Thursday, December 28, 2023, Adam Vincent

 

 A Place for Everything

As this is the Thursday of the Octave of Christmas, I thought The Place Where I Belong by singer/songwriter Leroy Sanchez would be a good place to start ...

Today's constructor, veteran Adam Vincent, reminds us that there is a place for everything, or as he puts it, an "Apt spot to ...?".  He does this with 4 multi-level themers (2 Across and 2 Down) ...

46A. Apt spot to do the running man?: POLITICAL PARTY.  It could be a man running for election, or the title song from the 1987 dystopian film The Running Man, performed here by Ghost Town DJ ...

55. Apt spot to breakdance?: WRECKING BALL.  A contemporary torch song by Miley Cyrus ...

4D. Apt spot to swing dance?: GOLF CLUB.  If a ballet on the links doesn't get you in the mood, maybe this will ...

11D. Apt spot to do the moonwalk?: SPACE BAR.  Not just the long key on the keyboard that I just pressed 8 times, but a dive on the desert world of Tatooine during in the first Star Wars movie ...

No stars, no circles, no reveal.  Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Buck: STAG.

5. Condiment often applied with chopsticks: WASABI.  I think of SUSHI as a condiment to put on WASABI.

11. Out of harm's way: SAFE.

15. Quite: OH SO.

16. Howard who has two Oscars for Best Original Song: ASHMAN.  Baltimore born Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director.  He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan Menken composed the music. His work included songs for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.  Here's the trailer for the 1989 film, The Little Mermaid, based on the original Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale ...

17. Thank God, maybe: PRAY.  It really helps.  And a lot helps a lot.

18. Cut out early: BAIL.

19. Backless furniture: STOOLS.

20. Crop unit: ACRE.

21. Walking stick: STAFF.

23. Non-neutral particles: IONS.  This guy moves fast ...

24. Is sore: ACHES.

25. Actor whose final film role was in 1961's "The Misfits": CLARK GABLE.  Starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Cliff ...

28. Piano exercise: SCALES.  ETUDES would have fit and they're a lot more interesting, e.g. Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor, played here by Evgeny Kissin.

31. Endows (with): IMBUES.

35. Refers (to): ALLUDES.

37. Hallelujah kin: HOSANNA.  As in the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah ...

38. Shallot, for one: BULB.

39. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.

42. Wedding invite request: RSVP.

43. Pro who wears a Star of Life emblem: EMT.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the "Star of Life" and holds priority rights to the use of this registered certification mark.

44. Genuine: REAL.

45. Canon SLR camera: EOS.  Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an auto-focus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS IX was released using the new and short-lived APS film. In 2000, the D30 was announced, as the first digital SLR designed and produced entirely by Canon.  In 2018 the system was further extended with the introduction of the EOS R camera, Canon's first full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens system.

Canon EOS R SLR

46. [Theme clue].

53. James Blunt's "__ Beautiful": YOU'RE.  A song by James Blunt that you can find on YouTube.

54. Helps in a bad way: ABETS.

55. [Theme clue]

60. Long hike: TREK.

62. __ of New York: photoblog with street portraits and interviews: HUMANS.  Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of Humans of New York, a photoblog and book. He was named to Time magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list.

63. Afflicts: AILS.

66. River through Aswan: NILE.  Aswan is a busy market and tourist center located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the NILE at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Monastery of St. Simeon
Aswan Old Town

67. Respond impatiently: SNAP AT.

68. Gadget review site: CNET.

69. Let the cat out of the bag: TOLD.  Let's “Let the Cat Out of the Bag” about the origin of  this phrase.

Hi Hahtoolah!

70. Pre-MBA hurdle: GMAT.  The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive test (CAT) intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

71. Like custard: EGGY.  Here's a recipe.

Vanilla Custard

Down:

1. Cries and cries: SOBS.

2. "How about __!": THAT.

3. Cambodia's continent: ASIA.

4. [Theme clue].

5. Used to be: WAS. 

6. Moving: ASTIR.

7. Trembled: SHOOK.

8. Mixed in with: AMONG.

9. Model wood: BALSA.  Today's Spanish lesson -- BALSA is the word for "raft". Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the Balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density.

Balsa Tree
Royal Botanical Gardens
Richmond, UK

 

10. __ and outs: INS.

11. [Theme clue]

12. Part of the St. Louis skyline: ARCH.  It's called the Gateway Arch because St. Louis is also called "The gateway to the West".  Hand up if you've taken the TRAM to the top and back down?  We did when we visited one of my sisters in St. Louis.  Definitely not for the claustrophobic.  The Arch was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947, and construction began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.  It uses a catenary arch design, the same as the first kiln I ever fired circa 1972. 🔥.

 

St. Louis Gateway Arch

13. Cost of a ride: FARE.

14. Spots on spuds: EYES.

22. Got the heck out of Dodge: FLED.

24. Poor offering: ALMS.  ALMS giving peaks around this time of year, but it is never enough.

26. On a cruise: ASEA.

27. "About us" blurbs: BIOS.

28. "¿Quién __?": Spanish "Who knows?": SABE. 

29. Not smooth: CLUMPY.

30. More than one would like: ALL TOO WELL.  A song by Taylor Swift about her memories of a  relationship long ago (short version) ...

32. Disturbing: UNSETTLING.

33. Official messengers: ENVOYS.  Apparently the US has a lot of them.

34. Weakens: SAPS.  Or a noun connoting marks for scams.

36. Apple virtual assistant: SIRI.

37. Much of a shipwreck: HULL.

40. Cam button: REC.

41. Easy for ewe to say?: BAA.

47. Stuck to the shadows: LURKED.  LURKING is also cyber-slang for read/only participation in social media.

48. Galway's isl.: IRE.

49. Some lab workers: TECHS.

50. Part of PBR: PABST.  Pabst Blue Ribbon, commonly abbreviated PBR, is an American lager beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1844 and currently based in San Antonio. Originally called Best Select, and then Pabst Select, the current name comes from the blue ribbons tied around the bottle’s neck between 1882 and 1916.

51. Lawyers' org.: ABA.

52. Do up again, as a corset: RELACE.  The jury seems to be out as to whether corsets are bad for women, or good for them.

56. "__ Fu Panda": KUNG.  Kung Fu Panda is an American media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, produced by DreamWorks Animation.  Here's the 2023 trailer ...

57. Quran scholar: IMAM. An IMAM (/ɪˈmɑːm/; ) is an Islamic leadership position. Like many things related to religion, the significance of the term depends on which sect one belongs to.

Imams discoursing

58. Wine-producing valley: NAPA.

59. Minute annoyance: GNAT.

60. Dynamite kin: TNT.  Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was first prepared in 1863 by German chemist Julius Wilbrand and originally used as a yellow dye. Its potential as an explosive was not recognized for three decades, mainly because it was too difficult to detonate because it was less sensitive than alternatives. This wily fellow seems to be able to detonate it with ease ...

61. __ Grande: RIO.  Just how grand is the RIO GRANDE?

64. Drumstick: LEG.  Yum Yum! Dark meat!

65. Hog's digs: STY.

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

And a Happy New Year to all!  🎆🧨🍾🥂🎇

Tuesday, April 11, 2023 Adam Vincent

Creating a Bucket List for making a Bucket.  A good Bucket should be able to Carry Weight, have a Handle and Hold Water.  Thus, each of the theme answers are characteristics that should be on list of items for making a good bucket.

M

20-Across. *  Has significant influence: CARRIES WEIGHT.

44-Across. *  Is able to wrap one's head around: HAS GOT A HANDLE ON.

26-Down. *  Stands up to scrutiny: HOLDS WATER.  But what if there's a hole in the bucket?

28-Down. Enumeration of life goals, on which one should also find the answers to the starred clues?: BUCKET LIST.  A Bucket List refers to things one should do be for Kicking the Bucket.  The term  Kicking the Bucket means to die and is somewhat disrespectful.  It has a rather gruesome origin.  The wooden frame used to hang animals by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket.  As the animals struggled and spasmed, they were said to “kick the bucket.” 

Let's move on to more cheerful topics.  What else is in our puzzle today?

Across:

1. Emery board target: NAIL.  Did you ever wonder what exactly Emery is?  According to Merriam-Webster it is "a dark granular mineral that consists of corundum with iron oxide impurities (such as magnetite) and is used as an abrasive."

5. Change as needed: ADAPT.

10. "F" on a gas gauge: FULL.

14. No-frills grocery chain that collects a deposit for a shopping cart: ALDI.  Is there a connection between Aldi and Trader Joe's?  There is a Trader Joe's within walking distance from my house.

15. With a long face: SADLY.

16. Michigan neighbor: OHIO.  Here's a cute little riddle for you:  What's Round on the End and High in the Middle?

17. Self-checkout sound: BEEP.

18. Batch of Brownies: TROOP.  My favorite clue of the puzzle.

19. Paper towel purchase: ROLL.

23. AirPods holders: EARS.  I'd be afraid I'd lose them.  The pods could be considered 32-Down. Sci-fi getaway option: ESCAPE POD.  People get "lost" in listening to their AirPods.

24. Nothing to write home about: SO-SO.

25. Small talk: CHAT.

27. Bubble tea "bubbles": BOBA.  What is Boba?

30. Encapsulated ecosystem: BIODOME.  Scandal in the Biosphere.

33. Lead an orchestra: CONDUCT.  It's not as easy as you might think.

36. "Tutti," in English: ALL.  Today's Italian lesson.

37. Ones who fail to keep up appearances?: NO SHOWS.

39. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO.  [Name # 1.]  Margaret Moran Cho (b. Dec. 5, 1968), is a comedian who makes makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

40. Potluck contribution: SIDE.  If everyone brings a side dish, where is the main course?

42. Base for jam and clotted cream: SCONE.  Yummers!

43. Hershey toffee bar: SKOR.  Yummers!

47. Vessel in some Asian restaurant names: WOK.

48. __ favor: POR.  Today's Spanish lesson, if you please, and a nod to our Lucina.

49. "Do __ disturb": NOT.

50. [Shrug]: BEATS ME.

53. Boat pulling a fishing net: TRAWLER.

57. Play part that follows an overture: ACT I.  We learned last Friday that many modern plays lack an Act Two.

58. Footnote abbr.: OP. CIT.  Today's Latin lesson.  Op. Cit. is a Latin for the phrase opus citatum or opere citato, which means the work cited.

60. Foolish talk: JIVE.

61. Nurses a sprain, say: ICES.  Has anyone heard from Tinbini recently?

62. Group of associates: POSSE.

63. "Make it snappy!" letters: ASAP.  As Soon As Possible.

64. Word: TERM.  The two are not interchangeable.

65. Touches up, as text: EDITS.

66. Range components: Abbr.: MTNs.  As in Mountains.

Down:

1. Seize: NAB.

2. Smart __: wisenheimer: ALEC.  A possible theory on the origin of the term Smart Alec.  [Name adjacent.]

3. Planning session offering: IDEA.

4. Comprehend without hearing, in a way: LIP READ.

5. Up and about: ASTIR.

6. Has the guts (to): DARES.

7. Noisy commotions: ADOs.  It's probably just Much Ado About Nothing.

8. Farm machines: PLOWS.  Everything is bigger in Texas.

9. Like a universal donor's blood: TYPE O.  Everything you wanted to know about blood types, but didn't know to ask.

10. Permanently: FOR GOOD.

11. "I have a bad feeling about this": UH-OH!

12. Bouncy tune: LILT.

13. Texting guffaw: LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.  But you knew that.

21. Boca __, Florida: RATON.

22. 13-digit pub. codes: ISBNs.  As in the International Standard Book Number.

25. Fine hairs: CILIA.

29. Hay fever sound: ACHOO!  This has become the word of the month.

30. Shindig: BASH.

31. __ Valuable Player: MOST.  LSU's Angel Reese (b. May 6, 2002) was named the Most Outstanding Player after the Women's basketball championship game last week.

33. Grifter: CON ARTIST.

34. "Marry Me" actor Wilson: OWEN.  Owen Wilson (né Owen Cunningham Wilson; b. Nov. 18, 1968) is a comedic actor who has been in a number of films, many of which are somewhat off-beat.  He is the older brother of actor Luke Cunningham Wilson (b. Sept. 21, 1971).  [Name # 2.]

Luke and Owen Wilson

35. Unable to make up one's mind: TORN.

38. Jolly syllables: HO-HO.

41. Self-absorption: EGOTISM.

43. Smooth R&B tune: SLOW JAM.

45. Gives the go-ahead: OKs.

46. Subj. of Rosalind Franklin's research: DNA.  Rosalind Franklin's (July 25, 1920 ~ Apr. 16, 1958) research was critical in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.  Sadly, she died young and never received the recognition she deserved.   [Name # 3.]

50. Can of worms, maybe: BAIT.

51. Latin "behold": ECCE.  More of today's Latin lesson.

52. Wallow in sadness: MOPE.

54. Numbered hwys.: RTEs.  As in Routes.

55. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN.  [Name adjacent.]

56. Gym count: REPs.

59. Forensic series whose theme song is "Who Are You": CSI.

Here 's the Grid:

חתולה

 

Tuesday, December 15, 2020 Adam Vincent

Dance to the Music!  The last word of each theme answer is a music genre.

 18-Across. Drywall material: SHEET ROCK.  Rock Music.

24-Across. Freezer aisle treat: ICE CREAM POP.  Pop Music.

49-Across. Similar but unspecified things: ALL THAT JAZZ.  Jazz Music.

56-Across. Peepers of a certain color, affectionately: BABY BLUES.  Blues Music.

And the Unifier:

36-Across. Instruction to start playing ... or a hint to the end of 18-, 24-, 49- and 56-Across: CUE THE MUSIC.

And a musical bonus:

1-Down. Jamaican genre: SKA. 

Across:

1. Technical details: SPECS.

6. Roadie's load: AMPS.

10. World's best-selling cookie: OREO.

14. Superhero sound effect: KAPOW!

15. Are in the past?: WERE.  We are at the store.  We were at the store.

16. Home to il Colosseo: ROMA.  Did you know that the Colosseum in Rome, Italy was also used to stage naval battles?  It could be filled with water due to an elaborate plumbing system.

17. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE.  Anise has a licorice-like flavor.

20. "Won't you be __ and ... ": polite request words: A DEAR.

22. School fundraising gp.: PTA.  Time for a musical interlude.

23. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL.  Mel Brooks (né Melvin Kaminsky; b. June 28, 1926) is a comic actor and film director.  Some of his films include Young Frankenstein and The Producers.  He was also a co-writer on Get Smart, the television series.

Don Adams, Mel Brooks, and Gene Wilder

27. Spelling showdown: BEE.  Spellbound was a movie that followed 8 competitors in the 1999 Scripts National Spelling Bee.

28. Sleep stage: REM.  Rapid Eye Movement sleep is the phase where the sleeper is believed to have vivid dreams.  The phenomenon occurs in mammals and birds.  Do you often awaken at 3:00 a.m.?  It is not all that uncommon.

29. Sound like an ass: BRAY.

30. "Piece of cake!": EASY.  Probably not easy to make and quite time-consuming.

31. Chill: LAID BACK.

34. Syrup source: SAP.  My grandparents had friends who tapped maple trees and boiled the sap to syrup. If you pour the heated syrup onto fresh snow, it will immediately harden.  We called it Sugar on Snow, and it was such a treat.

39. Eagle or evil organ: EYE.

40. Unrecoverable expense, in economics: SUNK COST.

43. Cat's warning: HISS.

46. Seek, as a compliment, with "for": FISH.

47. "Argo" spy org.: CIA.  As in the Central Intelligence Agency.  The 2012 movie Argo was loosely based on  the rescue of 6 Americans following the Iran Hostage crisis in 1979.

48. Total: Abbr.: AMT.  As in Amount.

53. Unwinding spot: SPA.

54. 2016 Olympics city: RIO.

55. Outline, maybe: TRACE.

60. Lyric poem: EPODE.  According to Webster's, an Epode is: (a) a lyric poem in which a long verse is followed by a shorter one; or (b) the third part of a triadic Greek ode following the strophe and the antistrophe.

62. Get up in arms: RILE.

63. Crafts go-with: ARTS.

64. French greeting: SALUT.  Today's French lesson.

65. Finds in mines: OREs.

66. Ink cartridge color: CYAN.  Cartridge colors come in Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.  When mixed in the appropriate combinations, we get blue, green, red and black.

67. Digital "I've got it!" gestures: SNAPS.

Down:

2. Cure-all: PANACEA.

3. Marked by widespread growth: EPIDEMIC.  Or if it is really wide spread, it becomes a Pandemic.

4. Trig ratio: COSEC.  Short for Cosecant.

5. Promise with one hand on the Bible: SWEAR.

6. Cuteness reactions: AWs!

AW!

7. "I could go either way": MEH!

8. Like Ivy League clothing styles: PREPPY.  In case you need to know how to look Preppy, there is a handy handbook on the style.

9. Sort out: SEE TO.

10. "Catch-22" pilot: ORR.  Orr was the roommate of Yossarian in the 1961 novel Catch-22, by Joseph Heller.  He was a pilot who was also nearly crashing his plane, or getting shot down, but somehow managed to survive.

11. iRobot vacuum: ROOMBA.  It can also be used as transportation for your pet cat.

12. Award show hosts: EM CEES.  Short for Master of Ceremonies.

13. Buffalo Bill show shooter: OAKLEY.  Annie Oakley (née Phoebe Ann Mosey; Aug. 13, 1860 ~ Nov. 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter.  

19. Select, as for a job: TAP.

21. Money-back offer: REBATE.

24. Not online: Abbr.: IRL.  In Real Life.

25. Structure with a keystone: ARCH.

Anatomy of an Arch.

26. Finally arrives: MAKES IT.  It could be parsed as Make Sit, but that answer wouldn't fit the clue.

30. Totally rad, in modern lingo: EPIC.

Epic Fail

32. Club fees: DUES.

33. Queen __: "Lemonade" star's nickname: BEY.  As in Beyoncé (née Beyoncé Giselle Knowles; b. Sept. 4, 1981).

34. Summery headwear: SUN HAT.

35. Pose a question: ASK.

37. Sled dog command: MUSH.

38. Soda since 1886: COCA~COLA.  It is listed as KO on the New York Stock Exchange.  Dr. John Pemberton first sold his beverage creation in May 1886.

41. Evaluated, as competition: SIZED UP.

42. Looney toon?: TAZ.  As in the Warner Brothers Tasmanian Devil.

43. Monopoly maker: HASBRO.

44. Get in the way of: IMPAIR.

45. Horse house: STABLE.

46. Like a baker's apron, probably: FLOURY.

49. Wall St. trader: ARB.  As in Arbitrage.

50. Purple hue: LILAC.  I love Lilac trees and their flowers.

51. Lock on the head: TRESS.

52. Country made up of 6,852 islands: JAPAN.  Everything you wanted to know about the Japanese archipelago.

57. "Sure": YES.

58. GPS approx.: ETA.  As in Estimated Time of Arrival.  This is a crossword staple.

59. Taxpayer's ID: SSN.  As in Social Security Number.  This has become a crossword staple, but do you know how to decode the number?  The Number is divided into 3 parts: the Area, the Group, and the Series.  The Area is the first 3 digits.  Prior to June 25, 2011, the first three digits indicated where the Social Security number was issues.  After that date, numbers were issued randomly.

61. "The War of the Worlds" foes, e.g.: ETs.  As in ExtraTerrrestials.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה