Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Rena Cohen

 Theme:  It all works out in the end, if you have the right beginning. Is that too enigmatic?  All will become clear, I hope.  Lets have a look at the theme fill, and hope for a silver lining.

20. Broadway contender's number: AUDITION SONG.   A short performance to test the talents of a musician, singer, dancer, or actor.

31. Item that may spruce up empty floor space: ACCENT RUG.   A small rug that can be placed in areas where larger rugs wouldn't fit. They're generally 4'x6′ or smaller. 

38. Check for immunity: ANTIBODY TESTING.   Antibody tests (serology tests) look for antibodies in your blood. Antibodies are proteins your immune system makes to fight infection. These tests help your provider confirm a diagnosis of a wide range of diseases, disorders and infections, 

45. Last part of a relay: ANCHOR LEG.    The final position in a relay race. Typically, the anchor leg of a relay is given to the fastest or most experienced competitor on a team. The athlete completing the anchor leg of a relay is responsible for making up ground on the race-leader or preserving the lead already secured by their teammates.

56. Positive spin on a bad situation, or a feature of 20-, 31-, 38-, and 45-Across: SILVER LINING.  An advantage that comes from a difficult or unpleasant situation: When things look black, there's always a silver lining.

The only thing I can find in common among these theme fill is the first and last letters of each entry.  These are AG, the chemical symbol for the precious metal SILVER.   This symbol derives from the Latin argentum and Sanskrit argunas from "bright."   So, between these letters, the rest of the fill becomes the lining.  To pick a nit, the lining should be on the inside, while the AG is on the outside, and this did throw me off for a while.  But, I guess, you can't have everything. 

Here's today's theme song.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to lead this mining expedition.  Let's see what other precious items we can find.

Across

1. __ Romeo: motorsport brand: ALFA.   Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe. It was founded on 24 June 1910 in Milan, Italy, as A.L.F.A., an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. The brand is known for sport-oriented vehicles and has been involved in car racing since 1911

5. Soccer goal material: MESH.  Material made from a network of wire or thread.

9. Congressional hearings airer: C-SPAN.  The  Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network.   C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates.  It televises proceedings of the United States federal government and other public affairs programming.

14. Momentarily: SOON.  A short period of time.  

15. Hybrid or coupe: AUTO.   Types of motortcars.

16. In the know: AWARE.   Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.

17. App store image: ICON.   A symbol or graphic representation on a screen of a program, option, or window, especially one of several for selection.

18. 47-Down woman: FRAU.  The German word for woman.

19. Gave an identity: NAMED.  As defined.

23. Presidential advisory gp.: NSC.  National Security Council.  The President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his or her senior advisors and cabinet officials.  N.B. the abbrv in clue and ans,

24. Dachshund's bark: YAP.  A high pitched canine utterance.

25. U2 collaborator Brian: ENO.  Brian Peter George Eno [b. 1948] also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambient music and electronica, and for producing, recording, and writing works in rock and pop music. 

26. Roman time unit: ORA.  An hour, mis-splt.  S/b HORA.

29. Amoxicillin target: STREP.  Short for streptococcus, a bacterium of a genus that includes the agents of souring of milk and dental decay, and hemolytic pathogens causing various infections such as scarlet fever and pneumonia..

34. Caesar's final day: IDES.  He was murdered on the IDES of March.  The IDES was a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.

36. __ Vegas: LAS.  A municipality in Nevada, aka Sin City.  It is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States.

37. Prefix with -syncrasy: IDIO-.  An idiosyncracy is a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.

42. "Not so fast": WAIT.   Hold on a sec.

43. Rust color: RED.  A color at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet, as of blood, fire, or rubies.

44. Filmmaker Ethan or Joel: COEN.    An American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. 

48. Netflix genre: DRAMA.   A written work that tells a story through action and speech and is meant to be acted on a stage

51. "__ queen!": YAS.   A term you say in response to someone fabulous. It's the equivalent of saying, “fierce,” “YES” or “you do you!” You're practically celebrating someone for what they're doing, how they look, or for what they've said.

52. Luau garland: LEI.  A garland or wreath common in Hawaii, across Polynesia, and the Philippines. 

53. Teamwork impediment: EGO.   The part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.  If not controlled, it can lead to an elevated sense of self-importance.

55. Woodsman material, in Oz: TIN.  Tin is a chemical element; it has the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort.

59. Course for a class pres., maybe: AP GOV.  Advanced Placement is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students.  In a Government course, students learn about the structure of government and how it shares power at the local, state and federal levels. 

62. "Sesame Street" toddler: ELMO.

63. Ice cream parlor option: CONE.   An ice cream cone or poke is a brittle, cone-shaped pastry, usually made of a wafer similar in texture to a waffle, made so ice cream can be carried and eaten without a bowl or spoon.  

64. __ dog: CHILI.    A hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. 

65. Coastal inlets: RIAS.   A ria is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea.

66. Indigo shrub: ANIL.   Indigofera suffruticosa, commonly known as Guatemalan indigo, small-leaved indigo (Sierra Leone), West Indian indigo, wild indigo, and anil, is a flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae.   Anil is native to the subtropical and tropical Americas, including the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as northern Argentina. This species has been widely introduced to other parts of the world and today has a pantropical distribution.

67. -Ish: KINDA.   A suffix indicating near similarity.

68. Longings: YENS.  Strong feelings of wanting or wishing for something.  I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the yen to travel.  [This is literally true.  Our oldest granddaughter, Amanda, is dancing at Tokyo Disney.  We considered gong to see her perform, but decided the 14 hour plane trip was more than we could endure.]

69. On a ferry, perhaps: ASEA.  At sea.   Or maybe confused while on a boat.

Down:

1. Sri Lankans, e.g.: ASIANS.  Any inhabitant of a country located in the Asian continent.

2. Swarming insect: LOCUST.  Locusts are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious.

3. Writers with good taste, hopefully: FOOD CRITICS.  A food critic, food writer, or restaurant critic is a writer who analyzes food or restaurants and then publishes the results of their findings to the public. Although these terms are not strictly synonymous, they are often used interchangeably. 

4. Roman time units: ANNI.   Years.  Unus annus est VMMMDCCLX horis.

5. Party game also known as "Werewolf": MAFIA.  Mafia, also known as Werewolf, is a Russian social deduction game created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986. The game models a conflict between two groups: an informed minority (the mafiosi or the werewolves) and an uninformed majority (the villagers). At the start of the game, each player is secretly assigned a role affiliated with one of these teams.

6. Icy moon of Jupiter: EUROPA.   Europa, or Jupiter II, is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter, and the sixth-closest to the planet of all the 95 known moons of Jupiter. It is also the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System.

7. Swiftie or Belieber: STAN.   An extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan.

8. Feline friend: HOUSE CAT.   A domestic cat, especially one kept as an indoor household pet.

9. Unusual instrument in the "1812 Overture": CANNON.  Here is a relevant excerpt.

I've played this, but not with real canons.

10. College tour giveaways: SWAG.  SWAG is free promotional merchandise such as branded apparel, drinkware, stationary, accessories, or any memorable gift item given to clients, employees, or meeting attendees for marketing, awareness, and branding purposes.

11. Conagra cooking spray brand: PAM.  PAM is a cooking spray currently owned and distributed by ConAgra Foods. Its main ingredient is canola oil.   PAM was introduced in 1959 by Leon Rubin who, with Arthur Meyerhoff, started PAM Products, Inc. to market the spray. The name PAM is an acronym for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.

12. "My lips __ sealed": ARE.  All your secrets are safe with me.

13. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr., commonly referred to by his surname, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, cheery next-door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally loathed by Homer Simpson, though there are numerous instances where the two are portrayed as good friends.

21. One with an easygoing personality: TYPE B.   Type A and Type B personality hypothesis describes two contrasting personality types. In this hypothesis, personalities that are more competitive, highly organized, ambitious, impatient, highly aware of time management, or aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed, "receptive", less "neurotic" and "frantic" personalities are labeled Type B.

22. "Nearly done ... ": ONE SEC.   Wait.

26. Rabbinical students' goals: ORDINATIONS.   Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. 

27. Tulum attraction: RUIN.   Tulum is a resort town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, around 130 km south of Cancún. The 13th-century, walled Mayan archaeological site at Tulum National Park overlooks the sea. It incorporates the clifftop Castillo, built as a watchtower, and the Templo de las Pinturas, with a partially restored mural. Inland, the Cobá archaeological site has pyramid-shaped temples with views over the surrounding jungle.

28. Waiting eagerly: AGOG.   Very eager or curious to hear or see something.

30. Wharton who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: EDITH.   Edith Wharton 1832 - 1937] was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray realistically the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence.

32. Drexler who was part of Houston's Phi Slama Jama in the early 1980s: CLYDE.   Clyde Austin Drexler (b.1962) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), spending a majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time NBA All-Star and named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Drexler won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995, and earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team".

33. Chemical concentration measurement: TITER.   Titer or titre is a way of expressing concentration. Titer testing employs serial dilution to obtain approximate quantitative information from an analytical procedure that inherently only evaluates as positive or negative. The titer corresponds to the highest dilution factor that still yields a positive reading.

35. Sour salad green: SORREL.   A perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock. Sorrel is native to Eurasia and a common plant in grassland habitats. It is often cultivated as a leaf vegetable or herb.

38. Not sporting home colors: AWAY.  Said of a team playing at the opponents' field, court, or arena

39. Granny: NANA.  Familiar terms for a grandmother. 

40. Amazon drop-off: DELIVERY.  The process of transporting goods from a source location to a predefined destination. 

41. "Likewise!": SO DO I.  Me, too!

46. "Drivers License" singer Rodrigo: OLIVIA.  Olivia Isabel Rodrigo [b. 2003] is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first rose to prominence for starring on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark and the Disney+ series High School Musical: 

47. Austria's language: GERMAN.   German language, official language of both Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland. German belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European language family, along with English, Frisian, and Dutch.

49. Mouse with a polka-dotted dress: MINNIE.   Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers and low-heeled shoes occasionally with ribbons on them.

50. Actress Lansbury: ANGELA.   Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury DBE [1925 - 2022] was a British and American actress. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles across film, stage, and television. Although based for much of her life in the United States, her work attracted international attention.

54. Lip __: GLOSS.   Lip gloss is a cosmetic used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes to add a subtle color. It is distributed as a fluid or a soft solid The product is available in ranges of opacity from translucent to solid and can have variously frosted, glittery, glossy, and metallic finishes.

56. Auctioneer's cry: SOLD.  An auctioneer is a person who conducts auctions by accepting bids and declaring goods sold.

57. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel [1928 - 2016] was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

58. Sweet Sixteen org.: NCAA.  National Collegiate Athletic Association.

59. "Gah!": ACK.   Expressions of dismay or disgust.

60. Upsilon neighbor: PHI.   Greek Letters.

61. Negroni liquor: GIN.  The Negroni is made with 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari an 1 oz sweet vermouth, garnished with an orange peel.

I had fun with this puzzle and I hope you did, too.  Did it test your mettle?  Would you give it a medal for it's SILVER metal?

Cool regards, my precious friends.
JzB

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Alex Rosen & Brad Wilber

Theme:  I Get A Rise Out Of You [or maybe not.] We have a circled letter theme, where the circles are contiguous, but not aligned - except for the last one.  And 4 of the 5 spell words with something in common.  The last one is the opposite.  Let's start with the 80% unifier.

7 D. Unlike bread on Passover, and like four of the five sets of circled letters in this puzzle:  LEAVENED.   Containing yeast or another substance that will cause the dough to rise - we'll get back to this.  I understand the best place to get a fast food Passover diner is Seder Rapids.

17 A. Hoodwink: FOOL.  Trick somebody, out of playfulness, malice or greed.

and

20 A. Fad toy with unruly hair: TROLL.  A troll doll is a type of plastic doll with furry up-combed hair depicting a troll, also known as a Dam doll after their creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. The inspiration came from trolls in old Scandinavian folklore. The toys are also known as good luck trolls.

Reading left to right across the two lines, the red letters [circled in the grid] spell ROLL.  A bread roll is a small, usually round or oblong individual loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment. 

19 A. Analogous: AKIN.  Of a similar nature or character.

and

23 A. Impertinence: CHEEK.  lack of respect; rudeness.

Reading these in a manner akin to that used with 17 and 20A, we get CAKE.  Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked.  The most common ingredients include flour, sugar, eggs, fat (such as butter, oil, or margarine), a liquid, and a leavening agent, such as baking soda or baking powder. 

49 A. Lack of waste: ECONOMY.   A careful management of available resources.

and

56 A. Amplify, as on social media: SHARE.  To repost on a social media platform.  Often this is done to broaden the audience.  Sometimes I'll do it to ridicule the original post.
The red letters here give us a tasty SCONE.   A scone is a traditional British baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans.

52 A. Not just irks: ENRAGES.  Incites extreme anger.

and

59 A. Court for King James, briefly: B-BALL.  LeBron and Basketball, no doubt.  Clever clue.

This combination gives us a BAGEL.  A bagel is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior.

Now, last, but not yeast --  61. Passover cracker: MATZO.  Matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which chametz [leavening] is forbidden.  So this is a bread that does not rise.

Some features of this very elegant grid --

Perfect bilateral symmetry;

Perfectly symmetric placement of the leavened theme entries;

Central location of the vertical unifier;

Central across placement of the 5th, unleavened theme entry.

And the most clever of all - each of the leavened entries, located in two adjacent across lines, rise in the middle, as good leavened fill should.   And the MATZO, of course, does not.  WOW!

By the way, Passover this year started at Sundown on Monday.  Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach.

Hi, Gang - an awestruck JzB here to illuminate this highly elevated puzzle.    Let's see what else comes up.

Across:

1. Doughy: SOFT.  Well, this was an extremely doughy puzzle, but I thought it was kind of hard, or maybe bagelish.

5. Ramsey of "The Last of Us": BELLA.   Isabella May Ramsey [b 2003] is a non-binary English actor. They are known for their break-out role as young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones and Ellie in the HBO drama series The Last of Us. They received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the latter. 

10. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Omar Hashim Epps [b 1973] is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball.

14. On a bye week: IDLE.  Said of an NFL team with no game scheduled on a given week.

15. Squad suiting up for opening day, presumably: A-TEAM.  The best players on a particular team.

16. Bahama __: MAMA.  A tropical drink made from mixed fruit juices and rum.

18. Shampoo target: SCALP.   Soft tissue layers that cover the cranium. It is an anatomic region bordered anteriorly by the human face, and laterally and posteriorly by the neck. It extends from the superior nuchal lines and occipital turbulences to the supraorbital foramen.

22. Actress Mendes: EVA.

23. Impertinence: CHEEK.  Being sassy

24. Old-Fashioned choice: RYE.  Rye whisky is the characteristic component of the classic Old Fashioned cocktail.  

25. Hill, in Hebrew: TEL.  Literal.

26. Hem and __: HAW.  To stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something.

27. Org. with flag bearers?: NFL.  Officials in the National Football League have flags used to indicate rule infractions.

29. Third No. 1 hit for Bruno Mars: GRENADE.

32. "The Gilded Age" airer: HBO.  Home Box Office, an American pay television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

35. "Sorry, but ... ": ALAS.   Used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern.

37. Olympic sprinter Szewinska: IRENA.  Irena Szewińska [1946 - 2018] was a Polish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost track athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. She is the only athlete in history, male or female, to have held the world record in the 100 m, the 200 m and the 400 m. 

38. "I'm convinced!": SOLD.  I agree with what you're proposing.

39. Gas station station: PUMP.  A two-sided fuel dispensing station, generally customer operated.

40. Family nickname: DADDY.  Affectionate term for one's father.

41. Lip balm additive: ALOE.   The juice extracted from the leaves of the ALOE plant.

42. Dramatic segment of 44-Across: EXPOSE.   A video, report or piece of writing that reveals the truth about a situation or person, especially something involving shocking facts. 

44. David Muir's field: TV NEWS.   Scheduled programming designed to report on significant current events

46. Cassini of fashion: OLEG.   Oleg Cassini [1913 -2006] was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got work with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films.

48. Dom Pérignon maker, informally: MOET.   Moët & Chandon, also known simply as Moët, is a French fine winery and part of the luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. Moët et Chandon is one of the world's largest champagne producers and a prominent champagne house.

57. Bolted: RAN.   Suddenly and quickly run away from something.

60. Diving position: PIKE.   The body is bent at the waist with legs straight, lower legs in front of the diver's face. 

63. "Angel eyes" band: ABBA.    a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome.

64. __ Saint Laurent: YVES.   Yves Saint Laurent SAS, also known as Saint Laurent and YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The company specializes in haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather accessories, and footwear. Its cosmetics line, YSL Beauty, is owned by L'Oréal.   Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent [1936 - 2008] referred to as Yves Saint Laurent or YSL, was a French fashion designer who, in 1962, founded his eponymous fashion label. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century.

65. Express in words: UTTER.  Speak.

66. Dollop: BLOB.  A small indefinite quantity of a viscous or semi-solid substance.

67. Message status: SENT.  Transmitted from the writer.

68. Many holiday events: MEALS.  Events where people eat food together.

69. Some evergreen shrubs: YEWS.  Any of a genus (Taxus of the family Taxaceae, the yew family) of evergreen gymnospermous trees and shrubs with stiff linear leaves and seeds surrounded by a fleshy red aril

Down:

1. Aerate, as flour: SIFT.  Move a granular material through a sieve.

2. Impetus to clean the fridge: ODOR.  A quality of something that stimulates the olfactory organ, in this case unpleasantly. 

3. Torchiere, for one: FLOOR LAMP.   A lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal.

4. Sesame Street worrywart: TELLY.  Telly Monster is a furry pinkish-purple monster with an orange nose from Sesame Street. He is a recurring character from 1979 to 1990, a major character from 1991 to 2015 and a minor character from 2016 to present.

5. Humanities degs.: BAs.  Bachelor of Arts Degrees.

6. "You get the idea": ET CETERA.  Meaning "and other things," used to indicate not everythign relevant has been mentioned.

8. Film mistakenly announced as Best Picture at the 2016 Oscars: LALA LAND.   Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

9. Psych (up): AMP.  To excite, arouse, or work up a person's emotions.

10. Nebraska city: OMAHA.   Omaha is a city in the U.S. state of Nebraska, on the Missouri River close to the Iowa border. A stop on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, it's known for its pioneer history, museums and cultural centers. 

11. Pay restitution: MAKE WHOLE.  Financially compensate the victim of a crime or recipient of another legal settlement.

12. Paris pal: AMIE.  Friend in French.

13. Relative standing: RANK.  A position in an ordered hierarchy.

21. Journey segment: LEG.  A portion of a journeym generally between two stopping points.

23. "Weekend Update" comic Michael: CHE.   Michael Che Campbell [b1983]  is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Che is best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he has served as co-anchor on Weekend Update alongside Colin Jost, and the two were co-head writers from 2017 until 2022.

27. Part shaded by a backward cap: NAPE.  The back of one's neck.

28. State of change: FLUX.  The action or process of flowing. 

30. Rodeo cry: RIDE 'EM.   Shout of encouragement to one riding a rodeo animal.

31. Burial city of the Wright brothers: DAYTON.  Dayton is a city in western Ohio. It’s home to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, with a vast collection of aircraft from early 1900s planes to a space shuttle exhibit. Carillon Historical Park contains a Wright Brothers plane, 19th-century buildings and antique trains. 

33. Squander: BLOW.   Waste something, especially money or time, in a reckless and foolish manner.

34. Poems to things: ODES.   A lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.

36. One with a supporting role in the kitchen?: SPOON REST.    A piece of kitchenware that serves as a place to lay spoons and other cooking utensils, to prevent cooking fluids from getting onto countertops, as well as keeping the spoon from touching any contaminants that might be on the counter.   Another clever clue.

38. Eartha Kitt song with the lyric "Been an angel all year": SANTA BABY.

43. Fruit in the liqueur Bargnolino: SLOE.   Prunus spinosa, called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Pacific Northwest and New England regions of the United States.

45. Cast or oil, sometimes: VERB.   This seems a bit strained to me, for the sake of a pun.  I'm never fond of a part-of-speech reference clue.

47. Use a hula hoop: GYRATE.   Move in a circle or spiral, especially quickly.

48. Tony winner Idina: MENZEL.   Idina Kim Menzel [b. 1971] is an American actress and singer. Particularly recognized for her work in musicals on Broadway, she has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence, powerful mezzo-soprano, and reputation as one of the most influential stage actors of her generation.   Here is a list of her awards

49. Best Play and Best Game, for two: ESPYS.  An ESPY Award is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC except 2020, and previously ESPN, to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony.

50. Leek kin: CHIVE.   Chives, scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and Chinese onion.

51. Like cognac barrels: OAKEN.   Make from oak wood.

53. Triangular part of a house: GABLE.   The generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns.

54. Recommended spot to catch a sneeze: ELBOW.   I would think a tissue in one's hand would be more effective.

55. Marble hunks: SLABS.  Large, thick, flat pieces of stone, concrete, or wood, typically rectangular.

58. "__ girl!": ATTA.   An informal expression of encouragement or admiration to a woman or girl.

61. Kate Middleton, to Prince George: MUM.   One's mother.

62. Suturing ctrs.: ORs.   Operating Rooms in hospitals or surgical centers.

So ends this clever and timely puzzle.  And speaking of hospitals, I have my first cataract surgery next Monday.  Rally looking forward [so to speak] to seeing more clearly.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 Trent H. Evans

Theme:  How does your garden grow?  Chaotically, as it turns out.  But in an unremarkable way.  Can we separate the crops from the weeds?  Grab your hoe and lets dig in.  Best to start with the unifier, I think.

59 A. Run-of-the-mill, or what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: GARDEN VARIETY. Ordinary.  Not special or unusual.  But what is unusual is the use of the word "VARIETY" to indicate a scrambled letter, hidden word theme.  Here, the word is GARDEN.  Don't feel bad it you found this theme to be opaque.  I couldn't suss it, and had to appeal to my fellow corner bloggers for assistance.  I'm bad at anagrams, too.  I guess my brain doesn't work that way

 

20 A. *Splashy arrival: GRAND ENTRANCE.  To appear in or enter into some place in a very dramatic, ostentatious, or conspicuous manner.  But that is not what this is about.  I was wondering what a " GRAND GARDEN" might be.  Sounds plausible, especially in, frex., an English manor.  But, no.  That's also not what this is about.  Our GARDEN is discontinuous.

37 A. *Like a conversation covering many topics: WIDE RANGING.  Extending over a large area; extensive or diversified in scope.  A wide garden would have expansive with and not much depth.  But, instead, the GARDEN is scattered.

44 A. *Friendly signoff: KIND REGARDS.   A common sign-off in emails and other forms of correspondence.  It's used to wish the recipient well without being overly familiar.  By now we should be familiar with the various locations of our GARDEN.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumba here, green thumb at the ready.  Let's head out to the GARDEN and see what we can harvest.

Across

1. Bit of quick inspiration?: GASP.  An indrawn breath, not a clever thought.

5. Saucy dance?: SALSA.  Salsa encompasses a variety of sauces used as condiments for tacos and other Mexican and Mexican-American foods, and as dips for tortilla chips. But that is not what this is about. On the other hand - or perhaps foot - Salsa is a Latin dance, associated with salsa music, which was first popularized in the United States during the 1960s in New York City. Salsa is a mixture of Cuban dances, such as mambo, pachanga, and rumba, as well as American dances such as swing and tap.

10. Personalize a trophy, say: ETCH.  Engrave a name or other information.

14. Gone but not forgotten: AWOL.  Absent Without Official Leave, for a military location.

15. Far from skilled: INEPT.  Incapable.

16. Organ part: PIPE.

17. Webb designer?: NASA.   The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. Its high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope.  The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led Webb's design and development and partnered with two main agencies: the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).   This is not about spiders or computer engineers.

18. Like music with traditional harmony: TONAL.   Relating to music written using conventional keys and harmony.   Salsa, por ejemplo.

19. Big name in big screens: IMAX.   A technique of widescreen cinematography which produces an image approximately ten times larger than that from standard 35 mm film.

23. Meal that features a retelling of the story of Exodus: SEDER.  a Jewish ritual service and ceremonial dinner for the first night or first two nights of Passover.

24. ID-issuing org.: SSA.   Social Service Administration.

25. Org. that says no to some drugs: FDA.   The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

28. Paint finish: SATIN.  Satin is a paint sheen or finish that falls directly in the middle of the range of interior or exterior paint sheens. Satin paint is glossier than eggshell finish paint, but flatter than semi-gloss paint.

32. Lion of Narnia: ASLAN.   Aslan  is a major character in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series. Unlike any other character in the Narnian series, Aslan appears in all seven chronicles. Aslan is depicted as a talking lion and is described as the King of Beasts, the son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, and the King above all High Kings in Narnia.

34. Synthetic drug similar to psilocybin: LSD.   Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, and known colloquially as acid or lucy, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, visual, and auditory hallucinations.

40. Côte d'Ivoire pal: AMIE.  The official language of the republic is French, mes amis, with local indigenous languages also being widely used that include Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, and Cebaara Senufo.

42. Triglyceride, for one: LIPID.   A lipid is any of a class of organic compounds that are fatty acids or their derivatives and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. They include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids.   A triglyceride is an ester formed from glycerol and three fatty acid groups. Triglycerides are the main constituents of natural fats and oils,

43. Côte d'Ivoire head: TETE.   The official language of the republic is French, with local indigenous languages also being widely used that include Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, and Cebaara Senufo.  Now we're getting a head.

47. "To be," in Spanish: SER.  Ser o no ser, esa es la cuestión.

48. Chosen few: ELITE.   A select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.  Or so they would have us believe.

49. Naughty and nice: LISTS.   Santa's record keeping.

51. One of a D.C. 100: SEN.  Senators.

52. Bring out in the open: AIR.  Show something publicly.

55. Existential dread: ANGST.  A feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.

64. Social finesse: TACT.  A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense.

66. Message in a drafts folder: E-MAIL.

67. Air Force Two exec: VEEP.  Air Force Two is the air traffic control designated call sign held by any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the vice president of the United States, but not the president

68. Hoax: SHAM.  Malicious deception.

69. Singer-songwriter Mann: AIMEE.   Aimee Elizabeth Mann is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects.  Still - she sounds friendly.

70. Salinger heroine: ESME.  From the short story For Esmé With Love And Squalor.

71. Norms on the links: PARS.  The expected numbers of strokes to complete golf holes.

72. Ruminates bitterly: STEWS.  Thinks hard or worries about something, not necessarily bitterly.

73. End to end?: LESS.   I do not understand this at all.  Anybody got a clue? 

Down:

1. Factions in "West Side Story": GANGS.  Sharks and Jets.

2. Already informed: AWARE.  Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.

3. "Such a shame": SO SAD.  Alas.

4. Piper Cubs, e.g.: PLANES.   American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance.

5. Place to build: SITE.   An area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed.

6. In a sec, quaintly: ANON.  Soon; shortly.

7. Pre-Easter time: LENT.    The solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.

8. Dukes it out in practice: SPARS.  Engages in a practice or exhibition bout of boxing

9. Sky supporter of myth: ATLAS.    In Greek mythology, the Titan Atlas was responsible for bearing the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, a burden given to him as punishment by Zeus. Father of many stars and a protagonist in one of Hercules' famous labors, Atlas was also known as a wise man and the founder of astronomy.

10. Big picture: EPIC.  A movie of large scope, rather than an image of large dimension.

11. "Can't believe it's been that long!": TIME FLIES.  When it seems to pass quickly.  Time flies like an arrow.  Fruit flies like a banana.

12. Balancing pro: CPA.  A Certified Public Accountant balances the financial books. 

13. Bad spelling?: HEX.  An evil spell, bringing bad luck and trouble.  Clever clue, spelt correctly.

21. Tie: DRAW.  A game or team event in which the final score is even, so there is no winner or loser. 

22. Bread brushed with ghee: NAAN.  A round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent.

26. Poet who was guided through paradise by Beatrice: DANTE.  Dante Alighieri  [c. 1265 – September 14, 1321], most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante, was a Florentine poet, writer, and philosopher. The referenced poem is Dante's Divine Comedy.

27. Fury: ANGER.  At an extreme degree.

29. Backsplash piece: TILE.  A backsplash is, essentially, an extension of your countertop. It can extend as low as a few inches off the wall or as high as the ceiling. The purpose of any kitchen backsplash is preventing water, grease, and other messes from damaging your walls, particularly behind stoves and sinks.  Typically, it is made from ceramic tiles.

30. "Got it, daddy-o": I DIG.    To like or understand something. It could also mean a combination of the two, as a general verb of approval for something. The term was particularly popular during the 1960s-1970s and is today considered slightly old-fashioned.

31. Nation between China and India: NEPAL.   Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, and India to the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as the official language.

33. Lt.'s underling: SGT.  Military ranks Lieutenant and Sergeant.

34. Finger __: LAKES.  The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located directly south of Lake Ontario in an area called the Finger Lakes region in New York, in the United States. 

35. Look happy: SMILE.   A facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses delight, sociability, happiness, joy, or amusement

36. Place to eat while on the go: DINING CAR.   A part of a train in which passengers are served meals

38. "Disturbia" singer, familiarly: RIRI.   Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, and songwriter. She is widely regarded as one of the most prominent recording artists of the 21st century.  This song has no connection to the movie of the same name.

39. Does some kindergarten math: ADDS.  Combines one number with another to get a total.  I don't remember doing this in kindergarten.  But that was a long time ago.  This garten is not connected to the theme.

41. N.H. summer hrs.: EDT.  Eastern Daylight Time in New Hampshire.

45. __ admiral: REAR.  In the navy, Rear Admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral.   The term originated in the days of naval sailing squadrons and can trace its origins to the Royal Navy. Each naval squadron was assigned an admiral as its head, who commanded from the centre vessel and directed the squadron's activities. The admiral would in turn be assisted by a vice admiral, who commanded the lead ships that bore the brunt of a battle. In the rear of the squadron, a third admiral commanded the remaining ships and, as this section was considered to be in the least danger, the admiral in command of it was typically the most junior. This has continued into the modern age, with rear admiral the most junior admiralty of many navies.   Bo butts about it!

46. Guide for the Magi: STAR.   The Gospel of Matthew (2:1–12) speaks of Magi, or wise men, who followed a star from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. There they found Mary and the baby Jesus and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

50. Whine: SNIVEL.   Cry and sniff in a feeble or fretful way.

53. Creative sparks: IDEAS.   The other type of inspiration.

54. Pay: REMIT.   A transfer of money, typically to pay a fee or defray a debt.

56. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" half-dozen: GEESE.  And all of them laying eggs.

57. Watch and wineglass features: STEMS.   1) The thin rod that attaches the crown to the watch's movement; 2) the slender part of a winglass between the base and the bowl. 

58. Classifies: TYPES.  Determines to which category something belongs.

60. Bread machines?: ATMS.  Automatic Teller Machines - dispensers of cash, i.e "bread."  Ya dig?

61. Appoint: NAME.   Specify an individual to occupy a certain position.

62. Opinion: VIEW.   Regard in a particular light or with a particular attitude.

63. Pub orders: ALES.  Types of beer with a bitter flavor and higher alcoholic content.  Cf 58 D.

64. Seasoning meas.: TSP.  A teaspoon, about 2.5 to 7 ml, depending on the spoon.

65. "Now I get it!": AHA.   Used to express satisfaction, triumph, or surprise.

Hope you found this puzzle satisfying, and perhaps providing an AHA moment or 2.  It's what we try to cultivate here at the corner.

Kind and Cool Regards!
JzB

Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Matthew Faiella

 Theme:  Unfitness Routine for the Lazy.  The second word of a two word in-the-language phrase also had a different meaning in a physical activity context.  The result, from a certain oblique perspective, is a humorous wordplay in which the activity is negated

20. Exercise done by making a grilled cheese sandwich?: PANINI PRESS.  A PANINI PRESS applies weight and toasts the top and bottom of the sandwich without cutting, shaping, or forming the sandwich in any way other than to compress it a bit.  A PRESS is a weight lifting exercise in which weights are lifted vertically over the head.

34. Exercise done by lounging on the couch and bingeing a new show?: TV MARATHON.  A TV MARATHON or watchalong, aka binge watching, is an event in which viewers engage many hours' worth of television, in a condensed time period.

44. Exercise done by hitting the snooze button and staying in bed?: SLEEP CYCLE.  When you sleep, you cycle through two phases of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. The cycle starts over every 80 to 100 minutes. Usually there are four to six cycles per night. You may wake up briefly between cycles.  If you're old like I am, "briefly" might not apply.  To CYCLE is to peddle a stationary or movable bicycle

56. Exercise done by lying around doing nothing all day?: DIDDLY SQUAT.  A SQUAT is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up.  DIDDLY SQUAT means little or nothing.  

So what have we accomplished, a little nourishment, a little entertainment, a nap, and nothing more.  Sounds like an ideal day in retirement,

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, hoping to exercise a little brain power and see what else we might accomplish.  Let's get moving!

Across:

1. Sudden impulse: WHIM.  A capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind :

5. Patatas bravas, croquetas, etc.: TAPAS. In Spanish, small plates of food - snacks.

10. "SOS" quartet: ABBA.  The Swedish singing group.

14. Pre-migraine phenomenon for some: AURA.   A feature of a migraine (= a condition that can cause a type of severe pain in the head)  that involves problems with vision, especially seeing lights that flash or move:

15. Make up (for): ATONE.   Make amends or reparation.

16. Round vegetables: PEAS.  A spherical green seed that is eaten as a vegetable or as a pulse when dried.

17. Smelting waste: SLAG.   Stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore.

18. Sulks: POUTS.  Is silent, morose, and bad-tempered out of annoyance or disappointment.

19. Quick kiss: PECK.  A quick light kiss, perhaps by reference to the pecking motion of a birds beak.

23. Sea urchin delicacy: ROE.  The fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes, and as a raw ingredient for delicacies such as caviar.

24. Microsoft's Satya Nadella, e.g.: Abbr.: CEO.  Chief Executive Officer of a corporation.

25. April birthstone: DIAMOND.  Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic.

27. Letters before xis: NUS. In the Greek alphabet.  

30. Royal flush cards: ACES.  A royal flush in a card game consists of the 10.jack, queen, king and ace, all in a single suit. 

33. Intl. oil cartel: OPEC.   Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. 

37. "While we're on the subject ... ": ALSO.  In addition.

40. Pair on a tandem bike: SEATS.   Things made or used for sitting on

41. __ Lingus: AER.   Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of International Airlines Group.

42. How onion rings are fried: IN OIL.  

43. Milhouse's pal: BART.  Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series The Simpsons voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School.  I assume everyone knows who Bart is.  If not ---

46. Native American tent: TIPI.  A tipi or tepee is a conical lodge tent that is distinguished from other conical tents by the smoke flaps at the top of the structure, and historically made of animal hides or pelts or, in more recent generations, of canvas stretched on a framework of wooden poles.

48. Horseback game: POLO.   Polo is a ball game that is played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports.[9] The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers.

49. Some boxing match finales: KOs.   A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, as well as fighting-based video games. A full knockout is considered any legal strike or combination thereof that renders an opponent unable to continue fighting.

50. Greek currency used in "Percy Jackson" novels: DRACHMA.   The Greek drachma was the currency of Greece before it was replaced by the euro in 2002. It was also the ancient money of the Greek empire and city-states. Drachma note denominations ranged from 10 to 500 over much of its existence, while smaller denominations of 1 and 2 drachmae were issued earlier.

53. Short reply?: ANS.   An abrv. [hence "short" for ANSWER.

55. Unagi, in sushi: EEL.   Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel, particularly the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Unagi is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking, often as kabayaki. It is not to be confused with saltwater eel, which is known as anago in Japanese. 

62. Emulates: APES.  These words both mean imitate, but "emulate" implies in a inspired way, while "ape" implies in a mocking way.

64. Like early PC graphics: LORES.  I'm completely baffled by this and cannot find anything that explains it.

65. Desire: URGE.  A srtong desire or impulse.

66. Secure skates, say: LACE.   Tighten and then knot the shoe strings.

67. Subside: ABATE.  Reduce in activity, quantity or severity.

68. Bit of inspiration: IDEA.  A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.

69. Lil' one: TYKE.  A small child.

70. Bender of "Futurama," for one: ROBOT.  A machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.

71. Nightfall: DUSK.   The state or period of partial darkness between day and night

Down:

1. Winged stinger: WASP.   Any of numerous social or solitary winged hymenopterous insects (especially families Sphecidae and Vespidae) that usually have a slender smooth body with the abdomen attached by a narrow stalk, well-developed wings, biting mouthparts, and in the females and workers an often formidable sting, and that are largely carnivorous and often provision their nests with insects or spiders killed or paralyzed by stinging for their larvae to feed on

2. Dance taught at some Oahu hotels: HULA.   Hula is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant or song. It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form.

3. Country whose emblem resembles a tulip: IRAN.   Iran, also known as Persia and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), is a country located at the crossroads of West, Central and South Asia. It is bordered by Iraq to the west and Turkey to the northwest, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. With almost 90 million people in an area of 1.648 million square kilometres (0.64 million square miles), Iran ranks 17th in the world in both geographic size and population. 

4. Orlando team: MAGIC.  Team in the National Basketball Association.

5. Bubble tea pearls: TAPIOCA.  Tapioca is starch obtained from the root of cassava, a plant that mostly grows underground (like a potato). In many parts of the world, it's a food staple. Cassava is a native vegetable of South America and grows in tropical and subtropical regions.

6. At the peak of: ATOP.  On top of something.

7. Rain heavily: POUR.   Heavy, continuous rainfall; it's a figure of speech that's supposed to remind you of the way water pours out of a large pitcher.

8. Chipped in?: ANTED.   Contributes the money each player puts in the pot before the hand begins in a game of poker.

9. Word with jam or cram: SESSION.  A period of time devoted to a particular activity, such as playing music or intensely studying.

10. Tablet download: APP.   Short for application - a software program that's designed to perform a specific function 

11. Time to grab a brewski: BEER O'CLOCK.  An appropriate time of day to start drinking beer.  This may be open to widely varying interpretation.

12. Club ingredient: BACON.  For a club sandwich - consisting of bread, sliced cooked poultry, fried bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.

13. Sought, as a price: ASKED.  Refers to the lowest price which the seller is willing to accept.

21. Gets closer to: NEARS.  Approaches

22. Tree goo: SAP.   This sticky liquid runs through the tree and down to the branches to help generate energy while new buds are forming during springtime. Due to photosynthesis, sugars are created which are fed back into the tree and acts as food for the tree during its growth period.

26. No-good jerkface: MEANY.  An unfriendly hostile or oppressive person.

27. Fed. crash investigator: NTSB.   National Transportation Safety Board,  an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine accidents, pipeline incidents, bridge failures, and railroad accidents.

28. Eye layer: UVEA.    The middle layer of the eye. It lies beneath the white part of the eye (the sclera). It is made of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. These structures control many eye functions, including adjusting to different levels of light or distances of objects.

See it here

29. Know-it-all: SMART ALECK.   A person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything.

31. Footnote abbr.: ET AL.   Short for the Latin term “et alia,” which means “and others.” It is used in academic citations when referring to a source with multiple authors.

32. Source of wool: SHEEP.   A domesticated ruminant animal with a thick woolly coat and (typically only in the male) curving horns. It is kept in flocks for its wool or meat, and is proverbial for its tendency to follow others in the flock.

35. Room with a slanted ceiling, often: ATTIC.   A space or room just below the roof of a building.

36. Cookie with a Blackpink collaboration: OREO.   Look here if you want to know more.

38. Grain tower: SILO.   A cylindrical tower structure commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. 

39. Spanish cheers: OLÉS.  A cry of approval, joy, etc.

42. Tappable images: ICONS.   Pictograms or ideograms displayed on a computer screen in order to help the user navigate a computer system. 

44. Like wining and dining?: SIMILAR.   Resembling without being identical.

45. Backyard swings, slide, and sandbox, e.g.: PLAY SET.   Themed collections of similar toys designed to work together to enact some action or event. 

47. Research grant?: PhD.  A doctoral degree granted to a scholar recognizing her/his research work.

50. Handed out: DEALT.  As cards in a game.

51. Terminate a debt: REPAY.  Pay back (a loan, debt, or sum of money).

52. Mexican marinade made with chili peppers: ADOBO.  The immersion of cooked food in a stock composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, peppers and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor.

54. Calamari: SQUID.  Typically referring to squid dishes.

57. Boring: DRAB.   Lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull.

58. Mother of Artemis: LETO.   In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto is a goddess and the mother of Apollo and Artemis. She is the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, and the sister of Asteria.

In the Olympian scheme, the king of gods Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, whom Leto conceived after her hidden beauty accidentally caught the eye of Zeus. Classical Greek myths record little about Leto other than her pregnancy and search for a place where she could give birth to Apollo and Artemis, since Hera, the wife of Zeus, in her jealousy ordered all lands to shun her and deny her shelter.

59. Pakistani language: URDU.    An Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan, where it is also an official language alongside English.

60. Range listed on video games: AGES.  The time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises or rests.  Or, in this case, is age appropriate.

61. Tropical tree: TEAK.   A tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. Tectona grandis has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicles) at the end of the branches.    Teak wood has a leather-like smell when it is freshly milled and is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance. The wood is used for boat building, exterior construction, veneer, furniture, carving, turnings, and various small projects.

63. "Happy now?": SEE.  Told ya so!  Words of admonishment spoken after someone did something that had been warned against.  Fool around and find out.  

Well, we had a little song, a little dance, and some eye-ball anatomy [prior to my upcoming cataract surgeries] and a few snacks.  Hope it wasn't too much of a work out.  Happy and blessed Easter to those who celebrate.  Happy Springtime to all.  See y'all next month.

Could this be Matthew's first appearance in the L.A. Times?  If so, congrats, and keep 'em coming!

Cool regards,

JzB

Wednesday February 28, 2024. Natalie Murphy

Theme:  If we could turn back time.  The word "DAY is hidden in each theme entry, but spelt backwards.  Not easy to find.  Nota bene: each YAD is split across two words.

21. Beach community in L.A.'s South Bay: PLAYA DEL REY.   A seaside suburb in the Santa Monica Bay and the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California. As of 2018, the community had a population of 16,230 people.

26. Customer who buys a gadget as soon as it's available: EARLY ADOPTER.    an early customer of a given company, product, or technology. The term originates from Everett M. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations.  They ususally pay the highest price.

43. Guidance at just the right moment: TIMELY ADVICE.   Exactly as defined in the clue.

50. Time to do things out of order, or what appears in 21-, 26-, and 43-Across: BACKWARD DAY.   National Backwards Day, celebrated on January 31st each year, is a whimsical and fun-filled observance that encourages people to do things in reverse or unconventional ways.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here, thinking about driving a Toyota in reverse.  But let's go at this puzzle in a straightforward way.  

Across:

1. Like purchases made while playing freemium games: IN APP.  With some apps, you can buy additional content or services within the app. We call these "in-app purchases." Here are some examples of in-app purchases: A sword that gives you more power in a game. A key that unlocks more features of an app. Virtual currency that can be used for purchases.

6. Hanging on every word, say: RAPT.  Completely fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing.

10. Golf course transport: CART.   A small motorized vehicle for golfers and their equipment.

14. Storm-tracking device: RADAR.   A system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source.  Radar spelt backwards is __________.

15. Cincinnati's state: OHIO.   A state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ohio borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.8 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and largest city is Columbus, with other large population centers including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Toledo. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".[10] Its flag is the only non-rectangular flag of all U.S. states.  Giraffes are not native to Ohio because buckeyes are poisonous to them.

16. Taiwan-based laptop giant: ACER.   Acer Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, headquartered in Xizhi, New Taipei City.

17. "Skyfall" singer: ADELE.  Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE  (born 5 May 1988), known mononymously as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. Adele has received numerous accolades including 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards (including three for British Album of the Year), an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

18. __ bene: NOTA.   A Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB or n.b., and first appeared in English writing c. 1711.

19. "Space Jam" bunny voiced by Kath Soucie: LOLA.  Lola Bunny is a Looney Tunes cartoon character portrayed as an anthropomorphic female bunny created by Warner Bros. Pictures. She is generally depicted as Bugs Bunny's girlfriend. She first appeared in the 1996 film Space Jam.

20. Oldest Bobbsey daughter: NAN.  The Bobbsey Twins are the principal characters of what was, for 75 years, the Stratemeyer Syndicate's longest-running series of American children's novels, written under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The first of 72 books was published in 1904, the last in 1979, with a separate series of 30 books published from 1987 through 1992. The books related the adventures of the children of the upper-middle-class Bobbsey family, which included two sets of fraternal twins: Bert and Nan, who were twelve years old, and Flossie and Freddie, who were six.  Does anybody read them any more?   Imagine NAN facing in the other direction.

24. Scottish Highlander: GAEL.  (Especially in historical contexts) a member of the Gaelic-speaking peoples inhabiting Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.

25. Calendar entries: EVENTS.  An occasion planed for a certain lpace and time.

31. Woodshop grippers: VISES.   A mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever. 

32. "Aw, darn!": RATS.   Exclamation of disappointment or dismay.  But it's bright in reverse.

33. Sweet potato: YAM.  Not the same thing.  We've been over this.  Especially in MAY.

36. "__ done the same thing!": I'D'VE.  I would have.

37. "The Cider House Rules" Oscar winner Michael: CAINE.  Sir Michael Caine CBE [b 1933] is an English retired actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over a career spanning eight decades and is considered a British film icon. 

39. Beauty mark: MOLE.    A normal skin growth that develops when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) grow in groups. They appear as small, dark marks, or sometimes flesh-coloured small bumps, on your skin. Moles can appear in a range of different colours, shapes and sizes.

40. Napkin holder: LAP.  The flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person, suitable for placing a napkin or computer.   In retrospect, it could be your friend.

41. Cast a ballot: VOTE.  A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice.

42. All fired up: EAGER.   Wanting to do or have something very much.

46. "Ooh, makes sense": AH, I SEE.   Expression of enlightened agreement.

49. __ and ends: ODDS.   Miscellaneous articles or remnants.

53. Enormous: BIG.  Huge

56. Working hard: AT IT.   Or arguing, or something . . .

57. Verbally attacked, with "into": TORE.  A verbal assault.

58. Like some breakfast tea: IRISH.   Irish Breakfast Tea is a type of black tea that has been a beloved beverage in Ireland and around the world for centuries. This tea is known for its robust and bold flavor, as well as its invigorating effects, making it a popular choice for a morning cuppa. Nota bene: Irish Tea is not grown in Ireland.

60. "__ a Lady": Tom Jones classic: SHE'S.  

61. Brunch, e.g.: MEAL.   A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The names used for specific meals in English vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal.

62. Terse denial: NOT ME.  Properly should be NOT I, but nobody talks like that.

63. Quaint "Listen!": HARK.  Pay attention!

64. Quiche base: EGGS.  Oval or round objects laid by  female birds, reptiles, fish, or invertebrates, usually containin developing embryos. The eggs of birds are enclosed in a chalky shell, while those of reptiles are in a leathery membrane.

65. V-formation flyers: GEESE.  A goose is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser and Branta. Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names.  They also lay eggs,

Down:

1. Persia, today: IRAN.   Iran, also known as Persia and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq to the west and Turkey to the northwest, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. It covers an area of 1.648 million square kilometers (0.64 million square miles), making it the world's 17th-largest country. Iran has around 90 million people, making it the world's 17th most populous country. Its capital and largest city is Tehran with around 16 million people in its metropolitan area.

2. Spanish "nothing": NADA.  Literal

3. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN.

4. Buddy: PAL.  Amigo, chum, bestie.   Reversed when you sit down.

5. Takes care of charges in advance: PRE-PAYS.  Pay up front, or earlier,

6. 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Acuña Jr.: RONALD.  Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. [1997] is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made his MLB debut in 2018, and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

7. "Howdy, Cap'n!": AHOY.  A shout used, especially by people in boats, to attract attention: Ahoy there! used, especially on a boat, when you see something, usually something that is in the distance: Land ahoy! Ship ahoy!

8. Bread with a pocket: PITA.    A flat rounded slightly leavened bread, originally from the Middle East, with a hollow inside like a pocket, which can be filled with food. 

9. Marioverse racer with pink braids: TOADETTE.   A female Toad who appears as a playable character in various spin-off games throughout the Mario series.

She's feeling in the pink

10. Telemarketer: CALLER.    Salespeople who are employed by a company to telephone people in order to persuade them to buy the company's products or services, typically at dinner time. 

11. __ squash: ACORN.  An acorn-shaped dark green winter squash (Cucurbita pepo) with a ridged surface and mildly sweet yellow to orange flesh.

Goes well with orange crush

12. Rented again: RELET.  Rent (a property) for a further period or to a new tenant.

13. Cafeteria stack: TRAYS.   Flat, shallow containers with raised rims, typically used for carrying food and drink, or for holding small items.

22. Grassy meadow: LEA.   An open area of grassy or arable land.

23. Nights before: EVES.   The day or period of time immediately before an event or occasion.

24. Delight: GLEE.   Great delight.   Originally, the joy one gets from singing, hence glee clubs as singing ensembles.

26. Wicked: EVIL.  Bad and nasty.  In real time if you turn it around.

27. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA.  A tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt.  The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an Ethiopian princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the King of Egypt. To complicate the story further, the King's daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, although he does not return her feelings.

28. "Tell me if you're coming" letters: RSVP.   RSVP is an initialism derived from the French phrase Répondez s'il vous plaît, literally meaning "Respond, if it pleases you", or just "Please respond", to require confirmation of an invitation.

29. Protruding window: ORIEL.    A large window built out from a wall and resting on a bracket or a corbel.

There are pros and cons

30. Skillet: PAN.  A flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically 20 to 30 cm in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. 

33. "Pic-a-nic" basket-stealing bear: YOGI.

34. Smart __: wiseacre: ALEC.   A person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything.  Frex, I know this should be ALECK.

35. Little more than: MERE.   That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.

37. "Bring it on!": COME AT ME.  Used to express confidence in meeting a challenge.

38. Consumed: ATE.   Eat, drink, or ingest food or drink.

39. Dallas NBA team, for short: MAVS.   The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.

41. Perspective: VIEW.   A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

42. Going around in circles?: EDDYING.  As water, air or smoke.

43. "Naughty!": TSK-TSK.   A tongue-clicking sound expressing disapproval or annoyance.

44. Alpine songs: YODELS.  a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register and the high-pitch head register or falsetto.  This vocal technique is used in many cultures worldwide.

45. Poet laureate Limón: ADA.  Ada Limón [b. 1976] is an American poet. On July 12, 2022, she was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Librarian of Congress. This made her the first Latina to be Poet Laureate of the United States.  She's the same, any way you look at her.

46. Embarrass: ABASH.   A feeling of shame or being disconcerted or embarrassed.

47. Branch of yoga: HATHA.   A yoga system of physical exercises and breathing control.

48. Less welcoming: ICIER. More unfriendly or hostile.

51. "Walkabout" director Nicolas: ROEG.  Nicolas Jack Roeg CBE BSC [1928 -2018] was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing Performance, Walkabout, Don't Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bad Timing and The Witches.

52. "RuPaul's __ Race": DRAG.    A reality show in which a group of talented drag queens compete in challenges to impress host RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, to win a cash prize along with a crown and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. 

53. Tasting menu portion: BITE.   A very small portion of food.

54. Schools of belief: -ISMS.  A suffix denoting the act, practice, or process of doing a particular thing in a particular way. 

55. Clarified butter: GHEE.   Ghee is made by melting regular butter. The butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids. Once separated, the milk solids are removed, which means that ghee has less lactose than butter. 

59. Maki sushi topper: ROE.  The fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes, and as a raw ingredient for delicacies such as caviar.

That's it for today.  Hope it didn't set you back too much,

Cool regards!

JzB