Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Janice Luttrell

Haute Couture, or the creation of exclusive high-end fashion.  The letters in the circles spell out sewing terms.  Seams and Hems can be found in just about all clothing, high fashion or not.  Darts are found in women's dresses, blouses, and many styles of pants.

20-Across. Studio co-founded by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and others: UNITED ARTISTS. DARTs are folds (tucks coming to a point) sewn into fabric to take in ease and provide shape to a garment, especially for a woman's bust.  United Artists was founded in February 1919.

24-Across.  Like Vera Wang and I.M. Pei:  CHINESE AMERICAN.  A SEAM is the joining of two or more layers of fabric held together with stitches.  Vera Wang (née Vera Ellen Wang; b. June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer, so she is quite familiar with the sewing terms in this puzzle.  I. M. Pei (né Ioeh Ming Pei; Apr. 26, 1917 ~ May 16, 2019) was an especially creative architect. Two of his iconic designs are the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts and the Dallas City Hall.  was born in Guangzhou, China.  He moved to the United States when he was 17 to attend college.  He became a naturalized citizen in 1954.  He was 

43-Across. Completely unplanned: SPUR OF THE MOMENT.  In sewing, a HEM is the finished edge of a piece of cloth.  It often refers to the bottom of a skirt or the legs of pants.

And the unifier:

49-Across. Social groups that work on embroidery projects, or what can be found three times in this puzzle?: SEWING CIRCLES.  The circles in the puzzle are necessary for this clue and answer to fully make sense.  Additionally, an embroidery CIRCLE is a necessity for embroidery projects.

Across:

1. Taken __: surprised: ABACK.

6. Oscar winner Guinness: ALEC.  That's Sir Alec to you.  Alec Guinness (né Alec Guinness de Cuffe; Apr. 2, 1914 ~ Aug. 5, 2000) was an English actor.  He began his stage career in 1934, then made the transition to a film career.  He is best known to me as portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movies.

10. Think (over): MULL.

14. Heartless: CRUEL.

15. Showroom sample: DEMO.

16. Length x width: AREA.

17. Soup scoop: LADLE.

18. "Sunflowers" and "Water Lilies": PAINTINGS.  Vincent Van Gogh (né Vincent Willem van Gogh; Mar. 30, 1853 ~ July 29, 1890) made numerous paintings of sunflowers.  Claude Monet (né Oscar-Claude Monet; Nov. 14, 1840 ~ Dec. 5, 1926) was fond of painting the water lilies in his garden in Givenry, France.

Some of Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Monet's Water Lilies

22. Eggy holiday drink: NOG.

23. Air traffic org.: FAA.  As in the Federal Aviation Administration.

33. Luxury watch brand: ROLEX.

34. The red planet: MARS.  Did you know that Mars named after the Roman god of war because its red color reminded them of blood?

35. The "A" of IPA: ALE.  As in India Pale Ale.  The backstory of India Pale Ale.

36. Numbered musical composition: OPUS.

37. Manicure targets: NAILS.

39. Fencer's handful: HILT.

40. Telluride or Escalade: SUV.  Both are Sports Utility Vehicles.  The Telluride is made by Kia and the Escalade is made by Cadillac.

41. Fireplace stack: LOGS.

42. Muscular strength: SINEW.

47. Always, poetically: EER.

48. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.

56. Careful examination: CLOSE LOOK.

58. __ and kicking: ALIVE.

59. Assistant: AIDE.

60. Folk tales: LORE.

61. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.  Nadia Elena Comăneci (b. Nov. 12, 1961) is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events.  In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.  In 1996, she married fellow gymnast Bart Conner (b. Mar. 28, 1958).

62. Paella vegetables: PEAS.  Yummers!

63. Absolut rival: SKYY.  There are lots of brands of vodkas out there.  Here is one man's review of many vodka brands.

64. Beginning stage: ONSET.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

Down:

1. First Amendment advocacy gp.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union.  The ACLU was founded on Jan. 19, 1920.

2. High-fiber cereal ingredient: BRAN.

3. German auto: AUDI.  A history of the Audi.  This car manufacturer also makes SUVs.

4. Gael, for one: CELT.

5. Facial tissue brand: KLEENEX.  Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Corporation. The generic term for Kleenex is facial tissue.  "Kleenex" has become so commonly used that it's now considered interchangeable with the generic term "tissue".

6. Newspaper income source: AD PAGE.

7. Shakespearean king with three daughters: LEAR.  King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.  It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain.  As King Lear approached his old age, he divides his power and land between his daughters Goneril and Regan, who pay homage to gain favor, feigning love.  Our friend, Old Man Keith could have told us a lot about this Shakespearian play.

8. Give off: EMIT.

9. Many Christmas trees: CONIFERS.  Conifers produce cones instead of flowers or fruit.  The name "conifer" comes from the cones that produce seeds.

10. Rum and Curaçao cocktail: MAI TAI.  Yummers!  One version of how the drink came into being.

11. Large coffee dispensers: URNS.

12. Table support: LEG.

13. __ Vegas: LAS.  Las Vegas, Nevada was founded in 1905 as a railroad stop in the desert between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.  It wasn't until the 1940s that it became the gambling mecca that it is known for today.

19. Former Russian rulers: TSARs.  The term tsar, a form of the ancient Roman imperial title caesar.  The title was first used by Ivan IV, (b. Aug. 25, 1530 ~ Mar. 1584) when he proclaimed himself as Tsar.  He was also known as Ivan the Terrible.

Tsar Ivan IV

21. Spanish two: DOS.  Today's Spanish lesson.

24. Symbol of Christianity: CROSS.  Apparently there are various versions of the cross and its history pre-dates Christianity.

25. Invitation to a dog while patting the bed, perhaps: HOP UP.

26. Candy heart words: I LUV U.

27. Super Mario Bros. console: NES.

28. Barn-raising sect: AMISH.

29. "Bad" prefix: MAL-.

30. "Alfie" star Michael: CAINE.  That's Sir Michael to you.  His given name is actually Maurice Joseph Micklewhite (b. Mar. 14, 1933).

31. "The Bear" Emmy winner Jeremy __ White: ALLEN.  Jeremy Allen White (b. Feb. 17, 1991) portrays Carmy Berzatto, a chef inherits his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother.  He is left to deal with his brother's unresolved debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff, while dealing with his own pain and family trauma.   The Bear is considered a "psychological comedy-drama."

32. Food package abbr.: NET WT.  As in Net Weight.

37. Without any extras: NO FRILLS.

38. Simon Cowell's competition show, briefly: AGT.  As in America's Got Talent.

39. He/__ pronouns: HIM.

41. "My Fair Lady" composer Frederick: LOEWE.  Frederick Loewe (né Friedrich "Fritz" Löwe; June 10, 1901 ~ Feb. 14, 1988) was an American composer.  He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (Aug. 311, 1918 ~ June 14, 1986) on many of Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon and Camelot, as well as My Fair Lady.

42. Opera heroine, often: SOPRANO.

44. Big name in peanut butter candy: REESES.  Yummers!

45. "Get me outta here" button: ESC KEY.

46. "Pretentious? __?": MOI.

49. Fountain drink: SODA.

50. Alcove: NOOK.

51. Unpleasant, as details: GORY.  Cartoonist Edward Gorey (Feb. 22, 1925 ~ Apr. 15, 2000) often created gory cartoons.  His name was very appropriate.

52. Family: CLAN.

53. Tupperware toppers: LIDS.  Tupperware containers were invented in the 1940s by Earl Tupper (né Earl Silas Supper; July 28, 1907 ~ Oct. 5, 1983).

54. Pop singer Sands: EVIE.  Evie Sands (b. July 18, 1946) is probably best known for her 1967 song, Angel of the Morning.

55. Airplane assignment: SEAT.

56. Ballplayer's hat: CAP.

57. Fib: LIE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Many thanks to Anon-T and Naomi Z for filling in on Tuesdays while I was away down under.

Businesses closed due to Snow!

Notes from C.C.:

1) Welcome back, Hahtoolah!

2) Happy 77th birthday to Madame DeFarge! Hope you're doing well, Janice, we miss your presence on the blog.

 

From L To R: Abejo, WikWak and Madame DeFarge

 

3) Happy birthday to sumdaze, our creative and loving Monday Sherpa. Renee is also a triathlete, who runs, bikes and swims long distance. 

4) Happy 17th birthday to our blog! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.

Monday December 30, 2024 Janice Luttrell

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here, blogging my fourth and final Janice Luttrell puzzle for the year. This time Janice takes a shot at a puzzle with three currency words used in other contexts.

Theme:    

BANK SHOT

These are the themed clues & answers:

16 Across. Form submitted to the post office before moving: CHANGE OF ADDRESS.  

There was a lot of this going on these past few (hectic) weeks.

25 Across. Actor who played the U.S. president in "Independence Day": BILL PULLMAN.  (b. Dec. 17, 1953.  Note:  This was a 41-Down year.)

Pullman, in the 1996 film and today
He usually plays very likable characters.

43 Across. Part of a hotel lobby: CHECK-IN DESK.  

55 Across. "You can count on that!," and a hint to the starts of 16-, 25-, and 43-Across: TAKE IT TO THE BANK.  

CHANGE, BILLs, and CHECKs are all things you can TAKE TO THE BANK.

CHANGE also made me think about dropping coins into a piggy BANK.

Across:

1. Fancy-schmancy: POSH.  According to Gobsmacked!: The British Invasion of American English by Ben Yagoda, POSH came from the British military as a term to mean "superior clothing, or articles of attire other than those issued by and strictly conforming to regulations."

5. Work out details ahead of time: PLAN.  Spontaneous events turn out better if you PLAN a bit first.

9. Falsehoods: LIES.  

People do this. They say, "Only joking," when they really meant it.

13. Capri, for one: ISLE.  Yes, Capri pants are named after this ISLE.

14. Krispy __: KREME.    

Dexter knew that no one suspects the doughnut guy.

15. Golden State sch.: UCLA.  I know that California's nickname is The Golden State and that UCLA is short for University of California, Los Angles; but is there another connection between these two terms other than "California"? Could this clue could refer to any CA school?

19. Wood-cutting tool: SAW.  It can also be a musical instrument. In this 56 sec. video, a woman plays Somewhere Over the Rainbow on a SAW. Just amazing!  

20. Thoroughly engrossed: RAPT.  I felt utterly RAPT watching this raptor fly.  

21. "How Do I Live" singer LeAnn: RIMES.

22. Source of harm: BANE.  

Gophers!!!

23. Carne __ tacos: steak dish: ASADA.  ASADo or ASADA? "Meat" is a feminine noun in Spanish so the last letter is an "A".

29. Taxi: CAB.

32. Gemstone with bands of color: AGATE.  

for example

33. "Othello" villain: IAGO.  Shakespeare

34. "Ben-__": HUR.  Hollywood

35. Smokehouse fare: RIBS.  

I bet Fred was on a paleo diet.

36. Sudden shocks: JOLTS.  

38. Have a meal: DINE.

39. Time for last-minute wrapping: EVE.  as in "the night before you give the gift"

40. Soft drink: SODA.

41. __ Barbara, California: SANTA.  CSO to Picard!  This 3:41 min. video shows highlights of this gorgeous area.  

42. "Lust for Life" singer Lana __ Rey: DEL.

46. Large water pipes: MAINS.  They replaced the one on my street last summer. It is an extremely noisy process.

48. Rough figs. from the cockpit: ETAS.  These rough figures from airplane pilots are Estimated Times of Arrival. 

Note: Pluralizing initialisms can get tricky.

49. Accessory that may match mittens: SCARF.  

51. Potato __ race: SACK.  

52. Greyhound vehicle: BUS.  CSO to Jinx & Zoe!  

The Bus

I stumbled upon this Billy Jonas record several years ago when I was in Ashville, NC.

It's a bit different -- but it makes you think about the people around you and their stories.

59. "You said it!": AMEN.

60. "Yippee!": OH BOY.

61. No-frills grocery chain: ALDI.  Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by the same people.

62. Filmmaker Ephron: NORA.

63. Deadpool player Reynolds: RYAN.  Deadpool is a Marvel Comics character. He is the wisecracking alter ego of Wade Wilson, a Canadian by birth. Ryan Reynolds (also Canadian) played Deadpool in four movies. Here is the trailer for the first one (2016):  

64. Hilarious person: RIOT.  

Down:

1. Snapshots, casually: PICS.

2. Workplace standards org.: OSHA.

3. Cabbage side often made with mayo: SLAW.     and     22 Down. Sandwiches often made with mayo: BLTS.

Speaking of mayo, How about "Beverage made with mayo"? I am not telling 9-Acrosses. Last month this "mayonnaise-style drink", now sold in Japan, was in the news. I avoid mayo; so, when I lived there, I learned to identify this word on packaging early on.  

4. Cornish game __: HEN.  They can be male, too!  all your questions answered here

5. Move forward: PROPEL.  Def.: (verb) to drive forward or onward by or as if by means of a force that imparts motion.

6. "L," on an earbud: LEFT.  I love, love, love my bone conduction headphones. This 44 sec. video explains how they differ from earbuds.  

7. Doctors org.: AMA.  organization and American Medical Association

8. Actor Beatty: NED.  (1937-2021)  He has 163 actor credits on IMDb.

Ned voiced the character Lotso in Toy Story 3 (2010).

9. Cheaply sensational: LURID.  

10. Hotel fixture that fills buckets: ICE MACHINE.

11. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

12. Back talk: SASS.

14. Actor Reeves: KEANU.  his IMDb page

17. Purple flavor: GRAPE.  I thought of Jolly Ranchers.  

18. Clog-busting brand: DRANO.

23. Amo, amas, __: AMAT.  Latin for "I love", "you (singular) love", and "he/she/it loves"

24. Droops: SAGS.  This is a 2006 John Mayer song called Gravity:  

Oh, graity is working against me

And gravity wants to bring me down.

Oh twice as much ain't twice as good

And can't sustain like one half could

It's wanting more

That's gonna send me to my knees

25. __ one's soul: BARED.

26. "Uncle!": I GIVE.  Last Monday we had 5-Across. "I give up!" as the clue for UNCLE.

27. Small printer with a built-in keyboard: LABEL MAKER.   Did anyone else think of this 1995 Seinfeld episode with guest star Bryan Cranston?  (5:14 min.)

28. Fragrant shrub: LILAC.

30. Mom's sisters: AUNTS.     and     38 Down. Fathers: DADS.

31. Short holiday: BREAK.

36. "Grease" star Travolta: JOHN.  (b. Feb. 18, 1954)

Travolta, now & then

37. Poems of praise: ODES.

40. Futuristic genre: SCI-FI.

41. Slithering reptile in the Chinese zodiac: SNAKE.  SNAKE years are 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025.

44. Diane of "Book Club": KEATON.  (b. Jan. 5, 1946)

45. Like a mosquito bite: ITCHY.  My mosquito repellent trick is to stand next to DH. They are attracted to him so they leave me alone.

47. Sports venue: ARENA.  Here is some timely trivia around the new Gladiator II movie:  The distinction between ARENA, amphitheater, and colosseum is that the ARENA floor is the elliptical space in the center of the Colosseum, toward which the 360 degree seats of the amphitheater face.  

49. Lee of Marvel Comics: STAN.  (1922-2018)

50. Covert ops garb, for short: CAMO.  Ops is short for "operations", so did we need for short in the clue?

51. Japanese noodle: SOBA.  

These SOBA noodles have a mayonnaise sauce.

52. Indonesian island in the Coral Triangle: BALI.  

53. Word processor command: UNDO.  A word processor is a device that uses computerized and/or text editing equipment to produce type-written documents (such as business letters). Microsoft Word is an example of word processing software.  

54. Comedy sketch: SKIT.

56. The Blue Jays, on ESPN crawls: TOR.  as in TORonto

57. Quaker possessive: THY.  

58. Saloon: BAR.  This is the saloon scene from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).

Warning:  This is a Coen brothers film so expect the bad guy to meet a violent end.

And now for a grid you can bank on:

That's it. I'm all cashed out. Happy New Year, everyone!