Saturday, July 29, 2023, C.C. Burnikel

 Saturday Themeless by C.C. Burnikel

   

 

A very nice puzzle by our beloved blogmistress! I asked her permission to use this picture and she said okay and remarked "that was when I had long hair." I had to abandon some fills that I thought were good but all's well that ends well. 

Across:

1. Winter sports park activity: SNOW TUBING.

11. National Humor Mo.: APR - Well, it starts with April Fool's Day so...  

14. Game that typically has hard-to-get tickets: HOME OPENER - The Twins HOME OPENER in Minneapolis was pushed back due to some, uh, unfriendly baseball weather.

15. California roll ingredient: CRAB - Crab or imitation crab and avocados

17. Line from one cutting it close: AM I TOO LATE? If you were TOO LATE to see Halley's Comet in 1986, it won't be back until 2061 (I'll be 115).

18. Emerald City visitor: TOTO - TOTO and Dorothy were definitely not in Kansas anymore

19. Scandal sheet: RAG - 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for this 1952 movie. 

20. Part of a bang-up job: TNT 😀 Oppenheimer did not fit.

21. Got ready for: AWAITED 

23. Promises that end engagements: I DO'S 😀

25. Fish with transparent babies: EELS.

27. Nancy, to Fritzi Ritz: NIECE - The last bid on this 1948 comic was $1,008.

28. Target area: AISLE 😀

30. Like the top of most refrigerators: DUSTY.

32. Part of a routine: GAG - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis didn't get along but they made millions with their GAGS. They ended their relationship ten years to the day from when they started and didn't talk for 20 years.

33. Ashram sound: CHANT.

35. Free __: REIN - Something veteran teachers do not give to a study hall full of kids.

36. Org. with an Office of Water: EPA.

37. Starting points for pro golfers: BLACK TEES - Golf holes can have many different colored markers for where you TEE off. The BLACK TEES are usually the farthest back and the red tees are usually closest.

40. Library warning: SHH.

43. Jelly in some boba: ALOE - This consists of aloe vera that is peeled, cut into mini cubes, and cooked with some sugar. 

44. Lab kit supply: SWABS - Many of us endured these SWABS in the last few years.

47. Talk sweetly: COO - WOO was a road block here for a while. BTW, what does "COO, COO, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson" mean? 😀

48. Parents: REARS - A verb. The toughest job in the world.

50. Bad blood: SPITE.

52. Remove identifiers, on social media: UNTAG - I might UNTAG you if you want to use FaceBook for political opinions.

54. Exam taken in "Legally Blonde": LSAT - Reece Witherspoon's character celebrating.

56. Bourguignon, for one: STEW - Bore-green-YONE

57. Ingredient in many a 56-Across: BAYLEAF - Can you see any above?

59. Haul: LUG.

61. Apology starter: MEA.

62. Buckets: A LOT.

63. Court figures: LITIGATORS.

66. Company with a hedgehog mascot: SEGA.

67. Perk up?: PRIVATE JET 😀 This would be a "perk" when you need to go "up" in the air.

68. Shape of orecchiette pasta: EAR - Literally "small ear" in Italian. ôriˈkyedē or oh-reck-ee-ET-tay

69. Political staffer: SENATE AIDE.

Down:

1. Law in some Gulf States: SHARIA.

2. Like some Mongols: NOMADIC.

3. "Holy smokes!": OMIGOSH.

4. Just out of an onsen, say: WET.

5. Traffic sound: TOOT.

6. Barely ahead: UP ONE - If your team is only UP ONE in the ninth inning, a bad bullpen can doom you.

7. Socked: BELTED.

8. "Modern Comfort Food" writer Garten: INA.

9. Type of value calculated for mutual funds: NET ASSET.

10. Rose: GREW.

11. When Romeo and Juliet have their balcony scene: ACT II.

12. One under a wing: PROTEGE.

13. Cause of limited interest, perhaps: RATE CAP - Here ya go

16. "In the Heights" shop: BODEGA.

  

22. Question of status: ANY NEWS?

24. Chunk: SLAB.

26. Sneaky types: LURKERS - or passive types

29. Make it big: ENLARGE.

31. No-win situations: TIES - The most famous/infamous TIE in college football history

34. Spinner's yarn: TALE.

38. Underground blaze that emits toxic gases: COAL FIRE - This one is burning underground in China 

39. Sentimental sorts: SAPS.

40. Takes a deep dive, maybe: SCUBAS.

41. Land where Puff and Jackie Paper played: HONALEE - I have sung this song that is set in "a land called HONALEE" many times.

42. Practice with sweaters: HOT YOGA.

45. Customizable avatar app: BITMOJI - One of mine is shown here and my usual one at the very bottom of this write-up.

46. Took control: STEERED - What the heck, I'll throw in another BITMOJI.

49. Spitball need: SALIVA.

51. Target of some recycling drives: E-WASTE.

53. Union station?: ALTAR 😀

55. Pull on: TUG AT.

58. New Zealand's Southern __: ALPS.

60. Flight assignment: GATE.

64. Element with the shortest name: TIN.

65. PG Tips, e.g.: TEA - A likely choice for our constructor who is also a TEA connoisseur 

Saturday, May 27, 2023, Tom Pepper and C.C. Burnikel

 Themeless Saturday by Tom Pepper and C.C. Burnikel

Today brings us a lovely puzzle that frustrated delighted me tremendously. It is a joint effort by our lovely C. C. and her dear friend Tom Pepper who has been a great comfort to her in this past year. Here is what they had to say about their collaboration:

From C.C. - Tom sent me a grid with the IDLE GOSSIP/PIGEON POSE stack in place. I changed some and together we built a new one.

 

From Tom - When we've done themelesses, C.C. and I typically go 50/50 on the fill and 50/50 on the clues. I think this might be the one time C.C. clued the whole puzzle because I was out of commission for a while for some reason. 

I got an entry point in the NE and started working and all of a sudden I had the entire Eastern side done. I shifted to the southwest and finally the NW (gotta love GLEE/GHEE) and its great wordplay succumbed to my patience. 

Across:

1. Up state?: GLEE 😀

5. Had kittens: BRED - This vexed me for a while as too obvious. I never miss a chance at kitty pix!

9. Big hits, for short: HRS - A baseball clue from C.C. is as standard as a Shakespeare clue from Jeffrey Wechsler.

12. Shows emotion: SHEDS A TEAR.

14. Mary Oliver, e.g.: POET.

15. Welcome message to a waiter: NEXT PLEASE - 😀 This clever turn of phrase unlocked the last corner for me after I saw waiter was simply someone who is waiting in line and not a server

16. Goddess whose temple on Palatine Hill glowed at night: LUNA - It was burned in the great Roman fire of 65 A.D. and not rebuilt.

The Temple Of Sol And Luna

17. Wreath that may be stored in a fridge: LEI - LEI, how do I clue thee? Let me count the ways!

18. "Got everything?": READY.

19. Benched way too long: RUSTY - First day on golf course after a long winter 

20. Look that makes waves?: PERM. 😀

21. Places to find temples and bridges: FRAMES. 😀

23. One of Sue Bird's WNBA record 3,234: ASSIST.

26. Hardest to see: TINIEST - Be sure to read the small print 

27. Runs across: SPANS - To this day my wife can't believe I talked her into walking across this SPAN at The Royal Gorge

28. Paris native: TEXAN - What a fun structure in Paris, Texas. I'll bet D-O has been there.

29. Shepherd's greeting: ARF - Would it sound the same from a German Shepard?

31. Shoegaze band Yo La __: TENGO - Yo La TENGO (Spanish for “I’ve got it,” alluding to the call of a baseball outfielder) was assembled in 1984 in Hoboken, NJ, by romantic partners (later spouses) Kaplan and Hubley. Shoegaze comes from the use of pedal boards where musicians tend to look down at their feet a lot. Yeah, I knew all that! 😏

Georgia Hubley and 
Ira Kaplan

32. North Dakota Natives known as the Arikara: REE - Arikara also known as Sahnish, Arikaree, REE or Hindi  are a tribe of Native Americans in North Dakota. It had to fill itself.

33. Cory Booker, once: YALIE.

35. Med. condition exhibited by Hannah on "Girls": OCD - When I saw _ _ D, I was afraid Hannah had a more personal health issue.

36. Puts on the line: BAITS - Did anyone else thinks of RISKS before you thought of fishing

38. Apt rhyme for "quake": SHAKE.

39. Like a golfer who usually shoots around par: SCRATCH - I play golf with Nebraska's former governor Dave Heineman and he is a SCRATCH player on our course.

41. Gave title to: DEEDED.

42. Churlish: COARSE - Every substitute teacher's favorite skit

43. __ Paragon: large shopping mall in Bangkok: SIAM - Like the kitties above. Thailand, of course, used to be known as SIAM.

44. Jazz combo set: DRUMS.

45. En passant pieces: PAWNS - En Passant means "in passing" in French

47. Gives clearance: OKS.

50. Fenty Beauty founder, to fans: RIRI - Rhianna has appeared here before 

51. Coffee break exchange: IDLE GOSSIP.

53. Decides: OPTS.

54. Haphazardly: WILLYNILLY - A fun fill

55. Sue Bird's WNBA career 6,803: Abbr.: PTS - I'll bet this was for two of them

56. Autumn stone: OPAL.

57. Bit of trouble: SPOT.

Down:

1. Fat with a very high smoke point: GHEE.

2. Golfer Thompson: LEXI - Even Tiger Woods wrote to the PGA and said this penalty on LEXI was too severe for unintentionally moving a ball less than an inch

3. Std. that starts every March: EDT.

4. Places for hot shots: ESPRESSO BARS - Here's one for the home

5. Nonstarters: B-TEAM - My fate for a lot of high school

6. Interpretation: READ - What's your READ on this?

7. Basic solutions: EASY FIXES.

8. "Power" role for Rotimi: DRE - Olurotimi Akinosho known professionally as Rotimi, is an Nigerian-American actor and singer. He is known for his role as Darius Morrison on the Starz series Boss and as Andre Coleman or DRE on Power. 

9. Soup du jour alternative: HOUSE SALAD - A minimal one I would say

10. Complex protest?: RENT STRIKE - If the whole apartment complex is upset, then...

11. Temporary reprieve: STAY.

12. NBC show with more than 950 eps: SNL.

13. Vigilant: ALERT.

14. Column of smoke: PLUME.

19. Wet periods: RAINY SEASONS.

20. Notify: PING - I have had to PING my iPhone from my Apple Watch using the upper right hand icon more times than I can count.

22. Molecule studied by Joan A. Steitz: RNA.

23. Concerning: ASTO.

24. Unsolicited screenplay: SPEC SCRIPT - TriStar initially optioned the film (Pulp Fiction) and was even in talks to produce it, but then did a 180 by declaring, “This is the worst thing ever written. It makes no sense. Someone’s dead and then they’re alive. It’s too long, violent, and unfilmable.”

25. Beach volleyball spots: SAND COURTS - I'll have to admit that the court is not the first thing I notice in this competition. 

26. Nail biters: TEETH.

28. Exercise that works the upper body: TRICEP DIP.

30. Network signal: FEED - The most famous network FEED was from The Sea Of Tranquility on 7/20/69

34. Noise before a break-in: AHEM.

37. Tags someone on Twitter, e.g.: ATS - Here ya go

40. "Groundhog Day" director: RAMIS - During the making of Ground Hog Day with his friend Bill Murray the two had such terrible disagreements they did not speak for 21 years.

41. Shabby: DINGY.

43. Balloon: SWELL - After years of coaching, I can say this describes what happens to a sprained ankle 

44. Go down: DROP.

46. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA - The name Pasta alla Norma is said to have originated from the cry of joy and approval that people cannot repress after they eat this Sicilian specialty: “This pasta is a NORMA!” meaning "a masterpiece" in Italian. Yeah, I knew that! 😏

47. Capital with ferry service to Copenhagen: OSLO.

48. Scottish wedding garb: KILT.

49. Plant, for one: SPY - Eight spys or plants who worked for the Soviet Union during the building of the atom bomb

51. __ Jima: IWO.

52. Small intake: SIP.

From C.C.: Tom is now a newly-minted grandpa. His cute granddaughter Mary was born on Friday May 19th.