Saturday, July 15, 2023, Rachel Fabi & Rebecca Goldstein

 Saturday Themeless by Rachel Fabi and Rebecca Goldstein

Rachel is a Associate Professor 
of Bioethics and Humanities at 
SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Rebecca is a research scientist 
at Merck, developing 
cancer immunotherapies. 

Today we have a lovely challenge from two constructors who are prominent in the Medical field. 

Like last week there were some respites along the way that made the solve very smooth.

Across:

1. Poor, unfortunate souls: WAIFS - Did anyone else's imagination run to Dickens?

                

6. Catch a ride to the beach?: SURF - 😀 From the ocean side

10. Small songbird: WREN.

14. Walk in the park, say: AMBLE.

15. Chiwere speaker: OTOE.

16. Spot that generates a lot of buzz: HIVE 😀

17. Cap: LIMIT.

18. Commercial pest control?: BODEGA CAT - This one is a mouse catcher and a greeter.

20. Aegean spot called the "Island of the Poets": LESBOS.

22. Tour de France crowds: PELOTONS - either the whole pack of 219 riders from 22 teams participating in the Tour de France, or the V-shaped main pack of riders drafting off one another. Peloton literally means little ball or platoon. 

23. Nosy one: BUTTINSKI.

There's a witch in there!

25. Fall back: RETREAT - Many of the thousands of British troops who escaped at Dunkirk, France back to England in 1940 would cross the channel the other way to Normandy, France in 1944 on D-Day.

26. Sort of up: ASTIR.

30. Eur. kingdom: NOR.

31. Explorer Bancroft who was the first woman to complete an expedition to the North Pole: ANN. This, of course, is NOT the ANNE Bancroft who played Mrs. Robinson.

32. Stevenson villain: MR. HYDE - This 1886 first edition will run you $6,500.

33. Analog reminders: POST ITS - A funny take on them.

35. Stuck again: RETAPED - Patrick Mahomes reinsured a sprained ankle but just had the trainer RETAPE it right over his shoe so he could finish the game.

36. Iroquois Confederacy nation known as the "People of the Standing Stone": ONEIDA.

37. Pussy foot: PAW.

38. __ milk: PEA.

39. Mule sound: LONG U (ū) 😀 Nice meta clue.

40. Got one's exercise on track?: RAN LAPS - Many tracks ask casual runners to avoid the inner lane where most competitors run in a meet.

42. "Just listen!": INDULGE ME.

44. Feature of pugs and Pekingese: SNUB NOSE.

47. "Gracias" reply: DE NADA.

51. Element of environmental economics: CARBON TAX - Here ya go

53. Open-source operating system: LINUX.

54. Right hand, often: AIDE.

55. Apt rhyme for crocodile: NILE.

56. Gathered documents: INTEL.

NCIS agents doing just that

57. Bubbly spec: BRUT.

58. Nailed (it): ACED.

59. Likely to bend over backwards, maybe: AGILE.

Down:

1. Missing element in an open floor plan: WALL.

2. Parisian pal: AMIE.

3. "Think" PCs: IBMS - IBM's one word famous motto

4. Twit: FLIBBERTIGIBBET - Describing the main character in The Sound Of Music.

How do you find a word that means Maria?

A flibbertijibbet! A will-o’-the wisp! A clown!

5. Take a first step: SET OUT.

6. Sound of distress: SOB.

7. Perfect: UTOPIAN.

8. Gopher, e.g.: RODENT.

9. Emotions, slangily: FEELS - Slang strikes again

10. "Nothing. makes. sense.": WHAT IS HAPPENING? - Name the great movie with this scene. *Answer at bottom.

11. Part of P.R.: RICO.

12. Emmy nominee __ Rachel Wood: EVAN.

13. Clears: NETS.

19. Vehicle operated without a license: GO KART.

21. Layers on layers: STRATA.

24. Hamilton bills: TENS.

49. Head-to-head combat: DUEL - The gentleman on the above-mentioned $10 bill took second place in this famous DUEL.

25. Nevada senator Jacky: ROSEN.

27. Sorts: TYPES - It takes all sorts...


28. Exclamation point?: IDEA.

29. Cab, for one: RED - Cabernet wine of course

30. "That's so wrong": NONO.

32. Sounded pitiful: MEWLED - Kitties come to mind

33. D.C. insider: POL.

34. [Shrug]: I DUNNO.

35. Called up: RANG - A Brit might say, "I RANG you up" to say they had made a call.

37. Light beer?: PALE ALE.

40. __ chic: RUSTIC.

41. Joni Mitchell song with the lyrics "A ghost of aviation / She was swallowed by the sky": AMELIA - A true renaissance woman

43. "The Secret History" novelist Tartt: DONNA.

44. Natural bandage: SCAB.

45. "Monsoon Wedding" director Mira __: NAIR - Time off for a depilatory today

46. Language from which "cummerbund" is derived: URDU.

48. Opposing: ANTI.

50. Escape shaft?: AXLE 😀

52. Struck (out): XED.

*That movie is Poltergeist

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi

Cleanup in the Produce Aisle:  Lots of produce in today's theme.  Not only is the answer an item of produce, but each answer can be broken into two other food items.

20-Across. *   Bright yellow sandwich topping: BANANA PEPPER.

34-Across. *   Marinara ingredient: PLUM TOMATO.

44-Across. *   Citrusy herb in Thai cuisine: LEMON BASIL.  I really wanted Lemon Grass, but the perps let me know my initial thought was wrong.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Supermarket section containing each component of (as well as the complete answers to) the starred clues: PRODUCE AISLE.  We get 3 items of produce for the price of one!

And two bonus clues:

35-Down. 57-Across spray: MIST.

39-Down. Bad sound in the 57-Across:  SPLAT.

Across:

1. Short-legged Welsh dog breed: CORGI.  The Queen loved her Corgis.

6. Opera star: DIVA.  //  And 59-Down. Opera solo: ARIA.

10. Milk in a skinny latte: SKIM.

14. WNBA team in 53-Across: DREAM.  //  And 53. Ga. capital: ATL.  The Atlanta Dream is the women's American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia.

15. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR.  Ilhan Oman (née Ilhan Abdullahi Omar; b. Oct. 4, 1982) is originally from Somalia, and is now a Congresswoman from Minnesota.  Today is her 40th birthday.  [Name # 1.]

16. Actress Olin: LENA.  Lena Olin (née Lena Maria Jonna Olin; b. Mar. 22, 1955) is a Swedish actress.  She makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 2.]

17. Cohort: CADRE.

18. Costa __: RICA.  Costa Rica is one of the countries in Central America.

19. Choir part: ALTO.

23. Broadway opening?: ACT ONE.

26. Sweet potato kin: YAM.  Everything you wanted to know about the differences between Sweet Potatoes and Yams but didn't know to ask.

27. Pt. of TGIF: FRI.  Thank Goodness It's Friday.

28. Low sound?: MOO.

29. Quran authority: IMAM.

32. Hostess snack: HO HO.  Apparently they come in a variety of flavors, including peanut butter.

37. Messes up: ERRS.

40. Actress Petty: LORI.  Lori Petty (b. Oct. 14, 1963) was a fairly big name in the 1990s.    She starred with Keanu Reeves in the 1991 surfing film Break Point.  [Name # 3.]

41. Quick qualifier: IMO.  Textspeak for In My Opinion.

42. Harvest: REAP.

43. Concludes: ENDS.

47. Blues guitarist Baker: ETTA.  Etta Baker (née Etta Lucille Reid; Mar. 31, 1913 ~ Sept. 23, 2006) is not our usual Tuesday guest.   [Name # 4.]

49. Longtime Swit co-star: ALDA.  A reference to Loretta Swit (née Loretta Jane Szwed; b. Nov. 4, 1937) and Alan Alda (né Alfonzo Joseph D'Abruzzo; b. Jan. 28, 2936) who both starred in M*A*S*H.  [Names # 5 and 6.]

50. Wanders in an airport?: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

51. Sunscreen letters: SPF.  As in Sun Protection Factor.  Everything you wanted to know about SPF but didn't know to ask.

55. Ready to go: ALL SET.

61. Yesteryear: YORE.

62. Goat group: HERD.

63. Throwback diet: PALEO.  Also known as the Caveman Diet.

67. As soon as: ONCE.

68. __ Canalway Trail: 365-mile stretch in New York: ERIE.  Everything you wanted to know about the Erie Canalway Trail but didn't know to ask.

69. Zest alternative: IVORY.  Both are brands of soaps.  Ivory floats.

70. Require: NEED.

71. Group of two: DYAD.  Not a Tuesday word.

72. Word before tea and toast: TEXAS.  One you can consume, the other ...

Down:

1. Public health org. headed by Rochelle Walensky: CDC.  Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Everyone knows of this agency now, but how many knew that Prevention is part of the name?  [Name # 7.]

2. British singer Rita: ORA.  I am not familiar with Rita Ora's (née Rita Sahatçiu Ora; b. Nov. 26, 1990).  She was born in Yugoslavia (now Kosovo), but her family moved to England for political reasons when she was an infant.  [Name # 8.]

3. Top stripe of a pride flag: RED.

4. Actress Greta: GARBO.  Greta Garbo (née Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; Sept. 18, 1905 ~ Apr. 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress.  The American Film Institute named her in the top 10 greatest female stars of classic Hollywood.  [Name # 9.]

5. "For real!": I MEAN IT.

6. Explorer in "The Lost City of Gold": DORA.  [Name # 10.]

7. Hacker's triumphant cry: I'M IN!

8. Time away, informally: VACAY.

9. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO.

10. Smack: SLAP.

11. Underwater ecosystems: KELP FORESTS.  Everything you wanted to know about a Kelp Forest but didn't know to ask.

12. Prefix with faith: INTER-.  Interfaith.

13. New Zealand native: MĀORI.

21. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.  [Name # 11.]

22. Punk subgenre: EMO.  Everything you wanted to know about Emo can be found in the video below.

23. More than sufficient: AMPLE.

24. Analogy punctuation: COLON.  Also a part of the anatomy.

25. Exceptional performance: TOUR DE FORCE.  Today's French lesson.

30. French friend: AMIE.  More of today's French lesson.

31. "__ Mia! Here We Go Again": MAMMA.

33. Greek goddess of marriage: HERA.  Everything you wanted to know about Hera but didn't know to ask.  [Name # 12.]

36. Hammer or saw: TOOL.  I see, said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.

38. __ the roof: RAISE.

44. Fastened, in a way: LATCHED.

45. Confidentiality contracts: Abbr.: NDAS.  As in Non-Disclosure AgreementS.

46. Colorful play area: BALL PIT.

48. Greek letter before upsilon: TAU.

51. Watch covertly: SPY ON.

52. Inclined (to): PRONE.

54. Wary (of): LEERY.

56. Depart: LEAVE.

58. Act: DEED.

60. Named, briefly: ID'ED.

64. Smoked salmon: LOX.  Yummers!  Hubby's Saturday morning breakfast fare.

65. Time period: ERA.

66. Noises of exasperation: OYs!

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

May all who observe have an easy fast on Yom Kippur, which starts at sundown today.