Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a delivery from August Miller. August is more of a Wed.-Sat. kind of constructor. This is his first Monday LAT puzzle -- a 61-A. RARE TREAT for us solvers.
Theme: CSO to D-Otto!
Our very own desper-otto is a dedicated MEALS ON WHEELS volunteer.
He even brings snacks for the dogs on his route. (T)His community is lucky to have him!
First, the themed clues and answers:
20 Across. Cozy spot for a morning repast: BREAKFAST NOOK. This is a small space, often adjacent to the kitchen, used for casual dining. It generally fits a small table and comfortable seating.
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| Get it? "NOOK & cranny" Haha! |
34 Across. Not in the office, perhaps: OUT TO LUNCH. 
42 Across. Evening ringer: DINNER BELL.
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| Snoopy improvises |
55 Across. Nonprofit that delivers food to the elderly, or what can be found three times in this puzzle?: MEALS ON WHEELS. Their mission is "to empower local community programs to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated." How to Become a MEALS ON WHEELS Volunteer
Also, three MEALS (BREAKFAST, LUNCH, and DINNER) appear to be placed ON WHEELS (actually letter O's). Notice that the WHEELS are consistently placed under the second and the second-to-last letters of each MEAL. I liked this purposeful use of circles!
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| Alternating the placement of the meal words (first, last, first) helps the WHEELS to stand out. |
Rolling along now....
1. Current locale of NASA's Perseverance rover: MARS. NASA's Perseverance website
5. The Great Pyramid, for one: TOMB. The Great Pyramid was a TOMB for Pharoah Khufu. It is the oldest and tallest of the three pyramids towering over Giza. It was constructed around 2551-2528 BCE and its height would compare to a 45-story building. There is surprisingly little 'open space' inside.
9. Feet and inches: UNITS. and 9 Down. Forks and knives: UTENSILS.
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| Perseverance has 6 WHEELS; but, alas, delivered no MEALS to a hungry 38-A. |
5. The Great Pyramid, for one: TOMB. The Great Pyramid was a TOMB for Pharoah Khufu. It is the oldest and tallest of the three pyramids towering over Giza. It was constructed around 2551-2528 BCE and its height would compare to a 45-story building. There is surprisingly little 'open space' inside.
9. Feet and inches: UNITS. and 9 Down. Forks and knives: UTENSILS.
I put these together because of the symmetry in the construction of the two clues, plus UNITS can be spelled with the letters in UTENSILS.
14. Cultivated: GREW.
15. "Search Party" star Shawkat: ALIA. Although I have seen this actress in previous puzzles and I do remember her from Arrested Development, I spelled her name wrong today for a one-box FIW. I had ALeA crossing 7-D Nicki MeNAJ. Yes, Nicki MINAJ is an international star but I thought she spelled her name with an E. That is on me. However, I will say that this is the reason many solvers do not like to see crossing names in a grid. There is an abundance of flexibility in how people spell their names. Fortunately for me, this type of FIW does not really bother me. Perhaps if it did, I would try harder to remember the spellings for next time.
14. Cultivated: GREW.
15. "Search Party" star Shawkat: ALIA. Although I have seen this actress in previous puzzles and I do remember her from Arrested Development, I spelled her name wrong today for a one-box FIW. I had ALeA crossing 7-D Nicki MeNAJ. Yes, Nicki MINAJ is an international star but I thought she spelled her name with an E. That is on me. However, I will say that this is the reason many solvers do not like to see crossing names in a grid. There is an abundance of flexibility in how people spell their names. Fortunately for me, this type of FIW does not really bother me. Perhaps if it did, I would try harder to remember the spellings for next time.
Funny note: While proof reading this blog I saw that I had been misspelling "Nicki" as "Nikki". Good grief!
16. Domesticates: TAMES.
17. Set a date, say: MADE PLANS.
19. __ Allen furniture: ETHAN. One source said there are 169 Ethan Allen stores in the U.S.
22. Chooses: OPTS.
23. Delights: JOYS. It turns out that both words can be either nouns or verbs.
24. Budget exec: CFO. executive and Chief Financial Officer
26. Abbr. after a list: ETC.
28. Huffy state: PIQUE. Def.: (noun) a transient feeling of wounded vanity; resentment.
32. Part of a barn: LOFT.
38. Sci-fi visitor: ALIEN. 
40. P-shaped Greek letter: RHO.
41. "You and me both!": SO DO I. I am still thinking about that ME, THREE answer from last Monday.
45. XPS laptop maker: DELL. Translate: It's a four-letter computer name.
46. Rising, as a ballerina: ON TOE.
47. Jar topper: LID.
49. Where Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds: RIO. 50. In-game hint providers, for short: NPCS. Non-player Characters. These are characters in a game that are not controlled by a human video game player.
53. Drink holders: CUPS. ...but CUP holders are not drinks.
60. "My Ántonia" novelist Cather: WILLA. [1873-1947] This 1918 novel is about immigrant life in Nebraska. goodreads link
16. Domesticates: TAMES.
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| A good pun can only take you so far. |
17. Set a date, say: MADE PLANS.
19. __ Allen furniture: ETHAN. One source said there are 169 Ethan Allen stores in the U.S.
23. Delights: JOYS. It turns out that both words can be either nouns or verbs.
24. Budget exec: CFO. executive and Chief Financial Officer
26. Abbr. after a list: ETC.
28. Huffy state: PIQUE. Def.: (noun) a transient feeling of wounded vanity; resentment.
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| PIQUE is also a fabric. |
32. Part of a barn: LOFT.
40. P-shaped Greek letter: RHO.
41. "You and me both!": SO DO I. I am still thinking about that ME, THREE answer from last Monday.
45. XPS laptop maker: DELL. Translate: It's a four-letter computer name.
46. Rising, as a ballerina: ON TOE.
47. Jar topper: LID.
49. Where Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds: RIO. 50. In-game hint providers, for short: NPCS. Non-player Characters. These are characters in a game that are not controlled by a human video game player.
53. Drink holders: CUPS. ...but CUP holders are not drinks.
60. "My Ántonia" novelist Cather: WILLA. [1873-1947] This 1918 novel is about immigrant life in Nebraska. goodreads link
61. Unexpected pleasure: RARE TREAT. See ¶ #1.
63. Band's release: ALBUM. Streaming has changed how music is released. If you are feeling a bit lost when it comes to music nowadays, perhaps this guide will help: Types of Music Releases
64. Similar (to): AKIN.
65. See 35-Down: MENU. and 35-Down. With 65-Across, 2022 black comedy film set in a restaurant: THE.
This is the trailer for this 2022 film. Creepy alert! Also, Anya Taylor-Joy stars in it. We frequently see her crossword-friendly name.
66. Stay in a heated yurt, perhaps: GLAMP. We have become portmanteau obsessed. Glamour + Camp = GLAMP
67. "I'm down!": LET'S.
68. Casual eyewear: SPEX. Casual means a slangy term for eyewear -- not eyewear to go with a casual look. SPEX is short for spectacles.
Down:
21. Featrue of this clue: TYPO. Feature has a typing mistake in it.
24. Clothed (in): CLAD.
25. First __: Shakespeare collection: FOLIO. The First Folio is the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays. It was produced seven years after his death. Its title is Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.
43. House lawmakers, briefly: REPS. Think "Civics class".
44. Organisms that are like tiny ecosystems: LICHENS. I LICHENed this 1:22 min. video a lot.
48. Piano piece for four hands: DUET. Splynter gave us this very funny piano DUET skit last Wednesday. I'm adding it here in case you missed it.
51. With 52-Down, reptile with red, yellow, and black bands: CORAL. and 🠟
52. See 51-Down: SNAKE.
54. Curly hairdos: PERMS. Remember this 43 sec. scene from That '70s Show?
55. Pepper grinder: MILL. Not a sandwich! 😉
56. Idris of "Luther": ELBA. Lucina is another Cornerite who generously volunteers her time every Monday at her church. This one's for her:
57. Reunion attendee: ALUM. This SNL skit with Jack Black about old friends getting together to reunite but digress to one-upping is 64-A AKIN to a class reunion.
58. Court order: WRIT. A writ is a formal, legal document that orders a person or entity to perform or to cease performing a specific action or deed. Writs are drafted by courts or other entities with jurisdictional or legal power. Warrants and subpoenas are two common types of writs.
59. Sensible: SANE.
60. Tail motion: WAG.
62. Prom rental: TUX.
Time to roll....,
66. Stay in a heated yurt, perhaps: GLAMP. We have become portmanteau obsessed. Glamour + Camp = GLAMP
67. "I'm down!": LET'S.
68. Casual eyewear: SPEX. Casual means a slangy term for eyewear -- not eyewear to go with a casual look. SPEX is short for spectacles.
Down:
1. Studio with a roaring mascot: MGM. 
2. Like a Bedouin: ARAB.
3. Motel 6 competitor: RED ROOF INN. Both are considered cheap hotels.
4. Gather dust, maybe: SWEEP. Fun clue! Gather dust usually means you let the dust settle on you.
5. Chats with: TALKS TO.
6. Frozen "Frozen" character: OLAF. I liked this clue, too.
7. Rapper Nicki: MINAJ. See 15-Across.
8. Low opera voice: BASSO.
10. Gp. whose newest member is Sweden: NATO. Sweden formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 7, 2024. There are 32 countries in the group.
11. Short and modest "I think ... ": IMHO. In My Humble Opinion
12. Tropical wood: TEAK. TEAK is a durable hardwood often used to make patio furniture since it is water resistant.
13. Fig. on Form W-2: SSN.
18. Meaty spread: PÂTÉ. Def. :(noun) a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat.
2. Like a Bedouin: ARAB.
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| The Distribution of Bedouins over Arabic Countries |
3. Motel 6 competitor: RED ROOF INN. Both are considered cheap hotels.
4. Gather dust, maybe: SWEEP. Fun clue! Gather dust usually means you let the dust settle on you.
5. Chats with: TALKS TO.
6. Frozen "Frozen" character: OLAF. I liked this clue, too.
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| Olaf is the snowman. |
8. Low opera voice: BASSO.
10. Gp. whose newest member is Sweden: NATO. Sweden formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 7, 2024. There are 32 countries in the group.
11. Short and modest "I think ... ": IMHO. In My Humble Opinion
12. Tropical wood: TEAK. TEAK is a durable hardwood often used to make patio furniture since it is water resistant.
13. Fig. on Form W-2: SSN.
18. Meaty spread: PÂTÉ. Def. :(noun) a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat.
21. Featrue of this clue: TYPO. Feature has a typing mistake in it.
24. Clothed (in): CLAD.
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| This woman is CLAD in a Glad garbage bag and ready for her date with Vlad. I wonder, does it comes in plaid? |
25. First __: Shakespeare collection: FOLIO. The First Folio is the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays. It was produced seven years after his death. Its title is Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.
27. Where the sidewalk ends: CURB. This was my favorite clue today. Did anyone else think of this book? 
29. The "Q" of QED: QUOD. Quod erat demonstrandum is a Latin phrase which means "I showed you what I told you I was going to show you."
30. Not get enough rest: UNDERSLEEP. I had the U so I quickly filled UP ALL NIGHT then patted myself on the back for sussing that one so easily.
31. Food safety concern: ECOLI.
33. Outdoor wedding rental: TENT. Ahh, that's why we GLAMPed in a yurt instead of a TENT for 66-Across.
36. Per-axle fee: TOLL.
37. City on the Big Island: HILO. I used to go to Hilo a lot for work. It is so lush and green -- very different from the Kona side.
39. Many an orange-red indicator light: NEON LAMP. According to M-W and Wiki this really is a thing so I must be wincing from the glare of a legitimate light.
29. The "Q" of QED: QUOD. Quod erat demonstrandum is a Latin phrase which means "I showed you what I told you I was going to show you."
30. Not get enough rest: UNDERSLEEP. I had the U so I quickly filled UP ALL NIGHT then patted myself on the back for sussing that one so easily.
31. Food safety concern: ECOLI.
33. Outdoor wedding rental: TENT. Ahh, that's why we GLAMPed in a yurt instead of a TENT for 66-Across.
36. Per-axle fee: TOLL.
37. City on the Big Island: HILO. I used to go to Hilo a lot for work. It is so lush and green -- very different from the Kona side.
39. Many an orange-red indicator light: NEON LAMP. According to M-W and Wiki this really is a thing so I must be wincing from the glare of a legitimate light.
43. House lawmakers, briefly: REPS. Think "Civics class".
44. Organisms that are like tiny ecosystems: LICHENS. I LICHENed this 1:22 min. video a lot.
48. Piano piece for four hands: DUET. Splynter gave us this very funny piano DUET skit last Wednesday. I'm adding it here in case you missed it.
51. With 52-Down, reptile with red, yellow, and black bands: CORAL. and 🠟
52. See 51-Down: SNAKE.
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| Red touches yellow, kill a fellow. Red touches black, safe for Jack. |
54. Curly hairdos: PERMS. Remember this 43 sec. scene from That '70s Show?
Kelso: So that's permanent?
55. Pepper grinder: MILL. Not a sandwich! 😉
56. Idris of "Luther": ELBA. Lucina is another Cornerite who generously volunteers her time every Monday at her church. This one's for her:
57. Reunion attendee: ALUM. This SNL skit with Jack Black about old friends getting together to reunite but digress to one-upping is 64-A AKIN to a class reunion.
58. Court order: WRIT. A writ is a formal, legal document that orders a person or entity to perform or to cease performing a specific action or deed. Writs are drafted by courts or other entities with jurisdictional or legal power. Warrants and subpoenas are two common types of writs.
59. Sensible: SANE.
60. Tail motion: WAG.
62. Prom rental: TUX.
 |
| Too Cool for School |
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