Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a melodious puzzle constructed by NYT, LAT and USA Today veteran constructor Brian Callahan. At four places in the grid Brian has inserted the names of singer-song writers with each name consisting of two words. The first words all begin with the letter P and the second names begin with the letter S. The theme was inspired by the answer to the unifier which is found at:
59 Across: Beatles hit on "Please Please Me," which could be dedicated to 16-, 24-, 35-, and 50-Across: PS I LOVE YOU.
Here are the four themed answers none of which require explanation beyond their clues:
16 Across: "Because the Night" singer-songwriter: PATTI SMITH.
24 Across: "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" singer-songwriter: PETE SEEGER.
35 Across: "You Can Call Me Al" singer-songwriter: PAUL SIMON.
Thank you, Brian, for the opportunity to revisit all of those great songs. Now, after all of that, if anyone still has the time and energy, here's how it all appears in the grid:
. . . . and here are the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Campbell's container: CAN.
Andy Warhol's Take On The Subject
4. Sports complex: ARENA. From the Latin harena meaning sandy place.
9. Air quality factor: SMOG. A portmanteau of SMoke and fOG.
13. The Jazz, on scoreboards: UTA.
14. Cuddly pooch: LAP DOG.
15. University of New Mexico athlete: LOBO.
18. Siberian city: OMSK.
19. Twitter: CHIRP. An avian reference - not a tech reference.
20. Grumpy person: CRAB. CRABs (the animals) have a reputation for being feisty and unpleasant.
22. Fed. health law: ACA.
23. Dialect in some Black communities, for short: AAVE. All you might want to know:
27. Tear sheet?: KLEENEX. Not tear as in to rip a piece of paper. Tear as in crying.
29. Flair: TALENT. A cake entered a TALENT contest. The Judge asked, "What's your talent?" "Icing", replied the entrant.
30. "Mars Attacks!" creatures, in brief: ETS. ExtraTerrestrial BeingS
31. Celtic priest of old: DRUID. Did this one stump you?
34. Son of Zeus: ARES.
38. Ralph Lauren brand: POLO
41. Buff: TONED. Buff, here, was used not as a verb but as an adjective
42. Sked abbr.: TBD. To Be Determined. Sometimes it turns out to be TBArranged.
45. Device for smoking shisha: HOOKAH. Shisha is is a wet tobacco that is soaked in a combination of glycerin, molasses or honey, and flavoring.
48. On an elite level, informally: GOD TIER. This expression is new to this solver.
53. Wine category: REDS. As opposed to, for example, white wines or rose wines.
54. Jungfrau, for one: ALP. elevation 13,642 feet
55. Balm-yielding succulent: ALOE. ALOE, there. Vera nice to meet you!
56. Small but powerful group: CADRE. CADRE entered this solver's vocabulary during the Mao Tse Tung era.
57. History: PAST. The PAST, the present, and the future walked into a bar . . . and things got a little tense.
62. Yale students: ELIS. From the eponymous Mr. Elihu Yale.
63. "Praying" insect: MANTIS.
64. Dawn goddess: EOS. A frequent visitor.
65. __ and file: RANK.
66. Short-lived Ford model: EDSEL. Often taken on road trips in our puzzles.
67. Private chats on soc. media: DMS. Abbreviated clue . . . Direct MessageS
Down:
1. Treat baked in a fluted liner: CUPCAKE.
2. No longer moving: AT A HALT.
3. Longtime residents: NATIVES.
4. Some Energizers: AAS.
5. Turntable meas.: RPM. Abbreviated clue . . . Revolutions Per Minute Remember when we'd talk of tone arm counter weight, Sure vs Audio-Technica cartridges, and direct drive vs. belt drive?
6. Order: EDICT. Not order as in what you do at a restaurant. Not order as in an array. Order as in some directive to be obeyed.
7. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE.
An Unforgettable Moment
8. Shocked: AGHAST. A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget's Thesaurus crashed losing its entire load. Witnesses were stunned, startled, AGHAST, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.
9. __-mo replay: SLO.
10. Certain representative for a child actor, casually: MOMAGER. A portmanteau formed from, MOM and ManAGER.
11. More than indecent: OBSCENE. We'll skip the graphics on this one.
12. Kids' racers: GO KARTS.
14. Sass: LIP. See also The Sex Pistols "Don't Give Me No Lip, Child"
17. Cherry or lime: TREE. Flavor, fruit and pie filling were all too long. Soda would have fit.
21. Arthur in the Television Hall of Fame: BEA. Best known for her role as Maude.
24. Lima's country: PERU. A reference to either the country or to the beans which were grown in PERU even before corn was grown there.
25. Jump for joy: EXULT. See also Van Halen "Jump"
32. Late start?: ISO. The beginning (start) of ISOlate.
33. Down Under canine: DINGO.
35. Jab: POKE. Not in the "Lonesome Dove" sense.
36. __ Mix cat food: MEOW.
37. "That's strange": ODD.
38. Element of a basic reading test?: PH PAPER. PH PAPER can be used to determine, or read, where something falls on the acidic, neutral, alkaline (base) scale. Nice wordplay.
39. "How swanky!": OOH LA LA.
40. Keeps updated: LOOPS IN.
42. Like much Grateful Dead merch: TIE DYED. Okay, so there's no TIE DYE in this video but the images are great (no pun intended) and how could we pass on the opportunity?
43. Double space?: BEDROOM. A place for a double bed.
44. "The Lorax" creator: DR SEUSS. Written in 1971, "The Lorax" was a relatively early piece of work focusing on environmental issues.
46. Legal org.: ABA.
47. "I could use a hand": HELP ME. In keeping with today's theme (and I would guess that this was an intentional "move" by Brian). Of course, we could also have gone with The Beach Boys.
49. Four-time NBA All-Star Young: TRAE. In 2017–18, TRAE tied the then NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 and became the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season.
51. "Deeply unfortunate": SO SAD. . . . and the opposite from Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (almost went with Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" but it is SO SAD that I could not bring myself to use it):
52. Düsseldorf denials: NEINS. Today's German lesson.
56. Walgreens rival: CVS. A drugstore reference.
58. Disappointed cluck: TSK. We never know, at first, if it will be TSK or TUT but we can go ahead and fill in the T either way.
60. Cell service letters: LTE. All you might wish to know: Long Term Evolution
61. Part of EVOO: OIL. I always thought that the concept was quantum but what do I know??
Well, that will wrap things up for this musical Wednesday. Have a Grate(ful) Day, everyone!
Theme: Conductor's Conduct or Overbearing at the Opera or Tyranny from the Pit. In-the-language phrases are repurposed as harsh instructions from the conductor to members of a musical ensemble.
20. "Second oboe, play the right notes this time!," e.g.: WIND DIRECTION. This normally refers to the compass point from which the wind originates, rather than where it is blowing towards. But here it is a rather rude instruction given to one of the wind instrument players. There are generally considered to be the woodwinds.
26. "Sing your solo correctly for once!," e.g.: VOICE COMMAND. This usually indicates a spoken word or phrase used to control devices, software, or applications, enabling hands-free operation via speech recognition technology. But here it is another rude correction of a poor singer, probably feeling a bit intimidated.
45. "Perform the music as written! No sharps or flats!," e.g.: NATURAL ORDER. This typically refers to the inherent, logical, or spontaneous arrangement of things in the universe, operating according to natural laws rather than human design - perhaps the music of the spheres. Or maybe not. This one is a bit of a stretch, but yes, one should play the notes on the page and not add in any vagrant accidentals [written sharps of flats that are foreign to the key signature.]
54. "You must!," or how a demanding conductor would interpret 20-, 26-, and 45-Across: IT'S IMPERATIVE. Disobedience is not an option, so get it right.
Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to conduct us on our way through this musical composition. I promise not to be over bearing.
Fortunately, I never had to deal with that kind of conductor - though there are many of them out there. Once, when I was playing in an amateur symphony orchestra, due to a copyists error - so, totally not my fault - I wound up playing a note that clashed with the music. IIRC, this was in Howard Hanson's 2nd Symphony - an absolutely gorgeous piece of music. The conductor looked a me and said, "Just play any note in the chord." I asked, "What is the chord?" "D Major," he replied. I was playing a G. Probably the worst possible note in that context.
Across:
1. "__ Secretary": Téa Leoni drama: MADAM. Madam Secretary explored Elizabeth McCord's life as the reluctant but determined United States Secretary of State. She drives international diplomacy, battles office politics, and circumvents protocol, if needed, as she navigates global conflicts. The show also focuses on McCord's personal life and family, and their relationship with her work; she is married and has three children. Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni [b. 1966] known professionally as Téa Leoni, is an American actress and producer. Leoni also starred in the short-lived 1992 sitcom Flying Blind and The Naked Truth. She's been married to both Tim Daly and David Duchovny, with whom she has a child named West. Leoni is also a dedicated supporter of UNICEF, traveling to see their programs in action and serving on their National Board.
14. Horace composition: EPODE. Horace's Epodes is a collection of 17 early Roman poems, published around 30-29 BCE, that imitate the iambic verse of the Greek poet Archilochus, featuring themes of love, nature, politics, and social commentary with a tone ranging from witty to vitriolic. The poems, written in a mix of meters, often use a longer first line followed by a shorter second line (the "epode"), and explore topics like loyalty to his patron Maecenas, the contrast between rural and urban life, and sharp invective against enemies, showcasing a more aggressive style than his later Odes.
15. "Houdini" singer Dua: LIPA. Dua Lipa [b. 1995] is an English singer, songwriter, and model known for her dance-infused pop anthems and husky vocals. Her music blends influences from pop, dance, and electronic genres, with retro-inspired disco and pop rhythms. Lipa has won seven Brit Awards and three Grammys. The name Dua was her grandmother's suggestion, and means "love" in Albanian.
16. 2017 Tony winner "Come From __": AWAY. Come From Away is a Tony Award-winning musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein that tells the true story of the 7,000 airline passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after the 9/11 attacks, and the small town that welcomed them with open hearts and homes.
17. "... and anything else that might come up": OR WHATEVER.
19. Hon: BABE. Terms of endearment.
22. Sneaky: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
23. Blood: KIN. Those in a familial relationship.
24. Ashram figure: MONK. An Ashram is a hermitage, monastic community, or other place of religious retreat. A MONK isa member of a religious community of men typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
31. "Gnossiennes" composer: SATIE. Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (1866 – 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. "Gnossienne," a word he invented, refers to a set of seven piano pieces composed by Erik Satie around 1890, characterized by a unique, unconventional style without traditional bar lines or structure. They are fabulously experimental pieces in which the form consists of haunting melodic fragments which circle around without any specific direction or goal. In their circularity and stasis they seem to lay down a challenge to German 19th century dominance: music does not have to be developmental; neither does it have to be goal-directed or hierarchical. It can simply float along and be an evocative mystery.
34. Take a chance: DARE.
35. Online marketing strategy, for short: SEO. Search Engine Optimization is the practice of improving a website to increase its visibility in organic (unpaid) search engine results. By optimizing content, technical structure, and authority, SEO helps search engines like Google understand and rank pages higher, driving more targeted traffic to a website.
36. Count in the cereal aisle: CHOCULA. A chocolate-flavored, marshmallow-filled breakfast cereal introduced by General Mills in March 1971, featuring a friendly vampire mascot. Primarily sold during the Halloween season, it is part of the "Monster Cereals" line alongside Franken Berry and Boo Berry.
39. "Girl With a Pearl Earring" painter: VERMEER. Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) was a renowned Dutch Baroque painter specializing in intimate, meticulously detailed domestic interior scenes. He worked slowly, producing only about 35 known paintings, often using expensive pigments to masterfully depict light and calm, quiet atmospheres. Despite his talent, he was not wealthy and left his wife and many children in debt upon his sudden death, leading to centuries of obscurity before his rediscovery.
41. __ Lingus: AER. Aer Lingus, the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Ireland, was founded in 1936. Headquartered at Dublin Airport, it operates a hybrid business model providing both low-cost European and full-service transatlantic flights to over 100 destinations across Europe and North America.
42. Invalidate: VOID. To cancel, invalidate, or nullify something, such as a contract, check, or warranty, rendering it legally ineffective.
44. Like a dive bar: SEEDY. Said of a person, place, or thing that is disreputable, shabby, or in poor condition, often implying a sense of moral decay or dishonesty. It can also mean run-down or dirty.
49. Lavish love (on): DOTE. Be extremely and uncritically fond of.
50. Graphic opening?: GEO-. The prefix geo- means earth, ground, or land. It is used in English to form words relating to physical, geographical, or geological aspects of our planet. Some people think this kind of clue is clever. To me, it is self-referential and misleadingly annoying.
51. Check out: VET. To thoroughly investigate, examine, or check someone or something for accuracy, authenticity, or suitability. It is commonly used in professional contexts to screen candidates, check documents, or evaluate potential risks before approval. It is a 19th-century back-formation from the abbreviation of "veterinarian," originating in the 1890s. It initially meant to submit a horse to a physical examination by a vet before a race, and by the early 1900s, it broadened to mean examining anyone or anything for flaws.
59. Coil in a garden: HOSE. A coil is a length of something wound or arranged in a spiral or sequence of rings. This is a typical arrangement for a garden hose. Or, perhaps, a snake. Be careful.
61. Worker who tracks transactions: BOOKKEEPER. A person whose job is to keep records of the financial affairs of a business. I don't know of another English word with either a double K, or a sequence of three consecutive double letters.
62. The America's Cup, for one: EWER. The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. Or, as here, the relvant trophy. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. A EWER is a large jug with a wide mouth.
63. Sea eagle: ERNE. An older, traditional name for a large sea eagle, specifically the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), a massive bird of prey found across Eurasia, closely related to North America's Bald Eagle. This used to be a frequent flier in crosswords. Now it is a rare bit of nostalgia.
64. Signals from space, perhaps: OMENS. Omens are events regarded as portents of good or evil. I am not getting the connection to the clue.
65. Dumpster fire: MESS. A chaotic or disastrously mishandled situation. Mess hardly seems adequate.
66. Mary __ Lincoln: TODD. Mary Ann Todd Lincoln [1818 - 1882] was First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. Mary Todd was born into a large and wealthy slave-owning family in Kentucky, although Mary never owned slaves and in her adulthood came to oppose slavery.
67. Hospital employee: NURSE. Registered nurses (RNs) provide direct patient care, acting as health educators and advocates in hospitals, clinics, and homes.
Down:
1. Feline chorus: MEOWS. Stylized cat sounds.
2. National Scrabble Day month: APRIL. National Scrabble Day is celebrated annually on April 13th to honor the birth of the game's inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts, born on this day in 1899. The day promotes playing the iconic word game, which was originally developed during the Great Depression and is now enjoyed globally in over 120 countries.
3. Soft and fluffy: DOWNY. Covered [or filled] with fine soft hair or feathers. By extension, anything with a similar feeling.
4. Med. condition treated with Ritalin: ADHD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning. It typically starts in childhood and can continue into adulthood, affecting how the brain manages focus, organization, and behavioral control.
5. Medieval fair quaff: MEAD. Mead, or honey wine, is an ancient alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, often with fruits, spices, or hops. It ranges from dry to sweet and 3.5% to >20% ABV. Best served chilled (white wine temp) or slightly warmer for spiced versions, it offers a versatile flavor profile reflecting the honey source, ranging from floral to fruity or spicy.
6. Healing character class in D&D: CLERIC. Dungeons and Dragons features 13 core character classes. Each has a different set of strengths and weaknesses. Clerics have a special relationship with a specific god and can function as versatile divine spellcasters and armored front-line support, serving as armored healers, protectors, and undead hunters who draw power from a deity or divine domain.
7. Pepped (up): LIVENED. Made something more lively, exciting, energetic or intereresting.
8. Gp. founded in Baghdad: OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
9. Hair line?: PART. The line on the scalp where hair is divided and brushed in different directions, often dictated by natural growth patterns, cowlicks, or styling preferences. The other hair line is the edge or border where hair growth begins on the human head, particularly along the forehead. In recent years I have experienced significant forehead growth.
10. Explosive sound: KABOOM. Used to represent the sound of a loud explosion.
11. "Lemme look!": I WANNA SEE. A couple of colloquial contractions expressing a desire to observe something.
12. Open page on a web browser: TAB. A user interface element located at the top of the window that allows you to open and switch between multiple websites within a single browser window. At the moment, I have 13 open in Chrome.
13. Cornea locale: EYE. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped outermost layer at the front of the eye, covering the iris and pupil.
18. Polynesian carving: TIKI. A carved human-like figure representing Polynesian deities or the first man in Māori mythology, embodying a deep spiritual connection to nature.
21. Plunge into liquid: IMMERSE. Dip or submerge in a liquid.
25. Gave a leg up to?: KNEED. Hit someone with the knee.
26. The Old __: London venue: VIC. A historic, independent theatre in Lambeth, South London, founded in 1818 and famously nicknamed for its 1833 renaming to the Royal Victoria Theatre. Renowned for Shakespearean productions, it served as the original home of the National Theatre from 1963 to 1976 and is a major cultural landmark.
27. Bodies of work: OEUVRES. The works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively.
28. CLE player: CAV. The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. They are currently in 4th place.
29. Mine deposit: ORE. A naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.
30. Flat-bottomed fishing boat: DORY. A small flat-bottomed rowboat with a high bow and stern, of a kind originally used for fishing in New England.
31. Airport security check: SCAN. A safety screening process using technology like millimeter-wave imaging or X-ray systems to detect metallic and non-metallic, prohibited items (weapons, explosives) on passengers or in luggage.
32. Up, in a way: AHEAD. A team or individual that is leading - or ahead- of their opponent is said to be "up" on them.
33. Giant Galapagos natives: TORTOISES. The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger), also called the Galápagos giant tortoise, is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis (which also contains three smaller species from mainland South America). The species comprises 15 subspecies (12 extant and 3 extinct). It is the largest living species of tortoise, and can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lb). They are also the largest extant terrestrial cold-blooded animals (ectotherms).
37. Hawaiian for "long": LOA. Distant, long, tall, far or permanent.
38. Feel bad: AIL. Troubled or afflicted in mind or body.
40. Large body of eau: MER. French for water and sea.
43. Backyard feature for a water-loving pup: DOG POND. A specific body of water, a designated area within a park, or a business dedicated to dogs swimming, playing, or training. I suppose there could be one in a backyard somewhere.
46. Says out loud: UTTERS. Makes a sound with one's voice.
47. Stunk: REEKED. Emitted a strong and unpleasant odor.
48. "How To __ Your Diary": interactive edition in a YA series: DORK. An interactive, DIY companion book to Rachel Renée Russell's popular Dork Diaries series, offering tips, prompts, and space for readers to create their own secret journals, inspired by Nikki Maxwell's experiences with diary-keeping, code words, and the importance of privacy.
51. Bygone Dodge two-seater: VIPER. A sports car manufactured for most years between 1992 and 2017.
52. Levels: EVENS. Gives something a flat and even surface.
53. Hardly rambling: TERSE. Sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
55. Skeptical scoff: I BET. A phrase used sarcastically to mean the opposite of it's literal meaning, hence indicating severe doubt or disbelief.
56. __ reflex: infant's instinctive protective response: MORO. An involuntary, protective, two-phase reaction in newborns triggered by a sensation of falling, sudden movement, or loud noise. When startled, a baby throws back their head, extends arms and legs, cries, and then pulls limbs back inward. It typically appears at birth and disappears by 5–6 months.
57. Millennia upon millennia: AEON. A very long indefinite time period.
58. Online discount marketplace: TEMU. Temu is an online marketplace operated by e-commerce company PDD Holdings, which is owned by Colin Huang. It offers heavily discounted consumer goods, mostly shipped to consumers directly from China.
59. Haw counterpart: HEM. To hem and haw is to be uncertain and take a long time deciding something. The phrase originated in the 16th and 17th centuries as an imitative phrase for hesitant, indecisive, or evasive speech.
60. Be outstanding: OWE. Any unpaid debt is said to be outstanding.
So ends our more or less musical excursion. Hope it hit the right notes for you.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! sumdaze here, playing substitute blogger. Constructor Jill Singer has given us a puzzle without a unifier, starred clues, or circles to help identify the theme. Instead, the gimmick is revealed through parallelism in the clues. Once you clock it, everything falls into place in proper Wednesday fashion.
Theme:
I think I have mentioned this book in a previous post. It is a collection of over 1,100 collective nouns for groups of animals, people, and abstract concepts.
In today's puzzle we find four themed answers. Each is an in-the-language phrase such that one of the words in the phrase is the collective noun for the animal in the clue. If you are new to solving, you might wonder how to spot this. In my case, I first noticed that all of the clues to the long answers have an animal in them.
Let's look at them now. I have used yellow highlight to connect the animal to its collective noun andblue highlight to connect the other part of the answer.
20 Across. Fish exhibit only viewable by appointment?: PRIVATESCHOOL.
The collective noun for fish is school.
A PRIVATE SCHOOL is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school. (I think it is interesting that their definitions are pretty much switched in the U.K.)
36 Across. Procession of new arrivals to a lion sanctuary?: PRIDEPARADE.
The collective noun for lions is pride.
A PRIDE PARADE (also known as a pride event, pride festival, pride march, pride protest, equality parade, or equality march) is an event celebrating LGBTQ social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. (Wiki)
Mexico City (2019)
43 Across. Gorillas who give glowing testimonies?: TRIBUTEBAND.
The collective noun for gorillas is band.
This one got a little muddy for me because there is an English virtual band called Gorillaz. They are as original as can be -- not a tribute band. Sure, one can say that the final "z" makes all the difference, but I found this one distracting. Here is one of their most popular songs.
58 Across. "The Case of the Disappearing Crows," e.g.?: MURDERMYSTERY.
The collective noun for crows is murder.
a MURDER on the beach
Time to collect up the remaining clues:
Across:
1. Needlework?: TATS. I like how we start with a bit of misdirection. We are not talking about embroidery. We are talking about using needles to create TATtooS.
5. Engineer Nikola: TESLA. [1856-1943] Tesla was born in the Austrian Empire (now Croatia). He became a U.S. citizen in 1891. "Top 11 Things You Did Not Know About Nikola Tesla" (U.S. Dept. of Energy website)Disclaimer: I generally bristle at article titles that say "You Did Not Know". How could they know what we do know or do not know?
10. Not exciting: BLAH.
14. Color name that means "unbleached" in French: ECRU. I sometimes mistakenly equate ECRU with ochre.
Left: A model looks happy wearing an ECRU sweater. Right: Australian cyclist Jay Vine looks happy wearing the ochre leader's jersey in the Tour Down Under earlier this year.
15. Mermaid whose best friend is Flounder: ARIEL.
Ariel and Flounder Shouldn't he be in SCHOOL?
16. Spa wrap: ROBE. I could not find a collective noun for ROBE so I am going to suggest a wardrobe of robes. 😉
someone getting a seaweed wrap at a spa (I considered the 4-letter seaweed and XWD favorite, nori.)
17. Brontë novel locale: MOOR. The 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is set in the Yorkshire MOORs of northern England.
18. Silver screen lovers: CINEPHILES. Is CINEPHILES a collective noun for movie lovers? If so, Easter egg alert!
22. Inception: ONSET.
23. "XO, Kitty" creator Jenny: HAN. This is an American rom-com TV series that aired for two seasons on Netflix. Han was the solo creator. 😉
24. Himalayan bovine: YAK.
Meet Senji the YAK. (2:57 min.)
27. "Oh my!": YOWZA. This interjection is used to express surprise or amazement.
31. Invitation to eat: DIG IN. If someone tells you to DIG IN, they are inviting you to help yourself to plentiful food.
33. 1990 accessibility law, for short: ADA. Americans with Disabilities Act
39. Tree with an edible heart: PALM.
I encounter these in Southeast Asian cuisine. They have a firm texture and mild flavor.
41. Accustom: INURE. Example sentence from Oxford languages: You'd think my Southern nature would INURE me to this weather.
(Collectively, the pitcher and catcher are a battery.)
a deck of batters
a spit of benchwarmers
a myopia of umpires
a wave of baseball fans
46. 1960s youth activist org.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society
47. Like some pads: LEGAL.
The collective noun for lawyers is eloquence.
48. In motion: ASTIR.
50. Yang counterpart: YIN. "As a general rule, anything more subdued and calm is YIN, while something with more energy is yang." Feng Shui Modern by Cliff Tan
51. Up to, briefly: 'TIL. until --> 'til
54. Celeb's image problem: BAD PR. "Celebrity is shortened, so is "Public Relations".
63. Comfortable in social settings: GREGARIOUS. Def.: (adj.) enjoying the company of others; marked by or showing a liking for companionship.
65. Oklahoma city: ENID. It is 1,163 mi. (1,872 km.) from Enid, OK to Erie, PA. Better pack some Oreos and a CD with oboe music for the road trip!
66. Classic video game: PONG.
The collective noun for ping-PONG players is smash.
67. Words of concession: I LOSE. I had "I LOSt" but then decided the Belgian river needed a vowel.
68. Turn on a __: DIME. This expression means to change direction almost instantly.
69. Tunneling pests: ANTS.
The collective noun for ANTS is colony.
70. Less vulnerable: SAFER.
71. Love, in Lima: AMOR. The official language of Peru is Spanish.
Down:
1. Pace: TEMPO. We often see this word associated with music.
2. Source of a mighty oak: ACORN.
I took this photo of a Coastal Oak adorned with lichen while hiking last weekend in Ft. Ord National Monument. (Just to clarify, I was hiking -- not the oak.)
3. Sept moins quatre: TROIS. No idea...but it looks like French and sept makes me think of a septagon (polygon with 7 sides & 7 angles) and quatre makes me think of a quadrilateral (polygon with 4 sides & 4 angles). Then a perp or two helped me to see the French word for "three" (as in ménage à trois). With that, this clue likely means 7 - 4 = 3. The commentors can let me know if I am mistaken.
4. Questionnaire: SURVEY.
5. Discretion: TACT.
6. Lake known for walleye: ERIE. I filled this because it asked for a lake with four letters in its name. However, now I know that the walleye is a native fish to Lake Erie and that it is named for its pearlescent eyes that help it see in dark and muddy water.
7. Greed, lust, wrath, et al.: SINS. I liked that 7-Down refers to the "Seven Deadly Sins"? The list includes these three, along with PRIDE, envy, gluttony, and sloth. The editors did a good job of avoiding a dupe with "pride".
8. Little sucker: LEECH. I wondered how "little" they are so I did some research. LEECHes are parasitic or predatory worms. Only around 10% of LEECH species are parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. Most prey on small invertebrates and larvae. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. Most LEECH species are quite small and can initially go unnoticed by their hosts but the Amazon giant LEECH can measure up to 17.7 inches long and 3.9 inches wide. This species can live up to 20 years. YOWZA!
13. Bucks and boars: HES. "Males" has too many letters.
19. Odyssey maker: HONDA. This clue might be using the capitalize-the-first-letter-of-a-clue convention to misdirect solvers. Yes, HOmer made a book entitled The Odyssey but the lack of title quotation marks lets us know that this clue is about a minivan.
21. On: ATOP.
25. Helped: AIDED.
26. Capped joints: KNEES.
28. __ large: WRIT. This phrase means "on a larger scale or in a more prominent manner," sort of like bold type.
29. Fan pub: ZINE. Merriam-Webster does not consider ZINE an abbreviation; nevertheless, "pub" for "publication" was helpful.
30. "The Residence" actress Uzo: ADUBA. her IMDb page
The collective noun for leading ladies is preen.
32. Golden yrs. fund: IRA. "Years" is abbreviated, so is "Individual Retirement Account".
33. Appropriately: APTLY.
34. "Would it be too bold of me?": DARE I.
35. Chiropractor's concern: ALIGNMENT.
37. Noted times: ERAS.
38. Bottled (up): PENT. Think, "PENT up frustrations".
40. Deg. for many a Wharton grad: MBA. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania was established as the world's first collegiate business school in 1881. History of Wharton
44. Extreme: ULTRA. Def.: (adj.) going beyond others or beyond due limit.
45. Call for a reservation?: DIBS. I liked this clue. When your sibling calls DIBS on shotgun, they are "reserving" the front passenger seat.
49. Like decent bonds: RATED A.
This is the Jenga scene from The Big Short (2015).
It explains the 2008 global financial crisis in 8:17 min.
52. Elba who voices Chief Bogo in the "Zootopia" films: IDRIS. Hi Lucina!
The collective noun for leading men is pride.
53. "The Translator" novelist Aboulela: LEILA. goodreads link
The collective noun for authors is advance.
55. Fabric first known as "sergé de Nîmes": DENIM. Perps helped a lot with this one. "DENIM" started as a contraction of that French phrase. Sergé is a type of fabric and Nîmes is the name of a place.
56. Excellent: PRIMO. In this case, PRIMO is a slang term meaning "of the finest quality". We see it a lot in advertising and branding.
57. Truck rental choice: RYDER.
59. Some fluffy boots: UGGS.
The collective noun for shoemakers is blackening.
If you are interested ... back in 2022, Planet Money did an episode on how UGG became the center of an international trademark dispute.
60. Solar panels spot: ROOF. CSO to unclefred!
61. Contemplate: MUSE.
62. Belgian river: YSER. We seem to be having a mini French subtheme today. This river begins in Northern France, flows through Belgium and empties into the North Sea. It is 48 mi. (78 km.) long.
Note the helpful map inset.
63. Graduation stat: GPA. statistic and Grade Point Average
64. Director Howard: RON. I enjoyed reading The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, a book Howard co-wrote with his brother. In it, he writes about his road to being an Oscar-winning director.
The collective noun for directors is guild.
The grid:
Bonus points for alternating the placement of the collective noun!
One more before we go:
Note: Except were noted, all of the collective nouns in this write-up are found in An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton.
That's all for today. I look forward to reading about your solving experiences in the comments section.
Notes from C.C.: For those who missed my note last Friday, the ORCAS seasonhere here. Our dear Sumdaze (Renee) has been nominated for
Best Crossword Commentary. This year, all of the ORCAs-nominated puzzles
will be available together in one special pack. The voting is open there through midnight Thursday, February 19.
