61. Meal suggested by the starts of four long answers: STEAK DINNER.
Yesterday, Ed Sessa had high on the hog, and today Mark brings us ideas for a steak dinner. Unless you live high on the hog, be prepared for "sticker shock" if you want to eat at some of these restaurants on Zagat's 2018 List of Best Steakhouses in Chicago. We know Bill G would agree to steak. Prime Rib and Rib Eye would be my favorite cuts. What cuts do you prefer ?
15. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean: AUEL. "Jean Marie Auel is an American writer who wrote the Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores human activities during this time, and touches on the interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals." - Wikipedia
16. Low-scoring tie: ONE ONE. Nil Nil would be a no-scoring tie.
31. Isle of Arthurian legend: AVALON. And a Toyota. Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, fitting it in with Toyota's tradition of naming their sedans the word for "crown" in various languages (Crown, Corona, Camry, Corolla), types of crowns (Tiara), or other things associated with royalty (Scepter). - Wikipedia.
33. Woodland deity: SATYR.
36. Developmental insect stage: LARVA.
39. Luau accessory: LEI.
43. A, in Augsburg: EIN. Una, in Acapulco.
44. Small stores: SHOPS.
45. Rather nasty: SNIDE.
46. "__ Fideles": carol: ADESTE.
48. Corrode, with "away": EAT.
49. Macy's section, e.g.: Abbr.: DEPT.
57. "__ y Plata": Montana motto: ORO. Gold and Silver.
59. Bit of talk show self-promotion: PLUG.
60. Opal of the comics, to Earl Pickles: WIFE.
65. Deli salmon: LOX.
66. Philadelphia campus: TEMPLE. Temple University. Their sports teams, like Rice, are the Owls.
67. Building lot unit: ACRE.
68. __-ray Disc: BLU.
69. Volkswagen family car: PASSAT.
70. Rough file: RASP.
71. Some ER cases: ODs. Over Dose cases.
Down:
1. Wreaked condition: HAVOC. Also, recently in the news from the folks at NASA:
41. "Burlesque" co-star: CHER. née Cherilyn Sarkisian, aka "The Goddess of Pop".
42. Being hauled to the garage: IN TOW.
47. Sundress features: STRAPS.
48. Lawn maintenance tools: EDGERS. My leaf blower broke the other day. Had to replace it quickly. So many leaves. I can relate with Hondo about "chasing leaves." Was surprised to learn that leaf blowers are banned in many localities in California.
51. Maker of Cajun Shrimp nail polish: OPI. Thank you perps. Never heard of it. A California company that was originally a dental supply company. Since 2010, a subsidiary of Coty, Inc.
52. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR.
53. Never, in Nogales: NUNCA. Niemals, in Nuremberg.
54. "The Hobbit" hero: BILBO. Baggins. So much detail at Tolkien Gateway
55. Bluffed-out words, perhaps: I FOLD.
56. Connection: NEXUS.
58. Sooner St.: OKLA. Boomer Sooners. And a CSO to Anonymous -T and his eldest as collegians.
61. Car care brand: STP. Lesser known as Scientifically Treated Petroleum, marketed in advertisements as "The Racer's Edge".
100. Wall Street bear?: SHARE DROPPER. Share cropper.
108. Classic audiophile's equipment, and a hint to eight long puzzle answers: CD CHANGER.
Some
letter changes happen with the first letter of the first word, some
first letter of the last word. Some in the middle, but no odd man out. A
nice mix.
Also, Marks allows no straying C's in his theme entry choices. An extra layer of elegance.
Across:
1. Archaeologist's find: TOMB. Some of you have been to my hometown Xi'an and said hello to these terracotta warriors.
5. "Fire" crawlers: ANTS.
9. Cartoon explosion word: BLAM. Not WHAM.
13. Trickster: SCAMP.
18. Where the iris is: UVEA.
19. Country dance: REEL.
20. German camera: LEICA. Also 8. Camera initials: SLR. Olympus was the only brand used in my Pinkerton days.
21. Trilateral trade deal: NAFTA.
24. Allegro __: very fast, in scores: ASSAI.
25. Like some statues at night: UP-LIT.
26. Surrounded: ENCLOSED.
29. Opposing teams: FOES.
30. __ chin: CLEFT.
31. Like a sudoku solution: LOGICAL.
32. Allergic reaction: ACHOO.
35. "A Writer's Life" writer: TALESE.
37. What a red handset icon may end: CALL. This is sweet.
38. Ought to: SHOULD.
40. Humongous: VAST.
48. Authenticity on the street: CRED.
49. Pound or stone: UNIT.
50. Bier chiller: EIS. Beer. Ice.
51. Police dept. rank: SGT.
52. Place for an updo: SALON.
54. Ancient temple complex: KARNAK. And 47. 54-Across' land: EGYPT.
56. Grab the tab: TREAT.
59. Alma mater of Clinton and Ford, briefly: YALE LAW.
61. Marina sights: VESSELS.
65. House Speaker before Pelosi: HASTERT. Still in prison, right? Wiki says "Notwithstanding his conviction, Hastert continues to receive his congressional pension, which amounts to about $73,000 a year."
68. Actress O'Hara: MAUREEN.
69. Position paper, e.g.: ESSAY.
73. Many have pins at one end: ALLEYS. Boomer's favorite places.
74. Kunta in "Roots": KINTE.
75. Prefix with warrior: ECO.
77. Animation letters: CGI.
78. In a trice: SOON.
79. Rides the bench: SITS.
86. Texas' __ Duro Canyon: PALO. One of our three T's might be there: Tom (TTP), Tom (D-Otto) and Tony.
88. Grimm girl: GRETEL.
89. Tied: EVEN.
90. Afghans' neighbors: TAJIKS. Scrabbly fill.
92. Inspected prior to a job: CASED.
93. Bellamy's sister on "The 100": OCTAVIA. Unknown to me.
97. Underworld figure: SATAN.
98. Military sch.: ACAD.
102. How Albee's "The Zoo Story" is written: IN ONE ACT.
106. Grammatical separator: COMMA.
107. Senator Hatch: ORRIN. Longest-serving Republican senator.
109. Adrien of cosmetics: ARPEL.
110. Misleading move: FEINT.
111. Greeting from Kermit: HI HO.
112. Marginal mark: DELE.
113. Good __: enjoyable books: READS. Hahtoolah reads and reviews.
114. Fictional navigator Phileas: FOGG.
115. Negotiation obstacles: EGOS.
116. Note recipient, at times: SELF.
Down:
1. Arrogance, in slang: TUDE. Attitude.
2. Range feature: OVEN.
3. Sporty Spice, familiarly: MEL C.
4. Cause of a walk: BALL FOUR. I read this book at a card show ages ago.
5. Came up: AROSE.
6. Most recently made: NEWEST.
7. Aggravated, with "off": TEED.
9. "Take care!": BE SAFE.
10. "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer: LISZT.
11. Palm tree berry: ACAI. Trade Joe's has acai puree pack. You can make your own acai bowl.
12. Most of Italy, to 14-Down residents: MAINLAND. 14. See 12-Down: CAPRI.
13. Warm and cozy: SNUGGLY.
15. Company with a quacking mascot: AFLAC.
16. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT IDA.
17. Pi __, "Life of Pi" hero: PATEL. Unknow to me also.
20. Least plausible: LAMEST.
23. Ineligible for kiddie rides: TOO OLD.
27. Bass et al.: ALES.
28. Miner's find: GOLD. And 30. Digger's find: CLAM.
32. Strength: ASSET.
33. Group in a loft: CHOIR.
34. Casino, to gamblers: HOUSE.
36. Gamer's game face: AVATAR. Nice "game face".
37. City near Le Havre: CAEN. OK, let's see.
39. MASH staff: DRS.
41. Nod off: DROWSE.
42. Pops, as a bubble: BURSTS.
43. Last Stuart queen: ANNE.
44. Iranian dough: RIAL. The only Iranian dough I know. Never had the real Iranian dough or any Iranian food. This looks delicious.
45. NYSE listings: STKS. Stocks. We also have 72. Investor's concern: YIELD.
48. Missouri senator McCaskill: CLAIRE. What a fast-changing word. Eric Greitens once was so promising.
52. Most squad cars: SEDANS.
53. Alaskan native: ALEUT.
54. Stout container: KEG.
55. US Open stadium namesake: ASHE.
57. Make it to: ATTEND.
58. Unnamed persons: THEY.
60. Caps: LIMITS.
61. Ground cover plant also called periwinkle: VINCA. Gimme for our Master Gardener Katie (TTP's wife). I did not know this.
63. Hesitant sounds: ERS.
64. Nike rival: REEBOK.
65. Padlock hardware: HASP.
66. Matty with a .307 lifetime batting average: ALOU. Thank you, ALOU, A-ROD and SOSA.
67. Unkempt sort: SLOB.
70. Skedaddles: SCATS.
71. Match: AGREE.
74. Firing device: KILN.
76. Texter's "Holy cow!": OMG.
I only learned that the other day that the two T's in Tostitos' logo
stand for two people. The dot above the i is a bowl of salsa.
79. Really quit: SWEAR OFF.
80. "Chocolat" co-star: OLIN.
81. Mystical secrets: ARCANA.
82. Lost driver's disappointments: DEAD ENDS.
84. Exposes: REVEALS.
85. Intensely supportive: AVID.
86. Unmistakable: PATENT.
87. Cracked a bit: AJAR.
90. Sealing, as a package: TAPING.
91. Don Quixote's squire __ Panza: SANCHO.
93. Grumpy Muppet: OSCAR.
94. Task list entry: CHORE.
95. Buccaneers' home: TAMPA.
96. Dangerous companion?: ARMED. Armed and dangerous.
97. Thyme bit: SPRIG.
99. Pacific salmon: COHOS.
101. Nabisco bite: OREO.
102. "With ya so far": I DIG.
103. Tommie of the 1969 Miracle Mets: AGEE.
105. Not kosher: TREF. Learned from doing crossword. The Islamic equivalent HARAM, meaning not halal (kosher).
108. Role in "Evita": CHE.
So glad to hear AnonymousPVX and Jinx in Norfolk are safe and sound. Shout-out
to Brad Niven, another faithful LAT crossword solver. Brad lives in Winston
Salem. Looks like another day of heavy rain and gusty wind in his area.
Happy
Birthday to dear D-Otto, who has generously helped me and this blog
over the years. I rely heavily on Tom for puzzle theme/fill feedback.
It's always a good idea to discard ideas and entries if they don't fly
with him, unless I'm really desper-C.C. I also turn to Tom for rants or
life guidance. He has this amazing ability to make complicated things
easy for me to understand, from computer program to supplemental policy
to comfort height toilet. I can't imagine our little corner without your wicked humor,
empathy and patience, Tom, thanks for being you!
Theme: "Audible Sighs" - Different "Sigh" sounds start the second word in each them entry.
23A. Therapeutic specialty: CHILD PSYCHOLOGY.
41A. Geology, for one: EARTH SCIENCE.
68A. Antique tool hung on some pub walls: ENGLISH SCYTHE. New term to me. Looks like this.
94A. Clapboard: WOODEN SIDING. I thought this is a clapboard.
118A. Result of too much speed, perhaps: TRAFFIC CITATION.
36D. Span before a spin: RINSE CYCLE.
46D. Musical based on "Madama Butterfly": MISS SAIGON.
Such a comprehensive list of "Sigh" sounds. English is crazy at times. So many different spellings.
I
don't think Mark missed any. Let us know in the Comments section if any
other entry comes to your mind.
Across:
1. Criticize harshly: BASH. Not SLAM.
5. Literary captain: AHAB.
9. "Quo __": 1951 film: VADIS.
14. Dome opening?: ASTRO. Astrodome. Who hit the first home run there?
19. High school outbreak: ACNE.
20. 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Rebecca __: LOBO. Gimme for PK and Hondo.
21. Memoir featuring Ike: I TINA.
22. Sharpening tool: STROP.
26. Ageless pitcher Satchel: PAIGE. His secret was hot shower. Open the pores, D-Otto!
27. Keyed up: HYPER.
28. Cadillac SUV: ESCALADE.
29. Pulled without warning: JERKED.
30. Energy restoration source: NAP. Used to take naps in college days.
32. Moon goddess: SELENE.
33. Spares for Venus: RACKETS.
34. Balcony barrier: PARAPET.
38. Hamilton's prov.: ONT.
39. Clark of DC Comics: KENT.
40. See 83-Across: ALI. And 83. With 40-Across, boxer with a 24-0 lifetime record: LAILA.
45. "Let's get crackin'!": C'MON.
49. Feeling that may remind you of food: PANG. Hunger pang.
51. Seldom seen: RARE.
52. First name in cosmetics: ESTEE.
53. Actor in "Going in Style" (2017): CAINE (Michael). Unaware of the movie.
54. Balance sheet item: ASSET.
56. Have an objection: MIND.
58. Will beneficiaries: HEIRESSES. This was a best seller.
60. "Born Free" lioness: ELSA.
62. Come to the surface: ARISE.
65. Plops down: PARKS IT.
66. __ fly: RBI producer: SAC.
72. Leaky tire sound: SSS.
73. Watch cover: CRYSTAL.
75. Blue Grotto isle: CAPRI.
76. 1986 Starship chart-topper: SARA.
78. Entertainment icons: ROCK STARS.
81. Yuletide: NOEL.
86. Kate's TV mate: ALLIE. Kate and Allie.
87. '60s Van Dyke co-star: MOORE. Mary Tyler Moore.
90. Potter's supply: CLAY.
92. "The Ghost of Frankenstein" role: YGOR.
93. Argued, as a case: PLED.
97. O'er and o'er: OFT.
98. High hair style: POUF.
99. Letters before F?: TGI.
100. Signs a new lease for: RE-RENTS. Also 121. Fix, as laces: RE-TIE.
102. Rain and snow: WEATHER.
106. Lopped: PRUNED.
109. Wye follower, in Wye: ZED. Wiki points toWye, Kent. Never heard of it.
110. Frills: EXTRAS.
111. Quarantines: ISOLATES.
113. Little rows: TIFFS. We just had RAISE A RUCKUS.
117. Farm units: ACRES.
120. Queen of France: REINE.
122. Dig it: HOLE.
123. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters": OLGA. The other two are Masha and Irina.
124. Blind parts: SLATS.
125. Like items in potpourri: Abbr.: ASSTD. Assorted.
126. Retired slugger, familiarly: A-ROD. The couple is J-Rod. Also 25. MLB's Angels, in sportscasts: HALOS.
127. Sore throat sign: RASP.
Down:
1. "Goldberg Variations" composer: BACH.
2. In some pain: ACHY.
3. Little cut: SNIP.
4. Capital near the Great Divide: HELENA. Never been to Montana.
5. The Zugspitze, e.g.: ALP.
6. Swindle, in slang: HOSE.
7. Deep space: ABYSS.
8. Italian ball game: BOCCE. Or BOCCI.
9. Reason for an R rating: VIOLENCE.
10. Legendary island: ATLANTIS. Sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, right?
11. Simple semiconductor: DIODE.
12. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE.
13. For example: SAY.
14. Point of view: ASPECT.
15. Desolate: STARK.
16. Tot's transport: TRIKE.
17. Name synonymous with synonyms: ROGET.
18. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.
24. Hang loosely: DRAPE.
29. Lily's "Grace and Frankie" co-star: JANE. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.
31. Fruit cocktail fruit: PEAR.
33. Requirement for many returns: RECEIPT. Gift return.
34. Storybook bear: PAPA.
35. Start of a sad tale: ALAS.
37. Mine car: TRAM.
39. Support for a proposal: KNEE.
42. Court event: TRIAL. Boomer has seen all episodes of "Law & Order".
43. Matisse at an easel: HENRI.
44. Ordinal suffix: ETH.
45. Ale vessel: CASK.
47. "__ the loneliest number": ONE IS.
48. Pads in trees: NESTS.
50. Gooey stuff: GEL.
53. Breakfast in a box: CEREAL. Classic American invention. I was stunned by the cereal aisle when I first came here.
55. African threat: TSETSE.
57. __ golf: DISC.
59. Pep squad syllables: RAHS.
61. Med. school class: ANAT.
63. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.
64. "Baseball Tonight" network: ESPN.
66. Abandon, as a plan: SCRAP.
67. On __: hot: A ROLL.
69. Women's magazine since 1939: GLAMOUR.
70. Spring bloomers: CROCI.
Right now, you can see Yellow Rocket in the open fields near where we
live. We once tried to move some to our garden, but the ground was too
hard.
71. Investor's concern: YIELD.
74. Factory platform: SKID.
77. Charles of R&B: RAY.
79. Overhead expense?: ROOF. Cute clue.
80. Landscaper's supply: SOD.
82. Home in the woods: LAIR.
84. Golf club spec: LOFT.
85. Theater and dance: ARTS.
88. Update equipment, in a way: RETROFIT.
89. Swamped: ENGULFED.
91. Santa __ Valley: California wine region: YNEZ.
94. Things to worry about: WOES.
95. Asian peninsula: SINAI.
96. Scacchi of cinema: GRETA. Learning moment for me.
98. Full moon and terrible twos: PHASES.
101. Daily bigwig: EDITOR.
102. Sports: WEARS.
103. Stand out in a field: EXCEL.
104. Central courtyards: ATRIA.
105. Reznor of Nine Inch Nails: TRENT.
106. H.S. exams: PSATS.
107. __ Sketch: ETCH A.
108. Indoor design: DECOR.
111. Ticks off: IRES. Not a word I use.
112. Corn Belt sight: SILO.
114. Nike competitor: FILA. This pair looks quite comfy.
Theme: Round in Circles - things that revolve are nattily revealed by an appropriate agent - the circles.
Clockwise from the NE we have
WINDMILL
CAROUSEL
THE EARTH and
HULA HOOP (The P is missing its circle from the grid below, but not from the puzzle itself).
and the reveal:
40A. How the things in the circled letters go: AROUND AND AROUND. The wheels on the bus ....
Now I've got that ear worm stuck in your heads ... good effort from Mark. The eight-letter progressions all start at the same place in the "wheel", the fill is nice with some fresh entries: OLLIE and SICK BURN! are nods to the yutes ("What's a yute?" My Cousin Vinnie) and some trickery-pokery making a nice Thursday work-out.
Lets explore:
Across:
1. Disheveled: MUSSY. Many will have had MESSY. I like MUSSY, as in having your hair mussed.
6. __ 180: skateboarding trick: OLLIE. Of course, I do these every day. Not! I tried skateboarding way back when but I just didn't have the balance for it. I couldn't even stand still on one.
11. Piqued: IN A HUFF. The other meaning is "stimulated" as in "he piqued my interest".
14. Maximally moist: DEWIEST
16. Star name meaning "she-goat" in Latin: CAPELLA
17. Weather-changing currents: EL NIÑOS
18. Footless creature: APOD. Footless MP4 player: iPOD.
19. Snorkeling spots: ATOLLS
21. Letters after Sen. Schumer's name: D-NY Democrat - New York, naturally. Nice bit of trickery this, as the answer could have been, but wasn't, DEM.
22. Eponymous brewer Bernhard: STROH. There's a quite significant memorial to the gentleman in Detroit. He and his German compatriots revolutionized the brewing industry in the US.
24. Adjust one's sights: RE-AIM
26. Assurance on certain menus: NO MSG. As the great food writer Jeffrey Steingarten asked: "If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everyone in Asia have a headache?".
29. Uzbek neighbor: TAJIK. These are the languages of the people (Uzbekis, Tajiks) in the countries Uzbekistan and Tajikstan.
33. Name prefix for "son of": MAC
36. Settled: REPAID
39. U.N. chief after Boutros: KOFI. Kofi Annan who held the post from 1997 to 2006. He told stories about being mistaken for Morgan Freeman.
43. Withdraw gradually: WEAN
44. Actor Estevez: EMILIO
45. Hot __: ROD
46. Numerical relationship: RATIO
48. Citrus cuttings: ZESTS
50. Red pool ball: THREE. I don't play a lot of pool, but I knew it had to be the three or the seven. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that the eight ball is black.
53. Bay of Naples isle: CAPRI
57. [Shrug]: MEH. Oh, those kids of today, making up words and all. It's like English is a living language. *grumble*
60. Beer mug with a hinged lid: SEIDEL. I don't think I knew this. Mr. Stroh would have known.
63. Believability, briefly: CRED. Almost always with his buddy "street".
64. Device that builds six-packs?: AB TONER. Tried AB ROLLER and ran out of space.
66. Admonish: REPROVE
68. Like some sports contract clauses: NO-TRADE. Usually at the request of the player, a clause is inserted in the contract stipulating that the player cannot be traded without his or her consent.
69. Jumps to conclusions: ASSUMES
70. "Hop __": Dr. Seuss book: ON POP
71. Young salmon: SMOLT
Down:
1. Flaky minerals: MICAS. Not TALCS then?
2. Not suitable: UNAPT
3. Quality that affects taste: SAPOR. You'd be tempted by "SAVOR" when you had most of the letters in place. I was. I resisted.
4. Sprinkle with hair, cat-style: SHED ON. "Sprinkle" doesn't seem quite accurate in describing the process, but it'll do.
5. Brynner of "The Ten Commandments": YUL. He came a long way, literally. He was born in Vladivostok.
6. Takes full responsibility: OWNS IT
7. Full deck in old Rome?: LII. Fifty-two cards in a full deck of cards. Roman ones were carved out of marble and were very heavy. You had to train with the Roman army for two years before you were strong enough to play bridge.
8. Allow to use: LEND
9. Airs: IS ON. It took me a while to parse this one out.
10. Crafter's website: ETSY
12. Southernmost of the 48 sts.: FLA. Not really, not any more. This gets the (archaic) qualifier in my book.
13. Butter or lard: FAT
14. Editorial mark: DELE. Indicating deletion.
15. First name in scat: ELLA
20. Put in order: ORGANIZED
23. It may be heard on the street: HORN. Definitely heard around these parts.
25. Powerful shark: MAKO
27. Ancient Persian: MEDE. Usually seen in the plural as in "The Medes".
28. Email folder: SPAM
30. Day in Dijon: JOUR
31. "__ One Will Listen": Kelly Clarkson song: IF NO I was going to link the song as I'd not found a musical interlude today, so I went to listen to it on YouTube. I spared you the link.
32. Captain hanged for piracy: KIDD
33. Bryn __ College: MAWR
34. Vicinity: AREA
35. Nail polish layer: COAT
37. Not engaged: IDLE
38. Stand during a lecture: DAIS
41. Army outfit: UNIT
42. Campus mil. group: ROTC
47. "Sick burn!": OH SNAP! I've never heard anyone say "sick burn!" in my life. This is what Google came up with - I still don't understand it. I'm getting too old for this stuff :)
49. Bone at the base of the spine: SACRUM
51. Pond plant: REED
52. Cork locale: EIRE. Oh, begorrah, the Emerald Isle. It's green because it rains. A lot. Just so you know.
54. Teaser: PROMO
55. Glory (in): REVEL
56. Often-abbreviated Latin phrase: ID EST i.e. that is. I enjoyed writing that!
57. When repeated including "a," fighting term: MANO-a-mano
58. Black, in verse: EBON
59. URL intro: HTTP. All together now: "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol".
61. Notable time: ERA
62. Paris article: LES. Not the article you drop in the street.
65. Top medalla: ORO. Gold medal in Spain. I think they now give out medals in the World Cup, the quadrennial 2018 tournament is starting shortly in Russia. I watched every game in the last World Cup. If my blogs are short and littered with soccer references for the next month, please forgive me.
67. Ltr. addenda: P.S.'S. Postscripts. I had no idea how to punctuate this, so I guessed. I find it funny when I get an email with a PS - wouldn't it be easier to put in where it belongs in the text?
I think I'm done - I'll just check my internal temperature with my meat thermometer. I'm looking for medium-rare.
Theme: I'M OUTA HERE! The first word of two-word entries is a synonym for some kind of void.
17. Horror film setting: VACANT HOUSE. I'm not a maven of this genre, but it seems like an appropriately scary choice.
24. Rural "Out of the office" sign: GONE FISHING. Alternatively, in slang, oblivious or unconcerned about the realities of daily life. Also, this:
37. Ammo for a starter pistol: BLANKCARTRIDGES. Contains gunpowder, but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound (report), the wadding is propelled from the barrel of the gun, and the firearm's action cycles. [Wikipedia]
48. One whose "chicks" have flown?: EMPTYNESTER. Parents in the house, after the children are grown and gone. Tough transition for many. Our kids are approaching that point in life.
59. Explanation for an evolutionary transition: MISSINGLINK. Presumed gap in the evolutionary fossil record. Most scientists find the term to be cringe-worthy.
Hi gang, JzB NOT absent today, and here to lead the way through - well - nothing, really. The irony is that, with 5 entries, a theme built around absence is so full of thematic richness. Let's see if we can poke holes in the rest of the puzzle.
Across:
1. Bullpen hero: CLOSER. The pitcher who is usually brought in for the 9th inning of a game when his team has a small lead he is supposed to protect.
7. Technical opening?: PYRO. PYRO-technical refers to fireworks displays or a brilliant performance of some specific skill. Fireworks and affix clues generally leave me cold.
11. Juan or Jose lead-in: SAN. City names. SAN Jose is the capital of Costa Rica. SAN Juan is a town in Trinidad and Tobago, located in the San Juan-Laventille Region in Saint George County.
14. Mom's sis: AUNTIE. My Mom's twin sis is still alive and will be 97 in a few days.
15. Semi warning: HORN. Beep-beep.
16. Asian menu general: TSO.
19. Physicist with a law: OHM. His law states that the current through a conductor is equal to the voltage divided by the resistance: I = V/R. R is a constant property of the conducting item, and the current flow depends on the applied voltage.
20. Bird feeder cake: SUET. White animal fat. The fat is white. The color of the animal doesn't matter.
21. Common math base: TEN. The base is the number of symbols [numerals or letters] that a counting system uses to represent numbers. In base TEN, these symbols are the digits 0 through 9.
22. Ocean dots: ISLES. Dots represent small islands on maps.
27. Acting twins Mary-Kate and Ashley: OLSENS. Former child actresses, born in 1986, they shared the roll of Michelle Tanner on the TV series FULL HOUSE. They have had several other acting projects, and are now fabulously wealthy fashion designers.
30. Feel some pain: ACHE. Day-after-yard-work syndrome.
31. Send forth: ISSUE. Emit.
32. Hotshot: ACE. High-level performer. What you want your CLOSER to be.
33. Easy gait: LOPE. A long, bounding stride.
41. Zingers: MOTS. Short for Bon MOT, which is French for "good word," said of a witticism or biting retort.
42. Vote, say: OPT. Make a choice from among a range of options. Also from French, and ultimately Latin optare, choose or wish.
43. Title Kazakh in a 2006 spoof: BORAT. More low humor.
44. Big heads?: EGOS. In psychoanalysis, the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity. More loosely, a person's sense of self esteem and importance. In context, an overweening self-importance.
46. Revolver?: PLANET. Each PLANET in the solar system rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun.
52. Color separator: PRISM. This video, just under 6 minutes, gets pretty deep into the weeds. I suspect Gary, at least, will like it.
53. __ Gang: OUR. Kids comedy team from back in the day. There are lots of long vids on YouTube, if you want to go down that rabbit hole. Here's a short excerpt. Evidently the piano was over-dubbed later, so this 7-yr-old did a really good job of staying in tune on this great old song.
54. Minimally: A BIT. Not too much off the top. It's thin there.
58. Many times, in poems: OFT. Because "frequently" is hard to work into the metric scheme.
63. Pointillism unit: DOT. A neo-impressionist painting technique that uses tiny dots of pure color that become blended in the viewer's eye. Interesting counter-point [so to speak] to the prism we encountered not so very long ago.
64. Stirring solo: ARIA. An operatic song, not mixing alone in the kitchen.
65. Rio Grande city: EL PASO. In far west Texas, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
66. George Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas": EXS. As long as we're in Texas, why not. George Strait is one of the few country singers I can tolerate for more than about 12 seconds. Here's a link.
67. Watch over: TEND.
68. Bird hangouts: ROOSTS. Birds' resting spots. They usually sit upright on roosts. Bats, however, will hang. Just sayin' . . .
Down:
1. LeBron et al., briefly: CAVS. LeBron James and his team mates on the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team.
2. Waikiki party: LUAU. A traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment. It may feature food such as poi, Kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia and beer, and entertainment such as traditional Hawaiian music and hula. [Wikkipedia]
3. Back in the day: ONCE. Frex, when the OUR GANG kids were kids.
4. Saves, for a 1-Across: STAT. If the lead is 3 runs or fewer in the expected final inning of a baseball game when the CLOSER enters, it's a save situation. If he then shuts down the inning without the opposing team either tying or going ahead, his team wins, and the save is recorded. Otherwise, there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
5. Strauss' "__ Heldenleben": EIN. "A Hero's Life," an 1898 tone poem by Richard Strauss. In it's entirety, it lasts ca. 50 minutes. Here is a short low brass excerpt - and, oh, boy, are these guys good!
6. 1984 Olympics gymnastics standout: RETTON. Mary Lou [b 1968] won a gold medal, along with 2 silver and 2 bronze, back in the day.
7. LG product: PHONE. LG Electronics Inc. is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea, and is part of the LG Group, employing 82,000 people working in 119 local subsidiaries worldwide. [Wikipedia]
8. "That's so __!": YOU. Said of clothing or a situation that seems to suit a person perfectly.
9. $200 Monopoly props.: RRS. The Rail Road properties.
10. Vague lunch date time: ONE-ISH. Approximately 1:00 pm. Hold a spot for me.
11. Skyy alternative, familiarly: STOLI. Vodkas. Skyy, now available in at least 17 flavors, is owned by the Campari Group of italy. Stolichnaya [for long] comes from the former Soviet Union. Ownership is disputed between a Russian state owned company and a private company owned by a Russian billionaire.
Now vodka is fine in its place;
in martinis, though, never a trace!
It’s swilled on the docks,
Can be used to clean clocks,
The gearwork, the hands and the face.
12. Looking drained: ASHEN. Pale from shock, fear or illness.
13. Chinese menu promise: NO MSG. MonoSodium Glutmate, a flavor enhancer.
18. Coop residents: HENS. Not sure if they are allowed to occupy the ROOSTS.
23. Jim's role on "The Big Bang Theory": SHELDON.
24. Best Buy "Squad" member: GEEK. Computer experts.
25. It's true: FACT. Something that is indisputably correct - though you can always find somebody who will dispute it. Cf, Flat Earth Society.
26. One piping frosting: ICER. Cake decorator.
27. Kon-Tiki Museum city: OSLO. The museum presents a broad selection of Thor Heyerdahl's life work.
28. Hurdle for atty. wannabes: LSAT. Law School Admission Test.
31. Watson's company: IBM. Watson is a computer designed to answer questions asked in natural language.
32. National Gallery attraction: ART. The Gallery is an ART museum located on the National Mall in Washington D. C.
34. Meanie: OGRE. A mythical man-eating giant, or, figuratively a mean-spirited boss, or bully.
35. Fuel used in some whisky production: PEAT. An earthy material made of partly decomposed vegetation. It's used in Scotland for whisky production. Anywhere else?
36. Md. winter hours: EST. Eastern Standard Time.
38. Masked critter: COON. The raccoon is the largest animal of the procyonid family,
39. Holy recess: APSE. Usually the semi-circular or polygonal shaped end of a church, where the altar is located.
40. Building girder: I-BAR. A metal structural beam shaped like the letter I. this shape maximizes stability in all dimensions.
45. Floor exercise surface: GYM MAT.
46. Spitting sound: PTUI. Erm . . .
47. "My Fair Lady" lyricist: LERNER. Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe also collaborated on Camelot, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon.
48. Lyric poem: EPODE. A form written in couplets, with alternating long and short lines. Another meaning is the third and final part of an ode, following the strophe and the antistrophe Last time out, I had EPOS, and didn't know that, either.
49. "Fantastic" Dahl character: MR. FOX. Eponym for the 1970 novel, and then 2009 movie. A rare story, in which a predator is the hero, and the farmers and their live stock are the enemy.
50. Pulitzer-winning columnist Leonard: PITTS. His home paper is the Miami Herald. He won his Pulitzer in 2004.
51. "Alas!": SO SAD. [sigh]
54. Lunch for Spot, maybe: ALPO. A dog, and his dinner.
55. Fairness obstacle: BIAS. A skewed point of view that enables interpreting new information as confirmation of existing beliefs, even when it isn't.
56. Brookings, e.g.: Abbr.: INSTitution, a century-old American research group on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C. It conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and development. [Wikipedia]
57. Boxing stats: TKO's. Technical Knock Out. A decision by the referee or ring physician that the boxing match cannot safely continue.
60. Fury: IRE. Anger.
61. Ignore a Commandment: SIN. A transgression of divine law.
62. Day-__: GLO. An American paint and pigment company, and it's registered trademark for luminescent decorative products.
That wraps up another Wednesday, in a bright and colorful manner. Here's the filled-in grid, then I really am outa-here.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Happy 55th birthday to Yellowrocks' son Alan! Have a wonderful day shopping and visiting places you love. You have the best mom!
17A. *Look for a specific passage in, as a book: PAGE THROUGH. Flip, flip, flip - there it is! I've done this a thousand times. I like the phrase.
26A. *About 22% of an average 18-hole golf course: PAR THREES. A "classic" par-72 18-hole golf course will have four par-threes, four par-fives and 10 par-fours. Of course (ha!), all is variable. Muirfield, one of the "classic" links courses in Scotland began with just 14 holes. St. Andrews began life with 22 holes. They met in the middle at 18.
37A. *Point where it starts to hurt: PAIN THRESHOLD. Ow!
51A. *Like baklava layers: PAPER-THIN. Food! You should be able to read a newspaper through the pastry when it's rolled out.
61A. Explorers ... and ones who can determine what the answers to starred clues have in common?: PATHFINDERS
Nice clean puzzle from Mark, the reveal is nicely-placed at the foot of the puzzle, and the hint is clear - look for "PATH" in the theme entries. Symmetry with the theme entries starting with "PA" and broken with the second part beginning with "TH". Pleasing, maybe just to me.
Let's go and look around:
Across:
1. Space station wear: G-SUITS. Nice enough entry, but you don't wear a G-suit in the space station, where there's zero G's - you don't need one. Fighter pilots wear them.
7. "Walk Like __": Four Seasons hit: A MAN. The best version of this I ever heard was by a British a cappella group I saw performing in a pub in London in 1980. Sadly, no recording of that survives, but here's the single they recorded in 1983 that went to number 1. They were quite amazing. No special effects, just voices.
11. Sharp-tack link: A SA
14. Stage of intensity: DEGREE
15. Pitch a fit: RANT
16. Happened upon: MET
19. It's near the midpoint of the Miss. River: ST. L. St. Loius. No "on scoreboards" reference?
20. Rap sheet data: CRIMES
21. Place Sundance liked to see: ETTA. Very nice. Etta Place, mysterious associate of the Butch and Sundance "Wild Bunch".
22. "Gotcha!": PSYCH! I'd never heard this before - the "gotcha" moment after a teasing lie. "Hey - your car is getting towed! Psych!".
28. Every time: ALWAYS
30. Key: ISLET
31. Salt formula: NACL. Good old Sodium Chloride. Don't under-use it when you cook.
32. Sprain application: ICEBAG. I'd be more likely to use an ice pack, but that's just me.
42. Watch creepily: LEER AT
43. Corn syrup brand: KARO. My sister-in-law in England asked me to bring some over on my last trip. She's just starting a cake-decorating business, and apparently neither corn syrup nor marshmallow fluff exist across the pond. Who'd a thunk it?
45. Chimney plumes: SMOKE
49. Largest cat in the genus Leopardus: OCELOT. Pretty! They can hunt by low speed-stalking, or high-speed in-your-face full-on assault. They like to swim too. Don't be a small mammal or an iguana.
56. Change as needed: ADAPT
57. Musical meter maid: RITA. The Beatles "lovely" one.
58. Exposes, in a way: RATS ON
60. Gender-neutral possessive: ITS. No apostrophe. If you're not sure - "It's an apostrophe". Contraction of "it is".
66. Numeric prefix: TRI-
67. Tête output: IDEÉ. "Je pense, donc je suis"
68. Canadian dollar coin: LOONIE. I liked the story that a loonie was smuggled in and frozen in the rink at center ice in the hockey arena at the Salt Lake Olympics and Canada won the gold medal in the men's tournament for the first time in 50 years.
69. Buddhist school: ZEN
70. Give up: CEDE
71. Con target: STOOGE
Down:
1. Macroeconomics abbr.: GDP. Gross Domestic Product. I studied Economics at school back when Adam Smith wrote "The Wealth of Nations" and no-one could agree how to measure GDP. I don't think it's changed.
2. Bering, for one: SEA. Thank you, Dutchman Vitus Bering for exploring it, so the rest of us didn't have to go up there and freeze our nadgers off.
3. Footwear brand: UGG
4. Wrath: IRE
5. Easily peeved: TETCHY
6. Very, to Schumann: SEHR. Your German lesson for the day.
7. Candle emanation: AROMA. We had "SMOKE" earlier, so here's an alternative.
8. Catcher Joe with a trio of consecutive Gold Glove Awards (2008-10): MAUER. Thank you, crosses. C.C. would have known this without pause - he is the first baseman for the Minnesota Twins.
9. Fretful feeling: ANGST
10. Indefinite ordinal: NTH. It must have been tempting to clue this with reference to 14A.
11. Heineken brand: AMSTEL. They used to be competitors. The Amstel river flows through Amsterdam. Heineken bought them out in 1968. The best bargain in Amsterdam used to be the Heineken brewery tour before these things were common. The tour lasted about 30 minutes, then you could spend as long as you liked in the tasting room for the princely sum of about $2. Eventually word spread too wide, and like all good things, the tour came to an end.
12. Parlor piece: SETTEE
13. Finally: AT LAST
18. Material flaw: RIP
21. LPN workplaces: ER'S. Emergency Rooms where those amazing Licensed Practical Nurses ply their trade.
22. __ for gold: PAN
23. Open-handed hit: SLAP
24. Fem. advocacy group: YWCA. Young Women's Christian Association. I was a member of the London Central YMCA for quite a few years - they had the most amazingly affordable gym and swimming pool for many, many miles around and slap-dab in the center of London. I even made the swim team. I believe that year they were short of talent.
25. City WSW of Bogotá: CALI
27. Expensive: HIGH
29. Where it's at: SITE. I didn't see this until now, crosses filled it in for me.
33. 2008 biopic starring Benicio del Toro: CHE. The famous "Che Lives" poster from the 70's. My sister had one on her bedroom wall:
34. Blow it: ERR
35. Arthur with two Emmys and a Tony: BEA
36. Concerning: AS TO
38. Met or Nat: NL'ER. More baseball to keep C.C. happy!
39. Signed off on: OK'ED
40. Refrain syllables: LA LA.
41. Stop talking about: DROP
44. Legendary Giant: OTT. Mel. Baseball!
45. Quick squirt: SPRITZ
46. __ d'hôtel: MAÎTRE. The one you need to impress to get a table at a popular restaurant.
47. Decides to join: OPTS IN
48. Mauna __: KEA. or LOA. Wait for the crosses.
50. "All the Light We __ See": 2015 Pulitzer novel: CANNOT. This is really fantastic book that I read a couple of years ago. If you want to see a brilliant mind at work, read Anthonys Duerr's wonderful novel.
52. Woodworking, e.g.: TRADE
53. Despised: HATED
54. "With this ring, __ ... ": I THEE
55. Bad check letters: NSF. "Not Sufficient Funds". This can have rather unhappy consequences.
59. Lubricates: OILS
61. Photo: PIC
62. __-wop: DOO
63. Roxy Music co-founder: ENO. Brian, he of "Elevator Music". Roxy Music really were ground-breakers in pop - here's their first big hit from 1972. I remember watching Bryan Ferry and wondering which planet he came from! Brian Eno is the guy with the blond hair and psychedelic tie on the other side of the stage from Bryan Ferry. David Bowie and his "Ziggy Stardust" persona landed the same year. Good times.
64. Fix badly?: RIG. But if you rig it well, is it still fixed badly?
65. Observe: SEE.
That's about it from me - I've still got Roxy Music rocking in the background, so I'll sign off with the grid!
(with Roxy Music seguing into the Bob Dylan-penned song "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall")
56. Words to a server ... or a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues : CHECK PLEASE.
Melissa here. I struggled more than I should have with this one, due to a handful of tricky clues and a few unknowns. The theme didn't help with solving much because sometimes CHECK preceded the first word of the answer, and sometimes it followed. Only short a Q and Z of a pangram.
Across
1. Jordan's capital : AMMAN
6. Amounts to : COSTS
11. Cleveland hoopster : CAV
14. Tour leader : GUIDE
15. Popcorn brand whose logo resembles a movie marquee : ACT II
16. Corrida cheer : OLE
19. "MSNBC Live" co-anchor Velshi : ALI
20. Big Dipper's constellation : GREAT BEAR
21. Birth-related : NATAL
23. Couple of gags? : GEES. Wording of clue seems odd. Couple IN gags would make more sense.
24. Tied-on protectors : APRONS
25. Without : ABSENT
28. Not even close : WAY OFF
30. Vise features : JAWS
31. British nobles : EARLS
32. Roger Federer's org. : ATP. Association of Tennis Professionals (males). Female counterpart is WTA (Women's Tennis Association), founded by Billie Jean King in 1973.
35. French buddy : AMI. AMIE is the feminine form.
38. Pi follower : RHO
39. Stood for office : RAN
40. Powerful Japanese dog : AKITA. Much like yesterday's SHIBA INU.
41. Black bird or black cat, to some : OMEN
42. Go round and round : GYRATE
44. Messed (up) : LOUSED
46. Obtain : COME BY. Stumped me.
48. Is not misused? : AINT. Nice clue.
49. Very serious, as a water shortage : ACUTE. Medically speaking, ACUTE does not always mean serious, but indicates sudden or recent onset - as opposed to chronic, which is long-lasting.
50. Blunder : FALSE STEP
55. Humanities degs. : MASE. Master of Arts in Special Education. Not sure why this clue is plural. (Correction: the answer is MAS. Master of Arts. Thanks, everyone.)
58. "The Book of __": 2010 Denzel Washington film : ELI
59. Exorbitant interest : USURY
60. Ceremonial place : ALTAR. I like this clue 💕.
61. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC
62. Closed : ENDED
63. Braid : PLAIT
Down
1. Twittering : AGOG. In this internet age, twittering has a new meaning.
2. "Studies in the Sierra" writer John : MUIR. Originally appeared in 1874 and 1875 as a series of seven articles in the Overland Monthly, which were later (1915 to 1921) reprinted in the Sierra Club Bulletin.
3. Fitbit unit : MILE. Not STEP.
4. Much of the Sunday paper : AD PAGES. Not ADVERTS.
5. Spruce (up) : NEATEN
6. Walking sticks : CANES
7. Penta- plus three : OCTA
8. Cup-a-Soup direction : STIR
9. Pewter component : TIN
10. Footpath aid : SIGNPOST
12. Poe's middle name : ALLAN
13. Concealing accessories : VEILS
18. "Probably not" : I BET. Sneaky because it's sarcasm - normally "I bet" indicates total agreement.
22. "Wanna go out?" response : ARF
24. Protagonist of Auel's "Earth's Children" novels : AYLA
25. Somewhat open : AJAR
26. Auburn rival, familiarly : BAMA
28. Squander : WASTE
29. Surface product : AREA. For rectangles and squares - height x width = AREA. Area calculator.
31. Bright word in a dark theater : EXIT
33. You, back in the day : THEE
34. Koi habitat : POND
36. Kansas City cuisine : BARBECUE. Variation is BARBEQUE. That and a Z would make for a pangram.
37. Not bad : OKAY
41. Fly off the shelf faster than : OUTSELL
43. To date : YET
44. Struggle with sisters? : LISP. Great clue.
45. 400 meters, on many tracks : ONE LAP
46. It has one hump or two : CAMEL
47. Florida's __ National Forest : OCALA
48. Binder for some paints : ALKYD. New to me.
50. 2017 FX miniseries subtitled "Bette and Joan" : FEUD. Anyone watch this series?
51. Spacious lot : ACRE
52. Part of TTFN : TATA
53. Actor Morales : ESAI
54. Cheeky : PERT
57. QVC sister station : HSN. Home Shopping Network.
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