Wednesday, June 5 2019, Parikshit S. Bhat

Theme: CIRCLE OF LIFE

20. Many a coast-to-coast journey: RED EYE FLIGHT. A flight that takes off late at night and arrives early in the morning, usually taking off after 9 p.m. and arriving by 5 or 6 a.m. So, in taking a red-eye, you'll be in the air overnight, when you would typically be asleep. Typically, these flights travel west to east (according to cheapflights.com).

26. 2008 Ridley Scott film set in the Middle East: BODY OF LIES. Scott directed, Leonardo DeCaprio and Russell Crowe star. IMDB.

35. Reassuring reply to "You don't look well": I FEEL FINE. Except when it means the opposite.

46. Championship in a ring: TITLE FIGHT. For boxing fans - Andy Ruiz Jr. stuns Anthony Joshua in heavyweight title fight.

52. Influential in a big way ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles: LIFE CHANGING. 

Melissa here. Did you get the circles? Perfect answer for the reveal, very clever.

Across:

1. MSNBC analyst Melber: ARI.

4. Olds Cutlass model: CIERA. Tricky spelling.

9. Garbage boats: SCOWS.

14. Airport shuttle: VAN.

15. Up to this point: AS YET.

16. Deck with the Fool and the World: TAROT.

17. Make sense of: INTERPRET.

19. Yoga pose: ASANA.

22. Be concerned: MIND.

23. Burr and Hamilton, e.g.: ENEMIES.

31. Prefix with scope: ENDO. From Greek ἔνδον endon meaning "within, inner, absorbing, or containing."

32. Symbols in email addresses: ATS. @

33. Fishing equipment: REEL.

34. Ryegrass disease: ERGOT.

38. Cal. sequence: MTWTF. Monday, Wednesday, ...

41. Indigenous Japanese: AINU. Had no idea: Ainu, is a language spoken by members of the Ainu people on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

42. Took in: ATE.

45. Neighborhood: AREA.

49. Party popper: BALLOON. Not pooper ...

51. Invasive plant: WEED. Scotch Broom was introduced from Europe as a garden ornamental by early settlers of the Pacific Coast. Later it was used to prevent erosion and stabilize banks and sand dunes. It became invasive, and now costs Oregonians an estimated $40 million per year in lost timber revenue and control efforts. It sure is beautiful, though.

57. Goes after: HAS AT.

59. Spanish estates: HACIENDAS.

61. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" singer Cara: IRENE.

62. Put in office: ELECT.

63. Increase, with "up": AMP.

64. Big name in wedding invitations: EATON.

65. Med measures: DOSES.

66. Salty expanse: SEA.

Down:

1. Prefix for the birds: AVI.

2. Went on a rampage: RAN RIOT. I like this fill.

3. Plans (to): INTENDS.

4. Bit of TLC?: CARE.

5. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.

6. "Reader, I married him" governess: EYRE. One of my top five books of all time.

7. Coral environs: REEF.

8. British prime minister after WWII: ATTLEE. Clement Attlee.

9. __ whisper: STAGE.

10. Soft wool: CASHMERE.

11. Holding the floor: ORATING. Ohhhh ...

12. Got the gold: WON.

13. Many a stop: Abbr.: STA.

18. Jacuzzi effect: EDDY.

21. New officeholders: INS. Politics.

22. Deg. for a CEO: MBA.

24. Old name of Tokyo: EDO.

25. Drunk: SOT.

27. German composer Carl: ORFF. Wikipedia.

28. Payment for services: FEE.

29. "To Kill a Mockingbird" novelist: LEE. My newest granddaughter shares her first name, Harper. Another top five - both book and movie. We also have a cat named Boo, and another named Scout. Now I just need a dog named Atticus.

30. __ ease: anxious: ILL AT.

34. Plenty, in texts: ENUF.

35. Firenze native: ITALIANO.

36. Chick-__-A: fast-food chain: FIL.

37. Chemistry suffix: INE.

38. Queen of folklore: MAB. Queen of the fairies.

39. __-la-la: TRA.

40. Firmly established: WELL SET.

42. Meeting handouts: AGENDAS.

43. When you're "ahead of" it, you're likely to succeed: THE GAME.

44. JFK stat: ETD.

46. Clog part: TOE.

47. Made slow progress: INCHED.

48. "Victory is mine!": I WIN.

50. Many times: OFTEN.

53. Divine circle: HALO. Love this clue - and so appropriate for today's puzzle.

54. Killer serves: ACES.

55. "Sweet!": NICE.

56. Understands: GETS.

57. Shake a leg, quaintly: HIE.

58. Immortal Notre Dame coach Parseghian: ARA.

60. Place for a hot stone massage: SPA.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear TTP (Tom)! Besides being our Tuesday/Friday guide, TTP is also always there helping me with various blog glitches. 

Hope you have a fantastic round today, TTP!

  

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 Parikshit S. Bhat

18. *Evaluation by one's colleagues: PEER REVIEW.

24. *1984 Prince classic: PURPLE RAIN.

49. *Region bordering the world's largest ocean: PACIFIC RIM.

56. *Yellowstone VIP: PARK RANGER.

3. *Green Day genre: PUNK ROCK.

38. *Union demand: PAY RAISE.

37. Intensive goodwill campaign, briefly ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues: PR BLITZ.  A spate of PRs.

Across:

1. Captain Sparrow portrayer Johnny: DEPP.

5. Exam for jrs.: PSAT.   A wake up call for some.  I wonder how this joker did.

 
9. Indy 500 family name: UNSER.   I'll say.  Al Unser won there 4 times.  Older brother Bobby won 3 times.  Al Unser Jr. won 2 times.  Al and Bobby's older brother Jerry was in the 1958 Indy.  Jerry's son Johnny raced there 5 times.  Bobby's son Bobby Jr. ran there 2 times.  No family tree of racers even comes close to the legacy of the Unsers at the Indy 500.

  In Albuquerque: The Unser Racing Museum

14. Rio contents: AGUA.

15. Machu Picchu builder: INCA.

16. Loud salute: SALVO.

17. Beethoven's birth city: BONN.   His grandfather, also named Ludwig van Beethoven, moved from what is now Belgium to Bonn.  

20. Colorful carp: KOI.

22. "Born Free" lioness: ELSA.


23. Skin woe: ACNE.

27. Razz: JEER.

28. Like plagiarized work, say: STOLEN. 

29. Focus and Fiesta: FORDS.

 What's the Difference ?

30. Office asst.: SECY.

31. Spectacles on one's nose: GLASSES.    Katy Perry.

36. "That isn't nice": TSK.

38. Except for West Wendover, Nevada summer hrs.: PDT.  West Windover is in the Mountain Time Zone since October of 1999.

41. Sicilian seaport: MESSINA.  Did not know this.  Here's where it's at:

42. Hard to come by: RARE.

43. Glossy finish: SHEEN.

46. Harsh critic: FLAYER.   One who flays.   New word for me.

48. Very fancy: LUXE.

53. USA part: Abbr.: AMER.

54. Whirl around: SPIN.  LeBron James demonstrates the basketball spin move.

55. Drink from leaves: TEA.  When it comes to tea, Abejo only drinks Earl Grey.

59. French movie: CINE.

62. Like much bar beer: ON TAP.  “Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” - Thomas Jefferson.   Accidentally posted that quote in my Sunday comments.

63. Make, as money: EARN. 

64. "In your dreams!": AS IF.

65. Abodes for birds: NESTS.  Baby hummingbirds.

66. Liberal or martial things: ARTS.

67. Tenant's payment: RENT.

Down:

1. Pat softly: DAB.

2. Locker room issue: EGO. 

4. Impressive collection: PANOPLY.    I think we've only seen this word as an answer in Friday and Saturday crosswords.   Not in my vernacular.

5. Spot on a die: PIP.

6. Derisive look: SNEER.

7. Amtrak high-speed train: ACELA.   Amtrak says tilting trains are coming to the Northeast Corridor. 

8. Ankle bones: TARSI. 

9. Function: USE.

10. Four Corners natives: NAVAJOS.   And 25. Four Corners natives: UTES.

11. Sandwich maker's aid: SLICER.  "I've cut slices so thin, I couldn't even see them."

12. Smoothed: EVENED.

13. Sculls competitors: ROWERS.

19. Took off in a hurry: RAN.

21. Percent suffix: ILE.

24. Attention-getting sound: PSST.

26. Some MIT grads: ENGRS.

29. Tasseled hat: FEZ.

32. Scale units: Abbr.: LBS.  Libras. 

33. Baba among thieves: ALI.   Ali to his cohorts.

34. Confession disclosure: SIN.

35. Work support group: STAFF.

37. Cross product: PEN.

39. Eins und zwei: DREI.   Math in German.  One and two equals three.

40. Educational period: TERM.

41. Mongoose family member that uses its tail to stand erect: MEERKAT.  This little guy looks sleepy.

42. 9-Across vehicle: RACE CAR.  True.  The Unser's know about race cars.

43. Apply hurriedly: SLAP ON.

44. Showing compassion: HUMANE.  Pay it forward.

45. Applies, as pressure: EXERTS.

47. On fire: LIT. 

49. "Don't text and drive" ad, briefly: PSA.  Public Service Announcement.  This one from South Africa. 


50. Snorer's disorder, perhaps: APNEA.

51. Groucho's smoke: CIGAR.

 Groucho Marx One-Liners About Marriage

52. Like noble gases: INERT.

57. Rotation meas.: RPS.  Revs Per Sec.

58. IV league?: RNS.   IV as an abbreviation for intravenous,  league as a collection of people,  and RNs as abbreviation for Registered Nurses.   Nice clue for the answer. 

60. Diarist Anaïs: NIN.   Every clue I've ever read for NIN has been related to Anaïs in one fashion or another. 

61. Amphibian youngster: EFT.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Congrats on your 685 series, TTP!

2) Dear Anon-T (Tony) made a fun puzzle for his company's newsletter. You can click here for the PDF file, here is the puz file. Here is Answer Grid. Please let him know where your trouble spots are. Thank you!