Monday June 19, 2023 Susan Gelfand

Hello Cornerites! Today is the U.S.'s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.

sumdaze here. I was happy to see Susan Gelfand's name on today's puzzle. I enjoy her positive puns, witty words, and clever cluing. Today is no exception. We were treated to a fun solve by an exceptional constructor! THUS, our theme is:

Please make an exception-al pun.

Today's puzzle had 4 themers with no reveal. The first and third were right-aligned in the grid while the second and fourth were left-aligned.

Each themed answer is a 2-word phrase such that the first word is a synonym for "exceptional" and the second word is another way of saying the remaining words in the clue. Together, they make up a common phrase.

Let's take a closer look:

18 Across. Exceptional lithograph?: FINE PRINT.  What everyone knows we should always read.

27 Across. Exceptional place to play tennis?: SUPREME COURT. Hmmmm.... what would be more fun, reading about 9 lawyers who constantly 'argue' or listening to Diana Ross' trio?

Click the arrow to watch one of The Supremes' 14 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

44 Across. Exceptional job vacancy?: GRAND OPENING.  Here is the job OPENINGs data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

55 Across. Exceptional plantain?: TOP BANANA.  

The Savannah Bananas are the TOP BANANAs of baseball entertainment.

There are more where those came from:

 

Across:
 

1. Stand-up comic's material: JOKES.  

6. Take down with a wrecking ball: RAZE.  to destroy to the ground; demolish.

Watch this video to see a Tokyo building being taken down in the most polite way possible. (1:29 min.) 

10. Lickety-split: FAST.

14. Similar: ALIKE.

15. Former flames: EXES.  "ashES" was too long.

16. Miscellany: OLIO.  You can select from this list of links on the Crossword Corner.

17. Professional parker: VALET.

20. Toward the stern: AFT.  

21. Therefore: THUS.

23. Mental picture: IMAGE.  "Mental" is superfluous. Rather than helping to narrow things down, sometimes an extra word can be something I trip over.

24. Dab with a tissue: BLOT.  Here is a Rorschach ink BLOT. What do you see?

25. Spread, as cream cheese: SMEARED.  Is it schmear or SMEAR? I am not an authority but I thought this explanation made sense:  

Click to enlarge.

31. Foy of "The Crown": CLAIRE.  CLAIRE's IMDb page

32. Heavenly headwear: HALO.  

33. Chitchat: GAB.

36. __ Spunkmeyer cookies: OTIS.

37. Sprang: LEAPT.

39. Gondolier's stick: POLE.  

Does he look authentic?
He works at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

40. Bundle of bills: WAD.

41. Destitute: POOR.

42. Weather map line: ISOBAR.  a line on a map or chart connecting or marking places of equal barometric pressure.

Those lines have a name???

46. Florida squad that was the first to win two World Series titles as a wild-card team: MARLINS.

FL has two MLB teams: Tampa Bay Rays and Miami MARLINS. So you really just need to count the boxes...but the trivia is interesting.

49. Modeling medium: CLAY.  I'm going with SNL's Mr. Bill on this one. (2:36 min.)

50. Language student's challenge: IDIOM.

Def:  an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for "undecided") or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way).

51. Hold on to: KEEP.

52. Abbr. in a high-rise address: APT.  AParTment number

58. Pro sports VIP: OWNER.

60. "Magic __ House": kid-lit series: TREE.  The TREE house is "magic" because it is a time machine that takes the children (Jack & Annie) to significant dates in history where they learn a lesson. These are terrific books for readers aged 6-10. So far there are 63 titles.

61. Plow-pulling team: OXEN.

62. Back in fashion: RETRO.  The past is the future.

63. Strong desires: YENS.  If you save your YEN, you can purchase your desires in Tokyo.

64. Summer shirts: TEES.  

This girl is wearing a RETRO TEE.

65. On edge: TESTY.

Down:
1. Morning cuppa: JAVA.

2. "Frozen" snowman who sings "In Summer": OLAF.  One of my FAVs, Josh Gad, voices OLAF.

3. Bagpiper's wear: KILT.

4. __ out a living: just get by: EKE.

5. Oregon Trail traveler, e.g.: SETTLER.  Between 1846 and 1869, approximately 400,000 settlers, farmers, miners, ranchers, and business entrepreneurs, along with their families, traveled its 2,170 miles from Missouri to the West. source

6. Prove wrong: REFUTE.

7. x or y, on graphs: AXIS.  

You can go 3D by adding the z-AXIS.

8. Extremely chill: ZEN.  I named my town bike ZEN because it is chill and because that was the name of the guy working at the shop where I bought it.

9. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  Nāʻālehu on the ESE side of Hawaii's Big Island is the southernmost community with a U.S. post office (within the 50 States).  

10. Layout: FORMAT.

11. "Are you calling me __?": A LIAR.

12. Burn the tips of: SINGE.

13. Lugged: TOTED.

19. Early Renaissance painter __ della Francesca: PIERO.  né Piero di Benedetto dei Franceschi, (1416-1492)

Piero della Francesca's  serene, disciplined exploration of perspective had little influence on his contemporaries but he came to be recognized in the 20th century as a major contributor to the Italian Renaissance. more info  

portrait of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino (1470-ish)

22. Mortgage, often: HOME LOAN.

24. Jewish ceremony for a newborn son: BRIS.

25. Suds source: SOAP.  We've recently had some conversations on The Corner about the dangers of dropping this on your foot. Perhaps a solution is to use hotel-size bars.

26. __-choice test: MULTIPLE.

27. Flat-bottomed boat: SCOW.

28. "The Possibilities Are Beautiful" cosmetics superstore: ULTA.

29. Picked up the tab: PAID.

30. Swiss __: leafy vegetable: CHARD.  

33. Asian desert: GOBI.  It is the 6th largest desert on Earth. 19 more interesting facts

34. "Succession" actor Ruck: ALAN.  Back in 1986, he was Ferris Bueller's best bud.  

35. Glacier chunk: BERG.  

38. Ages and ages: EONS.

39. Chincoteague horse: PONY.  I have seen these horses on Assateague Island in Virginia. You can read more about them here.

41. Ballerina descriptor: PRIMA.  

Svetlana Zakharova (born 1979 in Lutsk, Ukraine)

She is truly exceptional!

43. City on a harbor: SEAPORT.  Hand up for first trying to make a specific city fit.

44. Spinning classroom spheres: GLOBES.

45. Waters between continents: OCEANS.  You can find these on GLOBES.

46. "The Secret Life of Walter __": MITTY.  Yesterday we had 89D. Walter Mitty creator James: THURBER.

This short story was first published in The New Yorker in 1939. It was made into a movie in 2013 starring Ben Stiller.

47. Cherish: ADORE.

48. Reach peak flavor: RIPEN.  Cherries are finally in season. Yum!

51. Patella's place: KNEE.  a little alliteration

52. Targets of Terro bait traps: ANTS.  

53. Sassy: PERT.

54. Donald Glover's "Community" role: TROY.  

the cast of Community
In case you are wondering, Donald is not related to Danny.

56. Commandment word: NOT.  as in "Thou shalt NOT..."

57. Body spray brand: AXE.  a fav among teenage boys

59. Teeny-tiny: WEE.  PSA to teenage boys:  if you use AXE body spray, you only need a WEE bit.

Grid:

Wishing you all an exceptional day (in a good way)!

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Our foodie Steve Marron and I made today's USA Today crossword. Click here to solve. It's edited by Amanda Rafkin. Congrats on your USA debut, Steve!

 

Monday June 5, 2023 Susan Gelfand

  

Hello Cornerites!

Today's theme:        Please wait to be seated.  

In recognition of the theme, I have made a TABLE to organize the themed clues.  

Clue #	Clue	Answer	“End” word + TABLE
17 A.	Fleet of government vehicles:	MOTOR POOL	POOL TABLE
25 A.	Payment method that may have a chip:	CREDIT CARD	CARD TABLE
40 A.	Media briefing:	PRESS CONFERENCE	CONFERENCE TABLE
50 A.	Summertime java order:	ICED COFFEE	COFFEE TABLE

The reveal is at 64 Across.  Living-room lamp holders, and what the answers to the starred clues all have?: END TABLES.  

This END TABLE sits at the END of the couch.

Simply put, all of the themed clues END in a word which is also a type of TABLE.

Let's TABLE our theme discussion and move on to New Business; that is, the other clues:

Across:
1. Sticky pine product: RESIN.  I was curious about the difference between RESIN and what is in a baseball pitcher's RoSIN bag. It turns out that asking Google this question will send you to a lot of marijuana dispensary sites. 🙃 Eventually I learned that RoSIN powder is a combination of RESIN and magnesium carbonate powder that absorbs perspiration and enables pitchers to keep their throwing hands free of sweat.

6. First word of a rhyming cocktail name: MAI. as in MAI Tai  

Those 2 islands in the background are The Mokes on Oahu's windward side.

9. Family name in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis": SAMSA.  The opening line to this book reads, "As Gregor SAMSA awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect."

Hahtoolah gave us the comic on the left last week.

14. Scotch-Brite sponge: OCELO.  

15. Like this clue's number: ODD.  Even I knew this one.

16. Change, as text: AMEND.

19. Flustered (by): FAZED.  He went through a phase where he was FAZED by all things disconcerting.

20. Red Cross supply: PLASMA.  This article talks about 100 years of medical advances regarding blood PLASMA.

21. Philosopher Descartes: RENÉ.  This 1 min. 16 sec. video does a fantastic job of explaining one of Descartes' greatest contributions to mathematics.

23. Alphabet finale: ZEE.  Sorry, CanadianEh!, "ZEd" would have made 4 D's in a row for 13D.

24. Venue: SITE.

28. Pro vote on the House floor: YEA.

29. Blue ink cartridge for a color printer: CYAN.  

30. Storm-tracking device: RADAR.

34. "ER" actor Wyle: NOAH.  As it turns out, he celebrated his 52nd birthday yesterday. Happy belated birthday, NOAH!

NOAH also plays Harry Wilson, a Louisiana lawyer, on the show Leverage:  Redemption
(available on Amazon and Freevee).

37. Barbed __: WIRE.  

43. Part of a "Scream" costume: MASK.  This is the MASK worn by the killer in the movie Scream ... and its 5 sequels.

44. Not in favor of: ANTI.

45. Impeccable: IDEAL.  

46. Foot soldier: PEON.

48. Pi follower in the Greek alphabet: RHO.  

54. Engrave deeply: ETCH.

58. Neither's partner: NOR.  an oldie but a goodie

59. Port or scope prefix: TELE-.  It comes to us from a Greek word meaning "far off".

60. Attraction: ALLURE.

62. Dodge: EVADE.  This time it's a verb, not a vehicle.

66. Like un enfant: PETIT.  Cognates & perps make this one decipherable -- even if you do not speak French.

67. Pitching superstar: ACE.

68. "__ are red ... ": ROSES.  Violets are blue. I cannot help but love, this crossword clue.

69. Deuce toppers: TREYS.  Does anyone play Pedro? Nothing tops the deuce but it also tops nothing. It makes itself.

70. Fix a hem, say: SEW.

71. Not ignoring the alarm: AWAKE.  At first I had AWArE but then I thought of an alarm clock for waking up in the morning.

Down:
1. Frolics: ROMPS.  fun word!  

This is my dog ROMPing in the snow with me.

2. Bacteria in undercooked meat: E. COLI.

3. Adjusted to, as a thermostat: SET AT.

4. "No medals for me this time": I LOSE.

5. Social standard: NORM.  

Cheers  --  NORM greeting --  Wait for it....

6. __ shu pork: MOO.

7. Idolize: ADORE.

8. Sat at a light, say: IDLED.  States began adopting Right-On-Red rules during the gas crisis of the 1970s to reduce the number of cars IDLing at traffic lights .

9. The "S" of OSHA: SAFETY.  Occupational Safety Health Administration

10. Doc's gp.: AMA.  "Group" is abbreviated, so it "American Medical Association".

11. Theater seating section: MEZZANINE.  Nice fill!  

A MEZZANINE is an intermediate floor, usually between the ground and 1st floors.
In this photo, MEZZANINE seating is between the Orchestra level and the Balcony level.

12. Disdainful lip curl: SNEER.  

Fans swooned over Elvis' swivel & his SNEER.

13. Tacked on: ADDED.  This article compares the ADDED fees of nine airlines in 2023.

18. Walk and walk: PACE.  and  26 Down. Talked and talked: RAN ON.

At first I was thinking of noun & verb meanings but then I realized the definition of PACE is to walk over & over along the same short route nervously or anxiously. So, when people PACE, they walk and walk and when people talk and talk, they run on...and on...and on....

22. Not mainstream: NICHE.

Merriam-Webster lists 3 pronunciations:  nich, neesh, and nish.

(No SNEERing allowed for pronunciations perceived as uncouth!)

27. Sounded like a crow: CAWED.  They also rattle.

28. Four-digit DOB nos.: YRS.  Date Of Birth = MM/DD/YYYY

30. Tach stat: RPM.  Revolutions Per Minute

Generally a good cadence on a bicycle is 80 - 100 RPM. Professional cyclists average 110 - 120 RPM during time trials.

31. Parseghian of Notre Dame football fame: ARA.  Since he often visits grids, we should be on a first-name basis.

32. Willing to take extreme measures: DESPERATE.  DESPERATE people do DESPERATE things.

33. Queried: ASKED.

35. Ottawa's prov.: ONT.  Ontario

It is about 567 mi. (912 km.) from Ottawa to D.C.

36. Blazing: AFIRE.  

Afire Love is a 2014 song about Ed Sheeran's grandfather who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

38. Small-screen pioneer: RCA.  Have you seen the movie The Fabelman's (2022)? It is based on Steven Spielberg's life. In the movie (and in real life) his father worked for RCA in the early 1950s.

39. Snaky fish: EEL.

41. Lakeside boat rental: CANOE.  

I took this phot last summer of a red CANOE on Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada.
(2,187 mi.(3,520 km) from Ottawa)

42. Kia subcompact: RIO.

47. Groups of eight: OCTETS.

49. Miami hoopsters: HEAT.  Their logo is a basketball AFIRE.

50. Likely to err: INEPT.

51. __ charge: entry fee: COVER.

52. Pests that may prompt a visit to the vet: FLEAS.  The migration of America's pets from the backyard to owners' beds can be credited to the new anti-FLEA medications.

53. Yard sticks?: FENCE. I liked this clue!  

Tim and Wilson on Home Improvement

54. Armrest occupier: ELBOW.  

These rules seem fair.
(Click to enlarge.)

55. Oklahoma's second-largest city: TULSA.

56. Small stream: CREEK.  In Virginia, locals called a small stream a "run".

57. "Siddhartha" novelist Hermann: HESSE.  This 1922 novel relates a man's spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of the Gautama Buddha. It was originally written in German.

61. Croft played by Angelina Jolie: LARA.

63. Craft kit letters: DIY.  Do It Yourself  

65. Morning moisture: DEW.  You do not have to DEW It Yourself because Mother Nature will DEW it for you.

Here's today's grid:

This is the END of my TABLE tale. Have a good day, everyone!

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 Susan Gelfand

Theme: Let's find a game to play.  Some common games are hidden in the theme fill, with their letters scrambled.  The needed letters are in circled squares.  Hope you got them.

17 A. Primatologist who is the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees: JANE GOODALL.  Dame Jane Morris Goodall DBE; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after 60 years studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees. Goodall first went to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960, where she witnessed human-like behaviours amongst chimpanzees.   Interestingly, I have observed chimp-like behavior in humans.

JENGA is the classic block-stacking, stack-crashing game. How will you stack up against the law of gravity? Stack the wooden blocks in a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling out blocks one by one until the whole stack crashes down. Is your hand steady enough to pull out the last block before the tower collapses?

 25. Postimpressionist painter whose work influenced cubism: PAUL CEZANNE.  Paul Cézanne [1839 –1906] was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation and influenced avant garde artistic movements of the early 20th century. Cézanne is said to have formed the bridge between late 19th-century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism.

CLUE is a board game in which players have to find out who's responsible for murdering Mr. Boddy of Tudor Mansion in his own home. Get the scoop on the mansion's rooms, weapons and guests and start detecting! Was it Plum with the wrench in the library? Or Green with the candlestick in the study? Eliminate information throughout the game in this classic whodunit. The player who correctly accuses Who, What, and Where wins!   The Harry Potter version is absolutely brutal.

37. Cartoonist who created Snoopy and Woodstock: CHARLES SCHULZ.  Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (1922 – 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists in history, and cited by many cartoonists as a major influence, including Jim Davis, Murray Ball, Bill Watterson, Matt Groening, and Dav Pilkey.

CHESS is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. The recorded history of chess goes back at least to the emergence of a similar game, chaturanga, in seventh-century India. The rules of chess as we know them today emerged in Europe at the end of the 15th century, with standardization and universal acceptance by the end of the 19th century. Today, chess is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide.

51. Radio personality who declared himself "King of All Media": HOWARD STERN.  Howard Allan Stern [b. 1954] is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, The Howard Stern Show, which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005. He has broadcast on Sirius XM Radio since 2006. I guess it's a characteristic of modern American Society that one can achieve great riches and notoriety by being an obscene and obnoxious blow hard.

And the unifier:   60. Cause of a major paradigm shift, and an apt description of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 51-Across as well as their sets of circled letters: GAME CHANGER.  This is an event, idea, or procedure that affects a significant shift in the current manner of doing or thinking about something.  In the clue, "changer" indicates that the letters of the games' names have been mixed up.  Notably, all of the people whose names have been used are recognized for their exceptional level of achievement.  In face, one might think of them as GAME CHANGERS in their own right.  Nice meta to the theme.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here ready for some fun and games.  Would you like to play along?  OK.  It's your move.  Let's go!

Across:

1. Taj __: MAHAL.  An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.  Also, Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. (b. 1942), better known by his stage name Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments.

6. Provide funding for: ENDOW.  Give or bequeath an income or property to a person or institution.

11. Nurse: SIP.  As a noun sip means "small drink," like a sip of Coke or a sip of soup. The origin of sip isn't clear, though we know it's related to the Old English supan, "take into the mouth a little at a time."

14. Desert plant used to make tequila: AGAVE.  Agave is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean,  The genus is primarily known for its succulent and species that typically form large rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves.

15. City near Dayton with a Greek name: XENIA.  Xenia is a city in southwestern Ohio and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. It is 15 miles (24 km) east of Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Miami Valley region. The name comes from the Greek word Xenia (ξενία), which means "hospitality".  On April 3, 1974, a deviating tornado rated F5 on the Fujita scale cut a path directly through the middle of the city

16. Alter __: EGO.   The second, hidden side of one's own self

19. Take off: RUN.  Get moving

20. Natural Thanksgiving decor: GOURD.  A fleshy, typically large fruit with a hard skin, some varieties of which are edible.

21. Tire pattern: TREAD.  The pattern of raised lines on a tire that prevents a vehicle from sliding on the road:

23. Fresh from the garden: RAW.  Literally, uncooked. 

29. Fiendish: EVIL. Wicked, bad and nasty.

31. Starter served with a spoon: SOUP.  A primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot, that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. 

32. Gift basket fruit: PEAR.   Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus Pyrus, in the family Rosaceae, bearing the pomaceous fruit of the same name. Several species of pears are valued for their edible fruit and juices, while others are cultivated as trees.

33. Lavish celebrations: FETES.   Traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments.

35. Rumor, to a rumor mill: GRIST.  Grist is the thing about to be milled; in this sense, it is information about to be spread that someone would rather be kept secret

42. Mover's challenge: PIANO.  A large, heavy keyboard musical instrument with a wooden case enclosing a soundboard and metal strings, which are struck by hammers when the keys are depressed. 

43. Cheering wildly: AROAR.  Abounding with noise or laughter.

45. Pinochle kin: SKAT. Skat historically Scat, is a three-player trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family, devised around 1810 in Altenburg in the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. It is the national game of Germany

48. Sullen: DOUR.  Relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy in manner or appearance.

50. Alt-rock band Better Than __: EZRA.  They formed in 1988 and refuse to reveal the origin of their name.

55. Have a nosh: EAT.  Literal

56. Ticked off: IRATE.  Angry.

57. Crimson Tide coach Nick: SABAN.  Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. [b. 1951] is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007.  He was head coach at my alma mater, the University of Toledo from December 1989 through 1990, leading the Rockets to a 9-2 season and co-championship of the Mid-American Conference in 1990.

59. Apiece: PER.  Related to the price or some characteristic on a single item.

66. Skosh: TAD.  Small amount.

67. Farewell that's bid: ADIEU.   Adios, amigo.

68. January, in Jalisco: ENERO.  Jalisco is a western Mexican state fringing the Pacific Ocean. The state is known for mariachi music and tequila, both of which reportedly originated here. The capital, Guadalajara, is peppered with colonial plazas and landmarks like the neoclassical Teatro Degollado and regal Guadalajara Cathedral, with its twin gold spires. The neighboring Palacio de Gobierno houses murals by Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco.

69. Walk-__: bit parts: ONS.  Denoting or having a small nonspeaking part in a play or film.

70. Submit, as a complaint: LODGE.  Present a complaint, appeal, claim, etc formally to the proper authorities.

71. Stopwatch button: RESET.  To set, adjust, or fix into an original or neutral condition.:

Down:

1. Capt.'s superior: MAJ.  MAJOR outranks Captain.

2. Turkish title: AGA.  In Muslim countries, especially under the Ottoman Empire, a military commander or official.

3. Spend time around: HANG WITH.  Informally socialize with somebody.

4. Small Chevy rebranded as the Sonic: AVEO.  Read about it here.

5. Helpful boost: LEG UP.  An act of helping someone or something to improve their position.

6. Book after Genesis: EXODUS. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through the strength of Yahweh, who has chosen them as his people. The Israelites then journey with the prophet Moses to Mount Sinai, where Yahweh gives the 10 commandments and they enter into a covenant with Yahweh, who promises to make them a "holy nation, and a kingdom of priests" on condition of their faithfulness. 

7. Connecticut governor Lamont: NED.  Edward Miner Lamont Jr. [b. 1954] is an American businessman and politician serving as the 89th governor of Connecticut. He has served in this position since January 9, 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Greenwich selectman from 1987 to 1989. 

8. Letters from one's folks?: DNA.  Deoxyribonucleic acid is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. The letters DNA are a short cut.

9. Fryolator need: OIL.  This is a kitchen appliance used for deep frying foods in oil.

10. Ballroom dance in 3/4 time: WALTZ.  A highly popular ballroom dance evolved from the Ländler in the 18th century. Characterized by a step, slide, and step in 3/4 time, the waltz, with its turning, embracing couples, at first shocked polite society.

11. Peaceful: SERENE. Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil.

12. Gal·pagos lizard: IGUANA.   A large, arboreal, tropical American lizard with a spiny crest along the back and greenish coloration, occasionally kept as a pet.

13. Consider carefully: PONDER.  Think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion.

18. Rita featured on Iggy Azalea's "Black Widow": ORA.   Rita Sahatçiu Ora  born Rita Sahatçiu on 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studio album, Ora, released in August 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. 

22. Pure bliss: RAPTURE.  A feeling of intense pleasure or joy.

23. Slo-mo reviewer: REF.  In sports: a referee.

24. With, on le menu: AVEC.  French

26. Finishes an online session: LOGS OUT.  Go through the procedures to conclude use of a computer, database, or system.

27. Mongrels: CURS.  A dog of no definable type or breed.

28. Bigger than big: EPIC.  Extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope

30. Eagerly accepted: LEAPT AT. 

34. __ Lanka: SRI.   Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. 

36. __ Na Na: SHA.   Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll doo-wop cover group. Formed in 1969, but performing a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs, it simultaneously revived and parodied the music and the New York street culture of the 1950s. 

38. Actress Diane: LADD.  Diane Ladd [b. 1935] is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

39. Mireille of "Big Love": ENOS.  Mireille Enos [b. 1975] is an American actress. Drawn to acting from a young age, she graduated in performing arts from Brigham Young University, where she was awarded the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship.

40. Cough drops: LOZENGES.  Small medicinal tablets, originally in the shape of a rhombus or diamond, taken for sore throats and dissolved in the mouth.

41. Fast fashion clothing chain based in Spain: ZARA.  A Spanish multi-national retail clothing chain. It specialises in fast fashion, and sells clothing, accessories, shoes, beauty products and perfumes. The head office is in Arteixo, in A Coruña in Galicia.  In 2020 it was launching over twenty new product lines per year.

44. Tattletale: RAT.  A person, especially a child, who reveals secrets or informs on others.

45. Mailing label words: SHIP TO.  Indicating the recipient.

46. Kimchi cuisine: KOREAN.   A traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal, etc. 

47. Ribbons and trophies: AWARDS.  Achievement prizes

49. Coast Guard operation: RESCUE.  Save someone from a dangerous or distressing situation.

52. Majestic: REGAL.  Having or showing impressive beauty or dignity.

53. Stadium cheer: RAH.  A cheer of encouragement or approval.

54. Pro hoopster: NBA-ER.  A player in the National Basketball Association.

58. Green Gables girl: ANNE.  Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. 

61. Big commotion: ADO.  A state of agitation or fuss, especially about something unimportant.

62. Century beginning: MID.  Mid-century is a time approximately in the middle of a century.  This meaning defies the surface meaning of the clue.  I am not amused.

63. Brain waves mapper, briefly: EEG.   An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

64. Bard's before: ERE.  

65. Nonsense: ROT.   Spoken or written words that have no meaning or make no sense; word salad.

Well - all good things must come to an end, including this game.  We all had a chance to win.  Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 Susan Gelfand

p>Theme: A Sporting Chance.  In the language phrases are repurposed to indicate an action involving professional sport team players.  In each case, the first word of the phrase is transformed from a modifier to a verb; a clever and unusual kind of word play.   The major U.S. sports, hockey, football, baseball and basketball are all represented.

17 A. Lend San Jose NHL players?: LOAN SHARKS.  A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law.  The San Jose Sharks are currently in 8th place in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.  Would your team like to borrow one?

23 A. Ring up Los Angeles NFL players?: PHONE CHARGERS.  A phone charger is the accessory you plug into your phone when the battery power is low.  The L.A. Chargers are in 2nd place in the AFC West, behind the Kansas City Chiefs.  Give them a call.

47 A. Improve Los Angeles MLB players?: PERFECT ANGELS.  A perfect angel is an adorable and well behaved child. I cold not find a suitable definition on line, so I made this one up.  The L.A. Angels finished the 1922 season in 3rd place in the Al West division, 33 games behind the 1st place Astros.  There are certainly some opportunities for perfecting their play.

57 A. Videotape Miami NBA players?: RECORD HEAT.  Record heat is the highest temperature reached on a given calendar day at a specific location.  One could record the Miami basketball team with a camera or cell phone - if it's charged.  They are currently in 3rd place in the Eastern conference of the National Basketball Association.

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa on hand to announce today's game.  I'm quite taken with today's theme. Sadly, though my local Detroit teams are all mired in mediocrity, but the Lions are showing signs of life, and have a slim chance of making the play-offs. On the other hand, I think we all have a sporting chance to get a good solve today.  Let's check it out

Across:

1. Peony part: PETAL.  Each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored.

6. Tools that can be musical instruments: SAWS.  Here is one.

10. Huge tubs: VATS.  Large tanks or tubs used to hold liquid, especially in industry.

14. Venue for big concerts: ARENA.   A level area surrounded by seats for spectators, in which sports, entertainments, and other public events are held.

15. Discontinued Apple gadget: I-POD.   A portable electronic device for playing and storing digital audio and video files.

16. Cut covered by a SpongeBob bandage, e.g.: OWIE.  Kid's name for a small injury, aka booboo.

19. Bridge pose discipline: YOGA.  A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation.

20. Twisty curve: ESS.  Shaped similar to the letter.

21. Late tourney game: SEMI.  Short for semi-final.  The winner advances to the final game.

22. Gingerbread person?: BAKER.  Also the cookie person and the cake person, unless I'm misunderstanding.

27. Soothing succulents: ALOES.   Any of several succulent plants, typically having a rosette of toothed fleshy leaves and bell-shaped or tubular flowers on long stems. Native to the Old World tropics, several species are cultivated commercially or as ornamentals.

29. Foray: SORTIE.   An attack made by troops coming out from a position of defense.

30. Like much fall weather: COOL.  At a fairly low temperature.

31. Admits as much: LETS ON.   Reveal or divulges information to someone.

32. Stick (out): JUT.   Extend out, over, or beyond the main body or line of something.

35. Workweek starter, for some: MONDAY.   The day between Sunday and Tuesday. 

37. Minnesota mining range: MESABI.    A mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota.

39. First responder's group, for short: EMS.   Emergency Medical Services.

40. Write-ups that still need some work: DRAFTS.   Preliminary versions of pieces of writing.
 
44. "You can say that again!": AMEN.   An Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer.

45. Safe to put away?: EDIBLE.   Suitable to be eaten.

46. Elaborate cake layers: TIERS.   A tiered cake is multiple, differently sized cakes, stacked atop one another to create height and drama that lends itself to becoming a focal point of the party.

51. Steer clear of: AVOID.   Keep away from or stop oneself from doing something.

52. Chance to roll the dice, say: TURN.   An opportunity or responsibility to do or use something before or after other people

53. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.  The capitol city of Iowa.

56. Ancient France: GAUL.   Gaul was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy, and Germany west of the Rhine. 

60. Slight advantage: EDGE.    

61. Jacob's twin in the Book of Genesis: ESAU.   Esau is the elder son of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible.  He was the progenitor of the Edomites and the elder brother of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandsons of Abraham and Sarah. Of the twins, Esau was the first to be born with Jacob following, holding his heel. Isaac was sixty years old when the boys were born.

62. Give body to, as hair: TEASE.   Teasing, also known as backcombing or ratting, is a combing technique used to create volume at the root of your hair. The technique involves using a fine tooth comb to gently comb the hair downward toward your scalp, causing the hair to slightly tangle and create a voluminous final look.

63. Closing document: DEED.   A legal document by which one person transfers land or buildings to another. 

64. Gen-__: post-boomers: X-ERS.   Generation X is the Western demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s as ending birth years, with the generation being generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. 

65. 63-Across holder: OWNER.   A person who has legal possession of something.

Down:

1. Lacking color: PALE.  Light in color or having little color.

2. Amorous archer: EROS.  The ancient Greek god of love, identified by the Romans with Cupid.

3. Recipe measures: TEASPOONS.   The teaspoon a unit of measure especially in cookery equal to ¹/₆ fluid ounce or ¹/₃ tablespoon (5 milliliters)

4. "The Dutch House" novelist Patchett: ANN.  Ann Patchett [b. 1963] is an American author. She received the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, for her novel Bel Canto. Patchett's other novels include The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Run, State of Wonder, Commonwealth, and The Dutch House.

5. Rodeo ropes: LASSOS.   A lasso, also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish and Mexican cowboy, then adopted by the cowboys of the United States. 

6. Blue-eyed cat: SIAMESE.   One of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century.

7. Yellow-orange fruit: APRICOT.   A fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus Prunus. Usually, an apricot is from the species P. armeniaca, but the fruits of the other species in Prunus sect. Armeniaca are also called apricots. 

8. Stir-fry pan: WOK.   A large, bowl-shaped Chinese pan used for frying food quickly in hot oil:

9. '60s "New Left" gp.: SDS.   Students for a Democratic Society

10. Long journey: VOYAGE.    As defined.

11. Stopped snoozing: AWOKE.   Roused from sleeping.

12. Detroit ballplayer: TIGER.  The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, established in 1901, they are also the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the AL

13. Mail-order pioneer: SEARS.   Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as a mail ordering catalog company migrating to opening retail locations in 1925, the first in Chicago.

18. Barnyard layer: HEN.   An egg-laying chicken.

22. Corned beef solution: BRINE.   Water with a high concentration of table salt.

24. Gripped: HELD.   

25. Timecard abbr.: HRS.   Hours

26. Molecule makeup: ATOMS.   An atom is the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element, consisting of a nucleus containing combinations of neutrons and protons and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus by electrical attraction; the number of protons determines the identity of the element.

27. Tippy top: ACME.   Apex, peak, summit

28. Weaver's machine: LOOM.    A machine for interlacing at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth.

31. Line of a song: LYRIC.   The words

32. "Rebel Without a Cause" star: JAMES DEAN.   James Byron Dean [1931 – 1955] was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in Giant (1956).

After his death in a car crash on September 30, 1955, Dean became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in East of Eden. 

33. App-based car service: UBER.  A platform where those who drive and deliver can connect with riders, eaters, and restaurants. In cities where Uber is available, you can use the Uber app to request a ride. When a nearby driver accepts your request, the app displays an estimated time of arrival for the driver heading to your pickup location.

34. Altoids containers: TINS.  Rectangular hinged metal boxes.

36. Chimed in with: ADDED.  Contributed to the discussion.

38. Move effortlessly (through): SAIL.   Glide.

41. Misty Copeland's dance troupe: Abbr.: ABT.   American Ballet Theater, a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. 

42. Open freight train unit: FLATCAR.   A flatcar is a piece of rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on a pair of trucks or bogies, one at each end containing four or six wheels. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry extra heavy or extra large loads are mounted on a pair of bogies under each end.

43. Flimsy: TENUOUS.   Very weak or slight.

45. Submitted tax returns online: E-FILED.

46. Take care of: TEND TO.   Pay attention, apply oneself. 

47. Flipped (through): PAGED.   Turned the pages of (a book, magazine, etc.) especially in a quick, steady manner. 

48. Steer clear of: EVADE.  Escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery.

49. Color for cheeks: ROUGE.   A red powder or cream used as a cosmetic for coloring the cheeks or lips.

50. Watchdog's warning: GRR.  Growling sound.

54. Simplicity: EASE.   The quality or condition of being easy to understand or do.

55. Hip or tip ender: -STER.  A suffix denoting a person engaged in or associated with a particular activity or thing.

57. Dinosaur voiced by Wallace Shawn in the "Toy Story" films: REX.

58. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  West-north-west and East-south-east.  The latter is the direction or compass point midway between east and southeast.

59. Chop down: HEW.   Chop or cut something, especially wood or coal, with an axe, pick, or other tool.

That wraps up our sports outing.  Hope you enjoyed the game, and that your team wins - unless they are playing mine, of course.

Below the puzzle are some bonus tracks from our Winter Wonders Concert on Monday.

Cool regards!

JzB

Jingle Bells, ala Count Basie

Sleigh Ride, a la Glenn Miller

Christmas Time Is Here

The Jody Grind

That's me with the stop time trombone solo at 3:15