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Showing posts with label Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel. Show all posts

Feb 5, 2017

Sunday, February 5, 2017, Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT

Did one of these wonderful toys ever find its way into your home? When the string was pulled and released, it played the sound of the animal selected by the center arrow.




Don and C.C. took the premise of this toy and turned it into a  very clever gimmick for today's puzzle. They took some common phrases that contain an animal and made a silly phrase using the SOUND associated with that animal in place of the animal's name. How cool is that? No reveal was necessary as you can see in these theme fills.

21. Sign of a lawn tractor problem? : HISS (SNAKE) IN THE GRASS - I don't care to be close enough to hear this sound



26. Inhospitable medical fraud? : COLD QUACK (DUCK- Not a frigid fowl!



41. Landscaping mulch specialists? : BARK (DOG) HANDLERS - Uh, who's handling who?


67. "Ahooga!" producer? : SILLY HONK (GOOSE) and 119. Posting that periodically reposts itself? : MIGRATORY TWEET (BIRD) - If they went south this winter and I didn't, how come they're SILLY? A specific and general bird reference. 



71. Hard golf club to swing? : GRUNT (PIG) IRON - An intermediate product of the smelting of iron ore usually shaped in ingots 



96. Excitement about the producer of the original "Charlie's Angels"? : SPELLING BUZZ (BEE) - Dirt on Aaron Spelling or attempts on these words



111. Playful crib liner? : SQUEAK (MOUSE) PAD - Here's an adversarial one



Now let's see what else Don and C.C. have for us in this, uh, HOOT of a puzzle:

Across

1. Director's shout : ACTION - Clint Eastwood doesn't shout this because, "It even makes the horses nervous." He simply says "Begin".

7. Sulky-pulling horse : PACER

12. Woods on a tee : TIGER - Tiger's meteoritic career seems to be flaming out

17. With alarming suddenness : WHAMMO

18. Independent African nation since 1993 : ERITREA - Do you know where it is on this map? The answer is under the grid at the bottom of this write-up.



20. Arizona neighbor : SONORA

23. Frigid : ARCTIC

24. Iowa's state tree : OAK

25. Bucket list items, say : GOALS

28. __ Schwarz : FAO - I'll bet you know this movie, the star on the right and the song they are playing in this scene at the FAO Schwarz Toy Store.



30. Plant with edible leaf sheaths : LEEK

32. Clump on a lawn : TUFT

33. Org. that dropped "Lawn" from its name in 1975 : USTA - Grass/Lawn tennis surfaces used to be the most common but are rare now due to maintenance costs

34. Flexible pronoun substitute : HE OR SHE - Have you ever been to a Gender Reveal Shower?



37. Exit : LEAVE

39. Number for a pair : DUET

43. One way to learn : ASK

44. Like the viva voce part of some exams : ORAL - Latin for "with living voice"

48. 15-member sports org. : ACC - Clemson won the ACC and National Championship this year


49. Dorm room, perhaps : STY

50. Some float in place with the tide : PIERS

52. Irish brew : RED ALE

54. Pampas birds : RHEAS

57. Make more attractive : SWEETEN

59. "Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat" author : AMY TAN

60. Restless desire : ITCH - Tom Ewell is the other person in this iconic scene from The Seven Year ITCH



63. MGM motto word : ARS

64. Bottled surprise : GENIE

66. Pet Shop Boys label : EMI

73. Sch. in Tempe : ASU

74. Island veranda : LANAI - Word I learned on The Golden Girls

75. Anti-bullying ad, e.g. : PSA

77. 2014 "Cosmos" presenter __ deGrasse Tyson : NEIL

78. Register, as a sale : RING UP - I'll bet C.C. knew the umpire just did RING UP this batter



80. Sounded displeased : SNORTED

83. Did pre-heist planning at : CASED

87. How some goods are quickly sold : AT COST 

88. See eye to eye : AGREE

89. Director DuVernay : AVA

92. Conceptual artist Yoko : ONO

93. Ritz alternative : HI HO

94. Schubert's "The __ King" : ERL - Not on my playlist



100. '70s jazz band Spyro __ : GYRA

102. Model X maker : TESLA

103. Type of counter seen in kitchens? : CALORIE - High tech method using your 108. Part of iOS : SYST



104. Vogue rackmate : ELLE - My subscription has lapsed

106. Make a move : STIR

110. "Monsters, __" : INC

113. "The game didn't go well" : I LOST

115. "Top Hat" studio : RKO

118. Card game with tricks : EUCHRE - Contents of a standard EUCHRE deck



124. Common boot feature : LACING - One question in a recent survey asked whether I UNLACE my shoes when I remove them. I do. You?

125. August birthstone : PERIDOT - New word for me

126. Sherpas' language : NEPALI - Mt. Everest is Sagarmāthā in NEPALI 

127. Moves like a monarch : FLITS

128. Rent-a-car choice : SEDAN

129. Swimmer's bane : CRAMPS


Down

1. Dr. Seuss title ender : A WHO

2. Seed used in smoothies : CHIA - Also a funky gift



3. Group on a mission : TASK FORCE

4. Uses Facebook Chat, briefly : IMS

5. "Jeepers!" : OMIGOSH

6. Ill-advised move : NO NO - Trying to dunk over LeBron James



7. Market before building : PRESELL

8. 2008 bailout beneficiary : AIG

9. Shaq's pos. : CTR

10. Obama __ : ERA

11. Get out of a pickle : RESCUE - This guy did not get out of one



12. __ wrench : TORQUE

13. Held at the station : IN CUSTODY

14. Suggested subtly : GOT AT

15. Former "Weekend Today" co-host Hill : ERICA

16. Pool triangle : RACK

18. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty" : EHLE

19. Starting with : AS OF - AS OF today there are 44 days until Spring!

20. Down : SAD

22. Scout's find, ideally : TALENT

27. Old Fords : LTDS - 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 



29. Genesis vessel : ARK

31. One with lasting merit : KEEPER

32. Den focal point : TV SET

34. I-beam relative : H BAR - An I-beam on its side?



35. Every partner : EACH - EACH and every one of  you

36. Takes in : HAS

38. Ovine sign : ARIES

40. Poland neighbor : UKRAINE - Probably easier to spot than ERITREA



42. Prefix with -lexic : DYS

43. Voice of the difficult homeowner in "Up" : ASNER

45. Yelp contributor : RATER

46. Enterprise rival : ALAMO

47. October Revolution figure : LENIN

51. The Skatalites music genre : REGGAE - Pioneers of Ska music



53. Ipecac, for one : EMETIC

55. Be on the disabled list, say : AIL

56. Galaxy Note accessory : STYLUS

58. Transitional state : WAKING

61. Local branch : CHAPTER

62. Doll : HON

65. Blue __: German wine brand : NUN

67. She played Buffy : SARAH - After seven seasons, she had become "annoyed" with the role



68. Question in Matthew : IS IT I - Engendered by Jesus' statement "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me"

69. Day break? : LUNCH

70. __ cavity : NASAL

72. Stevedore's org. : ILA - Brando won an academy award playing Terry Malloy who took on the ILA



75. Gets ready to operate : PREPS

76. Braces (oneself) : STEELS

79. Return from searching? : GOOGLE HIT

81. Brian who has coached two Olympic skating gold medalists : ORSER and 85. Longtime Wyoming senator Mike : ENZI - Two names I didn't know and will forget

82. Indian lentil stew : DAL

84. Chip flavoring : SOUR CREAM

86. Nap : DOZE

90. Spoils recipient : VICTOR

91. Ducks, on ESPN crawls : ANA - The Anaheim Ducks NHL team

95. Farrier's tool : RASP

97. Overdo the flattery : LAY IT ON - The master



98. Shiny craft store supply : GLITTER

99. It's good in Quebec : BON

101. Itches : YEARNS - ITCHes is both fill and clue today 

102. Cleans : TIDIES

104. The same : EQUAL

105. "All My Children" Emmy winner on her 19th try : LUCCI

107. Pipe smoker's gadget : TAMP

109. Tab target : SLOT


111. __-starter : SELF

112. Brewery unit : KEG

114. Media player command : SYNC

116. Large seaweed : KELP

117. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS

120. Hurdle for srs. : GRE

121. Disencumber : RID

122. Govt. lawyer : ADA

123. Employment org. created in 1935 : WPA

Here's the grid and if you wish to comment, we will  not say, uh, NEIGH:




Eritrea from 18 Across








Jan 1, 2017

Sunday, January 1, 2017, Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel



I am typing this as quietly as I can to accommodate those of you whose partying with 
17. __ beverage : ADULT was quite extensive. Happy New Year to all our Crossword Friends here at the Corner! Should Old Acquaintance NOT be forgot!



TITLE: "WHAT HAPPENED THEN" Don and C.C. have a very lovely puzzle to start off our New Year and it became a lot easier for me when I realized the title did NOT have a  question mark after it. Rather their theme fills were actual events that occurred 100 years prior to the year which we are now entering. 


Husker Gary here on New Year's Day after blogging puzzles on Pearl Harbor Day and The Winter Solstice, I get to do the first one of the year.


The big American event of that year was the entry of the USA into WWI and Don and C.C. even offered a reference to that with these two fills


116. Subject of an act passed in 1917 : SELECTIVE SERVICE




67. American citizenship grantee in 1917 : PUERTO RICAN - The First Puerto Rican Regiment. Many thought that Puerto Ricans were only granted citizenship so they could fight for America in WWI



The non-war 1917 theme fills:


22. Fundraising items first sold in 1917 : GIRL SCOUT COOKIES - During rationing in WWII, their fundraisers switched temporarily to calendars




28. Treats inspired by a coal miner in 1917 : MOON-PIES - Somehow these two became a "thing"




42. World Series winner in 1917 : CHICAGO WHITE SOX - With Shoeless Joe Jackson. Two years after this 1917 ad they were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series and became known derisively as the Black Sox.





91. America bought it from Denmark in 1917 : US VIRGIN ISLANDS - Formerly Danish West Indies, includes St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and some minor islands. Almost named for Admiral Dewey.




108. Orphanage founded in 1917 : BOYS TOWN - It used to be a farm 6 miles west of Omaha but is now midtown. BT recently sold much of their farm ground for $37M as it now concentrates on academics and trade programs for Boys AND Girls. 




Now let's look at C.C.'s and Don's always wonderful cluing/fill:



Across


1. Olympian queen : HERA 


5. Bad attention-getter in a crowded bar : PSST


9. Baker/literacy advocate Wally who hosted "Learn to Read" : AMOS 




13. Big name in romance novels : AVON - The Publishing Company


19. Goddess who saved infant Zeus from Cronus : RHEA


20. Hair-raising : SCARY


21. Big do : GALA


25. Additional decision-making factors : ANDS


26. "Don't move" : STAY PUT - The Steelers' left end and tackle are required to STAY PUT until the ball is snapped even if the Patriots jumped. They didn't, so it was a penalty.




27. Person : SOUL


30. Sore spot : LESION


32. Flight parts : STEPS


34. Valencian rice dish : PAELLA - Some pronunciation options: pah-ey-luh, -eyl-yuh, pah-yel-uh; Spanish pah-e-lyah, -e-yah


35. Frame of Elmer, e.g. : CEL - This one signed by Friz Freleng runs $1,400




37. Cpls., e.g. : NCO'S


39. "I get it now!" : AHA


40. Bach's east : OST - Boy's Town ist 30 km zu meiner OST (Boy's Town is 30 km to my east)

41. She plays Watson in "Elementary" : LIU


47. Hoppy brew, for short : IPA


49. More than help with : DO FOR


50. Fabled thorn victim : LION - The Aesop Fable about the slave Androcles whose merciful act was repaid later in the Circus Maximus when the LION spared him




51. "Nice job!" reply : I TRY


52. Bishop's agent : VICAR


55. Site with a Pill Identification Tool : WEB MD


57. Have choice words for : SWEAR AT


59. Modern problem solver : TECHIE - Remember that kid you laughed at in school?


60. Some microbrews : RYE BEERS


62. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" director Anderson : WES


63. Pile on : ADD - Competence is always punished!


64. Column width unit : PICA - The two typewriter choices we had back in the 60's. Er, that would be 1960's!




71. Slant : BIAS - Good luck finding journalism without a BIAS


72. Gp. once led by Charles Mayo : AMA - This Mayo was the son of the Mayo clinic founder and headed the AMA in 1933


73. Book with entries : LOG - An electronic LOG





74. Black box, e.g. : RECORDER - One recovered from a plane crash




76. Surgical knife : LANCET


78. Desk accessory : BLOTTER


81. Slow period : SLACK - Winter for the golf courses I frequent


84. Split : END IT


85. Serving two purposes : DUAL


86. Starting on : AS OF - AS OF today I should start to lose some weight. If only there were no potato chips! Sigh...


88. Sidestep : AVOID


90. They may be checked at the door : ID'S - Would they really check ID'S for this event?




94. Letters in early dates : BCE - Before Common Era - Used by some to not offend non-Christians


96. Prefix with fiction : ECO




98. Middle __ : AGE


99. Granny : NANA


100. Hubbub : ADO


101. Words of concern : OH DEAR


103. Stern with strings : ISAAC


105. UPS Store customer : SENDER 


110. Many antique radios : RCA'S 


112. Crumbly English cheese : STILTON - Semi hard, crumbly cheese with characteristic blue streaks



115. Tantrum-prone one : BRAT

119. Like some ducks? : LAME - One occupies 1600 Pennsylvania today


120. Full of chutzpah : BRASH


121. Philosopher Descartes : RENE


122. Dry runs : TESTS


123. "What __?" : ELSE


124. Sources of pliable wood : YEWS - Utilized thusly (first time I've ever used that word!)





125. Column that's beside the point? : ONES - Like the 6 in 176.932


126. "Immediately!" : STAT



Down


1. Fairy tale heavies : HAGS


2. Ready for publication : EDIT


3. Grandma Moses subject : RURAL LIFE


4. "O Come, __ Faithful" : ALL YE - "Adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes"


5. Code of conduct : PROTOCOL


6. Moo __ pork : SHU


7. Collectors' goals : SETS - Part of a complete SET of 1961 Topps Baseball cards. I know C.C. and Boomer would love to own this.




8. Shells from stands : TACOS


9. "That's terrible!" : ACK


10. Seriously injures : MAIMS


11. Dairy Queen Blizzard flavor : OREO


12. Online admins : SYSOPS - SYStem OPeratorS 


13. Wonder-struck : AGAPE


14. Dunkin' Donuts order : VANILLA CHAI - $1.89 here




15. Yale nickname : OLD ELI


16. Onetime Bahamian pirate base : NASSAU


18. Spice amts. : TSPS


20. Only child, maybe : SOLE HEIR


23. Teleprompter's job : CUING


24. Tagged before reaching, as home : OUT AT - Yer outta there! A C.C. puzzle without baseball? Are you new here?




29. Restless folk? : NATIVES


31. "Ah ... okay" : NOW I SEE and 61. Software glitch : BUG - Well of course, there it is




33. Common meal for a tight budget : PASTA


35. Looped in, briefly : CC'D - Carbon Copy becomes the abbreviation CC and then a past tense verb CC'D as in a copy has been sent. What an elastic language we have.


36. Website with detailed instructions : EHOW


38. Athlete's refreshment? : SHOWER


40. Clearasil competitor : OXY


43. Lethal snake : COBRA 


44. Large group : ARMY - This ARMY lost its leader in 2016




45. Like noble gases : INERT


46. Table scrap : ORT


48. Short shot? : PIC - Plural pix


53. Musical with the song "The Gods Love Nubia" : AIDA - From Elton John's and Tim Rice's adaptation of Verdi




54. Joey Votto's team : REDS


56. Rail stop : DEPOT


58. Of __ : somewhat : A SORT


59. Pays attention (to) : TENDS 


62. String of engagements : WAR


64. Like some ale : PALE


65. David Bowie's love : IMAN


66. Holiday sides : CANDIED YAMS - This is not haute cuisine, but is a favorite here!  and 73. "I'm starving!" : LET' S EAT




68. Change the price of : RETAG


69. Traps during a storm, perhaps : ICES IN


70. Circles of light : CORONAS


71. Diva's reward : BRAVA


75. Star of David displayer : EL AL - Israel's airline


77. El Cantar de mío __: Castilian epic poem : CID


78. Blue Bird vehicle : BUS - Their first one was on a 1927 Ford chassis and is now in the Henry Ford Museum 




79. Volcanic flows : LAVAS


80. Member of a small ruling class : OLIGARCH


82. Hustler : CON ARTIST - "Fast Eddie Felson" to us Paul Newman fans


83. Scottish pirate : KIDD


85. Key & Peele, e.g. : DUO 


87. Handles skillfully : FINESSES




89. Brit. medal : DSO


92. Flinch, say : REACT


93. "À votre __!" : SANTE - "To your health" en français


94. Fielding error : BOBBLE 


95. Like Beethoven's Ninth : CHORAL - Gives me goosebumps


97. 2016 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient Sidney : CROSBY - That's the NHL MVP trophy. I wonder what he got for this performance. 




102. Big name in beauty : ESTEE


103. Relative challenge for some : IN-LAW 


104. African capital : CAIRO


106. Lowdown : DIRT - TMZ seems to get it first and right. Ray Rice (corrected from Ray Lewis) was only getting a couple NFL games suspension until TMA produced the actual video of him hitting his wife.




107. Fabled toy makers : ELVES


109. "__ in this together!" : WE'RE


111. Kristoff's pet reindeer in "Frozen" : SVEN


113. Numerical prefix : OCTA


114. Tree squirrel's drey, e.g. : NEST - A drey is literally the name for a squirrel's NEST


117. Slalom curve : ESS - Yup!




118. Dallas-to-Memphis dir. : ENE


Our maiden 2017 Grid




How 'ya gonna kick off 2017 better than C.C. and her masked companion Don Hard G? Alright, I made up that masked part but still, they're great together and singularly!


I hereby resolve to let other voices to be heard! So, have at it!