Tuesday September 24, 2024 Norman M Aaronson

Tiny Bubbles.  Notice that each theme answer is in the Down position and the first word of each answer is in circles.  The circles Bubble Up and the word in the circles can be a type of a Bubble.

3-Down. Melodramatic series: SOAP OPERA.  Soap Bubbles.

5-Down. Professional who helps correct communication disorders: SPEECH THERAPIST.  Speech Bubbles.

9-Down. Summer coolers: AIR CONDITIONERS.  Air Bubbles.

And the unifier:

36-Down. Rises to the top, or what can be found in this puzzle?: BUBBLES UP.  YooperPhil reminded me that there is a soda called BubbleUp.  

Across:

1. Flat-topped landform: MESA.  Everything you wanted to know about Mesas but didn't know to ask.

5. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.  The Samoa Islands look like a paradise in the pacific.

10. Wraparound dress in Hindi cinema: SARI.  I just The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi, which delves into Indian culture in the 1950s.  The author describes in detail the wearing of Saris and the meaning of various materials and designs of the dress.

14. Nutrient in leafy greens: IRON.

15. St. __ Girl beer: PAULI.  St. Pauli Girl Beer is a German beer.  The name comes from the former St. Paul's Friary in Bremen, which was next to the original St. Pauli brewery established.  St Pauli Girl's Beers has been available in the United States since 1965.  The beers are brewed in compliance with the German Purity Laws of 1516.

16. Like most Olympic years: EVEN.

17. Super-vision?: X-RAY.

18. Enthusiastic: EAGER.

19. Mr. Peanut accessory: CANE.

20. Congressional helper: PAGE.

22. More frightening: SCARIER.

24. "No seats" B'way sign: SRO.  As in Standing Room Only.

26. Sch. near Hollywood: UCLA.  As in the University of California, Los Angeles.  The UCLA Bruins lost to the LSU Tigers last Saturday in Death Valley.

29. Eggy brunch dish: OMELET.  Yummers!

30. Store with printing services: COPY SHOP.

32. Small quibble: NIT.

33. Under the covers: ABED.

34. Coarse woolens: TWEEDS.  This has become a crossword staple that appears often in the Tuesday puzzles.

36. Chem. in some plastics: BPA.  As in BisPhenol A.  Bisphenol A is a chemical compound used in the manufacturing of various plastics. It is a colourless solid which is soluble in most common organic solvents, but has very poor solubility in water.  BPA is produced on an industrial scale by the condensation reaction of phenol and acetone.  

39. Cayenne automaker: PORSCHE.  Everything you should know about the Porsche Cayenne before finalizing the purchase.

41. Sniffler's boxful: TISSUES.

43. Approx. affected by weather: ETA.  As in Estimated Time of Arrival.  Heavy rain or a snow storm can delay travel time.

44. "Be that as it may": YES, BUT.

46. Online bidding site: E-BAY.

47. Downtime, briefly: RNR.  As in Rest and Relaxation.

48. Like content that can be revised: EDITABLE.  Not to be confused with Edible, although that, too, would "revise" the content.

50. Tater Tots brand: ORE-IDA.  Yummers!  Who doesn't like Tater Tots.

53. "Ouch!": YEOW.

54. "__ the games begin!": LET.

55. Harmonica ancestor: PANPIPE.

57. Smeller: NOSE.

59. Sitting on: ATOP.

60. "Who knew!": I'LL BE.

63. "NFL Primetime" network: ESPN.  The name of the network, which was established in 1979, originally was named Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.  The name was so long that in 1985, it was renamed to just ESPN.

66. Aggravate: RILE.

67. Makeup mishap: SMEAR.

68. Ballet skirt: TUTU.

69. Pond croaker: TOAD.

70. __ down: softens: TONES.

71. Tiff: SPAT.

Down:

1. Stir: MIX.

2. Be off the mark: ERR.

4. Taylor-Joy of "The Menu": ANYA.  Can you believe that we made it all the way to 4-Down before encountering a person?  The Menu is a comedy thriller about a couple who trek to remote island to sample a lavish $1,250/person menu.  Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (b. Apr. 16, 1996) portrays one of the diners.  [Name # 1.]

6. Duracell size: AAA.

7. Coffee holder: MUG.

8. Fútbol cheers: OLÉs.  This has become a crossword staple.

10. Hidden: SECRET.

11. To no __: without success: AVAIL.

12. "Girls5eva" co-star __ Elise Goldsberry: RENÉE.  I am familiar with neither Girls5eva, a television musical comedy, nor Renée Elise Goldsberry (b. Jan. 2, 1971).  [Name # 2.]

13. Dormant: INERT.

21. Director Van Sant: GUS.  Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (b. July 24, 1952) has directed many films, including the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, which launched the careers of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.  [Name # 3.]

23. Not quite correct: AMISS.

24. Garlic stalk available at springtime farmers markets: SCAPE.  What are Garlic Scapes?

25. Automaton: ROBOT.

27. Home Depot rival: LOWES.

28. Mimic: APE.

31. Fabric store meas.: YDS.  Fabric is sold by the Yard.

35. Piano practice piece: ÉTUDE.

37. Writer Norman Vincent __: PEALE.  Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 ~ Dec. 24, 1993) was a theologian, but is best known for his book The Power of Positive Thinking.  [Name # 4.]

38. Thus far: AS YET.

40. Singer Lauper: CYNDI.  Cyndi Lauper (née Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper; b. June 22, 1953) was big in 1980s.   Her 1983 debut album She's So Unusual (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achieve four top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  [Name # 5.]

42. Mediterranean __: SEA.

45. "Queen __": pop music nickname: BEY.  Also known as Beyoncé (née Beyoncé Giselle Knowles; b. Sept. 4, 1981).  [Name # 6.]

47. Very muscular: RIPPED.

49. Pair: TWO.

50. Visually stimulating images: OP ART.

51. Quantitative comparison: RATIO.

52. Sherlock's teen sister: ENOLA.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not create Enola Holmes.  She was added to the family later.  [Name # 7, Fictional.]

56. Red resident of Sesame Street: ELMO.  [Name # 8, Fictional.]

58. Gels: SETS.

61. Actor Cariou: LEN.  Leonard Joseph Cariou (b. Sept. 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor.  I recognize him from his recurring role on Murder, She Wrote.  [Name # 9.]

62. Sweetie: BAE.

64. Sch. support group: PTA.  As in the Parent Teacher Association.

65. Pecan or cashew: NUT.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Thursday, December 7, 2023, Norman M. Aaronson

 

 Some Travelers

The Traveling Wilburys seem to enjoy traveling by train, but the travelers  in constructor Norman Aaronson's 4 themers appear to be suffering from various forms of hodophobia (fear of travel).  Here are some of their punny excuses for avoiding it  ...

18A. Some travelers won't tour the Corn Palace for fear that ...: THE WALLS HAVE EARS.  The Corn Palace, commonly advertised as The World's Only Corn Palace and the Mitchell Corn Palace, is a multi-purpose arena/facility located in Mitchell, South Dakota, United States.  The Corn Palace is a popular tourist destination, visited by up to 500,000 people each year.  A must see for corny cruciverbalists 😃...

 Corn Palace
Mitchell, SD

29A. Some travelers won't go to the top of the Eiffel Tower because they never ...: COME TO THE  POINT.  The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.  It was constructed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution.  It has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The summit of the Eiffel Tower is the highest observation deck in Paris. This floor is home to the restored Gustave Eiffel's office.  I don't think that anyone can actually get to the point ...

The Eiffel Tower

47A. Some travelers won't visit the La Brea Tar Pits for fear of being ...: STUCK IN THE PAST.  This particular type of travel has an added dimension, in that it involves travel through time.  This is a topic much in the news these days due to the 60th anniversary of the most celebrated time traveler of all time, Dr.Who (search for MISSY in my 10/30/2023 review). I don't recall whether the good Doctor ever traveled to La Brea, but if he did he would have had to be especially careful to avoid  running into this denizen of the pits -- the erroneously named "Smilodon", definitely nothing to smile about!

Smilodon Fatalis

62A. Some travelers won't get on the London Eye because they would just ...: GO ROUND IN CIRCLES.  The London Eye is a cantilevered observation wheel on the the River Thames in London. At the time it was completed in 2000 it was the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world (but due to the EYE RACE it isn't anymore more), and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually. It has made many appearances in popular culture, but I believe this may be its first appearance on the Corner ...

The London Eye

Another reveal-less Thursday.  Sorry about the circles. 😁  Have I missed anything?

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. See 57-Across: SEED.

5. Hilton heiress: PARIS.  Also where the tower in 29A is.

10. African snake: MAMBA.  The BLACK MAMBA, one of Africa's most feared and respected snakes, inevitably evokes reactions of fear, respect or awe - often merely by being mentioned.  Now that I have, here are some facts (and some myths) to allay your fears.

Black Mamba

15. Actor Alan: ALDA.  ALAN ALDA is best known  as the star of the TV series M*A*S*H , which ran for 11 years, ending with the final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" on February 28, 1983. The episode was 2 1⁄2 hours long, had 106 million viewers, and  is purported to be the single most watched TV series episode in history. The show wasn't all laughs though, and it could get personal. Here's a scene he shared with a guest star, his father Robert ...

An in depth interview with Alan Alda

16. Do more than just apologize: ATONE.

17. __ Sports Bureau: statistics giant: ELIAS.   The ELIAS Sports Bureau is a privately-held American sports data company providing historical and current statistical information for the major professional sports leagues operating in the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 1913, Elias is considered a pioneering firm in the field of sports record keeping and has served as the longtime official statistician for Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL).

18. [Theme clue]

21. Unattached: SINGLE.

22. Promotion cost: AD RATE.

23. First Burmese prime minister: UNU.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this particular fill was needed just to cross 19D, 5D, and 24D, and as luck would have it Norman (or Patti) found it with a 9D ...

U Nu

25. Fort Collins sch.: CSU.  Colorado State University (CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded in 1870 as Colorado Agricultural College, it is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. 

26. Digital water tester?: TOE.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Mail in a box: SHIP.

36. "No Ordinary Love" singer: SADE  The secret to runaway success in the music business is mononymity (no ordinary word 😀).  Here's a list of the 100 best mononymous singers -- SADE comes in at #32 ...

37. Gift list addressee: SANTA. If you're not relying on SANTA to deliver them then you have only 17 shopping day's left until Christmas ...

Christmas Light Nativity Scene

38. Light bulb unit: WATT.  There are a lot of light bulbs in the preceding scene.  If you take the trouble to count them you can calculate the approximate number of WATTS they consume per hour.  The guy across the street from us has so many Christmas lights on his house that he has a generator to power them.  They're beautiful, but very noisy. 

39. Protect: SHIELD.  Don't wait until it's too late! ...

42. Squabble: SPAT. Also the past tense of SPIT.

43. Actor Elba: IDRIS. Two vowels + endings for a past tense, a comparison, and a plural.  Gotta love this guy.

45. Eyelid affliction: STYE.

46. Pajama parts: TOPS.  BOTTOMS won't fit (unless you have two heads 😁).

47. [Theme clue]

51. "Help!" letters: SOS.

52. Anger: IRE.

53. Liberal arts maj.: SOC.  Sociology.  The science of friendly people.

54. Pub __: CRAWLS.  I went on a PUB CRAWL once with some of my English cousins.  I really don't remember much about it.

57. With 1-Across, bun topper: SESAME. 

62. [Theme clue]

66. Kitchen cover: APRON.

67. Underway: AFOOT.  The word AFOOT first entered our language in Shakespeare's in Henry V and was later popularized by Sherlock Holmes.

68. "Stat!": ASAP.  I believe that STAT is medical parlance for IMMEDIATELY!.   OTOH ASAP means As Soon As Possible (or when you get a ROUND TOIT 😀). 

69. Fringe benefits: PERKS.  Free coffee?

70. Obligations: DEBTS.

71. Scrawny: BONY.

Down:

1. College Board exams: SATS.   Scholastic Aptitude Tests

2. K thru 12: EL HI.  Kindergarten through 12 grade (when you take your SATS).

3. Genesis spot: EDEN.  Peter Gabriel left that spot in 1975 to  go solo ...

4. Dippy __: original name of Disney's Goofy: DAWG.   Goofy first appeared in Mickey's Revue in 1932 as Dippy DAWG, and in Orphan's Benefit in 1934 as Goofy ,,,

Goofy

5. Lack of color: PALENESS.

6. Scoreboard abbr. for the 2023 NL East champions: ATL.

7. Congressional Gold Medal honoree Parks: ROSA.  In December of 2019 The Library of Congress began a special exhibition about ROSA PARKS.  The website created to archive this event had a selection of manuscripts of her speeches, revealing that she was more than just a seamstress who "sat down" on a bus to stand up for the rights of African Americans.  The LOC exhibited the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the U.S. executive branch, presented to Rosa by President Clinton on September 15, 1996 ...

... and the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Legislative Branch on June 15, 1999, also presented by President Clinton.

8. Sharp, as a TV broadcast: IN HD.  High Definition Video.

9. Google: SEARCH.

10. Informal gatherings: MEET UPS.

11. Not aweather: ALEE.  Another adjective created by appending an A to A NOUN.

12. Soccer great Hamm: MIA.  We had this clue recently, so I was able to recycle this jpeg ...

Mia Hamm

13. Snack or salad follower: BAR.

14. Beast of burden: ASS.  And when their burdens become too great, they can be BADA**ES.

19. Last year's sr.: ALUM. Or a hydrated sulfate salt of ALUMinum and usually one other metal.

20. Bouquet holder: VASE.  Here's a nice bouquet holder from Song Dynasty, China, 11th - early 12th century AD.

Song Dynasty Vase
Freer Gallery
Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

24. Locale of Snowbird and Alta: UTAH.

26. Two-bit: TINPOT.  Given the current price of TIN Oxide (SnO2), used to opacify white ceramic glazes ($130.76/lb), I wouldn't call POTS glazed with them "Two-bit". 🙄

27. Ready to flow: ON TAP.

28. Les __-Unis: ETATS.

29. Kumquat, for one: CITRUS.  Kumquats are a group of small, fruit-bearing trees in the family Rutaceae. The edible fruit closely resembles the orange in color, texture, and anatomy, but is much smaller, being approximately the size of a large olive. The fruit is often eaten whole by humans, and has a taste which is sweet, tart and also somewhat sour.

Kumquats

30. Vision-related: OPTIC.

31. Lyric poet: ODIST. KEATS and BYRON fit but didn't perp.

32. Saw things?: TEETH. 😁

33. Brewery ovens: OASTS.  An OAST,  oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning (drying) hops as part of the brewing process.  In America they are called "Hop houses".  They consist of a rectangular one- or two-story building (the "stowage") and one or more kilns in which the hops are spread out to be dried by hot air rising from a wood or charcoal fire below. Without them we would be unable to maintain a steady supply of ALES and IPAS, essential ingredients in many crossword puzzles.

Oast house
Frittenden, Kent, UK

34. Gruyère, e.g.: SWISS.  Gruyère is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), which became the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) as of 2013.  These sound similar to the standards used to protect European wines, although apparently when it comes to cheese the U.S. doesn't recognize them.

Gruyère Swiss Cheese

35. Couldn't say no: HAD TO. 

40. Caustic agents: LYES.  Not as caustic as some LIES.

41. Money in the bank: DEPOSITS.

44. Locales at Snowbird and Alta: SKI RUNS. A CSO to MalMan

48. Country of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi: IRAN. Narges Mohammadi (born 21 April 1972) is an Iranian human rights activist and Nobel laureate. She is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), headed by her fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shirin Ebadi.  She has been imprisoned for her crimes and at last report she is being kept in solitary confinement.

Narges Mohammadi

49. First-time father: NEW DAD.

50. Tech giant that purchased Gateway: ACER.

54. Diner employee: COOK.

55. Quaker cereal: LIFE.

56. __ appeal: SNOB.

58. Strike underminer: SCAB.  The recent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have now been settled.  There were relatively few SCABS (strike breakers) but the unions did allow a number of exceptions to this designation.  But here are 13 celebs and influencers who were called out for scabbing.

59. In addition: ALSO.

60. Nasty: MEAN.

61. Best Play, for one: ESPY.  Not a Tony, but a sports play.  The 2023 ESPY Awards, the 31st annual ceremony of the ESPY Awards, was held on July 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and broadcast by ABC.  For the first time, the ceremony forewent a single host due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

62. Empty space: GAP.

63. Reveal, to a poet: OPE.

64. 2022 Telugu-language film directed by S.S. Rajamouli: RRR.  RRR (subtitled onscreen as Roudram Ranam Rudhiram ("Ferocious, War, Blood") is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli.  The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, et. al.  It revolves around the fictional versions of two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), their friendship, and their fight against the British Raj.  Rotten Tomatoes rated it a 95% ...

65. Tent bed: COT.

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 78th birthday to Windhover, who met with Lucina on July 24, 2015. Hope all's well with you and Irish, Larry!