Theme: "Just Desserts" - Cakes with the same letter count are layered on top of each other.
21. *Poet who influenced T.S. Eliot: EZRA POUND.
25. *Flattering words before a request: BEAN ANGEL.
26. *'90s nickname for pop's Mel C: SPORTY SPICE.
31. *Pre-TV performance genre involving arias: RADIO OPERA. Unfamiliar
with opera cake. Wiki says it's French cake made of " layers of almond
sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee (or
Grand Marnier) French buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze."
50. *Pancake order: SHORT STACK.
60. *Fish that doesn't taste like its name suggests:LEMON SOLE.
72. *Killjoy, in modern lingo: FUN SPONGE.
77. *Kraft offering, casually: MAC N CHEESE.
98. *Sushi fish: YELLOW TAIL.
104. *Fruity fountain offering: BANANA SPLIT.
106. *Drywall material: SHEET ROCK.
Reveal:
111. *Dessert literally represented in six pairs of answers to the starred clues: LAYER CAKE. Functions as a reveal and the lower layer of SHEET.
I did a "Layer Cake" for the Crossword Club ages ago. One of the theme
entries is long, the other is just short cake word. Similar to the Double DayI did for the LAT.
This
makes me appreciate Dylan Schiff 's puzzle that much more. It's hard to
layer a short word on top of another. It's incredible to layer two
long entries. And the grid has very few gluey entries.
Across:
1. Defeat: TOP.
4. Miniature vehicle that uses a remote, briefly: RC CAR. RC = Radio-Controlled.
9. 1956 hot spot: SUEZ.
13. Seafarer's direction: THAR. "Thar she blows!"
17. Biker's ride: HOG.
18. "__ roll!": I'M ON A.
19. Cavalry weapon: LANCE.
20. Provide an address: ORATE.
23. Hold-up man?: ATLAS. Atlas was one of the Titans.
24. Brought down: RAZED.
28. Regarding: AS TO.
29. Cut: AXED.
32. Of course, in Cannes: BIEN SUR. Mais bien sur!
35. Swerved at sea: YAWED. Yaw, Pitch, Roll.
37. "Sister Act" role: NUN.
38. Fa follower: SOL.
39. Terminus: END.
40. To boot: ALSO.
42. Seriously outrun on the track: LAP.
43. Price-qualifying word: PER. Do you guys still have Grape Nuts shortage in your area?
44. Packaging meas.: NT WT.
45. Bath tissue packaging word: PLY. You won't catch us running short on toilet paper again.
46. Santa Monica landmark: PIER.
48. Class assignment: ESSAY.
54. Baker's dozen?: EGGS. Cute clue.
56. '50s TV innovation: CABLE. Wow, this early.
61. Numbered work: OPUS.
62. "Fantastic Four" villain, briefly: DR DOOM.
63. Brown brew: ALE.
64. Row of seats: PEW.
65. Joltless joe?: DECAF. "Joltin' Joe" would have liked this clue.
67. AFL-__: CIO.
68. GOP org.: RNC. Republican National Committee.
69. Unidentified flying radar blips: BOGIES. New term to me. Is the singular Bogey or Bogie?
71. Salsa order: MILD.
75. It may take a licking: STAMP.
76. Went down: SANK.
78. Old Turkish title: PASHA. Learned from doing crosswords.
80. Blubber: BAWL.
81. Hip: MOD.
82. Stuns: WOWS.
85. Common URL ending: COM.
86. Spot for suds: MUG. OK, shaving mug.
87. Very little: A DAB.
89. Twin, say: SIB.
92. Here, in Jalisco: ACA. Jalisco map here. Its capital is Guadalajara.
93. "As __ to breathe were life!": Tennyson: THO.
94. Silently understood: TACIT.
96. "Encore!": ONE MORE.
101. Formally surrender: CEDE.
103. Novelist Waugh: ALEC. Brother of Evelyn Waugh.
109. Busy: IN USE.
110. "101 Dalmatians" protagonist: PONGO.
112. Soda measure: LITER.
113. Solo: ALONE.
114. "The Jungle Book" wolf: AKELA.
115. "M*A*S*H" set piece: COT.
116. Highlands miss: LASS.
117. Arguments: ROWS.
118. Fresh: SASSY.
119. Blasting stuff: TNT.
Down:
1. 1992 baseball biopic: THE BABE. Babe Ruth is played by John Goodman. Have you guys seen "Little Big League?" The little boy is the owner of the Minnesota Twins.
2. Enters slowly: OOZES IN.
3. Like many Pixar movies: PG RATED.
4. Kelly of morning TV: RIPA.
5. "Let's go!": C'MON.
6. BYU team nickname: COUGARS. Barry G graduated from BYU.
7. Make part of a larger state: ANNEX.
8. "To Kill a Mockingbird" recluse Boo __: RADLEY.
9. Course for H.S. exam takers: SAT PREP.
10. Empty, as a U-Haul: UNLOAD.
11. Digital greeting: E CARD.
12. Zing: ZESTINESS.
13. "The Sound of Music" name: TRAPP. Von Trapp.
14. Least distinct: HAZIEST.
15. Was humiliated: ATE CROW.
16. Handed out fresh cards: RE-DEALT.
19. Head for Vegas?: LAS. Boomer will love this clue. Every year after our Vegas trip, he'll start saving money in a jar for the next one.
20. Director Welles: ORSON. "Citizen Kane".
22. Presently, quaintly: ANON.
27. Letter closer: YOURS.
30. Destructive "Doctor Who" creature: DALEK. Another learning moment.
33. "Push It" hip-hop trio: SALT-N- PEPA.
34. Tennyson work: ULYSSES.
36. Target of some Bob Dylan songs: WAR.
41. Birthstone after sapphire: OPAL.
43. Cribbage pieces: PEGS.
44. Long-distance swimmer Diana: NYAD. So inspiring.
45. MLB player, e.g.: PRO.
47. Trapped, in a way: ICED IN.
49. Scottie in Hitchcock's "Vertigo," for example: ACROPHOBE. Fear of height.
50. Concrete hunks: SLABS.
51. Spartan serf: HELOT. Wiki says "Tied to the land, they
primarily worked in agriculture as a majority and economically supported
the Spartan citizens."
52. __-3 fatty acids: OMEGA.
53. Pull behind: TOW.
54. Greener Living org.: EPA.
55. Hearty laugh: GUFFAW.
57. Conveyed: BORNE.
58. Yearns (for): LONGS.
59. Run from a stage?: EMCEE. Great clue.
61. Med. condition with repetitive behavior: OCD.
62. Old Sony CD player: DISCMAN.
66. Lodge member: ELK.
67. Anderson Cooper's network: CNN. Cute Wyatt.
70. Little devils: IMPS.
71. Polite address: MA'AM.
73. Mayim Bialik alma mater: UCLA. Jeopardy!
74. Voluminous ref.: OED.
76. Has a mediocre round ... for a pro: SHOOTS PAR. Boomers plays a 9-hole executive course on Monday mornings. Had a birdie a few weeks ago.
77. Copperfield field: MAGIC. David Copperfield.
79. Neutral vowel symbol: SCHWA.
80. Tampa Bay NFLer: BUC. Buccaneer.
82. Shipping document: WAYBILL. Unfamiliar with the term.
83. South Pacific region: OCEANIA.
84. Waldorf salad morsels: WALNUTS. Good for your brain, supposedly.
86. Speaks badly of: MALIGNS.
88. Stereotypical ingenue facial feature: DOE EYES.
89. Beyoncé, since 2002: SOLO ACT. Previously with Destiny's Child.
90. "S'pose so": I RECKON.
91. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT (Samuel)
93. Cosmetics liquid: TONER. My favorite.
94. Up to this point, informally: TIL NOW.
95. Model 3 autos: TESLAS.
97. "Walking in Memphis" singer Cohn: MARC. He was married to Elizabeth Vargas for a while.
39A. Solar panel components: PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS. Circle.
57A. Source of narrowly focused thinking: SINGLETRACK MIND. Triangle. More familiar with one-track mind.
83A. Virgil's optimistic sentiment: LOVE CONQUERS ALL. Square.
98A. Wrap up: BRING TO A CONCLUSION. Octagon.
Reveal:
120A. Sci-fi creatures who arranged each set of circled letters?: SHAPE-SHIFTERS.
Looks like this the Sunday debut of Dylan Schiff , who co-constructed this puzzle Chairman Moe blogged a few weeks ago. Congrats, Dylan!
The
key to this type of theme is span those key letters in two or more
words. It's not easy when the shape words are long or have unfriendly
letter combos.
Across:
1. Frozen snack: ICE POP. Cold opening.
7. Ford failure: EDSEL.
12. Promising Hold 'em holding: TOP PAIR.
19. Painting, e.g.: FINE ART.
21. Slip: LAPSE.
22. '30s-'40s period: WWII ERA. I love 50s and 60s in American history, esp those vintage bobble heads.
25. Tinkered with like a tailor: ALTERED.
26. Prepares to fire: AIMS.
27. Mario Bros. console: NES.
28. Mexican month: ENERO. Also 48. Calendar pgs.: MOS. Months.
30. Indian wrap: SARI. Indian brides often wear red sari. Chinese brides wear red too. Must be an Asian thing.
31. Biopic about Charles: RAY.
32. Hidden stockpile: STASH.
34. Up for __: GRABS.
36. Champs-Élysées feature: CAFE.
43. Dance studio fixture: BARRE.
46. Smart: CHIC.
47. Light bulb generator?: IDEA.
49. Casual "Same here": I FEEL YA. I'm fond of colloquial phrases.
52. Ingenuous: NAIVE.
55. Capital NE of Buffalo: OTTAWA. And 115. Alberta speed meas.: KPH.
61. Slightly drunk: TIPSY.
62. Nabisco offering: OREO. Boomer likes these sugar-free wafers.
63. Earth: SOIL.
64. Tokyo, long ago: EDO. Pre-1868, Japan's capital city was
Kyoto. Moved in Edo in 1869, then changed the name to Tokyo, which means
"east of the capital", since it's east of Kyoto.
65. Clickable image: ICON.
67. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, __ Bouvier: NEE.
68. Dennis, e.g.: MENACE. Not MARINE.
70. Like vision dimmed from fatigue: BLEARY.
72. Total: SUM.
75. The Arno runs through it: PISA. Oh, our Pisa guy.
76. Kitchenware brand: OXO. D-Otto's brand.
78. Man, for example: ISLE.
79. "Hmm ... doubt it": UH NO.
80. Baffled: STUCK.
87. One placed near a gutter: TEN PIN. The bowling centers here are opened again. Hopefully Boomer can get vaccine soon.
89. Surrendered: CEDED.
90. Made one's case: PLEADED.
91. Surfer's destination?: URL. Good, old clue.
92. Small salamander: NEWT.
94. Troubles: AILS.
97. Ways to lose: DIETS.
104. Sushi go-with: SAKE. Pairs better with sashimi.
105. Scents: ODORS.
106. Coagulates: CLOTS.
107. Lucrative, contractually: FAT.
110. Help badly?: ABET.
113. Dealt with: SAW TO.
116. Mötley __: CRUE.
117. Yolk's counterpart: ALBUMEN. Wow, have not seen this entry for a long time.
123. Litter, say: POLLUTE.
124. Spud: TATER.
126. Over the moon, so to speak: PLEASED. So glad to see you back, PK! I'm also so happy to see Kelly Clark on our blog again. Kelly is a very accomplished crossword constructor.
1. "What concerns me is ... ": I FEAR. And 103. Start of a view: I THINK.
2. Eyelashes: CILIA.
3. Hamilton, to Burr: ENEMY.
4. Muscle Beach display: PECS.
5. Feedbag morsel: OAT.
6. "Now!": PRONTO.
7. Building extension: ELL.
8. Humor columnist Barry: DAVE. Quite a few fans on our blog.
9. Boston cream pie component: SPONGECAKE.
10. Non-acidic vitamin brand: ESTER-C. I'm using One-A-Day multivitamin.
11. Eye lustfully: LEER AT. And 125. Show disdain for: SNORT AT.
12. Pan Am rival: TWA.
13. Rowling's Hedwig and Lewis' Glimfeather: OWLS.
14. Hummus go-with: PITA.
15. He played James in the four films before Daniel: PIERCE. Brosnan. I really like Daniel Craig.
16. Satellite imaging product: AERIAL MAP.
17. Wrath: IRE.
18. "Tubular!": RAD.
20. Pay for: TREAT.
24. NBA part: Abbr.: ASSOC.
29. "Nineteen Eighty-Four" foe of Winston and Julia: O'BRIEN. Learning moment for me.
32. Seashore souvenir: SHELL.
33. Bit of a "Beavis and Butt-Head" chuckle: HEH.
35. Grauman of Chinese Theatre fame: SID. Wiki says he created both the Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre.
37. Proceeds smoothly: FLOWS.
38. Many an op-ed piece: ESSAY.
39. Ragú rival: PREGO.
40. "The Mod Squad" role: LINC.
41. Co. bigwig: CEO.
42. Ball of yarn, perhaps: CAT TOY. CrossEyedDave had a cat named PK. I forgot what it stood for.
43. Yellowstone sight: BISON.
44. Burning: AFIRE.
45. "Chicago" actress Zellweger: RENEE.
50. Votes for: YESES.
51. Without a key: ATONAL.
53. Website with film profiles: IMDB.
54. "The Four Seasons" solo instrument: VIOLIN.
56. What pewter is, mostly: TIN.
58. Narrow inlet: RIA.
59. Breakfast area: ALCOVE.
60. Broadband predecessor: DIAL-UP. Good old days.
66. Angler's basket: CREEL.
68. Providing amplification for, as a speaker: MIKING.
69. Crossed (out): EX'ED.
71. Attorney's letters: ESQ.
72. "Thrown" criticism: SHADE.
73. Not rented: UNLET.
74. Chocolatier's array: MOLDS.
75. Angel dust, initially: PCP.
77. New England nickname: OCEAN STATE.
79. Bolt on the track: USAIN.
80. Hard pencils to sharpen: STUBS.
81. __ firma: TERRA.
82. Far from charming: UNLIKABLE.
84. White and black pawns, e.g.: OCTADS.
85. Lyrical: ODIC. Gluey.
86. Second chances: RE-DOS.
88. Trawler's tool: NET.
93. Court: WOO.
95. Inc. cousin: LLC.
96. Grouchy moods: SULKS.
99. Crab in space: NEBULA.
100. Progresses with ease: COASTS.
101. "And if I don't?": OR WHAT.
102. Last year's frosh: SOPHS.
107. Bars on necks: FRETS.
108. Saintly glows: AURAE.
109. Short-tempered: TESTY.
111. Outback runners: EMUS.
112. French crown?: TETE. "Head" in French.
114. Welcoming sign: OPEN.
116. Key used in combinations: CTRL.
117. Instagram, e.g.: APP.
118. Online outburst: LOL.
119. Homer's TV neighbor: NED.
121. Ranch extension?: ERO. Ranchero.
122. The Red Baron, to Snoopy: FOE.
It broke my hear to
read Bill G's post. It brought back the dark time when Bill lost his son
to a car accident a few years ago. But we're all here for you, Bill,
just like you've been here for us all these years, comforting those who
lost loved ones and entertaining those who love math problems or other
trivia.
Hello Cornerites! Chairman Moe here blogging his second 2021 Friday puzzle,
after swapping with Lemonade last month. Beginning the 15 January,
Jason and I will go back to alternating Fridays.
Adding this to my blog @ 3:00 pm EST****SPOILER ALERT****
In case it wasn’t obvious, we bloggers get our puzzles days in advance of the actual publish date. So, I had this blog prepared, edited, and ready to publish on Tuesday of this week.
In the case of today’s puzzle, the “on-line” version that I solved and recapped was different than what appeared today on other websites and in print edition, with reference to both the clues and their clue numbers. My version used the clue “ - - - “, and assigned it a number, in all of the four entries. And in my Arizona Republic print edition it did not do this. I have no idea why.
The blog recap goes live @3:00 am EST. I didn’t realize the confusion between the answers I got ahead of time (and how, actually, they were numbered) and what many of you saw today. In a lot of cases the clues and numbers didn’t match. It would take a whole lot of editing to correct this now. To no fault of the constructor nor the blogger, this occurred. All I can do is to say I wish we didn’t have this confusion.
Hope this explains it ... for those of you just now about to read the recap ...
****SPOILER ALERT OVER****
How interesting and coincidental that the collaborator of today's puzzle, Mark
McClain, is someone with whom I began chatting, regarding xword puzzles, late
last year. Dylan and Mark threw a doozy at us for the second of five January
Friday editions. And in my best Husker Gary impression, I emailed Mark
to ask him about the puzzle. I think his words capture so much more than I
could offer ... and I did "resolve" to post shorter blogs in 2021!! But for
what it's worth, the OVER/UNDER for reading today's blog is 30 minutes ...
Chris, Thanks very much for reaching out! Glad to chime in on this
puzzle.
First and foremost, the theme idea was all Dylan's. We "met" through the
Facebook "collaboration" group this past July, and I offered to collaborate
with him on the puzzle because he was having a bit of trouble molding this
excellent theme idea into a finished puzzle. The theme is more like a
Schrödinger puzzle
in that the theme entries have two possible answers which are both correct.
However, unlike the traditional Schrödinger puzzle, the solver doesn't have
to decide which is correct, because both answers are there. So, not quite
like a rebus, which typically has something other than a single letter in a
square.
I believe this may be Dylan's first published puzzle, though he told me that
he had received an approval from another venue while we were working on
this, but that one hasn't been published yet. Coincidentally, my first
published puzzle was in LA Times, just over six years ago (this one will be
number 50-something for me in LA Times).
The key to this theme is that you have a word that, if a letter somewhere
near the middle is changed, becomes different word. That per se is
commonplace, but the difficulty is finding such a pair of words that can
have the identical clue in a crossword. That's rare, and it was really tough
finding four such words.
I'm fully aware that one of the main reasons that solvers dislike a puzzle
is because it turns out to be harder for them than they thought it should
be. This is especially true of solvers who track their solving times (which
I don't). There is also a body of solvers who just don't like really
gimmicky themes, of which this puzzle is decidedly an example. So, I will
not at all be surprised if there are some complaints from the crowd on this
one. Most of the solo puzzles I'm doing nowadays are in the "easy" category
with straightforward themes and clues. In LA Times I've had more Mondays and
Tuesdays than any other day. But I have had several Fridays, mostly
add/drop/switch letter themes.
Will look forward to reading your comments, and those of the "Corner"
crowd.
Best,
Mark McClain
The Grid:
OK, so Chairman Moe wasn't too far off from the theme. When I sent Mark MY
email, I had correctly identified the unifier: 38-Across. Sports bet based on
total points scored ... or a hint to answering four puzzle clues:
OVER / UNDER. And while at first the concept was not very clear, once the
puzzle was completed, it was pretty obvious. The 8 circled letters were all
positioned OVER/UNDER the "entries", as the following clues suggest:
20-Across. Source of some TV content: MINIS 22-Across "---":
RIES. The circled "E" and "T" letters above and below the
black/block square separating these two answers, can be inserted into that
square to make two different meanings for the same starting clue:
MINI-SERIES vs MINISTRIES. Both are the source of TV Content, as
pictured below:
One of the first Mini-Series (debuted in 1977), and one of the first
Ministries shown on TV (1952, I think; year before I was born):
Blogger's note: I was at first "puzzled" by the use of the clue, "- - -". So I
asked Mark, what up? And he replied:
That business of the "- - -" clue is pretty standard for this theme gimmick
(themer is spread across two words separated by a block, with only the first
one being clued). It's a red flag to solver that something is fishy.
26-Across. Genetic connection: LIN 28-Across ---: AGE. The
circled "K" and "E" make the words "LINKAGE" and
"LINEAGE",, both of which are "genetic connections". Of course, when
seeing the circled K I thought of:
52-Across. Impediment to walking down a hallway: CLU 53-Across ---:
TER. Add the circled "T" and "S" and you get "CLUTTER" and
"CLUSTER". After seeing 55-Across. Bleeping editor: CENSOR, I
wondered if that person would've censored this popular military expression:
58-Across. Recommendation for better health: MEDI 61-Across.---:
ATION. The circled "C" and "T" make the words
"MEDICATION" and "MEDITATION" fit the clue for ways to better
health. My three MEDICATIONS all fall into either Tier 1 or Tier 2, so my
Medicare Advantage Plan charges me a $0.00 co-pay. My partner enjoys doing a
daily MEDITATION to provide an inner calmness; I swear it's to help her live
with Chairman Moe ...!
Let's see how the rest of the puzzle developed ...
5. Good enough: OKAY. Crossword-ese #2; although the past tense for
this could be either OKD for a 3-letter fill, or OKAYED for a 6-letter space.
And sorta related to 16-Down, Green lights: YESES.
9. Grad: ALUM. Is this a spice/food additive only used by Grad's?
13. "A New Day Has Come" singer: DION.
14. Like Erté's art: DECO. Romain de Tirtoff (23 November 1892 – 21
April 1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the
pseudonym Erté
15. Compensate: REPAY. Moe-ku #1:
When Popeye's buddy Promised to REPAY, he used A Wimpy "gif"
card
17. Full of anticipation: AGOG. Word of the day!
18. Subject to being wiped out: ERADICABLE. This
would've been the word of the day ... but AGOG eradicated it
from my list ...
23. Kardashian matriarch: KRIS. Kristen Mary (née Houghton), born
11-5-1955; the former Mrs. Robert Kardashian and Mrs. Bruce Jenner (now
Caitlyn), and mother to Kourtney, Kim, Klohe, Robert, Kendall, and Kylie. How
did Robert (her son) miss out on having a name beginning with the letter "K"?
24. "We __ alone": ARE NOT. Perhaps?
29. Bridge protectors: NOSE PADS. Ahh, THAT bridge! NOSE PADS are the
little doo-hickeys that the opticians always have to adjust on my eyeglasses
32. Promotional giveaways: TIE-INS. This one stumped me at first; not
sure what exactly I pencilled in, but I was thinking more along the lines of
spiffs ... Mark, was this your or Dylan's clue, or did Rich edit it?
34. Explosive initials: TNT. Crossword-ese #3
35. "Bob's Burgers" sibling: TINA. This was "either you know it, or you
don't". I didn't. Never heard of the TV animated sit-com, but after doing a
brief internet check, I found that TINA is indeed one of the siblings. The
show centers on the Belcher family — which consists of Bob, his wife Linda,
and their children TINA, Gene, and Louise. TINA, a shy awkward "tween" is
voiced by actor
Dan Mintz. Here's a clip:
37. Fellows: LADS. Short for Laddies
41. Chamonix peak: ALPE. Not to be confused with a "Chow-Chow" treat
--> ALPO! But Chamonix (as shortened from Chamonix-Mont Blanc) is quite
spectacular
44. Inexact no.: EST. abbreviation for ESTimate. I think this was my
reply when I searched how much it would cost to replace a light bulb in my car
...
47. Like a busy chimney sweep's clothes: SOOTED. Moe-ku #2:
Dick Van Dyke's role as Bert (Mary Poppins). He was Well-SOOTED
for it
49. Collide with: SLAM INTO. One of my favorite carnival/State Fair rides
56. Hawkeye State campus town: AMES. A bit of misdirection here, as
AMES is the home of Iowa State University of the Big 12 College Athletic
Conference (nickname the "Cyclones"), while the University of Iowa (nickname
the "Hawkeyes") play in the Big TEN Athletic Conference. Iowa - as the entire
"state" - is also nicknamed "Hawkeye" ... BTW, Moe did all of that without any
internet help!! ;^) But my favorite AMES reference is shown in the clip below:
62. Evil fairy played by Angelina Jolie: MALEFICENT. Including a
"haunting" song from decades ago in its Soundtrack
65. Kurylenko of "Quantum of Solace": OLGA. OLGA Konstiantinivna
Kurylenko born November 14, 1979. 41-yr old Ukraine born, French actor. Former
"Bond" girl.
Some interesting similarities to one of C-Moe's offspring: OLGA's birthdate
and my son's are exactly one day apart; she is 5'9" tall and so is he; she had
COVID-19 virus in 2020 and so did he; she is single and so is he; her net
worth is $18M and . . .
66. In a heap: PILED. I think it's laundry day . . .
67. Bravo preceder: ALFA. Was I the only solver who was trying to parse
a four-letter word for "encore"? Oh, it's that Bravo. ALFA,
BRAVO, CHARLIE, DELTA, ECHO, FOXTROT, GOLF, HOTEL, INDIA, ...
68. It's not optional: NEED. We NEED air to breathe; it's not optional.
Unlike 38-Down, Go (for): OPT, where it's a choice
69. Tibetan honorific: LAMA. As in the
Dalai LAMA. LAMA in this song by the Edsels is pronounced differently ...
70. Alka-Seltzer jingle word: PLOP. "PLOP PLOP, fizz fizz, oh what a
relief it is ..."
71. International gas brand: ESSO. Crossword-ese #4 ... was about to
give a CSO just to Canadian "Eh" until Dylan and Mark clued it
"International"
Down:
1. Hardheaded: ADAMANT. I am ADAMANT about squeezing as much info into
these blogs as I possibly can! So much for my New Years Resolution?!
2. Blast furnace output: PIG IRON. Not this; "fore!"
3. With the least delay: SOONEST. Another word with "EST" in it, but I
guess that's acceptable
4. Word with steam or fire: ENGINE. In 1698 Thomas Savery patented a pump
with hand-operated valves to raise water from mines by suction produced by
condensing steam. In about 1712 another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, developed a
more efficient steam ENGINE with a piston separating the condensing steam from
the water. Thomas Lote built the first fire ENGINE made in America in 1743.
These earliest engines are called hand tubs because they are manually (hand)
powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub
(cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe.
5. Many a poem by Sharon Olds: ODE. Sharon Olds (born November 19, 1942)
is an American poet.
6. NBA coach Steve: KERR.
His biography
courtesy of Wikipedia
7. Amazon berry: ACAI. Crossword-ese #5
8. Alpine song: YODEL.
9. Continuing story line: ARC. OK, perps solved this for me as the clue
did not immediately make me think of ARC. But the third definition listed does
say this: "(in a novel, play, or movie) the development or resolution of the
narrative or principal theme". Friday clue
10. Source of inside info, perhaps: LEAK. OK, this might violate our
blog's
"no politics"
position, but it certainly fits the clue and is historical
11. Criticize severely: UPBRAID. As in, TTP might UPBRAID C Moe
for posting something political! Hopefully not
12. Casts in a bad light: MALIGNS. MALIGNS after UPBRAID? Hmm ... we
need some cheery clues and fill soon for Moe
19. "You sure of that?": IS IT?.
21. Soak (up): SOP. I love using a piece of bread to SOP up the gravy
on my plate
25. Thames gallery: TATE. The TATE museum is located on the River
Thames
27. African river to the Mediterranean: NILE. Home of Cleo's asp?
30. Topsoil: DIRT. Moe-ku #3:
To heck with the soil, I want to know more! Please Moe,
Just give me the DIRT
31. Treats with disdain: SNUBS. Let's hope that we don't have too many
SNUBS show up - in their "anonymous" posts - to pan today's puzzle or the
constructors
33. Hammer home?: EAR. LOL! Brilliant clue! This hammer's home:
36. Uptight: ANAL.
39. Nair rival that originally had "N" as its first letter: VEET. If I
hadn't looked up the image I would've never guessed . . . although using this
product is not something with which I am too familiar! The "back story" is that
VEET was the brand name internationally, and NEET was the brand name in Canada
and the U.S. In 2002 the name VEET became universal
40. Horror icon, for short: DRAC. As in short for Count DRACula
41. Web service since 1993: AOL MAIL. This was one of the clues/fills
that I felt was "forced". I think we are all familiar with AOL as a Web
Service; the MAIL part seemed redundant. Sorry, Mark
42. Parsons of old Hollywood gossip: LOUELLA. Louella Parsons (born
Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American
movie columnist and a screenwriter.
44. Stores on a farm: ENSILES. As to put grains into a SILO
45. Trio in funny shorts: STOOGES. A CSO to yours truly! One of my
favorite clips which uses dialog referring to the "TRIO" is in
this link,
and happens around the 1:00 minute mark as well as at the end. Classic Three
STOOGES
46. Storm often chased: TORNADO. This 1996 movie brought the term
"Storm Chasers" to the fore
47. Mischief-maker: SCAMP. Moe-ku #4:
A Disney Remake About a mischief-maker? Lady and the SCAMP
48. "Sorry Not Sorry" singer Lovato: DEMI. Demetria Devonne Lovato,
born August 20, 1992 in Albuquerque, NM, is the daughter of a former Dallas
Cowboys cheerleader. Here is her song:
50. "Give __ break!": ME A. C'mon Moe! I can't spend a half hour reading
your blog. Give ME A break!!
51. Chant: INTONE. Technically, a recitation where the pitch of ones
voice neither rises nor falls
54. Summarize: RECAP. THIS! My RECAP of today's puzzle!
57. Come across as: SEEM. Does this RECAP SEEM too lengthy?
59. Inspiron maker: DELL. Moe-ku #5:
An Insurance APP On ones laptop might be called: "Farmer's in the
DELL"
60. Lowdown: INFO. Just the facts; just the INFO, Moe
63. HHS agency: FDA. The United States Department of Health
& Human Services was a re-naming of the Department of
Health Education and Welfare in 1979. The The United
States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is one of its branches,
and is headquartered in White Oak, MD
64. Touchscreen touch: TAP. TAP, TAP, TAP, are the sounds of many
fingers of our readers today, as they patiently wait for this blog to end!
Thoughts? Comments? See you in a couple of weeks ...
