Wednesday, August 18, 2021, Jerry Edelstein

Theme: THE BLOCKS STOP HERE

20. Longtime game show that features stunts and a time limit: BEAT THE CLOCK.

33. High-quality investment: BLUE CHIP STOCK.

43. Lose it: BLOW ONE'S STACK.

57. Megahits, and what the interior letters of 20-, 33- and 43-Across effectively are?: BLOCK BUSTERS.

Melissa here - but I had to ask C.C. about this, which I'm going to blame on lagging vacation brain because this is a very common theme gimmick that I missed: The word BLOCK is broken up in three different ways.

I got hung up on the crossword meaning of the word BLOCK. In a crossword puzzle, the black squares are also known as blocks. For LA Times puzzles, the maximum word count for a 15x15 is 78, and the maximum block count is 43. Today's puzzle has 76 words, and 40 blocks.

Across:

1. Inferior in quality: CHEAP.

6. Temple mascot Hooter T. __: OWL. Temple University, in Philadelphia, PA, was founded by Russell Conwell, who began tutoring working class citizens late at night to accommodate their work schedules. These students, later dubbed "night owls," were taught in the basement of Conwell's Baptist Temple (hence the origin of the university's name and mascot). A History of Hooter.

9. Edsel and "Ishtar," e.g.: FLOPS.

14. Gossipy Hopper: HEDDA. American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million.

15. Month in printemps: MAI. Printemps is French for spring. It is also the name of a famous department store in Paris.

16. "Chicago" showgirl: ROXIE. Played by Renée Zellweger in the 2002 film.

17. Singing the praises of: EXTOLLING.

19. "Tiny Alice" dramatist: ALBEE. Three-act play written by Edward Albee.

22. State as fact: ASSERT.

25. Parlor art, briefly: TAT. Tattoo parlor. 

26. Horror film director Craven: WES. Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream movies.

27. Website help sect.: FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions.

28. Résumés, for short: CVS. CV = Curriculum Vitae, a Latin term meaning course of life. Sting refers to this in his song, Nothin' Bout Me:

1:28
Check my records, check my facts
Check if I paid my income tax
Pore over everything in my C.V.
But you'll still know nothing 'bout me

31. Family nickname: SIS. All my family calls me Missy. Except my husband.

38. Quiet: STILL.

39. __ pay: NET.

40. Wynonna's mother: NAOMI. The Judds, a talented family.

46. Kalamazoo-to-Cincinnati dir.: SSE.

47. Only even prime number: TWO.

48. Ka __: southernmost Big Island point: LAE.

49. "Black-ish" network: ABC.

52. Weaken: EBB.

54. Pax __: ROMANA. A bit obscure for anyone else, or just me? The term "Pax Romana," which literally means "Roman peace," refers to the time period from 27 B.C.E. to 180 C.E. in the Roman Empire. This 200-year period saw unprecedented peace and economic prosperity throughout the Empire, which spanned from England in the north to Morocco in the south and Iraq in the east.

61. Sported: HAD ON.

62. Didn't stop behind in time: REAR-ENDED. I have a theory that people's driving styles mimic their personalities. In my IT days I knew a micro-manager who caused a number of accidents because he did not know when to back off.

66. Muscat native: OMANI.

67. Managed: RAN.

68. Corpulent: OBESE.

69. Router button: RESET.

70. Texter's "Yikes!": OMG.

71. Bit of hardware: SCREW.

Down:

1. Michael of "SNL": CHE. Co-Anchor on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.

2. Spell: HEX.

3. Summer hrs. at Augusta National: EDT. Held April 8 - 11 this year. Winner was Hideki Matsuyama.

4. Acrobat maker: ADOBE.

5. Not as tanned: PALER.

6. Forget about: OMIT.

7. Crave, e.g.: WANT.

8. Tenth word of the National Anthem: LIGHT. O say can you see, by the dawn's early light ...

9. Elementary math subject: FRACTIONS.

10. Lounge around: LOLL.

11. U-shaped river bend: OXBOW. Learn how The Nature Conservancy is restoring oxbow wetlands to help wildlife and people in Iowa.

12. King or queen, perhaps: PIECE. As in chess.

13. Goes after: SEEKS.

18. Hold (onto): LATCH.

21. Part of 46-Across: EAST.

22. Dover and Edwards, e.g., briefly: AFBS. Air Force Bases.

23. "Pass the __": SALT. Not buck.

24. __ kick: tricky football ploy: SQUIB. A short, low, line drive kickoff that usually bounces around on the ground before it can be picked up by a member of the receiving team.

29. Asti product: VINO. Asti is a sparkling Italian wine. VINO is the Italian (and Spanish) word for wine. In French it's vin.

30. Used up: SPENT.

32. Order to go: SCAT. Ooooh, great misdirection.

34. Wings with rooms: ELLS. In architecture, an ell is a wing of a building, at a right angle to the length of the main portion. Ells are often additions to a building.

35. Tightly connected: CLOSE KNIT.

36. Hearty entrée: STEW.

37. It's not a bear: KOALA.

41. Classic name in shoes: MCAN.

42. Maker of BILLY bookcases: IKEA. In my last house I lined an entire wall with black Billies with the glass doors - like these.

 44. "MacArthur Park" songwriter Jimmy: WEBB.

45. More angry: SORER. It's a real word, but sounds awkward, right?

49. Detest: ABHOR.

50. Fault: BLAME.

51. Musical endings: CODAS. From Wikipedia: a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure. 

53. Grand Canyon animal: BURRO.

55. Thins, for instance: OREOS. Who knew? Less Oreo, same price.

56. Rachel Maddow's network: MSNBC. She might be leaving.

58. Volcano apex: CONE.

59. Ore source: SEAM. "A stratum of coal or mineral that is economically viable." Here's an image of an iron ore seam marker in Birmingham, Alabama.

60. Strong taste: TANG.

63. __ Spiegel: DER. The largest German news website.

64. Legal conclusion?: ESE. Legalese.

65. Morning moisture: DEW.

Notes from C.C.:

Here's a cute picture of Melissa's granddaughter Jaelyn on her first day of the kindergarten. She's with her sister Harper. Melissa says "She was disappointed that she couldn't read after the first day. "See all those signs? I can't read any of them!"  

Friday August 6, 2021 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: You'll find out! 

Chairman Moe is off vacationing, so d-o has been called up from the minors to see what sort of havoc he can wreak in C-Moe's absence. Jerry Edelstein is a veteran of the crossword stage, having made numerous appearances over the years in the LAT and here at the Corner. Today's he's offered up a letter-swap theme with the reveal FIND OUT. Hint, you need to parse it as "F in, D out." I like well-executed themes that even I can suss. 

17. One teaching tchotchke-making?: FRILL INSTRUCTOR. Drill Instructor

37. Overly blunt?: FRANK TO EXCESS. Drank to excess. I've been accused of both.

58. Missives warning about '30s gangster Dillinger?: FEAR JOHN LETTERS. Dear John Letter. And finally, the reveal...

66. Learn ... and, in four parts, a hint to 17-, 37-, and 58-across: FIND OUT.

Across:

1. Intolerant: BIGOTED. Shades of Archie Bunker.

 

8. Thaw: DEFROST.

15. Like some egos: FRAGILE. Here's a handy list of negative ways to describe a person.

16. He won his only Oscar at age 73 for "City Slickers": PALANCE. He made a memorable Oscar appearance. (19 seconds)

19. John Paul's successor: ELENA. Supreme Court, not the Vatican.

20. Kit __: chocolate wafers: KATS. In my ute they were made by Rowntrees of York under special license from the Queen. 

21. 12th-century yr.: MCI. That'd be 1101 AD. Also a one-time telecom.

24. Workout ctrs.: YMCAS.

28. "Sprechen __ Deutsch?": SIE. Do you speak German?

29. Like uncooperative hair: TANGLY. Mine is uncooperative, but not tangly -- just cowlicky.

33. SeaTac-based airline: ALASKA. Seems weird that Alaska Airlines would be based in Washington.

35. Women's rights attorney Allred: GLORIA. Unknown to me, but the perps were kind.

36. Exhausted: SPENT.

41. Polynesian symbols: TIKIS. Totems was too long.

42. "That's old news": I HEARD.

44. More than brushed back: BEANED. Baseball.

46. B-52 mission: SORTIE. Back in the '60s we would see the B-52s every day, heading west from Andersen AFB, loaded with 500-pounders.

47. __ mot: BON. Good one, I say.

48. Actress Garson: GREER. English actress and M-G-M star. The name's familiar, but I couldn't pick her out of a lineup, nor name a film she was in.

 

51. Dashed no.: SSN.

52. Beauty store chain: ULTA. If you say so.

54. Baking apples: ROMES.

65. Dickinson's "There Is No __ Like a Book": FRIGATE. This C/A made absolutely no sense without the poem's second line. I had to look it up. It's very short: 

"There is no Frigate like a Book 

To take us Lands away 

Nor any Coursers like a Page 

Of prancing Poetry – 

This Traverse may the poorest take 

Without oppress of Toll – 

How frugal is the Chariot 

That bears the Human Soul –"

67. Son of David: SOLOMON. The original wise guy.

68. Small rubbers: ERASERS. No comment.

Down:

1. Closest pal: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

2. Not up to 57-Down, perhaps: IRR. Irregular -- not up to STDS.

3. Moo goo __ pan: GAI. Chinese take-out.

4. Lascivious look: OGLE. Or leer.

5. Place for dough: TILL. Do they still call it that?

6. "Night" writer Wiesel: ELIE. From an Amazon blurb: Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. 

 

7. __ McClain, last MLB pitcher with 30+ wins: DENNY.

8. Three-in-one vaccine, familiarly: DPT. Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus.

9. Thing to lend or bend: EAR. Friends, Romans, countrymen...

10. __ shot: FLU. Wow, it's almost that time again.

11. Place for bats: RACK. Fess up. You tried CAVE, didn't you?

12. Doing the job: ON TASK. "On it" was too short.

13. Nova __: SCOTIA. Our Canadian geography lesson for today. Spent a night in Halifax back in the '80s. We were bar-hopping, and I don't remember a whole lot about it.

14. Clipped: TERSE. Like a response.

18. Namesake of a popular club: SAM. Sam Walton -- you may have heard of his Sam's Club. 

 

 21. Office conf.: MTG.Just a meeting.

22. Baby whale: CALF.

23. "You __ not?": IN OR. Green paint.

25. __ May: CAPE. Let's see a show of hands. Did you know this is in New Jersey? I'll bet YR knows.

26. "Dynasty" villain: ALEXIS. She's been played by several actresses, but none better than the original, Joan Collins.

27. Quixote's squire __ Panza: SANCHO. "Whether the stone hits the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the stone, it's going to be bad for the pitcher." -- Man of La Mancha.

30. Persona non __: GRATA. "You're not wanted here."

31. Insert that insulates: LINING. In your winter coat.

32. Chatterbox: YAKKER. Accurate, but seems awkward.

34. Guide: STEER.

36. Plea at sea: SOS. Save Our Souls: ... --- ...

38. It ebbs and flows: TIDE.

39. H.S. exams: SATS. Back in my day we took the ACT -- from American College Testing.

40. Mumbai titles: SRIS. It was still Bombay the last time I visited there.

43. Man cave, maybe: DEN.

44. Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO. This was a difficult piece to record back in the LP days. Either the soft passages would get lost in the surface noise, or the crescendo would distort.

45. Bring into play: ENTAIL.

47. Big fans: BUFFS. Windmills was too long.

49. Shore eagle: ERN. Hello, old cw friend.

50. Pocahontas' spouse: ROLFE. John. Should have known this, but had to wait on the perps.

53. Jason's ship: ARGO. 

 

 

55. Israel's "Iron Lady": MEIR. She was born in Kyiv, but grew up in Milwaukee.

56. Sicilian mount: ETNA. Can you name another 4-letter volcano? Yeah, Fuji.

57. Benchmarks: abbr.: STDS.

59. One may delay your arrival: JAM. Dw's German uncle called it a traffic marmalade.

60. Ioway relative: OTO.

61. Cornish game __: HEN.

62. Help-wanted ad abbr.: EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer.

63. Capek's dystopian play: RUR. Rossum's Universal Robots

64. GPS lines: STS. Streets

And thus endeth our reading from the scripture according to Rich Norris. C.C. will make the grid magically appear below. Desper-otto out. 

 

 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021, Jerry Edelstein

Theme: AIR APPARENT

20. Public transit commuter's nightmare: BUS LINE STRIKE.

32. Access point indicator on many streets: MANHOLE COVER.

43. Have fun on a diamond: PLAY BASEBALL.

58. Acting affectedly ... and, based on what can go with the three parts of 20-, 32- and 43-Across, this puzzle's title: PUTTING ON AIRS. 

Wow, that's a lot of airs. 

20A:  Airbus: an aircraft designed to carry a large number of passengers economically, especially over relatively short routes. Airline: an organization providing a regular public service of air transportation on one or more routes. Air strike: an attack made by aircraft.

32A: Airman: a pilot or member of the crew of an aircraft, especially in an air force. Air hole: a hole or passage that allows air to pass through. Air cover: protection from aircraft for land-based or naval operations in war situations.

43A: Airplay: broadcasting time devoted to a particular record, performer, or musical genre. Airbase - a base for the operation of military aircraft. Air ball - in basketball, a shot that misses the backboard, rim, and net entirely.

Melissa here. 

Across:

1. Kid around: JEST.

5. Abacus unit: BEAD.

 

9. Promote heavily: PUSH.

13. Fever with chills: AGUE.

14. "I do" site: ALTAR. Aw.

16. "A Death in the Family" Pulitzer winner: AGEE.

17. Word with head or meal: BONE. I think we all know what a bonehead is. Bonemeal is an organic fertilizer for plants made from animal bones and slaughterhouse waste products.

18. Supply chain intermediary: WHOLESALER.

22. Blow up: ERUPT.

24. "¿Cómo __?": ESTA. Spanish for "How are you?"

25. Some systems pros: Abbr.: EES. Not 100% sure, but I'm thinking this refers to Electrical Engineers.

26. Mal de __: MER. Seasickness. In French, mal means "bad" or "sick" and mer means "sea."

27. Beaujolais, e.g.: RED. Wine.

30. Bird on a court: LARRY. Larry Bird, basketball player, coach and executive in the National Basketball Association. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

37. Pretentious with a paintbrush, say: ARTY.

38. Hindu teacher: SWAMI.

39. "Mamma Mia!" group: ABBA.

46. Shopping __: SPREE.

49. High-__ monitor: RES. Resolution.

50. Meadowland: LEA.

51. Arg. neighbor: URU. Argentina vs. Uruguay.

52. Withdraw by degrees: WEAN.

56. Make sense: ADD UP.

62. Kind of fortitude: INTESTINAL.

63. Copied: APED.

66. __-do-well: NEER.

67. Arduous jobs: SLOGS.

68. "La maja desnuda" artist: GOYA. Oil on canvas painting that portrays a nude woman reclining on a bed of pillows. Goya created a pendant of the same woman identically posed, but clothed, known today as La maja vestida (The Clothed Maja).

69. Old Norse poetic work: EDDA. Body of ancient Icelandic literature contained in two 13th-century books commonly distinguished as the Prose, or Younger, Edda and the Poetic, or Elder.

70. Canadian gas: ESSO. Stands for the S and O of Standard Oil

71. Plant support: STEM.

Down:

1. Poke: JAB.

2. Alter __: EGO.

3. Like one who got careless at the beach: SUNBURNT.

4. Get set to drive: TEE UP. Golf.

5. Scold, with "out": BAWL.

6. K-12, for short: ELHI. Elementary through high school.

7. Make amends: ATONE.

8. Lowlands: DALES. LEA and DALE today.

9. Late-night TV pioneer: PAAR. Jack. Second host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962. Johnny Carson took over after him.

10. Harder to watch: UGLIER.

11. Catcher of the Golden Snitch, in Quidditch: SEEKER. Harry Potter.

12. Rejection of religious dogma: HERESY.

15. Remainder: REST.

19. Like an old joke: STALE.

21. Houston MLBer: STRO. Short for Astro.

22. Stone or Watson: EMMA. Actresses.

23. Raise: REAR.

28. "Frozen" snow queen: ELSA.

29. Like morning grass: DEWY.

31. Many an Omani: ARAB. Oman is a country occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

33. Pre-release buzz: HYPE.

34. Dry 27-Across, briefly: CAB.

35. Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan __: OMAR.

36. Gripping device: VISE.

40. Hairless area: BALD SPOT.

41. Veal cordon __: BLEU. The truth is, while chicken cordon bleu gets its name from the French term for blue ribbon (denoting excellence), this dish actually stems from Switzerland. The base of this dish, the breaded chicken is commonly known around the world as schnitzel.

42. Swim __: do one full pool circuit: A LAP.

44. Lamb Chop creator Shari: LEWIS. Now I'm hungry.

45. Actor Morales: ESAI.

46. Lying face-up: SUPINE. Opposite of prone.

47. Spruced up, as a spruce: PRUNED.

48. Groovy?: RUTTED. Cute.

53. Middle-earth tree creatures: ENTS. Ents are a species of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees.

54. Deft: AGILE.

55. They're forbidden: NO-NOS.

57. They're boring: DRAGS.

59. Trillion: Pref.: TERA.

60. Scolds to death: NAGS. That sounds severe.

61. Too: ALSO.

64. Set one's sights on: EYE.

65. Beaver's project: DAM.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Jerry Edelstein

Theme:  I've pondered this but cannot come up with something clever, so here is the unifier --

65. Marine Corps motto, briefly, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: SEMPER FI.  This is short for SEMPER FIDELIS, meaning 'always faithful" in Latin.  In our puzzle, the theme fill are two words, both beginning with the letter combination "FI."  So - always FI.

20 A. *Matches with known outcomes: FIXED FIGHTS.  Boxing matches in which one competitor loses on purpose, dishonestly, for reasons related to betting.

56 A. *Music group's lead violinist, casually: FIRST FIDDLE.  I've heard of playing 2nd fiddle, meaning to always play a supporting or inferior role.  By extension, FIRST FIDDLE means to play a commanding role.  I wish it had been clued this way, since it's not really a musical term in common use.

3 D. *Fast-food alternatives to burgers: FISH FILETS.  Popular on Friday's, especially in Lent.

30 D. *Like half a chance: FIFTY FIFTY.  An even bet.  Not sure what half a chance means.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, faithful, as always.  Let's charge into this puzzle and see what we can find.

Across:

1. Concerning: AS FOR.  With regard to  .  .  .

6. Letters replacing a list: ETC. And so on, and so forth.

 

 9. Afternoon snooze: NAP.   Zzzzzz  .  .  .

12. Nighttime party: SOIREE.  From the French soir, meaning evening.

14. Soccer tiebreaker, perhaps: SHOOT OUT.  Selected players from both teams take turns attempting to score on the other side's goal keeper.  Same in hockey.  Since nobody can win the regular game, they decide to have a one on one skills contest.  Meh!

17. County on the English Channel: SUSSEX.  South Saxony located on the island's southern coast.  The battle of Hastings was fought near its modern eastern border.

18. Canyon namesake of dry California winds: SANTA ANA.  They sweep westward from the mountains to the coast.

19. Tree with elastic wood: ASH.  Hence its popularity as baseball bats.

22. Hi-__ TV: DEF.  High definition - a high degree of clarity and detail in the images.

23. What "X" may mean: TEN.  Roman numeral.

24. Music center?: ESS.  The middle letter of the word.  Lame clue, lame fill.

25. Dennis the Menace, for one: IMP.  A mischievous child.

28. Beloved: DEAR.  Held in affection

30. Monk's title: FRA.  Derived from frater, the Latin word for brother.

33. Cultural setting: MILIEU.  Environment or setting, from the French, meaning "middle place."

36. Black and blue?: BERRIES.  Also straw and rasp.

39. H or O, in H2O: ELEMENT.  Hydrogen and oxygen, each a fundamental substance consisting of only one kind of atom.  They combine to form water.

41. Contrasting ornaments: SET-OFFS.  Items with differing appearances to achieve a visual effect.

42. Roald Dahl title heroine: MATILDA. A precocious 5 1/2 year old IMP.

43. Submitted, as a manuscript: SENT IN.  By post, or possibly electronically.

44. Kvetching sounds: OYS.  Exclamations of anger or dismay.

45. Weakens: EBBS.  By reference to a receding tide.

48. Give voice to: SAY.

49. __ Lingus: AER.  Airline of Ireland.

51. Partner in a 2020 peace agreement with Isr.: United Arab Emerates, located at the eastern end of the Arabian peninsula, and home to almost 10 million people. 

53. Quite a ways away: FAR.  

61. Anger: IRE.

62. Imagining: IDEATING.

63. Photo taken backwards?: SELFIE.  With a phone camera pointed at the user.

  66. Thrills: ELATES.  To thrill is to give a sudden feeling of excitement or pleasure. To elate is to make someone very happy.  Equivalent?  You decide.

67. General on a menu: TSO.  A Chinese chicken dish.

68. Fair-hiring letters: EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer.

69. Flair: STYLE. Elan.

Down:

1. Syrian leader: ASSAD.  Bashar Hafez al-Assad [b 1965] is a Syrian politician who has been the 19th president of Syria since 17 July 2000.

2. W.C. Fields persona: SOUSE. A habitually excessive drinker, from the verb "souse," meaning to drench with liquid.

4. RN workplaces: ORS.   Registered Nurses in Operating Rooms.

5. Sailing danger: REEF.  A ridge of jagged rock, coral or sand near the surface of the sea.

6. Ancient mystic: ESSENE.  Members of a Jewish sect, ca 200 BCE to 200 CE who lived in community practicing voluntary poverty and asceticism.

7. Jazz trumpeter Jones: THAD.  Thaddeus Joseph Jones [ 1923 - 1986]  was also a composer, arranger, and one of my jazz heroes.   He was born into a musical family, in near-by Pontiac, MI.


 

 8. Meeting group: CONFEREES.  

9. Biblical boater: NOAH.   Hosted a variety of animals during a flood.

10. Bee, to Opie: AUNT.  From the Andy Griffith Show.

11. School orgs.: PTAS.  Parent- Teacher-Organizations.

13. Leave: EXIT. Depart

15. Name seen on one's way to the penthouse?: OTIS.  Brand name for elevators.

16. License plates: TAGS.  So your car can be on the road legally.

21. Marked on a ballot: X-ED.   We get bubbles to fill in.

26. "La BohËme" role: MIMI.  In my mind, she was FIFI.  That disappointed me.

27. Banana covering: PEEL.   Technically, a banana is a berry.  Blackberries and raspberries are not

29. Hunk's pride: ABS.  Hard, flat abdominal muscles on a well toned fellow.

Here's how

31. APR-reducing loan: REFI.  Refinancing a loan to get a better interest rate.

32. Pt. of AAA: ASSN.  American Automobile Association.

33. Office notice: MEMO.  A written message, usually in a business context.

34. "Now __ me down to sleep ... ": I LAY.   Beginning of a night time prayer.

35. Being severely criticized: UNDER FIRE.  The subject of an attack.

37. Numbered rds.: RTES.  Routes.

38. Novelist Jaffe: RONA.  [1931-2005]  She also wrote for Cosmopolitan in the '60's.

40. Diner check: TAB.  Record of accumulated charges.

46. Aussie parrot, briefly: BUDGIE.  Read all about them.

47. Mournful: SAD.   Feeling sadness, regret or grief.

49. 33-Down demand, perhaps: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

50. Luncheon end?: ETTE.  Suffix denoting small size.

52. "... or __!": ELSE.  Overt threat.

54. Cartoon mermaid: ARIEL.

From Disney to you

55. Actress Witherspoon: REESE.  Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (b.1976) is an American actress, producer, and entrepreneur.   She has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Woman on a mission

56. Punch deliverer: FIST.  

Pow

57. March time: IDES.  (In the ancient Roman calendar) 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.

58. San __: Italian resort: REMO.  A city in extreme western Italy on the
 Mediterranean coat. 

59. Recon target: INFO. Reconnaissance to gather information.

60. Sniggler's catch: EELS.

64. Map line: Abbr.: LATitude.  Position on a line north of south of and parallel to the equator.

OK, gang we are FInally FInished for this Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Jerry Edelstein

Theme: ROLL CALL

17. Soda debut of 2002: VANILLA COKE.

23. "Ain't Misbehavin'" Tony and Emmy winner: NELL CARTER.

38. Security guard Paul Blart, in a 2009 film title: MALL COP.

50. Judge's research aide: LEGAL CLERK.

61. Station identifiers, and a hint to each set of circles: CALL LETTERS.

Perfect reveal phrase. The letters CALL are rearranged and span (spun?) across two words. 

Melissa here. I'm sure it was unintentional, but this grid was full of references to the arts. Film, TV, stage, literature, music.

Across:

1. Capital of Morocco: RABAT. Visiting Rabat.

6. Green military symbol: BERET.

11. Energy one might run out of: GAS. Nice.

14. Humiliate: ABASE. "To lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem."

15. Napoleon on St. Helena, e.g.: EXILE.

16. Squeeze bunt stat: RBI. Runs Batted In.

19. Consume: EAT.

20. Cadillac's answer to the Navigator: ESCALADE. Luxury SUVs.

21. Table input: DATA.

22. Useless, now: SHOT.

27. Froze, with "up": ICED. 

29. Foreign: ALIEN.

30. Harry Potter nemesis Malfoy: DRACO. Unusual for the 'good' guy to have dark hair and the 'bad' guy to have blonde hair.

33. Fishing spot: PIER. Not LAKE or POND.

34. Wane: EBB.

37. Feel bad: AIL.

41. Anguish: WOE.

42. Holiday tuber: YAM.

43. Stratagem: PLOY.

44. Mork's leader on Ork: ORSON.

46. 1943 penny metal: STEEL.

48. Fuss: TODO.

53. West Point, briefly: USMA. United States Military Academy.

57. Way out: EXIT. 

58. "Her résumé is clean and checks out": NO ISSUES.

60. Off-road transp.: ATV. All-terrain vehicle.

64. Historic start?: PRE. Prehistoric.

65. Tatum of "Paper Moon": ONEAL. The film starred real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O'Neal. Tatum holds the record for the youngest actor to win an Oscar - Best Supporting Actress.

66. Send payment: REMIT.

67. Road crew's supply: TAR. Smells awful.

68. Rolls to the runway: TAXIS.

69. "Golden Boy" author Clifford: ODETS. Play that  charts the swift rise of a gifted twenty-one-year-old violinist, Joe Bonaparte, who is corrupted by fame and fortune when he chooses to become a professional boxer.

Down:

1. Cast-pleasing reviews: RAVES. Another art reference.

2. Disconcert: ABASH. One letter different, and similar to ABASE. "To destroy the self-possession or self-confidence of (someone)."

3. Place to save in Sevilla: BANCO. Sevilla is a capital city in Spain. Banco is Spanish for bank.

4. Like some elephants: ASIATIC.

5. Relate: TELL.

6. Adorned with tiny spheres: BEADED.

7. Get all A's: EXCEL.

8. Spain's Ebro, por ejemplo: RIO. More Spanish. Rio = River.

9. Lodge member: ELK.

10. Top with a slogan: TEE.

11. "That's wonderful to hear!": GREAT NEWS.

12. Wane: ABATE. ABASE, ABASH, and now ABATE.

13. Indian strings: SITAR.

18. HOV __: LANE.

21. "The Chronic" Dr.: DRE. His debut studio album.

24. Secular: LAIC.

25. Role for Liz: CLEO. Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra.

26. Apple earbud: AIRPOD.

28. Force: COMPEL.

30. Labor __: DAY.

31. Narrow waterway: RIA.

32. Charitable sort: ALMS GIVER.

33. Perform diligently: PLY. "Work with (a tool, especially one requiring steady, rhythmic movements)." A tailor delicately plying his needle.

35. Sound meant to startle: BOO.

36. Big __: BEN. So beautiful.

39. d'Urberville rake murdered by Tess: ALEC. Book and movie.

40. Laze about: LOLL.

45. Forced out of bed: ROUSTED.

47. Ankle art, often: TAT.

48. Internet troublemakers: TROLLS. 

49. "The Grapes of Wrath" character: OKIE. Another movie reference.

50. Jumped: LEAPT.

51. Face in the crowd, in film: EXTRA. Amazon Prime is streaming a 2007 documentary called Strictly Background, about extras.

52. Zhou who hosted Nixon: ENLAI. Nixon's 1972 visit to China.

54. "See if I care!": SUE ME.

55. Be worthy of: MERIT.

56. Aides: Abbr.: ASSTS.

59. Space City ALer: STRO. Short for a Houston Astro.

61. Foldable bed: COT.

62. "SNL" alum Gasteyer: ANA.

63. Evil Luthor: LEX. From Superman.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 Jerry Edelstein

Three Letters, Six Words.  The circles give us the sign.

16-Across. Carrier to Cork and Shannon: AER LINGUS.

22-Across. She played Ika in "Quest for Fire": RAE DAWN CHONG.  Rae Dawn Chong (b. Feb. 28, 1961) is the daughter of Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame.

29-Across. "Really?": ARE YOU SURE?

41-Across. Best Actor nominee for "The Crying Game": STEPHEN REA.  Stephen Rea (b. Oct. 31, 1946) had been in many films, but is probably best know for 1992 film The Crying Game.

46-Across. Ignore, with "to": TURN A DEAF EAR.

59-Across. Period preceding Reagan's presidency: CARTER ERA.

President Jimmy Carter (b. Oct. 1, 1924)

Notice the symmetry.  In the first three answers, the theme "word" begins the phrase.  In the last three answers, the theme "word" ends the phrase.

Across:
1. Church seating: PEW.  The eytomology of the word pew.

4. The boy who cried wolf, e.g.: LIAR.  A reference to one of Aesop's fables.

8. Hint of hunger: PANG.

12. Señora Perón: EVA.  Eva Perón (né María Eva Duarte, May 7, 1919 ~ July 26, 1952) was the 2nd wife of Argentine President Juan Perón.  The musical Evita was based on her life.

13. Soften the effect of, as words: MINCE.  My mother made the best Minced pie.

14. Pen name: ALIAS.  //  And 37-Across. Letters before a pen name: AKA.  As in Also Known As.

18. Release: LET GO.

19. Streamlined, as a sports car: SLEEK.

20. Miner's find: ORE.  A crossword staple.

21. Kitchen protector with strings: APRON.  Cute clue.

25. Tiered Eastern temple: PAGODA.

The Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, China

28. "Definitely": YES.

33. Chomped: BIT.

36. Graduating group: CLASS.  There were 99 students in my high school graduating class.

38. Back of a hit 45 record: B-SIDE.  Here are 25 B-side hits that you have probably listened to.

40. Rocky crest: TOR.  I learned this word from doing the crossword puzzles.

43. Slippery, as a winter road: ICY.

45. Colossus island: RHODES.  The Colossus of Rhodes was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  It was said to have been a giant (colossus) statue of the Greek sun god Helios.  According to contemporary descriptions, it was about 108 feet tall, making it the tallest man-made structure in the ancient world.  Sadly, an earthquake that occurred in about 226 BCE was the statue's demise.  We can only speculate what the statue looked like.

52. Chinese, for example: ASIAN.

53. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU.  I'll that the CSO for Louisiana State University.

54. Snake secretion: VENOM.

58. Italian sauce with pine nuts: PESTO.  I misread this clue as being Italian sausage.

61. Tavern mug: STEIN.  The Maine Stein song is the song of my alma mater.

62. Killed time: IDLED.

63. Boomer's kid: X'ER.  Generation X.

64. Change for a ten: ONEs.

65. Prescribed medication amount: DOSE.

66. Mattel product: TOY.  This company makes lots and lots of toys.

Down:
1. "Split" veggies: PEAS.  What are Split Peas?  Split peas are often used in soup.

2. Daredevil Robbie's dad: EVEL.  Evel Knievel (né Robert Craig Knievel; Oct. 17, 1938 ~ Nov. 30, 2007) bragged that he could jump the Grand Canyon on his motorcycle.  He never actually attempted this stunt, however.

3. Suffix with hard or soft: WARE.  As in Hardware and Software.

4. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  Not only did Lin-Manuel Miranda (b. Jan. 16, 1980), write Hamilton, he starred in the original musical as Alexander Hamilton.

5. "__ We Trust": U.S. motto: IN G~D.

6. Luxury Honda: ACURA.

7. Fix with thread: RESEW.

8. Regal abode: PALACE.  The Neuschwanstein Castle may be one of the most recognizable palaces in the world.  It was one of Mad King Ludwig II's castles.  He had this castle commissioned to honor composer Richard Wagner.

9. Hebrew A's: ALEPHs.  This spelling is a transliteration, so sometimes the "English" spelling varies.  In the Hebrew alphabet, the letter is written as:

10. Part of TNT: NITRO.  The full name of this chemical compound is Trinitrotoluene, or more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.  Its the formula C₆H₂(NO₂)₃CH₃. 

11. Be unable to swallow: GAG ON.

13. Onetime Japanese emperors: MIKADOS.  The Mikado is also the name of an opera by Gilbert and Sullivan.

15. Neil Diamond work: SONG.

17. Composer Anderson and Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad" Brown: LEROYs.  Leroy Anderson (June 29, 1908 ~ May 18, 1975) was a New Englander and wrote many pieces that were played by the Boston Pops Orchestra.  Sadly, Jim Croce (né James Joseph Croce; Jan. 10, 1943 ~ Sept. 20, 1973) was killed when the small plane he was in crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

23. Nice water?: EAU.  //  And 34-Across. Cannes concept: IDÉE.  Today's French lesson.  Both cities are on the French Riviera.  We frequented both cities when we lived in Aix-en-Provence.

24. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE.  Bill Nye (né William Sanford Nye; b. Nov. 27, 1955) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.

25. Agreement: PACT.

26. Woody's son: ARLO.  Arlo Guthrie (né Arlo Davy Guthrie; b. July 10, 1947) is best known for Alice's restaurant.

27. Camping equipment: GEAR.

30. Grabbed a chair: SAT.

31. Luau strings: UKE.

32. Eminem genre: RAP.  Marshall Bruce Mathers, III (b. Oct. 17, 1972) is better known by his Rap name of Eminem.  He always looks so angry.

33. Cardinal or oriole: BIRD.  Because Baseball Team didn't fit into the space provided.

35. Black or green beverages: TEAS.  Do you know the difference between Black and Green teas?

38. Acted properly: BEHAVED.

39. Noisy napper: SNORER.

41. Australian airport code: SYD.  As in the airport that services Sydney, Australia.  //  Not to be confused with 49-Down. Legendary Spanish hero: EL CID.  El Cid (né Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar; 1043 ~ July 10, 1099) was a Castilian knight and national folk hero.

42. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr.: HRE.  As in the Holy Roman Empire, which as we have noted before was neither Holy nor Roman.  Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the 1st Holy Roman Emperor after Charlemagne protected the Pope from his enemies.  Charlemagne is sometimes referred to as Charles I, as Charles was his given name.  Charlemagne comes from a corruption of the old French, Charles le Magne, meaning Charles the Great.  The territory of the HRE was largely in what is now Germany and France.

43. How football games rarely end: IN A TIE.

44. EOS cameras, e.g.: CANONs.  The EOS stands for Electro-Optical System.  

46. Brewpub lineup: TAPS.

47. Was of __: helped: USE TO.

48. Up: RISEN.

50. South American grilled meat dish: ASADO.

51. Rolls up, as a flag: FURLS.  Furl vs. Unfurl.

55. Deli counter call: NEXT.

56. Early Hydrox rival: OREO.  Did you know that the name Hydrox is derived from the word Hydrogen and Oxygen.  Hydrox cookies actually were "invented" 4 years before the Oreo cookie hit the market.  If you listen to podcasts, you can learn more about the cookie here.

57. Contrary girl of rhyme: MARY.

60. Golf ball holder: TEE.

Here's the Grid:

Notes from C.C.:

1) Chairman Moe (Chris Gross) and I made today's Universal puzzle, edited by David Steinberg. Click here to solve. Congrats on your crossword debut, Chris!

2) Happy birthday to Husker Gary's amazing wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce! Both turn 74 years old today.  Here they're with their mom Martha.