Tuesday, April 25, 2023 Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson

Milk:  It's not just dairy anymore.  Cow's milk vs plant milk, it's quite controversial.

18-Across. Slopes accessory: SKI MASK.  Skim Milk

26-Across. Inauguration text: OATH OF OFFICE.  Oat Milk.  You can make you own at home.

38-Across. Baha Men hit single: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT.  Whole Milk.

52-Across. Dystopian thriller starring Charlton Heston: SOYLENT GREEN.  Soy Milk.  What is Soy Milk, anyway?

And the Unifier:

64-Across. Ad campaign featuring white mustaches, and a hint to the starts of the answers to 18-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across: GOT MILK?  This puzzle gives us two forms of cow's milk and two plant-based milks.

Across:

1. American marsupial, familiarly: POSSUM.  Occasionally a Possum / Opossum will wander through our yard and we live in the city.

7. "__, Brute?": ET TU.  Today's Latin lesson.

11. Swimmer's unit: LAP.

14. Military maneuvers?: SALUTES.

16. Speckled horse: ROAN.  A Roan is a horse of a different color.

17. Rideshare driver's guess: ETA.  As in Estimated Time of Arrival.

19. French pals: AMIS.  Today's French lesson.

20. Oinker's pen: STY.

21. Autocorrect target: TYPO.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

22. Online store icon: CART.

24. TV collie: LASSIE.

28. "Searching for Italy" host Tucci: STANLEY.  Although considered as a character actor, Stanley Tucci (b. Nov. 11, 1960) has been in numerous films where he really shines.  My favorite Stanley Tucci movie is Big Night.   [Name # 1.]

31. Stackable cookies: OREOS.  A crossword staple.  The company is always trying different frosting innards to make some unique flavors of their cookies.

32. Bagel-shaped: TORIC.  Everything you wanted to know about a Torus, but didn't know to ask.  How to make your Bagel into a mathematically correct breakfast treat.

33. Jog: TROT.

35. X-ray kin: MRI.  As in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

43. Alley-__ pass: OOP.  In basketball, an alley-oop is an offensive play in which one player passes the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and dunks or lays it in before touching the ground. 

44. Unsubtle actors: HAMS.

45. Buenos __: AIRES.  I took my parents to Buenos Aires to celebrate their 80th birthdays.  It was a fabulous city to visit.

46. One on the Pacific Crest Trail, say: HIKER.  The Pacific Crest Trail runs from the Washington State-Canadian border to the California-Mexican border. 

49. Revolved around: ORBITED.

55. Get started on, as a problem: TACKLE.

56. Ear-related: OTIC.

57. Border: EDGE.

61. 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup champs: USA.  FIFA is the French abbreviation for the Federation Internationale de Football Association.  Football in this context is really soccer.  The FIFA was founded in Paris on May 21 1904 by representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

62. Airbnb alternative: VRBO.  As in Vacation Rentals By Owner.

66. Put down: DIS.

67. Currier and __: IVES.  Currier and Ives was a printmaking company known for its lithographs.  Many of their prints were of Christmas scenes, landscapes and significant historical scenes.  They occasionally ventured into political cartoons and illustrations of current events.  The company was founded by Nathaniel Currier (Mar. 27, 1813 ~ Nov. 20, 1888) in 1835.  His partner in the company was James Merritt Ives (Mar. 5, 1824 ~ Jan. 3, 1895).  [Names # 2 and 3.]

68. "Forget it!": NO SIREE!

69. Chicago-to-Orlando dir.: SSE.  It's a South-SouthEast drive from Chicago to Orlando.

70. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.  Everything you wanted to know about Nenes but didn't know to ask.

71. Holiday treats served with applesauce: LATKES.  Yummers.  A Chanukah staple.  Latkes are potato pancakes that are traditionally eaten during Chanukah because they are fried.  They symbolize the miracle of Chanukah when the oil of the menorah in the Temple kept the flame alive for eight days even there was only enough oil for one day.

Down:

1. Attention-getting hiss: PSST!

2. Like wine aged in certain barrels: OAKY.  Not to be confused with Oat milk

3. __ of the tongue: SLIP.

4. Japanese wrestling form: SUMO.

5. The NBA's Jazz, on scoreboards: UTA.  The basketball team, Jazz, formerly of New Orleans (hence the name), is now located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

6. Smoky liquor made from agave: MESCAL.

7. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

8. Celebrity chef Colicchio: TOM.  I am not familiar with Tom Colicchio (né Thomas Patrick Colicchio; b. Aug. 15, 1962), but apparently he has been a judge on Top Chef.  [Name # 4.]

9. Customize for: TAILOR TO.

10. Treacherous: UNSAFE.

11. "You're trying too hard": LESS IS MORE.  This phrase was adopted with the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (né Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; Mar. 27, 1886 ~ Aug. 17, 1969).

Van der Rohe's iconic style of Less is More.

12. Scary story?: ATTIC.  I guess an attic is a scary place to venture into.

13. Venmo recipient: PAYEE.  The name Venmo comes from vendere, Latin for "to sell," and "mo" for mobile.

15. Enjoy the roller rink: SKATE.

23. Part of R&B: RHYTHM.

25. Bay Area hub, for short: SFO.  The San Francisco International Airport.

26. __ in a blue moon: ONCE.  According to Britannica: The term blue moon originated from the 16th-century expression “the Moon is blue,” meaning something that was impossible.  For two years following the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883, people around the world reported seeing strangely coloured sunsets and a Moon that appeared blue.  With this possible, but uncommon, occurrence, “once in a blue moon” came to mean rare rather than impossible.

27. Comestibles: FOOD.

28. NYC nabe near Little Italy: SOHO.  SoHo is an acronym for South of Houston Street in New York City.  It is a neighborhood that features galleries, and high-end commercial and luxury boutiques.

29. Place to store cups and bowls?: TROPHY CASE.

30. Feel unwell: AIL.

32. Pair: TWO.

34. Vacation spot: RESORT.  My ideal spot would be on the beach.

36. Regretted: RUED.

37. "__ go time!": IT'S.

39. "I can't believe they did that!": THE NERVE!

40. Like Key lime pie: TART.  Yummers!

41. Acquire: GAIN.

42. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.

47. Kind: ILK.

48. Temperature unit: KELVIN.  The Kelvin temperature scale is a scale where there is an absolute zero, below which temperatures do not exist.  Absolute is the temperature where molecular energy is at a minimum.  Absolute zero is -273.15 Celsius.  The temperature scale is named after William Kelvin (1824 ~ 1907), a physicist and mathematician.  He proposed the concept of this temperature scale over 170 years ago.  How to convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit.  [Name adjacent.]

50. 1952-2022, for Queen Elizabeth II: REIGN.  Her Majesty the Queen.  

51. "Don't embarrass me": BE COOL.

52. Small earrings: STUDS.

53. Fertile desert spot: OASIS.

54. Bird in a gaggle: GOOSE.  But did you know that a bunch of crows is called a murder?

57. Let off: EMIT.

58. NBA great Nowitzki: DIRK.  Dirk Werner Nowitzki (b. June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player.  He had a long career with the Dallas Mavericks.  [Name # 5.]

59. Mirth: GLEE.  It's also the name of a television musical about a high school glee club that ran from 2009 to 2015.

60. Squeezes (out): EKES.

63. Actor Kingsley: BEN.  Sir Benjamin Kingsley (né Krishna Pandit Bhanji; b. Dec. 31, 1943) has starred in numerous films.  He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Gandhi in 1982 movie of the same name.  [Name # 6.]

65. Airport safety gp.: TSA.  As in Transportation Security Administration.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 Jennifer Lee & Victor Galson

I Feel Good.    Ah, the dreaded Circle puzzle.   The letters in the circles are anagrams of feelings.  Sadly, most of the anagrammed feelings shown today are not pleasant ones.

17-Across. "La La Land" Oscar nominee: RYAN GOSLING.  As in ANGRY.

But how can you be angry with Ryan Gosling?

25-Across. Obsolescent coin-op communication device: PAY PHONE.  As in HAPPY.

47-Across. Secondhand rides: USED CARS.  As in SCARED.

55-Across. Eerie stillness: DEAD SILENCE.  As in SAD.

And the unifier:
34-Across. What a bittersweet moment may evoke ... and a hint to each set of circled letters: MIXED FEELINGS.

The above graphic shows regions of the body whose activation is either increased or decreased when feeling the emotion.  The graphic is from a journal article by Lauri Nummenmaa, and can be found in the January 14, 2014 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  I'd link the article, but the blog isn't cooperating with links and videos today.

Across:

1. Singer LuPone: PATTI.  Patti LuPone (née Patti Ann LuPone; b. Apr. 21, 1949) played the role of Eva Perón in the Broadway production of Evita.  She later played the mother on the television drama Life Goes On.

6. Certain Jamaican, religiously: RASTA.

11. Dol. parts: CTS.  100 Cents makes up 1 Dollar.

14. Get-go: ONSET.

15. Predictable: USUAL.

16. Poke bowl fish: AHI.  Poke bowls are becoming very trendy.  Poke (pronounced "po-kay") means "to cut" or "to slice crosswise" in Hawaiian and is a raw sliced fish dish.  I first had poke when visiting in Hawaii and it was delicious.

19. Gym exercise unit: REP.  As in a Repetition.

20. Beat in a hot dog contest: OUT EAT.  The Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held earlier this month ~ on July 4th.  The winner downed 74 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.  Wouldn't you rather slow down and enjoy your food?

21. Farm yield: CROP.

Crop Circles

22. Singer Styles and illusionist Houdini: HARRYs.  I am not familiar with Harry Styles (b. Feb. 1, 1994).

Harry Styles

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini (né Erik Weisz; Mar. 24, 1874 ~ Oct. 31, 1926) was a well known illusionist.  I learned recently that he had a younger brother who was also a magician and illusionist.  His brother went by the name Theodore Hardeen (né Ferenc Dezső; Mar. 4, 1876 ~ June 12, 1945).

Harry and Theodore

28. Fateful March day: IDES.  Beware the Ides of March.  Actually, each month has an ides, which is the middle of the month.  March is particularly fateful because it is the traditional date that Julius Caesar was killed.

29. Not timely, as a birthday wish: BELATED.

30. African adventure: SAFARI.

Not to be confused with the Web browser.

33. Jazz great Fitzgerald: ELLA.  Elle Jane Fitzgerald (Apr. 25, 1917 ~ June 15, 1996) and I have become good friends.  This is the third time she has made a guest appearance on a day I prepare the blog commentary.

39. "I don't believe you!": LIAR.  See, even feelings can arise when thinking about a liar.

40. Rudely sarcastic: SNARKY.

42. "Dirty" drink: MARTINI.

46. Two of a kind: PAIR.

49. Bites (on): CHOMPS.

51. Eye covers: LIDS.

52. Dr. Seuss' real last name: GEISEL.  We remember Dr. Seuss (né Theodor Seuss Giesel; Mar. 2, 1904 ~ Sept. 24, 1991), as a children's author.  Before he began writing children's literature, however, his early work was much darker, discriminatory and was often censored.

54. Chocolate dog: LAB.

60. Swelled head: EGO.

61. NOW co-founders: WOMEN.  NOW stands for the National Organization for Women.  It was founded in 1966 by 28 women, including Representative Shirley Chisholm (1924 ~ 2005), Betty Friedan (1921 ~ 2006), and Pauli Murray (1910 ~ 1985).

62. Ski run bump: MOGUL.

63. __ screen: medical test for poisons, etc.: TOX.

64. Nonreactive, as gases: INERT.  The inert gasses are on the far right of the Periodic Table.  They include Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon.

65. Uppity types: SNOBS.  They probably have swelled heads.

Down:

1. Spanish "for": POR.  Today's Spanish lesson.

2. "Pick a card, __ card": ANY.

3. Homeland Security screening org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration, which is housed in the United States Department of Homeland Security.

4. Jazz ensemble instrument: TENOR SAX.

5. PC troubleshooter: IT GUY.  As in the Information Technology Guy, more commonly known as the Techie.

6. Trick: RUSE.

7. __ on the wrist: A SLAP.

8. Befitting: SUITABLE.

9. Sun-lover's hue: TAN.

10. "Solve for x" subj.: ALG.  As in Algebra.

11. Snack for Bugs: CARROT.

12. Dream partner: THE ONE.  Cute clue.

13. Drank daintily: SIPPED.

18. Tie-breaking NHL periods: OTs.  As in Over Time periods in the National Hockey League.

21. When doubled, a Latin dance: CHA.  The dance is the Cha-Cha.

22. That dude's: HIS.

23. 2018 Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee Driver: ADAM.  Adam Driver (b. Nov. 19, 1983) received the Best Supporting Oscar for his role in BlacKKKlansman, in which he played a white undercover police officer who infiltrated the Klan on behalf of his black partner.

24. Int.-lowering mortgage deal: RE-FI.  As in ReFinancing the mortgage.

26. Hollers: YELLS.

27. Like the nose on your face?: PLAIN.

31. Ancient artifact: RELIC.  Ancient Relics may appear where you least expect them.

32. Menzel who voices Elsa in "Frozen": IDINA.  Idina Menzel (b. May 30, 1971) had been in many Broadway musicals.

33. Racket end?: EER.  As in Racketeer.

35. Legitimate target: FAIR GAME.

36. Custard-filled pastry: NAPOLEON.  Yummers!

37. Mass unit: GRAM.

38. Uno card: SKIP.  I can't remember the last time I played Uno, so didn't remember this card.

41. Nos. on wine labels: YRS.  As in the Year of the vintage.

42. Short-in-front, long-in-back men's hairstyle: MULLET.  Definitely NOT the Dream Partner.

43. Crumbly Italian cheese: ASIAGO.

44. Netflix competitor: REDBOX.  Redbox began as a DVD rental service found in malls and grocery stores.  They now offer a streaming service.

45. QB stats: TDs.  A football reference to the Quarter Backs and Touch Downs.

48. Ritual Jewish meal: SEDER.  Here is a brief explanation of the items found on the SEDER plate.  There are at least 5 items on the Seder plate: (1) a Shank Bone; (2) an Egg; (3) Bitter Herbs, also known as mayor; (4) vegetable; and (5) Charoset, a sweet mixture generally made of fruits and nuts.  Many seder plates all include an additional bitter herb.

49. Long-running forensic series: CSI.  Stands for Crime Scene Investigation.  I watched the original show for a few years when it first came on in the early 2000s, but lost interest after a few years.  The show ran for 15 years.

50. Command posts: HELMS.  Hi, Spitzboov!

53. Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely": ISN'T.  I'l play the clip for you but the I can't get the video portion to play for me today.

55. Sobriety checkpoint initials: DWI.  As in Driving While Intoxicated.

56. Loooong time: EON.

57. Nonprofit aid gp.: NGO.  As in a Non-Governmental Organization.  A brief history of the NGO.

58. Baby bear: CUB.

59. Raised railroads: ELs.

The El in Chicago.

I hope this puzzle left you feeling Happy.  I known I am happy.

And here's the grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Every once in a while, someone will mail me a single popcorn kernel that didn’t pop.  I’ll get out a fresh kernel, tape it to a piece of paper and mail it back to them. ~  Orville Redenbacher (né Orville Clarence Redenbacher; July 16, 1907 ~ Sept. 19, 1995)