Tuesday, December 31, 2024, George Simpson, Zhouqin Burnikel

(Notes from C.C.: George Simpson is Big Easy on our blog.)

Theme:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  HAVE A BALL!

Today is the very last day of 2024.  What's on the agenda to mark the last minute of this day?

It's the big reveal:

23 Down. New Year's Eve tradition in the Big Apple, and what can be found in 3-, 8-, 33-, and 37-Down?: BALL DROP.  Yes, folks, if you stay up late enough, you can see the BALL DROP in New York City, replayed in various time zones, even here on the West coast.  Not sure why we watch it, since it happened hours earlier!  Regardless, you'll find two kinds of BALLs DROPping in each of the other theme answers.  

The rest of the theme clues and answers are:

3 Down. Parmesan, e.g.: HARD CHEESE.  Parmesan is a hard cheese.  HARDBALL refers to baseball (the game or the ball itself), or to forceful tactics.  CHEESEBALL can be an appetizer made of blended cheeses, an adjective meaning lacking taste or style, or a person who lacks taste or style.

This snow man is kind of a cheeseball.

8 Down. Speedy way to the top: FAST TRACK.  A course leading to rapid advancement is a FAST TRACK.  A FASTBALL is the most common type of pitch in baseball.  A TRACKBALL is a computer cursor control device.

Trackball.

33 Down. Succotash ingredient: BUTTER BEAN.  Succotash is a dish of corn kernels and lima beans.  BUTTER BEAN is another name for lima bean.  BUTTERBALL is a brand of turkey products, and has less common meanings, too, like chubby person.  BEANBALL is a ball thrown with the intention of hurting another person, specifically by hitting them in the head.

37 Down. Political campaign funding source: SOFT MONEY.  SOFT MONEY is a contribution to a political party that is not designated for a particular candidate, and thus avoids campaign contribution limits.  SOFTBALL is an adaptation of baseball, played with a larger ball, with underhand pitches, and on a smaller diamond.  MONEYBALL has a few meanings, but is most often identified with the 2003 book by Michael Lewis titled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, and with the 2011 film adaptation of the book.

DH says that he looks like Brad Pitt.  He does not.

Ready?  Let's play ball!

Across:

1. Sound softened by acoustic foam: ECHO.  Acoustic foam is a sound absorption material which reduces echo and improves sound quality within a room.

5. Hole-making tool: AWL.  Aw, it's our friend AWL again!

8. Gemstone surface: FACET.

13. Yonder item: THAT.  Yes, THAT item over yonder.

14. __ gin fizz: SLOE.  Sloe gin is made from ripe sloe drupes which are small fruits closely related to plums.  To make a sloe gin fizz, combine sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice; cover and shake, and then strain into a glass. Stir in club soda and garnish with a slice of lemon.

15. Supreme Being of Islam: ALLAH.  Allah is the Arabic word for God, in particular, the God of Abraham.

16. Golf rental: CART.

17. Place for suckers?: CANDY STORE.  The sweet kind of suckers:

19. Grotesque: HIDEOUS.

21. Settle the score: GET EVEN.

22. Mobile home?: CRIB.  My favorite part of a baby's room:  the mobile that hangs over the crib.

23. Visibly embarrassed: BEET RED.

24. Fire pit residue: ASH.

26. "Tra-__": LA LA.  Nonsense syllables standing in for song lyrics.

28. Grads-to-be: SRS.  Those about to be graduates are SenioRS.

29. Much of a sunflower: STEM.  Sunflowers do have very tall stems.

I photographed this sunflower in Slide Rock State Park near Sedona, Arizona.

31. Honolulu hello: ALOHA.

33. __ window: BAY.  A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a "bay" in a room. 

Exterior view of a bay window.

36. Floor plan calculations: AREAS.

38. Org. for Cubs and Tigers: MLB.  Major League Baseball.  Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.

39. Waterpark feature: CHUTE.  AKA water slide, flume, or hydroslide.  Great fun for kids.

41. Genre for "Dancing Queen": DISCO.  "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976).

42. Citrus drink suffix: ADE.  LemonADE, limeADE ... even orangeADE.  Fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.

43. Toys with strings: KITES.  Because YOYOS didn't work with the perpendicular entries.

44. Mimic: APE.

45. Like most house pets: FURRY.

47. Cardinals great Musial: STAN.  "Stan the Man" (1920-2013) Musial was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.  He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB.  If you have identified today's blogger, you know that STAN was all perps (perpendicular entries) for me.

Stan Musial

48. High-elev. place: MTN.  A high-elevation place is a mountain.

49. Scandinavian capital with many floating saunas: OSLO.  Imagine a wood-fired sauna, on a boat, with big windows for sightseeing, and refreshing dips in the fjord!  Brr!  Not on my list.  I do not love temperature shocks.

52. Punk music offshoot: EMO.  Thanks to crossword puzzles, I am not completely ignorant of this EMOtional type of punk music.

53. Seafood-based party food: CLAM DIP.

56. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Now, this fellow I remember from "House."

Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman on "House."

58. Empty, as a bottle: POUR OUT.

59. Math course with variables: ALGEBRA.  I wept with frustration through algebra classes, but I find it useful now to be able to solve for an unknown quantity.

62. Opinion survey completed with clicks: ONLINE POLL.

64. Greenish blue: TEAL.

65. Find a new purpose for: REUSE.

66. Knocks firmly: RAPS.

67. Billionth: Pref.: NANO.  The prefix "nano" means one-billionth, or 10-9 .  Teeny tiny.

68. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY.

69. Signs off on: OKS.

70. Poker pot starter: ANTE.

Down:

1. Engrave on glass: ETCH.

2. Cardamom-infused milky tea: CHAI.  My morning ritual.

3. [Theme clue]

4. Playful marine mammal: OTTER.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium has rescued sea OTTERs on display.  Some of the otters are raising orphaned youngsters for release into the ocean.

5. "Regrettably ... ": ALAS.

6. Got the gold: WON.

7. Perch for potted plants: LEDGE.  Always a challenge to find sunny spots for the indoor plants.  

8. [Theme clue]

9. Takes in, say: ALTERS.

10. Garlic bulb segment: CLOVE.

11. Lop-__ rabbit: EARED.  When my children were young, I purchased a lop-EARED (or floppy-eared) rabbit at a pet store.  The poor thing had ear mites that required immediate treatment.  Apparently, the breeding of rabbits for the cute but unnatural trait of floppy ears has resulted in serious ear and tooth disorders.  In nature, a rabbit needs its upright ears to avoid predators.  Luckily, our "Whiskers" didn't have any of those.

12. Afterward: THEN.

14. Diving acronym: SCUBA.  Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

18. "Wow, that's bad!": YEESH.

20. Squeaky wheel remedy: OIL.

23. [Theme clue]

24. Burrito option: ASADA.  Asada is Spanish for "roasted."  Carne asada is roasted meat.  

25. Bacon piece: STRIP.

27. University in Beaumont, Texas: LAMAR.  A public university and member of the Texas State University System, Lamar University has 17,850 students enrolled in 96 undergraduate, 50 master's and eight doctoral degree programs.  News to me -- all perps.

30. Apple variety: MAC.  Mac, which is short for Macintosh, is Apple Inc.'s line of personal computers. Personal computers were Apple's original business line, but as of the end of 2024 they account for only about eight percent of the company's revenue.

Apple MacBook Pro

32. Does as told: OBEYS.

33. [Theme clue]

34. First-string players: A TEAM.

35. Basic type of question: YES/NO.

37. [Theme clue]

40. He/him/__: HIS.  Male pronouns.

46. Not justified: UNDUE.

48. Actress Tomei: MARISA.  Marisa Tomei is an American actress who gained prominence for her performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992).  She's been in many movies since, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress three times.

Marisa Tomei

50. Lies around: LOLLS.

51. Shocked letters: OMG.  Oh My Gosh!  😲

53. Ice cream holders: CONES.

54. Doozies: LULUS.

55. Tech support whiz: IT PRO.  Information Technology Professional.  

57. Big name in health insurance: AETNA.

58. Skin opening: PORE.

59. Range crossing eight countries: ALPS.

60. Tirade: RANT.

61. Soothing ingredient in some toners: ALOE.

63. Flooring wood: OAK.

Here's the grid:

Let me know if I've DROPped the BALL anywhere in this review!

Wishing you all the best of years,

NaomiZ

 

Tuesday, December 24th, 2024 ~ Taylor Johnson

Gifts for Girls and Boys!

When the girls were little, they'd get to OPEN one present from us on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas morning, they'd see what Santa brought (mostly unwrapped and built the night before).

In this Christmas Eve offering, Taylor gives us gifts that a trained eye will spot at the beginning of four answers.  Let's see what they are:

17a. Asset of a highly skilled individual: TRAINED EYE.

25a. Lizard with a misleading name: HORNY TOAD.

Cute little fella

47a. "The Nutcracker" performer: BALLERINA. Both Girls took ballet. For years, we schlepped -- at least one girl -- to four performances in December.

Source: Houston Ballet

61a. List of cheap eats: DOLLAR MENU.

And the reveal:
38a. Christmas morning activity, and what 17-, 25-, 47-, and 61-Across all have?: OPENING PRESENTS.

Each themer Opens with a Present!  Let's unwrap the rest of Taylor's gifts...

Across:

1. Casino ratios that favor the house: ODDS. The house always wins.

5. Button alternatives: SNAPS.

10. Sir equivalent: DAME. Sir Elton John [Colbert 18+m]; DAME Judi Dench. [Tracey Ullman 2:25]

14. Schnitzel meat option: PORK.

15. Holy scroll of Judaism: TORAH.

16. Gulf nation bordering Yemen: OMAN.

17. [See: theme]

19. Orange skin: RIND. I had peel 'cuz that's what I zest ;-)

20. Bend under pressure: SAG.

21. Provide a welcome distraction: AMUSE. I wonder if Dame Judi was AMUSEd by Tracey's sketch.

22. Door joint: HINGE.

23. Key NFL players: QBS. QuarterbackS

25. [See: theme]

27. Personal energy fields: AURAS.

29. Early investor's opportunity, briefly: IPO. Initial Public Offering.

30. Urgent entreaty: PLEA.

31. Home of the University of Oregon: EUGENE.

35. Settle on a chair: SIT.

38. [See: theme]

41. Large amount: TON.

42. Half step down from D natural: C SHARP.

Both Java and C# are programming languages (yes, I am a nerd)

43. Twilight time: DUSK.

44. Nat __: documentary channel: GEO.

45. Sticky, as the weather: MUGGY.

47. [See: theme]

53. Implore: BEG.

54. Opera soliloquies: ARIAS.

55. Like Thor and Odin: NORSE. Thems NORSE gods.

57. Tupperware topper: LID. Mom was a Tupperware lady for a while. I learned how to burp the lid at parties :-).

Mom was no Brownie Wise

60. Mercedes-__: BENZ. Janis Joplin* sang about this German auto maker.

61. [See: theme]

63. Olympic blade: EPEE.

64. Bit of inside info: INTEL.

65. Adorable: CUTE.

66. Shore thing?: SAND.

67. Gaggle members: GEESE.

68. Television ad: SPOT.

Down:

1. Votes (for): OPTS.

2. Cartoon explorer with a talking backpack: DORA. The Girls loved Dora cartoons.

3. Adore Delano or Plastique Tiara: DRAG QUEEN. Perps half filled this before it became obvi.

4. Traverse a black diamond slope, say: SKI.

Movie: Better Off Dead

5. Thorny rose part: STEM.

6. "Obviously!": NO DUH. Obvi.

7. "You __ welcome!": ARE SO.

8. Venmo user, maybe: PAYER. Venmo is an app to pay folks. My paper deliver put her Venmo on her tip request insert.

9. Pronoun option: SHE.

10. Cool Ranch chip: DORITO.

11. __ acid: AMINO.

12. Japanese comic style: MANGA.

L337 Translation:
Panel 1: "The Pain!"
Panel 2: "I need help!" and
"I need you to get the doctor. I got some bad pain in my chest.  I need my pills."
Panel 3:  Does anyone here speak "eleet"?
Panel 4: "Yes"
//told you I was a nerd ;-)

13. Stopped: ENDED.

18. Mars rover org.: NASA. The history of NASA's logos.

22. Amps (up): HYPES.

24. Muffin fiber: BRAN.
 

R.I.P. Phil Hartman

26. Prime-time hour: NINE PM. The SNL Players were not ready for Prime-time.

27. Pet aisle brand: ALPO.

28. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

30. Planter: POT.

32. Groaning sound: UGH.

33. College application fig.: GPA. Grade Point Average.

34. Go off course: ERR.

35. Get cozy together: SNUGGLE UP.

36. Teeny: ITSY.

37. "How naughty!": TSK.

39. Some slushies: ICEES.

40. Rim: EDGE.

44. Sticky, as a doughnut: GLAZED.

46. Cab alternative: UBER.

47. "__ in Toyland": Christmas classic: BABES.

48. Venezuelan snack: AREPA.

Yummers!

49. Summery material: LINEN.

50. Hole-__: golf feat: IN ONE.

51. Nick of "Affliction": NOLTE.

52. French city in many van Gogh paintings: ARLES.

56. Garage event: SALE.

58. "__ the Woods": Sondheim musical: INTO.

59. Couple's karaoke request: DUET.

61. Use a spade: DIG.

62. Hosts, for short: MCS. Emcees.

The Grid:

The Grid

Taylor gifted us a nice Tuesday puzzle fit for the holidays, Oui?

The skinny: WO: peel -> RIND
ESPs: N/A
Fav: A Mercedes-BENZ for Janis.*

Merry Christmas & Happy (start of) Hanukkah!
//If that's not your thing... Happy Festivus!

Cheers!, -T
*Story: Last New Year's, we visited DW's aunt in Tiburon, CA. We, however stayed in nearby Sausalito.
DW found this wonderful Air B&B.  During our stay, we learned that it was a house Janis Joplin had lived in.
One afternoon for lunch, we met up with DW's cousin (who lives in LA, CA) at The Trident (opened by the Kingston Trio!) that had a few pictures of Janis (and her car) on the walls... We even got to sit at Janis' regular table. How cool is that?

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 Susan Gelfand

The Main Squeeze.  The answer to each theme clue is something that can be squeezed.

18-Across. Iced tea garnish: LEMON WEDGE.

23-Across. Art class staple with a bovine logo: ELMER'S GLUE.  So why the bovine logo?  Well, Elmer's Glue first came onto the scene in the late 1940s by the Bordon Company, which was dairy company.  Well, when you consider that the first formula of the glue was casein, a protein in milk, it makes sense that the dairy company developed and sold glue.

52-Across. Handheld tension reliever: STRESS BALL.

58-Across. Bathtime floater: RUBBER DUCK.

37-Across. Coerce, or what can be done to 18-, 23-, 52-, and 58-Across: PUT THE SQUEEZE ON.  

There is a juice bar near me called The Big Squeezy, a pun on The Big Easy, one of the nicknames of New Orleans.  I have never been there, so can't attest to their cold-pressed (squeezed) juices.

Across:

1. Mount Etna outflow: LAVA.  This volcano on Sicily frequently erupts.

5. Some Dropbox files, informally: DOCs.  As in Documents.

9. After-dinner coffee choice: DECAF.

14. Atop: UPON.  Once UPON a time ...  //  And 66-Across. "... and they all lived happily __ after": EVER.

15. Whack, as a fly: SWAT.

16. Express a view: OPINE.

17. Jell-O shaper: MOLD.

20. Book jacket summary: BLURB.

22. Classical form of poetry: EPODE.

26. Clean air org.: EPA.  As in the Environmental Protection Agency.  The EPA is the AQI monitor (See 5-Down in last Friday's puzzle).  The EPA was formally created 54 years ago this month.

29. Fish eggs: ROE.

30. Soccer match chant: OLÉ.  A crossword staple.

31. Trudged: PLODDED.  You can PLOD through the Presidents and learn lots of interesting facts about American presidents in this podcast.

34. Vodka brand, for short: STOLI.  It's formal name is Stolichnaya.

36. Bump in the night, e.g.: NOISE.

42. Japanese cartoon genre: ANIME.

43. Flair: STYLE.

44. "That's a lie!": NOT TRUE!

47. Once named: NEÉ.  Today's French lesson.  The French née is the feminine past participle of naitre, "to be born."  Né is the masculine version of the word.

48. Place to luxuriate: SPA.

51. That, in Toledo: ESO.  Toledo, Spain, not Toledo, Ohio.  Don Quixote began his travels in Toledo.

Picasso's interpretation of Don Quixote.

55. Magazine edition: ISSUE.  Many magazines have both print and on-line versions of their issues.

57. Leafy starter: SALAD.  We had many tasty SALADs featured in a puzzle last week.

63. Cry from a forgetful performer: LINE.

64. Shake hands (on): AGREE.

65. Actor Morales: ESAI.  Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (b. Oct. 1, 1962) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

67. "__ for dinner?": WHAT'S.

68. Email button: SEND.

69. "Phooey!": RATS.

Down:

1. Wood planks: LUMBER.

2. Moon program of the 1960s and 1970s: APOLLO.

3. Remote control adjustment: VOLUME.

4. Braugher of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine": ANDRE.  Andre Braugher (né Andre Keith Braugher; July 1, 1962 ~ Dec. 11, 2023) also portrayed Detective Frank Pembleton on the Homicide: Life on the Street, which aired in the 1990.  That drama series was a far cry from his portrayal as Captain Raymond Holt in the  police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  Sadly, Braugher died a year ago of lung cancer at age 61.

5. Broadband initials: DSL.  As in Digital Subscriber Line.

6. Run a tab: OWE.

7. Desert beast: CAMEL.

8. Clog: STOP UP.

9. Pulitzer-winning columnist Maureen: DOWD.  Maureen Dowd (née Maureen Brigid Dowd; b. Jan. 14, 1952) is an opinion columnist for the New York Times.

10. Fencing sword: ÉPÉE.  Another crossword staple.

11. Legendary Spanish knight El __: CID.  Everything you wanted to know about El Cid but never thought to ask.

12. Director Lee: ANG.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker.  The 1994 film, Eat Drink Man Woman, was the first Ang Lee film I saw.

13. Broker's charge: FEE.

19. Christmas carol: NOEL.  'Tis the Season.

21. Epson competitor: BROTHER.  Both are companies that manufacture printers.

24. Plumlike fruit: SLOE.

25. Comes together well: GELS.

26. Actress Falco: EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) is probably best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the Sopranos.

27. Colombian currency: PESO.  Did you know that there are 8 countries that use the Peso as their monetary unit?  *

28. Yemen coastal city: ADEN.  We visit this city often in the puzzles.

32. Almost as many: ONE LESS.

33. Catch some z's: DOZE.

34. Acct. summary: STMT.  As in Statement.  I am not sure I have ever seen this abbreviation before.

35. Brainpower nos.: IQs.  As in Intelligence Quotient.

The sign on the door says "Pull to Open."

37. Window section: PANE.

38. Deep-dish pizza chain, informally: UNO'S.  Yummers!  We ate at the original Uno's restaurant when we were in Chicago last summer.

39. Mambo legend Puente: TITO.  His full name was Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (Apr. 20, 1923 ~ June 1, 2000).  He was also known as “El Rey de los Timbales, ” or “The King of the Timbales."

40. Alternative magazine name: UTNE.  Its issues (55-Across) are now all online.

41. Peepers: EYES.

45. Letters on outdated maps: USSR.  In Russian, "USSR" is written as "СССР" which is an abbreviation for "Союз Советских Социалистических Республик" (Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik), meaning "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" in English.

46. Many Chopin piano pieces: ÉTUDES.  More of today's French lesson.

48. Mouth moistener: SALIVA.

49. Mars or Mercury: PLANET.  Alternatively,  a candy and a car.

50. Birch family trees: ALDERS.  Alders are trees and shrubs in the birch family and are native to the north temperate zone and some parts of Central America and the Andes. They are known for their distinctive woody fruiting bodies that look like small, brown pinecones.

53. Find a new purpose for: REUSE.

54. Hay bundle maker: BALER.

55. "Yeah, sure!": I BET.

56. Observes: SEES.

58. Uncooked: RAW.

59. "Yuck!": UGH.

60. Bali garment: BRA.  Nice misdirection.  Bali is a company that makes lingerie.

61. Soup holder: CAN.

62. Jest: KID.

Here's the Grid:

* The countries that use the Peso are: Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Philippines, and Uruguay.

חתולה

I will be taking a brief travel hiatus.  Happy Chanukkah and Merry Christmas.  This year the two holidays converge.  I wish you all a Happy New Year and will "see" you in 2025.