Monday February 12, 2024 Amanda Cook

  

Theme:                    Takin' Care of Business  

Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Takin' Care of Business (1973)

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. We'll waste no time getting down to business. Constructor Amanda Cook has placed the reveal across the equator:

37 Across. Sign outside a new store, or what the first words of 18-, 24-, 52-, and 59-Across can do?: OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

The words FUNNY, MONKEY, SHOW, and BIG can all make an in-the-language phrase when place in front of (open for) the word BUSINESS.  

18 Across. Sunday comics locale: FUNNY PAGES.

FUNNY BUSINESS refers to dishonest behavior intended to trick someone.  

24 Across. Pull-apart breakfast treat: MONKEY BREAD.

MONKEY BUSINESS is silly, mischievous, or deceitful conduct.  

52 Across. Broadway number that brings the house down: SHOW STOPPER.

SHOW BUSINESS is the performance arts that constitute the entertainment industry.  

59 Across. High roller: BIG SPENDER.

BIG BUSINESS is large-scale or important financial or commercial activity.  

And now for the remaining 71 clues:

Across:
1. Nudge: PROD.  A NUDGE in the right direction can go a long way. I like the saying, "Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult." In other words, use your brain to engineer the situation so it is easier for everyone to make better choices.

5. Photocopier unit: REAM.  

9. __ Day: tree-planting occasion: ARBOR.  This year, National ARBOR Day in the U.S. is Friday, April 26.

14. "The Real" co-host Love: LONI.  Unknown to me but she has 2 million Instagram followers so that shows what I know....

15. Ill at __: troubled: EASE.

16. "Make like a tree and __!": LEAVE.  You know ... make like a check and bounce; make like a baby and head out; make like Tom and Cruise; make like a bread truck and haul buns; or make like a banana and split!

17. In the thick of: AMID.

20. Shaggy's sidekick, familiarly: SCOOB.  

Scooby Doo theme song (1 min.)

This cartoon gave me nightmares when I was a kid.

22. Season for the 2024 Olympiques: ETE.  The French spelling tips us off that we need the French word for "summer". BTW, the official languages of the Olympics are English, French, and the host country's language(s).

23. Brita rival: PUR.  

very similar

28. That, in Tijuana: ESO.  "Tijuana" tips us off that the answer will be a Spanish word. No digas ESO translates to "Don't say that."

30. "Russian Doll" co-creator Poehler: AMY.  

Amy Poehler (left) with the star of Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne. 

31. "There's __ in team": NO I.  But there is an M and an E.  

32. Built: ERECTED.  

34. Conger catcher: EELER.  

This is a conger eel.

36. Did one's civic duty: VOTED.  When I worked at the Australian Embassy in D.C., expats came from all over to vote. Voting is compulsory for them. Table 1 on this site shows 32 countries with compulsory voting. Nineteen pursue it with enforcement.

42. Language of India that derives from Sanskrit: HINDI.  I've learned several Sanskrit words from practicing yoga.

43. Cuba y Cozumel: ISLAS.  Both are islands in Spanish-speaking countries.

44. All together: IN TOTAL.  This one adds up.

47. Go through dots like Pac-Man, e.g.: EAT.  

Pac-Man EATs the dots.

48. Amiss: OFF. as in "not quite right"

51. Happy Greek cry: OPA.  

Has anyone seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 yet?
I'm waiting for my turn at the library.
Rotten Tomatoes only gives it 29%. Oof-a!

55. Turn __ dime: ON A.  Is this good or bad?

57. Endeavour astronaut Jemison: MAE.  

National Women's History Museum link

58. 29-Down, for example: RATIO.     and     29. FanDuel stat: ODDS.

FanDuel is an online gambling company.

63. Corgis and collies: DOGS.  

A Borgi is a Border Collie / Corgi mix.

64. Like seven candles on the first night of Hanukkah: UNLIT.

65. Volcano associated with Hephaestus: ETNA.  I got this at 4-letter volcano, but a little Googling taught me that Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry, and sculpture. It seems he was thrown out of Mount Olympus after a bad argument with Jupiter. He fell on a lovely island, creating a deep hole in a high mountain. He decided to use that mountain as his blacksmith forge and (you guessed it) the result was a sparking Mt. ETNA.

66. Litter's littlest: RUNT.  There are several reasons for variations in the size of newborn puppies and kittens. A RUNT might occur in a very large litter because of positioning in the womb or because matings took place over several days.

67. Fitbit units: STEPS.  

68. Tragic fate: DOOM.  

69. Online artisan marketplace: ETSY.  

You can order this pink brain beanie for your Valentine on Etsy.

Down:
1. Life-saving donation: PLASMA.  

2. Enemies-to-lovers movie genre: ROM-COM.  ROMantic COMedies sometimes start with two people getting off on the wrong foot, like the time when Harry met Sally.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally ... (1989)  (2 min.)

3. Like some bagels: ONIONY.  adjective describing the flavor of allium plants

My chives have woken up from their winter naps and are already 5-inches tall.

4. Got a C, say: DID OK.  

"I got an A-, Tina". "You got an Asian F?"  (40 sec.)

Glee  (2011) 

5. NHL whistle blower: REF.  Here is a list of not-National Hockey League whistle blowers in the U.S. going back to 1777.

6. __ de parfum: EAU.  French for "water"

7. Ed of "Elf": ASNER.  

Will Ferrell and Ed Asner in Elf.  (2003)  (1 min.)

[Yeah, I think someone just pointed the video camera at their TV.]

8. Protégé: MENTEE.  A protégé is someone who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence. You know, like a mentor's MENTEE. 

9. Tour de France mountain: ALP.  This year, Le Tour begins on Saturday, June 29 in Florence, Italy. (You know I'll be watching!) 

Click to enlarge.

10. Gather in the fields: REAP.

11. Boulangerie loaf: BAGUETTE.  There seems to be a French mini-theme in today's puzzle.  

The Flight of the Conchords show off their French in Foux du fa fa.

12. Supervises: OVERSEES.  If you are an expat supervisor, you OVERSEE while you are overseas.

13. Hi-__ photo: RES.

19. Date component: YEAR.  alas, neither roses nor chocolates

DH and I had a Valentine's date on Saturday. We did a couple's candle-making class. Mine is the pink one -- eucalyptus/lemongrass/library book scent  

21. Health insurance, paid time off, etc.: BENEFITS.  Both are perks that might come with one's job.

25. "Here goes nothing" hashtag: YOLO.  You Only Live Once

26. Oktoberfest quaff: BIER.  The German spelling tips us off that we need the German word for beer.

27. One straying from the norm: DEVIATOR.

33. Downsides: CONS.  

Pros and CONS of adulthood

34. Exo- opposite: ENDO.  This one made me think of skeletons.  

35. Cleanup hitter's stat: RBI.  "Statistic" is abbreviated, so is Runs Batted In.

37. Pro Football Hall of Fame location: OHIO.  I read the clue too quickly and thought it was asking about the Pro Bowl so I entered Oahu. 

38. Zero in on: PINPOINT.  Here is the Pro Football Hall of Fame PINPOINTed on a map.  

39. Get wrapped up in a sticky situation: ENTANGLE.  

40. Doesn't waste: USES.  Waste not, want not.

41. Bedframe part: SLAT.

45. "Alas ... ": AH, ME.

46. Gave temporarily: LOANED.

48. Say "I pass": OPT OUT.

49. Pretends: FEIGNS.  It is nice to FEIGN interest when someone you care about is excited to tell you something about which you do not care.

50. Snowman with a magic hat: FROSTY.  

You know the hat is magic because of all the sparkles.

53. Joined with: WED TO.

54. San Diego slugger: PADRE.  Their mascot is the Swinging Friar.

56. Small taste of liquid: A SIP.

59. Magic vehicle for Ms. Frizzle: BUS.  This refers to a set of children's books (and later TV show) where the teacher, Ms. Frizzle, takes the students on extraordinary Science field trips.

60. TD's six: PTS.  Touch Downs are worth six Points (I hope your team got them yesterday.)

61. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.  Brian often frequents our girds.

62. Male sheep: RAM.

Here's the grid:  

It seems were are nearing close of business so I will bid you adieu!  

Wednesday, December 27, 2023 ~ Amanda Cook and Katie Hale

Department of Transportation

Happy Wednesday, Cornerites. Today Amanda and Katie give us some common words/phrases where the last part in each is also a mode of transportation.

17. Transport for loudmouths?: VOCAL COACH. A vocal coach is someone who helps/coaches singers. Eldest, the opera major, had a vocal coach for years; DW & I would to drive her by motor-coach [car] to lessons.

26. Transport for nanobots?: MICROPLANE. A microplane is a grater with finer teeth.
 

Lemon zest for the win!

36. Transport for the army's best poker players?: SHARK TANK. A card sharp or card shark is a deft poker player; a military one would likely motor about in a TANK. //Or, if caught cheating, sleeps with the fishes in the TANK ;-)

51. Transport for rural golf instructors?: PROTRACTOR. This themer made me LOL; the image of the golf Pro out on his Tractor.

Hand-up: You had one in your pencil box.

60. Transport for seminary students?: CROSS-TRAIN. You cross-train staff so they can do each others' major functions. A seminary student probably doesn't need much training with the Cross but, if new to the city, would need commuter-rail train training.

A fun play on transports, I thought. Let's see how Cook & Hale round out the 15x15.

Across:
1. Parakeet's pole: PERCH. Roost fit but perps disagreed. //Perch is better fill anyway.

6. Margarita flavor: LIME. And tequila!

10. Roughly: OR SO.

14. Nebraska city: OMAHA. Hi HG!

15. "Make it snappy" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

16. 29-Across, for one: JOEY.

Kanga and Roo

17. [See: Theme]

19. Many 4WD autos: SUVS. Sport Utility Vehicles.

20. Fizzy fountain drink: COLA.

C-O-L-A Cola [The Kinks' Lola live]

21. Car loan figs.: APRS. Annual Percentage RateS.

23. Allow: LET.

24. Singer-songwriter Tori: AMOS.

26. [See: Theme]

29. Young character in Milne stories: ROO. The joey in 16a's image.

30. Not pos.: NEG. Negative.

31. Being tracked, in a way: ON RADAR. e.g. Santa by NORAD Sunday night.

32. Little sandwich treat: MINI OREO.

35. Express checkout units: ITEMS.

36. [See: Theme]

39. __-knit sweater: CABLE.

42. "Barefoot __": Ina Garten cooking show: CONTESSA.

46. Overdue debt: ARREARS.

49. QB stats: TDS. Quarterbacks stats: Touchdowns.

50. Beach ball filler: AIR.

51. [See: Theme]

53. Doomed: SUNK.

54. Rocker Vicious portrayed by Gary Oldman: SID.

Sid And Nancy [Trailer]

55. Bygone Russian ruler: TSAR.

56. Has a meal: EATS.

58. Hall of Fame catcher Rodriguez nicknamed "Pudge": IVAN.

60. [See: Theme]

64. Letter after epsilon: ZETA. It's all Greek to me.

65. Overture follower: ACT-I.

66. __ Carta: MAGNA.

67. Utopia: EDEN.

68. For fear that: LEST.

69. Exhausted: SPENT. Not yet, we've the downs to go...

Down:
1. Perspective, for short: POV. Point of View.

2. My Chemical Romance genre: EMO.

Watch 60 seconds and you won't forget MCR is EMO.

3. Critter also called a trash panda: RACCOON.

4. Complete disorder: CHAOS. Not KAOS.

We don't do za Holiday Partiez?

5. Edvard Grieg's "In the __ of the Mountain King": HALL.

6. Asian language: LAO.

7. "Foundation" series writer Asimov: ISAAC. In HS, I read everything I could find from Asimov.

8. Powerful Apple: MAC PRO. Apple Computers.

9. Filmmaker Nora: EPHRON.

10. Citrus drinks, for short: OJS. Orange JuiceS

11. French meat dish: ROULADE. Food. Specifically, rolled food.

Beef Roulade

12. Start time for some morning shows: SEVEN AM.

13. Shellfish served with mignonette sauce: OYSTERS. More Food!

Center red sauce: shallots, red wine vinegar, and pepper pickled for about 2 hours.

18. GoPro product: CAMERA.

22. Legs it: SPRINTS.

24. Common injection site: ARM.

25. Me, in Marseille: MOI.

27. Disney CEO Bob: IGER.

28. Hanukkah pancake: LATKE. Food!

30. Problem for the Tin Man: NO HEART.

Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man that he didn't already have.

33. Dot in the ocean: ISLET.

34. Thunder's city, for short: OKC. Oklahoma City Thunder is an NBA team.

37. "Africa" rock band: TOTO. If you listend to Monday's "Straight No Chaser" 12-Days of Christmas that sumdaze linked, you may have noticed at 1:57 they break into Toto's Africa rhythm .

[the "not from Kansas"] Toto - Africa

38. "We Feed People" chef Jose : ANDRES. He's a (burgeoning) Thanksgiving Tradition on Colbert.

A take on [6a's] Margarita

39. Flip over at sea: CAPSIZE. Not to be confused with your head's circumference.

40. Got somewhere: ARRIVED.

41. Night out for straight guys: BRODATE. Since our wives had no interest, BIL & I went on a brodate to see Facing Nolan #Baseball

43. Bangers and mash protein: SAUSAGE. Food!

Traditional(?)

44. Serious misdeed: SIN.

45. Biblical evacuation vessel: ARK.

47. Scamp: RASCAL. Imp.

48. Hardly plentiful: SCARCE.

52. Dressage paces: TROTS.

53. Interchangeable watch component: STRAP.

57. PIN points: ATMS. Personal Identification Number; Automatic Teller Machine.

59. Brit's grandma: NAN.

61. Command to a collie: SIT.

62. Travel stop: INN.

63. __ Geo Wild: NAT.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: ade->OJS but not before inking evaS(?) at 19a; ISLan -> ISLET
ESPs: HALL (as clued), ROULADE(sp)
Fav: ISAAC Asimov.

If I don't post before the 1st (we leave for SFO tomorrow), Happy New Year!

Cheers, -T

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Amanda Cook

Water, Water, Everywhere ... but not in my Glass, my Cup, my Pitcher, or my Bowl.

17-Across. Sherlock Holmes costume accessory: MAGNIFYING GLASS.

22-Across. Means of sticking a shower caddy to a tile wall: SUCTION CUP.

35-Across. Support from the bullpen: RELIEF PITCHER.

46-Across. Annual football game in Arizona: FIESTA BOWL.

And the unifier

52-Across. Isn't credible, or a literal description of 17-, 22-, 35-, or 46-Across?: DOESN'T HOLD WATER.

I laughed when I got the reveal.  While the last word of each theme answer could hold water, the answer as written is not an item that would hold water.

Across:

1. Mooch, as a smoke: BUM.

4. Royal elephant of children's literature: BABAR.  We saw Babar just last Wednesday when he made an appearance in the puzzle.  The Babar books have been around since 1931.  They are not without controversy, however.  [Name # 1, fictional.]

9. Functional: UTILE.

14. Slice of history: ERA.

15. Alpaca relative: LLAMA.  This made me think of Ogden Nash and his thoughts on the Llama.

            The one-l lama,

            He’s a priest.

            The two-l llama,

            He’s a beast.

            And I will bet

            A silk pajama

            There isn’t any

            Three-l lllama.”

16. Inheritance from one's parents?: GENES.  Cute clue.  //  and 56-Down. Makeup of 16-Across: DNA.  We learned about Eugene Pool last Thursday.

20. Marriage: UNION.

21. Desert watering holes: OASES.  Is the Cajun Oasis in the desert?

26. Fungus gnat, e.g.: PEST.

29. Paul Anka's "__ Beso": ESO.  I'll spare your ears.

30. Score more than: BEAT.  Earlier this Fall, the LSU Tigers beat the Georgia State Panthers in football by a score of 56 to 14.

31. Figure on the last float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: SANTA.  And a shoutout to our dear Argyle.  The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day / Annual Christmas Parade was in 1924.  

This Float from 1924 was filled with oxygen, so was propped up on stilts instead of actually floating.

32. To the left, at sea: APORT.

34. Takes effect: SETS IN.

38. Bibliography list: TITLES.  A bibliography is a list of all of the sources used in preparing a research paper.  The bibliography typically includes the authors' names and the titles of the works, such as papers, books, etc.

39. Neglects to mention: OMITS.

40. "The Good Place" creator Michael: SCHUR.  I never saw The Good Place and am not familiar with Michael Schur (né Michael Herbert Schur; b. Oct. 29, 1975).  The show was a sit-com that starred Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; Dec. 29, 1947).  [Name # 2.]

Michael Schur is on the right.

41. "Sunday NFL Countdown" network: ESPN.

42. Agcy. operating full-body scanners: TSA.  This federal agency, the Transportation Security Administration,  makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

45. __ out a win: almost lost: EKED.

49. Convene again: RESIT.  Meh!

51. Dubbed: NAMED.

57. Muse of poetry: ERATO.  She makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She is especially known for erotic poetry.   Erato is one of the nine muses of Greek mythology.  Can you name the other eight?  [Name # 3, fictional.]

58. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.  Justice Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She has served in the Supreme Court since August 2010.  [Name # 4.]

59. Nail polish brand: OPI.  We often see this nail polish brand in the puzzles, although the company prefers to be called a Nail Lacquer.

60. Luminous: AGLOW.

61. Weather forecast aid: RADAR.

62. Web portal with Bing: MSN.

Down:

1. Perplex: BEMUSE.

2. Ice planet beyond Saturn: URANUS.  There are so many sophomoric jokes about this planet.  Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens.

3. Realismo __: Isabel Allende genre: MÁGICO.   Today's Spanish lesson.  Isabel Allende (née Isabel Angélica Allende Llona; b. Aug. 2, 1942) novels incorporates Magical Realism, which is a style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.  Allende is a Chilean author and much of her works have been translated into English.  Her novels are often based upon her personal experience and historical events, while weaving together elements of myth and realism.

Isabel Allende

4. Russian pancakes: BLINI.  They are supposed to be easy to make.  I can't vouch for this because I have never tried to make Blini.

5. Melmac native of 1980s TV: ALF.  Did you know that Alf's name stood for Alien Life Form?  He was known for wanting to eat the family cat, which is probably why I never watched the show.  [Name # 6, fictional.]

6. __ leaf: stew herb: BAY.

7. Bordeaux beau: AMI.  Today's French lesson.

8. Expired, as time: RAN OUT.

9. Fleece-lined boots: UGGS.  Ugg is right!

10. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.

11. Sort of: IN A SENSE.

12. "__ Misérables": LES.  Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo (Feb. 26, 1802 ~ May 22, 1885).  The book, which follows the lives of several people, focuses primarily on Jean Valjean, an ex-convict.  Jean Valjean struggles for redemption.  The novel culminates with the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris.  The novel has also been adapted into movies and musicals.  [Name adjacent.]

13. Serpentine curve: ESS.

18. "__ my cup of tea": NOT.  A shoutout to Yellow Rocks as this was an expression she often used in her comments.  Has anyone heard from her?

19. Athleta parent company: GAP.  Or, if you're in London, you must mind the Gap.

23. Orchestral reeds: OBOES.  A crossword staple.

24. Tank the efficacy of, in gamer slang: NERF.  According to dictionary.com, Nerf means: "(in a video game) to reconfigure (an existing character or weapon), making it less powerful."  The only Nerf I knew of was the Nerf Ball.

25. Arched-back yoga asana: CAT POSE.  The Cat-Cow are common warm-up positions in yoga.

27. Risotto recipe verb: STIR.  Yummers!  I love a good risotto.  It does take a long time to make and there is a lot of stirring to get the dish to come out just right.

28. Khaki kin: TAN.

31. Splinter group: SECT.  This, too, is becoming a crossword staple.

32. Mentions indirectly: ALLUDES TO.

33. Docking spot: PIER.

34. Duration of employment: STINT.

35. Novelist Riordan: RICK.  I am not familiar with this author.  Rick Riordan (né Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.; b. June 5, 1964) writes fantasy novels.  He is best known for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which is also a movie series.    [Name # 7.]

36. Light and delicate: ETHEREAL.

37. Little rascals: IMPS.

38. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE.  I always thought Thomas Stearns Eliot (Sept. 26, 1888 ~ Jan. 4, 1965) was British.  He was actually born in St. Louis, Missouri, but renounced his American citizenship and became a British subject in 1939.  [Name # 8.]

41. "Both would be fine": EITHER.

42. Narrow-headed drum: TOM-TOM.

43. Wins every game in a series: SWEEPS.

44. Astronaut Buzz who was the second man on the moon: ALDRIN.  Besides being an astronaut, Buzz Aldrin (né Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.; b. Jan. 20, 1930), was also a jet fighter pilot.  He flew 66 combat missions during the Korean War.  He legally changed his name from Edwin to Buzz in 1988. [Name # 9.]

46. Athletic: FIT.

47. Peace Nobelist Sadat: ANWAR.  In 1978, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Anwar Sadat (né Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat; Dec. 25, 1918 ~ Oct. 6, 1981) and Manachem Begin (Aug. 16, 1913 ~ Mar. 9, 1982) for jointly negotiating peace between Egypt and Israel.  Sadly, Sadat was assassinated in 1981.  [Name # 10.]

48. What did ewe say?: BAA.

50. Skier's surface: SNOW.

52. Anti-narcotics law gp.: DEA.

53. URL ending for charities: ORG.  The difference between .com and .org.

54. Suffix with pay or Cray: -OLA.  As in Payola, which is a criminal offense, and Crayola, which are crayons.

55. Conducted: LED.  Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 ~ May 18, 1911) was Bohemian composer and one of the leading conductors of his time.  He was from a little village called Kaliště, which is in what is now the Czech Republic.   We visited Kaliště a few years ago because it is also the home town of hubby's great-grandfather.  They were contemporaries.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

I'll be away for the next few weeks, but I know you will be in good hands.  Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!