Friday, November 8, 2024, David Alfred Bywaters

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where ... " 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's play-on-words Friday-level puzzle was offered to us by none other than David Alfred, "one if by land, two if" Bywaters!  This is now three-in-a-row for me recapping some of my favorite puzzlers (Rich, Patti, and now David).  As many of you know, one of my partners-in-crime, waseeley, is also a fan of David's and regularly shares with us his fortnightly, crossword cavalcade

David often comes up with a fiendish connection in his puzzles, so I reached out via email to him to confirm (or deny) that these entries had anything more than what appears on the surface.  David was honored to think that I had uncovered a secret code, perhaps ... but as he said, "it was by mere chance" that he came up with 5 phrases that have a double-meaning, all of which were framed by a clue question beginning with the words "where to find".  Did you have the wherewithal to figure them out?

Let's explore each one and see if we can find out the meaning behind the clues:

17-across. Where to find a dogcatcher at the end of the working day?: BY THE POUND.  David's first clue/entry was to explore the whereabouts of a dogcatcher (do these even exist anymore?) when his shift is over.  By the dog POUND of course!  Would this entry have been as exciting if it had been clued: "How bananas are sold?"  Nope

But speaking of bananas, I find it interesting that Trader Joe's is a retailer who sells bananas individually as well as in a bunch.  So, which is the better deal?  Individual or by the pound? Well, if you allow that a single banana - on average (with the peel) - weighs about 8 ounces, then their selling price of 19 cents each (maybe it's now a quarter) is a pretty good deal.  The by the pound price is usually around 69 cents per

31-across. Where to find a Tyrolean shepherd?: ABOVE THE FOLD.  Normally, C-Moe uses the Thesaurus-saurus (see 70-across in the recap) to confirm synonyms.  And while Moe has heard of the word fold in reference to a flock of sheep it took a while to confirm (open the link)

The phrase, above the fold, is a newspaper reference that applies to the headline (or major news story) that appears above the folded part of the paper.  Maybe as this one so erroneously did back in 1948?

Notice how the paper is folded

38-across. Where to find an Iowa farmer in late summer?: BEHIND THE EARS.  This was by far the corniest of the crop ... 😀 

Too bad, though, that David didn't have a few extra squares in the puzzle grid to allow him to add an adjective to the phrase.  Then the clue could've been:

How to find an Iowa farmer after a late summer thunderstorm?: ___ BEHIND THE EARS 💧💧💧

46-across. Where to find a Chicago suburbanite?: OUT OF THE LOOP. Fortunately for those who regularly visit the Crossword Corner, you are never out of the loop.  Even when we are faced with trying to figure out certain actors, authors, places, or things; the bloggers here are always eager to do the googling for you and offer it in our comments ...

So why a Chicago suburbanite?  Well, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the "landscape" "The Loop" is both a geographic reference as well as a pretty famous area in downtown Chicago (see the rectangular loop in the map below)

63-across. Where to find a lumberjack at lunchtime?: ON THE STUMP.  David ends his quintet of quirky quips with a reference to political speeches and rallies.  We steer clear of discussing politics here at the Corner ... but we do like to post cartoons! 

Today's grid is brought to you by Sharpie®:

The Grid - My first time using a highlighter 😂

As an aside, there were 24 3LW's today ... again, a result of having 57 of the 225 available squares occupied by the theme entries ... we'll soon learn if Irish Miss minded these, or not ... I'm guessing, not!

As a further aside, David provided me (through our email correspondence) a couple more of the entries he had for this puzzle that didn't make the cut:

Clue: Where to find the lighthouse keeper on foggy Fridays?: BESIDE THE POINT.

Clue: Where to find the scientist who created the abbreviations for silver (Ag) and gold (Au)?: UNDER THE TABLE 

My "grade" for this puzzle is a solid, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Across:

1. Home of Minor League Baseball's Storm Chasers: OMAHA.  CSO to Husker Gary.  I did not know this and chose TULSA as my first guess

6. Oscar season oversight: SNUB.  

10. Org. concerned with lab safety?: SPCA.  Cute clue; DAB's or PV's?  In this case the "lab" is a dog; not a room for science experiments 

14. Not haram: HALAL.  Here's the difference

15. Potential London flat?: TYRE.  Lots of play-on-words today!  The London "flat" refers to an automobile tyre; not a rental unit (apartment)

16. Broccoli unit: HEAD.  My partner, Margaret, advised me last week that broccoli is a man-made vegetable - Cauliflower, too as it turns out

19. Goals: AIMS.  

20. Brief indication of flexibility: OBO.  Or Best Offer.  As in an ad (you'll see this on eBay) where an item is listed for sale for a price of, say, $50.00, OBO

21. Slender fish: EEL.  GAR also fit, and it's a pretty slender fish IIRC

24. Quaint assent: YES'M.  Contraction for yes, ma'am (also a contraction)

26. Out of harm's way: SAFE.  Which supports (5-down. Away from the wind:) ALEE

29. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

34. Opening stake: ANTE.

36. Pitching superstar: ACE.  Walker Buehler may have been the ACE in this year's World Series

37. Marker: IOU.  PEN also fit

43. Rx provider: DOC.  With 24 3LW's you're bound to get several that are abbrs.

44. Delighted cry: OOH.

45. In addition: ELSE.

51. Not just glance: STARE.  How good are YOU at a starting contest?? 

52. Many a Saudi: ARAB.

53. Jazzy improvisation: SCAT.  Ella was one of the best

57. Attempts: TRIES.

59. Coded plea for help: SOS.  Morse code.  Dit dit dit, dah dah dah, dit dit dit (... --- ...)

61. Nev. neighbor: ARI.  CSO to me, Lucina, Yuman, et al

62. "Despicable Me" voice actress Kristen: WIIG.  This actress pronounces her last name the same as an artificial hairpiece: "wig".  But if you look at it again, what if she pronounced it like a video game platform + the last letter, might you get this?:

Wii - G

67. Beginning for potent or present: OMNI.  A prefix meaning "all; everywhere"

68. Core supporters: BASE.  This term was used ad nauseum during the Presidential campaign

69. "Booped" body parts: NOSES.  

70. Acute: KEEN.  The Thesaurus-saurus agrees!

71. Roe source: SHAD.  I prefer mine from sturgeon

72. Down-at-the-heels: SEEDY.  Merrium-Webster agrees

Down:

1. Enthusiastic or impatient cry: OH BOY.  Enjoy this little ditty from a performer who left us way too soon

2. Perhaps: MAYBE.  Do you think maybe there'll be a Moe-ku today?  Perhaps ...

3. Some flutes: ALTOS.

        The fife producer

        Took today off; celebrates

        (the) Flutes of his labor

4. "Caught you!": HAH.  See!  There was a Moe-ku; hah!

6. Norwegian king in hagiographies: ST OLAV.  Learning moment for me, today regarding the clue

7. Greenwich Village sch.: NYU.  Right in the heart of Greenwich Village  

Washington Square Arch near NYU

8. Large container: URN.  A large-sized container (urn) is often used for coffee; a small-sized container (urn) is often used as an alternative to a coffin

9. Hotel capacity: BEDS.  Same answer applies to a hospital's capacity

10. "Doctor Zhivago" star: SHARIF.  Aka, Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub

11. Lingerie array: PEIGNOIRS.  I wondered if this word had been used before in a major crossword puzzle - apparently, yes

12. Almost had it: CAME CLOSE. For some reason, this brought to mind a quip I wrote some ten years ago (October 2014).  Not sure if those here are familiar with the racehorse I reference, so when you get to the last word click on the link ... 

Famous actress Glenn mourned the recent death of a Breeders Cup winning racehorse. She even went so far as to attend the horse's funeral. Unbeknownst to her, the horse's owners cancelled the funeral and had the horse cremated instead.  She came to the funeral, anyway.  TMZ followed her and published this headline the next day on their website: 

CLOSE, but no Cigar

13. Spots: ADS.  So here, all along, the images on a Dalmation's coat are actually ads?? 😉

18. Uruguayan coin: PESO.  We had this word entry on Tuesday; Susan gave us the list of those other countries who use the peso as their currency of choice ... 

23. Call upon: USE.

25. Class that brings problem after problem?: MATH. Why is it that I have a problem with this clue and its answer??  Maybe, because I couldn't find a Moe-ku to fit the answer ... how about a Moe-l'ick instead, that is sorta related ...

        The young mermaid showed quite a big flaw,

       While committing a fashion faux pas.

       She was kicked out of MATH

       After showing some wrath

       When she wore her see-through Algae-bra

27. Part of a boa: FEATHER.  SPLEEN and SCALE didn't fit.  And when I found this image, I couldn't see any feathers ... 

Where the heck are its feathers???

28. Inscribe with acid: ETCH.  Could've been clued: "___ a Sketch"

30. Part of a prof's address: EDU.  Only since 43-across (DOC) was already used

32. "__ mir bist du schoen": 1937 hit: BEI.  Who here remembers the Andrews Sisters?  Let's see.  In 1937 my future parents were in grade school ... 

33. Little snicker: HEE.  We gave out these little "snickers" for Halloween this year 

34. "At last!": ABOUT TIME.  This clue/entry would've been more appropriate if it were at the end of my blog!! 😂😂

35. Peach kin: NECTARINE.  Here's the difference between the two

39. "Au contraire!": NOT.  The clue was in Frawnch

40. Qatar's capital: DOHA.  Coin flip here:  If you chose the capital as in currency, then rial fits.  But in this case it refers to the government center

41. Job listing letters: EEO.  Except on Old MacDonald's farm, where jobs there are listed E-I-E-I-O

42. Italian ski destination: ALPS.  Where you just might run into that Tyrolian shepherd fellow from 31-across

43. Bobs and buns: DOS.  I hear that pre-Windows computer technicians chose MS-DOS for their haircut styles ... 

47. Root: ORIGIN.

48. Charge: FEE.  The noun; not the verb form

49. __ out at: LASHED.  My twisted brain saw this image as someone who might resemble this: 

50. Slender woodwind: OBOE.  Played by that slender fish in 21-across, maybe??

54. Make happen: CAUSE.  How did this happen?  Just 'cause

55. On, as an alarm: ARMED.  Once again, my brain went in a different direction when I saw the word armed.  I wondered if there were any cartoon images of an octopus holding 8 alarm clocks, but this one is funnier:

56. A bit buzzed: TIPSY.  I swear I was cold stone sober when I wrote this blog ... (which, FTR, was done on Monday the 4th)

58. Sounds of woe: SOBS.  "There's no crying in crossword puzzle blogging!"

60. U.S. IDs: SSNS.  See 65-down; you need one of these to apply 

62. Stir-fry need: WOK.  How about another Moe-l'ick?

        When the pastry chef went to embark

       New position, I heard him remark,

        “I’ll be good at stir-fry.”

        “Piece of cake!” I replied.

        He said, “no, just a WOK in the park.”

64. "Pass": NAH.  Oh, you don't want another Moe-l'ick or Moe-ku??

65. PreCheck org.: TSA.  PreCheck for frequent travelers is a must - I got mine as part of Global Entry

66. Foot part: TOE.  Toe, which rhymes with Moe, who is now going to bid you à bientôt! 😃

Sunday January 8, 2023 David Alfred Bywaters

Theme: "Down in Front" - IN is added to the start of each common phrase.

3. Orchestra conductor's memo heading?: IN RE PERCUSSION. Repercussion.

6. So-so golf swings?: INDIFFERENT STROKES. Different strokes.

10. How married couples may spend Thanksgiving?: IN-LAW ABIDING. Law-abiding.

14. Baseball groundskeeper's problem?: INFIELD MOUSE. Field mouse.

30. Religious seminary?: INVOCATIONAL SCHOOL. Vocational school.

53. Dragon tattoos, e.g.?: INKING OF BEASTS. King of beasts.

61. Take out a policy for replacement value?: INSURE ENOUGH. Sure enough.

63. Finding actors for a small-studio film?: INDIE CASTING. Die casting.

See how "Down" added the extra elegance to this puzzle? I would have just used "In Front" and put theme entries in Across. The brain of DAB!

Grid-wise, it's a standard 144-word, 78-black square grid that I really like.

Across:

1. Breezily unconcerned: GLIB.

5. Storage tower: SILO.

9. Emotional exhalation: SIGH. And 59. Cry of dismay: OH NO.

13. Mint metal, once: SILVER.

19. Wine opener?: OENO.As in "Oenophile".
 
20. Home of the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma: ENID. Here with Thomas.

21. "Next round's __": ON ME.

22. Whomever: ANYONE.

23. Sent on: FORWARDED.

25. Group with ancestral ties: CLAN.

26. Paranormal cases: X-FILES.

27. Serpent's tail?: INE. Serpentine. Also 106. Chemical suffix: ANE.

28. Nintendo consoles: WIIS.

29. Designer Versace: GIANNI. Here with his sister Donatella.

31. Habituate: INURE.

32. Swindles: RIPS OFF.

34. Eject forcibly: SPEW.

35. Cost of hand delivery?: ANTE. Poker hand.

37. CEO, CFO, etc.: MGT. Management.

38. Go furtively: SNEAK.

39. 82-Down subcompacts: FIESTAS. 82. Maker of Explorers and 39-Across: FORD.

42. Low places: VALLEYS.

44. __ Haute: TERRE. Indiana.
 
45. Finish: END.

46. Lawyer's gp.: ABA.

47. Outdated, spelled in an outdated way: OLDE.

48. Is able to: CAN.

49. NBC founder: RCA. I associate a "founder" with a person.

50. Purple flower: LILAC.

52. "__ oui!": MAIS.

55. Render aghast: STUN.

57. Intend: MEAN.

58. Hindu deity: DEVA. Sanskrit for "god".

60. Owns: HAS.

61. McShane of "Deadwood": IAN. Looks like a bad character.

62. Spanish ayes: SI SI. Chinese is "Shi de, Shi de".

65. Rebuke from Caesar: ET TU.

67. Kith and __: KIN.

69. Raised trains: ELS.

70. Minor quibbles: NITS.

72. "I'll Be Your Mirror" photographer Goldin: NAN.

73. Ebro y Douro: RIOS. Wikipedia says Douro is "the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula".

74. Anger: IRE. 127. Come to a boil: SEETHE.

75. Hit the slopes: SKI.

76. Shrugworthy: SO SO.

77. Hounds, e.g.: DOGS. Verb.

79. Smelter's supply: ORE.

80. Grant-giving gp.: NEA.

81. Soy block: TOFU. I like it extra firm.

83. Pad krapow gai cuisine: THAI. Pad ="Stir-fried". Krapow= "Holy basil". Gai is just "chicken". Same as Cantonese. Also slang for "prostitute".

85. Glass piece: PANE.

87. Disney CEO Bob: IGER. He's back.

88. __ close to schedule: ON OR.

89. Choir attire: ROBES.

91. Roth __: IRA.

92. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.

93. Forfeited auto: REPO.

95. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.

96. "Wonder Woman" star Gadot: GAL.

97. Aficionados: BUFFS.

100. Spot with patio furniture: SUNDECK.

103. Relatively reliable sources of income: DAY JOBS.

105. Defame in print: LIBEL.

107. Tiny amt. of time: NSEC.

109. Coin receiver: SLOT.

110. Country estate: CHATEAU.

112. Release: LET GO. Tiny dupe with 1. Lead: GO FIRST.

114. Targeted, as a basketball hoop: SHOT AT.

116. Not ajar: SHUT. Hi there, Hahtoolah!

117. Bank drive-thru device: ATM. Oh, I finally got my Wells Fargo ATM card. Now I have access to our bank account again. No more credit card from them though. I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with them any more. 

118. Warmed the bench: SAT OUT.

120. "There's nobody else": I'M IT.

121. Relaxes: LOOSENS UP.

123. Cheese in some bagels: ASIAGO. Boomer would be startled by what I have in the fridge now.

 124. Pre-Easter period: LENT.

125. Out of control: AMOK.

126. Raison d'__: ETRE.

128. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE (William)

129. Salon array: GELS.

130. Secondhand: USED.

Down:

2. Like a maned cat: LEONINE.

4. Gift topper: BOW.

5. Sans-__: type style: SERIF.

7. Reclines: LIES.

8. Peculiar: ODD.

9. Transcending the individual: SOCIETAL.

11. FBI guy: G MAN.

12. Reddish brown dye: HENNA. Intricate.

13. Jazz horn: SAX.

15. "__ Eyes": 1975 Eagles hit: LYIN'.

16. Encyclopedia unit: VOLUME.

17. Cabinet department created under Carter: ENERGY.

18. Creates anew, as a password: RESETS.

24. Roused: AWOKEN.

29. Rte. provider: GPS.

33. Wrap brand: SARAN.

34. Some cars: SEDANS.

36. "Culture Warlords" author Lavin: TAL. New clue angle. Sometimes we see "Chess master Mikhail".

40. Worshipper of the goddess Pachamama: INCA.

41. Merchant's goal: SALE.

43. "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology" memoirist Remini: LEAH. She's pretty gutsy.

51. Affirm: AVER.

54. Evening party: SOIREE.

55. "__ So Unusual": Cyndi Lauper's debut album: SHE'S.

56. Converse with: TALK TO.

57. Month between abril and junho: MAIO. May.

64. First word of some Brazilian city names: SAO.

66. Ripped apart: TORE.

68. Close: NEAR.

71. Little Italy neighbor: SOHO.

78. Tap: SPIGOT.

84. Still tucked in: ABED.

86. Part of UAE: ARAB.

87. Indigenous people of the far North: INUIT.

90. Nondairy coffeehouse order: SOY LATTE.

92. Not quite spherical: OBLATE.

94. Mac alternatives: PCS.

98. __ film: FEATURE.

99. Had a dry spell at the plate: SLUMPED.

100. Taco bar array: SALSAS.

101. Disquiet: UNEASE.

102. Geneticist Stevens who discovered sex chromosomes: NETTIE.

104. Write (down): JOT.

108. Cook-off dish: CHILI.

111. Shucker's discards: HUSKS.

113. Superlative acronym: G.O.A.T.

115. Sign: OMEN.

116. More than none: SOME.

119. __ loop: simple skating jump: TOE.

121. Fall behind: LAG.

122. Modern, in German: NEU.

Big milestone today for Patti Varol, editor for the L.A. Times Daily crosswords. Happy birthday, Patti! 

I've worked with Patti for many years, both for the Crosswords Club and the LAT daily. Whether a puzzle is accepted or rejected, she always gives me constructive feedback and helps me tighten up the theme set. She also spends an extraordinary amount of time to polish my clues:

1) She makes sure that my clues don't dupe the clues in the puzzles that run in the same week as mine.

2) She makes sure that I have no typos and the cluing style fit in the Tribune Media requirements, that my total character count does not exceed the space for various newspapers. It's very easy to get long-winded!

3) She makes sure that my clues are fair.  Can you imagine I want every clue to reflect my interests and who I am? Can you imagine I clue BING as [Ice, in Chinese] and DING as [Ancient Chinese cauldron with three legs] and I intersect the two in the same grid? Certainly fair to me, but it's not to you guys.

4) She makes sure that my clues are fresh and witty. As I've mentioned in the past, the many clever clues you guy like are not mine. She's the unsung hero behind all this.

It's just astonishing to read yesterday's comments. I'm stunned by this constructor's lack of understanding of how a puzzle is edited.

Thursday, December 8, 2022, David Alfred Bywaters

 

 

Would it Saw or Wood it Knot?

This will mark 43rd appearance of David Alfred Bywaters in the LA Times crosswords.  He was one of the first constructors I blogged and I always find his puzzles a delight.  David's puzzles make extensive use of wordplay, with less use of obscure people and places.  Since I have no puzzle to solve on Thursdays I always go to his website for a puzzle.  He hosts one of the most beautiful sites on the web and it's always worth a visit.

Today he teases us with 4 clues for the names of SAWS, tools commonly found in a wood shop and then gets his fill by riffing on another meaning of the word SAW:  a MAXIM or PROVERB.  For those interested I've linked pictures of the tools into the clues, and then followed with annotations of David's punny fill:

20A. Band saw?: UNITED WE STAND.  The Band of Brothers in the 2001 HBO American war drama stood united in their struggle against the tyranny of Hitler in WWII.  The series was based on the 1992 non-fiction book of same the name by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. Here's a trailer from the mini-series, created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also served as executive producers. It won the 2001 Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best miniseries.

25A. Circular saw?: IT IS WHAT IT IS.  An example of  circular reasoning - a logical fallacy often referred to as "begging the question".   But in 1949 the term It is what it is morphed into an idiom meaning: "Deal with it": a response to a frustrating or challenging situation that a person believes cannot be changed and must just be accepted.  Here's where the phrase originated.

48A. Power saw?: MIGHT IS RIGHT.  Another logical fallacy called Argumentum ad baculum ("appeal to the stick").  I'm afraid this  saw is becoming more and more pervasive around the world, including here at home.

 56A. Coping saw?: ONE DAY AT A TIME.  An approach to dealing with obsessive thoughts about the past or the future.  A phrase often heard in addiction therapy settings.  And good advice from our 16th President:

 
Here's the grid:
 

Across:

1. Courteous title: MAAM.  An elision of MADAM.

5. "Make tracks!": SCRAM.

10. Be rife (with): TEEM.  Whenever we go to the National Aquarium, we always visit the Australian Exhibit  and head for the tank TEEMING with Archerfish.  You sport fishermen out there could learn a few tricks from these remarkable animals:

14. __ mater: ALMA.  Alma mater (Latin: alma mater, lit. 'nourishing mother';  is an allegorical Latin phrase used to identify a school, college or university that one formerly attended or/and graduated from; also the name of the school song.  Hand up if you're a Columbia grad!

Columbia University
Daniel Chester French 1903

15. Fragrance: AROMA.

16. Fairy-tale antagonist: OGRE.

17. Expanding Asian desert: GOBI.  Its size is expanding due to desertification.  Here are 20 interesting facts about the Gobi Desert.

18. Temporarily unavailable: NOT IN.

19. Work hard for: EARN.

20. [Theme clue]

23. Tuned to, as a radio dial: SET AT.  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

24. Genetic material in some vaccines: RNA.   The history of mRNA vaccines.

25. [Theme clue]

33. Trail behind: LAG.  Sometimes clued as "Internet problem".

36. Photographer Leibovitz: ANNIE.  Anna-Lou Leibovitz (born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses.

Annie Leibovitz 2008

37. Incline: SLANT.

38. Concerning: IN RE.

40. Zenith's opposite: NADIR.  If you're fortunate enough to live far from the light pollution of big cities and you go outside after dark and look up, you'll be looking at the Zenith.  If you're not sure what you're looking at, one of these cellphone apps might help.  Even though I have poor visibility in my neighborhood, I still occasionally use one called Startracker to verify the identity of planets, which I can still see.  One neat feature of these apps is that they can look  down through the earth past your sky's NADIR, and straight through to the Zenith in the Southern Hemisphere to see what celestial objects are rising and setting.  BTW, those touting trips to the GOBI Desert (17A) claim that it has the clearest night skies in the world.

42. Place to build: SITE.  E.g. if you want to create a web SITE, you'd build it on a web server..

43. Back up an apology, say: ATONE.  I.e. make amends.

45. Pampering treatments for feet, informally: PEDIS.  A CSO to our Lucina.

47. Sad: LOW.  Or a sound that cattle make.

48. [Theme clue].

51. Spot for a sleeve tattoo: ARM.  I've seen people with these, but didn't know they had a name.  Hand up if you have a tattoo!  ARM up if you have a sleeve tattoo.

52. Abates: EASES.

56. [Theme clue]

61. Stylish: CHIC.  People with sleeve tattoos?  YMMV.

63. City south of Gainesville: OCALA.  Ocala is the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida.  Here are some things you can do there.

64. Image in the Timberland logo: TREE. Timberland LLC is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoor footwear, owned by VF Corporation and founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1952. The company also sells apparel and accessories including watches, eye wear, and leather goods. Timberland's corporate headquarters are located in Stratham, New Hampshire.
 

65. Proficient: ABLE.  Or in crosswordese: EPT.

66. More up-to-date: NEWER.  Or less OLD.

67. Allow to borrow: LEND.

68. "Cheers" bartender Woody: BOYD.  Woodrow Tiberius Boyd is a character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Woody came to Cheers at the beginning of the fourth season of Cheers in 1985 in the episode "Birth, Death, Love and Rice".   A goodhearted goof:

Woody

69. Accounting giant __ & Young: ERNST.  I'm only giving them all this press because they're based in Baltimore.

70. Finishes: ENDS.  Thus ENDS the Acrosses.

Down:

1. Wizard: MAGUS.  Three visited a stable one snowy night in Bethlehem a long time ago.

2. Unaccompanied: ALONE.  For 4 letter fill use SOLO.

3. Sphere of influence: AMBIT. 
 

/ˈambət/

noun

noun: ambit; plural noun: ambits

the scope, extent, or bounds of something.

"within the ambit of federal law"

4. Cocktail typically garnished with an orchid: MAI TAI.  Some history, pictures and a recipe.

Mai Tai

5. Surface for beach volleyball: SAND.  One of my granddaughters started playing volleyball on SAND, but now plays it indoors at her high school.  Here are the rules.

6. Imitate a rooster: CROW.

7. Mechanical learning method: ROTE.

8. "Inside Story" novelist Martin: AMIS.  Inside Story is an autobiographical novel by the English author Martin Amis, published in 2020.

Martin Amis

9. Words of incantation: MANTRA.  A mantra is a sacred utterance, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, magical or spiritual powers. Some mantras have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not. Christianity also has analogous repetitive sayings, e.g. the Jesus Prayer, common among Orthodox sects.  All of these can be thought of as ways to calm the mind, empty it of distracting thoughts, and make it a space for the Divine.  Perhaps the most well-known mantra is this one:

Om

10. Canvases for 45-Across: TOENAILS. 

11. "Zounds!": EGAD.  Both are expressions of astonishment. 

12. Make a blunder: ERR.

13. Chaps: MEN.

21. James who sang "At Last": ETTA.  I've linked the clue song before for ETTA,  so how about Something's Got a Hold On Me (lyrics):

22. Inhabitants of a classroom "farm": ANTS.  We had these critters a while back clued as "Animals in a farm".  It stirred up a real ants nest.

26. Travel guide listing: INN.

27. Round closers on a onesie: SNAPS.  SNAP is versatile fill.  Just last week it was clued as "Show appreciation at a poetry slam".

28. Not as narrow: WIDER.

29. Former North Dakota senator Heitkamp: HEIDI.  Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp (HYTE-kamp; born October 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as a United States senator from North Dakota from 2013 to 2019.  OK so she may be obscure to most of us.  Does anyone from  North Dakota  visit the Corner?

Heidi Heitkamp

30. Long part of a comet: TAIL.  Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices. They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, and as they orbit closer to the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet. This material forms a TAIL that stretches millions of miles.  The most famous of comets, Halley's Comet appears at intervals of approximately 75 years.  It last appeared in 1986 and is due to return in 2061.

Halley's Comet 1982

31. Very much a fan of: INTO.  I'm very much INTO Maurice Ravel.  Here's his Gaspard de la nuit, about which he said: “Listen! Do you know what you hear? Handfuls of rain that I've thrown against your window, thrown by me, Ondine, spirit of the water.”

32. Crockpot dish: STEW.

33. Hemsworth of "The Hunger Games": LIAM.  Here's the trailer with Hemsworth and his co-star Jennifer Lawrence (BTW 68A is in it too):

34. Opposed to: ANTI.

35. Rum-and-water quaff: GROG.  A definitive guide to grog, which uses the same spirit as the Mai Tai at 4D.   Also the object of Captain Stratton's Fancy, a song by Peter Warlock, here sung by the late, great baritone John Shirley-Quirk (lyrics):

GROG is also the name of an ingredient used in most clay bodies to add strength and texture.  It also reduces shrinkage, cracking and warping, the latter particularly important in tile making.

39. Made better: ENHANCED.

41. Drilling structure: RIG.  Not a SEMI this time, but one of these:

Oil Rig

44. Raison d'__: ETRE.  PURPOSE, lit. "Reason for being", today's metaphysical French lesson. 

46. Home of the N.Y. Mets until 2008: SHEA.  Now they're in CITI FIELD, which is adjacent to the location of the old stadium, which was demolished in 2009.  Full disclosure -Teri and I use their sponsor's credit card.

Citi Field

49. "Stick a fork in me": I'M DONE.  Not quite.  Just eleven more clues to go ...

50. Spill the beans: TATTLE.

53. Tornado watch sound: SIREN.  We rarely get tornadoes in Maryland, but in areas where they are common they can be deadly.  Have a plan for staying safe in a tornado, before the SIREN sounds. 

Tornado

54. Fix: EMEND.  Bloggers do a lot of this.

55. Botanic beginnings: SEEDS.  I wonder how they do that?

56. Unctuous: OILY.  A characteristic of a dirty rotten scoundrel, an apparently timeless story.  You'd need a 41D to extract all the oil in these two guys:

57. Aspire notebook maker: ACER.

58. Show fatigue: YAWN.  Hang in there, you've only got to stay awake for 4 more clues ...

59. Many taps in a brewpub: ALES.  Okay, so DAB does occasionally imbibe a little crosswordese.

60. Fruit-filled dessert: TART.  And I'm sure he likes desserts.

61. Taxi: CAB.

62. "Barry" cable network: HBO.  I hope HBO is paying the LA Times advertising fees.  Here's Barry and here's the trailer:

Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley

David Alfred Bywaters, you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever, in the Comments section below.  We'd love to hear from you.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Belated "Happy birthday" to Lucina!

2) Happy 76th birthday to dear Jazzbumpa (Ron)! Ron has been faithfully guiding us on Wednesdays since Jan 2011. He's a total pro.

 

 

Friday, November 18, 2022, David Alfred Bywaters

 

Good morning, cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here and, no, you have not misplaced almost an entire week.  I have now returned from my overseas sojourn.  I have also been reassigned to the Friday beat.  I guess that now makes me Joe Friday.  I will try to live up to his, my predecessor's and my contemporary's standards.

In today's puzzle, frequent contributor David Alfred Bywaters insists that U to get out of here.  You can stay but U must go.  At four places within the grid he repeats a word but, for the second occurrence, drops the letter U from the first iteration and thereby provides a witty definition of the clue.  To wit:

17 Across:  Grammarian?: USAGE SAGE.  Hmmm, will the theme be repeating words?  Ummm, no, not exactly.

29 Across: Aspen, in the Rockies?: POPULAR POPLAR.  At first I thought that the clue had something to do with the ski resort but it turned out to be tree-related.

43 Across:  Nodding, e.g.?: AUCTION ACTION.  At first I thought the clue had something to do with sleeping or the granting of consent.  One is able to bid at an AUCTION by nodding.

59 Across:  One inept at data storage?: CLOUD CLOD.

It would have been amusing if David had managed to somehow work YEW, HEW, HUGH or EWE into the grid.

With that, youse guys and gals, it's now time to make a U-turn and head back to the top of the puzzle:

Across:

1. Time-travel destination. PAST.  FUTURE would not fit.  PRESENT neither fit nor made any sense.

5. Short notice?: MEMO.  Shortened version of MEMOrandum.

9. Béla Fleck's instrument: BANJO.  Bela is a true virtuoso.  He plays everything from Bluegrass to Jazz and Mozart on the 5-string banjo.  The bass player in his band is Victor Wooten who is one of the greats.  This tune ranks among my favorites:

14. One in a four-part harmony: ALTO.  BASS would have fit but it would not work with the perps.

15. Button alternative: SNAP.  Oh, it's not a peyote button.  I guess we have closure.

16. "Night Sky With Exit Wounds" poet Vuong: OCEAN.  A learning moment for this solver.

19. "I'll do it!": LET ME.

20. Steadfast: LOYAL.

21. Coined: MINTED.

23. Paean in verse: ODE.  I've written a poem about the sounds made by dogs but you can only read it if you scan it first.  It's a bark ODE.

25. Broadcast: AIR.  Both the  clue and answer are used here as verbs.

26. Global clock std.: GMT.  Greenwich Mean Time

33. Steeped in a salt solution: BRINED.  It is almost time to BRINE the Thanksgiving turkey.

35. Apartment ad abbr.: RMS.  RooMS   A little bit better than MSS at 5 Down.

36. Fishing gadget: LURE.

37. Rich soil: LOESS.  Hand up for initially thinking of LOAM but there wasn't enough of it to fill the space.

38. Not neg.: POS.  POSitive.  Post Offices?

39. Warm up some leftovers, say: EAT IN.

40. Fantasy heavy: OGRE.  Shrek and Fiona have significantly altered the OGRE landscape.

Not Shrek

41. Lip: RIM.

42. Make more capacious: EXTEND. 

46. Workout top: TEE.

47. Managed: RAN.  As in:

48. Granola morsel: OAT.

49. Maritime crime: PIRACY.

51. Apollo 11 lander: EAGLE.

56. Geographer's volume: ATLAS.

61. __ Corps: PEACE.  Formed in 1961 to "promote world PEACE and friendship by providing trained volunteers to countries who need them."

62. Quite a few: LOTS.  TONS.  GOBS.  MANY.  A LOT.

63. Word with deck or dock: HAND.

64. Mortgage payment component, often: TAXES.

65. Focus group?: EYES.  Not a marketing research panel but, literally, what you focus with.

66. Tense: EDGY.  ANTSY was too long.

Down:

1. Ant-Man player Rudd: PAUL.

2. Too: ALSO.  Additionally, there are more synonyms for too as well.

3. Parting word to a dog: STAY.

4. Word chanted in "Animal House": TOGA.

5. Pile on an ed.'s desk: MSS.  We have seen this (somewhat of a punt) fill before.  ManuScriptS

6. Cloisonné medium: ENAMEL.

7. Nativity scene trio: MAGI.

8. Warm welcome: OPEN ARMS.

9. Short jacket: BOLERO.  We will save the Ravel for another day.

10. Got a great grade on: ACED.

11. Safety feature at a trapeze school: NET.

12. Toast topping: JAM.

13. See 34-Down: ONE.  and . . .

34. With 13-Down, 2016 film subtitled "A Star Wars Story": ROGUE.

18. Weds without ceremony: ELOPES.

22. Warns, with "off": TIPS.

24. Disappointment: DUD.

26. Wheat protein: GLUTEN.

27. Bay Area county: MARIN.

28. Fashionista's concern: TREND.   Now, where did I put my Davy Crockett hat?  Maybe it's with my Members Only jacket and parachute pants.  Not.

29. Give a ring?: PIERCE.  Neither a marriage nor a telephone reference.

30. Start: ONSET.

31. Diffuser emanation: AROMA.

32. Student of Socrates: PLATO.

33. Balloon: BLOAT.  Mick Jagger goes to the doctor and tells his physician that he is always very gassy but cannot fart.  In other words, he can't get no flatus action.

38. Zenith: PINNACLE.

39. Went out: EXITED.

41. Imitate a lion: ROAR.  Under the right conditions, the roar can be heard up to five miles away.

42. "Getting here soon?": ETA.  "What is your Estimated Time of Arrival?"

44. Droopy perennials: IRISES.  Famously painted by Vincent Van Gogh.

45. Native American trickster: COYOTE.  Homer Simpson sends up Carlos Castaneda with the help of Johnny Cash:

49. Tempo: PACE.  Sometimes (this time) the answer is a synonym (e.g. CLIP or RATE) sometimes it is an example (e.g. TROT or LOPE).

50. Be overly sweet: CLOY.

52. Need a massage, perhaps: ACHE.

53. Hefty rival: GLAD.    Both are brands of plastic bags.

54. Yearn: LONG.  ACHE, PINE and ITCH were potential candidates.

55. Current event?: EDDY.  Nice pun.  Not, in this instance, a recent occurrence.  An EDDY is a circular movement in fluid or gas.

56. Fitting: APT.

57. Dim sum beverage: TEA.  Both are of Chinese origin.

58. Insufficiently firm: LAX.  Also an airport in SoCal...where the security is anything but.

60. Naval letters: USS.  United States Ship.

____________________________________