Friday, March 22, 2019, Peter Koetters

Theme: Look Ma, No ADS!  The letters AD are missing from the ends of each theme answer. (Edited later: AD is moved up at the end of each Across theme entries.)

 

17-Across. Embattled World War II city: STALINGR(AD).  The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the major battles between Russian forces and Nazi Germany.  The city, which is located in the confluence of the  Tsaritsa and Volga rivers, was originally called Tsaritsyn.  In 1925, the name was changed to Stalingrad in 1925 in honor of Joseph Stalin.  Nikita Khrushchev had the name changed to Volograd in 1961.  Just in case it's too subtle, the suffix GRAD means means City in Russian. AD moves up in 8D. Limited-access internet area: DARK WEB.  Everything you wanted to know about the DARK WEB

19-Across. Absolutely bonkers: STARK RAVING M(AD).

Apparently, STARK RAVING MAD was also the name of a short-lived sit-com on NBC. AD moves up to 16. It holds water: DAM.  Can you identify the dam in the background?

36-Across. Capital ESE of Kabul: ISLAMAB(AD).  The capital of Pakistan.  The capital city is located East-SouthEast of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Ad moves up to 27. Pat: DAB.  Here's a DAB of butter on a stack of pancakes.

38-Across. College student: UNDERGR(AD).  The difference in your social life when you transition from being an Undergrad vs. Graduate Student. AD moves up to 32. Tongue-in-cheek award eponym: DARWIN.  Unfortunately, often times the recipient of the Darwin Award ends up dead.

48-Across. Nation of Islam leader who was a mentor to Malcolm X: ELIJAH MUHAMM(AD).  Elijah Muhammad (né Elijah Robert Poole; Oct. 7, 1897 ~ Feb. 25, 1975), was the son of a sharecropper and Baptist lay minister before developing the Nation of Islam, which is an African-American religious and political movement. AD moves up to 44. Stifled: DAMPED.

55-Across. Online annoyances needed to complete five puzzle answers: POP-UP ADS.

Across:

1. Foretold: PRESAGED.

9. Biblical spy: CALEB.  As I am sure you all remember from your Biblical history, after Moses and the Israelites wandered through the desert for 40 years, they came upon the land of Canaan.  Moses sent out 12 men on a reconnaissance trip into Canaan and report back about its cities and inhabitants. Caleb was one of the spies Moses enlisted for this mission.  Ten of the spies feared entering the land, but Caleb and Joshua thought otherwise.  You can find out more about this mission in the Book of Numbers.  Spoiler Alert:  The land was deemed safe enough at the time for entry.

14. California resort island: CATALINA.  Fun things to do on Catalina Island.

15. Let up: ABATED.

18. Lady of Las Palmas: SEÑORA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

21. Source of a mole poblano ingredient: CACAO.  History of Mole Poblano.  The bitter-sweetness of the CACAO counteracts the spiciness of the peppers.   You can get some Mole made with ants at Xochi in Houston, Texas.

24. "Now, where __?": WAS I.  I was having a senior moment, there!

25. Spans often presidentially named: ERAs.

26. '60s Hagman co-star: EDEN.  Think of I Dream of Jeannie.  Barbara Eden (née Barbara Jean Morehead; b. Aug. 23, 1931) and Larry Hagmen (né Larry Martin Hagman; Sept. 21, 1931 ~ Nov. 23, 2012) starred in the television show.

28. Turn: GO BAD.  How long has that milk been in the refrigerator?  It has GOne BAD!

33. Rapper __ Wayne: LIL.  His given name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (b. Sept. 27, 1982).  I am not familiar with his work, but he seems to have a lot of ink.

34. Marble piece: SLAB.

35. Czech currency: KORUNA.  Here are some Czech coins.

39. Partner of Marcus: NEIMAN.  The high-end department store  Or, as we used to call the store ~ Needless Markup.  The store was originally founded by Herbert Marcus (Sept. 6, 1878 ~ Dec. 1950) and his sister, Carrie Marcus Neiman (May 3, 1883 ~ Mar. 5, 1953) in Dallas, Texas in 1907.

I associate the store with Stanley Marcus (né Harold Stanley Marcus; Apr. 20, 1905 ~ Jan. 22, 2002), who was the son of founder Herbert Marcus.

40. Zeno's home: ELEA.  Zeno of ELEA was a pre-Socratic philosopher.  He lived around 495 ~ 430 BCE.  A little before my time.

41. Just out: NEW.

42. Log: ENTER.

43. Deal preceder: ANTE.  Not as a business deal, but the dealing of cards in a poker game.

44. Place to nosh on a knish: DELI.  Yum!

45. Musician Rundgren: TODD.  For years, Liv Tyler (b. July 1, 1977), thought Todd Rundgren (né  Todd Harry Rundgren; b. June 22, 1958) was her father.  Her mother, Bebe Buel (b. July 14, 1953), was living with him at the time, but had a brief affair with Steven Tyler (b. Mar. 26, 1948) of Aerosmith fame.

Todd Rundgren is probably best know for his song, Hello, It's Me.

47. Braves slugger: AARON.  As in Hammerin' Hank Aaron (né Henry Lewis Aaron; b. Feb. 5, 1934).

54. Edible oil: CANOLA.

59. More disturbing, as details: GORIER.  Some of the recipients of the 32-Down Awards meet with very Gory endings.

60. Licorice-flavored brew: ANISE TEA.  Anise tea is actual an herbal tea that is thought to soothe an upset stomach.  How to Make Anise Tea.

61. Because: SINCE.

62. Demoted to the minors: SENT DOWN.  Think baseball.  A player who doesn't do well in the major leagues may be Sent Down to the minor league team.

Down:

1. Many Chrome runners: PCs.  As in Personal Computers.

2. Muppet Rizzo, e.g.: RAT.

Not to be confused with Ratso Rizzo.

3. Greek vowel: ETA.  Not the usual Estimated Time of Arrival we see in the puzzles.

4. Burrito seller's array: SALSAs.  Yum!

5. Ginsburg associate: ALITO.  Fooled me.  I was going for Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960).  Ruth Bader Ginsburg (née Joan Ruth Bader; b. Mar. 15, 1933), Samuel ALITO (né Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.; b. Apr. 1, 1950) and Elena Kagan are all Associate Justices of the United States Supreme Court.

6. Actress Gershon: GINA.  As in Gina Gershon (b. June 10, 1962)

7. Many an RPI grad: ENGR.  Hi, Spitzboov!

9. Honduran homes: CASAS.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

10. He played Fish on "Barney Miller": ABE VIGODA.  Abe Vigoda (né Abraham Charles Vigoda; Feb. 24, 1921 ~ Jan. 26, 2016) was a constant victim of death hoaxes beginning in 1982 when People magazine erroneously reported his death.  He lived another 34 years after this fake news.

11. Legal scholar Guinier: LANI.  Lani Guinier (b. Apr. 19, 1950) was nominated to be the United States Attorney General in 1993.  Unfortunately for her, some of her writings were deemed too controversial, hence her nomination was withdrawn.  She specializes in Civil Rights and is now a law professor at Harvard.

12. "The most private of private schools": Hugh Laurie: ETON.  Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) were classmates at Eton.

13. Marine threat: BERG.  As in an Iceberg.

20. Bled: RAN.  Adding a cup of vinegar or a half cup of salt to the rinse cycle will help hold colors from bleeding in the wash.

21. 2010s Caesars Palace regular, familiarly: CÉLINE.  As in Céline Dion (née Céline Marie Claudette Dion; b. Mar. 30, 1968).

22. Out of the sack: ARISEN.

23. "Heads or tails": CALL IT!

26. Vigorous spirit: ELAN.

29. Claim discovery, perhaps: ORE.

30. Phone in crime shows: BURNER.  Lots of burner phones were used on The Wire.

31. San __, Texas: ANGELO.  I am not familiar with this city in Texas, but here are some fun things to do in San Angelo.

34. Wisenheimer: SMART ALEC.

35. Proposal support?: KNEE.

37. __ Zion Church: AME.  As in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.

38. Last: Abbr.: ULT.  As in the Ultimate.

40. Turn into: END UP AS.

43. Naval brass: Abbr.: ADM.  Grace Murray Hooper (Dec. 9, 1906 ~ Jan. 1, 1992) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.  She was a computer scientist and was involved in the development of COBOL.

46. Orchard Field, today: O'HARE.  The main airport in Chicago was renamed O'Hare in honor of Eddie"Butch" O'Hare (né Edward Henry O'Hare; Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943) who was a naval aviator in the United States Navy.  He was shot down in the pacific theater during World War II.  The name of the airport was changed from Orchard Field to O'Hare International Airport in 1949.

47. Not to be missed: A MUST.  The musical Hamilton is a MUST SEE.  I saw the show last weekend.  It was fabulous!

48. Cardio readout: ECG.  As in an ElectroCardioGraph, sometimes abbreviated as EKG.  

49. Indochinese Peninsula nation: LAOS.

50. Cross letters: INRI.  A crossword staple.  From the Latin phrase: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum.   As we learned from last week's entry in a puzzle, different theologies have slightly different interpretations on how this phrase should be translated.  So, let's just leave this alone.

51. Become part of: JOIN.

52. Refine: HONE.

53. Could hear __ drop: A PIN.

56. Volume One words, perhaps: A TO.  Youch!  This was an evilly tricky clue.  Think of the letters on the spine of an encyclopedia (do they even exist anymore?).  Volume One would contain articles beginning with A to perhaps B.  Or, maybe the first volume of the OED would have these words on its spine.

57. Morning coat?: DEW.

58. Title of respect, in Tokyo: SAN.  Today's Japanese lesson.

Hahtoolah here.  As Lemonade noted last week, he'll be sharing the Friday blog spot.  So, you got me today.  Hope you had as much fun with this puzzle as I did.  Fear not, however, Lemonade will be back (just like Arnold!).   In the meantime,  I will sometimes be sitting in for him on some Fridays.

QOD:  The nice thing about doing a crossword puzzle is, you know there is a solution.  ~  Stephen Sondheim (né Stephen Joshua Sondheim; b. Mar. 22, 1930)

Notes from C.C.: 

1) As Hahtoolah said earlier, she'll sharing the Friday blogging duty with Lemonade from now on.  Lemonade's workload has increased substantially the past few weeks. He does not have extra time for write-up. Each post often takes our team at least 3 hours. Thank you, Lemonade and Susan!
 

2) Happy Birthday to dear Pat (PK on our blog), who turns 78 today. Sorry, CrossEyedDave, I stole your cake again. PK was a newspaper reporter before, hence her always keen observations.

Sunday, February 17, 2019, Ed Sessa

Getting Ahead.  The word Beat can be placed "ahead" of the first word of each starred theme answer to give a common phrase.

22-A. *   Online business-building method: CROWD FUNDING.  If you go shopping on August, you can Beat the Crowd for Christmas shopping.

27-A. *   Las Vegas pros: ODDS MAKERS.  You can Beat the Odds of getting that "must have" Christmas item if you shop in August.

48-A. *   Guinness entries: RECORD SETTERS.  Can you Beat the Record for running the mile? 

81-A. *   User's nightmare: SYSTEM FAILURE.  If you try to Beat the System, you might find yourself in jail.

102-A. *   Zapping direction: HEAT ON HIGH.  If you travel to Antarctica, you can Beat the Heat in Summer.

107-A. *   Nine-to-fiver: CLOCK WATCHER.  Did you Beat the Clock in finishing this puzzle?

31-D. *   Overextended: SPREAD THIN.  Did you Beat the Spread in the Super Bowl?

51-D. *   Where one might idle away the time?: TRAFFIC JAM.  If you leave for work at 4:00 a.m., you may Beat the Traffic in the morning.

And the Unifier:

94-Down. Michael Jackson hit ... or what you can do to the start of each answer to a starred clue: BEAT IT.

Across:

1. Unstressed, as a syllable: ATONIC.  Not the easiest starts for a puzzle.

7. Painter of melting watches: DALÍ.  As in Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

The Meadows Museum at SMU has a fabulous Dalí Collection of work that he did to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the State of Israel.

11. iPhone purchase: APP.

14. A deadly sin: LUST.  My first thought was Envy.  It was the right number of letters!  The other deadly sins are: Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Anger, and Sloth.

18. It's split in a boat: BANANA.

Oh, you wanted this kind of a Banana Split:

19. Command to a junkyard dog: SIC 'EM!

20. Early internet pioneer: AOL.

21. Not fooled by: ON TO.

24. Common Woody Allen character disorders: NEUROSES.

26. Send back, as into custody: REMAND.  Please don't say "remand back."  That is redundant, since the word already means to send back.  One of my pet peeves.

29. Iraq's main port: BASRA.

33. In the past: AGO.  A long, long time Ago ...

34. Comic actor Amsterdam of old TV: MOREY.  Morey Amsterdam (né Moritz Amsterdam; Dec. 14, 1908 ~ Oct. 28, 1996), is best known for his role as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran on TV in the 1960s.

35. "Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail" writer: DONNE.  Words from the English poet, John Donne (Jan. 22, 1572 ~ Mar. 31, 1631).  //  And the cross-reference of 12-Down. 35-Across output: POESY.  An archaic word for Poetry.

36. Call into question: OPPUGN.  Yes, this is a real word.  According to Merriam-Webster, the word has been around in the English language since at least the 15th century.  It comes from the Latin verb Oppugnare.  Op- meaning "against", and Pugnare meaning "to fight."  It originally referred to fighting against something or someone, either physically or verbally.  Okay, now, everyone, use this word in a sentence.  Just kidding!  Please do not!!!

38. Features of academic gowns: HOODS.

More than you ever wanted to known about the origin of academic HOODS.

40. Less lax: TAUTER.

41. St. Patrick's land: EIRE.  Also known as Ireland.

42. F equivalent: E-SHARP.  A musical reference.

45. Like radon, say: INERT.  The gas may be inert, but it is formed by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil.  According to the American Cancer Society, there is a link between Radon and Lung Cancer.

47. "Norma __": RAE.  The name of a 1979 movie starring Sally Field (b. Nov. 6, 1946).

The movie was based on the real-life union organizer named Crystal Lee Sutton (Dec. 21, 1940 ~ Sept. 11, 2009).

51. Pre-flight frisking gp.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

54. One may be played with sticks or brushes: SNARE DRUM.

56. Misplay with matches?: ARSON.  Fun clue.

57. Hawkish god: ARES.  It's Greek to me!

58. Composer Milhaud: DARIUS.  Darius Milhaud (Sept. 4, 1892 ~ June 22, 1974), was a French composer.  I am not familiar with his work, but here is his piece entitled A Frenchman in New York.

59. Hard-to-meet condition: BIG IF.  You want me to do what!!!???

61. Apple browser: SAFARI.  I liked how Safari crossed with 62-Down:  Acrobat maker = ADOBE.

63. Former Bears coach: DITKA.  As in Mike Ditka (b. Oct. 18, 1939).  He also coached the New Orleans Saints in the late 1990s.

65. Satan: BEELZEBUB.  Beelzebub is mentioned in this Queen song:

68. Tips, as a hat: DOFFS.

Do you recognize this former United States President?

69. Minerva's Greek counterpart: ATHENA.  You don't even have to leave this country to see Athena.  There is a large statue of Athena in the Parthenon in Nashville.

71. Smith, at times: SHOER.  As in one who shoes horses.

72. End in grand style: TOP OFF.  Meh!

74. Baseball's Speaker: TRIS.  Tris Speaker (né Tristan Edgar Speaker; Apr. 4, 1888 ~ Dec. 8, 1958) was born and died in Texas, but began his major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.

75. 1970 Neil Diamond hit: SHILO.  Not a fan of Neil Diamond, so you'll have to find this song yourself.

77. Deactivating: DISABLING.

80. Author Rand: AYN.  Any Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982), is probably best known for her books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

84. Company VIP: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

85. Prom attendees: TEENS.

86. Out of class: ABSENT.

87. Open a bit: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

88. Muted to the max: SILENT.

91. Bill's attorney general: JANET.  Janet Reno (July 21, 19938 ~ Nov. 7, 2016), served as the 78th United States Attorney General.  She served during the Clinton Administration, from January 1993 until January 2001.

93. Remove by melting, say: ABLATE.  Another word in today's puzzle that I will probably never have need of using.

95. Pungent green: CRESS.  Cress is a green vegetable  in the cabbage family.

96. Indelicate: CRASS.  Nice to have Crass next to Cress, with only a vowel change.

98. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ.  A reference to The Big Bang Theory.  Not a fan of the show.

101. "__ World": "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S.  Having no young children, I am not up on all the segments of Sesame Street.  I guess he likes to play a SNARE DRUM, though.

104. Seasonal song words after "gay apparel": FA LA LA.  Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly ...

106. Superhero-themed kids' wear: UNDEROOS.  It would be 97-Down to show kids in underwear!

113. Future viewer: SEER.

114. See 103-Down: ARK.  //  And 103-Down:  114-Across Builder = NOAH.  A Biblical reference to Noah's Ark and the 40 days of rain.

115. Main blood vessel: AORTA.

116. Manly: VIRILE.

117. Nine-digit IDs: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

118. "Psst!": HEY!

119. Visual okays: NODS.

120. Tinier than tiny: ATOMIC.  Also a song by Blondie.

Down:

1. Easy comparative: ABC.  This puzzle was almost as easy as ABC.

2. Paving material: TAR.

3. Strawberry Fields benefactor: ONO.  O, NO!  It's Yoko ONO!

4. Rural turndown: NAW.

5. Like some "La Cage Aux Folles" dancers: IN DRAG.  The original French version was even better than the American re-make.

6. Rick's, in film: CAFÉ.  A reference to Casa Blanca.

7. Followed a Hippocratic dictum: DID NO HARM.  The Hippocratic Oath is historically taken by new physicians and they are directed to Do No Harm in the treatment of their patients.

8. Corrosive stuff: ACID.

9. Novelist Deighton: LEN.  Len Deighton (né Leonard Cyril Deighton; b. Feb. 18, 1929), is best known for his spy novels.  Tomorrow is his 90th Birthday, so be sure to wish him a great day!

10. "No more for me": I'M GOOD!

11. Docudramas airer: A AND E.  Usually seen as A&E.

13. Choice: PLUM.

14. Observation point: LOOKOUT.  Here's a lookout point at Mt. Katadin in Maine.

15. Not yet posted: UNSENT.

16. "Tristram Shandy" author: STERNE.  As in Laurence Sterne (Nov. 24, 1713 ~ Mar. 18, 1768).  I have never read any of his works.  The full title of this work is The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and is published in 9 volumes.  That would take some time to read through.

17. Salad preparer: TOSSER.  Awkward!  You might want to Toss a little CRESS into your salad.

19. Reel trouble: SNAG.

23. Actress Thurman: UMA.  Uma Thurman (née Uma Karina Thurman; b. Apr. 29, 1970) is probably best known for her Kill Bill movies, and the famous dance scene in Pulp Fiction.

25. Navigation aids: RADARS.  Radar is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging.  Also used by police to check on speeders.

28. "Frasier" bros., e.g.: DRs.  Both Frasier and his brother Niles, were doctors; psychiatrists, in fact.

29. Transvaal settlers: BOERS.  Transvaal is a province of South Africa.

30. Like lives in hives: APIAN.  Think of the Bees.

32. Have remorse for: RUE.  Also the French word for Street.

34. Cleaning tools: MOPS.

37. "__ say more?": NEED I.  This puzzle is quite clever.   Need I say more?

39. Chicago airport code: ORD.  The airport is O'Hare.  Originally, however, the airport was known as Orchard Field, hence, the airport code ORD.  In 1949, the name was changed to O'Hare to honor Edward Henry O'Hare (Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a World War II flying ace, who was killed in the War.

40. Beach divers: TERNS.

43. Clean with S.O.S: SCRUB.

44. Provides home care services?: HOUSE SITS.

45. "There's no use": IT'S FUTILE!

46. New start?: NEO-.  As in Neoclassic.  The United States Capitol Building is an example of Neoclassic architecture.

48. Played again on TV: RERAN.  Or you can watch a Rerun.

49. Hankering: EAGER.

50. Windy City newspaper, for short: TRIB.  As in the Chicago Tribune.

52. Feudal worker: SERF.

53. Sale stipulation: AS IS.

55. Tools with tines: RAKES.  .

57. CIO partner, familiarly: AF OF L.  As in the American Federation Of Labor.  A bit awkward, I should think.  I am familiar with AFL-CIO, which stands for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

59. Bud's promise: BLOOM.  Think of flowers.  My roses are already in their first bloom of the season.

60. Suffix often meaning "to make": -IZE.  Here is a CustomIZEd vehicle.  What is it, a car or a motorcycle?

63. Facts and figures: DATA.

64. Modest admission: I TRY.

66. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty": EHLE.  As in Jennifer Ehle (b. Dec. 29, 1969).  She is currently 49.  I never saw Zero Dark Thirty and don't recognize this actress.

67. Deck crew boss: BOSUN.

70. Thus far: AS YET.

73. Medicare component: PART A.

76. QVC sister station: HSN.  QVS stands for Quality, Value, Convenience and HSN is the Home Shopping Network.

77. Draws attention (from): DISTRACTS.

78. "Terrif!": NEAT-O!

79. Injures, as a matador: GORES.  From Sonny Stitt's album, The Matadors Meet the Bull.

81. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

82. Cheerful group?: FANS.  Because the Fans full up the Cheering Section of the arena.

83. Debater of Stephen in 1858: ABE.  A reference to the famous (Abraham) Lincoln-(Stephen) Douglas Debates.

85. Marketing hirees: TESTERS.  I suppose.  Usually the testers are volunteers recruited by marketeers.

87. Tide competitor: ALL.  Both are brands of laundry detergent.

88. Speedy ski run: SCHUSS.

89. Dunne and Ryan of cinema: IRENEs.  Irene Dunne (née Irene Marie Dunn; Dec. 20, 1898 ~ Sept. 4, 1990) was before my time with respect to her acting career.

Irene Ryan (née Jessie Irene Noblett; Oct. 17, 1902 ~ Apr. 26, 1973) is best known for her role as Granny Moses on The Beverly Hillbillies.

90. Plodding: LEADEN.

91. Sporty wheels, briefly: JAG.

92. Art movement typified by Sloan's "McSorley's Bar": ASHCAN.  The Ashcan School was an American Art movement that focused on the daily life of the working-class.

96. After-school job: CHORE.  Or, in my house, what we do on the weekends.

97. Not without danger: RISKY.  See 106-Across.

99. __-Seltzer: ALKA.

100. Hinged mouth part: JAW.  Moose Jaw is the 4th largest city in Saskatchewan.  The city used to boast the Largest Moose Statue  in the world, but is currently battling with Norway for that title.

104. Shallow crossing: FORD.  Not Gerald, the former United States President.

105. Kilauea flow: LAVA.  This Hawaiian volcano has been erupting almost continuously for over 35 years.

108. Canterbury can: LOO.  British bathrooms.

109. Vel follower: -CRO.   More than you ever wanted to know about VELCRO.

1
10. "Tell __": Streisand/Dion duet: HIM.  I'll spare your ears on this song, too.

111. Yalie: ELI.  A crossword staple.

112. Remote button: REC.  As in the Record button.

Hope you all had as much fun with this puzzle as I did. Here's the Grid: