Thursday, June 19, 2025 Joe Rodini

 Theme: I GET A ROUND.  The first word of each theme entry homophonically represents a factor in the formula for the circumference of a circle.

And, in honor of Brian Wilson, who left us a few days ago, here is today's theme song.

17 A. Annoyingly shrewd: TOO CLEVER BY HALF.  A bit of smart-assery, perhaps.  Note the first word.

37 A. Unrealistic enterprise: PIE IN THE SKY.   Something that is pleasant to contemplate but is very unlikely to be realized.  Note the first word.

I hated this song when it came out in 1959, but it was very popular, so I must be wrong.

Yeah - I still hate it.

42 A. "Hello?": ARE YOU THERE?    A common phrase used to check if someone is present, listening, or available to respond.  Note the first word.

58 A. Returns to the beginning, as suggested by the phonetic formula found at the starts of 17-, 37-, and 42-Across: COMES FULL CIRCLE.  Returns to a past position or situation, especially in a way considered to be inevitable.  Or more literally, scopes the circumference.

OK.  Let's put this together [Nobody promised there wouldn't be any math.]. And I won't give you the run around. The formula for the circumference of a circle is 2*π*r, phonetically represented here by TOO, PIE and ARE.  The value of π  is 3.14159 and r is the radius.  Thus, we COME FULL CIRCLE.  But wait -- there's more!

24 D. Sundial three, and a loose depiction of the last part of the geometry formula hinted at in this puzzle: III.  To understand this subtle clue, you have to think about the center of the grid in a way that is literally figurative.  Note that the black squares inscribe a circle about as perfectly as can be done in this medium.  The vertical I-I-I then represents a radius [r] of that circle.  I have seldom been this impressed by a puzzle feature.  Bravo!

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to lead us on this circuitous route.  

Across:

1. Package closer: TAPE.   Sticky ribbon that seals the box shut.

5. Closed, as drapes: DREW.  I drew my drapes, then drew my bath, then put away my colored pencils.

9. Skilled: ABLE.   Having a certain skill set.

13. "You beat me": I LOSE. Concession of defeat.

15. Second helping: MORE.  If the first wasn't enough.

16. Place for some finger painting?: NAIL.  Clever clue, leading us to a nail salon. 

20. "Well, aren't you fancy!": OO-LA-LA.  An interjection that expresses surprise, admiration, or excitement, often with a playful or suggestive connotation. It's a French-derived expression, though it's not a direct translation of a common French phrase.  In my experience, there is always a suggestion of something at least risqué, and probably inappropriate.

21. Understand: SEE.   I got it.

22. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob: PETTIT.   Robert Lee Pettit Jr. [b. 1932] is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks. In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times.

26. Reunion attendees: AUNTS.  Mom's or dad's sisters.

30. Wine shop order: CASE.  A box, usually of 12 bottles.

33. __ away from: SHIES.  Avoids something because of fear, nervousness, or dislike.

35. SeaWorld performer: SEAL.   Any of numerous carnivorous marine mammals (families Phocidae and Otariidae) that live chiefly in cold regions and have limbs modified into webbed flippers adapted primarily to swimming.

36. Invoice no.: AMT.  Amount, per item, and total due.

39. Singer Flack: ROBERTA.  Roberta Cleopatra Flack [1937-2025] was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm radio format.  She also won record of the year for 1973 and '74.  Sadly, she left us in February.

This might be her most famous song.

41. Tried to win over: COURTED.   Attempted to win someone's favor, affection, or attention, often with the intent of forming a romantic or committed relationship. It can also mean to try to please or improve relations with someone, often to achieve a specific goal. 

44. London facilities: LOO.   What we politely call the rest room or comfort station.  I would have clued this as "John in London."

45. Grow dim: FADE.  Lose luster, strength or brightness.

46. Pink perennial: PEONY.  Peonies are a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Paeoniaceae, and are known for their large, showy flowers. They are popular garden plants, especially in temperate regions, and are also widely cultivated as cut flowers.  They come in a wide range of colors, including red, pink, purple, white, and yellow. 

47. __ shui: FENG.   An ancient Chinese practice focusing on aligning environments with the natural world to promote harmony and balance. It involves arranging objects and spaces to optimize the flow of qi (vital energy). The practice aims to create a positive and beneficial environment for occupants. 

48. To-be: ELECT.  In politics, a candidate who hs been elected, but not yet inaugurated.

50. Not wholesale: RETAIL.  Wholesale is the pricing level used between suppliers and commercial sellers.  The sellers' pricing is retail.

52. Chest bone: RIB.   Each of a series of slender curved bones articulated in pairs to the spine (twelve pairs in humans), protecting the thoracic cavity and its organs.

54. MLB sluggers: RBI MEN.  Batters who generate RBIs [runs batted in] This is accurately descriptive, but I'm not aware of this as an in-the-language phrase.

64. Mystique: AURA.   The distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.

65. Like the center space on a bingo card: FREE.   Purpose: The free space acts like a "wild" square or a "joker". It doesn't have a number, but it's automatically considered marked for all players from the start of the game.  It's free in the sense that player did nothing to earn it

66. Wild guesses: STABS.   Making attempts or tries, especially when you might not be very confident about succeeding. It implies a willingness to try despite potential challenges or lack of certainty.   This describes me playing Wordle.

67. Hat part: BRIM.    The projecting edge at the bottom of a hat.

68. __ machine: SLOT.  A coin-operated gaming machine that generates random combinations of symbols on a dial, certain combinations winning varying amounts of money for the player.

69. "Make it snappy!": STAT.   Without delay : immediately — used chiefly in medicine. Get this patient to the operating room, stat!

Down:

1. Salsa star Nieves: TITO.   Humberto "Tito" Nieves [b. 1958] is a Puerto Rican-born, bilingual salsa singer and actor with a career spanning over four decades. Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Nieves started his professional career in 1975 with Orquesta Cimarrón, replacing Rafael De Jesus. 

2. Saag __: spinach and potatoes dish: ALOO.  Saag aloo is a popular Indian and Pakistani side dish made with saag (a variety of greens, including mustard greens), potatoes and spices.

3. Hotel amenity: POOL.   For swiming.

4. Slip away: ESCAPE.   Break free from confinement or control.

5. Real ID issuer: DMV.  Department of Motor Vehicles.

6. Caviar: ROE.  Processed eggs from a large fish, such as a sturgeon, considered a delicacy.  I had shad roe once.  Once.

7. Drop the ball: ERR.  Fail to complete something, or live up to expectations.

8. Halloween decor: WEBS.  Suggestive of spiders.

9. Busch brewing partner: ANHEUSER.  Famous for their horses.

10. Call to Bo Peep: BAA. They cried out, sheepishly.

11. Short, for short: LI'L.   So to speak

12. One with a pole position?: ELF.   North pole laborer.  Well played!

14. Allure competitor: ELLE.  Fashion magazines

18. Falls for something hook, line, and sinker: EATS IT UP.  Something fishy here.  Still - going for something in a big way.  Alternatively, enjoying something immensely, like attention or entertainment 

19. Favorable vote: YEA.  As opposed to neigh - the usual response from horses.

23. Staging area: THEATER.   Usually this means a location in which people, vehicles, equipment, or material are assembled before use.  Here it a place where plays are produced.  Clever mis-direction.

25. Like paperback novels, once: TEN CENT.  Once, long, long ago, they cost one thin dime.  But not any time in my memory, and I'm old.

27. Toll House chocolate chips maker: NESTLE.    A Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 2014

28. Acquire: TAKE ON.  Take on has many meanings, from hire an employee to accept a task or meet an adversary, to accept a thing or responsibility.

Marginally relevant.  Maybe.

29. Foxy one: SLY DOG.  A person who is very secretive and sly about their activities, though the creatures in the clue and fill are both canines.

30. Wine bar order: CARAFE.   An open-topped glass flask typically used for serving wine or water.

31. Unprincipled: AMORAL.  Lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something.

32. "Venerable" monk of Eng. history: ST. BEDE.  Bede [672-735] was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, 

34. Multiepisode narrative: STORY ARC.  This is inexact.  It is the overarching structure and progression of a story, guiding the sequence of events and plot progression.  It can also relate to a single episode of a TV series, a movie, novel or even a short story. 

37. Maven: PRO.  One with expertise in a certain field.

38. Tinge: HUE.  Tinge refers to a slight degree of coloration in something, while hue is a specific color or shade.  They don't seem equivalent.

40. Application for crow's-feet: EYE CREAM.  A specialized skincare product formulated to target the delicate skin around the eyes.

43. Turn the soil: HOE.  To labor with a long-handled gardening tool having a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding and breaking up soil.  Careful, though - Santa might laugh at you.

47. Toys (with): FLIRTS.  Behaves as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions.  Seems rather heartless.

49. Poetic contraction: 'TIS.  Meaning "It is."

51. Everglades bird: IBIS.  A large wading bird with a long down-curved bill, long neck, and long legs.

53. Lifetime pals, briefly: BFFS. Best Friends Forever

55. Future doc's exam: MCAT.  The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, computer-based exam used by medical schools in the United States and Canada to assess applicants' problem-solving, critical thinking, and scientific knowledge. 

56. Idris of "The Wire": ELBA.   Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE  [b. 1972] is an English actor and musician. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.

57. Twigs digs: NEST.  A domicile constructed from small tree parts?  It's for the birds!

58. Uber alternative: CAB.  Modes of urban vehicular transportation - the modern and the traditional.  Either way, you pay.

59. First word of the Lord's Prayer: OUR.  I think we all know this.

60. Source of inside info?: MRI.  An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the body's organs and tissues - the "inside information."   

61. Dot-com address: URL.   Universal Resource Locator.

62. Sign for most of August: LEO.  The fifth sign of the zodiac, typically spans from July 23rd to August 22nd. It's associated with the constellation Leo and is symbolized by the lion. Leos are known for their confidence, charisma, and natural leadership abilities. They are often described as passionate, loyal, and creative individuals. 

63. Tennis call: LET.   A "let" occurs when a serve hits the net but still lands within the service box. This results in the serve being replayed, according to various tennis resources. Essentially, a let means the point is replayed, offering the server a second chance at serving. 

And with that, we have come FULL CIRCLE.

As usual, I had my nits, but overall, this is a superb puzzle.

Special thanks to those gave me technical and temporal assistance.  You know who you are.

If you're in Plymouth, MI this evening, come to the Concert Band Performance at 7:00 pm in Kellogg Park.  Say hi to me before or after, and I'll buy you an ice cream.

The weekend is almost upon us.  Hope we all get around to having some fun.

Cool regards, 

JzB

Thursday, March 27, 2025, Joe Rodini

  

Numbers

Fibonnaci Sequence
Nautilus shell cross section
Smithsonian Institution

The polymath Carl Friedrich Gauss once said that "Mathematics is the queen of sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics".  Veteran Joe Rodini's theme today is about numbers, but a slightly different kind of number, that is musical numbers -- but as the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras discovered there is a close relationship between mathematics and music.  Let's look at Joe's themers, which are all song titles ...

18A. One-hit-wonder by the New Zealand band OMC: HOW BIZARRE. OMC, or Otara Millionaires Club, was a New Zealand music group best known for the 1996 hit How Bizarre, named one of the greatest New Zealander songs of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association. The full name of the band is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Ōtara's status as one of the poorest suburbs of Auckland ...  

27A. Title theme song of a 1985 John Hughes film: WEIRD SCIENCE.  I guess John Hughes had to start somewhere ...

36A. Tom Jones classic that accompanied the Carlton dance on "Fresh Prince": ITS NOT UNUSUAL.  This may be the odd song out ...

45. ELO hit from the album "Face the Music": STRANGE MAGIC.

Here's the reveal ...

59. Figures on right-hand pages, or an apt title for this puzzle: ODD NUMBERS.  There is nothing special about this -- it's just a convention.  But why is it an apt title for this puzzle?  As the themers are all song NUMBERS, then they must somehow all be ODD.  Notice that  (1) BIZZARE, (2) WEIRD, (3) UNUSUAL, and (4) STRANGE are all synonyms for ODD and in the sequence of 4 themers, the odd numbered ones are on the RIGHT and the even ones are on the LEFT.  FWIW Joe's theme was a "puzzle within a puzzle" rather than one intended to help with the solve.

Here's the grid ...  

Here's the rest ...

Across:

 1. Hurtful remark: BARB.

5. Can't help but: HAS TO.

10. Get smart with: SASS.

14. Cookie with a Dirt Cake flavor: OREO.  Rumor has it that Nabisco is working a variation of Dirt Cake containing earth worms.😀 While we're waiting, here is Jennifer's recipe for Dirt Cake. 

Dirt Cake

15. Two twos, say: A PAIR.  A pair of deuces.

16. Miller option: LITE.

17. Director Preminger: OTTO.  Otto Ludwig Preminger (5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre, and was one of the most influential directors in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, twice for Best Director and once for Best Picture, among many other accolades. 

Otto Preminger

18. [Theme clue]

 
20. Collect: AMASS.

22. "Just tell me the answer": I GIVE UP.  On the Corner we call that to TITT.

23. Twiddled one's thumbs: IDLED.

25. Advil target: PAIN.

26. Online convos: DMS.  In computer networking, a private message, personal message, or direct message (abbreviated as PM or DM) refers to a private communication, often text-based, sent or received by a user of a private communication channel on any given platform.

27. [Theme clue]

31. Egg cells: OVA.   A little review of the birds and the bees ... 

32. Mosul's country: IRAQ.  Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh—once the largest city in the world—on its east side. 

33. Broke bread: ATE.

36. [Theme clue]

41. Island garland: LEI.

42. Steak sauce brand: A ONE.  You can make your own -- here's a recipe ... 

Steak sauce

43. Cryptology org.: NSA.  Somewhere south of where this is being written is the NSA, but everybody knows there is No Such Agency.

45. [Theme clue]

50. Texting segue: BTW.  By the way the next clue is about a news broadcaster ...

53. "Dateline NBC" anchor Lester: HOLT.  Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the demotion of Brian Williams and became the first Black male solo anchor for a major network newscast. 

Lester Holt

54. Cruise stopover: ISLET.

55. Snoopy alter ego: JOE COOL.  

57. "Cabaret" director: FOSSE.  Robert Louis Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, and stage director. Known for his work on stage and screen, he is arguably the most influential figure in the field of jazz dance in the twentieth century.[1] He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, for Cabaret.  Here's Liza Minelli and Joel Grey telling us the obvious -- Money Makes the World Go Round ...

59. [Theme reveal]

61. "Ferrari" actor Driver: ADAM.  An appropriate name for the actor who played in the 2023 film about auto designer and racer Enzo Ferrari ... 

 
64. Wrath: RAGE.  Here's the Dies Irae ("Day of wrath") from what has been called Giuseppe Verdi's greatest opera -- his Requiem, with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin leading the Metropolitan Opera chorus and orchestra on the 20th anniversary of 911 ... 

65. Lifts, as spirits: BUOYS.  BOOSTS was two long.  A CSO to Jinx -- "Red right returning" right?

66. Sounds from a comedy club: YUKS.

67. Russian refusal: NYET.  Back at ya Vlad!

68. Far from shore: AT SEA.  You don't find too many 65As AT SEA.

69. Duration: SPAN.

Down:

 1. Bae: BOO.  Short for Babboo? 

 2. Objet d'__: ART. French: Objet d'Art = "Art object".  Technically this could be an oil painting or a sculpture, but it generally refers to an especially exquisite artifact such as a Fabergé egg ...
 

Gatchina Palace Egg

3. Return like for like: RETALIATE.

4. Child of the 1950s: BOOMER. And a CSO to a dearly departed friend.

5. Sounds of derision: HAHS.

6. Mil. addresses: APOS.

7. Tool that can make music: SAW.  Here's sawist Adriano Fernandez playing O mio babbino caro, the signature aria from Giacomo Puccini's only comedy, Gianni Schicchi ... 

8. Fibulae neighbors: TIBIAE.  Here's everything you need to know about these neighbors ...

Fibulae and Tibiae

9. Where the x-axis and the y-axis cross: ORIGIN.  It's where everything starts ...

10. Serb or Croat: SLAV.  I had a Serbian uncle on my mother's side who came to America to work in the steel mills of Chicago.  He used to make his own wine and sauerkraut and he showed us how to make whistles out of willow branches.  There are still people who know how to do this  ... 

11. Put on TV: AIRED.

12. Play lightly: STRUM.  Here's John Denver doing a little strumming ...

13. Trickles: SEEPS.

19. Metal in pennies: ZINC. Pennies actually cost 3.7 cents each and it has been suggested recently that they're not worth minting.  As ZINC is a key ingredient in Bristol glazes, I'd suggest that it be used to make stoneware crocks, which can bring a pretty penny at auctions ... 

Bristol glazed butter crocks

21. Introduce to the mix: ADD IN.

23. __ 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 goal of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field.  The seven day battle cost approximately 6,800 American lives.  The photo of the raising of the US flag on Mt. Suribachi has become an icon of our nation's military valor and sacrifice ... 

Raising the colors on Iwo Jima

24. New Jersey athlete: DEVIL.  The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.  

25. Pleasingly tangy: PIQUANT.

28. Packed theater letters: SRO.

29. Monopoly token that replaced the iron: CAT.  The IRON is out, the CAT is in -- not a popular decision among DOG lovers.  The monopolists had obviously been watching too many cat videos on the Internet.
 
30. __ de cologne: EAU.  French: Eau de Cologne = "Water from Cologne", a perfume originating in Cologne, Germany (known as "Koln" auf Deutsch.  In contemporary American English usage, the term "cologne" has become a generic term for perfumes marketed toward men. It also may signify a less concentrated, more affordable, version of a popular perfume (i.e. cheap!). 

34. Snarled: TANGLED UP.

35. Pitcher of milk?: ELSIE.  Not this pitcher ...

This pitcher ...

37. Family girl: SIS.

38. Eggy drink: NOG.

39. Arles article: UNE.  More French.  One of the most famous articles to come out of Arles resulted from a play called L'Arlésienne ("The Girl from Arles"), written by Alphonse Daudet, with incidental music written by George Bizet. -- the play bombed, but the music survives to this day as a concert piece.  Here is a snippet of it -- you will most surely recognize it ... 

40. 18-wheelers: SEMIS.

44. Play, or part of a play: ACT.  See 39A.

46. Commandment start: THOU.  Great words to live by ...  

47. iRobot vacuum: ROOMBA.

48. Nearly entirely: ALL BUT.

49. Analyzes chemically: ASSAYS.  Essentially an ASSAY involves analyzing a substance for its chemical constituents, e.g. to determine the nutrients that make up a food product.  This is something I've done quite a bit of in my avocation -- the making of glazed pottery.  For the most part glaze recipes consist of specific quantities of ingredients made from ground minerals.  However looking at a recipe tells you very little about the properties of the glaze -- e.g. glossy or matte surface, color, or fluidity (i.e. will it run all over your kiln shelves?)  I use a very useful program called Digitalfire Insight to analyze glaze recipes for their chemical constituents -- alumina and related oxides to form the body of the glaze; fluxes to regulate the melting point; and glass formers to determine the final surface characteristics.  The proportions of those ingredients (what the old Chinese potters called bones, fire, and flesh) tell you much more than just the recipe can about how the glaze will fire and what it will look like when it comes out of the kiln.

50. ABBA singer Ulvaeus: BJORN.  BJORN did other things besides sing for ABBA. Among them was collaborating in the composition of a musical called Chess, along with his ABBA colleague Benny Andersson and English songwriter Tim Rice.  Based on a true story, it revolves around intrigues that took place during a Cold War match between American and Russian Grand Masters.  The musical production was a big deal -- including a double LP recording and stage productions in a West End theatre in London and a Broadway theater in New York. I was unable to find any suitable songs from the original LP, but I did find a concert version of the song Anthem sung by Josh Groban, a paeon to the Russian Grand Master's homeland ... 

51. "While I'm young!": TODAY.  Thank you perps.  I think this may be Gen-Z slang for STAT. These days TODAY seems to be getting shorter and shorter!

52. Trivial Pursuit piece: WEDGE.  Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer trivia and popular culture questions.  This sounds like it might be a good game to warm up with before attempting to solve LA Times crossword puzzles. 😀

Players move their pieces around a board, the squares they land on determining the subject of a question they are asked from a card (from six categories including "history" and "science and nature"). Each correct answer allows the player's turn to continue; a correct answer on one of the six "category headquarters" spaces earns a plastic wedge which is slotted into the answerer's playing piece. The object of the game is to collect all six wedges from each "category headquarters" space, and then return to the center "hub" space to answer a question in a category selected by the other players.  Doesn't sound trivial to me. 

Trivial Pursuit wedges

56. Tech review site: CNET.  CNET (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website found in 1992 that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally.  Following acquisition by Red Ventures on October 30, 2020, the website faced criticism for the decline in quality of its editorial content and its factual unreliability due to the use of generative AI in the creation of its articles, as well as concerns over its journalistic integrity after it began increased publication of biased reviews and sponsored content to benefit its advertising partners. On October 1, 2024, CNET was acquired by Ziff Davis, who will hopefully improve it.

 57. Boot company since 1863: FRYE.  The Frye Company is an American manufacturer of shoes, boots and leather accessories. Founded in 1863, it claims to be the oldest continuously operated American shoe company.  Apparently their boots are really aged, as a pair like this one will set you back $498 + tax + shipping (I'm assuming you get two for that price 😀) ... 

Frye boot
Campus 14L Wide Calf

58. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA.  Mount Ossa (Greek: Όσσα), is a mountain in the Larissa regional unit, in Thessaly, Greece. It is 1,978 metres (6,490 ft) high and is located between Pelion to the south and Olympus to the north.  In Greek mythology, a race of giants called the Aloadaes are said to have attempted to pile Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa in their efforts to scale Mount Olympus.  

Mount Ossa

60. Volkswagen model until 2016: EOS. The Volkswagen Eos is a compact two-door, four passenger convertible manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 2006 to 2016 — noted for its five-section hardtop retractable roof. 

2006 Volkswagen EOS Sport

62. Alias letters: AKA.

63. AOL alternative: MSN.  MSN is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps provided by Microsoft. The main webpage provides news, weather, sports, finance and other content curated from hundreds of different sources that Microsoft has partnered with. 

Cheers, 

Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

 

Notes from C.C.:

I'm sad to share that today's blog will be Bill's final Thursday review for us. He's stepping away to focus on his health and prioritize time with his family.

Bill began blogging for us in December 2020, and his posts have always been full of insight, information, and warmth. Thank you, Bill (and Teri!), for the care, time, and heart you've given to this blog. We wish you joy and good health in the next chapter. And we look forward to seeing you in the Comments section whenever you feel like stopping by.

Bill (waseeley)

 

I'm also happy to announce that Naomi will be taking over the Thursday blog moving forward. She has filled in for several bloggers over the past few months and brings a clear, thoughtful voice and a deep love for puzzles. We're excited to have her on board!

Thursday, May 9, 2024, Joe Rodini

 

 No Smoking!

I'm going out on a limb here to tell you that today's constructor Joe Rodini, is using his debut on the Corner to present us with an elaborate Public Service Announcement.  He tries three times to light a CIGAR in the following 3 theme clues, but it gets dimmer and dimmer after each attempt... ...

17A. *Opera buffa by Mozart: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.  Some people think that The Marriage of Figaro is the greatest opera ever written, and far be it for me to argue with them.  This opera was revolutionary, not just musically, but in its veiled attack on the aristocracy (it was actually banned in Vienna).  The plot revolves around Count Almaviva's attempt to exercise his Droit du seigneur -- that is his right as a Lord to "break in" any of his servant girls on the night of their wedding.  The servant in this case it is Susanna, Figaro's fiancee (the same Figaro as in Rossini's The Barber of Seville).  The opera ends with an embarrassing moonlight tryst between the Count and his own wife, the Countess Rosina, whom he has been tricked into thinking is Susanna.  Here's how the opera begins ...

29A. *Landscape options in dry climates: ROCK GARDENS.

A Rock Garden in San Diego

39A. *One skilled at manipulating characters: ASCII ARTIST.  The Tsunami was a popular image in the ASCII Age, for those who foresaw the emergence of graphic computer interfaces and the coming Internet ...

 And finally Joe reveals what he's really trying to warn us about ...

54. "Not quite!," and what can be said about a letter string in the answer to each starred clue: CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR.  ... or as this Veggie Tale tells us ...

... if you smoke, it will end up being your Silent Night!

I fear that there may be a whole other layer hidden in the ashes of this theme, and if there is, I'm sure you'll point it out!

Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Department concerned with wages: LABOR.

6. "Word": I DIG.

10. Kazakhstan's North __ Sea: ARAL.  Four letter sea?  Could this be an EKTORP?*

14. D-Day beach name: OMAHA.  OMAHA was the code name for one of 5 beaches where Allied Forces came ashore on during D-Day, the June 6th, 1944.  It was the most heavily defended beach by the Germans, everything went wrong on that beach, and it took the heaviest casualties (e.g. compare American losses on Omaha vs Utah).  On a D-Day tour of the beaches some years back our guide told us that the Allied air forces were supposed to carpet bomb the bluffs above Omaha beach with sorties running parallel to it.  He speculated that due to inter-service rivalry they ignored this decision and flew instead in from the sea at right angles to the beach, and many of their bombs landed in the fields beyond the bluffs.  As this scene from Saving Private Ryan shows us, the results were disastrous ...

Anyone not a minor, feel free to click on the
Watch on YouTube link above

15. Sushi wrapper: NORI. 

16. Get a better rate, for short: REFI.  REFInance.
.
17. [Theme clue]

20. "Your point being?": AND?

21. They mean nothing: ZEROS.  Yes they do, but they are also one of the most significant discoveries of early mathematicians.  While there are many claims of "first" to this invention, e.g. this one, it seems likely that it was discovered independently by mathematicians around the world.

22. End zone marker: PYLON.  Sports usage.  But here our friendly Thesaurus.plus shows us only 10 of its 61 synonyms ...

23. Leaves at the altar: JILTS.

24. Tropical trees: PALMS.

25. Vegan milk source: ALMOND.

28. Mountainous region of the Levant: JUDEA.  Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, JUDEA is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name originates from Yehudah, a Hebrew name. Yehudah was a son of Jacob (one of the "Genesis twins" who never seems to make it into crossword fill  😀) who was later given the name "Israel" and whose sons collectively headed the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Yehudah's progeny among the Israelites formed the Tribe of Judah, with whom the Kingdom of Judah is associated.

29. [Theme clue]

32. "CSI" evidence: DNA.   Deoxyribonucleic Acid is gathered during a crime scene investigation because each individual's DNA is unique, and like finger prints, it can help identify who was at the scene. It has a half sibling called Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) -- for more on both DNA and RNA see 59A.

35. __ in handy: COME.

36. Missay, say: ERR.  Is there a wrong way to clue this?

37. God of love: EROS.  Specifically the Greek god of love, the Roman god being CUPID or Amor.  Their holiday is celebrated every February 14th. 💕

38. Swanky hotel amenity: SPA.

39A [Theme clue]

43. Memos: NOTES.

45. Crow's-nest cry: LAND HO.

46. Race town near Windsor Castle: ASCOT.  The Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, and has since received the support of a further twelve monarchs. The Ascot summer race meeting officially became a Royal week in 1911 and is always visited by the King and Queen.

The Ascot Races

47. Red carpet brand: PRADA.

49. Pertaining to bees: APIAN.

50. __ Sound Machine: MIAMI.  Miami Sound Machine was an American Latin pop band of Latin-influenced music that featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan Jr., the band was originally known as the Miami Latin Boys before becoming the Miami Sound Machine in 1977.  Their Rhythm is Gonna Get You ...

51. Explosive letters: TNT.  A preview of coming attractions ...

54. [Theme reveal]

57. "Get your own!": MINE.

58. Free of fizz: FLAT.  Another versatile word ...

59. Protein-building acid: AMINO.  There are two main classes of proteins: 1. structural proteins used to build muscle, tissues, organs, etc; and 2. enzymes (suffixed with ase), which act as catalysts (facilitators) mediating the myriad biological reactions that comprise metabolism.  Proteins are essentially long strings of AMINO acids (a.k.a. "polypeptides") folded into specific 3D shapes suited to their purposes.  The process by which this occurs is called protein synthesis. The order of the amino acids in a protein is defined by the GENES, sequences of  DNA nucleotides (the famous "stair steps" in DNA's helical structure) specific to each protein.  Here's a visual explanation of protein synthesis provided by the Amoeba Sisters ...

Among the most important enzymes is RNA Polymerase, discovered  6 years after the the structure of DNA was discovered in 1953, and which is required in the synthesis of DNA and RNA.  Simply put, DNA is required to make enzymes, but enzymes are required to make DNA.  How did that happen?  Scientists have been working on this "chicken and egg"problem at least since 1959.

60. Online crafts site: ETSY.

61. __ up: tell all: FESS.

62. Lite: LO FAT.

Down:

1. Kirke of "Mozart in the Jungle": LOLA.  Lola Kirke plays oboist Hailey Rutledge in the Amazon Prime TV series based on the 2005 memoir Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, by real life oboist Blair Tindall ...

2. "Preach!": AMEN.

3. Boston or Chicago: BAND.  CITY fits, but doesn't perp.  Boston is an American rock band formed in 1975 by Tom Scholz in Boston, Massachusetts, that experienced significant commercial success during the 1970s and 1980s.  Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1967.  Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns," their songs often combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music.  Here are Boston and Chicago's greatest hits ...

More Than a Feeling

 Saturday in the Park

4. Cry of discovery: OHO.

5. Poking fun at: RAZZING.

6. Like noble gases: INERT.  Snobs that they are, noble gases' exhibit INERTNESS, a tendency not to react with other chemical substances, which results from their electron configuration: their outer shell of valence electrons is "full", giving them little tendency to participate in chemical reactions.

7. Long-extinct flightless birds: DODOS.  Their name is synonymous with "stupid", but their extinction was not caused by stupidity.

Dodo

8. Eye part: IRIS.

9. Many a moving meme: GIF.  LIFE IS SHORT ...

10. Sock pattern: ARGYLE.  ARGYLE is the handle for D. Scott Nichols, of Argyle, NY, a long time blogger on the Corner, who passed away on May 1, 2018.   He was also known affectionately as our Santa.  Here's C.C. In Memoriam. It's worth reading for what the regular commenters had to say about him.  Some of them have passed on as well.

Argyle

11. La Liga team that plays in Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: REAL MADRID.  Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, commonly referred to as REAL MADRID, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football.

12. Curly hairstyles: AFROS.

13. Wildebeest hunter: LION.

18. Nintendo princess: ZELDA. Princess Zelda is a character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series.

Princess Zelda

19. Tablets at some checkout counters: IPADS.  5 major benefits of using IPADS in retail.

23. Routine element: JOKE.  While this guy is best known for his standup, he starts this routine kneeling ...

24. Many a 23-Down: PUN. 

25. Circle parts: ARCS.

26. Roller coaster feature: LOOP.

27. Supersize suburban homes: MCMANSIONS.  What's the difference between a McMANSION and just a big house?

Some McMansions under construction near me
(BTW, the flag on the right is a CSO to Anonymous -T)

28. Ryan of "Bosch": JERI.  I couldn't find any clips of her from Bosch, but it turns out that Jeri Ryan can sing.  I believe this performance was on Star Trek Voyager's  holadeck ...

30. Suggestions, informally: RECS.  TIPS would have fit too.

31. Soft & __: DRI.

33. Have a snack: NOSH.

34. Apropos of: AS TO.

37. Sicilian mount: ETNA.  Mount ETNA erupts frequently in crosswords, and this past December it obliged us with an actual eruption ...

39. Back up an apology, say: ATONE.    Sometimes an apology is not enough -- the theme of the book/movie ATONEMENT (highly recommended) ...

40. Gel: SET.

41. Avis rival: ALAMO.
 
42. Far beyond the norm: RADICAL.  Dude!

44. Irish dramatist Seán: O'CASEY.  Seán O'Casey (born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.

Seán O'Casey

46. College-level HS English course: AP LIT.  You might just read one of 44A's plays there.

47. Falafel holders: PITAS.  Here's a recipe.

Falafels

48. Tirades: RANTS.

49. Cartoon maker of Invisible Paint and Instant Road: ACME.

50. Stubborn beast: MULE.

51. "Yay, the weekend's almost here!": TGIF.  The day after Thursday!

52. Grandmother's nickname: NANA.

53. Moderate gait: TROT.

55. Lifelong pal, briefly: BFF.

56. "If u ask me ... ": IMO.  I know u didn't, but I drew the short straw today.

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

*EKTORP was defined by Emma Oxford  in a comment to  her April 17th, 2024 puzzle as "a clue whose answer you can get from context without actually knowing it."

 

Notes from C.C.:

Renee (sumdaze) and I made today's USA Today puzzle. Click here to solve. Congrats on your debut, Renee! You're simply amazing.