17 A. Part of a cross-examination: POINTED QUESTION. A pointed question goes to the heart of the matter, and is usually direct, only requiring a simple answer. Ironically, it could be part of a blunt conversation.
29 A. High school honor that may come with a tiara: PROM QUEEN. A girl who is chosen to have a special title and position at a formal party held for older high school students at the end of the school year.
46 A. Highlighted excerpt in an article: PULL QUOTE. A key phrase, quotation, or excerpt that has been pulled from an article and used as a page layout graphic element, serving to entice readers into the article or to highlight a key topic.
58 A. "Behave!," and an apt title for this puzzle: MIND YOUR PS AND QS. Mind your Ps and Qs is an English language expression meaning "mind your manners", "mind your language", "be on your best behavior", or "watch what you're doing". Despite the similarity in appearance of lower case p and q, the origin of phrase is unrelated to that fact, and remains unknown. It looks like the sense of this theme comes from the P and Q as initial letters of each 2-word theme entry. Seems a bit thin for a theme, but overall, this is good puzzle. It's well constructed, and I like the grid spanners.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to cautiously lead the way through today's offering. Let's proceed, but watch your steps.
Across:
1. Mazda two-seater: MIATA. Cute car since 1989.
6. Nerve centers: HUBS. The effective center of an activity or network.
10. A bit open: AJAR. Slightly agape. When is a door not a door?
14. "What a bummer!": AW MAN. Expression of sadness, disappointment or dismay.
15. Soon, quaintly: ANON. From Old English on ān ‘into one’, on āne ‘in one’. The original sense was ‘in or into one state, course, etc.’, which developed into the temporal sense ‘at once’.
16. Small bay: COVE.
20. French 10: DIX. Pronounced "deece," because - French
21. Salt Lake City college athletes: UTES. Named for an indigenous people originally ranging through Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico
22. Female sheep: EWE. Lamb's mom.
23. Mint family herb: SAGE. Salvia officinalis, the common sage or sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has been naturalized in many places throughout the world.
26. Earlier than: PRIOR TO. One thing leads to another.
31. Pa. neighbor: W. VA. Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
34. Having five sharps, on a score: IN B. B Major that is. Also could be G# minor. It's all relative.
35. One of a kind: UNIT. Only maybe. It's an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole.
36. Nobleman's address: MI LORD. Common folk speech from medieval times. This usage vs MY LORD was a minor plot point in a Game of Thrones episode.
39. Adjust, as wheels: REALIGN. Change or restore to a different or former position or state - in this case, the correct position..
41. __ non grata: PERSONA. An unacceptable or unwelcome person.
42. Flee: ESCAPE. Run away from a person, place or situation.
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "let us flee!"
"Let us fly!" said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
-- Ogden Nash
43. 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.
44. Hibernation spot: DEN. For bears.
45. Tackle the slopes: SKI. Slide down a snow covered hill on a couple of slats.
48. WNBA official: REFEREE. A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
51. Spoils: ROTS. Deteriorates over time.
52. Place for the Torah: ARK. The Ark of the Covenant is said to be the container used to carry the Ten Commandments brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses. Covenant refers to the agreement made between the Israelites—another name for the early Jewish people—and God.
55. Stella __ cookies: D'ORO. Stella D'oro is an American brand of cookies and breadsticks owned by Snyder's-Lance. Stella D'oro means "star of gold" in Italian, and the cookies are inspired by Italian baking. Its products include breadsticks, Swiss Fudge and other cookies, biscotti, and their S-shaped breakfast treats.
56. Pro vote: YEA. All in favor say it.
64. "Got it": I SEE. Expression of understanding or agreement.
65. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.
66. Give a quick review: SUM UP. Give a brief summary of something.
67. Moist: DEWY. Slightly wet; damp or humid.
68. "Sisters" Emmy winner Ward: SELA. Sela Ann Ward (born July 11, 1956) is an American actress. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series Sisters (1991–1996), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the leading role of Lily Manning in the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002).
69. Writing class writing assignment: ESSAY. A short piece of writing on a particular subject.
Down:
44. Hibernation spot: DEN. For bears.
45. Tackle the slopes: SKI. Slide down a snow covered hill on a couple of slats.
48. WNBA official: REFEREE. A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
51. Spoils: ROTS. Deteriorates over time.
52. Place for the Torah: ARK. The Ark of the Covenant is said to be the container used to carry the Ten Commandments brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses. Covenant refers to the agreement made between the Israelites—another name for the early Jewish people—and God.
55. Stella __ cookies: D'ORO. Stella D'oro is an American brand of cookies and breadsticks owned by Snyder's-Lance. Stella D'oro means "star of gold" in Italian, and the cookies are inspired by Italian baking. Its products include breadsticks, Swiss Fudge and other cookies, biscotti, and their S-shaped breakfast treats.
56. Pro vote: YEA. All in favor say it.
64. "Got it": I SEE. Expression of understanding or agreement.
65. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.
66. Give a quick review: SUM UP. Give a brief summary of something.
67. Moist: DEWY. Slightly wet; damp or humid.
68. "Sisters" Emmy winner Ward: SELA. Sela Ann Ward (born July 11, 1956) is an American actress. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series Sisters (1991–1996), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the leading role of Lily Manning in the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002).
69. Writing class writing assignment: ESSAY. A short piece of writing on a particular subject.
Down:
1. Waze display: MAP. Waze Mobile Ltd, doing business as Waze, formerly FreeMap Israel, is a subsidiary company of Google that provides satellite navigation software on smartphones and other computers that support the Global Positioning System.
2. __ Jima: IWO. The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the purpose of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field.
3. French buddy: AMI. Friend.
4. Cannondale two-seater: TANDEM. A bicycle built for 2 that is no longer being built.
5. Not voting 56-Across: ANTI. Voting against a proposition.
6. Owned: HAD. Possessed in the past.
7. Mentally restless: UNQUIET. Uneasy, anxious, restless.
8. Pitcher Jim who wrote the 1970 memoir "Ball Four": BOUTON. James Alan Bouton (1939 – 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew - a brand of bubble gum made to resemble chewing tobacco.
9. Show scorn: SNEER. A facial expression showing scorn or contempt.
10. Put on a show: ACT. Behave in a particular way.
11. __ de vivre: JOIE. A French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit, and general happiness.
12. Affirm: AVOW. Assert or confess openly, aver.
13. Painter Magritte: RENE. René François Ghislain Magritte [1898- 1967] was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and boundaries of reality and representation. His imagery has influenced pop art, minimalist art, and conceptual art.
18. Strike, as from a formal record: EXPUNGE. Erase or remove completely something unwanted or unpleasant.
19. Retired fast jet, briefly: SST. A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 and it was last flown in 1999 by NASA. Concorde's last commercial flight was in October 2003, with a November 26, 2003 ferry flight being its last airborne operation. Following the permanent cessation of flying by Concorde, there are no remaining SSTs in commercial service.
23. Steeple topper: SPIRE. A tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower.
24. James of "Gunsmoke": ARNESS. James Arness [1923 - 2011] was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke
25. Turn around: GO BACK. Return to something, retrace one's steps.
27. Bridle strap: REIN. A strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal.
28. Hooting birds: OWLS. Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight.
19. Retired fast jet, briefly: SST. A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 and it was last flown in 1999 by NASA. Concorde's last commercial flight was in October 2003, with a November 26, 2003 ferry flight being its last airborne operation. Following the permanent cessation of flying by Concorde, there are no remaining SSTs in commercial service.
23. Steeple topper: SPIRE. A tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower.
24. James of "Gunsmoke": ARNESS. James Arness [1923 - 2011] was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke
25. Turn around: GO BACK. Return to something, retrace one's steps.
27. Bridle strap: REIN. A strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal.
28. Hooting birds: OWLS. Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight.
30. Witty remark: QUIP. A witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment
32. Louisiana religion with African roots: VOODOO. A religion practiced in parts of the Caribbean (especially Haiti) and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession.
33. Will who voices Lego Batman: ARNETT. William Emerson Arnett [b. 1970] is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. In television, Arnett played Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series Arrested Development and the titular character in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman.
36. Musical mixtures: MEDLEYS. In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumentals.
37. Basra's country: IRAQ. Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia and in the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. With a population of over 46 million, it is the 33rd-most populous country. It is a federal parliamentary republic that consists of 18 governorates. Basra is a city in southern Iraq. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind only Baghdad and Mosul.
38. "Fleishman Is in Trouble" actress Claire: DANES. Claire Catherine Danes [b. 1979] is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
40. Hibernation spot: LAIR. Look - a clecko! A place where a wild animal, especially a fierce or dangerous one, lives.
41. Heap: PILE. A disorganized stack of things.
43. Like the northern lights: AURORAL. Pertaining to the northern or southern lights.
46. Read carefully: PERUSE. Or alternatively, to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. This word is a contranym, i.e. its own antonym.
47. Seventh planet from the sun: URANUS. Uranus is one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (the other is Neptune). Most (80% or more) of the planet's mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of "icy" materials – water, methane, and ammonia – above a small rocky core. Near the core, it heats up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (4,982 degrees Celsius). It is also the butt of some astronomical jokes.
49. Big name in ice cream: EDY. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. ("Dreyer's"), is an American ice cream company, founded in 1928 in Oakland, California. The company's two signature brands, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Edy's Grand Ice Cream, are named after its founders, William Dreyer and Joseph Edy. The Dreyer's brand is sold in the Western United States and Texas, while the Edy's brand is sold in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.
50. April __ Day: FOOL'S. April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved with these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. The custom of setting aside a day for playing harmless pranks upon one's neighbor has been relatively common in the world historically.
52. Surrounded by: AMID. In the middle of, among.
53. Set's opposite: RISE. Referring to the extremes of the sun's apparent motion across the sky from horizon to horizon as the earth rotates on its axis.
54. Was aware of: KNEW. As defined
57. Loosen (up): EASE. Reduce the seriousness, severity or intensity of something.
59. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY. Susan Hallock Dey [b 1952] is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992.
32. Louisiana religion with African roots: VOODOO. A religion practiced in parts of the Caribbean (especially Haiti) and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession.
33. Will who voices Lego Batman: ARNETT. William Emerson Arnett [b. 1970] is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. In television, Arnett played Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series Arrested Development and the titular character in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman.
36. Musical mixtures: MEDLEYS. In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumentals.
37. Basra's country: IRAQ. Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia and in the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. With a population of over 46 million, it is the 33rd-most populous country. It is a federal parliamentary republic that consists of 18 governorates. Basra is a city in southern Iraq. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind only Baghdad and Mosul.
38. "Fleishman Is in Trouble" actress Claire: DANES. Claire Catherine Danes [b. 1979] is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
40. Hibernation spot: LAIR. Look - a clecko! A place where a wild animal, especially a fierce or dangerous one, lives.
41. Heap: PILE. A disorganized stack of things.
43. Like the northern lights: AURORAL. Pertaining to the northern or southern lights.
46. Read carefully: PERUSE. Or alternatively, to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. This word is a contranym, i.e. its own antonym.
47. Seventh planet from the sun: URANUS. Uranus is one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (the other is Neptune). Most (80% or more) of the planet's mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of "icy" materials – water, methane, and ammonia – above a small rocky core. Near the core, it heats up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (4,982 degrees Celsius). It is also the butt of some astronomical jokes.
49. Big name in ice cream: EDY. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. ("Dreyer's"), is an American ice cream company, founded in 1928 in Oakland, California. The company's two signature brands, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Edy's Grand Ice Cream, are named after its founders, William Dreyer and Joseph Edy. The Dreyer's brand is sold in the Western United States and Texas, while the Edy's brand is sold in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.
50. April __ Day: FOOL'S. April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved with these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. The custom of setting aside a day for playing harmless pranks upon one's neighbor has been relatively common in the world historically.
52. Surrounded by: AMID. In the middle of, among.
53. Set's opposite: RISE. Referring to the extremes of the sun's apparent motion across the sky from horizon to horizon as the earth rotates on its axis.
54. Was aware of: KNEW. As defined
57. Loosen (up): EASE. Reduce the seriousness, severity or intensity of something.
59. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY. Susan Hallock Dey [b 1952] is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992.
60. School support org.: PTA. Parent Teacher Association, a school-based organization with a mission to make the school a better place for children to learn. Parents of students work together with teachers to volunteer in classes, raise money for school supplies, and generally support the school's efforts.
61. Private chats on soc. media: DMs. “Direct Message.” A DM is a private mode of communication between social media users. When you send a direct message, only you and the recipient can see the content.
62. Sine __ non: QUA. Sine qua non can be translated literally as "Without which, not." Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less "Without (something), (something else) won't be possible." Sine qua non sounds slightly literary, and it shouldn't be used just anywhere.
63. Asset in a covert op: SPY. A person who secretly collects and reports information on the activities, movements, and plans of an enemy or competitor.
And so, we carefully reach the end of another Wednesday's probably quite nice adventure. Hope you didn't stumble. Extra credit for anyone who recognized Herwig's "Watch Your Steps" as a contrafact of Coltrane's "Giant Steps."
Cool regards!
JzB
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