Tuesday, October 29, 2019 Chase Dittrich

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To!



Today is a bid of an odd theme.  After I finished the puzzle, I stared at the circles and the unifier  for a long time before the the light bulb went on.  So, today we'll start with the Grid and Unifier:

38-Across. Act in a bipartisan way, and what the circled letters do Across and Down: CROSS PARTY LINES.  The circled letters are common letters of words that Cross each other.   Each of the "crossed" words describes a type of Party, hence the Circled Letters Cross Party Lines!  Notice, too, the nice symmetry of the circle placement on the grid.  Clever!

There are 4 sets words that Cross the Party Lines as we shall see below:

The word Pool crosses with the word Work at the letter O.  Hence we get a Pool Party and a Work Party.  A Pool Party sounds like fun.  A Work Party ~ not so much.

16-Across. Game with cues and balls: POOL.

11-Down. Toil: WORK.

~~~~~~~

Two words cross Masquerade ~ Disco at the letter S and Theme at the letter E, giving us a Masquerade Party, a Disco Party and a Theme Party.

17-Across. Social event with costumes and facial covers: MASQUERADE.

 

3-Down. "Y.M.C.A." music genre: DISCO.

9-Down. Unifying feature of many escape rooms: THEME.

~~~~~~~~

Two words cross Tupperware ~ After at the letter T and Beach at the letter A.  This gives us a Tupperware Party, and After Party and a Beach Party.

61-Across. Kitchen storage brand: TUPPERWARE.  We've all probably all owned some Tupperware at some point in our lives.

50-Down. Chasing: AFTER.  An After Party is a party that is held after another party of event.  There are lots of After Parties following the Oscars, or so I'm told.  I have never been invited.

52-Down. Surfer's hangout: BEACH.

~~~~~~~~

The word Wrap crosses the word Stag at the letter A, giving us a Wrap Party and a Stag Party.

64-Across. Rolled-up sandwich: WRAP.  A Wrap Party is a party for the cast and crew of a film or television program after the completion of the production.  It could also be a party held for wrapping gifts.  I belong to an organization that wraps gifts for children in the community at Christmas time.  We call that gathering a Wrap Party.

57-Down. Without a date: STAG.  The party for the groom before his wedding.

Across:

1. Rogues: CADS.

5. Is without: HASN'T.  //  Interesting to be right next to 10-Across: Possesses: OWNS. 

14. Rose's Broadway love: ABIE.  A reference to the play Abie's Irish Rose, which was also made into a movie.  It was a comedy from the 1920s about a young Irish Catholic girl who fell in love with a young Jewish man and the obstacles they faced from their families.

15. Copier brand: RICOH.

Probably not for home use.

19. Gaelic tongue: ERSE.  A crossword staple.

20. Defunct Amer. soccer competition: U.S. CUP.

21. Commented: REMARKED.

23. Footwear insert: SHOE TREE.  Not to be used while wearing the shoe.

26. Slice of history: ERA.

27. Homebuyer's need: LOAN.

28. Accustom (to): ENURE.

32. Ron Weasley's pet Scabbers, for one: RAT.  I initially tried Bat.  Everything I know about Harry Potter, I learned from doing the crossword puzzles.  At least I recognized that Ron Weasley is a character from Harry Potter.

35. The "S" in CBS: Abbr.: SYS.  As in the Columbia Broadcasting System.

37. San Diego ball club: PADRES.

42. Major blood vessels: AORTAs.

43. Have a bug: AIL.

44. Northern Calif. airport: SFO.  The code letters for the San Francisco International Airport.

45. Avow: SWEAR.

46. Lunch hour: NOON.

49. Nutrition fig.: RDA.  As in the Recommended Dietary Allowance. 

51. Native encountered by Crusoe: CANNIBAL.  A reference to Robinson Crusoe, the 1719 novel Daniel Defoe.  Hand up if you have read this book.

55. Large watchdogs: MASTIFFS.

59. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI.  Cheri OTERI (née Cheryl Anne Oteri; b. Sept. 19, 1962) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was on Saturday Night Live 2 decades ago, where she played a number of roles, including the Spartan cheerleader.

60. Rebuke from Caesar: ET TU.

65. Office communication: E-MAIL.

66. "__ hardly wait!": I CAN.

67. Internet transmission delays: LAGS.

68. Uses for a fee: RENTS.

69. Therefore: THUS.

Down:

1. "The Stranger" novelist Albert: CAMUS.  Albert Camus (Nov. 7, 1913 ~ Jan. 4, 1960) was a French existentialist philosopher.  He was born in Algeria to French parents.  His father was killed in the Battle of Marne in 1914, so Camus never knew his father.  In 1957, Camus was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.  He was killed 3 years later in a car accident at age 46.  I read a lot of Camus back when I was in high school.

2. Make self-conscious: ABASH.

4. Book that continues a story: SEQUEL.

5. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr.: HRE.  As in the Holy Roman Empire, which was neither Holy nor Roman.  The Holy Roman Empire was actually a group of territories in Western and Central Europe from the time of Charlemagne until the early 1800s.  The largest territory within the HRE was the Kingdom of Germany, but included Bohemia, Italy and Burgundy.  It's rulers were often referred to as the King of the Romans.  The boundaries of the HRE were fluid over the centuries.  The term Holy Roman Empire was first used sometime in the 13th Century.

Map of the HRE around 1000 C.E.

6. Balloon filler: AIR.  Some balloons are filled with Helium, but they float away.

7. Hiccups cure, so they say: SCARE.

8. Lymph __: NODE.

10. Part of MO: OPERANDI.  As in Modus Operandi, a phrase from the Latin, which means Mode of Operating.  

12. Odor detector: NOSE.

13. Iditarod conveyance: SLED.  The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an annual event that runs from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.  The word Iditarod means "distant place" and is derived from a native Alaskan language.  The original of today's race began in the early 1970.  History of the Iditarod.

18. __ no good: scheming: UP TO.

22. "That's __ shame": A REAL.  This wasn't the first word that popped into my mind.

24. Speaks in a gravelly voice: RASPS.

25. One-named "Only Time" singer: ENYA.

 

29. Caterer's coffeepots: URNs.

30. Snorkeling spot: REEF.

Great Barrier Reef

31. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.  A crossword staple.

32. Some TVs: RCAs.  As in the Radio Corporation of America.

33. In __: lined up: A ROW.

34. Ripped up: TORE.

36. Mrs., in Madrid: SRA.  Today's Spanish lesson

37. Traffic cone: PYLON.

39. Recipients of venture capital: START UPS.

40. Broadway restaurant founder: SARDI.  The famous Sardi's restaurant in Manhattan's Theater District began as a modest little eatery in 1921.  It was originally called The Little Restaurant.  The founders were Melchiorre Pio Vincenzo Sardi and his wife, Eugenia Pallera.  He was known in New York as Vincent Sardi (Dec. 23, 1885 ~ Nov. 19, 1969).  Shortly after the restaurant first opened, it moved down the block under its current name ~ Sardi's.  Because the restaurant is in the Theater District, Vincent Sardi hired a sketch artist to draw caricatures of actors and other celebrities, which adorn the walls of the restaurant.

41. "Mean Girls" screenwriter Fey: TINA.  Tina Fey (née Elizabeth Stamatine Fey; b. May 18, 1970) was also a sketch writer for Saturday Night Live before her portrayal of Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

47. __ about: roughly: ON OR.

48. Peabrain: NIT-WIT.

51. "Washington Journal" channel: C-SPAN.

53. Pianist Claudio: ARRAU.  I am not familiar with Claudio Arrau León (Feb. 6, 1903 ~ June 9, 1991).  He was a Chilean pianist.

54. Real estate claims: LIENS.

55. Whimper: MEWL.  An interesting word.

56. Gillette brand: ATRA.

58. Do a slow burn: FUME.

62. Mango remnant: PIT.

63. Trains over the street: ELs.

The Chicago Loop.

Today is National Cat Day! QOD:  Children, old crones, peasants and dogs ramble; cats and philosophers stick to their point.  ~  H.P. Lovecraft (né Howard Phillips Lovecraft; Aug. 20, 1890 ~ Mar. 15, 1937), American writer

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 Paul Coulter

Top O' the Morning!  The word Day "opens" up a new phrase when added it proceeds the each word of the theme answer.

17-Across. Classroom text: SCHOOL BOOK.  Day School and Day Book.

28-Across. Twinkling in the night sky: STAR LIGHT.  Daystar, also known as the planet Venus,  and Day Light.

39-Across. Relief from the daily grind: TIME OFF.  Day Time and Day Off.

48-Across. Office spot with a coffee pot: BREAK ROOM.  Day Break and Day Room.

And the unifier:

63-Across. Start of a sports season, and what each half of 17-, 28-, 39- and 48-Across can have: OPENING DAY.

Across:

1. Barbecue glowers: COALS.

6. Priestly robes: ALBS.  The word ALB comes from the Latin, Albus, which means White.  //  Not to be confused with 10-Across: Cobbler's Tools: AWLS.

Priestly ALB

Cobblers' AWLS.

14. Neighborhood map on a city map, e.g.: INSET.

Inset with an Inset

15. Java neighbor: BALI.  Java and Bali are two islands of Indonesia.

16. Former Iranian ruler: SHAH.  The last SHAH of Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Oct. 26, 1919 ~ July 27, 1980).  He was deposed in the Iranian Revolution in February 1979.  The word SHAH comes from an old Persian word meaning King.  This coming Saturday will mark the 100th anniversary of his birth.

19. Deep sleep: COMA.  Also the title of Robin Cook's first medical thriller.

20. Represent: DENOTE.

This scale begins and ends with a D-Note.

21. Like a bike: WHEELED.

23. Goes on to say: ADDS.

24. Summer on the Riviera: ÉTÉ.  Today's French Lesson.

25. MLB Network analyst Martinez: PEDRO.  Pedro Jaime Martinez (b. Oct. 25, 1971) is a Dominican professional baseball player who had a long career in Major League Baseball.  He played for the Boston Red Sox from 1998 until 2004.  He also played for 4 other teams.  This Friday will be his 48th birthday.

34. On bed rest, say: LAID UP.

36. Lupino of "High Sierra": IDA.  Ida Lupino (Feb. 4, 1918 ~ Aug. 3, 1995) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  I learned of her from doing the crossword puzzles.  In addition to being an actress, she was also directed films.

37. Bird's crop: CRAW.

38. Colorado native: UTE.  A crossword staple.

42. "__ Am": Alicia Keys album: AS I.
 

43. Screen material: MESH.  I was thinking of a movie screen, not a screen on a door or a window to keep the bugs out.

45. Sinus doc: ENT.  As in an Ear Nose and Throat Doctor.  These doctors make frequent appearances in the puzzles too.

46. Growing weary: TIRING.

51. Landlord's income: RENTS.

52. Tell tall tales: LIE.

53. Field of study: AREA.

55. Pays some of: DEFRAYS.

59. Closed in on: NEARED.

62. Cut __: dance, in old slang: A RUG.

66. Hightail it: FLEE.

67. Trait carrier: GENE.

68. Mozart's "Così fan __": TUTTE.  With foreign subtitles for your reading pleasure.

69. Spill the beans: TELL.

70. Taiwanese PC maker: ACER.  I learned about this PC from doing the crossword puzzles.

71. Most common roll of two dice: SEVEN.

Down:

1. Prefix with gender: CIS-. As in Cisgender, which is the opposite of Transgender.  Cisgender is the term for people whose gender identity matches the sex that they were assigned at birth.

2. How software was once sold: ON CD.

3. Queens tennis stadium: ASHE.  The stadium is named for tennis great Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 6, 1993).  He won 3 Grand Slam Titles.  He retired from tennis in 1980.  He was older than 23 when he retired.

4. Johnny's "The Big Bang Theory" role: LEONARD.  I never watched this show, so needed perps to help with the name.

5. Was conspicuous: STOOD OUT.

6. Convent leader: ABBESS.   A famous movie Abbess.

7. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO.

8. Hard punch: BLOW.

9. Many a Punjabi: SIKH.  Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of India during the 15th Century.

10. One leading a Spartan lifestyle: ASCETIC.

11. Healthy bread type: WHOLE GRAIN.  I initially tried Whole Wheat.

12. Like a weak excuse: LAME.

13. Roe source: SHAD.

18. Inc., in the U.K.: LTD.

22. Slender aquarium swimmer: EEL.

25. __ bob: vertical measuring tool: PLUMB.  A Plumb Bob is a weight with a pointed end suspended from a string.  It is used for a vertical line reference, known as a plumb line.

26. Diner: EATER.  Also the name of a 1982 movie.

27. Gas at a truck stop: DIESEL FUEL.

29. Connect with: TIE TO.

30. Big deal: ADO.

31. Whitewater ride: RAFT.  I have never had a desire to go Whitewater Rafting.

32. "Who __?!": "Join the club!": HASN'T.

33. Small sticks: TWIGS.  The Water Institute of the Gulf is sometimes referred to as TWIG.

35. Jetty: PIER.

40. 6, on a cellphone keypad: MNO.

41. Insects with a painful sting: FIRE ANTS.  You don't want to step on a fire ant hill!  They are called fire ants for a reason!

44. Stylist's supply: HAIR GEL.

47. Debate again: RE-ARGUE.

49. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA.  Mauna Kea, which makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords, is a dormant volcano on the Island of Hawaii.  It is also the highest point in the State of Hawaii.  There is an observatory on the summit of the volcano.

50. Style: MANNER.

54. Camping gear brand: REI.  I am not familiar with this company.

55. Inane: DAFT.

56. Mystery writer Gardner: ERLE.  Erle Stanley Gardner (July 17, 1880 ~ Mar. 11, 1970) was an attorney, but he got bored in the courtroom and began writing legal thrillers.   He is best known for creating Perry Mason.

57. Tranquil exercise: YOGA.  It's harder than you might think.

58. On __: without a contract: SPEC.

60. 1999 Ron Howard film: ED TV.

61. Go out with: DATE.

64. WSW's opposite: ENE.  East-NorthEast is the opposite direction of West-SouthWest.

65. Japanese money: YEN.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  Lazy people tend not to take chances, but express themselves by tearing down other’s work.  ~  Ann Rule (née Ann Rae Stackhouse; Oct. 22, 1931 ~ July 26, 2015, American crime writer