Tuesday, February 27, 2024 ~ Jared Goudsmit

Happy Tuesday Folks! Today is going to be short & sweet. I was taking an extra propane tank to the garage, tripped over outdoor cushions, and fell ass over teakettle onto my cactus last night. What a pain in the toosch! [Sp?]

17. *Manga series also known as "Mach GoGoGo": SPEED RACER.
 

Oh, did I love this cartoon in the '70's.

29. *Captain Morgan product: SPICED RUM.
 

47. *Iced bun, e.g.: SWEET ROLL.

64. *Yuletide excursion: SLEIGH RIDE.

40. Ceiling beams, or a three-word hint for the answers to the starred clues: R AFTER S.
 
What you think? A nice breezy puzzle that keeps the reveal hidden 'til the end.

Across:
1. British pop singer Lewis: LEONA. The only pop singer I know is Huey but he's from CA.
 

6. Stuff in a trough: SLOP. Oink.

10. Sea blue: AQUA.

14. Winter X Games host city: ASPEN. #Snowboard

15. Word before or after man: CAVE. HG showed you a snap of my "Cave" last Sat.

16. Reynolds of "Boogie Nights": BURT. He was also in Smokey & the Bandit w/ Sally Field & and the incomparable Jackie Gleason.

 

 17. [See: Theme]

19. Latvia's capital: RIGA.

20. Condensed, for short: Abbr.: SYN. I'm not sure how this works but it filled.

21. Measuring stick: RULER. "Ruler" is a 15th century variation of "rule," which comes, via French, from Latin "regula," which meant a measuring stick, a diminutive derived from "regere," to straighten, lead, or guide." I use mine to make a straight line.

22. Nodded: DOZED. I'll #Nap when I'm done.

23. Trusty mount: STEED.

My Hero!

25. "Loki" voice actress Strong: TARA.

27. Team on a movie set: CREW.

29. [See: Theme]

34. __ Fables: AESOPS.

37. "Cornflake Girl" singer Tori: AMOS.

38. United: ONE.

39. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA.

40. [See: Theme]

42. Hullabaloo: DIN.

43. AOC, for one: DEM. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez(D) is a representative or NYC's 14th.

44. Bassoon cousin: OBOE.

45. MLB team with Mr. and Mrs. mascots: NY METS. New York's Mr. Met.

47. [See: Theme]

50. "Alita: Battle Angel" star Salazar: ROSA.

51. Having no loose ends?: TIED.

52. "To reiterate ... ": I SAID.

55. Malfunction, as a copier: JAM UP.

58. Guilty and not guilty: PLEAS.

60. Relieved (of): RID.

63. Suitable for cacti: ARID. I love my Gramp's cacti but this is a sore subject for me right now.

64. [See: Theme]

66. "You can't have it!": MINE.

67. Normandy city: CAEN.

68. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.

69. Cricket clubs: BATS.

70. Calligrapher's collection: INKS. Pens & nibs also fit.

71. Give an address: SPEAK.

Down:
1. Gal: LASS.

2. Glimpse: ESPY.

3. Ali Baba's magic words: OPEN SESAME.

4. Family tree word: NEE.

5. Actor Braugher: ANDRE.

6. Spills the tea, maybe: SCALDS. You can sue if it's too hot and SCALDS you.

7. Garter trim: LACE.

8. Paycheck fattener: OVERTIME. Time and a half helped pay the rent.

9. __ capita: PER.

10. Using one's passport, say: ABROAD. I need to renew mine; expired in Dec t did.

11. Pop __: QUIZ.

12. Hard-to-resist impulse: URGE.

13. Just slightly: ATAD.

18. Have regrets: RUE.

22. Black tie optional, say: DRESSY.

24. Only even prime number: TWO.

26. Oak nut: ACORN.

27. Swiped items: CARDS.

28. Extend, in a way: RENEW.

30. Dev of "Slumdog Millionaire": PATEL.

31. Beverly Hills shopping destination: RODEO DRIVE. You can't say RODEO like a Texan. You gotta Church-it-up hoity-toity like Targette.

32. Storage rentals: UNITS.

33. High-minded org.?: MENSA.

35. Expert advice: PROTIP.

36. Buffalo hockey pro: SABRE.

41. Meal regimen: FOOD PLAN. Your diet.

46. Med scan: MRI.

48. Technique-building piano pieces: ETUDES.

49. Supine protests: LIEI-NS.

53. __-AFTRA: SAG. The Nanny (Fran Drescher) is in charge. Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. I didn't know the AFTRA bit. Sounds like a razor.

54. Lenten symbol: ASHES.

55. Door part: JAMB.

56. Opera highlight: ARIA.

57. Money maker: MINT.

59. Chive kin: LEEK.

61. Lightbulb, metaphorically: IDEA.

62. Help __: DESK.

64. School subj.: SCI.

65. Jay-Z genre: RAP.

The Grid:
 

The TL;DR:
WOs: pens -> INKS
ESPs: LEONA
Fav: I kinda liked JAM UP xing with JAMB.

Cheers, -T

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 Eric Rollfing

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

18-Across. *  Many stadium screens: JUMBOTRONS. 

The Jumbotron at Death Valley at LSU.

24-Across. *  Seven-star pattern in Ursa Major: BIG DIPPER.

39-Across. *  Curly-haired dogs: STANDARD POODLES.

53-Across. *  Skimpy garment credited to fashion designer Mary Quant: MINI SKIRT.  The Mini Skirt seemed so radical at the time.  Its designer, Mary Quant (Feb. 11, 1930 ~ Apr. 13, 2023) died just last year at age 93.

And the unifier:

60-Across. Cornerstone of the KonMari method, and the progression found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues: DOWN-SIZING.  Hand up if you immediately recognized the KonMarie method.

Across:

1. Stretched the truth: LIED.

5. Takes a break: RESTS.

10. Garçon's workplace: CAFÉ.  Today's French lesson.

14. Actress Kendrick: ANNA.  Anna Kendrick (née Anna Cooke Kendrick; b. Aug. 9, 1985) starred in the Pitch Perfect film series, some of which were filmed on the LSU campus.  [Name # 1.]

15. Love, in French: AMOUR.  More of today's French lesson.

16. Operatic high point: ARIA.

17. Folk singer Joan: BAEZ.  Joan Chandos Baez (b. Jan. 9, 1941) visited us last Tuesday also.  [Name # 2.]

20. GI field fare: MREs.  Meals Ready to Eat.  Don't they look yummy - Not!

22. Phoenix suburb: MESA.

23. Fannie __: federal mortgage agency: MAE.

27. Little League precursor: T-BALL.  //  And 24-Down. Clubs for 27-Across: BATS.

29. "__ thoughts?": ANY.

30. Vegetable in a pod: PEA.

31. Fr. holy woman: STE.  A continuation of today's French lesson.  A holy French woman would be a Saint.

32. Ballet garb: TUTU.

34. Piece of advice: TIP.

36. Insensitive, in a way: NON-PC.

43. Spreadsheet software: EXCEL.  I hate having to use this program.

44. "Low" rapper __ Rida: FLO.  I am not up on my rap musicians nor their music.  Apparently Low was a # 1 song in 2007.  Flo Rida (né Tramar Lacel Dillard; b. Sept. 16, 1979) is from Florida, hence is moniker.  [Name # 3.]

45. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE.   Sade (née Helen Folasade Adu; b. Jan. 15, 1959) is a Nigerian-born British musician.  She goes by Sade, which is a her Sade a shortened form of her Yoruba middle name, Folasade.  [Name # 4.]

46. Actor Pacino and singer Green: ALs.  Al Pacino (né Alfredo James Pacino; b. Apr. 25, 1940) portrayed Michael Corleone in The Godfather.   Last year, at age 83, he and his 29-year-old girlfriend had a baby boy.  Al Green (né Albert Leornes Greene; b. Apr. 13, 1946) was big in the 1970s.   [Names # 5 and 6.]

47. Alias letters: AKA.  Also Known As.

49. Summer shade: TAN.  My first thought was and ELM tree.

50. Nile Valley country: EGYPT.  //  And 48-Down. Snake once sacred in 50-Across: ASP.

56. Summer sign: LEO.  Hi, Leo III.  Come back!  We miss you.

57. "Firefly" actor Tudyk: ALAN.  I am not familiar with the television series Firefly which aired in the early 2000s.  Apparently it was a space Western drama that took place in 2517 on other planets and moons.  I didn't recognize the name of Alan Tudyk (né Alan Wray Tudyk; b. Mar. 16, 1971), but when I looked him up, I recognized his face.  [Name # 7.]

59. Brad of "Moneyball": PITT.  Brad Pitt (né William Bradley Pitt; Dec. 18, 1963) gained recognization after his appearance in the 1991 film Thelma and Louise.  [Name # 8.]

64. Draw (in): LURE.

66. Nurse Jackie portrayer Falco: EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) also portrayed Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos.  [Name # 9.]

67. Spanish title: SEÑOR.  Now it's time for today's Spanish lesson.

68. Poems of praise: ODES.

69. Wetlands plant: REED.

70. "Fire away!": ASK ME!

71. Flow slowly: SEEP.

Down:

1. R&D setting: LAB.  Research and Development.

2. "Almost ready": IN A MINUTE.

3. Fuel surcharge, e.g.: ENERGY TAX.

4. Stunned: DAZED.

5. "The Big Bang Theory" chum of Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.  I never saw the attraction this show, but it was very popular.  [Name's # 10, 11 and 12, all fictional.]

6. 6-foot Aussie bird: EMU.  Emus make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

7. WWI battle site in France: SOMME.  Everything you wanted to know about the Battle of Somme but didn't know to ask.

8. Potato or yam: TUBER.

9. Low-budget hotels, for short: SROs.  I thought SRO stood for Standing Room Only, but in the case of low budget hotels, it means Single Room Occupancy.

10. Mustang or Pinto: CAR.  Also breeds of horses.

11. Enticing odor: AROMA.

12. End-of-term exam: FINAL.

13. Equipment used in oil production?: EASEL.  Cute misdirection.

19. Result of some needlework: TATTOO.

Why?

21. Opposite of guzzle: SIP.

25. Blossom parts: PETALS.

26. Duo: PAIR.

Iconic and dynamic duo.

28. Road curves: BENDS.

31. "Jersey Shore" nickname: SNOOKI.  Her given name is Nicole Elizabeth Polizzi (b. Nov. 23, 1987).  [Name # 13.]

33. Take the lid off: UNCAP.

35. Adobe creation: PDF.  Portable Document Format.

37. Insipid remark: PLATITUDE.

38. Source of fragrant wood: CEDAR TREE.  The flag of Lebanon has a Cedar Tree in the center.

40. Triangular river formations: DELTAs.  Everything you wanted to know about River Deltas but didn't know to ask.

41. Strategy: PLAN.

42. Inbox subfolder: SENT.

50. Respected leader: ELDER.

51. Rock with inner beauty: GEODE.  Loved this clue.

52. "That smarts!": YOWIE.

53. Some puzzle book offerings: MAZES.

54. How paper contracts are signed: IN INK.

55. Metric weights: KILOS.

58. Middle Simpson kid: LISA.  [Name # 14, fictional.]

61. Actor Beatty: NED.  Ned Beatty (né Ned Thomas Beatty; July 6, 1937 ~ June 13, 2021) was primarily a character actor.  He was in a lot of movies, but is probably most remembered for his role in Deliverance.  

[Name # 15.]

62. Snack, in slang: NOM.  Meh!

63. Higher ed hurdle: GRE.  As in the Graduate Record Examination.

65. Telepath's claim: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

Here's the Grid:

• חתולה

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 Zachary David Levy

Happy Mardi Gras, All Y'All!

Mind your budget to stretch your Cash.  Times are tough, you need to Stretch your Cash or find someone who will Spread the Wealth.

17-Across. Garment made from goat's wool: CASHMERE SWEATER.

27-Across. Picture that may feature students in height order: CLASS PHOTOGRAPH.

47-Across. Completely spotless: CLEAN AS AWHISTLE.

59-Across. Be generous with one's good fortune, as depicted by the movement of this puzzle's circled letters: SPREAD THE WEALTH.

I'll start with the grid so you can see how clever the Wealth is spread out.  We start with the Cash all together.  Then there is one letter in between Cash, and finally 2 letters are spread between the Cash.

Across:

1. South African language: ZULU.

5. "Uh ... feels wrong": UM ... NO.

9. Inky smudges: BLOTS.

The caption reads:
It's just a simple Rorschach ink-blot test, Mr. Bromwell, so just calm down and tell me what each one suggest to you.

14. Iowa State's town: AMES.

15. Folk artist Joan: BAEZ.  Joan Chandos Baez (b. Jan. 9, 1941) began her recording career over 60 years ago.  [Name # 1.]

16. Gracefully limber: LITHE.

20. Roebuck partner: SEARS.  The department store of Sears and Roebuck was founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears (Dec. 7, 1863 ~ Sept. 28, 1914) and Alvah Curtis Roebuck (Jan. 9, 1864 ~ June 18, 1948).  [Names # 2 and 3.]

21. __ borealis: colorful sky display: AURORA.  I would love to see the Aurora Borealis someday, but not sure I want to go so far north to see the display.

22. Put back in the pan: REFRY.

24. Big name in SUVs: GMC.

26. GPS display: MAP.

32. Astern: AFT.

33. "Klutzy me": OOPS!

34. Some Blu-ray players: SONYs.

35. Urgent request: PLEA.

37. Point value of "eight" in Scrabble: NINE.  //  And 52-Across. Point value of "five" or "six" in Scrabble: TEN.

39. Be in harmony: AGREE.

42. Kia hatchbacks: RIOs.

44. Destiny's Child's "__ My Name": SAY.

51. Apple CEO Cook: TIM.  Timothy Donald Cook (b. Nov. 1, 1960) became the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. in 2011, following the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs (1955 ~ 2011).  Prior to becoming the CEO, he was the company's chief operating officer.  [Name # 4.]

53. Arranges logically: SORTS.

54. End of an era?: SMALL A.  I am not keen on clues and answers like this.

57. Large member of the violin family: CELLO.

64. Lopsided: ASKEW.

65. Elton John musical based on a Verdi opera: AIDA.  [Name # 5.]

66. Raptor's weapon: CLAW.  Because Talon was too many letters.

67. Workspaces: DESKS.

68. "Dark Phoenix" mutants: X-MEN.  I've never seen any of these movies, so can't comment of their names or superpower mutations.  [Name # 6, fictional.]

69. Catch sight of: ESPY.  //  And 40-Down. Quick look: GLIMPSE.

Down:

1. Actor Efron: ZAC.  Zac Efron (né Zachary David Alexander Efron; b. Oct. 18, 1987) got is start in the mid-2000s starred in the High School Musical movies.  [Name # 7.]

2. Thurman of "Red, White & Royal Blue": UMA.  When her name comes up, I usually think of her dancing with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.  That was 30 years ago!  [Name # 8.]

3. Heart-healthy phrase: LESS FAT.

4. Helpful theater employees: USHERS.

5. Car service app: UBER.

6. "24K Magic" singer Bruno: MARS.  Bruno Mars isn't his real name.  His given name is Peter Gene Hernandez (b. Oct. 8, 1985).  [Name # 9.]

7. Previously named: NÉE.  Today's French lesson.  The word comes from the French and means Born.  Né is masculine and Née is feminine.

8. Fluid meas. units: OZs.  As in Ounces.

9. Couleur of the sky: BLEU.  More of today's French lesson.

10. Pants-on-fire person: LIAR.  Cute clue.

11. Padded footstool: OTTOMAN.

12. Curative treatment: THERAPY.

13. High-ranking angels: SERAPHS.

18. Baseball Hall of Famer Willie: MAYS.  Willie Mays (né Willie Howard Mays, jr.; b. May 6, 1931) is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all times.  He played center field.  [Name # 10.]

19. City halfway between Dallas and Austin: WACO.  How the city got its name.

22. Early TV brand: RCA.  RCA and its Dogs.

23. Tiny toymaker: ELF.

24. RNC group: GOP.  As in the Republican National Committee and the Grand Old Party.  No politics, please.

25. VT ski resort with an apt name: MT SNOW.  Everything you wanted to know about Mt Snow but didn't know to ask.  And a shout out to JFromVT.

28. Poet Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is considered the father of the modern detective mystery.  [Name # 11.]

29. All shouted out, maybe: HOARSE.

30. "Tug of Words" channel: GSN.  As in the Game Show Network.

31. Caviar: ROE.  Yummers!

35. Podded plant: PEA.

36. Former "Inside the NFL" host Dawson: LEN.  Len Dawson (né Leonard Ray Dawson; June 20, 1935 ~ Aug. 24. 2022) played for the Kansas City Chiefs for over 10 years in the 1960s and 1970s.  [Name # 12.]

38. "Or so": -ISH.

39. Puts on a frown: ACTS SAD.  I initially tried Acts Mad.

41. Casual observations: REMARKS.

43. Actor McKellen: IAN.  That's Sir Ian McKellen (né Ian Murray McKellen; b. May 25, 1939) to you.  He is a very versatile actor.  [Name # 13.]

44. Ambles: STROLLS.

45. Key sometimes used with Ctrl: ALT.

46. "You rang?": YES.

48. Slightly: A TAD.

49. Hebrides landmass: ISLE.  The Hebrides is an archipelago comprising hundreds of islands off the northwest coast of Scotland.

50. Comfort during trying times: SOLACE.

55. Long onion kin: LEEK.  Wha't the difference?

56. Rules for society: LAWS.  The oldest known written legal code was found in what is now Iraq.

57. Relinquish: CEDE.

58. Obi-Wan player: EWAN.  Obi-Wan Kenobi was the Jedi master in the Star Wars movies.  In some of the later films in the series Ewan McGregor (né Ewan Gordon McGregor; b. Mar. 31, 1971).  [Names # 14 and 15, one fictional, one real.]

60. Line on a receipt: TAX.

61. "That's the guy!": HIM.

62. Noisy dance style: TAP.

63. Major rd.: HWY.  That major road could be the highway.

That's all for today.

חתולה

Mardi Gras is celebrated outside of New Orleans, too.