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! |
The controversy about the merit (or lack of merit) of circles continues. Personally, I often find them useful, as in this case. But I’m sure some would disagree (including my good friend SS). Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteThanx for the diversion today, ladies. Saw the circles, and noticed the body parts in 'em. MANI-pedi was a CSO to Lucina. UAE -- I've been to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and I was on a refueling stop in Dubai (does that count?) You can't find Stephen King in the bookstores there. I was cautioned not to mention his name. I think it might be a Voldemort thing. Nicely done, Darby and Amie. Enjoyed your tour, Hahtoolah.
FIR, but sifi->SYFY, and minx->MANX.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a BOISE here, but we do have a Boissevain Avenue, named for Inez Boissevain, a women's suffrage movement pioneer.
Ektorp OREO made its usual appearance today, as did near-Ektorp NOTA bene.
I don't understand how anyone can be passionate about the presence or absence of circles.
We have a Lyon Shipyard here, and I've always said I would rather take my vessel to a shipyard that tells the truth.
Thanks to Darby and Amie for the fun Tuesday puzzle with a little crunch. And thanks to Ha2la for another fun review, except that article on the Oxford comma lawsuit make my head ache. And I thought that Cornerites were nit picky!
Circle? What circles. You can't believe your "Lyin' Eyes".
DeleteIs BAE acquiring “near-Ektorp” status?
DeleteFIR. Once again circles we did not need. Why? This is a crossword puzzle, not a drawing book. But I digress.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of nope rope, in fact I've never heard a single person call a snake that. We have lots of snakes in South Florida, but we just call them, ah, snakes!
But overall this was an easy Tuesday presentation. The theme was completely superfluous. I had fun doing it so I guess I'm a satisfied customer.
ROamed around and finished in 4:15, but didn't go fAR.
ReplyDelete"Clutch at straws" is unfamiliar to me, and was hard to parse.
I didn't know how to spell today's actress (Nyongo), and I didn't know the director (Barry).
So as not to disappoint my good buddy, Sub G:
Oh joy, circles!
Good morning. I don't bother looking at circles until after I solve a puzzle. They don't bother me but I guess constructors think they are necessary for their 'punch line' fills.
ReplyDeleteAs is normal for me, the A&E fills were perps. TYKE, BARRY, NYONGO.
Nope ROPE- new to me.
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" singer Twain: MARK was too short,, so SHANIA filled nicely. As for another possibility, MC Hammer sang "You can't touch this"
Tips IN CASH. There's no tax on tips if someone gets it in cash. (They usually don't report it). If the tip is on a credit card, not only does the waitress get taxed but the employers also has to pay into Social Security on that tip.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute and fun theme! I saw the Mane, Claws, and Tail, but the reveal was a surprise and a clever and comical one, to boot! I always need perps for Nyongo, but the rest of the fill fell into place quite easily. Nope Rope was unknown, though, and Baes is as irritating as always but the grid was clean and the three themers were solid in the language phrases.
Thanks, Darby and Amie, and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the fun and facts. Today’s winners in the comics competition are, IMO, Manx ‘Splaining, Oreo Speedwagon, Self-service Manicures, and the closing “Forceful” Bride.
Have a great day.
Zip, Done! Fast and easy Tuesday, FIR in 9. Thanx, DR&AW for the fun. 12 names, but DNK only 3, so not a crossname like yesterday irritating CW. Thanx too to Hahtoolah for the fun write-up.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of King Ric-Hard, the Lion Parted.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-A seven-minute walk in the park. I’ll never make the four-minute mark some of you do.
-ACT UP – Approximately 3.3 million kids are on medication for ADHD
-A girl hit a softball this fall and knocked out a light. An umpire told me later that his first thought was of Field Of Dreams
-I’ll bet the DEETS on the origin of BAES is TOTES ADORBS!
-Is a TEXT an appropriate replacement for a written thank you note?
-CLUTCH AT STRAWS : An onside kick at the end of a football game
-Skechers “step in” shoes negate the UNDOING of shoelaces. Works for me!
-There is some irony in PLACATE and IN CASH being adjacent to each other
-You won’t make friends pointing out grammar or punctuation mistakes
-Among your fun cartoons, Susan, the skeleton awaiting the perfect wave was my fav
-Edna addressed the CAPE issue for heroes in Saturday’s puzzle
Good Morning! What a delightful puzzle today with a feline theme. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteI held my printed sheet up to the light and, yup – no Wos Win, win!
I didn’t even try to spell NYONGO and waited for the perps.
Did I spot an Easter egg with MANX?
Clotted cream, often served to the ladies in Tea Houses, yum!
Thanks, Hah2lah, for the wealth of background info and toons.
FLN: Thank you, sumdaze, for the (upcoming) birthday greeting! Aha! the golfing dentist & his caddy - now I see it! 😄
DeleteBecause I was wondering: The main differences between clotted cream and whipped cream are:
DeleteTexture: Clotted cream is thick and has a texture similar to butter, while whipped cream is light and fluffy, with airy peaks.
Preparation: Clotted cream is made by heating full-fat cow’s milk to form a creamy top layer, while whipped cream is simply whipped heavy cream.
Flavor: Clotted cream has a rich, nutty taste with a slight tang, while whipped cream offers a milder, fresher dairy flavor.
Sorry RosE, I can’t make MANX an Easter Egg. It is not a LION with a MANE (although it does have CLAWS and TAIL). And the MAN in its name derives from the Isle of Man, and not from mane. Close, but not a match. We could make a case for COAT being an Easter Egg.
DeleteActually found this CW easier than yesterday. I perped BCCS. Odd but too clever for Tuesday
ReplyDelete“Nope” ROPE? C’mon!
Thought “Pride member” referred to LBGT folks not the big cat crowd. 🦁
Actually LIONAROUND speaks to the possibility of some constructor coming up with a puzzle consisting entirely of puns 😃
Must, refrain, from posting cat comic...
ReplyDelete( I dunno, is that an Oxford comma?)
All I know, is that I need the extra punctuation to express my true feelings...
Easy, peasy, Tuesday squeezy.
I do know that nyongo crossing nota is a Natick, only a 5 letter Natick, but still not Tuesday friendly...
Unusual hotel guest complaints, hmm, I sense comment fodder here. Just came from The Parrot Key Hotel in Key West. On the last day, DW and kids wanted to luxuriate by the pool even though checkout time was eleven. After the pool, we had breakfast by the pool/bar dining area, which, in Key West fashion, was "very" leisurely. (Surrounded by free range chickens, that are protected by law, you are not allowed to feed or harm them.) which begged for food. While I tried to comply with the law, I accidentally dropped some scrambled eggs, which the Rooster eagerLy devoured. Now the kids are accusing me of turning the local wildlife into Cannibals.
But that is not my complaint.
All this luxuriating resulted in a mad dash to get our luggage out the room before the 11 o'clock checkout time. So we arrived back at the room at ten minutes before eleven, to find that our electronic keys had been turned off, and we were locked out of our room.
So much for hospitality...
So what is your favorite hotel complaint?
Neat CW this morning. I enjoyed the feline theme, saw the parts of the lion quickly, but would I have if there hadn’t been circles? My conclusion is since this is a Tuesday CW, the circles helped make the solve a little easier.
ReplyDeleteI encountered a few unknowns, but nothing major. I liked the LEGO SET clue.
Nope ROPE, for a snake? I’ll to remember that one. I’ve never heard it put this way, but I like it. How can BAE be shorter than babe when it is uttered?
Thank you Hahtoolah for an informative review. I never wondered the origin of the name of Idaho’s capital, capital! I also liked all the feline cartoons.
I wish it were easier to review what I’ve written on this blog. I see I missed the word have as in I’ll have to remember.
ReplyDeleteLovely Tuesday offering, Darby and Amie! Thank you for the circles, without which I never would have grasped the theme, and I'm not LION!
ReplyDeleteGot a laugh out of "nope ROPE," but am unlikely to remember it when a rattler appears on the trail. More laughs from Hahtoolah's jigsaw puzzle and the pea in the pod. Have never encountered dirt pudding!
I must confess that I carelessly FIW at the cross of NOTe bene and BELeRUS. Drat! Glad Hahtoolah was there to show me the light.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah, you crack me up with your jokes and funny cartoons! Thank you for that. I have to say that I love CLOTTED cream! I would return to the UK just for that although there are so many more reasons to go back.
On one of my trips I almost made it to BOISE but driving from California there was a landslide that had blocked the road.
My daughter has joined the LEGO craze. She has elaborate creations of gardens and whole villages. My grandson prefers the creatures he can make.
Thank you for the information on Lupita NYONGO; I wondered about her name and why it was Spanish.
Looking at NOEL and ALOE I see that they share some letters but are not anagrams. It's time to refill my coffee cup. Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Today's puzzle was a delightful exercise. Thank you, Darby and Amie. I do not get worked up over circles; they often assist the solver (us), and like in today's puzzle, are virtually imperative.
ReplyDeleteAs a lover of cats, big and small, I liked that a lion was featured here. I have one minor nit to pick. Distinguishing features of a lion certainly include CLAWS and MANE, but I would have skipped TAIL (not unique to a lion!) in favor of something like ROAR or TEETH.
The puzzle contained some obscurities (to me, at least) like NOPEROPE, NYONGO,
and SYFY. They were no problem, because the constructors carefully scattered them around--so no Naticks--and perps were always nearby. However, I can do without ever seeing again the contemptible BAES!
Oh--another nit. BCCs are not inherently sinister or sly. I don't email much, but I can see valid reasons for using BCC. It does stand for "blind courtesy copy," after all (I think originally it was "blind carbon copy," but dwindling numbers of people even know what carbon copies are).
Weighing in on a comment here today: no
batter in "Field of Dreams" hit a ball knocking out the lights. That was the
pivotal moment at the end of another fine baseball movie, "The Natural." It was Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford, whose drive knocked out the lights.
Enough, already. Thanks again, Darby and Amie--and of course, Patti, who I suspect came up with some of those clever clues. Your.puzzle was clean and straightforward and well-constructed, and enjoyable to work on.
Oops, thanks for the gentle correction, Ken.
DeleteBTW, I watched the first season of Resident Alien. 👽 I really liked it, but lost track of season 2 if there was one.
ReplyDeleteThree seasons on SyFy with a fourth on the way on USA network
DeleteThanks Ray-O
DeleteAnother fast, fun, friendly(,?,,,) FIR! No particular nits other than NOPE ROPE. Ha2la, still chuckling over "Oreo Speedwagon"!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Darby and Amie. And thanks too, for your always helpful commentary, Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteWell, this puzzle had a bit of a negative start, with that IMP or someone starting to ACT UP and MAKE A SCENE, acting like a bit of a TASMANIAN DEVIL, threatening to BATTER people or tie them up with a ROPE.
Thanks goodness none of that stuff happened because there was also some ALOE right at the start, to PLACATE everyone and maybe take some time to play with a LEGO SET, and enjoy an ICE CREAM CONE and some OREOS. That would be a lot better than just LION AROUND when you could take a LIMO ride instead. I think this makes for a much better day, don't you?
Have a healthy and happy day, everybody.
I do have a couple of nits beyond “Nope Rope” (a term I’ve never heard prior to today). One is “Bae,” a term that doesn’t appear to exist outside the context of crossword puzzles. And hey, I love Emo music as much as the next guy, but does it have to appear in every…single…crossword…puzzle? And while we’re at it, can we put a moratorium on the use of Ono and Oreo?
ReplyDeleteInquiring minds: Has anyone experienced needing a perp that itself needed perping? A “perped perp,” so to speak. A Perp^2?
ReplyDeleteHand up for that one, Prof M @ 1:42. Most Saturdays I begin at 1A then 90-degree my way to the SE. (Yes, I just used "90-degree" as a verb.)
DeleteIsn't that what a Natick is?
DeleteAn incomprehensible clue/answer crossed by an incomprehensible perp...
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Darby and Amie, and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in very good time, and saw the LION AROUND theme (from MANE).
No whiteouts, and only a few hesitations (spelling NYONGO, is it CIA, TSA - NSA, SY FY?)
Hand up for never having heard of NOPE ROPE (and for wishing the same with BAES).
BARRY required perps, but this Canadian knew SHANIA. Originally, Eilleen Edwards, she was adopted by stepfather Jerry Twain, and was legally registered as Status Indian. In Nashville, at the start of her career, she took the first name Shania (Ojibwa - I’m on My Way) to honour her stepfather’s Ojibwa heritage.
Wishing you all a great day.
Thanks for the fun, Darby and Amie! FAVs: TASMANIAN DEVIL; Swell for a surfer, and Lilly pad squatter.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Hahtoolah for another purrrfect expo! The cat cartoons were great and the horse puzzle made me LOL.
I liked this puzzle except for BAE.
ReplyDeleteHow appropriate, Cat, for you to draw this particular puzzle. Great fun.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle, Darby & Amie. Thanks!
Fun expo, hahtoolah. I always enjoy the effort (LOL OREO Speedwagon) you put into 'em.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: BARRY, NYONGO
Fav WAIF is a fun word
Sparkle: What sumdaze said.
ROPE Nope is new on me.
I'll try to get here earlier tomorrow!
Cheers, -T