Thursday, August 15, 2024, Dan Margolis

 

  Punny Podcasts

For those not familiar with the term, a podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet.  Podcasters may create audio podcasts on MP3 files or videos on services like YouTube.  They can be played immediately, or downloaded to files for playing later.  

Today veteran constructor Dan Margolis treats us to 4 theme clues with podcasts pitched to different audiences and filled with punny answers ... 

20. Podcast category for electricians?: CURRENT EVENTS.   This one is pretty shocking 😀 ...

FYI -- "earth" is Britspeak for "ground wire"

28. Podcast category for demolition experts?: BREAKING NEWS.  These guys are really razing Cain! 😀 ...

49. Podcast category for sanitation workers?: TALKING TRASH.  We had this same fill a few weeks back, about talking trash among sports figures, but I couldn't find any videos that would get past Margaret Farrar's sniff test.  This sanitation worker not only talks trash, but he's also a Good Samaritan 😇...

58. Podcast category for beekeepers?: THE LATEST BUZZ.  This girl's wish creates quite a buzz among the beekeeper community (be sure to get out your hankies) ... 😂

Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Glasgow topper: TAM.

4. Milky white gem: OPAL.   

Milky Opal

8. Less friendly: ICIER.

13. Slightly: A BIT.

15. Nutmeg spice: MACE.  Myristica fragrans is an evergreen tree indigenous to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia that is the main source of the spices nutmeg and mace.  The seed of the tree is the source of nutmeg and its aril is the source of mace.

Mace surrounding Nutmeg seed

16. Singer's asset: RANGE.  A clever pastiche of scenes showing  Maria Callas' vocal assets ...

17. Firth kin: LOCH.  FIRTH seems to connote a connection to a larger body of water, but also one that could be connected to a LOCH ...

Synonyms for FIRTH

  

Synonyms for LOCH

18. Sound rebound: ECHO.

19. Sandwiches for dessert: OREOS.

20. [Theme clue].

23. Bart Simpson, e.g.: TOON.  The TOONISH Till Eulenspiegel  of the town of Springfield ...

24. Nest egg initials: IRA.

25. Early Beatles bassist Sutcliffe: STU.  Stuart Sutcliffe: The life, work and tragic death of the Fifth Beatle.  Here he sings the Elvis classic Love Me Tender ...

28. [Theme clue].

33. Funny duo?: ENS.  First meta clue.

36. Knitting need: YARN.

37. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber song: EENIE.

38. One of the Three Bears: MAMA.

40. Boating hazards: REEFS.  How to safely navigate a boat near coral reefs.

43. Prefix meaning "height": ACRO.  This prefix most often precedes the word ACROPHOBIA or fear of heights.  Those suffering from this phobia would probably want to pass on the Skywalk at Grand Canyon National Park. 

Grand Canyon Skywalk

 44. Do-__: second chances: OVERS.

46. Desktop light: LAMP.

48. Keebler mascot: ELF.

49. [Theme clue].

53. Shape of a right angle: ELL.  

Right Triangle

54. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  Here's a snippet from an interview with LIN on the Graham Norton Show, where he does a quick improv of the number "My Shot" from Hamilton ...

55. Fill to the gills: SATE.

58. [Theme clue].

64. Had home cooking: ATE IN.  The best!  

 66. Water source: WELL.  A very deep subject -- I'll spare you the details. 😀

67. "Would __ to you?": I LIE.  A bigger question is whether Epimenides lied?

68. "It __ sunk in yet": HASN'T.

69. Convenience: EASE.

70. Cannery row?: TINS.  Rows of TINS being loaded into an oyster canner in the Baltimore Museum of Industry ...

Oyster canner

71. Lenya of "The Threepenny Opera": LOTTE.  Here Lenya sings Mack the Knife, probably the most famous song from Kurt Weill's Three Penny Opera ...

72. "The Hidden Staircase" sleuth Nancy: DREW. The Hidden Staircase is the second volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, published in 1930 and revised in 1959.

1939 edition

Warner Brothers released a filmed adaptation of it in 1939 and again in 2019 ...

73. Most preferred: PET.  E.g. a PET project..

Down:

1. Mineral softer than gypsum: TALC.  How we know that is a CSO to Chairman Moe ...

2. Concerning: ABOUT.

3. Prefix with biology or brewery: MICRO.  This week I'll go with the brewery ...

Since you asked ...

4. Harbinger: OMEN.  Last week we went with Albert King, this week we'll go with Cream ...

5. Concord: PACT.

6. Blue-Emu target: ACHE.  Funny how crosswordese tends to morph.  Blue-EMU is used for treating a variety of conditions, including muscle pain, arthritis, and itchy feet.  When PETA finds out about the key ingredient in this stuff they might try to shut it down ...

It is not without its risks ...

7. Pope after John XI: LEO VII.  Pope Leo VII (died 13 July 939) was the bishop of Rome and nominal ruler of the Papal States from 3 January 936 to his death.  He wasn't a saint, so I'm not sure why he's wearing a halo in this image ...
 

Pope Leo VII

 8. Early metalworking period: IRON AGE.  The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic (copper) and Bronze Ages.  It is preceded by the Stone Age (subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic) and the Bronze Age.  Here is an informative 10 minute video that provides an illustrated overview of these periods ...

9. Links rental: CART.

10. Basically: IN ESSENCE.

11. I, to Claudius: EGO.  Today's Latin lesson #1.  I, Claudius is also a novel by Robert Graves, which has had several adaptations, most notably the 1975 BBC TV series starring Derek Jacobi, Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, and John Hurt.  I don't know what Margaret would have thought about it, but I'm rating this trailer PG ...

12. In medias __: RES.  Today's Latin lesson #2, meaning "in the middle of things" and sometimes used as a literary technique for structuring narratives.  

14. Beat: THROB.

21. Professor Higgins, to Eliza: 'ENRY.

Eliza

22. Directional ending: ERN.

26. Show off a new dress, say: TWIRL. 

27. Make __: employ: USE OF.

29. Singer's asset: EAR.  A clecho to 16D -- Maria must have had a pretty good EAR to hit all of those notes with a perfect pitch. ♫♬🎝

30. "The Boys __ Back in Town": ARE.  The Boys Are Back in Town is probably the most famous song by Thin Lizzy, an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Thin Lizzy initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon ...

Lyrics

 31. Genuflected: KNELT.  A gesture of respect used before royalty and in some Christian churches.  IIRC Ray - O commented that when he attended the Catholic funeral of long time commenter Spitzboov  he could tell that most of those in attendance were Protestants, because most didn't know when to kneel and when to stand. 😀

32. Grant-giving gp.: NEA.  Here's how you can apply for one at the National Endowment for the Arts. 

33. Project feelings onstage: EMOTE.  Don't project too far or you might end up "chewing the scenery".

34. Part of USNA: NAVAL.  Another CSO to Spitzboov -- he was an engineer who had retired from the Navy. He also knew a lot about Germanic languages.

35. Assessment of credibility: SMELL TEST.  I usually hear SNIFF TEST, but YMMV.

39. Deluge refuge: ARK.

41. A ways away: FAR.

42. Like a wee bairn: SMA. Today's Irish lesson: "a small child" with SMA being a diminutive describing one.

45. Nerve ending?: SILENT E.  Second meta clue.

47. Start of a conversation in class, maybe: PSST.

50. Nada: NIL.

51. Chewed like a beaver: GNAWED.  Here are a couple of them in action ...

52. Regular tendency: HABIT.

56. Blooming bulb: TULIP.  Here are some of the tulips in Sherwood Gardens in Baltimore.  Approximately 50,000 bulbs are planted each year.

Tulips in bloom

57. Web mag: EZINE.  A portmanteau of Electronic and magaZINE.

59. Help for the stumped: HINT. Sometimes Cornerites are forced to resort to them.

60. Rend: TEAR.

61. Ultimatum word: ELSE.

62. Boatload: SLEW.

63. Gusto: ZEST.

64. Org. whose champion wins the Calder Cup: AHL.  The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. 

The Calder Cup

65. Chinese principle: TAO.  The core principal underlying Taoism, one of the oldest native Chinese religions. Presumably it was formed at the beginning of the VI century BC by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.  The main Taoism postulates are the principle of balance and the relationship of the masculine “yang” and the feminine “yin” forces.

Meditating on
Yin and Yang

Cheers,

Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

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.