Wednesday August 12, 2020 Gabrielle Friedman

Theme: Best place to COURT?  Right in the middle, so to speak.  Different types of COURTS are embedded in the middle - or CENTER, actually - of in-the-language phrases.

Today's theme song --

Let's start with the unifier for clarification.

59 A. Site of a tennis focus match ... and a hint to what's hidden in 16-, 30- and 45-Across?: CENTER COURT.  In an array COURTS, that's where the most important match will be played.

16 A. Go off without a hiccup: RUN SMOOTHLY.   Everything is A-OK.  A MOOT COURT is an extracurricular activity at many law schools. Participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument.  [Wikipedia]  I did not know that.

30 A. Paranormal power: PSYCHOMETRY.  Another word that is probably not in your daily vocabulary.  Specifically, the supposed ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them.  HOME COURT is a sports team's arena where they host visiting teams, and - presumably - have an advantage.  With no fans in that stands, that might be a MOOT point.

45. London-based credit brand: BARCLAYCARD.  Is there any good reason for anyone here in the states to know or care about a foreign-issued credit card?  I have my doubts.  A CLAY COURT is one type of venue for a tennis match.  The other is a hard court.  The bounce off a CLAY COURT is higher and slower, and players can slide into their shots instead of having to come to a stop when hitting a return.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here -- So today we have a theme that's well constructed, but containing three obscurities. Is this Gabrielle Friedman's maiden voyage? Let's hope the rest of this well done puzzle RUNS SMOOTHLY

Across:

1. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," e.g.: FABLE.  A story that teaches a lesson.

6. __ bean: NAVY.  A variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) native to the Americas.

10. "Gee whiz!": OMG.  Expressions used in circumstances of astonishment, wonder or dismay.  Though I don't think they are both likely to be said in the same situation.

13. Name on a sweetener packet: EQUAL.  Brand name for  aspartame artificial sweetener.

14. AprËs-ski drink: COCOA.  A hot chocolatey beverage.

15. IOC country two before NZL, alphabetically: NOR. Norway.  Probably the only place on earth where you can do this.  I'll pass, thank you.

18. Still, in verse: THO.  Despite that fact.

19. Needs for 3-Downs: BATS.  The implements in baseball games used to strike the balls.

20. WSJ headline topic: IPO. Initial Public Offering of a company's common stock, as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal.

21. Tobacco plug: CHAW.  How the word "CHEW" comes out when one is speaking around a plug of tobakky.

22. Singapore makeup: ISLANDS.  It has one maim island, 63 satellite islands or islets and one outlying islet.  It is home to a multi-racial population of 5.7 million people

26. Complain (about): RAIL.  Typically used with the word "against."

27. PC corner key: ESC.ape.  It is used to halt a current operation or change the interpretation of another key.

32. Hawaiian Congresswoman Gabbard: TULSI.  Since 2012 she had represented Hawaii's 2nd district.  But no more.  She lost her primary to Kai Kahele.

34. 50 minutes on a couch, say: SESSION.  If you have an appointment with a psychiatrist, frex.

35. Going out with: SEEING.  In a relationship.  Probably not going out much these days, though.

37. Divvies up: ALLOTS.  Apportions quantities of something according to an agreed protocol.

40. Harsh: ACERBIC.  Tasting bitter or sour, or figuratively referring to sharp commentary.

44. Big name in insurance: AETNA.

48. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

49. "A Death in the Family" author James: AGEE. [1909-1955] American author, playwright and film critic.  This autobiographical novel was published in 1958, after his death.

50. Crack shot: DEADEYE.  In a brief search I was unable to find an explanation for this term.

52. Comic Foxx: REDD. [1992-1991] John Elroy Sanford was an American stand up comedian and actor.  He had a rauchy night club act in the 50's and 60's and then a popular TV show.

53. New Deal agcy.: NRA. National Recovery Administration.  Some New Deal Ideas were successful.  This one - not so much.

54. Baseball's Rose: PETE. [b 1941] A serious contender for best player of all time, but permanently banned from baseball and made ineligible for the Hall of Fame due to his gambling on his team's games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.

58. One might be under a selfie: BIO.  Story or facts about one's life.

63. The Cyclones of the Big 12 Conf.: ISU.  Iowa State University.

64. Spanish 41-Down: ADIOS.  Word of departure.

65. Bitter-tasting: ACRID. More or less so than ACERBIC?

66. Lifesaver, briefly: EMT.  Emergency Medical Technician.

67. Water ___: POLO.  Sure needed perps for this one.  A game played in a pool, treading water, throwing a ball towards the opponents goal.

68. Hits hard: WHOPS.  More then smacks, then?

Down:

1. Stepbrother of Phineas on a Disney animated series: FERB.  This show, the hight of absurdist animated humor, is an absolute hoot.  You can check it out on Disney+.

2. Shade of blue: AQUA.  A bit on the watery side.

3. Hit close to home?: BUNT.  A baseball play in which the batter deliberately plunks the pitch into the dirt, generally leading to an out, but hoping to advance the runner(s) to the next base.  Statistically, this is ineffective, since giving up the out costs more than advancing the runner(s) gains under most circumstances.  Further, there are possible bad outcomes, such as popping the ball up, in which case the runner(s) can't advance, or, even worse, hitting into a double play.

4. Indian yogurt drink: LASSI.   I know what you're thinking - but this is not made with dog's milk.  It is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and fruit.

5. Nightmare street: ELM.  From a series of horror movies.

6. Never ever: NOT ONCE.  Don't even think about it.

7. "Bah!" in Bavaria: ACH. Exclamations of disapproval.

8. Tennessee athlete, briefly: VOL.  Short for Volunteer.

9. Joyous shout: YAY.  Short for Yippee?

10. "Speaking of which ... ": ON THAT NOTE.   Now - where was I . . .  oh, yes!

11. Sweater material: MOHAIR.  A fabric or yarn made from the hair of a mo -- I mean an angora goat.  Bah!

12. Guttural: GROWLY.  Gravelly sounding.

14. HMO outlays: COPAYS. Additional payments for medical services beyond the premium.

17. Works on walls: OILS.  Paintings.

21. Bayou cuisine: CREOLE. Food originating from a people of multi-ethnic descent in the Caribbean and the American south

23. Rubylike gemstone: SPINEL.   The magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula MgAl₂O₄ in the cubic crystal system.

24. Post-9/11 cabinet agcy.: DHS.  Department of Homeland Security.

25. Slugging Sammy: SOSA. [b 1968] He played baseball in the major leagues for 19 years, most of that time with the Cubs.  He is one of the greatest power hitters of all time.  Controversy about alleged use of performance enhancing drugs has kept him out of the hall of fame.

27. "The War of the Worlds" villains, for short: ETS.  Extra-Terrestrials.

28. Bring an action: SUE.  Institute legal proceedings, typically or redress; or appeal formally for something.

29. Decamped, say: CLEARED OUT.  Picked up and moved away.

31. Address for a noblewoman: MILADY.  Or MILORD, as the case may be.

33. Urged to attack, with "on": SICCED.  As of a guard dog, frex.

36. Former senior: GRAD.  Aka, ALUM.

38. Wile E. Coyote purchase: TNT.   Never ends well.

39. Pouch: SAC.   A soft-walled anatomical cavity usually having a narrow opening or none at all and often containing a special fluid.

41. English 64-Across: BYE.  See ya.

42. "Just watch me!": I CAN TOO.   Dare acceptance words.

43. Close-knit groups: CADRES.  A CADRE  is a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession. or a group of activists.

45. She's a doll: BARBIE.  A toy fashion doll made by Mattel since 1959, modeled after the German fashion doll BILD LILLI, introduced in 1955, and based on a popular comic character.

Ach du Lieber!

46. Discrimination based on years: AGEISM.

47. Raise: REAR.  Bring up and care for, as a child.

51. Many, many years: EPOCH.  Only as used in geology.  Otherwise a significant period of time in history or one's life.

55. Spanish coin: EURO.  From anywhere in Europe, actually.

56. Fall lead-in, maybe: TRIP.  Fall, as an uncontrolled drop, not the season following Summer.  Trip as in catch one's foot against something and lose balance, not a traveling experience - though, in  a sense, it is.

57. Flight board listings: Abbr.: ETDS.  Estimated Times of Departure - for that other kind of TRIP.

59. Souvenir shop purchase: CAP.  A hat with a bill, and often some words or a symbol.

Hight of fashion - right, Barbie?

60. Tokyo, formerly: EDO.  The de facto capital of Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate from 1603 on.  In 1868 the Meiji government renamed it TOKYO, Eastern Capital.

61. Nothing: NIL.  Nada, zilch.

62. Crow cry: CAW.  They are not song birds.

This is the way today's post ends
Not with a bang but with a CAW.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

Here is a great picture of Java Mam (left) and Pat (right). They're in front of the shelter where they volunteer.