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.
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| 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?
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| 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.
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| 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
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