Saturday, February, 10, 2024, Rafael Musa

 Saturday Themeless by Rafael Musa 

After exactly 364 days, I got another Rafael Musa themeless puzzle to blog. This one was a delightful slog as little pieces of it came together to earn me a "got 'er done". I felt like I was in QUITE A PICKLE for a while as I struggled with his clever cluing and other reasonable, though wrong, options. A prime example of the latter is entering SITS for Poses at 1 Down.

Rafael did not litter his puzzle with obscure names that are the bane of my solving existence. Like Sisyphus, I just kept moving the boulder up, the hill, slid back and eventually I ran out of blank cells. AMATEUR was my last fill, I got the Congratulations icon and felt relieved. 

Across:

1. The worst: AWFUL.

6. Clicking sounds?: AHAS.

                

10. "Um, sure": OH, OK.

14. Excelled: SHONE.

15. Firm message?: MEMO 😀

16. First woman to serve as attorney general: RENO - Janet RENO was appointed after two other women withdrew because of issues with gov't regs over nannies they hired. Ms. RENO immediately was confronted with the horrible standoff with David Koresh and his followers in Waco, TX.

17. Kangaroo Island critter: KOALA - As you might expect in the land down under. It is 11 hrs WNW from Melbourne by car and ferry.

18. __ argument: ORAL.
 
19. Something to draw before bedtime: BATH - 😀 Oh, that use of the word draw.

20. Basis of some bonuses: SALES QUOTA.

22. FedEx rival: DHL.

23. Startling revelation: STUNNER and 41. Startling revelation: EYE OPENER.

They didn't fit!

24. 'Tis in the past: TWAS 😀 

                Jabberwocky

• 
• 
• 
• 

                                  Lewis Carroll

1832 – 

1898

                                 ’TWAS brillig, and the slithy toves
                                  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
                                  All mimsy were the borogoves,
                                  And the mome raths outgrabe.

25. Chiding clicks: TSKS.

28. Aid in avoiding viruses: IT SUPPORT - I quickly got off the medical idea and finally the correct answer appeared.

30. AP competitor: UPI.

31. Decisive periods, briefly: OTS - Unlike the regular season, during the NFL playoffs  and tomorrow's Super Bowl, play will be continued until someone wins in OverTime.

32. On the move: ROLLING.

34. Scientific journal that published the initial sequencing of the human genome: NATURE.

36. Name on the business school at the University of Arkansas: WALTON and 50. Back: FUND. The family of Wal~Mart founder Sam Walton donated fifty million dollars to the University's business school and henceforth it was named The Sam M. WALTON school of business.

37. Mopes: ACTS SAD.

39. Lead-in to X, Y, and Z: GEN - Am I the only one who tried UVW (correction-hg)? 😗

40. Uber stat: ETA.

43. All hands on deck: CREW - The CREW of the U.S.S. Arizona in 1928.

44. Nonhumans that quickly buy up concert tickets: BOTS -  Ticketmaster et al. use BOTS to get so many tickets to resell at their markup, it makes it very hard and/or very expensive to get tickets.

45. Some flavored drinks: ICE TEAS.

47. Earth Day mo.: APR.

48. Gets carried away at a concert?: CROWD SURFS.

52. Consider: DEEM.

54. Flat-topped hat: KEPI - Captain Renault is wearing his KEPI in this famous scene near the end of Casablanca 

55. Keep busy: TIE UP - Brave soldiers of the French First Army kept the Germans TIED UP until over 300,000 men were evacuated at "The Miracle Of Dunkirk".

56. __ school: GRAD - Most of my drives to The University Of Omaha to get my GRAD degree could have been eliminated today by doing most of the work online. 

57. Cask sediment: LEES.

58. Rock memoir with the chapters "Nut Bush" and "River Deep": I TINA - BTW, she was born in Nut Bush, TN

59. "Good __": Alton Brown series: EATS.

60. Ciudad del __: Paraguay's second-largest city: ESTE.

61. Splits: RENDS.

Down:

1. Poses: ASKS.

2. "Stop right there": WHOA and 49. Means of control: REIN.

3. Stable baby: FOAL - Not colt

4. "What if ... ": UNLESS - "UNLESS we work together, we are doomed." "What if we cooperate?"

5. LCD component?: LEAST - We all learned in grade school that to add 1/2 + 1/3 we have to use the Least Common Denominator which is 6; thus 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6.

6. Comes (to): AMOUNTS.

7. Bitterns, e.g.: HERONS.

8. "You clearly have no idea what you're doing": AMATEUR 😀

9. Light run?: SOLAR POWERED - These huge SOLAR cells POWER the International Space Station

10. __-weaver spider: ORB.

11. Lead role in a TV show: HEAD WRITER: Dick Van Dyke played the lead role in The Dick Van Dyke Show where he played the HEAD WRITER Rob Petrie.

12. Transition phrase: ON THAT NOTE.

13. Retailer that began as a grocery store in Milwaukee: KOHL'S.

21. Spot of bother: QUITE A PICKLE.

24. Congestion pricing charge: TOLL.

25. Product auctioned at Tokyo's historic Tsukiji Market: TUNA.

26. Sci-fi subgenre: SPACE OPERA.

27. Burmese food?: KITTY TREAT - Not as difficult as I feared. Here's a cute Burmese KITTY having a TREAT!

29. "What's the __?": PLAN.

31. Ish: OR SO - I am seventyish 

33. Nibble: GNAW.

35. Finds a place for: USES.

38. Pronounces: DECREES.

39. Mouth off: GET WISE - Sometimes you should GET WISE not to GET WISE

42. Virtual companion: NEO PET.

43. Executive level: C-SUITE.

44. Access card: BADGE

46. Buzzing: ASTIR.

51. Spring break destinations?: SPAS - Uh, not bars?

53. Anatomy experts, briefly: MDS.

Sunday August 6, 2023 Rafael Musa

 

Theme: "Don't Move" - S is changed to P in each common phrase.

24. Legume that helps quell anxiety?: PEA OF TRANQUILITY. Sea of Tranquility.

31. "My mind is often in the gutter ... "?: I'M NOT REALLY PURE. I'm not really sure.

58. Device that blocks all commercial endorsements?: PLUG REPELLENT. Slug repellent.

66. Basic needs for preserving a walnut?: HAMMER AND PICKLE. Hammer and sickle.

80. Ruling by a British finance minister?: POUND JUDGMENT. Sound judgement.

104. Dine and dash?: GO WITHOUT PAYING. Go without saying.

115. Citrus juicer's downfall?: REVENGE OF THE PITH. Revenge of the Sith.

124. Word on a red sign, and, when parsed in three parts, a hint to this puzzle's longest answers: S TO P.

This reminds me of the S to P puzzle Dennis and I made for the New York Times ages ago. We ended up with a simpler approach, though this letter change idea also came to us. You all know I'm bad at this letter addition/deletion/change gimmick.

I chuckled at some of the theme answers and clues. Fun. Outstanding fill from Rafael. He's really good with grids.

Across:

1. __ Punk: "Get Lucky" duo: DAFT.

5. Regard highly: ESTEEM.

11. Sand dune conveyance: SLED.

15. Spanish "Look!": MIRA.

19. Spaghetti __ puttanesca: ALLA. Puttanesca is a red sauce with an interesting origin. Google yourself, but don't put the word on the blog. I don't want another Google warning.

20. Myocardium, e.g.: MUSCLE.

21. Sprinkler hookup: HOSE.

22. Heaps: ATON.

23. Places (down): LAYS.

27. Horror film director Aster: ARI. His latest movie is "Beau Is Afraid".

28. Divest (of): RID.

29. __ Chef: meal kit company: HOME.

30. Runaway hit: SMASH.

37. Crush, in gamer slang: PWN.

38. Elation: GLEE.

39. Ethiopia's Selassie: HAILE.

40. Looked forward to: AWAITED.

44. Humanitarian/chef Andrés who founded World Central Kitchen: JOSE. He was born in Spain.

46. Bonobo, e.g.: APE.

47. Shiny fabric: SATIN.

49. "I __ you one!": OWE.

50. Mattel game with 108 cards: UNO.

51. Decennial survey: CENSUS.

54. Charge: ACCUSE.

55. Go toe-to-toe: VIE.

56. Mayor Tishaura Jones's city: Abbr.: STL. Not famliar with the mayor, sorry!

57. Ergonomic kitchen gadget brand: OXO.

61. Participated: TOOK PART.

64. Garlands that symbolize friendship: LEIS.

65. Assns.: ORGS.

72. Alan of "The Aviator": ALDA.

75. Discovery org.: NASA.

76. Bangkok currency: THAI BAHT. "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble ..."

86. Journalist Kasparian: ANA.

87. __ milk: SOY.

88. Race in place: REV. I don't get this clue.

89. Holy Week ender: EASTER.

90. More effortless: EASIER. Ah, guys, I've been struggling with flutter kicks. I kick like crazy, but I just don't move anywhere with the kick board.

92. Drench: SOP.

93. She sheep: EWE.

94. "Ciao!": ADIOS.

95. South Bend's st.: IND.

96. Ride in a velodrome: BIKE. I'm told that bikers and runners often struggle with flutter kicks.

97. Predetermined schedule: SET PLAN.

99. Actor Taye: DIGGS.

101. E pluribus __: UNUM.

103. Portable bed: COT.

110. Finnish telecom giant: NOKIA.

112. Snitch (on): NARC.

113. CIA forerunner: OSS. The Office of Strategic Services.

114. Mauna __: LOA.

120. __-serif: SANS.

121. Assert: AVER.

122. Inflatable float: RAFT.

123. Estevez of "The Breakfast Club": EMILIO.

125. Gendered possessive: HERS.

126. Kennel cacophony: ARFS.

127. Court calendar: DOCKET.

128. "Queer Eye" stylist Jonathan Van __: NESS.

Down:

1. __ Lama: DALAI.

2. Sleep interrupter: ALARM.

3. Acting on one's own: FLYING SOLO. Great fill.

4. Some future profs: TAS.

5. Ashanti, for one: EMPIRE. West African empire until 1901.

6. Leather with a fuzzy finish: SUEDE. Did you know that the eggplant leaves are very fuzzy also?

7. Water bottle confiscator: Abbr.: TSA.

8. Logical lead-in: ECO.

9. Rivendell resident: ELF.

10. CH3, chemically: METHYL.

11. Longtime orca performer: SHAMU.

12. Solitary sort: LONER.

13. Atty.'s title: ESQ.

14. Cidade de __: Rio neighborhood: DEUS.

15. Lilongwe's country: MALAWI. Capital of Malawi.

16. "I've still got fight left in me!": IT ISN'T OVER.

17. __ IRA: ROTH.

18. "__ questions?": ANY.

25. Tug-of-war need: ROPE.

26. Form, as a jury: IMPANEL.

28. GPS option: RTE.

32. Real Madrid cheer: OLE.

33. Cries of understanding: AHAS.

34. Eagerly accept, as praise: LAP UP. And 36. "Dinner is getting cold!": EAT UP.

35. Von Trapp sister: LIESL.

41. Sage: WISE.

42. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick: EWING. The New York Knicks.

43. Particulars, informally: DEETS.

44. Fair: JUST.

45. Suspicious of: ONTO.

47. Rx: SCRIP.

48. Does a great job: ACES IT.

51. Club in a Manilow hit: COPA.

52. Test: EXAM.

53. Average: NORM.

54. Like sharp cheddar: AGED.

59. Elbow-wrist connectors: ULNAE.

60. "Stay" singer Lisa: LOEB.

62. __ Academy: educational nonprofit: KHAN.

63. Watch over: TEND TO.

67. Erupts in anger: RAGES.

68. Pleasant tingling sensation, initially: ASMR.  Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

69. __ latte: spiced tea with steamed milk: CHAI.

70. Longtime Lucci role: KANE.

71. "You made that up!": LIAR.

72. After, in Arles: APRES.

73. Spanish luxury fashion house: LOEWE. This is their iconic raffia tote bag. You've probably seen it.

74. Bedding choice: DUVET COVER.

77. Absorb: ASSIMILATE.

78. Catchy melody: HOOK.

79. Use a key to enter?: TYPE.

81. Gave a hand: DEALT IN.

82. Actress __ Pinkett Smith: JADA.

83. Employing: USING.

84. Horse's "Hey!": NEIGH.

85. Argentine dance: TANGO.

91. California sch. just north of Tijuana: SDSU. San Diego State University.
 
96. Believe: BUY.

98. Fireplace tools: POKERS.

99. Scuttlebutt: DIRT.

100. Had a bite, perhaps?: ITCHED. Mosquito bite. Also love these two clues: 105. Power positions?: ON OFF. And 116. Hear here: EAR.

101. Outcome: UPSHOT.

102. "If I Ruled the World" rapper: NAS.

106. Drifts, as an aroma: WAFTS.

107. Comedian Fields: TOTIE.

108. Taboos: NO-NOS.

109. Reacts to a plot twist, perhaps: GASPS.

110. Actress Campbell: NEVE.

111. City on the Yamuna river: AGRA.

115. Big cheer: RAH.

117. Punk subgenre: EMO.

118. Insta post: PIC.

119. Type: ILK.

120. Fig. on a blue card: SSN.

C.C.