Wednesday April 19, 2023 ~ Bruce Venzke

Theme: FOOLPROOF

Make it foolproof and you'll discover a bigger fool.

Bruce (Wayne, not Venzke) tries to woo Catwoman

19a. FOOLPROOF: CAN'T MISS.

58a. FOOLPROOF: IRON-CLAD.

8d. FOOLPROOF: SURE-FIRE.

38d. FOOLPROOF: IN THE BAG.

Bruce is a veteran constructor with > 20 years of puzzles under his belt. He offers us a nice pinwheel grid with little A&E today.

Across:
1. Mind reader's knack: ESP. Learn mentalism.

4. Register figure: COST. Cash register.

8. Winter transport: SLED.

12. Additive-free: PURE.

14. Length x width: AREA.

15. Smooth-talking: SUAVE.

16. Big-screen movie format: IMAX. 59' x 79' is a big-screen.

17. Sign on for another tour: RE-UP. (Army) Bro stopped RE-UPing after his 22nd year.

18. __ legend: URBAN. Some are (kinda) true.

19. [See: theme]

21. Smart, in a way: DRESSY.

22. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB.

Harmless

23. Small fishing boat: SKIFF.

25. Love of Spain: AMOR.

27. Won't take no for an answer: INSISTS. Makes an offer you can't refuse.

31. "You are here" display: MAP.

Meta, eh?

34. Puts together, as Lego sets: BUILDS.

36. Plant anchor: ROOT.

37. Heart chambers: ATRIA.

39. Turn down?: DIM.

40. Cliff dwelling: AERIE. How is this fill not Cheers?

Cliff's Dwelling

41. Day break?: NOON. Cute - AM breaks to PM and you lunch.

42. Gecko or iguana: LIZARD.

44. Majestic tree: ELM.

45. Ginormous number: UMPTEEN. Pop always told me for the UMPTEENth time not to blah, blah,...

47. Alaskan gold rush town: NOME.

49. Chills out (with): HANGS.

51. Childbirth technique: LAMAZE. No painkillers method. DW called the anesthesiologist her new best friend.

55. Hacker's goal: ACCESS. Well, I mean access is a step but we probably have a larger goal.  #lulz

58. [See: theme]

60. Investigation: PROBE.

61. "Tell me about it, __": "Grease" line: STUD.
 

You're the One That I Want

62. New Haven collegians: ELIS. ELIhu Yale donated a bucket-ton of money to Collegiate School and, in 1718, they changed the name of the school to Yale.

63. "Bike faster!": PEDAL. That ET Scene comes to mind.

64. High top __: hairstyle: FADE.
 

High top FADE

65. Green land: EIRE. Biden was there last week.

66. Trade-show freebies: SWAG.
 

Stickers are the best SWAG [one of my laptops]

67. Desert antelope: ORYX. I had ibeX.
 

Straight Horns

68. Dragon roll fish: EEL. ? I know roe, shrimp tempura, and/or spicy tuna but not EEL. Took me a while to find a recipe that even mentions EEL in a Dragon roll. 

Y'all that know better, please correct me.

Down:
1. Sweeping stories: EPICS. Oh, not the stories about much of my time in the Army.

Sweep and Mop and Dust the floor

Your Left. Right. Left.

#Army - Be All You Can Be ;-)

2. Herb in the spice blend za'atar: SUMAC. A Middle-Eastern blend that includes the herbs oregano, marjoram or thyme along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, as well as other spices. [internet]

3. Vital force, in yoga: PRANA. Prana is a Sanskrit word that has a number of interpretations in English, including "life force," "energy" and "vital principle." The term is used in Hindu and yogic philosophy to refer to all the manifest energy in the universe, present in both living beings and inanimate objects. [ibid]

4. Yukon game: CARIBOU.
 

5. Metal containers?: ORES.

6. Creator of the Lorax: SEUSS. Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote The Lorax in 1971.
 

7. Bar fixture: TAP.
 

Have 200 different beers and your name goes on a saucer on the wall.

8. [See: Theme].

9. Chocolate or yellow dogs, for short: LABS.
 

Yellow, Black, and Chocolate

10. Some NASA data-retrieval missions: EVAS. Extravehicular Activities - outside the spacecraft.

Outside the Tin Can [Chris Hadfield's version of Space Oddity]

11. Refuse to admit: DENY.

13. Polar Ice gum brand: EXTRA.

15. Sees the sites: SURFS. Cute: SURFS web-sites.

20. Deadly African snake: MAMBA.

21. Commotions: DINS.

24. "Big Little Lies" actress Nicole: KIDMAN. HBO show that DW's has probably watched. Nicole's website.

26. Dependent (on): RIDING. I started 'relying' before running out of squares.

28. Feeling the effects of too much exercise, say: SORE. Hand-up if you also inked achE first.

29. Sweat and strain: TOIL.

30. Flute part: STEM. Champagne flutes have stems.
 

A Flute's Stem

31. Premier League team, to fans: MAN-U. Soccer's, erm football's, Manchester United is a UK Premier League team. That and "don't use your hands" is near the extent of my knowledge of the sport. 

//I'm learning more from Ted Lasso.

32. Tiny particle: ATOM.

33. Theater accessory: PROP.

35. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ.

38. [See: theme]

40. Jingle-writing guy: AD MAN.

42. Part of SLR: LENS.

43. Low-tech card file: ROLODEX. I have not heard "Rolodex" in years and, yet, the last puzzle I expo'd [Sunday 4/9] also had it?!?

46. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL. Cute but the "?" gave it away.

48. Toaster or roaster, maybe: EMCEE. Or both [Peter Falk toasts & roasts Ol' Blue Eyes - 11:53]

50. Stringed instrument in Hindi cinema: SITAR.

52. Four-time WNBA 3-Point Contest champion Quigley: ALLIE. After UChicago, she went onto Chicago Sky.
 

Allie Quigley

53. Former name of Kinshasa's country: ZAIRE. I didn't get the memo.

54. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.

55. Programs that may update on their own: APPS. On your iThing or 'Droid.

56. College sport on the water: CREW. Rowing.

57. Musical ending: CODA. Anyone else ink "aria" out of habit?

59. Football film starring Sean Astin: RUDY [IMDB]. No clue.

61. Hub northwest of LAX: SFO. Los Angeles International and, NW, San Francisco International.

The Grid:
 

The Grid

Thank you Bruce for a fun puzzle with little bits of learning.

WOs: I always spell S[h]ure wrong, ibid PEDle, relyi->RIDING, ache->SORE, aria->CODA, ibex->ORYX
ESPs: PRANA, RUDY, ALLIE
Fav: SURFS for "Sees the [web] sites."

I hope the expo provided a little something for everyone.  Y'all have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Cheers, -T

Monday February 20, 2023 Bruce Venzke

  

Happy Presidents Day, Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today's puzzle comes to us from the desk of a well-known constructor, Bruce Venzke.

Our theme is:                

Cat lovers will get this one.

We have 3 starred clues and a reveal. Demonstrating an extra touch of skill, all are 15-letter entries. Let's start with the reveal:

63 Across. Reason for a courtroom objection, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue has: LEADING QUESTION.  a question that suggests the answer to the person being interrogated

Everybody conga!

Bruce is proposing we take the first word (the word in the 'lead') of each starred clue and add the word QUESTION to get a common phrase.

17 Across. *Sincere intention to be fair: GOOD FAITH EFFORT.

GOOD QUESTION.

27 Across. *One who can't help but see the bright side: ETERNAL OPTIMIST.

ETERNAL QUESTION.  We can get pretty deep in this one. For many people, it boils down to, "What is the meaning of life?" Another version is posed by the great 21st century philosopher, W.A. Yankovic:

47 Across. *Private fashion consultant: PERSONAL SHOPPER.

PERSONAL QUESTION

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

HAL's tone gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Across:
1. Sport played on horseback: POLO.  I liked last Thursday's clue, "Response heard during a pool game."

5. Make fun of: RAZZ.

9. Goes up: RISES.

14. Bibliography abbreviation: IBID.

Def.:  in the same source (used to save space in textual references to a quoted work which has been mentioned in a previous reference).

15. Furniture chain that also sells lingonberry preserves: IKEA.

16. Feeling of existential boredom: ENNUI.

20. Sight or smell: SENSE. or taste or hearing or touch

21. Granny: NANA.  CSO to all the Cornerite Grannies & NANAs!

22. Some Wall St. deals: LBOS.  Street is abbreviated, so is Leveraged BuyOutS.

the acquisition of another company using a significant amount of borrowed money (bonds or loans) to meet the cost of acquisition.  more from Investopedia

23. Joan of __: French heroine: ARC.

Jeanne d'Arc and the archangel Michael
Eugene Thirion 1876

25. Pampering place: SPA.

36. Assignment for a swimmer or a bowler: LANE. a nod to a champion Monday blogger

37. Ore deposit: LODE.  2018 gold mother LODE in Western Australia

38. Beat: TEMPO.  music -- not an eggs or sports or exhaustion reference

39. Chicago winter hrs.: CST.  Hours is abbreviated, so is Central Standard Time.

40. Central Pennsylvania city: ALTOONA.  and 45 Across. Salad fish: TUNA.

Al TUNA
mascot for the ALTOONA Curve
(AA Minor League Baseball Team named for nearby Horseshoe Curve)

42. Luv: HON.

43. Go-to crew: A-TEAM.

46. Stud farm stud: SIRE.

50. Sunflower St. school: KSU.  According to this Kansas State University website, Kansas ranks 4th in the U.S. in sunflower production.

51. __-pitch softball: SLO.

52. See 64-Down: FLOE.  and 64 Down. With 52-Across, floating Arctic sheet: ICE.

penguins chillin' on an ICE FLOE

55. Biblical ark builder: NOAH.  Need an ark?  I NOAH guy.

59. Songs for two: DUETS.  I used to own this bicycle for two.  Twice the fun!!

66. Silly activity: ANTIC.

67. Red gemstone: RUBY.

Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town

I chose Mel Tillis' 1967 version because he wrote the song.

68. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.

69. "Let's Make a Deal" host Brady: WAYNE. He was brilliant on Whose Line is it Anyway?  (4:24 min. clip)

70. Unworried state: EASE.

71. "Whoa, trippy!": DEEP.

Keanu Reeves played Ted in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).

Down:
1. Green animals in Angry Birds: PIGS.  Fun clue!

Angry Birds is a 2016 animated movie based on a video game. (30 sec.)

2. Slender woodwind: OBOE. I suppose a saxophone would be a plump woodwind.

3. Zebra hunter: LION.  Here is a clip from Madagascar (2005) where zoo friends learn about "going savage".  (3:32 min.) Listen for the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom music at 3:10.

4. "There's a nonzero chance ... ": ODDS ARE.  In Probability, if the chance is:

0 = impossible

1  = certain

There are an infinite number of numbers between 0 and 1.

5. Coastal inlet: RIA.

Types of Coastlines

6. Comparable (to): AKIN.

7. Oscar winner Catherine __-Jones: ZETA.

Captivating Catherine is a Welsh actress born 9/25/1969.

8. Journalist Paula: ZAHN.

Professional Paula has been in journalism for 50 years.

9. NFL official: REF.

10. Fill with passion: INFLAME.

11. __ appeal: SNOB.

12. Currency named for a continent: EURO.

13. Follows an obedience school command: SITS.

18. Houseplant with fronds: FERN.  and 34 Down. 18-Down seed: SPORE.

This is my Boston fern. It is a happy plant.

19. Sunup direction: EAST.

24. Match a bet, in poker: CALL.  to put chips in the pot to match the bet of another player

more info.

26. Bread served with hummus: PITA. I make sourdough PITAs with honey, flax seeds, and whole wheat flour. Here is a pic of them puffing up on my pizza stone.

27. Rock formation in Yosemite, familiarly: EL CAP.  EL CAPitan stands over 3,000 ft. (914.4 metres) above the Yosemite Valley floor. Park visitors can enjoy vistas of its majesty from many locations. Talk about a granite countertop!

28. Have a spoonful, say: TASTE.

29. "The door's open!": ENTER. and 44 Down. Welcomed at the door: ASKED IN.

Here's a welcome mat for cruciverbalists!

30. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love": LOTTA.  This was the first track of their second album, Led Zeppelin II, released in 1969.

official music video

31. Near-beer name: O'DOUL.

non-alcoholic beer

32. Lowly workers: PEONS.  If you are curious, here is its etymology.

33. Reply to "Ya dig?": I'M HIP.

35. Copier cartridge: TONER.

40. Songwriter Tori: AMOS.  I only know her from XWDs.

41. Slangy turndowns: NAHS.

46. Mouthed (off): SPOUTED.

In 1937, Soda Springs, ID residents hoped for a swimming pool for the town. However, when drilling started, hot water shot out of the ground “to more than 45 feet in the air.” Now the town of less than 3,000 caps the geyser off and sets it to a timer for every hour during winter, every half hour during summer. The city claims it’s the only captive geyser in the world.

48. Former Georgia senator Sam: NUNN.  This is his Congress.gov page.

49. Bygone GM line: OLDS.  General Motors is truncated, so is OLDSmobile.

1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Hotcars article

52. Imperfection: FLAW.

53. "Chocolat" actress Olin: LENA.  "LNA" seems like a good answer, too.

54. Like Cheerios: OATY.

56. Mythical menace: OGRE.

57. Teal shade: AQUA.

Confused? They are both blue.

58. Busy airports: HUBS.  United Airlines' North American HUBS are in Chicago, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles. With so many flights, it seems these HUBS have no caps!

60. Ireland, to the Irish: EIRE.

61. Heavy book: TOME.  I am currently reading Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat.  It weighs 2.72 lbs. (1.23 kilos).

62. Simple fastener: SNAP.

65. Potato spot: EYE.  as in a famous spot for potatoes, Eye-da-ho!

Here's the grid:

I will end with a link to an Isaac Asimov 1956 short story entitled The Last Question.

Have a great holiday, everyone!

Monday May 16, 2022 Bruce Venzke

Theme:  "Glad to help!"

17. Response to "Thanks": GLAD TO DO IT.

27. Response to "Thanks": YOU'RE WELCOME.

48. Response to "Thanks": ANY TIME AT ALL.

64. Response to "Thanks": MY PLEASURE.

Boomer here.

I guess I always just use "You're welcome", but I also usually just say "Thank you".  Except when I am responding to my good Graybar friend Joe LaMotte, in which case I say "Thanks a lot".

Across:

1. Blackjack player's request to a dealer: HIT ME.  In a casino, just brush your cards on the felt.

6. Mouth off to: SASS.  Guilty!

10. Punxsutawney celebrity: PHIL.  Groundhog Day.  Punxsutawney comes up frequently on trivia game shows and I am amazed how many contestants do not know him.

14. Fairy tale monsters: OGRES.

15. Tattoo parlor supplies: INKS.  Yes I am a veteran but I never spent money on INK.

16. "iZombie" actress McIver: ROSE.  Once we stopped at Pete Rose shop in Las Vegas.  Everything for sale was at least triple figures BEFORE the decimal point.

19. Jazz great Fitzgerald: ELLA.  My grandma's name was Ella.

20. Gardener's bagful: SOIL.  Getting to be time to plant flowers.

21. Penny: CENT.

22. Milk source: UDDER.  I would never UDDER a word about cows.

23. Last non-AD yr.: ONE BC.

25. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI.

33. Bubble bath spot: TUB.  We got a new bathtub a few years ago. Now it's a big step-over to get into it.

36. Eurasian border river: URAL.

37. Laugh nervously: TITTER. No, Elon Musk did not buy this.

38. Festoon: ADORN.

40. Energy: PEP.  These boys might change your oil.

42. Relatively cool heavenly body: K STAR.

43. Krispy Kreme products: DONUTS.  These Krispy guys left most of Minnesota.  I think their donuts were too expensive for the land of 10,000 lakes.

45. Nick at __: NITE.

47. Slip-__: shoes without laces: ONS.  I used to call them loafers.

51. Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of __": HELL.  Will it ever freeze over?

52. Big name in hotels: HYATT.

55. Iridescent gems: OPALS.

58. Too: ALSO.

61. __ school: PREP.  Before you go to college.

63. Muted, as colors: PALE.

66. Self-images: EGOS.

67. Retired tennis pro Kournikova: ANNA.

68. "Big Little Lies" actress Witherspoon: REESE.  Dodger Pee Wee.

69. Brooklyn NBA team: NETS.  Okay, why is the LA team called Lakers?

70. Exam: TEST.

71. Ill-fated Ford: EDSEL.  I remember that model when it first came out. I think 1959.  I think the big nose did it in.

Down:

1. "You can't have any!" types: HOGS.

2. Aptly named cooler brand: IGLOO.  Also a small ice fishing shelter in Minnesota.

3. "How to __ Your Dragon": TRAIN.

4. Sampling of songs: MEDLEY.  "Who will buy this wonderful morning?"

5. Inexact no.: EST.

6. Agree (with): SIDE.  Travel along, singin' our song, SIDE by SIDE !

7. Unknown composer, for short: ANON. Anonymous.

8. Chairlift alternative: SKI TOW.  Closed for the summer.  MN has quite a few.

9. Former Air France jet, for short: SST.  It was a very quick one.

10. Foretells: PREDICTS.

11. Wait on the phone: HOLD.  I hate this.

12. Cruise stopover: ISLE.  I have never been on a cruise.  Those ships are something else.

13. Shakespearean king with three daughters: LEAR. Also a jet.

18. Take place: OCCUR.

22. Not probable: UNLIKELY.  That the Twins will win the World Series.

24. Generous bonuses: BOUNTIES.  Nothing much in the current stock market.

26. Bumped into: MET.  NY National League player.

28. Knock: RAP.  None of that so-called music in my home !

29. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.

30. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO.  Not to be confused with AUTO.

31. Cruel: MEAN.  MEAN Gene used to be the pro wrestling announcer in Minneapolis.

32. Slips up: ERRS.  Infielders do it.

33. "Look what I did!": TA DA.  Congratulations!

34. Japanese soup noodles: UDON.

35. Super skinny: BONY.  Not my favorite kind of chicken.

39. Without mercy: RUTHLESS.  Like the 1935 New York Yankees.

41. Avocado center: PIT.  Looks like a big seed to me.

44. Tee sizes, briefly: SML.  My tees are all about two inches long.

46. California/Nevada resort lake: TAHOE.  Been there.  Beautiful lake a short drive from Reno.

49. Comedian Boosler: ELAYNE.

50. Expired, as a subscription: LAPSED.  Nope, I just renewed our Star Tribune. Need to keep the paper coming to see C.C.'s puzzles.

53. Brings into alignment: TRUES.  Miss the potholes in the road to help.

54. Not long-winded: TERSE.

55. Inviting store window sign: OPEN.

56. Numbered book part: PAGE.

57. "That was __ of fun!": A LOT.  Thanks A LOT ! Joe LaMotte!

59. ICU caregivers: LPNS.  I have seen plenty at the VA hospital.

60. Picket fence piece: SLAT.

62. Take (off): PEEL.  Peel me a grape

64. Little rug: MAT.

65. "You __ My Sunshine": ARE.  My only sunshine.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Boomer's surgery this morning was canceled. The surgeon tested positive for COVID yesterday. We'll know a new date soon.