Tuesday, April 2, 2024 David Tuffs

O Captain! My Captain!  The circles spell out a very well known (Obvious) Captain, some fictional, some real. 

16-Across. Give up vaping, say: KICK A HABIT.  Captain Ahab.  Think Moby Dick, the whaling novel by Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 ~ Sept. 28, 1891).  Captain Ahab is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod.  On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg, and he (Captain Ahab) now wears a prosthetic leg made out of whalebone.  The book was inspired by an actual event.   [Name # 1, Fictional.]

23-Across. Low-cal beer option: MICHELOB LIGHT.  Captain Bligh.  Vice-Admiral William Bligh (Sept. 9, 1754 ~ Dec. 7, 1817) was a British officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for the mutiny on HMS Bounty.  He was known for his volatile temper and in 1789, his crew mutinied.  Captain Bligh and some of his loyal followers were set adrift by the mutineers.  Amazingly, he survived and his crew survived.  [Name # 2, Real.]

46-Across. "Still Alice" Best Actress Oscar winner: JULIANNE MOORE.  Captain Nemo.  [Names # 3, Fictional,  and # 4, Real.]  Captain Nemo is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (né Jules Gabriel Verne; Feb. 8, 1828 ~ Mar. 24, 1905).  You can read about Captain Nemo two of Verne's science-fiction books: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and The Mysterious Island.

58-Across. Musical instrument also called a calliope: STEAM ORGAN.  Captain Morgan.  Captain Morgan (circa 1635 ~ Aug. 25, 1688) was a Welch pirate who later became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.  He was also a sugar plantation owner, which is probably why his name today is associated with spiced rum.  [Name # 4, real.]

And the unifier:

35. With 37-Across, title for the hidden individuals in 16-, 23-, 46-, and 58-Across, thanks to the circles in each answer?: CAPTAIN.

37. See 35-Across: OBVIOUS.  Together these clues give us Captain Obvious.  Captain Obvious is a pejorative nickname given to a person who insists on stating things that are patently clear.

What other Obvious Captains can you think of?  I thought of Captain Kangaroo, Captain Kirk, Captain Marvel, Captain Underpants, Captain America, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Captain Hook.

Across:

1. Settle, as a debt: REPAY.

6. "Leaving the chat for a sec": BRB.  Textspeak for Be Right Back.

9. Puerto __: RICO.  Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory.

13. Get out of bed: ARISE.

14. Bubble tea pearls: BOBA.  Boba are the chewy tapioca pearls that are found in milk tea.  Everything you wanted to know about Boba Tea but didn't know to ask.

15. Wet dog emanation: ODOR.

18. Amaze: STUN.

19. Startled cry: EEK!

20. Muscles worked by crunches: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles.

21. Tries, with "at": HAS A GO.

27. Justice Kagan: ELENA.  Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 5.]

29. Greek Cupid: EROS.  Eros is the Greek god of love and sex.  His Roman counterpart is Cupid.  [Name # 6, Mythological.]

30. Kid-lit "Dr.": SEUSS.  Dr. Seuss is best known for writing children's books.  He write and illustrated over 60 books for children.  Dr. Suess is actually the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Mar. 2, 1904 ~ Sept. 24, 1991).  [Name # 7, Pseudonym.]

31. As above, in footnotes: IDEM.  Today's Latin lesson.  The word means meaning "the same".  It is commonly abbreviated as id., because adding the "ed" takes too long.  The word is generally used in legal citations to denote the previously cited source.

32. Roaring-lion studio: MGM.  The studio is the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

40. Surveillance org.: NSA.  As in the National Security Agency.

41. Chicago MLB team: CUBS.  One of two Major League Baseball teams in Chicago.

43. "You win": I LOSE.

44. Rib-eye request: RARE.

45. "Thor: Ragnarok" actress Thompson: TESSA.  Tessa Lynne Thompson (b. Oct. 3, 1983) is an American actress.  She starred as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok.  [Name # 8.]

52. Shorebird with a curved bill: AVOCET.  Everything you wanted to know about the American Avocet but didn't know to ask.  They do have cute curved bills.

53. "Ugh": GAH.

54. Punk subgenre: EMO.

57. Phone-silencing button: MUTE.

62. Down or dirty: BLUE.  Think sad.  He was feeling blue when he learned she was moving away.  Blue is also associated with dirty words.

63. Attention-getting sound: AHEM.

64. Furious: ANGRY.

65. Pert reply: SASS.

66. Hoped-for proposal answer: YES.  //  And 4-Down. Inquire: ASK.

67. 2023 installment in a Vin Diesel film franchise: FAST X.  Movie number 10 in the Fast and Furious series.  Also known as Fast 10: Your Seatbelts.  Vin Diesel's given name is Mark Sinclair (b. July 18, 1967).  [Name # 9, Pseudonym.]

Down:

1. Tool for tidying a golf bunker: RAKE.

2. Ohio border lake: ERIE.  A shout-out to our dear friend Abejo.

3. Mood lifters: PICK-ME-UPS.

5. "Oh, about __ high": YEA.

6. Gravity-powered winter racer: BOBSLED.

7. Slugger's stat: RBI.  Runs Batted In.

8. Product for a scented soak: BATH BOMB.  Everything you wanted to know about a bath bomb but didn't know to ask.

9. Martini & __ vermouth: ROSSI.  Martini & Rossi is an Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company primarily associated with the Martini brand of vermouth and also with sparkling wine.  [Name adjacent.]

10. Bone on a dog collar, perhaps: ID TAG.

11. Lozenge target: COUGH.

12. " ... but perhaps I'm mistaken": OR NOT.  Generally said sarcastically.

14. Sweetie: BABE.

17. Triumphant laugh: HAH!

22. "Happy Days" diner: AL'S.  Formerly Arnold's diner until Al Delvecchio took over Arnold's after Arnold got married and moved away.  [Name # 10, Fictional.]

24. App with Reels, familiarly: INSTA.

25. Castle in Spain, e.g.?: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  My home is my castle.

26. Sandwich treats: OREOs.  A crossword staple.

27. Corner PC key: ESC.

28. Not fatty: LEAN.

31. Store, after cremation: INURN.  To place or bury in an urn.

32. Distance runner: MILER.

33. Plenty of nothing: GOOSE EGGS.

34. Rumple, with "up": MUSS.

36. "Your guess is as good as mine": I CAN'T SAY.

38. Don Corleone: VITO.  Vito Corleone was the fictional in The Godfather.  He was portrayed by Marlon Brando (Apr. 3, 1924 ~ July 1, 2004) in the original movie.  [Name # 11, Fictional.]

39. Word after Red or before robin: SEA.  As in Red Sea or Sea Robin.  A Sea Robin is not a bird, but a fish.  Who knew?

42. See 59-Down: BEE GEES.  //  59-Down. With 42-Down, "Stayin' Alive" disco trio: THE.  Together we get The Bee Gee, named for Brothers' Gibb.  I'll spare your ears.

44. Issa of "The Hate U Give": RAE.  Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) visited us just last Tuesday.

46. Door frame parts: JAMBS.

Anatomy of a Door Frame.

47. Soft palate dangler: UVULA.

48. Floating flower: LOTUS.

49. Slurpee-like drinks: ICEEs.

50. Polite title: MA'AM.

51. Resistance unit: OHM.  The ohm is the unit of electrical resistance in the International System of Units. It is named after German physicist and mathematician Georg Simon Ohm (Mar. 16, 1789 ~ July 6, 1854)

55. Small shop: MART.

56. Black gem in a cameo: ONYX.  The Onyx is one of the birthstones of July.

60. Clumsy one: OAF.

61. Genetic messenger: RNA.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday December 12, 2022 David Tuffs

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today we have a fun Monday puzzle from constructor David Tuffs. David is a student at University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has been busy with finals.

David started constructing CWs during covid to keep from being bored. I reached out to him and asked what he thought might be a good title for today's puzzle. I liked how he incorporated some crosswordese into his response -- which is now our theme:

Scaredy Cats, et al

The last word of each of the 4 themers is something many pets fear. David certainly knows what my dog dislikes. I thought that anyone who is this Spot on about pets must have one of his own so I asked David to share a pic.

David's dog Penelope
7 yr old English Springer Spaniel
Ahhhhhhh! Super cute!

Let's look more closely at the 4 themers:

17. Across*  Post-workout relaxation spot: STEAM BATH.

23. Across*  Experienced pro: SEASONED VET.  A SEASONED VETeran is someone with years of experience.

This dog is about to change his opinion on VETs.

33. Across*  1990 action film with cameos by famous NASCAR drivers: DAYS OF THUNDER.  I read that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met on the set of this movie then got married 6 months later.

David told me that DAYS OF THUNDER was originally another movie:  Tropic Thunder. I am not familiar with that movie so I am happy with the change.

44. Across*  Absence of clear leadership: POWER VACUUM.

Cambridge Dictionary:  a condition that exists when someone has lost control of something and no one has replaced them.

a cats & robot VACUUM video...naturally!

Then the reveal:

55. Across.  Irritating behaviors, and what the ends of the answers to the starred clues may be?: PET PEEVES. I am pretty sure Cornerites well know the meaning of this term. 😘 

(Oh, David Tuffs, your puzzle has opened the door to so many clever quips in the Comments section!)

While most solvers have their own PET PEEVES, the PEEVES in this puzzle, i.e., BATHs, going to the VET, THUNDER storms, and VACUUM cleaners, belong to household PETs.

Let's fetch the rest of the clues:

Across:

1. Touchdown signalers: REFS.

5. Similar (to): AKIN.  Analogous, related, comparable, equivalent, and similar are all words akin to AKIN.

9. Short golf strokes: PUTTS.  CSO to Husker Gary!

14. Hotel corridor word in red: EXIT.

15. Not worth discussing: MOOT.  difference between MOOT and mute

16. "None for me": I PASS.

19. Lone Star State resident: TEXAN.  CSO to our TEXAN Cornerites!

20. Enchilada wrap: TORTILLA.  Also, the first word in the title of an early John Steinbeck novel, Tortilla Flats (1935).  goodreads link

21. Trig ratio: SINE.  Today's math lesson #1

Questions? See me after class.

22. Slick: SLY.

27. "New Girl" girl: JESS.  I have seen the TV show New Girl but I could not remember if the main character's name was Tess or JESS. Perps helped.

Zooey Deschanel (center) played cute & quirky Jess
in New Girl (2011-2018)

28. Tiny bit: TAD. and 7 Down. Tiny bits: IOTAS.

29. Abbr. on NYC maps: AVE.  Park Ave. (?)

30. Feb. follower: MAR.  Points for an alliterative calendar clue!

31. Sound after a gut punch: OOF. This is going to be my new word whenever friends text about a difficult day and I want them to know I empathize.

exclamation

1. expressing discomfort, as from sudden exertion or a blow to one's body.
2. interjection

   1. an exclamation used to sympathize with someone else's pain or dismay, or to express one's own.

This "OOF" song goes on for 3:12 minutes. OOF!

32. Brainchild: IDEA. 

37. Pea holders: PODS.

        I eat my peas with honey.

        I've done it all my life.

        You might think it's funny.

        But it sticks them to my knife!

                                            (children's rhyme)

38. "__ Misérables": LES.

"One Day More" Les Mis 10th Anniversary Concert

London's Royal Albert Hall (1995)

39. Balloon filler: AIR.  Neither "clown" nor "helium" fit.

40. Poem of praise: ODE.

41. Drill insert: BIT.

16.27 min. of BIT bliss for all the Makers out there!

42. Plumber's challenge: CLOG.

47. Sixth sense letters: ESP.  ExtraSensory Perception

Bill Murray's ESP scene in Ghostbusters (1984)

50. Sunburn balm: ALOE.  Seeing "ALOE" in CWs always makes me think of my grandfather. Do you remember the dad with his Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)? My grandfather was like that with his ALOE plant. Here's a 30 sec. clip:

51. Protect with plastic coating, as an ID card: LAMINATE.  This is one of the two 8-letter fills. There are also two 9-letter fills. Nice work for a Monday puzzle, David!

53. __-card stud: poker variety: SEVEN.  13 Poker variations

56. Upright: ERECT.  Can you hear the difference between an upright and a grand piano? Answer is at 5:13.

57. Traditional Indian wedding dress: SARI.  Indian brides avoid wearing white because it is a symbol of mourning.

So gorgeous!

58. Ravioli option: MEAT.

59. Fail to make use of: WASTE.  Waste not, want not.

60. Remove wrinkles from: IRON.  Remember in the 1980s when crimp IRONs were used to add wrinkles to hair?

61. Norway's capital: OSLO.

Me (center), teaching a roping clinic outside of Oslo, Norway in 2003.

Down:
1. Puts one's feet up: RESTS.  I first had "relax" but perps changed it. Looking at it now, I see that the verb form in the clue would have called for "relaxes". I'm learning!

2. Praise highly: EXTOL.

3. Passionate: FIERY.

4. ER doc's "Now!": STAT. Used as a directive to medical personnel during an emergency situation; is from the Latin word statim, which means “instantly” or “immediately.”

5. Walks along: AMBLES.

6. Fluffy-eared marsupials: KOALAS.  I took this pic at the Taronga Zoo in Australia in 2009. There was a nearby sign which read, "Not drunk, just digesting."  #Aussie humor

8. To the __ degree: NTH. Today's math lesson #2:

Basically, the nth term is a mathematical expression that enables us to find the value of any term in a sequence. The 'n' stands for the term number. So if I have 5+n and if n=1 then it would be 5+1 = 6. Likewise, if n=2, it would be 5+2=7. And so on. Since there are an infinite amount of values we can give to n, the sequence can go on to infinity. That idea of "going to infinity" has given us the idiom "nth degree", meaning "as much as possible" or "extremely".

9. Felt sorry for: PITIED.

10. Topple: UPEND.  Anyone else have "upset" before UPEND? (I'll try not to be upset if I'm the only one.)

11. IRS auditor's target: TAX EVADER.

12. Airport safety gp.: TSA.  Transportation Security Administration

10 Things You Might Not Know About The TSA

13. Govt.-issued ID: SSN.  Social Security Number

Prior to June 2011, the first 3 digits of SSNs were assigned according to US States. You can look up yours here.

18. Penny pinchers: MISERS.

"The Miser" Jan Steen
(oil on panel, between 1641 and 1679)

21. Utter fiasco: SNAFU. The first known use of SNAFU was in 1941. Other words from 1941 include area code, bad-mouth, centerfold, Freudian slip, gung ho, long johns, optimize, ready room, thunder egg, and yikes. see more words

24. Texter's "however": OTOH.  On The Other Hand

25. "Be it __ so humble ... ": EVER.  There's no place like home.

26. Brewed beverage that may be hot or iced: TEA.  Hot herbed for me, please.

27. Blue birds: JAYS.  I love the blue JAYS that visit my yard. Sometimes they cause trouble, digging through my flower pots. I forgive them because I enjoy their antics and they help keep the more troublesome bugs under control.

30. Caused a disturbance: MADE WAVES.  Katsushika Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa (also called  The Great Wave) is an iconic example of Japanese art. I guess you can say he "MADE WAVES". more info

woodblock print (1831)

31. Tense NFL periods: OTS.  Over TimeS

32. Quaint "Gotcha": I DIG.

not a PET PEEVE for a dog

33. Extinct bird: DODO.

34. Greek salad ingredient: OLIVE.  (Kalamata)  and 35. Greek salad ingredient: FETA.

Greek Salad

36. "Moonlight" actress Harris: NAOMIE.  Naomi Melanie Harris is an English Actress born in 1976. She was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for her work in Moonlight.

She also played Moneypenny in Skyfall (2012).

37. Lead-in to rock or Rocks: POP.  Good clue! The upper case "R" is a hint to a product name.

OTOH, pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its (typically) guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music.

Example:  I Feel Fine by The Beetles

Whose idea was it to put Ringo on the stationary bike???

41. "Jane Eyre" novelist Charlotte: BRONTE.

42. Spanish four: CUATRO.  so many related words in English

43. Group together: LUMP IN.

45. Vote into office: ELECT.

46. Easy to understand: CLEAR.  See 21A.

47. Roof overhangs: EAVES.

decorated EAVES for Christmas Eve

48. Swipe: STEAL.  Sometimes I forget if it is "ee" or "ea" so I use the memory trick "STEAL a deal".

49. Basil sauce: PESTO.

52. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory in a Pixar film: NEMO.

(l to r) Nemo, dad Marlin, & ditzy Dory
in Finding Nemo (2003)

53. Attach a button, say: SEW.  What?

54. Time period: ERA.

55. Tire pressure meas.: PSI.  Pounds per Square Inch.

The average psi for car tires is 32-35. The psi for my road bike's tires is 100-120 psi.

Here's the grid:

In Memoriam

Douglas "Boomer" Burnikel

(1947 - 2022)

Thanks to David Tuffs for taking the time out of his busy week to answer my email!

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!