Sunday November 17, 2024 Ricky J. Sirois

Theme: "Cards on the Table" - Each theme answer starts with a card game.

22. Temptation for Hansel and Gretel: GINGER BREADHOUSE.

38. Place to take a long drive?: WARNING TRACK.

47. Highly suspenseful: HEART-STOPPING.

67. Song for Snow White: WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK.

85. Infield feature: PITCHER'S MOUND.

92. Role that earned Renée Zellweger her first Oscar nomination: BRIDGET JONES.

115. "Time to play!," and what could be said about 22-, 38-, 47-, 67-, 85-, and 92-Across: LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

Fresh take on the card game theme. I don't recall seeing this approach before.

I think this is our constructor. He's an accomplished Scrabble player.

Across:

1. More predictable: TAMER.

 6. Quite a few: MANY.

10. Extensions: LIMBS.

15. __ card: smartphone insert: SIM.

18. Atlanta university: EMORY.

19. Early Ron Howard role: OPIE. "The Andy Griffith Show".

20. Roast host: EMCEE.

21. Trillion, in computer storage: TERA. Mega, giga, tera.

25. Celebrated one: IDOL.

26. The 13 of PG-13: AGE.

27. Informal French pronoun: TOI. As to "vous".

28. Tweet: CHIRP.

29. Layered Italian dessert: SPUMONI. Layered gelato. With cherries and pistachios.

31. Hesitant: NOT SO SURE.

34. Tidy the garden: WEED.

36. Drive-in chain with carhops: SONIC.

37. En __: as a group: MASSE.

41. Farley of "Tommy Boy": CHRIS.

44. Wind up: COIL.

46. Airport destination: GATE.

52. Gallo Winery city: MODESTO.

57. "Dead Wake" author Larson: ERIK

58. Janelle of "Glass Onion": MONAE.

59. Otherwise: ELSE.

61. Singe: CHAR.

62. Voice artist Blanc: MEL.

63. "Whatcha __?": DOIN.

64. __ circus: FLEA.

65. Ornamental style: ROCOCO.

72. "I need grub!": FEED ME.

73. Maryland blue, e.g.: CRAB. This is huge.

74. Test-drive: SPIN.

75. "CrazySexyCool" R&B trio: TLC.

77. Even, in France: EGAL.

78. Headliner: STAR.

79. Very pale: ASHEN.

81. Spirit: BRIO.

82. Tattoos and such: BODY ART.

88. Half-moon tide: NEAP.

90. Citation abbr.: ET AL.

91. Longtime Celtics GM Danny: AINGE. Unfamiliar with this guy.

98. 64-Down tellers: LIARS. 64. Bit of baloney: FIB.

101. Eagle's nest: AERIE.

102. Irritable state: SNIT.

103. Reservation taker: CONCIERGE.

107. Name associated with two types of cups: STANLEY. The hockey cup and this type.

110. "Gesundheit" elicitor: ACHOO.

112. Beauty: GEM.

113. Amount to: ARE.

114. Donkey __: KONG.

119. Yale alumni: ELIS.

120. Sarge's superior: LOOIE.

121. Soul legend Redding: OTIS.

122. Congregational calls: AMENS.

123. Sixers for the Niners, briefly: TDS. I like this clue angle. And 78. 123-Across, e.g.: STAT.

124. Boutiques: SHOPS.

125. Tabloid fare: DIRT.

126. Like soapy hands: SUDSY.

Down:

1. __ and Sara: Canadian pop duo: TEGAN.

 

 

2. Buddy, in Bolivia: AMIGO.

3. "Rouen Cathedral" painter: MONET.

4. Energy unit: ERG.

5. Canapé option: RYE TOAST.

6. __ strip: mathematics model used in the NASCAR Hall of Fame design: MOBIUS.

7. Loan fig.: APR.

8. Nephew's sister: NIECE.

9. "Totes": YEAH.

10. Musical satirist Tom: LEHRER. "The Elements".

11. "Throw it to me!": I'M OPEN.

12. Superhero franchise initials: MCU. The Marvel Cinematic Universe.

13. First lady after Eleanor: BESS.

14. Move like water in a percolator: SEEP.

15. Arizona home of Cathedral Rock: SEDONA. Stunning view.

16. Unexpectedly apt: IRONIC.

17. Wendie of "Just Shoot Me!": MALICK. Sometimes we see MALEK (Rami).

21. Divided island of Southeast Asia: TIMOR.

23. "American Fiction" actress Tracee Ellis __: ROSS.

24. Hindu festival celebrated over five days: DIWALI. When I was a kid, Chinese New Year lasted at least 15 days. It's the only time I got new clothes.

30. Formal Spanish pronoun: USTED.

32. Smug look: SMIRK.

33. Meet up with old friends: RE-CONNECT.

35. Archaeological site: DIG.

38. Moist towelette: WIPE.

39. "__ your price": NAME.

40. Classic Pontiac: GTO.

41. Sci. class with a lab requirement: CHEM.

42. "Brace yourselves!": HERE WE GO.

43. End of the line, perhaps: RAILHEAD.

45. Joyful cry at a Greek wedding: OPA. Let's see if this video works.

48. Struck down, biblically: SMOTE.

49. Slog away: TOIL.

50. Tony winner Carter: NELL.

51. TV musical with 207 songs on the Billboard Hot 100: GLEE.

53. Danish shoe brand: ECCO.

54. Immediate future: SHORT RUN. Or a 3-mile trot to Renee. 

55. Taking on, as a challenge: TACKLING.

56. Spanish treasure: ORO.

60. Offers a greeting: SAYS HELLO.

63. Psych. handbook: DSM. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. 

65. Archaeological site: RUINS.

66. Possess: OWN.

68. Without thinking: IDLY.

69. Sandwich option: WRAP.

70. Mata __: HARI.

71. Pay phone abbr.: OPER.

72. Shortest mo.: FEB.

76. Program: CODE.

79. Goes for it: ACTS.

80. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.

81. Home of the NCAA's Broncos: BOISE. Boise State Broncos.

 

83. Nativity play role: ANGEL.

84. Food writer Drummond: REE.

86. Get a bite?: TEETHE. Fun clue.

87. Xylophone kin: MARIMBAS.

89. Comfy outfit: PJS.

92. Picnic container: BASKET.

93. Like stories of days gone by, often: RE-TOLD.

94. Tehran natives: IRANIS.

95. Small imperfections: DINGS.

96. Using inside info, perhaps: ON A TIP.

97. Cozy spots: NICHES.

99. Eat: INGEST.

100. Las Vegas WNBA team: ACES.

103. Animal also known as the hog-nosed raccoon: COATI.

104. Stormed: RAGED.

105. Sly expressions: GRINS.

106. Itty-bitty: EENSY.

108. What always ends well?: ELLS. The two letters.

109. Michelle of "Everything Everywhere All at Once": YEOH. Hokkien spelling of the Chinese name Yang. Hokkien is the largest Chinese dialect in Malaysia.

111. Psalm starter: O GOD.

116. As well: TOO.

117. Bygone space station: MIR.

118. Cassowary relative: EMU. We have ostriches in our local Como Zoo. 

In case you missed it, Husker Gary met with Inanehiker (Nina) and her friend Marla last Wednesday. I love seeing our blog regulars meet in real life. This picture made me so happy.

Nina, Gary and Marla

Saturday, July 13, 2024, Ricky Sirois

 Thursday Themeless by Ricky Sirois

This is my second Ricky Sirois  Saturday themeless  (first one was 1/14/23) and I gotta tell you, it was a breezy 20-minute exercise that was a lot of fun. My fav had to be the Brady Bunch misdirection! 😀

Across:

1. Part of the healing process: SCAB.

5. Hiss source: LEAK - If you spray the tire with water, bubbles will tell you the source of the LEAK

9. Network, say: CLAN.

13. Giant automaton of Greek mythology: TALOS.

15. French pronoun: ELLE - ELLE est belle (She is beautiful) 

16. Number two: AIDE - Ulysses S. Grant and his AIDE-de-camp, Orville Babcock.

17. Lingo: ARGOT and 50. Raise: HOIST - The STS-79 orbiter being HOISTED from the ET/SRB stack on the MLP in KSC's  VAB - NASA ARGOT

18. Animal in the creation myth of the Achomawi people of Northern California: SILVER FOX.

20. Hybrid pastries: CRONUTS  A portmanteau: A ring-shaped fried pastry made from croissant dough. 

22. Hazelnut: FILBERT - Two names for the same nut. 

23. Range rovers?: HERD 😀

24. Coastal birds: HERONS.

26. Stable diet: HAY 😀

27. Revelation: EYE OPENER.

29. Sheepherder in a 1995 Oscar-nominated film: BABE 31. 29-Across, for one: PIG.

30. Yak: GAB.

33. Sch. with the second-most NCAA team championships: UCLA.

34. One who spends a lot of time in cabs: LONG HAUL TRUCKER 😀

39. Like a roller derby track: OVAL.

40. Cellular messenger: RNA - A very frequent cwd messenger

41. Letter abbr.: ENC.

42. Shape-shifting prefix: WERE - The prefix "were-" comes from the Old English word for "man".

43. Prevents an actor from getting a breakthrough role, perhaps: TYPECASTS = Speaking of werewolves and typecasting, here's Lon Chaney

48. Demonstrate one's humanity: ERR.

49. Pursued: CHASED.

51. Comedian Trevor: NOAH - His big break

52. Turns the page?: READS ON 😀

54. Result of a successful collaboration: SYNERGY.

56. Conan O'Brien's first talk show: LATE NIGHT.

58. End: CEASE.

59. Avoids injury: IS OK.

60. Gin berry: SLOE.

61. Root used in perfumery: ORRIS - Rootstock of the Iris

     

62. Wicker man, for one: PYRE - More

63. Spree: TEAR - Some athletes who are doing very well at some point can be said to be "on a TEAR".

64. Email folder: SENT.

Down:

1. Soup strainer, informally: STACHE.

2. "Dumb and Dumber" star: CARREY.

3. "An Inconvenient Truth" writer: AL GORE.

4. Wasteful project: BOONDOGGLE - This word's interesting derivation

5. Reduce: LESSEN.

6. Yale student: ELI.

7. Completely on board: ALL FOR IT - Where'd everybody go?

8. Flightless bird in "Up": KEVIN.

9. Low-__ diet: CARB.

10. Shortcut, of sorts: LIFE HACK - They are ubiquitous on the internet

11. Precious: ADORABLE.

12. Foo Fighters power ballad that was the theme song for the NBC sitcom "Ed": NEXT YEAR - It's not the theme from Hawaii 5-0 but it's okay.

14. R-V connection?: STU - Disco STU gets the day off for this alphabet progression

19. Raised trains: ELS.

21. Legal exam, familiarly: THE BAR - Chuck McGill's reaction to his little brother Jimmy (soon to be Saul Goodman) on Better Call Saul 

25. Do-overs: REPLAYS.

28. Tuba sound: PAH.

29. Brady bunch, once: BUCCANEERS 😀 Gotta love this!

32. Like Midas: GREEDY.

34. Labium inferius oris: LOWER LIP - Labium/LIP, Inferius/LOWER

35. Breakfast specification: OVER EASY - Recently I had OVER HARD as a scrambled alternative

36. David Attenborough, for one: NARRATOR - A hilarious AI application 

37. Straighten out: UNTANGLE.

38. Cousin's dad, casually: UNC.

44. Nag: PESTER.

45. 1957 Jimmy Dorsey hit: SO RARE - Dedicated to my Mom

46. Takes over: TAGS IN.

47. Most reserved: SHYEST.

49. "Marrakesh Express" band, for short: CSN - Crosby, Stills and Nash are the 3-letter abbr. group today.

53. Football : juke :: hockey : __: DEKE - DECOY

55. Many a PX shopper: NCO - Every branch of the service has NCO's these are in the U.S. Army

57. Residential community org.: HOA.