Saturday, March 25, 2023, Doug Peterson & Christina Iverson

 Saturday Themeless by Doug Petersen and Christina Iverson

This quote from one of our favorite crossword authors sums up my feeling for this puzzle. Sue's title for a mystery story based on my experience today would be. "F is for Frustrating" or "C is for 47. Dull sound: CLUNK."

Unlike some recent  walks in the park, today the bear almost got me and I had some real struggles. Oddly, though, I really enjoyed the puzzle and only 7. "The Song by God" scripture: BHAGAVAD GITA was an impossible "get" but served as some real learning. Some of Doug and Christina's fiendish cluing stymied me but then amazed me when I found out the answer. Of the thousands of puzzles I have done, this is among the most difficult I have ever tackled but I would do another puzzle by this combo again, any time. As I always say, I am smart enough to know how little I know.

Across:

 
1. Flies past: SHOOTS BY - What the years have done as I am now in my 55th year of being in front of teenagers.

9. Supported in the garden: STAKED.

15. Co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy: HIAWATHA - Did he do this "By the shining big sea water"?

16. Pottsylvania spy Natasha: FATALE - I never knew her last name. I was pretty sure she was not Mrs. Boris Badenov. 

17. __ calculus: INTEGRAL - I used this graphic two weeks ago to show how INTEGRAL calculus can figure the area under a curve

18. Choice in luxury leather: OX HIDE.

19. Practice figures, for short: MDS - My surgeon from last month is an M.D. who practices medicine.

20. Raced while supine: LUGED - Whoa!

22. Fell upon: BESET.

23. Fruity addition to pico de gallo: PINA.

24. Critics, e.g.: OPINERS - If you know the source, you probably will know the slant of their OPINERS

26. Many a custom Gibson: FLYING V GUITAR - A reflection of the times

30. Freetown currency: LEONE - This Toyota is available in Freetown (the price is in SLL Sierra Leone Leones) Conversion site

31. "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" playwright: ALBEE.

32. Grandstand division: ROW.

35. Kicks out of Oz?: UGGS - Kicks is slang for footwear and Oz is slang for Australia (a phonetic abbreviation for its first syllable) where these shoes are made.  😀 

36. NSFW: ADULT - Getting ADULT images on your computer that are Not Suitable For Work can be a dangerous practice.

37. Noodle house noodles: SOBA.

38. Drag strip?: BOA - People who dress in drag may very well have a BOA strip/stole as an accessory. 😀

39. Fibber of old radio: MCGEE - Fibber McGee and Molly were a mainstay of NBC radio from 1935 to 1959

40. Salmon, e.g.: COLOR - My family's first car

41. New York neighborhood also called El Barrio: SPANISH HARLEM.

44. Shiny fabric: SATINET - ARGH!

46. Architectural projection: EAVE.

48. Stagger: AMAZE.

50. O, for one: MAG.

53. Company whose logo is an alien named Snoo: REDDIT.

55. Line at an entrance: ADMIT ONE.

57. Many "The Twelve Days of Christmas" gifts: AVIANS - 😀 I count 23 AVIANS. 

58. Used: LEANED ON.

59. Illinois River port: PEORIA - The Spirit Of Peoria sails on the Illinois River out of PEORIA, IL.

60. Culture club?: ART SCENE.

Down:

1. Level: SHIM.

2. Golden __: Drake's ship: HIND - Here's a $39 model kit

3. Aveeno ingredient: OATS - No ALOE here. 

4. Be somewhat shy: OWE.

5. "The Breakfast of Champions," e.g.: TAGLINE.

6. __ along: STRUNG.

7. "The Song by God" scripture: BHAGAVAD GITA - ARGH! What I learned

8. Rory Gilmore's alma mater: YALE - A fictional character in The Gilmore Girls

9. Alaska Airlines hub: Abbr.: SFO.

10. Uncle Sam's piece of the pie: TAX BITE.

11. Goddess who oversaw the Argo's construction: ATHENA - Here she is shown, seated at the left in this bas-relief, adjusting the sail

12. Deli choice: KAISER ROLL - K _ _ _ E R seemed to call for KOSHER but Kaiser soon became apparent. 

13. Honored one: ELDER.

14. Lowdown: DEETS - Slang for details

21. Train pulled by a pair of locomotives: DOUBLE HEADER - With trains now over a mile long, there can be more than two locomotives doing the pulling. This appears to be a quad header.

23. Spare parts?: PINS - So clever! I had _ I _ S and put in RIBS, but noooo... 😀 Boomer would not have been fooled!

25. First name in geometric art: PIET - My first thought was M.C. Escher but nooo.... It was Piet Mondrian who I have never heard of. Here is one of his paintings adapted to a pair of leggings.

26. Blow: FLUB.

27. Toy company based in Billund, Denmark: LEGO - A gimme

28. Place to stretch one's legs: YOGA STUDIO - Duh and ARGH!

29. Binders: GLUES.

33. Wind often made from grenadilla wood: OBOE - The name of this African wood is, uh, foreign but a four-letter wind instrument was pretty easy.

34. Close, in a way: WARM - 😀 

36. Skin concern: ACNE.

37. Put out: SORE - If a baserunner is "put out" he might be "put out" if he thinks he was safe and "put out" of the game if the protest gets out of hand.

39. Bit of Borat attire: MANKINI - You'll have to look it up to believe it. ARGH! 

40. Sudden collapses: CAVE INS.

42. "Learn what you are and be such" poet: PINDAR - ARGH!

43. Strong suit?: HAZMAT.

44. Like a lemon, eventually: SCRAP - 😀

45. Naproxen brand: ALEVE - $10.99 and $3.99 respectively 

49. __ fide: in bad faith: MALA - The opposite of bona fide

50. Mean relative: MODE.

51. Soon, in stanzas: ANON.

52. Factor in cilantro tolerance, e.g.: GENE - You may be genetically disposed to taste cilantro as soap

54. Org. with wands: TSA.

56. Noir sleuth: TEC - Slang for deTECtive

Sunday January 1, 2023 Laura Effinger-Dean & Christina Iverson

Theme: "Before Tea" ( "B for T") - T is changed into B in each familiar phrase.

22A. Give orders, even while dreaming?: BOSS IN ONE'S SLEEP. Toss is one's sleep.

42A. Request from one robot to another in "Futurama"?: LOVE ME BENDER. Love Me Tender

70A. One who starts a fight over the last crustacean at a seafood buffet?: SHRIMP BRAWLER. Shrimp trawler.

99A. Decorations for a "Bob the Builder" birthday cake?: BRICK CANDLES. Trick candles.

120A. "Oh, you're not acting so brave now, are you!"?: LOOK WHO'S BALKING. Look Who's Talking?

15D. Maintain forest health with a planned fire?: DO A GOOD BURN. Do a good turn.

69D. Illustrative tools in a neuroscience lab?: MODEL BRAINS. Model trains.

Looks like Laura's LAT debut. Congratulations! You all know Christiana, who used to be Patti's assistant. 

Such a great title! I'd be at loss. Slight tweak on a classical pinwheel Sunday design. This one has eight 9-letter fill!

 
Across:

1. Humidifier output: VAPOR.

6. Ratio phrase: IS TO. :

10. Dweeb: DORK.

14. Hubbubs: ADOS. And 78. Bobs and weaves: DOS.

18. Angry: IRATE. And 20. Fencing implement: EPEE. We see IRE, IRA, IRATE & EPEE frequently due to their friendly letter combo.

19. Twosome: PAIR.

21. Dark beer: STOUT. And 29. Light beer: LAGER. And 104. Brewpub handle: ALE TAP.

25. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

26. Tolkien creature: ENT. Tree being.

27. Contributes: ADDS.

28. Swiss chocolatier: LINDT.

30. Tanning bed fixtures: LAMPS.

33. Stripped (of): DIVESTED.

35. Bauxite, e.g.: ORE.

36. "Don't lose hope!": CHIN UP.

38. Mining engineer who became president in 1929: HOOVER. I did not know this.

40. Maine college town: ORONO.

44. In the center of: AMIDST.

47. List unit: ITEM.

48. Flit: DART.

49. Update, as charts: RE-MAP.

53. Vintage ski lift: T BAR.

54. Davis of "Grumpy Old Men": OSSIE.

56. 2022 World Cup city: DOHA. Argentina won the Cup.

58. "Dune" director Villeneuve: DENIS.

60. Ancient character: RUNE.

61. Small battery: AAA.

63. Target of some bark beetles: ELM.

65. Gets there in no time?: TELEPORTS. Nice clue/fill.

67. Rapper will.__: I AM.

74. "Hip Hop Is Dead" rapper: NAS.

75. Episodic option in some games: STORY MODE. Like this.

77. Feel crummy: AIL.

80. Put on board: LADE.

81. Colleague of Sonia and Ketanji: ELENA.

83. Latch (onto): GLOM.

86. Like Wiccans and Druids: PAGAN.

90. Domain: AREA.

91. Diploma word: LAUDE. Here's a typical Chinese diploma.

93. Monogram pt.: INIT.

95. Humorist Barry: DAVE.

96. Not as harsh: MILDER.

102. Via ship, e.g.: BY SEA.

105. Large grinders: MOLARS.

106. Polite title: SIR.

108. Face up to: CONFRONT.

110. Found loathsome: HATED.

111. Poet who wrote, "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt": PLATH. Sylvia.

113. __-Roman: GRECO.

114. Darling: DEAR.

116. Narrow inlet: RIA.

119. Chateau-dotted valley: LOIRE.

124. Word with circle and tube: INNER. And 16. Word with space and planet: OUTER.

125. Capri, for one: ISLE. My sister-in-law Connie might have visited the place. She spent a few years in Italy and she still goes back there every year.

126. Voting no: ANTI.

127. Pizza slice, say: PIECE.

128. Charge (with): TASK.

129. Really, really overcook: CHAR.

130. Deli array: MEAT. Followed by 131. Introductory course: SALAD.

Down:

1. Hard-to-describe feeling: VIBE.

2. "East of Eden" brother: ARON. Cal's brother.

3. Old incarnations: PAST LIVES. Buddhists believe in reincarnation.

4. Extra NFL periods: OTS.

5. Outdoor gear giant: REI.

6. Old Apple devices: IPODS. Do you guys listen to Sam Harris?

7. Beachfront property?: SAND. Good clue also.

8. Links: TIES.

9. RN workplaces: ORS.

10. Came through: DELIVERED. Like this guy in black. Always came through. Always comes through. Do you like his bag?

 

11. First act: OPENER.

12. Swamp grasses: REEDS.

13. Didn't stray from: KEPT TO.

14. Razor brand: ATRA.

17. Put away for later: STORE.  D-Otto got me this onsen powder.  I have more coming. I'll never run out of this again.

21. Rarely: SELDOM.

23. Was out briefly: NAPPED.

24. Thin shard: SLIVER.

31. Iron deficiency: ANEMIA.

32. Fall flower, for short: MUM.

33. Pentagon org.: DOD.

34. "Mrs. America" political cause, briefly: ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment.

36. Advertising award: CLIO.

37. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS.

38. Protagonist: HERO.

39. Available, in a way: ON THE MENU. The Eucharistic Minister Bill and his wife invited me to their house for lunch on Friday. I had Cane's Chicken Fingers for the first time. Boomer would have loved them.

41. Drag racer's fuel, briefly: NITRO.

43. Awful: BAD.

45. Sleigh driver: SANTA.

46. Lock of hair: TRESS.

50. "Enter Sandman" band: METALLICA. I think Splynter likes this band. How are you doing, Splynter?

51. Fresh: ANEW.

52. Caplet: PILL.

55. "Gentle, gentle": EASY.

57. Jungfrau, e.g.: ALP.

59. Germ: SEED.

62. Sighed line: AH ME. Do you actually say this phrase?

64. Many an exec: MBA.

66. Hold (up): PROP.

67. Quran faith: ISLAM.

68. Breakout gaming company: ATARI.

71. Wallpaper unit: ROLL.

72. Inkling: IDEA.

73. Fix unlawfully: RIG.

76. Hide-and-seek word: READY.

79. Prepare to ride, in a way: SADDLE.

82. Ghostery, for one: AD BLOCKER.

84. Cleaning up the mess, say: ON KP.

85. Audio jack abbr.: MIC.

87. Cate Blanchett's "The Lord of the Rings" role: GALADRIEL. Ethereal.

 

88. Declare: AVER.

89. "Queer Eye" expert Jonathan Van __: NESS.

92. Prior to today, poetically: ERENOW.

94. "The Savages" filmmaker Jenkins: TAMARA. Learning moment for me.

97. Artist known for optical illusions: ESCHER. That M.C. guy.

98. __ Speedwagon: REO.

100. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

101. "__ so fast!": NOT.

103. Old English: ANGLIC.

104. Ring of color: AREOLA. I can't link this again. Will cause our blog trouble.

106. Go 50-50 on: SPLIT.

107. Massey of old films: ILONA.

109. College newbie: FROSH.

110. Sister's attire: HABIT.

112. Long haul: TREK.

114. Thoroughly cooked: DONE.

115. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. Ni hao ma?

117. Ancient Cuzco dweller: INCA.

118. Like much cheddar: AGED.

121. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM. And pineapple.

122. Record collector's collection: LPS.

123. Carnival maker: KIA. Why did they stop using Sedona?

A few extra notes:

I gained access to our account for a few days with a temp code. But the code lost its magic yesterday. I really need the post office to hurry up their piled-up mail and get me my ATM card. The credit card was also a mess also due to our address "84 1/2 Ave. No." Wells Fargo site does not allow dash marks and the local banker was simply too incompetent to solve my glitches. Very frustrating.

I do have some good news. My best friend Carmen has improved greatly. She still has throat problems and body aches from COVID, but she feels good enough to WeChat me again.

I also found this clip of the musical fountain in the north square of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, 30 minutes away from where I grew up. The guy who took the clip (and showed up in the end) happened to be my friend David, whom I last saw at the Gare Du Nord back in 2000. Thanks to our own Steve Marron, who's been in London for the holidays, David and I got reconnected. He now works in IT for the UK Cabinet Office.

Here are a couple pictures from David's archive. Both taken millions of years ago. I think the first one is in front of the Centre Pompidou. Pas certain. Does that bold red scene look familiar to any of you? I actually didn't recall having my picture taken with that sword guy, much to David's surprise.

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of love and laughter in 2023!

C.C.