Theme: The Giving Tree.
Today's puzzle comes to us from none other than Renee Thomason, AKA sumdaze, our long-time Monday blogger. And sumdaze is a giver!
The big reveal occurs at 66- and 67-Across:
66-Across. With 67-Across, repay a community's generous support, or a feature of the answer to each starred clue: GIVE.
67-Across. See 66-Across: BACK.
When you've benefitted from the support of your community, you may feel inspired to GIVE BACK. And when you look closely at the answers to the starred clues, you may find that the BACK end of each -- that is, the last word -- is a word for GIVE.
21-Across. *Official currency of a nation, e.g.: LEGAL TENDER. "Legal tender" is government-issued currency that must be accepted if offered in payment of a debt. TENDER, as a verb, means to make a formal offer. A person can TENDER cash or goods to settle a debt -- that is, GIVE something.
26-Across. *Gently sidestep an awkward question: SKIRT THE ISSUE. "Skirt the issue" means to avoid an uncomfortable topic. ISSUE, as a verb, means to release, distribute, or supply something. Your employer might ISSUE raises or new equipment -- that is, GIVE something.
44-Across. *18th president of the United States: ULYSSES S GRANT. Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War, and later served as the 18th president of the United States. GRANT, as a verb, means to formally bestow, confer, or transfer something. Your supervisor might GRANT permission for you to leave early -- another way of saying GIVE.
52-Across. *Japanese sedan that's been a top seller in the U.S. since 1989: HONDA ACCORD. The top selling sedans in the USA are Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and Nissan Sentra, in that order -- but pickup trucks and SUVs outsell sedans. ACCORD, as a verb, means to grant something that is due or appropriate. You'll want to ACCORD equal respect to all who attempt today's puzzle -- another way of saying GIVE.
TENDER, ISSUE, GRANT, and ACCORD are all more formal words than GIVE, and used in more limited contexts. If these didn't leap out at you as synonyms, GIVE yourself some slack.
It's time for me to GIVE you some insight into the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:1. Engrave a name on a trophy, say: ETCH.
5. Barrels into: RAMS.
9. Thumbs-up answers: YESES. Dictionaries disagree on YESES versus YESSES.
14. Gift tag word: FROM. "To" was too short.
15. "Peacemaker" actor Steve: AGEE. Steve Agee is a comedian, actor, writer, and musician, known for roles on The Sarah Silverman Program, The Suicide Squad, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, the HBO series Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos. I needed perpendicular entries to solve this one. Sorry, Mr. Agee.
 |
| Steve Agee |
16. Mexican street corn: ELOTE. This is an answer I can sink my teeth into.
 |
| Elote |
17. Huggies rival: LUVS. Disposable diaper brands.
18. Old Roman garment: TOGA.
19. Island country between Sicily and North Africa: MALTA.
20. Enjoyed a meal: ATE.
21. [Theme clue]
23. Sewing kit spool: THREAD. What's in your sewing kit?
 |
| spool of thread |
25. Finish: END.
26. [Theme clue]
33. Sooner or __: LATER.
35. Long-term goals: AIMS.
36. Tax return pro: CPA. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer. A tax return professional is a Certified Public Accountant.
37. Bygone Apple music players: IPODS.
38. Corp. VIP: CEO. Another abbreviated clue with an abbreviated answer. A corporate Very Important Person is the Chief Executive Officer.
39. Sloughs off: SHEDS.
41. Hearing organ: EAR.
42. Lady Gaga's "__ This Way": BORN. Here's a spectacle for you:
44. [Theme clue]
48. Fitting: APT.
49. Like Greg, among the Brady kids: ELDEST. The Brady Bunch was a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974, featuring a blended family with six children, of whom "Greg" was the eldest.
 |
| The Brady Bunch |
52. [Theme clue]
58. Play-__: Fun Factory clay: DOH. I played with Play-Doh. My kids had the Play-Doh Fun Factory. I guess the newest grandchild will have AI robots to shape the stuff.
59. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP EDS. On the page opposite the editiorial page in a newspaper, outside contributors may author short prose pieces expressing opinions on topics of current interest.
60. "That can't be": OH NO.
61. Volcano on Sicily: ETNA. See map at 19-Across. Sicily is the large island north of Malta.
62. Royal domain: REALM.
63. D.C. MLB team: NATS. Washington D.C. is home to the Washington Nationals, a team that competes in Major League Baseball.
64. "__ Green": Kermit's song: BEIN'. "Bein' Green" is a song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It was later covered by Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, and other performers. "Bein' Green" is Kermit's signature song.
66. [Theme clue]
67. [Theme clue]
Down:
1. Note in the C minor scale: E FLAT. The C natural minor scale consists of the notes C, D, E flat, F, G, A flat, and B flat.
3. Featured article of a magazine: COVER STORY.
4. Letters on some British ships: HMS. HMS stands for His (or Her) Majesty's Ship -- depending on the gender of the reigning monarch in England.
5. Like most gory movies: RATED R. Gory films involve violence and bloodshed, and are RATED "R" for "restricted." Viewers under age 17 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian.
6. Eagerly expectant: AGOG. Eager or curious to hear or see something. "I'm all agog to see London."
7. Bigger than big: MEGA. Costco is a mega store. You don't have to be mega rich to shop there.
8. __ of approval: SEAL.
9. Sanaa resident: YEMENI. Sanaa is the capital and largest city of Yemen. Sanaa is currently under Houthi control, and suffers from shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. The economy has collapsed, jobs are scarce, and prices are rising. Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, and renewed conflict is a constant concern for Yemenis.
10. Spiral-horned African antelopes: ELANDS. I searched for images of ELANDS and found a bunch of despicable people.
11. Realtor's sign of success?: SOLD.
12. Kin of -kin: ETTE. The suffix -kin denotes smallness. A lambkin is a little lamb. The suffix -ette is much the same. A kitchenette is a small kitchen.
13. Verb in many a grilling recipe: SEAR. To scorch the surface with sudden, intense heat.
21. Hideaways: LAIRS.
22. Souvenir shirts: TEES.
24. Squeaked (by): EKED.
27. Food truck snacks: TACOS.
28. Layers of tall cakes: TIERS.
29. Southeast Asian ethnic group: HMONG. The Hmong are a distinct ethnic group originating from southern China and Southeast Asia. There are diaspora communities in the United States, Australia, France, and South America.
 |
| Hmong women in Vietnam |
30. Fragrant herbal brew: SCENTED TEA. Dry tea leaves and fresh flower buds can been combined in piles overnight. As the flower buds bloom, the tea absorbs their released fragrance. In the morning, the flowers are removed, but the aroma remains in the tea. That's how traditional jasmine tea is created.
31. Ballerina's bun, for one: UPDO. An updo is a hairstyle that lifts long hair up and off the neck.
32. Effortlessness: EASE.
33. In __ of: replacing: LIEU.
34. "Come on, be __!": A PAL.
39. Burn with hot water: SCALD.
40. Round of applause: HAND.
42. Greek letter after alpha: BETA.
45. Jockey's seat: SADDLE.
46. Twitches: SPASMS.
47. Stood up again: REROSE. Past tense of rerise -- a verb I've never encountered before.
50. __ boom: noise made by a fast jet: SONIC.
51. TGIF part: THANK. Thank God It's Friday.
52. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.
 |
| The hora is easy to learn and fun to do. |
53. Oil cartel letters: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
54. Within reach: NEAR.
55. Capitol Hill gp.: CONG. A Capitol Hill group is Congress.
56. __ latte: spiced drink: CHAI. NaomiZ's morning beverage, made with oat milk and spiced tea.
57. Like a sitcom star: ON TV.
61. __ and flow: EBB.
-- NaomiZ
40 comments:
A simple puzzle, the only possible problem coming with “elote” and “elands.” But that was easily sussed.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
My first thought on that gift card word was OPEN. (Remember the "Open Me First!" tags on Kodak cameras? Hmmmm. Does Kodak still exist?) Zipped right through this one, but thought the theme was a bit of a stretch. REROSE? Enjoyed your puzzle, sumdaze (Renee), and your expo, NaomiZ.
ELOTE: Reminds me of the corn roast which was an August festival in our little town. The city would purchase about 8 tons of sweet corn, and the Rotarians and Lions would man roasting stations in several downtown locations. The ears were soaked in beer prior to being roasted, still in the husks. The corn was free to everyone. Our three local churches set up stands selling hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, soft drinks, beer, etc. It was quite the party and was well attended by folks from the area. I'm not sure why it's no longer held.
FIR, but huge (which is a word) gave way to MEGA (which is a prefix.)
I used to shop at an Alpha BETA supermarket in Marina del Rey. I saw Buddy Ebsen shopping there back in his Barnaby Jones days. I'm told that the store is now a Ralph's.
When I was a kid growing up in rural Kentucky, it wasn't unusual to hear SONIC booms, probably from fighters out of Wright Patterson AFB. When I lived in Topanga, I was sometimes awakened by the double SONIC booms of the space shuttle on its way to landing at Edwards AFB.
Thanks to sumdaze for the fun Monday romp, although I thought that REROSE was thorny. And thanks to NaomiZ for the clever review. BTW - I know "GIVE BACK" has become standard American English, but it still rankles. First, "BACK" is redundant. Second, it implies that the GIVEr's accomplishments were merely gifts. A rich and famous pro basketball player (for example) may "GIVE BACK" to the Boys and Girls Club where he first played organized ball, but his success is due more to innate talent, hard work and good coaching than to anything he was "gifted" by that organization. Good on him for giving to that worthy cause, but IMO he's not "GIVing BACK."
FLN - Inanehiker, welcome back. Hope you took time to visit Billy Bob's Texas honky tonk while you were in Ft. Worth, if you hadn't already done so.
What a nice blend, a solo creation by sumdaze and a write-up by her Monday successor NaomiZ. I was very impressed by the discussion which is a great explanation of the clues and the fill and perfect for any new solvers trying to learn the crossword game.
Not much in the way of unknowns, Steve AGEE apparently is replacing James and Tommie. Also I did not know that there is no “G” in Bein’ Green which slowed me down a bit.
The Brady Bunch, like all the Cheaper by the Dozen movies was based on a true story. Barry Williams who played Greg wrote a book GROWING UP BRADY which I have not read, though I did read the Enquirer article waiting in line at the grocery store suggesting he had a sexual encounter at 16 with Florence Henderson who was 36 at the time and married to her 4th husband.
Happy March to all and thank you ladies- well done.
The S in Ulysses S Grant stands for nothing. He has no middle name
FIR. Honestly I had to take a WAG at the crossing of elote and ette. I just wasn't sure of ette and elote was a complete unknown.
Beyond that this wasn't that hard a puzzle, but I really didn't think it was typical Monday fare.
The theme seemed to be a bit of a stretch, but the explanation here helped me understand it better.
But overall not a totally enjoyable puzzle.
You are right, and as you have written it, when only an initial is used instead of a middle name, the initial is not followed by a period.
Certainly a sure way to brighten up a Monday morning, a finely crafted solo from Renee, followed by an upbeat analysis by Naomi, thank you both for the enjoyable solve and read! As should be on a Monday, very few names in the grid, I only needed perps for AGEE, and as Lemonade stated, a new clue for that, (I’m guessing Patti’s). After seeing ELOTE in numerous puzzles, I’ve finally committed it to memory. The HORA looks like a really fun energetic dance. FIR in 8:13. Good day to all!
Pleasant puzzle this morning. My only unknowns were AGEE and ELOTE although we’ve had both in past CWs. I remember seeing the clue kin of -kin before.
The theme was straight forward and neat. The words for GIVE were at the back of the phrases.
Congratulations sumdaze for a terrific puzzle and NaomiZ for the lovely review.
Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Brittannica put a period after the S.
Thank you, Renee and NaomiZ
Very clean, and very Monday easy. I liked it. Saw TENDER, ISSUE and GRANT and read them as verbs but I wasn't able to predict the theme. Then got ACCORD and thought of the noun form as in a pact, or as in an agreement. It was only another minute or so until the GIVE BACK was solved and the puzzle was done. Aha! Very nice!
I watched another preparation for making ELOTE on the Tastemade channel early Sunday morning. I'm a big fan of grilled sweet corn. Elote is easy to make with shelf ingredients that most home kitchens already have. You just need to pick up the fresh sweet corn and cotija cheese.
NamoiZ, excellent title and image to start the review. I enjoyed your recap and explanations.
Good Morning:
I was surprised but pleasantly so to see Renee’s byline, as it’s been a while since she’s worn the constructor’s hat. My only nit is Rerose which sort of looks like a disease, certainly not a word in common usage. The Huge/Mega trap snared me, as well. I had no clue about the theme until the reveal, and then thought it was a little sophisticated for a Monday. Newbies might agree, but I enjoyed the solve itself.
Thanks, sumdaze and welcome back to constructor country and thanks, Naomi, for your excellent explanation of the theme. I got it before your expo, but was further enlightened by your definitions and examples. Your photos and embeds are always a delight and so relative to the entries. One exception today, though, is the nightmare-inducing Lady Gaga “spectacle.” Sorry I didn’t heed your hint.
DO, that August Festival sounds magical to this corn freak!
Have a great day.
FIR in 10. 14 names, DNK 2. Also DNK "Bein'". Only W/O = SIGN/SEAL.
As KS@8:52 said, the "T" at the cross of ETTE and ELOTE was a WAG and the last cell to fill.
Once again, I forgot to look for the theme, but not sure if I would have figured it out HAD I looked for it.
Thanx RT for the fun Monday level CW.
Thanx too to NoamiZ for the thorough and fun write-up. That Lady Gaga video was weird.
Oh, meant to mention that Like Jinx @ 7:05, I also had a W/O at 7D: HUGE/MEGA. I also agree that MEGA is not a word but a prefix.
Naomi ~ you are right about that, a period is recommended in most style books for consistency, but it is optional for a person to not use one, such as Harry S Truman, who did not follow the S with a period.
A nice way to start the day! Just enough crunch to make things interesting, few proper names, and fair perps. Fun puzzle, Renee, but I needed help from NaomiZ to fully grok the theme. All in all, an enjoyable outing!
Oldest before eldest, (but that was before I got down with it...)
Yalta b/4 Malta... learning moment, before today, I always thought Yalta was another island...
Kin of kin was a learning moment. Yes I figured out the "Ette," just wish it hadn't crossed Elote... I have never heard of lambkin, or "kin" used in that context before. Ok, no worries. But it does make me wonder what a napkin really is supposed to be...
Hmm, I suppose i should give back for this enjoyable Monday puzzle. All I can offer is a little life advice. All those socks you lost in the dryer actually come back, as Tupperware lids that don't fit any of your containers...
(I wasn't going to say anything, but I rerose to the occasion...)
;)
Wow, Renee, what a great surprise! Glad to see you're using your retirement time wisely 🏝️🍹⛱️🌞 I love the GIVE BACK theme, it's a great concept we should all espouse, and the perps were fair so it flowed nicely.
I zoomed though and never put 2 + 2 together until Naomi explained how it all fit. What a great team to start the week!
A fairly smooth Monday offering.
As mentioned it seems that James Agee has been moved to the filing cabinet in favor of Steve. But change can be good.
1000’s of Hmong men were recruited by the CIA and fought a secret war in Laos/Vietnam. It took decades for them to receive proper recognition and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
Thanks for the detailed and informative recap Naomi.
Took 4:16 today to make my final offer.
I didn't know the Actor of the Day (Agee), the Southeast Asian ethnic group (Hmong), or the Mexican cord (elote).
I guess I'm the only one disappointed in today's puzzle. It just seems wrong to have a sumdaze offering with no cartoons.
In your example, doesn't the Boys and Girls Club "give" him an opportunity, a place to put in the hard work, and the good coaches that provide the good coaching?
Hola! An enjoyable puzzle from Renee! I'll take a CSO at ELDEST which I am of my six siblings.
As always, I enjoyed a bit of Spanish with ELOTE.
When my daughter was born LUVS did not exist, but I recall on payday buying a case of diapers of whatever brand was available.
I have a photo of myself at about age three on a SADDLE with my dad holding on to me. His horse was named "Princess".
Jinx, a player is successful due to his own talents but without the early encouragement and care during his early years he may not have been able to succeed especially if he came from a disadvantaged or possibly fatherless home.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
I recall one of my brothers expressing gratitude to a man who took him under his wing after our own father died and teaching him a trade.
Very pleasant and enjoyable Monday puzzle--many thanks, Renee. And NaomiZ, your commentaries are always a pleasure, and I enjoyed this one too.
Well, we clearly were not going to ETCH anything on the bodies of those RAMS. They certainly wouldn't be giving us any YESES in response. And I also won't be wearing a TOGA in response to this puzzle, unless there's a festival or something scheduled-- like in honor of the ETNA volcano-- that I'd be invited to attend. So I suggest we just SKIRT any ISSUE raised by this puzzle. I just don't want to end up in any OP EDS in the newspaper, or even on some COVER STORY. My preference is just to have a quiet morning munching on some TACOS and enjoying some SCENTED TEA. Doesn't that sound like a more pleasant day?
Well, I wish everyone a healthy and enjoyable week.
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Renee and NaomiZ.
I FIRed in good time and saw the GIVE BACK theme (although after the first three themers, I was thinking of a city TENDER, GRANT, ISSUE process for municipal projects).
Perps were fair for the unknown AGEE, HMONG, and confirming ELOTE from my memory.
Even this Canadian got CONG (don’t those 100 Sens meet on Capitol Hill also?). I don’t have your Presidents all memorized and numbered, but ULY gave me the 18th.
Wishing you all a great day.
Groan re that “thorny” REROSE.
Just a minor rant to explain my crankiness, I am trying to do home repairs myself, and it is not going well...
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
In an effort to apologize, let me just say that it is an honor to be among such talented people that can create these linguistic masterpieces. (I can't, I tried...)
I was hoping TTP in his research of all things Blog, would find and post my first comment on this Blog 18 years ago, because I could not find the exact image i linked. Well, today I found it, (or something similar.) I believe I said, I hope I can fit with with you guys... (or something like that...)
hmm, 18 years, and not much has changed...
CE, I am so glad you are a cornerites.
You all prompted me to read more about it! Born Hiram Ulysses Grant, our 18th president was enrolled at West Point as Ulysses S. Grant due to a clerical error. He kept the name to preserve his enrollment. Since the middle initial was given as such, it retains the period.
In USA-ease, Congress refers to our House of Representatives and our Senate. Our members of our House of Representatives like to be called "congressmen" (or congresswomen) because from that name they could be either senators or members of the house. The correct term for a member of the house is "Representative," but it's never used except in formal address.
Hi, CanadianEh! The US Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Oops, Jinx answered while I was typing on my phone!
Nice job, Renee. I think this puzzle was well-constructed. I especially enjoyed seeing such nifty fill as COVER STORY, HMONG, SCENTED TEA, SCALD, and SPASMS.
Fun Monday! Had Nationals filled in as NAT'L rather than NATS but other than that, it was a breeze. I knew ELOTE. Wouldn't be an Angeleno if I didn't!
C.C. constructed today's Wall Street Journal crossword, "Meet The Parents".
I treated a lot of Hmong patients when I was a medical resident in St. Paul, MN. I delivered a lot of their babies but they had a habit of getting there at the last minute so the obstetric nurse would often be the one to "catch" the little one.
I used to vacation in Yalta or the neighboring town Alupka but stopped after the Russians rudely trespassed
Hi all! I was happy when this theme was accepted because I love its positive message and because this is an important concept to me. My friends and I have had many conversations on ways to GIVE BACK. (Special shout-out to Aileen!) Thanks to those of you who found something encouraging to say. I really appreciate it.
Thanks to NaomiZ (and Lucina!) for your clear explanations of the theme. My FAV pics were the ones of ELOTE (very recognizable where I live), the Brady Bunch, and Hmong women. We have a strong Hmong population in California's Central Valley. Among other things, they are generous with their culture and are excellent farmers. I was happy to recognize them in this grid.
CED@2:01. Loved the rooster on stilts!
My grocery delivery today had one bag too many, so I called the store and gave the name on the bag. She will receive a credit but not her grocery items and I can do whatever I want with them. That’s the policy and Instacart will pay the price for the error.
I was hoping the bag contained some goodies but, alas, no such luck:
Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce (Never used it)
Annie’s Bees, Bugs, & Butterflies (No idea what these are)
Hannaford’s Tomato, Onion, & Garlic Pasta Sauce (I make my own sauce)
Progresso Tomato Basic Soup (Yikes, 67% Sodium)
Junkless Protein Bars (I prefer junky potato chips!)
I guess I’ll offer these items to a neighbor as none hold any appeal to me. At least my order was error-free!
Mr. Smarty Pants can’t resist annoying me, can he? Basil, not Basic!
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