Tuesday January 14, 2020 Roland Huget

It's What's Inside that Counts.  The circled letters spell out things that can make up the inner core.

17-Across. City near the Great Salt Lake: OGDEN UTAH.  Nut.

25-Across. "Be yourself," nowadays: KEEP IT REAL.  Pit.

36-Across. Casino advantage: HOUSE EDGE.  Seed.

51-Across. "Be right with you": JUST ONE SEC.  Stone.

And the Unifier:
61-Across. Earth's most central geologic layer ... or what can be found in each set of puzzle circles: INNER CORE.

Across:

1. Watering hole: BAR.  Some are quite literally watering holes.

4. African language group: BANTU.  Swahili is a Bantu language.

9. Suddenly took interest: SAT UP.

14. Québec street: RUE.  Today's French lesson.

15. Future oak: ACORN.

16. Way to go it: ALONE.  Time for a musical interlude.

19. Has to have: NEEDS.

20. Biceps exercises: CURLS.

Charles Atlas (Oct. 30, 1892 ~ Dec. 24, 1972)

21. Hosting a show, briefly: MC-ING.  As in being an Emcee, short for Master of Ceremonies.

23. Tennis do-over: LET.

24. Breyers __ Cookies & Cream: OREO.  A fresh new clue for our old crossword staple.

27. Arnaz-Ball production company: DESILU.  The production company is a combination of Desi and Lu(cy).

29. Muss, as hair: TOUSLE.

30. Magazine VIPs: EDs.  As in Editors.

31. Adjust to one's environment: ADAPT.

35. Old fast fliers: SSTs.  As in SuperSonic Transport, a crossword staple.  Why the Concorde was retired.

39. Fleshy fruit: POME.  According to Webster's, a Pome is a generic term for any fleshy fruit "consisting of an outers fleshy layer and a central core with usually five seeds in a capsule."  The best known example of a Pome is an Apple.  In fact, in French, the word for Apple is Pomme.  Other examples of Pomes, include: pears, quince, loquats, and pomegranates.

42. Barbecue spot: PATIO.

43. Can opener: TAB.

46. Feathered friends: AVIANS.  The obvious Birds was too few letters.

49. Beethoven's "Tempest," e.g.: SONATA.  Time for a musical interlude.  This piece is also known as Sonata No. 17 and was composed by Beethoven around 1801/1802. 

55. Chimps and gorillas: APES.

56. Furry sitcom extraterrestrial: ALF.  Alf (Alien Life Form) was a sit-com ran from the mid-1980s to 1990.  I never watched it, but am familiar with it because Alf makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

57. Chutzpah: MOXIE.  Chutzpah is that quality in the man who kills his mother and father, then throws himself at the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.

58. Stick with a pin: PRICK.

59. Early American crop: MAIZE.  Scientists believe that maize was first domesticated in the Americas, probably in Mexico.  A large cache of ancient maize was discovered in a cave in New Mexico over a hundred years ago.

63. Geographer's volume: ATLAS.

64. Tokyo-based watchmaker: SEIKO.  I had a Seiko watch like this one.

65. No-frills bed: COT.

66. Filters (through): SEEPS.

67. Jacket material: TWEED.  I initially tried Denim.

68. "Very cute!" sounds: AWs!

Down:

1. Tacit rules of male friendship: BRO CODE.  If it is tacit, why is there a book about the Code?

2. Was a sign of: AUGURED.

3. Set right: REDRESS.

4. Passes a law against: BANS.

5. Pressure prefix: ACU-.  As in AcuWeather, which allows you to learn of weather conditions where you live.

6. "I'm innocent!": NOT ME!

7. Barely detectable amount: TRACE.

8. Far from cool: UNHIP.

"I recommend hip replacement surgery for men who aren't as hip as they used to be."

9. Serenaded: SANG TO.

10. Stein filler: ALE.  Time for another musical interlude.

11. Like many summer shoes: TOELESS.  I prefer sandals.

12. Still being shuffled: UNDEALT.

13. Tablet crushers: PESTLES.  Tricky clue.  I was thinking along the lines of an iPad, which I certainly wouldn't want to crush.

18. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.  A crossword staple.  I have never read The Time Machine, but apparently there are two-post humans existing in the future and the Eloi are one.

22. Little point to pick: NIT.  No names in today's puzzle for nit-picking.

25. Spiral-horned antelope: KUDU.  These animals are native to Africa.

26. Tricky plan: RUSE.

28. Vientiane people: LAO.

32. Poisonous African snake: ASP.  It was the death of Cleopatra.

33. Stew morsel: PEA.  If you're a princess, it will keep you awake at night.

34. Vietnamese New Year: TET.  A crossword staple.

36. Cookbook verb: HEAT.  Stir probably used more often in the cookbooks.

37. Spinal segment: DISC.

38. Bit of baby talk: GOO.

39. Often-abbreviated attire: PAJAMAS.  As in PJs, or as we say in my house: Jammie-Jams.

40. Produce eggs: OVULATE.

41. Put in the wrong folder: MISFILE.

43. Pudding choice: TAPIOCA.  I think of Tapioca pudding as a comfort food.

44. Was humiliated: ATE CROW.

45. Laundry holders: BASKETS.   Do you use a laundry basket or a clothes hamper?

47. "Easy to clean" ad claim: NO MESS.  I initially tried, No Muss.

48. __-Cat: winter vehicle: SNO.

50. DEA agent: NARC.

52. Live: EXIST.

53. Muscular power: SINEW.

54. Start of a counting rhyme: EENIE.  A final musical interlude.

58. Cattle poker: PROD.

60. Microwave: ZAP.

62. Squeeze (out): EKE.

Here's the Grid:

LSU: #1 in Football and Beer Consumption

QOD:  In conversation, remember you’re more interested in what you’re saying than anyone else is.  ~  Andy Rooney (né Andrew Aitken Rooney; Jan. 14, 1919 ~ Nov. 4, 2011), American television personality

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who used to be very active on our blog. Now she's busy with four grandkids and other volunteer work. We miss your daily presence, JD!

JD & Bob

Tuesday, January 7, 2020 David Poole

Buckle Up!  Today we have both the dreaded circles and anagrams!  So, buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride on this ROCKY ROAD as we travel around the world in a puzzle that contains lots of foreign language words.

I'll start with the unifier:

And the Unifier:
61-Across. Nutty ice cream parlor order ... and a hint to each set of circled letters: ROCKY ROAD.

17-Across. Not be serious: KID AROUND.

24-Across. "Answer with the first thing that comes to mind" exercise: WORD ASSOCIATION.

36-Across. World's largest lizards: KOMODO DRAGONS.  The Komoda Dragon is found in the Indonesian islands.

52-Across. '70s Chilean president: SALVADOR ALLENDE.  Salvador Allende (June 26, 1908 ~ Sept. 11, 1973) was a physician and President of Chile from 1970 until 1973 when he was killed in a coup.  After the coup, Augusto Pinochet (Nov. 25, 1915 ~ Sept. 10, 2006) became the dictator of Chile.  The latter was my first thought, and both names have the same number of letters.

Salvador Allende.

We've also have a little criminal activity going as well.

15-Across. Thieves' hideout: LAIR.  //  65-Down.  Thieves' hideout: DEN.

16-Across. Thief: CROOK.

Across:

1. Indian music style: RAGA.

5. French "to be": ÊTRE.  The first of several references to a foreign language in today's puzzle.  The verb Être is an irregular verb.  In the present tense, the verb is conjugates as: Je suis / Nous sommes (I am / We are); Tu es / Vous être (You are You are); Il est / Elle est (He is / She is) / Ils sont / Elles sont (They are). 

9. Goldman __: investment banking giant: SACHS.  Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman (Dec. 9, 1821 ~ July 20, 1904).  Thirteen years later, his son-in-law, Samuel Sachs (July 28, 1851 ~ Mar. 2, 1935), joined the firm, and the name became as we know it today.

14. Go with the __: FLOW.

19. Like the accent in passé: ACUTE.  The French language uses 5 distinct accents:

the cédille Ç,

the accent aigu é,

the accent circonflexe â, ê, î, ô, û,

the accent grave à, è, ù

and the accent tréma ë, ï, ü.

20. French monarch: ROI.  The French King.

21. Hockey score: GOAL.

23. Cold War mil. program: SDI.  As in the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars.  The program was initiated in 1983 during the Reagan Administration.  The program was designed to develop a space-based missile defense program to protect the country from a nuclear attack.  The program is sometimes considered the straw that broke down the Cold War between the United States and the USSR.

29. Golfer Michelle: WIE.  Michelle Song Wie (b. Oct. 11, 1989) was the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship.  She was 10 years old at the time.

30. "I've seen better": MEH!

31. Playground equipment: SWINGS.

32. Quaint lodging: INN.

33. Passé: OLD HAT.  Note that the clue contains a acute accent, or in French, an Accent Aigu.

42. "Peer Gynt Suite" dancer: ANITRA.  Definitely not a Tuesday clue, but I am sure you have heard the music that accompanies the dance.

43. "Mangia!": EAT!  Today's Italian lesson.  Mangia is the imperative verb form of the verb to eat.

45. Wine city north of Lisbon: OPORTO.  Today's Portuguese lesson.  This city, which is the second largest city in Portugal, appears as Porto in maps in English.

48. CEO's degree: MBA.  The Chief Executive Officer would likely have a Master's in Business Administration.

51. Wallet single: ONE.

56. Ed.'s backlog: MSS.  As in a backlog of Manuscripts.

57. Actress Russo: RENE.  Rene Russo (née Rene Marie Russo; b. Feb. 17, 1954) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  She began her career as a fashion model.

58. World Cup cheer: !OLE¡  Today's Spanish lesson.

59. Funny Cheri: OTERI.  Cheri OTERI (née Cheryl Anne Oteri; b. Sept. 19, 1962) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was on Saturday Night Live 2 decades ago, where she played a number of roles, including the Spartan cheerleader.

Cheri is on the Right.

66. Seasonal mall temp: SANTA.  Their temporary job is over until next season, which, I think now begins in about July.  Also a fond memory to our own Santa.

67. "Omigosh!": YIPE!

68. Loitering, say: IDLE.

69. German steel city: ESSEN.

70. Some pipe joints: ELLS.

71. Utopia: EDEN.

Down:

1. D.C. United's former stadium: RFK.

2. "Green Book" Oscar winner Mahershala: ALI.  Mashershala Ali (né Mahershalalhasbaz Gilmore; b. Feb. 16, 1974) also won an Oscar for his performance in Moonlight.  He was also the star of the 3rd season of True Detective, and appeared for a couple of seasons in House of Cards.

3. Neptune or Pluto: GOD.  They are brothers in Roman mythology.

4. Palme d'Or, e.g.: AWARD.  It is the Oscar of the Cannes Film Festival.

5. Kid-lit girl who lives on the "tippy-top floor" of the Plaza Hotel: ELOISE.  The Eloise Books were not actually a part of my childhood.

6. Cross-shaped Greek letter: TAU.

7. Second Beatle on the "Abbey Road" cover: RINGO.  *

8. Ambulance patient's MD: ER DOC.  As an Emergency Room Doctor.

9. Scoundrel: SCALAWAG.  Fun word.

10. Fly ball's path: ARC.  Think baseball.

11. "My __ Vinny": 1992 comedy: COUSIN.  This movie is a favorite of many of the regulars on this blog.

12. Show-off: HOTDOG.  A CSO to Misty's dogs.

13. Wound yarn units: SKEINS.  A CSO to our resident knitters.

18. Travel aimlessly: ROAM.  May your roam be on a smooth road and not a Rocky Road.

22. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" host Tyler: AISHA.  Aisha Tyler (née Aisha Naomi Tyler; b. Sept. 18, 1970) is a complete unknown to me.  I watched the show when Drew Carey was the host.  I didn't know it was still on.

24. 1914-'18 conflict, briefly: WWI.  Also known as World War I, the War to End All Wars.

25. Farm grunt: OINK.

26. Nevada casino city: RENO.  Not to be confused with 57-Across.  Reno is also the home of the National Judicial College.  I took some courses there about 20 years ago.

27. Photo session: SHOOT.

28. Latin jazz great Puente: TITO.  Tito Puente (né Ernesto Antoino Puente; Apr. 20, 1923 ~ May 31, 2000) is sometimes called the King of Latin Music.

34. Pres. or P.M.: LDR.  Presidents and Prime Ministers are Leaders of their respective countries.

35. Pulitzer category: DRAMA.

37. Sportscaster Albert: MARV.  Marv Albert (né Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; b. June 12, 1941) was involved in a sex scandal in the late 1990s.

38. Toronto native: ONTARIAN.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

39. LED component: DIODE.

40. Hard-to-miss sign: NEON.

41. Beach pailful: SAND.

44. Summer shirt: TEE.

This shirt is appropriate now.  No need to wait until summer. 

45. Be absorbed gradually: OSMOSE.

46. Farfalle and fusilli: PASTAS.

The Farfalle, also known as Bow Tie,  is on the left.

47. Acting twins Mary-Kate and Ashley: OLSENS.

49. Cambridge chaps: BLOKES.

50. Treaty partner: ALLY.

53. Sandwich shop specification: ON RYE.  We just had some smoked whitefish on rye.  Yummers!

54. Lubricate again: RE-OIL.

55. Like "Stranger Things": EERIE.

60. Numbered hwy.: RTE.

62. Lowest-ranking NCO: CPL.

63. Roulette bet: ODD.  I initially tried Red.  But, instead, we were looking for Even or Odd, not colors.

64. Brewpub pour: ALE.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  I believe that all children should be surrounded by books and animals.  ~  Gerald Durrell (Jan. 7. 1925 ~ Jan. 30, 1995), British naturalist

*   Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion, Henrietta Szold and Theodor Herzl