Tuesday, September 5, 2023 Susan Gelfland

It's September so Back to School:  The last word of each two-word theme answer pertains to education.  The first word correlates with a word or phrase in the clue.

17-Across. Instruction in public relations?: SPIN CLASS.

26-Across. Instruction in horticulture?: NURSERY SCHOOL.

48-Across. Instruction in an early computer language?: BASIC TRAINING.

63-Across. Instruction in residential real estate?: HOME STUDY.

What else can we learn today?

Across:

1. Barely detectable amount: TRACE.

6. Secret agent: SPY.

9. Tiffs: SPATS.

14. Moving-day containers: BOXES.

15. Tot's piggy: TOE.

16. Well-mannered: CIVIL.

19. Slowly break down: ERODE.

20. Annoyance: PEST.

21. Likely (to): APT.

22. Rather underwhelmed: UNAWED.

23. Theater walkway: AISLE.

25. Map marker: PIN.

31. Capital city near the Nile Delta: CAIRO.

33. Four-time WNBA champion Bird: SUE.  The only Bird I could think of who played basketball was Larry Bird, but he didn't play in the Women's National Basketball Association.  Sue Bird (née Suzanne Brigit Bird; b. Oct. 16, 1980) played with the Seattle Storm for her entire career.  She played from 2002 until she retired just a year ago in September 2022.  [Name # 1.]

34. Jason's ship, in Greek mythology: ARGO.  [Name # 2.]  Jason is an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts.  He led the quest for the Golden Fleece.  It's all Greek to me.  A CSO to our old friend Lemonade.  We miss you.

35. Do the last part of a triathlon, e.g.: RUN.

36. Catch a few winks: NAP.

39. Los Angeles commuter org.: MTA.  MTA = Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

41. The NHL's __ Ross Trophy: ART.  Arthur Ross (né Arthur Howe Ross; January 13, 1885 ~ August 5, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player.  He was regarded as one of the best players of his time.  He is know for being one of the first to skate with the puck up the ice rather than pass it to a forward.  He was the first coach for the Boston Bruins.  The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in points at the end of the regular season.  [Name # 3.]

42. Length x width, for a rectangle: AREA.

44. Novelist Deighton: LEN.  Although Len Deighton (né Leonard Cyril Deighton; b. Feb. 18, 1929) is best known for his spy and espionage novels, he also writes cookbooks and books on military history.  [Name # 4.]

46. Mystical old letters: RUNES.

52. Letter after pi: RHO.

53. Whitlock Jr. of "Cocaine Bear": ISIAH.  Although I didn't recognize the name, I recognized the face.  Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (b. Sept. 13, 1954) portrayed Clay Davis, the corrupt politician on The Wire.  [Name # 5.]

54. Faces with courage: BRAVES.

57. Hogwash: ROT.

58. Words said with an eye roll: I BET.

62. "Mental Illness" Grammy winner Mann: AIMEE.  Aimee Elizabeth Mann (b. Sept. 8, 1960) will celebrate her 63rd birthday later this week.  She studied music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.  [Name # 6.]

65. Perfect places: EDENS.  A Crossword staple.

66. Prez on a fiver: ABE.  We all are familiar with Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809 ~ Apr. 15, 1965), the 16th President of the United States.  [Name # 7.]

67. Junkyard stuff: SCRAP.

68. Full of spice: ZESTY.

69. Knight's title: SIR.

70. Herbes de Provence herb: THYME.

Down:

1. Cookbook meas.: TBSP.

2. Rock climber's line: ROPE.

3. Graph line: AXIS.   Math class.

4. Mythological man-horse: CENTAUR.

5. Top-left PC key: ESC.  Also on the top left of my MacBook keyboard.  //  And 61-Down. Use a keyboard: TYPE.

 

6. Paper fastener: STAPLE.

7. Movie advertisements: POSTERS.

8. "That's correct": YES.

9. Like most of the Pacific Coast Highway: SCENIC.

10. Omnivorous fish: PIRANHA.  Piranha are surprisingly small fish, but they do have sharp teeth.

11. Declare without shame: AVOW.

12. Sea level shift: TIDE.

13. Snow coaster: SLED.

Sled alternatives

18. Young woman: LASS.

22. Bent out of shape: UPSET.

24. Steam-emitting laundry appliance: IRON.

26. Dressed to the __: NINES.  The possible origin story of this phrase.

27. "Tasty": YUM.

28. Chimp kin: ORANG.

29. Beast in "Puss in Boots": OGRE.   Puss in Boots is a European fairy tale about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand in marriage of a princess for his penniless and low-born master.

Apropos of nothing, other than the title above is in French:  Life is surreal for French speakers in Louisiana right now because phonetically, "chat GPT" sounds like "Chat, j'ai pété", which means "Cat, I farted" in English.  We hear  television news reporters say, with a perfectly straight face, "Cat, I farted."  such as: Is Cat, I Farted going to steal your job?  How are schools dealing with Cat, I farted?  Lawyers have been caught using cat, I farted to write their briefs.  It goes on, and on ...

30. Auction units: LOTS.

31. Fiddler __: creature with asymmetric claws: CRAB.  Everything you wanted to know about the Fiddler Crab but didn't know to ask.

32. Luminous glow: AURA.

37. Voices between sopranos and tenors: ALTOS.

38. For each: PER.

40. Operatic showstopper: ARIA.

43. Clothes dryer attachment: AIR VENT.  How to clean a dryer vent.

45. Kenyan city known as the Green City in the Sun: NAIROBI.

47. Disconnect, as a trailer: UNHITCH.

49. Corny: CHEESY.

50. Chemically similar compound: ISOMER.  Chemistry Class.  Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula, but are structurally different.

51. Evening, in ads: NITE.

54. Folk legend Joan: BAEZ.  Joan Baez (née Joan Chandos Baez; b. Jan. 9, 1941) is probably mostly associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, as her music in that period focused on protest and social justice.  [Name # 8.]

55. Take a bus: RIDE.

56. Iowa college town: AMES.  Ames, Iowa is the home of Iowa State University.  There is a town in Louisiana called Iowa, but it is pronounced pronounced with the long A sound at the end ("EYE-uh-way"), opposed to the pronunciation of the state of Iowa.

59. Hide well: BURY.

60. Gouda alternative: EDAM.  Yummers!  Do you know the difference between Gouda and Edam?

63. Owns: HAS.

64. Mach 1 breaker: SST.  SST = SuperSonic Transport.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, July 3, 2023, Susan Gelfand

  

Hello Cornerites!

Today's theme is:  

Constructor Susan Gelfand is back with her third Monday puzzle in five weeks. This time she cleverly plays with a phrase found in 53 Across. Let's take a look:

53 Across. Imitate, and what the last words of 18-, 26-, and 42-Across can do: FOLLOW SUIT.

In card games like Bridge, to FOLLOW SUIT is to play a card belonging to the SUIT (♡, ♢, ♠, or ♣) that led the hand. From that, we get this idiom which means "to do the same thing".

Next, looking at 18-, 26-, and 42-Across, we find words that make a new word or phrase when written after the word "SUIT".

18 Across. Hardcover protector: DUST JACKET.  SUIT JACKET

26 Across. Solve a mystery: CRACK THE CASE.  SUITCASE

42 Across. Like some home repairs: DO IT YOURSELF.  SUIT YOURSELF

That last one was my FAV.

While solving this puzzle, there were several times when I was fairly sure of the answer but decided to wait for perps "just to be extra-sure"; but, the perp also made me say, "I better wait for a perp". This went on until I found a solid foothold; after which, I backtracked through my original thoughts. In the end, things fell into place with few surprises.

Susan also delt out these clues:

Across:
1. Whole bunch: SLEW.  as in "We have a SLEW of clues to get through today."

5. "Pomp and Circumstance" composer: ELGAR.  Sir Edward ELGAR composed Pomp and Circumstance in 1901. The title comes from a line in Shakespeare's Othello ("Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!"). It was not originally intended for graduations. Elgar's march was used for the coronation of King Edward VII. It first became associated with graduations in 1905, when it was played when ELGAR received an honorary doctorate from Yale University; but, it was played as a recessional (not as a processional) at the ceremony.  source

10. No. 1 choice: FAVE.

14. Road runner: AUTO.  Beep! Beep!

15. Boxer Ali who retired with a perfect 24-0 record: LAILA.  

She wrote this book in 2002 and a cookbook in 2018.

16. On a cruise: A-SEA.   and  35 Across. Perched on: ATOP.

17. Walk of Fame figure: STAR.  This "figure" is not a personality. It is a shape.

As it turns out, the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2024 was announced last Monday.

20. Recklessly committed: HELL-BENT.  Def:  determined to achieve something at all costs.

22. Bedside bulb holders: LAMPS.  and  41 Across. Fabled wish granter: GENIE.

Robin Williams (1951-2014) talks about creating his GENIE character for the movie Aladdin (1992).

23. Spinal column element: DISC.  

Good news:  Medical experts are developing minimally invasive treatments where a gel is injected into the nucleus pulposus. Imagine all the people who will benefit!

24. Goes along with: ABIDES.  

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Jeff Bridges:  Thanks, Gary...Take care, man, I gotta get back.

Sam Elliott:  Sure. Take it easy, Dude -- I know that you will.

Jeff Bridges:  Yeah man. Well, you know, the Dude ABIDES.

Sam Elliott:  The Dude ABIDES. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that...

30. Scoundrel: ROGUE.

31. Emporium: MART.

32. "As __ my last email ... ": PER.  

36. Speedy: RAPID.

38. Basilica section: NAVE.  Sometimes the answer is "Apse".

39. Implore: BEG.

40. Like Granny Smith apples: TART.  I once planted a Granny Smith tree in my backyard because they are sweet enough to eat but also TART enough to bake in a pie.  

Doesn't it look delicious?

45. Pirouettes: TWIRLS.

She looks like the ballerina in little girls' pink & white jewelry boxes.

47. Textbook section: UNIT.

48. Opera solos: ARIAS.

49. Fixed payments: STIPENDS.  Def:  a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance.

That means you get the same amount regardless of the number of hours you worked. Non-profits sometimes pay STIPENDS to seasonal workers.

56. Hockey score: GOAL.  This clever misdirection had me thinking of numbers, but the 4-letter restriction got me the point.

57. Went by horseback: RODE.

58. Pop singer Mann: AIMEE.  

AIMEE Mann Voices Carry (1984)

59. Steady stare: GAZE. a condition brought on by looking into a display case of GlAZED doughnuts

60. Opinion column: OP-ED.

61. "Fresh Air" host Terry: GROSS.  CSO to you-know-who!

62. Home for garden tools: SHED.

Down:
1. Ceremonial accessory worn diagonally: SASH.  

2. Medieval instrument with a pear-shaped body: LUTE.  

3. "As well as some other folks," in brief: ET AL.

4. International soccer competition: WORLD CUP.  The FIFA Women's WORLD CUP starts in just 17 days in Australia and New Zealand.  Digital Fan Guide

5. Firstborn: ELDEST.  I needed to know 5A to decide between oLDEST and ELDEST. Fortunately ELGAR looked better than oLGAR; but, hey, it is a name so who can say? I have a feeling seasoned solvers have ELGAR memorized.

6. Countdown culmination: LAUNCH.  

Starship First Integrated Flight Test (April 20, 2023)  #goosebumps

"First integrated" means they are testing the 1st & 2nd stages together.

It is the most powerful rocket ever made and it is twice as powerful as the Saturn V that took man to the moon. SpaceX has since redesigned the coupling between the 1st & 2nd stages, based on what they learned from this launch. The next step is to send it into orbit (probably later this year).

7. Heart of the matter: GIST.  Def:  the substance or essence of a speech or text.

I could explain further but I think you get the GIST.

8. PC key near the space bar: ALT.

9. "The Big Bang Theory" astrophysicist whose parents live in India: RAJ.  

Rajesh Ramayan "RAJ" Koothrappali was played by Kunal Nayyar.

In this scene, he is dropping off his Yorkshire Terrier, Cinnamon, so Howard can dog-sit.  (1 min.)

10. Building front: FACADE.  See the diagram for 38A.

11. Information desk sign: ASK ME.  cute fill

12. High-level execs: VEEPS.  and  19Down. Elite guests: A-LIST.

13. Noshes: EATS.

21. Eco-friendly commuter option: BIKE.  and  36 Down. Commuter option: RAIL.  

24. Smoothie berry: ACAI.

25. Shakespeare, for one: BARD.  Def:  a person in ancient societies skilled at composing and singing or reciting verses about heroes and their deeds; poet.

Note:  Its adjective form is "bardic".

26. Clawed crustacean: CRAB.  

27. Memorization method: ROTE.

Rote learning is defined as the memorization of information based on repetition. The two best examples of rote learning are the alphabet and numbers. Slightly more complicated examples include multiplication tables and spelling words. At the high-school level, scientific elements and their chemical numbers must be memorized by ROTE. source

28. Super eager: AGOG.  

29. E, on a gas gauge: EMPTY.  This clue calls out for some Jackson Browne....

Running on Empty (1979)

32. Sheet of glass: PANE.

33. Wicked: EVIL.

34. Coral formation: REEF.  

37. Creative pursuits: ARTS.

38. Rainy day accounts: NEST EGGS.

40. Trunk of the body: TORSO.  and  43 Down. Some belly buttons: OUTIES.

About 10% of people are OUTIES.  8 Belly Buttons Facts

41. Hold firmly: GRIP.  Let's all get one.

42. Used an old phone: DIALED.  Washed up?

44. Joins together: UNITES.

45. Girl Scout group: TROOP.

46. "Lady Windermere's Fan" playwright Oscar: WILDE.  for those who would like to know more

48. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.

49. Japanese wrestling style: SUMO.

This is a pic of the back of my ticket when I went to see SUMO in Fukuoka, Japan.
Notice the last line.  (Click to enlarge.)

50. Comedian Trevor: NOAH.  

Trevor was born Feb. 20, 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

51. Stun: DAZE.  What a coincidence! "Stundaze" was my 2nd choice for a blogger handle. 😜

52. Snow glider: SLED.

54. Tail motion: WAG.  

Click to enlarge.

55. Knight's title: SIR.  This is the last clue so I will say, "Good night, SIR!"

The Grid

Before I go, here's some music to get you ready for tomorrow. Have a great week everyone!

Saturday in the Park. Chicago (1972)