Wednesday, Sep 6th, 2023, Dan Margolis

 

 The GOOD, The BAD, and the UGLY, er, potato (19d.)~?

Today's puzzle theme clues are opposing statements with the same catch-phrase/idiom answer....two 15-letter spanners, and two awkward 14-letter spanners;  a reasonable challenge for a Wednesday-level puzzle, with only a few proper names to "42A." the solve.  Splynter here, filling in for melissa....

17. Good advice for an angry person / Bad advice for a novice dairy farmer:
DON'T HAVE A COW MAN

28. Good advice for a complainer / Bad advice for someone blowing out birthday candles:
SAVE YOUR BREATH

48. Good advice for a nervous public speaker / Bad advice for an impersonator:
JUST BE YOURSELF

63. Good advice for an impatient person / Bad advice for a Chippendales dancer:
KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON - I filled this in with "PANTS", but it didn't jibe with the DOWN clues

For the ladies; for the guys....

And, uh, Away We Go....

ACROSS:

1. Soccer star Lionel with seven Ballon d'Or awards: MESSI

The "Golden Ball"

6. Spreadsheet line: ROW

9. Hope __: CHEST

14. Water brand: EVIAN - There was a comedian who pointed out that this is "naïve" spelled backwards....

15. Poetic preposition: ERE

16. Name tag word: HELLO

urm, Vader~? Anakin~?

20. Shelley's "Ozymandias," e.g.: SONNET - I had SONN - - , so from there....

21. Rhythm-heavy genre: SKA - pondered RAP first

22. Mole: SPY

23. Fine __: ARTS

25. Historical times: ERAS - I don't have the link anymore, but I believe this is the single most used crossword fill;  see also 39D.

34. Wild beast also called a wildebeest: GNU - hey, that's "GNUS" to me....

35. "Pull up a chair": SIT

36. Fume: SEETHE

37. Blake who played Aunt Harriet on TV's "Batman": MADGE

Loved me the 60s Batman

40. Lower limb: LEG - oooh, a gimme~!

42. Go bad: SPOIL

43. Off topic: AFIELD - I am in the FIELD for the month of September - first on the west side of CT, and then back to Lynchburg, VA for pipe organ work

45. Repurposed tee, maybe: RAG

47. Directed: LED

52. Price-slashing event: SALE

53. Back muscles, for short: LATS - latissimus dorsi

54. Brief chances?: OPS - OPportunitieS

57. T'ai __ ch'uan: CHI - looked vague at first; more here

59. Newsstand stack: PAPERS

67. In vogue again: RETRO

68. Lunes or martes: DIA - Spanish for days Monday / Tuesday

69. Tucci's "Road to Perdition" role: NITTI - no clue; filled via perps

70. Far-out type?: ALIEN - and: 56. 70-Across-hunting org.: SETI - the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence - and a musical interlude from Blue Öyster Cult

Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser never makes any Top100 guitarists lists

71. Belief suffix: -ISM

72. Prepare, as an infusion: STEEP

DOWN:

1. Rx orders: MEDs

2. Cooking staple, initially: EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil; learned by doing crosswords

3. Ireland's __ Féin: SINN - SIEN, SEIN~? can never remember how to spell this

4. GPS technology, for short: SAT-NAV - the guys on Wheeler Dealers still call it as such

5. "We can share this hiding place!": "IN HERE~!"

6. Gun: REV

7. Miner concerns: ORES - cute; Miner/minor; see 34D.

8. More watered down: WEAKER

9. Comedian Margaret: CHO

10. Cut down: HEW - oddly followed by....

11. Colonnade trees: ELMS

12. High-five sound: SLAP

13. Broadway award: TONY

18. Legal dept. staffers: ATTYs

19. Potato nutrients, for short: CARBS - carbohydrates

"Ugly" Potatoes

24. Potting material: SOIL

26. Greek war god: ARES

27. Filter (through): SEEP

28. Complete fiasco: SNAFU - Situation Normal, All....

29. Some German imports: AUDIs

30. In __: unborn: UTERO

31. Island formation: ATOLL

32. "The Book __": Markus Zusak novel: THIEF - filled via perps

33. Grasped: HELD

34. Key with one sharp, briefly: G maj - "E min" would have worked, too, as I knew it's the same as G major from playing the guitar; A LOT of Metal music is in this key....I started taking piano lessons~!  My goal, which might take me decades, is to play Bach's Dorian Toccata - this piece - right now I can play the part of "page turner" @ 3:17

Washington National Cathedral organ, NE facade

38. Grasps: GETS 

39. Idris of "Cats": ELBA - seems to becoming a crossword staple as popular as "ERA"

41. Ancient France: GAUL - Hey~! My first chance to say this one is "Frawnche"

44. Car battery pioneer: DELCO - The Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. - the Wiki

46. Result of some plotting: GRAPH - I toyed with "CABAL", but it's the 'other' type of plotting, e.g. geometry and AutoCAD

49. Violinist Menuhin: YEHUDI - No clue; filled via perps and WAGs

50. Sullies: STAINS - Not THIS Sully - I am fascinated with the Smithsonian Channel's "Air Disasters", not because I am morbid, but for the intriguing investigations - and how a very small part can bring down an airliner.

51. Global fashion brand founded in San Francisco in 1968: ESPRIT - again, no clue

54. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA

55. Spa treatment: PEEL - Dah~!  I tried MANI first

58. Pupil's place: IRIS - I briefly considered "DESK"

60. Kitchen addition?: ETTE - KitchenETTE - I bought my new kitchen cabinets a year ago, but I need to upgrade my home electrical service to 200amps, and even tho I can do it myself, I am waiting on the electrician

61. Learning method: ROTE

62. Salon sound: SNIP

64. Not post-: PRE

65. "Round __ Virgin, Mother and Child ... ": YON - Silent Night

66. Actor Waterston: SAM - you know him best as John "Jack" McCoy, the Executive Assistant DA from Law & Order

Splynter

Thursday, December 9, 2021, Dan Margolis

 

 Stuck in the Middle

The lyrics

Today is the 6th  appearance of constructor Dan Margolis on the Corner, and here's a bit of bio from a review of his first four puzzles for that "other newspaper". 

As this is a Thursday, this puzzle should have a theme, but Dan seems to have hidden it well.  There are no clearly identifiable themers, no stars, no circles, no reveal, and no real pattern discernible in the cluing.  However the usual suspects, the 4 longest fills, seem to contain what statisticians might call a "measure of central tendency", in this case the MEDIAN, which is the value separating the HIGHER half from the LOWER half of a data set, e.g. the count of clues in this puzzle.

20A. Often euphemistic words for lacking employment: IN BETWEEN JOBS. The good news is that the number of people in this situation continues to go down (at least on the day this review was written).

27A. Manhattan attraction: CENTRAL PARK.  The park first opened for public use in the winter of 1859 .  It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed the Sudbrook Park neighborhood about 4 blocks from my home.  Central Park has hosted many events over the years, including this one (here are the lyrics):

44A. Rounding third base after starting at second, say: HALFWAY HOME  For Rush there was just no goin' back (here are the lyrics):

53A. Just plain folks: MIDDLE AMERICA.  I used this 2 weeks ago and it feels just right for this clue:
 

American Gothic
Grant Wood 1930

Just in case you were holding your breaths, the median value for the total clue counts in this puzzle is 37.5.  The total number of clues was 74, thus 37 are below the median and 37 are above it.  Where the below and above values are equivalent, the MEDIAN is the average of the two.

Now on to some useful information:

Across:

1. Guttural interruption: AHEM.

5. Hook or Kirk: Abbr.: CAPT.  The dastardly pirate and one of PICARD's predecessors.

9. Logician's "E": ERAT.  As in Quod Erat Demonstrandum - Latin for "which was to be demonstrated."  The Legal Information Institute defines this as "Often abbreviated as 'Q.E.D'., the statement may appear at the conclusion of a text to signify that the author's overall argument has just been proven" (emphasis added).  Don't believe that for a moment!  In the words of a former President, "Trust, but verify".

13. Rope fiber: SISAL.  One of three common fibers for making rope, the others being HEMP and JUTE.  SISAL is the strongest of the three.  HEMP can be pretty strong too, but not as a fiber.

15. Confidently say: AVER.

16. Earned: MADE.

17. Vintage hue on a photo app: SEPIA.

18. Digital media brand: ROKU.  Pretty much all we watch these days.  ROKU carries all of the major content providers (a.g. ACORN, BRITBOX, HBO, NETFLIX,  etc.) and charges a nominal monthly fee to get them to you.  There may also be a monthly fee for some of the content providers 

19. Plains people: OTOS.  Also spelled OTOES, also called OTOE MISSOURIA, North American Indian people of the Chiwere branch of the Siouan linguistic family, which also includes the languages of the closely related Missouri and Iowa tribes

23. __-pitch softball: SLO.

25. I-5 state: ORE.  The fill for this was not in vein.

26. Liberia neighbor: GUINEA.  Guinea is a country in West Africa, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It's known for the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, in the southeast. The reserve protects a forested mountain range rich in native plants and animals, including chimpanzees and the viviparous toad. On the coast, the capital city, Conakry, is home to the modern Grand Mosque and the National Museum, with its regional artifacts.

31. Petri dish gels: AGARS.  Derived from red algae, AGAR is used not just for microbiological cultures, but in Asia as an ingredient in desserts,  as a laxative, an appetite suppressant, as a substitute for gelatin, a thickener for soups, etc.

32. Former Romanian president: ILIESCU.  Ion Iliescu (Romanian pronunciation: [iˈon iliˈesku] (listen); born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as President of Romania from 1989 to 1996 and from 2000 until 2004.

Ion Iliescu
Looks like a Positive guy

36. Buster Brown's dog: TIGE.  Hand up if you remember the cartoon, which first appeared in 1902.  TIGE, was an American Pit Bull Terrier, thought to be the first talking pet to appear in the comics, and, like that of many of his successors (e.g. HOBBES), his speech goes unnoticed by adults.  Here's Buster Brown and Tige (Tige's the one on the right):

I recall only the Buster Brown who appeared in the early TV show Andy's Gang.  My meme from that one was  "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!"   

37. Flat sign: TO LET.  The Brit equivalent of "Apartment to Rent".

39. Alternatively: ELSE.

41. Mosaic piece: TESSERA.  A TESSERA is an individual MOSAIC piece.  This art form dates back at least to 3500 BC.  Perhaps mosaics began as a way of recycling broken glazed pottery.  By cutting the shards into regular shaped pieces, they could be re-assembled as images on walls.  Some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world are made from "micro-tesserae", e.g. the images on the walls of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which are virtually indistinguishable from oil paintings.  Here is "The Altar of the Navicella", which derives its name from the Gospel narrative of Jesus walking on the water.  Peter is on the left, sinking in the waves as his faith fails him.  This mosaic was copied from a painting by Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647):
 

The Altar of the Navicella

43. Pricing word that rhymes with its opposite: STEEP rhymes with CHEAP.

47. Axis foes: ALLIES.  Lest we ever forget.

51. Guffaw sound: HAR.

52. Cue preceder?: PEE.  PEE and CUE are homophones for the letters P and Q.

57. Cream additive: ALOE.  A frequent crossword additive, with three creamy vowels.

58. It may be wild: RICE.  Buying, cooking, and recipes.

59. Union station?: ALTAR.  The number of ways that constructors can hitch this fill into a crossword is amazing.

62. Midday refreshers: NAPS.

63. Inland Asian sea: ARAL.  The depletion of this lake began in 1960 due to the diversion for agricultural use of the two main rivers feeding it.

64. Hospital cry: NURSE.

65. "Time spent with __ is never wasted": Colette: A CAT.  Hello Hahtoolah!
 

66. P.D. ranks: DETS.  DETECTIVES, an abbreviation implied by the clue.

67. Thai money: BAHT. The Thai baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass. Its currency value was originally expressed as that of silver of corresponding weight (now defined as 15 grams).

Down:

1. Jenny's offspring: ASS.  HINNY didn't fit.

2. Hustle, quaintly: HIE.

3. Threat to national security: ESPIONAGE.  More than we know, I suspect.

4. Water __: MAIN.

5. "Breaking Bad" bad guys: CARTEL.

6. Swear: AVOW.

7. Short dog, for short: PEKE. 10 Fun Facts about the Pekingese.  This puzzle is starting to go to the dogs.

8. 1969 film remade in 2010 with Jeff Bridges in John Wayne's role: TRUE GRIT.

9. Smiley face with hearts for eyes, e.g.: EMOJI. 😍

10. Betray: RAT ON.

11. Sun-dried brick: ADOBE.

12. Thompson of "Westworld": TESSA.  Rumor has it that "Westworld" is pretty racy.  As we don't subscribe to HBO, I've never seen it.

Tessa Thompson

14. Hercules' dozen: LABORS.  Commit these to memory.  One of them is bound to show up in a puzzle one day.

21. Historic time: ERA. 

22. Zap: NUKE.  I had a lot of nightmares about being NUKED when I was a child, but it wasn't by a microwave oven. 

23. Shoo relative: SCAT.  SCAT has a lot of other meanings, some musical, and some that don't smell so good.

24. Kosher: LEGIT.   This usage is slang for OK or legal.  The term from which it's derived implies "fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law".

28. "__ chic!": TRÈS.  You can still get a FIR if you omit l'accent grave.

29. Dish from which paella evolved: PILAF.  Here's a recipe for RICE PILAF (you can even use 58A).  Here's one for PAELLA.  It's more involved, but makes a great  MAIN course for dinner guests:
 

30. Sierra Nevada, e.g.: ALE.  I prefer "60 min. Dogfish IPA" myself.  I'd take you to their website, but they discriminate against draft age Cornerites who are not yet old enough to drink alcohol.

33. Genesis son: SETH.  SETH was Adam and Eve's 3rd son, born after CAIN the eldest, who murdered his brother ABEL.  Things did not get off to a good start in Genesis.

34. The "her" in Shakespeare's "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety": CLEOPATRA.  From Anthony and Cleopatra, quoting Enobarbus, a friend of Mark Antony, implying that Cleopatra is overwhelmingly attractive to men not so much because of her beauty as because of her fascinating unpredictability and range of moods. Richard Burton found that out the hard way.

35. "I can help": USE ME.  I'm not touching this one.

37. Buzz-creating promo: TEASER AD.  IMHO, all ads are TEASERS, some are just BUZZIER than others.

38. The NBA's Magic: ORL.  Orlando Magic. Circa 12/4/2021 it looks like they could use more Magic.

40. Duel tool: ÉPÉE.  Another piece of vowelful fill often inserted in crosswords, but you wouldn't want one inserted in you. You get extra credit if you fill les accent aigus.

42. Kid-lit poet Silverstein: SHEL.  Sheldon Allan Silverstein (September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, songwriter, and playwright. He was best known for his cartoons, songs, and children's books.
 

Shel Silverstein

43. Iraqi neighbor: SYRIAN.  The citizens may be neighbors, but I'm not so sure about the states.

45. Slangy alternative to walking: WHEELS.

46. Swiss river: AAR.  The AAR (or AARE) river is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.

47. Range name: AMANA.  ANDES didn't perp. 

48. New Hampshire state flower: LILAC.

49. Parkinson's treatment: L DOPA.  Looks simple enough, but it's a very important player in he metabolism of the brain:

l-DOPA is an amino acid that is made and used as part of the normal biology of some plants and animals, including humans.  l-DOPA is the precursor to several neurotransmitters essential for brain health.  Synthetically manufactured L-DOPA can partially compensate for the failure of the body to produce adequate amounts of the natural substance, which leads to Parkinson's disease.

50. Latin "in other words": ID EST  i.e.,  "That is to say".

54. Suffix for the rich: AIRE. A MILLION here, a BILLION there, and pretty soon you're talking REAL MONEY.

55. Future doc's exam: MCAT.  The Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess one's problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. 

56. Black card, maybe: CLUB.

60. Bat wood: ASH.

61. No longer working: Abbr.: RET.  Don't let anyone tell you that when you've retired you won't have anything to do!  My secret is to take a 62A every day.

Here's the grid:

There weren't very many opportunities for music in this puzzle, so I'm exercising my reviewer's license to finish with this Italian/English paean to happy endings (here's an all English translation).

And as always, special thanks to Teri for proof reading and constructive suggestions.

Cheers,
Bill

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to the incomparable Hahtoolah (Susan), whose posts always brightens our days. Behind her witty comments and funny links, there are hours of hard work. Thanks for all you do, Susan!

 

 

Sunday September 20, 2020 Dan Margolis

Theme: "Additionally" - LY is added to each familiar phrase.

 23A. Like a three-year-old after a tough year, to Mom?: FINALLY FOUR. Final Four.

 107A. Peacock, say?: STATELY BIRD. State bird.

 12D. Singer Simon, refusing to take a limo?: SELF-DRIVING CARLY. Self-driving car.

 16D. Part-time lawyer?: ATTORNEY GENERALLY. Attorney General.

 34D. Hospital worker on trial?: ORDERLY IN THE COURT. Order in the court.

 39D. Paul Simon song about a budding international union?: YOU CAN CALL ME ALLY. You Can Call Me Al.

ATTORNEY GENERALLY sounds a bit stretched to me.  Adverb to modify a noun. Works for you?

We often have more theme entries in Across rather than Down. This one is an exception. Very easy to flip though.

Lots of great clues in this puzzle.

Across:

1. Help in drawing the line: RULER.

6. Chums, in slang: PEEPS.  You guys are my "blog peeps".

11. Garage sale caution: AS IS.

15. Classic square-dancing site: BARN.

19. Web mag: E ZINE.

20. Not missing a trick: ALERT.

21. "__ we forget": LEST.

22. Suit to __: A TEE.

25. Ice formation: FLOE.

26. Old Fords: LTDS.

27. Noodle: BEAN. I learned "cool beans" from Spitzboov.

28. "Unleaded" drink: DECAF.

30. Response to a crash: REBOOT.

32. Quarantine: ISOLATE. Hope we can return to our old lives when spring comes.

35. Dog command: HEEL.

36. Key of Brahms' First Piano Concerto: D MINOR.

38. Beat the wheat: THRESH.

39. Gossipy type: YENTA.

40. Counting (on): RELIANT.

42. Was in front: LED.

43. Accompanist?: ESCORT. Nice clue.

45. Provided service for, as tables: WAITED.

47. Daybreak deity: EOS.

49. West Yorkshire city: LEEDS.

51. Color distinction: HUE.

52. What may be added to impress?: IVE. Impressive.

53. "His Dark Materials" protagonist: LYRA. Only non-theme entry containing LY.

54. Before, before: PRE.

55. __ drop: MIC.

56. Business casual choice: KHAKIS.

59. Result of a three-putt, maybe: BOGEY.  Boomer's Monday morning league is winding down.

60. Thin coating: LAMINA.

62. Collegian's diet staple: RAMEN. Just add an egg and some nori strips.

63. Doves and loves: COOERS.

64. Poet contemporary of Milton: DRYDEN (John)

66. Sticking, as a landing: NAILING.

68. Start of a classic JFK challenge: ASK NOT.

69. Cereal fruit: RAISIN.

70. Spreadsheet units: CELLS.

71. It's often said with a smile: CHEESE. In Korea, they say "Kimchi".

73. Personal: INNER.

74. Santana with 10 Grammys: CARLOS. I remember listening to his "Smooth" in a bar close to our office. 

 75. Chicago's __ Center: AON.

76. TV drama settings: ERS.

78. First name in blues: ETTA. James.

79. Baba in a cave: ALI.

80. "__ Miniver": MRS.

81. Qualifying races: HEATS.

83. Rallying word: RAH.

84. Short program: APPLET.

87. 1980s Cabbage Patch Kids producer: COLECO.

89. NASA vehicle: LEM.

90. Spot for a spot: TEA ROOM. I bought this jasmine tea back in April when I was too scared to go the Asian store. So good.

92. Torment: AGONY.

94. 2001 French title heroine: AMELIE. Whimsical.

96. Carnival ride?: CRUISE. 103. Bit of handiwork?: MANI. Two more great clues.

97. Bar request: NEAT.

98. It relieves pain: ANODYNE.

99. Summer ermines: STOATS.

101. Auspices: AEGIS.

104. Come down hard: POUR.

105. Earthenware pot: OLLA. Do you call this an olla? Old-fashioned Cantonese soup pot.

113. Pearl Mosque locale: AGRA.

114. Guitarist Lofgren: NILS.

115. Surround: HEM IN.

116. MGM Resorts reward program: M LIFE. I remember they offered wine with their lunch buffet. Pretty high prices. We left and went back to our little Feast Buffet at the Palace Station.

117. Damon or Dillon: MATT.

118. Eyelid problem: STYE.

119. Like horseshoes: ARCED.

120. Fancy watch brand: SEIKO.

Down:

1. Whistler, at times: REF.

2. Israeli weapon: UZI.

3. Pulitzer winner __-Manuel Miranda: LIN. Popular surname in China. Meaning "forest".

4. Pave the way for: ENABLE.

5. Paramount issues?: RELEASES. Paramount Pictures.

6. Alexander who directed "Nebraska" and "Sideways": PAYNE.  Wiki says he was born in Omaha, Nebraska.

7. Little helper: ELF.

8. Fair-hiring abbr.: EEO.
 
9. "Immortal word" in a Bush 41 quote of Dana Carvey: PRUDENT. Here's the quote "Though I might be tempted to utter a few words of encouragement to anyone who is considering my boy, I will heed the immortal words of Dana Carvey: 'Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.'”.

10. Main follower?: STREET. Main Street.

11. Code word for "A": ALFA. NATO.

13. Prefix with -bar: ISO.

14. Unproductive: STERILE.

15. Fictional boxer's surname: BALBOA. Rocky Balboa.

17. Make over: REDO.

18. Catbird seat?: NEST.

24. Wooden slats: LATHS.

29. Shellfish serving: CLAW. So big.

31. Lover of Geraint: ENID.

32. "__ never work": IT'LL.

33. Easily led sorts: SHEEP.

35. "Come __!": HERE.

37. Allots, with "out": METES.

41. Whom picadors assist: TORERO. How does it differ from "Matador"?

44. __ music: idle talk: CHIN.

46. Idol whose fans are called Claymates: AIKEN. Ran and lost his race.

48. "What __ thou?": SAYST.

50. Waters near Jericho: DEAD SEA.

53. Gander: LOOK SEE.

55. Twins' home: Abbr.: MINN. Our mascot is T.C. Bear.

 

September 15, 2011

56. Whale food: KRILL. Any of you take krill oil?

57. Winnie-the-Pooh greeting: HALLO.

58. Out of whack: AMISS.

59. Big name in audio systems: BOSE.

61. Israel's Iron Lady: MEIR.

63. Battle of Normandy city: CAEN.

64. Martini comparative: DRIER.

65. Go off on: RANT AT.

67. Home with a view: AERIE. American Eagles has an underwear line named Aerie.

72. Stockings: HOSE.

74. Guitar accessories: CAPOS. Splynter seems to be very happy with his new job. He's still taking care of his mom. 

 

77. Draft holder: STEIN.

80. Chamonix peak: MONT.

81. Common features of wordplay: HOMONYMS.

82. Bob Hoskins' role in "Hook": SMEE.

84. Stuck, after "in": A RUT.

85. Contaminates: POISONS.

86. Zest: TANG.

87. "The drink's on me" speaker?: COASTER. Cute.

88. Lock site: CANAL.

91. Turkey's highest peak: ARARAT.

93. Performer with many fans?: GEISHA. Often performing with a fan.

95. Fit to serve: EDIBLE.

98. Add a rider to, say: AMEND.

99. Cybernuisance: SPAM.

100. When repeated, "Animal House" chant: TOGA.

102. Facilitate: EASE.

106. Blitzed: LIT.

108. "Better Call Saul" network: AMC.

109. 20-20, e.g.: TIE.

110. George __, first king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: III.

111. What D.C. Stadium was renamed in 1969: RFK.

112. __ volente: DEO.

 

I got a email from Abejo's wife Linda yesterday. He's hanging in (D-Otto!!) there. Please continue to send positive thoughts his way. 

C.C.

Thursday, January 30th 2020 Dan Margolis

Theme: That's that - the theme entries are clued literally with a description of each one:

20A. "That's fine": POWDERED SUGAR. Very fine indeed. The Brits call it icing sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar in these parts.

27A. "That's all folks": THE HUMAN RACE. This was my first theme solve which put on the right wavelength. I noticed the missing comma from the Looney Tunes hook line. Very nice cluing.

49A. "That's not the point": PENCIL ERASER. I seem to use all the eraser before I've used all of the pencil which probably says more about my inaccuracy than the design of the pencil. I've got stand-alone backups.

58A. "That's rich": CHOCOLATE CAKE. Chocolate and kale in the same puzzle - as I said last week why do I crave chocolate, and not kale?

So, a nice theme and .... and? The fill is pretty sluggish, there's not a lot to admire. A workmanlike puzzle, but too many obscure names for me and too many throwaway entries to get too much enthusiastic about. It's a shame because there were some great clues for an otherwise dull fill. Let's go explore!

Across:

1. Healthful berry: ACAI. It could be GOJI so wait for a cross to confirm.

5. Sommelier's concern: NOSE. Why don't we just say "this wine has a fine smell?" A sommelier's nose could also be an asset.

9. San Antonio cagers: SPURS

14. Bananas: LOCO. Crazy like a ... chicken? I like El Pollo Loco's grilled chicken.

15. "... the __ blackness of the floors": Poe: EBON

16. "The Fox and the Grapes" storyteller: AESOP

17. Dutch cheese: EDAM

18. Way to go: ROAD

19. Queen's milieu: DRAMA. Drama queen. This one made me smile.

23. Get going: HOP TO

25. "Knives Out" Golden Globe nominee de Armas: ANA. Thank you, crosses. I'm not familiar with the movie and checking her credits on IMDb, I've not seen any of the movies she's appeared in.

26. Lansing-to-Flint dir.: ENE

32. 1960s chess champ Mikhail: TAL. Crosses to the aid again. I'm sure chess enthusiasts will know all about this gentleman, but a little before my chess-conscious time.

33. Mustard family member: KALE

34. They're tapped: KEGS

37. Bundle: PILE

39. On the money: RIGHT

42. Kentucky coach with 876 victories: RUPP. I went with RUUP first for no good reason, which made SUREE look a little strange. Easily fixed. Legendary basketball, fifth on the all-time wins list.

44. Foolhardy: RASH

46. __ avis: RARA. "Rare bird". I learned this from crosswords past, thankfully, as it helped with the crossing proper names.

48. Mex. title: SRA. Señora (from Sonora!)

53. Withdrawal site: ATM

56. Carnival city: RIO

57. Words before "so sue me": I LIED

63. Polynesian language: MAORI

64. Sitar music: RAGA. Here's a raga mix of "Uptown Funk"; you just cannot watch it without smiling!

65. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN

68. Conclude with: END ON

69. Indicator: SIGN

70. Feet-first race: LUGE

71. Video chat choice: SKYPE

72. "What __ is new?": ELSE

73. MP3 player: IPOD. Do Apple even make these any more? It seems your phone does everything that an iPod did, with the added bonus of, well, being a phone.

Down:

1. Cream __: ALE

2. Fish that's salted and dried to make bacalao: COD. Originally from the Portuguese, where bacalhau is the name of the fish.The Norwegians have assimilated the dish into their national cuisine where it is now spelled "bakalau". There's more to a bit of dried fish than meets the eye. Here's balalau con tomate.

3. Like Pentatonix numbers: A CAPPELLA

4. Flying insect with prominent eyespots: IO MOTH. Not sure that I knew this. ACAI and LOCO helped me out though.

5. Bookish type: NERD

6. Wind up on stage?: OBOE. Nice clue!

7. Fly like an eagle: SOAR

8. Win over: ENDEAR

9. Hapless sort: SAD SACK

10. Ucayali River country: PERU. The main headstream of the Amazon river, it becomes the Amazon at the confluence with the Marañón.

11. Grammarian's concern: USAGE

12. Type type: ROMAN. Times New Roman, for example, which was commissioned by the London Times newspaper in 1931.

13. Just-in-case item: SPARE

21. "The Caine Mutiny" novelist: WOUK

22. Paternity identifier: DNA

23. Web address letters: HTTP

24. Atheist activist Madalyn: O'HAIR. A new name to me. I'm familiar with the golfer Sean O'Hair, not so much atheist activists.

28. Deface: MAR

29. "When We Were Kings" boxer: ALI. And Joe Frazier; the movie covers the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship fight from Zaire in 1974.

30. Pola of the silents: NEGRI. Another proper name requiring crossing rescue for me today.

31. Poetic contraction: E'ER

35. Dressed to the nines: GUSSIED UP

36. Wild period: SPREE

38. Uncommon sense: ESP. It looks like it has lost its "abbreviation" status.

40. Actor Holbrook: HAL. Another unknown proper name for me today, hence grateful for the "RARA" cross.

41. Amount past due?: TRE. "Uno, due, tre, quattro ...." Nice cluing again for a little word.

43. Ranch bud: PARD

45. Wonder Woman, for one: HEROINE

47. Plot-driving song, perhaps: ARIA. I assume arias drive the plot lines of operas?

50. Zilch: NIL

51. Rough around the edges: COARSE

52. High-pH compound: ALKALI

53. Summits: ACMES

54. "__ goodness": THANK

55. Temperamental: MOODY

59. Edit for size, as a photo: CROP

60. Follow: TAIL

61. Confident juggler's props: EGGS

62. Candy __: CANE

66. It may need a boost: EGO

67. Flanders who inspired the band Okilly Dokilly: NED of "The Simpsons" fame. There's a band from the UK called "Ned's Atomic Dustbin" who named themselves for a sketch from a BBC radio comedy show which aired in the 60's.

And with that, it's okilly dokilly, here's the grid!

Steve

Monday May 13, 2019 Dan Margolis

Theme: This is Us - Each theme entry is in the pattern of U* S*:

  

19. *Anonymous Arlington honoree: UNKNOWN SOLDIER.

31. *Evil Cinderella sibling: UGLY STEPSISTER.

38. *Possibly the perp: UNDER SUSPICION

51. *Entryway conveniences for rain deflectors: UMBRELLA STANDS.

Reveal:

63. With 64-Across, NBC drama ... or, in four parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues: THIS. 64. See 63-Across: IS US

Boomer here.

Greetings from Minnesota where the fishing opener occurred Saturday. I only fish for golf balls these days.  I was able to play my first round of the year Friday. However, we have had so much rain (and snow) that the course would not allow carts on the fairways.  My front nine was pretty good (for me) however all that walking from the cart to the ball created incredible fatigue so the back nine was not so good. The energy that is sapped by my drugs had a hand in that also.

I'll try again this week, weather permitting. And as far as the rainfall goes, I am sure the courses in Houston are not even putting out the carts and the golfers need to use boats.  I hope my good friend desper-otto is doing okay.  Houston had to deal with a hurricane in recent past, and now this.  

   

Across:

1. After-bath powder: TALC.  I think there is a health warning out about this stuff.

5. Crunchy potato snack: CHIP.  One of "My Three Sons".

9. Stew (over): FRET.  I never learned guitar but I know it has several

13. Cookie in some Breyers Cookies & Cream: OREO.  I like these cookies although diabetes prevents me from eating more than two per year.  But they show up in crosswords more than twice per year and I have run out of comments.

14. Vintner's prefix: OENO.

15. Still in the running: ALIVE. And well and living in Minnesota.  Along with millions of fish that were not caught.

16. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" tree: PEAR.  With a partridge hidden in it. Traditional jigsaw puzzle at the Burnikel household.
 

17. Crooner Crosby: BING.  His best rendition was "White Christmas" I believe.

18. Entitled: NAMED.

22. Be worthwhile: PAY.  OR if you are worthwhile you may get paid.

23. Dispenser candy: PEZ.  I had these when I was a kid.  It was a plain dispenser.  Now some of them are collector's items.

24. Boot the ball: ERR.  Baseball slang.  I always call them errors.

25. Wall St. specialist: ARB.  Wall Street had a roller coaster ride last week.  I hope you all survived!

26. Fill to the gills: SATE.

28. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.  A couple of Saturdays ago.  May the Fourth be with you. 

35. History Muse: CLIO.

36. Sean Lennon's mom Yoko: ONO. "Un Huh OH NO don't let the rain come down."

37. School orgs.: PTAS.  Remember Mrs. Johnson of Harper Valley..

43. Singer Carly __ Jepsen: RAE.

44. Where Cork is: EIRE.  I spell it Ireland but that did not fit

45. Bottom line: NET.  Nothing but …

46. Rowing implement: OAR.  Many were used in Minnesota this past weekend, but most fisherman have a motor.

47. Criticize harshly, as a film: PAN.

48. Freelancer's enc.: SAE.

56. Best man's best friend, often: GROOM.

57. MacFarlane of "Family Guy": SETH.

58. Lane at the Daily Planet: LOIS.  Look!  Up in the sky!  It's a Bird, It's a Plane, NO It's Lois's Boss, Clark.

59. Makes eyes at: OGLES.

60. Part of un opéra: ACTE.

61. "The African Queen" screenwriter James: AGEE.  Centerfielder Tommie of the 1969 Miracle Mets!!

62. Dogs, to dog owners: PETS.  Add CAN and you have a procedure that detects everything but the kitchen sink.

Down:

1. Refresh, as a cup of coffee: TOP UP.  I do this at least five times every morning, but the coffee is never as hot as the first cup.

2. Sports venue: ARENA.

3. Hardly watertight: LEAKY.   We had a leaky shower that damaged our garage ceiling. We had it fixed and it only cost an arm and a leg,

4. Succotash kernel: CORN. This is Minnesota's second largest crop but it may surpass soybeans this year

5. Attic accumulation: COBWEBS.

6. "57 Varieties" brand: HEINZ.  "Our soup costs no more than other kinds, and you know it's good because it is Heinz !"  I cannot name all of the 57 varieties -- Can you??

7. Overnight places: INNS.  My favorite is the C'mon Inn in Billings, Montana.

8. Possum in comics: POGO. 

9. Natural aptitude: FLAIR.  Reminds me of Ric Flair, pro wrestler in the WWE.  Now I have heard of Charlotte Flair.  I do not know if they are related.

10. Icy winter coating: RIME.  Funny way to spell SNOW.

11. In any way: EVER.  If you're EVER in a jam, here I am. 

12. Media mogul Turner: TED.  He owns a TV network AND a major league baseball team.  I only have a pile of Atlanta Braves baseball cards.

15. Peace Nobelist Sakharov: ANDREI.

20. Grand Ole __: OPRY.  Fort Campbell was only about 60 miles from Nashville.  I never went to the Opry, but we listened on the radio most Saturdays.

21. "Shall we?" response: LETS.

25. Burn soother: ALOE.  When Alexander Graham Bell inventor of the telephone suggested folks answer with AHOY, I think Elisha Gray (founder of Graybar) wanted his phone answered ALOE.

26. Sight or smell: SENSE.

27. Per unit: A POP.

28. Director Preminger: OTTO.  Young Otto Warmbier was sent home from North Korea a few days before his death.  Then Kim sent us a bill for 2 million dollars.  What is this world coming to?

29. Noggin: BEAN.  Orson was a frequent guest of Johnny Carson.

31. Bone parallel to the radius: ULNA.

32. "The Immoralist" author André: GIDE.

33. Sightseeing outing: TOUR.

34. Roasting rod: SPIT.  Back in the days of the HHH Metrodome in Minneapolis, players were not allowed to spit on the Astroturf.  (Tobacco stains).

35. Mangy mutt: CUR.

39. Provides with more weapons: REARMS.

40. Beget: SIRE.  This would be the father of Maximum Security, turning his nose up at the Preakness.  I don't blame him.

41. Reduced to rubble, as by a fire: IN ASHES.

42. Penny: CENT.  "If you haven't got a penny, a half penny will do, If you haven't got a half penny, then God bless you!'

46. Instruments among the reeds: OBOES.

47. Singer LaBelle: PATTI.  I remember Patti Page and see her occasionally on those half hour ad shows that try to sell you CDs of old time hits.

48. Canoodles, in Britain: SNOGS.

49. French bye word: ADIEU. "Adieu, Adieu my friends adieu.  I can no longer stay with you" - Then something about drinking wine.

50. Letters after ars: ESSES.

51. Advocate: URGE.

52. Shed skin: MOLT.

53. Future atty.'s hurdle: LSAT.

54. Solidarity leader Walesa: LECH.  Highly controversial, but I think he represented poor workers very well in Poland and improved their status.  Holler at me if I am wrong.

55. Jai __: ALAI.

56. Republican org.: GOP.  Grand Old Party.  Interesting nickname.

Boomer