Tuesday, June 2, 2020 Debbie Ellerin

Arts and Entertainment.  Each theme answer is a 2-word phrase where the first letter begins with "A" and the second word begins with "E".

17-Across. *   The "bush" type is the largest living land animal: AFRICAN ELEPHANT.

26-Across. *   Dorothy's female caretaker: AUNTIE EM.



47-Across. *   Sasha Fierce, for Beyoncé: ALTER EGO.  I Am ... Sasha Fierce was Beyoncé's 3rd album, which was released in 2008.

61-Across. *   Cardio workout: AEROBIC EXERCISE.  I miss not being able to go to the gym every day.  Exercising at home just isn't the same.



And the Unifier:

40-Across. "Ghost Hunters" channel suggested by the answers to starred clues: A AND E.

Across:

1. Thumb one's nose (at): SCOFF.

6. Type of lamp with a volcanic name: LAVA.

10. Magazine for docs: JAMA.  The Journal of the American Medical Association has been in publication since July 1883.  It is a peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes articles on original  medical research.  It's British counterpart is The Lancet, which is the oldest medical journal.  The Lancet has been in publication since 1823.  It was so named because a lancet was used in bleeding ill patients, which was, at the time, considered the "state-of-the-art" medical treatment.

14. Linney of "Ozark": LAURA.  Laura Linney (née Laura Legget Linney; b. Feb. 5, 1964) also played Sarah in one of Bill G's favorite movie Love Actually.

15. Sign above a door: EXIT.

16. Bullfight shouts:  ¡OLÉs!

20. "For sure!": YES!

21. Tots' sport with bases: T-BALL.

22. Listless feeling: ENNUI.  A crossword staple.

23. Fa-la link: SOL.

24. Eve's second son: ABEL.  //  Not to be confused with 18-Down. Start of a classic palindrome: ABLE.  The entirety of classic palindrome is:  Able Was I Ere I Saw Elba.  It is, ostensibly, attributed to Napoleón.

31. Majors in golf and tennis?: OPENS.

34. __ as a peacock: PROUD.

35. Self-centered: VAIN.

37. __ slaw: COLE.

39. Teen anti-DWI gp.: SADD.   Students Against Destructive Decisions.

41. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.

42. Big name in cosmetics: OLAY.

43. Really excited about: INTO.

44. Ear-to-ear smiles: GRINS.

45. It's taken by a witness, with "the": STAND.

49. Narc's coup: BUST.

51. Binary digit: ONE.

52. Cast a spell on: CHARM.

55. Up and about: AWAKE.

58. Waze display: MAP.  Waze is a GPS navigation software app.  It is owned by Google.

64. Baltic capital: RIGA.

65. Coastal recess: COVE.  Jessica Fletcher lived in Cabot Cove, Maine.

66. Greek column type: IONIC.

67. Poke: PROD.

68. Not new: USED.

69. Salon dos: COIFS.

Down:

1. Leave rolling in the aisles: SLAY.

2. Barista employer: CAFÉ.  A Barista is a person who sells expensive coffee.

3. Shared between us: OURS.  Yours, Mine and Ours was a 1968 movie starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.

4. "TGIF!" time: Abbr.: FRI.  As in the phrase, Thank G-d, It's Friday!

5. Piece of trivia: FACTOID.

6. Dunham of "Girls": LENA.

Lena Dunham (b. May 13, 1986)

7. Ice skating feat: AXEL.  You, too, can learn this skating move with this easy video.  If you do it right, it is an aerobic exercise.

8. Fancy residence: VILLA.

9. Enjoyed the buffet: ATE.

10. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" author: JOHN LE CARRÉ.  John le Carré is the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell (b. Oct. 19, 1931).  He is probably best known for his 1963 novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.  He worked for the British Secret Intelligence Service, until his books really took off.  He then left the MI6 to become a full-time writer.

11. The first "A" in A.A. Milne: ALAN.  Alan Alexander Milne (Jan. 18, 1882 ~ Jan. 31, 1956) wrote   about Winnie-the-Pooh.  The character of Christopher Robin in his books was based on his son, Christopher Robin Milne (Aug. 21, 1920 ~ Apr. 20, 1996).  He hated being tied to his fictional character.

12. List of options: MENU.

13. Italian wine hub: ASTI.

19. Tiny bird call: PEEP.

23. Emulate an American attending the Sorbonne, say: STUDY ABROAD.

25. Humerus, for one: BONE.

26. Lhasa __: small dog: APSO.

27. Eurasian border range: URALS.

28. Greet silently: NOD AT.

29. "Dear __ Hansen": 2017 Best Musical: EVAN.  I saw this musical a year or so ago.  It's about a young boy with social anxiety who invents a role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn.

30. Ray of the tropics: MANTA.  Oh, not a person, but a critter.  Nice misdirection.

32. "It's the truth!": NO LIE!

33. Urban Dictionary focus: SLANG.

36. Pop star: IDOL.

38. Canadian tank filler: ESSO.  This has become a crossword staple.  I'm getting great mileage now. Only down a gallon since I last filled up in March!

40. Gives a hand: AIDS.

44. No-name, as a brand: GENERIC.

46. Unfeeling: NUMB.

48. Drag on a joint: TOKE.

50. Food truck fare: TACOS.

52. Complain: CARP.

53. Designated survivor: HEIR.

54. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

56. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit: WE'VE.  The Carpenters were a brother and sister duo.  Sadly, Karen Carpenter (Mar. 2, 1950 ~ Feb. 4, 1983) died of complications related to anorexia a month before her 33rd birthday.

57. Canceled abruptly: AXED.

58. Prefix with bar or car: MINI.

59. "In your dreams!": AS IF!

60. They're above the abs: PECS.  As in the Pectoral and Abdominal muscles.

62. Post-op stop: ICU.  As in the Intensive Care Unit.

63. Dove's call: COO.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.  ~  Cornel West (né Cornel Ronald West; June 2, 1953), African-American philosopher and social critic

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Seth Geltman and Jeff Chen

Animal Crackers.  You'll crack up when you find the animals in each IDIOM (56-Across).

18-Across. Animal kingdom predator: FOX IN THE HENHOUSE.

29-Across. Animal kingdom traitor: SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

49-Across. Animal kingdom eccentricity: BATS INTHE BELFRY.

62-Across. Animal kingdom complication: FLY IN THE OINTMENT.

And two related theme clues:

56-Across. Figure of speech: IDIOM.

2-Down. Fanatic love of animals: ZOOMANIA.

Across:

1. HIV-treating drug: AZT.  Short for Azidothymidine.

4. Word with contracts or contractions: LABOR.  As in Labor Contracts and Labor Contractions.

9. More brooding: MOPIER.

15. Mauna __: LOA.  Mauna Loa is a Hawaiian volcano that last erupted in April 1984.

16. Frugal way to wed: ELOPE.  Fun new clue for this crossword staple.

17. Big blood vessels: AORTAE.  Plural of Aorta.  You should only have one.

21. Car radio letters: AM/FM.

22. Genius 8000 toothbrushes, e.g.: ORAL-Bs.

23. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Homer Simpson's neighbor.

24. Bakery draw: AROMA.

27. Most populous continent: ASIA.

28. Road Runner stills, e.g.: CELS.

32. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.  Lucy Liu (b. Dec. 2, 1968) played Joan Watson on the television crime series Elementary, which ran from 2012 ~ 2019.

33. Bark holder: TREE.

34. Absorb, with "up": SOP.

35. Speeder's undoing: RADAR.

37. Igor, to Dr. Frankenstein: ASS'T.  Igor was Dr. Frankenstein's assistant.  Dr. Frankenstein created the monster.  Does the clue indicate to you that the answer is an abbreviation?

40. Like Redbox films: ON DVD.

44. __ a plea: COP.

46. One removed by a wine lover: CORK.

48. Musical knack: EAR.

54. Enticement: LURE.

55. Space: ROOM.

57. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

58. Sheena who collaborated with Prince: EASTON.  Sheena Easton (née Sheena Shirley Orr; b. Apr.  27, 1959) and Prince (né Prince Roger Nelson; June 7, 1958 ~ Apr. 21, 2016) first met in 1984 and collaborated on several hit songs.

60. It can end on a high note: ARIA.

66. 1927 movie innovation: TALKIE.  It was also a Walkie.

67. Turkic language: UZBEK.

68. The Bosporus, e.g.: Abbr.: STR.  As in the Borporus Strait.  It is part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.  It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  It is also known as the Strait of Istanbul.  In May 1766, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Bosporus.

69. Zooms: SPEEDS.

70. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Yummers!  I am growing some basil in my garden this year so hopefully I will be able to make some pesto later this summer.

71. PreCheck org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.  I am always happy when  I get the PreCheck mark on my plane ticket.  I have no immediate plans for flying now or in the near future, though.

Down:

1. Two before Charlie: ALFA.

3. It may involve cooking the books: TAX FRAUD.

4. Super Bowl IV MVP Dawson: LEN.  Len Dawson (né Leonard Ray Dawson; b. June 20, 1935) played in one of the early Super Bowl games.  The game was played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.  The Kansas City Chiefs (an AFL team) trounced the Minnesota Vikings (an NFL team) in a score of 23 - 7.

5. PC shortcut key: ALT.

6. __-chic: hippie-influenced fashion style: BOHO.  BoHo apparently stands for Bohemian Homeless.    Who knew?

7. Performs surgery: OPERATES.

8. Go over again: REHASH.

9. Guys' attaché alternatives: MAN BAGS.  Mmmm ... No.

10. Fireworks cries: OOHS!

11. Golf expert: PRO.

12. Apple music app: iTUNES.  I used to get my podcasts from iTunes, but the operating system changed.

13. Stands for oils: EASELS.

14. Clarinets, e.g.: REEDS.

19. "It's just a flesh wound": I'M OK.  I just ran amok.

20. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) was born in Sighet, Transylvania (now a part of Romania).  During World War II, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz.  His mother and sister were immediately killed, but Elie and his father were selected for labor.  They were later transported to Buchenwald.  His father died in Buchenwald, but Elie survived.  He went on to write over 50 book, several of which were about his experience in the concentration camps.  Probably his most famous book is Night, which was originally written and published in French.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian works.  When I was in college, I was fortunate to meet him.

25. Some undergrounds: METROs.  Think of the subway system in Paris.

26. It can be fresh but not insulting: AIR.  Fun clue and answer!

28. Crunch's rank: CAP'N.

29. 35mm camera type: SLR.  As in Single Lens Reflex camera.  We see this a lot in the puzzles, but what does it really mean?  Find out here.

30. Cultural funding gp.: NEA.  As in the National Endowment for the Arts.

31. Swindled: ROOKED.

36. Entr'__: ACTE.  Today's French lesson.  It literally means "between the acts".

38. Work a crowd: SCHMOOZE.

39. Digit for water testing?: TOE.

41. Clear-cut, as for lumber: DEFOREST.

42. Pesky critters: VARMINTS.

43. Parched: DRY.

45. Pittsburgh team: PIRATES.

47. Stat for the 45-Down: RBI.  As in Runs Batted In.  I think Hank Aaron (b. Feb. 5, 1834) still leads with the most runs with 2,297 RBIs.

49. Gunny sack fabric: BURLAP.

Burlap Tote ~ It's BOHO Chic.

50. Socks pattern: ARGYLE.  Why Argyle is a pattern for socks and not suits.

51. Enjoy a bagel, say: NOSH.  I had the plural of this word last week.  It comes from the Yiddish word נאַשן, meaning "to nibble on".

52. Add: TOTE UP.

53. Actor Neeson: LIAM.  Liam William Neeson (b. June 7, 1952) was married to Natasha Richardson.  He played Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler's List.

54. Artists' pads: LOFTS.

58. City west of Tulsa: ENID.  Enid make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is the 9th largest city in Oklahoma.  Can you name the 8 largest cities in Oklahoma?

59. Pen points: NIBS.

61. First razor with a pivoting head: ATRA.

63. Pres. after Harry: IKE.  As is Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969), who was President immediately after Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972).

64. Site-seeing place, with "the": NET.  As in the Internet.

65. Ring ref's decision: TKO.  As in Technical Knock Out.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.  ~  Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015), American baseball player and coach