Tuesday, October 6, 2020 Bruce Haight

Leaf Peeping.  In New England people like to travel in the countryside to see and enjoy the colorful fall foliage before the leaves begin to fall.    In today's puzzle the first word of each theme answer r is a type of leaf.  Because the answers are all in the down position, the leaves are all "Falling".

5-Down. Sherlock Holmes portrayer in 15 movies: BASIL RATHBONE.  Basil Rathbone (né Philip St. John Basil Rathbone; June 13, 1892 ~ July 21, 1967) was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He got his start as a Shakespearean actor, before moving on to swashbuckler films and his portrayals of Sherlock Homes.

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11-Down. Wise counsel: SAGE ADVICE.

24-Down. Silicon Valley region: BAY AREA.  This one was the final leaf I found because I didn't see Bay Area as being a particularly long answer.

28-Down. Interpreter of lines: PALM READER.

Here's the unifier:

19-Down. Autumn occurrence, and a hint to the start of the other four longest Down answers: FALLING LEAVES.

Fall Colors in Northern New Hampshire

Across:

1. Meat on a skewer: KABOB.

6. Better mtge. deal: RE-FI.  As in Refinance.

10. Subtle "Look this way": PSST!

14. Gulf of __: Red Sea inlet: AQABA.

15. Horror movie helper: IGOR.

16. Healthy: HALE.

17. Albacore and yellowfin: TUNAs.

18. "Darn it!": SON OF A GUN.

20. Ingredient in some Tibetan cheese: YAK MILK.

22. Genealogy aid: DNA TEST.

23. Pie-mode link: À LA.  I am not keen on ice cream.  I prefer a solitary pie.

24. Cut out early: BAIL.

25. "Heavenly!": AHH!

26. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP.  Also the brand of a very expensive writing instrument.

29. Beatles' meter maid: RITA.

31. Hunk of dirt: CLOD.

33. Lea plea: MAA.

34. Fast-food chain named for its founders, the Raffel Brothers: ARBY'S.  How the Raffel Brothers built Arby's.  The name is the sound of the initials of Raffel Brothers (RB).

36. Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Michael: IRVIN.  Michael Irvin (b. Mar. 5, 1966) played college ball for the University of Miami.  In 1988, he was selected in the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

39. Splendor: ÉCLAT.

41. Maple extract: SAP.

42. Born yesterday, so to speak: NAÏVE.

43. Female folklore deity: NYMPH.

44. Part of a plug: PRONG.

46. Word with pool or park: CAR.  As in a Car Pool or a Car Park, more commonly referred to as a parking lot.

47. First name in country: REBA.  As in Reba McEntire (b. Mar. 28, 1955).

49. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.  A crossword staple.

50. Finish: END.

51. Crayon shade: HUE.

53. Legendary Greek mount: OSSA.

55. Drink with scones: TEA.

57. Ideal way to work, teamwise: AS A UNIT.

59. "No idea": BEATS ME.

63. Living labyrinth: HEDGE MAZE.

65. Time off, informally: VACAY.  Short for Vacation.

66. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean: AUEL.  Jean Marie Auel (b. Feb. 18, 1936) wrote a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe.  The Clan of the Cave Bear was the first book in the series.

67. Kitchen cooker: OVEN.

68. Clear the board: ERASE.

69. Nimble: SPRY.

70. Let off steam: VENT.

71. Drops below the horizon: SINKS.

Down:

 
1. Pop singer Perry: KATY.  Katy Perry (née Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson; b. Oct. 25, 1984) was once married to Russell Brand.

2. Water color: AQUA.

3. River border: BANK.

4. Hawaiian-born president: OBAMA.  Barack Obamas (b. Aug. 4, 1961) was the 44th President of the United States.

6. Gamble: RISK.

7. __ trip: EGO.

8. "On Golden Pond" actor or actress: FONDA.  Both Henry Fonda (May 16, 1905 ~ Aug. 12, 1982) and his daughter, Jane (b. Dec. 21, 1937) were in this 1981 film.

9. Dramatically twisty: IRONIC.

10. Awesome, in '90s slang: PHAT.

12. Blizzard remains: SLUSH.

13. Grade for a soph: TENTH.

21. Bandit's hideout: LAIR.

26. "You got that right!": AMEN.

27. Like many doilies: LACY.  Do people still used doilies?

30. Recipe amt.: TBSP.  As in a tablespoon.

32. "... boy __ girl?": OR A.

35. Predicament: SPOT.

37. Lendl of tennis: IVAN. 

Ivan Lendl (b. Mar. 7, 1960).

38. Uncool one: NERD.

40. Copy: APE.  A crossword staple.

45. Kid-lit's __ the Great: NATE.  The first Nate the Great book was published in the early 1970s.  Nate the Great a series of over 24 children's detective novels.

48. "I, Robot" author: ASIMOV.  Isaac Asimov (Jan. 2, 1920 ~ Apr. 6, 1992) was born in Russia.  He was actually born sometime between October 1919 and Jan 1920, but celebrated his birthday on January 2.  His family moved to the United States when he was about 3 years old.

51. Comedy club sounds: HA HAs!

52. Exhaust: USE UP.

54. Ward (off): STAVE.

56. Gaming giant: ATARI.

58. Hideous: UGLY.

This is an Ugly Ugli.

59. Like knees during a squat: BENT.

60. MRI image: SCAN.

61. Face concealer: MASK.  This word has a whole new meaning on today's world.  Masks were also worn during the 1918 pandemic.  Almost exactly a century ago, world was also suffering form a viral pandemic.  The Great Influenza, by John M. Berry is a fascinating history of that pandemic.  I was struck by how little has changed in the past 100 years.  The events of this book are so similar to the events of today.

62. Focus group?: EYES.

64. Buddhist sect: ZEN.

Here's the Grid:

 

Mask Up!

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Bruce Haight

Climbing the Food Chain:  Today we have a word ladder as our puzzle.  One letter is changed from each of the stared answers as we climb down the ladder from BREAD as the first Across spot to TOAST in the final Across spot.  I love word ladders, but I don't know if I have seen one in a crossword puzzle before.  I have highlighted each letter change.

1-Across. *   Dough (and start of a word ladder): BREAD.

15-Across. *   Bit of luck: BREAK.

16-Across. *   Dismal: BLEAK.

22-Across. *   Sheepish remark?: BLEAT.

57-Across. *   Made holy: BLEST.

64-Across. *   Fabulous time: BLAST.

66-Across. *   Dispense with modesty: BOAST.

71-Across. *   Doomed, slangily (and end of the ladder): TOAST.

And the unifier:

37-Across. Apt description of the sequence suggested by the answers to starred clues?: FOOD CHAIN.

Across:

6. "__ it ain't so!": SAY.



9. Pop's bros: UNCs.  Short for Uncles.  Not sure I have ever used this term.

13. Insurance giant: AETNA.  Various logos throughout the years.

14. Paul Bunyan tool: AXE.  Despite what people in Minnesota say, Paul Bunyan was actually born in Bangor, Maine.

17. Itinerary word: VIA.

18. Poetic feet: IAMBI.

19. __ Lingus: AER.  The airline of Ireland.

20. Horse-and-buggy sect: AMISH.

23. Interoffice PC connection: LAN.  As in Local Area Network.

24. Carnival city: RIO.  Short for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The Mardi Gras carnival in Rio (and elsewhere across the world that celebrates) is on Tuesday, February 12, 2012.  You can celebrate both Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Mardi Gras at the same time next year!

25. "You bet!": YES!

27. "Seats all taken" sign: SRO.  As in Standing Room Only.  The Fire Marshal might have something to say about that.

28. Abbr. on a B-52: USAF.  As in the United States Air Force.  This plane, manufactured by Boeing, continues to operate in the country's armed services.

30. Not nice at all: CRUEL.  When it's spelled as Crewel, it is fancy needlework.

32. Hillside home asset: VIEW.

33. Author Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (né Eliezer Wiesel; Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July, 2, 2016) has become an old friend in the crossword puzzles.  He was born in Romania and survived both Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentrations.  He went on to write about his experiences in the Holocaust and became a political activist.  He was the recipient of hte 1986 Nobel Peace Prize.

35. Blood work and such: LAB TESTS.

40. Partygoer, say: ATTENDEE.

43. Target's target, say: LOGO.  This one almost stumped me.  I laughed when the answer came to me.

46. Some August babies: LEOs.

47. Third of eight: EARTH.  Cute clue.  In school, I learned there were 9 planets.  That was before poor Pluto was demoted.

50. Intertwine: MESH.

52. Under the weather: ILL.  I wanted Ail.

53. Also say: ADD.

54. What a suspect tries to beat, with "the": RAP.

56. "That's more than I need to know": TMI.  Text speak for Too Much Information.  Also, the abbreviation for the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor that had a partial meltdown in March 1979.

59. Musical set in Argentina: EVITA.  Don't cry for me.

61. Family guy: SON.

62. "Me too!": AS DO I!

63. Bigwig: VIP.  As in a Very Important Person.

67. Uncommon sense: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

68. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.  Sonia Maria Sotomayor (b. June 25, 1954) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was nominated to the High Court in May 2009 and joined the Court in August of that year.

69. A.D. part: ANNO.  As in Anno Domini.  The phrase is medieval Latin and means "In the Year of the Lord".

70. Vote against: NAY.

Down:
1. Ricky's signature song on "I Love Lucy": BABALU.

2. Word after news or press: RELEASE.  As in a New Release or a Press Release.

3. Everlasting: ETERNAL.

4. Santa __ winds: ANA.

5. Senegal's capital: DAKAR.  Dakar is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean, mid-way between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator.

6. Rescuer: SAVIOR.

7. x or y, on graphs: AXIS.

8. "Sure, sure": YEAH! YEAH!

9. Eurasian border river: URAL.  The river flows through Russia and Kazakhstan and empties into the Caspian Sea.

10. Usually successful opponent: NEMESIS.

11. Musical set at the Kit Kat Klub: CABARET.



12. Winter lifts: SKI TOWS.

Using a Rope Tow.

15. Tots' spill catchers: BIBS.

21. Karaoke singer's tool: MIC.

26. Isle of Napoleon's exile: ELBA.  The Smithsonian Magazine had a article about Napoleon's life on Elba.  The island looks beautiful.  There would be worse places to be exiled.

29. Piccolo relatives: FIFES.

31. Gastric woe: ULCER.

32. Cobra's weapon: VENOM.

34. Long, long time: EON.  A crossword staple.

36. "Open __ 9 p.m.": store sign: 'TIL.  Don't you just hate these signs?

38. Pigged out (on), briefly: OD'ED.

39. All square: DEAD EVEN.

40. Storied cave opener: ALI BABA.  A reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.  It is one of the stories from Persian tales found in One Thousand and One Nights.

41. Exposes: TELLS ON.

42. Holy city resident?: TOLEDAN.  A resident of Toledo.  Hi, JazzBumpa!  Oops. Wrong Toledo.  A Toledan is a resident of Toledo, Spain.  Toledo was a major center of Catholics, Muslims and Jews in the middle ages.  Holy Toledo!  Who knew?

44. Nails the test: GETS AN A.

45. Absorption process: OSMOSIS.

48. Psychedelic: TRIPPY.

49. Fez or fedora: HAT.  Hi, Abejo!  Sending you prayers for a speedy recovery.

51. Suggest: HINT AT.

53. Go __: fight: AT IT.

55. Brewery that co-distributes Not Your Father's Root Beer: PABST.  Who knew?

58. Just passable: SO-SO.

60. Mastercard rival: VISA.

65. WC: LOO.  Possible theories on the origin of the word LOO.

Here's the Grid:

Notes from C.C.:

Thanks for the feedback yesterday, everyone. Looks like all cellphone users are affected. TTP has figured out a way for our team to manually remove the video embed glitch. Hopefully the Blogger team will solve this problem soon.