Monday February 19, 2024 Janice Luttrell

  

Theme:                                                 Put a RING on it! 

I

Beyoncé  (2008)

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

"If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it" 🎵

Happy Presidents' Day, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle from the prolific constructor, Janice Luttrell. It might be fair to say that Janice liked putting a RING on four words to create a fun puzzle theme.

Let's round up the themed clues:

16. Disruptive student: CLASS CLOWN.  

A CLASS RING is a ring worn by students and alumni to commemorate their year of graduation from a certain school/program.

Sidebar:  waseeley got me watching Northern Exposure again. I notice Maurice the NASA guy and Dr. Joel both wear one. Perhaps the director is saying these two men aren't that different??

23. Cocktail with rum and vodka: BRASS MONKEY.  The third ingredient is orange juice. These alcoholic beverages were sold pre-mixed in the '70s and '80s by the Heublein Company.

A BRASS RING is something you could reach out to grab while riding a carousel. I grew up reaching for the one at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. You had to be on the outside horse to be in position. Then you had to quickly throw it at a mural of a clown and hit it in its mouth. If you did, the nose lit up and you got a free ride. "Reaching for the BRASS RING" came to mean "trying for the big prize".

Note:  This one was my FIW today. Being unfamiliar with the cocktail, I guessed BRASSdONKEY (after a lot of perps), which seemed to go fine with the name of an actress in 25-D. dARA is as reasonable as MARA. IMHO, the clue would have been improved with some sort of clever hint to a monkey.

35. Wilson/Vaughn comedy with the tagline "Hide Your Bridesmaids": WEDDING CRASHERS.  Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn starred in this popular 2005 film.

A WEDDING RING is a symbol of timeless love and commitment.

45. Time for a final bow: CURTAIN CALL. The cast comes back onstage at the end of a live show.

A CURTAIN RING  attaches the curtain to a rod.  

55. Mastermind, and what the first word of 16-, 23-, 35-, or 45-Across can be: RING LEADER.  This is a person leading a group of people engaging in (usually) improper or unlawful activities.

CLASS, BRASS, WEDDING, and CURTAIN can all precede the word RING to create in the language phrases.

Here are the other clues:

Across:
1. Island northwest of Molokai: OAHU.  This one was a gimme for me. The Na Wahini O Ke Kai is a women's outrigger canoe race from Molokai to Oahu. The first year I did it, it took my team 6.5 hrs. The second year, it took us 7 hrs. (Wind and water currents make a big difference.) The year after that I moved away but it was a bad year for my team. The breakers at Molokai were so strong they broke my team's canoe in half.

5. Inseparable pals, briefly: BFFS.  Best Friends Forever and yesterday's 1-Down

9. Grizzly, for one: BEAR.  

13. Fastens, as shoelaces: TIES.

14. Monica who won nine Grand Slam singles titles: SELES.  International Tennis Hall of Fame link

15. Not all thumbs: ABLE.  Someone who is "all thumbs" lacks nimbleness with their hands.

18. Garden dirt: SOIL.  Why Soil Matters article

19. Slobbers: DROOLS.  

20. "Killing Eve" actress Shaw: FIONA.  IMDb link

21. Short "I need a short break": BRB.  Be Right Back

26. Carter's successor: REAGAN.  It's a Presidents' Day clue!

President Ronald Reagan was born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, IL. He became the 40th President of the U.S. on January 20, 1981, succeeding President James "Jimmy" Carter. Reagan's inauguration ceremony was the first to be held on the west side of the Capitol -- an homage to his time as California's governor.

28. Body parts studied by otologists: EARS.  Do the ENT's know about this??

29. Actress Chlumsky: ANNA.  I know Anna from Veep. Here's a 30 sec. clip and her IMDb link .

30. Turn away: AVERT.     and     32 Across. Sheep bleat: BAA.

39. "__ Misérables": LES.  I saw this with my friend Gina at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

40. Flies like an eagle: SOARS.  OK, so ... I had the Steve Miller Band song here but waseely just used it last Thursday so I removed it. What do you think of this cover by The Neville Brothers?  

41. Most of the time: A LOT.

42. Apple's virtual assistant: SIRI.

43. Italian sub meat: SALAMI.

50. Roofing stuff: TAR.

51. "Ok, sure": UH HUH.

52. Nobody in particular: ANYONE.  

54. Ibuprofen target: PAIN.     and     1 Down. Available sans Rx: OTC.  Over The Counter

This time of year, you might be wondering which medical expenses are deductible. IRS website  

New for 2023, the cost of OTC drugs may be paid or reimbursed by an HSA.  See Q13 for more details.

59. "Three and out" football play: PUNT.  I've not heard it called this before but teams usually PUNT on the 4th down if they do not think they can get a first down.

60. Country shaped like a boot: ITALY.  

61. Clever tactic: PLOY.  Def.:  a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage.

62. Hoppy brews: ALES.

63. Mexican sauce made with chocolate: MOLE.  It's so deliciosa and complex that it's difficult to find a restaurant that makes it on site.

64. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  It's often played when people RING in the New Year.

Down:

2. Feel awful: AIL.

3. Workout accessories that keep sweat out of the eyes: HEAD BANDS.  Olivia Newton-John wore one in her Physical video. How '80s is this??!! It won a Grammy for Video of the Year in 1983.

4. Space race initials: USSR.  Speaking of President Reagan....  

Popular Science July 1984 issue
Many of these ideas are a reality today.

5. Heroine in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels: BELLA.  She was the angsty teen trying to choose between Edward the Vampire and Jacob the werewolf.

6. Word after dental or Mental: FLOSS.  

7. Just a handful of: FEW. not A LOT

8. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

9. Sinks: BASINS.  "Sinks" is a plural noun this time.

10. Kindle download: E-BOOK.

11. Dress with a triangular silhouette: A-LINE.

12. Electrical circuit component: RELAY.  Here's a 2 min. video on how they work.  

14. Contempt: SCORN.  

generally not nice things

17. Buckwheat noodle similar to udon: SOBA.  

I thought this yin-yang arrangement was clever.
(The dark noodles are SOBA noodles.)

20. Old West outposts: FORTS.  

John Wayne in Fort Apache (1948)  (48 sec.)

21. Free-for-all fight: BRAWL.  

Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs  (2018)

22. "Judy" Oscar winner Zellweger: RENÉE.  

(We're back to the RING theme.)

24. Clairvoyants: SEERS.

25. "House of Cards" actress Kate: MARA.  definitely not Kate dARA

27. Roam (about): GAD.

30. "Oh no, not __!": AGAIN.

31. TiVo precursor: VCR.  VideoCassette Recorder

32. Not in time to be useful: BELATEDLY.  This was the symmetrical fill to 3-Down, HEADBANDS.

33. Fragrance: AROMA.

34. Up and about: ASTIR.

36. Whitlock Jr. of "Da 5 Bloods": ISIAH.  We've had this name a few times now.

37. Sushi seaweed: NORI.  Here you can see that the NORI is on the outside of the rice for hosomaki and inside the rice for uramaki.

38. Linden who played Barney Miller: HAL.  Hal also played the clarinet. I think JzB will like this one. Do you recognize those two at the beginning?  

42. Daredevil's feats: STUNTS.

43. In a wily way: SLYLY.

44. Succulent with soothing gel: ALOE.  I finally got around to repotting mine. It's happier now.  

45. Brit's spot of tea: CUPPA.  I picked up this lingo from my Aussie friends. They use it for any hot beverage ... "Wanna grab a CUPPA?"

46. Company with orange-and-white trucks: U-HAUL.

47. River through western Germany: RHINE.  

48. Panama waterway: CANAL.  

49. Point of view: ANGLE.  This was my favorite clue because both "point" and "ANGLE" can also be Geometry terms.

53. Siestas: NAPS.

55. Lip of a glass: RIM.  It's where you stick the salt for your margarita.  

56. "Who am __ argue?": I TO.

57. Countless lifetimes: EON.

58. Manhattan liquor: RYE.  the cocktail -- not the NYC borough  

How to Make a Manhattan

This week's grid:  

Thanks for stopping by! Please RING us again tomorrow!

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

We made today's Atlas Obscura puzzle. It's edited by Samir Patel. Give it a whirl.

Monday February 12, 2024 Amanda Cook

  

Theme:                    Takin' Care of Business  

Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Takin' Care of Business (1973)

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. We'll waste no time getting down to business. Constructor Amanda Cook has placed the reveal across the equator:

37 Across. Sign outside a new store, or what the first words of 18-, 24-, 52-, and 59-Across can do?: OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

The words FUNNY, MONKEY, SHOW, and BIG can all make an in-the-language phrase when place in front of (open for) the word BUSINESS.  

18 Across. Sunday comics locale: FUNNY PAGES.

FUNNY BUSINESS refers to dishonest behavior intended to trick someone.  

24 Across. Pull-apart breakfast treat: MONKEY BREAD.

MONKEY BUSINESS is silly, mischievous, or deceitful conduct.  

52 Across. Broadway number that brings the house down: SHOW STOPPER.

SHOW BUSINESS is the performance arts that constitute the entertainment industry.  

59 Across. High roller: BIG SPENDER.

BIG BUSINESS is large-scale or important financial or commercial activity.  

And now for the remaining 71 clues:

Across:
1. Nudge: PROD.  A NUDGE in the right direction can go a long way. I like the saying, "Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult." In other words, use your brain to engineer the situation so it is easier for everyone to make better choices.

5. Photocopier unit: REAM.  

9. __ Day: tree-planting occasion: ARBOR.  This year, National ARBOR Day in the U.S. is Friday, April 26.

14. "The Real" co-host Love: LONI.  Unknown to me but she has 2 million Instagram followers so that shows what I know....

15. Ill at __: troubled: EASE.

16. "Make like a tree and __!": LEAVE.  You know ... make like a check and bounce; make like a baby and head out; make like Tom and Cruise; make like a bread truck and haul buns; or make like a banana and split!

17. In the thick of: AMID.

20. Shaggy's sidekick, familiarly: SCOOB.  

Scooby Doo theme song (1 min.)

This cartoon gave me nightmares when I was a kid.

22. Season for the 2024 Olympiques: ETE.  The French spelling tips us off that we need the French word for "summer". BTW, the official languages of the Olympics are English, French, and the host country's language(s).

23. Brita rival: PUR.  

very similar

28. That, in Tijuana: ESO.  "Tijuana" tips us off that the answer will be a Spanish word. No digas ESO translates to "Don't say that."

30. "Russian Doll" co-creator Poehler: AMY.  

Amy Poehler (left) with the star of Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne. 

31. "There's __ in team": NO I.  But there is an M and an E.  

32. Built: ERECTED.  

34. Conger catcher: EELER.  

This is a conger eel.

36. Did one's civic duty: VOTED.  When I worked at the Australian Embassy in D.C., expats came from all over to vote. Voting is compulsory for them. Table 1 on this site shows 32 countries with compulsory voting. Nineteen pursue it with enforcement.

42. Language of India that derives from Sanskrit: HINDI.  I've learned several Sanskrit words from practicing yoga.

43. Cuba y Cozumel: ISLAS.  Both are islands in Spanish-speaking countries.

44. All together: IN TOTAL.  This one adds up.

47. Go through dots like Pac-Man, e.g.: EAT.  

Pac-Man EATs the dots.

48. Amiss: OFF. as in "not quite right"

51. Happy Greek cry: OPA.  

Has anyone seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 yet?
I'm waiting for my turn at the library.
Rotten Tomatoes only gives it 29%. Oof-a!

55. Turn __ dime: ON A.  Is this good or bad?

57. Endeavour astronaut Jemison: MAE.  

National Women's History Museum link

58. 29-Down, for example: RATIO.     and     29. FanDuel stat: ODDS.

FanDuel is an online gambling company.

63. Corgis and collies: DOGS.  

A Borgi is a Border Collie / Corgi mix.

64. Like seven candles on the first night of Hanukkah: UNLIT.

65. Volcano associated with Hephaestus: ETNA.  I got this at 4-letter volcano, but a little Googling taught me that Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry, and sculpture. It seems he was thrown out of Mount Olympus after a bad argument with Jupiter. He fell on a lovely island, creating a deep hole in a high mountain. He decided to use that mountain as his blacksmith forge and (you guessed it) the result was a sparking Mt. ETNA.

66. Litter's littlest: RUNT.  There are several reasons for variations in the size of newborn puppies and kittens. A RUNT might occur in a very large litter because of positioning in the womb or because matings took place over several days.

67. Fitbit units: STEPS.  

68. Tragic fate: DOOM.  

69. Online artisan marketplace: ETSY.  

You can order this pink brain beanie for your Valentine on Etsy.

Down:
1. Life-saving donation: PLASMA.  

2. Enemies-to-lovers movie genre: ROM-COM.  ROMantic COMedies sometimes start with two people getting off on the wrong foot, like the time when Harry met Sally.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally ... (1989)  (2 min.)

3. Like some bagels: ONIONY.  adjective describing the flavor of allium plants

My chives have woken up from their winter naps and are already 5-inches tall.

4. Got a C, say: DID OK.  

"I got an A-, Tina". "You got an Asian F?"  (40 sec.)

Glee  (2011) 

5. NHL whistle blower: REF.  Here is a list of not-National Hockey League whistle blowers in the U.S. going back to 1777.

6. __ de parfum: EAU.  French for "water"

7. Ed of "Elf": ASNER.  

Will Ferrell and Ed Asner in Elf.  (2003)  (1 min.)

[Yeah, I think someone just pointed the video camera at their TV.]

8. Protégé: MENTEE.  A protégé is someone who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence. You know, like a mentor's MENTEE. 

9. Tour de France mountain: ALP.  This year, Le Tour begins on Saturday, June 29 in Florence, Italy. (You know I'll be watching!) 

Click to enlarge.

10. Gather in the fields: REAP.

11. Boulangerie loaf: BAGUETTE.  There seems to be a French mini-theme in today's puzzle.  

The Flight of the Conchords show off their French in Foux du fa fa.

12. Supervises: OVERSEES.  If you are an expat supervisor, you OVERSEE while you are overseas.

13. Hi-__ photo: RES.

19. Date component: YEAR.  alas, neither roses nor chocolates

DH and I had a Valentine's date on Saturday. We did a couple's candle-making class. Mine is the pink one -- eucalyptus/lemongrass/library book scent  

21. Health insurance, paid time off, etc.: BENEFITS.  Both are perks that might come with one's job.

25. "Here goes nothing" hashtag: YOLO.  You Only Live Once

26. Oktoberfest quaff: BIER.  The German spelling tips us off that we need the German word for beer.

27. One straying from the norm: DEVIATOR.

33. Downsides: CONS.  

Pros and CONS of adulthood

34. Exo- opposite: ENDO.  This one made me think of skeletons.  

35. Cleanup hitter's stat: RBI.  "Statistic" is abbreviated, so is Runs Batted In.

37. Pro Football Hall of Fame location: OHIO.  I read the clue too quickly and thought it was asking about the Pro Bowl so I entered Oahu. 

38. Zero in on: PINPOINT.  Here is the Pro Football Hall of Fame PINPOINTed on a map.  

39. Get wrapped up in a sticky situation: ENTANGLE.  

40. Doesn't waste: USES.  Waste not, want not.

41. Bedframe part: SLAT.

45. "Alas ... ": AH, ME.

46. Gave temporarily: LOANED.

48. Say "I pass": OPT OUT.

49. Pretends: FEIGNS.  It is nice to FEIGN interest when someone you care about is excited to tell you something about which you do not care.

50. Snowman with a magic hat: FROSTY.  

You know the hat is magic because of all the sparkles.

53. Joined with: WED TO.

54. San Diego slugger: PADRE.  Their mascot is the Swinging Friar.

56. Small taste of liquid: A SIP.

59. Magic vehicle for Ms. Frizzle: BUS.  This refers to a set of children's books (and later TV show) where the teacher, Ms. Frizzle, takes the students on extraordinary Science field trips.

60. TD's six: PTS.  Touch Downs are worth six Points (I hope your team got them yesterday.)

61. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.  Brian often frequents our girds.

62. Male sheep: RAM.

Here's the grid:  

It seems were are nearing close of business so I will bid you adieu!