Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Joe Deenney

 Theme: HOME is where you find it.  Hope you got the circles, because they are the place setters for the word HOME, which is hidden in each theme answer, can be found.  Let's have a look.

17A. Craven endeavor:  HORROR MOVIE.  Wes Craven has directed a few of them.  You can find the letters of the word HOME distributed across this fill.

22A. Like energy efficient buildings, for example:HIGH PERFORMANCE.  Well insulated with efficient HVAC systems.  Is your HOME one of them?

38A. Territorial Complex dissolved during the Napoleonic Wars: HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.  It was established on Christmas Day in 800 C.E. when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor.

Acclaimed 2016 Broadway soundtrack, with "The": HAMILTON MIX TAPE.  This is more than a little bit strained.  Is a sound track a mix tape?  Really?  And TAPE?  By 2016 that would have been very old school.  But, it does give us the letters we need.

Final leg ... and a hint to each set of circles:  HOME STRETCH.  This is the last straight away section of a race on an oval track, leading to the finish line.  In each theme fill the letters of HOME are STRETCHED across the words, in each case beginning with H and ending with E.  The O and M are internal ,in order, and non-adjacent.  So there is a nice consistency to the construction.  Sadly, there are some vagrant E's and O's lurking in there also, which strikes me as a flaw.  In this type of theme there is no relationship among the theme fill other than accommodating the needed letters.  This is clever, well thought through, and pretty well designed, but I am less than delighted.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here, evidently in a nit-picking mood.  Let's see what else we can find.

Across

1. Surpasses 21, in blackjack:  BUSTS.  This is a betting card game where face cards count ten points, spot cards according to their numbers, and aces as either 1 or 11 at the player's discretion.  The point is to accept cards in order to get a count close to 21 without going over

6. Top-level performance:A GAME.  I remember my son saying when his kids were little that when they were at our house they had their A Game on. Alas, they are all adults now.

11. NBA legend familiarly: Dr. J. Julius Winfield Erving II (b. 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player.  During his 16 years in the NBA, none of his teams ever missed the post-season.

14.  Company that's proud of it quacks?  AFLAC.  This insurance company has a quacking duck in its commercials.  Cf. the Liberty Emu and Geico Gekko.  I hate them all.

15. Chopper topper: ROTOR.  The rotating blades on a helicopter.

Like the top half of Monaco's flag: RED.

16. In the style of: A LA.

20 A. Solar panel spot.  ROOF.  Where the sun shines.

21. Blockhead: TWIT.

29. Together in music: A DUE.  This refers specifically to the situation where a staff is carrying parts for two players, but they then play one part together.  From the French [of course] meaning "for two."

30. Acid found in olive oil.  OLEIC.  It is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, and the most common fatty acid found in nature.

31.  34 Across has one of them: TILDE.   The tilde  ˜ or ~, is a grapheme that changes the sound of the letter associated with it.  CF the next entry. The name derives from the Latin for superscript.

34. Historic ship: NIÑA.  One of the ships that Christopher Columbus used to pillage the new world.

35. QG's try: ATT.  Abrev.. for ATTEMPT - a football quarterback's pass intended for a receiver.  If he catches it, it's called a completion. 

41. Senator Klobuchar: AMY.  Like our own C. C., she represents Minnesota.

42. Orator's art: Abbr: RHET.  Short for rhetoric, the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations.

43. WWI President: WILSON. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856 –1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. 

44. Dough: MOOLA.  Slang terms for money.

45. Resistance units: OHMS.  The standard unit of electrical resistance in the International System of Units (SI),  It is named after German physicist Georg Ohm.

52 By Jove: EGAD.  A mild oath, probably derived as a euphemism to avoid sayin, "Oh, God." in polite society.  Jove was the supreme god of Roman mythology, so it makes sense.

53.  Ticket datum:  GATE.   The total number of paying ticket holders. The amount they paid is gate receipts.

54. ___ Country:  ALT. Abrv for "alternative" - a sub genre of country music influenced by alternative rock.

62. Cartoonist Chaz: ROZ.  Rosalind "Roz" Chast is an American cartoonist and a staff cartoonist for The New Yorker. Since 1978, she has published more than 800 cartoons in The New Yorker. She also publishes cartoons in Scientific American and the Harvard Business Review.  

63.  Precipice: BRINK.  The edge [of something.]

64,  Like an egg: OVATE.  An oval expanded into the third dimension.

65.  Table for ___: TWO.  An intimate dining situation.

66. Passing words: OBITS.  Short for obituaries, brief writings about those who have recently departed.

67. Tranquilizing brand:  XANAX.   A prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of anxiety, panic disorder, and anxiety associated with depression. Xanax may be used alone or with other medications.

Down

1. Harrumph: BAH.  Expressions of disgust or displeasure.

2. Eerie sky light:  UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.  Who knows what they are?

3. Canon letters: SLR.  What kind of Canon is this: a brand name camera, of course.  Single Lens Reflex refers to the specific construction.

4. Pitch.  Another word with many potential meanings, but here is is TAR.

5.  Organization whose income taxes are passed through to shareholders.  S CORP.  An S corporation, for United States federal income tax, is a closely held corporation that makes a valid election to be taxed under Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, S corporations do not pay any income taxes.   And that is more than I know about them.

6. Tanks and such: ARMOR.  In this context, military vehicles sheathed with metal plate for protection.

7. Digress:  GO OFF ON A TANGENT.  I try not to do that.  You be the judge.

8.  Dune buggy, briefly: ATV. An All Terrain Vehicle -- a small open motor vehicle with one or two seats and three or more wheels fitted with large tires, designed for use on rough ground.

9. L'étate, à Louis XIV: MOI.   "I am the State," he claimed,  expressing the spirit of a rule in which the king held all political authority. His absolutism brought him into conflict with the Huguenots and the papacy, with damaging repercussions.

10 Bard's before: ERE.

11. Outlined, maybe: DRAWN.  As with pen or pencil.

12. Museum piece: RELIC.  An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest.

13. Website for Jewish singles: J DATE.   Where one can connect with successful, like-minded Jewish singles. 

18.  Sushi topper:  ROE.   Fish eggs.

21. Half a Northwest airport: TAC.  Serving Seattle and Tacoma, This airport is coded SEA-TAC.  [Bah!]

22. Yoga term meaning "force":  HATHA.

23. "Under the weather," say:  IDIOM.  A group of words whose meaning is not literal.

24. Water-formed ditch:  GULLY.

25. Actress Lamarr: HEDY.  Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; [ 1914 – 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. Read abut her here.

26.  Director of many "This is us" episodes: OLIN. Ken [b. 1954]

27.  What people who need People might do?  RENEW.  For those who subscribe to the magazine.

28.  Cocoanut Grove city.  MIAMI.   This is an upscale neighborhood on Biscayne Bay.

32. Swashbuckling Flynn: ERROL.  [1909 - 1959] After a checkered early life, he turned to acting, and became famous for his leading roles in adventure movies.

35. Tyler of Archer: AISHA.  [b 1970]  An American actress, comedian, director, and talk show host. 

36. Tread heavily: TROMP.

37. Future, e.g.: TENSE.   A grammar term used to indicate whether a sentence (or verb) is an action in the past, the present or the future. 

39. Ten time NBA All-Star Anthony, to fans:  MELO.  Carmelo Kyam Anthony [b 1984] is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team member six times. 

40. Story arc: PLOT.

44. Prefix with day: MID-.  Close to noon.

46. Symbol of affection:  HEART.  Indicating love.

47. Lit up: AGLOW.  As the heart of someone in love.

48. Passover staple: MATZO.  An unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which chametz [leavening] is forbidden. 

49. Masks: HIDES.  As an ingedient with a strong flavor might mask the presence of another ingredient.

50. Wednesday kin: ITT.  A cousin from the Addams family TV show.

51. Copy, in a way: XEROX.  Where the brand name of a document copying machine is used generically for copying.

55. "Industry" network: HBO. "Industry" is British-American television drama series created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.  It follows a group of young graduates competing for a limited set of permanent positions at Pierpoint & Co, a prestigious investment bank in London.

56. Celestial sphere: ORB.  A round object in the sky.

57.  Cusomizable Nintendo avatar: MII.  It's how you can represent yourself in games on the Wii gaming system.

58.  Green of "Casino Royal."  EVA.  Eva Gaëlle Green [b. 1980] is a French actress and model. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she started her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers."

59. Share at the beach. TAN.   A skin tone you might develop from exposure to sun light.

60.  Windy City train letters: CTA.  Chicago Transit Authority. Also this.

61. Curse:  HEX.  An evil magic spell.

So ends the HOME STRETCH of another Wednesday, and begins the month of December.  Rabbit, rabbit!

Cool regards!

JzB

Notes from C.C.:

For those who wish to send dear Spitzboov (Al) a card, please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) and I'll give you his address. His son told me yesterday that he's still in the hospital and he's now on antibiotics. Maybe Ray will tell us more. He visited Spitzboov after work yesterday.

Spitzboov, Betty & Argyle

 

Thursday, May 6, 2021, Joe Deeney

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists !

If you are not proficient in reading sea creatures' lips, and there is really no reason why you should be, you might guess that my friend above is wishing all of you a very happy Seis de Mayo.  Because Cinco de Mayo fell in the middle of the workweek this year, perhaps only a few of you overindulged in cerveza or mescal or tequila.  If you are one of those who did, it's okay to go back to sleep and read this tomorrow because you certainly do not need to add to your morning headache.  Of course, if you celebrated last night and have already tackled today's puzzle then it might be time for some hair of the dog that bit you.

Those who are proficient in lip reading sea creatures will know that my friend is actually voicing her opinion on several aspects of today's puzzle - Something like twenty proper nouns.  Answers such as YOINK, INSPO, and TECHY.  Throw a handful of abbreviations and a dozen two-word answers into the mix and the bellowing, above, is quite understandable (pun possibly intended).

Today's puzzle setter is Joe Deeney who also created the recent March 18th & 31st and April 17th & 25th puzzles, among many others.  Being an accomplished constructor, we have to assume that Mr. Deeney's choices were well-thought-out and were intended to give us a worthy Thursday challenge even if they do, in places, leave us shaking our heads.

THEME:  DU YOU SEE WHAT I SEEST?

The answer at 63 Across provides one key to our eventual enlightenment:  At four places in the puzzle, Joe has placed two-word answers.  Each first word starts with DU and each second word ends with ST.  Thus, the center components of the theme answers are bordered by, JACKETed if you will, by DU and ST.

63 Across. Book protector ... and what 17- 24-, 39-, and 53-Across each has: DUST JACKET.  (It would have been jaw-droppingly impressive if the second word of this answer had also ended in ST).

The elements of this clever bit of construction are:

17 Across. Bridge relative for three players: DUMMY WHIST.  WHIST is a trick-taking card game usually played by four players.  If there are only three players then a DUMMY hand is dealt.

24 Across. NBA All-Star Weekend event, casually: DUNK CONTEST.  Each year, during the All-Star game break, the National Basketball Association holds a Slam Dunk Contest.  A slam dunk is a shot in which the player forcibly thrusts the basketball down through the basket.

39 Across. Equinox sunset direction viewed from the equator: DUE WEST.  By definition.  If the sun is directly overhead at noon on the equator it will be due west when it sets.  Interestingly enough, this could also have been the theme.  The DU of each theme answer falls on the left, west on most maps.  DU WEST.

53 Across. Sporty muffler option: DUAL EXHAUST.  Several manufacturers have come up with aftermarket devices that make your EV sound like a V-8 with glass packs (a V-E?).

We'll put the finished grid here for a better look:

Now, let us consider the rest of today's clues and answers:

Across:

1. Apple since 1998: IMAC.  We are used to seeing the clued Apple be an electronic device and not a piece of fruit and if Apple is the first word of the clue it will be capitalized either way.  So that's no help.  One day, some smart (ass) constructor will play on this and the answer will turn out to actually be a recent cultivar.  Apple since 2009:  ENVY

5. Doctor's order?: SAY AH.

Curious George

10. Large number: HOST.  In the biblical sense (no, not that way), a group or army.  צבאות‎

14. Dunn of "SNL" (1985-'90): NORA.  NORA Dunn was cast-member of the Saturday Night Live television show.

Nora Dunn

15. Food recall cause: E. COLI.

Escherichia Coli Bacteria

16. Not about to back: ANTI.  You can opt to back a cause or opt to oppose it.  When I was a kid, it was considered great fun to ask someone if they could spell Antidisestablishmentarianism let alone explain it.  Okay, so I hung with a bunch of weirdos.

19. Union foe: SCAB.  From the Latin scabere meaning to scratch.  For centuries, the term SCAB has been applied to people who were untrustworthy and/or despicable.  In 1816 the term was first used (by members of the Albany Typographical Union) to apply to strikebreakers.

20. Muse's gift, in modern slang: INSPO.  A riff on "inspiration", I suppose.  The muses must be quite amused that anyone has chosen to add this particular linguistic gift to their lexicon.

21. "Too Many Rappers" rapper: NAS.  NASir bin Olu Dara Jones.

22. Elephantine: HUGE.  Which came first, the animal's name or the adjective?  Apparently, the animal's name.  The adjective is said to have originated in the 1620's.  It derives from the Latin elephantinus meaning "pertaining to  elephants".

23. They're not from around here, briefly: ETS.  Extra TerrestrialS  In Maine, upon meeting an ET they might say, "You're from away.  Chuppta?"

28. TV's Arthur: BEA.  . . .  and then there's Maude . . . and before Maude:

Bea Arthur on the Perry Como Show circa 1960

29. MSNBC host Melber: ARI.  What do you call a cat's Italian sports car?  A fur ARI.

30. Irish New Ager: ENYA.  Alternatively, a four-letter singer who often appears in x-word puzzles.

31. Hawks' home: Abbr.: ATL.  The ATLanta Hawks are a professional basketball team.

32. 23andMe concern: DNA.  DeoxyriboNucleic Acid.   23andME is a company that provides direct-to-consumer DNA testing.

34. Everglades bird: EGRET.

A Great White Egret

38. Eugene-to-Portland dir.: NNE.  North North East or 22.5°

42. Flying phenom: ACE.  Not a UFO.  Not Rodan.  An expert pilot.

The Royal Guardsmen - 1966

43. Miso soup base: DASHI.  The Bon Appetite recipe for DASHI  uses only water, dried kombu and bonito flakes.

45. Sch. found inside hotel suites?: LSU.  A clue intended to be interpreted quite literally.  Louisiana State University -  HOTEL SUITES  

46. Scand. land: NOR.  NORway.  Neither Sweden nor Finland.

47. "Wonderfilled" cookie: OREO.  I had never heard of an OREO being "Wonderfilled" but Oreo is always a reasonable guess for anything cookie-related.  I gather that OREO built an advertising campaign around the Wonderfilled theme.

Owl City Commercial -2013

50. Actor Vigoda: ABE.  ABE Vigoda is best known for his role as Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and as Fish on the Barney Miller TV show.

Justice Delayed

52. U.S. number-issuing agcy.: SSA.  The Social Security Administration.  Not to be confused with 64 Down.

57. BOLO cousin: APB.  Be On the LookOut and All Points Bulletin are both "Heads Up" alerts from the police.

58. Lone: ONLY.  I first tried SOLE.  Interesting cross with 55 Down.

59. Constitution letters: USS.  Not to be confused with the US Constitution.   A ship . . . . and a pretty easily identified bit of misdirection.  If you go to Boston you can visit the ship.  It's where I learned why a ship's toilet is called the head.

USS Constitution

60. Like computer innovations, say: TECHY.  IMHO (In this Manatee's Humble Opinion) - Tacky.

62. Caiman kin: CROC.  CROCodile.  Oddly, caiman is spelled out and the answer is abbreviated.  Is one-half of a pair of Crocs a CROC?

66. Casino game: KENO.  The name has French/Latin roots meaning "five winning numbers"  (quine) or "five each" (quini).  Thanks, Wiki.

67. Remove entirely: ERASE.

68. "__ we go!": HERE.  And awaaaayyyy . . . . would not fit.

69. Eject: SPEW.  See 2 Down.

70. Malibu, e.g.: SEDAN.  Another bit of (less) easily identified misdirection.  The Chevrolet Malibu was manufactured from 1964 to 1983.  It was reintroduced in 1997 and continues to be part of the company's product line.

A 1964 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan

71. Spenser's "Epithalamion" and others: ODES.  I was familiar with neither the author nor the ode.  The poem was written to his bride by Edmund Spenser in 1594.

Down:

1. The Smiths, e.g.: INDIE BAND.  Formed in 1982 in England, Wiki says that the critics considered The Smiths to be one of the most important BANDs to emerge from the Independent music scene of that era.  I am not familiar with the group.  If I had been, then, perhaps, this answer would have been more quickly figured out.

2. Europe's highest active volcano: MOUNT ETNA.  Elevation -10,991 feet

February, 2020

3. Heat transfer subject?: ARMS SALES.  Carrying a gun is sometimes referred to as "packing heat" and a sale is a transfer or sorts.

4. Like-minded group: CAMP.  I first thought of  BLOC, then SECT.  Thanks, perps.

5. Use a Singer: SEW.

6. Augsburg "Oh!": ACH.  A German language lesson to which we have previously, and repeatedly, been exposed.

7. "I'm taking that!": YOINK.  This was (charitably) a learning moment for this marine mammal.  Other (quite strong) reactions preceded that of charity.  Coined by The Simpsons writer George Meyer and perhaps imitative of the sound effect (made by a violin) that accompanies something being snatched in classic comedies.

8. Treaty of Versailles region: ALSACE.  An area along the border of France and Germany that has been the impetus for several wars.  Under The Treaty of Versailles (at the end of World War One) the Germans ceded Alsace to the French.  This helped precipitate World War Two

9. Tries to pick up: HITS ON.

Daisy Duck

10. Tweet symbol: HASH TAG.  Being unable to text on social media with his flippers, this manatee still thinks that the # symbol means number, or pound, or higher by one semi-tone.

11. When expected: ON CUE.  When filming the original Star Wars, Peter Mayhew had to redo a scene because he missed his CUE.  It was a Wookiee mistake.

12. Does' beaux: STAGS.  The plural possessive and the X at the end of beaux (c'est français) tell us that the answer is going to be plural.

13. Starting point for an Everest ascent: TIBET.

18. "Size matters not" Jedi master: YODA.

Weird Al Yankovic Yoda

25. Pakistani tongue: URDU.  A language frequently seen, if not heard,  in x-word puzzles.

26. Important baseball number: NINE.  There are nine players in each baseball team's starting line up.

27. Nureyev negative: NYET.  Nureyev is a Russian ballet dancer and NYET is Russian for no.

33. Leatherwork tool: AWL.

35. Plundered: RANSACKED.  From Old Norse and Middle English.  Rann (house) + secan (seek).  Modern use of the word is not restricted to houses.

36. Closed system that includes all life on Earth: ECOSPHERE.  ECOSPHRE has evolved, over time, from a circumstellar habitable zone, to self-contained/completely enclosed aquaria to the way it is used in this clue.

37. Substantial storage units: TERABYTES.  A TECKY reference. 

39. Boding disaster: DIRE.  On this day in history, May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg dirigible burst into flames upon touching its mooring mast in New Jersey.  There had been no DIRE warnings.

40. Isaac's eldest: ESAU.

Got It?

41. Replacements: SUBS.  As in SUBStitutes.  Either Sandwiches or  U-boats could also have been made to work as a clues.

44. Phil Rizzuto catchphrase: HOLY COW.

¡Ay Caramba!

48. Radiates: EXUDES.

49. "Yeah, I bet!": OH SURE.

51. James of jazz: ETTA.  Alternatively, a four-letter singer who often appears in x-word puzzles.

53. Places to tie up: DOCKS.  If you are not yet familiar with the series of songs posted on YouTube by the organization Playing for Change, you should correct that oversight post haste.  You could do far worse than starting with Ripple, The Weight and Listen to the Music.

Dock of the Bay  - Playing For Change

54. Gen. Assembly member: UNREP.  United Nations REPresentative

55. Unaccompanied: ALONE.  It is interesting that it intersects with 58 Across.  Also, a great opportunity to slip this into the recap (I could have gone with Gilbert O'Sullivan.  Just kidding):

Arthur Lee & Love - Alone Again Or Circa 2003

56. Mideast ruling family name: ASSAD.  The current ruler of Syria was educated at medical school in Damascus and also trained in ophthalmology in London.  The empirical evidence seems to suggest that he skipped class the day they covered the Hippocratic Oath.

61. Make the same point as: ECHO.  Hey, Alexa!

Amazon Echo Silver

64. Bag-checking org.: TSA.  Transportation Security Administration. Not to be confused with 52 Across. 

65. Comedian Kirkman: JEN.  I was not previously familiar with JEN.

May the 6th Be With You!

______________________________________________

Sunday April 25, 2021 Joe Deeney

Theme: "Director's Cut"* - Six famous directors are separated one black square. See Answer Grid.

 21. *Marvel hero with a red-white-and-blue costume: CAPTAIN AMERICA. 23. *Soviet newspaper: PRAVDA. Frank Capra.

 34. *Hunk: STUD MUFFIN. 36. *Take only the best: CHERRY-PICK. David Fincher.

 49. *Instrument played with mallets: GLOCKENSPIEL. 53. *Citrus used to flavor tea: BERGAMOT.Steven Spielberg. 

 71. *Turkey's area: NEAR EAST. 72. *Symbol of worthlessness: WOODEN NICKEL. Clint Eastwood.

 86. *Camper's knot: CLOVE HITCH. 89. *Ridiculous, as an excuse: COCKAMAMIE. Alfred Hitchcock.

103. *"Walk This Way" rap trio: RUN DMC. 104. *Oscar-winning role for Judi Dench: QUEENE LIZABETH. Steve McQueen.

Love the theme and execution. I did a "Director's Cut" for the Universal a while ago. But Joe's approach is far more impressive, with long director names and full six grid-spanning entries. 

Only 138 words (our standard is 144). Lots of nice non-fill, some chewy. Not surprising since we see more themeless grids from Joe.

Across:

1. Get gray, say: CLOUD UP. Not hair. Sky.

8. Iraq port city: BASRA.

13. Knighted English composer: ELGAR (Edward)

18. Bust of Pope Paul V sculptor: BERNINI. Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Here's the bust.

19. Language family including Finnish and Hungarian: URALIC.  Wiki says "The name "Uralic" derives from the family's original homeland (Urheimat) commonly hypothesized to be in the vicinity of the Ural Mountains."

20. "I Hope You Dance" singer Womack: LEE ANN.

24. Like a racehorse's hooves: SHOD.

25. Apple pie order: A LA MODE.

26. Last-second online auction bids: SNIPES.

27. OXO tool: PEELER. This is the peeler I use. It's made in Thailand. Works great with mangoes.

29. Comet, to some: OMEN.

30. Summer hrs. along the Mississippi: CDT.

32. Humdingers: LULUS.

38. Android alternative: IOS.

39. Halloween decoration: BAT.

40. "Family Guy" kid with a football-shaped head: STEWIE. Never watched the show.

41. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.

42. Diva's numbers: SOLI. Plural of solo.

44. Base-level rideshare option: UberX. OK, this site has detailed information on UberX, UberXL, etc. "UberX seats 4 passengers. UberX cars are typically sedans such as Toyota Prius, Honda Accord". Gary used Uber during his DC trip a few years ago.

46. Host before Carson: PAAR (Jack)

57. Cattle catchers: ROPES.

58. Cantina fare: TAPAS.

59. '60s-'70s epithet based on a 21st-century Emmy-winning drama: MAD MEN ERA. OK, Wiki comes to the rescue again: "According to the pilot episode, the phrase "Mad men" was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves, "Mad" being short for "Madison".

60. Appliance found in Provence?: OVEN.  Provence.

61. Survivalist Stroud: LES.

62. Okra or orca unit: POD.

63. "Dracula" author Stoker: BRAM.

64. Phisher's crime: WIRE FRAUD.

68. Throat problems: FROGS.

70. Grand Canyon sights: CACTI.

74. Cravings: YENS.

75. Slightly lit: TIPSY.

76. Kindle technology: E-INK. Always made me think of Jeff Chen, who debuted this entry long ago.

77. Back on a ship: AFT.

80. Gem weight units: CARATS.

82. Water source: TAP.

83. Little terror: IMP.

93. Worked on a Royal: TYPED. Royal Typewriter.

94. Fragrant neckwear: LEI. JimmyB sent me this fresh lei from Hawaii on the day our Hawaii puzzle was run in the LA Times. So fragrant.

95. Giants manager Kapler: GABE.

96. Cruel boss: TYRANT.

97. SoFi Stadium team: LA RAMS.

99. Family planning topic, familiarly: THE PILL.

102. Big apes: LUGS.

107. Made a case: ARGUED.

108. Seventh of eight: URANUS.

109. Part of town to avoid: BAD AREA. Here's the Asian grocery store I visit often. Still boarded up. Wells Fargo at our street corner just took down the boards yesterday.

110. They may be skinny: JEANS. Out of style now, according to TikTokkers. 

111. Finish by: END AT.

112. Rock's Lynyrd __: SKYNYRD.

Down:

1. Ottawa-based media org.: CBC. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

2. Take on, as tenants: LEASE TO.

3. Mythological lyrist: ORPHEUS. Husband of Eurydice.

4. Boundless: UNTOLD.

5. Jeweled headgear: DIADEM.

6. Oxford, to Oxonians: UNI. University.

7. Fruta en una colada: PINA. Spanish for pineapple.

8. City in NW Germany: BREMEN. Home of Beck's Brewery.

9. "Breaking Bad" actor __ Paul: AARON.

10. Arrived headfirst, perhaps: SLID.

11. General Mills cereal: RICE CHEX. Boomer likes Wheat Chex more.

12. Landmark health legislation, briefly: ACA. Also 20. Health care provider: Abbr.: LPN.

13. À la King?: EERILY. Stephen King.

14. Jump to one's feet: LEAP UP.

15. Talked back to: GAVE LIP.

16. List-shortening words: AND SUCH.

17. Transfer __: RNA.

19. Fish sauce taste: UMAMI.

22. Floating above, say: ALOFT.

26. Like Waldo's shirt, in kids' books: STRIPED.

27. Inflation meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

28. Russian cabbage?: RUBLE. Can't fool our regulars.

31. MTN __: DEW.

33. Mountain footwear, maybe: SKI.

35. Pass out: FAINT.

36. __-Alt-Del: CTRL.

37. Heat up again?: RE-ARM.

40. Matches, as a bet: SEES.

42. Stage backdrop: SCENERY.

43. Gives a thumbs-up: OKS.

44. Raised: UPPED.

45. Leaning: BIAS.

47. Spend time in a cellar, perhaps: AGE. If you're a bottle of wine.

48. Returned, as a football kick: RAN BACK.

49. Cultivated: GROWN.

50. Houston Texans coach Smith: LOVIE. He was Bears' coach before.

51. "Carmen," e.g.: OPERA.

52. Henri's "Hi": SALUT.

53. Symbol of authority: BADGE.

54. Pfizer rival: MERCK. Hope I don't develop the itch again after my second Pfizer shot in early May.

55. More than just talk: ORATE.

56. Language of southern India: TAMIL.

59. Temperamental: MOODY.

62. (The) big leagues: PROS.

65. Bank charge: FEE.

66. French alternative: RANCH. What's your favorite dressing?

67. Has at: ASSAILS.

68. Dandy fellows: FOPS.

69. Move surreptitiously: SNEAK.

70. Bengals, on scoreboards: CIN. Cincinnati.

72. Accompanying: WITH.

73. Bite like a puppy: NIP AT.

75. Tight-lipped: TACITURN.

77. Do something: ACT.

78. Bit of fishing tackle: FLY LURE.

79. Santa Monica Mountains' __ Canyon: TOPANGA. Unfamiliar to me.

81. U.S. __ 1, East Coast hwy.: RTE.

82. Immune system component: T CELL.

83. Picturesque language: IMAGERY.

84. English church honorific: MINSTER.

85. Furry friend: PET.

87. WWI battle city: VERDUN. Also unknown to me. Wiki says the Battle of Verdun was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse.

88. One of a quartet of '50s singing siblings: ED AMES.

89. Domed top for a threaded fastener: CAP NUT.

90. Relatives of Tonys: OBIES.

91. Polite two-word English term of address: MY LADY.

92. Oranjestad native: ARUBAN.

95. Actress Davis: GEENA.

98. Fast-food NYSE ticker symbol: MCD. McDonald's.

100. Beer foam: HEAD.

101. Mad __: word game: LIBS.

103. Rule that Gandhi opposed: RAJ.

104. "¿__ pasa?": QUE.

105. __ Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who: ZAK.

106. Once possessed: HAD.

 

Happy Birthday to Kazie (Kay), who has shared with us many of her traveling pictures over the years. Hopefully she can visit her family in Germany soon.

Kay and her husband Barry on Tamborine Mountain, overlooking Brisbane

C.C.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 Joe Deeney

Saturday Themeless by Joe Deeney

Today we have a familiar member of our Saturday Themeless Cadre as the Supply Chain Project Manager from Massachusetts, Joe Deeney, enters our puzzle supply chain and delivers a real challenge. His devilish cluing did not do me in but I did have one bad cell where my lack of facility with the Spanish language (¡Ay, carumba!) and ignorance of Mamet Dramas (Go figure) left me with vowel roulette and I chose the wrong one (see the red cell below)! I'll have to take one bad cell and try to get through the rest of my day. 😒 Here are Joe's comments:

Hi Gary,

All good here, hope you are well. I made this puzzle in January 2020. The seed was CEREAL AISLE, glad to see my clue [Total area?] survived. I don't usually try triple stack grids but I guess I was in the mood at that time. Other than that I don't remember much about the construction, though I suspect I couldn't talk myself out of stacking ICE LATTE on top of HOT TAMALE.

-Rich's [Crudely built city?] is an improvement over my original [Site of some crude buildings?]
-I'd submitted the same clue for PEEPHOLE and EYEPIECES, [Looky here!], sorry to see it go for EYEPIECES but it was probably too much of a stretch
-I've submitted [Do partner, for a monkey] as a clue for SEE several times over the years, glad to see a form of it finally appear in print as [Monkey's do partner?]
-This one was a bit sports-heavy again after my sports-heavy March 31 puzzle - apologies to those who don't care for that, a quirk of the schedule that these appeared so close together

-Joe

Across:

1. Technique providing percussion with a string note: SLAP BASS - A chance for a Buddy Holly fun tune on Ed Sullivan with Joe Mauldin playing SLAP BASS. 

9. Character in "The Iliad" but not "The Odyssey"?: ALPHA - Wow! It finally hit me The Iliad has an A (ALPHA) but The Odyssey does not

14. Summer pick-me-up: ICED LATTE - I treat myself to one occasionally on my way to summer morning golf

15. Use as a bed: LIE ON - You made your bed and so now you're going to have to LIE ON it.

16. Spicy Mexican food: HOT TAMALE - If I had no conscience, I'd say, "Chili today but HOT TAMLE". 

17. Extract metal from: SMELT - Also the past tense for SMELL in Britain 

18. Surg. sites: ORS.

19. Ivy near an Acela stop: YALE - Yup, I see New Haven

20. Ado: HOOPLA.

21. Big rings: PEALS - Now that was a fun clue (after a struggle)!

23. NBA writer Zach: LOWE - If you're interested

25. Question of method: HOW - For this write-up, I learned HOW to type an ¡ on my Mac - Option +1

26. Durango, por ejemplo: ESTADO  (a Mexican State) and 27. 1992 Mamet drama: OLEANNA (as if I would have an idea 😏) - Their intersection cost me a "got 'er done".

28. Crudely built city?: OIL TOWN - Cleverness from Rich. Here is Desdemona, TX that was built on crude oil money and is now a ghost town

31. Many of today's pro athletes: MILLENNIALS - Super Bowl Champ Tom Brady was born in 1977 and so is one of the last Gen-Xer's still playing pro sports. Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat was born in 1980 and so is one of the first MILLENNIALS to still be playing

34. Total area?: CEREAL AISLE - A very clever seed entry for Joe! You could also get some KIX and find some LIFE there too I'll bet

35. Result of an imagined draft: FANTASY TEAM - You pick a player at every position and score points for how well they do during the season

36. Gum with Ice and Fire varieties: DENTYNE.

37. Riverbed deposit: SLUDGE - Google if you must

41. B. A. Baracus portrayer: MR. T.

42. Warning accompanying a link: NSFW.

45. Ideal spots: EDENS.

46. Doomed 16th-century force: ARMADA - A good four minute summary

49. Criminal charges: RAPS - Indictments or charges

51. Bon __: MOT.

52. Pressly of "Mom": JAIME.

53. Subdivision showcase: MODEL HOME.

55. Jeanette's "Macbeth" (1948) co-star: ORSON - Jeanette Nolan costarred with Orson Wells

56. Lenses: EYEPIECES - Telescopes come with different EYEPIECES. You can choose an EYPIECE to see a large area or get high magnification of a smaller area

57. Touch-and-go: RISKY

58. Blessings: GODSENDS.

Down:

1. Makes a point?: SCORES - Kick a Point After Touchdown, cross home plate, make a Free Throw, kick a soccer goal...

2. Unleashes on: LETS AT.

3. Big letters in security services: ADT - A friend of mine only bought the sign

4. Is far from a good sport: PLAYS DIRTY.

5. Perennial #1 NCAA football team since 2008: BAMA - If you're a College FB fan you know about Nick Saban's juggernaut in Tuscaloosa 

6. Even slightly: AT ALL.

7. Fifth-cen. pope called "The Great": ST LEO - A marble relief in St Peter's showing ST LEO repelling Attila The Hun as St Peter and St Paul appear in the sky

8. Monkey's do partner?: SEE - Monkey SEE, monkey do. Who is mimicking who?

9. As well: ALSO.

10. Long way to go?: LIMO - Last Saturday Stella Z. had 18. Big wheels?: LIMOS

11. Look here!: PEEPHOLE - Or a Norman Rockwell knothole

12. Depressions: HOLLOWS - Some of those Appalachian "hollers" can produce some mighty strong spirits

13. __ Jamison, one of two NBA players with 20,000+ points who's not in the Hall of Fame: ANTAWN.

14. "From your mouth to God's ears": I HOPE.

20. Rears: HEINIES - Oh, those rears. 

22. Feel bad about: LAMENT.

24. Succeeded in: WON AT - Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to have WON AT The Masters last Sunday.

29. Three-time WNBA MVP: LISA LESLIE.

30. Synagogue text: TALMUD - Here ya go

32. Performs surgery on, in a way: LASES - My dentist is looking into this. Yay!

33. Cambridgeshire cathedral city: ELY - The cathedral is at CB7 4DL in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England just south of the Prezzo Italian Restaurant 

34. Like a sure thing: CAN'T MISS - 1919: "I know this guy named Charles Ponzi..."

35. Company founded in 1939 as Auto Avio Costruzioni: FERRARI - Enzo Ferrari got fired from Alfa-Romeo and was forbidden to use his name on a vehicle for at least four years. So he built the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 in 1939 

36. Key of Beethoven's Violin Concerto: D-MAJOR - Had to be [A - G] [Major, Minor or Sharp]

38. Submission to a radio station, briefly: DEMO CD - For $500 this her DEMO CD can be yours

39. Garden guardians: GNOMES.

40. Will of "Blue Bloods": ESTES - He's on Donnie Wahlberg's right below

43. Ice cream alternative, casually: FROYO - FROzen YOgurt

44. Moved between banks, maybe: WADED- I rowed first

47. Berserk: AMOK.

48. Refuse: DENY.

50. Amps (up): PEPS - Even tapes can be amped up!

53. Once-big storage unit that's now quite small: MEG - I remember when MEGabytes were huge computer storage units and then gigabytes and now you're a slacker without terabytes! 

54. Farm female: HEN.