Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick

Stick(y) Figures:

20-Across. Specialized curriculum in a public school: MAGNET PROGRAM.  Technically a magnet is anything that carries a static magnetic field around with it.  Here's a scientific definition of why things STICK to a magnet.

35-Across. Expand one's horizons: BRANCH OUT.  Why is this clue/answer different from all other theme clues/answers? *

40-Across. Pet with separation anxiety, perhaps: VELCRO DOG.  I had never heard the phrase Velcro Dog, but apparently it's a thing.  Here's the history of Velcro.

And the unifier:

52. Complicated discussion topic, and an apt description of the start of 20-, 35-, or 40-Across?: STICKY SUBJECT.

Across:

1. Joni Mitchell's "Both __ Now": SIDES.  [Name # 1.]

6. Dano of "The Fabelmans": PAUL.  I wasn't familiar with the 2022 film, The Fablemans, which is apparently a coming-of-age film, which stars Paul Dano (né Paul Franklin Dano; b. June 19, 1984) as Burt Fableman.  I was also not familiar with the actor's name, however, I do recognize his photo.  [Name # 2.]

10. Performances: ACTS.

14. Buzzing: ALIVE.

15. Cuatro y cuatro: OCHO.  //  And 49-Across. Uno y uno: DOS.  A double dose of today's math and Spanish lesson.

16. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI.  Yummers!  Pad see ew is a stir-fried noodle dish that is commonly eaten in Thailand.

17. Breathable fabric: LINEN.

18. Wharton biz school home: PENN.  The Wharton Business School is at the University of Pennsylvania.   [Name adjacent.]

19. Nightstand light: LAMP.

23. YouTube spots: ADs.

24. Merry: GAY.

25. Mahalia Jackson's genre: GOSPEL.  Mahalia Jackson (née Mahala Jackson; Oct. 26, 1911 ~ Jan. 27, 1972) was born in New Orleans.  There is a beautiful theater in New Orleans that is named after her: The Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.  [Name # 3.]

28. Yoga surface: MAT.

29. Bouncy gait: TROT.

31. Quartz suffix: -ITE.  More than you will ever want to know about Quartzite.

32. Conspiring clique: CABAL.

37. Mining yields: ORES.  A crossword staple.

38. Sir Michael of acting: CAINE.  Michael Caine (né Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; b. Mar. 14, 1933) appeared in over 160 films during his acting years.  He became Sir Michael in 2000.  [Name # 4.]

39. Overturn: UNDO.

42. "A Doll's House" playwright Henrik: IBSEN.  A Doll's House is a 1879 play by Henrik Johan Ibsen (Mar. 20, 1828 ~ May 23, 1906).  It was quite radical for its time.  It's about the fate of a married woman, who lacked reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world.  One could argue that not that much has changed in the ensuing 150 years.  [Name # 5.]

43. Class for some immigrants: Abbr.: ESL.  As in English as a Second Language.

44. Masterpiece: OPUS.

45. Coast Guard rank: Abbr.: ENS.  As in Ensign.  In case you have ever wondered about the ranks in the Coast Guard, check out this site.

46. Comfy cozy: TOASTY.

48. Texter's "No idea": IDK.  I Don't Know what this means.  **

56. Fuzzy fruit: KIWI.  Also a flightless bird found in New Zealand.

58. AFB truant: AWOL.  As in Absent WithOut Leave.

59. Bass of 'N Sync: LANCE.  Lance James Bass (b. May 4, 1979) was one of the 5 members of the boy band 'N Sync.   [Name # 6.]

Lance Bass is on the far left.

60. "As far as __ tell ... ": I CAN.

61. Snatch: TAKE.

62. Like draft beer: ON TAP.

63. NBA two-pointer: DUNK.

64. SimCity console, in brief: SNES.  As in Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  Hand up if you knew this.

65. Overflows (with): TEEMS.

Down:

1. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA.  She is best known as Salma Hayek (née Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; b. Sept. 2, 1966).  [Name # 7.]

2. Trojan War epic by Homer: ILIAD.  Homer was an ancient Greek poet.  Two of his epic poems are known today: the Iliad and the Odyssey.  He didn't have a surname, so shouldn't be confused with Homer Simpson.  [Name # 8.]

3. Demerits: DINGS.

4. Not odd: EVEN.

5. Westernmost country of continental Africa: SENEGAL.  The official name of Senegal, is the Republic of Senegal.  The country was in the news last week when a plane in Dakar skidded off the runway and caught fire.

6. California's state flower: POPPY.  The state flower of Louisiana is legally the Magnolia (see La. R.S. 49:154).  What is your state's flower?

7. Dell competitor: ACER.

8. "Never gonna happen": UH, NO.

9. Of the distant past: LONG GONE.

10. Geography book: ATLAS.

11. Victors: CHAMPIONS.

12. Scottish cap: TAM.

13. Small drink: SIP.

21. Tit for __: TAT.

22. Campus mil. group: ROTC.  As in Reserve Officer Training Corps.

26. Piano exercise: ÉTUDE.  Today's French lesson.

27. Disclose: LET ON.

28. Not fem. or neut.: MASC.  Masculine is neither Feminine nor Neutral.

29. Some jazz groups: TRIOS.

30. Pealed: RANG.

32. Really, really want: COVET.

33. "You __ busted!": ARE SO.

34. Edward Cullen's love interest in the "Twilight" series: BELLA SWAN.  [Names # 9 and 10, fictional.]

35. "Queen of Neo Soul" Erykah: BADU.  Her given name is Erica Abi Wright (b. Feb. 26, 1971).  [Name # 11.]

36. Centers of activity: HUBS.

38. Mimics: COPY CATS.

41. Round flatbread: ROTI.  A flatbread found in Indian cuisine.

42. Rorschach pattern: INK BLOT.

45. School URL ending: EDU.

47. Big to-do: STINK.

48. Tahiti and Bora Bora: ISLES.

49. Al __: firm, as pasta: DENTE.  Today's Italian lesson.  The phrase Al Dente literally means to the tooth.  Pasta cooked al dente is firm when bitten without being hard.

50. Philosopher who espoused simple explanations: OCCAM.  William of Ockham (1287 ~ 1347) wasn't a barber, but he does have a razor named in his honor.  Occam’s Razor is the principle that says that if you have two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, you should prefer the simpler one.  [Name # 12.]

51. Fitness tracker units: STEPS.

53. "Rich People Problems" novelist Kevin: KWAN.  Kevin Kwan (b. Nov. 8, 1973) is a Singapore-born American novelist. He wrote a trilogy of satirical novels Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems.  Crazy Rich Asians was also made into a movie.  [Name # 13.]

54. Oxen harness: YOKE.

55. Actress Fonda: JANE.  In addition to being an actress, Jane Seymour Fonda (b. Dec. 21, 1937), is the daughter of actor Henry Fonda (May 16, 1905 ~ Aug. 12, 1982), and sister to Peter Fonda (Feb. 23, 1940 ~ Aug. 16, 2019).  [Name # 14.]

The family Fonda.

56. Young goat: KID.

57. Hospital dept.: ICU.  As in Intensive Care Unit.

Here's the Grid.

*  On Passover, we ask, "Why is this night different from all other nights?"  We know, of course, what the answer is.  My question about why the Branch / Stick was intended in the same vein.  The answer is "different" because a Branch is literally a Stick, whereas with the other two answers, something can Stick to Magnet and Velcro.

**  Yes, I do know that the letters IDK actually stand for I Don't Know.

חתולה

Thursday, October 26, 2023, Emily Biegas, Sala Wanetick

 

Youth and Love

Ralph Vaughan Williams
From Songs of Travel
Lyrics by Robert Louis Stevenson
John Shirley-Quirk, CBE, baritone

In what are obviously dark times, our constructors Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick and our editor Patti Varol offer us some rays of hope in the form of a puzzle theme about the hope of youth and love. It is fitting that both Emily and Sala are making their first appearance in the LA Times.  Here are both of their bios (along with some bonus puzzles), and here are the theme clues ...

17. *Posh quintet?: SPICE GIRLS.  Here's their 2 Become 1 from their debut album Spice ...

29. *"Robbers & Cowards" indie rock band: COLD WAR KIDS.  COLD WAR KIDS 2006 album Robbers & Cowards was their debut album.  Here's their Love is Mystical from their 2017 album  L.A. Divine ...

48. *Musical duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe: PET SHOP BOYS.  Here's their Love Comes Quickly from their debut album Please ...

And here's the reveal ...

63. Ministry community for religious teens, and what the answer to each starred clue can be called: YOUTH GROUP.  All of the theme clues end in a collective noun for a YOUTH GROUP ...

SPICE GIRLS
COLD WAR KIDS
PET SHOP BOYS

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Danish shoe brand: ECCO.  If you're into hiking, a pair of these can be yours for only $300.00 (plus tax) ...

ECCO BIOM C-TRAIL ANKLE BOOT
for Women

   5. __ Sketch: ETCHA.   Probably not a good artistic medium if you live in an area with lots of seismic activity ...

Etcha Sketch

10. Study desperately: CRAM.  Cramming CALMLY would probably be more effective.

14. Contented sighs: AAHS.  Is it 2 A's or 2 H's?  Wait for perps.

15. Croc kin: GATOR.  CAYMAN wouldn't fit.

16. Subway fare?: HERO.  Looks like a yummy pun ...

All American Club

17. [Theme clue]

19. Grub: EATS.

20. Wriggle out of: ESCAPE.

21. Paper handout: LEAFLET.

23. Eliminates: RIDS.

25. "Our treat!": ON US.  But if you don't parse it right it could be a burden.

26. Cutting tool: SAW.  AXE fit but didn't perp.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Other, in Spanish: OTRO.  Today's Spanish lesson. 

36. "Stat!": NOW.

37. On bed rest, say: LAID UP.

38. "__ Break": Kathryn Bigelow surfing film: POINT.   Point Break is a 1991 American crime action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow.  It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The film's title refers to the surfing term "point break", where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline.  From what I can tell from this trailer it has a lot of beautiful cinematography.  The movie (not the trailer) is Rated R ...

40. Verve: PEP.

42. Lauder of cosmetics: ESTEE.

43. Remove from office: UNSEAT.  Lately some of those SEATS have been musical chairs.

45. Before, in poetry: ERE.

47. Fill up: SATE.

48. [Theme clue]

51. Ra or Odin: GOD.  Odin seems to get all the press, so today will be the Egyptian god Ra day.  Without him we wouldn't even have day.

Ra
god of the Sun

52. Business casual top: POLO.

53. Moist: DEWY.

55. Consonant sound common in Spanish: ROLLED R.  More Spanish, and Italian. 

58. Spa rooms with heated stones: SAUNAS.

62. Et __: and others: ALIA.  Today's Latin lesson.

63. [Theme reveal]

66. Avocado app: GUAC.  Not a recipe finder for Guacamole dishes, but shorthand for appetizers that use avocados.

67. Closing section of music: OUTRO.  Not just music.

68. Cry of accomplishment: TADA.

69. Ambiguous amount: SOME.

70. "Can you __ in a sentence?": USE IT.

71. Lower leg part: SHIN.

Down:

1. Make less demanding: EASE.

2. Means of emphasis: CAPS. It's how you tell the "clues:" from the FILL around here.

3. Stylish: CHIC.

4. Muppet who sings "I Love Trash": OSCAR.  Chacun à son goût! ...

5. Stirred up: EGGED ON.

6. Mai __: TAI.

7. NFL snapper: CTR.  The man in the middle.

8. Lacking substance: HOLLOW.

9. Premier League powerhouse: ARSENAL.  Arsenal Football Club is an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. Arsenal compete in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (including one unbeaten title), a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, 17 FA Community Shields, the Football League Centenary Trophy, one European Cup Winners' Cup and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

10. Gesture of approval: CHEFS KISS.

11. True-to-life: REAL. 

12. Museu Picasso pieces: ARTE.  The Museu Picasso is an art museum in Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It houses an extensive collection of artworks by the twentieth-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, with a total of 4251 of his works (Pablo worked hard).  Not all of his works were abstract cubism, probably his most recognizable style.  Here's one of my favorite Picasso's, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The Lovers

13. The better part: MOST.

18. Monumental: EPIC.  One of my favorite EPICS is Richard Wagner's 4 opera cycle The Ring of the Niebelungs, about the swashbuckling hero Siegfried.  Here he rests briefly from his labors to contemplate the wonders of nature in the beautiful interlude known as "Forest Murmurs" ... 

22. Mystical halos: AURAE.  AURAE are often used to identify the saints in images. Here's a saint much loved by the animals ...

St. Francis of Assisi

24. Unappetizing fare: SLOP.

26. Absorb, as a spill: SOP UP.

27. Do penance (for): ATONE.  Atonement is a 2007 movie about a wrong that is never really ATONED for, something that the perpetrator must take to her grave.  A powerful and beautiful film ...

28. Apple Watch spot: WRIST.

30. Dorky sort: DWEEB.

31. Heart on a dog collar, perhaps: ID TAG. E.g. "I Love Pat!" or your dog's name here ...

32. Caused by: DUE TO.  As opposed to "Not caused by", the fallacious POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC.  Today's Logic lesson.

33. Word with dating or skating: SPEED.  The former is a good way to meet a large number of potential long-term dates in a short period of time.  BTW SpeedDating, is a single word and is a registered trademark of Aish HaTorah, who began hosting such events in 1998

35. Column to the left of a decimal: ONES PLACE.  It's the one thing that all numbering systems have in common.  But what's to the left of the ONES PLACE depends on the numbering system being used.  In the decimal system that's called the TENS PLACE, but in another widely used system it is called the TWO's place.  Like the saying goes, "There are 10 kinds of people in the world -- those who understand binary and those who don't".  For those who don't, this might help ...

39. Lake in the Sierra Nevadas: TAHOE.  Lake TAHOE is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada ...

41. Poke: PROD.

44. "Just like I said!": TOLD YOU.

46. Field of view: EYE SHOT.

49. Allowing for osmosis: POROUS.  AKA "selectively-permeable".  Osmosis  is the spontaneous net movement or diffusion of solvent molecules through a selectively-permeable membrane from a region of high water potential (region of lower solute concentration) to a region of low water potential (region of higher solute concentration), in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides.

50. Party favors: SWAG.  Also a  Silly Wild A** Guess. Something we do a lot of around here!

54. Glamping options: YURTS.  Glamping is a portmanteau of "Glamorous" and "Camping".  You can glamp in style with this traditional Mongolian YURT for only $14,800.00 ...
 

Mongolian Yurt

55. __ to riches story: RAGS. The Horatio Alger story has some basis in fact, but all of it may not be true.

56. "So You Want To Talk About Race" writer Ijeoma: OLUO.  So You Want to Talk About Race is a 2018 non-fiction book by Ijeoma OLUO.  Each chapter title is a question about race in contemporary America. Oluo outlines her opinions on the topics as well as advice about how to talk about the issues. The book received positive critical reception, with renewed interest following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, after which the book re-entered The New York Times Best Seller list.

57. Actor Neeson: LIAM.  William John Neeson OBE (born 7 June 1952) is a Northern Irish actor.  He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest Film Actors.  Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000.

Liam Neeson

59. Biblical ark builder: NOAH.  NOAH's Flood is another myth based on fact, and perhaps an earlier myth.

60. German automaker: AUDI.

61. Era: SPAN.

64. Native of the Great Basin: UTE.

65. Swim-bike-run race, for short: TRI.  Triathlon.  A CSO to sumdaze.

This review is offered in memory of Elizabeth Jane Schmedes (May 16th, 1941 - March 29th, 2023), a much loved youth minister at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Pikesville, MD.  Betty often told her students that "the word B.I.B.L.E. stood for Basic Information Before Leaving Earth".

Betty and her late husband Eddy

Thank you Betty for all that you did for the young people of St. Charles,

Bill and Teri

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

waseeley