Loosely Come Dancing
Constructor Doug Peterson brings the muse Terpsichore to our puzzle today with a theme about dancing, one of the most widely practiced of the arts. We opened with a tango competition from the British show Strictly Come Dancing and we'll end up with looser version of the genre with a good 'ole Rock and Roll dance. Here are our themers ...
18A. *Chimp aboard a rocket, say: SPACE MONKEY.
24A. *Entertainment systems sold with controllers: GAME CONSOLES.
40A. *Storage area in a dashboard: GLOVE COMPARTMENT.
55. *Garage employee: AUTO MECHANIC.
... and what these clues have in common is revealed by a ...
65A. Kinks hit about the local palais, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: COME DANCING. ...
... and as we can see from the grid, unlike our dance contest in the splash video, Doug has the word COME loosely DANCING through the 4 theme clues ...
Here's the rest ...
Across:
1. Worthless stuff: DROSS. Not all DROSS is worthless. SLAG, which is the "scum" that floats to the top during the smelting of ores, actually has many uses.
 |
| Slag being poured off molten iron |
6. Eyewear, informally: SPECS.
11. Sacred Egyptian bird: IBIS. The African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) is a species of ibis, a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to much of Africa, as well as small parts of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. It is especially known for its role in Ancient Egyptian religion, where it was linked to the god Thoth. Ironically the ibis is currently extinct in Egypt.
 |
| African sacred ibis |
16. Prepare to start a hole: TEE UP.
17. Slam __: DUNK.
18. [Theme clue]
20. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI. Omni Hotels & Resorts is an American privately held, international hotel company based in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1958 and operates 51 properties in the United States and Canada, totaling over 20,010 rooms and employing more than 23,000 people. Here's a nice one in New Hampshire ...
 |
| Omni Mt. Washington |
21. Pink pencil parts: ERASERS. They also come in white, like the one on my cruciverbal weapon of choice ...
27. Calico's outdoor enclosure: CATIO. DNK CATIO. My grandchildren's cats are outside cats to begin with, so they just need a space were they can get food and warmth on cold winter nights. Here's Butterscotch perched above their cat house ...
 |
| Cat house |
32. Furrow maker: HOE.
33. Nuts in a chipmunk's hoard: ACORNS.
35. TV hosts: MCS. "Masters of Ceremonies", e.g. Here's the 10th Doctor Who emceeing the BAFTAS ...37. Flock sound: BAA.
40. [Theme clue]
45. Hearty laugh: YUK.
46. Goose Island brew, for short: IPA. On Goose Island you can do crazy stuff! ...
47. Put on the right track: ORIENT.
48. "The Addams Family" cousin: ITT. Well what else would you call ITT?
 |
| ITT |
54. Analyze for purity: ASSAY.
55. [Theme clue]
59. Attack vigorously: ASSAIL.
60. Ancient musicians: LYRISTS. And contemporary musicians as well ...
64. Dutch painter Frans: HALS. Frans Hals the Elder (c. 1582 – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, who lived and worked in Haarlem, Netherlands. Some of Hals's portrait work is characterised by a subdued palette, reflecting the politely serious tones of his fashionable clients' wardrobe. In contrast, the personalities he paints are full of life, typically with a friendly glint in the eye or the glimmer of a smile on the lips.
 |
| Gypsy Girl Oil on wood, 58 x 52 cm. 1628–30 Musée du Louvre, Paris. |
69. Awards acronym: EGOT. Here is a current list of performers who have obtained Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tony awards.
70. Chess grand master Krush: IRINA. Irina Borisivna Krush (Ukrainian: Ірина Борисівна Круш; born December 24, 1983) is an American chess Grandmaster. She is the only woman to earn the GM title while playing for the United States. Krush is an eight-time U.S. Women's Champion and a two-time Women's American Cup Champion.
 |
| Irena Krush |
71. "Later, __!": GATOR. A shortened version of the 1949 rock and roll hit See You Later Alligator by Bill Hailey and the Comets ...
72. Damp at dawn: DEWY.
73. Eccentric: DOTTY.
74. Madeleine of "Revenge": STOWE. Madeleine Stowe (born August 18, 1958) is an American actress. From 2011 to 2015, Stowe starred as Victoria Grayson, the main antagonist of the ABC drama series Revenge, loosely based on Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. For this role, she was nominated for the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.
Note: Stowe also starred in the 1990 film Revenge, starring with co-stars Kevin Costner and Anthony Quinn. Completely different plot.
Down:
1. Green Day album released between "¡Uno!" and "¡Tre!": DOS. DOS! is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. Here's Stray Heart, the hit single from the album, rated SB (for "Slightly Bizarre") ...
2. Rock climber's line: ROPE.
3. Actor Epps: OMAR. Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball. His television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical drama series ER, J. Martin Bellamy in Resurrection, and Dr. Eric Foreman on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2012. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.
4. Pet adoption org.: SPCA.
5. Hall & Oates soul ballad: SHES GONE. Daryl Hall & John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American rock duo formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist, while John Oates primarily supplied electric guitar and backing vocals. Here's She's Gone ...
6. Blizzards, e.g.: STORMS.
7. Gift for writing?: PEN SET.
8. "Yikes!": EEK.
9. Actor's alert: CUE.
10. Track with malware, say: SPY ON.
11. "Same here!": I DO TOO.
12. Fuzzy pollinators: BUMBLE BEES. Here's a beautiful video about why Bumble Bees are truly our best pollinators ...
13. Concave navel: INNIE. Since you asked -- here are some “Innies," “Outies" and Other Belly Button Facts.
14. Slides after braking: SKIDS.
19. __ culpa: MEA. Today's Latin lesson: "My fault", or in modern lingo "My bad".
23. Show to a seat, slangily: USH. Meh.
25. __ David: CAMP. Camp David is a 125-acre country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north-northwest of the national capital city, Washington, D.C. Camp David was built as a retreat for federal government agents and their families by the Works Progress Administration between 1935 and 1938. Camp David received its present name in 1953 from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his father and his grandson, both named David.
26. Apex predator in the ocean: ORCA. These marine creatures are often found swimming through crossword puzzles hungrily searching for OREOS.
27. Evasive: CAGY.
28. Free speech advocacy gp.: ACLU. The American Civil Liberties Union.
29. Didn't rush: TOOK IT SLOW.
30. Music producer Gotti: IRV. Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (June 26, 1970 – February 5, 2025), professionally known as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer. He co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records in 1998, which was an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. Irv is credited with having helped discover or sign rappers Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule, as well as singers Ashanti and Lloyd. He executively produced the debut albums for DMX's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, Ja Rule's Venni Vetti Vecci [sic], Ashanti's self titled, and Lloyd's Southside, here featuring Ashanti in this lyric video ... 34. Bio or chem: SCI.
36. Hit show letters: SRO.
38. "Pushing Daisies" actress Friel: ANNA. Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. She came to international prominence with her role as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on ABC's Pushing Daisies (2007–2009), for which she received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character in the ITV/Netflix mystery drama series Marcella (2016–2021). Her other accolades include a Drama Desk Award, an honorary degree, and a BAFTA nomination. Here's a trailer for Pushing Daisies ...
39. Legal dept. staffer: ATTY.
41. Intl. crude cartel: OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, another favored acronym of crossword constructors. OPEC actually has a flag and an emblem, but I haven't a clue as to what they signify ...
42. SAT section: MATH. The SAT is a test you have to pass before you can take the 68D.
43. Copies made with see-through sheets: TRACINGS. I recall attending a conference at the very high-tech Miami Convention Center -- the main venue had an LCD screen that stretched the entire length and height of the stage. One of the highlights was a keynote address by cartoonist Scott Adams, who gave a talk on the early days of his comic Dilbert. The crowd went crazy when he pushed a cart onstage with an overhead projector and proceeded to lecture using a stack of transparencies!
44. Grafton's "__ for Malice": M IS. Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California.
49. Warm and comfy: TOASTY.
50. "OMG, no more details!": TMI. I hope that 13D wasn't TMI!
52. Knack: TALENT.
53. Very soon now: ANY DAY.
55. Oohed and __: AAHED.
56. Water bill statistic: USAGE.
57. Spanish folk hero: EL CID. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific as-Sayyid ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve into El Çid. By all accounts he was a remarkable military strategist, who carefully studied his enemies tactics and used brainstorming with his troops before battle, surprise, and psychological warfare to defeat his foes. His life inspired many works of art, including this epic movie starring Charlton Heston as El Çid and Sophia Loren as his wife Jimena (I believe the real Jimena was actually loyal to El Çid to the end) ...
58. NPR host Flatow: IRA. Ira Flatow (born March 9, 1949) is a radio and television journalist and author who hosts WNYC Studio's popular program Science Friday. On TV, he hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Newton's Apple, a television science program for children and their families. Later he hosted another PBS series, Big Ideas. He has published several books, the most recent titled Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.
61. "Beat it!": SCAT.
62. Bandleader Puente: TITO. Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000),[1] commonly known as Tito Puente, was a Puerto Rico musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also known as “El Rey de los Timbales,” or “The King of the Timbales.” Here's his signature piece Oye Como Va ("How's it going?") ...
63. Imitation flakes in a clear globe: SNOW.
66. Guadalajara gold: ORO. A constructor's favorite gold -- two vowels and a comparative ending.
67. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. A CSO to Picard.
68. Univ. senior's test: GRE. Graduate Record Exam (passed with flying colors I'm sure by our graduate from 67D).
1. Green Day album released between "¡Uno!" and "¡Tre!": DOS. DOS! is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. Here's Stray Heart, the hit single from the album, rated SB (for "Slightly Bizarre") ...
2. Rock climber's line: ROPE.
3. Actor Epps: OMAR. Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball. His television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical drama series ER, J. Martin Bellamy in Resurrection, and Dr. Eric Foreman on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2012. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.
 |
| Omar Epps |
5. Hall & Oates soul ballad: SHES GONE. Daryl Hall & John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American rock duo formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist, while John Oates primarily supplied electric guitar and backing vocals. Here's She's Gone ...
6. Blizzards, e.g.: STORMS.
7. Gift for writing?: PEN SET.
8. "Yikes!": EEK.
9. Actor's alert: CUE.
10. Track with malware, say: SPY ON.
11. "Same here!": I DO TOO.
12. Fuzzy pollinators: BUMBLE BEES. Here's a beautiful video about why Bumble Bees are truly our best pollinators ...
13. Concave navel: INNIE. Since you asked -- here are some “Innies," “Outies" and Other Belly Button Facts.
14. Slides after braking: SKIDS.
19. __ culpa: MEA. Today's Latin lesson: "My fault", or in modern lingo "My bad".
23. Show to a seat, slangily: USH. Meh.
25. __ David: CAMP. Camp David is a 125-acre country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north-northwest of the national capital city, Washington, D.C. Camp David was built as a retreat for federal government agents and their families by the Works Progress Administration between 1935 and 1938. Camp David received its present name in 1953 from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his father and his grandson, both named David.
 |
| Camp David lodge with swimming pool in foreground |
26. Apex predator in the ocean: ORCA. These marine creatures are often found swimming through crossword puzzles hungrily searching for OREOS.
27. Evasive: CAGY.
28. Free speech advocacy gp.: ACLU. The American Civil Liberties Union.
29. Didn't rush: TOOK IT SLOW.
30. Music producer Gotti: IRV. Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (June 26, 1970 – February 5, 2025), professionally known as Irv Gotti or DJ Irv, was an American record producer. He co-founded the record label Murder Inc. Records in 1998, which was an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. Irv is credited with having helped discover or sign rappers Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule, as well as singers Ashanti and Lloyd. He executively produced the debut albums for DMX's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, Ja Rule's Venni Vetti Vecci [sic], Ashanti's self titled, and Lloyd's Southside, here featuring Ashanti in this lyric video ... 34. Bio or chem: SCI.
36. Hit show letters: SRO.
38. "Pushing Daisies" actress Friel: ANNA. Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. She came to international prominence with her role as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on ABC's Pushing Daisies (2007–2009), for which she received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character in the ITV/Netflix mystery drama series Marcella (2016–2021). Her other accolades include a Drama Desk Award, an honorary degree, and a BAFTA nomination. Here's a trailer for Pushing Daisies ...
39. Legal dept. staffer: ATTY.
41. Intl. crude cartel: OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, another favored acronym of crossword constructors. OPEC actually has a flag and an emblem, but I haven't a clue as to what they signify ...
43. Copies made with see-through sheets: TRACINGS. I recall attending a conference at the very high-tech Miami Convention Center -- the main venue had an LCD screen that stretched the entire length and height of the stage. One of the highlights was a keynote address by cartoonist Scott Adams, who gave a talk on the early days of his comic Dilbert. The crowd went crazy when he pushed a cart onstage with an overhead projector and proceeded to lecture using a stack of transparencies!
44. Grafton's "__ for Malice": M IS. Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California.
 |
| "S is for Sue Grafton" |
49. Warm and comfy: TOASTY.
50. "OMG, no more details!": TMI. I hope that 13D wasn't TMI!
52. Knack: TALENT.
53. Very soon now: ANY DAY.
55. Oohed and __: AAHED.
56. Water bill statistic: USAGE.
57. Spanish folk hero: EL CID. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and ruler in medieval Spain. Fighting both with Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific as-Sayyid ("the Lord" or "the Master"), which would evolve into El Çid. By all accounts he was a remarkable military strategist, who carefully studied his enemies tactics and used brainstorming with his troops before battle, surprise, and psychological warfare to defeat his foes. His life inspired many works of art, including this epic movie starring Charlton Heston as El Çid and Sophia Loren as his wife Jimena (I believe the real Jimena was actually loyal to El Çid to the end) ...
58. NPR host Flatow: IRA. Ira Flatow (born March 9, 1949) is a radio and television journalist and author who hosts WNYC Studio's popular program Science Friday. On TV, he hosted the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Newton's Apple, a television science program for children and their families. Later he hosted another PBS series, Big Ideas. He has published several books, the most recent titled Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.
.jpg) |
| Ira Flatow |
62. Bandleader Puente: TITO. Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000),[1] commonly known as Tito Puente, was a Puerto Rico musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also known as “El Rey de los Timbales,” or “The King of the Timbales.” Here's his signature piece Oye Como Va ("How's it going?") ...
63. Imitation flakes in a clear globe: SNOW.
 |
| Snow Globe |
66. Guadalajara gold: ORO. A constructor's favorite gold -- two vowels and a comparative ending.
67. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. A CSO to Picard.
68. Univ. senior's test: GRE. Graduate Record Exam (passed with flying colors I'm sure by our graduate from 67D).
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
8 comments:
I would say the reveal was something of a surprise, and it took a minute to see what they were talking about. Other than that, I didn’t have too much trouble with this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Somebody thought COME DANCING was part of the theme, not the reveal. D'oh. Foiled again. Still, it was a Wite-Out-free day. Thanx, Doug, waseeley, and Teri. (The circles represent the letters O-P-E-C.)
DROSS: Have you ever noticed that SLAG and CREAM both rise to the top?
R.I.P. Gene Hackman.
Despite not knowing HALS, IRINA, STOWE, IRV, ANNA, IRA and TITO, or that the Kinks had a “hit” called “Come Dancing”, or that there was a jumbled COME in every themer (sorry SS, but I needed those pesky ⭕️’s today), I managed a FIR in 13:07, thank you perps. I thought the theme answers contained 8 dances I’d never heard of 🤷♂️. Today I learned there’s such a thing as a CATIO, and that DOTTY is a word (British of course). Thanks Doug for your creation, I enjoy any puzzle I can solve! Bill and Teri ~ excellent collection of videos in today’s review, and all the other info explained in great detail, thank you!
I think the theme was a stretch!
FIR, but hans->HALS, dudes->GATOR, and shoo->SCAT.
Resisted temptation to complete pATIO, and was rewarded by CAGY. All things being equal, I'd rather be in a CAT house than a CATIO.
Okay, I'll bite. Why do we have separate men's and women's USA chess championships? Did IRINA really KRUSH her opponents? There's a newspaper headline that writes itself.
Not Mogen David or Larry David, but CAMP David. (Of course, David was Ike's middle name too.)
My water bill combines water USAGE and sewer, which is based on water USAGE. The sewer fee is about twice the water fee.
Seems like only yesterday that we had a tutorial on CUE/que/queue.
CSO to our dearly departed (but soon to return) MONKEY. Hope she didn't go into SPACE. Might have to get Elon to come get her.
After hearing COME DANCING I recognized it. I thought the title was On Bandstand, and had no idea it was from The Kinks. Just to put a bow on it, here's DANCE With Me by Orleans.
Thanks to Doug for a mostly enjoyable crossword, and to Bill 'n' Teri for another fine review.
FIR. One can expect a Thursday puzzle to have some bite to it, but this was a little over the top. Lots of proper names and some truly strange cluing.
I needed to come here to get the theme explained to me. And having it explained did nothing to change the fact that it was really lame.
Overall this was a less than enjoyable puzzle.
D-O @5:22 AM Thanx for 'splainin' the circles.
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