Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Kyle Dolan

Home is Where the Heart Is, Redux.  This is the second Tuesday in a row where home was the theme.  Last week, we were in actual living spaces.  This week the word House is combined with another word to give us a new concept, most of which are not actual human living spaces.

17-Across. "Go," to a driver: GREEN LIGHT.  Green House / Light House

26-Across. Insurance company whose slogan begins "Like a good neighbor": STATE FARM.  State House / Farm House

37-Across. Trip of a lifetime: DREAM VACATION.  Dream House / Vacation House

49-Across. Boost for a hockey team after a penalty: POWER PLAY.  Power House / Play House

And the Unifier:

60-Across. People who share a living space, and what both parts of 17-, 26-, 37-, and 49-Across can be?: HOUSE MATES.  Because Room Mates was too few letters.

Across:

1. Speck released by fluffing cushions: MOTE.

5. Outfit: GETUP.

10. Phishing, e.g.: SCAM.

14. Talk Like a Pirate Day greeting: AHOY.  September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

15. Friend in Oaxaca: AMIGO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

16. Silicon Valley's __ Alto: PALO.

19. NBA and WNBA: ORGs.  Both the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association are sports Organizations.  //  And 42-Across. Basketball venues: ARENAS.  Teams in both the above organizations will play in an Arena.

20. Tile floor covering: MAT.

21. Sworn statement: OATH.

22. Go nuts for: ADORE.

24. Classic video game maker: ATARI.

29. Garden shovel: SPADE.

31. Easily reached, in a way: LOW.  I recently had to move some of my dishes to a LOWer shelf to make it easier for me to reach.

32. Scattergories game piece with 20 sides: DIE.

33. Frozen treats in Roma: GELATI.  Today's Italian lesson.  What's the difference between Gelato and Ice Cream?

36. Serum container: VIAL.

41. Hosted, for short: MC'ED.  As in acting as the Master of Ceremonies.  Not to be confused with Einstein's theory of special relativity.

43. Med. condition featured in the novel "Turtles All the Way Down": OCD.  Were you aware that the expression Turtles All the Way Down refers to the concept of infinite regress, or the idea that any explanation always requires a further explanation?  It is also the title of a young-adult novel by John Green about a teenager with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

44. "Bien sûr": OUI.  Today's French lesson.

46. Garden statue with a pointy hat: GNOME.  This clue made me think of this scene from The Full Monty.

53. Disappear, as a puddle: DRY UP.  Because Evaporate was too many letters.

55. Time-saving options for bakers: MIXES.  Because Betty Crocker wouldn't fit into the spaces provided.

56. Post re-re-reshared on social media: MEME.

58. Sign of B'way success: SRO.  Standing Room Only.

59. __ golf: MINI.

63. Blackjack cards: ACES.

64. Fertile spots in a desert: OASES.

66. Furtive "Hey!": PSST.

67. Length of hair: TRESS.

68. Leave a mark: SCAR.

Down:

1. Lava, while underground: MAGMA.  Everything you wanted to know about Magma but never thought to ask.

2. "Darn it!": OH, RATS!

3. Keep a beat, digitally?: TOE TAP.

4. Organ on a dollar bill: EYE.  Does the Eye really have a secret meaning?

5. Charity ball, say: GALA.

6. Sends out: EMITS.

7. Like an inflated blood pressure cuff: TIGHT.

8. "Yuck!": UGH.

9. Shepherd's pie topper: POTATO.  Yummers!  Here's a recipe.

10. Parody: SPOOF.

11. Dashboard feature: CAR RADIO.

12. Native of Africa's largest country: ALGERIAN.  Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in North Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya; to the southeast by Niger; to the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara; to the west by Morocco; and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.  Speaking of Africa, do you know which US State is closest to Africa?  *

13. Calendar divs.: MOs.  As in Months.

18. "I'm stumped": NO IDEA.  I wasn't stumped by today's puzzle.

23. __ point: condensation temperature: DEW.

25. Ranted and raved: RAGED.

27. Wonderland visitor: ALICE.  The original name of the book, which was published in 1864 was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  [Name # 1, fictional.]

28. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL.  Mel Brooks (né Melvin James Kaminsky; b. June 28, 1926) was the creative genius behind the television series Get Smart.  He is best known, however, for some really funny movies, including Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, and High Anxiety.  [Name # 2]

30. Street in a horror franchise: ELM.  What a nightmare!

34. To no __: unsuccessfully: AVAIL.

35. Sticky stuff: TAR.

36. Ski helmet part: VISOR.

37. Batman publisher: DC COMICS.  Did you know that the DC is short for Detective Comics?  

38. Merlot, Malbec, Montepulciano, etc.: RED WINES.  I am familiar with Merlot, but Not Malbec or Montepulciano.  

39. "The Ice Storm" director Lee: ANG.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 3.]

40. With 65-Across, two-person vehicle: TANDEM.  //  And 65-Across: See 40-Down: BIKE.

41. Bucket partner: MOP.

44. Smelter input: ORE.  A crossword staple.

45. Conclusion: UP-SHOT.

47. Occult practitioner: MYSTIC.

48. "Aha!": EUREKA.

50. Live: EXIST.

51. Bring on a smile: AMUSE.

52. Some RSVPs: YESES.

54. Tough question: POSER.

57. Clutter: MESS.

59. Geography class display: MAP.

61. Canoeist's need: OAR.

62. Crunched muscles: ABs.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

*  The closest US State to Africa is Maine.  The closest point in Africa to the United States is El Beddouza, Morocco.

Monday April 29, 2024 Harry Doernberg

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here, trying to come up with a suitable title for this Harry Doernberg puzzle. While seeing the theme came easy to me, giving it a title did not. Please bear with me on this one. A slang definition for flame is to insult someone over the internet. Harry's puzzle is so fantastic that it leaves no opening for such behavior. Therefore, my title is 

FlameprooF

Perhaps it is best to leave it at that and move on to the puzzle's four themed clues....

17 Across. Closely held conviction: FIRM BELIEF.  

23 Across. Sport with flying saucers: FRISBEE GOLF.  

46 Across. Blue toon in green overalls and a straw hat: FARMER SMURF.  I was unfamiliar with this character but "blue toon" and "overalls" got me there.  Cute!

57. Formal sleeve style: FRENCH CUFF.  This is a soft double cuff that is made by turning back half of a wide cuff band and fastening with a cuff link.  more on French cuffs

Here is the reveal:

46 Down. Camera lens setting, and a feature of both ends of 17-, 23-, 46-, and 57- Across?: F-STOP.  more on F-stop

All of the themed clues begin and end with the letter F. The Fs act as STOPS. In this case STOP is a noun much like a bus STOP is the beginning or end of a bus route.  

We solvers often see F-STOP and SLR as fill clues and answers. It was fun to see F-STOP functioning as the reveal today. I noticed the initial F's early on but overlooked the final F's. The grid contains only one other F that is not a STOP. It is the second F in FRENCH CUFF. An interesting feature of this grid is how the reveal is placed vertically, growing off of one of the themed clues. I will insert the grid here so you can see what I mean.  

Across:
1. SUV alternative: SEDAN.  A SEDAN is a closed automobile having two or four doors and a front and rear seat. SUVs add a rear door, along with other features. Here is a Car and Driver comparison.

6. Say "I do": WED.  Have you heard that some people are using ChatGPT to write their wedding vows? Who Says Romance Is Dead?

9. Tire speed stats: RPMS.  Revolutions Per Minute

13. Speaker on a dais: ORATOR.  A dais is a raised platform, as in a lecture hall, for speakers or honored guests.

15. Rd. crosser: AVE.  Road and AVEnue

"Chicken" did not fit.  

16. "Pick me! Pick me!": OH OH.  Does this make anyone else think of Arnold Horshack on Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)?  

19. Peeved: SORE.

20. Top combat pilots: ACES.  

21. Yahoo! alternative: AOL.  America Online

22. Nickel or copper: METAL.     and     28 Down. Nickel or copper: COIN.  

"Copper" is a nickname for a U.S. penny and also some British coins. It might have helped to see something in the clue that hinted at a nickname, but that would have foiled the clever clecho.

26. College level HS course: AP CLASS.  "High school" is abbreviated, so is Advanced Placement.

30. Novel thought: IDEA.  Author Danielle Steel has turned over 140 IDEAs into novels.

31. For all to hear: ALOUD.

32. Reward for giving a pawshake, perhaps: DOG TREAT.  Meadow does high fives.

36. Limit, with "in": REIN.

37. Gem State capital: BOISE.  The Star Garnet is the state gem of Idaho. We Januarians recognize the garnet as our birthstone.

39. Wide valley: DALE.  Also ... Dale Evans (b. Frances Octavia Smith; 1912-2001) was Roy Roger's on- and off-screen partner. She became influential in changing public perceptions of children with developmental disabilities when she wrote Angel Unaware (1953) about her daughter, Robin.  

40. Organ that produces insulin: PANCREAS.  

So much for being "pretty on the inside".

42. Classic breath mint: CERTS.  They were officially discontinued in 2018. If you find a roll in your glovebox or at the bottom of an old purse, you might want to throw them out.

43. Microwave: HEAT.  verbs

44. Ceramic cooker for a classic Boston dish: BEAN POT.  This one is new to me. Has anyone cooked beans this way? 

  50. Shiny and smooth: SLEEK.

51. "__ you happy now?": ARE.  This 2003 Michelle Branch song falls into the Break-up Revenge Song category.  

52. "Poor Things" Oscar winner Stone: EMMA.  Here she is winning her second Oscar this past March. I have not seen this movie but I generally like her so I just now put it on my library queue.  

56. "Please clap now!": TA DA.

60. Fail to include: OMIT.

61. Sweets: LUV.  not candies

62. __ sauce: seafood condiment: TARTAR.  I thought the second A was an E.

63. Pea homes: PODS.  

64. Colorado Plateau Native: UTE.

65. Bonkers: NUTSO.  Merriam-Webster says this word is "sometimes offensive".

Down:
1. Furniture to crash on: SOFA.  I liked this clue! Crash is slang for "to sleep" or "to collapse exhausted".

Do you see the U.S. Army soldier crashing on this SOFA?

2. Rapper Eazy-E's given name: ERIC.  I guess that makes sense.

3. Truth alternative, in a party game: DARE.  

4. Money dispensers: ATMS.

5. Noodle: NOB.  NOB is slang for the human head.  

6. Cries and cries: WAILS.

7. Genesis figure: EVE.  Last Monday we had "Genesis man:  ADAM".

8. Rock's __ Leppard: DEF.  Def Leppard is an English rock band formed in 1976. On April 20, 2024, they released a vinyl recording of a live show they performed last year.

9. Site of many outdoor presidential press conferences: ROSE GARDEN.  National Park Service link

10. Shutterstock image: PHOTO.  Shutterstock, Inc. is an American company founded in 2003. It listed 1,274 employees in 2023. They provide stock photography, footage, music, and editing tools. Here is an example of a Shutterstock image:  

11. "Little Bunny Foo Foo" lesson, e.g.: MORAL.  Little Bunny Foo Foo is a preschoolers' song about a rabbit who liked to hop through the forest, pick up field mice, and bop them on the head. The Good Fairy gave him three chances to change his ways before turning him into a goon.  

Spoiler alert:  The MORAL of this story is, "Hare today, goon tomorrow."

(I did not make that up.)

12. Tchotchke holder: SHELF. A tchotchke is a small trinket that is more decorative than functional. Its etymology is Polish.

14. Guides into adulthood: REARS.  Guides is a verb here.

18. Daily Planet reporter Lane: LOIS.  

22. "__ me halfway": MEET.

23. Short-term trend: FAD.  Maybe this blending-in-with-your-sofa thing could become a FAD.  

Notice he is in a furniture store so he probably did not plan this.

24. Short get-to-know-you pieces: BIOS.

25. Precipice: EDGE.

26. Group with a Staying Sharp program: AARP.  American Association of Retired Persons

Visiting The Corner everyday checks the first two boxes.
(Click to enlarge.)

27. Impassioned cry: PLEA.

29. Cold cuts: LUNCHMEATS.  

32. Insult: DIS.  I first had DIg. 

33. Old West icon Wyatt: EARP.  Kurt Russel played him in Tombstone (1993). Do you recognize the other guy? (See below.*)  

34. Midrange voice: ALTO.

35. Experiment: TEST.

37. Fozzie, for one: BEAR.  He is one of Kermit's buddies.  

38. Horse feed grains: OATS.

41. Stink to high heaven: REEK.  

42. Half-__: coffee blend: CAF.  Half-Caf coffee is made with a blend of regular and decaffeinated beans, usually in a 1:1 ratio. I have also seen it spelled with two Fs.

44. Insult: BURN.  Kelso on That '70s Show (1998-2006) used this slang a lot.

45. Standing tall: ERECT.

47. San Antonio field trip site: ALAMO.  I liked this angle for clueing the site of the 1836 battle between Mexican and Texan forces. These days, 2.5 million people a year visit the ALAMO. I would guess that a substantial number of those are students on field trips.

48. Tried again: REDID.  

49. Irish novelist Binchy: MAEVE.  Maeve was born May 28, 1939 in Dublin, Ireland. She passed away there 73 years later. Her stories are described as "delightful, charming, and a joy to read".

52. Eggshell shade: ECRU.  Both are off-white.

53. Pup of unknown origin: MUTT.  The word MUTT is derived from muttonhead. It has come a long way from being an insult to today's connection as man's best friend.

National Mutt Day is July 31.

54. Some drama degs.: MFAS.  "Degrees" is abbreviated, so is Master of Fine Arts.

55. Questlove's hairstyle: AFRO.  Ahmir K. Thompson (b. January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove, is an American musician, record producer, and music journalist. You might recognize him as the drummer for The Roots (Jimmy Fallon's house band).

57. Winter malady: FLU.

58. Dull routine: RUT.  

59. Solo of "Star Wars": HAN.  

Farewell GIF
Have a great week, everyone!

*33-Down. Billy Bob Thornton played the crooked dealer in Tombstone.