Wednesday, October 18, 2017 Robin Stears

Theme GUARDS! GUARDS! As we shall soon see, each theme entry is a [more or less] in-the -language two-word phrase that contains two quite different kinds of GUARDS. In all cases, each theme word can be followed by the word GUARD to yield a different in-the-language phrase.

17 A. Eastern seaboard, facetiously : RIGHT COAST.  I can't recall hearing it addressed as such, but it makes sense if you look at a map.  But why facetiously?  RIGHT GUARD is a lineman position on an American football team, and the deodorant brand he might chose after a shower. The COAST GUARD is a branch of the U.S. military that protects life, property and territory along the country's shore lines.

25 A. Unlikely to run : COLOR SAFE.  These colors don't run.  Hence the term.  Also a palette of 256 colors that is consistent on any computer monitor.   A COLOR GUARD is a uniformed group who present or parade an institutional or national flag on formal occasions.   To SAFE GUARD is to take active measures to protect against some undesirable event.

46 A. Secret overseas cash stash site : SWISS BANK.  I think the Cayman Islands and Cyprus give them some competition these days.  The SWISS GUARD is a small force stationed in the Vatican, responsible for the safety of the Pope.  They are famous for their colorful uniforms.

Makes the Pope Color Safe?

A BANK GUARD protects your deposited savings.

58 A. What Aladdin craved and Jasmine wanted to escape, in the Disney film : PALACE LIFE.  Aladdin is a street urchin who longs for wealth and luxury.  Jasmine has it all and finds it profoundly unsatisfying.  So - a match made in heaven, right?  The PALACE GUARD is responsible for keeping the PALACE and its occupants safe from street urchins and other miscreants.   A LIFE GUARD is a certified swimmer and CPR expert whose job is to keep us from drowning at the beach or pool. 

They get along swimmingly

And, at last, the unifier.  37 A. Increase security twofold ... and what 17-, 25-, 46- and 58-Across literally do : DOUBLE THE GUARDS.   Twice as many guards should keep out twice as many urchins. And this is the apt description for the other theme entries, each having two kinds of GUARDS.

 Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty to GUARD your way through today's puzzling adventure.  Robin Stears has given us a good one with four clever theme entries and a grid-spanning unifier.  

Across

1. Back (out) : OPT.  Well, you can OTP out before you ever OPT in, but OK.

4. Go by : ELAPSE.  As time.

10. Peak in Thessaly : OSSA.  Greek mountain

14. Can. neighbor : USA.  Here we are.

15. City on the Liffey : DUBLIN.  It flows through the center of town.

I've seen Dublin twice,
Thrace thrice; made repeated trips
To WallaWalla.

16. Performs like Kanye : RAPS.  

19. Frantically : AMOK.  On a rampage.

20. Out in the open : OVERT.  With no attempt to conceal.

21. Open in the garden : BLOOM.  Look at all them BLOOMIN' flars.

22. Narrow opening : SLIT. Or cut.

28. Insinuate : HINT AT, To suggest indirectly or unpleasantly about something bad.  I could in-sin -you-ate about Mrs. Sprat's gluttony. 

31. Kitchen gadgets brand : OXO.

32. Sneak attack : AMBUSH.  Not OVERT, at least not at first.

33. Dryly amusing : WRY. As humor.

34. "More info later": Abbr. : TBA. To Be Announced.

41. Radical '60s gp. : SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

42. Besides : TOO.  Also.

43. Scramble, as a secret message : ENCODE.  Convert into a decipherable form.

44. Tile container in Scrabble : BAG.  

Sit down and stay for a spell

45. Write, as music : NOTATE.  The act of writing out the score, not the act of composition.

52. Japanese noodle : UDON.

53. Leg bone : TIBIA.

54. Midwestern city associated with steaks : OMAHA.

57. Additionally : ELSE. Or alternatively

63. Abbr. on a city limits sign : ELEVation.

64. What's for dinner : ENTREE.  The main course.

65. Speed (up) : REV.  Hit the accelerator.

66. Piece of glass : PANE.  In the industry, this was commonly called a "light," or even worse, a "lite." Drove me nuts.

67. Radical in aspirin and vinegar : ACETYL.  This refers to a portion of a molecule that is common to vinegar [acetic acid] where the rest of the molecule is an -OH group; and to aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid] where it combines with a pendant -OH group on a larger molecule [salicylic acid] to form an ester.  In this form, it much less aggressive than uncombined salicylic acid, which is too harsh on the digestive system to be taken internally.   Externally, salicylic acid is used to remove warts and treat other skin conditions.

68. Spot on a peacock's tail : EYE.

Sir Peacock has 1000 of them

Down

1. Taylor Swift's "__ Song" : OUR.

2. Trident-shaped letter : PSI (uppercase Ψ, lowercase ψ; Greek: ψι psi) is the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet.

3. "You're it!" game : TAG.  Touch me if you can.

4. 1999 Ron Howard satire : ED TV.

5. Journalist Clare Boothe __ : LUCE.   U.S. Ambassador to Italy [1953-60,] congressional representative from Connecticut [1943-47,] author, journalist and playwright.   Her husband Henry published Time, Look, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated magazines.

6. Multiple choice choices : A B OR C.

7. "Republic" philosopher : PLATO.    Cave man.

8. Family gal : SISter

9. MD treating canals : ENT.  Ear, Nose and Throat specialist.

10. Postgrad tests : ORALS.  Question and answer ordeals.

11. South Pacific island nation : SAMOA.  My friend married a Polynesian woman.  Every time he kissed her, he wanted SAMOA.

12. "Blazing Saddles," for one : SPOOF. An exaggerated, humorous imitation or parody.

13. "Shoot!" : ASK ME.

18. Après-ski amenities : HOT TUBS.

21. Dude : BRO.  Buddy, pal - you know - moron.

22. Herring prized for its roe : SHAD.  I'll try anything [within reason] once, and that was enough.  This is on the short list of things I will never eat again.

23. Long rides? : LIMOS.  Usually a stretched vehicle.

24. Preparing to flower : IN BUD.

26. Handed-down tales : LORE.

27. Gas in a tank : OXYGEN.   For people with breathing difficulties.

29. Syst. with hand signals : American Sign Language.

30. What a treater picks up : THE TAB.  At the tavern, not on Halloween.

33. "Says __?" : WHO.  Expression of skepticism.

34. Touch-related : TACTUAL.  A word you are unlikely to encounter ever again.

35. In __ daylight : BROAD.  Narrow daylight is not so OVERT.

36. Supplement : ADD TO.  Here, supplement is a verb, not a vitamine capsule.

38. Garment worn in HBO's "Rome" : TOGA.  Or "Animal House."

39. 108-card game : UNO.

40. Not hidden : SEEN.  OVERT.

44. Merit badge org. : Boy Scouts of America.

46. Expensive : STEEP.   The price is high.

47. "My Ántonia" novelist Cather : WILLA.  American [1873-1947,]

48. "Hedda Gabler" playwright : IBSEN. Henrick, Norwegian [1828-1906.]

49. It won't hold water : SIEVE.  If you try, you might strain yourself.

50. Nick of "Hotel Rwanda" : NOLTE.  American actor [b 1941]

51. Chain with a Smart Sense store brand : K-MART.  Rapidly shrinking chain.

55. __-deucey : ACEY.  Card game

56. Scoundrel : HEEL.  Cad.

58. Stew vegetable : PEA.  Or porridge - hot or cold.

59. Mandela's org. : ANC.   African National Congress.

60. 15-Across locale: Abbr. : IRE.   The Auld Sod, the Emerald Isle.

61. 2000s "SNL" notable Tina : FEY.  American actor, comedian, writer and producer [b 1970.]

62. Wrapping time : EVE.  Not at our house.  Christmas EVE is when we have our big clan gathering.  The various sub-groups spend Christmas day with the other branches of their respective families.

That wraps up another Thursday EVE at the Corner.  Hope y'all had a fine time.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 Robin Stears

Theme:  Ate a picle, feeling sicle - now how about an icicle?  The fragment -ICLE is added as a suffix to four in-the-language phrases, yielding new, humorous constructions.  

20 A. Bond portrayer Daniel's BuzzFeed piece? : CRAIG'S LISTICLE.  The referent is James Bond actor Daniel CRAIG, who also starred in the Jon Favreau SF/Western mashup Cowboys and Aliens. A LISTICLE is an internet article presented as a numbered or bullet point list.  Since Daniel also starred in the incomprehensible Dream House, his could be a rank-ordered filmography.

26 A. Leftover bit of a physics experiment? : SPARE PARTICLE.  This is my favorite theme entry. A SPARE PART is an item kept on hand to replace a lost or damaged machine PART.  A PARTICLE in a physics experiment is generally something smaller than an atom - proton, neutron, quark, etc. SPARE PARTICLES might be used in subatomic games of bowling.

46 A. Ezine feature? : MODERN ARTICLE.  MODERN ART includes a variety of styles from the 19th century through the 1960's, including Bauhause, surrealism, impressionism, op art, etc.   A MODERN ARTICLE would be published in a modern venue like an Ezine, for sure.  But for my money, this entry is too close in surface meaning to the first one we encountered.

55 A. Beantown treat? : BOSTON POPSICLE.  Beantown is a common name for BOSTON, dating back to colonial times when local Puritans typically had a Sunday meal of previously prepared beans and brown bread, to avoid cooking on the sabbath.  With Summer drawing nigh, a POPSICLE is an inviting treat that the Puritans would probably have considered sinful.  

There's your theme, folks.  Hope you don't think its ICLE.

Hi, gang, Jazzbumpa here to provide a quicle tour.

1. Observe Ramadan, in a way : FAST.   Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, during which the faithful avoid [among other things] eating food between dawn and dusk.

5. __ and terminer: criminal court : OYER.  From the Anglo-French meaning "to hear and to determine."

9. Tapered fastener : SCREW.  Threaded, too.

14. Scratch the surface? : ETCH.   Engrave a surface by any one of several means.

15. Sub spot : DELI.  Big sandwiches there.

16. "Glee" club : CHOIR.  "Glee" is derived form the old English word for song.

17. "Sharknado" actress Reid : TARA.  I never saw this movie, but it's generally considered to be pretty bad.

Tara, on the other hand  .  .  .

18. Banish to Hades, say : DOOM.   The modern meaning is to be relegated to some horrible fate.  The Old English meaning is closer to "judgment."

19. Like most tarantulas : HAIRY.  These are hairy spiders to which I will not link.

23. That guy : HIM.  Some fella'.

24. Stay-at-home __ : DAD.  I went with MOM first.  Does that make me old?

25. Bonfire residue : ASH.   Any fire, really.

33. Yes, on Talk Like a Pirate Day : AYE.  Avast, matey!

34. Love god : EROS.  Greek mythology.

35. Seagoing mil. group : United States Navy.

36. "__ you!" : TOLD.  Rubbing it in.

39. Source of 20s : Automatic Teller Machine.

40. Icky buildup : CRUD.  A chunk of it is a CRUDICLE.

41. Sydney school : UNI.   Near as I can tell, this refers to the UNIversity of Sydney in Australia.  Maybe I'm missing something, but this entry seems to lack specificity.

42. Charlatan : FAKE.   An imposter - one who claims to be something he isn't, while typically on a quest for some type of personal gain.  Usage for this word peaked around 1940.

44. 18%, often : TIP.  I tip 20% minimum.  It's easier to calculate.

50. "Collages" novelist : NIN.   Unlike most of her other work, this is a dreamy, experimental novel with many characters wandering in space and time.

51. Chest-beating beast : APE.

52. Marked, as a ballot : XED.

60. Real pip : BEAUT.  A Beauty - can be intended literally or sarcastically.

61. Trompe l'__ : OEIL.  An optical illusion in France.

62. Online urban music magazine : VIBE.  Where one might read a LISTICLE or other MODERN ARTICLE.

63. Actress Woodard : ALFRE.

Interview

64. Mantel piece : VASE.  An open container, often decorative, suitable for holding flowers or uncle Henry's ashes.

65. Molecule component : ATOM.  Made up of sub-atomic PARTICLES.

66. Perp subduer : TASER.  A weapon that fires electrical probes to deliver a debilitating shock.

67. Help for the poor : ALMS.  From Old English, via late liturgical Latin, and ultimately tracing to Greek roots indicating both money and compassion.

68. What's going on : NEWS.  Indicating new information obtained via a print, video, or on-line medium.

Down

1. Sell for : FETCH.   A hot item might FETCH a pretty penny.

2. Game company formerly named Syzygy : ATARI.  I did not know that.

3. Beats it : SCRAMS.  Makes one's self scarce.

4. Asian language with 44 consonants : THAI.  ODDS ARE that's more than I can pronounce.

5. "Probably ... " : ODDS ARE.  A favorable bet.

6. Shoppe descriptor : YE OLDE.  Of course we all know that the "Ye" is really "The" with the initial consonant sound rendered by the rune "thorn" (Þ, þ)  rather than the digraph "Th."  The rune was often represented with a slanted slash coming from the right rather than the closed loop, hence the similar appearance to the modern letter "Y."

7. Weena's race, in "The Time Machine" : ELOI.  Occasionally, the other race - Morlocks - would eat them.  In the 1960 movie version, Weena was played by Yvette Mimieux.

Tasty?

8. What swish shots don't touch : RIMS.  A basketball shot that gets nothing but net.  Still only 2 points, but more pleasing to the eye and ear.

9. Flaky metamorphic rocks : SCHISTS.  Mica, talc and graphite are examples.

10. Joanie's love : CHACHI.   Played by Scott Baio, opposite Erin Moran's Joanie Cunningham from the TV show Happy Days and later it's spin-off featuring them.

11. Bubble and churn : ROIL.  Agitate something physically, and by extension emotionally.  If one become red-faced dong this, it is known as a ROIL flush.

12. Green land : EIRE.  The Emerald Isle, notably not the location of the Emerald City.

13. Seinfeldesque : WRY.  A la the humor of the TV show about nothing.  

21. Wagga Wagga welcome : G'DAY.   This is a city in New South Wales, Australia, Mate.

22. Starchy tuber : TARO.   A perennial tropical plant cultivated for its starchy tuber.

27. Shock absorber : PAD.  A thick section of soft material.

28. Saint at a gate : PETER.   In Matthew 16: 13-19,  Jesus renames Simon son of Jonah as PETER, and gives him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

29. Operational branch : ARM.  A subgroup dedicated to a particular purpose.

30. Mongrel : CUR.  Mutt.

31. "Geaux Tigers" SEC school : Louisiana State University.   Faux-French influenced slogan.

32. Wind down or wind up : END.   Slang terms "for bring to a close."  But a pitcher's wind up or winding up a spring-actuated mechanical device, such as the toy we will met shortly, gets things going.  One more reason to love the English language.   

36. Belly, to a tot : TUM.   Possibly derived from stomach.

37. Sean Lennon's middle name : ONO.   After his mum.

38. Jack-in-the-box flipper : LID.  Child's box-shaped toy with a crank used to start the action by winding up, and ends with a clown figure popping out through the LID.

39. Police blotter letters : Also Known As, indicating the use of an alias.

40. Lowest-ranking NCO : CPL.   Corporal is the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer.

42. Fried corn cake : FRITTER.   Any of several deep-fried, batter coated items, such as fruit, vegetables, or even meat.

43. __ Domini : ANNO.   The Year of our Lord, presumably starting with the birth of Jesus Christ, indicating a dating system that originated in the early middle ages.  But somewhere along the line, there was a mistake.  Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod, who died in 4 B. C.

44. Has a few : TIPPLES.   Indulges in alcoholic beverages, and not as in 44A..

45. Treats, as a sprain : ICES.  Tin Man - note here an acceptable use for ice; to reduce swelling of a muscle injury.

47. Make certain : ENSURE.   Why do we have this word, along with "assure" and "insure?"  They came into Old English from Norman French, so that's who I blame.

48. Lao-tzu's philosophy : TAOISM.   Meaning the way, path or principle.  Greatly simplified -- living in harmony with all that exists.

49. Whip up : EXCITE.   As a crowd, or mob.

53. Fight (through), as a crowd : ELBOW.   Not so gently nudging others out of the way.   Not very TAOIST.

54. Considers : DEEMS.    Tracing back to an Old English root meaning to judge, the same as DOOM.

55. Composer Bartók : BELA.  Hungarian composer (1881 - 1945).  The shortest clip I could find (6:20) is is setting of Romanian folk songs for violin and piano.

56. Klutzes : OAFS.   An OAF is a stupid, uncultured or clumsy person.  Strangely, the word traces back to the old Norse word for elf.   The original meaning was "elf's child" [I'm assuming changeling,] later "idiot child," later still, how we use it today.

57. Stellar phenomenon : NOVA.   A cataclysmic nuclear explosion occurring on a white dwarf star.

58. Ring out : PEAL.   Specifically, the ringing of bells.

59. Nobelist Pavlov : IVAN. (1849 - 1936)   Russian psychologist famous for his work on classical conditioning.

60. Ball club : BAT.  You might think of a sports team, but that is a clever misdirection, and doesn't fit.  In baseball, the ball is clubbed with the BAT.   The example below is from a couple years ago.  Miggy seems to have his stride back, and has done something similar a couple times in the last week.




There you have it, a wandering in space and time, including a couple excursions into the English of our past, a dystopian view of the far future, a dollop or so of French, and finally back to current reality with some down-to-earth baseball.  Despite my earlier criticle nits, a pretty nice journey.

Cool regards!
JzB

Friday, Dec 18, 2015 Robin Stears

 Theme:  Igpay Atinlay

Aha!  It's this year's Christmas present from Obinray Earsstay.  She tweeted last year at this time, “It's just not Christmas unless we push our bodies to the brink of alcoholism and diabetes.”  Now there's a woman who gets it!  You can visit her for more examples of her quirky sense of humor.

As I was working this one, knowing I was going to have to 'splain it to you guys, I kept scratching my head.  What does OVERSTAY have to do with chocolate?  And in what world does EASTBAY mean “savage?”  The perps demanded that those answers be correct.  I finally came to the reveal:

 58a.  What four puzzle answers need to be written in:  PIG LATIN...and the V8 can came flying.   Utecay!

17a.  Big name in chocolate:  OVERSTAY (Stover, as in Russell)

21a.  Savage:  EASTBAY (Beast)

35a.  Loot:  UNDERPLAY (Plunder)

52a.  Lay waste to:  ASHTRAY (Trash)

Let's see what other presents Robin put under our tree...

Across:

1.      ___ appeal:  SNOB

5.       “The Girls Next Door” co-creator, for short:  HEF.  Hugh Hefner.

8.       Torus-shaped gaskets:  O-RINGS. Per Wiki:  In geometry, a torus (plural tori) is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three-dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle.  But you knew that...

14.      Lift one's spirits:  TOPE.  If you lift them too often.

15.      Pay dirt:  ORE

16.      Secure again:  RESEAL. [Meh]  I get it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

19.      Against:  CONTRA. In another time (and what seems like another world), the CONTRAs battled the Sandinistas for control of Nicaragua.

20.      Crème de ___:  MENTHE. Because “la Crème” was too long and “Cacao” was too short.

22.      NATO member since 2009:  ALB.  No, not American League Baseball, but the country, ALBania.  Remember, we went to war against them in Wag the Dog.

23.      Says “y'all,” say:  ELIDES.  “Resides in Texas” was way too long.  DRAWLS would have worked, though.

26.      Time of one's life:  AGE

27.      Reunion group:  CLASS. “Aunts” would have fit, too.

29.      Beats Electronics co-founder:  DRE  (See 42d.)

30.      Danube tributary:  ILLER

 Those are the Allgäu Alps in the background – beautiful area of southern Bavaria.

32.      Early 20^th-century poet ____ Crane:  HART. No idea.

33.      Layer:  PLY.  Let's see the hands of those who confidently wrote HEN.

34.      The Beatles, e.g.:  IDOLS.  Tried BRITS first.

38.      IQ test name:  BINET.  I remember those standardized Stanford-BINET tests from my ute.

40.      Abu Dhabi is its cap.:  UAE.  United Arab Emirates.  I was there in the '80's.  I asked about a Stephen King novel in a bookstore, and was told, not so politely, not to mention that name there.  Okey dokey...

41.      Sounds from toys:  ARFS.  Wasn't fooled.

45.      “_____ run!”:  GOTTA.  Or as JzB puts it, IMBO.

46.      AC/DC song with the words “I'm dynamite”:  TNT.  Easy enough to suss.

47.      Road challenge:  GLARE

48.      Pharm. drop-offs:  RXS

49.      “WarGames”  computer.  JOSHUA.  Should have remembered that.  Didn't.

51.      Muscle mag subject:  PEC.  Mag indicates it'll be an abbrv.

55.      Biblical escape obstacle:  RED SEA.  “Holy Moses, Batman!”

57.      Get hot under the collar:  SEE RED.  Could be tough to parse. RED dupe.

60.      March:  PARADE

62.      Bluster:  RANT

63.      Treat badly:  STEP ON

64.      El ___:  CID.  Spanish hero played by Charleton Heston with a cast of thousands.

65.      Energy units:  ERGS. Hello again, old cw friend.

Down:

1.       Acid producer:  STOMACH.  Should have been easy enough to guess.  Wasn't.

2.       “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” for one:  NOVELLA.  Some might recall a minor movie.

3.       Spot for free spirits:  OPEN BAR.  Nailed it.

4.       Friend of Mary Poppins:  BERT.  All perps.

5.       Monopoly buy:  HOTEL

6.       Big time:  ERA

7.       Early 2000s “SNL” standout:  FEY.  Tina.

8.       “Blackfish” creatures:  ORCAS.  Political documentary.  Nuff sed.

9.       Model T contemporaries:  REOS.  Named for Ransom Eli Olds.  Many people think the Oldsmobile was named for him.  Correctomundo!

10,      “____ that special?!”:  ISN'T . Made famous by Dana Carvey.

11.      Court surprise:  NET BALL.  Tennis, I'm guessin'.

12.      Parking places:  GARAGES

13.      Buffy, for one:  SLAYER

18.      Tom Jones' “____ a Lady”:  SHE'S

21.      Shoebox letters:  EEE

24.      Between jobs:  IDLE

25.      Rehearsals:  DRY RUNS

28.      Double's job:  STUNT. Stunt-double in the movies.

30.      Wash. neighbor:  IDA  (Washington/Idaho)

31.      Steadfast:  LOYAL

33.      Wash. hours:  PDT.  The same Wash., not D.C.

34.      Key for Debussy?:   ILE.  Debussy was a French composer, and a key is an island.

36.      Teachers' org.:  NEA.  Standard crosswordese.

37.      Buddha's Noble Eightfold ____:  PATH.  Perps to the rescue.

38.      Choice ballpark location:  BOX SEAT

39.      “I found what you're looking for!”:  IT'S HERE

42.      Drake or Nelly:  RAP STAR.  If you say so.  Actually, I had first perped it as RAPSTER, but “Bluster” = RANT, not RENT, straightened me out.

43.      Letting go: FREEING

44.      Cosine reciprocals:  SECANTS.  Thank you, high school trigonometry.

45.      Comprehends:  GRASPS

46.      Stocking stuffer:  TOY.  Tried TOE first.

47.      Certain Celt:  GAEL.  There are several Celtic languages.  GAELic is one of them.

49.      Will Smith's second son:  JADEN.  Just how were we supposed to know that?

50.      Goaded:  URGED

53.      Sting, perhaps:  TRAP.  Narcotics sting.

54.      Modernize:  REDO

56.      Have the gumption:  DARE

58.      ___-Man:  PAC.  Many a squandered hour in my younger days...

59.      In this emplacement:  ICI. More French.  Shouldn't “In this” also have been in French? Oh, well...

That'll do it for me.  Glad to have had the opportunity to fill in today.  Lemonade will be back next week with his Christmas Special, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.  Desper-otto signing off.

Note from C.C.:

I would like to tell you about two coupled puzzles by my neighbor Steve Bachman (with some help from George Barany):  Wit and Wisdom, as explained further on this bachblog post. Even if you don't have time to try these puzzles, click on Steve's name for his inspirational personal story.