Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Seth Geltman and Jeff Chen

Animal Crackers.  You'll crack up when you find the animals in each IDIOM (56-Across).

18-Across. Animal kingdom predator: FOX IN THE HENHOUSE.

29-Across. Animal kingdom traitor: SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

49-Across. Animal kingdom eccentricity: BATS INTHE BELFRY.

62-Across. Animal kingdom complication: FLY IN THE OINTMENT.

And two related theme clues:

56-Across. Figure of speech: IDIOM.

2-Down. Fanatic love of animals: ZOOMANIA.

Across:

1. HIV-treating drug: AZT.  Short for Azidothymidine.

4. Word with contracts or contractions: LABOR.  As in Labor Contracts and Labor Contractions.

9. More brooding: MOPIER.

15. Mauna __: LOA.  Mauna Loa is a Hawaiian volcano that last erupted in April 1984.

16. Frugal way to wed: ELOPE.  Fun new clue for this crossword staple.

17. Big blood vessels: AORTAE.  Plural of Aorta.  You should only have one.

21. Car radio letters: AM/FM.

22. Genius 8000 toothbrushes, e.g.: ORAL-Bs.

23. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Homer Simpson's neighbor.

24. Bakery draw: AROMA.

27. Most populous continent: ASIA.

28. Road Runner stills, e.g.: CELS.

32. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.  Lucy Liu (b. Dec. 2, 1968) played Joan Watson on the television crime series Elementary, which ran from 2012 ~ 2019.

33. Bark holder: TREE.

34. Absorb, with "up": SOP.

35. Speeder's undoing: RADAR.

37. Igor, to Dr. Frankenstein: ASS'T.  Igor was Dr. Frankenstein's assistant.  Dr. Frankenstein created the monster.  Does the clue indicate to you that the answer is an abbreviation?

40. Like Redbox films: ON DVD.

44. __ a plea: COP.

46. One removed by a wine lover: CORK.

48. Musical knack: EAR.

54. Enticement: LURE.

55. Space: ROOM.

57. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

58. Sheena who collaborated with Prince: EASTON.  Sheena Easton (née Sheena Shirley Orr; b. Apr.  27, 1959) and Prince (né Prince Roger Nelson; June 7, 1958 ~ Apr. 21, 2016) first met in 1984 and collaborated on several hit songs.

60. It can end on a high note: ARIA.

66. 1927 movie innovation: TALKIE.  It was also a Walkie.

67. Turkic language: UZBEK.

68. The Bosporus, e.g.: Abbr.: STR.  As in the Borporus Strait.  It is part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.  It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  It is also known as the Strait of Istanbul.  In May 1766, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Bosporus.

69. Zooms: SPEEDS.

70. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Yummers!  I am growing some basil in my garden this year so hopefully I will be able to make some pesto later this summer.

71. PreCheck org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.  I am always happy when  I get the PreCheck mark on my plane ticket.  I have no immediate plans for flying now or in the near future, though.

Down:

1. Two before Charlie: ALFA.

3. It may involve cooking the books: TAX FRAUD.

4. Super Bowl IV MVP Dawson: LEN.  Len Dawson (né Leonard Ray Dawson; b. June 20, 1935) played in one of the early Super Bowl games.  The game was played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.  The Kansas City Chiefs (an AFL team) trounced the Minnesota Vikings (an NFL team) in a score of 23 - 7.

5. PC shortcut key: ALT.

6. __-chic: hippie-influenced fashion style: BOHO.  BoHo apparently stands for Bohemian Homeless.    Who knew?

7. Performs surgery: OPERATES.

8. Go over again: REHASH.

9. Guys' attaché alternatives: MAN BAGS.  Mmmm ... No.

10. Fireworks cries: OOHS!

11. Golf expert: PRO.

12. Apple music app: iTUNES.  I used to get my podcasts from iTunes, but the operating system changed.

13. Stands for oils: EASELS.

14. Clarinets, e.g.: REEDS.

19. "It's just a flesh wound": I'M OK.  I just ran amok.

20. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) was born in Sighet, Transylvania (now a part of Romania).  During World War II, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz.  His mother and sister were immediately killed, but Elie and his father were selected for labor.  They were later transported to Buchenwald.  His father died in Buchenwald, but Elie survived.  He went on to write over 50 book, several of which were about his experience in the concentration camps.  Probably his most famous book is Night, which was originally written and published in French.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian works.  When I was in college, I was fortunate to meet him.

25. Some undergrounds: METROs.  Think of the subway system in Paris.

26. It can be fresh but not insulting: AIR.  Fun clue and answer!

28. Crunch's rank: CAP'N.

29. 35mm camera type: SLR.  As in Single Lens Reflex camera.  We see this a lot in the puzzles, but what does it really mean?  Find out here.

30. Cultural funding gp.: NEA.  As in the National Endowment for the Arts.

31. Swindled: ROOKED.

36. Entr'__: ACTE.  Today's French lesson.  It literally means "between the acts".

38. Work a crowd: SCHMOOZE.

39. Digit for water testing?: TOE.

41. Clear-cut, as for lumber: DEFOREST.

42. Pesky critters: VARMINTS.

43. Parched: DRY.

45. Pittsburgh team: PIRATES.

47. Stat for the 45-Down: RBI.  As in Runs Batted In.  I think Hank Aaron (b. Feb. 5, 1834) still leads with the most runs with 2,297 RBIs.

49. Gunny sack fabric: BURLAP.

Burlap Tote ~ It's BOHO Chic.

50. Socks pattern: ARGYLE.  Why Argyle is a pattern for socks and not suits.

51. Enjoy a bagel, say: NOSH.  I had the plural of this word last week.  It comes from the Yiddish word נאַשן, meaning "to nibble on".

52. Add: TOTE UP.

53. Actor Neeson: LIAM.  Liam William Neeson (b. June 7, 1952) was married to Natasha Richardson.  He played Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler's List.

54. Artists' pads: LOFTS.

58. City west of Tulsa: ENID.  Enid make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is the 9th largest city in Oklahoma.  Can you name the 8 largest cities in Oklahoma?

59. Pen points: NIBS.

61. First razor with a pivoting head: ATRA.

63. Pres. after Harry: IKE.  As is Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969), who was President immediately after Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972).

64. Site-seeing place, with "the": NET.  As in the Internet.

65. Ring ref's decision: TKO.  As in Technical Knock Out.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.  ~  Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015), American baseball player and coach

Friday May 5, 2017 Jeff Chen and Seth Geltman

(Note from C.C.: Lemonade still feels quite weak from his surgeries. D-Otto blogged today's puzzle.)

Theme: FUZZY MATH - Each math term is re-phrased as non-math.

“Fuzzy math” has a couple of very different meanings. In one sense, it can describe the way a politician defends his pie-in-the-sky spending plan. It’s also a valid field of math related to fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory. I’m not sure this puzzle fits either of those meanings. To me, it just seems to be a smattering of unrelated, but weirdly-clued, two-word math expressions:

17A. Bizarre entr'acte? : ODD NUMBER

25A. Cue from the wings? : LINE SEGMENT

37A. L.A. or N.Y. publishing equipment? : TIMES TABLES (Equipment?)

49A. Upbringing involving unhip oldies? : SQUARE ROOTS

And the reveal…

61A. It doesn't add up ... except as a hint to 17-, 25-, 37- and 49-Across : FUZZY MATH

This is another of the frequent collaborations from Jeff and Seth. We’ve seen Jeff here many times. Seth teaches computer science to grade school kids in California. He writes about his joint efforts with Jeff: “In the Pro-Am circuit of puzzles, he (Jeff) is definitely the Pro, and I'm the Am.” (Sorta like the cornerites’ collaborations with C.C.)

Let’s see what Jeff’s and Seth’s integration has wrought...

Across:

1. Ike, in the '50s : PREZ

5. Suffix for "leader" : ARCH. As in monARCH, oligARCH, etc. Had to think about it before the light went on.

9. Stopped to think : MUSED. My first guess.

14. First female attorney general : RENO. Janet was in charge during the Branch Davidian debacle in Waco. She passed away last November. There’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about her here.

15. Animal in una arena : TORO.  “Una arena” tells us the answer will be Spanish.

16. Fester, e.g. : UNCLE. Morticia’s Uncle Fester on the Addams Family.

19. Historic name in India : MAHAL.  As in the Taj. Tried NEHRU first.

20. "Millennium" trilogy author Larsson : STIEG/ The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. Have you read them? I thought they were pretty good.

21. "It's go time" : I’M UP (Meh!)

23. It's little when it's white : LIE. Probably my favorite clue in this puzzle.

29. Enter furtively : EDGE IN. Sneak and Steal in were too long.

31. Locks removed at night? : TOUPEE. Voted second favorite clue.

32. Curb : REIN Another first guess.

33. Reserved box, maybe : VIP SEAT (Meh #2)

40. Apt : GERMANE. No relation to Jermaine Jackson.

41. Sleazy gaze : LEER Not OGLE this time.

44. Sanction : PERMIT

47. "Open wide!" : SAY AAH

53. It's quite a mess : STY

54. Land of Freud: Abbr. : AUS tria

55. Flush, in Tijuana : RICO. Rich, no relation to Rich Norris.

56. Try to strike : HIT AT

58. Beamed : LIT UP

63. Muse of memory : MNEME. Looked really weird, until I remembered “mnemonic.” She was one of the original three muses. Later there were nine.

64. Hightail it : FLEE

65. Limo destination : PROM. Commonplace today. LIMOs were unheard of at the proms of my ute.

66. Accord, for one : SEDAN. Honda.

67. A or B, for the record : SIDE Those good ole 45’s with the big whole in the middle.

68. Figs. that are never intentionally reused : SSNs The first three digits once signified the area where the card was issued. No more. Soon Medicare will begin issuing cards with non-SSN numbers. I carry my Medicare card, but I’ve blacked out all but the last 4 digits.

Down:

1. Do quite well : PROSPER

2. Destructive algal bloom : RED TIDE

3. Writing a "Dear John" letter, say : ENDING IT

4. Lose focus, with "out" : ZONE

5. It requires a 24-Across : ATM (24A: See 5-Down. PIN)

6. Hood of folklore : ROBIN

7. Eclair filling : CREME Tried CREAM first.

8. Egyptian sky god : HORUS No relation to Horace Greeley.

9. Quiet : MUM

10. Feminine article in Italy : UNA Second appearance today – see 15a.

11. Haul : SCHLEP Dutch-German origin. I’ll bet Spitz knew that.

12. Sitcom character who dated baseball's Keith Hernandez : ELAINE Thank you, perps.

13. Insert neighbor, on PCs : DELETE Did you cheat? On my keyboard it’s directly below Insert.

18. Wrinkly hybrid : UGLI

22. Beatle for two years : PETE BEST

26. DC-to-AC electronic device : INVERTER If you’ve got solar photo-voltaic panels on your roof, you need an INVERTER to make the power usable.

27. "Scoooooooooore!" : GOAL Soccer (or futbol).

28. Without a sound : MUTELY Without a spoken word, perhaps, not necessarily soundless.

30. Baffler : ENIGMA The machine.

34. Ending for many schools : ISM Capitalism, socialism, communism, ad nauseum...

35. Fundraising sch. group : PTA

36. Franciscan leader? : SAN San Francisco

38. Milwaukee schoolteacher who went on to lead Israel : MEIR Golda, who became Prime Minister.

39. Typically five-armed marine invertebrates : SEA STARS

42. Go whole hog on Thanksgiving : EAT A TON

43. Beats : RHYTHMS (Weird letter combinations)

44. Biblical collection : PSALMS (Weird letter combinations part 2)

45. Track runner : EQUINE i.e. a horse.

46. Suffered from neglect, in a way : RUSTED

48. Hardly hale : ASHY (I guess they mean “pale” or “wan.”)

50. Jazz improvisations : RIFFS

51. Eyelike openings : OCULI

52. Slowly exuded : OOZED

57. Cheeky tykes : IMPS

59. She played Mia in "Pulp Fiction" : UMA Thurman

60. __ name : PEN The male swan has a cob name.

62. Part of a dazzling duo? : ZEE daZZling.

It wasn’t a slog, but this one just didn’t do it for me. Your mileage may differentiate. Thanks for the effort, Jeff and Seth.

As you read this, I’ll be at the Medical Center having a routine EGD – not to be confused with a GED. Desper-otto out (literally).