Theme: If we could turn back time. The word "DAY is hidden in each theme entry, but spelt backwards. Not easy to find. Nota bene: each YAD is split across two words.
21. Beach community in L.A.'s South Bay: PLAYA DEL REY. A seaside suburb in the Santa Monica Bay and the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California. As of 2018, the community had a population of 16,230 people.
21. Beach community in L.A.'s South Bay: PLAYA DEL REY. A seaside suburb in the Santa Monica Bay and the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California. As of 2018, the community had a population of 16,230 people.
26. Customer who buys a gadget as soon as it's available: EARLY ADOPTER. an early customer of a given company, product, or technology. The term originates from Everett M. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations. They ususally pay the highest price.
43. Guidance at just the right moment: TIMELY ADVICE. Exactly as defined in the clue.
50. Time to do things out of order, or what appears in 21-, 26-, and 43-Across: BACKWARD DAY. National Backwards Day, celebrated on January 31st each year, is a whimsical and fun-filled observance that encourages people to do things in reverse or unconventional ways.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here, thinking about driving a Toyota in reverse. But let's go at this puzzle in a straightforward way.
1. Like purchases made while playing freemium games: IN APP. With some apps, you can buy additional content or services within the app. We call these "in-app purchases." Here are some examples of in-app purchases: A sword that gives you more power in a game. A key that unlocks more features of an app. Virtual currency that can be used for purchases.
6. Hanging on every word, say: RAPT. Completely fascinated by what one is seeing or hearing.
10. Golf course transport: CART. A small motorized vehicle for golfers and their equipment.
14. Storm-tracking device: RADAR. A system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source. Radar spelt backwards is __________.
15. Cincinnati's state: OHIO. A state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ohio borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.8 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and largest city is Columbus, with other large population centers including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Toledo. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".[10] Its flag is the only non-rectangular flag of all U.S. states. Giraffes are not native to Ohio because buckeyes are poisonous to them.
16. Taiwan-based laptop giant: ACER. Acer Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, headquartered in Xizhi, New Taipei City.
17. "Skyfall" singer: ADELE. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE (born 5 May 1988), known mononymously as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. Adele has received numerous accolades including 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards (including three for British Album of the Year), an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
18. __ bene: NOTA. A Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB or n.b., and first appeared in English writing c. 1711.
19. "Space Jam" bunny voiced by Kath Soucie: LOLA. Lola Bunny is a Looney Tunes cartoon character portrayed as an anthropomorphic female bunny created by Warner Bros. Pictures. She is generally depicted as Bugs Bunny's girlfriend. She first appeared in the 1996 film Space Jam.
20. Oldest Bobbsey daughter: NAN. The Bobbsey Twins are the principal characters of what was, for 75 years, the Stratemeyer Syndicate's longest-running series of American children's novels, written under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The first of 72 books was published in 1904, the last in 1979, with a separate series of 30 books published from 1987 through 1992. The books related the adventures of the children of the upper-middle-class Bobbsey family, which included two sets of fraternal twins: Bert and Nan, who were twelve years old, and Flossie and Freddie, who were six. Does anybody read them any more? Imagine NAN facing in the other direction.
24. Scottish Highlander: GAEL. (Especially in historical contexts) a member of the Gaelic-speaking peoples inhabiting Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
25. Calendar entries: EVENTS. An occasion planed for a certain lpace and time.
31. Woodshop grippers: VISES. A mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever.
32. "Aw, darn!": RATS. Exclamation of disappointment or dismay. But it's bright in reverse.
33. Sweet potato: YAM. Not the same thing. We've been over this. Especially in MAY.
36. "__ done the same thing!": I'D'VE. I would have.
37. "The Cider House Rules" Oscar winner Michael: CAINE. Sir Michael Caine CBE [b 1933] is an English retired actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over a career spanning eight decades and is considered a British film icon.
39. Beauty mark: MOLE. A normal skin growth that develops when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) grow in groups. They appear as small, dark marks, or sometimes flesh-coloured small bumps, on your skin. Moles can appear in a range of different colours, shapes and sizes.
40. Napkin holder: LAP. The flat area between the waist and knees of a seated person, suitable for placing a napkin or computer. In retrospect, it could be your friend.
41. Cast a ballot: VOTE. A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice.
42. All fired up: EAGER. Wanting to do or have something very much.
46. "Ooh, makes sense": AH, I SEE. Expression of enlightened agreement.
49. __ and ends: ODDS. Miscellaneous articles or remnants.
53. Enormous: BIG. Huge
56. Working hard: AT IT. Or arguing, or something . . .
57. Verbally attacked, with "into": TORE. A verbal assault.
58. Like some breakfast tea: IRISH. Irish Breakfast Tea is a type of black tea that has been a beloved beverage in Ireland and around the world for centuries. This tea is known for its robust and bold flavor, as well as its invigorating effects, making it a popular choice for a morning cuppa. Nota bene: Irish Tea is not grown in Ireland.
60. "__ a Lady": Tom Jones classic: SHE'S.
61. Brunch, e.g.: MEAL. A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The names used for specific meals in English vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal.
62. Terse denial: NOT ME. Properly should be NOT I, but nobody talks like that.
63. Quaint "Listen!": HARK. Pay attention!
64. Quiche base: EGGS. Oval or round objects laid by female birds, reptiles, fish, or invertebrates, usually containin developing embryos. The eggs of birds are enclosed in a chalky shell, while those of reptiles are in a leathery membrane.
65. V-formation flyers: GEESE. A goose is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser and Branta. Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names. They also lay eggs,
Down:
1. Persia, today: IRAN. Iran, also known as Persia and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq to the west and Turkey to the northwest, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. It covers an area of 1.648 million square kilometers (0.64 million square miles), making it the world's 17th-largest country. Iran has around 90 million people, making it the world's 17th most populous country. Its capital and largest city is Tehran with around 16 million people in its metropolitan area.
2. Spanish "nothing": NADA. Literal
3. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN.
4. Buddy: PAL. Amigo, chum, bestie. Reversed when you sit down.
5. Takes care of charges in advance: PRE-PAYS. Pay up front, or earlier,
6. 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Acuña Jr.: RONALD. Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. [1997] is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made his MLB debut in 2018, and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
7. "Howdy, Cap'n!": AHOY. A shout used, especially by people in boats, to attract attention: Ahoy there! used, especially on a boat, when you see something, usually something that is in the distance: Land ahoy! Ship ahoy!
8. Bread with a pocket: PITA. A flat rounded slightly leavened bread, originally from the Middle East, with a hollow inside like a pocket, which can be filled with food.
9. Marioverse racer with pink braids: TOADETTE. A female Toad who appears as a playable character in various spin-off games throughout the Mario series.
10. Telemarketer: CALLER. Salespeople who are employed by a company to telephone people in order to persuade them to buy the company's products or services, typically at dinner time.
11. __ squash: ACORN. An acorn-shaped dark green winter squash (Cucurbita pepo) with a ridged surface and mildly sweet yellow to orange flesh.
11. __ squash: ACORN. An acorn-shaped dark green winter squash (Cucurbita pepo) with a ridged surface and mildly sweet yellow to orange flesh.
12. Rented again: RELET. Rent (a property) for a further period or to a new tenant.
13. Cafeteria stack: TRAYS. Flat, shallow containers with raised rims, typically used for carrying food and drink, or for holding small items.
22. Grassy meadow: LEA. An open area of grassy or arable land.
23. Nights before: EVES. The day or period of time immediately before an event or occasion.
24. Delight: GLEE. Great delight. Originally, the joy one gets from singing, hence glee clubs as singing ensembles.
26. Wicked: EVIL. Bad and nasty. In real time if you turn it around.
27. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA. A tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt. The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an Ethiopian princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the King of Egypt. To complicate the story further, the King's daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, although he does not return her feelings.
28. "Tell me if you're coming" letters: RSVP. RSVP is an initialism derived from the French phrase Répondez s'il vous plaît, literally meaning "Respond, if it pleases you", or just "Please respond", to require confirmation of an invitation.
29. Protruding window: ORIEL. A large window built out from a wall and resting on a bracket or a corbel.
30. Skillet: PAN. A flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically 20 to 30 cm in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid.
33. "Pic-a-nic" basket-stealing bear: YOGI.
34. Smart __: wiseacre: ALEC. A person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything. Frex, I know this should be ALECK.
35. Little more than: MERE. That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.
37. "Bring it on!": COME AT ME. Used to express confidence in meeting a challenge.
38. Consumed: ATE. Eat, drink, or ingest food or drink.
39. Dallas NBA team, for short: MAVS. The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.
41. Perspective: VIEW. A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.
42. Going around in circles?: EDDYING. As water, air or smoke.
43. "Naughty!": TSK-TSK. A tongue-clicking sound expressing disapproval or annoyance.
44. Alpine songs: YODELS. a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. This vocal technique is used in many cultures worldwide.
45. Poet laureate Limón: ADA. Ada Limón [b. 1976] is an American poet. On July 12, 2022, she was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Librarian of Congress. This made her the first Latina to be Poet Laureate of the United States. She's the same, any way you look at her.
46. Embarrass: ABASH. A feeling of shame or being disconcerted or embarrassed.
47. Branch of yoga: HATHA. A yoga system of physical exercises and breathing control.
48. Less welcoming: ICIER. More unfriendly or hostile.
51. "Walkabout" director Nicolas: ROEG. Nicolas Jack Roeg CBE BSC [1928 -2018] was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing Performance, Walkabout, Don't Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bad Timing and The Witches.
52. "RuPaul's __ Race": DRAG. A reality show in which a group of talented drag queens compete in challenges to impress host RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, to win a cash prize along with a crown and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar.
53. Tasting menu portion: BITE. A very small portion of food.
54. Schools of belief: -ISMS. A suffix denoting the act, practice, or process of doing a particular thing in a particular way.
55. Clarified butter: GHEE. Ghee is made by melting regular butter. The butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids. Once separated, the milk solids are removed, which means that ghee has less lactose than butter.
59. Maki sushi topper: ROE. The fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes, and as a raw ingredient for delicacies such as caviar.
That's it for today. Hope it didn't set you back too much,
Cool regards!
JzB
