Saturday, August 5, 2023, Kyle Dolan and Dylan Schiff

 Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan and Dylan Schiff

Kyle

Dylan

Kyle is a science and tech consultant at the British consulate in Chicago and I have

blogged many of his themeless Saturday puzzles. Today he teams up with Dylan Schiff, who is a middle school science teacher like I was for 42 years. This was a big test for this solver and I enjoyed it immensely as I never felt I was out of it (except for two cells!). My issues were the two cells you see highlighted here in the grid. I had never heard of BOSS FIGHT and so I had BOSS HIGHS? where HEAT was a possible Guiness record data and SASHA could have been a character in a TV show. Buzz, we have some lovely parting gifts for you, Gary.

Across:

1. Next-level experience?: BOSS FIGHT Boss Fight Entertainment is an American video game development company based in Allen, TX. 

10. "The Hobbit" figure: DWARF.

15. Around: IN THE AREA - Middle infielders used to only have to be "IN THE AREA" at second base and not tag the base to have the runner called out. Not so any more after new rules make the fielders safer by making it illegal to "go after" the infielder.

16. Registration info: OWNER - I always intend to fill those out...

17. Strips at a party: STREAMERS 😀

18. Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts: NIECE.

Emma, Julia and Lisa who is
Emma's mother and Julia's sister

19. Raises: HOISTS - A double HOIST

20. London institution with a Los Angeles namesake, familiarly: THE TIMES - For a price you can get this London TIMES edition proclaiming a 54-year-old event. Addendum: The British Open simply calls itself The Open Championship and The London Times simply calls itself THE TIMES

22. Drop (out): OPT.

23. Industry titan: CZAR.

24. Chichi: POSH - A POSH stateroom on the Titanic that could have hosted John Jacob Astor and his wife. Astor made a huge fortune in 29. Hides: SKINS but it didn't save him from drowning on that April night in 1912.

25. High wind: PICCOLO - A stirring patriotic John Phillips Sousa song with a famous PICCOLO descant that starts at 2:00.

31. Technical drawing: SCHEMATIC - Beautiful movie star Hedy Lamarr famously drew up a schematic on a cocktail napkin. Her device helped in the WWII effort and was the forerunner for a lot of modern technology. All you'd like to know

34. Boddingtons, e.g.: ALE.

35. Doesn't surprise, in a way: LIVES UP TO - LaBron James skipped his last two years of high school playing for the Irish of St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio. He has LIVED UP TO every expectation.

37. Allow: LET.

38. Place where stuff sells left and right: SHOE STORE 😀

42. Coastal habitat: MARSH.

44. Carry a torch for: CRUSH ON - to have a feeling of romantic love for someone. She is  CRUSHING ON him.

45. Like many of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's jabots: LACY - Jabot (zha bō or ja bō): a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman's blouse or dress, from the French for bird's crop. You're welcome.

46. "Now, about ... ": AS TO - RGB might have written, "This is unconstitutional, now AS TO what we are going to do about it..."

49. Yoga roll: MAT 😀

50. Onetime carrier based in Cairo: AIR SINAI - Air Egypt also fit and I found out AIR SINAI was a subsidiary of Air Egypt

52. "The Crown" role, familiarly: LADY DI - Actual images and images from TV series The Crown 

55. Short-tailed weasel: STOAT.

56. Taboo gathering?: GAME NIGHT - 😀 Can you make your partner say the top word on the card?

Saying the word or the other five words is Taboo

                            

58. Flip side?: TAILS - This choice starts every Super Bowl

59. "All good?": ARE WE COOL?

60. Diamond Jubilee number: SIXTY - QEII on her 60th year of rein. It's also used for 75th year.

61. Beach club?: SAND WEDGE 😀 - If someone lands in a sand trap, others (certainly not me) might say, "It's all good, you're on the beach!"

Down:

1. Chess pieces known as elephants in Russia: BISHOPS - Yes, Castles (yeah, I know it's rooks) fit too.

2. Focused: ON TOPIC 

3. Elaine who had a recurring role as Jack's mother on "30 Rock": STRITCH.

4. First word of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'": SHE'S.

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, is crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too

5. Potential Guinness entry, say: FEAT - Cycling backwards on a bike for 60km in 5hrs.

6. Perfect Portions brand: IAMS - I wonder what our Lily would think

7. Test with a max verbal reasoning score of 170: GRE - Sample

6. Since she believed him to be both candid and trustworthy, she refused to consider the possibility that his statement had been __________.

   A irrelevant 

   B facetious 

   C mistaken 

   D critical

   E insincere

8. Enterprise rival: HERTZ.

9. Smith of TV's "Empire": TASHA.

10. "That's a bad idea": DON'T.

11. O'Hare and Bush, for two: WWII PILOTS - O'Hare had the Chicago Airport named for him. George H.W. Bush was also a hero and our 41st president 

 

12. Sea __: ANEMONE - A clownfish with a symbiotic relationship with a Sea ANEMONE 

13. Nook: RECESS.

14. Straight from the garden: FRESH.

21. Unsure sounds: ERS.

23. __ du Rhône: COTES - Literally "the hillsides of Rhone" that is the home of great wines

26. Seasoning on a Chicago-style hot dog: CELERY SALT - I usually don't ask my lovely bride for her input but on a whim, I asked Joann if she knew a 10-letter seasoning for a Chicago-style hot dog starting with a "C". After ten seconds she gave me the correct answer! Yay, Joann!

27. Forgets, maybe: OMITS.

28. Heathrow facilities: LAV - LAV or LOO?

30. Japanese cutlet: KATSU - Another name for something I have never heard of.

32. "Roughly": ISH.

33. "The Flight Attendant" star: CUOCO - Of course we know Kayley broke through in The Big Bang Theory

36. What "p" may stand for: PER - I'm probably the only person thought of how p resembles the Greek letter rho ⍴

37. Brand with a Pamplemousse flavor: LACROIX - Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit. La Croix is French for the cross and was founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

39. "What?!": OH MY GOD.

40. One who crosses the line?: ROADHOG - Our new car gives a slight tug in the opposite direction if you drift over a line sand gives the warning you see here on the dash if you hit the dividing line.

41. Warrant: ENTITLE.

42. Cocktail flavored with orgeat syrup: MAI TAI - Full recipe

43. "Always and Forever, Lara Jean" novelist Jenny: HAN.

45. Holds up: LASTS.

47. Long-term investment accounts?: SAGAS - I wrote to Kyle about this clue/fill. I told him I thought it was about stories (accounts) told to people who a real interest (investment) in a common history (long-term). Kyle said that I did have it right he was glad I wrote. Both things made me very happy.

48. Pageant prize: TIARA - I'm not sure if this a TIARA or a crown but it is picture of a lovely girl I had in class fifty years ago. She is the same girl that I told you  about that now raises Alpacas in the highlands of Colorado and makes hats out of their hair.

51. Minute: ITSY.

52. Blue: LEWD - The girl with the TIARA/crown above said she would look for a picture with a TIARA but felt she do better with this clue! She's a hoot.

53. Again: ANEW.

54. Boggle pieces: DICE.

57. All U.S. vice presidents until 2021: MEN.

Monday October 24, 2022 Kyle Dolan

Theme: RAINCOATS (61. Wet-weather gear, and what this puzzle's circled letters literally are?) - RAIN is broken up in three different ways.

17. Major annoyance: ROYAL PAIN.

29. Utter destruction: RACK AND RUIN.

45. Train depot: RAIL STATION.

Boomer here.  

Not much RAIN is predicted here this fall. We  hope it stays true for snow predictions. 

This Thursday I will make it to three quarters of a century.  I think we might celebrate at a casino, and the shysters better let me win. Thanks to all for the many cards.  I got older just reading them all.

Across: 

1. Thumbs-down votes: NAYS.  Lots of campaign ads on TV.  I dislike them- three weeks to go.

5. "Save me a __!": SEAT.  On a golf cart.

9. Laundry day challenge: STAIN.

14. Soil-turning farm machine: PLOW.  Did I mention SNOW.  It's coming, we already had an inch or two. Not enough to PLOW.

15. Approximation words: OR SO.

16. Supermodel Klum: HEIDI.

19. Dangerous household gas: RADON.

20. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.

21. "Everything must go" event: FIRE SALE.  This is a misnomer.  The store did not have a FIRE.  They have too much inventory.

23. ABC News anchor David: MUIR.

25. Amazement: AWE.

26. Kiss __: PDA capturer at a stadium: CAM.

35. "Clueless" actress Donovan: ELISA.

37. Mailed holiday greeting: CARD. About ten weeks away.

38. Lhasa __: APSO.

39. Shower bar: SOAP.  Creamy shampoo works also.

40. Sudden raid: FORAY.

41. Nincompoop: DOLT.  Don't call me names!

42. "Alas, whatever shall I do?": AH ME.

43. Thick slice: SLAB.  Ham is good.

44. Ed of "Elf": ASNER.  A favorite on the Mary Tyler Moore show (From Minneapolis).

48. WNW's opposite: ESE.  East is East and West is West. 

49. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO.  C.C. calla me LAO Gong.

50. Performing __: ARTS.

52. Slow-cooked meat at a luau: ROAST PIG.  Maybe for New Years Day - Not Thanksgiving.

57. "We __ please": AIM TO.  You Aim too please. Sign in the men's bathroom.

60. Diplomatic agent: ENVOY.

64. Scrub with steel wool, say: SCOUR.  Brillo.

65. On pins and needles: AGOG.

66. "Let's go!": C'MON.

67. Camp shelters: TENTS.  I slept in one at bivouac.

68. Rational: SANE.  Yes I am. Really!

69. On an even __: steady: KEEL.

Down:

1. Listener-supported broadcaster: NPR.  I never listen to public radio.

2. "That's __ to ask": A LOT.

3. Toy that exercises the wrist: YO-YO.  I have owned many.  Fun to play.  Right now it's an adjective for the stock market.

4. Bees on the move: SWARM.

5. "The Golden Girls" character born in Sicily: SOPHIA.  Many reruns on cable.

6. Chapter in history: ERA.  Pitcher's stat.

7. "In your dreams!": AS IF.

8. "Song of Solomon" novelist Morrison: TONI.

9. Canny: SHREWD.

10. Product promos with few details: TEASER ADS.  Not like the election ads.

11. Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt: AIDA.

12. Adored one: IDOL.  Aaron Judge.

13. Highest sudoku digit: NINE.  Easy clue.  I play these squares a lot.

18. "Marriage Story" Oscar winner Dern: LAURA.  Tommy loved her but his car flipped and he died.

22. Country star Travis: RANDY.

24. Pioneer in canned soft drinks: RC COLA.  It never took the place of Pepsi or Coke.

26. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.

27. Greeting at a luau: ALOHA.

28. South Beach city: MIAMI.  Vikings took a win out of there last week.

30. Gold unit: KARAT.  I think 24 is pure,

31. Saudi __: ARABIA.

32. Winning by a very small margin: UP ONE.  MLB playoffs are getting there,

33. The Hebrides, e.g.: ISLES.  Mary Tyler Moore jogged around our Lake of the Isles.

34. __ Dame: South Bend school: NOTRE.

36. Explains in great detail: SPELLS OUT.  Car dealers never do.

40. Photographer's setting that affects depth: F STOP.

44. Bit of silliness: ANTIC.

46. Mythical man-goats: SATYRS.

47. Marmalade fruit: ORANGE.  Great all by itself.

51. Garb for a finger-painting project, say: SMOCK.  I never wore one.

52. Take five: REST.  I usually take a lot more than five.

53. __ in a while: ONCE.  Upon a time.

54. Stratford-upon-__: AVON.  My mother used to sell this stuff at parties.

55. Some savings plans, briefly: IRAS.  We have one of these.

56. Pop star Lady __: GAGA.

58. Gentle: TAME.

59. Nebraska native: OTOE.  I have never heard of this slang.

62. Charged particle: ION.

63. "Weekend Update" show, for short: SNL.  Usually I am sleeping when this comes on .

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 78th birthday to Uncle Fred, an avid Packers fan! Fred is based in Fort Lauderdale. Sorry your Packers lost again, but Boomer is happy.

 

Saturday, July 9, 2022, Kyle Dolan

 Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan

I have no triskaidekaphobia so my thirteenth blogging of a themeless Saturday puzzle for Dr. Dolan did not fill me with any dread. Seeing "Works" as a verb (7. Works for literati: HIGH ART) instead of a noun really hung me up in the NE. Each section of this fun puzzle took one key word/phrase to unlock.

Across:

1. Stock option in a seafood business?: BISQUE - Traditionally, lobster bisque is made with a stock that 5. Exploits: USES whole lobster shells. Recipe for lobster stock.

7. Works for literati: HIGH ART - Works of art, not art workers

14. Rather dense: OBTUSE - This remark to the warden in Shawshank Redemption got Andy Dufresne thrown into solitary confinement

15. Waterway dividing two sides of a college football rivalry: RED RIVER - Longhorns vs. Sooners

16. Knesset country: ISRAEL - The Israeli lawmaking body and 51. Ancient Roman province now part of modern 16-Across: JUDAEA - An alternate spelling of Judea 

17. Digits in parentheses: AREA CODE.

18. Isn't quite neutral: LEANS - All of us can think of a news outlet that LEANS in one political direction or the other

19. Signer of the first of the Oslo Accords: ABBAS - Mahmoud ABBAS was the Palestinian negotiator and is standing on the far right in this signing ceremony.

20. Pad kee mao pan: WOK - Why this is called "Drunken Noodles"

21. Huff: SNIT.

22. One of many on Massachusetts Avenue in D.C.: EMBASSY - A clickable map

24. __ machine: GUMBALL - The GUMBALL machine took a penny and the pinball machine took a nickel in my misspent youth.

26. Dappled horses: ROANS.

30. Chat: SCHMOOZE.

32. Washington's Grand __ Dam: COULEE - On the mighty Columbia River in Washington state.

33. Webinar's first slide, often: OUTLINE - 1) Tell them what you are going to say, 2) Tell them, 3) Tell them what you just told them.

34. Treat traditionally paired with RC Cola in the South: MOON-PIE.

35. Like Robert Johnson's music: BLUESY - The Gateway To The Blues Museum in Tunica, MS. has this display of Robert Johnson memorabilia. I wonder if you can get an RC and Moon-Pie there. 

                     

36. Styling combs: RATTAILS.

37. Fifth-century bishop in Ire.: ST. PATrick

38. Tempts: LURES IN.

39. Grammar police, e.g.: PURISTS.

41. Took off: LEFT.

44. Help for a broken-hearted BFF: TLC.

47. Some IRAs: ROTHS - Retirement withdrawals are tax-free

48. Bass kin: CELLO - Not a fish, shoe or singing voice

49. "OK, sure": YEAH I BET - "If elected, I will..."

52. Diet option in black cans: COKE ZERO.

53. Motorized rides: E-BIKES.

54. Zen harmony: ONENESS.

55. Can't stand: DETEST.

Down:

1. Sanitizes, perhaps: BOILS.

2. Playwright called "The Father of Realism": IBSEN - "He turned the European stage away from what it had become – a plaything and distraction for the bored – and introduced a new order of moral analysis." You're welcome.

3. Truthfully: STRAIGHT UP - "Don't sugar coat it, tell me STRAIGHT UP!"

4. Dramatic advance: QUANTUM LEAP - Technology made a QUANTUM LEAP with the discovery of transistors 

6. London's __ Pie Island: EEL - Probably named for the EEL pies that used to be served there at an inn in the 1800's

7. Ancient physician's reference book: HERBAL - A page from one

8. Bean sprouts?: IDEAS - Bean is a euphemism for head, so...

9. Bottom-up, in a way: GRASS ROOTS.

10. "__ sunt dracones": line on an ancient globe: HIC - That area is unknown, so "Here be dragons"

11. Profess: AVOW.

12. Take from the top: REDO - Director/Star Charlie Chaplin did 62 takes of this scene of him eating a shoe (it was actually made of licorice)

13. Long haul: TREK - The start of the Appalachian Trail that ends 2190 miles north at Mt. Katahdin, Maine. That is quite a TREK.

15. Raucous crowd: RABBLE.

19. Floor: AMAZE.

22. Magazine whose archive was purchased by a consortium that includes the Smithsonian: EBONY.

23. "Bingo": YOU NAILED IT.

25. Keep from cracking, perhaps: MOISTURIZE.

27. Yellowstone, for one: ALPINE LAKE - An ALPINE LAKE occurs at high elevations and Yellowstone Lake is almost 8,000' above sea level.

28. Good name for a knight?: NEIL - NEIL Armstrong did meet Queen Elizabeth but did not kneel before the queen to become a knight

29. Dates: SEES.

30. Breaks down: SOBS.

31. Unorthodox sect: CULT.

32. Pigeon holes: COTES - The pigeons in Terry Malloy's (Marlin Brando) rooftop COTE in On The Waterfront were symbols of innocence in his rough world

34. Trading places: MARTS - Where you trade cash for merchandise  

36. Try and reach quickly: RUSH TO.

38. Shampoo buys: LITERS - My Head and Shoulders comes in a 700 ml or .7 LITER size 

40. Spa wear: ROBES.

42. Hurries toward safety: FLEES.

43. Brown bread: TOAST - A toaster can brown bread after which you have brown bread

Revolution Toaster - $349.00

44. Onetime producer of Magna Doodle: TYCO.

45. "Sex on Fire" Grammy winners Kings of __: LEON - Gee, Gary, I'd like to hear that tune

Three brothers and a cousin that
named their band after their grandfather LEON

46. Candle holder: CAKE - My next one will hold 76 candles 

48. Pyrite crystal, at times: CUBE - A pyrite crystal mounted on a piece of basalt

50. Female lobster: HEN.

51. Abbey's husband on "The West Wing": JED.

We certainly welcome Kyle to stop by and make a comment below.