Theme: "Game Day" - Each common phrase is clued as if it's game-related.
28. Prompt to a Twister player?: PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN.
45. Encouragement to a Yahtzee player?: GET THIS STRAIGHT.
69. Sad request to one's Hangman opponent?: GIVE ME A HAND.
97. Advice to a checkers player?: JUMP AT THE CHANCE.
114. Prayer for a chess player?: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
3D. With 73-Down, assertion to one's Scrabble opponent?: IT'S YOUR WORD.
73D. See 3-Down: AGAINST MINE.
I don't remember blogging a Lynn
Lempel Sunday puzzles. She's called "The Queen of Mondays". Her grids
are always super clean and lively. She's been making puzzles since
1970s. Incredible!
Across:
1. Interpretation: SPIN. Guess how many 4-letter entries in this puzzle?
5. Left on board?: PORT. Ship.
9. Smartphone array: APPS.
13. Church reading: PSALM.
18. Falafel bread: PITA.
19. Civil rights leader Medgar: EVERS. His wife is a civil rights activist as well.
21. Vault: LEAP.
22. Submit for judging: ENTER.
23. Bind with a cord: LASH. Not familiar with this meaning.
24. Piece of history: RELIC.
25. Gumbo pod: OKRA. Tasty with bonito flakes.
26. Lines on GPS displays: ROADS.
27. Vague amount: ANY.
31. Over the speed limit: TOO FAST.
33. Glove material: LATEX.
34. Half-baked, as a plan: INSANE.
37. Impulse: URGE.
38. Bursts: POPS.
40. Former NBA star Ming: YAO. His wife was a basketball player also.
42. Figs.: NOS.
43. Correspond: AGREE.
50. One in a dory: ROWER. 52. Dory's companion: NEMO. Clue echo.
11. Sudden burst of emotion: PAROXYSM. New word to me.
12. Quarrel: SPAT.
13. Woman on Argentina's 100 peso note: PERON.
14. Bamboozles: SNOWS.
15. Slanted: AT AN ANGLE.
16. Spearheaded: LED.
17. "__ America": 2020 miniseries about the ERA movement: MRS.
20. Artist who works with a chisel: SCULPTOR.
28. On-call devices: PAGERS.
29. Impetuous: RASH.
30. French fashion giant: DIOR. I just don't see beauty in this Dior bag. We also have 45. Italian fashion giant: GUCCI.
32. Priceless?: FREE.
35. Like two 2015 Max Scherzer games: NO-HIT. I bet this is Patti's clue. She's a Mets fan.
36. Will of "Blue Bloods": ESTES.
38. Thoughtful: PENSIVE.
39. Classical pianist Alice Sara __: OTT. Hey, a new clue angle.
41. Resting on: ATOP.
43. Sports stadium: ARENA.
44. Nikolai who wrote "The Overcoat": GOGOL.
46. __ pale ale: INDIA.
47. Do a slow burn: SEETHE.
48. Allowing access: AJAR.
49. Charge, in a way: IONIZE. Electrical charge.
56. Philadelphia NFLer: EAGLE.
58. Overturn: UPEND.
60. Chili scoop: LADLE. Boomer likes chili with beans.
62. Fabricated: MADE UP.
64. Dedicate, as time: DEVOTE.
66. Strategic steps: TACTICS.
70. First-aid dispenser: MEDIC. Took the VA home care nurse three tries to get Boomer's blood last week.
71. Opposite of sur: NORTE.
74. Grace under fire: POISE.
75. Spread around: STREW.
77. Medieval Icelandic collection: EDDA. Prose Edda and Poetic Edda.
81. Hindu royalty: RAJAS. Hindi for "king".
82. Give the slip: ELUDE.
83. "Huh?": COME AGAIN.
84. Survey results, e.g.: DATA.
86. Beachcombing prize: SEASHELL. I saw my first seashell in 1994. I went to Qingdao (Tsingtao) for a job interview.
88. Enter gingerly: EASE IN.
92. Dries up: SHRIVELS.
94. Strands in a lab: DNA.
96. Wheel parts: RIMS.
98. Lots and lots: TONS. So many glitches from the constructor crew who have been repairing the driveways in our association. We lost power for long hours as they fractured the power cables. Twice. Then they hit a gas line on Thursday.
99. __ out: resolve: HASH.
104. Attacks: GOES AT.
106. Jazz saxophonist Rollins: SONNY.
107. "Waiting for Lefty" dramatist Clifford: ODETS.
109. TV Land fare: RERUN.
110. Agenda entries: ITEMS.
111. Extended conflicts: FEUDS.
112. Stand for something?: EASEL. For canvas.
113. Southern twang: DRAWL.
115. Roadie's vanload: AMPS.
116. Witticism: QUIP.
117. Pinkie-side arm bone: ULNA.
119. Comfy loungewear: PJS.
120. Lav: LOO.
123. Napa Valley tub: VAT.
We had a challenging week. Boomer had another fall. Had to call 911 to get him off the floor. His hemoglobin count continues to be very low. We're going to the VA tomorrow for a blood transfusion.
Theme: What's in a name? The first name of a well known person is repurposed as the second word of an unrelated in-the-language phrase, and humor ensues.
17 A. Make Todd stay home after a "Meet the Press" blooper?: GROUNDCHUCK. Literally, this is GROUND up meat from the front part of the cow, with a high fat content. CHUCK Todd is the regular host of "Meet the press" an hour-long Sunday Morning public affairs program. Being grounded is a stay-at-home punishment for bad behavior. Does he deserve it? You decide.
25. Refuse to let Wood exhibit "American Gothic"?: BLOCKGRANT. A BLOCK GRANT is money from central government which a local authority can allocate to a wide range of services. GRANT Wood pointed the famous picture cited in the clue.
38. Make Garfunkel pay for breaking a recording contract?: FINE ART. ARThur Ira Garfunkel is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. A FINE is a punishment for malfeasance. FINE ART is creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.
49. Donate twice as much as Gates?: DOUBLEBILL. A DOUBLE BILL a program of entertainment with two main items or personalities. To DOUBLE somebody is to do twice as well or twice as much in some endeavor. William Henry [BILL] Gates III is an American business magnate, software developer, investor, author, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen.
60. Maneuver Phillips into telling how he got the "Dateline NBC" job?: CORNERSTONE. This is the STONE that forms the base of a corner of a building, joining two walls. Presumable the most important item in the base of the structure. STONE Stockton Phillips is an American television reporter and correspondent. He is best known as the former co-anchor of Dateline NBC, a news magazine TV series.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to anchor today's episode. I truly love this theme. Less enamored with the rest of the puzzle, though, which is rather over-endowed in the proper name department. Let's see what else we can report on.
Across:
1. Andre with eight Grand Slam wins: AGASSI. Andre Kirk Agassi [b 1970] is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. He is an eight-time major champion and an Olympic gold medalist, as well as a runner-up in seven other majors.
7. Russell of "The Americans": KERI. Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress. She portrayed the titular character on the drama series Felicity, which won her a Golden Globe Award, and Elizabeth Jennings on the FX spy thriller series The Americans, which earned her nominations for several Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.
11. Indian state in the Western Ghats: GOA. Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. Its long history as a Portuguese colony prior to 1961 is evident in its preserved 17th-century churches and the area’s tropical spice plantations.
14. Lanai furniture material: RATTAN. a type of material that is used in wicker weaves. Rattan is a naturally growing vine like species that is native to tropical regions of Australia, Asia, and Africa. For production use, the skin is peeled away and utilized for weaving purposes.
15. "You said it!": AMEN.
16. Furthermore: AND. Not only that, but. . . .
19. Untruth: LIE. Mendacity.
20. Large planter: URN. A tall, rounded vase with a base.
21. Barnacle spot: KEEL. A barnacle ia a marine crustacean with an external shell, which attaches itself permanently to a variety of surfaces. Barnacles feed by filtering particles from the water using their modified feathery legs. In shipbuilding, the KEEL is the main structural member and backbone of a ship or boat, running longitudinally along the centre of the bottom of the hull from stem to stern.
22. Hoofbeat sound: CLOP.
23. "Breath, __, Memory": Edwidge Danticat novel: EYES. The novel deals with questions of racial, linguistic and gender identity in interconnected ways.
29. LEGO buys: KITS. A set of parts to be put together to make a finished object
31. Long-necked waders: HERONS. Any of various long-necked and long-legged wading birds (family Ardeidae) with a long tapering bill, large wings, and soft plumage. I was lucky to get this picture of one.
32. Iberian peninsula country: SPAIN. Along with Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and a sliver of France.
35. Bigelow or DuVernay: DIRECTOR. Film makers
37. "__ we meet again": 'TIL. Short for "until."
41. Regret: RUE.
42. Hands over: ENTRUSTS.
44. Luxor's country: EGYPT.
46. Folklore monsters: TROLLS. Large creatures from Scandinavian mythology, typically living in caves or mountains. They are cruel and hostile to humans and other living things.
47. Lavish party: GALA.
51. Family nickname: PAPA. Bumpa doesn't fit.
55. MLB stat: RBIS. Runs Batted In.
56. Retain: KEEP. Hold as one's own.
58. Filing aid: TAB. A small flap or strip of material attached to or projecting from something, used to hold or manipulate it, or for identification and information.
59. "You got it": YES. Agreement
64. "Mangia!": EAT. Italian.
65. "Motor Trend" topic: AUTO. A motor car.
66. Pad of paper: TABLET. A writing pad.
67. Med. caregivers: RNS. Registered Nurses.
68. Cook up: BREW. Devise a clever or devious story, excuse, or plan.
69. Uses delaying tactics: STALLS.
Down:
1. Quarrel: ARGUE. Make a fuss
2. "Lincoln at Gettysburg" Pulitzer winner Wills: GARRY. Garry Wills [b 1934] is an American author, journalist, and historian, specializing in American history, politics, and religion, especially the history of the Catholic Church. He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1993.
3. Square things: ATONE. Make amends. Here, "square" is a verb, not the adjective you might have expected.
4. Disco __ of "The Simpsons": STU. Stuart Discothèque, usually known as Disco Stu, is the owner of Stu's Disco. He is a disco aficionado and is usually featured wearing a rhinestone-encrusted leisure suit from the 70's and sports an Afro. The son of Doo-Wop Steve and Public Domain Debbie.
6. Behind, so to speak: IN DEBT. Failing to make payments, as due.
7. "The Two Fridas" painter: KAHLO. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón [1907 - 1954] was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. The painting is a double self-portrait.
8. Bird that won't fly away: EMU. The second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius.
9. __ room: REC. A place dedicated to fun and games.
10. HP product: INK. Stuff you can print with.
11. Valor: GALLANTRY. Courageous behavior, especially in battle.
12. Bowlful often topped with melted GruyËre: ONION SOUP.
13. Skilled (at): ADEPT.
18. Animator's sheets: CELS. Transparent sheets of celluloid or similar film material, which can be drawn on and used in the production of cartoons.
22. Gator kin: CROC. Large aquatic reptiles in the Crocodilia order. They have mostly different habitats.
I give you now Professor Twist,
A conscientious scientist,
Trustees exclaimed, "He never bungles!"
And sent him off to distant jungles.
Camped on a tropic riverside,
One day he missed his loving bride.
She had, the guide informed him later,
Been eaten by an alligator.
Professor Twist could not but smile.
"You mean," he said, "a crocodile."
-- Ogden Nash
24. Need a lift, maybe: SKI. The lift gets you to the top of the hill so you can SKI back down.
26. __ seed pudding: CHIA. A custard like desert made from chia seeds and some type of milk, with optional flavorings and toppings.
27. Golden State Warriors coach Steve: KERR. Stephen Douglas Kerr [b 1965] is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. He is an eight-time NBA champion, having won five titles as a player as well as three with the Warriors as a head coach.
28. Storybook sister: GRETEL. Sibling of Hansel. The two children are abandoned in the forest where they are captured by a witch who intends to fatten them up and eat them. Gretel outwits the witch and kills her, and the children escape with her treasure. Arya Stark doesn't fit.
30. Completely: IN FULL. With nothing omitted.
32. Sault __ Marie: STE. Sault Ste. Marie is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 14,144 at the 2010 census, it is the second-most populated city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette.
33. Speckled legume: PINTO BEAN. A variety of common bean. In Spanish they are called judías pintas, literally "speckled bean". It is the most popular bean by crop production in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, and is most often eaten whole, or mashed and then refried.
34. Humanitarians: ALTRUISTS. Those who are concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare.
35. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES. A city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport.
36. Jobless, in a way: Abbr.: RETired. Having left the work force to to age or infirmity.
39. Archipelago part: ISLE. An individual island in a chain.
40. Govt. crash investigator: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.
43. Steals from: ROBS. Unlawfully taking property from a person or place by force or threat of force.
45. Opening: GAP.
47. High spirits: GLEE. High spirited joy. In Old English this was the specific joy resulting from song. Possibly related to the group of Germanic words in gl- with senses of "shining; smooth; radiant; joyful"
48. Phone notifications: ALERTS. Messages sent to help you see information that could potentially save either your life or someone else's.
49. Laundry appliance: DRYER. For your laundry.
50. "No need to remind me": I KNOW.
52. Ring-shaped reef: ATOLL. A coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon.
53. Group of jurors: PANEL. A small group of people chosen to give advice, make a decision, or publicly discuss their opinions.
54. Helps in a heist: ABETS. Encourages or assists (someone) to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime or other offense.
57. Jr. challenge: PSAT. The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a standardised test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in the United States.
60. Pinot alternative: CAB. Short for Cabernet Sauvignon, a red wine made from a variety of black wine grape of the same name from the Bordeaux area of France, now grown throughout the world.
61. Sharing word: OUR. Yours and mine.
62. GPS display: RTE. Route - a way to get from here to there.
63. Scheduling abbr.: TBA. To Be Announced.
So concludes another Wednesday. Have a happy middle of the week.
Today's constructor is veteran Lynn Lempel, who is known in the trade
as the "Queen of Monday crosswords" (i.e "easy puzzles".). By my count she has appeared in 3 Monday LA Times puzzles, the
first in October of 2021 and two earlier this year, all reviewed by Boomer
of course. However she got in the game long before her debut here,
appearing first in the Sunday New York Times(!!!) in December of
1979. Also Lynn and our very own C.C. Burnikel are two of the women constructors featured in a
collection of puzzles called Women of Letters, edited by our very own
Patti Varol.
Here's how you can obtain a copy of those puzzles.
Today Lynn ups her LA Times game a bit by moving to a Thursday, with the
cluing and fill being harder than the average Monday puzzle and, for
me at least, an even harder theme. I'll start with the reveal:
59A.
Evasive maneuvering, and what can literally be found in the answers to the
starred clues:RUN AROUND.
As neither Lynn nor Patti provided any training wheels (AnonymousDNLC
will love this one)., it took a while to grok the meaning of 59A.
After staring at the fill for quite a while I saw that embedded within it
were 4 synonyms for evading pursuers:
17A. *Native American ritual:RAIN DANCE.
RACE Desperate times call for desperate measures. This video
contains actual footage from SIOUX Indian rain dances at the very
beginning of the film era. It's long, but worth a peak (8 min):
25A. *Cut from the short loin:STRIP STEAK. STREAK. This form of evasion may be a bit too revealing for a family blog,
so I'm skipping a video.
36A. *Finish loads of work?:DO THE WASH. DASH. A distance bound maneuver, e.g. who reaches the 50 yard
line first.
50A. *Rust-Oleum product:SPRAY PAINT. SPRINT. A time bound maneuver, e.g. who runs the farthest in 50
seconds.
Here's the grid:
Here are the rest of Lynn's puzzle maneuvers: Across:
1. Pea sheller's discard: POD. This sheller has a tendency to eat
these green sweets before they ever make it to the kitchen.
4. Infatuate: BESOT.
9. Stands up to: FACES.
14. "To say they __ I dare not be so bold": Shakespeare:
ERR. Shakespeare is obviously BESOTTED by the "Dark Lady"
praised in
Sonnet 131; this line implies that he cares not for the opinion of those who don't find
her as beautiful as he.
15. Notable time period: EPOCH.
16. Chew noisily: CHOMP.
19. Bit part: CAMEO. Also
a tiny pendant or brooch
with a bas-relief carved from a multi-layered stone with contrasting
colors. Perhaps the the allusion from films derives from the diminutive
size of the cameo.
Cameo Brooch Late 19th Century French
20. Drinks with steep prices?: TEAS. The Brits don't
steep their teas overly long, lest they become stewed.
21. Most populous NATO country: USA.
23. Major-leaguer: PRO. A particular sport generalized to a
superlative.
32. Econ. measure: GNP. Gross National Product vs.
Gross Domestic Product.
What's the difference?
33. Peignoir trim: LACE. I think the principal purpose of the
Peignoir
is to BESOT the male of the species. I suspect that Shakespeare's
"Dark Lady" might have worn one.
35. Secondhand: USED.
39. W/o delay: ASAP. As Soon as Possible, as opposed to
STAT, which in medicalese means NOW!
55. Opera set in Egypt that debuted in Cairo: AIDA. The titular
heroine, Aida, is among the Ethiopian slaves brought to Egypt, after
her country was conquered by the Egyptians. Here is Aida, played by
Ukrainian sopranoLiudmyla Monastyrska,
remembering better days in her fatherland in the aria "Oh Patria Mia":
56. Come to light: ARISE.
63. Take it easy: RELAX.
64. Laura Linney Netflix series: OZARK.
Ozark is an American crime drama series
created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams for Netflix. The series stars
Jason Bateman and
Laura Linney
as Marty and Wendy Byrde, a married couple who move their family to the Lake
of the Ozarks for money laundering. Things do not go well. Here's
Wendy Byrde (and a CSO to our Wendy Bird):
Laura Linney
65. Feasted on: ATE.
66. Caught some z's: SLEPT.
67. Old TV parts: TUBES. The TV tubes that I recall seem to
predate the Google era. All of the hits I found were about Cathode Ray
Tubes (CRTs), which were ostensibly the most important components of old
TVs. But CRTs, today replaced by solid state flat screens, were a special type of what were generically referred to as vacuum tubes
(or "valves), and there were many other types that comprised the
circuitry that controlled the old analog TVs. You could usually buy them
in drug stores, which also had testers for
determining which was the culprit among the several that you suspected
might
have failed.
You can still find them on eBay. And if you still have any, might be able to make a few bucks.
68. __ of averages: LAW. The
Law of Averages
is more a "rule of thumb" than a law, and may or may not be true in particular circumstances. It is often confused with the
Law of Large Numbers.
6. Sir Carter, to Beyoncé: SON. Sir Carter is the SON of
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter and rapper Jay-Z,
néShawn Corey Carter. Sir has a twin sister named Rumi. The twins are about 4 years old and I haven't included any pictures.
7. Happen: OCCUR.
8. Project that must be defended: THESIS. E.g. a
Masters Thesis. A Doctoral DISSERTATION, must also be
defended, but it's much longer. By exactly twice as many letters.
10. Cry with a finger snap: AHA. Heard often around the Corner early in the morning.
11. Vie: COMPETE.
12. "Promising Young Woman" writer/director Fennell:
EMERALD.
Promising Young Woman
is a 2020 American thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by
Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. It stars
Carey Mulligan as a young woman haunted by a traumatic past as she
navigates balancing forgiveness and vengeance. I have not seen this
film, but it has gotten rave reviews. It sounds pretty heavy to me. Hand up if you've seen it.
13. Eerie: SPOOKY. I think 12D may be in this category.
18. Innocent: NAIF.
22. Well-chosen: APT.
24. Sprinkle that adds umami, for short: MSG.
Mono-Sodium Glutamate.
Substantiated by the theory that taste buds were formulated to detect a
specific taste, it has been widely understood, until recently, that sweet,
salty, sour, and bitter constituted the four distinguishable, and therefore,
"official tastes". However, in the early 1900s a Japanese scientist isolated a new flavor he
called "umami". In 1990 the latter was "officially" recognized as the “fifth taste.”
This flavor was associated with an amino acid called glutamate and
could be used to flavor foods by the addition of MSG.
Note however this mild dissent from the Mayo Clinic. Now that we've added a fifth taste, might we be ready for a sixth
sense?
25. Louver part: SLAT.
26. __ support: TECH.
27. Makes soaking wet: SOUSES. Additional usages of SOUSE are "to
make drunk" and "to pickle", e.g. pork, fish, or shellfish. The
adjective "pickled" then comes back around as "drunk".
28. Derriere: TUSH. Another JPEG I won't be sharing.
30. Potter character: FLOPSY. At first I thought this was a J.K.
Rowling's character, but it turned out to be a Beatrice
POTTER character, the creator of the lovable
Peter Rabbit series. Miss Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) probably earned as much during
her lifetime as Ms. Rowling has in hers. Here's a trailer for
Miss Potter, the remarkable story of this very charming woman.
34. Slithery fish: EEL.
36. Gillian's role on "The X-Files": DANA. The X-Files
is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris
Carter. The series revolves around FBI special agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena.
Gillian Anderson
37. Shabby: WORN.
38. Provide job support?: ABET. Providing support for a heist perhaps?
39. Clothes: APPAREL.
40. Overly submissive: SERVILE.
42. Not done all at once: GRADUAL.
43. Donald Glover series set in the South: ATLANTA. Atlantais an American comedy-drama television series created by Donald Glover
that premiered on September 6, 2016, on FX. The series centers on
college dropout and music manager Earnest "Earn" Marks (Glover) and
rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) as they navigate a strange,
seemingly otherworldly version of the Atlanta rap scene. 43. Donald Glover series set in the South: ATLANTA. Atlantais an American comedy-drama television series created by Donald Glover
that premiered on September 6, 2016, on FX. The series centers on
college dropout and music manager Earnest "Earn" Marks (Glover) and
rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) as they navigate a strange,
seemingly otherworldly version of the Atlanta rap scene.
Donald Glover
44. L.A. winter hrs.: PST. I don't understand why they want to keep a secret.
45. Awards for Hunt and Hunter: OSCARS. Holly Hunter received her OSCAR for Best Actress for portraying Ada McGrath in the 1993 film The Piano.
Linda Hunt received her OSCAR for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Billy Kwan in the 1982 Australian Film The Year of Living Dangerously.
Both actresses also won "Best of " awards from numerous other cinematic awards organizations.
46. Global news agcy.: UPI. United Press International (UPI)
is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news
film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of
newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations
for most of the 20th century. At its peak, it had more than 6,000
media subscribers. Since the first of several sales and staff cutbacks
in 1982, and the 1999 sale of its broadcast client list to its main U.S.
rival, the Associated Press, UPI has concentrated on smaller
information-market niches.
55. Sacred chests: ARKS. Constructed during the Israelites'
wanderings in the desert and used until the destruction
of the First Temple, the Ark was the most important symbol of the Jewish faith, and served as the only physical manifestation of God
on earth. The legends associated with this object - and the harsh
penalties ascribed for anyone who
misuses it - confirm the Ark's centrality to
the Jewish faith of that period; the fact that Jews and non-Jews
alike continue to study and imitate
it confirms its centrality even today. Some also consider Noah's Ark as a prefiguring (or "type") of the Ark of the Covenant,
sheltering the remnant of God's chosen people (i.e. Noah's family) and
the biosphere they they would need to survive and prosper after the
great flood.
57. Drain: SAP. A verb. The noun usually refers to Maple sap. It takes about 40 gallons of Maple sap to produce one gallon of Maple syrup.
Actually this figure can vary from 20 to 60 gallons or
more depending primarily on sap sugar content. It also requires a lot
of seasoned wood, which must be chopped, split, and burned. Maple
sugaring is not an especially green practice, but if you have a stand of
Maples and time on your hands in late winter, here's how you do it.
58. Office contact no.: EXT.
60. Arrest: NAB.
61. "__ you quite through?": ARE. Just one more clue ...
62. Drops on the grass: DEW. Like this puzzle, usually appearing in the early morning.
And as always, thanks to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive suggestions.
Theme: MAKES THE BED (62. Does a daily chore using the elements at the ends of the answers to the starred clues)
17. *Important figure in sports betting: POINT SPREAD.
24. *Party pooper: WET BLANKET.
37. *Record submitted to payroll: TIME SHEET.
53. *Paper for doodling: SCRATCH PAD.
Boomer here.
Sports
betting in MN has invaded our casinos. I would not recommend anyone to
place a bet on a team called Twins. Personally, I never bet on pro
sports. I think the Twins signed Carlos Correa for about $135 Million
and his batting average is .135. Happy Monday everyone.
Across:
1. Reminders of past surgeries: SCARS. My numb legs are reminding me of my recent trip under a knife.
6. Starting squad: A TEAM. What ever happened to "Howling Mad" Murdock ??
11. Lousy: BAD. Leroy Brown.
14. Three-time WNBA All-Star Quigley: ALLIE. "My pals from the alley would go to see Versalles, and me, I always loved Tony O. Where did they go."
15. Scrapbook adhesive: PASTE. I use plastic sheets for baseball cards.
16. Deeply regret: RUE. Ms. McClanahan, one of the Golden Girls.
19. Ideological suffix: ISM.
20. Loafer adornment: TASSEL. I seem to remember one on a boarded hat.
21. Isn't honest with: LIES TO. Your nose is going to grow.
23. Cherry bomb's "stem": FUSE. A Bussman product which was replaced by circuit breakers.
27. Twistable cookies: OREOS. Nothing can ever replace these.
29. Sailor's realm: SEA. Golden Vanity sailed on the lowlands, lowlands, Low.
30. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
31. Consequence: RESULT. My result of spinal cord damage could not be avoided.
33. Adapter letters: AC DC. Alternating or Direct Current.
36. Journalist Koppel: TED.
40. Yoga surface: MAT.
43. White part of a citrus rind: PITH. British Khaki funny looking helmet.
44. Marshy ground: MORASS.
48. Guinness who was the first to play Obi-Wan Kenobi: ALEC.
50. "Chicago P.D." extra: COP. I never watch cop shows but I used to watch "Dragnet".
52. Region of ancient Mesopotamia: SUMER. I've never been to Mesopotamia.
57. Pixar film featuring a guitar-playing boy: COCO.
58. Force into action: COMPEL. Okay, DO IT !!
59. Chair for a new parent: ROCKER. I think it's also okay for an OLD parent.
61. Sushi-grade tuna: AHI.
66. Turn bad: ROT. Our weather was lousy all winter.
67. Show to be true: PROVE. You'll have to believe me. I do not have weather-related 20 below zero reports.
68. Mighty mad: IRATE.
69. Sudsy quaff: ALE. I like Canada Dry Ginger ALE.
70. Softens: EASES.
71. Donkeys: ASSES. If I were a Donkey, I do not think I would like being called that.
Down:
1. Sticky tree stuff: SAP. Someone who buys a lottery ticket?
2. Debate-ending procedure in the Senate: CLOTURE.
3. False names: ALIASES. Smith and Jones.
4. Wash lightly: RINSE OUT. "Wash Wash Wash the Blue Cheer way, Rinse, Rinse. Rinse the dirt away.
5. Adjusts, as a clock: SETS. There is talk about permanent Daylight Saving Time.
6. Fruit for cider: APPLES. An APPLE a day keeps ....
7. Sticky roofing stuff: TAR. Also on roads and driveways.
8. Language suffix: ESE.
9. In any way: AT ALL.
10. "On the __": NPR show about trends in journalism: MEDIA. Sorry, I do not listen to NPR.
11. Cut of meat used for corned beef: BRISKET. Generally tough.
12. Stark: AUSTERE.
13. Reduced in rank: DEMOTED. The army calls it "busted".
18. Use needle and thread: SEW.
22. U.K. language: ENG. Yeah, but it's a little different than in the good old USA.
23. Word on a gift tag: FOR.
25. Spot for steeped beverages: TEA SHOP.
26. Composer J.S. __: BACH.
28. Lingerie item: SLIP. Icy pratfall.
32. "OMG! Stop talking!": TMI. Shut Up !!
34. FDR or JFK, partywise: DEM. FDR had passed before I was born, but I remember the fine years of President Kennedy.
Theme: SPLIT LEVEL (60. House with short staircases, and a hint to each row of circles)
17. WWII Russian battleground: STALINGRAD. And
19. "Piece of cake!": EASY. Grade.
24. More weird: EERIER. And 26. Joint covered by a bobby sock: ANKLE. Rank.
38. Rap genre: GANGSTA. And
40. Pisa's region: TUSCANY. Status.
47. Multitude: HORDE. And
49. Mount Olympus country: GREECE. Degree.
Boomer here. This one almost went over my head, even though we live in a split-level home.
News
of the week: I received chemo therapy last Thursday and it seems as
though the side effects have increased. The good news was the procedure
was moved from the big hospital to the much smaller clinic closer to
our home. The nurse who set it up stayed in the room the whole time and
was very, very efficient.
Across:
1. Composer of the "Brandenburg" concertos: BACH. Johann with really funny hair.
5. Slack-jawed: AGOG. I was AGOG with the chemotherapy.
9. Flows back, as the tide: EBBS.
13. Sci-fi visitor: ALIEN.
15. Prefix for second or bot: NANO. Mork from Ork's favorite saying is NANU-NANU.
16. Paneling strip: SLAT.
20. Big to-do: HOOPLA. Hoop in Los Angeles.
21. Rooftop satellite fixture: DISH. We have one, and it works properly. Snow does not seem to be an issue now.
23. Animation frame: CEL.
28. Head of a manor: LORD.
31. __ Howard, director of the film "Frost/Nixon": RON. This guy is amazing. He's been on TV for over 50 years.
32. Dull-looking: DRAB.
33. Ostrich's kin: EMU. I really dislike the Liberty Mutual commercials.
34. Responds to hunger pangs: EATS. Not too much for me. Sometimes it comes back.
35. Least common: RAREST. I think my 1955 double headers fall into this category.
41. Done in the factory, as training: ON SITE.
42. Hairpieces: WIGS. I do not need one. The chemo has not yet taken my hair away.
43. Sleepy Van Winkle: RIP. I wonder if he woke up hungry.
44. Brewpub libations: ALES. I never liked beer.
45. Gallery hangings: ART. Mr. Garfunkel.
46. Concerning: AS TO.
51. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.
52. Biblical kingdom near the Dead Sea: MOAB. In modern-day Jordan.
54. Beethoven's "Moonlight," e.g.: SONATA.
58. Latin god: DEUS.
62. Moist and chilly: DANK. Sounds like our Minnesota weather.
63. Lascivious look: LEER.
64. Fancy cake layers: TIERS. At every major league ballpark.
65. Samberg of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine": ANDY. Or Amos' partner.
66. Gambler's chances: ODDS. I know every chance at the craps tables.
67. First Bond film: DR NO. I thought it was Goldfinger.
Down:
1. Boisterous party: BASH. What Harmon Killebrew used to do to baseballs.
2. Choir voice: ALTO. I was a bass, and still am.
3. Turin "ta-ta": CIAO. See you later.
4. Lent a hand: HELPED.
5. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG.
6. Floral exhibits: GARDENS. Spring is here but our garden is nowhere near ready.
7. "We're broadcasting" sign: ON AIR.
8. Many figures in the Marvel Universe: GODS.
9. Language suffix with Japan: ESE. Also with China.
10. Ursine hibernators that might actually be brown: BLACK BEARS. I have never seen one up close.
11. Swiss city on the Rhine: BASEL.
12. Subject for Vogue: STYLE.
14. Cairo's river: NILE.
18. Tells a story: NARRATES.
22. Annoy to death: HARASS.
25. Greek "i": IOTA. Very, Very small.
27. Agent pursuing a dealer: NARC.
28. Toymaker with worldwide theme parks: LEGO. We have one of those parks in the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.
29. Arabian sultanate: OMAN.
30. Hangs out (with): RUNS AROUND. Hits a home run?
32. Lab procedure required of many athletes: DRUG TEST. I am no longer an athlete, however if you tested me now, I would fail.
34. High regard: ESTEEM.
36. Agitated state: SNIT. Too bad, life goes on.
37. Keyboarder's goof: TYPO. Thank heaven for computers. Just backspace and type over. Not so well with the old Royal.
39. __ the lily: overembellish: GILD.
40. Goodyear product: TIRE.
42. Trilled like a bird: WARBLED. I have never heard a bird WARBLE.
46. Virgil epic: AENEID.
47. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. I only remember HEDDA Hopper.
48. Salty expanse: OCEAN. We have been to the Atlantic, and the Pacific.
49. Stared in wonder: GAPED.
50. Young horse: COLT. Or Indianapolis football player.
53. Norwegian capital: OSLO.
55. Assert as true: AVER.
56. Seagull kin: TERN.
57. "What's more ... ": ALSO.
59. It can be cloudy or sunny: SKY. Big in Montana.
61. Form 1040 org.: IRS. Tax season again.
Boomer
Notes from C.C.:
In case you missed my note yesterday, it's the Cru Dinner time again. Michael Alpern is taking a break this year, his friend
Chris Aldrich will host the event, which officially kicks off the ACPT. You can read more details here. Here's a picture of Jeffrey & Mike at the 2019 ACPT.
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