Friday, January 10, 2025, Amanda Cook

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from an extended stay in the quite cold Colorado Rockies.  The cooling effects of that stay have worn off pretty quickly because today's constructor, Amanda Cook, has elected to take us in quite the opposite direction.  Would it be improper to say that, although I have never met the woman, Amanda has given me HOTS?  I know, I know.  A little context is required and here it is:

At the four corners of the puzzle, Ms. Cook has placed answers that can be preceded by the word HOT.  The reveal comes at:

35 Across:  Third base, in baseball lingo, or one of four in this puzzle: HOT CORNER.  It is commonly assumed that the term came about because of the hot shots aimed at the third baseman, but the explanation is not universally accepted. "Third base was so named about 40 years ago when most of the star sluggers were right-handed. Nowadays, however, with so many hard hitting left-handers, first base is equally 'hot'." - Fan And Family October, 1935

... and the theme is applied at:

1 Across:  Valued entity:  HOT COMMODITY.

10  Across:  Chances:  HOT SHOTS.  Chances as in "to take your best SHOT" at something.  Hot Shots, of course are what all solvers who hang out here are.

64 Across:  Breathes heavily:  HOT PANTS.  With HOT, a style of women's shorts.

65 Across:  See's Candies candy:  HOT CHOCOLATE.  After a career at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Valerie decided to work part time at Sees' Candies just for the fun of it.

"Hello.  How may I sweeten your day?"

 

1D. Gâteaux: HOT CAKES.  Plural French clue.

 

14D. Take off and run?: HOT STREAK.  As in take off one's clothes.  Remember the streaking fad?

 

43D. Trade secrets?: HOT GOSSIP.  Trade, here, is used as a verb.

 

 53D. Arrange for serving, as a meal: HOT PLATE. Used, here, as a verb.

 

 This is how all of the themers, and everything else, appears in the grid:

The rest of the clues and answers are:

Across:

15. Dodgy behavior: AVOIDANCE.  As avoidance is not always dodgy behavior,  this clue threw this solver off the scent for a bit.

16. Deck with Major and Minor Arcana: TAROT.  Cards frequently "read" in crossword puzzles.

17. Result of slaying it at the gym: KILLER ABS.

18. Smoldering bit: EMBER.  Did you hear about the baby coal that went missing?  They sent out an EMBER alert.

19. Conclusion: END.

20. Attempt: TRY.

21. Downfall: DEMISE.

22. Google rankings metric: Abbr.: SEO.  Search Engine Optimization  All You Might Want To Know

23. GI entertainers:  USAGE .

24. Bubblegum __: POP.  A music genre reference.  An example (listen at your own risk):

25. Radio host Charlamagne __ God: THA.  Lenard Larry McKelvey.   Humility is, apparently, not the attributes to which he aspires.

26. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.  A Disney movie reference.

28. Holds off: WAITS.

30. Just swell: A OK.

31. "Wicked" pair: ACTS.  A reference to the stage production.

33. Oahu garland: LEI.  Oahu being one of the Hawaiian islands.

34. Pub order: ALE.

38. C-suite member: CFO.  Chief Financial Officer.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.

40. Spanish gold: ORO.

41. Hardly cheerful: GRIM.  Bill and Ted's take on the subject:

43. Long-jawed fish: GAR.

Gar Brooks

44. Floating overhead: ALOFT.

46. __ of March: IDES.  Beware!

48. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

49. Innovative: NEW.

50. Mork's home: ORK.  A Robin Williams reference.

52. The __ Ministry: "Rest Is Resistance" organization: NAP.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

54. Some tuna cuts: STEAKS.  Tuna puns are fin-ally back in season.

56. Composers' rights org.: BMI.  This could have been clued with a reference to Body Mass Index.

57. Ego Nwodim's show, for short: SNL.

58. Magical symbol: SIGIL.  A learning moment for this solver.

59. Geographical region for a retailer: TRADE AREA.

62. Completely silly: INANE.

63. Quiz with bona fide answers?: LATIN TEST.  Bona fide being a Latin expression.


Down:

2. Sheep: OVINES.  Baaa,  Not to be confused with BOVINES.  Moo.

3. Landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania: MOLDOVA.

4. The Bucks, in sports crawls: MIL.  A professional basketball reference.

5. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.

6. Bolts: DARTS.  Not a hardware reference.  Used as a verb.

7. Lined up: IN A ROW.

8. Froyo chain: TCBY.  Originally called This Can't Be Yogurt but quickly altered to The Country's Best Yogurt because it served, of course, actual frozen yogurt.

9. "Affirmative": YES.

10. Brews: STEEPS.  As with tea.

11. "Grimsburg" voice actor Jon: HAMM.  More often clued with a reference to soccer star Mia HAMM.

12. Like a moon's path: ORBITAL.

13. Ballet slipper: TOE SHOE.

21. Overly affectionate: DOTING.

23. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.  As you would have them, or before, depending on your world view.

24. Beach town structure: PIER.

27. Reverberate: ECHO.  Co-opted by Amazon.

29. Emotionally detached: ALOOF.  What do you call a person unaware of whole wheat, whole grain, sourdough and rye?  ALOOF of bread.

32. Elegant wraps: STOLES.  Many of our mothers had one I suspect.

34. Dry: ARID.

36. Black bird: CROW.  A crow invited her friends over to hang out but they didn’t show up.  She was charged with attempted murder.

37. Composer Satie: ERIK.  A frequent visitor.

38. Mexican bar: CANTINA.  Alternatively, a Star Wars reference.

39. One who practices minimal consumption: FREEGAN.  New to this solver.

42. Awareness of wrongdoing, in criminal law: MENS REA.

44. Low joints: ANKLES.  Not a dive bar.  A joint to be found low on one's body.

45. Shakshouka base: TOMATO. Shakshuka is a dish made of eggs poached in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce, often seasoned with spices like cumin and paprika. To make it, sauté onions and bell peppers, add garlic and spices, then stir in crushed tomatoes, simmer, and finally crack eggs into the sauce to poach them. 

47. Most realistic: SANEST.

51. Totes absurd: RIDIC.  RIDICulous.  My sentiments, exactly.

 

55. Colloquial contraction: AIN'T.

56. "Duuuude ... ": BRAH.

59. "No Scrubs" group: TLC.  

60. Ambient musician Brian: ENO.  Another frequent visitor.

61. Georgia airport code: ATL.  ATLanta's Hartsfield Airport.

Continuing with the baseball references (e.g. Hot Corner), a big "Thank You!" to NaomiZ for "pinch hitting" for me during my sabbatical.

___________________________________________________

Sunday June 9, 2024 Amanda Cook & Kelly Richardson

Theme: "DJ Remix" - D and J are swapped in each common phrase.

22. College administrators who never skip gym class?: RIPPED DEANS. Ripped jeans.

28. Mistake a bluebird for a blue bird?: CALL IT A JAY. Call it a day.

41. Finally breaking up with that no-good, pool hall hustler?: DUMPING THE SHARK. Jumping the shark.

64. Tiny bells added to an ugly Christmas sweater?: JANGLING MODIFIERS. Dangling modifers.

85. Honorific for San Francisco's top athlete?: THE JOCK OF THE BAY. The Dock of the Bay.

103. Beaver construction party?: DAM SESSION. Jam session.

111. "Good news! The animals living under the deck aren't skunks!"?: JUST BUNNIES. Dust bunnies.

Ah, I grokked the theme immediately. I bet many regulars did also.

I suck at this type of letter change themes and I always admire how others clue their wacky theme entries.

Love the fill today. So smooth and clean.

Across:

1. Center: HEART.

 6. Visibly nervous: SHAKY.

11. BCBS offering: HMO. Blue Cross Blue Shield.

14. Beaker's sound: MEEP. OK, Beaker the Muppet.

18. Wabbit hunter Fudd: ELMER.

19. Like a foggy graveyard: EERIE.

20. Brim (with): TEEM.

21. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR. Most famous Minnesotan in crossword world.

24. Panache: ELAN.

25. Score symbol: NOTE.

26. Mattel product: DOLL.

27. Whoops: YELLS.

30. Harder to hike: STEEPER. Nothing beats the thrill of climbing Huashan, world's deadliest hiking route. My hometown.

32. "Big yikes": HOO BOY.

34. Court orders: WRITS.

35. __ Talks: TED.

36. Shinbone: TIBIA.

37. Podcast equipment: MIC.

38. Iverson in the Basketball Hall of Fame: ALLEN.

48. Nintendo Switch precursor: WII.

49. Carolyn Bertozzi, notably: CHEMIST. Did not know her. She received the Nobel in 2022.

51. One with niblings: AUNT. Google shows that "Nibling is a gender-neutral term used to refer to a child of one's sibling as a replacement for "niece" or "nephew". Learning moment for me also.
 
52. Regret: RUE.

53. Massachusetts state tree: ELM.

54. "__ Nagila": Hebrew folk song: HAVA. And 6. Occasion to read the Haggadah: SEDER.

55. Made brownies, say: BAKED.

57. Crafty platform: ETSY.

58. Gwen of No Doubt: STEFANI.

60. Penalty shot defender: GOALIE.

63. Queues up: WAITS.

68. Still-life subject, often: FRUIT.

70. Man cave locale, maybe: GARAGE. Not in MN. Too cold in winter.

71. In the spotlight for bad behavior: ON BLAST.

74. Freight option: RAIL.

75. Nick of "Cape Fear": NOLTE.

77. Purple bloom: IRIS.

78. Once called: NEE.

79. "Exit full screen" button: ESC.

80. "Toodles": CIAO.

81. Indian flatbread: CHAPATI.

84. Some undergrad degs.: AAS.

89. Churchyard peals: TOLLS.

91. Scrape (by): EKE.

92. Opera solos: ARIAS.

93. Muscle mag muscle: PEC.

94. Space Invaders console: ATARI.

97. Marzipan nut: ALMOND. Never had Marzipan.

99. Abandons: DESERTS.

105. Concert platform: RISER.

108. Heavenly glow: AURA.

109. NYC drama award: OBIE.

110. Vegan pho protein: TOFU. This is my favorite Tofu brand at the moment.

113. Bridesmaid's handful: POSY.

114. Tinnitus docs: ENTS.

115. Balance sheet entry: ASSET.

116. Sty sounds: OINKS.

117. Lob: TOSS.

118. Director Anderson: WES. Prolific. "Asteroid City" is his latest hit.

119. Big bangs: WHAMS.

120. Like a windbag: GASSY.

Down:

1. Ranch groups: HERDS.

2. "Daniel Deronda" novelist: ELIOT (George)

3. Bountiful: AMPLE.

4. Brimming (with): REPLETE.

5. Three, in Trieste: TRE. Port city in Italy.

7. Tap location: HEEL.

8. North __ Sea: Central Asian lake: ARAL.

9. Bonds between friends: KINSHIPS.

10. "Absolutely!": YES.

11. "Are you even listening?": HELLO.

12. Like overripe apples: MEALY.

13. Hyatt competitor: OMNI.

14. Orange-and-black butterfly: MONARCH.

15. Fire in a text?: EMOJI. Fire emoji.

16. Patronize, as a bistro: EAT AT.

17. Hunts, with "on": PREYS.

20. Rooibos pouch: TEA BAG.

23. Made an egg into an Easter egg: DYED.

28. Invent, as a word: COIN.

29. Chocolate-and-vanilla soft serve: TWIST.

31. Inclination: PENCHANT.

33. Memorial piece: OBIT.

36. "Ew, stop talking!": TMI.

37. Resew, maybe: MEND.

38. Dazzles: AWES. 

39. Jaunty tune: LILT.

40. Ceviche marinade: LIME JUICE.  Looks yummy.

41. Crafty sort: DEVIL.

42. Hindu goddess also known as Parvati: UMA. Another learning moment.

43. Activist known for his time aboard the Enterprise: TAKEI.

44. Tinge: HUE.

45. Small-batch: ARTISANAL.

46. Used car concern: RUST.

47. Florida __: KEYS.

50. Get together: HANG.

55. Online journal: BLOG. And 63. Squarespace creations: WEBSITES.

56. Assistant: AIDE.

57. Former Chief Justice Warren: EARL.

59. Word in many a YouTube title: FAIL. Like makeup fails.

60. Little pest: GNAT.

61. D&D monster: OGRE.

62. "I'm an open book" Reddit sesh: AMA. Ask Me Anything.

65. Heavy-duty cooler brand: IGLOO.

66. Venture: FORAY.

67. "What's __ for you?": IN IT.

68. Sitar ridge: FRET.

69. Hasty: RASH.

72. Wax closure: SEAL.

73. Harper of "No Country for Old Men": TESS.

75. French Riviera city: NICE.

76. Iowa state tree: OAK.

77. Many a Lagunitas brew, briefly: IPA.

80. Roberts who was one of NPR's "Founding Mothers": COKIE.

81. Helmet clip spot: CHIN.

82. Result of standing up too fast: HEADRUSH. Low blood pressure.

83. Six-packs, sometimes: ABS.

86. Game day tops: JERSEYS.

87. Nathan's __ hot dogs: FAMOUS.

88. Jumbo suffix: TRON.

90. Papua New Guinea region: OCEANIA. Guess how many languages in this island nation?

93. Cuzco's country: PERU. 100. Cuzco attraction: RUINS.

94. Rescue, as a pet: ADOPT.

95. Don't: TABOO.

96. Off: AMISS.

97. In concert: AS ONE.

98. Rides: LIFTS.

99. Balance sheet entries: DEBTS.

101. Does the Tour du Mont Blanc, say: TREKS.

102. Bold: SASSY.

 104. Crockpot recipe: STEW.

106. "The Lovebirds" actress Rae: ISSA.

 107. Derive (from): STEM.

 111. Chatter: JAW.

 112. Holiday party serving: NOG.

 

Here are two great pictures from Lemonade, our faithful Friday Sherpa for many years. That's his sweet wife Oo taking the selfie. The other two are his granddaughters Charlotte and Harper. The little boy in the second picture is his cute grandson Owen. You can click here to see more pictures.  

C.C.

Monday May 27, 2024 Amanda Cook

  

sumdaze here, wishing you a Happy Memorial Day! This national holiday commemorates all the men and women who have died in U.S. military service.  

We had three themed clues today:

17 Across. Manually adjusted camera lens: OPTICAL ZOOM.

27 Across. Run-scoring out in baseball: SACRIFICE FLY.

44. Tech genius: COMPUTER WHIZ.

The reveal is at: 

59 Across. Heartfelt tribute, or what can be found at the ends of 17-, 27-, and 44-Across?: MOVING WORDS.

I am sure that many MOVING WORDS will be said today as part of the various Memorial Day activities across the country. Nicely done, Amanda and Patti!

As for the themed answers ... ZOOM, FLY, and WHIZ are all words with a movement connotation. Look closely, however. None of them convey motion in their themer states. ZOOM is referring to a type of lens, FLY is referring to a type of hit, and WHIZ is referring to a type of person. Amanda has provided a textbook demonstration of how the meanings of the themed answers should transform in the reveal.  👍👍

Let's move on to the other clues:

Across:
1. Person who may win an Emmy: ACTOR.  Here is a list of 124 Emmys that were awarded in January 2024 for achievements in 2023.

6. Stogie: CIGAR.

11. Toe bean spot: PAW.  New to me ... toe beans are a cat's paw pads. I asked the internet if dogs could have toe beans. Here is one poster's take:

While this subreddit is primarily for cats toes, other animal toes are allowed as long as they are cute and jellybean-like.

14. Jeweler's magnifier: LOUPE.  

This jeweler is wearing a LOUPE.

15. Make amends: ATONE.

16. Pub quaff: ALE.

19. Fish eggs: ROE.

20. Prefix meaning 41-Across: OTO-.     and     41 Across. Hearing organ: EAR.

For example, OTOmycosis is a fungal infection of the ear.

21. Graphic consulted before a cross-country road trip, for short: U.S. MAP.  

Hand up if you like these U.S. MAPs made out of license plates!

22. Paid for a poker hand: ANTED.  

24. Anticipate: FORESEE.  Def.: to see (something, such as a development) beforehand.

26. Linger: STAY.  

32. In base eight: OCTAL.  A base 8 system only uses the digits 0 - 7. As a result, "8" is written as "10", "9" is written as "11", and "10" is written as "12". How do you think one would write "16"? Just continue the pattern and you will see that the answer is "20".

35. Book of Genesis shipbuilder: NOAH.  

36. Belonging to us: OUR.

37. Blueberry desserts: PIES.  Time for our first tune....  

Fats Domino performs Blueberry Hill on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.

It must have been difficult to play the piano while maintaining eye contact with the camera.

He makes it look easy!

38. First Nations carving: TOTEM.

40. Boring: DULL.     and     30 Down. Break in the action: LULL.

Side note:  The village of Dull, Scotland became sister cities with Boring, Oregon in 2012. Bland Shire, Australia joined them in 2013, creating what some people call the "Trinity of Tedium".

42. Uncommon: RARE.

43. "My, my!": GOLLY.  

Jim Nabors played PFC Gomer Pyle from 1964 to 1969.
He could stretch out GOLLY to five syllables.

48. Charged particles: IONS.

49. "Try a sample!": HAVE ONE.  

53. Black-and-white bamboo eater: PANDA.  I recently heard on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! a news story about a zoo that drew criticism for painting dogs to look like PANDAs. They look pretty convincing to me! 

55. Letter-shaped skirt style: A-LINE.

57. Quarterback Tagovailoa who led the NFL in passing yards in 2023: TUA.  

He plays for the Miami Dolphins.

58. Obamacare, initially: ACA.  Affordable Care Act

62. Feline: CAT.     and     65 Across. Tuxedo accessory: TIE.  

A black & white cat is often called a "tuxedo CAT".
This one is sporting a bow TIE.

63. Offer a perspective: OPINE.

64. "Practice makes perfect," e.g.: ADAGE.  

66. Poet John known for 61-Downs: KEATS.

67. Affirmative answers: YESES.

Down:
1. Hard to form a bond with: ALOOF.

2. Admit guilt in: COP TO.  I cannot say for certain; but, a quick web query seems to indicate that COP TO is short for "COP TO a plea (bargain)". The latter is specific to when the accused admits to a lighter crime to avoid the likelihood of a more severe sentence. Eventually, "COP TO" became slang for admitting to doing something. 

3. Academic coach: TUTOR.

4. Nail polish brand with a Barbie collection: OPI.  

5. Self-disqualification: RECUSAL.  Def.:  to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest.

6. More relaxed: CALMER.

7. Chichen __: Mayan ruins: ITZA.  In 1988 Chichen Itza was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2007 it was voted in a global survey as one of the New Seven wonders of the World.  UNESCO website  Perhaps we can dispatch Picard to go take some photos for us?

8. Yucky muck: GOOP.

9. "That's __-brainer!": A NO.

10. Competitor's chance for redemption: REMATCH.  

11. Spilling red wine on the host's white couch, say: PARTY FOUL.  We had this answer in this recent puzzle by Irish Miss and C.C.  😄

12. __ vera gel: ALOE.  Have you tried the ALOE vera drinks with little pieces of gel at the bottom? I like them.  

13. Dandelion, e.g.: WEED.  How Dandelions Benefit You and Your Yard

18. "Just __": "Be right back": A SEC.

23. Scottish refusal: NAE.

25. Those, in Spanish: ESAS.  Spanish uses different words for "those", depending on whether it is functioning as a pronoun (esos) [How much are those?], an adjective for a masculine noun (eses) [How much are those tacos?], or an adjective for a feminine noun (ESAS) [How much are those apples?]. Without any hints in the clue, we are left waiting for perps.

26. Former name of Thailand: SIAM.  "Siam" changed to "Thailand" on June 24, 1939. It was briefly renamed "Siam" from 1946 to 1948.

28. Prefix with net or com: INTER-.

29. Adversary: FOE.

31. Every 12 mos.: YRLY.  "Months" is abbreviated, so is "YeaRLY".

32. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC.  Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

33. Italian goodbye: CIAO.

34. Conclude: TERMINATE.  This ended up being a nice, 9-letter symmetrical partner to PARTY FOUL.

38. Body ink, casually: TATS.  Perhaps you have heard Groucho Marx sing Lydia the Tattooed Lady, but have you heard Kermit's version?

39. Mine find: ORE.

40. Quick snooze: DOZE.

42. Go wild: RUN AMOK.  "AMOK" is a fun word.  

Perhaps he should try some 55-Downs.

43. Buckle: GIVE WAY.  Tricky, tricky! Here is a famous video (1:10 min.) of a bridge BUCKLing.  

45. Edamame component: POD.  "Mame" (pronounced mah-mayh) means "bean" in Japanese. Edamame are soybeans. They are a popular appetizer in Hawaii (and elsewhere). This is how I prepare them:  Heat a box of frozen edamame still in their PODs in the microwave. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve. Super simple, right?!  

Eat them as a finger food. You can "pinch" out the beans.
Do not eat the PODs!

46. Complains petulantly: WHINES.

47. Put up, as curtains: HANG.

50. Others, in Spanish: OTRAS.  Again, we need perps to know the last vowel.

51. Prod gently: NUDGE.

52. Makes less complicated: EASES.

53. Treaty: PACT.

54. Berry in some purple smoothies: ACAI.

55. Adidas competitor: AVIA.  Both are sport shoe companies.

This is the final word beginning with the letter "A". Today's grid had three 3-letter, four 4-letter, and six 5-letter words that begin with the letter "A". Not that there's anything wrong with that....

56. Dryer buildup: LINT.

60. Midwestern exclamation of surprise: OPE.  Perhaps someone from The Midwest can elaborate?

61. Poem of praise: ODE.  Here is a delightful poem of praise by Mingyu Y. entitled, Ode to crosswords:  Are you down for a cross?

You know, all this moving talk makes me think we will need some moving boxes. You will find more than enough below:

That's all for today. Please be extra safe & smart if you are traveling this holiday weekend!