Theme: Bear Necessities?
Bare Necessities
G'Day Cornerites!
Today, Ginny front loads the theme answers with a type of BEAR on the LEFT.
18. "Dream a Little Dream" singer: MAMA CASS. Papa bear, MAMA BEAR, Baby bear.
24. Symbol on a difficult ski run: BLACK DIAMOND. Black Bear.
40. Daily paper in the Windy City: CHICAGO SUN TIMES. Tribune didn't quite fit. The Sun Times is a daily nonprofit newspaper and the former home of Roger Ebert. Last Thursday NaomiZ illustrated a SUN BEAR (and SUN isn't far enough left) so...
![]() |
Da Bears |
52. Fast-casual Chinese restaurant chain: PANDA EXPRESS.
![]() |
Good for a lunch at the airport |
63. One option at a fork in the road, and an apt description of 18-, 24-, 40-, and 52-Across: BEAR LEFT.
![]() |
Yogi is another BEAR on the LEFT |
Due to the government shutdown, we didn't have:
Stubb's BBQ sauce flavor: SMOKEY MESQUITE [14] nor
"Being With You" Artist: SMOKEY ROBINSON [14]
We at The Corner hope SMOKEY BEAR resumes his National Parks duties soon.
Across:
1. Get plenty of sleep before a big event: REST UP.7. Quick and nimble: SPRY.
11. __ Lock: PC key: NUM.
14. Starting squads: A-TEAMS.
15. French peak: ALPE.
16. CBS forensic franchise: CSI.
17. Hip-hop dance move: NAE NAE.
In case you need a refresher before rehearsal ;-)
18. [See: Theme]
20. Home project initials: DIY. Do It Yourself instead of hiring a contractor.
21. Thumb drive ports: USBS. Universal Serial Bus(es).
![]() |
Quantum States of USB Connectors |
23. Asian grocery chain: H-MART. The H is for Han Ah Reum (한아름), which means "an armful" in Korea [cite: WikiP]. We have two in Houston.
24. [See: Theme]
28. __ beer float: ROOT.
![]() |
The Root Beer Bear |
29. Pep talk target: MORALE.
33. House of Lords title: BARON.
36. Part of a superhero costume: CAPE.
![]() |
Edna on why "No Capes" |
39. Soccer great Hamm: MIA. Not only a soccer superstar but now a marrow & cord blood transplant awareness.
40. [See: Theme]
44. Nashville awards org.: CMA. Country Music Association.
45. Clock toggle: AM/PM.
46. Home: ABODE.
47. Dojo instructor: SENSEI.
50. Where to find "Campbell's Soup Cans" in NYC: MOMA. Museum of Modern Art.
52. [See: Theme]
58. ICU hookup: IV BAG.
61. Wet and squirmy: EELY.
62. Genetic messenger molecule: RNA. Ribonucleic acid.
63. [See: Theme]
65. French cake: GATEAU. In France it's just cake, in English there's a difference.
![]() |
"Yummers, gateau," said no one I know. |
68. Sports doc's scan: MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging -- difference from a CT scan.
69. __-steven: EVEN. Squared-up.
70. Draw out: ELICIT.
71. Plopped down: SAT.
72. Skating commentator Lipinski: TARA. Youngest (15yro) Gold Medalist.
73. Stinging weed: NETTLE.
Down:
1. Mary J. Blige's music genre: R AND B. Rhythm AND Blues (and SMOKEY's genre too!).2. Etsy business: E-TAIL.
3. "Bye now": SEE YA.
4. Sun shade?: TAN.
5. Actress Thurman: UMA. I know her from Brooks' 2005 The Producers.
6. Bogus: PSEUDO.
7. Lively Afro-Brazilian dance: SAMBA.
8. Suffix with proto-: PLASM.
9. Turntable letters: RPM. Revolutions Per Minute.
10. "You'd think so, but ... ": YEAH, NO.
11. Org. covered by ESPNU: NCAA. ESPN (known as Entertainment and Sports Programming Network until 1985) Universities covers the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
12. Cold War initials: USSR. The CCCP (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) is Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to English speakers.
13. Fine spray: MIST.
19. Nav. rank: CMDR. Commander.
22. "Friends" or "Girlfriends": SITCOM. A portmanteau of SITuation and COMedy.
25. Lightweight clog: CROC.
![]() |
A croc with a CROC? What a crock! |
26. Hawaiian coffee district: KONA.
27. Harbinger: OMEN.
30. Snowball pile, say: AMMO.
31. Stretched the truth: LIED.
32. Soften: EASE.
33. Emails discreetly: BCCS. Blind Carbon Copy.
34. [Sigh]: AH ME.
35. "Glass Onion" director Johnson: RIAN.
37. Egyptian cobra: ASP.
38. Beat with one's fists: PUMMEL.
41. Make a profit: GAIN.
42. Pack (down): TAMP.
43. Vowel-shaped beam: I-BAR, U-bar, We-bar :-)
48. Practice in the boxing ring: SPAR.
49. Young bird of prey: EAGLET.
51. Gas with the symbol O: OXYGEN.
53. Put off: DEFER.
54. Health insurance giant: AETNA. Not to be confused with the Italian giant Etna.
55. Put up: ERECT.
56. Mollusk that's a symbol of slowness: SNAIL.
57. Pan fry: SAUTE.
58. Some early PCs: IBMS.
59. "Up in the Air" Oscar nominee Farmiga: VERA. Costars include George Clooney and Anna Kendrick.
![]() |
Vera Farmiga |
60. Fly, in fly-fishing: BAIT.
64. Actress Longoria: EVA. I only know her from Only Murders in the Building.
![]() |
Eva Longoria |
66. Blonde brew: ALE.
67. __ for tat: TIT. I'll leave this one to our Corner limerickists.
The Grid:
![]() |
The Grid |
WOs: cap -> NUM Lock, lure -> BAIT
ESPs: NAE NAE, RIAN, VERA, RARA
Fav: SNAIL next to SAUTE - escargot anyone?
Cheers, -T