The company you keep ... The circles "repeat" an abbreviation for legal business.
15-Across. With some exceptions: IN CERTAIN CASES. INC. is short for Incorporated.
27-Across. Place to pick up tickets at a theater, perhaps: WILL CALL COUNTER. LLC is short for a Limited Liability Company. A Limited Liability Company is a business structure that protects its owners from personal liability. The company combines the tax benefits of a partnership with the liability protection of a corporation.
41-Across. Thin Mint or Trefoil: GIRL SCOUT COOKIE. CO is short for Company.
And the unifier:
55-Across. Goal of store loyalty programs, and what can be found in 15-, 27-, and 41-Across: REPEAT BUSINESS.
Here's the Grid so you can see the Repeated Businesses:
Across:
1. Spanish "more": MAS. Today's Spanish Lesson.
4. Table salt, to a chemist: NaCl. Table salt is an ionic compound composed of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) ions.
8. NBA great O'Neal, to fans: SHAQ. Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (b. Mar. 6, 1972) played basketball for LSU before going professional. There is a statue of him on the LSU campus.
12. "__ my words ... ": MARK.
13. French fashion monthly: ELLE.
14. __ Xtra: Dr Pepper rival: PIBB.
18. Queasiness: NAUSEA.
19. High degrees: NTHs.
20. GP's gp.: AMA. A General Practitioner might be a member of the American Medical Association.
21. Mint-garnished rum cocktail: MOJITO. Yummers! This traditional Cuban cocktail is made of The cocktail white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and mint.
24. Will Ferrell holiday film: ELF. Not a fan of Will Ferrell (né John William Ferrell; b. July 16, 1967).
31. Speaker output: AUDIO.
32. Impulse: URGE.
33. Tofu base: SOYBEAN.
36. Ancestry.com service: DNA TEST.
39. With 51-Down, soothing plant: ALOE. // And 51-Down. See 39-Across: VERA.
40. Boxing matches: BOUTS.
48. Fine and dandy: A-OK.
49. Gretel's brother: HANSEL.
50. Online addresses: Abbr.: IPs. As in an Internet Protocol address.
51. Workshop clamp: VISE.
52. Pouch spun by a spider: EGG SAC.
60. At all: EVER.
61. Country road: LANE.
62. Son of Hera and Zeus: ARES. It's all Greek to me.
63. TV warrior princess played by Lucy Lawless: XENA. It's been over 25 years since Lucy Lawless (née Lucille Frances Ryan; b. Mar. 29, 1968) portrayed Xena: Warrior Princess. Lucy Lawless is from Auckland, New Zealand, which is also the country where Xena was filmed.
64. Southernmost Great Lake: ERIE. Whenever I see Erie in the puzzle, I think of our old friend Abejo.
65. Tied the knot: WED.
Down:
1. Car with a clutch: MANUAL.
2. Circle segments: ARCS.
3. __-Ball: arcade game: SKEE.
4. Pickleball barrier: NET.
5. Pie __ mode: À LA. Today's French lesson.
6. Medical center: CLINIC.
7. Gave for a while: LENT TO.
8. Mani-pedi spots: SPAs.
9. Casual hellos: HIs!
10. Fiver: ABE. I never heard the term Abe as referring to a $5 bill, but it makes sense.
11. TD pass throwers, perhaps: QBs. Think football.
12. Florida metropolitan area with an Art Deco District: MIAMI. The Art Deco Historic District in Miami Beach is a known for its well-preserved Art Deco architecture, featuring pastel-colored buildings, geometric shapes, and intricate design details, making it a living museum of the 1930s.
16. Holiday Inn competitor: RAMADA.
17. French pet name that also means "cabbage": CHOU. Today's French lesson. Children in France are sometimes called Mon petit chou, or Ma petite chou, which is a term of endearment. It literally translates, however, to my little cabbage.
18. Casual denial: NAW.
22. Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN. This Swedish actress used to make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles. Chocolat is a 2000 film, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. The film is about a young women who appears in a French village and opens a small chocolate shop. Soon, she and her chocolate influence the lives of the townspeople of this repressed French community. Lena Olin (née Lena Maria Jonna Olin; b. Mar. 22, 1955) was one of those impacted by the chocolate.
23. Former "Idol" judge, to fans: J.LO.
24. Raison d'__: ÊTRE. More of today's French lesson. This phrase translates to the "reason for being."
25. Trio on a stool: LEGS.
26. Guitar ridge: FRET.
28. Tag: LABEL.
29. Billiards stick: CUE.
30. Bananas: NUT-SO.
33. Epic story: SAGA. The Welsh author Ken Follett (b. June 5, 1949), is known for writing sagas. He wrote Pillars of the Earth, which follows several families in medieval England.
34. Mixed bag: OLIO.
35. Big name in peppermint patties: YORK.
36. Pour affection (on): DOTE.
37. Cell centers: NUCLEI.
38. From __ Z: A TO. We saw this phrase recently.
40. Help wait tables: BUS. Did you ever wonder where the term To Bus Tables originated? Bus in this sense is a shortened form of Omnibus. Originally, the term was Omnibus Boy, the person who did many jobs in a restaurant, then it was shortened to Bus boy, and from there the word Bus became a verb.
42. Branch of Islam: SHIA.
43. Stronghold with a keep: CASTLE. What exactly is a Castle Keep?
44. Sign of weak cellular service: ONE BAR.
45. Smooched: KISSED.
46. "Skip me": I PASS.
47. Keyboard key that exits full-screen mode: ESC.
53. Nibble (at): GNAW.
54. "Sommersby" actor Richard: GERE. Sommersby was a 1993 film about a man who returned home after fighting in the Civil War. He seemed very different and this aroused suspicion in his wife and others, but his tobacco-growing scheme became profitable for the whole town, so everyone was happy. Then he was accused of the murder of a man killed many years before. Richard Gere (né Richard Tiffany Gere; b. Aug. 31, 1949) portrayed Jack Sommersby. Jody Foster portrayed his wife.
55. Harrison of "My Fair Lady": REX. Sir Rex Harrison (né Reginald Carey Harrison; Mar. 5, 1908 ~ June 2, 1990) portrayed Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady.
56. New Year's __: EVE.
57. Calligrapher's tool: PEN.
58. Aussie's college: UNI. Hello to our friend Kazie. I hope she is doing well. She used to make reference to her day at Uni.
59. "Catch my drift?": SEE.
We're all in Good Company here. I hope this puzzle distracted you from the pain of paying your taxes today.
Many thanks to Tony who filled in for me last week.
חתולה
Chag Samech and Happy Easter!
27 comments:
With three grid spanning
answers, you might think this puzzle would present some difficulties. However, if you thought that, you would be mistaken. It was, as the saying goes, “easy as pie.” Perhaps this puzzle, rather than yesterday’s, should be given the designation “a walk in the park.” What do you folks think? Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Ah, yes, the forced almost-pangram. Q and X got their own little nooks but I guess there weren't enough sectioned-off corners to shove a Z in the grid.
FIR, but phds->NTHS.
I'm sure that C-Eh! also calls an institute of higher learning a UNI. I get my Canadian English from reading the reruns of the comic strip For Better or For Worse.
Smart folks are urging customers to delete their DNA TEST data from 23 and Me. It's being sold in bankruptcy, and there is no guarantee that the buyer won't sell the data to people who would exploit it.
Thanks to Victor for the fun, easy puzzle. And thanks to H2la for the chuckles, especially "check, mate!"
Good morning!
Noticed the repeats in the circles, but this dense one didn't click to the business connections. D'oh. This one came in Wite-Out-free in faster time than yesterday. Nice. Thanx, Victor and Hahtoolah. (Loved the A la mode, Lot, and Passover rabbit cartoons.)
Off for the quarterly dental punishment this morning... At least I've still got most of 'em.
Good Morning, Crossword friends. I agree, Jinx that there are some serious concerns about how DNA samples and data from 23 and Me may be used. I am surprised that so many people were willing to voluntarily turn over DNA samples in the first place.
QOD: A diamond is just a lump of coal that stuck to its job. ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Apr. 15, 1452 ~ May 2, 1519)
FIR. I certainly didn't need the circles. What a waste of time. This was an easy Tuesday puzzle without them.
I saw the repeats in the long answers after solving the first one. OK, so what. It didn't help with the solve one little bit.
So overall, a so-so presentation for early in the week.
I agree with what has been said so far. Easy puzzle this morning whose I detected quickly even though I’m not familiar with WILL CALL COUNTER.
Mon petit CHOU is used for boys and girls since the word CHOU is masculine, its modifiers must be also.
I love MOJITOs in the summer with lots of mint.
Thank you Hahtoolah for á fun review.
The word theme needs to be inserted in my comments.
Took 3:51 to echo the business model.
I knew today's actress (Olin) and did ok with the foreign language exam (mas, chou, elle, etre, and uni).
Not much else to say about this one, other than ...
Oh joy, circles!
Tuesday was a faster solve than Monday this week. Clever theme. We don't do well with frequent flyer programs getting our REPEAT BUSINESS because our closest airport doesn't have a dominant airline - so we're always changing who we're flying with depending on the best deal
Now that people can have their tickets on their phone or print out a ticket the WILL CALL COUNTER has much less business
We're headed to visit grands later today- so not much time here!
Thanks Hatoolah for the fun blog with even more than usual cartoons , it seemed. Thanks to Victor for the amusing puzzle theme
A bunch of ASS, ORG, SOC business abbrev’s. Once I figger’d out the first the rest can easy
Inkover: leased/LENT TO
Our HS driving class 1966 was the first to use an automatic trans. car but now “Trans” is banned.
WILLCALLCOUNTER …. We call it window.
Is there an ALOE falsa that gives you a rash? 🥵
Beaver’s answer to “Did you chew on that?” “___ “ … GNAW
French cabbage insect pest lament:“ ___ fly don’t bother me”… CHOU
Student’s demand turning in their spelling test, ____ my words!… MARK.
Lin ____ Miranda shoulda read the ____ before attempting to drive a ____ transmission …. MANUAL
Fear of a warrior princess: ____ phobia… XENA
Took me a couple heartbeats but I “caught the drift”. “Finish eating in an Australian restaurant.”The photo shows a player ready to shout: “Check Mate!” 😆
H2LH: Great toons as usual
Musings
-Sun is bright and wind has calmed down. So today I am going to golf. My DW has just been heard from, we are going to finish up the landscaping.
-Fun puzzle and Hahtoolah’s write-up added to the enjoyment. The Salt and Pepper cartoon is winging its electronic way to my colleagues!
-In a BOUT against Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran supposedly quit by saying NO MAS.
-I remember paying a dime for a Peppermint Patty at a restaurant till. Now they are $1 +
-REX Harrison will always be Prof. Higgins and Robert Preston will always be Prof. Hill
-I filed my taxes and got my refunds three months ago.
Thank you Ray-O,
I too, was looking at that "when you finish eating at an Australian restaurant,"
I enlarged the picture to see if that white bishop could cause a checkmate, but it turned out to be a Knight. And yes, it is a checkmate. But, by that time,
I had forgotten why I enlarged the picture...
I really enjoyed today’s puzzle—such a clever and satisfying solve! The theme was well-executed, and it added a nice layer of fun as everything came together. The clues were fresh and engaging without being overly tricky, which made for a smooth and enjoyable Tuesday experience. I also appreciated the bit of trivia and wordplay sprinkled throughout—it kept me smiling as I worked through it. Great job by Victor Schmitt on crafting a puzzle that strikes a nice balance between accessibility and wit!
KS says the circles didn't help with the solve, but once I had INC INC, I was quick to repeat LLC and CO as they appeared, so that did propel me along.
Thanks to Monkey for clarifying the gender of mon petit CHOU. That is what eldest daughter and her European husband call each other, or just CHOU.
Count me in for loving Hahtoolah's "Check, mate!" and Passover bunny. Thanks to Victor for a pleasant puzzle.
An easy Tuesday stroll through the park. Thanks Victor.
Some hotel clerks will put an FOA on your file and it stands for “Friend Of Abes”.
Which means you are a good tipper. Usually giving $5 to the valet or housekeepers.
Easy enough today, but I found yesterday's puzzle even easier.
When my grandson played in the Villanova band the family picked up our football game tickets at the will call counter.
The operative word is HELP in 40D. Bus boys are not part of the wait staff.
They just support the wait staff. In one restaurant we on the wait staff had to share a portion of our tips with the BUSSERS, many of whom are middle aged men or female, not boys.
I have a recipe book for including hidden, undetectable veggies in common dishes.
Stronghold with a keep. On one of our visits to a non English speaking country, the bilingual docent called this stronghold a donjon. She was amazed that most of us hadn't heard the term and confused it with dungeon. Google says, "The donjon, also known as a keep, was the most heavily fortified and central tower in a medieval castle. It served as the last line of defense during sieges, housing the occupants and their supplies. The donjon typically included a well, living quarters, service rooms, and often a chapel."
DO, I sympathize with your quarterly dental appointments. Me, too. The distance between my upper and lower teeth is just half an inch, leading to insufficient cleaning by me and plaque buildup. For the hygienist it's like building a ship in a bottle.
I have heard of five dollar bills being called Abes. Have you? I don't use this term, or fin or fiver, either.
Susan, thank you for all the fun cartoons.
I enjoyed the cartoons Hahtoolah. I guess "I'll try" is more honest than "I do". Heh. "Check mate" was clever. Todays was easier than yesterday for me. Certainly no need for circles but I like circles in a more difficult puzzle. Anonymous, I like the "friends of Abes" tidbit.
Hola! Waking up restless and unable to sleep I finished this puzzle at about 6 A.M. then returned to bed. it was easy and fun. But even more so was the narrative from H2LA, especially the bit about BUS BOY which had an interesting evolution from OMNIBUS BOY!
It seems like an exaggeration to compare Dr. Pepper to Mr. Pibb, at least for me. I can recall only once drinking Mr. PIBB, but then, i don't drink soda very often.
Today I'm going to the nail salon to avoid the crowd likely starting on Thursday.
Have terrific Tuesday, everyone! it's fun reading you all.
Delightful puzzle, Victor, many thanks. And thank you too for your always helpful and enjoyable commentary, Hahtoolah.
Well, this puzzle suggested a breakfast that might have been a possible pleasure, beginning with some SOYBEAN and ALOE, followed by some GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. But we might be served this with some MOJITO a bit too early in the day, which could give us NAUSEA. Then we'd have to go to the CLINIC where they'd tell us to lay down and put our LEGS up and get a little rest. The last time I was at a clinic with this sort of problem, they KISSED ME on the way out, and gave me a MANUAL to stay on the program. It worked.
Have a healthy and good day, everybody.
I was delighted by today's reveal. Thanks, Victor!
Thanks, also, to Hahtoolah for all the smiles and info.! I have one of those anti-theft devices in my car. Other FAVs were the dog nicknames, ARC, and Check, Mate! comics. Art Deco and Miami are a match made in heaven. Thanks for the photo gallery link.
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah and done! Fast, easy, and enjoyable. Liked the "echo" (of course!) and Ha2la gave us some great 'toons today. Favorites were the millennial anti-theft device and Noah's "Arc". Ma petite CHOU reminded me of Pepi LePew!
The odd (to me) use of plurals and singulars stood out to me today.
Things that (to me) look weird being pluralized included:
NTHS, IPS, HIS, and QBS (not weird, but still plural).
And yet, with regard to tofu base, I would say soybeans form the base, but the answer is singular, just one SOYBEAN.
By the way, another interesting plural is NUCLEI.
Overall, I enjoyed solving this puzzle. I also very much enjoyed reading Hahtoolah's write-up and all your comments.
Hi All!
I almost inked type of BUSINESS but my one perp said "no."
Thanks, Victor for the breakfast diversion.
Another stellar expo, Hahtoolah! I loved the comics today - thanks!
WO: started writing Mr. PIBB
ESPs: OLIN, CHOU
Fav: KISSED xing WED is cute
I'm more familiar with the WILL CALL window at the ballpark.
My 2015 Honda Civic is 6 on the floor. When I valet park I ask, "Can you drive a stick?" "Um, hold on. Jose!" :-)
Taxes? We don't pay no stinkin' taxes (until later - almost always file an extension waiting on some bit of paperwork).
Cheers, -T
I almost forgot today is tax day since I filed weeks ago and already received a refund from both the state and fed. It's a good thing, too, considering how things are developing. I wish good luck to everyone else!
"Got change for an Abe?" said no one ever.
Tax extension to 10/15 for LA County residents.
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