Thursday, November 28, 2024, Brent Sverdloff & Katie Hale

  Music of the Spheres

O vis eternitatis (O force of Eternity)
Hildegard von Bingen

I really liked this puzzle.  Today's constructors, Brent Sverdloff and Katie Hale, remind us that music is literally a universal language, a "force of eternity", recognized and appreciated not only here on Earth, but all over the Universe.  They demonstrate this with three theme clues filled with songs from different genres, each ending with the name of an extra-terrestrial body ... 

16. *Frank Sinatra song: FLY ME TO THE MOON.  A jazz standard written in 1954 by Bart Howard ...

29. *Beatles song: HERE COMES THE SUN.  A classic rock song written by Beatle George Harrison ...

49. *Bing Crosby song: SWINGING ON A STAR.  An American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.

Our constructors bring it all together with their reveal ...

61. Heavenly sounds, and what the answers to the starred clues could be called: CELESTIAL MUSIC.

... this is also a particularly apt description of the music by the Medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen that introduced this review.

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

 1. Bypasses: OMITS.

6. Out of alignment: BENT.

10. Pilot's fig.: ALT.  ALTITUDE.

13. One of 70 on a radiant-cut diamond: FACET.
 

Radiant-cut Diamond

14. Actor Sy of "Lupin": OMAR.  Lupin is a French mystery thriller television series about professional thief Assane Diop, the only son of an immigrant from Senegal who had come to France to seek a better life for himself and his child. Assane's father is framed for the theft of an expensive diamond necklace by his employer and dies in his prison cell, leaving the fourteen-year-old Assane to fend for himself on the streets of Paris. Twenty-five years later, inspired by a book about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin his father had given him on his birthday, Assane sets out to get revenge on the Pellegrini family ...

15. Class before chem, often: BIO.  

16. [Theme clue]

19. Kitten's call: MEW.

Kitten mewing

20. Nursery sch.: PRE K.  PRE Kindergarten.

21. Brickmaker's need: KILN.  I filled CLAY first.  In researching this clue I stumbled upon this interesting short video about the history of brickmaking in Baltimore (interesting to Baltimorons anyway 😀) ... 

22. Many a North African: ARAB.

24. Like a ghost story: EERIE.  Like a really spooky lake?

27. Loaded, in Lima: RICO.  Today's Spanish lesson: RICH.

29. [Theme clue]

32. Paragon: IDEAL.

33. Florence or Sydney: CITY.  Iconic cities ...

The Florence Cathedral

 

The Sydney Opera House

34. "The Penguin" network: HBO.  The Penguin is an American crime drama television miniseries developed by Lauren LeFranc. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, it is a sequel spin-off from The Batman, a 2022 film. The series follows Oz Cobb's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld.  Definitely not a family series.  Here's the first season trailer 

35. Nothing: NADA.  More Spanish: NADA = "Nothing".

38. Bath bubbles: SUDS. 

40. Sci-fi invaders: ETS.  They've been in the news since July 8, 1947 (two days after I was born😯) and are still in the news today -- here and here.

43. "Peter Pan" pooch: NANA.  NANA appears in the story's opening scene.  She is the Darling children's nursemaid ... 

45. Do a double take, say: REACT.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Bellagio's lake: COMO.  Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy.  It has an area of 146 square kilometres (56 sq mi), making it the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep, it is the fifth-deepest lake in Europe and the deepest outside Norway; the bottom of the lake is 227 metres (745 ft) below sea level. One notable characteristic is its distinctive "Y" shape ... 

Lake Como

54. Colander cousin: SIEVE.

55. Supergirl, for one: HERO.  Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman.  Here's a preview of coming attractions for one of the upcoming spinoffs starring Australian actress Milly Alcock.   ... 

56. "Pick one" hand position: FIST.

58. Lumber mill array: SAWS.  Lumber mills do indeed have arrays of SAWS, but in researching this clue I encountered many more arrays of lumber mills.

60. Planner page: DAY.

61. [Theme reveal]

65. Red state: IRE.  The red states are not in a red state these days. 😀

66. Hong __: KONG.  My son, new grandson, and I ate lunch in Hong Kong during a one hour stopover from China to bring my grandson home.

67. "Peter Grimes," for one: OPERA.  Peter Grimes is a tragic opera in 3 acts written by English composer Benjamin Britten in 1945.  It is a dark, brooding story, set in a small fishing village on the East coast of England.  Peter Grimes is a fisherman, a loner, estranged from the villagers and is accused of the deaths of his two young apprentices.  The ending is ambiguous and we never really know if the accusations are true.  In the last scene Grimes rows out to sea and drowns himself by scuttling his boat.  It's not an opera I would recommend to those unacquainted with the genre. 

The overall mood of the work is perhaps best expressed by a haunting, standalone instrumental work which is often performed as a concert piece -- The Four Sea Interludes that separate the acts.  Here Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo leads the orchestra ...

68. Donkey: ASS.

69. No great shakes: SO SO.

70. "We have the __!": Arby's slogan: MEATS.

Down:

1. Put up for sale: OFFERED.

2. Risk of spreading spam: MALWARE.  Malware (a portmanteau of malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. 

3. Like a hostile greeting: ICY.

4. Office part-timer: TEMP.

5. Start to type?: STEREO.

6. Goodreads suggestion, briefly: BOOK REC.  Helping you decide what to read next ...

7. CPR expert: EMT.  An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is an expert in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).  The first step in helping someone who has had a heart attack and who has no pulse (their heart has stopped) is to call 911.  Leave your phone on for instructions from the dispatcher and begin CPR immediately ...

8. Casual pass: NAH.  "Not interested".

9. Long journey: TREK.

10. Put an end to: ABOLISH.

11. Simba, when lifted up by Rafiki: LION CUB.  Rafiki is a baboon who knows a secret about Simba's father ... 

12. Two thousand pounds: TON.

17. Abound (with): TEEM.

18. Mucky spot: MIRE.

19. Hawaiian catch, on menus: MAHI.  Here's a recipe for pan fried MAHI-MAHI ...

Mahi-Mahi

23. Kidney __: BEAN.

25. Egyptian goddess of healing: ISIS.  Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world.  Her maternal aid was invoked in healing spells to benefit ordinary people. She was usually portrayed in art as a human woman wearing a throne-like hieroglyph on her head.

Isis

26. Shakespearean rebuke: ET TU.  Today's Latin lesson: "AND YOU ... (Brutus!)".

28. Artist Yoko: ONO.  Yoko Ono (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.

Yoko and John Lennon
when they married in 1969

30. "The Trolley Song" sound: CLANG.  The Trolley Song is a song written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin and made famous by Judy Garland in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis ...

31. Many-headed mythical monster: HYDRA.  The Hydra was a serpentine lake monster with 9 heads in Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna, reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld.  In the canonical Hydra myth, the monster is killed by Heracles (Hercules) as the second of his Twelve Labors. 

Heracles battling the Hydra

36. Keynote's spot: DAIS.

37. MMXXIII, MMXXIV, etc.: ANNI.  Today's Latin lesson: "Years".

39. Informal gathering: SESH.

40. Key hit in panic: ESC.

41. Groupon deals, perhaps: TWO FERS.  Groupon, Inc. is an American global e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering discounted activities, travel, goods and services in 13 countries. Groupon was launched in November 2008, its name being a portmanteau of "group" and "coupon". Groupon's first deal was a two-pizzas-for-the-price-of-one offer at the Motel Bar, a restaurant on the first floor of the company's building in Chicago.  By the end of March 2015, Groupon served more than 500 cities worldwide, nearly 48.1 million active customers and featured more than 425,000 active deals globally in 48 countries.

42. "Fit as a fiddle" and "free as a bird": SIMILES.  A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things using words such as "like a", "as a".  Similes are often confused with metaphors which are rhetorical comparisons of two things without any connectors.  They may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas.  

44. "It used to be that ... ": AGES AGO.  LONG AGO fit, but didn't perp.

46. Was taken down quite a few notches: ATE DIRT.  An evocative metaphor ...

47. Birthplace of Simón Bolívar: CARACAS.  Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco (his friends just called him Sy 😀) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish Empire. He is known colloquially as El Libertador, or the Liberator of America.

Simón Bolívar
24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830

48. Former quarterback Aikman: TROY.  Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.  Aikman was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Troy Aikman

50. Snout: NOSE.

51. Track shape: OVAL.

52. One taking maternity leave: NEW MOM.

57. Disapproving sounds: TSKS.

59. Tenant's contact, briefly: SUPE.  Superintendent.  I've heard "super" before, but never "supe".
.
61. Org. in "Argo": CIA.  Argo is a 2012 American biographical historical drama thriller film based on real events, directed, produced by, and starring Ben Affleck. The screenplay was adapted from the 1999 memoir The Master of Disguise by U.S. C.I.A. operative Tony Mendez and the 2007 Wired article The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.  Here's a trailer ...

62. Moreover: TOO.

63. Helpful connections: INS.

64. Dog or wolf preceder: SEA.  There were many references for both Sea Dog and Sea Wolf, but here are two I found interesting ...

The Sea Dogs were a group of English privateers and explorers authorized by Queen Elizabeth I to raid England's enemies, whether they were formally at war with them or not. Active from 1560 until Elizabeth's death in 1603, the Sea Dogs primarily attacked Spanish targets both on land and at sea, particularly during the Anglo-Spanish War. Probably the most famous of these was Sir Francis Drake, who lead the British navy in their defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.  The defeat is commemorated in a poem called Drake's Drum by Sir Henry Newbolt and set to music by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford.  My favorite recording of Drake's Drum is a  stirring rendition by Sir John Shirley-Quirk, which sadly is no longer available on Youtube. Here is an MP3 file of Sir John singing Drake's Drum, copied from one of my old CD's: 

Lyrics

The Sea-Wolf is a 1941 film starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, and John Garfield, based on a 1904 novel by Jack London,   It begins when fiction writer Humphrey Van Weyden and escaped convict Ruth Webster are rescued when a ferry they are traveling on collides with another vessel and sinks. They are rescued from drowning by the Ghost, a seal-hunting ship. The Ghost's captain is Wolf Larsen, who delights in abusing his crew ...

Cheers, and a Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and your loved ones!

Bill

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

waseeley

Monday November 18, 2024 Amy Johnson and Katie Hale

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a theme that seems to have arisen out of nowhere.

Theme:      Ta-da!

18 Across. Long garment with no waistline: TENT DRESS.

A POP-UP TENT is a tent that is ready to use as soon as it is unfolded, without requiring a frame to be assembled first.  

a TENT DRESS and a POP-UP TENT

24 Across. "These aren't the droids we're looking for" speaker: STORM TROOPER.

Our constructors threw us a curve ball with this one. If you read the clue too quickly you might have wanted to answer Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, Ben said "you're" and the STORM TROOPER responded "we're". Here is the scene from the 1977 Star Wars movie. (The STORM TROOPERs are wearing white body armor.) (1:29 min.)  

Read about a POP-UP STORM here.

38 Across. Activity for a green-thumbed apartment dweller: WINDOW GARDENING. 

A POP-UP WINDOW is a small advertisement or banner that appears in the foreground of one's screen while browsing a website.  

a WINDOW GARDEN and a POP-UP WINDOW I often see on Blogger

49 Across. Aftereffects of a great read: BOOK HANGOVER. I do not recall hearing this term before today but I have definitely experienced one. Here is how one blogger describes it:

A “book hangover” is the slangy shortcut for the feeling when a reader finishes a book—usually fiction—and they can’t stop thinking about the fictional world that has run out of pages. The story is over, but the reader misses the characters or the atmosphere of the novel. 

I bought this elaborate POP-UP BOOK for my grandmother when she developed dementia.
It turned out to be a good gift because her visitors enjoyed looking through it with her.

Now for the reveal:

60 Across. Right-click result, often, and where the starts of 18-, 24-, 38-, and 49-Across can be found?: POP-UP MENU.

If you right-click on your PC*, a MENU of options POPs-UP. Here is an example:  

The reveal clue also says that the starts of the themed clues can be found on a POP-UP MENU. I take that to mean that if you were looking at a menu (list) of things that POP-UP, you might see these four items:  TENT, STORM, WINDOW, and BOOK.

Before we POP on over to the rest of the clues, here's a CSO to all the POPS on the Corner.  

Across:

1. Financial liability of concern to creditors: DEBT.     and     6 Down. Have a 1-Across with: OWE TO.  

Investopedia article about Credit Scores

5. "Gilmore Girls" daughter: RORY.  Do we get a lot of Gilmore Girls cast member clues or is it always RORY? I never saw the show so these questions are always ESPs for me.  

9. Lightning streak: BOLT.

13. Dickens villain Heep: URIAH.  Uriah Heep is such a great name! He was the creep in David Copperfield. I chose this book for my senior literature project when I was in high school.

15. Tot's scrape: OWIE.

16. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE.  My trick for remembering this XWD staple fill is she sings an aria, but with an "e" at the end.

17. "So anyway," e.g.: SEGUE.  Def: (noun) a transition made without pause or interruption.

Regardless, this was a fun word to find in the grid.

20. TV channel with a large film library: TCM.  Turner Classic Movies

21. Sidesplitters: RIOTS.  Def:  (noun) an exceedingly funny story or joke.

23. German sub dangerous to Allied ships: U-BOAT.

27. Goat pen noises: MAAS.  

28. Anchorage locale: ALASKA.  Anchorage is ALASKA's most populous city with 286,075 people. ALASKA's capital, Juneau has 31,555 people.  

North to Alaska  ~  Johnny Horton  ~  1960

32. Calvin of fashion: KLEIN.  As it turns out, Calvin Richard Klein celebrates his 82nd birthday tomorrow. He was born in The Bronx, NY. He graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1962.

34. Anti-inflammatory antioxidant berry: ACAI.  Will the accolades to this berry never cease?

37. Backdrop of many novels set in the 1940s: WAR.  This one took me a bit, but after I got it I thought, "Fair enough."

42. Recipe no.: AMT.     and     55 Down. Report card nos.: GPAS. 

"Number(s)" is abbreviated in these clues, so is "AMounT" and "Grade Point Averages".

43. Top-tier: A-ONE.  Also top-tier is the XWD staple, A-Team.

44. Date opening: MONTH.  In the U.S., dates are usually (but not always) written as MONTH/day/year. Since MONTH comes first, it is the opening.

45. Apple download: IOS APP.  iOS is the iPhone Operating System. iOS APPs are designed to take advantage of an iPhone's built-in features, like its camera, microphone, GPS, etc.

48. Duck, duck, goose shape: RING.  Duck, Duck, Goose is a children's game in which the players sit in a circle.

55. Figure on a wedding cake, maybe: GROOM.  

58. Steel support for concrete: REBAR.  

59. Ida. neighbor: ORE.  There is a movement for some eastern OREgon counties to join IDAho.  GreaterIdaho.org website 

62. "Hakuna Matata" composer John: ELTON.     and     11 Down. WNBA great Leslie: LISA.

We have two double firsties in today's puzzle. Those always throw me off.

64. Hymn finale: AMEN.

65. Give off: EMIT.

66. Shoe material that shouldn't get wet: SUEDE.  You shouldn't step on SUEDE either. Elvis sang a song about that.  

67. "__ my regards": SEND.  not "give"  

68. Loose tops: TEES.

69. Went up a size: GREW.  

The Grinch's heart GREW. (45 sec.)

Down:

1. Does some light housekeeping: DUSTS.  

Treadmills are also good for hanging laundry.

2. Not hunched over: ERECT.

3. Life-changing events: BIG MOMENTS.

4. "T," on sorority row: TAU.  

Greek alphabet

5. Helicopter part: ROTOR.

7. Classic Unilever laundry soap: RINSO.  Unilever is the company that owns the brand name RINSO...among other well-known brands.

8. "So close, __ so far": YET.  

9. Streisand of "Yentl": BARBRA.  The story is that she was born "Barbara" then changed the spelling of her name when she was 18 because she wanted to be unique but did not want to change her name.

10. Cookie with a Coca-Cola variety: OREO.

12. Rorschach __: TEST.  The test consists of a series of 10 symmetrical blots where the subject states what they see. These slides are shown in the same order to align modern observations with historical performance. You can see the 10 cards here.

This is a 22 sec. clip from Batman Forever (1995) with Val Kilmer and Nichole Kidman.

14. Boy of la familia: HERMANO.  Spanish for "brother"

19. "Hamilton" climax: DUEL.  I liked this clue!  The song from that scene is called The World Was Wide Enough. It is a great message for today's quarrels as well! 

22. "__ showtime!": IT'S.

25. Midnight snack expedition: RAID.

26. Reimbursed: PAID.

29. Person who is a big factor in a two-party election: SWING VOTER.

30. Philosopher Immanuel: KANT.  (1724-1804) He was born in Germany and is one of the Enlightenment thinkers. Basically, he believed in humanity's ability to be rational about morality and wrote about categorical imperatives. The internet says Kant was 5'2" (157.5 cm.).

31. "Grr": ARGH.

32. River in an epic film title: KWAI.  The Bridge on the River Kwai was the highest-grossing film of 1957. It won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

33. Bachelorette party hire, perhaps: LIMO.

34. Before now: AGO.

35. Food drive item: CAN.  a good November reminder to help out

36. "__ you sure?": ARE.  No, I'm sumdaze.

39. D.C. paper: WAPO.  WAshington POst

40. Some asylum seekers: EMIGRES.

41. Improper action: NO-NO.  

46. Teem: ABOUND.

47. Showy splendor: POMP.  I thought of the graduation march POMP and Circumstance by Edward Elgar, a name I've seen in a few puzzles.

48. Biochem molecule: RNA.

50. Krispy __: KREME.  

51. Figure skater Sonja: HENIE.  (1912-1969) Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other female figure skater. She was born in XWD's favorite capital, Oslo.

52. Shares an edge: ABUTS.

53. Eat away at: ERODE.  During the Ice Age, glaciers ate away at the granite in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, creating Yosemite's Half Dome.  

54. Affirm again, as vows: RENEW.  

56. Italy's capital: ROME.

57. Willing to listen: OPEN.

61. Encountered: MET.

63. Carry with effort: LUG.  

Here's the grid, with a POP of color:

Have a great day! I'll POP by later to read the comments.

*Note to Mac users:  According to the Apple Support website, a right-click on a Mac is called a 'secondary click' or 'Control-click'. To open shortcut menus, Control-click an item using your keyboard and mouse or trackpad.

Friday, November 1, 2024, Renee Thomason, Katie Hale

 Theme:  There must be a way!

Each of the theme answers is a recognizable person or thing, but does not match the clue until you SHOW THE word WAY at the beginning of the answer.

Here are the theme clues and answers, all of which are Across:

18. *Pop-up shop on the edge of the road?: SIDE HUSTLE. A side hustle is a job or occupation that brings in extra money beyond one's regular job.  But a WAYSIDE HUSTLE might be a business at the edge of a road.

23. *Underground market for home goods?: FAIR TRADE.  Fair trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect.  But WAYFAIR TRADE might be taking furnishings from the online retailer Wayfair and trading them off market.

35. *Butcher's knife that's very hard to handle?: WARD CLEAVER.  Ward Cleaver is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver.  But a WAYWARD CLEAVER might be a big knife that is difficult to control.

50. *Snuck up on a chicken coop to collect breakfast?: LAID AN EGG.  Saying someone laid an egg means they failed at something.  But WAYLAID AN EGG means they hid themselves and attacked an egg by surprise.

58. Give clear directions, or how to make the starred clues match their answers?: SHOW THE WAY.

Today's puzzle comes to us from Renee Thomason (our Monday blogger, known in the Corner as sumdaze) and frequent constructor Katie Hale.  Allow me to SHOW THE WAY through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. State that's easy to draw: UTAH.

Because Wyoming and Colorado wouldn't fit!

5. South American bean: CACAO.  Best bean ever.  Thank you, South America!

10. Loyalty program level: TIER.

14. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.

15. Celebrity gossip source since 1991: E! NEWS.  A late-night entertainment news program on the E! cable network.

16. Princess athlete in the 1976 Summer Olympics: ANNE.  The Games of the XXI Olympiad took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, competed as part of the British equestrian team. 

Princess Anne in the 1976 Olympics

17. Air quality factor: SMOG.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Device called a "cashpoint" in the U.K.: ATM.

21. Matching: SAME.

22. Stellar: ASTRAL.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Court tie: DEUCE.  Apparently, tennis score keeping was originally done using a clock face, marking points as 15, 30, and 45 minutes, with 45 eventually being abbreviated as 40:

     0 points = Love  (Zero was "The egg" or "L'oeuf" in French, which in English became "Love.")

     1 point = 15

     2 points = 30

     3 points = 40

     Tied score = All

     40-40 = Deuce

     Server wins deuce point = Ad-In

     Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out

27. Host: EMCEE.  We used to say "Master of Ceremonies," which became MC or "emcee."

28. Forensic profiling material: DNA.

30. Solstice mo.: DEC.  Also JUN, but it wouldn't work with the perpendicular entries.

31. Corp. head: CEO.

33. Ripe old __: AGE.

34. "__ we forget": LEST.  This phrase was first used in an 1897 poem by Rudyard Kipling called "Recessional," written to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

     God of our fathers, known of old,

        Lord of our far-flung battle-line,

     Beneath whose awful Hand we hold

        Dominion over palm and pine—

     Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

     Lest we forget—lest we forget!

35. [Theme clue]

38. Chop garlic, say: PREP.  DH and I do the prep for each other, taking turns as head chef and sous chef.  Assembling a recipe is easier if you prep first and get all the ingredients mise en place.

40. Address bar character: DOT.  A web address includes a "dot" before the domain name, as in LATimes.com.

41. Car wheel part: RIM.

42. Coxswain's lack: OAR.  A coxswain sits in the stern of a boat, facing the bow, and steering with the rudder while coordinating the efforts of the rowing team.

A coxswain at work.

43. Pressure meas.: PSI.  Pounds per Square Inch.

44. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.

48. Feudal lord: LIEGE.

50. [Theme clue]

54. Bringing up the rear: IN LAST.

56. Hindu honorifics: SRIS.  In South and Southeast Asia, Sri is used as a polite form of address, similar to the English "Mr.".

57. Truly regret: RUE.

58. [Theme clue]

60. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN.   Evan Williams is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey distilled at the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.  The product is aged for a minimum of four years (which is more than the two year minimum to be called 'straight' bourbon, but is the minimum requirement for a straight whiskey that does not have an age statement on the label).  It has been ranked as one of the world's best selling whiskey brands.

A Kentucky bourbon distillery I visited with DH in 2016.

61. Ale holder: CASK.

62. Thrill to bits: ELATE.

63. Stitch up: MEND.

64. Supersmall: ITTY.  Not "itsy" this time!  Often itty-bitty or itsy-bitsy.

65. Many a forty-niner: MINER.  Participant in the California gold rush.

66. Bank for mil. families: USAA.  USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank that is only available to military members, veterans, and their families.

Down:

1. In need of a Mr. Yuk sticker: UNSAFE.  Mr. Yuk is a trademarked graphic image, created by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.

2. Instrument also known as a chau gong: TAM-TAM.  The Tam-Tam is a huge metal percussion instrument which makes a booming sound. When you strike the tam-tam, the sound gets louder and louder, building up to a climax before fading away.

3. Infinitesimal: ATOMIC.

4. Selfish type: HOG.

5. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.

6. Inner self, to Jung: ANIMA.

7. Surrendered: CEDED.

8. Veneration: AWE.

9. Mae's sister on "Star Wars: The Acolyte": OSHA.  "Star Wars: The Acolyte" is a television series created for the streaming service Disney+.  An obscure clue!  What ever happened to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?

10. Decorator's asset: TASTE.

11. Unwelcome visitor: INTRUDER.

12. Intertwines: ENLACES.

13. Word on some campaign posters: RE-ELECT.

19. MyPlate org.: USDA.  The United States Department of Agriculture produced this guideline for nutritious eating -- while supporting various types of food production that are anything but healthy.

21. Heifer's brother: STEER.

24. Summary: RECAP.  A summary of what has been said; a recapitulation.

25. Polygon part: EDGE.

29. Not far: NEAR.

32. Probability calculations: ODDS.

33. Key not found on a Mac: ALT.

34. Finger bowl slice: LEMON.  A finger bowl is a small bowl with water (and perhaps a slice of lemon) for rinsing fingers during a meal.

35. "Let's check the map": WE'RE LOST.

36. Spiral: COIL.

37. Exchange program papers: VISAS.

38. Future Hill worker's maj., maybe: POLI SCI.  Someone who hopes to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC might study Political Science.

39. Slicker accompaniment: RAIN HAT.  In this case, a slicker is a rain coat.

43. Wasp, for one: PEST.  Wasps eat spiders, flies, roaches, and caterpillars.  They pollinate at least 960 different plants, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them.  They disperse seeds.  They are responsible for the growth of figs!  But sure, they're pests.

45. Jitters: NERVES.

46. Tropical lizard: IGUANA.

47. Meeting list: AGENDA.

49. Nervously clumsy: GAWKY.

51. Egyptian market city: ASWAN.

52. Furious: IRATE.

53. Person eager to tackle home improvement projects, briefly: DIYer.  Do-It-Yourselfer.

55. Those folks: THEM.

59. New Haven student: ELI.  Elihu Yale was the primary benefactor of Yale University, and students at Yale are called Elis in his memory.

60. Petting zoo bird: EMU.  This seems to be a thing, but is it really safe to have a small child pet an emu?

Here's the grid:

So, did you find THE WAY?  Or WERE you LOST?

NaomiZ

Sunday October 6, 2024 Susan Gelfand & Katie Hale

Theme: "All in a Day's Work" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if it's part of the job description fitting the professional in the clue.

23. Part of an orchestra conductor's job description?: KNOW THE SCORE.

34. Part of a deckhand's job description?: TIE THE KNOT.

42. Part of an EPA technician's job description?: TEST THE WATERS.

66. Part of a wedding caterer's job description?: TAKE THE CAKE.

72. Part of an angler's job description?: HOLD THE LINE.

95. Part of a museum curator's job description?: GET THE PICTURE.

102. Part of a road maintenance worker's job description?: PAVE THE WAY.

119. Part of a set designer's job description?: MAKE THE SCENE.

We've seen fitting job themes in the past few years, but none with this "verb + the + noun" consistency. This extra layer attracted Pattie's attention, I'm sure.

Very smooth fill, as expected from two veteran constructors. So few proper names. Not easy to pull it off.

Across:

1. Goes on to say: ADDS.

5. Thinks the world of: ADORES.

11. Stain layer: COAT.

15. Chat__: GPT. GPT stands for Generative Pre-training Transformer. A mouthful.

18. Evening, in Venice: SERA.

19. Cool Ranch snack brand: DORITOS.

21. Wheelbarrow part: AXLE.

22. Bike tire filler: AIR.

25. Sensitivity training exercise: ROLE PLAY. Role-play training.

27. Doodlebug, e.g.: ISOPOD.

28. Focused, at work: ON TASK.

30. Cold snap temps: TEENS.

31. Annapurna's country: NEPAL. Annapurna's is the 10th-highest mountain in the world.

32. Hill builder: ANT.

37. Hidden: SECRETED.

41. "You saved the day!": MY HERO. 

46. Subside a bit: EASE OFF.

50. "Blech!": UGH.

51. Pack animal: ASS.

52. Penny prez: ABE.

53. Lane marked with diamonds: Abbr.: HOV.

54. Texter's chuckle: LOL.

55. "Tough noogies": TOO BAD.

58. All thumbs: CLUMSY.

60. Expatriate: EMIGRE. Am I an emigre?

63. Puff from an iron: STEAM.

64. Pie __ mode: ALA.

68. Toddler's siesta: NAP TIME.

71. Tiny puncture: PINHOLE.

76. Install, as carpeting: LAY.

77. Moisten while roasting: BASTE. I associate this word with Thanksgiving turkey.

81. Oil-rich peninsula: ARABIA.

82. Criticize sharply: ASSAIL.

84. Prepared for takeoff: TAXIED.

85. Tip, briefly: REC. Recommendation.

86. Cars singer Ocasek: RIC.

88. Coffee holder: URN.

89. Like unsewn edges: RAW.

91. Sharks and minnows, essentially: TAG. Is this a gimme to you guys?

92. Camrys and Corollas: TOYOTAS.

99. Like winter base layers: WOOLEN.

101. 96-Down member: HOOPSTER.  96. Charlotte NBA team: HORNETS.

106. Caviar: ROE.

107. Drops from the sky: RAINS.

111. Select few: ELITE.

112. Greet the day: AWAKEN.

115. Famous Liverpudlian: LENNON. John Lennon was born in Liverpool.

116. Heart-pumping class: AEROBICS.

122. French vineyard designation: CRU.

123. Quite frequently: A LOT.

124. Western topper: STETSON.

125. White-tailed sea eagle: ERNE. I want to have a dark green tail.

126. Sci-fi subjects: ETS.

127. Sheer delight: GLEE.

128. Lengthy exam answers: ESSAYS.

129. Planetary system center: STAR. And 75. Third in a noted set of eight: EARTH. Solar system planets.

Down:

1. More than greet at the door: ASK IN.

2. Like thick fog: DENSE.

3. Turn down?: DROOP. Truly "turn down".

4. Looked beyond: SAW PAST.

5. Med. condition that often presents in childhood: ADHD.

6. Forest female: DOE.

7. Hosp. theaters: ORS. Not famliar with this "operating theater" meaning.

8. Lasagna cheese: RICOTTA.

9. British boarding school by the Thames: ETON.

10. Separate, as laundry: SORT.

11. Ignition insert: CAR KEY.

12. Good Grips brand: OXO.

13. The complete set: ALL.

14. Vacillates: TEETERS.
 
15. Ancient Greek physician: GALEN. Google shows that he served several Roman Emperors, including Marcus Aurelius.

16. Grand instrument: PIANO.

17. Lovers' meeting: TRYST.

20. Stadium spot: SEAT.

24. Vacancy sign: TO LET.

26. Orange __ tea: PEKOE.

29. Virtual city population: SIMS.

32. Son of Zeus: ARES.

33. Reportage: NEWS.

35. Ted's alternate nickname: THEO.

36. Cry aboard a frigate: HEAVE HO.

38. Landlocked African country: CHAD. The other answer is MALI. We also have 53. Spotted African predator: HYENA.

39. List-shortening abbr.: ET AL.

40. World premiere: DEBUT.

42. Sounds of disapproval: TUTS.

43. Four-award acronym: EGOT.

44. Cleat or clog: SHOE.

45. Update after a survey: RE-MAP.

47. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA.

48. Food picker-upper: FORK.

49. Hightail it: FLEE.

56. Cozy inn, casually: B AND B.

57. Master luthier: AMATI. From Cremona.

58. Sleeveless tops, briefly: CAMIS. And 74. Like some wedding gowns: LACY.

59. Craft: SKILL.

61. __ toast: MELBA.

62. Alpine climber's tool: ICE AX.

64. Noshed: ATE.

65. Pastel purple hue: LILAC.

67. "Above __ deep and dreamless sleep / The silent stars go by": THY.

69. Egyptian ruler: PHARAOH.

70. Follow: ENSUE.

72. Stag: HART.

73. Milkshake mix-in at Five Guys: OREO.

78. In __: as found: SITU.

79. Shred: TEAR.

80. Periphery: EDGE.

83. Gaga over: INTO.

84. Silly billy: TWIT.

87. Archipelago piece: ISLE.

89. Property takeback: REPO.

90. Cathedral recess: APSE.

93. Have a debt with: OWE TO.

94. Canvas carrier: TOTE BAG. So many people go crazy over Trader Joe's mini tote bags.

95. Nibble (on): GNAW.

97. Agriculture goddess: CERES. Roman goddess.

98. Hypnotic states: TRANCES.

100. Discarded cells: E WASTE.

102. Tranquility: PEACE.

103. Warning: ALERT.

104. Computer bug: VIRUS.

105. Some purple tubers: YAMS. Just bought some at the farmers market. I like boiling them with walnuts.

108. Like argon: INERT.

109. Mamma's mamma: NONNA.

110. Scornful look: SNEER.

113. "Running up That Hill" singer Bush: KATE.

114. Squeaks (out): EKES.

115. Tinted sunglasses part: LENS.

117. Sick: ILL.

118. Iowa college: COE.

120. Screening org.: TSA.

121. Today, in Spanish: HOY.

C.C.