Sailing, Sailing Over the Ocean Blue. Today we are traveling over the vast waters in various vessels, some more comfortable than others. Let's see how we're traveling.
20-Across. Comic strip that's been running since 1918: GASOLINE ALLEY. Galley. Probably not the most comfortable way to travel.
25-Across. Significant other: LIFE PARTNER. Liner. Ocean liners can be comfortable, unless you're on the Titanic.
44-Across. "Delta Dawn" country singer: TANYA TUCKER. Tanker. Not designed for tourists since it's designed to carry or store bulk liquids or gases.
And the unifier:
49-Across. Vessel transporting standard-sized cargo units, and a description of each set of circled letters: CONTAINER SHIP. Each of the theme clues begins and ends with a type of ship with the other letters of the answer "contained" within the Ship. In 2021, the huge container ship, the Ever Given, got stuck in the Suez Canal.
And some other boat references
64-Across. Sailboat pole: MAST.
Across:
1. Persian Gulf nation: IRAN. I just read The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali. It's a fabulous novel about Iran and its political situation from the 1950s to present day.
5. Tree with fronds: PALM.
Anatomy of a Palm Tree
9. Made a lot?: PAVED. Think of a Parking Lot.
14. Special attention: CARE.
15. Track on an opera CD: ARIA. My favorite Aria from Carmen.
16. Pithy saying: ADAGE.
17. "I __ you'd say that": KNEW.
18. Prestigious British boarding school: ETON. Eddie Redmayne and Prince William were classmates at Eton.
19. Steps on a ladder: RUNGS.
23. Burrowing animal: MOLE. They are ugly little critters.
24. Obtained: GOT.
30. Winter bug: FLU.
33. Corrosive chemicals: ACIDS.
34. Appear in print: RUN.
35. Open-handed hit: SLAP.
36. Quite small: MINI.
37. Fuji or Vesuvius: MOUNT. Both Mount Fuji and Mount Vesuvius are volcanic mountains. At 12,388 feet, Mt. Fuji is Japan's tallest peak. Mt Vesuvius is in Italy and is best known for destroying the ancient city of Pompeii about 79 CE. Mt. Vesuvius last erupted in 1944.
Woodblock print of Mt. Fuji
Mt. Vesuvius and ruins of Pompeii
39. Territory, so to speak: TURF.
40. "A Wrinkle in Time" actor Michael: PEÑA. Michael Peña portrayed a character known as Red in the 2018 version of A Wrinkle in Time. The movie is a science fantasy adventure based on Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 novel of the same name. I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time back when I was in grade school.
41. Hunting bird active at night: OWL.
42. Drum at a poetry slam: BONGO. Everything you wanted to known about a Poetry Slam but didn't care to ask.
43. Fourth-yr. students: SRs. As Seniors.
47. __ rummy: GIN. Everything you wanted to know about Gin Rummy. Well, maybe not everything.
48. Poster fastener: TACK.
55. Any of the Transformers: ROBOT.
56. Zoo trench: MOAT.
57. Strong smell: ODOR.
59. "Demon Slayer" genre: ANIME. Okay.
60. Emmy-nominated "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA. Issa Rae was the co-writer of the television comedy-drama series Insecure.
Issa Rae is the woman in the middle.
61. Toy with a BrickHeadz line: LEGO. BrickHeadz weren't available when I was playing with Legos.
62. Electricity usage tracker: METER.
63. Adolescent: TEEN.
Down:
1. "That's nasty!": ICK!
2. Telephoned: RANG.
3. Polygon calculation: AREA.
4. Providers of "breaking" coverage: NEWS MEDIA.
5. Saffron-flavored Spanish dish: PAELLA. Yummers! Paella is one of the best known dishes in Spanish cuisine. There is a restaurant in town that makes wonderful Paella, but it takes a long time to make, so you need to call in your order before you arrive at the restaurant.
Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a chosen, golden, and unbeaten puzzle sure to take you straight to your own personal Eden.
Theme: EN-dive
Note: I could not find a pic of a diving endive on the internet so I made this image of an endive in scuba gear using Copilot AI. Is this a first? (using AI to blog on The Corner)
Let's dive right en and take a look at the four themers:
17 Across. *Background for a scene using CGI: GREEN SCREEN.
A green screen lets filmmakers drop in whatever background images behind the subject they want (e.g., scary alien, historic castle, futuristic planet, or even a real but hard-to-access location). The GREEN SCREEN singles out the selected color and digitally removes it by rendering it transparent, allowing the other image to show through. This is why TV weather forecasters never wear green. They are standing in front of a GREEN SCREEN!
24 Across. *Meditation area with raked sand: ZEN GARDEN.
The Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden in Kyoto is one of Japan's most famous gardens. The 15 stones are perfectly arranged so that there is always one rock that is hidden from view, regardless of where the viewer stands.
so very ZEN
49 Across. *Broadway star who won a Tony for "Pippin": BEN VEREEN.
Ben Vereen was born October 10, 1946 in North Carolina. In 1973 he won a Tony award for "Best Actor in a Musical" as the lead in Pippin. These days he teaches classes online and in person. He also makes cameo TV appearances. Here he is performing Simple Joys from Pippin. (2:35 min.)
60. *Circle K competitor: SEVEN ELEVEN.
Both are convenience stores. This website compares them head-to-head.
Today's reveal is found mid-grid:
38 Across. Involves, or a phonetic feature of the answers to the starred clues?: ENTAILS.
This was a fun reveal! At first I was looking for some sort of rhyming connection but BEN VEREEN does not rhyme. Instead, the answers to the starred clues are all two-word answers such that every word ends with the letters E then N. In this way, E and N aretails (ends).
Seeing phonetic (Def.: "of or relating to speech sounds") in the clue threw me a bit. Some of these words are pronounced with a long e sound and some with a short e sound.
Fasten your seatbelts, we have more clues which I am keen to explore!
Across:
1. Bus destination: STOP. Oh, the bus is headed to the 'bus STOP'. Fun start!
5. Upscale place for a furry friend: PET SPA.
11. Like some Pride Month celebrants: GAY. LGBTQIA+
14. Sigh of lament: AH, ME.
15. Cold and unwavering: STEELY.
Steely Dan ~ Do It Again ~ 1972
16. "I __ it all to you": OWE. Thanks, C.C.!!
19. "Pow!": BAM.
20. Moray trap: EEL POT.
21. PBS "Science Kid": SID. Sid the Science Kid was an animated TV show created by Jim Henson of The Muppets fame. It aired from 2008 to 2012.
22. Steal: TAKE.
23. Like watermelon: SWEET. SWEET, I like watermelon, too.
26. Hip-hop group A __ Called Quest: TRIBE. Wiki lists their active years as 1985-1998, 2006-2013, and 2015-2017.
28. Hindu spiritual adviser: GURU. I asked my spiritual advisor to help me understand my place in this world. He replied GEE, YOU ARE YOU.
29. Stretches the truth: FIBS.
31. Busy __ bee: AS A.
33. Val Kilmer's "Top Gun" role: ICEMAN. Military pilots use call signs as a way to stay anonymous to their enemies while on the radio while flying. "Iceman" was Val Kilmer's call sign in the 1986 movie Top Gun. He reprised the role in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
37. 1990 civil rights law, briefly: ADA. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
40. Pop singer Rita: ORA. I wonder if she knows that she has become a crossword regular.
41. Pointy-nosed fish: MARLIN. They use their spear-like "bills" to slash at and stun their prey.
Click to enlarge.
43. Class with crayons: ART.
44. __ pump: SUMP. It can help protect your basement from flooding. more info
45. Oft-crumbled cookie: OREO. Through the miracle of co-branding, they are now selling Coca-Cola OREOs for a limited time. Has anyone tried these?
47. Lew of "Dr. Kildare" films: AYRES. Lewis Frederick Ayres III (1908-1996)
53. Eagerly took in: ATE UP. To "eat up" can mean "to listen to with enthusiasm or appreciation" as in "The audience ate up the speaker's every word."
56. Great Lake near Detroit: ERIE.
57. Actor Brynner: YUL. Yuliy Borishovich Briner (1920-1985) was a Russian-born actor best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in The King and I. See 6-Down.
58. Champagne cocktail: MIMOSA. These are usually made with equal parts champagne and orange juice and are served at brunch.
59. Dog park greeting: ARF.
"A dog park is like high school for dogs."
Marmaduke ~ 2010 ~ (1:16 min.)
62. Bon __: witticism: MOT. English borrowed this term from French. It literally means "good word" but is used to mean a clever remark. We see many examples in The Corner's Comments section.
63. Wage recipient: EARNER.
64. Mathlete, to some: NERD.
65. Texter's "Whoops": SRY. SoRrY
66. Make from scratch: CREATE.
67. Constellation bear: URSA.
Down:
1. Wise ones: SAGES.
2. Pitched: THREW.
3. Breakfast buffet station: OMELET BAR. Perhaps you can pair your omelet with a 58A MIMOSA.
4. Leaf __: fall tourists: PEEPERS.
5. Hushed "Hey!": PSST.
6. "I could go on" abbr.: ETC. In The King and I, starring 57-Across YUL Brynner, the King shows off that he has learned the Latin phrase et cetera. (51 sec.) 7. Like a one-word reply: TERSE. true
8. Going out with: SEEING. another way to say "dating"
13. Arabian Peninsula country: YEMEN. Both Yemen and its capital Sana'a make for good fill.
18. Formal denial: NOT I. If you are talking about something you did not do, "Not I." is correct. (Who ate the last piece of pie? NOT I). On the other hand, if you are talking about something that was not done to you, it is the objective case and "Not me," is correct. (Who had pie thrown in her face? Not me.)
25. NBA "logo 3" paths: ARCS. I had no idea. It turns out, the term "logo 3" refers to a 3-point shot that is taken around the mid-court, near the logo that is painted on the floor. The path a ball follows when thrown is an ARC. (That last part I knew).
27. Particularly successful period: BANNER YEAR.
29. Relatives, slangily: FAM. FAMily
30. Journalist Tarbell: IDA. Ida Minerva Tarbell (1857-1944) was an American writer, investigative journalist, biographer, and lecturer.
32. Level for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: AAA. What a fun name for a baseball team! They are a Minor League Baseball (Triple-A) feeder team for the Miami Marlins.
34. Activate an image without clicking, say: MOUSE OVER. I usually say "hover over". If you MOUSE OVER the image above, you will see a message but if you click on it, it will change your screen.
35. Sleeve: ARM. Fair enough. A jacket's sleeve can be called an ARM.
36. Preschooler's snooze: NAP.
38. Limerick setting: EIRE. Not "Nantucket". This clue tries to misdirect us by taking advantage of the leading-cap convention.
County Limerick in Ireland (Eire)
39. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.
The Iran-Turkey border is 332 mi. (534 km.) long.
42. Emotion indicated by a heart emoji: LOVE.
44. Predetermined selection of dishes: SET MENU. These are called teishoku (定食) in Japan and are very common at (but not limited to) restaurants serving lunch. It is a balanced meal served on a single tray. They are not as popular here in the U.S.; however, several high-end restaurants offer tasting menus.
46. Lifework of a composer: OEUVRE. Def. (noun) a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer.
48. Commuter option: RAIL. I thought "computer" for too long.
49. Gymnastics balance testers: BEAMS. The Olympic balance beam is 4 in. (10 cm.) wide, 16.4 ft. (5 meters) long, and 4.1 ft. (1.25 meters) from the floor.
50. Proofreader's catch: ERROR. I do'nt has a prooffreader.
51. "Neato!": NIFTY.
52. Ketanji's colleague: ELENA. Supreme Court Justices Brown Jackson and Kagan
