Friday July 5, 2024, Erik Agard

 Theme:  I've been framed! 

Puzzling thoughts:  

There aren't a lot of crossword puzzle constructors with their own Wikipedia page but Erik Agard is one.  Erik provides us today with a very clever combination of entries (and their clues) that delivers big time when the reveal appears

How, you ask?  Let's explore ...

19-across. Athlete making a living in alleys: PRO BOWLER.  A game of bowling consists of 10 FRAMES.  

From [elite sporting guide dot com] "A frame in bowling refers to a turn or opportunity for a bowler to throw the ball down the lane and attempt to knock down the pins. It consists of two throws, except for the tenth frame, which can have up to three throws under certain conditions. The objective of each frame is to score as many points as possible by knocking down pins, with strikes and spares playing a significant role in determining the final score" 

A "perfect score" is 300 (12 strikes in a row).  Our dear blogger, Boomer, was a BOWLER - a good one at that - who had multiple 300 games throughout his lifetime.  Boomer would likely take umbrage of Erik's clue as he detested the word "alley" to describe the bowling surface.  He preferred the word "lane".  But in this case, I give Erik the benefit of the doubt as the play-on-wording of the clue better fits the answer

Here is a typical bowling scorecard that shows all of the "frames":

 

24-across. Professional who calls the shots: MOVIE DIRECTOR.  Another use of play-on-wording for the clue.  In this case a "shot" is one in a series of FRAMES that make up a movie

Film FRAME (defined)

The MOVIE DIRECTOR is the professional on set who sets the action for filming FRAMES.  Here is a clip from one of my favorite ad lib shows:

40-across. Professional whose website might have a contact page?: OPTICIAN.  Two things about this entry:

    1)  this is my favorite clue/entry of the quartet

 

    2)  this entry - 8 letters in length and placed dead center in the grid - explains why Erik needed a 16x15 pattern for the puzzle

If it didn't make sense to you as you filled in the letters (I had something else penciled in before OPTICIAN) I understand.  It wasn't until I saw the play-on-wording of the previous two entries that I realized that the word "contact" referred to contact lenses.  In addition to dispensing contact lenses, an OPTICIAN also fits you for eyeglasses, which of course consists of a pair of lenses and FRAMES.  I think I may have used this image before ... 

52-across. Met someone?: MUSEUM CURATOR.  My second most favorite clue/entry.  In this case, the word "Met" is a proper name abbreviation for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The word "someone" refers to a person @ the Met, in this case the museum curator

While a museum curator's job does involve the organizing of the artwork, I doubt that they have much to do with choosing the FRAME that surrounds each piece.  Despite the cleverness of the clue and entry, this one was a bit of a stretch.  But hey, when you have the renown of Erik Agard I'm sure that Patti did not question this 

And of course, the reveal:

59-across. Basic structure, or what a 19-, 24-, 40-, and 52-Across do?: FRAMEWORK.  All of these professions involve working in or with FRAMES

All-in-all a very good and clever effort.  I'd expect nothing less!  It took me a bit longer than usual for a Friday solve, and I had a couple of spots where I had incorrect letters which slowed me down

Today, I've placed the grid at the end of the blog.  Here is how the rest of the clues/entries contributed to today's fun:  

Across:
1. Split apart: SUNDER.  In the words of desper-otto, "have I ever told you how not having the correct entry in 1-across ...?"  Well, hand up for trying "TEAR UP" as my first choice.  The NW corner was my last section to fill as a couple of Naticks appeared and I had to look up one of the answers.  From a grammar standpoint, the more familiar asunder is either an adjective or adverb; sunder is a transitive verb

7. Spit take sound: PFFT.  If some of you (my hand is up) had trouble understanding the clue, here is a definition of "spit take": "(especially as a comic technique) an act of suddenly spitting out liquid one is drinking in response to something funny or surprising" - meh 

11. PC accessories: MICE.  Moe-ku #1:

Logitech rejects
Are sold in triple packets
And called "Three Blind MICE"

15. Disquietude: UNEASE.  It's clues and fill like this that makes me ask the Thesaurussaurus if he's ok with it:

Moe, uneasiness and UNEASE are pretty similar

16. Atmosphere: AURA.  I threw this at the pigeons to see what they had to say:

17. Stench: ODOR.  I'm actually happy to see this clued as "stench".  Too often, lately, odor has been clued as aroma.  An odor stinks. Period

18. Some notes: SHARPS.  Neither MEMOS nor FLATS would fit ... this clue refers to musical notes, not Post-it notes

21. Do some character-building?: WRITE.  Either Erik or Patti was really into the play-on-words cluing today.  And that's just fine with me.  In this case, the "character" would refer to a person within a novel perhaps

23. Is stunned: REELS.  Did anyone try TASED, at first?

30. Stores up: AMASSES.  Moe-ku #2 (with apology to my RC friends):

Whenever the Pope
Presides at the Eucharist
They're called "A" MASSES

31. Kung __ chicken: PAO.  If this were an Incredibles character, it would be Kung POW Chicken ... OK, maybe that's a stretch!

32. Screen type: LCD.  Since when is the Lowest Common Denominator called a type of screen?

35. Some WNBA fouls: TECHS.  Meh; I call "foul" on this one.  I've been a fan of basketball for 6+ decades and have NEVER heard a technical foul called a tech 

36. Coffee Meets Bagel alternative: HINGE.  Solved by perps.  Turns out they are both dating apps. Had I known that I probably would've tried inserting ZOOSK first, as I actually once had an account with them

38. "I knew it!": AHA.  Yes, I did.  I didn't fall for OHO

39. __ mode: ALA.  I think a good Friday puzzle should have fewer than 7 clues that are "gimmies"

43. Leslie's love on "Parks and Rec": BEN.  Solved by perps.  I never watched "Parks and Rec"

44. Vietnamese New Year: TET.  This would be an example of a "gimmie" clue/answer

45. Robs of hobnobbing: SHUNS.  I never hobnobbed very well

46. Had the guts: DARED.  Moe-'lick #1:

At the nudist beach, someone was scared
To allow their whole bod to be bared.
So they felt like a newb
Only baring their boob;
But that's truly the most that they DARED

48. Polished off: ATE.  My "reward" as a kid was to get dessert if I polished off my plate of dinner

49. Tabletop game with campaigns, for short: D N D. I spread out the letters in the solve to reveal that this is an abbreviation for Dungeons and Dragons

50. Overpraise: ADULATE.  I'm not going to give plaudits to Erik or Patti for this clue/solve😉

55. Post-workout afflictions: ACHES.  Nothing that 3 Advil won't cure, for me  

58. "Allahu __": AKBAR.  Aka, Takbir

63. Silenced: ON MUTE.  

This image made me think of an old Moe-'lick:

                   One of my early childhood joys?

                   Watching mimes do their act with such poise.

                   After one of them died

                   We all cried, as we tried

                   To give him a brief moment of noise

67. Part: ROLE.  My role every other Friday is to regale you with my recaps at the Corner

68. Cut covered with a Bluey bandage, e.g.: OWIE.  This clue must've taken some time to research

69. Tool for cutting spearing holes: ICE SAW.  Here is a link to someone to call if you need it for the next time you go ICE fishing

70. Nocturnal hunters: OWLS.  BATS fit too, if you consider seeking out insects to eat as "hunting"

71. Spidey's traps: WEBS.

 

72. Calm: SEDATE.  My demeanor (as I write my blog) whenever a puzzle fits my "wheelhouse".  I am quite sedate today; thanks Erik! 

Down:
1. Questionable, for short: SUS.  Oops - I now recall that I wasn't too sedate when I had the crossing of sunder and sus.  I can only guess that sus is an abbr. for suspect or maybe suspicious

2. Granite State sch.: UNH.  University of New Hampshire

3. Largest U.S. union: NEA.  All you need to know about this union for educators

4. Poet Mahmoud who wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence: DARWISH.  No clue on this.  There are crossword puzzle solving moments when I feel totally ignorant.  This was one of them

5. Hot shots?: ESPRESSOS.  Another play-on-word clue.  Espresso is normally served hot, and as a "shot".  Want to know more (from a barista's point of view)? Click here

6. Dwell: RESIDE.  It's where you live 

7. Post production: PAPER.  Recent examples of the clue, "post production"

8. Husky's hair: FUR.  We have a few huskies in our neighborhood

I can't imagine how they take the 110+ degree summer temps with all of that fur

9. To opposite: FRO.  As in the expression, "to and fro"???  

10. Letters before Q?: TAB.  Look at your keyboard on your laptop or desktop ... just to the left (before) the letter Q is the tab key.  The letters t a b are before the letter Q.  This certainly wasn't a "gimmie"

11. Shed occupant: MOWER.  Many homeowners keep their lawn mower in an outdoor shed

12. Inactive: IDLE.  What I tried to be for a few days after clearing out mom's apartment

13. "I May Destroy You" star Michaela: COEL.  No clue on this.  There are crossword puzzle solving moments when I feel totally ignorant.  This was another one of them

14. Goofs: ERRS.  I had a few of them today.  When you get to the image of the completed grid my errors will show as a black triangle in the corner of the letter's square

20. Gold, in Spanish: ORO.  "Gimmie"

22. Poetic contraction: TIS.  Moe-ku #3:

Tis tis tis tis tis
Tis tis tis tis tis tis tis
Tis tis tis it's TIS

24. Half a "Lion King" phrase: MATATA. It was either Hakuna or Matata

25. Denver dish: OMELET.  I don't think that an omelet is found only in the capital of Colorado.  In this case, it refers to the recipe for a Denver (style) OMELET

26. Leave empty: VACATE.  I left a few pieces of furniture and a couple of small appliances behind, so I didn't completely vacate my mom's apartment ... the retirement village said that they would repurpose all of it within their facility 

27. Big-budget flicks: EPICS.  Here are a few of the more recent "EPICS"

28. "My turn next?": CAN I.  Whatever happened to our manners??  Shouldn't this be may I

29. Praetor's wrap: TOGA.  

They're all wearing togae [sic]

32. Rodent in a study: LAB RAT.  "Gimmie"

33. Orange puff: CHEETO.  My error here (see grid pic) was to use the word CHEESE/Cheeto

34. Common allergen: DANDER.  Moe-ku #4:

North Pole reindeer's name
Changes when pollen's present:
Donder's now DANDER 

36. Member of the third-largest religious group: HINDU. I had HINDI/HINDU; I somehow thought that a member's name was the same as the language ...

37. Marathon need: ENDURANCE. GAS PUMPS did not fit

41. Advanced degs.: PhDS. Gimmie

42. Use a fork, say: TUNE. Not sure what I was thinking when I used the word TINE/tune. Maybe I thought that you could tine a piece of food (referring to one of the spears on a fork). I never said I was the sharpest knife in the drawer

47. Taken aback: ALARMED.  The clue brought back a memory of one of my earliest Moe-'licks.  I had one of my fellow "limerick and haiku" email members put this into a cartoon image:

50. "Cathy" cry: ACK.  I had EEK/ACK.  Then, as the perps appeared, I realized that the cartoon character "Cathy" said:

51. W.E.B. who wrote "The Souls of Black Folk": Du BOIS.  This gentleman

52. Group chat fodder: MEMES.  This?

53. Employ: USE. "Gimmie"

54. Has as a salary: MAKES.  Did anyone try EARNS first?

55. Prefix with pessimist or Panamanian: AFRO.  Friday clue for sure

56. Bird that can make tools: CROW.  As in a crowbar, perhaps??  Can I crow about this discovery??!

57. College building: HALL.  As an undergrad @ the University of Pittsburgh, we had many named HALLs

60. "Impressive!": WOW.  What y'all must've been saying over-and-over again as you read the blog today!😀

61. "You __ me!": OWE.  Not any more; all my debts and debtors have been paid

62. Tease: RIB.  Kind of a "gimmie"

64. Powerhouse of women's soccer: USA.  Seemed like a "gimmie".  Here is a bit of info about their prowess

65. Bit of ink: TAT.  This clue and answer are quickly becoming crossword-ese 

66. One who might have a ram beau: EWE.  And we end with another play-on-word clue that employs a homophone.  Are you fond of this Rambeau??

On a personal note, my "biography" here (what's contained behind the blue "Chairman Moe") says that I started posting July 2014.  One decade down; another one begun

Here is the grid. Hope you all are having a great 4th of July Holiday weekend!

I've been framed!

Thursday, July 4, 2024, Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel

 

  YO YO YO YO

Today we are privileged to have with us constructors Tom Pepper and Zhouqin Burnikel.  By my count this is Tom and C.C.'s 7th collaboration.

The above clip was performed by Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Project and is their take on the Goin' Home theme from Antonin Dvorak's 9th Symphony ("From the New World").  I selected it for our intro as the first half of Yo-Yo Ma's surname is a homophone of the 1st syllable of the 1st word of Tom and C.C.'s 4 theme fills ...

17A. Hatha to Ashtanga?: YOGAS RANGE.  This is the only themer that is not pulling our legs.  I think RANGE here refers to the level of difficulty of the particular school of yoga, with HATHA being relatively easy, ranging through ASHTANGA which is the hardest.  I believe there are also other comparison schemes for the various schools of yoga.
 

Yoga Mandala

29A. Stuffed teddies that look like a green Jedi master?: YODA BEARS.  Actually there are such creatures, but they inhabit the Amazon, not the Star Wars Universe 😀.

46A. Tex-Mex snack that improves the performance of an Alpine singer?: YODEL TACO.  This was a stretch -- I don't think they're a Tex-Mex thing, but the following product might soothe a throat after consuming a TACO containing too many red hot chili peppers 😀...

62A. Dice toss style named after a "Hamlet" jester?: YORICK ROLL.  Or Scottish sushi made with stuff dug up from an old grave yard? 💀

 Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...
.
Across:

1. Cronies: PALS.

5. Bird in the National Audubon Society logo: EGRET.  Heron fit, but didn't perp.  Apparently there has been some controversy recently at the Audubon Society.

10. Above, in Augsburg: UBER.  Today's  German lesson: ABOVE.
 

Augsburg, Germany

14. With 43-Down, "M*A*S*H" star: ALAN.  See 43D.

15. Writer Mary who specializes in popular science: ROACH.  Mary Roach (born March 20, 1959) is an American author specializing in popular science and humor.  She in known for her offbeat titles, on curious subjects, e.g.

   Stiff          Bonk          Gulp        Spook

The only one of these I explored in any depth was the last: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.  As it turns out a copy of the entire book is available online at Google Books (see below).  This is a topic that I have read extensively about, and I expected that Roach would be skeptical about it, as most modern scientists base their beliefs on a metaphysics of  philosophical materialism.  However this was not the case.  During her research for the book she eventually encountered the writings of Dr. Ian Stevenson, a tenured Psychiatrist at the University of Virginia.   Roach's discussion of Stevenson's writings begins around page 24 in the Google books edition.  Her account of his findings concludes with this statement on page 30 -- "If you take the work of Ian Stevenson at face value, it would be hard to reach any conclusion other than this: Reincarnation happens".  If you're interested in this topic see the Stevenson link above for an extensive bibliography of his researches.

16. Party with glow sticks: RAVE.  Back in the 60's our RAVES used strobe lights and lava lamps. 😀

17. [Theme clue]

19. Change the locks?: SNIP.  You could change someone's locks (hair) by snipping it.

20. "I said ENOUGH!": STOP NOW. 

21. Insta, X, TikTok, etc., informally: SOCIALS.  Social media.  Although quite a few of them seem to be 31D-SOCIALS.

23. Runs smoothly: PURRS.  Like a contented kitty.

25. Wilson of Heart: ANN.  Ann Dustin Wilson (born June 19, 1950) is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead singer of the rock band Heart, which is still going strong.  Here she sings These Dreams ...

26. TMZ subject: CELEB.  TMZ seems to be updated hourly, but I'm sure you'll find a few "items" of interest today.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Anxious feeling: UNEASE.

36. Headlight part: LENS.

37. Toe bean locale: PAW.  Pawmestry: the art of reading toe beans.  And a CSO to Hahtoolah.
 

Toe Beans

38. Play things: SETS.

39. In flight: ALOFT.

41. Mother of Clytemnestra: LEDA. In Greek mythology the god Zeus, in the form of a swan, seduces (make that RAPES) Leda, a Spartan queen. Leda bore Helen and Polydeuces, children of Zeus, while at the same time bearing Castor and Clytemnestra, children of her husband Tyndareus, the King of Sparta.  Clytemnestra would later marry Agamemnon, a Greek leader of the Trojan War.  Clytemnestra would subsequently die at the hands of her son Orestes for the slaying of Agamemnon.  All of this violence is powerfully compressed in William Butler Yeats' 15 line poem: Leda and the Swan.

42. Storefront sign abbr.: HRS.

43. Java spot: ASIA.  No, not a CAFE, nor a sweat where programmers write CODE, but an island in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Java

44. "Yeah, there is a resemblance there": I SEE IT.

46. [Theme clue]

49. Anaheim team, to fans: HALOS.  AKA the Los Angelos Angels.

50. Condition often treated with ERP: OCD.  Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is a behavioral therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders that gradually exposes people to situations designed to provoke a person's obsessions in a safe environment.

51. Flower at the center of a financial bubble in the 1630s: TULIP.  The crash of 1637 may have been more fiction than fact.

Tulip field in Holland

53. Marshy habitat: WETLAND.

57. Artificial surface sports injury: TURF TOE.  No, it's not an injury caused by artificial turf.  It can happen on any kind of turf.

61. "lol 2 funny": HA HA.
.
62. [Theme clue].

64. Dollar alternative: AVIS.  EURO fit, but HERTZ didn't, but both would have been wrong. 😀

65. Moved stealthily: SLUNK.  The past tense of SLINK.

66. __ Spunkmeyer cookies: OTIS.

67. Chaotic situation: MESS.

68. Mournful verse: ELEGY.  This is a poet's elegy for another poet, the one who wrote Leda and the Swan at 41A.

69. Unit that might be edited or spliced: GENE.  A GENE is a segment of DNA that codes for one or more proteins -- it is analogous to a set of records in a database.  However doing anything with that data, such as editing it or splicing it, requires the use of enzymes (proteins) and RNA (which also can function as an enzyme).  RNA is the unsung hero of molecular biology and in this book by Nobel prize winning biochemist Thomas R. Cech, he gives credit where credit is due for the vital role that RNA plays in catalyzing all that goes on in life ...

Down:

1. Is worth it: PAYS.

2. Tons: ALOT.

3. Italian lake: LAGO.  Today's Italian lesson.  In 1927 heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post built a winter retreat in Florida called Mar-a-Lago, but it has since changed hands. 

4. Stir-fry ingredient: SNAP PEAS.   You can either stir-fry them or just snack on them fresh from the garden.

Sugar Snaps

5. Overthrow, e.g.: ERROR.  OUST was too short, but an OVERTHROW is scored as an ERROR, at least in baseball.

6. Fall apart, as plans: GO AWRY.

7. Operated: RAN.

8. Heart charts, for short: ECGS.  Electro Cardio Gram --You're more likely to see this abbreviated as EKG -- this is why.

9. James of "The White Lotus": THEO.  The White Lotus is an American black comedy drama anthology television series created by Mike White for HBO. It follows the guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, whose interactions are affected by their various psychosocial dysfunctions.  It must be a lot of fun to act in.

Theo James

10. Like Boo Boo and Smokey: URSINE.  Looks like they're both MINORS. 😀

Boo Boo                    Smokey

11. Slapstick prop: BANANA PEEL.

12. Not good at all: EVIL.

The Three Wise Monkeys

13. Gym count: REPS.

18. Gives the cold shoulder to: SNUBS.  Being SNUBBED at the Oscars is a term we've seen a lot of lately.  But the recognition of just receiving a nomination is considered a reward by some.

22. Semi areas: CABS.  Or some RED wines.

24. One-person project: SOLO ACT.  Here's one everybody knows ...

26. Like an easy job: CUSHY.

27. First calendario page: ENERO.

28. "Bring it on!": LETS DO THIS.

30. Dict. entry: DEF.  Hand up if you still use a paper Dict?

31. Start to matter?: ANTI.  The Big Bang should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter in the early universe. But today, everything we see from the smallest life forms on Earth to the largest stellar objects is made almost entirely of matter.  So what happened?

32. Sirius business: RADIO.  Our new car came with Sirius Radio, but we didn't subscribe.  But we do donate $15 a month to WBJC FM.  You can too if you go to their website and click on the Blue Donate button. 😀

33. Whacks: SWATS.

35. It's right there on the map!: EAST.  And WEST is left there on the map!

40. NCAA champion swimmer Thomas: LIA.

41. Jump ahead of: LEAPFROG.

43. See 14-Across: ALDA.  Né Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo (January 28, 1936), ALDA did play a few other characters besides Hawkeye Pierce.

Alan Alda

45. Dodge: SHIRK.

47. Mercedes luxury line: E CLASS.  2024s starting at $63,350.

2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

48. Trip: OUTING.

52. Like the number eight, in China: LUCKY.  I wonder who came up with this clue? 😀

53. "Kapow!": WHAM.

54. Icicle holder: EAVE.

55. Big Board abbr.: NYSE.  New York Stock Exchange.

56. Woody of "Toy Story," for one: DOLL.

Woody

58. Reusable shopping bag: TOTE.

59. Lena of "The Reader": OLIN.  The Reader is a 2008 German-American romantic drama film about the events of the Holocaust and its aftermath.  The film tells the story of Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes), a German lawyer who, as a 15-year-old in 1958, has a sexual relationship with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), a prison guard in one of the death camps.  Lena Olin plays a Holocaust survivor named Llana. I found the plot of this film to be very difficult to understand (see Wiki article above).  Here is a scene that occurred many years later in New York, where Llana and Michael are discussing a secret he knew that Hannah took to the grave, but which he seems unwilling to reveal. Two great actors ....

60. "Anyone __?": ELSE.

63. Regret: RUE.  Could also be clued "French street" or "Bitter herb'".

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

As you read this Teri and I will have left town for a  visit to Ohio for a week to be with family and friends and ending with a concert on July 6th at the Blossom Music Festival near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. And then we'll be Goin' Home.

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, Michael B. Berg

 ALL IN THE FAMILY

 I never knew the first line....

Splynter reporting for duty - another quick solve this Wednesday, albeit containing circles, but with very few names, a small number of 3LWs, and a theme that, while I don't use the term, was understandable - synonyms for family, "found" across two words in the theme answers.  I suppose AA would be my version of a 'found family', and certainly the 20 employees at the Pipe Organ company.  Some alliteration going on, as well - CLAN, KIN, CREW, KITH.  One eleven-, two thirteen-letter, and one spanner for the theme answers, and an 11-letter reveal;

16. Road division: TRAFFIC LANE - Keep your LaSalle between the lines~!

A GM/Cadillac Concept Car - very cool, and clearly where the Corvette came from

23. Task that's a piece of cake: WALK IN THE PARK

36. Home of Christopher Robin's friends: HUNDRED ACRE WOOD

46. Japanese dramatic form with elaborate costumes: KABUKI THEATER

Gene Simmons, before KISS

58. Closely knit community that provides social support, or what 16-, 23-, 36-, and 46-Across contain?: FOUND FAMILY

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Adele's "Water __ the Bridge": UNDER

6. Salsa choice: MILD - AND - 6D. Salsa choice: MELON - never heard of this variation

A recipe for you

10. Covertly include on an email: BCC - I get this a lot in crosswords

13. "Nope" and "Get Out" director Jordan: PEELE - filled via perps; his IMDb

14. Mountaintop nest: AERIE

15. Sound from a warm tub: AHH - I seriously want to swap my cast iron bathtub to a Jacuzzi

18. Reed of the Velvet Underground: LOU - before my time, but I know of him

19. Like most prime numbers: ODD

20. Thai neighbor: LAO

21. Band output: MUSIC - this is a song about "family", right~?

I crossed my old man. . . .Don't Take Me Alive, Steely Dan

28. Accurate: TRUE

29. Burgundies: REDS - quit wining - get it~?

30. Dough: MOOLA - bread, cheese, cash, fundage~!

31. Open a tad: AJAR

33. Fundraiser for STEM programs: PTA - STEM is "new" for me in crosswords; I don't recall seeing it during my last blogging stint - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

40. Gp.: ORG

41. Walkman maker: SONY - the original iPod

I still have one

42. Quite a distance: MILES

43. "Stat!": ASAP

45. AirPlay tablet: iPAD - I'm a PC

52. Soccer Hall of Famer Lalas: ALEXI - More here

53. Aardvark's snack: ANT

54. Vegan milk choice: OAT - I make my mac N cheese with Soy Milk

57. Streamlet: RIA - learned by doing crosswords

63. Apple on a teacher's desk, perhaps: MAC - clever - could be both computer AND fruit

64. Simmers with rage: FUMES - >😡<

65. Low point: NADIR

66. Pokémon trainer Ketchum: ASH - no idea, but glad to see a non-tree/bat clue for "ASH"

67. Small samples: SIPS

68. Pic-sharing app: INSTAgram - I am still planning to do a better Organ blog, and an Instagram page, too - here's the latest from The National Cathedral organ renovation

DOWN:

1. As many as: UP TO

2. One with deep knowledge of a subject: NERD - of what subject can you say you're proud to be a NERD~?

3. Completely mistaken: DEAD WRONG - I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken

4. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear" film: ELF - sorry, but I simply cannot stand this "holiday classic".  At All.  Period.  End of Comment.

5. NBA official: REFeree - also hockey, football, etc.

7. 401(k) alternative: IRA

8. Songwriter/actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN - Filled via perps

9. Considered: DEEMED

10. Model material: BALSA - oh, those models . . . .

11. Gospel singers: CHOIR - CHOIR is also a division/chamber of some pipe organs; the main divisions are Great, Swell, Pedal; and additionally, Choir, Solo, Positiv & Antiphonal

12. Toss away: CHUCK

14. Fruit from a Brazilian palm: ACAI

17. Sort: ILK

22. FedEx rival: UPS - UPS wins~!

Sumo Delivery vans

24. "__ Lang Syne": AULD

25. TV producer Norman: LEAR - Creator of "All in the FOUND Family"~?

26. "Fast Car" singer Chapman: TRACY

27. Munich mister: HERR - and the funny female equivalent. . . .

Blücher~!

28. Series of gigs: TOUR

30. Old electrical unit: MHO - learning moment for me - the Wiki

31. Bring home from the pound: ADOPT - I would SO love to adopt a dog - but if I am in the field for work, I'd need to find a dog-sitter, and I'm not a big fan of that idea

This would be my pick - a Schnauzer

32. Abbr. at the start of a day planner: JANuary

33. Pictures that don't need to be shaken: POLAROIDS - Ah.  This is true - the "instant" photos of old did NOT need to be shaken - more info here

34. Pigeon-__: TOED - I went with HOLE first; pigeon-TOED, like last week's "TOE-IN" of a car's alignment, describes someone who walks with their toes pointing "in"

35. Spots that may be classified: ADs - and advertisement is referred to as a "spot"

37. "Titans" actor Morales: ESAI - something something crossword Morales = ESAI

38. Radiate: EMIT

39. Diaper bag cloth: WIPE - oh, duh; I parsed it differently, and was trying to think of the fabric a diaper bag is made from

43. Stereo input letters: AUX

44. Flat-bottomed boats: SKIFFS

46. Cosmic fate: KARMA

47. Name on a false document: ALIAS

48. Sandy spot: BEACH - I am not a summer person, and having lived in a place made of, and surrounded by sand, desperately needed to move north - the irony is that I USED TO live in Connecticut, because Long Island was made by a glacier scraping off the surface of CT.

49. Jockey rival: HANES - possibly Splynter's most beloved product~?

I couldn't decide - but the center image includes a crossword reference

50. Loose __: ENDS

51. DOJ branch: ATF - Department of Justice, and the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms now includes Explosives in their wheelhouse - should they change the name to "FETA, FEAT"~? Or better yet, "FATE"!?

55. Touched down: ALIT

56. Supermodel Banks: TYRA

59. Yes, from Yves: OUI - Frawnche

60. Strike caller?: UMPire - Baseball for C.C.

61. Vader, as a boy: ANIkin - Skywalker, the father of the Star Wars "family"

62. Guy: MAN - and one last family "guy"

 Be safe and enjoy being with your family this Fourth of July~! 

Since I can rarely get to read the comments on the day, I decided to add a "FLW" to the end of my blog. . . .

 

From Last Week - CED, I loved your "Laser Bird"~!  TTP - I watched the clip, but that's not the quite it; it really does sound like "pew-pew" - I have been waiting to capture a sound bite from my window, so I can add it here, but I think "mating season" may be over.  zzzzzzz - send me an email.

Splynter

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 ~ Susan Gelfand

The Perfect Gift

G'Day!, Cornerites.

Today, Susan offers us jewelry apropos to one's occupation. Each phrase is "in the language" with the first word describing the position and the second a bit of bling. Let's take a look:

20. Custom timepiece for a meteorologist?: STORM WATCH.

33. Custom necklace for a chef?: FOOD CHAIN.

41. Custom brooch for a defensive back in the NFL?: SAFETY PIN.

Johnny can make a brooch out of it.

52. Custom band for a barista?: COFFEE RING.
I once had the idea that, if I ever went out on my own consulting, I'd call it "Coffee Ring Consultants" 'cuz every document I pre-produced for draft editing ended up with a coffee stain in the upper left corner.
//I always wore a mocha button-down when I did presetations for clients - that way spilt coffee wouldn't show. #ProTip

Cute theme, eh? Nicely done Susan. Thanks.

Across:
1. Passionate enthusiasm: ZEAL.

5. College concentration: MAJOR. Mine was Double-E w/ a Masters granted in CS. In my young ZEAL I thought I could build AI robots but, instead, I landed at DOD protecting networks which took all my hackin' skilz to the other side of the fence.
Tell us your major and why.

10. Dazzling figure skating feat: QUAD. Quadruple (14a) AXLE.

Ilia Malinin

14. Car bar: AXLE. Not a cocktail-box in the back, Double-O-7. Sorry to disappoint you, sir.
//I rewatched a few James Bond flicks while DW was in Japan :-)

15. Run off to wed: ELOPE.

16. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO...as you would have them do unto you - The Golden Rule.

17. Falafel wrapper: PITA.

Yummers!

18. Greased: OILED.

19. Fan favorite: IDOL. Billy is one of them.

Dancing With Myself

20. [See: theme]

22. Word on a door: PULL.

The Far Side

23. Agreeable answer: YES.
 

Roundabout - YES (a big influence on RUSH*)

24. Art studio stands: EASELS.

26. "Let's keep going!": ONWARD.

30. Spill the beans: BLAB.

32. Jeweled topper: TIARA.

33. [See: theme]

38. Still a contender: IN IT.

39. Robes at the Roman Forum: TOGAS.

Obligatory Animal House clip.
(It's in my contract)

40. Plot parcel: ACRE.

41. [See: theme]

43. Mountain lions: PUMAS.

44. Cathedral alcove: APSE.

45. Scout's discovery: TALENT. Talent scout not a Boy Scout.

46. Push and shove: JOSTLE.

50. Pointy leatherworking tool: AWL. Funny, I call my awl "pointy tool."

51. No more than: UP TO.

52. [See: theme]

59. Statistical average: MEAN.

60. Naturally bright courtyards: ATRIA.

61. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.

62. Soft French cheese: BRIE.

63. Bird associated with babies: STORK.

64. Air conditioning outlet: VENT.

65. Rowboat pair: OARS.

66. Hefty books: TOMES. Asmov's Foundation Trillogy was one. It filled 80% of my backpack (sorry, history book). #Priorities

67. Previous partners: EXES.

Down:
1. Heats up in the microwave: ZAPS.

Percy Spencer accidentally discovered it.

2. Highway off-ramp: EXIT.

That's not real. This one is.
 

3. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO. I think I mentioned they (the eponymous company) make pretty good firewalls.

4. Shakespearean ruler who divides his kingdom between two of his daughters: LEAR.

5. Cried like a calico: MEOWED.

6. Pseudonym: ALIAS.

7. Caffeine rush: JOLT.

8. Crude cartel: OPEC.

9. Conan O'Brien and Prince Harry: RED HEADS.

10. Witticisms: QUIPS.

11. Disproportionate, as influence: UNDUE.

12. Coral island that surrounds a lagoon: ATOLL.

How they're formed

13. Barbie and Skipper: DOLLS.

Barbie and kid-sister Skipper

21. British pianist Hess: MYRA.

25. "Abbott Elementary" network: ABC.

26. Redding of R&B: OTIS.

27. Simone of R&B: NINA.

28. Ragamuffin: WAIF.

29. Prado paintings: ARTE.

30. "Casablanca" star, familiarly: BOGIE.

Humphrey Bogart

31. Library offering: LOAN.

33. Fancy dressers: FOPS.

34. Transport: HAUL.

35. Pinnacle: ACME.

Wile E. Looking for the Perfect Gift.

36. Country on the Persian Gulf: IRAN.

37. Hummingbird's home: NEST. I remember the night before DW's water broke for Eldest. She was in fast-mode getting things in order and I was tidying up the garage. We fell asleep for about 20 minutes on the couch and spent the next morning in the Delivery Room.

Nesting Urge.

39. Stuck playing the same roles again and again: TYPECAST.

42. " Qu __?": Spanish "What's up?": TAL.

43. Muted, as colors: PALE.

45. Makes minor adjustments: TWEAKS.

46. Extra-large: JUMBO.

47. Met performance: OPERA.

48. One step: STAIR.

49. Earth __: natural shades: TONES.

50. Blazing: AFIRE. Hand-up if you thought Saddles immediately.

53. Nove minus uno: OTTO.

54. Email heading word: FROM.

55. Wander about: ROVE.

56. Mountain goat: IBEX.

57. Zilch: NONE.

58. Comprehends: GETS.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: AXIL [sic] -> QUAD
ESPs: MYRA, TAL
Fav: JOSTLE is such a fun word.

There you have it folks. Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Hahtoolah. It was fun (for me anyways) filling in.
Cheers,
-T

*I think it's also in my contract to include RUSH. DW got home Sunday to IAH from NRT but didn't go through

YYZed