Monday December 23, 2024 Zhouqin Burnikel

  

Happy Monday, everyone. Christmas came early in the form of a puzzle by none other than our talented blogmistress, Zhouqin Burnikel.

Theme:  

We'll kick things off with the reveal:

35 Across. "We've made some progress," and what one might say about the answer to each starred clue: IT'S A START.

Each of the starred clues is a START to something. We have:

1 Across. *With 65-Across, faceoff in a hockey game: PUCK.     and     65 Across. See 1-Across: DROP.

In hockey, a PUCK DROP STARTs play.

18 Across. *Ceremonial toss made memorable by Simone Biles at the 2019 World Series: FIRST PITCH.

In baseball, it is common to invite a celebrity to throw a FIRST (unofficial) PITCH at the START of a game.

23 Across. *TV show pilot, typically: EPISODE I.

In TV-land, the first EPISODE at the START of a TV series is called a pilot.

54 Across. *Auction action: OPENING BID.

At auctions, the OPENING BID STARTs the bidding process.

49. *Musical introduction: OVERTURE.

In theater, an OVERTURE is an orchestral piece played at the START of an opera, play, ballet, etc.

I like the range of STARTS in this puzzle. Also impressive is the placement of a two-part themer in the top-left and bottom-right corners. Let's look at that now.  

Across:

5. "I give up!": UNCLE.  I tried to find the reason we say UNCLE to mean "I give up!" but I could find no definitive answer -- only speculation. After reading a few sources, I cried UNCLE.

10. "Eternals" star Gemma: CHAN.  (b. Nov. 29, 1982 in London)  Eternals is a 2021 fantasy/action film.

CHAN as Sersi in Eternals

14. "__ yours": affectionate sign-off: EVER.

15. Gaming rookies: NOOBS.  N00BS (spelled with zeros instead of Os) is an example of leet. Basically, leet is a gamer's writing system that replaces letters with numbers or other characters. Some say it is derived from the word elite.  1337

16. Search for wild game: HUNT.  

17. Fancy fundraiser: GALA.     and     26 Down. Broadway background: SET.

I liked the alliteration in these two clues, as well as in the 54-Across themer.

20. Alpine event: SUPER-G.  It stands for Super Giant Slalom. 

This is Mikaela Shiffrin winning the Bronze for the Women's Super-G 

at the 2021 FIX World Alpine Ski Championships. (1:13 min.)

22. __ A Sketch: ETCH.  

25. Dried poblano peppers: ANCHOS.  

The ANCHO is on the left.

27. Bridge support: TRUSS.  waseeley gave told us about "trusses" last Thursday so today I'll point you towards  The World's 10 Longest Continuous TRUSS bridges.  (I have ridden my  bike across #5 many times.)

28. "Nice to see you!": HI THERE.  

29. Square root of cuatro: DOS.  matemáticas españolas

The square root of a negative number is an imaginary number, denoted by i.
The answer should be 2i.
The answer "lost an i".

30. 2001 film with a Seussian title: I AM SAM.  I did not hesitate on this one because the soundtrack for this Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer movie is on my Top 5 Soundtracks of All Time list. Every song is a Beatles cover. It is difficult to choose just one. Here is Sarah McLachlan with Blackbird.  

34. Mgr.'s helper: ASST.  manager and assistant

37. "Hunny" bear: POOH.  

40. "Abracadabra!": PRESTO.  I like the parity between the clue and answer.

41. Take up or take in: SEW.  A tailor might take up a hem or take in a suit that is too large.

44. Baltimore baseballers: ORIOLES.  CSO to waseeley!

46. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.  CSO to -T!  

I liked that these two answers were on the same line.

48. Ballpoint alternative: GEL PEN.  

I 💙 these pens!

52. "Zoolander" actor Wilson: OWEN.  

Owen (right) starred with Ben Stiller (left) in this 2001 comedy.

53. __ Coors: MOLSON.  This one was ESP for me. I did know of Coors beer but I did not know that in 2005 Molson of Canada merged with Coors of the U.S. to form Molson Coors Brewing Co. (now Molson Coors Beverage Co.).

57. Joint protected by a patella: KNEE.  A patella is a KNEEcap.

60. Spanakopita dough: FILO.  The Greeks deserve a Nobel Prize for inventing such a delicious pie with spinach as a main ingredient.  

61. Ludicrous display: FARCE.  Def.: (noun) an empty or patently ridiculous act, proceeding, or situation.  

62. Unagi Day fish: EELS.  Mark your calendars. The next Unagi Day will be July 19, 2025.

63. Hand puppet material: FELT.  FELT is believed to be the world's oldest fabric.  more about FELT

64. Support one's team, in a way: CHEER.

Down:

1. Knob on a viola: PEG.  

A viola has four strings so it needs four PEGs.

2. The ACC's Cavaliers: UVA.  Atlantic Coast Conference and University of Virginia

3. Fahrenheit counterpart: CELSIUS.  

4. Bluegrass-country singer Alison: KRAUSS.  (b. July 23, 1971 in Decatur, IL)  

Sawing on the Strings  (2008)

5. Ravenous, probably: UNFED.

6. Bête __: NOIRE.  Def.: (noun) a person or thing strongly detested or avoided.    

This translates from French to black beast.

7. Short-legged canine: CORGI.  The Pembroke Welsh Corgi was #11 on the  American Kennel Club's most popular dogs of 2023 list. Here is a collection of cute CORGI actions (2:18 min.):

8. Dumbbell abbr.: LBS.  pounds

9. Superlative suffix: -EST.  This is the bestest suffix.

10. Make small talk: CHITCHAT.  Have you heard of ablaut reduplication? It is why CHITCHAT sounds natural to native English speakers but chatchit does not. We had a puzzle containing several of these terms on Nov. 6, 2024.

11. Homes for pet rabbits: HUTCHES.

12. Newsroom stars: ANCHORS.  Cue Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004):  

13. Unspecified degree: NTH.  not to be confused with the degrees in 3-Down

19. __-up demand: PENT.  According to Investopedia, this describes a rapid increase in demand for a service or product, usually following a period of subdued spending.

21. Theorize: POSIT.  Perhaps potentially perky people pencil positive POSITs on Post-its.  

23. Flight takeoff hr.: ETD.  "Hour" is abbreviated, so is "Estimated Time of Departure".

24. Full-time athlete: PRO.  Last week 17-year old golfer Blades Brown announced he was skipping college to turn PRO.  ESPN article

25. Direct toward: AIM AT.

28. Bowlers and fedoras: HATS.  

Bowlers (l.) and fedoras (r.) are often made of FELT.

31. Colorado skiing mecca: ASPEN.  

32. Snickers producer: MARS.  This was the candy bar -- not snickers as in "hee hee".

33. NNW reversal: SSE.

35. "That would be terrible!": I HOPE NOT.  

"Christmas is cancelled" scene from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

36. Sounds like a lion: ROARS.

37. 1990s collectible disc: POG. We've had this one a few times lately. I hope everyone remembered it this time.  in case you forgot

38. Creamy dessert made with cookies: OREO PIE.  

39. Derrick setting: OIL WELL.  

41. Real knockout: STUNNER.  Something that is stunning to see can be a STUNNER.

42. Miss a cue: ERR.

43. "__ betide our enemies": WOE.  This time of year we say, "Glad tidings!" but here is a darker use.

45. Heidi Klum's model daughter: LENI.  Leni Olumi Klum (b. May 4, 2004) is Heidi's oldest child. Seal adopted her in 2009.

Seal, Leni, and Heidi

47. Really psyched: STOKED.  The first known use of this slang word was in 1965. M-W

49. Color technique with a blended effect: OMBRE.  

50. Alto or soprano: VOICE.

51. Revered tribal figure: ELDER.

54. Like weird vibes: OFF.  

This one is for Jayce.

55. Org. with Cardinals and Saints: NFC.  I had to make a trade from the National Football League to the National Football Conference.

FYI, The AFC + The NFC = The NFL

56. "So frustrating!": GAH.

58. "Strange Magic" rock gp.: ELO.

59. Precognition letters: ESP.  Precognition is a noun meaning "clairvoyance relating to an event or state not yet experienced". So, the opposite of déjà vu???

Happy Holidays to everyone! 🎄I will be away for a few days but I will be back before the START of the new year.

 

Note from C.C.:

 

Happy 80th birthday to Margot, our caring and loving Misty. Here is a picture of Misty and her husband Rowland celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in 2009. 

Sunday December 22, 2024 Alan Massengill

Theme: "Wheeling and Dealing" - Each common phrase is reinterpreted as if it's a car model.

23A. Shopping for a Kia subcompact SUV?: SOUL SEARCHING.

33A. No longer keen on that Ford crossover SUV?: OVER THE EDGE.

56A. Choosing the Nissan with the all-wheel drive?: GOING ROGUE.

60A. "Love the new Ford crossover"?: GREAT ESCAPE.

89A. Expert in hard-to-find Rolls-Royces?: GHOST HUNTER.

92A. Deep dive into the three-row Honda?: PILOT STUDY.

112A. Leaning toward the Honda sedan?: CIVIC MINDED.

128A. Last Nissan truck off the assembly line?: FINAL FRONTIER.

No Hyundai, their models are place names. Not good for wordplay. Eight theme entries, four in front, four in the back. Very consistent. 

Alan has collabrated a few times with Andrea Carla Michales and Doug Peterson. This is his first solo LAT Sunday. Congrats, Alan!

Across:

1. Pilates roll up targets: ABS.

4. Return advice pro: CPA. Tax return.

7. Emmy winner Uzo: ADUBA. Gained fame for her role in "Orange Is the New Black".

12. States with authority: SAYS SO.

18. Public notice: PLACARD.

20. Use a zoom: PAN IN. And 109. Zoom events: Abbr.: MTGS. Meetings.

21. Go over exam notes, e.g.: PREPARE.

25. Check one's math again: RE-TOTAL.

26. "I could go on": ETC ETC. Boomer's high school classmate Paul Newman visited me last Tuesday. He lives in a 16-acre farm. Has a story for everything.

27. Clay mineral: TALC.

28. French café partner?: LAIT. Cafe au lait.

30. Ryan Gosling and Kingsley Ben-Adir in "Barbie": KENS.

31. Coastal concern: SEA LEVEL.

36. 37-Across+Y: RE-DO & 37. PC shortcut key: CTRL.

39. Collaborators: TEAMS.

40. "Yikes!": EEK.

43. Figure on the shelf at Christmas: ELF.

45. Genesis figure: ENOS.

47. "Sorry, impossible": I CAN'T.

51. Flamenco star José: GRECO. Italian-born flamenco dancer. Learning moment for me.

54. "The Witch Elm" novelist French: TANA.

63. __ Rabbit: BR'ER.

64. Pans with patinas: WOKS.

65. Munich Olympics star Mark: SPITZ.

66. Asian mushroom: ENOKI. Common ingredient in Chinese, Japanese and Korean soup dishes and hot pots.

68. "Get Smart" crime org.: KAOS.

70. Bring home: NET.

71. NBA great Curry: STEPH. And 73. "Goosebumps" series writer: STINE. And 75. "Julie & Julia" actor Stanley: TUCCI. Three name in a row, but all well-known.

77. President's advisory gp.: NSC. National Security Council.

79. Skateboarding trick spot: RAIL.

81. Drum kit piece: SNARE.

83. Really irritated: CROSS.

85. Tiny amount: A TAD. Bill and Margaret loved my quinoa & sweet potato salad. I used a few drops of maple syrup in my dressing.

87. Commit a faux pas: SLIP.

95. Bone, in Bologna: OSSO.

96. Khaki kin: BEIGE.

97. Collection of plates?: ARMOR. Armor plates.

98. Farm baby: FOAL.

100. Hosp. theaters: ORS.

102. Limit: CAP.

103. Third-largest city in Israel: HAIFA.

107. Lego competitor: K'NEX.

116. Mooch: FREELOAD.

120. Guinness of "Smiley's People": ALEC.

121. Useful houseplant: ALOE.

122. Mindy, to Emily in "Emily in Paris": AMIE.

124. "Sit!": PARK IT.

126. Direct connection: LINKAGE.

131. Past-post wager: LATE BET.

132. Guitar-playing "Glee" kid: ARTIE. Played by Kevin McHale.

133. Disney film whose opening song is "The Family Madrigal": ENCANTO.

134. Fixers of fixer-uppers: DIYers.

135. Temps for bundling up: TEENS. You can still see guys in shorts in our grocery store. Crazy.

136. Low grade: DEE.

137. Retired jet, briefly: SST.

Down:

1. Semicircular recess in a cathedral: APSE.

2. Dabs at: BLOTS.

3. Béarnaise, e.g.: SAUCE.

4. Windsor __: CASTLE.

5. Lead: PRECEDE.

6. "__ Twist, Scientist": kid-lit bestseller: ADA.

7. Class for a mathlete, informally: AP CALC.

8. Arlene of the silver screen: DAHL.

9. Billion-dollar start-up: UNICORN.

10. British trash can: BIN.

11. Viewpoint: ANGLE.

12. 7UP competitor: SPRITE.

13. "Think" singer Franklin: ARETHA.

14. Up to this point: YET.

15. "Eat Mor Chikin" sloganeer, e.g.: SPOKESCOW.

16. Completely full: SATED.

17. Red-haired primate: ORANG.

19. Crystal __: CLEAR.

22. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

24. GPS directive: RTE.

29. Class with smocks: ART.

32. Electric fence measures: VOLTS.

34. Daily Insta post: V-LOG.

35. Arab honorific: EMIR.

38. Steep places?: TEAPOTS. Steep tea.

40. Half a zygote: EGG.

41. Miscalculates: ERRS.

42. Stays cool: KEEPS CALM.

44. Turn toward: FACE.

46. Weep noisily: SOB.

48. Argumentative: AGONISTIC. New word to me.

49. Zap in the microwave: NUKE.

50. Doctor's order: TEST.

52. "I Am __": Jenner reality show: CAIT.

53. Kelp forest dweller: OTTER. From Google: One of the most important mammals in a kelp forest is the sea otter, who takes refuge from sharks and storms in these forests.

55. Mums' mums: NANS.

57. Rankle: IRK.

58. "How cool!": NEAT.

59. Curmudgeon: GROUCH.

61. Convenience that may take a toll?: E-ZPASS. Great clue.

62. Squeezing (by): EKING.

67. No longer even: IN A HOLE. Casino, right?

69. Benchwarmer: SCRUB. Scrub player.

72. Sword handle: HILT.

74. God with magical arrows: EROS.

76. Pet protector: CONE.

77. Good place to pick up a cab?: NAPA. Cabernet.

78. Commotion: STIR.

80. Lucy who played Watson: LIU. Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen are popular surnames in China. 

82. Petrol provider: ESSO.

84. Angry Birds owner: SEGA.

86. Thingamabob: DOOHICKEY.

88. "See attached" attachment: PDF.

90. Singer Mel: TORME.

91. Sales __: REP.

93. Gillette brand: TRAC.

94. Tie together: YOKE.

99. Slow and steady, musically: ANDANTE.

101. "First ... ": STEP ONE.

104. Radiologist: IMAGER.

105. Options at Ruth's Chris: FILETS. We have a Ruth's Chris in Minneapolis.

106. "So is that __?": A NO.

108. Cases for Mulder and Scully: X-FILES.

110. Hurried look: GLANCE.

111. "That's not totally wrong": SORTA.

112. Dial up: CALL.

113. "The Song of Achilles" inspiration: ILIAD.

114. Starbucks order: VENTI.

115. Skim, as homemade chicken stock: DE-FAT.

117. Zebra on a field: REF.

118. Claude of "B.J. and the Bear": AKINS. Unknown to me.

119. Pescatarian and vegetarian: DIETS. Connie is a pescatarian.

123. Course opener?: MAIN. Main course.

125. Bouncy gait: TROT.

127. Actor Vigoda: ABE.

129. Indignation: IRE.

130. __ velvet: RED.

C.C.

Saturday, December 21, 2024, Stacey Yaruss McCullough & Matthew Stock

 Saturday by Stacy Yaruss McCullough & Matthew Stock

 

Today is the Winter Solstice which means Nebraska will only get 9 hrs 11 minutes and 47 seconds of daylight. Tomorrow we will add four seconds to that total as we head towards spring. 

This puzzle kept me in the dark most of the way through. What a slog!

On a personal note, this week marks the beginning of my eighth year of blogging Saturday themeless puzzles for C.C. at her wonderful site.

Across:

1. Bad Bunny genre: LATIN TRAP - I found out it is not LATINO RAP. Here is what it is.

10. Maker of Cleansing Melts soap pads: OLAY.

14. "There's a storm brewing": I CAN FEEL IT - As seen from Nebraska Memorial Stadium last spring

16. Traffic sign: CONE 😀

17. Digs at the beach: SAND CASTLE - I got "Digs" as a noun and eventually the rest came

18. New clothes hangers?: TAGS - Minnie Pearl's iconic TAG

19. Yurchenko double __: vault now called the Biles II: PIKE.

20. Stick in the water: POOL NOODLE - BOAT PADDLE worked for a long time! Is this really a stick? 😀

22. Oaf: CLOD.

24. CrossFit moves: BURPEES.

25. Neither early nor late: ON BEAT 😀 Rhythm!

28. Dark: MORBID.

29. Artistic hot spots: KILNS 😀

30. Products of deductive reasoning?: TAXES 😀

31. Study: DEN - Noun not verb

34. Loads: A LOT.

35. Yarns: TALES.

36. Exclamation of approval: VIVA - _ _ V _ turned out to not be RAVE

37. Bow wood: YEW - 

38. Acts like a gobstopper: LASTS - We called them Jaw Breakers in my misspent yute 

39. Unspoken: TACIT.

40. News segment: SPORTS.

42. Grapefruit relative: POMELO.

43. "Do I look like I care?": SPARE ME - 

45. Word with freeze or fry: DEEP.

46. Precursor to getting one's just desserts?: CAKE BATTER 😀

48. "Well, that used to be true ... ": I WAS.

52. Quarreling: AT IT.

53. Lao Gan Ma condiment: CHILI CRISP - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Lao Gan Ma (old grandmother in English) was invented in a small Chinese town by Tao Huambo. This has become very popular and made her very wealthy. All you'd want to know. From C.C.: This brand is hugely popular in China. [My brother] Andy puts it in everything. Cantonese food is mild. Not much chilis. But Sichuan food is super spicy.

55. Eerie spray: MIST.

56. One of three in the Girl Scouts logo: SILHOUETTE.

57. Bridesmaid's accessory: POSY - Today I learned a POSY is simply flowers joined together by stems or floral wire to make it easier to carry.

58. Entertainment on a carousel, once: SLIDE SHOW - This fabulous scene from Mad Men is great TV writing and would have made for amazing ad copy.

Down:

1. Condition whose therapy may include hissing like a snake: LISP.

2. __ palm: ACAI - A Swiss Army knife of cwds

3. School house?: TANK 😀

4. Overexposed?: INDECENT.

5. George Halas Trophy org.: NFC - The Philadelphia Eagles were champions of the National Football Conference of the NFL but lost to the AFC champion KC Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

6. Vessel at a teddy bear picnic: TEAPOT 😀

7. Task on a postseason to-do list: RESOD - We chose to merely RESEED and it worked out fine

8. High, in Italian: ALTO - L'affitto è molto ALTO. (The rent is very high)

9. Some brimless hats: PILLBOXES - On 11/22/63 Jackie gave this hat to her secretary Mary Gallagher at Parkland Hospital but no one knows what happened to it after that.

10. Deep-ocean mollusks: OCTOPI.

11. Funny bones?: LOADED DICE.

12. Perspective: ANGLE.

13. Party planner's list: YESES.

15. Grants for researchers?: TENURES - Getting that grant can go a long way toward keeping your job

21. Contact juggler's props: ORBS - Contact manipulation is a form of object manipulation that focuses on the movement of objects such as balls in contact with the body.

23. __ Vegas Raiders: LAS - To some of us, they will always be the Oakland Raiders. My dad always referred to the Brooklyn Dodgers not the LA ones.

25. 3 out of 5, say: OKAY.

26. __ Valley sunbird: Middle Eastern species: NILE.

27. Air busses?: BLOWS A KISS 😀

28. Soda shop treats: MALTS.

30. Spoon-fed line: TASTE THIS 😀

32. Profoundly bad: EVIL.

33. Gp. with a compass rose emblem on its flag: NATO.

35. Southwest expanses?: TARMACS 😀

36. Many "What We Do in the Shadows" characters: VAMPIRES.

38. First unsigned artist to record a Billboard No. 1 hit: LOEB.

39. Golf club part: TOE - Not where you want to hit the ball

41. Sort of: PRETTY.

42. Stopping point: PERIOD 😀

43. Rascal: SCAMP.

44. Grillmaster's domain: PATIO.

45. Territory nearly surrounded by Haryana: DELHI - As you can see, DELHI is mostly in the state of Haryana (yellow below) but extends into Uttar Pradesh

47. Contribute to grass roots movements?: TILL - I had seed as the first verb

49. "__ pleasure!": WITH.

50. Regarding: AS TO.

51. Be effusive: SPEW.

54. Prompt: CUE.