Monday, November 18, 2019 Kurt Krauss

All IN.  The last word of each theme answer rhymes with IN, but each has a unique spelling.

17-Across. Swashbuckling leading man of Hollywood's Golden Age: ERROL FLYNN.  Errol Flynn (né Erroll Leslie Thomson Flynn; June 20, 1909 ~ Oct. 14, 1959) was born in Tasmania.  Shortly after moving to Hollywood, he landed the plumb role as Peter Blood in the movie Captain Blood.  He was a relatively unknown actor at the time, but with the role, he shot up to stardom.  A few years later, he was charged with and tried for statutory rape, but was ultimately acquitted.

27-Across. German Shepherd of '50s-'60s TV: RIN TIN TIN.  Rin Tin Tin (Sept. 1918 ~ Aug. 10, 1932) was an actual German Shephard and movie star.  Rin Tin Tin was a rescue dog found on the battlefield during World War I.  His American owner trained him to act in silent movies.  After his death, several other dogs were acquired the name to appear in additional Rin Tin Tin movies.

41-Across. North Vietnamese leader with a trail named for him: HO CHI MINH.  Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 ~ Sept. 2, 1969) was the President of North Vietnam from 1945 until his death in September 1969.

55-Across. Hotel chain since 1952: HOLIDAY INN.  Holiday Inn is a British-owned American chain hotel.  It is a subsidiary of InterContinental Hotels Group.

Hahtoolah here.  Fear not, my friends, Boomer will be making a surprise appearance later this week.

Across:

1. Aquarium: TANK.

5. Yeshiva teacher: REBBE.  The word  rebbe comes from a Hebrew word meaning teacher.  The word is used primarily by the Hasidic movement of Judaism.

10. Dance in a pit: MOSH.  Mosh is a form of dancing where the dances jumps up and down, often violently bumping into other dancers.

14. Iranian money: RIAL.  As of last week, the 1 Rial was worth 0.000030 US Dollars.

15. For all to hear: ALOUD.

16. Baja's opposite: ALTA.  Today's Spanish Lesson.

19. Precious: DEAR.

A Precious Deer.

20. Delivers, as a convention-opening speech: KEYNOTES.  The individual making the speech is referred to as a Keynote Speaker.

21. Donny or Marie: OSMOND.  Back in the late 1970s, Donny (né Donald Clark Osmond; b. Dec. 9, 1957) and Marie Osmond (née Olive Marie Osmond; b. Oct. 13, 1959 ) were a brother and sister singing duo who also hosted a variety show called Donny and Marie.

23. Hairstyles: DOs.  //  And 50-Down. Bee home: HIVE.  Also a hair style.

24. Art Deco designer: ERTÉ.  Erté (né Roman Tyrtov; Nov. 23, 1892 ~ Apr. 21, 1990) was a Russian-born French artist.  He went by Erté, which is the French pronunciation of his initials.  His drawings are very stylized.

25. Barbara of "Mission: Impossible": BAIN.  Barbara Bain (née Mildred Fogel; b. Sept. 13, 1931), was known as Cinnamon Carter on Mission: Impossible.  Can you find Barbara?

32. Beach head-turners: HUNKS.

33. Forest moon that's home to the Ewoks: ENDOR.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.  Ewoks are creepy looking little critters.

34. Dedicated poem: ODE.

35. First chip in the pot: ANTE.

36. Tokyo's country: JAPAN.

37. Pinot __: white wine grape: GRIS.  What's the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio?

38. Geol. or chem., e.g.: SCI.  Geology and Chemistry are fields of Science.

39. Nattily dressed fellows: DUDES.

40. Fortune-teller's card: TAROT.  Everything you wanted to know about Tarot Cards, but were afraid to ask.

43. City near Provo: OREM.

44. "SportsCenter" channel: ESPN.  Originally known as the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.  Where all y'all should have been watching the LSU fighting tigers beat Ole Miss in football last Saturday by a score of 58-37.

45. Gear tooth: COG.

46. "Peanuts" newspaper section: COMICS.  Charles Schulz really didn't like the name Peanuts for his comic strip.

49. Jeep model named for a tribe: CHEROKEE.

54. "I get it now!" cries: AHAs!

57. Trap fluff: LINT.

58. __ Oyl: OLIVE.  Olive Oyl was created in 1919, thus she is celebrating her 100 birthday this year.  She appeared in the comic strips for 10 years before she became Popeye's girlfriend.

59. Advance, as money: LEND.

60. Enemies: FOES.

61. Package sealers: TAPES.

62. Pre-revelry nights: EVES.

Down:

1. Long haul: TREK.

2. Suffix with billion: -AIRE.  Who wants to be a Billionaire?

3. __ a soul: no one: NARY.

4. Ice cream bar named for a Yukon river: KLONDIKE.  What would you do for a Klondike bar?

5. Rapids transports: RAFTS.

6. Fashion monthly: ELLE.  This fashion magazine first began publication 71 years ago this month.

7. Pop music's Backstreet __: BOYS.  A boy band from the 1990s.

The band 20 years later.

8. Pastry that might be sticky: BUN.

9. Ralph Kramden's pal: ED NORTON.

 

10. Drama set at an advertising agency: MAD MEN.  This show, starring Jon Hamm, was a fascinating look into the advertising business in the 1960s.  The show ran from July 2007 to May 2015.

11. Bread spread: OLEO.

12. Laurel seen with Hardy: STAN.  Stan Laurel (né Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 ~ Feb. 23, 1965) and Oliver Hardy (né Norvell Hardy; Jan. 18, 1892 ~ Aug. 7, 1957) were a comedy duo best known for their slapstick routines.

13. Difficult: HARD.

18. Diving birds: LOONS.  Hi, Canadian Eh!

22. Swizzle: STIR.  Hence the Swizzle Stick.

24. Hyphen-like mark: EN DASH.  Who knew there were so many sizes?

25. Con game: BUNCO.

26. Bit of high jinks: ANTIC.

27. Transfer to memory, as data: READ IN.

28. Best way to sign: IN PEN.  Also the way some of us do the crossword puzzles.

29. MLB exec Joe: TORRÉ.  Joseph Paul Torré (b. July 18, 1940) was the manager of the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007.  He is currently serving in the capacity as Major League Baseball's chief baseball officer.  He began his baseball career with Milwaukee Brewers in 1960.

30. "Take the cake" or "cream of the crop": IDIOM.

31. Home on a branch: NEST.

32. Diner fare: HASH.  My grandmother used to make beet hash.  As I recall, it was pretty tasty.

36. Basketball scoring technique: JUMP SHOT.

37. Grotesque architectural figure: GARGOYLE.  Some of the most famous gargoyles are found on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Sadly, the Cathedral burned earlier this year.  I am not sure of the status of its Gargoyles.  This is my favorite gargoyle that was found on the roof.

39. Part of DVD: DISC.

40. Irish lullaby start: TOORA.

42. Thieves' bank jobs: HEISTS.

45. Hands over: CEDES.

46. Cow kid: CALF.

47. State east of Indiana: OHIO.  It's the State that's Round on the Ends and Hi in the Middle.

48. Horse hair: MANE.

49. Paper holder: CLIP.  Remember Clippy?

51. Ukraine's capital: KIEV.  In the Ukraine, the preferred spelling is Kyiv.  Both the city and the country have been in the news recently.

52. Feminine suffix: -ENNE.

53. Breaks off: ENDS.  Think of breaking off, or ending, a relationship.

56. Suffix with pay or Cray-: -OLA.  As in Payola or Crayola.  One is a crayon, the other is a crime.  Getting a box of 64 Crayolas was really special.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  I hate to spread rumors, but what else can I do with them?  ~  Amanda Lear (b. Nov. 18, 1939), French singer and painter.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019 Kurt Krauss

Think First, then Act:  The first word of each theme answer can appear before the word ACT to give us a common phrase.

17-Across. *   Big top: CIRCUS TENT.  Think of the Circus Act.

26-Across. *   School keepsake: CLASS RING.  Think of a person who is a Class Act.

37-Across. *   "The Daily Show" network: COMEDY CENTRAL.  Think of a Comedy Act.

50-Across. *   2012 Channing Tatum film: MAGIC MIKE.  Think of a Magic Act.  This is the odd man out, as it were, since Magic begins with the letter M and not a C, like Circus, Class, and Comedy.

And the Unifier:

60-Across. Show starter ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues: OPENING ACT.   An Opening Act is often the warm-up band for a headliner.  Did you know that in 1963 The Beatles were the Opening Act for Roy Orbison?

Across:

1. Sports agent, briefly: REP. As in Representative.

4. Lavish meal: FEAST.  It's almost time for the Thanksgiving Feast.

9. Behold, to Brutus: ECCE.  Today's Latin lesson.

13. "Another Green World" musician Brian: ENO.  Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

14. Foamy coffee drinks: LATTES.  A Latte is made with espresso and steamed milk.  The barista often makes a fancy decoration on top of the final product.

16. Bar measure: SHOT.

19. "The Handmaid's __": Atwood novel: TALE.  The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, was first published in 1985.  It is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society in which women are considered property of the state.  It recently became a television series.  I read the book when it first came out, but haven't seen the television version.

20. This, in Spain: ESTO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

21. Acapulco aunt: TIA.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

22. Final Olds produced: ALERO.  Production on this car ceased in April 2004.

24. Injured-arm support: SLING.

29. "Under Siege" star Steven: SEAGAL.  Steven Frederick Seagal (b. Apr. 10, 1952), is an American actor who also holds Russian and Serbian citizenship.  He has led a rather controversial life.  Enough said.

31. Prof.'s degree: Ph.D.  As in the Doctor of Philosophy.  What is the difference between an M.D and a Ph.D.?    * Answer below.

32. See 38-Down: SIN.  //  And 38-Down:  38. With 32-Across, Adam and Eve's transgression: ORIGINAL.  Together we get Original Sin, which is a theological concept that everyone is born sinful.  The concept was developed in the writings of St. Augustine.  Enough said.

33. Restaurant Arlo Guthrie sang about: ALICE'S.  A place where you can get anything you want, excepting Alice.

36. Early 2000s Apple product: EMAC.  The eMac was the Education Mac, an all-in-one desktop Macintosh, designed for schools.  Production of the eMac began in 2002 and was discontinued in 2006.  Now it is a dinosaur.

41. Hard to find: RARE.

42. Cosa __: NOSTRA.  Today's Italian lesson.  The FBI's history of the Cosa Nostra in the United States.

43. Trident-shaped Greek letter: PSI.

44. Angry: MAD.

46. Pick up the pace: HASTEN.

54. Around, in dates: CIRCA.

55. Try to bite, puppy-style: NIP AT.

56. Triage ctrs.: ERs.  As in Emergency Rooms.

58. Broadway brightener: NEON.

59. Hawaiian coffee region: KONA.  Everything you wanted to down about Kona Coffee, but were afraid to ask.

63. Nobelist Pavlov: IVAN.  Does his name ring a bell?

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (Sept. 26, 1849 ~ Feb. 27, 1936)

64. Cantankerous: ORNERY.

65. __ Bo: fitness system: TAE.  Tae Bo was quite popular in the 1980s, but I haven't heard much about it since.

66. "The Lion King" lioness: NALA.

67. Davis of "Do the Right Thing": OSSIE.  Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis; Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) was married to actress Ruby Dee.  I saw Do the Right Thing when I was living in France.  The movie is about racial tension in a New York neighborhood.  The movie didn't translate well in French culture.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee

68. Cal. spans: YRs.  Calendar spans are Years.

Down:

1. School day interlude: RECESS.

2. Maroon, at sea: ENISLE.  Interesting word that I will probably never have cause to use.  It means to be isolated on an island.

3. "The Merchant of Venice" heiress: PORTIA.  The Merchant of Venice is one of the plays by Willie the Shakes.

4. Winter bug: FLU.

5. Down __: Maine nickname: EAST.  You can't get theya from heya.

6. Room at the top?: ATTIC.

7. Pilfer: STEAL.

8. Olympic diver's goal: TEN.  With enough scores of 10, the diver may get a Gold.

9. Aromatic compound: ESTER.  Organic Chemistry.

10. Personal magnetism: CHARISMA.

11. Pre-Revolutionary furniture style: COLONIAL.

12. French summer: ÉTÉ.  Today's French lesson.

15. Secret supply: STASH.

18. Scam: CON-GAME.

23. "Dropped" '60s drug: LSD.  Short for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.  In case you were wondering, its chemical formula is:

25. Battering wind: GALE.  Dorothy Gale was swept up in a Gale, but in her case, it was known as a tornado.

27. Cathedral areas: APSES.

The Apse at the Cathedral in Chartes.

28. Nutritional supplements co.: GNC.  As in General Nutrition Center.  These stores are often found in malls.

30. Pot top: LID.

34. Pop singer Lauper: CYNDI.  As in Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper (b. June 22, 1953).

35. Novelist Umberto: ECO.  Umberto Eco (Jan. 5, 1932 ~ Feb. 19, 2016) was an Italian novelist, best known for his 1980 historical novel, Name of the Rose.  He makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

36. Blackboard chore: ERASING.

37. Legendary lover: CASANOVA.  Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (Apr. 2, 1725 ~ June 4, 1798) was a cad.

39. To the __ degree: NTH.

40. Gillette's __ II razor: TRAC.

41. Turntable speed, for short: RPM.  As in Revolutions Per Minute.

44. Longtime Tom Petty label: MCA.  Tom Petty (né Thomas Earl Petty; Oct. 20, 1950 ~ Oct. 2, 2017) had an infamous feud with MCA.

45. Defensive retort: AM TOO!

47. The "T" in NATO: TREATY.  As in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  It is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European Countries.  The Treaty was signed on April 4, 1949.

48. Toyota Prius, e.g.: ECO-CAR.

49. Loire Valley city: NANTES.

51. Bucky Beaver's toothpaste: IPANA.

52. Wails with grief: KEENS.

53. Shore birds: ERNES.

57. Apple Watch assistant: SIRI.

59. Family reunion attendees: KIN.

61. Ace: PRO.

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

Here's the Grid:

*  The Ph.D. must live with his mistakes, whereas the M.D. buries them.

QOD:  You should appreciate the goodness around you, and surround yourself with positive people.  ~  Nadia Comӑneci (née Nadia Elena Comӑneci; Nov. 12, 1961)


Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy birthday to Rich Norris, editor of LA Times Daily Crossword. I've mentioned before, often half of clues in our daily puzzles are Rich's creations. Thanks for the daily entertainment, Rich!

Rich and his wife Kim

2) Happy birthday also to Lemonade's lovely wife Oo. This is a picture from their 2017 trip to Thailand.