Theme: Bring Your Own ... anagrams. Each of the five theme entries contain an anagram of "BYO" as the reveal entry succinctly indicates.
15A. Eight-time Norris Trophy winner : BOBBY ORR. "Mr Crossword" gets a full-name entry today, and a theme one to boot!
19A. Practical joke during a greeting : JOY BUZZER. Comic-strip staple (usually exaggerating the effect!) I didn't know the official name for this device.
31A. Postwar population phenomenon : BABY BOOM. Apparently, Boomers in the US control over 80% of personal financial assets, account for 80% of leisure travel and buy 77% of all prescription drugs. Obviously all that travel and wealth is not good for you.
38A. Yokohama is on it : TOKYO BAY. Trying to fit "WHEEL RIM" in here didn't get me very far.
50A. Board buyer's request : TWO-BY-FOUR. I have a minor quibble here - if you walk into a lumber yard and ask for a two-by-four, you're going to get a post, not a board.
58A. Like many teen girls, and a literal hint to this puzzle's circled squares : BOY CRAZY
Cue screams for One Direction from our youthful readership. I went to YouTube to link some audio of the boys, but you'll be happy to hear that I got distracted watching Kevin Spacey do celebrity impersonations.
Steve here with another product of Mr. Bain's fertile mind. I don't think circle-less solvers were put at too much of a disadvantage. I thought a pangram might be afoot when I saw all the Y's, Z's and the trickier J's, K's and W's making an appearance, but no room for a Q or an X. Given the six Y's and 3 Z's, that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.
Across:
1. Go wrong : ERR
4. Party garb for Hef : PJ'S
7. Some grenades, briefly : FRAGS. The fragmentation grenade, a thoroughly unpleasant piece of ordnance.
12. Response to a home team bobble : BOO. Tough crowd if you're going to boo your own team for a mere bobble. A complete season-long meltdown and it might just about be acceptable.
13. Tough kid to handle : BRAT
14. Amazon crocodilian : CAIMAN. Spell-check doesn't like "crocodilian". Another reason why you should never trust it.
17. A to A, e.g. : OCTAVE. Favorite clue of the day for me.
18. Mascara mishap : SMEAR
21. Vena __: heart vessel : CAVA
23. Cobbler's tool : AWL
24. Times gone by, in times gone by : ELD. It's in the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, but certainly not in mine. I tried to find an example of usage, but drew a blank.
25. Less solid : SHAKIER
28. Anti-bullfighting org. : PETA
30. Steamed cantina food : TAMALE. My local Farmer's Market has a stand selling beef, pork and chicken varieties which is a regular stop for me. I've made my own, but you have to make about 200 at a time to justify the effort.
35. Heaps : A LOT. Or the number of tamales you have to make in a session.
36. Boring routine : RUT
37. In need of a massage : SORE
41. Gravel components : STONES. Here's a very talented collection of gravel:
43. Work without __ : A NET
44. Pens in : CORRALS
45. Scammer's target : SAP
48. "The Book of __": 2010 film : ELI. Denzel Washington drama. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 48% rating, si I don't think I missed anything by not seeing it.
49. Very little : A DAB
53. Less experienced : NEWER
57. Less taxing : EASIER
60. Lose : MISLAY. My Dad always claimed he'd not lost something, he'd merely "temporarily" mislaid it. I think "temporary" had a different meaning for him.
61. Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE
62. Tax shelter letters : IRA
63. Take the reins : STEER
64. Single chin-up, say : REP. If I was a pedant, I'd say you can't have one repetition of something, you have to have at least two. Actually, I am a pedant, so I call a very mild foul here.
65. Season ticket holder : FAN.
Down:
1. Fades away : EBBS
2. Dorm unit : ROOM
3. Post-shower wear : ROBE. Does Hef wear one over his PJ's?
4. One paid to play : PRO.
5. "Star Wars" character __ Binks : JAR JAR. Possibly the most annoying character ever introduced into a sci-fi franchise, IMHO.
6. Houston MLB'er : 'STRO
7. School group : FACULTY. I wanted GARAGE BAND, but ran out of blank squares.
8. __ Bits: cracker sandwiches : RITZ
9. Leave wide-eyed : AMAZE
10. "Order! Order!" mallet : GAVEL
11. Dummy Mortimer : SNERD. Brief SNERD/SNERT uncertainty compounded by the unknown ELD. I pondered awhile and I chose wisely (or guessed wild-assly, your call).
13. How much cargo is transported : BY RAIL
14. All-natural flytrap : COBWEB. Amazing feat of engineering.
16. Slangy "Ditto!" : "BACK AT YA!"
20. Pester, puppy-style : YAP AT
22. Crew neck alternative : VEE
25. Medical "Now!" : STAT! From the Latin "Statim", meaning "Urgent". Something I don't want to hear when I'm in the Doctor's office.
26. Saintly radiance : HALO
27. Hog-wild : AMOK
29. Shock __ : ABSORBER
31. Believe : BUY
32. Chaplin of "Game of Thrones" : OONA. I keep meaning to catch up on Game of Thrones - I watched the first two episodes; I think I've got about 90 to bring me up-to-date.
33. Pitcher Hershiser : OREL
34. Predicament : MESS
36. Numerical relationship : RATIO
39. Like many gift subscriptions : ONE YEAR
40. Quasimodo's workplace : BELFRY. Trying to cram "Notre Dame" in here doesn't really work.
41. Putting green patch : SOD
42. Mesmerized state : TRANCE
44. King of pop : CAROLE. I trod the misdirection path of ELVIS/MICHAEL/(insert your favorite here) for a little while.
45. Parts of peonies : STEMS. Misreading this as "ponies" slowed me up somewhat.
46. Look forward to : AWAIT
47. Ad hoc law group : POSSE
51. Gallbladder fluid : BILE
52. Slangy prefix meaning "ultra" : UBER
54. Street urchin : WAIF
55. University founder Cornell : EZRA.
56. "Sleepless in Seattle" co-star : RYAN
59. "Take me! Take me!" at the shelter : YIP. More puppy-pestering.
Fun stuff, and if you didn't get the circles in your publication here they are:
Steve
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Showing posts with label Gareth Bain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gareth Bain. Show all posts
Dec 10, 2014
Nov 5, 2014
Wednesday, November 5th 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: Nova OVAs - Latin egg-mixes in the middle of the three theme entries.
20A. *"The Sound of Music" heroine : MARIA VON TRAPP. Let's get the day's earworm out of the way courtesy of a pretty cool flashmob in Antwerp's Central Station.
33A. *Common Italian restaurant fixture : PIZZA OVEN. For all the home-cook pizza fans out there, you can get your own from Williams-Sonoma for a mere $5,995,99. The ocean view costs extra.
44A. *Completely in vain : TO NO AVAIL. Just like my hints to Santa Claus for a pizza oven, complete with Malibu-overlook property.
Leading to:
54A. Breakfast serving, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : SCRAMBLED EGGS. Also the working title of the Beatles' "Yesterday" before Sir Paul wrote the lyrics.
Hi everyone - Steve checking in with Gareth's fun puzzle. I grinned when I realized what Gareth was up to - I tried some months ago to make the theme work myself, however I was stuck on "Level 1" of looking for anagrams of EGGS, of which there are few. Gareth was a lot smarter than me and added the extra twist of using OVA instead. Bravo!
Let's see what else we've got today:
Across:
1. Desert partly in northern China : GOBI
5. Allergic reaction : RASH
9. Make overly dry : PARCH. As eastern Asia does to 1A.
14. Air or Mini : IPAD
15. Capital on a fjord : OSLO.
16. Union Pacific Railroad headquarters : OMAHA. It seems pretty logical when you see it's pretty much slap-dab in the middle of the country. Learning moment.
17. Acidic : TART
18. Laser __ : BEAM
19. Up to this point : SO FAR
23. Ho Chi Minh City, once : SAIGON. On my bucket list for the French and Asian influences in the food.
25. Tribute in verse : ODE
26. Part of ETA: Abbr. : EST
27. Fresno-to-L.A. direction : SSE. Hey, I got this one without waiting for crosses!
29. Altar oath : I DO.
30. Conk on the head : BOP. Enjoyed this one.
36. Construction site sight : CRANE
38. "__ Nagila" : HAVA. Musical staple of 3D, among other occasions.
39. '50s vice president : NIXON
41. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA
42. Unsuitable : INAPT. A member of the crosswords-only lexicon, no?
46. Remains in a tray : ASH
47. Row-making tool : HOE
49. Photo lab blowup: Abbr. : ENL. Enlargement.
50. Had a meal : ATE
51. According to : PER
52. Appeared : SEEMED
60. Soap vamp __ Kane : ERICA. Thank you, crosses. If I had a wheelhouse, this wouldn't be in it, nor anywhere close.
61. Novelist Turgenev : IVAN
62. Laryngitis sound : RASP
65. Handled bags : TOTES. Nouns, not the past verb tense which had me barking up the wrong tree for a moment.
66. Insect eggs : NITS
67. Hockey great Phil, familiarly : ESPO. He played for the Blackhawks, the Bruins and the Rangers, thereby alternately delighting and alienating the good residents of Chicago, Boston and New York.
68. Stimulate : SPARK
69. Swiss abstractionist : KLEE. "Tunisian Gardens" painted in 1919 is a great example of his work.
70. Former Russian autocrat : TSAR. Czar or Tsar? Wait for the crosses.
Down:
1. "Amscray!" : GIT
2. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. Recently popular in these parts?
3. Coming-of-age event : BAR MITZVAH
4. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG
5. "Miniver Cheevy" poet Edwin Arlington __ : ROBINSON. Thank you crosses!
6. Sailing, say : ASEA
7. Moravian or Czech : SLAV
8. __ sapiens : HOMO
9. Like some specialized research, for short : POST-DOC. Post-doctoral. I don't think I've seen the shortened form before, but it slotted right in.
10. Luigi's love : AMORE
11. Nadal of tennis, familiarly : RAFA
12. Become overly dry : CHAP. Lips seem to chap more than anything else.
13. Angelic strings : HARP
21. Activist Parks : ROSA. I took a time-out from business last week and visited the Ford Museum in Dearborn - I stepped aboard the actual bus that she was riding in Montgomery when she refused to give up her seat. Stirring stuff.
22. Show assent : NOD
23. Old Kia model : SEPHIA. I tried SENORA at first for no good reason other than it seemed familiar.
24. Koreans, e.g. : ASIANS
28. Party-planning site : EVITE
29. All-__ printer : IN ONE
30. One of two talking animals in the Old Testament : BALAAMS ASS. That's one heck of a lot of S's and A's in 10 letters!
31. Like some training : ONSITE
32. Rang out : PEALED
34. Ray gun sound : ZAP
35. Outer: Pref. : EXO. Exoskeletons are moving from the realms of sci-fi to sci-fact.
37. Get ready to drag : REV. Gentlemen, start your engines! Drag racing.
40. Drivel : NONSENSE
43. 1994 Jim Carrey movie : THE MASK
45. "Break __!" : A LEG. The acting community deem it ill-fated to wish a fellow thespian "good luck". Instead they exhort them to fall 16 feet from the apron of the stage into the orchestra pit and enjoy a spot of fibula-fracturing. I broke mine when I was a kid, not an experience I'd wish on anyone.
48. Planet, poetically : ORB
51. Hoosier hoopster : PACER. Indiana cager. A youthful Reggie Miller some years before his Hall of Fame induction.
53. Blue heron kin : EGRET
54. Tennis divisions : SETS
55. Field goal? : CROP. Harvesting a crop would be a farmer's goal after the field was planted.
56. Grammy winner Coolidge : RITA
57. Sausage serving : LINK. Food! Let's hear it for the great British Banger.
58. Like some movie twins : EVIL
59. Historian's tidbit : DATE
63. Fancy tub : SPA
64. ESP neighbor, to the IOC : POR. Spain's cross-border chum Portugal, in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee.
That's about all from me. Tonight is Guy Fawkes' Night in the UK - fireworks, festivities and cooking bangers in the bonfire all to commemorate a chap who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in the 1600's. Let's say it didn't end well for Mr. Fawkes.
Steve
20A. *"The Sound of Music" heroine : MARIA VON TRAPP. Let's get the day's earworm out of the way courtesy of a pretty cool flashmob in Antwerp's Central Station.
33A. *Common Italian restaurant fixture : PIZZA OVEN. For all the home-cook pizza fans out there, you can get your own from Williams-Sonoma for a mere $5,995,99. The ocean view costs extra.
44A. *Completely in vain : TO NO AVAIL. Just like my hints to Santa Claus for a pizza oven, complete with Malibu-overlook property.
Leading to:
54A. Breakfast serving, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : SCRAMBLED EGGS. Also the working title of the Beatles' "Yesterday" before Sir Paul wrote the lyrics.
Hi everyone - Steve checking in with Gareth's fun puzzle. I grinned when I realized what Gareth was up to - I tried some months ago to make the theme work myself, however I was stuck on "Level 1" of looking for anagrams of EGGS, of which there are few. Gareth was a lot smarter than me and added the extra twist of using OVA instead. Bravo!
Let's see what else we've got today:
Across:
1. Desert partly in northern China : GOBI
5. Allergic reaction : RASH
9. Make overly dry : PARCH. As eastern Asia does to 1A.
14. Air or Mini : IPAD
15. Capital on a fjord : OSLO.
16. Union Pacific Railroad headquarters : OMAHA. It seems pretty logical when you see it's pretty much slap-dab in the middle of the country. Learning moment.
17. Acidic : TART
18. Laser __ : BEAM
19. Up to this point : SO FAR
23. Ho Chi Minh City, once : SAIGON. On my bucket list for the French and Asian influences in the food.
25. Tribute in verse : ODE
26. Part of ETA: Abbr. : EST
27. Fresno-to-L.A. direction : SSE. Hey, I got this one without waiting for crosses!
29. Altar oath : I DO.
30. Conk on the head : BOP. Enjoyed this one.
36. Construction site sight : CRANE
38. "__ Nagila" : HAVA. Musical staple of 3D, among other occasions.
39. '50s vice president : NIXON
41. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA
42. Unsuitable : INAPT. A member of the crosswords-only lexicon, no?
46. Remains in a tray : ASH
47. Row-making tool : HOE
49. Photo lab blowup: Abbr. : ENL. Enlargement.
50. Had a meal : ATE
51. According to : PER
52. Appeared : SEEMED
60. Soap vamp __ Kane : ERICA. Thank you, crosses. If I had a wheelhouse, this wouldn't be in it, nor anywhere close.
61. Novelist Turgenev : IVAN
62. Laryngitis sound : RASP
65. Handled bags : TOTES. Nouns, not the past verb tense which had me barking up the wrong tree for a moment.
66. Insect eggs : NITS
67. Hockey great Phil, familiarly : ESPO. He played for the Blackhawks, the Bruins and the Rangers, thereby alternately delighting and alienating the good residents of Chicago, Boston and New York.
68. Stimulate : SPARK
69. Swiss abstractionist : KLEE. "Tunisian Gardens" painted in 1919 is a great example of his work.
70. Former Russian autocrat : TSAR. Czar or Tsar? Wait for the crosses.
Down:
1. "Amscray!" : GIT
2. __-Locka, Florida : OPA. Recently popular in these parts?
3. Coming-of-age event : BAR MITZVAH
4. Luggage tie-on : ID TAG
5. "Miniver Cheevy" poet Edwin Arlington __ : ROBINSON. Thank you crosses!
6. Sailing, say : ASEA
7. Moravian or Czech : SLAV
8. __ sapiens : HOMO
9. Like some specialized research, for short : POST-DOC. Post-doctoral. I don't think I've seen the shortened form before, but it slotted right in.
10. Luigi's love : AMORE
11. Nadal of tennis, familiarly : RAFA
12. Become overly dry : CHAP. Lips seem to chap more than anything else.
13. Angelic strings : HARP
21. Activist Parks : ROSA. I took a time-out from business last week and visited the Ford Museum in Dearborn - I stepped aboard the actual bus that she was riding in Montgomery when she refused to give up her seat. Stirring stuff.
22. Show assent : NOD
23. Old Kia model : SEPHIA. I tried SENORA at first for no good reason other than it seemed familiar.
24. Koreans, e.g. : ASIANS
28. Party-planning site : EVITE
29. All-__ printer : IN ONE
30. One of two talking animals in the Old Testament : BALAAMS ASS. That's one heck of a lot of S's and A's in 10 letters!
31. Like some training : ONSITE
32. Rang out : PEALED
34. Ray gun sound : ZAP
35. Outer: Pref. : EXO. Exoskeletons are moving from the realms of sci-fi to sci-fact.
37. Get ready to drag : REV. Gentlemen, start your engines! Drag racing.
40. Drivel : NONSENSE
43. 1994 Jim Carrey movie : THE MASK
45. "Break __!" : A LEG. The acting community deem it ill-fated to wish a fellow thespian "good luck". Instead they exhort them to fall 16 feet from the apron of the stage into the orchestra pit and enjoy a spot of fibula-fracturing. I broke mine when I was a kid, not an experience I'd wish on anyone.
48. Planet, poetically : ORB
51. Hoosier hoopster : PACER. Indiana cager. A youthful Reggie Miller some years before his Hall of Fame induction.
53. Blue heron kin : EGRET
54. Tennis divisions : SETS
55. Field goal? : CROP. Harvesting a crop would be a farmer's goal after the field was planted.
56. Grammy winner Coolidge : RITA
57. Sausage serving : LINK. Food! Let's hear it for the great British Banger.
58. Like some movie twins : EVIL
59. Historian's tidbit : DATE
63. Fancy tub : SPA
64. ESP neighbor, to the IOC : POR. Spain's cross-border chum Portugal, in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee.
That's about all from me. Tonight is Guy Fawkes' Night in the UK - fireworks, festivities and cooking bangers in the bonfire all to commemorate a chap who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in the 1600's. Let's say it didn't end well for Mr. Fawkes.
Steve
Oct 23, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: MOBILE HOTSPOT
19-Across. Poet friend of Jonathan Swift : ALEXANDER POPE. Together, the friends formed the Scriblerus Club.
The current Pope Francis scoots around town in a Ford Focus, instead of this POPEMOBILE.
33-Across. Kipling story collection, with "The" : JUNGLE BOOK. The original edition is worth a couple of bucks, I bet.
The BOOKMOBILE is becoming another victim of the computer age.
38-Across. "Poetry Man" singer : PHOEBE SNOW. I had the pleasure of seeing her in person twice - such a talent. She died in 2011.
SNOWMOBILEs are not just for recreation!
48-Across. Title phrase that rhymes with "he lightly doffed his hat" : CASEY AT THE BAT. Is there any joy in Mudville?
The original BATMOBILE is a far cry from its modern counterpart.
And the reveal is found at 44-Down. Vehicular attachment for the ends of 19-, 33-, 38- and 48-Across : MOBILE.
Just missing a V for a pangram.
Across
1. Bodybuilder's pride : ABs. And a clecho at 20-Down. Bodybuilder's pride : LATs.
4. "Wizards of Waverly Place" actress Gomez : SELENA.
10. Like crudités : RAW.
13. Helpful URL link : FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions. They never seem to have the answer I am looking for.
14. Literary postscript : EPILOG.
15. Townshend of 22-Down : PETE. And 22-Down. "Pinball Wizard" band : THE WHO.
16. Cross-shaped letter : TAU. It's also an empire in this video game.
17. Forecast words golfers like to hear : NO RAIN. Husker, do you golf in the rain?
18. Glade target : ODOR.
22. Frequent Hepburn co-star : TRACY.
23. Take a load off : SIT.
24. __ rhythm: brain waves pattern : THETA.
25. Old-style "For shame!" : FIE.
28. Soothing sprinklings : TALCS. I was thinking along the lines of Jimmies on ice-cream.
32. Rink VIPs : REFs. Ice hockey rink, REFerees.
35. Iconic WWII setting, familiarly : IWO. Jima.
36. Missouri tributary : OSAGE.
37. Garden product word : GRO.
41. Water-to-wine site : CANA. As shown in this painting of "The Wedding at Cana" by Veronese.
42. __ voce: softly : SOTTO.
43. Longing : YEN.
44. Gourmet mushroom : MOREL. Do these look "gourmet"?
45. Storage media : CDs.
47. Theorize : POSIT.
54. Leave off : OMIT.
55. Hummus ingredient : TAHINI.
56. "Run to __": Bobby Vee hit : HIM. Blast from the past. 2:05
59. Galvanizing metal : ZINC.
60. Like many Schoenberg compositions : ATONAL. Here's a small sample from his "Pierrot Lunaire." 1:15
61. Possible reply to "Got milk?"? : MOO. And 2-Down. Ewe cry : BAA.
62. Shout of success : YES! (With or without fist pump.)
63. Seuss reptile : YERTLE. the Turtle.
64. Classroom fill-in : SUB. Another CSO to HG!
Down
1. Not fore : AFT.
3. Storage unit? : SQUARE FOOT.
4. Iroquois Confederacy tribe : SENECA.
5. Powerful adhesive : EPOXY.
6. Turkish bread? : LIRA. Anyone else think about filling in "na'an"?
7. Gusto : ELAN.
8. Reason to be turned away by a bouncer : NO ID.
9. Patron saint of girls : AGNES. CSO to Irish Miss!
10. Edit menu choice : REDO.
11. Straddling : ATOP.
12. "While __ Young": USGA anti-slow play campaign : WE'RE.
15. Can convenience : POP TAB. Anybody else fill in POP Top?
21. Religious ceremony : RITE.
24. Vacation plans : TRIPS. We're still trying to decide where and when to travel in Europe next year.
25. Persnickety : FUSSY.
26. Lacking sense : INANE.
27. Encourage : EGG ON.
29. Shortcuts for complex multiplication : LOGARITHMS.
30. Trumpet cousin : CORNET. In what song were there 110 CORNETs "close at hand"?
31. Toaster's word : SKOAL.
33. Beanery cuppa : JOE.
34. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW.
39. "... and all that jazz," for short : ETC. ETC. Yadda, yadda...
40. Fullness of flavor : BODY.
41. __ Nostra : COSA.
46. Skewered Thai dish : SATAY. With peanut sauce - yummm!
47. Serving to punish : PENAL.
48. Like a warm nest : COZY.
49. Nice lady friend : AMIE. "Nice" misdirection.
50. Confession details : SINS. On this site, you can apply for a SIN, obtain a confirmation of your SIN or amend your SIN record! (Might be a useful link for CanadianEh?)
51. London gallery : TATE.
52. Superhero with a hammer : THOR.
53. Help for a solver : HINT.
57. Letters of credit? : IOU.
58. Group gone wild : MOB. Like the one at Keene, N.H.'s pumpkin festival last week. Link credit: HG!
Marti, over and out.
19-Across. Poet friend of Jonathan Swift : ALEXANDER POPE. Together, the friends formed the Scriblerus Club.
The current Pope Francis scoots around town in a Ford Focus, instead of this POPEMOBILE.
33-Across. Kipling story collection, with "The" : JUNGLE BOOK. The original edition is worth a couple of bucks, I bet.
The BOOKMOBILE is becoming another victim of the computer age.
38-Across. "Poetry Man" singer : PHOEBE SNOW. I had the pleasure of seeing her in person twice - such a talent. She died in 2011.
SNOWMOBILEs are not just for recreation!
48-Across. Title phrase that rhymes with "he lightly doffed his hat" : CASEY AT THE BAT. Is there any joy in Mudville?
The original BATMOBILE is a far cry from its modern counterpart.
And the reveal is found at 44-Down. Vehicular attachment for the ends of 19-, 33-, 38- and 48-Across : MOBILE.
Across
1. Bodybuilder's pride : ABs. And a clecho at 20-Down. Bodybuilder's pride : LATs.
4. "Wizards of Waverly Place" actress Gomez : SELENA.
10. Like crudités : RAW.
13. Helpful URL link : FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions. They never seem to have the answer I am looking for.
14. Literary postscript : EPILOG.
15. Townshend of 22-Down : PETE. And 22-Down. "Pinball Wizard" band : THE WHO.
16. Cross-shaped letter : TAU. It's also an empire in this video game.
17. Forecast words golfers like to hear : NO RAIN. Husker, do you golf in the rain?
18. Glade target : ODOR.
22. Frequent Hepburn co-star : TRACY.
23. Take a load off : SIT.
24. __ rhythm: brain waves pattern : THETA.
25. Old-style "For shame!" : FIE.
28. Soothing sprinklings : TALCS. I was thinking along the lines of Jimmies on ice-cream.
32. Rink VIPs : REFs. Ice hockey rink, REFerees.
35. Iconic WWII setting, familiarly : IWO. Jima.
36. Missouri tributary : OSAGE.
37. Garden product word : GRO.
41. Water-to-wine site : CANA. As shown in this painting of "The Wedding at Cana" by Veronese.
42. __ voce: softly : SOTTO.
43. Longing : YEN.
44. Gourmet mushroom : MOREL. Do these look "gourmet"?
45. Storage media : CDs.
47. Theorize : POSIT.
54. Leave off : OMIT.
55. Hummus ingredient : TAHINI.
56. "Run to __": Bobby Vee hit : HIM. Blast from the past. 2:05
59. Galvanizing metal : ZINC.
60. Like many Schoenberg compositions : ATONAL. Here's a small sample from his "Pierrot Lunaire." 1:15
61. Possible reply to "Got milk?"? : MOO. And 2-Down. Ewe cry : BAA.
62. Shout of success : YES! (With or without fist pump.)
63. Seuss reptile : YERTLE. the Turtle.
64. Classroom fill-in : SUB. Another CSO to HG!
Down
1. Not fore : AFT.
3. Storage unit? : SQUARE FOOT.
4. Iroquois Confederacy tribe : SENECA.
5. Powerful adhesive : EPOXY.
6. Turkish bread? : LIRA. Anyone else think about filling in "na'an"?
7. Gusto : ELAN.
8. Reason to be turned away by a bouncer : NO ID.
9. Patron saint of girls : AGNES. CSO to Irish Miss!
10. Edit menu choice : REDO.
11. Straddling : ATOP.
12. "While __ Young": USGA anti-slow play campaign : WE'RE.
15. Can convenience : POP TAB. Anybody else fill in POP Top?
21. Religious ceremony : RITE.
24. Vacation plans : TRIPS. We're still trying to decide where and when to travel in Europe next year.
25. Persnickety : FUSSY.
26. Lacking sense : INANE.
27. Encourage : EGG ON.
29. Shortcuts for complex multiplication : LOGARITHMS.
30. Trumpet cousin : CORNET. In what song were there 110 CORNETs "close at hand"?
31. Toaster's word : SKOAL.
33. Beanery cuppa : JOE.
34. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW.
39. "... and all that jazz," for short : ETC. ETC. Yadda, yadda...
40. Fullness of flavor : BODY.
41. __ Nostra : COSA.
46. Skewered Thai dish : SATAY. With peanut sauce - yummm!
47. Serving to punish : PENAL.
48. Like a warm nest : COZY.
49. Nice lady friend : AMIE. "Nice" misdirection.
50. Confession details : SINS. On this site, you can apply for a SIN, obtain a confirmation of your SIN or amend your SIN record! (Might be a useful link for CanadianEh?)
51. London gallery : TATE.
52. Superhero with a hammer : THOR.
53. Help for a solver : HINT.
57. Letters of credit? : IOU.
58. Group gone wild : MOB. Like the one at Keene, N.H.'s pumpkin festival last week. Link credit: HG!
Marti, over and out.
Sep 17, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: COCONUT - what else? The first word of each two-word theme answer relates to something derived from the fruit - which botanically is a drupe, not a nut - of the COCONUT tree, cocos nucifera.
16. *Butcher's appliance : MEAT GRINDER. A device used make big chunks into small chunks for burgers and sausages. COCONUT MEAT is the rich white lining that is contained within the shell of a coconut.
24. *Prankster's balloon : WATER BOMB. You can get your friends as mad as wet hens. Here are instruction for making one out of paper. COCONUT WATER is the clear liquid inside young, green coconuts. It has been marketed as a natural energy drink.
50. *Allowance for the cafeteria : MILK MONEY. Literally, money to be spent on MILK, or figuratively for the entire lunch. COCONUT MILK is a rich, high fat liquid extracted from grated COCONUT MEAT.
57. *Monet work : OIL PAINTING. Made with oil based rather than water based paints.
COCONUT OIL, derived from dried COCONUT MEAT is used as a cooking oil and flavoring in South-east Asian cooking, and in beauty products.
And the unifier -- 36. Fruit that can be the source of the starts of the answers to starred clues : COCONUT. So many uses for this versatile, healthful and nutritious tropical fruit.
Hi gang, JzB here, once again united with Gareth on a Wednesday. Seems like old times. Let's see what he has in store for us.
Across
1. Expensive : HIGH. Priced
5. GUM rival : ORAL-B. Oral care products. News to me.
10. Conference with UVA and UNC : ACC. The Universities of Virginia and North Carolina are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
13. Guthrie at Woodstock : ARLO. Woody's Boy
14. "__ Unchained": 2012 Tarantino film : DJANGO. From IMDB: "With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner."
15. Arctic explorer John : RAE. He roamed all over the far northern reaches of Canada. Interesting fellow.
18. Not just some : ALL. Every one, without exception.
19. Square peg, socially speaking : DWEEB. Misfit. Sheldon Cooper is the prototype.
20. Sharp-eyed hunter : EAGLE. Raptor
22. Time for fools? : APRIL. Only for a day
28. Ride the wind : SOAR. Like an EAGLE.
29. Lip applications : BALMS. To protect and to sooth.
30. Persons : ONES. Are you one of the ones who got this right away?
31. Ready to be driven : IN GEAR. Cars and trucks.
33. "Cagney and __": '80s cop show : LACEY. This show, starring Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary Beth LACEY, ran from 1982-1988.
35. Newspaper filler : ADS. Revenue sources, too.
38. "No more details, please!" : TMI. Too Much Information.
41. "Right?!" : I KNOW. Yeah, right.
42. Ruined, as hopes : DASHED.
44. Picture on a screen : ICON. On your computer, phone or tablet.
47. Fast food package deal : COMBO. Have it their way, for a special price.
49. Sock part : HEEL. The part of the sock that covers the same part of the foot.
52. "A Change Is Gonna Come" singer/songwriter Sam : COOKE. I remember Sam, but not this song. What a voice.
53. Catch on the range : LASSO. Capture with a looped rope.
54. Time to attack : H-HOUR. I've heard of D-Day, but not H-HOUR. What about M-Minute?
56. Bass brew : ALE. Nothing fishy about it.
63. Pewter component : TIN. An alloy of 85-99% TIN with copper, antimony, bismuth or lead. But maybe the previous entry is for our TIN man.
Down
1. Amateur radio operator : HAM. Per Wikipedia: "The term 'ham radio' was first a pejorative that mocked amateur radio operators with a 19th-century term for being bad at something, like 'ham-fisted' or 'ham actor'. It had already been used for bad wired telegraph operators. Subsequently, the community adopted it as a welcome moniker"
2. Fury : IRE.
3. Nice duds : GLAD RAGS. One's best dress-up clothing. I can't find anything on the origin of this phrase.
4. Start the wrong way? : HOT WIRE. "The wrong way" meaning illegally, since hot wiring is a way to start up and steal a parked car.
5. "The Song of Hiawatha" tribe : OJIBWA. Also know as the Chippewa, they were living in the Lake Superior region when Europeans arrived.
6. Operated : RAN. As a vacuum cleaner.
7. "Your point is ...?" : AND. Explain yourself.
8. T size : LGE. Large shirt. Cf. 12 D.
9. Tree-damaging insect : BORER. Elm bane
10. Catherine's home : ARAGON. Catherine, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, was betrothed to Prince Arthur, heir to the English throne, at the age of 3. They were married when she was 16, but Arthur died 5 months later. She then went on to marry his younger brother, Henry VIII. Eventually, he grew tired of her inability to bear him a son, and set her aside in favor of his mistress Anne Boleyn. None of this ended well.
11. "I hope to hear from you" : CALL ME. Or text. Maybe we'll face time.
12. People people : CELEBS. People in People magazine.
14. Dr. with Grammys : DRE.
17. Salon supply : GEL. Hair goo
21. "About __": Hugh Grant film : A BOY. From IMDB: "Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man* who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy." *Portrayed by the insufferable Hugh Grant.
22. Oman locale : ASIA. At the South-east extremity of the Arabian peninsula.
23. Fishing spot : POND. Small body of water.
25. "It'd be my pleasure" : ALLOW ME. Let me help you.
26. Eliot Ness, e.g. : T-MAN. A special agent of the U.S. Treasury Department.
27. Pre-euro Iberian coin : ESCUDO. Spanish and Portuguese for shield. At different times in history Spain had gold and then silver Escudos. It was the currency of Portugal until the introduction of the Euro.
29. Rodeo horse : BRONCO. A feral or untrained horse prone to unpredictable behavior, used in rough riding events.
32. Comic strip cry : ACK.
34. Greek vowel : ETA. Seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, uppercase Η, lowercase η.
37. Ring-tailed scavenger, to Crockett : COON. Aka RACOON, a medium sized North American mammal noted for its dexterous front paws, facial mask, ringed tail, and appearing in Crockett's hat.
38. Formulate a possible explanation : THEORIZE. Let me see . . .
39. Overly compliant : MEEK.
40. Doing nothing : IDLE.
41. Cartoonist's supply : INKS.
43. Called out : SHOUTED.
44. Behind-schedule comment : I'M LATE. Or something a zombie should say.
45. Viagra alternative : CIALIS. Bathtubs are optional, I think.
46. "Full House" twins : OLSENS. They were born in 1986 and shared the role of Michelle Tanner in 191 episodes from 1987 (!) to 1995. They went on to appear in various other roles, then reappear as fashionistas.
48. Manually : BY HAND. As opposed to by machine
51. Freeloader : MOOCH. Or this.
52. Put one over on : CON.
55. "__ Master's Voice" : HIS. Nipper the dog in an iconic conic ad for RCA Victor, representing their record label and the Victor Talking Machine.
58. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account
59. Auction unit : LOT. By way of illustration, one last video.
Pretty smooth Wednesday ride I thought. Hope you got through without straining your coconut.
JzB
16. *Butcher's appliance : MEAT GRINDER. A device used make big chunks into small chunks for burgers and sausages. COCONUT MEAT is the rich white lining that is contained within the shell of a coconut.
24. *Prankster's balloon : WATER BOMB. You can get your friends as mad as wet hens. Here are instruction for making one out of paper. COCONUT WATER is the clear liquid inside young, green coconuts. It has been marketed as a natural energy drink.
50. *Allowance for the cafeteria : MILK MONEY. Literally, money to be spent on MILK, or figuratively for the entire lunch. COCONUT MILK is a rich, high fat liquid extracted from grated COCONUT MEAT.
57. *Monet work : OIL PAINTING. Made with oil based rather than water based paints.
COCONUT OIL, derived from dried COCONUT MEAT is used as a cooking oil and flavoring in South-east Asian cooking, and in beauty products.
And the unifier -- 36. Fruit that can be the source of the starts of the answers to starred clues : COCONUT. So many uses for this versatile, healthful and nutritious tropical fruit.
Hi gang, JzB here, once again united with Gareth on a Wednesday. Seems like old times. Let's see what he has in store for us.
Across
1. Expensive : HIGH. Priced
5. GUM rival : ORAL-B. Oral care products. News to me.
10. Conference with UVA and UNC : ACC. The Universities of Virginia and North Carolina are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
13. Guthrie at Woodstock : ARLO. Woody's Boy
14. "__ Unchained": 2012 Tarantino film : DJANGO. From IMDB: "With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner."
15. Arctic explorer John : RAE. He roamed all over the far northern reaches of Canada. Interesting fellow.
18. Not just some : ALL. Every one, without exception.
19. Square peg, socially speaking : DWEEB. Misfit. Sheldon Cooper is the prototype.
20. Sharp-eyed hunter : EAGLE. Raptor
22. Time for fools? : APRIL. Only for a day
28. Ride the wind : SOAR. Like an EAGLE.
29. Lip applications : BALMS. To protect and to sooth.
30. Persons : ONES. Are you one of the ones who got this right away?
31. Ready to be driven : IN GEAR. Cars and trucks.
33. "Cagney and __": '80s cop show : LACEY. This show, starring Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary Beth LACEY, ran from 1982-1988.
35. Newspaper filler : ADS. Revenue sources, too.
38. "No more details, please!" : TMI. Too Much Information.
41. "Right?!" : I KNOW. Yeah, right.
42. Ruined, as hopes : DASHED.
44. Picture on a screen : ICON. On your computer, phone or tablet.
47. Fast food package deal : COMBO. Have it their way, for a special price.
49. Sock part : HEEL. The part of the sock that covers the same part of the foot.
52. "A Change Is Gonna Come" singer/songwriter Sam : COOKE. I remember Sam, but not this song. What a voice.
53. Catch on the range : LASSO. Capture with a looped rope.
54. Time to attack : H-HOUR. I've heard of D-Day, but not H-HOUR. What about M-Minute?
56. Bass brew : ALE. Nothing fishy about it.
63. Pewter component : TIN. An alloy of 85-99% TIN with copper, antimony, bismuth or lead. But maybe the previous entry is for our TIN man.
Down
1. Amateur radio operator : HAM. Per Wikipedia: "The term 'ham radio' was first a pejorative that mocked amateur radio operators with a 19th-century term for being bad at something, like 'ham-fisted' or 'ham actor'. It had already been used for bad wired telegraph operators. Subsequently, the community adopted it as a welcome moniker"
2. Fury : IRE.
3. Nice duds : GLAD RAGS. One's best dress-up clothing. I can't find anything on the origin of this phrase.
4. Start the wrong way? : HOT WIRE. "The wrong way" meaning illegally, since hot wiring is a way to start up and steal a parked car.
5. "The Song of Hiawatha" tribe : OJIBWA. Also know as the Chippewa, they were living in the Lake Superior region when Europeans arrived.
6. Operated : RAN. As a vacuum cleaner.
7. "Your point is ...?" : AND. Explain yourself.
8. T size : LGE. Large shirt. Cf. 12 D.
9. Tree-damaging insect : BORER. Elm bane
10. Catherine's home : ARAGON. Catherine, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, was betrothed to Prince Arthur, heir to the English throne, at the age of 3. They were married when she was 16, but Arthur died 5 months later. She then went on to marry his younger brother, Henry VIII. Eventually, he grew tired of her inability to bear him a son, and set her aside in favor of his mistress Anne Boleyn. None of this ended well.
11. "I hope to hear from you" : CALL ME. Or text. Maybe we'll face time.
12. People people : CELEBS. People in People magazine.
Source
14. Dr. with Grammys : DRE.
17. Salon supply : GEL. Hair goo
21. "About __": Hugh Grant film : A BOY. From IMDB: "Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man* who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy." *Portrayed by the insufferable Hugh Grant.
22. Oman locale : ASIA. At the South-east extremity of the Arabian peninsula.
23. Fishing spot : POND. Small body of water.
25. "It'd be my pleasure" : ALLOW ME. Let me help you.
26. Eliot Ness, e.g. : T-MAN. A special agent of the U.S. Treasury Department.
27. Pre-euro Iberian coin : ESCUDO. Spanish and Portuguese for shield. At different times in history Spain had gold and then silver Escudos. It was the currency of Portugal until the introduction of the Euro.
29. Rodeo horse : BRONCO. A feral or untrained horse prone to unpredictable behavior, used in rough riding events.
32. Comic strip cry : ACK.
34. Greek vowel : ETA. Seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, uppercase Η, lowercase η.
37. Ring-tailed scavenger, to Crockett : COON. Aka RACOON, a medium sized North American mammal noted for its dexterous front paws, facial mask, ringed tail, and appearing in Crockett's hat.
38. Formulate a possible explanation : THEORIZE. Let me see . . .
39. Overly compliant : MEEK.
40. Doing nothing : IDLE.
41. Cartoonist's supply : INKS.
43. Called out : SHOUTED.
44. Behind-schedule comment : I'M LATE. Or something a zombie should say.
45. Viagra alternative : CIALIS. Bathtubs are optional, I think.
46. "Full House" twins : OLSENS. They were born in 1986 and shared the role of Michelle Tanner in 191 episodes from 1987 (!) to 1995. They went on to appear in various other roles, then reappear as fashionistas.
48. Manually : BY HAND. As opposed to by machine
51. Freeloader : MOOCH. Or this.
52. Put one over on : CON.
55. "__ Master's Voice" : HIS. Nipper the dog in an iconic conic ad for RCA Victor, representing their record label and the Victor Talking Machine.
58. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account
59. Auction unit : LOT. By way of illustration, one last video.
Pretty smooth Wednesday ride I thought. Hope you got through without straining your coconut.
Cool regards!
Aug 27, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: Fits to a "T". Put a "T-" in front of the first word of each of the theme answers and you have a new noun. Theme answers are placed in Down for visual effects.
3D. *Hearty repast : SQUARE MEAL. T-Square. My woodshop teacher walloped me with one of these when I was about 13, so I remember this carpentry tool well. I deserved it too, so no complaints.
9D. *"Politically Incorrect" host : BILL MAHER. T-Bill. Well-known to solvers, but I realized I'd never actually seen one, so here we are. In the words of Dr. Evil - One MILLION Dollars!
31D. *Sensitivity to cashews, say : NUT ALLERGY. T-Nut. I've never used one. I wonder if there are T-nuts in a T-top?
35D. *Fine porcelain : BONE CHINA. T-Bone. Food! Unlike the T-Nuts, I've cuddled up to one or two T-Bone steaks in my time. You get a twofer - tenderloin and strip, so you get the best of both worlds
The reveal:
29D. Sporty car roofs, and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can have : T-TOPS. Largely defunct now that engineering advances mean that you don't need the structural roof elements to keep the car from flexing like a Muscle Beach exhibitionist.
Salut, amigos and amigas. Steve here with a fun Gareth Bain offering which shows a 90-degree shift in the usual theme entry orientation. I enjoy the times I have to figuratively turn my head sideways to see what's going on. I loved that the theme required not just the "T", but also the "-" to make sense of the new nouns.
Let's see what else we've got:
Across:
1. Bygone U.S. station name : ESSO. Standard Oil (of Texas). What's the word for the verbalizing of an acronym and the resultant spelling of that to make a word? If there isn't one, we should come up with it.
5. Subsides : EBBS. Moons wax and wane, tides flood and ebb.
9. Parade group : BAND
13. Chef's hat : TOQUE. A great word. No French chef worth his sel would be caught without one. It all got a little silly when the height of your toque was meant to represent your superior standing in the culinary world
15. Rich topsoil : LOAM
16. Java Freeze brand : ICEE
17. Lies next to : ABUTS
18. In __: actually : ESSE
19. Cry out for : LACK
20. Plays first, in some card games : LEADS
21. Innocent : CHILD-LIKE
23. Comedy Central send-up : ROAST
25. Chowder morsel : CLAM
26. Pre-A.D. : BCE. Hmmm .. why the "E"?
28. Portable Asian dwellings : YURTS
30. Horses' tresses : MANES
34. Gyro meat : LAMB. Food! I love lamb, and gyros. If you are ever on the I-15 driving though Baker, CA (usually on your way to or from Las Vegas) then stop at "The Mad Greek" for the best gyro you'll ever.
36. Portable bed : COT
37. Without even a scratch : UNHURT
38. McFlurry option : OREO
39. Rounded hill : KNOLL
41. Italian hot spot : ETNA. The most famous volcano in the world of cruciverbalists.
42. Sounds echoing through the castle : CLANGS. Usually accompanied by the cries of those unfortunates consigned to the dungeons with all kinds of unpleasantness to follow.
44. Quill, perhaps : PEN
45. Commuter's option : RAIL
46. Clark Kent, at birth : KALEL. Crosses all the way. Must ... remember ... this ... for ... future ... crosswords .... Nope, it's already forgotten.
47. Son of Sarah : ISAAC
49. Gettysburg Campaign VIP : LEE. Why am I thinking "desserts" here? Oh wait, it's "Sarah" in 47A, not "Sara".
50. Use profanity : CUSS
52. East Asian capital : SEOUL
54. Where it'll all come out? : IN THE WASH. Not always, I've got some white shorts that never recovered from the person next to me on a flight dumping a cup of coffee in my lap and then my own self-abasement when I dropped my in-flight pasta on top of the original sin. My bad. We both blamed the excellent wine selection in the United lounge pre-flight.
58. Oldest of the Stooges : SHEMP. Completely, never, ever heard of him (?). Is this the "Iggy" Stooges or the "triple" incarnation? I await your wisdom.
61. Amos at the piano : TORI
62. Early Genesis brother : ABEL
63. Stooges count : THREE. Ah, apropos of 58A above, I believe that Iggy Pop had more than three sidemen, so I'm guessing this is the "Curly" cohort count.
64. All tied up : EVEN
65. Anti-leather gp. : PETA
66. Sweetie : SUGAR
67. Chichén Itzá builder : MAYA. Great clue for an old staple. I learned something today - that's why I love the crosswords!
68. KFC side : SLAW
69. London's __ Park : HYDE. I saw Queen play a free concert in Hyde Park in 1976 - the first free gig since the Rolling Stones in the 60's.
Down:
1. And others, in citations: Abbr. : ET AL.
2. Maker of Lifewater beverages : SOBE
4. Surpass : OUT-DO. I'm not sure if the hyphen is required, but it looks better to me.
5. It can't help being negative : ELECTRON. Favorite clue/answer combo of the day.
6. "Poppycock!" : BOSH
7. ABCs : BASICS
8. Detect, in a way : SMELL. Usually "in a bad way"! Smells seem to be bad, aromas are good. English is a tremendously confusing language. I've no idea how C.C. et al manage.
10. Berry sold in health food shops : ACAI. Messed up with "GOJI" first,
11. Giraffe's trademark : NECK. Does it come with a ™ symbol?
12. Fake in the rink : DEKE
14. Test type you can't really guess on : ESSAY
22. Rhett's last word : DAMN
24. Lures (in) : SUCKS. Nice, polite clue
26. Inhibit : BLOCK.
27. "Cheers" waitress Tortelli : CARLA
32. Bert's roommate : ERNIE
33. Old : STALE
37. Radii neighbors : ULNAE. Latin "ii" in the clue suggests Latin "ae" in the answer.
40. Legislation pertaining to dogs : LEASH LAW
43. Stuff to stick with? : GLUE
47. "Eva Luna" author Allende : ISABEL. It seems all proper names are "Help! Crosses!" for me, particularly today.
48. Goes for : COSTS
51. Scoreless Words With Friends turns : SWAPS. I know the app, but I don't have it and have never played it. Good to know that you can swap. Is it like Scrabble when you've got a rack of Q's, W's and K's and you burn a turn dumping all seven tiles and drawing a new set but miss a turn? Always sounded like a bad idea to me.
53. "That's correct" : UH HUH
54. Couple in the news : ITEM
55. Old Chevy : NOVA. Plenty to choose from, but the "V" was there so it was a fill-in.
56. "South Park" co-creator Parker : TREY. Middle name "Genius" IMHO.
57. __ good example : SET A
59. Ancient drink making a comeback : MEAD. Comeback? Really? Tinbeni - have you tried this stuff? I'm sure it can't be pleasant - the whole reason wine was sweetened with honey was because the wine was too nasty to drink.
60. Paris pop : PÉRE. Because "Orangina" doesn't fit. Neither does "Le Coke".
That's about it! Enjoy your Wednesday!
Steve
P.S. I just want to take two seconds to give an enormous shout-out to C.C. for her amazing generosity with her time, encouragement, help and advice to an originally clueless constructor!
Oh wait - I need to upload the grid - I always forget about that!
2) Happy Birthday to Charlotte's grandpa Lemonade, who has been our Friday Sherpa since March 2010. Lemonade sees beauty in every crossword and is attentive to both newbies and regulars. I'm so pleased with his two LAT puzzles and looking forward to his solo. Please click here for more pictures. Love his purple shirt here.
3D. *Hearty repast : SQUARE MEAL. T-Square. My woodshop teacher walloped me with one of these when I was about 13, so I remember this carpentry tool well. I deserved it too, so no complaints.
9D. *"Politically Incorrect" host : BILL MAHER. T-Bill. Well-known to solvers, but I realized I'd never actually seen one, so here we are. In the words of Dr. Evil - One MILLION Dollars!
31D. *Sensitivity to cashews, say : NUT ALLERGY. T-Nut. I've never used one. I wonder if there are T-nuts in a T-top?
35D. *Fine porcelain : BONE CHINA. T-Bone. Food! Unlike the T-Nuts, I've cuddled up to one or two T-Bone steaks in my time. You get a twofer - tenderloin and strip, so you get the best of both worlds
The reveal:
29D. Sporty car roofs, and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can have : T-TOPS. Largely defunct now that engineering advances mean that you don't need the structural roof elements to keep the car from flexing like a Muscle Beach exhibitionist.
Salut, amigos and amigas. Steve here with a fun Gareth Bain offering which shows a 90-degree shift in the usual theme entry orientation. I enjoy the times I have to figuratively turn my head sideways to see what's going on. I loved that the theme required not just the "T", but also the "-" to make sense of the new nouns.
Let's see what else we've got:
Across:
1. Bygone U.S. station name : ESSO. Standard Oil (of Texas). What's the word for the verbalizing of an acronym and the resultant spelling of that to make a word? If there isn't one, we should come up with it.
5. Subsides : EBBS. Moons wax and wane, tides flood and ebb.
9. Parade group : BAND
13. Chef's hat : TOQUE. A great word. No French chef worth his sel would be caught without one. It all got a little silly when the height of your toque was meant to represent your superior standing in the culinary world
15. Rich topsoil : LOAM
16. Java Freeze brand : ICEE
17. Lies next to : ABUTS
18. In __: actually : ESSE
19. Cry out for : LACK
20. Plays first, in some card games : LEADS
21. Innocent : CHILD-LIKE
23. Comedy Central send-up : ROAST
25. Chowder morsel : CLAM
26. Pre-A.D. : BCE. Hmmm .. why the "E"?
28. Portable Asian dwellings : YURTS
30. Horses' tresses : MANES
34. Gyro meat : LAMB. Food! I love lamb, and gyros. If you are ever on the I-15 driving though Baker, CA (usually on your way to or from Las Vegas) then stop at "The Mad Greek" for the best gyro you'll ever.
36. Portable bed : COT
37. Without even a scratch : UNHURT
38. McFlurry option : OREO
39. Rounded hill : KNOLL
41. Italian hot spot : ETNA. The most famous volcano in the world of cruciverbalists.
42. Sounds echoing through the castle : CLANGS. Usually accompanied by the cries of those unfortunates consigned to the dungeons with all kinds of unpleasantness to follow.
44. Quill, perhaps : PEN
45. Commuter's option : RAIL
46. Clark Kent, at birth : KALEL. Crosses all the way. Must ... remember ... this ... for ... future ... crosswords .... Nope, it's already forgotten.
47. Son of Sarah : ISAAC
49. Gettysburg Campaign VIP : LEE. Why am I thinking "desserts" here? Oh wait, it's "Sarah" in 47A, not "Sara".
50. Use profanity : CUSS
52. East Asian capital : SEOUL
54. Where it'll all come out? : IN THE WASH. Not always, I've got some white shorts that never recovered from the person next to me on a flight dumping a cup of coffee in my lap and then my own self-abasement when I dropped my in-flight pasta on top of the original sin. My bad. We both blamed the excellent wine selection in the United lounge pre-flight.
58. Oldest of the Stooges : SHEMP. Completely, never, ever heard of him (?). Is this the "Iggy" Stooges or the "triple" incarnation? I await your wisdom.
61. Amos at the piano : TORI
62. Early Genesis brother : ABEL
63. Stooges count : THREE. Ah, apropos of 58A above, I believe that Iggy Pop had more than three sidemen, so I'm guessing this is the "Curly" cohort count.
64. All tied up : EVEN
65. Anti-leather gp. : PETA
66. Sweetie : SUGAR
67. Chichén Itzá builder : MAYA. Great clue for an old staple. I learned something today - that's why I love the crosswords!
68. KFC side : SLAW
69. London's __ Park : HYDE. I saw Queen play a free concert in Hyde Park in 1976 - the first free gig since the Rolling Stones in the 60's.
Down:
1. And others, in citations: Abbr. : ET AL.
2. Maker of Lifewater beverages : SOBE
4. Surpass : OUT-DO. I'm not sure if the hyphen is required, but it looks better to me.
5. It can't help being negative : ELECTRON. Favorite clue/answer combo of the day.
6. "Poppycock!" : BOSH
7. ABCs : BASICS
8. Detect, in a way : SMELL. Usually "in a bad way"! Smells seem to be bad, aromas are good. English is a tremendously confusing language. I've no idea how C.C. et al manage.
10. Berry sold in health food shops : ACAI. Messed up with "GOJI" first,
11. Giraffe's trademark : NECK. Does it come with a ™ symbol?
12. Fake in the rink : DEKE
14. Test type you can't really guess on : ESSAY
22. Rhett's last word : DAMN
24. Lures (in) : SUCKS. Nice, polite clue
26. Inhibit : BLOCK.
27. "Cheers" waitress Tortelli : CARLA
32. Bert's roommate : ERNIE
33. Old : STALE
37. Radii neighbors : ULNAE. Latin "ii" in the clue suggests Latin "ae" in the answer.
40. Legislation pertaining to dogs : LEASH LAW
43. Stuff to stick with? : GLUE
47. "Eva Luna" author Allende : ISABEL. It seems all proper names are "Help! Crosses!" for me, particularly today.
48. Goes for : COSTS
51. Scoreless Words With Friends turns : SWAPS. I know the app, but I don't have it and have never played it. Good to know that you can swap. Is it like Scrabble when you've got a rack of Q's, W's and K's and you burn a turn dumping all seven tiles and drawing a new set but miss a turn? Always sounded like a bad idea to me.
53. "That's correct" : UH HUH
54. Couple in the news : ITEM
55. Old Chevy : NOVA. Plenty to choose from, but the "V" was there so it was a fill-in.
56. "South Park" co-creator Parker : TREY. Middle name "Genius" IMHO.
57. __ good example : SET A
59. Ancient drink making a comeback : MEAD. Comeback? Really? Tinbeni - have you tried this stuff? I'm sure it can't be pleasant - the whole reason wine was sweetened with honey was because the wine was too nasty to drink.
60. Paris pop : PÉRE. Because "Orangina" doesn't fit. Neither does "Le Coke".
That's about it! Enjoy your Wednesday!
Steve
P.S. I just want to take two seconds to give an enormous shout-out to C.C. for her amazing generosity with her time, encouragement, help and advice to an originally clueless constructor!
Oh wait - I need to upload the grid - I always forget about that!
Notes from C.C.:
1) Working with Steve is unique & inspiring! He grew up in the UK, reads extensively and is very knowledgeable about lots of subjects. He was never discouraged by the "No" answers I sent to him regarding certain themes or fill. He's always eager to learn & is super efficient. Just what you expected from a triathlete.
2) Happy Birthday to Charlotte's grandpa Lemonade, who has been our Friday Sherpa since March 2010. Lemonade sees beauty in every crossword and is attentive to both newbies and regulars. I'm so pleased with his two LAT puzzles and looking forward to his solo. Please click here for more pictures. Love his purple shirt here.
Charity Award Time
At Work with Aaron
Charlotte, happiest baby, bar none
Aug 14, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: Back in Kansas
18-Across. "Good lad!" : THERE'S MY BOY. The phrase sounds strange to my ear. I would more likely say "That's my boy!" And only in reference to a dog.
23-Across. "I'm positive" : NO MISTAKE.
30-Across. Atlas index listing : PLACE NAME.
47-Across. "Whatever floats your boat" : LIKE I CARE. I had "As if I CARE" at first. (As if you care, right?)
54-Across. Base among boxes : HOME PLATE.
61-Across. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle's five other longest answers : DOROTHY GALE. "The Wizard of Oz" gal.
58 theme letters is pretty dense, and you might expect some compromise in the fill. But this seemed pretty straight-forward, almost Monday-like.
Across
1. Clothing line : HEM. I have seen the same clue for "seam."
4. "Egad!" : YIPE. or YIPEs. Both are correct.
8. Sprint Cup org. : NASCAR. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The title seems a bit redundant, with both Car and Auto. But it would be too difficult to pronounce NASCR, I guess. And 46-Down. Earnhardt of 8-Across : DALE.
14. Toothpaste letters : ADA. American Dental Association.
15. Arabian ruler : EMIR.
16. Pump figure : OCTANE. It's about $3.49 / gallon around here.
17. Netflix rental, for short : VID. In 1956, a video recorder was about $50,000, and a single 1 hour videotape cost $300. I don't think Netflix would get much business at those prices!
20. Latin catchall : ET ALII. And others.
22. Looks like a wolf : LEERS.
26. LAX postings : ETAS. I took a chance and entered the A before checking perps.
29. One "who intimately lives with rain," in a poem : TREE. And then we have 41-Down. Slam offering : POEM. The first poetry slam was held in Chicago in 1984. It is a competition where poets read their compositions and are judged by selected audience members. Do you think Kilmer would have won with this?
33. Muscular problem : SPASM. "Cramp" would also fit...just sayin'.
36. Start of a series : OPENER.
37. Salon item : GEL. It was a toss-up between GEL and "dye."
40. Ab __: from the beginning : OVO.
41. Historic beginning? : PRE. Prehistoric.
42. Strands in a cell? : DNA.
43. Good to grow : ARABLE.
45. Like cutlets : BONED. I had B*kED at first because of a goof at 31-Down. Huh? Baked cutlets? (I always sauté them.) (And PaEM made absolutely no sense for 41-Down.)
49. Memo demand : ASAP.
53. More than passed : ACED.
57. Sonneteer's Muse : ERATO.
60. Nativity tableau : CRÈCHE.
65. Gun in the driveway, maybe : REV. Haha. Were you picturing a chalk outline and key evidence?
66. Keys with Grammys : ALICIA.
67. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS. Here's a lovely version by Celtic Women. 3:19
68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. : ENE.
69. Less bold : MEEKER.
70. Risks : BETS.
71. Pop : DAD.
Down
1. "__ the foggiest!" : HAVEN'T. I started filling in "I haven"...and ran out of room.
2. Text __ : EDITOR.
3. European title : MADAME. I was looking for something more noble.
4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? : YETIS.
5. Paintball cry : I'M HIT.
6. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE.
7. Make a left instead of a right, say : ERR.
8. It smells : NOSE. Haha.
9. It can't be topped : ACME.
10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing : STYRENE.
11. Where business is picking up? : CAB STAND.
12. Enero to enero : ANO.
13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __ : REY. All perps.
19. Zeno's home : ELEA.
21. Is situated : LIES.
24. Lhasa __ : APSO.
25. Air France-__: European flier : KLM. The two airlines merged in 2004.
27. Revival cry : AMEN.
28. They're measured in shots : SERA. Because "booze" wouldn't fit!
31. It may be popped : CORN. Naturally, I had "cork" at first...which led to no end of problems with the perps.
32. Foil kin : EPEE.
34. __ sci : POLI.
35. Preposition for Poirot : AVEC. French "with."
37. Blowout, so to speak : GALA.
38. "South Park" boy Cartman : ERIC.
39. Site of a critical 1813 battle : LAKE ERIE. The Battle of Put-in-Bay. I bet Abejo knows all about it.
44. Firm foundation : BEDROCK. It's where the Slate Rock & Gravel Company was founded...
45. Guy friend : BRO.
48. Hailing cry : AHOY.
50. Like some cows : SACRED.
51. Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA.
52. In a snit : PEEVED.
55. Showy display : ÉCLAT.
56. Button word : PRESS. So simple.
58. End in __ : A TIE.
59. Yonder, on the Pequod : THAR.
61. Block up : DAM.
62. Bit of World Cup encouragement : OLÉ.
63. Go on and on : GAB.
64. Draft order : ALE. I'll leave this for others to toast at sunset.
Cheers!
Marti
18-Across. "Good lad!" : THERE'S MY BOY. The phrase sounds strange to my ear. I would more likely say "That's my boy!" And only in reference to a dog.
23-Across. "I'm positive" : NO MISTAKE.
30-Across. Atlas index listing : PLACE NAME.
47-Across. "Whatever floats your boat" : LIKE I CARE. I had "As if I CARE" at first. (As if you care, right?)
54-Across. Base among boxes : HOME PLATE.
61-Across. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle's five other longest answers : DOROTHY GALE. "The Wizard of Oz" gal.
58 theme letters is pretty dense, and you might expect some compromise in the fill. But this seemed pretty straight-forward, almost Monday-like.
Across
1. Clothing line : HEM. I have seen the same clue for "seam."
4. "Egad!" : YIPE. or YIPEs. Both are correct.
8. Sprint Cup org. : NASCAR. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The title seems a bit redundant, with both Car and Auto. But it would be too difficult to pronounce NASCR, I guess. And 46-Down. Earnhardt of 8-Across : DALE.
14. Toothpaste letters : ADA. American Dental Association.
15. Arabian ruler : EMIR.
16. Pump figure : OCTANE. It's about $3.49 / gallon around here.
17. Netflix rental, for short : VID. In 1956, a video recorder was about $50,000, and a single 1 hour videotape cost $300. I don't think Netflix would get much business at those prices!
20. Latin catchall : ET ALII. And others.
22. Looks like a wolf : LEERS.
26. LAX postings : ETAS. I took a chance and entered the A before checking perps.
29. One "who intimately lives with rain," in a poem : TREE. And then we have 41-Down. Slam offering : POEM. The first poetry slam was held in Chicago in 1984. It is a competition where poets read their compositions and are judged by selected audience members. Do you think Kilmer would have won with this?
I think that I shall never see | |
A poem lovely as a tree. | |
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest | |
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast; | |
A tree that looks at God all day, | 5 |
And lifts her leafy arms to pray; | |
A tree that may in summer wear | |
A nest of robins in her hair; | |
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; | |
Who intimately lives with rain. | 10 |
Poems are made by fools like me, | |
But only God can make a tree. Joyce Kilmer |
33. Muscular problem : SPASM. "Cramp" would also fit...just sayin'.
36. Start of a series : OPENER.
37. Salon item : GEL. It was a toss-up between GEL and "dye."
40. Ab __: from the beginning : OVO.
41. Historic beginning? : PRE. Prehistoric.
42. Strands in a cell? : DNA.
43. Good to grow : ARABLE.
45. Like cutlets : BONED. I had B*kED at first because of a goof at 31-Down. Huh? Baked cutlets? (I always sauté them.) (And PaEM made absolutely no sense for 41-Down.)
49. Memo demand : ASAP.
53. More than passed : ACED.
57. Sonneteer's Muse : ERATO.
60. Nativity tableau : CRÈCHE.
65. Gun in the driveway, maybe : REV. Haha. Were you picturing a chalk outline and key evidence?
66. Keys with Grammys : ALICIA.
67. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS. Here's a lovely version by Celtic Women. 3:19
68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. : ENE.
69. Less bold : MEEKER.
70. Risks : BETS.
71. Pop : DAD.
Down
1. "__ the foggiest!" : HAVEN'T. I started filling in "I haven"...and ran out of room.
2. Text __ : EDITOR.
3. European title : MADAME. I was looking for something more noble.
4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? : YETIS.
5. Paintball cry : I'M HIT.
6. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE.
7. Make a left instead of a right, say : ERR.
8. It smells : NOSE. Haha.
9. It can't be topped : ACME.
10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing : STYRENE.
11. Where business is picking up? : CAB STAND.
12. Enero to enero : ANO.
13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __ : REY. All perps.
19. Zeno's home : ELEA.
21. Is situated : LIES.
24. Lhasa __ : APSO.
25. Air France-__: European flier : KLM. The two airlines merged in 2004.
27. Revival cry : AMEN.
28. They're measured in shots : SERA. Because "booze" wouldn't fit!
31. It may be popped : CORN. Naturally, I had "cork" at first...which led to no end of problems with the perps.
32. Foil kin : EPEE.
34. __ sci : POLI.
35. Preposition for Poirot : AVEC. French "with."
37. Blowout, so to speak : GALA.
38. "South Park" boy Cartman : ERIC.
39. Site of a critical 1813 battle : LAKE ERIE. The Battle of Put-in-Bay. I bet Abejo knows all about it.
44. Firm foundation : BEDROCK. It's where the Slate Rock & Gravel Company was founded...
48. Hailing cry : AHOY.
50. Like some cows : SACRED.
51. Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA.
52. In a snit : PEEVED.
55. Showy display : ÉCLAT.
56. Button word : PRESS. So simple.
58. End in __ : A TIE.
59. Yonder, on the Pequod : THAR.
61. Block up : DAM.
62. Bit of World Cup encouragement : OLÉ.
63. Go on and on : GAB.
64. Draft order : ALE. I'll leave this for others to toast at sunset.
Cheers!
Marti
Note from C.C.:
The beautiful Andrea Carla Michaels (who co-authored our Monday LAT puzzle) visited Minnesota again this week. Below is a picture of the local constructor gathering last night. I did not feel well enough to make the trip. I snacked the whole jar of homemade pickles on Tuesday and my lower right abdominal pain just won't go away.
Also missed the PBA50 finals yesterday. Boomer went alone and watched Walter Ray Williams won the tournament. I did chat with Walter Ray again last Sunday, TTP. Also met Norm Duke for the first time.
L to R: Victor Barocas, George Barany, Andrea Carla Michaels, David Hanson & Tom Pepper |
Jul 30, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 Gareth Bain
Theme: I GIVE UP. The last words of the theme entries are indications of surrendering, so as to avoid suffering further damage. Your opponent wins, and - if he is honorable - you get to go somewhere safe and lick your wounds.
17 A. Stereotypical benefactor : RICH UNCLE. Literal or figurative designation for financial backer. I only had poor UNCLES, alas. To cry "UNCLE" indicating submission, may or may not go back to ancient Rome.
36 A. Of age : OLD ENOUGH. Having been alive for a sufficient period to drink, drive, vote, know better, etc. "ENOUGH" indicates you don't want any more of whatever your abuser is dishing out.
42 A. "Understood" : SAY NO MORE. OK - I got it. "NO MORE" is another way of saying "ENOUGH"
And the unifier -- 62 A. Waved banner hinted at by the ends of 17-, 36- and 42-Across : WHITE FLAG. This usage does go back to ancient Rome, and also the Han dynasty of China. In modern times, the use of a white flag to indicate surrender is included in the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
Hi gang, it's JzB, after a long hiatus, reunited with Gareth on a Wednesday. We never can get ENOUGH of his puzzles, so I am not going to give up. Let's SAY NO MORE on that topic, and dive into the solve.
Across
1. Prepare, in a way, as sweet potatoes : MASH. We add a bit of butter and sour cream. Makes a nice companion dish for Gloria's orange and maple glazed salmon.
5. Says further : ADDS. The opposite of SAY NO MORE.
9. Run away, say : REACT. I suppose one could REACT to an unpleasantness by running away, but, unless I'm missing something, this is a far from obvious connection.
14. Entrepreneur's start : IDEA. Around which a business plan can be built.
15. Come together : MEET.
16. Come to pass : OCCUR. Near clechoes.
19. Spherical dessert : BOMBE. An Ice cream dessert molded in a half-spherical shape to resemble a cannon ball. The only thing that explodes is your weight.
20. Airport city east of Los Angeles : ONTARIO. I flew in there about 30 years ago. IIRC, there are distant mountains in every direction.
21. One brewing in a cup : TEA LEAF. Not a tempest. Mayhaps Nice Cuppa can provide details.
23. Many a Prado painting : GOYA. Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828). Here is the Prado on-line gallery of his work.
25. Baseball card stat : RBI. Runs Batted In. BASEBALL!!!
26. Oranges opposite? : APPLES. Different, for sure - but opposite? Doubtful, but I won't let one bad APPLE spoil the whole puzzle.
30. "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee" speaker : LEIA. Do I need to tell you this is from Star Wars? Prob'ly not.
32. "__ Boys": "Little Men" sequel : JO'S. Story of the boys' troubles as adults, and the only Louisa May Alcott novel that has not had a movie adaption.
35. Cowboy's neckwear : BOLO. By now everyone should recognize this as a string necktie. So here is Bolo Yeung, who might be marginally more interesting.
38. Standoffish : ALOOF. Remote.
40. Pull : TUG. Yank, jerk.
41. Friendly address : KIDDO. Seems a bit condescending.
44. Opposite of alway : NE'ER. Alway is an archaic form of always. NE'ER is a contraction of never, seldom or NE'ER encountered nowadays. So I guess it's OK.
45. Appt. book divisions : HRS. Hours. N.B. abrvs.
46. Went up : ROSE. Up toward the sky.
47. Saturated hydrocarbon : ALKANE. Chemistry. Saturated means all the available bonding locations on the carbon atoms are filled. Thus, there are no C=C double bonds in the chain, which would contribute to instability. The compounds are quite flammable, though. Propane and butane [ 3 and 4 carbon ALKANES] are examples. Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and additives, containing lots of pentane and hexane [5 ansd 6 carbon ALKANES.]
49. Had-at link : A GO. Tried something. I always think of Mitchell Anderson putting his move on Marian Wyman in Raymond Carver's poignant short story Will You Please Be Quiet, Please. I do not recommend this dry analysis.
50. Trilogy, often : SAGA. Originally an Old Norse prose narrative of heroic achievement, now any long and involved story.
52. Emcees' responsibilities : LEAD-INS. Introductions to the main-line performers.
56. Gum with a longtime eyepatch-wearing mascot : BAZOOKA. But BAZOOKA Joe did not fare well in the rebranding.
61. Calculus pioneer : EULER. [Pronounced OILER] Leonhard, (1707 - 1783) a highly accomplished Swiss mathematician. I've often wondered why no technical school has a sports team nick-named the EULERS?
64. Ruffle : FRILL. A a strip of fabric or lace gathered or pleated on one edge, and attached to a garment or other item as decoration.
65. Right hand : AIDE. Figurative designation for an assistant
66. Ax : FIRE. Job elimination.
67. Pledge drive bags : TOTES. Carry-alls. Also, in contemporary slang, short for Totally. Habitual users can save as much as 26.6 seconds per day.
68. Apiary dwellers : BEES. Not apes.
69. Convinced : SOLD. Are you SOLD on Gareth's puzzle yet? If not, let's move on.
Down
1. Picasso contemporary : MIRO. Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Catalan artist who wanted to upset the visual elements of established painting.
2. Score after deuce : AD IN. In tennis, deuce indicates a tie score after both players have reached 40. AD, short for advantage, indicates the next point has been scored. If the server has the advantage it is AD IN, otherwise, AD out.
3. Shakers, but not movers : SECT. This religious community splintered off from the Quakers in Northwest England in the mid-18th century. They are known for gender equality and a celibate life style. Second generation Shakers are thus somewhat rare. They did give us this nice hymn, here put to good use by Aaron Copeland..
4. "The joke's on you" : HA HA. Hope you thought it was funny.
5. Prenatal procedures : AMNIOS. Short for amniocentesis, a rather risky procedure.
6. Deceptive military tactic : DECOY. A diversionary PLOY. You can read about it here.
7. "Runaway" singer Shannon : DEL. Another clecho, and a classic song from my 'ute.
8. "Don't change that" : STET. Editor's mark.
9. Emulate Dillinger : ROB A BANK. I do not recommend this risky activity. When Dillinger emulator Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he reportedly answered, "Because that's where the money is."
10. Gastroenteritis cause, perhaps : E-COLI. Bacterium naturally occurring in the lower digestive tract that causes all sorts of problems when it gets into the wrong territory.
11. Pinnacle : ACME. Apex. Always need perps.
12. World Baseball Classic team : CUBA.
13. Nonkosher : TREF. I can never remember this word. It comes from a Hebrew root meaning something torn.
18. Strong desire : URGE.
22. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's lake : ERIE. In Cleveland.
24. Tempts : ALLURES. Inspires URGES.
26. Make red-faced : ABASH. To shame or embarrass.
27. Opposite : POLAR. Extremely opposite.
28. Artful stratagems : PLOYS. In A Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish is the master of these cunning plans.
29. Fish-eating bird : LOON. It is about the size of a large duck, but they are unrelated species.
31. What a slight favorite has : EDGE.
32. Where Herod ruled : JUDEA. More old Roman, when JUDEA was a province in the empire.
33. City near the Great Salt Lake : OGDEN.
34. Vacation location : SHORE. The fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water. We just spent a week on the SHORE of Black Lake.
36. Plains people : OTOS. Native American tribe.
37. Farm grunt : OINK. From the sty.
39. Like pink toys, stereotypically : FOR GIRLS. Indeed, there are few pink toys for boys. Trust me, I looked.
43. Word after new or full : MOON. The orbiting orb, going through phases.
47. Collectible marbles : AGATES. I remember this term from my 'ute.
48. Kick back : LAZE. You can do this at the SHORE
49. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE. I've heard worse pop songs.
51. "__ With Me": hymn : ABIDE. I've heard worse hymns.
52. Took off : LEFT. Departed [but not OFFED.] Split. Exeunt stage left?
53. Capital of Belgium : EURO. Money.
54. Landed : ALIT. Atop something, I suppose.
55. DNA lab item : SWAB. For collecting bio-samples.
57. Rubs out : OFFS. Murders.
58. Little of this, little of that : OLIO. Hodge podge.
59. Auto pioneer Benz : KARL.
60. Like fine port : AGED. When do we know our port is OLD ENOUGH? Hmmm.
63. Go in haste : HIE. Quickly, now.
Well, that wraps it up for another Wednesday. Hope you made it through without having to surrender.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
As Jazzbumpa mentioned in 34D, he and his family spent their summer vacation at Black Lake last week. Here are 3 sweet pictures:
17 A. Stereotypical benefactor : RICH UNCLE. Literal or figurative designation for financial backer. I only had poor UNCLES, alas. To cry "UNCLE" indicating submission, may or may not go back to ancient Rome.
36 A. Of age : OLD ENOUGH. Having been alive for a sufficient period to drink, drive, vote, know better, etc. "ENOUGH" indicates you don't want any more of whatever your abuser is dishing out.
42 A. "Understood" : SAY NO MORE. OK - I got it. "NO MORE" is another way of saying "ENOUGH"
And the unifier -- 62 A. Waved banner hinted at by the ends of 17-, 36- and 42-Across : WHITE FLAG. This usage does go back to ancient Rome, and also the Han dynasty of China. In modern times, the use of a white flag to indicate surrender is included in the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
Hi gang, it's JzB, after a long hiatus, reunited with Gareth on a Wednesday. We never can get ENOUGH of his puzzles, so I am not going to give up. Let's SAY NO MORE on that topic, and dive into the solve.
Across
1. Prepare, in a way, as sweet potatoes : MASH. We add a bit of butter and sour cream. Makes a nice companion dish for Gloria's orange and maple glazed salmon.
5. Says further : ADDS. The opposite of SAY NO MORE.
9. Run away, say : REACT. I suppose one could REACT to an unpleasantness by running away, but, unless I'm missing something, this is a far from obvious connection.
14. Entrepreneur's start : IDEA. Around which a business plan can be built.
15. Come together : MEET.
16. Come to pass : OCCUR. Near clechoes.
19. Spherical dessert : BOMBE. An Ice cream dessert molded in a half-spherical shape to resemble a cannon ball. The only thing that explodes is your weight.
20. Airport city east of Los Angeles : ONTARIO. I flew in there about 30 years ago. IIRC, there are distant mountains in every direction.
21. One brewing in a cup : TEA LEAF. Not a tempest. Mayhaps Nice Cuppa can provide details.
23. Many a Prado painting : GOYA. Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828). Here is the Prado on-line gallery of his work.
25. Baseball card stat : RBI. Runs Batted In. BASEBALL!!!
26. Oranges opposite? : APPLES. Different, for sure - but opposite? Doubtful, but I won't let one bad APPLE spoil the whole puzzle.
30. "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee" speaker : LEIA. Do I need to tell you this is from Star Wars? Prob'ly not.
32. "__ Boys": "Little Men" sequel : JO'S. Story of the boys' troubles as adults, and the only Louisa May Alcott novel that has not had a movie adaption.
35. Cowboy's neckwear : BOLO. By now everyone should recognize this as a string necktie. So here is Bolo Yeung, who might be marginally more interesting.
38. Standoffish : ALOOF. Remote.
40. Pull : TUG. Yank, jerk.
41. Friendly address : KIDDO. Seems a bit condescending.
44. Opposite of alway : NE'ER. Alway is an archaic form of always. NE'ER is a contraction of never, seldom or NE'ER encountered nowadays. So I guess it's OK.
45. Appt. book divisions : HRS. Hours. N.B. abrvs.
46. Went up : ROSE. Up toward the sky.
47. Saturated hydrocarbon : ALKANE. Chemistry. Saturated means all the available bonding locations on the carbon atoms are filled. Thus, there are no C=C double bonds in the chain, which would contribute to instability. The compounds are quite flammable, though. Propane and butane [ 3 and 4 carbon ALKANES] are examples. Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and additives, containing lots of pentane and hexane [5 ansd 6 carbon ALKANES.]
49. Had-at link : A GO. Tried something. I always think of Mitchell Anderson putting his move on Marian Wyman in Raymond Carver's poignant short story Will You Please Be Quiet, Please. I do not recommend this dry analysis.
50. Trilogy, often : SAGA. Originally an Old Norse prose narrative of heroic achievement, now any long and involved story.
52. Emcees' responsibilities : LEAD-INS. Introductions to the main-line performers.
56. Gum with a longtime eyepatch-wearing mascot : BAZOOKA. But BAZOOKA Joe did not fare well in the rebranding.
61. Calculus pioneer : EULER. [Pronounced OILER] Leonhard, (1707 - 1783) a highly accomplished Swiss mathematician. I've often wondered why no technical school has a sports team nick-named the EULERS?
64. Ruffle : FRILL. A a strip of fabric or lace gathered or pleated on one edge, and attached to a garment or other item as decoration.
65. Right hand : AIDE. Figurative designation for an assistant
66. Ax : FIRE. Job elimination.
67. Pledge drive bags : TOTES. Carry-alls. Also, in contemporary slang, short for Totally. Habitual users can save as much as 26.6 seconds per day.
68. Apiary dwellers : BEES. Not apes.
69. Convinced : SOLD. Are you SOLD on Gareth's puzzle yet? If not, let's move on.
Down
1. Picasso contemporary : MIRO. Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Catalan artist who wanted to upset the visual elements of established painting.
2. Score after deuce : AD IN. In tennis, deuce indicates a tie score after both players have reached 40. AD, short for advantage, indicates the next point has been scored. If the server has the advantage it is AD IN, otherwise, AD out.
3. Shakers, but not movers : SECT. This religious community splintered off from the Quakers in Northwest England in the mid-18th century. They are known for gender equality and a celibate life style. Second generation Shakers are thus somewhat rare. They did give us this nice hymn, here put to good use by Aaron Copeland..
4. "The joke's on you" : HA HA. Hope you thought it was funny.
5. Prenatal procedures : AMNIOS. Short for amniocentesis, a rather risky procedure.
6. Deceptive military tactic : DECOY. A diversionary PLOY. You can read about it here.
7. "Runaway" singer Shannon : DEL. Another clecho, and a classic song from my 'ute.
8. "Don't change that" : STET. Editor's mark.
9. Emulate Dillinger : ROB A BANK. I do not recommend this risky activity. When Dillinger emulator Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he reportedly answered, "Because that's where the money is."
10. Gastroenteritis cause, perhaps : E-COLI. Bacterium naturally occurring in the lower digestive tract that causes all sorts of problems when it gets into the wrong territory.
11. Pinnacle : ACME. Apex. Always need perps.
12. World Baseball Classic team : CUBA.
13. Nonkosher : TREF. I can never remember this word. It comes from a Hebrew root meaning something torn.
18. Strong desire : URGE.
22. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's lake : ERIE. In Cleveland.
24. Tempts : ALLURES. Inspires URGES.
26. Make red-faced : ABASH. To shame or embarrass.
27. Opposite : POLAR. Extremely opposite.
28. Artful stratagems : PLOYS. In A Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish is the master of these cunning plans.
29. Fish-eating bird : LOON. It is about the size of a large duck, but they are unrelated species.
31. What a slight favorite has : EDGE.
32. Where Herod ruled : JUDEA. More old Roman, when JUDEA was a province in the empire.
33. City near the Great Salt Lake : OGDEN.
34. Vacation location : SHORE. The fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water. We just spent a week on the SHORE of Black Lake.
36. Plains people : OTOS. Native American tribe.
37. Farm grunt : OINK. From the sty.
39. Like pink toys, stereotypically : FOR GIRLS. Indeed, there are few pink toys for boys. Trust me, I looked.
43. Word after new or full : MOON. The orbiting orb, going through phases.
47. Collectible marbles : AGATES. I remember this term from my 'ute.
48. Kick back : LAZE. You can do this at the SHORE
49. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE. I've heard worse pop songs.
51. "__ With Me": hymn : ABIDE. I've heard worse hymns.
52. Took off : LEFT. Departed [but not OFFED.] Split. Exeunt stage left?
53. Capital of Belgium : EURO. Money.
54. Landed : ALIT. Atop something, I suppose.
55. DNA lab item : SWAB. For collecting bio-samples.
57. Rubs out : OFFS. Murders.
58. Little of this, little of that : OLIO. Hodge podge.
59. Auto pioneer Benz : KARL.
60. Like fine port : AGED. When do we know our port is OLD ENOUGH? Hmmm.
63. Go in haste : HIE. Quickly, now.
Well, that wraps it up for another Wednesday. Hope you made it through without having to surrender.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
As Jazzbumpa mentioned in 34D, he and his family spent their summer vacation at Black Lake last week. Here are 3 sweet pictures:
From the left:
My daughter Karen, Samantha, Amanda, Me, Rebekka, Emily, daughter-in-law Lisa
Me and my honey, swinging by the lake side.
The Flotilla
Rebekka, Nate, Samantha, Emily
Rebekka, Nate, Samantha, Emily
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