Theme: ROUGHHOUSE (61. Rowdy
play, and what's hidden in each answer to a starred clue) - Four
different simple shelters are hidden in each theme entry.
17A. *Cocktail ingredient often made with a mallet: CRUSHED ICE.
40A. *Sleep: SHUT EYE.
11D. *Quarterback's underhand move: SHOVEL PASS.
29D *Restraint on a prisoner: LEG SHACKLE. Thought they're called "leg irons".
C.C. here, filling in another blogging gap.
Classic
5-themer grid with a 7 in the middle. You won't get sparkly 8 or 9
non-theme fill in this grid design, but the fill will be clean.
I like the re-phrase of the reveal entry. Nice wordplay. The shelter is consistently contained in one word.
Across:
1. Was short: OWED.
5. Cut short, NASA-style: ABORT.
10. "Got it": I SEE.
14. "The Great" detective of kid-lit: NATE.
15. "Green Acres" co-star: GABOR. Eva. Youngest of the three Gabors.
16. Tobacco plug: CHAW.
19. Come up short: LOSE.
20. Hand-held allergy treatment: EPIPEN. D-Otto has one in his fridge.
21. Invite to one's home: ASK OVER.
23. Not from a bottle: ON TAP. 35. They may be 23-Across: ALES.
26. Swivel around: SLUE.
27. Seasoned sailors: SALTS. This is OK, but you guys don't like TARS, right?
30. Automated blog participant, for short: BOT.
32. Runs in neutral: IDLES.
36. Anne of Green Gables or Annie: ORPHAN.
38. Orchestra __: PIT.
39. Skit bit: GAG.
41. Ottoman bigwig: AGA. Or AGHA.
42. 911 response letters: EMS.
43. Stick a stake in, as a vampire: IMPALE.
44. Pale: ASHY.
45. Totally sexy: SO HOT. And 48. Strongly craves, with "after": LUSTS.
47. La-la lead-in: TRA.
49. "Sorry to say ... ": ALAS.
51. Blazer material: TWEED.
53. Performer's "Nailed it!" gesture: MIC DROP. Even Obama did it.
56. Followed: TAILED.
60. Rubs the wrong way: IRKS.
64. Cuba libre mixer: COLA. China has Future Cola.
65. First name in cosmetics: ESTEE.
66. Persia, now: IRAN. Hi there Abejo. Also, WikWak, hope you read all these birthday greetings from our blog regulars back in April.
67. From the top: ANEW.
68. Direct: STEER.
69. Brooding place: NEST.
Down:
1. Some time ago: ONCE.
2. What wet boards may do: WARP.
3. Special case: ETUI.
4. Cruel rulers: DESPOTS.
5. Contract negotiator: AGENT. Who's the most powerful sports agent right now? I only know Mark Steinberg. Oh also Jerry Maguire.
6. Naughty: BAD.
7. Kimono accessory: OBI.
8. Almond __: crunchy candy: ROCA.
9. Hair piece: TRESS.
10. Apple backup service: ICLOUD. We have Google Cloud.
12. Maneuver carefully: EASE.
13. Still-life subject: EWER.
18. Coop group: HENS.
22. Ryan's "French Kiss" co-star: KLINE.
24. Sudden: ABRUPT.
25. Toaster pastry: POP TART. I bet many of you have never had egg tarts. So good.
27. Learned advisors: SAGES.
28. Enterprise competitor: ALAMO.
31. Long-armed institution: THE LAW.
33. "Magic" ball digit: EIGHT.
34. Collar inserts: STAYS.
36. Unit of resistance: OHM.
37. Cry from a pro: AYE. One who's for.
40. Raga instrument: SITAR.
44. Port on some stereos: AUDIO IN.
46. Familiar saying: OLD SAW.
48. Sister of Rachel: LEAH. Here is the Leah on our blog. Chickie.
Left to Right: Chickie, JD, Garlic Gal and Lucina.
June 3, 2015
50. Aloe targets: SORES.
52. Former anesthetic: ETHER.
53. Layered rock: MICA.
54. Common club choice on a par-three hole: IRON. Short par-three.
Theme: LABOR. The Circled letters spell various kinds of paid gigs.
17 A. Car engine part: CRANKSHAFT. A SHAFT constructed of a series of CRANKS and CRANK pins that attach to the connecting rods of an engine. A CRAFT is a skill used in making items by hand.
24 A. "Tell me about it": JOIN THE CLUB. A commiserating phrase along the lines of "I feel your pain." A JOB is a paid position of regular employment.
34 A. Custodian: CARETAKER. Someone assigned to look after a person, pet, property, or entity, depending on context. A CAREER is a long-term occupation with opportunities for progress.
50. Lonely Planet publication, e.g.: TRAVEL GUIDE. A book of information about a location designed for visitors and tourists. A TRADE is a skilled job usually involving manual skills and special training.
58. Temporary fix, or what's found in this puzzle's circles: WORK AROUND. A method for overcoming a problem or limitation is a system or program. In the theme, various synonyms for types of WORK book-end the theme fill, so WORK goes AROUND the completed answer.
Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, as we WORK our way through this puzzle. Let's get on the job!
Across:
1. Receives at one's roof garden: HAS UP. I had to ponder this one. To receive visitors, you HAVE them into your home. So, you could have them up to your roof garden, should you be fortunate enough to possess such a thing.
6. "Shoot!": DARN. Exclamations of disappointment.
10. Bounces on the waves: BOBS. Like a cork.
14. Food safety concern: E COLI. Coliform bacteria that can be a food contaminant.
15. Miracle Mets outfielder Tommie: AGEE. [b 1942] He played for Cleveland and Chicago before the Mets. The Miracle refers to their 1969 World Series win over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. This was the 8th year of existence for the Mets, and their first year with a winning record. AGEE is credited with making two of the greatest and most critical catches in World Series history in game 3, with the series tied. He also led off the game with a home run.
16. Bell town in a Longfellow poem: ATRI. You can read about it here.
19. Like racehorses: SHOD. Having shoes.
20. __ Bora: Afghan region: TORA. A cave complex in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.
21. Roman 151: CLI. Roman numerals.
22. Prolonged assault: SIEGE. A tactic of surrounding the enemy's position to cut off supplies in hope of getting them to surrender.
23. U.K. honor: O.B.E. Order of the British Empire, awarded for outstanding contributions to arts, sciences or public service.
27. Numbers to crunch: RAW DATA. Data in an unprocessed form. Processing then leads to information.
29. Veer off course: YAW. Twist around a vertical axis.
30. Poe's "Annabel __": LEE.
31. Stately horse: STEED.
32. Orbit segment: ARC.
33. Alpha-Bits cereal maker: POST.
38. Talk show host Cavett: DICK. [b. 1936]
41. Zamboni surface: ICE. The Zamboni machine smooths the ice surface for hockey or figure skating.
42. Stretches out for a bit: RESTS. Takes 5.
46. Bat wood: ASH. The best choice, but other woods are also used.
47. Aromatic garland: LEI. Flowers strung together to be worn as a necklace.
48. Bob Cratchit's son: TINY TIM. From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
53. Zodiac feline: LEO. From July 23 to August 22.
54. Relaxed: EASED. Let up.
55. Salem-to-Portland dir.: NNE. As the crow flies
56. Gardener's bagful: SOIL.
57. Outdo: BEST. Perform better than someone.
61. Came to rest: ALIT. Landed.
62. First name in stunts: EVEL. AKA Robert Craig Knievel [1938-2007]
63. Superachievers: ELITE. A-list performers in some activity
64. Get out of bed: RISE. Even if reluctantly. Can be alarming.
65. Obsolete demo medium: TAPE. A musical demo presented for possible publication or professional recording.
66. Cap bill: VISOR. For shading one's eyes from the sun.
Down:
1. Strong-arms: HECTORS. To bully, intimidate or browbeat,
2. Cirque du Soleil performer: ACROBAT.
3. "Us, too": SO ARE WE. JOIN THE CLUB!
4. Radius neighbor: ULNA. The two long bones of the forearm.
5. Dental suffix with Water: PIK. Device for cleaning teeth and massaging the gums.
26. Access illegally, as a computer: HACK. To get unauthorized access to stored data or documents.
28. Swabbing site: DECK. Naval activity
32. Tucked away: ATE.
33. One being hunted: PREY.
35. Cambodian currency: RIEL. .00025 U. S. Dollar.
36. Vaping product, briefly: E CIG. It provides a mist containing nicotine, without burning tobacco.
37. Sea eagle: ERNE. Old school crossword entry.
38. Baked snack with dried fruit: DATE BAR. A cookie or cake-like item with fruit chunks or filling that is baked and then cut into bars.
39. Lod native: ISRAELI. Lod is a city of 75,000 located 9 miles south-east of Tel Aviv, near Ben-Gurion airport. The area has been inhabited since 5,000 B.C.
40. Car's supporting frame: CHASSIS. The base frame upon which the body and other componentry is located
43. Midwest city named for a French king: ST. LOUIS. In Missouri.
44. Connect with: TIE INTO.
45. Do a slow burn: SMOLDER.
47. Took charge of: LED.
48. Wind chime sound: TINKLE. Tinkle, tinkle, little chime, playing in a windy time.
49. Creative spark: IDEA.
51. Sporty Chevy: VETTE. Corvette, more formally.
52. Gen. Assembly member: U. N. REP.
56. Etudes, e.g.: SOLI. An etude is an instrumental study piece designed to improve technique. As such, it is a solo.. SOLI is the plural.
58. Not just damp: WET. On a spectrum from moist through inundated.
59. In vitro supply: OVA. Unfertilized eggs.
60. Race in the driveway: REV. To 'race" an engine is to give it gas [REV] while it is not in gear.
That, my circle of friends, wraps up another Wednesday. Hope you found the work to your liking.
Theme: North/South Divide - The theme entries separate the poles, as the reveal succinctly explains:
58A. In complete opposition ... and a feature of the four other longest answers: POLES APART. Or a Warsaw couple when one of them is away on a trip?
And the themers:
17A. *Finds flaws (in): PICKS HOLES, usually as relates to someone's argument. Polemicists are adept at this.
21A. *Casino fixtures where blinds might be used: POKER TABLES. This one might need some explanation. In some poker games, famously Texas Hold 'Em, after a new hand is dealt there are two "forced" bets to get the action started, the "small blind" and the "big blind". Two players must bet, irrespective of what their cards look like. The blinds rotate around the table as each hand is dealt. The amounts of the blinds are posted at each table so you know what you're getting into before you sit down, e.g. "$5/$10".
36A. *They make nuts healthy: POLYUNSATURATES. The "good" fats found in nuts, fish and other foodstuffs.
50A. *Skilled debaters: POLEMICISTS. Word of the week for me. Excellent.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable solve. It took me just over half an hour which is quite a bit longer than I'm used to on a Thursday. I didn't see the theme until the reveal, and that let me go back to 17A and fill in a lot of gaps in the Northwest. And some great words - polyunsaturates, polemicists, some long entries in the downs and I don't recall any clunk in the fill.
Great job from Roland. Let's take the Grand Tour.
Across:
1. Award named for a goddess: CLIO. Advertising awards. The muse was "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments".
5. Put down: ABASE
10. First choice: FAVE
14. "You're __ luck": OUTA. I looked askance at this one, I'd always seen "outta" before. I acquiesced in the end.
15. __ shorts: BOXER
16. Truth stretcher: LIAR
19. "Star Wars" sentence inverter: YODA
20. Baseball bat wood: ASH. I thought it was ELM at first, but it's too heavy for modern-day bats.
23. Sign-off word: YOURS
25. River through Tours: LOIRE. Beautiful part of the world, the Loire valley.
26. Shot water?: RAPIDS
28. Rash: HASTY
31. Citation ender, briefly: ET AL. Texts with multiple authors in citations are shortened by citing the first author's name, followed by "et al".
32. Usually multilayered dessert: TORTE
33. Place to unwind: SPA
40. __ card: common phone component: SIM. A Subscriber Identity Module, if you ever wondered.
41. Closes in on: NEARS
42. Half of sechs: DREI. German, natürlich.
43. Alaskan cruise sight: FJORD
44. Iris ring: AREOLA
46. Milan's La __: SCALA
49. The Huskies of the NCAA's Big East: UCONN. The women have won 11 basketball and 5 field hockey national titles.
54. Tank contents: GAS
57. Tip: APEX
60. Wild, all-night party: RAVE
61. Tiny swimmer: AMEBA. I still can't get used to not spelling this AMOEBA.
62. Marine threat: ORCA
63. Kept in one's sights: EYED
64. Fixes: SPAYS
65. Urban bane: SMOG. Much, much better here in LA than it was when I first moved here. The worst smog I've ever experienced was last year in Delhi, when the AQI was 440 (out of possible 500); anything over 300 is categorized as "hazardous". I came down with bronchitis and tore a rib cartilage one night I was coughing so hard.
Down:
1. Historic NYC club, with "The": COPA. Crosses filled this in for me, it didn't spring to mind.
2. '60s-'70s All-Star pitcher Tiant: LUIS. Thank you, crosses. Way before my USA time.
3. Sensory omen regarding money: ITCHY PALM. Lovely clue and fill.
4. Wine barrel wood: OAK
5. Can't stand: ABHORS
6. Financial records: BOOKS
7. Roadster rod: AXLE
8. Oracle: SEER
9. Formerly, formerly: ERST. From whence "erstwhile".
10. Airman, slangily: FLYBOY
11. Pungent mayo: AIOLI. Pungent? Odd choice of adjective. Is the aroma of garlic pungent?
12. "Star Wars" heavy breather: VADER. Darth. I like how this crossed YODA. It was world Star Wars Day last Saturday "May the Fourth be with you". Makes me laugh every year.
13. Wipe out: ERASE
18. Source of fries: SPUD. Peeled, chipped and double-fried. Yum! Not OILY at all.
22. Let out, e.g.: ALTER
24. Like some fried food: OILY. Yech. No excuse for this. Usually caused by not having the oil hot enough before you start cooking, and not keeping it up to temp.
26. Gym iterations: REPS
27. French possessive: À TOI. "Yours".
28. Squirrel away: HOARD
29. Fine __: ARTS
30. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU
32. Old Russian ruler: TSAR. Always need to wait for a T or S to decide between this and CZAR
33. Coerce: STRONG-ARM. Nice fill. A lot of quality in the fill today.
34. Thurman's role in "The Avengers" (1998): PEEL. Diana Rigg played Emma Peel in the original British TV series back in the '60s.
35. Home to K2: ASIA. The world's second tallest mountain, and most demanding and second-most dangerous to climb behind Annapurna.
37. Clear, as a copier: UNJAM. My printer has an annoying habit of reporting a paper jam when there isn't one. I still have to go through the rigmarole of "clearing" the non-jam before it'll start working again.
38. Prefix with natal: NEO-
39. Yemeni port: ADEN
43. Showed off a muscle: FLEXED
44. Fills in for: ACTS AS
45. Soprano Ponselle who debuted at the Met opposite Caruso: ROSA. Thank you, crosses.
46. Slash on a score sheet: SPARE. Bowling. Easy for the bowlers among us, less easy for me.
47. Insured patient's obligation: CO-PAY
48. Advil alternative: ALEVE
49. "Best before" cousin: USE BY
51. Hoppy brews: IPA'S
52. Freebie: COMP
53. Intestinal sections: ILEA
55. Violin music instruction: ARCO. Use the bow, as opposed to pizzicato, pluck the strings.
56. Unaccompanied: STAG. Took me a while to see this. I wanted SOLO first.
59. Bldgs. with many boxes: P.O.'S. I was trying to fit apt, condo, some other multi-dwelling building, then the Post Office penny dropped.
OK, I've run out of runway so time to post the grid and take off.
Theme: Heaps of Shapes - the four theme entries contain scrambles of the word "shape":
18A. Penny pincher: CHEAPSKATE
23A. Knot used to take up slack: SHEEPSHANK. I can tie one of these with my eyes closed, it's a common sailing knot. It shakes out when there's no tension on the rope, super-useful for shortening a mooring line. Wikipedia terms it "unstable", I didn't realize knots had personality issues.
50A. Prankster's weapon: PEASHOOTER. I shot my dad in the eye with a peashooter when I was six. I still remember the feeling of absolute dread of the consequences. He was pretty good about it, he only beat me to within two inches of my life. Actually, after he got over the surprise, he just sat me down for a little chat about safe play.
57A Project wrap-up: FINAL PHASE. The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time. The final 10% takes the other 90%.
... and the reveal giving us a hint of what to look for:
38A. Amorphous sci-fi beings, and a hint to what's hidden in the four other longest answers: SHAPESHIFTERS
For the therianthropiist-followers among us, I recall we had LOUP GAROU a couple of weeks ago, one of the more common shapeshifting tropes.
A straightforward theme, scramble SHAPE and find four theme entries which work. The odd man out is FINAL PHASE, which has two words, the others just one.
A solid effort from Roland, the theme works nicely. The puzzle as a whole felt more like a Tuesday or Wednesday to me, but it sailed along nicely. Let's see what we've got to talk about:
Across:
1. Onetime capital of the Mughal Empire: AGRA. Slightly different slant on the cluing for this staple. Nice.
5. Pop star: IDOL
9. Idea, at times: IMAGE. Mental image.
14. Apparently are: SEEM. Not "is", that would be "seems".
15. Bering Sea port: NOME. I'm intimately acquainted with Dutch Harbor, another Alaska port, despite never having been there. I've watched all the "Deadliest Catch" episodes.
16. Center for Auto Safety co-founder: NADER. "Unsafe at any speed".
17. Part of the supreme Hindu trinity: SIVA. The Destroyer. The Creator and Preserver are Brahma and Vishnu respectively.
20. Trooper's outfit?: ISUZU. Nice clue. Car manufacturer.
22. Moan and groan: GRIPE
26. Garden nuisance: WEED. Jeopardy answer "What is a Boston fan?"
30. Prof.'s helpers: T.A.S
31. Overly: TOO
32. Fill with affection: ENAMOR
34. Relax completely: GO LIMP
37. Like lambs and rams: OVINE. I've got by bovines and ovines down now.
41. Pizzeria allure: AROMA. I can smell the aroma of Blue Mountain coffee brewing. I'm in Jamaica.
42. Refreshers: TONICS. Gin in mine, please. Tonic water was developed to mask the taste of the anti-malarial drug quinine in colonial-era India.
43. Snapper?: CAMERA.
45. Chinese restaurant general: TSO
46. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones music genre: SKA.This will get you up in the morning. I love Ska - the British band "Madness" was another fine purveyor of the genre.
49. One logging on: USER
54. Miniseries based on a Haley novel: ROOTS
56. Sucked (in): LURED
62. Voice quality: TONE
63. Old saw: ADAGE
64. Throw off: EMIT
65. Poetic black: EBON
66. Ins and outs, with "the": ROPES
67. Like yellow bananas: RIPE
68. Slight damage: DENT
Down:
1. Give a hand: ASSIST
2. "Memoirs of a __": Arthur Golden novel: GEISHA
3. Musical shows: REVUES
4. Floor: AMAZE
5. Business mag: INC
6. Self-critical cry: DOH! Homer Simpson's favorite expression.
7. Seamaster watchmaker: OMEGA. Wait for at least one letter to decide between OMEGA and ROLEX.
8. Come to know: LEARN
9. Clouseau's rank, briefly: INSP. The bumbling inspector, wonderfully played by Peter Sellers.
10. Rock the boat: MAKE WAVES
11. Periodontist's org.: A.D.A. I saw mine last week. I love getting my teeth cleaned.
12. Come down with: GET
13. Long starter, once: ERE. Ere long, this will be back in common parlance. At least among us crossword folk.
19. Toll road: PIKE. A shortened version of "turnpike". The tallest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, which towers an astonishing - wait for it - 3,209 feet. You can walk up and down it in a couple of hours. The scenery is beautiful, it's in England's Lake District.
21. Passing muster: UP TO PAR
24. Footprint maker: SOLE
25. Raise on a pole: HOIST
27. Many an oil-rich ruler: EMIR. I tried SHAH first, was wrong.
28. Many ages: EONS
29. Death Row Records co-founder, familiarly: DRE. The good Dr. with his business partners Suge Knight and The D.O.C. The label was a sensation in the 90's, but it didn't end well.
33. "You're way over the line": NOT COOL
34. Tantrum while playing Xbox: GAMER RAGE. I like this new fill. I'd never heard the phrase before, but it didn't take long to figure it out.
35. Old conductance unit: MHO. It's the reciprocal of the ohm, hence the spelling. I like inventive plays on words, especially in the sciences.
36. Ice cream buys: PINTS. I rarely buy a pint of ice cream, I'd just eat it all. I buy those little Haagen-Dazs mini-tubs.
38. Mmes., in Madrid: SRAS. Señoras.
39. House-shaped browser button: HOME
40. School group: FISH. Made me smile. The clue has been used before, but I like these plays on words.
41. Puncture prefix: ACU-
44. Each: A POP
46. Disco light: STROBE
47. Passionate about: KEEN ON. I might be more than keen if I was passionate. I read in an article this week that nowadays if you say "I love you" in Japan, it's viewed as something of a joke. You say "I like you ... a lot" instead.
48. Passionate: ARDENT
51. Upper regions of space: ETHER
52. "Likewise": AS AM I
53. Blabbed about, in a way: OUTED
55. World Cup cheers: OLÉS. There were a few of these at the Barcelona - Manchester United game this week. The Messi-led Barca knocked United out of the Champions League 4-0.
57. Go __: succeed: FAR
58. Rite answer?: I DO
59. Short snooze: NAP
60. Bit of a draft?: SIP, Draft beer. Thursday-clue for a simple word.
61. Côte d'Azur saison: ÉTÉ. I've been to the French Riviera a number of times, always in summer. I have an unpaid ticket for parking on the Cannes promenade. I had no idea what I'd done wrong, so I figured I was being targeted for having GB license plates. I couldn't pay it now even if I wanted to, it's in francs.
And with that confession of crimes past, I think I'm done. I'm off to get some salt fish and callalou for breakfast and some of that delicious coffee. Ya Mon, Respect.
17. It may require a permission slip: SCHOOL EVENT.
27. Nearly one-third of Africa: SAHARA DESERT.
43. Gathering with much networking: SCHMOOZEFEST.
57. Table with columns, and what literally can be found in 17-, 27- and 43-Across: SPREADSHEET.
The word SHEET is S-P-R-E-A-D across each theme answer. Added and impressive bonus that each answer begins with S and ends with T. Constructors must be always thinking of theme ideas. I am in awe of their creativity.
Melissa here. When I flew out to my daughter's last Thursday our power had just been restored following a freak snowstorm, and we had to shovel the driveway to get out. I returned last night and there's still snow everywhere but roads are clear and most everyone has power again. Some were without for a full week. It reminds me how spoiled I am, so accustomed to modern conveniences.
Across:
1. Nurse Barton: CLARA. She founded the Red Cross.
6. Work with a libretto: OPERA. Sneaky - noun, not verb.
11. Capture: BAG.
14. Spring for a drink?: OASIS.
15. Piece of info: DATUM.
16. "What __ the odds?": ARE.
19. "Narcos" org.: DEA.
20. First encounter in a romcom: MEET CUTE. I had not heard this term before. Wikipedia: "In film and television, a meet cute is a scene in which the two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time. This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies." At right is from You've Got Mail. I may be the last person to have seen the newest movie version of A Star is Born, which contains a meet cute that sets the tone for the relationship between Jackson and Ally. I love the stripped down look of Lady Gaga. The encore version with 12 extra minutes is in theaters for only one week, beginning March 1st. So good.
21. Open, as a gate latch: UNBAR. Interesting discussion here regarding castle gates. About halfway down are four pictures of real castle gates, and some points about barred gate doors.
23. Pigs out (on), briefly: ODS. Overdoses.
24. Believer's suffix: IST. Buddhist.
25. General sense: TENOR.
31. Roadside business: MOTEL. Motels differ from hotels in that they have fewer rooms, are typically one or two levels, and guests access their rooms from outside rather than a corridor.
34. Decorating job on "Cake Boss": ICER.
35. Coin-op gas station machine output: AIR. No free air any more.
49. Tarzan raiser: APE. My daughter's baby shower last Saturday included a game to match Disney characters with their parents. I now know that Tarzan's (adoptive) mother was an ape named Kala. They have their own meet cute.
52. Razor sharpener: STROP.
54. Time-out: BREATHER.
56. Seek the affections of: WOO. I like this word.
60. Rock concert need: AMP. Short for amplifier.
61. Angel who directs Satan to Earth in "Paradise Lost": URIEL.
62. Speak formally: ORATE.
63. "__-haw!": YEE.
64. Diver's gem: PEARL.
65. Renoir subjects: NUDES.
Down:
1. Pink drink, for short: COSMO.
2. Tied, as sneakers: LACED.
3. Volcanic particles: ASHES.
4. Real hoot: RIOT.
5. Hardly gregarious: ASOCIAL.
6. One-named folk singer: ODETTA.
7. Make car-friendly: PAVE.
8. Saison that starts in juin: ETE. French for Summer. Wiktionary.
9. Diamond score: RUN. Baseball.
10. Radio component: AM TUNER.
11. Instances of rotten luck: BAD BREAKS.
12. Carpet calculation: AREA.
13. PRNDL selection: GEAR. Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low.
31. "Alice" diner: MELS. Interesting facts about the movie and spinoff tv series.
32. Oil org.: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
33. Metaphor for a precarious course: TIGHTROPE.
37. Surmounting: ATOP.
38. Bewildered state: DAZE.
39. Granola bar morsel: OAT.
41. Makes more powerful: SOUPS UP. I always thought of this phrase as enhancing the appearance, but most definitions I found lead with increasing power.
42. Co-host of the sports radio show "Boomer and Gio": ESIASON. Was not aware of this show.
44. Chinese chairman: MAO.
45. Last words of the Pledge of Allegiance: FOR ALL. "[...] with liberty and justice for all." An honorable goal - I wish it were really true.
55. By way of, briefly: THRU. "Briefly" indicates a shortened spelling. Through vs. Thru.
58. Register opening?: PRE.
59. River inlet: RIA.
Note from C.C.:
As Melissa mentioned earlier, she visited her daughter last week. Here are two gorgeous pictures. They
just look like from a fairy tale. Jaelyn's little sister,
Harper Rose, is expected sometime around 5/2/19.
This is going to be a beautiful year for Melissa, who's been working hard for years championing Adopt an Inmate.
20. 100-mile-an-hour fastball, often: STRIKE OUT PITCH.
25. Classy neckwear: STRING OF PEARLS.
42. Bike storage bags, e.g.: STRAP ON POUCHES.
47. What a plus sign indicates on a golf match scoreboard: STROKES OVER PAR.
A reveal hidden in plain sight. See the answer to 1 Down. Clever.
I first noticed the STR starts to the answers. Then saw the O P and thought STROP ? As in a sharpening strop ? Bzzt.
Across:
1. Enjoys Breckenridge, say: SKIS. Breckenridge, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. Never been there, but I have skied at Seven Springs in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains.
5. Cries out loud: SOBS.
9. "If I Had a Hammer" singer Lopez: TRINI. This Pete Seeger song and covers of it by Peter Paul and Mary, Trini Lopez and others got old after the 3 gazillionth play on the radio. It was inescapable.
"Why didn't he just go to the hardware store and buy a hammer ?"
16. Pay by mail: REMIT. We probably average a roll a year now, and most of those are at Christmas.
17. Metered work, usually: POEM.
18. Duck that lends its name to a color: TEAL.
19. Word from the wise: ADAGE. 'If you can't take it, don't dish it out." "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." OKAY, OKAY, alright already. I take it back. If I Had a Hammer is a fine song.
23. Vent opening?: PRE.
24. Stein filler: ALE.
33. Total confusion: CHAOS.
34. Made public: AIRED.
35. Summer Games org.: IOC. International Olympic Committee
36. Admission of fault: OOPS. Mea culpa.
37. Less clumsy: ABLER.
38. Back up a step, as in an app: UNDO.
39. "__ is me!": WOE.
40. For all to hear: ALOUD.
41. Good feature: ASSET.
45. Partner of to: FRO.
46. 22.5 deg.: NNE.
55. Pick up gradually: GLEAN. Over time I gleaned that arguing with a woman is like reading a software license agreement. In the end you just click "I Agree"
56. Crafted, as a tale: WOVE.
57. Keep for later: SAVE.
58. Wonderland cake message: EAT ME. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
59. Morales of "NYPD Blue": ESAI.
60. Express line unit: ITEM. Grammarians note when the sign reads, "10 items or less" but it doesn't peeve me. A full shopping cart in that line might.
61. Jacket material: TWEED.
62. Bakery product: ROLL.
63. Fiddling emperor: NERO. An awful man on all accounts. As despicable as he was, he couldn't have played a fiddle because it wasn't invented yet. Perhaps a lute ?
9. Was behind in the match: TRAILED. Golf, tennis, chess
10. Herbal brew: RED TEA.
11. Apple since 1998: IMAC. IMAC is also an IT term for Installs, Moves, Adds and Changes.
12. Soon to happen: NIGH. As quaint as anon.
13. Suffix with urban: ITE.
21. Songwriter Kristofferson: KRIS. He's in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of fame. The opening lyrics from one of his most famous songs:
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train
When I was feeling nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
And rode us all the way to New Orleans
22. School research assignment: PAPER.
25. Slap the puck toward the goal: SHOOT. Patrick Sharp demonstrates.
26. Get to the point?: TAPER.
27. Cameroon neighbor: GABON. Two of the thirty-seven errors I made on Husker Gary's countries of Africa geography quiz last week.
28. Prepare for a bodybuilding competition: OIL UP.
29. Middle Corleone brother: FREDO. Fredo is the younger brother of Sonny, and the older brother of Michael in Mario Puzo's The Godfather, portrayed by John Cazale in the movie.
30. Salon procedure: RINSE.
31. Rich ore deposits: LODES.
32. Many a clan member: SCOT.
33. Farm moms: COWS. They are heifers until they become moms.
37. "Take __ at this!": A LOOK. Take a look at this school mural. That's a real fire extinguisher.
38. Signals the arrival of, as a new era: USHERS IN.
Happy Birthday to our sweet LaLaLinda. Linda does not post these days, but she still reads our posts and comments every day. We miss your presence, Linda!
Theme: Every Snowflake Is Different! What I love about this claim is that it is not testable. In today's puzzle, the claim is that for each multi-word theme entry, every letter is different. This is testable, so let's get our deerstalker hats and magnifying glasses and have a go at it.
20 A. 2011 Steve Carell romcom: CRAZY STUPID LOVE. Careful inspection confirms that each letter is, indeed, unique. I am not a fan of the genre. The presence of Jennifer Aniston in a movie's cast is enough to make me say, "No, thanks," no matter how cute she is. But this movie has Julianne Moore supported by an all-star cast. I'm actually rather fond of this flick.
34 A. Rickety abode: TUMBLE DOWN SHACK. Not a phrase you're likely to encounter in daily conversation, but the meaning is clear enough. Reminds me of my mom's humble beginning in rural south-east Ohio. Searching through all the rooms - and even the outhouse - I was unable to find even one duplicated letter. So far, so good,
41 A. "Stop whining!": DON'T BE SUCH A WIMP. Do WIMPS duplicate letters? Not here they don't! Not on my watch! Does this phrase foster toxic masculinity? I'll just leave that as food for thought.
53 A. Neither 20-, 34- nor 41-Across has any: REPEATED LETTERS. Is it my hyper-active sense of irony that notes the repeated Rs, Es and Ts in the unifier? Well - be that as it may, we do have a clever and unique theme, aptly described, with four grid-spanning entries, and that is only a J and a Q away from being a pangram. Yes, I also love run-on sentences.
Hi, Gang. Inspector JazzBumpa here looking under cushions and dusting for prints. Let's see what we can find.
Across:
1. Soft ball: NERF. A toy brand created by Parker Brothers and now owned by Hasbro. The product line is mostly foam-based items, like balls and weaponry. Mostly harmless, I suppose.
5. Berkshire Hathaway headquarters city: OMAHA. A multi-national conglomerate run by Warren Buffet. Note the repeated A.
10. Greenish-yellow pear: BOSC. A European cultivar that originated in France, now grown in many locations in Europe and North America.
14. Mine, in MontrÈal: AMOI. They speak French there. I visited the city once, back in the early 80's. It was wonderful.
15. Chicano rock band Los __: LOBOS. It means The Wolves.
16. "Enchanted" girl in a 2004 film: ELLA. Not your typical RomCom.
17. Hors d'oeuvre cracker: RITZ. Nabisco product introduced in 1934, the depth of the depression, to offer their customers "a bite of the good life."
18. Lose tautness: DROOP. Sag, limply hang down.
19. Logician's error, maybe: LEAP. One step should lead logically to the next.
23. Slangy affirmative: YEH. Unhuh.
24. Light beam: RAY. Heavy beams are used in construction.
25. Poseidon's realm: SEA. In Greek mythology, the god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses. Horses? How did they get in there? Anyway, He was one of the most ill-tempered, moody and greedy Olympians.
28. Lav, in Bath: LOO. Comfort station, to be delicate.
30. Zero in: AIM. Focus attention on something.
31. Federal bldgs. with mailboxes: POS. Post Offices. Though I imagine other Fed bldgs. might also have mailboxes.
38. Diva's time to shine: ARIA. Solo vocal feature in a longer musical work such as an opera or oratorio.
39. Savings plan inits.: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
40. Fair-haired sci-fi race: ELOI. One of two post-human races of the far distant future in The Time Machine, from 1895 by H. G. Wells
46. Chinese menu surname: TSO. Generally speaking.
47. Put away: EAT. Consume at the dinner table.
48. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL. A registered trade mark of Clorox. From its inception in 1929 until 2016 it contained pine oil. Then the product was cheapened to increase profitability.
49. Old Nintendo game console: Abbr.: NES. The classic Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985.
50. UFO pilots, supposedly: ETS. Extra-Terrestrials. I suspect they took one look at us, shook their hairless, crenellated heads, and just kept on going.
51. Nintendo game console: Wii. The letters don't stand for anything. Instead, the two lower case is are intended to represent gamers together, reinforcing the "we" pronunciation of the item's name
62. Similar in nature: AKIN. Derived from the word "kin" meaning related by blood.
63. Online biz: E-TAIL. Electronicized retail. Is this a portmanteau?
64. Compete for the America's Cup: SAIL. This Cup is the prize awarded to the winer of a race between yachts, so named because the original winner in 1851 was the schooner America. Any qualifying yacht club can challenge the current cup holder, at a place and time determined by mutual agreement. The winner retains the cup until defeated.
65. Fish catchers: NETS.
66. Art class subjects: NUDES. Unclothed models.
67. Stubborn sort: MULE. A sterile beast of burden, bred from a male donkey and a female horse. By extension, a person who acts as stubborn as one.
68. Aussie greeting: G-DAY. Short mouth for "good day."
69. Part of LED: DIODE. An electrical component that only allows current flow in one direction.
70. Marked for deletion: EXED. X marks the spot - and not in a good way.
Down:
1. DEA operative: NARC. The Drug Enforcement Agency employs NARCotic agents to enforce the relevant laws.
2. House of Saud bigwig: EMIR. A title for various rulers of Arabic Muslim countries.
3. Duty roster: ROTA. Derived from the Latin word for wheel. I imagine this might indicate that the jobs rotate. But I'm just guessing.
4. Like soda pop: FIZZY. Bubbly, due to carbonation.
5. Part of a comfort simile: OLD SHOE. I found a proverb I wasn't familiar with: "Old shoes are easy, old friends are best." So, an OLD SHOE is something or someone you are unquestionably at ease with.
6. Mad Magazine cartoonist Drucker: MORT. He was born in 1929, started with Mad Mag in 1956 and continued with them for 55 years. I loved Mad when I was a kid, and his satirical drawings of pop culture icons was a part of it.
7. Leigh Hunt's "__ Ben Adhem": ABOU. A poem with a sweet message, that you can read here.
8. Earring style: HOOP. A round dangling ornament.
9. "Take two __ and call me ... ": ASPIRIN. Cliched expression representing being shrugged off by an uninterested doctor.
10. Kind of dancer: BELLY.
A brief how-to video
11. Breakfast spread: OLEO. An ersatz butter substitute made from vegetable oil, also called margarine.
Also a jazz standard written by Sonny Rollins in 1954, to the same chord progression as the Gershwin classic tune I've Got Rhythm.
12. Balkan native: SLAV. Members of an Indo-European ethnolinguistic group. There are three geographic sub-groups, Eastern, Western and Southern. Balkan natives are in the Southern sub-group.
13. Superman accessory: CAPE. Dracula, too - but not always a good idea.
21. Holler: YELL. Produce a loud vocalization.
22. Beaver creations: DAMS.
25. Town, in Germany: STADT. Literal.
26. Irish banknotes: EUROS. Unaffected by Brexit, Ireland remains in the E. U.
27. Protein-building acid: AMINO. An organic compound containing both amine and carboxylic acid functionality. These are active groups that can react with each other, and therefore build long chain molecules. Due to its alternating vowels and consonants, it is also a frequently useful building block for crosswords.
29. Poet with dedication?: ODIST. One who writes an ode - a lyric poem, usually in an elevated style, in the form of an address to a particular subject. I suppose some dedicatio is required to achieve this.
30. Military plane acronym: AWACS. Airborn Warning and Control System - designed to detect various kinds of vehicles at long distances and perform command and control functions in a battle engagement.
31. McCain's running mate: PALIN. 'Nuff said.
32. "__, all ye faithful ... ": O COME. Opening of a famous Christmas carol.
33. Decides not to attend: SKIPS. As a school class or social event.
35. Baseball club: BAT. The smooth, tapered wooden club used to strike the ball. An ambiguous clue, since an organized team is also called a club.
36. Tulsa sch. named for an evangelist: ORU. Oral Roberts University, an interdenominational Christian university founded in 1963, and named for its founder.
37. Use an axe on: HEW. Chop.
42. Test version: BETA. A software version with a limited distribution for testing, prior to public release.
43. London area that includes Canary Wharf: EAST END. You can read about it here.
44. "Is there another way?": HOW ELSE. Searching for alternatives.
45. Landed: ALIT. Descended from above.
50. Itty: EENSY. Teeny tiny.
52. Answer at the door: IT'S ME. Truthful, no matter who says it.
53. Pealed: RANG. Loudly, as in a bell in a bell tower.
54. Scratched (out): EKED. Got by with difficulty.
55. Pocket bread: PITA. From the Greek word for a pastry. In this context, a flat, hollow, unleavened bread that can be split open and filled.
56. Small decorative case: ETUI. From an Old French word meaning: something shut up, as a prison; then by the 17th century, a small container.
57. Carpentry groove: DADO. A flat, parallel-sided groove cut into a board so that it may be attached to the edge of another board.
58. Wasn't honest: LIED. Made an intentionally false and misleading statement.
59. French waters: EAUX. Literal.
60. Stir up: RILE. Early 19th century variant on ROIL, meaning to aggravate, bother, annoy, or make water muddy by disturbing the sediment.
61. Malamute's burden: SLED. The malamute is a large domestic dog bred for strength and endurance to haul heavy loads, and therefore dog SLEDS. It is closely related to the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Husky, but not the Canadian Eskimo dog nor the Greenland dog.
That wraps up another Wednesday. And true to the theme, every answer was unique.
