Tuesday, February 27, 2024 ~ Jared Goudsmit

Happy Tuesday Folks! Today is going to be short & sweet. I was taking an extra propane tank to the garage, tripped over outdoor cushions, and fell ass over teakettle onto my cactus last night. What a pain in the toosch! [Sp?]

17. *Manga series also known as "Mach GoGoGo": SPEED RACER.
 

Oh, did I love this cartoon in the '70's.

29. *Captain Morgan product: SPICED RUM.
 

47. *Iced bun, e.g.: SWEET ROLL.

64. *Yuletide excursion: SLEIGH RIDE.

40. Ceiling beams, or a three-word hint for the answers to the starred clues: R AFTER S.
 
What you think? A nice breezy puzzle that keeps the reveal hidden 'til the end.

Across:
1. British pop singer Lewis: LEONA. The only pop singer I know is Huey but he's from CA.
 

6. Stuff in a trough: SLOP. Oink.

10. Sea blue: AQUA.

14. Winter X Games host city: ASPEN. #Snowboard

15. Word before or after man: CAVE. HG showed you a snap of my "Cave" last Sat.

16. Reynolds of "Boogie Nights": BURT. He was also in Smokey & the Bandit w/ Sally Field & and the incomparable Jackie Gleason.

 

 17. [See: Theme]

19. Latvia's capital: RIGA.

20. Condensed, for short: Abbr.: SYN. I'm not sure how this works but it filled.

21. Measuring stick: RULER. "Ruler" is a 15th century variation of "rule," which comes, via French, from Latin "regula," which meant a measuring stick, a diminutive derived from "regere," to straighten, lead, or guide." I use mine to make a straight line.

22. Nodded: DOZED. I'll #Nap when I'm done.

23. Trusty mount: STEED.

My Hero!

25. "Loki" voice actress Strong: TARA.

27. Team on a movie set: CREW.

29. [See: Theme]

34. __ Fables: AESOPS.

37. "Cornflake Girl" singer Tori: AMOS.

38. United: ONE.

39. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA.

40. [See: Theme]

42. Hullabaloo: DIN.

43. AOC, for one: DEM. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez(D) is a representative or NYC's 14th.

44. Bassoon cousin: OBOE.

45. MLB team with Mr. and Mrs. mascots: NY METS. New York's Mr. Met.

47. [See: Theme]

50. "Alita: Battle Angel" star Salazar: ROSA.

51. Having no loose ends?: TIED.

52. "To reiterate ... ": I SAID.

55. Malfunction, as a copier: JAM UP.

58. Guilty and not guilty: PLEAS.

60. Relieved (of): RID.

63. Suitable for cacti: ARID. I love my Gramp's cacti but this is a sore subject for me right now.

64. [See: Theme]

66. "You can't have it!": MINE.

67. Normandy city: CAEN.

68. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.

69. Cricket clubs: BATS.

70. Calligrapher's collection: INKS. Pens & nibs also fit.

71. Give an address: SPEAK.

Down:
1. Gal: LASS.

2. Glimpse: ESPY.

3. Ali Baba's magic words: OPEN SESAME.

4. Family tree word: NEE.

5. Actor Braugher: ANDRE.

6. Spills the tea, maybe: SCALDS. You can sue if it's too hot and SCALDS you.

7. Garter trim: LACE.

8. Paycheck fattener: OVERTIME. Time and a half helped pay the rent.

9. __ capita: PER.

10. Using one's passport, say: ABROAD. I need to renew mine; expired in Dec t did.

11. Pop __: QUIZ.

12. Hard-to-resist impulse: URGE.

13. Just slightly: ATAD.

18. Have regrets: RUE.

22. Black tie optional, say: DRESSY.

24. Only even prime number: TWO.

26. Oak nut: ACORN.

27. Swiped items: CARDS.

28. Extend, in a way: RENEW.

30. Dev of "Slumdog Millionaire": PATEL.

31. Beverly Hills shopping destination: RODEO DRIVE. You can't say RODEO like a Texan. You gotta Church-it-up hoity-toity like Targette.

32. Storage rentals: UNITS.

33. High-minded org.?: MENSA.

35. Expert advice: PROTIP.

36. Buffalo hockey pro: SABRE.

41. Meal regimen: FOOD PLAN. Your diet.

46. Med scan: MRI.

48. Technique-building piano pieces: ETUDES.

49. Supine protests: LIEI-NS.

53. __-AFTRA: SAG. The Nanny (Fran Drescher) is in charge. Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. I didn't know the AFTRA bit. Sounds like a razor.

54. Lenten symbol: ASHES.

55. Door part: JAMB.

56. Opera highlight: ARIA.

57. Money maker: MINT.

59. Chive kin: LEEK.

61. Lightbulb, metaphorically: IDEA.

62. Help __: DESK.

64. School subj.: SCI.

65. Jay-Z genre: RAP.

The Grid:
 

The TL;DR:
WOs: pens -> INKS
ESPs: LEONA
Fav: I kinda liked JAM UP xing with JAMB.

Cheers, -T

Thursday, February 8, 2024 ~ Jon Daly

Domestic Flights of Fancy

Hi All!
Today Jon offers us four U.S. carriers as part of common things. Let's take a look:

17. Sadness that sets in after missing a flight?: DELTA BLUES. Blues from the Mississippi Delta; Delta is an airline based in ATL.

23. Countries listed on a flight board?: UNITED NATIONS. Headquartered in New York, the UN tries to keep the world more or less civilized. United Airlines is HQ'd in Chicago.

47. Rural areas serviced by just one airline?: FRONTIER TOWNS. A township founded by the settlers. Frontier Airlines is based in Denver, CO.

57. Flight that lasts seven days?: SPIRIT WEEK. The week before the big homecoming game #RahRahRah. SPIRIT airlines - the butt of late-night jokes.

Pretty straight forward theme that doesn't require much from me so let's just move on to the fill.

Across:
1. Maze runners: MICE.

"I solved the maze in fifty-three seconds, but it was a Monday level."

5. Formal decrees: DICTA. Puts the DIC in dictator.

10. Help the chef: PREP. Sous in the kitchen.

14. Driver of Hollywood: ADAM. Listening to an interview, I learned he's a Marine Corps vet.

Adam Driver

15. "American Fiction" actress Tracee __ Ross: ELLIS. She's an actress and Diana Ross's daughter.

Tracee Ellis Ross

16. Stray: ROVE. I almost went with roam.

17. [See: theme]

19. Jon Arbuckle's dog: ODIE. Garfield comic.

20. F1 neighbor: ESC.

Standard Keyboard

21. Friction reducer: LUBE.

22. Paint, toddler-style: SMEAR.

23. [See: theme]

27. Minimally: AT LEAST.

29. Spring bloom: IRIS. Blue Iris used to frequent The Corner.

30. Grilled sausages, for short: BRATS.

31. Out in the open: AL FRESCO. When DW & I were in Italy, we ate only one meal indoors. //I had the anchovy pasta.

35. Fun, as a party: LIT.

36. Jewelry retailer: ZALES.

38. Paddle kin: OAR.

39. Hit the gym: EXERCISE.

42. Church donation: TITHE. 10% is literally what it means and suggested by the church.

44. Tennis Court __: French Revolution event: OATH. The OATH that established the National Assembly in the Real Tennis room of Versailles.

45. Some patches: IRON-ONS.

47. [See: theme]

51. Filmmaker George who won five Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation: LUCAS. Hugos are for Science Fiction / Fantasy. George's are for Star Wars (1978), Empire Strikes Back (1981), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982), Return of the Jedi (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1990).

52. __-Free: contact lens solution: OPTI.

53. Honor society letter: PHI. As in PHI Beta Kappa.

National Honor Society

56. Second son: ABEL. Cain killed him.

57. [See: theme]

60. Covered: CLAD.

61. Eagle claw: TALON.

62. Fabled napper: HARE. Aesop reference.

63. Numbers game: KENO.

64. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role: ROSSI. Didn't know his name but I know the face. Good Italian boy, him.

Joe Mantegna [WikiP] as Rossi.

65. Pod in Creole cuisine: OKRA.

Down:
1. Took home: MADE. Net. After taxes.

2. Midmonth time: IDES. Beware the IDES of April. #Taxes

3. Do the math: CALCULATE. Take line 47 and subtract from... Ha!, No., just give the Gov't all that's left over and move on.

4. CPR expert: EMT. Needed after taxes :-)

5. Opens: DEBUTS.

6. "Suuure": I'LL BET.

7. Like crosswords: CLUED. Cute. I find clueing is the easiest part; gridding takes C.C..

8. Twist-__: TIE.

9. Saddlebag carrier: ASS.

10. Potential: PROMISE. As in, "-T had a lot of promise | potential..." that I'd get on report cards.

11. Wyoming's state sport: RODEO. Also Texas' state sport. Houston's Rodeo is 27 February through 17 March this year.

12. S.Pellegrino rival: EVIAN. Bottled spring waters. I associate S.Pellegrino with carbonated and Evian with still (though they (Evian) make sparkling now).

13. Coevals: PEERS. Coevals are contemporaries.

18. Misleading handle: ALIAS. Fake name used for mischief.

22. To-do: STIR. A row.

24. Clear: NET.

25. African river to the Mediterranean: NILE. Our Egypt offices are moving from Maadi to New Cairo City in June(ish).

I tried to highlight the Nile in red.

26. Pound sounds: ARFS.

27. Qualified: ABLE.

28. Lucky Charms shelfmate: TRIX. There's an Eddie Murphy bit in this.

Eddie Murphy on Carson

31. Pour choice: ALE. Ha!

32. Figuratively: SO TO SPEAK.

33. Four-time Oscar-winning lyricist Sammy: CAHN. Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. [WikiP]

34. Smelter input: ORES.

36. Tubular pasta: ZITI. Among Rigatoni, Penne, Fileja, Cannelloni, Ditalini, Manicotti, and Macaroni. #KnowYourTubePastas

37. Tennis great Arthur: ASHE.

40. Portuguese soccer great who now plays in Saudi Arabia: RONALDO. Cristiano Ronaldo's WikiP.

41. Musical based on Eliot poems: CATS. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats is based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

42. Specifically: TO WIT.

43. Overnight stop: INN.

45. PC problem solvers: IT PROS.

46. Corkscrew pasta: ROTINI. Great for pasta salads.

Recipe

47. "Killing Me Softly With His Song" singer: FLACK.

Roberta Flack

48. Moscow money: RUBLE. DW had some left over from her Russia trip that we added to our international monies collection.

49. __ Spray: OCEAN. Cranberry Cooperative.

WikiP

50. Foments: ROILS.

54. Munster mister: HERR. Today's German lesson.

55. KALLAX shelf seller: IKEA.

57. Viola's sect.: STR. A buddy of mine in HS was First STRing offensive line and First STRing Viola in the STRing SECTion.

58. Kung __ shrimp: PAO.

59. Seuss villager: WHO. As in Horton Hears 'em or The Grinch tries to steal their Christmas.

Whos in Whoville. 
(The one on the left (in blue) is The Dr. :-))

The Grid:

The Grid

After I completed the grid I noticed ATL (Delta's hub) in AT LEAST and went hunting for the other airlines' hubs. There's United's ORD (O'Hare), Frontier's DENver, and I think Spirit is HQ'd in MIAmi. I don't think Jon intended this level of silliness but there you are :-)

WOs: Sous -> PREP, ROam -> ROVE
ESPs: ELLIS, ROSSI
Fav: 42d CLUED as "Specifically" is nicer parsing than the slight (at me) "What to do when the Alfa doesn't work." :-)

Cheers, -T

Thursday, February 1, 2024 ~ Emet Ozar

SWF Seeking...

Escape - Rupert Holmes

15. *Device sold with some sheets of hard candy: TOFFEE HAMMER. You say so.

Toffee Hammer

22. *Took from the top: SKIMMED OFF. Taking the cream or a Salami Attack.

47. *"The Irishman" role for Al Pacino: JIMMY HOFFA. Jimmy's still alive, right?

58. *Teenage vampire slayer of film and TV: BUFFY SUMMERS. I didn't know Buffy had a last name.

35. Some partners, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: SAME SEX COUPLES.

All I can figure is MM (male-male) & FF (female-female) are paired up in the themers. Overall, Emet provided a nice Thursday puzzle that wasn't too difficult.

Across:
1. Yogurt-based drink: LASSI.

Recipes

6. Choose: OPT.

9. "The Equalizer" network: CBS. I've seen one or two partial episodes - I think Queen Latifah was (is?) in it.

12. Pins included in many Ikea furniture kits: DOWELS.
 

Who's NOT used these?

13. Oberlin College's state: OHIO. Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. [WikiP]

14. Horde member in Tolkien: ORC. Remember, ENTs (16' humanoids that look like trees) are good; ORCs bad. EFTs are salamander newts and are NOT part of LOTR.

15. [See: theme]

17. "The Marvels" director DaCosta: NIA.

Nia DaCosta

18. Zaftig: ROTUND. Zaftag: Yiddish origins for "pleasantly plump" woman. #Google

19. Genetic strand: RNA. Ribonucleic acid.

20. Happily __ after: EVER. All the Grimm Brothers' tales as told by Disney.

21. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

22. [See: theme]

25. Label: TAG.

26. "Nova" subj.: SCI. Nova, on PBS, is a great SCIence program.

28. Suffers: AILS.

29. Tokyo, long ago: EDO. Comes up about four times a year in puzzles.

30. Diner patron: EATER. A diner eats dinner at the diner.

33. Yuletide: NOEL.

35. [See: theme]

39. Stew meat: LAMB. Friday, I had lamb curry at an Indo-Pac place. It must be authentic - no pepper icon next to the menu item but it sure had a kick to it.

40. Style: TASTE.

41. Amber, for one: GEM.

43. Brand of kitchen bags: GLAD.
 

Don't get mad, get Glad

45. Dudes: HES. Guys & Bros was too long.

46. "It's __-brainer!": A NO. I didn't even have to think about this one.

47. [See: theme]

52. "Not only that ... ": ALSO. Oh, and, and, and...

53. Neck of the woods: AREA. As Pop [57d] says of his property, "It's my little postage stamp on the globe."

54. Salad dressing base: OIL. EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) was too long; perps said 'egg' was right out.

55. Crazy about: MAD FOR.

57. Pop: DAD. I call father both.

58. [See: theme]

61. Fig. affected by weather: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival is just that, an estimate.

62. Lago contents: AGUA. Spanish lesson for the day.

63. Removes, as a knot: UNTIES. Or, how dyslexics gather around a cause.

64. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL.

65. Sighs of pleasure: AHS.

66. Visibility reducers: MISTS. Could affect your ETA.

Down:
1. Ambitious aspiration: LOFTY GOAL. Anyone have any LOFTY GOALs for 2024? Mine is to get a HAM license.

2. Nasty: AWFUL. Mean was too short.

3. Observed: SEEN.

4. Winter coaster: SLED.

5. "More or less": ISH. Or so(ish).

6. "Wowza": OH MAMA. Should I rat-out BIL? He had salted carmel in dark chocolate for the first time. "Oh, damn, Oh, Oh, dude. Oh, Mama! Y'all need to check this out!" //he has a sheltered (meat & potatoes) pallet. Once, the Girls double-dog dared him to eat a blueberry and he was plussed.

7. Thanksgiving dessert: PIE. Being from the South, DW must have pecan; I gotta have pumpkin.

8. The Blue Jays, on sports crawls: TOR. Toronto Blue Jays, eh, C,Eh?

9. Chat sesh: CONVO. A chat ses[h]sion is a conv[o]ersation. #KidsTheseDays

10. Terse: BRIEF. [see: 9d]

11. Beginner's knitting project, perhaps: SCARF. For crocheting too (I made a lot of scarfs :-))

12. Tchotchkes: DOODADS. Thingies on the shelf.

13. Universal opening?: OMNI. Omnipresent, Omnivorous, Omniscient, Omnidirectional.

15. Hackneyed: TRITE. [see: this expo]

16. Genesis boat: ARK.

20. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.

 History [Time]

22. Locale: SITE.

23. Microscopic: MINUTE. Here's a word that, depending on long- or short- "I," has two different meanings. Primer is another.
//chatting with a hacker-buddy HAM on #discord I said I'd like a primer on the cheap-a** Baufeng radio I bought for my LOFTY GOAL. He thought I wanted to paint it :-)

24. Gets together quietly: ELOPES. Cute.

26. Proper: SEEMLY. I don't quite get this... I thought SEEMLY was baudy in a way.

27. World Heritage Site in Algiers: CASBAH. Cue The Clash.

Rock the Casbah

31. Business card no.: EXT. Phone number EXTention within your PBX (Private Branch Exchange).

32. Kelly Clarkson's first record label: RCA. Nipper's recording studio. Hi Misty!

34. Cost of a suit?: LEGAL FEES. Not a three-piece but a lawsuit.

36. Molten rock: MAGMA.

Rock Cycle

37. Federal org. that inspects workplaces: OSHA. Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

38. Features of many alarms: SENSORS. Motion sensors, break-glass noise sensors, magnet switches on the windows & doors, etc.

42. Heath-covered wastelands: MOORS. Emily Bronte comes to mind.

Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights [Python]

44. Foolish one: DOOFUS.

47. Over it all: JADED. Cynical.

48. Hopping mad: IRATE. PO'd was too short.

49. Purple Heart, e.g.: MEDAL. (Army) Bro has one.

Purple Heart

50. Sports org. based in Zurich: FIFA.  #Soccer

51. Pop __: FLY. Usually an easy catch in #Baseball.

52. Let in or let on: ADMIT. Bouncer ADMITs you or you ADMIT you did it.

55. Public transit system in San Francisco, familiarly: MUNI. I kept wanting BART but perps didn't agree.

56. Tsps. and tbsps.: AMTS. Don't confuse these two AMTS when using baking powder (ask me how I know).

58. Pasture sound: BAA.

59. "Blah": UGH.

60. Dim __: cuisine often served in steamer baskets: SUM.

Yummers!

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: LOng shO[ts] -> LOFTY GOALS, bart -> MUNI
ESPs: LASSI, ROTUND, MUNI (oh, yeah)
Fav: I'll go w/ OMNI - any one else subscribe to the magazine back in the day?

Toss in your $0.02 below - I'll catch up with y'all later tonight. Have a great Friday eve!

Cheers, -T

Thursday, January 25, 2024 ~ Freddie Cheng

Pump Up The Jam

Click if you don't know the song

Ok, I concede, you can't make jam out of a pump but "plum up jam" isn't a thing -- though, you can plumb UP a [door] jamb :-).

Anyone with a better title? Fortified Foods?

Today, Freddie adds the word UP to intensify our foods / FARE. Let's see what I mean.

20. Add bulk to cured meat?: BEEF UP JERKY. BEEF UP: Make it stronger, better, more interesting.

25. Treat haricot verts to extra plant food?: BUTTER UP BEANS. Haricot verts are French green beans [Google]. BUTTER UP: Praise or flatter in order to get someone to do something

42. Give some oomph to pot stickers?: SOUP UP DUMPLINGS. SOUP UP: Make more powerful such as an engine.

Yummers!

52. Concerns for commuters, or an apt title for this puzzle: FARE HIKES.

I, for one, liked the theme and thought the wordplay in the themers fun. The only downside (or upside depending on your solving experience) is you knew UP was after the verb / before the food.

Across:
1. Element of ecclesiastical architecture: APSE.

5. Pave over: RETAR.

10. Business magnate: CZAR.

14. Tailless cat: MANX. The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated hind legs and a rounded head. [WikiP]
 

Manx Cat

15. "Same here," more formally: AS AM I. Not "ditto?"

16. Gold element of some religious paintings: HALO.
 

History of the World Part I

17. Thing that may have twists and turns: PLOT. Cute.

18. Capacitance unit: FARAD. A capacitor holds a charge between two plates. The Farad was named for Michael Faraday.

19. Penny-__: ANTE. Small stakes poker

20. [See: theme]

23. Pro Bowl org.: NFL. National Football League holds a Pro Bowl (all star) every year the week before the Super Bowl.

24. California's Big __: SUR. Let's check in with the Chamber of Commerce.

25. [See: theme]

32. Longtime "Dancing With the Stars" judge Goodman: LEN.

Len passed last year of pancreatic cancer.

33. "My bad": SORRY.

34. Zelenskyy's country: Abbr.: UKR. Ukraine's president is Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

There lots of deep-fakes of him dancing but one account is real.

36. Range units: ACRES. "Home, Home, Home on the Acres" just isn't the same.

39. Hubbub: ADO.

40. __ del Carmen, Mexico: PLAYA.

Playa del Carmen in relation to...

42. [See: theme]

45. "No time to talk!": I'M LATE.

Alice in Wonderland's Rabbit

46. Half of an interrogation pair: BAD COP.

Maya Rudolph and Jason Bateman Play Good Cop/Bad Cop 

French Cop / Italian Cop #Improv

47. Decryption need: KEY. Two types of keys - symetric and asymetric. A semetric key is used to encrypt and decrypt. Asymetric keys are two related keys - one is used to encrypt and the other is used to decrypt (read more). Asymetric encryption is what makes online shopping possible.

48. Highway sign no.: RTE.

50. WWII carrier: LST. World War II's "Landing Ship, Tank", 1ea.

51. Dreyer's partner in ice cream: EDY. Crossworddom's favorite frozen treat; presumably the OREOs & cream variety.

52. [See: theme]

55. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

58. Shiraz resident: IRANI.

Pretty much 9 hrs. due south of Tehran

59. Milton setting: EDEN. John Milton's poem Paradise Lost.

63. Pub contest: QUIZ.

64. Disciplined, in a way: FINED.

65. Roof overhang: EAVE.

Eave

66. Place to build: SITE.

67. Months and months: YEARS.

68. Was positive: KNEW.

Down:
1. Band aid: AMP. Cute.

2. Sidekick: PAL. Not Tonto nor Robin.

3. Stuffed shirt: SNOB.

4. Length: EXTENT.

5. Some drawings: RAFFLES. Pastels fit.

6. Biblical birthright seller: ESAU.

7. Renovator's protective cover: TARP.

8. Key of Beethoven's Sym. No. 7: A MAJ. Even if you don't know, you can count on an M and wait for perps.

9. Rolls past: RIDES BY.

10. Yogic spiritual center: CHAKRA. Did you know it's also another Stan Lee superhero?

11. Off-the-wall: ZANY.

12. PC key near Z: ALT. Left side of your keyboard.

13. Sturgeon delicacy: ROE.

21. Young salamander: EFT.

22. Have regrets about: RUE.

25. Turn into: BECOME.

26. Disorderly: UNRULY.

27. Thing that may have twists and turns: ROAD. Cute Clecho with 17a.

28. Pakistani language: URDU.

29. Dance with a queen: PROM.

ABBA's Dancing Queen

30. Fine point: NUANCE.

31. Heavenly body?: SKY GOD.

32. Shortsighted solution?: LASIK. Cute.

35. Rough, in a way: RASPY. RASPY wasn't a ROUGH START Monday.

37. Org. concerned with plastic pollution: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

38. Buddhist teaching: SUTRA.

40. One in a buffet stack: PLATE.

41. Starbucks top: LID.

43. Paralyze with fear: PETRIFY.

44. "The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo" airer: PBS KIDS.

49. Strange and scary: EERIE.

50. Hard-hit baseball: LINER.

52. Throw for a loop: FAZE.

53. Mandlikova in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: HANA.

Her Wiki

54. Try to find: SEEK.

55. Sharpness figs.: IQS. Intelligence Quotient. Its a measure against others your age on a test designed to measure intelligence / problem solving. The average is 100, one sigma is 85 to 115. If you're three-sigmas from the mean, you're either a genius or a moron (or both!)

56. "Absolument!": OUI.  Is the clue really a word? Or even French??

57. One with a knack for snappy comebacks: WIT.

60. Auerbach of the Black Keys: DAN.

61. "House of the Dragon" actress Best: EVE.

62. Word in four state names: NEW.

The Grid

The Grid

WOs: mask->TARP, Lts->LST (untie!), dAZE->FAZE
ESPs: PLAYA, DAN
Fav: Penny-ANTE. FIL used to say "Penny-ANTE lollipop bullsh**" for the small stuff.

What foods can you UP? My Angel Editor came up with four (4) in short-order.

Cheers, -T

Wednesday, January 10, 2014 ~ Rebecca Goldstein

Hey Bartender!

19. "New Miserable Experience" pop band: GIN BLOSSOMS. I nailed it sans perps - I have the CD.

Hey Jealousy

25. Pepper named for its resemblance to a tam-o'-shanter: SCOTCH BONNET.

Recipe

52. Role for Jason Derulo in 2019's "Cats": RUM TUM TUGGER.

63. British desserts similar to cannoli: BRANDY SNAPS.

41. "Now you're talking!," and what can be said about the ts of 19-, 25-, 52-, and 63-Across: THATS THE SPIRIT.

That was (hic!) a bit (hic!) of fun, no? (hic!) Let's check the fill...

Across:
1. Range across eight European countries: ALPS. Those countries being France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.

5. Plays the kazoo, say: HUMS.

9. Pet also called a rainbow fish: GUPPY. I was thinking a tetra.

14. Look at: VIEW.

15. Best: ONE UP.

17. Really loud: AROAR.

18. "You are something __!": ELSE. The nerve!

19. [See: Theme]

21. Yelp user, e.g.: RATER. Yelp lets users RATE a service. Look at the 3 & 2-star comments to get a better idea. //my $0.02

23. Actor Hemsworth: LIAM.

LIAM

24. "Pagoda Fruit" artist Jean: ARP.

That's a "fruit?"

25. [See: Theme]

29. UPS alternative: DHL. German company founded in 1969 by Americans Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom, and Robert Lynn.

31. Bangs on the head?: HAIR. In the UK, it's called a fringe.

32. Annual awards: NOBELS. I prefer the Ig Nobels.

34. NNW opposite: SSE. North-northwest is opposite south-southeast.

36. Soda brand that turned 125 in 2023: PEPSI.

40. Ranted and __: RAVED.

41. [See: Theme]

44. Boscs and Bartletts: PEARS. Learned this years ago from crosswords.

45. Book list entry: TITLE.

46. San Jose Earthquakes org.: MLS. The Earthquakes are a Major League Soccer team.

47. Some mattresses: SERTAS.
 

49. Pond organism: ALGA.

51. Variety: ILK.

52. [See: Theme]

59. "More info soon" letters: TBA.

61. FaceTime alternative: ZOOM. Covid put this company on the map.

62. Drum kit component: SNARE.
 

A drum kit.  Wanna hear Neil Peart? [Letterman]

63. [See: Theme]

67. Actress __ Rachel Wood: EVAN.
 

Evan Rachel Wood

68. Yogurt-based dip: RAITA.
 

Recipe

69. Microwave feature: TIMER.

70. French head: TETE. Today's French lesson.

71. Made a choice: OPTED.

72. "Arrivederci!": CIAO. Today's Italian lesson.

73. Sluggish: SLOW.

Down:
1. Swears up and down: AVERS.

2. Purple hue: LILAC.

3. Herbaceous sauce: PESTO. Herbaceous? That's a new word on me.
 

I do love me some basil pesto

4. Honey: SWEET HEART. I had SWEETie pie.

5. Biker's ride: HOG. Did you know that's the stock-ticker symbol for Harley Davidson?

6. Singular prefix: UNI.

7. __ Park, California: MENLO.

8. Join the game as a replacement: SUB IN.

9. 5-Down fuel: GAS.

10. Major in astronomy?: URSA. Cute - the Great Bear constellation.
 

There must not have been much light pollution
 for them to get a bear out of this

11. Pitiable person: POOR DEVIL.

12. Printed handouts: PAMPHLETS.

13. Jr. and sr.: YRS. Not son & father but 3rd & 4th years of high-school or collage (aka UNI).

16. Scheme: PLAN.

20. Sign of things to come: OMEN.

22. Classic TV brand: RCA. Hi Misty!

26. Hula Hoop movers: HIPS.

27. "Ted Lasso" actor Goldstein: BRETT.
 

He played SWEET HEART foul-mouthed Roy Kent on Ted Lasso
and his stand-up is funny but NSFW / this Blog.

28. Pop singer Amos: TORI.

30. Psychopharmacology initials: LSD. Lysergic acid diethylamide - ask your parents about Timothy Leary.

33. Objects that attract iron filings: BAR MAGNETS. How is this not part of the theme? :-)

34. Good memory, metaphorically: STEEL TRAP. My mind is a steel trap... rusted shut.

35. Nickname given to Nemo by the Tank Gang: SHARK BAIT.
 

37. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.

38. Cohesive group: SET.

39. Imam's faith: ISLAM.

42. Russian ruler, once: TSAR.

43. Attack with water balloons, say: PELT.

44. Inflation letters: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch. And here I was thinking Consumer Price Index until, with ESP, the V-8 can hit.

48. __ Sheep: Peppa Pig's best friend: SUZY. A buddy of mine is trying to learn Mandarin by watching the Chinese version of Peppa Pig. Also, fun bit, Peppa Pig is giving American toddlers British Accents.

50. Gloomy guy: GUS.

53. More than half: MOST.

54. Elixir: TONIC. Add a lime & GIN for a G&T //theme adjacent?

55. Savory flavor: UMAMI. Added to tastes sweet, salty, sour, & bitter in 1907 by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Japan after an especially good bowl of miso (er, kombu dashi - aka, seaweed & tofu to us 'Mericans).

56. Judge's hammer: GAVEL.

57. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

58. Sign up for another season: RENEW. I can't tell you how many streaming services we have (no really, I don't know!) and they magically renew.

60. Two chips, say: ANTE. Do Brits sweeten the pot with crisps? ;-)

63. Certain sib: BRO. I have two. And two SISes.

64. Papa: DAD. Pop is the DAD of all five (5) of us.

65. Wasabi-coated snack: PEA.

66. Sellout letters: SRO. Standing Room Only. I've been to a few SRO games; tell you what - even if you had a seat, you'd be standing out of excitement at every pitch.

The Grid:
 

The Grid

WOs: SWEETie pie
ESPs: SCOTCH BONNET, RUM TUM TUGGER, EVAN
Fav: BAR MAGNETS and TONIC are other Easter Eggs.

That was a lot to swill. But, S.O.B., gimme a drink before I get the Night Sweats.

Cheers, -T