Tuesday November 15, 2022 Michael Sharp

 Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here, filling in for the delightful Hahtoolah.

Today's CW is a worthy challenge from constructor/blogger, Michael Sharp. For more on M.S., follow this link to a 2011 article titled, "How an English professor became the online king of the crossword".

Our theme is:         A PHEW POINTERS

We begin with:

1. Across.    Sci-fi weapon that makes the sounds heard at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: RAY GUN.

Later, M.S. neatly wraps things up in the SE corner with a clecho:

71. Across.    Sci-fi weapon that makes the sounds heard at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: PHASER.

Notice that both answers have 6 letters. Perps are required to start this puzzle. (Hi D-Otto!)

There are 3 themed answers. Each ends in the sound associated with sci-fi weapons:

Pew-Pew-Pew

20. Across *  "Black Widow" co-star: FLORENCE PUGH.

I had no idea who this could be; but, perps, along with the standard spelling of Ms. Pugh's first name, helped me until I got to the last letter and found it crossed with another unknown name. Fortunately, the theme came to my rescue and I reasoned only an "h" could provide the "pew" sound.

Florence Pugh

36. Across *  Cathedral bench: CHURCH PEW.

56. *Offer of assistance: LET ME HELP YOU.

I find this answer especially clever since we need to borrow the "p" in "help". Tacking the "p" onto "you", we have a third way to write the "pew" sound.

Let's look at the rest of the clues:

Across:

7. Hubs: Abbr.: CTRS.  CenTeRS

11. Catch: NAB.

14. Operating mindlessly: ON AUTOpilot.

15. "Call on me! I know!": OH OH.  Remember Arnold Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter (1975-1979)?

16. Mined resource: ORE.

17. Getting some sun: DAYLIT.  (adjective) illuminated by daylight

18. Like a phenom's rise to stardom: METEORIC.

22. Placeholder abbr.: TBA.  To Be Announced

25. Court divider: NET.  Think "tennis", not "legal system".

Watch this player leap over the NET during play.

26. Light lunch: SALAD.

27. Spy of kid-lit fame: HARRIET.  Published in 1964. Recommended for ages 8-12.

30. Olympics participant: ATHLETE.

Do you consider the horses participating in Olympic equestrian events "athletes"?  Equestrian Olympics Sports Facts

32. Oxen harnesses: YOKES.

33. "Should that be the case ... ": IF SO.

35. Costa del __: SOL. a region in the south of Spain

I always like the name Marysol (sea & sun) so I named my cat that. She's in kitty heaven now.

40. Isr. neighbor: SYR.  ISRael is abbreviated, so is SYRia

43. Genius Bar pro: TECH.

44. Capital city on the Andean Plateau: LA PAZ. The hint here is "Andean" so we can narrow down our options to South American capitals. Wiki Link

48. Forced: COERCED.

51. Binge watcher's unit: EPISODE.

53. Venomous snake: ADDER. too many letters for "asp"

54. Sound from a fold: BAA.

55. Came in first: WON.

61. Much of nursery school: PLAY TIME.

62. Of France: GALLIC.

(adjective)

1. 1.

   French or typically French.
2. 2.

   relating to the Gauls.

66. Brain scan letters: EEG.  ElectroEncephaloGram

67. Comparable: AKIN.

68. New York prison in 1971 headlines: ATTICA.  NPR Attica link

69. Mormon initials: LDS.  Latter Day Saints

Last week I read Josh Hanagarne's memoir, The World's Strongest Librarian. Josh is 6'7" tall, was raised in the Mormon Church, has Tourette Syndrome, and works as a librarian in Salt Lake City. It was interesting to read his thoughts on all of that.

70. Enthusiast, colloquially: NERD.

Down:

1. Towel holder: ROD.

2. De Armas of "Blonde": ANA.  Lovely Ana is from HavANA, Cuba. (for realz!)

3. Happy cry: YAY.

4. Wide gap: GULF.

(noun)

1. 1.

   a deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land, with a narrow mouth.
2. 2.  a deep ravine, chasm, or abyss.

5. Elec., for one: UTIL.  ELECTricity is a UTILity.

6. Zero: NOT ONE.  I suppose "two" could also be "not one".

7. Cupid colleague: COMET.  Nice misdirection! I was thinking of the cupid with wings and an arrow.

Coming to your rooftop in 39 days!

8. "__ what?": THEN.

9. Campus mil. unit: ROTC.  Reserve Officers' Training Corps

Do you know someone who needs money to pay for college? Army ROTC scholarship info

10. "Jeepers!": SHEESH.

11. "Anything goes!": NO RULES.

At first I had "NO hoLES" because I was confusing "holes" with "holds" as in "no holds barred"; which, it turns out, is a term from wresting meaning, "no restrictions (RULES) on the kinds of holds that are used." So I got there, eventually!

12. Japanese "thank you": ARIGATO. 

This word is often mispronounced by non-native speakers of Japanese. Do not combine the "a" and "r" as one syllable. It is not ar-i-ga-to. Instead, say a-ri-ga-to. The "a" is like the "a" in "father". Also, extend the last "o" sound a bit, almost as if it were 2 syllables.

13. Alison who wrote the graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength": BECHDEL.  Crossing unknown names can be tricky but we had some help with this one. (See the 20A themer.)

19. Stone for a Libra: OPAL.  According to most charts, there are only 2 birthstones spelled with 4 letters:  Opal & Ruby. Wait for a perp.

21. No longer working: RETIRED.

Several Cornerites are retired teachers.

22. Poetic possessive: THY.

23. Steamed bun in Asian cuisine: BAO.  On Sunday, 11/6/22, we had 57D "Bun cooked in a bamboo steamer".

24. Genesis boat: ARK.

28. "Parks and __": REC. Recreation
This video is 8 min. of "best of" video clips from the TV show Parks and Rec. (Fans of the show will probably enjoy this more than those of us who are not as familiar with all of the characters.)

29. Sorta: ISH.

Informal (adverb): to some extent

30. Metaphor for no-longer-relevant history: ASH HEAP.

"The ash heap of history (or often garbage heap of history or dustbin of history) is a figurative place to where objects such as persons, events, artifacts, ideologies, etc. are relegated when they are forgotten or marginalized in history."

31. Blouse: TOP.
"Blouse" is an interesting word. I always associated it with a lady's TOP so I had to resist the temptation to snicker when I married my Marine husband and he called the TOP to his uniforms a "blouse". Also, my Aussie boss called his shirt a "blouse". I am thinking the connection is that both U.S. Marines and Australians have a history with British English ... which obtained the word from French. Would anyone like to chime in on this?

Also, "blouse" can be used as an adjective (in its participle form) and a verb. Marines use "blousing bands" to blouse their boots so things cannot fall down into their boots. Here is a 34 sec. video on how to blouse military boots. (Marysol used to love to steal DH's blousing bands! We'd usually find them under the couch.)

34. Media-monitoring org.: FCC. The Federal Communications Commission

37. Great Basin native: UTE. a CW staple

38. Actor Wallach: ELI.  Oh, that's who he is!

Eli Wallach (1915 - 2014)

39. Is past?: WAS.  Fun clue!

40. Surgical tool: SCALPEL.

41. Sang some high notes?: YODELED. Some clever word play here in that "high" can refer to the yodeler's vocal range as well as the altitude at which Swiss yodelers live.

I hope this song will put a smile on your face:

Riders in the Sky sing "A Cowboy's ABCs"

Y is for "the Yodel"

42. Colorful sale labels: RED TAGS.  The hint on this one is "colorful".

45. "Kaboom!": POW.

46. Commotion: ADO.

47. Garden type: ZEN.

I took this photo at Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

49. "Ratatouille" rat who loves gourmet food: REMY.

Remy in "Ratatouille" (Pixar 2007)

50. Greek islander: CRETAN. Start with the first Greek island you can think of then adjust the suffix.

52. Evidence of workplace gender bias, perhaps: PAY GAP.  Similar to 4D ??

54. Mix: BLEND.  Interesting that both words can be used as a noun or a verb.

57. Walk in the park, maybe: HIKE.
At first I thought of this type of park.                    Then I thought of this type of park.

                                             

58. Mideast dignitary: EMIR.

EMIR:     a title of various Muslim (mainly Arab) rulers.

IMAM:     one who leads Muslim worshipers in prayer

OMAN:     a country in the Middle East

OMAR Sharif:     Egyptian actor

59. Pledge: OATH.

60. Beauty store chain: ULTA.

With 1,356 stores, you've probably driven past one.

63. Fleur-de-__: LIS.  (Hi Big Easy!)

also spelled fleur-de-lys

64. Curling surface: ICE.

Not this type of curling!

65. Automobile: CAR.

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Oh, and in case you missed it, here is Hahtoolah’s note from 11/8/22:

If you are reading this on Tuesday, I will likely be on the crossword puzzle's favorite airline heading towards Tel Aviv.  Part business, part fun.  Unlike the song, however, I do know when I will be back.  See you at the end of the month.  You will be in capable hands during my absence.

Thursday, January 24, 2013 Michael Sharp

Theme: The Fonz

In each theme entry, AY is replaced with EY, to create new takes on familiar phrases.

17-A. Luminous Spanish king? : REY OF LIGHT. I was looking for a ray of light to shine down on me for finishing this puzzle unassisted. (Didn't happen.) (The light, I mean.) (I did finish.) (Unassisted.)

29-A. Chart containing only threes? : TREY TABLE. TREY usually refers to a card, die or domino with three pips, rather than the number itself.

49-A. Turkish sty leader? : BEY OF PIGS. BEY is the Turkish word for "lord." The failed Bay of Pigs invasion was a serious blot on JFK's record.

61-A. Rock in actress Susan's path, perhaps? : DEY TRIPPER. This one evoked a chuckle. Susan Dey was in "LA Law," and nothing seemed to trip her up.  "Day Tripper" was a 1966 Beatles song. 2:24

10-D. Casual greeting craze? : HEY FEVER. Another chuckle. All I could think of was Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid."

39-D. How owls know when mice are bluffing? : PREY TELL. Guffaw!  Can you picture owls and mice playing poker together? Who do you think would win, pray tell?

Six theme entries for a total of 54 squares is a nice chunk for a weekday puzzle, and they are all solid. Not too much dreck in the rest of the fill, either. Michael Sharp writes the blog "Rex Parker Does the N.Y.T. Crossword Puzzle." It's rare that we get one of his puzzles in the LAT. So, let's see what he has to offer. Marti here, back in the Thursday seat.

Across:

1. Polynesian tongue : MAORI. Ouch to start. I forgot that New Zealand, where the Maoris live, is part of Polynesia.

6. Early Democrat's foe : WHIG. I can never remember which is whig.

10. Diary closer : HASP.

14. Pump name : EXXON.

15. Premoistened cloth : WIPE. Ubiquitous freebies in stores next to the shopping carts around here, especially during flu season.

16. Still-life subject : EWER.

19. Practitioner of meditation : YOGI. Before or after he steals your pik-a-nik basket?

20. Lassie's "In a pig's eye!" : NAE. I was trying to figure out how Lassie would refuse to go get help for Timmy.

21. Monopolize : HOG.

22. Seed source of omega-3 : FLAX.

23. Back-of-the-book items : ADDENDA.

27. Bloodhound's 48-Across : NOSE. and 48-A. Plus : ASSET.

31. Salt's "Halt!" : AVAST. Nice rhyming clue.

35. Flat hat : TAM. Short for Tam o'Shanter, named after the Robert Burns character.

36. Like a comics pea? : SWEE. Poor thing was left on Popeye's doorstep.

37. Close tightly, as one's hand : CLENCH.

38. Groggy response : I'M UP.

40. "Welcome to Maui!" : ALOHA.

42. Seldom seen, to Seneca : RARA. Seneca the Roman philosopher, who was ordered by Nero to kill himself for supposedly being involved in an assassination attempt. Seneca took it stoically.

43. Grinch portrayer : CARREY. His makeup scared even me.

45. Myrna's "Thin Man" role : NORA. Tough to find new clues for this crossword staple.

47. KoKo or Yum-Yum, in Lilian Jackson Braun mysteries : CAT. All her novels' titles start with "The Cat Who..."

51. Bulldogs' home : YALE. Gimme.

53. Seven-time MLB All-Star Soriano : ALFONSO. Here I should insert some well-known fact about him, to cement his name into my memory...(From C.C.: Yankees traded Soriano for A-Rod)

54. Fair : JUST.

57. Sighing sounds : AHS.

59. Consume : EAT.

60. Bee's charge : OPIE. Aunt Bee, on the old "Mayberry RFD" TV show. [Update: The show was "The Andy Griffith Show." "Mayberry RFD" was a spin-off, and did not have either Opie or Andy in it.]

66. Hon : DOLL.

67. Lang of Smallville : LANA.

68. "Monster" (2003) co-star : RICCI.  Christina.  Never saw the film. I was trying to think of John Goodman's co-star in this one.

69. Like many LAX flights : INT'L. International.

70. First place? : EDEN.

71. Trap : SETUP. or SET-UP. or SET UP. I wasn't exactly sure whether to make it one word, hyphenated or two, since both the clue and the answer could be the noun or the verb form.

Down:

1. Large body of eau : MER. French for water in the clue hints at the French word for "sea."

2. Dismiss : AXE. or 49-D. Execute, in old France : BEHEAD.

3. Acne treatment brand : OXY.

4. Longtime "60 Minutes" pundit : ROONEY. The inimitable Andy. I miss his humor.

5. Babies : INFANTS.

6. Teens conflict, briefly : WWI. Oh. Not a fight between the Sharks and the Jets, but a war that took place in the teens (1914-1918). I should have noticed the missing apostrophe...Bill G., I bet it didn't get you!!

7. Up in the air : HIGH. I bet Tinbeni will have a different take on this one.

8. Droid alternative : iPHONE.

9. Day one, informally : GET GO.

11. One who might get caught off base : AWOL. "Absent without leave."

12. Company with a hedgehog mascot : SEGA. Sonic the Hedgehog.

13. ___ fixe : PRIX. I had "idée" at first....and could not get it out of my head!

18. Took out in handcuffs, say : LED AWAY.

23. 1971 prison riot site : ATTICA.

24. Works on stage : DRAMAS. Nice misdirection. I wanted something like "acts" or "plays a role..."

25. Expresses doubts : DEMURS.

26. Biblical brother : ABEL.

28. ESPN reporter Paolantonio : SAL. Move over, Mineo.  There's a new sheriff in town.

30. Sierra ___ : LEONE.

32. Analgesic brand : ANACIN.

33. Skinny types : SCRAGS.

34. "Oh, really?" : THAT SO?

37. Itinerant Yuletide singer : CAROLER.

41. Georgetown player : HOYA. "What's a Hoya?"

44. LAX posting : ETA.

46. Business matters : AFFAIRS.

50. Deep-dish comfort food : POT PIE.

52. Soup dispenser : LADLE. Oh, not Nazi.

54. Author Picoult : JODI. I knew the name, but don't think I have read any of her books. Any recommendations?

55. Supported by : UPON.

56. Bank deposit : SILT. I don't think anyone is fooled by this clue any more.

58. Last word on New Year's Eve? : SYNE. "...for auld lang syne."

62. Brown in a bed : TAN. But only for us Northerners. Would anyone in Florida really need a tanning bed?

63. Loan no. : PCT. Percent.

64. Old French coin : ECU. Real old. Discontinued in the French revolution, and worth about $25 today.

65. Upholsterer's target : RIP. I will now let this post Rest in Peace.

That's all I have for now. See you on the other side!

Marti

Wednesday, September 7, 2011 Michael Sharp

Theme: TURN TAIL - the last word of a a common phrase is turned into a homophone to create a new phrase. each change is consistent _ALE > _AIL.

17A. Bills and catalogues? : TYPICAL MAIL (typical male). a solution for the typical mail (phone books and catalogues) is catalogchoice.org. not sure there is a solution for the typical male.

29A. Monk's unusual appendage? : THE FRIAR'S TAIL (friar's tale, from chaucer's canterbury tales.)

48A. Where a kid's shovel may be found? : BEYOND THE PAIL (beyond the pale - meaning, outside the limits of acceptable behavior)

61A. Traditional December spin around the harbor? : YEAR-END SAIL (year-end sale, everything must go!)

i thought this was a tad easier than the typical wednesday. no snags, not much to talk about.

Across

1. Outlook : VISTA. nice view.

6. Previewed, as a joint : CASED

11. Attempt : TRY

14. Part of a squirrel's stash : ACORN

15. Abundant : AMPLE

16. Little hopper : ROO

19. "The Simpsons" character who graduated first in his class of seven million at the Calcutta Institute of Technology : APU. i have to guess this every time.

20. Advanced deg. : Ph.D. doctor of philosophy - the highest degree in the liberal arts field.

21. Quick look : ONCE OVER. not always that quick.

23. Remnant in a tray : ASH. cigarette ash.

26. Bygone : OLD

28. Tentative assent : I GUESS

33. Canaanite deity : BAAL

34. Source of light meat : BREAST

35. Nev. neighbor : IDA. nevada / idaho.

38. Ohio hometown of LeBron James : AKRON. didn't know the trivia but it filled in easily enough.

40. It ended Nov. 11, 1918 : WWI

41. The blahs : ENNUI

43. Vietnamese holiday : TET

44. Sci-fi invaders : ALIENS

47. Iowa State home : AMES

51. Take in : ARREST

53. Yanks' rival : SOX

54. Binghamton-to-Utica dir. : NNE

55. Show-off's shout : LOOK AT ME. okay, enough about me. what do you think about me?

58. Lyon king : ROI

60. "Disgusting!" : ICK

66. Top pitcher : ACE

67. Bert's pal : ERNIE. the two police officers in 'it's a wonderful life,' were also named bert and ernie.

68. Michelob __: light beer brand : ULTRA

69. Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt : SON. i keep forgetting that.

70. "__ Hope": '70s-'80s soap : RYAN'S

71. Dinner course : SALAD

Down

1. Large container : VAT

2. Dangerous, as a winter road : ICY

3. Bribe : SOP

4. You might do it over your own feet : TRIP

5. News show VIP : ANCHOR

6. Oriole great Ripken : CAL

7. BBs, for example : AMMO

8. Cross : SPAN

9. Brings out : ELICITS

10. Convention representative : DELEGATE

11. 1961 Ricky Nelson chart-topper : TRAVELIN' MAN. "... in every port i own the heart, of at least one lovely girl." how romantic.

12. Boxing ring borders : ROPES

13. Letter sign-off : YOURS

18. Go off-script : AD-LIB. if you know what i mean ....

22. French affirmative : OUI

23. Plate appearance : AT BAT

24. Tremble : SHAKE

25. Like one just jilted : HEARTBROKEN

27. "On the Origin of Species" author : DARWIN. charles.

30. Rapper __ Rida : FLO. new to me.

31. Walked down the 37-Down again : RE-WED and 37D. Bridal path : AISLE

32. 2010 Super Bowl champs : SAINTS

36. Scheduled to arrive : DUE IN

39. Pessimist : NAYSAYER. great word.

42. Brief sleep : NAP

45. Fundraising game : LOTTERY

46. Newly wool-less : SHORN. half shorn.

49. Rodent-induced cry : EEK

50. Genesis follower : EXODUS

51. Rap sheet name, maybe : ALIAS

52. Golfer Mediate : ROCCO. he won the fry's open last year, held where i work. tiger just announced he'll be playing this year.

56. "Every __ Tiger": Clancy book about Operation Desert Storm : MAN A. anyone read it?

57. "__ go bragh!" : ERIN

59. One of las Canarias : ISLA

62. Some MIT grads : EE'S. electrical engineer.

63. World's busiest airport: Abbr. : ATL atlanta, georgia.

64. Nest egg letters : IRA. individual retirement account.

65. Youngster : LAD

Answer grid.

Melissa

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few beautiful pictures from Melissa's Girls' Weekend outing. I love the first one, Melissa is on the far right in pretty pink. Look at her toes! Click here for more of her adventure.