Tuesday, November 12, 2024 Darby Ratliff and Amie Walker

Anatomy of a Big Cat.  The first and last letters of each theme answer spell out a characteristic of a Lion.

17-Across. Embarrass one's friends in public, say: MAKE A SCENE.  Mane.

26-Across. Resort to desperate measures: CLUTCH AT STRAWS.  Claws.

42-Across. Cartoon character often depicted as a spinning tornado: TASMANIAN DEVIL.  Tail.

And the Unifier:

56-Across. Answer to the joke "What is the lazy pride member known for?," and an apt title for this puzzle?: LION AROUND.

Across:

1. Misbehave in class, say: ACT UP.

6. Little dickens: IMP.

9. Loops in on the sly: BCCs.  As in Blind Carbon Copies.  The "carbon copy" is a relic from the olden days when everything was actually typewritten on a typewriter.

13. Trusty: LOYAL.

14. Christmas song: NOEL.

16. Burn soother: ALOE.

19. Vocal quality: TONE.

20. Had a snack: ATE.

21. Tax pros: CPAs.  As in Certified Public Accountants.

22. "What's __ into you?": GOTTEN.

24. Sweeties: BAES.  The term "bae" is a slang term of endearment that is a shortened version of the words "baby" or "babe".

25. Nope __: facetious term for a snake: ROPE.  I have never referred to a snake as a Nope Rope.

32. Idaho's capital: BOISE.  The name of Boise, Idaho comes from the French word boisée, which means "wooded". The name originated in the early 19th century when French-Canadian fur trappers explored the region.  The trappers to a river and were amazed by the cottonwood trees lining the riverbanks. They called the river "boisé" and the area "la rivière boisée", which means "the wooded river".

33. Some jeans: LEEs.  We had both Lees and Levi's last week.

34. "Love __ neighbor": THY.

35. The "E" of an EGOT: EMMY.  The acronym stands for: Emmy Grammy, Oscar and Tony.   All are entertainment awards.  For a list of EGOT recipients, check out this site.  

36. Inn patron: GUEST.  Hotel guests do not always get what they want.

38. Many a child in Dickens: WAIF.  Think of Oliver Twist.

39. Punk subgenre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

40. Tailless cat: MANX.

41. "The Natural" director Levinson: BARRY.  Barry Levinson (né Barry Lee Levinson; b. Apr. 6, 1942) won an Oscar for the 1988 film, Rain Man, but he isn't an EGOT.

Levinson and Redford.

46. Odds and __: ENDS.

47. New Haven school: YALE.

48. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" singer Twain: SHANIA.  Shania Twain (née Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain; b. Aug. 28, 1965) is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter.

51. __ bene: NOTA.  Today's Latin lesson.  The term means note well, observe carefully, take notice.  It is used in manuscripts to alert the reader to pay attention to what follows.

52. Govt. intel org.: NSA.  As in National Security Agency.

55. Call alternative: TEXT.

59. The "dirt" in a pudding-based dessert: OREO.

60. Lily pad squatter: FROG.

61. Loosened, as shoelaces: UNDID.

62. Pea holders: PODS.

63. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

64. Oozes: SEEPS.

Down:

1. __ mater: ALMA.  More of today's Latin lesson.  The term literally means Nourishing Mother.  The term is used to refer to one's college.

2. Paint layer: COAT.

3. Likely "Bluey" and "Blue's Clues" watcher: TYKE.

4. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE.  As in the United Arab Emirates.  The UAE was formed in 1971 and is comprised of 7 Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

5. Appease: PLACATE.

6. How some tips are paid: IN CASH.

7. "The Simpsons" watering hole: MOE'S.

8. Writing tool: PEN.

9. Baker's mixture: BATTER.

10. Thicken, as cream: CLOT.  Although it sounds rather icky to American ears, in England, clotted simply describes the look of the cream as it clings together.    It goes will with scones and tea.

11. Ice cream holder: CONE.

12. "As __ on TV": SEEN.

15. Blocked content?: LEGO SET.  My first Lego Set was similar to the one shown below.

18. Detail, briefly: SPEC.

23. Chooses: OPTS.

24. Overly adorned: BUSY.

25. Some GPS suggestions: RTES.  As in Routes.

26. Punctuation in many lists: COMMA.  The Oxford comma is the comma that comes before “and” in a series of three or more items.  In the case of O'Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy, a missing Oxford comma cost a Maine dairy company $5M.

27. Prom rides: LIMOS.

28. "__, tell me a joke": request made in a smart home, perhaps: ALEXA.  Alexa listens to everything you say!

29. Nintendo rival: ATARI.

30. Spin fast: WHIRL.

31. "Resident Alien" network: SYFY.  Formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel.

32. Red root vegetable: BEET.

36. "The Lord of the Rings" wizard: GANDALF.  Gandalf was portrayed in the movies by Sir Ian McKellen (b. May 25, 1939).  

37. Colleges, to a Brit: UNIS.  As in Universities.

38. Swell for a surfer: WAVE.

40. __-pedi: MANI.

41. Birthplace of Olympic gymnast Olga Korbut: BELARUS.  Olga Valentinovna Korbut (b. May 16, 1955) was known as the Sparrow from Minsk.  She competed for the Soviet Union in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.  She emigrated to the United States in 1991 and became a naturalized American citizen in 2000.

43. Candy that can create a soda geyser: MENTOS.  I have never tried this trick.  There is a scientific reason for this chemical reaction.

44. "Us" star Lupita: NYONG'O.  Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (b. Mar. 1, 1983) is another naturalized American citizenship.  She is also Mexican by birth and Kenyan through her parents.  She has an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave and an Emmy.  She is half-way to the EGOT.

45. Spreadsheet input: DATA.

48. "Halt!": STOP.

49. Caped crusader: HERO.

50. Used a hatchet on: AXED.

51. Midday: NOON.

52. Bare: NUDE.

53. Scissors sound: SNIP.

54. Puts in: ADDS.

57. Savings plan letters: IRA.  As in Individual Retirement Account.

58. United: ONE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Nailed it!

Monday November 11, 2024 John Michael Currie

  

Today is Veterans Day (USA) and Remembrance Day (Australia, Canada, and the UK).

To all the veterans on The Corner, thank you for your service!

sumdaze here with my 100th blog on The Corner. It feels like only yesterday....

Constructor John Michael Currie returns this week, bringing a gentle touch. The theme is: 

Soft Serve

These are the four themed clues:

17 Across. Campy photo booth accessory: FEATHER BOA.  

Some people rent photo booths for their events. I have been to weddings that had them. Outside the booth there were various accessories one could put on to create a fun photo. These are example pictures from the internet.  

25 Across. Southern California's June Gloom, essentially: CLOUD COVER.  

We get June Gloom here on the Central Coast, too. We also say "May Gray". Some people add "No Sky July" and "Fogust" but that might be going a bit too far. The marine layer usually burns off around midday, revealing a sunny sky.  explanation from a San Diego weatherman

38 Across. Candy treat shaped like a chick or bunny: MARSHMALLOW PEEP.  

46 Across. Sleepover hideaway: PILLOW FORT.  

The reveal ties these all together:

57. Trial period for a new product, and what 17-, 25-, 38-, and 46-Across all have?: SOFT LAUNCH.

A LAUNCH is the start of an event. Each of the themed clues starts with something SOFT (FEATHER, CLOUD, MARSHMALLOW, and PILLOW). I like it!

Here are the rest of the clues & answers:

Across:

1. __-dab in the middle: SMACK.  This was a fun start, erm LAUNCH!  

SMACK-dab means exactly; precisely; right in place or time; squarely. Its first known use was in an American publication in 1892.

6. Smartphone downloads: APPS.  How many are on your phone?

10. Paper money: CASH.     and     28 Across. 10-Across, slangily: MOOLAH.

14. City west of Venice: PADUA.  PADUA has two UNESCO World Heritage List entries:  the world's oldest Botanical Garden and its 14th-century frescos.

15. Shave (down): PARE.  

16. Spanish eight: OCHO.  Here's a Spanish cover version of a song you likely know:  

OCHO días por semana...  𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮

19. Comics icon Lee: STAN.  (1922-2018) Fans loved his cameos in the Marvel movies. Here's a quick one from Avengers: Endgame (2019).

20. Epitome of slowness: SNAIL.  An epitome is a typical or ideal example; embodiment. 

21. __ acid: AMINO.  Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. They play a crucial role in the body’s functioning and are vital for growth and development.  functions & food sources

22. "Oorah!" military org.: USMC.  Marines say "Oorah!" and Army soldiers say "Hooah!".

30. Fish eggs: ROE.

31. Assumed name: ALIAS.

32. Gravy vessel: BOAT.  I liked this November angle on a common word!

34. Goes (for): OPTS.  

41. Some Fidelity offerings, for short: IRAS.  Fidelity Investments is a financial services company headquartered in Boston.

42. Fades to black: ENDS.  

43. Snorer's affliction: APNEA.  Mayo Clinic info on sleep APNEA

44. Gut punch reaction: OOF.     intersects     44 Down. Alley-__: OOP.  

45. Trademarked pastry creation: CRONUT.  CROissant + doughNUT = CRONUT  

52. Weightlifter's units: REPS.  How many REPS are needed to burn off the calories in one CRONUT?

53. Furnish with gear: EQUIP.  One might equip (not an abbreviation) themself with equip. (abbreviation for "equipment").

54. For starters: FIRST.  This M-W article about FIRST vs. firstly is for the word nerds (like me).

56. Skeet shout: PULL.  I linked a video about skeet shooting two weeks ago. In trap shooting, the participant calls, "PULL" when they are ready for the target to be thrown.

62. Flowerpot spot: SILL.  I think of the SILL as being on the inside and the ledge as being on the outside but I found this on a window installation company's website:

Despite common belief, the window sill is found on the outside of the home. Inside the home, the part of the window often called the "sill" is actually the stool. However, the stool is often described as the sill, even by window experts.
Hmmmmm.......  🤔

63. Mideast canal: SUEZ.  

64. Battery terminal: ANODE.

65. "The __-bitsy spider ... ": ITSY.

66. Lean and muscular: WIRY.  Def: (adj.) Being lean, supple, and vigorous; sinewy.  

Both of these men are lean and muscular, 
but I would call only one of them WIRY.

67. "Heavens to __!": BETSY.  Land sakes! This one took me down a rabbit hole trying to find its origin.  more

Down:

1. Beach bottle no.: SPF.  

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)  ~  Baz Luhrmann  ~  1997

2. Actress Whitman: MAE.  Mae's IMDb page

3. Toothpaste-endorsing org.: ADA.  American Dental Association  

4. Doesn't make history?: CUTS CLASS.  Good one! The student skipped history class.

5. "Clue" actress Madeline: KAHN.  She played Mrs. White in the 1985 movie. (58 sec.) 

6. Diamond birthstone month: APRIL.  

(Click to expand.)
I wonder how the November people feel about this.

7. "Halo" star Schreiber: PABLO.  Pablo's IMDb page

8. In favor of: PRO.

9. __ urchin: SEA.  Purple SEA urchins got out of hand and began destroying the kelp forests along the CA coast when their predators, starfish, began to die off. Here is a news story about what the scientists are doing to reverse the damage. (3:32 min.) 

10. Pink cocktail, familiarly: COSMO.  

Sex in the City's Samantha, Carrie, and Charlotte with their COSMOs.

11. Last part of a play, perhaps: ACT IV.  Applause was too long.

12. MacGowan of the Pogues: SHANE.  (1957 - 2023) Born in Kent, England, he was a singer-songwriter, musician, and poet best know as the lead vocalist in the Celtic punk band the Pogues.

13. Accept, as a coupon: HONOR.

18. A pop: EACH.

21. Card with no face or number: ACE.  

It was not standard for playing cards to have numbers on them until the 1860s.  

22. Savory quality: UMAMI.  UMAMI means "delicious savory taste" in Japanese. It is one of the basic five tastes, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It is often described as "the meaty, savory deliciousness that deepens flavor", but it is not necessarily restricted to meat. Mushrooms and tomatoes can have an UMAMI taste, for example.

23. Renewable energy source: SOLAR.  CSO to unclefred!

24. Catherine's "Schitt's Creek" role: MOIRA.  Catherine O'Hara played MOIRA Rose on this TV series (2015-2020).

26. Mountain range from Kazakhstan to the Arctic Ocean: URALS.  

27. Inflict upon: DO TO.  

29. Fire residue: ASH.

32. National park in Alberta: BANFF.  Established in 1885, Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park. It encompasses 2,564 sq. mi. (6,641 sq. km.) in the Canadian Rockies. (That is a little larger than the State of Delaware!) The scenery is gorgeous in every direction!

I took this picture last summer of Mt. Rundle and the Bow River outside the town of Banff.

33. On in years: OLD.  "Getting on in years" is an idiom that means "becoming elderly".

34. Perfectly timed: OPPORTUNE.  

35. Tubular pasta: PENNE.  

Besides being tubular, another feature of PENNE
is its diagonally cut ends.

36. Start, as a golf round: TEE UP.  In golf, when you TEE UP a ball, you place it on a tee so that it is ready for you to hit it.  

This one is for Husker Gary.

37. Petty quarrels: SPATS.     and     40 Down. Armed conflict: WAR.

39. Cat's noise: MEOW.  

45. Keyboard shortcut starter: CTRL.  CTRL is a key on PCs.

46. Cola brand: PEPSI.

47. "That's it for me!": I QUIT.

48. Calm periods: LULLS.

49. Pharmaceutical giant Eli __: LILLY.  Eli Lilly and Company (dba Lilly) is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. Eli Lilly was a Union Army veteran and pharmaceutical chemist who founded the company in 1876. Lilly was the first company to mass-produce the polio vaccine and insulin.

50. Proposal: OFFER.  

51. Posh: RITZY.  RITZY entered English in 1919 to describe the ostentatiously fancy lifestyles of the guests who could afford to stay at the hotels owned by César Ritz (1850-1918). The enterprise is now the Ritz-Carlton hotel company.  

In 1934 Nabisco used the RITZ name to give depression-era shoppers a 
taste of the good life, but the crackers were not connected to the hotels.
I imagine that would be a big law suit today!

55. Onetime Swedish automaker: SAAB.  The company was founded in 1945 and went defunct in 2016.

57. NNE opposite: SSW.  compass directions

58. French yes: OUI.  

59. Do __ disturb: NOT.  I set my cell phone to 'Do Not Disturb' from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Whatever it is, it can wait.

60. Media that's burned before reading: CDS.  "Burned" is the term used to mean the information is imprinted onto a CD.  

Talk about burning media....

"This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."

Peter Graves  ~  Mission: Impossible  ~  1966-1973 TV series

61. "Listen up!": HEY.  I can hear my grandmother answering, "Hay is for horses and cows." In other words, she thought it was impolite to try to get attention by hollering, "Hey!" 

It is time for the grid:

Have a great day, everyone!