Sunday, February 9, 2025 ~ Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "H2O"

Today, Tom and C.C. replace Hs with Os. Get it? H to O? Fun ensues.
Let's dig in to the themers:

23. Destroying personal chicken pens?: BUSTING ONES COOPS. Busting one's chops is an idiom meaning to tease or criticized in a lighthearted way.

39. Spilling a drink or double-dipping chips?: PARTY OOPS. Party hOPS - goes from party to party. I've had to do this at Christmas time before I toned down my calendar.

58. Exuberant support for Polo?: MARCO MADNESS. March Madness - College basketball's championship series of games in March.

83. Attendee at an orca training center?: POD CANDIDATE. PhD candidate.

97. Cold comfort for a YouTuber?: VIDEO COAT. Video chat. You know, what we did during Covid.

118. Relishing every bite of a fluffy French dessert?: LOST IN THE SOUFFLE. Lost in the shuffle.

41. Grain for one who eats like a horse?: COWBOY OATS. Cowboy hats.

Toy Story's Woody complete with Cowboy Hat

46. Dirty film at a movie theater?: SCREEN SOOT. Screen shot - taking an image of your computer screen.

Wow!, Tom & C.C. - eight (8) fun, water-making, clues.

As Paul Harvey might say, "Now, for the rest of the fill..."

Across:
1. Taj Mahal locale: AGRA.

5. The Bee Gees brothers: GIBBS.

Jive Talkin'

10. 10% church offering: TITHE. Pop ponied up 10% so Bro & I could attend St. Joe's.

15. Proper partner: PRIM. Prim & Proper - too stuffy if you ask me.

19. Prepare, as water for tea: BOIL. Tell us if you have an electric kettle.

20. Zhou of China: ENLAI. No Clue. WikiP says he was a "Chinse statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as [... China's premier ...] from 1949 until his death in 1973."

21. Ventricles' counterparts: ATRIA. Heart anatomy.

22. 40th anniversary gem: RUBY. Oy!, I only have four (4) years to save up.

23. [See: theme]

26. Polish language?: EDIT. Ha! Who else was thinking Poland?

27. Classical theater: ODEON. Like really classical Greek / Roman.

28. Storybook baddie: OGRE. Try as he might, Shrek wasn't a real baddie.

He's got a heart of gold.

29. Mechanic's job: LUBE.

30. Get-together, casually: SESH. My cackles get raised when my co-worker says this.

31. Import tax: TARIFF.

33. Reduced to mush: PUREED.

Will it Blend? - SciFi edition

35. Inning sextet: OUTS. Three outs per side finish an inning.

37. Terrible fate: DOOM.

39. [See: theme]

41. Raven's cry: CAW. Who else thought Poe and wanted to enter "TAP, Tap, Tapping at my chamber door."

44. Impudence: SASS.

47. Snake in the grass: RAT.

49. Like some stories: SHORT. Isaac Asimov's are some of my favorites.

50. Island farewell: ALOHA. Out of context, it also means hello.

Beatles!

52. "Mayfair Witches" network: AMC. I think this is a show DW & Girls enjoy.

53. Like a pug's tail: CURLED.

56. Assent, in Paris: OUI.

57. Hawkish: PROWAR.

58. [See: theme]

61. Copa del Rey cheer: OLE.

63. Soccer icon Wambach: ABBY.

64. Shave sheep: SHEAR.

65. Internet rabble-rouser: TROLL. Don't be one in the comments below ;-)

66. Abruptly stops daydreaming: SNAPS TO.

68. Running time: LENGTH.

70. Nabe where one might find tteokbokki: KTOWN. K-Town is Korean Town a NABourhood where you can find tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes(?)). Houston has a small K-Town in the South Spring Branch area. I went there with my buddies for dinner - we had to cook our own meat :-)

72. Alcohol in windshield wiper fluid: METHYL.

74. Kenyan capital: NAIROBI.

76. Mountain, in Hawaiian: MAUNA.

78. Make slicker, in a way: REOIL.

80. The Beatles' "Back in the __": USSR.

Sir Paul lights up The Philharmonic

82. "Discreet Music" artist Brian: ENO.

83. [See: theme]

85. __ skirt: POODLE.

87. High-tech FX: CGI. FX == special effects; CGI == Computer-Generated Imagery.

89. Baggage handler: SKYCAP. The guy right outside the terminal that you tip $5/bag to get you checked in.

90. "__ in the Bed": classic counting rhyme: TEN. Does this have anything to do with monkeys jumping?

91. Large deer: MOOSE.

92. Alaska's 365 million: ACRES. MOOSE wouldn't fit (and we just had it :-))

94. Sashimi fish: AHI. Sashimi == fish & no rice; sushi == fish on rice.

95. "Hey, c'mere!": PSST.

96. Foraging insect: ANT.

97. [See: theme]

101. Salt Lake County ski resort: ALTA.

103. Quick-with-a-joke types: WITS. "And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke / But there's some place that he'd rather be" [Billy Joel - Piano Man]

104. Pickleball point starters: SERVES.

106. Swung up and down: YO-YOED.

110. Flip-flop, e.g.: SHOE.

113. Common blood type, briefly: A POS. ABO blood typing. A+ means you have the Rh (rhesus) factor and the antigen A in your red-cells (with the B antigen in your plasma). There are three antigens - A, B, & O. //My MOS was 92B [read: my army job was medical lab tech]

115. Per person: EACH.

116. Yoda's power, with "the": FORCE.

117. Prepare for takeoff?: TAXI.

118. [See: theme]

122. __ so slightly: EVER.

123. "OK, we're doing this!": ITS ON. It's on like Donkey Kong!

124. Turner of "Rivals": AIDAN. Irish actor.

125. Fuel fire suppressant: FOAM. Los Angels saw a lot of this in January :-(

126. Darn, say: MEND.

127. Seated twist, e.g.: ASANA. Yoga.

128. "Don't play" symbols: RESTS. Musical reference.

Notes and Rests

129. Hardens: SETS.

Down:
1. Man on a mission?: ABBOT. Ha! A mission like the Alamo.

2. Mild yellow cheese: GOUDA. It's a real gooda!

3. Choir platform: RISER.

4. Tin mints: ALTOIDS. When I quit smoking I went through a tin a day. I switched to sugar-free Ice Breakers to save my teeth.

5. Next-__ hardware: GEN. Next GENeration. I think we're up to the iThing 16 now.

6. Gerund suffix: ING. To make a verb function as a noun, add ING - in case you were askING.

7. __ single: BLOOP. In baseball, a bloop single it's a lightly hit fly ball that goes over the infield but not quite to the outfielders.

8. First-rate, as a job: BANGUP. Tom & C.C. did a bang up job on this grid.

9. Romeo follower: SIERRA. The NATO Alphabet.

10. Tic-__-toe: TAC.

11. "See!?": I TOLD YOU.

12. Slacks, slangily: TROU. TROUsers.

13. Half a pair of waders: HIP BOOT.

14. Relax: EASEUP.

15. Media coverage: PRESS.

16. "The disrespect!": RUDE.

17. Bird with a curved bill: IBIS.

Ibis

18. Prometheus, for one: MYTH. Greek mythical god of fire.

24. Dirt, so to speak: INFO. The skinny. The word on the street.

Jon Lovitz [L] & Phil Hartman [R]

25. Future readers: SEERS. Cute, Tarot readers SEE the future.

32. Message board: FORUM. Not an ODEON? :-)

34. Community spirit: ETHOS.

36. Pre-1917 autocrat: TSAR. We're back in the USSR. [See: 80a]

38. Race named for a Greek battle: MARATHON. Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles [40km, C, Eh!] from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of victory.

40. Constellation containing Betelgeuse and Rigel: ORION. Knowing this told me Party Foul (filled b/f I knew the gimmick) was wrong.

41. [See: theme]

42. Starbuck's boss: AHAB. Melville's Moby Dick rather than CEO of the said named coffee chain.

43. Cautious (of): WARY.

44. __ Club: SAMS. Wal-Mart's Wholesale club and competitor of COSTCO. In college DW & I "joined" Sam's hoping to save $$. We did but spent the entire grocery budget on 50 packs of ramen, a dozen burritos, 4 tubes of toothpaste, 40 rolls of toilet paper, and 3 lbs of beef jerky :-)

45. Menotti's shepherd boy: AMAHL. Waseeley probably knows Menotti's opera featuring Amahl and the Night Visitors.

46. [See: theme]

48. Letters before a recap: TLDR. Too Long; Didn't Read. Basically, a memo's Executive Summary.

51. Really hated: LOATHED.

53. Welsh herding dog: CORGI.

54. Mushroom in bulgogi hot pot: ENOKI.

55. Muscle used in lateral raises: DELT. Deltoids are the muscles on your torso's sides.

57. Cacio e __: pasta dish: PEPE.


59. Baseless rumors: CANARDS.

60. Replay effect: SLOMO. For our first anniversary, I purchased a VCR for DW so she could record her soaps. She claims I bought it for myself 'cuz it had cool features like 4x SLOw MOtion :-)

62. Don Quixote's home: LAMANCHA. Spanish Lit.

66. Moved stealthily: SNUCK.

67. Take it all off: STRIP.

Adam Ant

69. Grove growth: TREE.

71. Rolls of bills: WADS.

73. Lo-cal brews: LITES.

75. Lawn bowling game: BOCCE. When Pop & his wife go to The Hill in STL, they play bocce ball.

77. Dasani competitor: NAYA. Bottled water brands.

79. Time to give up?: LENT. The forty (40) days following Fat Tuesday "to give up" something (fast) until Easter. It's no fair giving up drinking if you don't.

80. South Indian semolina porridge: UPMA.

81. Any day now: SOON.

83. King or queen, in chess: PIECE. I'm so glad someone threw me a bone with the "in chess" bit.

84. Newspaper: DAILY. Clark Kent worked for the newspaper at the DAILY Planet.

86. Jeans pioneer Strauss: LEVI.

88. 2,240 pounds: GROSS TON.

92. Super Bowl commercials, e.g.: AD SPOTS. This year, 30 seconds will run you about $8,000,000.

93. Existentialist Kierkegaard: SOREN.

95. Bribes: PAYOFFS.

98. Torino locale: ITALIA. DW's first car, a Torino, was located in Shreveport, LA :-)

99. Incarnation of Shiva: AVATAR. An Indian (Asian, not Native American) god.

100. Gadget enthusiast: TECHIE. My reason for the 4x SLO MO feature.

102. Vegan protein: TOFU.

103. Bizarro: WEIRD. It's weird to me that the word doesn't follow the "I before E (except after C) unless it sounds like an A" rule. Bizarro!

105. Storage sites: SHEDS.

107. "Friend __?": OR FOE. Um, if foe, wouldn't they lie?

108. Brilliant display: ECLAT.

109. Considers to be: DEEMS. Seems to be that I deem it that way.

110. Originate (from): STEM.

111. "__ a nice day!": HAVE.

Blazing Saddles

112. Farm workers: OXEN. Serf fit too. Just sayin'.

114. Peak in Thessaly: OSSA.

119. Cookbook writer Garten: INA. Crosswordom's favorite foodie?

120. Warmed the bench: SAT. In my youth when I played baseball, I was not a bench warmer. Other sports are another matter.

121. Iron-__: heat-activated patches: ONS.

Iron On on a 86d LEVI jacket

The Grid:

The Grid

The skinny:
WO: PARTY foul -> OOPS
ESPs: ENLAI, AMAHL, LAMANCHA, AIDAN
Fav: Polish language == EDIT

Cheers, -T

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Thanks for the great write-up, Tony!

2) Happy 54th Birthday to dear Splynter, our faithful Wednesday Sherpa. Splynter also blogged the Saturday puzzles for us for many years. May this year bring you joy, good health, a loyal four-legged friend and a special two-legged friend.

Splynter with Cooper on Christmas Day

 

Sunday January 12, 2025 Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: "PR Stunt"

Good Sunday morning. Today C.C. presents a puzzle so dazzling, adding PR to the themers, the press must cover it. Let's take a look:

22a. Ultrathin bicycle chain holder?: LIGHT SPROCKET. Remove the PR and you get light socket.

This light-weight set of sprockets [a gear] will set you back $280

40a. Divinely inspired binge session?: THE HOLY SPREE. The Holy See.  It's not a body of water, like I used to think, but the government of the Catholic Church in the Vatican.

58a. Number important to bakers?: VANILLA PRICE. Vanilla Ice. I'll spare you a rap song.

81a. Guaranteed ball catchers?: PROVEN GLOVES. Oven Gloves. I've stopped using them. All cotton side-towels work just fine and you don't have to walk over to get a mitt.
 

97a. Question from a grocery mister?: SHALL WE SPRAY. Shall we say?

118a. Fairyland queen?: SPRITE MANAGER. Site Manager.

34d. Garment for a gingerbread cookie?: PRALINE SKIRT. A-Line Skirt.

39d. Avid fan of Chunky Garden pasta sauce?: PREGO BOOSTER. Ego Booster. If you want to boost my ego, lie to me about how much you enjoyed this expo ;-)

Across:
1. "Alright, Still" singer Lily: ALLEN. Never heard of her or the song.
 

6. Split asunder: CLEAVE. This is a fun word 'cuz it's a contranym. Cleave means to tear apart but also means to cling to. [Cite [49:31 - Cleave is @2:30]]

12. Sought a dog treat: BEGGED.

18. Computer in a messenger bag: LAPTOP. My laptops go in a backpack along with a second monitor and various cables and lockpicks.

20. Throws in the trash: TOSSES. We learned Thursday to recycle eWaste.

21. Real: GENUINE. In my head I pronounce it like Mr. Haney [Pat Buttram] from Green Acres.
 

22. [See: Theme]

24. "Hold your horses!": EASY NOW. Just slow down your gumption.

25. Purple palm berry: ACAI.

26. High-pitched bark: YELP. Yip was too short.

27. Modern art?: ARE. LOL! Thou art -> You ARE.

28. Weighty burden: ONUS.

29. Poultry farm sight: COCK.
 

Foghorn Leghorn

31. Meat in a Cuban sandwich: HAM.
 

Yum!

33. Comics dog with a long tongue: ODIE.

34. Drain pipe material: PVC.

37. Stay-at-home worker?: UMP. Cute. In Baseball the UMP is at home plate.

40. [See: Theme]

44. Cookie with a churro flavor: OREO. There's a churro stand not far from me - they're good. A churro is pâte à choux (cream puff) batter, piped into hot fat, deep-fried until crisp, and shaken with cinnamon-sugar.
 

I checked.  They exist(ed).

45. Trunk: TORSO. Not on an elephant nor a train :-)

47. Peddle: SELL. It's funny, I can recognize peddle from pedal but, when it comes to writing it out, I get confused.

48. Seats for the faithful: PEWS.
 

You can buy it here

49. Delany of "China Beach": DANA. China Beach was a TV series on ABC ('88 to '91) and she was the lead actress, or so I've Googled.
 

Dana Delany

50. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE. She only appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia."

51. "I know kung fu" character: NEO.

I love this movie!

52. Land in the Seine: ILE.

53. "Get a hold of yourself!": COOL IT.

55. Batter's practice area: CAGE.

56. Plot progression: ARC.

58. [See: Theme]

61. Succulent harvested for its gel: ALOE.
 

Sorry Splynter, it's obligatory :-)

62. Judged to be: DEEMED.

64. Bracelet closure: CLASP.

65. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.

66. "Nicely done!": BRAVO.

68. Scent: AROMA.

70. Yonder things: THOSE.

72. "Hamilton" actress Phillipa: SOO. Perps

74. The "L" of Samuel L. Jackson: LEROY.

76. Thrill-seeker's activity: BUNGEE. Everything you wanted to know. I'm still not doing it.

78. Quiet attention-getter: PSST.

81. [See: Theme]

84. Doctor's orders, for short: RXS.

85. Middling: OKAY. I like the clue here.

86. Refuse to give in: INSIST.

87. Jaden's role in "The Karate Kid": DRE. The 2010 reboot of the movie. I had to LIU after the solve 'cuz I had no idea.

88. Spanish uncle: TIO. Makes sense since TIA is an aunt.

90. Resume highlight: SKILL.

91. Fancy party: FETE.

92. Som tam cuisine: THAI.

93. Small earring: STUD.

95. Intrinsically: PER SE.

96. Flintstones Vitamins shape: FRED.
 

Mom doled these out daily.

97. [See: Theme]

100. Asphalt alternative: TAR. On a Southwest flight after a bumping landing, the announcer said, "Oooh, that wasn't the pilot's fault; that was the asphalt."

101. Turk. neighbor: SYR. Turkey and Syria are neigbors.

102. Dude from Dundee: SCOT. The company I work for has an office is Aberdeen and that's the only place I've been in Scotland.

103. Pocket-sized: WEE.

104. "What __ have you got?": ELSE.

106. "The Alienist" author Caleb: CARR.

107. Find work for: USE.

109. Drink with cardamom: CHAI. Chai just means tea in Hindi. My co-worker from India laughs when anyone says chai tea: "Why are you saying tea tea?"
 

Marsala Chai

111. Cast down?: MOLT.

115. Pack of camels: CARAVAN.

118. [See: Theme]

121. One with a cordial rivalry: FRENEMY. A portmanteau of Friend and Enemy.

122. Exactly right: DEAD ON.

123. Fancy party: SOIREE. At my last company we called our Christmas Party a soiree on the invites. One of the partners thought is was funny and pretentious so he'd be funny and pretentious when he said this word.

124. Auction bids: OFFERS.

125. Pitching battles?: AD WARS. This was cute. Not a (baseball) tie in the 10th inning reference, but ads. Eight clever stunts in ongoing ad wars.

126. Word between God and you: BLESS. LOL! Not a prayer nor a scene in Oh, God but God Bless You - like gesundheit.

Down:
1. Gnocchi __ Romana: ALLA.
 

Recipe

2. Nonclerical: LAIC.

3. Org. for women who are great drivers: LPGA. Not cars but Lady's Professional Golf Association.

4. Set of principles: ETHIC.

5. "Ha, fooled ya!": NOT.

6. Lower left PC key: CTRL.

7. Contract flaw: LOOPHOLE.

8. Upper left PC key: ESC. Nice clecho.
 

9. Dickinson's advice column: ASK AMY. I know of AMY Dickinson from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me - she's a very competitive guest.

10. Turn suddenly: VEER.

11. Haim sister mentioned in Taylor Swift's "No Body, No Crime": ESTE. Perps.

12. Fitted cap: BEANIE.

13. Succeed: ENSUE.

14. Fellas: GUYS. Or Dudes (whether or not a SCOT [see: 102a])

15. Liquor in a Negroni: GIN. Negroni is a cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and Campari, generally served on the rocks, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. [WikiP]

16. Capital One's virtual assistant: ENO. Did music's Brian voice this? ;-) //that's a joke - Brian ENO is puzzledom's favorite music man. ENO is also ONE (part of Capital One) spelled backwards

17. Drops on the lawn: DEW.

19. "Ha, fooled ya!": PSYCH. Clecho! And what I wanted for NOT! at 5 down.

21. Crystal hunter's finds: GEODES.

23. Some toy doggies: PEKES.
 

30. __-Missouria Tribe: OTOE.

32. Everywhere: ALL OVER.

33. "1984" author: ORWELL. Prepare. 1984 is coming 40 years late.

34. [See: Theme]

35. Marco Polo's hometown: VENICE. I've actually been to his home in Venice. It's a little off the beaten path - at least that's how DW & I got there.
 

UNESCO image

 

My snap

36. Like many candies: COATED.

37. City east of Syracuse: UTICA.

38. Principled: MORAL.

39. [See: Theme]

41. Consequently: HENCE.

42. Go around in circles: SPIN.

43. Diver on Louisiana's state seal: PELICAN. I lived in North Louisiana for ~8 years so this was a gimme.

44. Scent: ODOR.

46. Mocking smile: SNEER.

53. Redeems, as a check: CASHES.

54. Info on a political rival: OPPO. Opposition Research.

56. Pre-Christmas season: ADVENT. A four week period where you light a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Lucina can explain.

57. Corp. shake-up: REORG. Oy! Last week at my Corp., a re-org was announced and layoffs are impending.

59. Brick made of soil and straw: ADOBE.

60. Balloon material: LATEX.

63. Like some city races: MAYORAL. I kept thinking of fun runs / marathons.

67. Happy hour picks: ALES. Hand up if you order that expensive scotch at a happy hour 'cuz you're too cheap to buy it IRL.

69. Not-to-be-missed: MUST SEE. Y'all remember NBC's MUST SEE TV of Seinfeld & Friends?

71. Gave an address: SPOKE. Orated didn't fit.

72. Gussies (up): SPIFFS. In slang, "Church it up."

73. Cantankerous: ORNERY. Mom said I was ornery. I assumed it meant impishly entertained.

75. Overly familiar: OLD HAT.

77. Category: GROUP.

79. Pico de gallo, e.g.: SALSA. I love pico and oft sauté it for scrambled eggs.
 

80. "The Accidental Tourist" novelist Anne: TYLER. Name.

82. Fought (for): VIED.

83. Face concealer: VEIL. Oh, not makeup.

89. AI field: IT SECTOR. I didn't realize last week when I posted an IT SECTOR joke that I was cribbing from the wrong puzzle and may have given a spoiler.

90. 1974 espionage spoof: SPYS.
 

92. Tough to solve: THORNY.

94. Night vision?: DREAM.

97. Leaves in a hurry: SCRAMS.

98. Sister show of "SmackDown": WWE RAW.  Wrestling shows.

99. Smith or Jones, sometimes: ALIAS. In HS, we used Townes - more believable and, if "they" looked it up, it'd get our buddy in trouble :-)

102. Piggy bank filler: SAVER. Not the coins but the person inserting them. Cute, C.C., cute.

105. Spam, e.g.: EMAIL.

106. Sugar crop: CANE.

107. Food safety org.: USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.

108. Ignored the limit: SPED.

110. Chick tenders: HENS. Ha! Not snacks for tots but the bird that tends to baby chic.

112. EverQuest monster: OGRE.

113. Some bell-bottoms: LEES. Oh, please - let's not go retro and bring those back.

114. Number before cuatro: TRES. Spanish counting. Uno, dos, TRES, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ochoe, nueve, diez. Two semesters of Spanish and that's as little as I remember. Father Guido Sarducci was right! [3:55]

115. Exec. who holds the purse strings: CFO. Chief Financial Officer.

116. "I want my bone!": ARF. You didn't really think you'd escape an Anon -T review w/o some heavy metal, did you?
 

117. B-ball official: REF.  Basketball is REFereed.

119. State next to Ore.: IDA. Oregon & Idaho.

120. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. A ritzy part of SFO just south of Lombard St.

The Grid:
  

The Grid

Thank you, C.C. for another wonderfully fun puzzle!

Cheers!, -T

Tuesday, December 24th, 2024 ~ Taylor Johnson

Gifts for Girls and Boys!

When the girls were little, they'd get to OPEN one present from us on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas morning, they'd see what Santa brought (mostly unwrapped and built the night before).

In this Christmas Eve offering, Taylor gives us gifts that a trained eye will spot at the beginning of four answers.  Let's see what they are:

17a. Asset of a highly skilled individual: TRAINED EYE.

25a. Lizard with a misleading name: HORNY TOAD.

Cute little fella

47a. "The Nutcracker" performer: BALLERINA. Both Girls took ballet. For years, we schlepped -- at least one girl -- to four performances in December.

Source: Houston Ballet

61a. List of cheap eats: DOLLAR MENU.

And the reveal:
38a. Christmas morning activity, and what 17-, 25-, 47-, and 61-Across all have?: OPENING PRESENTS.

Each themer Opens with a Present!  Let's unwrap the rest of Taylor's gifts...

Across:

1. Casino ratios that favor the house: ODDS. The house always wins.

5. Button alternatives: SNAPS.

10. Sir equivalent: DAME. Sir Elton John [Colbert 18+m]; DAME Judi Dench. [Tracey Ullman 2:25]

14. Schnitzel meat option: PORK.

15. Holy scroll of Judaism: TORAH.

16. Gulf nation bordering Yemen: OMAN.

17. [See: theme]

19. Orange skin: RIND. I had peel 'cuz that's what I zest ;-)

20. Bend under pressure: SAG.

21. Provide a welcome distraction: AMUSE. I wonder if Dame Judi was AMUSEd by Tracey's sketch.

22. Door joint: HINGE.

23. Key NFL players: QBS. QuarterbackS

25. [See: theme]

27. Personal energy fields: AURAS.

29. Early investor's opportunity, briefly: IPO. Initial Public Offering.

30. Urgent entreaty: PLEA.

31. Home of the University of Oregon: EUGENE.

35. Settle on a chair: SIT.

38. [See: theme]

41. Large amount: TON.

42. Half step down from D natural: C SHARP.

Both Java and C# are programming languages (yes, I am a nerd)

43. Twilight time: DUSK.

44. Nat __: documentary channel: GEO.

45. Sticky, as the weather: MUGGY.

47. [See: theme]

53. Implore: BEG.

54. Opera soliloquies: ARIAS.

55. Like Thor and Odin: NORSE. Thems NORSE gods.

57. Tupperware topper: LID. Mom was a Tupperware lady for a while. I learned how to burp the lid at parties :-).

Mom was no Brownie Wise

60. Mercedes-__: BENZ. Janis Joplin* sang about this German auto maker.

61. [See: theme]

63. Olympic blade: EPEE.

64. Bit of inside info: INTEL.

65. Adorable: CUTE.

66. Shore thing?: SAND.

67. Gaggle members: GEESE.

68. Television ad: SPOT.

Down:

1. Votes (for): OPTS.

2. Cartoon explorer with a talking backpack: DORA. The Girls loved Dora cartoons.

3. Adore Delano or Plastique Tiara: DRAG QUEEN. Perps half filled this before it became obvi.

4. Traverse a black diamond slope, say: SKI.

Movie: Better Off Dead

5. Thorny rose part: STEM.

6. "Obviously!": NO DUH. Obvi.

7. "You __ welcome!": ARE SO.

8. Venmo user, maybe: PAYER. Venmo is an app to pay folks. My paper deliver put her Venmo on her tip request insert.

9. Pronoun option: SHE.

10. Cool Ranch chip: DORITO.

11. __ acid: AMINO.

12. Japanese comic style: MANGA.

L337 Translation:
Panel 1: "The Pain!"
Panel 2: "I need help!" and
"I need you to get the doctor. I got some bad pain in my chest.  I need my pills."
Panel 3:  Does anyone here speak "eleet"?
Panel 4: "Yes"
//told you I was a nerd ;-)

13. Stopped: ENDED.

18. Mars rover org.: NASA. The history of NASA's logos.

22. Amps (up): HYPES.

24. Muffin fiber: BRAN.
 

R.I.P. Phil Hartman

26. Prime-time hour: NINE PM. The SNL Players were not ready for Prime-time.

27. Pet aisle brand: ALPO.

28. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

30. Planter: POT.

32. Groaning sound: UGH.

33. College application fig.: GPA. Grade Point Average.

34. Go off course: ERR.

35. Get cozy together: SNUGGLE UP.

36. Teeny: ITSY.

37. "How naughty!": TSK.

39. Some slushies: ICEES.

40. Rim: EDGE.

44. Sticky, as a doughnut: GLAZED.

46. Cab alternative: UBER.

47. "__ in Toyland": Christmas classic: BABES.

48. Venezuelan snack: AREPA.

Yummers!

49. Summery material: LINEN.

50. Hole-__: golf feat: IN ONE.

51. Nick of "Affliction": NOLTE.

52. French city in many van Gogh paintings: ARLES.

56. Garage event: SALE.

58. "__ the Woods": Sondheim musical: INTO.

59. Couple's karaoke request: DUET.

61. Use a spade: DIG.

62. Hosts, for short: MCS. Emcees.

The Grid:

The Grid

Taylor gifted us a nice Tuesday puzzle fit for the holidays, Oui?

The skinny: WO: peel -> RIND
ESPs: N/A
Fav: A Mercedes-BENZ for Janis.*

Merry Christmas & Happy (start of) Hanukkah!
//If that's not your thing... Happy Festivus!

Cheers!, -T
*Story: Last New Year's, we visited DW's aunt in Tiburon, CA. We, however stayed in nearby Sausalito.
DW found this wonderful Air B&B.  During our stay, we learned that it was a house Janis Joplin had lived in.
One afternoon for lunch, we met up with DW's cousin (who lives in LA, CA) at The Trident (opened by the Kingston Trio!) that had a few pictures of Janis (and her car) on the walls... We even got to sit at Janis' regular table. How cool is that?

Sunday, August 4th, 2024 ~ Kelly Richardson

Title: All Ball

Kelly provides us nuthin' but net in today's puzzle. #Basketball.

22. Goal of a dog running an agility course?: GET TO THE HOOP. And drop a bucket.

A puppy doin' it

36. Arrive too late for the blanket giveaway?: MISS A FREE THROW. This gave me a chuckle.
How do folks that make $$$/yr miss?

51. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle?: DEEP THREE. Oooh! A mid-court shot by a philosopher.

Monty Python

61. Garden privacy border made of psychoactive plants?: ILLEGAL SCREEN. Ref blows the whistle.

73. Gutter ball?: ALLEY OOPS. Boomer would call that a missed lane(?)

86. All of the reporters covering a trial?: FULL COURT PRESS.

105. Basketball stat, and what can be found in six of this puzzle's long answers: DOUBLE DOUBLE. And there's the cute - notice the double letters in each of the themers.

I can understand, if you've not been around basketball fans, how this theme might be a passed ball.

Across:
1. Fuses: WELDS. I was thinking electrical fuses. Anyone remember putting a penny under one to keep the lights on until getting back from the hardware store?

6. Fuse: UNITE. Cute cleco.

11. Microsoft's web browser: EDGE. Also U2's guitarist.

15. Bar: BAN. LSAT was first to mind. Youngest takes it this fall. She should take the Bar in 3 years.

18. Really fowl?: AVIAN. #boo-hiss :-)

19. "Fuller House" actor John: STAMOS.

20. Like a leaf blower: LOUD. Oy! Every time I want to take a nap the HOA mowers appear on the median raising a racket.
//BTW, that's why tennis is the loudest sport... They're always raising a racket :-)

21. "Flamin' Hot" director Longoria: EVA. TLN w/ a V in the middle... perp wait for Es or As.

22. [See: Theme]

24. "__, Brute?": ETTU.

25. Talk by a rev.: SER. The REVerend makes a SERmon.

26. Adds nutrients to, as flour: ENRICHES.

27. Mass x acceleration: FORCE. F=ma. Physics 101.

29. Provide fare for an affair: CATER. Love the clue's alliteration.

31. Vibe: TENOR.

32. Teddy bear picnic need: TEA SET.

34. Betting setting: CASINO. I'll be staying at the Linq's Tuesday for Blackhat|Defcon.

35. Wildebeest: GNU. What's GNU with you?

Gary GNU

36. [See: Theme]

38. Chrysalides, e.g.: PUPAE.

41. Art able to: CANST. Um, OK.

42. Cove, e.g.: INLET.

43. Stringed instrument: HARP.

44. World's third-largest river, by volume: CONGO.

45. Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsor: MACYS.

47. Really grate on: RILE.

51. [See: Theme]

53. Hajj destination: MECCA.

54. Ride a bike: PEDAL.

55. Branch of Islam: SHIA.

56. Two-tone bear: PANDA. A black and white answer.

57. Handles: FIELDS. An Easter Egg; as in fields a Ball.

58. Saint-Tropez sea: MER.

61. [See: Theme]

65. Part of REM: EYE. Anyone else think Stipe at first?

R.E.M.'s Orange Crush

66. Graduates: ALUMNI.

68. Major artery: AORTA.

69. Sch. between Mex. and N. Mex.: UTEP. University of Texas, El Paso. With Youngest at UT Austin and the other three of us with degrees from OU, um... #Awkward :-)

71. Nom de plume: ALIAS. Do they call AKA NdP in France?

72. HS assessments: PSATS. High School's Pre-Standard Achievement TestS.

73. [See: Theme]

78. List of options: MENU.

79. Los Angeles art museum: GETTY.

The Getty

80. Salty side: FRIES. I was looking for sass from Flo at Mel's.

81. Appeal: PLEA.

82. Big name in tractors: DEERE.

84. Pam of "Jackie Brown": GRIER.

85. Petrichor, e.g.: SCENT.

86. [See: Theme]

91. Brains behind a tech startup?: CPU. Cute. Central Processing Unit of a "techy" computer.

92. Ed who plays Donald Sterling in the miniseries "Clipped": O'NEILL.

93. Lambaste: BERATE.

94. New Hampshire state flower: LILAC.

97. Tehran resident: IRANI.

98. Take over a dance: CUTIN.

99. Seats near the action: FRONT ROW.

102. "Sneakers" actor Kingsley: BEN.

103. Lowly worker: PEON.

105. [See: Theme]

108. Back muscle, briefly: LAT.

109. "Not long now": SOON.

110. Over the moon: ELATED.

111. __ Loops: FROOT. All the colors taste the same but it's a great sugar rush before school.

112. "Rockaria!" rock gp.: ELO.

I was not familiar with this song.

113. Sports award: ESPY.

114. Chip dip: SALSA. I prefer pico de gallo.

115. Forest fronds: FERNS.

Down:
1. Pay: WAGE.

2. Vault or beam, in gymnastics: EVENT.

3. Petrol unit: LITRE. C,Eh! should be happy w/ the spelling.

4. Modern matchmakers: DATING APPS. Cute.

5. Ice-and-syrup treat: SNO-CONE.

6. Some Numic speakers: UTES.

7. "Prolly not": NAH.

8. Letters introducing a judgment: IMO. In My (Humble) Opinion.

9. 85 in a 55, say: TOO FAST. No, 85 in a 55 is just about right on Houston's Beltway (Grand Parkway is another matter - better be doing ~95 to keep from getting run over)

10. Evita, to Juan Per n: ESPOSA. OMG!, Duolingo just paid off :-)

11. Lyriq or Leaf: ELECTRIC CAR. I've never heard of Lyriq.

12. Coddle, with "on": DOTE.

13. Instinct: GUT. Gut reaction.

14. Teach: EDUCATE.

15. Awaken: BESTIR.

16. Skin care brand whose name comes from the Latin for "oats": AVEENO.

17. Like a slot canyon: NARROW.

19. "__ Used To Be Mine": Sara Bareilles song: SHE. I was thinking The Cars' My Best Friend's Girl.
 

23. Not 'round?: THRU. Adverbs abriv'd.

28. Pro coin flipper: REF. Think beginning of a footBALL game.

30. Plant with helicopter seeds: ASH TREE.

32. Hint: TINGE.

33. Sylvan __: "Hey Mami" folktronica duo: ESSO. ESP.

34. Animation stills: CELS.

36. Head locks?: MANE.

37. Artist who has recorded in Tolkien's fictional language: ENYA.

38. Post-M.A. pursuit: PHD. Out of respect, I call her Dr. DW.

39. Fed. next to Oman: UAE. United Arab Emeritus.

40. Not post-: PRE.

41. Undersea colony creator: CORAL.

44. Cook-off bowlful: CHILI. You know, one of things I really miss about living in SPI is the CHILI parlors. I know H-Town doesn't put beans in it, but,.. some kidney beans stretches out the proteins.

45. Smart society: MENSA. Half of the MENSA's I know are <redacted>

46. "Hells Bells" band: AC/DC. Hell yeah! //Splynter can get on board :-)

AC/DC

48. Lounging: IDLE.

49. British title: LADY.

50. If not: ELSE.

52. Adds water to: THINS.

53. Soda fountain drinks: MALTS.

54. Like some air fresheners: PINEY.

56. Celebration: PARTY.

57. Celebrations: FETES.

58. "__, this is a Wendy's": MA'AM. This is a response to someone who's not at the right time nor place for what they are saying.
 

59. Romance novelist Kennedy: ELLE.

60. Destroy: RUIN.

62. Hopping holiday figure: EASTER BUNNY.

63. Farm animal in some yoga classes: GOAT.

64. Mathematician who wrote the first theorem of graph theory: EULER. Ooooh, now we're getting into maths *heart emoji*

67. Schmaltzy: MAUDLIN.

70. References in some crossword clues: POP CULTURE.

72. Machu Picchu country: PERU.

73. Rally: ARISE.

74. Fabrications: LIES.

75. Cheer after un gol: OLE.

76. Write: PEN.

77. Perched: SAT.

79. Subj. of John McPhee's "Annals of the Former World": GEOL.

80. Guitar component: FRET.

83. Celestial obscuration: ECLIPSE.

84. Yogurt topping: GRANOLA.

85. Prequel series, essentially: SPINOFF.

86. Quirk: FOIBLE.

87. "Far out!": UNREAL.

88. Shanty: LEANTO.

89. Hanoi holiday: TET.

90. Lion families: PRIDES.

91. Lump of earth: CLOD.

95. Trellised archway: ARBOR.

96. Two-dot punctuation: COLON.

98. Flock flat: COOP.

99. __ market: FLEA.

100. Vermilion: RED. Google tells me vermilion is a brilliant RED. ESP saved me.

101. Hoses down: WETS.

104. Dawn goddess: EOS.

106. LUV competitor: UAL. LUV is Southwest Airlines; UAL is United.

107. "Boy With Luv" band: BTS. #K-POP

The Grid:

The Grid

Thanks Kelly for the Slam Dunk puzzle. It was a lot of words but this dyslexic solved it.

I've missed posting at The Corner the last few (very busy) days and I've been remiss...
Happy 80th Tehachapi Ken. You raised a good boy.
And, SubG, Happy Birthday to you too. Thanks for sharing the snap.

I'm getting girded for Hacker Summer Camp [read: getting my Pi proxy updated for Blackhat & Defcon] so y'all probably won't hear from me 'till the 13th.

Cheers, -T

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 ~ Susan Gelfand

The Perfect Gift

G'Day!, Cornerites.

Today, Susan offers us jewelry apropos to one's occupation. Each phrase is "in the language" with the first word describing the position and the second a bit of bling. Let's take a look:

20. Custom timepiece for a meteorologist?: STORM WATCH.

33. Custom necklace for a chef?: FOOD CHAIN.

41. Custom brooch for a defensive back in the NFL?: SAFETY PIN.

Johnny can make a brooch out of it.

52. Custom band for a barista?: COFFEE RING.
I once had the idea that, if I ever went out on my own consulting, I'd call it "Coffee Ring Consultants" 'cuz every document I pre-produced for draft editing ended up with a coffee stain in the upper left corner.
//I always wore a mocha button-down when I did presetations for clients - that way spilt coffee wouldn't show. #ProTip

Cute theme, eh? Nicely done Susan. Thanks.

Across:
1. Passionate enthusiasm: ZEAL.

5. College concentration: MAJOR. Mine was Double-E w/ a Masters granted in CS. In my young ZEAL I thought I could build AI robots but, instead, I landed at DOD protecting networks which took all my hackin' skilz to the other side of the fence.
Tell us your major and why.

10. Dazzling figure skating feat: QUAD. Quadruple (14a) AXLE.

Ilia Malinin

14. Car bar: AXLE. Not a cocktail-box in the back, Double-O-7. Sorry to disappoint you, sir.
//I rewatched a few James Bond flicks while DW was in Japan :-)

15. Run off to wed: ELOPE.

16. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO...as you would have them do unto you - The Golden Rule.

17. Falafel wrapper: PITA.

Yummers!

18. Greased: OILED.

19. Fan favorite: IDOL. Billy is one of them.

Dancing With Myself

20. [See: theme]

22. Word on a door: PULL.

The Far Side

23. Agreeable answer: YES.
 

Roundabout - YES (a big influence on RUSH*)

24. Art studio stands: EASELS.

26. "Let's keep going!": ONWARD.

30. Spill the beans: BLAB.

32. Jeweled topper: TIARA.

33. [See: theme]

38. Still a contender: IN IT.

39. Robes at the Roman Forum: TOGAS.

Obligatory Animal House clip.
(It's in my contract)

40. Plot parcel: ACRE.

41. [See: theme]

43. Mountain lions: PUMAS.

44. Cathedral alcove: APSE.

45. Scout's discovery: TALENT. Talent scout not a Boy Scout.

46. Push and shove: JOSTLE.

50. Pointy leatherworking tool: AWL. Funny, I call my awl "pointy tool."

51. No more than: UP TO.

52. [See: theme]

59. Statistical average: MEAN.

60. Naturally bright courtyards: ATRIA.

61. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.

62. Soft French cheese: BRIE.

63. Bird associated with babies: STORK.

64. Air conditioning outlet: VENT.

65. Rowboat pair: OARS.

66. Hefty books: TOMES. Asmov's Foundation Trillogy was one. It filled 80% of my backpack (sorry, history book). #Priorities

67. Previous partners: EXES.

Down:
1. Heats up in the microwave: ZAPS.

Percy Spencer accidentally discovered it.

2. Highway off-ramp: EXIT.

That's not real. This one is.
 

3. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO. I think I mentioned they (the eponymous company) make pretty good firewalls.

4. Shakespearean ruler who divides his kingdom between two of his daughters: LEAR.

5. Cried like a calico: MEOWED.

6. Pseudonym: ALIAS.

7. Caffeine rush: JOLT.

8. Crude cartel: OPEC.

9. Conan O'Brien and Prince Harry: RED HEADS.

10. Witticisms: QUIPS.

11. Disproportionate, as influence: UNDUE.

12. Coral island that surrounds a lagoon: ATOLL.

How they're formed

13. Barbie and Skipper: DOLLS.

Barbie and kid-sister Skipper

21. British pianist Hess: MYRA.

25. "Abbott Elementary" network: ABC.

26. Redding of R&B: OTIS.

27. Simone of R&B: NINA.

28. Ragamuffin: WAIF.

29. Prado paintings: ARTE.

30. "Casablanca" star, familiarly: BOGIE.

Humphrey Bogart

31. Library offering: LOAN.

33. Fancy dressers: FOPS.

34. Transport: HAUL.

35. Pinnacle: ACME.

Wile E. Looking for the Perfect Gift.

36. Country on the Persian Gulf: IRAN.

37. Hummingbird's home: NEST. I remember the night before DW's water broke for Eldest. She was in fast-mode getting things in order and I was tidying up the garage. We fell asleep for about 20 minutes on the couch and spent the next morning in the Delivery Room.

Nesting Urge.

39. Stuck playing the same roles again and again: TYPECAST.

42. " Qu __?": Spanish "What's up?": TAL.

43. Muted, as colors: PALE.

45. Makes minor adjustments: TWEAKS.

46. Extra-large: JUMBO.

47. Met performance: OPERA.

48. One step: STAIR.

49. Earth __: natural shades: TONES.

50. Blazing: AFIRE. Hand-up if you thought Saddles immediately.

53. Nove minus uno: OTTO.

54. Email heading word: FROM.

55. Wander about: ROVE.

56. Mountain goat: IBEX.

57. Zilch: NONE.

58. Comprehends: GETS.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: AXIL [sic] -> QUAD
ESPs: MYRA, TAL
Fav: JOSTLE is such a fun word.

There you have it folks. Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Hahtoolah. It was fun (for me anyways) filling in.
Cheers,
-T

*I think it's also in my contract to include RUSH. DW got home Sunday to IAH from NRT but didn't go through

YYZed