vessel appears with some frequency in the puzzles.

44. Tablet downloads: APPs.

46. Four-award acronym: EGOT.  As in the Emmy (Television), Grammy (Recording), Oscar (Film) and Tony (Broadway theater).  Viola Davis (b. 1965) is the most recent person to achieve all of these awards.  Earlier this year, she won a Grammy.  Check out this site for a complete list of EGOT Winners.

48. "Yoo-__!": HOO.

53. Extent: BREADTH.

54. Guitar store buy: AMP.

55. Band that headlined the World Infestation Tour: RATT.  Ratt is (was?) a glam metal band that was big in the 1980s.  [Name # 3.]

62. Bordeaux bestie: AMIE.  Today's French lesson.

63. Tennis star Naomi: OSAKA. We've seen Naomi Osaka (b. Oct. 16, 1997) in the puzzles before.  She is a Japanese professional tennis player.  She was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian-American father.   [Name # 4.]

64. "Iliad" city: TROY.

65. Cards below jacks: TENS.

66. Glossy fabric: SATIN.

67. Related: AKIN.

Down:

1. Widespread PD alert: APB.  As in an All Points Bulletin.

2. The Raptors, on schedules: TOR.  The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team.  Hi, CanadianEh!

3. Have good intentions: MEAN WELL.

4. Pigpens: STIES.

5. Observed, to Tweety: TAW.

6. New Mexico's country: Abbr.: USA.  Some people think that New Mexico is a foreign country.

7. Actress Tyler: LIV.  Liv Tyler (née Liv Rundren; b. July 1, 1977) is the daughter of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler (b. Mar. 26, 1948), although she initially thought Todd Rundren (b. June 22, 1948) was her father.   [Name # 5.]

8. Standard of perfection: IDEAL.

9. Joe of "Home Alone": PESCI.  Joe Pesci (né Joseph Frank Pesci; b. Feb. 9, 1943) is known for playing tough guys, but also does some comedy and was in not only the Home Alone movies, but in My Cousin Vinny.  [Name # 6.]

10. Idioms used on the Emerald Isle: IRISHISMS.  Apparently Irishisms is an actual word.  Hi, Irish Miss!

11. Wine grapes: PINOTS.  Everything  you wanted to know about Pinot grapes, but didn't know to ask.

12. Place blame on: ACCUSE.

13. __ belt: SEAT.

18. Big Apple nabe: NOHO.  NOHO is the neighborhood North of Houston Street in New York City.

22. Gulf Coast bird: EGRET.  Egrets are beautiful birds.  There are lots of egrets that hang out in the lake near my house.

23. Loch with a legend: NESS.

24. Actor Morales: ESAI.  Esai Morales (né Esai Manuel Morales, Jr.;b. Oct. 1, 1962) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles due to the all the vowels in his short name.  [Name # 7.]

25. Social media app with video "Reels," familiarly: INSTA.

26. Hanukkah moolah: GELT.  Everything you wanted to know about Hanukkah Gelt, but didn't know to ask.

27. Abolitionist Tubman: HARRIET.  Harriet Tubman (1822 ~ 1913) was a former slave who escaped  and helped other slaves escape through the underground railroad.  [Name # 8.]

32. Preformatted Excel documents, e.g.: TEMPLATES.

34. Is wearing: HAS ON.

36. Hard-__: unsentimental: NOSED.

37. Slight advantage: EDGE.

38. Neighborhood near Dodger Stadium: ECHO PARK.

39. Morning's end: NOON.

40. Go Fish request: TWOS.  Do you have any Twos?

44. Steep-roofed house style: A-FRAME.  Chalet is the same number of letters.

45. Bakery container: PIE TIN.  Did you know the origin of the Frisbee?

47. Bygone sovereign: TSAR.  Nicholas II (1868 ~ 1918) was the last Tsar of Russia.

50. Set of guiding beliefs: ETHOS.

51. Language with click consonants: XHOSA.  Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

52. "__ man with seven wives ... ": I MET A.  On my way to St. Ives I saw a man with 7 wives. Each wife had 7 sacks. Each sack had 7 cats. Each cat had 7 kittens. Kitten, cats, sacks, wives. How many were going to St. Ives?

53. Pesky tyke: BRAT.

57. Skin design, briefly: TAT.  I wonder if he knows his tattoo spells Matzoh?

58. Compete in the Super G, e.g.: SKI.  Everything you wanted to know about the Super G, or SuperGiant Slalom, but didn't know to ask.

59. Color of khakis: TAN.

60. Colorful carp: KOI.

61. Wd. found in Roget's: SYN.  Peter Mark Roget (1779 ~ 1869) led an interesting life, but is best known for publishing the Thesaurus of Words and Phrases.  [Name # 9.]

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday February 27, 2023 Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here with a "visionary" puzzle by Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi.

I am calling it

This is Rebecca and Rachel's second L.A. Times collaboration. I remember enjoying their Oct. 4, 2022 puzzle, which our sagacious Tuesday blogger, Hahtoolah, titled, "Cleanup in the Produce Aisle". They also paired up on a NYT puzzle last September. source

Today we have 4 phrases such that each end in a synonym for LOOKING. One might say the LOOKING part of the phrase is at the BACK end of the phrase. You know, LOOKING BACK. Let's take a peek:

17 Across. Excessive introspection: NAVEL GAZING.  I know this term to mean "the contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation," but I did not know it had a science-sounding name:  omphaloskepsis.

22 Across. Tourist's agenda: SIGHTSEEING.

35 Across. Consuming "Succession" in rapid succession, say: BINGE WATCHING. I like how they worked the TV show name into the clue.

49 Across. New England fall activity: LEAF PEEPING.

You can see why many people have a LEAF PEEPING trip on their bucket lists.

And the unifier:

56 Across. Reminiscing, and what 17-, 22-, 35-, and 49-Across all have: LOOKING BACK.

Let's view the grid:

In retrospect, we notice that the synonyms for "LOOKING", i.e., GAZING, SEEING, WATCHING, and PEEPING, are each at the BACK end of a phrase.

Kudos to Rebecca and Rachel for fitting 5 themed fills in a 15x15 grid. Well done!

Across:
1. Resistance unit represented by an omega: OHM. Named for Georg Ohm, a German physicist best known for his OHM's law.

V = Voltage        I = Current        R = Resistance

4. __ and field: TRACK.

9. BBC cooking competition, to fans: GBBO.

BINGE WATCHING worthy, I reckon.

13. Battery size: AAA.

14. "__ a Mi Mundo": Selena album: ENTRE.

15. Eddie __: apparel company: BAUER.

16. The Cardinals, on sports tickers: STL.  St. Louis for baseball or Arizona for football

19. In-flight figs.: ETAS.  After planes are in the air, they can better calculate their Estimated Times of Arrival.

21. Like many nouns ending in "s": PLURAL.  It can get complicated. (See 19A.)

26. Bargain footwear chain: DSW.  Designer Show Warehouse, a.k.a. Nirvana

The first store opened in 1991 in Dublin, Ohio.
Today DSW operates more than 500 stores in 44 states.

29. Outcast: PARIAH.  I just realized I often confuse this word with "piranha". It seems I am not the only one guilty of this malapropism. Do you mean "a corporate PARIAH" or "a corporate piranha"? Read about the difference in their definitions at grammarist.com.

30. Bothers: GETS TO.

32. Trailing, as a trailer: IN TOW.

34. Horse coloring: ROAN.

a red ROAN and a blue ROAN

40. Widely shared image: MEME.

41. Stony-faced: STOIC.  10 Stoic Rules from Marcus Aurelius

42. Container: VESSEL.  also, an architectural structure in Manhattan  (more)

45. Next up: ON DECK.  baseball

This sailor is ON DECK.

48. Argument in favor: PRO.

53. Brand of bottled water: DASANI.

55. Headliner: STAR.

61. Skating surface: ICE.  

Peanuts Tribute - Skating by Vince Guaraldi Trio

I think you'll find this video quite calming.

62. Cubs legend Banks: ERNIE.  In 2013, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to sports.  Hall of Fame page

63. Reddish brown photo effect: SEPIA.  You likely have a SEPIA filter on your phone's camera. This is what it can do.

64. __ out a win: EKE.

65. Suffix with nine- or ump-: TEEN.

66. Pick up the tab: TREAT.

67. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

Down:
1. Caravan rest stops: OASES.  "Stops" is PLURAL, so we needed the plural of "oasis".

2. Gesture of recognition, physical or metaphorical: HAT TIP.  Hand up for first penciling in "Homage".

Sam Elliott is as cool as a penguin on an ice floe.
Oh, wait, that was last Monday!

3. Spanish port town that's the namesake of a dessert wine: MALAGA.  Known for its beaches, culture, and food, MALAGA is a popular destination in Andalusia, Spain.  15 Things to Do in MALAGA

4. Roman X: TEN.

5. Genetic letters: RNA.  Ribonucleic Acid is a nucleic acid present in all living cells that has structural similarities to DNA. Unlike DNA, however, RNA is most often single-stranded.  lots more info.

6. Off-rd. ride: ATV.  Road is abbreviated, so is All-terrain Vehicle.

7. Thin pancake: CREPE. 

Here is a (subtly humorous) video on how to make crepes. (3:14 min.)

8. "Law & Order: SVU" actress Giddish: KELLI.

Kelli on the "Law" side of L&O.
Apparently there was some off-camera drama, too. She has left the show.

9. __ strip: region that borders Egypt: GAZA.

10. Uses as a foundation: BUILDS ON.

11. Jerry's dairy partner: BEN.  A couple of months ago, the NPR podcast, Planet Money, did a piece on a shadow barter economy in Vermont where people use pints of B&J's ice-cream to pay for goods & services. This came about because each employee was allowed to take home 3 free pints every single work day. Pause and think about that for a minute. (The episode covers a few topics. Here is the transcript. Scroll down to "Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi". The B&J's segment begins there.)

12. Assn.: ORG.  Association is abbreviated, so is Organization.

15. Storm (in): BARGE.  Remember the New York garbage BARGE from 1987 news headlines?

18. __-ho: enthusiastic: GUNG.

20. Holy sites: SHRINES.  This "floating" tori (gate) is part of the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine in Miyajima, Japan.  UNESCO World Heritage site

23. High-pitched sound: TING.  as in, "the TINGing of glasses".

24. Fill completely: SATE.

25. Site for DIYers: EHOW.  eHow website

27. Male deer: STAG.

28. Was victorious: WON.

31. Pushup muscles: TRICEPS.  Practicing the yoga pose chaturanga dandasana (4-limbed staff pose) strengthens these muscles.

tri = 3 muscles
Long, Lateral, & Medial.

33. Used to be: WAS.  The verb used to is a 'marginal' modal verb. Unlike the other modal verbs, it is only found in the past tense.

35. Pilsner, e.g.: BEER.

36. "This is the last straw for me": I'M SO DONE.

37. Roof option for some Camaros: T-TOP.

38. Convalescent puppy's accessory: CONE.

39. Conceal: HIDE.

40. Letters on a trophy, maybe: MVP.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the most career Most Valuable Player awards in the NBA, with 6. Look up your favorite player here.

43. "Eighth Grade" actress Fisher: ELSIE.  ELSIE was born in 2003 in Riverside, CA. Her show was on Netflix. In 2018, she received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress. She also voiced Agnes in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2.

ELSIE & Agnes.  (Hi Irish Miss!)

44. Rely (on): LEAN.

Bill Withers sings Lean on Me live in Chicago (1972).

I'd like to think that we are here for each other in this way.

46. St. Louis and St. Petersburg, for two: CITIES.  In this case, "St." was a distraction.

47. Natural talents: KNACKS.  This clue calls for another song...

My Sharona by The KNACK (1979)

50. Inner turmoil: ANGST.

51. Nutrient found in whole grains: FIBER.  We're entering artichoke season. They are full of FIBER and delicious, too!

Click to enlarge. This is good gouge!

52. "Bein' __": Kermit the Frog's song: GREEN.  Alas, it's not easy.

It's Not Easy Being Green by Kermit the Frog

54. Similar (to): AKIN.

56. Allow: LET.

57. Mine find: ORE.

58. Tailless primate: APE.

59. "Homeland" gp.: CIA.  Group is abbreviated, so is the Central Intelligence Agency.

60. "WandaVision" actress Dennings: KAT.  This is a Disney+ show. Earlier this month I Googled another WandaVision cast member, Elizabeth Olson, for my blog. Unfortunately, I failed to memorize the whole cast for future puzzles.

I prefer the candy bar
but sometimes it's good to change things up.

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!