Friday, Niovember 17, 2023, Jamey Smith

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here, after an extended absence, with today's recap.  Together with Valerie and two close friends, I traveled to Berlin, to the Puglia region of Italy and to Rome.  Berlin was not as interesting as the last time that I was there because, at that time, it was still a divided city.  Yes, it had been that long.  Puglia was nice but not as interesting (to me) as other regions of Italy.  Rome was as crowded as I have ever seen it.  We did eat well so now it's back on a diet and on to the puzzle.

Today's puzzle setter is Jamey Smith who has previously had many puzzles  published in the L.A. Times.  IIRC, Husker Gary recently noted that he (Gary) had reviewed eight of Jamey's theme-less Saturday puzzles.  Today, Jamey gives us five themed answers.  He takes familiar names and items and adds the letter Y to them to create puny, homo-phonic answers.  In each case, the "real" item or name would have an E preceding the Y.

17 Across:  TikTok videos made by athletes?: JOCKY SHORTS.  From "athletes" we derive JOCK and from "videos" we drive SHORTS.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

JOCKEY SHORTS

25 Across:  Small flute made from reclaimed farm wood?:  BARNY FIFE.  From "farm wood" we derive BARN and from "flute" we derive FIFE.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

BARNEY FIFE

35. Across:  Beachcombers' off-season hopes?: SHELLY WINTERS.  From "beachcombers' hopes" we derive SHELL and from "off-season" we derive WINTERS.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

SHELLEY WINTERS

48 Across:  Taverns in cloisters and abbeys?: MONKY BARS.  From "cloisters and abbeys" we drive MONK and from "taverns" we derive BAR.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

MONKEY BARS

57 Across:  Banquet celebrating Ottoman culture?: TURKY DINNER.  From  "Ottoman" we derive TURK and from "banquet" we derive DINNER.  And a Y and we get the answer.

A TURKEY DINNER

Here is how all of this appears in the grid:

... and here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Become more approachable, say: THAW.  A bit of a challenge to start the puzzle . . .

5. "Let me demonstrate ... ": LIKE SO . . . . followed by another answer that could have been many other things.  Thanks, perps.

11. Rx watchdog: FDA. Rx = drug prescription.

14. Palindromic pop quartet: ABBA.  Frequent visitors with almost as many ways to clue it as OREO.

15. God often depicted with green skin: OSIRIS.  I didn't know about the green skin.

16. "Snowy" bird: OWL.  EGRET was too long.

A Snowy Owl

19. Veer back: ZAG.  ZIG being the first movement.

20. Quite the card: RIOT.  Neither a business identifier nor (for example) a poker card.  A humorous person.

21. Wine and dine, maybe: WOO.  What's step one when WOOing a geologist?  Make sure that you smell gneiss.

22. Vox co-founder Klein: EZRA.  An American "progressive" journalist.

23. Spot for a donut: TRUNK.  Eh?  Not the first thing that came to mind but legitimate.  A spare tire that is more compact, lighter (and less expensive) for manufacturers to provide.

27. Broad hat, lotion, shades, etc.: SUN GEAR.

29. Slangy turnarounds: UIES.  U-turns.

30. Tat spot, perhaps: PEC.  Pectoral.

31. Barbara Gordon's alter ego: BATGIRL.

40. Bribes: BUYS OFF.  Hand up for PAYS OFF.

41. Palindromic pop trio: AHA.  a-ha ist eine norwegische Popgruppe.  Completely unfamiliar to this solver.

43. Secular: LAIC.  Of, or relating to, laypersons as opposed to the clergy.

45. Got fit: TONED UP.

52. Like lambs and rams: OVINE.  As opposed, I suppose, to BOVINE.

53. Photoreceptor cell: CONE.  In your eye.

54. Japanese sash: OBI.  Frequently worn in crosswords.

55. Vicinity: AREA.

56. Tempe sch.: ASU.

61. Herbal beverage: TEA.

62. Meandered: SNAKED.

The In-Laws (1979)

63. Optimist's words: I CAN.

64. Weekly skit show, familiarly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live

Trailer for 40th Anniversary

65. Doesn't turn away: ADMITS.  As in allowing entry not as in fessing up.

66. Cheese in a Greek omelet: FETA.

Down:

1. Arabic for "crown": TAJ.  Taj Mahal can be translated as "the best" (crown, epitome) of buildings.

2. Network with programming streamed on Max: HBO.

3. Core workout rep: AB CRUNCH.  I tried to do an intense workout that consisted of 500 sit ups per day but my body could not take the AB use.

4. Coming to: WAKING.  Not as in arriving.

5. Baffled: LOST.  We see ASEA, too.

6. "... or thereabouts": ISH.

7. Native language in Oklahoma: KIOWA.  Less often seen than OTOE, UTE or CREE. . . none of which were going to fit.

8. Possible cause of an unearned run: ERROR.  A baseball reference.

9. Hold back for now: SIT ON.

10. CIA predecessor: OSS.

11. Muppet bear in a pork pie hat: FOZZIE.

12. Overshadows: DWARFS.

13. Pond growth: ALGAE.

18. Join the team?: YOKE.  Nice word play.  Join the team of oxen together.

22. Submit taxes online: E-FILE.  The first of two E-answers.

23. Cough syrup meas.: TSP.  TeaSPoon

24. Feels remorse: RUES.  You will RUE the day that the French name a street after you.

25. Donkey cries: BRAYS.

26. Shelter on the Asian steppes: YURT.

28. Without fumbling: ABLY.  Not a football reference (although it could be).

32. Deuce: TWO.  Not a tennis-score reference.  A card game reference.

33. Natural talents: GIFTS.

34. Deets: INFO.  Slang.  Details.  INFOrmation.

36. Motorized ride: E-BIKE.  The second E-answer.

37. Liu of "Charlie's Angels": LUCY.  A reference to the movie, not the TV show.

38. Bright quality: RADIANCE.

39. Blackball: SHUN.  What can you call an ant that has been SHUNned by its community?  A socially dissed ant.

42. Tailless primate: APE.   What do you call it when APEs battle?  Gorilla warfare.

43. Let out a bit: LOOSEN.

44. Many a garden flower: ANNUAL.  As opposed to a PERENNIAL.

46. Sushi wrapper: NORI.  Frequently consumed in crossword puzzles.

47. Supposing: EVEN IF. 

48. Hurdles for aspiring drs.: MCATS.

49. Like hardcovers: BOUND.

50. TV carpenter Norm: ABRAM.  From the shows This Old House and New Yankee Workshop.

51. Kipling's "__-Tikki-Tavi": RIKKI.

55. Chimes in: ADDS.

57. Airport safety org.: TSA.

58. Thus far: YET.

59. Nosh on: EAT.

60. Genetic molecule: RNA. 

______________________________________________

Saturday, July 8, 2023, Jamey Smith

 Saturday Themeless by Jamey Smith

This is my eighth Saturday Themeless Puzzle of Jamey's I have blogged. He is a former Texas University employe and always supplies a puzzle full of charm and learning.  I fished around for a while for a start and then the gimme long fills in the SE corner sent me firmly on my way to the finish. My only bad cell was at TOMAT_LLOS/CI_. I had no idea about that CIA school and my spin of the vowel roulette wheel failed me.

Across:

1. Mark for good: ETCH.

5. Toon canary's foe: PUDDY TAT - SYLVESTER had one two many letters for Tweety's nemesis

13. NYC nabe: SOHO - An area south of Houston (HOW stun) St. in Manhattan 

14. Grand Canal conveyance: VAPORETTO - We rode on a gondola and VAPORETTO (background) in Venice but had no idea of the name of the latter.

15. Fill: LOAD - Here are some railroad cars getting LOADED with coal that may wind up in my town to keep my a/c going. 🔌

16. Crime fiction by Jo Nesbo, e.g.: NORDIC NOIR - Little by little this unknown made sense to me. Spelling his name Nesbø might have helped. The title of this book translates to Cockroaches in Norwegian. 

17. Sushi order with avocado "scales": DRAGON ROLL.

19. Bankable vacation hrs.: PTO - Paid Time Off. Since we're not likely to see farm equipment here, I thought I'd offer a different PTO.

20. Book with "Solitude" and "The Pond in Winter" chapters: WALDEN - This classic Thoreau book struck me when I carefully reread the chapter names. Pond - duh!

21. Happy cry: YAY.

23. Wipe: ERASE - I love this drawing I found while subbing last year!

24. Pipe choice, initially: PVC - Poly Vinyl Chloride. Quite a difference.

27. Dangerous nestful: WASPS.

31. QB mishap: INT - One measure of good QB's is their Touchdown/Interception ratio. Here are the leaders through this past year

32. First name in the Basketball Hall of Fame: KAREEM - In high school, college and his first years as a pro Kareem Abdul Jabbar went by the name of Lew Alcindor.

35. River in a Best Picture title: KWAI - The Colonel Bogey March from Bridge On The River KWAI is one of the best movie themes ever and can be a genuine ear worm. 

36. After-dinner talk?: WHAT'S FOR DESSERT 😀

39. Time pieces: EONS.

40. Convincing: COGENT.

41. Spanish "here": ACA - I'm told either can be correct for "Don't put the chairs here": No pongan las sillas ACÁ. / No pongan las sillas aquí. 

42. Fighting words?: IT'S ON.

44. Govt. agent: FED.

45. Change one's pants?: ALTER 😀

47. G, in the key of C: SOL 😀 

49. Kicks back: CHILLS.

50. Sound of reproof: TSK.

53. Salsa verde base: TOMATILLOS - Despite the name (tomatillo means “little tomato” in Spanish), tomatillos are not tomatoes but a separate species

57. Bird that appears on the Australian $20 banknote: KOOKABURRA - No emus or ostriches here

     

59. Ceremonial promises: I DO'S

61. "Gorgeous!": OOH PRETTY.

62. Mar liquid: AGUA - Spanish for seawater is AGUA de mar

63. Skittish sorts on TV?: SNL HOSTS 😀 Some are definitely not ready for prime time but are simply the celebrity de jour. 

64. Catches: NETS.

Down:

1. Common adult ed offering: ESL.

2. Cole Porter song whose lyrics mention the Kinsey Report: TOO DARN HOT.

According to the Kinsey Report, ev'ry average man you know
Much prefers his lovey-dovey to court
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes 'way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister, pants for romance is not

3. Mountebanks: CHARLATANS - late 16th century: from Italian montambanco, from the imperative phrase monta in banco! ‘climb on the bench!’ (with allusion to the raised platform used to attract an audience). You're welcome. 

4. San Diego burger chain whose name comes from surfing slang: HODADS - Name for ones who don't surf but hang out on the beach pretending to be surfers.

5. Vikander's "Firebrand" role: PARR - Alicia Vikander plays Catherine PARR, the sixth wife of Henry VIII the only one who outlived him. Two weeks ago Catherine PARR was referenced here as one of the characters in the stage play Six.

6. High style: UP DO 😀 Hairdo

7. Lacy mat: DOILY.

8. Inspector Gadget's nemesis: DR. CLAW - I had no idea but it slowly worked itself out.

9. Craving: YEN.

10. Muscle car feature: T-TOP - I had TACH for a long time.

11. Quarreling: AT IT.

12. Fatty cut at a sushi bar: TORO - Toro in Japanese literally means the bluefin tuna's fatty, expensive belly region 

14. Word in some German names: VON.

16. Partisan leader?: NON - Is there a NONPARTISAN leader around?

18. "Freaks and __": short-lived sitcom with a cult following: GEEKS.

20. Multimedia artist and activist Ai: WEI WEI - In front of his work entitled Forever Bicycles.

22. Himalayan herd: YAKS.

24. Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play about a mathematical genius: PROOF - Synopsis

25. Periphery: VERGE.

26. Gave away: CEDED.

28. Structure for some Indigenous spiritual ceremonies: SWEAT LODGE - Here's a local one

29. Allocates: PARCELS OUT.

30. Raga instruments: SITARS - From July 4 puzzle: 58. Indian lute: SITAR.  Ravi Shankar (April 7, 1920 ~ Dec. 11, 2012) is probably the most well-known sitar player to many Westerners.

33. Titans' gp.: AFC - When we were in Memphis, the Cumberland River had flooded the American Football Conference Tennessee Titans' stadium.

34. Dudes: MEN.

37. Takeout menu possessive: TSO'S.

38. TV journalist Lesley: STAHL.

43. "One Mississippi" creator/star Tig: NOTARO.

46. "The Cat Who ... " series writer's first name: LILIAN - Here's a few

48. Spots for studs: LOBES - A spot for earrings not walls or horse stables

49. Sch. based in Hyde Park, N.Y.: CIA - A group of their chefs lined up outside the Culinary Institute of America. Who knew?

50. MMA calls: TKOS - Mixed Martial Arts is very brutal sport. It is one where you are allowed to continue to hit an opponent who has been knocked to the mat.

51. "Too __?": SOON.

52. Eyeliner option: KOHL - No idea.

54. Benji, e.g.: MUTT.

55. The "A" of STEAM: ARTS.

56. Attempt: TRY.

58. Metric speed meas.: KPH - This is in British Columbia and converts to 75mph

60. Carrier to Oslo: SAS - I could handle their business class accommodations to Oslo!