Tuesday April 29, 2025 Susan Gelfand

Favorite places.  Each profession in the theme clue has a favorite "to-go" place that relates to his or her job. 

20-Across. Journalist's go-to place for getting scoops?: ICE CREAM STAND.  A good Journalist would get Scoops on a story, then go to the Ice Cream Stand for a Scoop of Ice Cream.

31-Across. Novelist's go-to place for spinning yarns?: CRAFT STORE.  A good Novelist Spins Yarns for a story, the goes to the Craft Store for yarn for knitting.

40-Across. Screenwriter's go-to place for envisioning stories?: SKYSCRAPER.  A Screenwriter Envisions Stories, then might climb Stories in the Skyscraper.

52Across. Business writer's go-to place for establishing accounts?: BROKERAGE FIRM.  A Business Writer might Establish Accounts, which are at the Brokerage Firm.

Across:

1. Scallion kin: LEEK.  What's the difference, you ask.

5. Call at the plate: SAFE.  //  And 39-Across. Diamond experts?: UMPS.

9. Furniture in a cozy inn's common room: SOFAs.

14. Tehran's land: IRAN.

15. Colorful breakfast cereal: TRIX.  Trix are for rabbits.

16. Lyric poem: EPODE.  An Epode is a form of lyric poem written in couplets, in which a long line is followed by a shorter one.

17. Savory paste in Japanese cuisine: MISO.  It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus Aspergillus).

18. Tick off: RILE.

19. __ City, Iowa: SIOUX.

23. Movies that aren't silent: TALKIES.

24. Luxury watches such as Seamaster and Speedmaster: OMEGAs.  A brief history of the Omega watches.

This Speedster will set you back about $32,500.

27. Many a time, poetically: OFT.

28. Burlap fiber: JUTE.

30. Nutritional fig.: RDA.  As in the Recommended Daily Allowance.

35. "And not a moment too __!": SOON.

36. 50%: HALF.

37. Hankering: YEN.  Also the currency of Japan.

38. __ sock: TUBE.

43. "Doesn't do much for me": MEH!

44. Club membership charges: DUES.

45. Pillbox, for one: HAT.  Jackie Kennedy was known for wearing Pillbox hats.

46. Attach with a click: SNAP ON.

48. Open-sided garden shelters: GAZEBOs.

55. Steel girder: I-BEAM.

57. Tart: SOUR.

58. Theater box: LOGE.

59. Barista's brew: LATTE.

60. Bearers of gold, frankincense, and myrrh: MAGI.

61. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL.  Amal Clooney (née Amal Alamuddin; b. Feb. 3, 1978) married George Clooney in 2014.  She holds duel Lebanese-British citizenship.

62. Performed an optical procedure, perhaps: LASED.

63. Idyllic place: EDEN.

64. Well-mannered fellow: GENT.

Down:

1. Set a boundary: LIMIT.

2. CNN journalist Hill: ERICA.  Erica Ruth Hill (b. 1976) is an American journalist who has been with CNN since last year.

3. Painter's canvas holder: EASEL.

4. Merchandise that's not the real deal: KNOCK OFFS.   We had expensive Omega watches above.  Can you spot the knock off?

5. U2's "Where the __ Have No Name": STREETS.

6. Opera solos: ARIAS.  One of my favorite arias.

7. Festival showing: FILM.

8. Post-breakup pair: EXES.

9. Bagel variety: SESAME.

10. Express a viewpoint: OPINE.

11. Dairy or grains: FOOD GROUP.

12. Garage converted to rental space, e.g., for short: ADU.  Apparently this is short for Accessory Dwelling Unit.  Unknown to me.

13. Driver's license datum: SEX.

21. Falling-out: RIFT.

22. Reusable bag: TOTE.

25. Photoshop company: ADOBE.

26. More reasonable: SANER.

28. Baby kangaroos: JOEYs.  Kangaroos typically have one baby at a time. A female kangaroo can give birth to several joeys per year.  The word Joey comes from the aborigine language and joey means ‘small animal’. Joey is the collective norm for any small animals.

29. Caterer's coffee containers: URNS.

31. Pals: CHUMS.

32. Quick-cooking noodles: RAMEN.

33. Collections of letters: ALPHABETS.

34. Youngster: TYKE.

35. Waver over a capital building: STATE FLAG.  There is a mother pelican feeding her babies with her own blood in the center of the Louisiana state flag.  A white ribbon beneath the crest displays the state motto, "Union, Justice, Confidence" in blue. The flag was officially adopted on July 1, 1912, one hundred years after Louisiana became a state.  Louisiana joined the union in April 1812.

40. Done for: SUNK.  //  And 44-Down. Done for: DOOMED.

41. Embarrassment: CHAGRIN.

42. Bulldoze: RAZE.

47. Go on and on: PRATE.

48. Tire pressure indicator: GAUGE.

49. Ecological community: BIOME.  A biome is an area classified according to the species that live in that location.

50. Church pipes: ORGAN.  Hi, Splynter!

51. Silvery fish: SMELT.

53. Name in a Salinger title: ESME.  For Esme is a short story that was originally published in 1950.

54. Took the high __: ROAD.  The term Taking the high road means behaving in a moral and ethical way, even when faced  the temptation to act in a less honorable way.  It implies choosing a course of action that is righteous and upright.

55. Under the weather: ILL.

56. Sheep sound: BAA.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday January 20, 2025 Susan Gelfand

 

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, everyone!  

Theme:            A Wrench in the Works  

Constructor Susan Gelfand throws a few wrenches into today's puzzleworks, hopefully bringing a smile to the faces of DIYers. Here are her four themers:

17 Across. Ocular opening: EYE SOCKET.

23 Across. Rum and vodka cocktail: BRASS MONKEY.

35 Across. Actress who played dance teacher Lydia Grant on "Fame": DEBBIE ALLEN.

49 Across. Muffler attachment on a car: EXHAUST PIPE.

Next, the reveal:

59 Across. Good gift for a handy homeowner, and what the ends of 17-, 23-, 35-, and 49-Across are?: WRENCH SET.  Socket, monkey, Allen, and pipe are all types of wrenches. Together, they make a set of wrenches.

(l to r)  socket wrench, monkey wrench, Allen wrench, and pipe wrench

Across:

1. Famous __ cookies: AMOS.  AMOS is almost as famous for being in crossword puzzles as he is for his cookies.

5. Iranian currency: RIAL.  As of this writing, one US dollar is worth 42,000 Iranian RIALs. A gallon of regular milk costs 101,000.56 ﷼ in Iran. That is about $2.40.

9. Hopping mad: IRATE.  

14. Daddy: PAPA.  

Also...I know that some of you listen to NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and are familiar with panelist Tom PAPA. Here is 45 sec. of his stand-up comedy routine. (I've heard him on the show for years but I never knew what he looked like until today.)

15. Poker starting stake: ANTE.  

16. Parcels (out): DOLES.  

Can someone please help DOLE out these cans of pineapple?

19. Accumulate: AMASS.

20. Like a marching band, hopefully: IN STEP.  Who doesn't love a marching band?! Generally speaking, a band marches at 120 beats per minute. Each step is about 1.5 ft. long. Therefore, it takes them roughly half an hour to go 1 mile.

21. Peak in the Cascade Range: SHASTA.  Scientists think Mt. Shasta last erupted 3,200 years ago. This NASA page has some interesting information about Mt. Shasta, along with two very cool photos taken from the ISS.

22. Proposal fig.: EST.  "Fiancé" was too long.

"Figure" is abbreviated, so is "estimate".

26. Some cars and trucks made in the early 1900s: REOs.  The REO Motor Car Company Plant in Lansing, MI was a National Historic Landmark from 1978 to 1985. National Park Service website with several old photos

28. Dinner and a movie, perhaps: DATE.  15 DATE night ideas for seniors  (Just saying...)

29. Sponsored spots: ADS.  advertisements

30. Stinks: REEKS.  

32. V, on a battery: VOLTS.     and     50 Down. Battery part: ANODE.  

39. Stands in line: WAITS.  Here's a flashback to 1981.

Foreigner  ~  Waiting for a Girl Like You

40. French pancake: CREPE.  

Do you usually order a sweet or savory crepe ... or both?

43. Guys: HES.  plural of the third person singular pronoun

46. Drawn tight: TAUT.

48. Share a border with: ABUT.  

54. Patient care pros: RNs.  Registered Nurses are professionals.

55. Song sung by sailors: SHANTY.  The video below is an example of a sea shanty. This group's story was told in the movie Fisherman's Friends (2019). Clips from the movie are sprinkled in this video. If you like the feelings in this song, you should watch the movie.

56. Capital of Oman: MUSCAT.  

a very strategic location

58. Diviner's deck: TAROT.  A diviner is a person who predicts the future by magical, intuitive, or other means.

62. Skip over in speech: ELIDE.  Certain sounds are skipped over to make the language easier and faster to say. Some examples are "I dunno" for "I don't know"; "kamra" for "camera"; and "fish 'n' chips" for "fish and chips".

63. Merit: EARN.  

64. Green pod that thickens gumbo: OKRA.

65. Direct elsewhere: REFER.  

66. Crafter's online marketplace: ETSY.

67. Yellow jacket, for one: WASP.  

They are considered beneficial insects because they kill other insects
that are harmful to plants  -- sort of a natural (and more selective) pesticide.

Down:

1. Bonobo or gibbon: APE.  

2. "Can you please show me?": MAY I SEE.

3. Like most sandals: OPEN-TOED.  not recommended for cyclists

4. Back talk: SASS.

5. Indy entrant: RACER.  race car driver

6. Stamping need: INK PAD.  

this kind of stamping 

7. Noshed: ATE.

8. "__ the good times roll!": LET.  

The Cars  ~  Good Times Roll  ~  (1978)

9. State known for potatoes: IDAHO.  NPR's Planet Money recently did a story about Idaho potato farmers and NAFTA as an example of how pest regulations are sometimes used as a "sneaky form of economic protectionism". I would not label this as "political" since every country does it to some extent. It is more of a reality check on how trade works after the politicians get their pictures in the newspapers. Here is a link to the podcast and transcript, for those who are interested in these types of economic issues. It is about a 30-min. read.

10. Times New __: common font: ROMAN.  We use the Georgia font here on The Corner but I changed this one to Times.  a brief history

11. Baked __: dessert covered with meringue: ALASKA.  

This is a picture of a recipe for Baked Alaska in my first cookbook.
I was 5-years old. I 'was good' at my doctor's appointment so my mom
let me choose a book at the bookstore nearby.
I chose this one -- probably because there was a cat on every page.

12. Tried out: TESTED.  I tried out most of the recipes in that cookbook but I cannot remember ever making Baked Alaska. I was never much of a cake person and I don't think my family was keen on meringue.

13. Literature class assignments: ESSAYS.

18. Wagering site, briefly: OTB.  Off Track Betting 

National Problem Gambling Help Line

21. Aroma: SMELL.

22. Make a boo-boo: ERR.

24. Builds a nest egg: SAVES UP.  Here is a time-lapse video of a chickadee building an egg nest. You can see the entrance hole on the left. Also, when the fledglings start to leave, look on the right hand side for an insert view of the outside of the nest. The camera actually catches the fledglings leaving. 

25. Greek portico: STOA.  Def:  (noun) an ancient Greek porch-like structure, usually walled at the back with a front colonnade designed to afford a sheltered promenade.

27. Distort, as data: SKEW.

31. Agcy. that helps entrepreneurs: SBA.  Agency and Small Business Administration

33. Pampering initials: TLC.  Tender Loving Care  

Elvis Presley singing Love Me Tender with TLC on the Ed Sullivan Show (1956)

34. "Buona __": Italian "Good evening": SERA.  

36. Teensy: BITSY.     and     59 Down. Tiny: WEE.

37. "Let's just leave __ that!": IT AT.

38. Lincoln's locale: NEBRASKA.  Illinois also has eight letters and is known as the "Land of Lincoln", but this time we needed the city of Lincoln.

CSO to Husker Gary!

41. Football players often needed in fourth-down plays: PUNTERS.  Another option would be kickERS -- if they want to go for a field goal.

42. Aliens, for short: ETs.  

43. Prynne of "The Scarlet Letter": HESTER.  Hester Prynne is the protagonist of this 1850 Nathaniel Hawthorne novel. She has a child out of wedlock and is condemned by her Puritan community. She must wear a letter A on her bodice as a reminder of her sin of adultery.

44. Breathe out: EXHALE.  I do this about half the time.

45. "Doctor Zhivago" actor Omar: SHARIF.  

from the 1965 movie
Hi Lucina!

47. Stopwatches: TIMERS.

51. Say out loud: UTTER.

52. Like groan-inducing jokes: PUNNY.  

53. Key to exit a program: ESC.  

I copied this image from -T's write up last Sunday.

57. Grub: CHOW.  not a bug

60. Maze rodent: RAT.  

61. Spigot: TAP.  

If your spigot stops working, you can try 
TAPping it with a WRENCH.

Today's grid:

Thanks and have a great day!