59. Glancing blow on the road, and a hint to the puzzle's circles: SIDESWIPE. Forms of thievery are found by combining the circled letters at the leading and trailing sides of the compound words
Across:
1. Worked off nervous energy, say: PACED.
6. Grounded fast jet: SST.
9. Like imitators: APISH.
14. Maine town on the Penobscot: ORONO. Named after the Maine town, the Lake Minnetonka city of Orono, Minnesota gets little reference in crossword puzzles. It deserves a CSO.
15. Letter after sigma: TAU.
16. Food from heaven: MANNA.
19. "... better __ worse": wedding vow words: OR FOR.
If you want to find out about your ancestral lineage, buy a kit from National Geographic for $70. That's the Genographic Project.
29. By the seashore: COASTAL.
30. Garden tool: EDGER.
31. Scientist Wernher __ Braun: VON.
32. Undercover agent: SPY. Secret agent man. Secret agent man. They've given you a number, and taken away your name. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Desper-otto has the song on his music server.
Alpine Ibexes live in the mountainous alps of Europe.
Nubian Ibexes live in the mountainous desert areas of the Middle East and parts of Africa.
55. Mama's mama: NANA.
57. Vietnam New Year: TET.
58. Renaissance fair garment: TUNIC.
61. Still soft, as concrete: UNSET.
62. Sci-fi vehicle: UFO. After subzero earlier, we need something warm. How about this hit from the British rock band ?
63. Golf targets: HOLES.
64. Jury members: PEERS.
65. Wooden pin: PEG.
66. Wide-mouthed pitchers: EWERS.
Down:
1. Canoe carrying: PORTAGE. Probably pretty safe to assume that the city names of Portage Michigan, Portage Indiana, and Portage Wisconsin were each influenced by the language of the French fur trappers of early America. I read there are 8 more city names of Portage in the U.S., and 1 in Canada.
2. Turned on: AROUSED. See the image at 47D.
3. Cajolery: COAXING. Arm-twisting.
4. Running trio?: ENs. Quantity three of the letter n.
5. Colon components: DOTS. In this clue and answer, the punctuation mark. Not the large intestine in human anatomy.
6. Equilibrium: STASIS.
7. Polynesian island nation: SAMOA.
8. "Rub-a-dub-dub" vessel: TUB. A container for the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker.
28. Muscular 2017 "Dancing With the Stars" competitor: Mr. T.
31. Distress: VEX.
34. Book of maps: ATLAS.
35. Gymnast's powder: TALC.
36. Vatican vestment: ALB.
37. Lounge (around): LAZE. Initially had loaf.
38. Call it quits: SPLIT UP.
39. Chicago newspaper: TRIBUNE.
40. The "D" of "NORAD": DEFENSE. When I served, it was the North American Air Defense Command. Now it is the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
43. Silk or cashmere: TEXTILE.
44. Climbing vine: CREEPER.
45. Snack cake maker with the Nasdaq symbol TWNK: HOSTESS.
47. More appealing: SEXIER. Error 404 - There's nothing here.
48. Spits out, as a DVD: EJECTS.
49. Old salt: SEADOG.
50. __ Reader: eclectic digest: UTNE. Utne Reader is a digest of the new ideas and fresh perspectives percolating in arts, culture, politics, and spirituality. - Utne.com - About
52. Chef's cutter: KNIFE.
56. Tennis great Arthur: ASHE.
59. "How's it hangin'?": SUP. Slang. Contraction of What's up ?
47. *Baked pork cut that sounds perfect for a blanket in the park: PICNIC HAM.
60. *Lever for manual water extraction: PUMP HANDLE.
5D. *Kid's homemade topper: PAPER HAT.
39. Ordeal ... and a hint to the initials of the answers to starred clues: ACID TEST. - A rigorous and comprehensive test that proves or disproves the value of something. Here, we also get a hint to the theme answers with the acid test answer. The pH scale tells us how acidic or alkaline a substance is.
Across:
1. Source of spumante wine: ASTI. Asti (also known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba.- Wikipedia
5. Mr. __: Former name of a Dr Pepper rival: PIBB. Until this puzzle, I did not know Mr. Pibb is now the former name. In 2001, a new formula was created and the soft drink was rebranded as Pibb Xtra. This video is coded to start at the 2:26 mark with a 1996 commercial. You can start from the beginning if you want to see the early '70's commercials.
9. Light model wood: BALSA.
14. Bore false witness: LIED.
15. Et __: and others: ALIA.
16. Provo native: UTAHN. If you look closely, you'll also see other Utah related crossword favorites like Salt Lake City, Uinta, Wasatch, and Orem.
17. Beige look-alike: ECRU..
20. Superficial, as beauty: SKIN DEEP.
22. Make possible: ENABLE.
23. Negative connector: NOR.
24. Packers quarterback Rodgers: AARON. The 34 year old star quarterback of the National Football League's (NFL) Green Bay Packers signed a 4 year $134 million contract extension in August of this year. I'd be smiling too !
29. Nervous twitches: TICS.
33. Vein discovery: ORE.
34. ... Venus, __, Mars ...: EARTH. “we are unique individuals with unique experiences” - John Gray, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
35. Like sea battles: NAVAL.
36. Column slant: Abbr.: POV. Point of view. Often revealed in (33 Down) - Pundit's piece: OP ED. I skip most of them and head to the important stuff. *
37. Overseas business abbr.: LTD.
38. Sheep's call: BAA.
40. Sister Sledge's "We __ Family": ARE. The four Sledge sisters from Philadelphia hit in big at the height of the disco era in 1979 with this song. The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) adopted this song as a theme song on their way to winning the 1979 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles.
41. Corp. bigwigs: EXECS. Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, ET ALIA.
43. Nike alternative: ASICs. Application Specific Integrated Circuits. No, wait. Never mind. Here it is the name of the the brand of running shoes and sports clothing.
51. Wee bit: DAB. Brylcreem. A little dab will do ya. Well then, Dippity-do !
52. Ship's chart: SEA MAP.
55. Air, mostly: NITROGEN.
62. Intricate garden feature: MAZE.
63. Medieval suit: ARMOR.
64. Backtalk: SASS.
65. Prickly husks: BURS. We had a chestnut in the treeline of the woods along the back of our property when I was growing up. When the bur (husk) opens, they're ripe. Remove the husk, then boil or roast for 20 minutes to soften the skin. Cool, peel and enjoy.
66. Nary a soul: NO ONE.
67. London rental: FLAT.
68. Blind part: SLAT.
Down:
1. Brewpub pints: ALES.
2. Under the weather: SICK. A possible side-effect of drinking too many brewpub pints.
3. Hatcher with a recurring role in TV's "Supergirl": TERI. Melissa Benoist stars as the series' titular character, Supergirl. Teri Hatcher played villain Queen Rhea. Supergirl and Queen Rhea duke it out:
4. [Shrug]: I DUNNO. I dunno why I linked that previous video. Is anyone here a fan ? Has anyone here ever been able to sit through an episode ? Maybe when the grandchildren are around ?
6. Nastase of tennis: ILIE. Physically gifted and deftly skilled Romanian-born professional tennis player during the 1970s and early 1908s. An International Tennis Hall of Fame member, he ranked as high as World # 1 in late 1973 and most of 1974. Enfant terrible. Nicknamed "Nasty" and the "Bucharest Buffoon" because of his on court antics and histrionics. John McEnroe was a choirboy compared to Nastase. In July 2017, the 72 year old Nastase received a 4 year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for his actions and racist comments. The World Tennis Association (WTA) probably has him on thin ice as well.
7. Minor role: BIT PART. Erased "BIT role" as quickly as I entered it because role was in the clue.
8. Scrooge's "Dang!": BAH. Humbug.
9. Good, in Guatemala: BUENO.
10. Hawks' home: ATLANTA. The Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
11. Ewe kid: LAMB.
12. "A Light in the Attic" poet Silverstein: SHEL. I know this name only from crosswords. I had Shul until I changed Helmut to Helmet. Don't know where that U came from. Maybe Canada ?
13. Penny-__: unimportant: ANTE. I like Wikipedia. It's not unusual to find a few penny-ante errors in articles every now and then. But then sometimes I run into obviously vandalized articles, like this one, which has since been corrected:
I also first thought this was a Wikipedia error, but it's a Google knowledge panel error:
19. Roll call answer: HERE. An appropriate answer for a roll call to, "How many of you were wondering where TTP was going with those comments about penny-ante ?"
21. Woodworking rods: DOWELS.
25. Rubbish container: ASH BIN. I used a galvanized metal pail as an ash bin. I used it when I emptied the ash tray at the bottom of the pot bellied stove.
26. Stockholder's agent: PROXY.
27. Protective embankment: LEVEE. A musical interlude is needed.
28. Install, as a cleric: ORDAIN.
30. Eric Trump's mom: IVANA.
31. Off-the-cushion pool shot: CAROM.
32. Large quantity: SLEW.
35. Daytona 500 org.: NASCAR. The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. The Daytona 500 is the top event in NASCAR. Racing began at Dayton Beach in 1903 with a race between Ransom E Olds and Alexander Winton. Richard Petty has the all-time record of 7 Daytona 500 wins. AJ Foyt won it once. Mario Andretti won it in 1967, and remains the only foreign-born racer to ever have won it.
47. One of the Three Bears: PAPA. Can't help but thinking of George "Papa Bear" Halas of the NFL Chicago Bears when I hear or see Papa Bear, but in this clue it's about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. As an aside, blogging the puzzle can broaden one's knowledge base. e.g. I had no previous knowledge of the origins of the Goldilocks tale until reading the Wikipedia article.
52. Cross over: SPAN. The UFO Bridge spans the Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia.
53. Tipperary tip jar coin: EURO. The town and county in Ireland, and their current currency. Learned of this song watching some old movie.
54. Hunter's need: AMMO.
56. Victor's wife in "Casablanca": ILSA. Victor Lazlo and Ilsa Lund, played by Paul Henreid and Ingrid Berman, respectively. Here's a memorable scene from that movie. Sam is played by Dooley Wilson.
57. Ancient France: GAUL. And present day Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, northern Italy, parts of the Netherlands and of Germany west of the Rhine. About a third way through its existency, Julius Caesar had the unmitigated gall to invade and conquer almost all of Gaul.
62. Portmanteau for a collection containing 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across?: ALLITERATURE. Clever. Alliteration in Literature.
Across:
1. "__ Buddies": '80s sitcom: BOSOM. Alliteration in the title of this sitcom. I remember that Tom Hanks was a co-star and that I didn't watch it. Saw a couple of episodes much later in syndication after he became famous.
14. Lavender is similar to it: PURPLE. Color wise.
15. Hon: DEARY. Looks like dreary through my dreary eyes.
16. Toondom's Olive: OYL. Olive Oyl is to Popeye as Nell Fenwick is to Dudley Do-Right.
19. "XING" one: PED.
20. Postcard view of a city: SKYLINE. My first apartment in Houston was a 2BR townhouse at 6419 Skyline Drive. That's near Hillcroft and Richmond for you Houstonians. The view from my bedroom window was the school across the street.
21. Hold the deed to: OWN.
22. Sandy slope: DUNE.
23. Salacious: LEWD.
26. Sharp turns: ZIGS.
29. Many, many years: EON.
31. Deli subs: HEROS. No e in the plural of the deli hero, but there is an e for a group of courageous and brave heroes.
32. Game with Wild Draw Four cards: UNO. If I recall correctly, you had to declare "Uno" when you got down to one card left in your hand.
33. Of an arm bone: ULNAR. Mark McClain threw trapezium at us in a clue in his "Alphabetic Order" puzzle Sunday. Here are some other anatomical terms of the:
35. Response to bad service: NO TIP. I can't recall ever having such bad service in a restaurant that I didn't leave a tip. Smaller tip, yes. Definitely have encountered waitstaff that probably should have chosen another profession.
42. Wombs: UTERI.
43. Mar. parade honoree: ST. PAT. Saint Patrick. Pádraig in Irish. Mark McClain had the clue, "Two-time British Open champ Harrington" for Pádraig in Sunday's puzzle that C.C. reviewed.
44. Genetic messenger: RNA. Ribonucleic acid.
45. Starr knighted in 2018: RINGO. Not to be a nitpicker, but he was knighted as Sir Richard Starkey.
48. Nine-digit ID: SSN. Social Security Number. Canadian Eh taught (some of) us that our neighbors to the north get a Social Insurance Number, but that it is not intended to be, nor is it supposed to be used, as an all purpose identification number.
49. Antiprohibitionists: WETS. vs Drys. Wets is much easier to spell.
53. "In that case ... ": IF SO.
55. Discovery cries: AHAs.
56. Blossom buzzer: BEE.
57. What discreet acts are done on, with "the": DOWN LOW. Some discreet acts done on the down low are lowdown.
61. Big Apple paper, for short: NYT. New York Times.
64. Sticky stuff: GOO.
65. Joe of "Casino": PESCI.
66. "__ to suggestions": I'M OPEN.
67. California's Big __: SUR.
68. Second-string squad: B TEAM.
69. Fork points: TINES.
Down:
1. Camp bed: BUNK.
2. Wild party: ORGY.
3. Wizards' castings: SPELLS.
4. Skateboard leap: OLLIE. I like How-To videos, but I don't think I'll be trying this anytime soon.
5. Have good intentions: MEAN WELL.
6. Smartphone predecessor, for short: PDA. Personal Digital Assistant
7. Greek storyteller: AESOP.
8. God, in Judaism: YAHWEH. First time I've encountered this word.
9. Jacque's "thirty": TRENTE. Starbucks offers a size called Trenta. Italian for thirty. It's 31 oz. Gulp ! I went to PronounceNames.com and listened to both trente and trenta. So close in spelling...
10. Cries of worry: OYs.
11. Temporary retail space: POP UP STORE. Apple opened a few pop up stores in 2015 to create excitement and get their new watches in front of consumers in London, Paris and Tokyo.
Flash forward to NYC in 2018. Rumors abounded and expectations rose in New York City about a possible new product launch... possibly a new iPhone... but it wasn't to be. This place was selling a new variety of actual apples.
26. Z, in a pilot's alphabet: ZULU. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie.... Xray, Yankee, Zulu.
27. Playing an extra NBA period: IN OT. In overtime.
28. Ahnold's political nickname: GOVERNATOR. A blend of governor and Terminator for the 38th Governor of California and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
30. Captures: NABS.
33. Employing: USING.
34. Decays: ROTS.
36. "Money __ everything": ISN'T.
37. School orgs.: PTAs. Parent Teacher Associations
39. Great Lakes natives: ERIES.
40. Silver lining: UPSIDE.
41. Fled: RAN FOR IT.
46. Thanksgiving gravy ingredient: GIBLET.
47. Ultimatum words: OR ELSE. In July 1977, Arnold was in a relationship with Beverly Hills hairdresser Sue Moray when he met Maria Shriver. "He went on to have a relationship with both Moray and Shriver until August 1978, when Moray (who knew of his relationship with Shriver) issued an ultimatum." - Wikipedia
49. Chinese dumpling: WONTON.
50. __ up on: unites against: GANGS.
51. "What a kidder!": OH YOU.
52. High-end German camera: LEICA. I'd say high-end. Just read that their M10 retails for greater than $6K.
54. Hindu guru: SWAMI.
58. Rapper __ Fiasco: LUPE. Stage name for Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, a 36 year old rapper, entrepreneur and record producer from Chicago - Wikipedia.
59. Mining hauls: ORES.
60. Benign cyst: WEN. I only knew of Wen tools from the Home Depot and Wen personal care products, but here it is "... a common cyst that forms from a hair follicle. They are most often found on the scalp." Wikipedia - Trichilemmal cyst.
62. BOLO kin: APB. Be on (the) lookout - All Points Bulletin
63. Apple CEO Cook: TIM. Tim Cook couldn't do anything about the apple pop up store opening in NYC earlier this year. Not that he needed to. Apple Inc was reaching the One Trillion Dollar valuation. Wow ! Raise the roof Tim !
65. Parting words suggested by all or part of the answers to starred clues: KEEP IN TOUCH.
Five ways to stay in contact were hidden in the theme answers. Did you see them before you got to the reveal ?
Across:
1. Beauty queen's topper: TIARA.
6. Standoffish: ALOOF.
11. Irish folk dance: JIG.
14. Naysayers: ANTIS.
15. "Z: The Beginning of Everything" star Christina: RICCI. She starred as Zelda Fitzgerald in the short-lived 2017 television series.
16. Santa __ winds: ANA.
19. "Real World" channel: MTV. This reality TV program aired for 21 seasons from 1992 to 2013, and is being rebooted on Facebook. Pick seven or eight late teens to mid twenties types, put them in a house, and film non-stop.
20. Triangular Indian pastry: SAMOSA. "The samosa is made with all-purpose flour locally known as maida shell stuffed with some filling, generally a mixture of mashed boiled potato, onions, green peas, lentils, spices and green chili, or fruits. The entire pastry is then deep-fried in vegetable oil or rarely ghee to a golden brown color." - Wikipedia
21. Skinny fish: EEL.
22. Buzzing insect: BEE.
23. Luxury bag monogram: YSL. As shown on this "Women's Large Monogram Matelasse Leather Chain Shoulder Bag - Black", available at Sak's Fifth Avenue.
28. Like much Scotch: AGED. Tinbeni likes Scotch. He said the other day, in reference to the MIXED DRINKS puzzle, that he likes his Scotch mixed with Scotch.
30. Purchase at Lowe's: TOOL.
31. July 4th nonstarter: DUD. A firework, such as a firecracker or aerial display, that doesn't explode properly.
34. Kagan of the Court: ELENA.
37. "Grr!," say: SNARL. And 68A. "Grr!": I'M MAD.
42. Freight weight: TON.
44. 1988 film farce fish: WANDA. 93% at Rotten Tomatoes: A Fish Called Wanda
56. Patriots' org.: NFL. The New England Patriots of the National Football League. They played the Buffalo Bills last night on Monday Night Football.
59. Stool pigeon: RAT. A police informer in this clue, in bad guy lingo. BTW, James Cagney was misquoted. He actually said, "... you dirty yellow-bellied rat" to the guy that killed his brother.
60. Put a spell on: HEX. You can read about the "Andretti curse" at Wikipedia. In short, in 1970 the wife of co-owner Clint Brawner put a hex on them, promising that no Andretti would ever win the Indy 500 again. Mario never won it again, nor did his two sons, his nephew, and his grandson in 54 Andretti family attempts.
61. Decline to participate: OPT OUT.
64. Cigar refuse: ASH.
67. Peg for a round: TEE.
69. "Tomorrow" musical: ANNIE. The comic strip Little Orphan Annie made it to radio, stage and film. Here's the song from the 1982 film:
70. Slip up: ERR.
71. Cozy spots: NESTS.
72. Rent-a-car choice: SEDAN.
Down:
1. File folder projections: TABS.
2. Mosaic technique: INLAY.
3. Molecule parts: ATOMS.
4. Cough drop name sung in ads: RICOLA.
5. Seeks answers: ASKS.
6. "__ you listening?": ARE.
7. Soda bottle size: LITER. I still want to spell it litre.
10. Evergreen tree: FIR. A conifer. You can identify the tree as a fir because the cones stand upright versus hanging down as they do in spruce and other pines.
11. One-pot New Orleans dish: JAMBALAYA. I saw the following reader comment on a Food Wishes video for a Jambalaya recipe:
The best food in America comes from the south.
The best food in the south comes from Louisiana.
The best food in Louisiana comes from New Orleans.
And the best food in New Orleans is Jambalaya.
12. Major chip maker: INTEL. Lemonade had the clue "Gathering of spies" for this answer last Friday in Joe Kidd's puzzle.
13. Chairperson's order keeper: GAVEL.
18. Place for a campaign button: LAPEL.
25. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS. Clifford. A play about a group of taxicab drivers planning a labor strike. Lefty was their elected chairman. This was in the '30s, before Uber and Lyft.
26. Archaeologist's find: FOSSIL.
27. Fail suddenly, with "out": CONK. Or, go to sleep.
29. Desserts in Little Italy: GELATI. Little Italy is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, once known for its large population of Italian Americans. Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream.
31. Morning drops: DEW.
32. Actress Thurman: UMA.
33. Longtime "CBS Evening News" anchor: DAN RATHER. 24 years. Took the helm when Walter Cronkite retired in 1981.
35. "There's __ in team": NO I.
36. Building add-on: ANNEX.
38. Hudson Riv. tech school: RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The esteemed engineering school. Founded 1824. Troy, N.Y. RPI overlooks the Hudson River. Hi Spitzboov ! Hi Irish Miss !
39. Went first: LED.
41. Worshiped star: IDOL.
46. "Iron Chef Gauntlet" host Brown: ALTON. We tuned into his FoodTV show "Good Eats", but were never fans of the original Iron Chef program or its spinoffs.
49. Devious plan: SCHEME.
51. San __: Texas city, familiarly: ANTONE. Do you recall the song from these lyrics ?
Rain, dripping off the brim of my hat.
It sure is cold today.
And here I am'a walking down sixty-six.
Wish she hadn't done me that way.
52. Steaming mad: IRATE. I rate this an accurate clue for the answer.
61. Meal suggested by the starts of four long answers: STEAK DINNER.
Yesterday, Ed Sessa had high on the hog, and today Mark brings us ideas for a steak dinner. Unless you live high on the hog, be prepared for "sticker shock" if you want to eat at some of these restaurants on Zagat's 2018 List of Best Steakhouses in Chicago. We know Bill G would agree to steak. Prime Rib and Rib Eye would be my favorite cuts. What cuts do you prefer ?
15. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean: AUEL. "Jean Marie Auel is an American writer who wrote the Earth's Children books, a series of novels set in prehistoric Europe that explores human activities during this time, and touches on the interactions of Cro-Magnon people with Neanderthals." - Wikipedia
16. Low-scoring tie: ONE ONE. Nil Nil would be a no-scoring tie.
31. Isle of Arthurian legend: AVALON. And a Toyota. Avalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, fitting it in with Toyota's tradition of naming their sedans the word for "crown" in various languages (Crown, Corona, Camry, Corolla), types of crowns (Tiara), or other things associated with royalty (Scepter). - Wikipedia.
33. Woodland deity: SATYR.
36. Developmental insect stage: LARVA.
39. Luau accessory: LEI.
43. A, in Augsburg: EIN. Una, in Acapulco.
44. Small stores: SHOPS.
45. Rather nasty: SNIDE.
46. "__ Fideles": carol: ADESTE.
48. Corrode, with "away": EAT.
49. Macy's section, e.g.: Abbr.: DEPT.
57. "__ y Plata": Montana motto: ORO. Gold and Silver.
59. Bit of talk show self-promotion: PLUG.
60. Opal of the comics, to Earl Pickles: WIFE.
65. Deli salmon: LOX.
66. Philadelphia campus: TEMPLE. Temple University. Their sports teams, like Rice, are the Owls.
67. Building lot unit: ACRE.
68. __-ray Disc: BLU.
69. Volkswagen family car: PASSAT.
70. Rough file: RASP.
71. Some ER cases: ODs. Over Dose cases.
Down:
1. Wreaked condition: HAVOC. Also, recently in the news from the folks at NASA:
48. Lawn maintenance tools: EDGERS. My leaf blower broke the other day. Had to replace it quickly. So many leaves. I can relate with Hondo about "chasing leaves." Was surprised to learn that leaf blowers are banned in many localities in California.
51. Maker of Cajun Shrimp nail polish: OPI. Thank you perps. Never heard of it. A California company that was originally a dental supply company. Since 2010, a subsidiary of Coty, Inc.
52. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR.
53. Never, in Nogales: NUNCA. Niemals, in Nuremberg.
54. "The Hobbit" hero: BILBO. Baggins. So much detail at Tolkien Gateway
55. Bluffed-out words, perhaps: I FOLD.
56. Connection: NEXUS.
58. Sooner St.: OKLA. Boomer Sooners. And a CSO to Anonymous -T and his eldest as collegians.
61. Car care brand: STP. Lesser known as Scientifically Treated Petroleum, marketed in advertisements as "The Racer's Edge".
"BOB" - The first letter of each of the theme answers.
17. Relative of "The pen is mightier than the sword": BRAINS OVER BRAWN.
25. Rear-window alert about an infant: BABY ON BOARD.
43. Dog show award: BEST OF BREED.
54. Arizona stadium renamed Chase Field as a result of a financial merger: BANK ONE BALLPARK.
56. Short haircut, and a hint to 17-, 25-, 43- and 54-Across: BOB.
Bonus: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. We have a crossword pangram today; every letter of the alphabet is used !
Please welcome Abbie Higashi on her LA Times Crossword debut, as she teams with Kevin Christian to give us this fun puzzle. This is Kevin's 28th appearance on the LA Times Crossword stage.
Across:
1. Whopper inventors: LIARS. On April 1st, 1998, Burger King took out a full page ad in USA Today, and announced it would start serving the left-handed Whopper. The burger contained the very same ingredients but it was rotated a full 180° to better suit and offer a better grip on the bun to the left-handed consumer. In addition, all the condiments were also rotated. Can you guess what happened ?
6. Toss of a coin: FLIP. Supposedly truly random as to whether it will land heads or tails, but a caught coin has a 1 % greater chance of showing heads if it started out heads up, and a 1 % greater chance of showing tails if it started out tails up. This according to a UCSB article on a Stanford paper, DYNAMICAL BIAS IN THE COIN TOSS.
20. Census datum: SEX. Jinx, the answer is Male or Female, not Yes.
21. Tear: RIP. The clue/answer made me think of Rip Torn.
22. Levy that led to a 1773 "party": TEA TAX. In fact, the tea tax had been around for six years. It was the 1773 Tea Act that gave the the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies that was the final straw.
23. Morass: BOG.
24. 2000 election dangler: CHAD.
30. "__ Sera, Sera": QUE. The song and scenes from The Man Who Knew Too Much:
33. "See ya later!": I'M OFF.
34. Altar neighbor: APSE.
35. Ahi, for one: TUNA. Yellowfin.
36. __ avis: RARA. Latin. Through time, from rare bird to strange bird to peculiar person, to a unique person or thing. Dennis Rodman ?
37. Wooden storage container: CRATE.
38. Mental acuity: WITS.
39. Former Russian ruler: CZAR. Czar rule lasted over 400 years in Russia. Here's the Top 10 list
40. Frau's mister: HERR. Damen and Herren are on some doors in Germany. Good thing for the images to teach foreigners that Da Men use the one marked Herren.
41. Nest for an eaglet: AERIE.
42. In a lather, with "up": HET.
45. Small salamander: NEWT.
46. Show curiosity: ASK.
47. Melodious piece: ARIOSO. Let's have some more J.S. Bach...
50. God in the Vatican: DIO.
51. Dust jacket blurb: BIO.
58. Play opener: ACT I. After DIO and BIO, wanted an answer of maybe RIO or TIO.
59. Nano or Shuffle: IPOD.
60. Bravery: VALOR.
61. Lugosi of "Dracula" fame: BELA. Halloween is right around the corner.
62. Keep __ on: observe: TABS.
63. Justice Kagan: ELENA.
Down:
1. Chocolate dogs: LABS.
2. Pertaining to, on memos: INRE.
3. Early competitor of Mr. Clean: AJAX. Mr. Clean - 1958. Ajax - 1947.
4. Versailles royal: ROI.
5. Movable sports car top: SUNROOF. Not sure why sports car is specified. Anyway, sunroofs slide open and moonroofs tilt open a little bit. 40 % of all new cars sold in 2017 had either a sunroof or moonroof.
6. Intentional fall, in basketball: FLOP. In basketball, a flop is an intentional fall by a player after little or no physical contact by an opposing player in order to draw a personal foul call by an official against the opponent. - Wikipedia.
7. British washroom: LAV.
8. Choler: IRE.
9. 100-yard golf hole, say: PAR THREE. No Par 4s or 5s on this local 9 hole course:
10. Capacitance unit: FARAD. So named in honor of Michael Faraday.
11. Future JD's exam: LSAT. Doctor of Jurisprudence / Law School Admission Test.
12. Old Sony brand: AIWA.
13. Tailless cat: MANX. The cat from the Isle of Man.
18. Omen: SIGN.
19. Rosary feature: BEAD.
23. How landslide victories are won: BY FAR.
24. Fidel or Raúl: CASTRO.
25. Tree whose sap is used in a soft drink: BIRCH. Never had one, but I read that Birch soda is commonly found in New England and Newfoundland.
26. Dazzle: AMAZE.
27. Baron Cohen's Kazakh journalist: BORAT.
28. Least furnished, as a room: BAREST.
29. Eye-bending paintings: OPART.
30. 24 sheets of paper: QUIRE.
31. Free from bonds: UNTIE.
32. Slacked (off): EASED.
35. Dance provocatively: TWERK.
37. What a dog will do with a bone: CHEW ON IT.
41. Exculpate: ABSOLVE.
43. Kiss from Carlos: BESO.
44. Epic __: disaster: FAIL.
45. Finnish electronics giant: NOKIA.
47. Basic rhyme scheme: ABAB.
48. Speed competition: RACE.
49. Part of IBM: Abbr.: INTL. International Business Machines.
17. How something precarious may hang: BY A THREAD.
29. How a good comedian leaves the audience?: IN STITCHES. A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve food in here."
53. Clinched, and a hint to the four longest Across answers: SEWN UP. Hope you didn't get a pinprick - or worse - solving Bruce's offering. If you did, put a band-aid on it or let be. Whatever you want. Suture self.
Across:
1. "Big Board" that lists GM and GE: NYSE. General Motors, General Electric, and New York Stock Exchange, respectively.
57. "Verrrry funny": HA HA. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix plays free safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. His first name is really Ha'Sean. His grandmother gave him the nickname when he was an infant. "Verrry funny, grandma !" Truth be told, he likes his nickname.
59. Stem (from): DERIVE. Clinton-Dix's nickname stems from the fact that family friends and some family members couldn't properly pronounce his birth name.
61. Opposite of "yep": NAW. Not nope today.
62. Overplay the part: EMOTE.
66. Career employee: LIFER. I first learned this definition in the Army to describe a career soldier.
67. New __: modern spiritualist: AGER.
68. Rebuke from Caesar: ETTU.
69. Put off: DEFER.
70. Gridiron throw: PASS. American and Canadian rules football. A throw on the football field. Most often by a quarterback, but occasionally by another player, such as on this trick play Sunday:
4. "To the max" suffix: EST. The superlative suffix.
5. Slyly attracts: LURES IN. Entices. Baits. On the internet, it's called clickbait when a title or image entices you to satisfy your curiosity gap. Especially nefarious with clickbait that promises one thing and the accompanying link delivers something else, like malware. I also find it annoying on this blog when a troll makes inflammatory or specious comments trying to lure regulars into a war of words. Please don't feed the trolls.
6. "Brideshead Revisited" novelist Waugh: EVELYN. Never read the book saw the movie, but learned that Evelyn Waugh was a man, and that his first wife was also named Evelyn.
7. Wiener schnitzel meat: VEAL.
8. Words of confession: I ADMIT IT.
9. School fundraising gp.: PTA. "Founded in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, National PTA is a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education."
31. Ambulance pro: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician
32. 007, e.g.: SPY. In Ian Flemming's novels, an MI6 agent granted the 00 designation has a "license to kill". James Bond is the 7th agent that received the 00 designation, thus he is code-named 007.
34. Figure skating figure: EIGHT.
37. Sticky subject?: TAR. Should be sealing the cracks in my asphalt driveway before Old Man Winter wreaks havoc with his freeze thaw cycles. Got a quote of over $400 to have ~ 200' ft. hot-sealed. I'll spend a few hours and fill them myself.
38. Musical Yoko: ONO.
39. Get sassy with someone: MOUTH OFF.
40. Import-export imbalance: TRADE GAP.
42. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.
45. Newspaper opinion page: OP ED.
46. Norelco products: SHAVERS. One of these might be useful to perfect the look of your...
48. Pointed beard: GOATEE.
49. Baked potato topping paired with sour cream: CHIVES. They're still doing well in our garden. Time to snip and freeze them before Mother Nature does.
51. Piano piece: SONATA. 8 hours of Mozart linked for your listening pleasure:
52. Some big box stores: KMARTS. "Attention Kmart shoppers" and "Blue Light Specials" are blasts from the past that you may recall. .
65. "Do the __": soft-drink slogan: DEW. "Do the DEW is more than just an advertising slogan for Mountain Dew – it represents the attitude of a community that really seeks to live life authentically," said Simon Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer, Pepsi Beverages North America. The commercials are primarily aimed at millennials and "are designed to thrive in the mobile environment". They're onto something. Mountain Dew is a billion dollar brand for Pepsi Co.
17. Tool for cutting stone and concrete: DIAMOND SAW. ♦
25. Garden digging, e.g.: SPADEWORK. ♠
35. Richly upholstered seat: CLUB CHAIR. ♣
48. Prilosec target: HEARTBURN. ♥
Given the pattern of the theme answers, the reveal would be an open form compound word, and it was:
56. Carry on the same way ... and what the ends of 17-, 25-, 35- and 48-Across do: FOLLOW SUIT.
I just happened to notice that each of the theme answers were compound words, and that they alternated from open form to closed form. Nice to see that the reveal followed suit.
Spitzboov, our resident bridge player, probably plays with a four color deck. I learned these decks are are called "no-revoke" decks, and are given different colors to make the suits more distinct from each other.
Across:
1. Gulf States prince: EMIR. For instance, Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
5. Macy's competitor: KOHL'S.
10. Eucharist celebration: MASS.
14. See 62-Across: TIME, 50D. See 62-Across: UPON A, and 62. With 50-Down and 14-Across, fairy tale opening: ONCE. ONCE UPON A TIME. If still active on the blog, Barry G would have commented about this threesome. He doesn't care for clues that make you have to read another clue.
15. Boise's state: IDAHO. "The City of Boise operates the largest direct-use geothermal system in the entire country." - livboise.org. "Idaho is called the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found in the state of Idaho. More than 72 different precious and semi-precious gemstones are mined from Idaho" - ikeydata.com
37. Nobel Peace Prize city: OSLO. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature are awarded in Stockholm.
40. Toxic substance: POISON.
41. Snapshot, briefly: PIC.
44. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI.
46. Dancer Duncan: ISADORA. Didn't know of her. Needed the I to complete the puzzle.
52. Caught with a lasso: ROPED.
53. Old-fashioned printing machine: LINOTYPE.
54. Champagne brand: MOET.
55. Got on in years: AGED.
60. __ majesty: high treason: LESE.
61. Diarist Nin: ANAIS. "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
63. Newspaper section with many reviews: ARTS.
64. Horizontal graph lines: X-AXES.
65. Enthusiastic: KEEN.
Down:
1. Takeoff approx.: ETD.
2. 1002, to Caesar: MII.
3. Gun carrier's warning: I'M ARMED.
4. Careless: REMISS.
5. Garden hose obstruction: KINK.
6. Unmatched: ODD.
7. Welcomes to the treehouse: HAS UP.
8. __ apso: little dog: LHASA. Video courtesy of Animal Planet
9. Scattered, as seed: SOWED.
10. Department store section: MENSWEAR.
11. Wing-shaped: ALIFORM.
12. Port near Naples: SALERNO.
13. More streamlined: SLEEKER.
18. Like an accurate soccer shot: ON GOAL.
22. Gun, as an engine: REV.
23. Just out: NEW.
24. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE. Hey, how is it going ?
25. __-Croatian: Slavic language: SERBO.
27. Do another stint: RE-UP. Reenlist.
31. Here, in Haiti: ICI.
32. Twain/Harte play: AH SIN. Totally unknown to me. The perps were solid, but still wasn't certain how to parse it. Took a couple of Google searches to find a reference, and learned along the way that Twain Harte is a census designated place in California. Anyway, read Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Pioneer Fiction, and a Play Gone Wrong
33. Vientiane's country: LAOS. The economic center and capital of Laos.
