A Shot in the Dark. Today's puzzle is by our Blog Hostess.
16-Across. Mall kiosk for pictures: PHOTO BOOTH. // Photo Shot.
22-Across. Night out before tying the knot: BACHELOR PARTY.
47-Across. Court marking that's 15 feet from the backboard: FREE THROW LINE. Who was the most famous professional baseketball player known for consistently throwing free throws underhand? Hint: He retired with a 90% free-throw percentage in the NBA. *
And the unifier:
58-Across. Tries, or what one does at 16-, 22-, and 47-Across: TAKES A SHOT.
Here's the Grid. Are you willing to give this puzzle a shot?
Across:
1. Outings with a significant other: DATES.
6. Ancestry test sample: DNA. DNA is short for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, which is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all living organisms. It is a classic double-helix shape, resembling a twisted ladder. A brief history of DNA and how it can be used to determine ancestry.
9. Reach across: SPAN.
13. NCAA hoops powerhouse: UCONN. As in the University of Connecticut, not to be confused with the Yukon, which is a territory in northwest Canada.
14. Paid players: PROS. As in Professionals.
15. __ Zor-El: Supergirl: KARA. A cartoon character. Kara Zor-El is somehow related to Superman, but the DNA story is twisted.
18. Soothes, as a sprain: ICES.
19. Dragon roll option: EEL. Yummers!
20. Places for posters: WALLS.
21. Tuckered out: SPENT.
25. Artichoke core: HEART.
26. Dudes: GUYS.
27. Mild, medium, or hot dip: SALSA.
28. Greek god with arrows: EROS. Everything you wanted to know about Eros but didn't you wanted to know.
30. Symbol on Chile's flag: STAR. The flag of Chile was officially adopted on October 1817. The blue represents the the sky and the Pacific Ocean. The white represents the snow on the Andes Mountains. The red represents blood shed by patriots fighting for independence from Spain. The star symbolizes the independent state.
34. Mango center: PIT. Mangos are indigenous to South Asia.
35. Refuse to patronize: BOYCOTT. The word Boycott is named after Charles Boycott (Mar. 12, 1832 ~ June 19, 1897). He was an English estate agent in Ireland and refused to lower the rents and tried to evict protesting tenants. The local community banded together refused to work in Boycott's fields, sell him food, or even deliver his mail. This led to his ostracism by his local community in Ireland gave the English language the term boycott.
38. In the style of: À LA.
39. "What's more ... ": ALSO.
41. Cabbage unit: HEAD.
42. __ salts: footbath additive: EPSOM. Epsom salt is a pure chemical compound made of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen, known chemically as magnesium sulfate.
44. Gator relative: CROC.
46. Totally steamed: IRATE.
52. Chowder server: LADLE.
53. Ahead of schedule: EARLY.
54. "Impractical Jokers" network: TBS. Impractical Jokers is a hidden-camera series that follows four friends who take dares to an outrageous level. I am not familiar with this show.
57. Cornstarch brand: ARGO.
60. Swimming event: MEET.
61. "Yes, exactly!": AMEN. A crossword staple.
62. Knightley of "Atonement": KEIRA. Keira Christina Knightley (b. Mar. 26, 1985) is an English actress known for her roles in period dramas and blockbusters. I plowed through the book Atonement by Ian McEwan (b, June 21, 1948), which this movie was based on. The book did not make me want to see the film.
63. Drops a fly ball, say: ERRS.
64. "People Puzzler" channel: GSN. As in the Game Show Network.
65. Map feature: INSET.
Down:
1. Bamboozle: DUPE.
2. Dull pain: ACHE.
3. Accessories worn at construction sites: TOOL BELTS.
4. Doc who treats rhinitis: ENT. As in an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.
5. Crustacean found in cold northern oceans: SNOW CRAB. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Snow Crab.
6. Dryly humorous: DROLL.
7. Mediocre at best: NOT SO GOOD.
8. Tandoor residue: ASH. A tandoor is a cylindrical, vase-shaped oven traditionally made of clay and fueled by charcoal or wood, used for high-heat cooking and baking. It is most commonly used in South Asia, Western Asia, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa.
9. Ticket for access to the slopes: SKI PASS.
10. Indiana basketball player: PACER.
11. "Why __ you ready?": AREN'T.
12. Extremely mean: NASTY.
14. Flag holder: POLE.
17. Bank of Thailand coin: BAHT. As of the day I am writing this, the Thai Baht is worth 0.030 US Dollars.
21. Undercover agent: SPY.
23. Small batteries: AAs.
24. Coating on a junkyard car: RUST.
25. Hard precipitation: HAIL.
27. Mineral bath place: SPA.
28. Skin care products that treat fine lines: EYE CREAMS.
29. Color TV pioneer: RCA. The RCA Corporation began as the Radio Corporation of America over 100 years ago.
31. "Have a little bite!": TASTE THIS!
32. Succulent that grows pups: ALOE. Aloe vera pups are the small baby offshoots that grow at the base of a mature parent plant.
33. Horned sheep: RAM.
36. "Pick me! Pick me!": OH, OH!
37. Dish marinated in soy sauce and mirin: TERIYAKI. Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking method and sweet-savory glaze made from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. Teri means shine or luster from the sugar and Yaki means grilled or broiled.
40. Spotted rainforest cats: OCELOTS.
43. Stovetop vessel: PAN. I initially tried Pot here, but that didn't work with the perps.
45. Driver's path: Abbr.: RTE. As in Route.
46. Misfortunes: ILLS.
47. Moth magnet: FLAME.
48. Harder to find: RARER.
49. Lawn care device: EDGER.
50. Like some whiskey barrels: OAKEN. Why whiskey is aged in oaken barrels.
51. Small brown bird: WREN. Wrens are known for their surprisingly loud songs and upright tail posture.
55. Snoozefest: BORE.
56. "Right away!": STAT.
58. Identify on social media: TAG.
59. Rep.'s colleague: SEN. A Senator is a colleague of a Member of the House of Representatives.
* Rick Barry (né Richard Francis Dennis Barry, III; b. Mar. 28, 1944).
חתולה
Many thanks to Kat and Manatee for substituting for me during my recent absence.
C.C.’s puzzle wasn’t too
ReplyDeletetough. I didn’t notice any real obscurities, for one thing. It was fun.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteZipped right through this one. I did a double-take at the image of Chile's flag. It's very similar to the Texas flag. Speaking of Texas, the handful of OCELOTs remaining in the US can be found on a ranch in south Texas. We've got a couple of Carolina WRENs living nearby. Dw leaves crumbs for them on the patio table. You can always tell when they're around by their distinctive chirp. Interesting puzzle, C.C. Welcome back, Hahtoolah. (The "across and down" cartoon was cute.)
FIR without erasure, but had to wait for light/FLAME and dust/RUST.
ReplyDeleteFLN: Inane Hiker's comments about patterns of birth months reminded me of a few things. First, my maternal grandparents were married on the winter solstice. My grandfather used to say that he picked the date because it was the shortest day and longest night of the year. They had twelve kids, so there may be something to that. I also started thinking about how technology has likely changed procreation patterns, especially electric lighting, central heating, and air conditioning. Then that guided my so-called brain to the wonderful old Cole Porter song by (crossword favorite) Ella, Too Darn Hot. (That's a cover of a Kiss Me Kate song, but I can't resist an Ella tune.)
Thanks to CC for another fun, easy exercise. And thanks to Ha2la for another great tour.
Finally.. Thank you for getting STAT correct as 56D "Right Away".
ReplyDeleteFIR. Definitely a typical Tuesday puzzle. Nothing too difficult and what was had perps to solve it.
ReplyDeleteI got the theme with the reveal, but not all the answers were very obvious to me. Bachelor party for example. I guess not being a drinker this went over my head. I get it, but......
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
One error. I thought it should be “tag” for social media, but the closest I come to anything related to social media is this blog. GSN didn’t look right, so I guessed M, for MSN. Had no idea there is a game show network. Also had to use white out to replace ASAP with STAT and for Ares to Eros. I knew Ares was wrong, but it didn’t stop me from putting it in the solve. A fun puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI needed the reveal to understand the theme. Cute. My UNKs were KARA and KEIRA. TBS needed perps and TAG crossing GSN, well, that G was just a WAG. Never heard of this channel.
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah, right off I knew you were back when I saw all the cute funnies and the biographical info. Welcome back.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun C.C. and Hahtoolah (welcome back).
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time and saw the SHOT theme only at the reveal.
Several inkblots.
Hard Hats was too short but TOOL BELTS fit.
KEaRA changed to KEIRA and THat to THIS as I tried to finish that SE corner.
I haven’t memorized all your American channels - GSN and TBS required perps.
KARA was unknown but perped.
Waiting for perps decided PAN before Pots.
Canadians have learned how to 35A as a form of silent protest. Elbows up!
Wishing you all a great day.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAlways a treat to see CC’s byline. Today’s offering was a fun solve with a well-hidden theme. Kara was unknown but perps did their job. CC managed to get two of her favorite subjects into the puzzle with mini themes of sports and food.
Thanks, CC, and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the great review and the numerous chuckles. My favorites were the ones for Ices, AAs, and Ram, with the final comic of the crossword fanatics taking first place. Welcome back!
Have a great day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-A bar in Omaha tracks Jello SHOTS taken by each school during the College World Series
-30 years ago, a principal in our school made a mountain out of a molehill very loudly in the cafeteria. A lawyer’s 15-year-son started a BOYCOTT, and the cafeteria suddenly had lots of leftover food for a week. Eventually the kids met with the administration and after an apology things got back to normal.
-In The Imitation Gare, Kiera Knightly played a character who got to be a decoder with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park by solving a crossword puzzle.
-RCA is a nice shoutout our friend Irish!
-Hilarious write-up, Hahtoolah.
Took 3:27 today to hunt this one down.
ReplyDeleteI knew the Actress of the Day (Keira, from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), but not Kara.
Congrats to C.C. for having another published puzzle.
Awesome cartoons, Haltoolah.
Welcome back, Hahtoolah. Your comments, cartoons and pics are always enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteTerrific Tuesday CW, thanx CC. Only 10 names, and only 4 DNKs among them. I got the theme, but not until I managed to FIR in 9 and looked the CW over.
ReplyDeletePOT/PAN, LIGHT/FLAME.
Hahtoolah, welcome back. You really outdid yourself with all the great cartoons but especially all the information you linked. I learned many things today, just one being BOYCOTT origin. As others mentioned all the 'toons were good, but that last one was the best. I have no idea how you manage to find such appropriate cartoons. Thanx for your efforts. That picture of a dragon roll looks scary!
I'm not a basketball fan, and when I heard a mention of UCONN, I really did think they were talking about YUKON.
I have viewed an episode of the "Impractical Jokers", but find their stunts just absolutely so cringeworthy I couldn't watch.
I still have three mangoes from my mango tree, which was incredibly productive this year. It is a late blooming and fruiting variety that makes huge mangos. I scooped many into freezer bags. I also gave away probably 50 mangos. Typical comment is, "WOW! These things are HUGE!" I also discovered that eating them when they are still green is the best: slice out the "meat" of the mango, put the slices in a bowl and add fresh lime juice and coarse ground pepper. As Hahtoolah would say, "Yummers!"
My GF gave me some avocados from her tree. I'm gonna try to make a mango/avocado salad and see how that turns out.
Mango margeritas are the best!
DeleteAcesaround enjoyed this Tuesday creation by CC. Well done and no problems. Thanks Ha2la for the recap.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hatoolah is gone I try to guess who is subbing on the blog before I look for the name at the end. I thought she was going to be gone longer, and as I read this I kept thinking, "This person is really trying to copy her style with all the fun cartoons" D'oh!
ReplyDeleteThanks CC for a fun crossword and Susan for the blog- and welcome back!
I like when the themers keep me guessing until the reveal. And C.C. made sure I wouldn't suss it too early by using a different type of SHOT in each: photography, drinking and sports.
ReplyDeleteBest learning moment was BOYCOTT. Thanks for that, H2H. And also for the many toons - dad showing who's #1 was my fave.
I wasn't sure how to spell teriyaki, but the "FREE THROW LINE" solved it for me. I'd filled SKI PASS by perps and wondered what SKIP ASS referred to. Then I looked at the clue.
ReplyDeleteTAKE A SHOT as a unifier, I never noticed until I'd filled it.
This is Jayce. I enjoyed this puzzle, in spite of the TAG/GSN crossing. I only got KARA (could have been KERA, KIRA, KORA, KURA, or even KYRA as far as I knew) because of PACER and that only because "A" seemed like the most likely vowel.
ReplyDeleteBACHELOR PARTY went right in and turned out to be correct.
Enjoyed learning about BOYCOTT.
DROLL is a cool word.
Good reading all your comments.
Hola! Although I finished the puzzle early this morning, I failed to comment. I returned to bed because my sleep pattern has been interrupted. The puzzle was easy and fun. Thank you, C.C. And welcome back Hahtoolah! I always enjoy your commentary and your cartoons!
ReplyDeleteProbably the most clever theme ever! Fun ways to take shots! Thanks CC! And a great review. Loved the gingerbread man icing & Daddy is #1.
ReplyDeleteMy husband knew Rick Barry threw underhand free throws. Thanks Hahtoolah! And I FIR!
I very much enjoyed today's puzzle and the review!
ReplyDeleteFAV was "Artichoke core" for HEART and Hahtoolah's accompanying comic.
Ojai Guy. Enjoyed this except for the Tag/Gsn cross. Wagged it correctly so ok. Good to see the Uconn reference. Spent a year there in the mid fifties majoring in BBB.(basketball, blackjack and beer), which is why I only lasted a year.
ReplyDelete