Monday May 6, 2024 Patti Varol

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's theme is:  

Editor and constructor Patti Varol treats us to one of her own creations. I am always impressed with Patti's gridwork and today is no exception. She gives us five themed clues, three of which are grid-spanners. 

17 Across. Dr. Seuss work featuring an elephant who declares, "A person's a person no matter how small": HORTON HEARS A WHO.  

23 Across. Skeptical reply to an assertion: BASED ON WHAT?.

39 Across. Very remote place: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

50 Across. "Should I stop pouring?": JUST SAY WHEN.

61 Across. "My motives have to remain a secret": I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY are sometimes called the Five Ws of report writing. Patti has identified their placement at the ends of in-the-language phrases. The first one is my favorite because the character meaning of WHO is furthest from its interrogative pronoun usage.

It helped that Horton is the only elephant I know of in the Dr. Seuss universe.

When a 15X15 grid is divided up by five, long, themed answers, it will inevitably have some less-than-first-choice fill that is difficult to get around. Patti dealt with that by using familiar clueing in just the right places to help keep things at a Monday level. Well done! 

Why not take a closer look?

Across:
1. The "O" of EGOT: OSCAR.  "EGOT" is an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

Also...OSCAR is the name of the cat introduced in Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small. I know we have some fans here on The Corner (including me!) I hope they will enjoy this 1:25 min. video.  

6. Pulitzer winner Jennifer: EGAN.  Here is Jennifer, receiving her prize in 2011 for her novel, A Visit From The Goon Squad.  more about this award

I have not read any of her books
but I knew her name from my volunteer work at my local library.

10. Some primates: APES.

14. Frighten: SCARE.  The movie Planet of the 10As SCAREs me!

15. Mouse catcher: TRAP.  

Remember this game?

16. See 4-Down: DECO.     and     4 Down. With 16-Across, style of L.A.'s Griffith Observatory: ART.  

more on art deco

20. IM pioneer: AOL.  Instant Messaging and America Online

21. Single: ONE.

22. Maker of EcoTank Supertank printers: EPSON.  "Printer" narrowed down my guesses.

28. "That ship __ sailed": HAS.  Use this idiom when you want to say that it is now too late to do something, an opportunity has been lost.  

I know I've used this one before, but it's so funny!

29. Harrison Ford's "Star Wars" role: HAN SOLO.  He appeared in six Star Wars movies.  wookieepedia

Confession:  For too long, I though his name was Hanz Olo.

33. More slippery, as a winter sidewalk: ICIER.  

36. Spring shape: COIL.  

It's a slinky on a treadmill!

38. Pea holder: POD.

43. Chowed down: ATE.

44. Fashion's Spade: KATE.  This is her website. She is mostly know for handbags, shoes, and jewelry.

45. Tries to avoid being seen: HIDES.

46. Tampers (with): MEDDLES.

49. Ryan of rom-coms: MEG.  

a gimme for us rom-com fans

55. Dads: PAPAS.    

58. Stately tree: ELM.  

59. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN.  I have never watched this show so the crossing with 53 Down was a WAG for me.

Len Cariou was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Sept. 30, 1939.

66. Math course with many functions, for short: TRIG.  In TRIGonometry, students explore the ratios between sides of right triangles -- sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant.

67. Word after "all the" or "just the": SAME.  Nice clue!  

68. Geek Squad clients: USERS.  Think "computers".

69. Long sandwich: HERO.  The longest sandwich was close to  a half a mile long (735 meters) and was built in Beirut, Lebanon in 2011.

Have I mentioned I love sandwiches?

70. Say the rosary, e.g.: PRAY.  

Bon Jovi released Livin' On A Prayer in 1986.

Jon met his DW when they were in high school. 

71. Magazine edition: ISSUE.  

What about the Down clues?

Down:
1. Federal org. that approves protective gear: OSHA.  

2. Shaggy's pal, informally: SCOOB.  

3. Celebrity chef Hall: CARLA.  I know Carla from Top Chef. She was also on The Chew from 2011 to 2018. Here she is:  

5. __ Speedwagon: REO.  Time for another big hair music break!  

REO Speedwagon released Keep On Loving You in 1980.

(They still had telephones with cords shaped like a 36-A in 1980.)

6. Prefix with "musicology": ETHNO-.  Ethnomusicology is the study of music in its social and cultural contexts.  more

7. Color of a correctly placed letter in Wordle: GREEN.  What a welcomed clue for all the Wordlists on The Corner!

8. Small battery size: AAA.  

What happened to B?
What happened to A?
Why do more As make it smaller?

9. "Weekend Edition" airer: NPR.

10. Learns to fit in: ADAPTS.

11. Church seats: PEWS.

12. Sound that bounces back: ECHO.  

13. In a few minutes: SOON.

18. Dozes (off): NODS.

19. Actor Astin: SEAN.  He played Mikey in The Goonies and Sam in The Lord of the Rings.  IMDb link

24. Leave fur on the sofa, maybe: SHED.  

25. __ Grey tea: EARL.  DH drinks this. I prefer the herbals.

26. Kvetch: WHINE.  The Yiddish word kvetshn (literally, to squeeze or pinch) comes from Middle High German. When used as a verb, kvetch means to complain habitually. As a noun, it is a habitual complainer.  

waseeley, are you and Teri still watching Northern Exposure (1990-1995)?
I am almost finished with Season 4. Joel immediately came to mind.

27. Saintly glow: HALO.  HALO lesson

Benozzo Gozzoli's Angels in Adoration (detail) (1459-1460)
Gozzoli used HALOs as a sort of speech bubble.

30. Opinion column: OP-ED.

31. Traditional tales: LORE.  Folklore and fairy tales can be found in the 398 section of the Dewey decimal system.

32. Poetic tributes: ODES.

33. Muslim leader: IMAM.

34. Give credit to: CITE.

35. Carded, briefly: ID-ED.

36. Sail (through): COAST.  To coast is to move easily without using power. I think of COASTing down a hill on my bicycle.

The Coasters released Poison Ivy in 1959.

Talk about double entendre!

(Added note:  Imagine my surprise when I read Husker Gary's blog last Saturday and saw that he had quoted this song!)

37. Many times o'er: OFT.  The first known use of OFT was before the 12th century. "Often" became commonly used in the 16th century.

40. Barely gets (by): EKES.

41. "Glad that's over!": WHEW.  A CSO to this month's graduates.

42. __ and mighty: HIGH.

47. "__ Unchained": Tarantino film: DJANGO.  The D is silent.  IMDb link

48. Unbridled desire: LUST.

49. "Good gravy!": MY MY.  

The Simpsons (11 seconds)

"It's just brown and water."

51. Alabama home of the National Voting Rights Museum: SELMA.  It is part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

52. Bowling venue: ALLEY.  Bowling lanes on a Monday bring up fond memories.

53. Cary of "The Princess Bride": ELWES.  You might be hoping I will insert a 3:14 min. scene from The Princess Bride with Westly (Cary Elwes) and Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). "As yooouuu wiiiiiiishhhhh...."  

54. Jawaharlal who was the longest-serving prime minister of India: NEHRU.  (1889-1964) He was also the first prime minister of an independent India (1947-1964). Some might better know him as Indira Gandhi's father or as the wearer of an eponymous jacket.

55. White part of an orange: PITH.  

56. Vineyard measure: ACRE.

57. Au __: nanny: PAIR.  

"Mom and dad have to migrate now, so we're leaving you with the au pair".

60. Wall St. index: NYSE.  "Street" is abbreviated, so is New York Stock Exchange.

62. Cook's meas.: TSP.  "Measurement" is abbreviated, so is TeaSPoon.

63. Corn shucker's unit: EAR.  

64. Yes, in French: OUI.  

65. Letters on the starship Enterprise: USS.  This is a Star Trek reference. Depending on whom you ask, USS has alternately stood for "United Space Ship", "United States Ship", and "United Star Ship". It also carries the letters NCC. Perhaps that foiled true fans?

Also, back on Earth, the USS Enterprise is a decommissioned aircraft carrier. In this case, USS definitely means United States Ship. In 1958 she was the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. She currently sits at a pier in Newport News, VA.  

When can you see the grid? Right now! 

Where can posters leave comments?  Please comment below.

Who wants to join in?

Monday April 1, 2024 Patti Varol

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a golden puzzle to celebrate April Fools' Day. It has a holiday theme, just-right Monday level, and a factor of fun. For these reasons, it earns the title:  

We will begin with the themed clues:

17 Across. Matching cups, saucers, sugar bowl, etc.: TEA SERVICE.  

22 Across. Colorful hard confection: RIBBON CANDY.  

This is RIBBON CANDY. It is popular at Christmastime.

50 Across. Legumes in some chili recipes: KIDNEY BEANS.  

They are so named because of their kidney-like shape and their color.
Actually, thinking of them that way makes them sound far less appetizing.

57 Across. Mojave Desert yucca: JOSHUA TREE.  

Some say they inspire images of the biblical Joshua
reaching out his arms towards God.

Here is the reveal:

36 Across. Apt time for pranksters to do the starts of 17-, 22-, 50-, and 57-Across?: APRIL FOOLS' DAY.

"The starts of 17-, 22-, 50-, and 57-Across" are all things pranksters do:  TEASE, RIB, KID, and JOSH.  

All four of the themers are two-word phrases. "TEASE" spans both words while the other three are the first syllables of the first words. 

Something about this puzzle felt familiar. Did you feel that way, too? Perhaps I was recalling this November 29, 2023 puzzle by Jeanne D. Breen (blogged by Anonymous T) with the reveal ALL KIDDING ASIDE.

I like that Patti gave us a special puzzle to mark today's date. Perhaps she thought, "Well, if no one is going to submit an April Fools' Day puzzle than I will just have to create one."

Across:

1. Low on a spiciness scale: MILD.  

5. Presidential thumbs down: VETO.  Cue School House Rock:  

9. Future JD's exam: LSAT.  To be admitted into a Doctor of Jurisprudence program, one must first pass the Law School Admission Test.

13. Over again: ANEW.

14. Villainous: EVIL.  

Jace Everett   Bad Things (2005)

This was the theme song to the TV show True Blood (2008-2014).

15. Commuter boat: FERRY.

16. Post-it scribble: NOTE.  

19. Starting point: ONSET.  Think "time" as opposed to "location".

21. "Luncheon of the Boating Party" painter Pierre-Auguste: RENOIR.  The painting is on display at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

(1880-1881)
Renoir later married the model in the bottom, left.

25. "Bowwow!": ARF.  

dog noises in nine languages  (32 sec.)

28. Fr. holy woman: STE.  I know this one from doing XWDs. "French" is abbreviated and so is something about a nun.

29. Pep squad cheer: RAH.

30. Alex Morgan's sport: SOCCER.  She is an American athlete born on July 2, 1989 who plays forward for the United States' women's national soccer team and the San Diego Wave.

32. Back, at sea: ASTERN.  Without the comma, one might try to think of words meaning "to return to the sea".  

This diagram helped me see the difference between "stern" and "astern".

35. "Good heavens!": OH MY.  

40. Antioxidant berry in fruit bowls: ACAI.

41. Tranquil: SERENE.

42. Not exactly: KIND OF.

45. Mariska Hargitay series, familiarly: SVU.  Law & Order:  Special Victims Unit  (1999 - present)  

This is Mariska posing in front of a SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle).

46. Small amount: BIT.

49. Citrus drink suffix: -ADE.

54. Extra charge for a sci. class, e.g.: LAB FEE.  Science class

56. Quick bite: SNACK.  

61. Share a side with: ABUT.  But, wait! We also have 62A....

62. Anticipate: AWAIT.

63. Rhyming tributes: ODES.

64. Train segments: CARS.  

I was standing on a pedestrian overpass when I took this picture of train CARS loaded with coal.

65. Terrarium pet: NEWT.  

Learn more about this Luristan NEWT here.

66. Norway's capital: OSLO.     and     34 Down. Like Vikings: NORSE.

67. Job: TASK.

Down:
1. Grand homes: MANORS.

2. Part of the plot: IN ON IT.  

3. Doesn't interfere with: LETS BE.  

The Beatles  Let It Be  (1970)

4. Uncool sort: DWEEB.     and     52 Down. Uncool sorts: NERDS.

5. Nov. 11 honoree: VET.  "November" is abbreviated, so is "VETeran".

6. Festive night, often: EVE.

7. Prom queen's crown: TIARA.

8. Elizabeth of "WandaVision": OLSEN.  Elizabeth is the younger sister of the OLSEN twins from Full House (Mary-Kate and Ashley). This is the trailer for her show.  👍👍  

9. Jeans maker Strauss: LEVI.  

10. Hot sauce often mixed with mayonnaise: SRIRACHA.  Knowing this one and knowing how to spell it are two different challenges.

This is for those of you who have been following the SRIRACHA drama.

11. Path of a lobbed ball: ARC.

12. Sheridan who plays young Cyclops in the "X-Men" films: TYE.  his IMDb page

15. Soft serve ice cream alternative, casually: FROYO.  

18. Wraps up: ENDS.  

20. Upper bodies: TORSI.  The plural of torso is torsos or TORSI. 

Gaddi Torso  (2nd Century BCE)
The artist is unknown. "Gaddi" is the family name of a previous owner.

23. Countrywide: Abbr.: NAT'L.  National

24. Gourmet cooks: CHEFS.     and     26 Down. "Ratatouille" rat: REMY.     and     27 Down. Cook in hot oil: FRY.

2007 Disney movie

31. Programmer's output: CODE.

32. Dry as a desert: ARID.

33. Fish eggs: ROE.

36. Battery fluid: ACID.  your battery acid questions answered

37. Carpentry tool that cuts plywood sheets: PANEL SAW.  

How to Panel Saw

I like how the tape measure is built into the saw.

38. Tax: LEVY.  When they tax the jeans in 9D it is called a Levi LEVY.  😉

39. Oscar season oversights: SNUBS.  Def.:  (verb) rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully. 

This was a timely clue because for the last two weeks, the internet has been sending me links to articles about who was snubbed by the Oscars. 

Ke Huy Quan won an Academy Award in 2023
 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in
Everything Everywhere All at Once.

40. Sometimes called, for short: AKA.  It stands for Also Known As and is pronounced ay-kay-ay.

43. "True. However ... ": OK, BUT.

44. World Cup org.: FIFA.  Fédération Internationale de Football Association

Founded in 1904, it is the governing body for many international soccer tournaments, most notably the World Cup.

46. "__, black sheep ... ": BAA BAA.  Have you any wool?  

John Anderson released Black Sheep in 1983.

47. Acquires, as debts: INCURS.     and     58 Down. Have bills to pay: OWE.

48. "Tut-tut" kin: TSK TSK.  I was not familiar with "tut-tut". According to Merriam-Webster, it is used to express disapproval or disbelief.

51. Half a "Star Wars" droid name: DETOO.  Wookieepedia agrees that R2-D2 is sometimes spelled Artoo-Detoo.

53. Put into effect: ENACT.

55. Take __: lose money: A HIT.

57. First mo.: JAN.  

59. Long fish: EEL.

60. That, in Spanish: ESO.  If it feels like the answer to this one keeps changing, it is because it does -- depending on gender, proximity, and number.

Well, almost....

I kid you not, this is the correct grid:  

Have a wonder-fool day, everyone!

P.S.:  Before you alert me to an incorrect link in my first paragraph, please read this explanation of rickrolling.  Gotcha!