28. "Don't incriminate yourself!": ADMIT NOTHING. Good advice.
44. 1983 Lionel Richie #1 song: ALL NIGHT LONG.
9. With 65-Across, it has a 54-Across, so they say: EVERY.
65. See 9-Across: CLOUD.
54. Upside of 9-Across/65-Across ... and, chemically speaking, what each pair of circles represents: SILVER LINING.
I loved EVERYthing about this puzzle. Looks to be Jared's debut at the Corner. Theme-heavy, with lots to appreciate, including lots of artistic references. AG is the chemical symbol for SILVER (from the Latin word "argentum" meaning "silver"), flanking (or lining) three long answers.
*Van Morrison quotes the poem Searching for the Hermit in Vain, by Chia Tao (777-841) in his tune Alan Watts Blues. Watts includes the poem in the intro page to his book Cloud Hidden.
Across:
1. __ media: MASS.
5. Last year's frosh: SOPH.
14. Bug bite symptom: ITCH.
15. Indonesian boat: PROA. New word for me.
16. British prime minister before Brown: BLAIR.
17. "Cooking From the Hip" chef Cat __: CORA.
18. Prilosec target: ACID.
19. Well-manored men?: LORDS. Great clue.
23. Pigs and hogs: SWINE.
24. Nov. voting time: TUES.
25. Dead heat: TIE.
31. Platters from the past: LPS. LP = Long Playing, refers to the 10- or 12-inch diameter vinyl records, popular again. Any collectors here?
34. "Otello" baritone: IAGO.
35. "__ and Louis": 1956 jazz album: ELLA. Speaking of LPs ...
36. Marjoram kin: OREGANO.
38. Like the Constitution, 27 times: AMENDED.
41. "Unforgettable" father or daughter: COLE.
42. Nerve cell transmitter: AXON.
43. Sci-fi extras: ETS.
49. Guitar great Paul: LES.
50. Bring in: REAP.
51. New, to Neruda: NUEVA. Neruda was born and died in Chile, and wrote his poetry in Spanish.
57. Storage towers: SILOS.
60. City on its own lake: ERIE.
61. Morally repugnant: EVIL.
62. Fill with delight: ELATE.
63. Pie containers: TINS.
64. "La Dolce __": VITA. Italian for the sweet life. Also the title of a 1960 film by Frederico Fellini.
66. Ford contemporary: OLDS. Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897.
67. Eden exile: ADAM.
Down:
1. Layered silicate: MICA.
2. Tiny physics units: ATOMS.
3. Threaded hardware: SCREW.
4. Islamic law: SHARIA.
5. Guy who is out of this world?: SPACEMAN. Not Superman.
6. Killer whale: ORCA.
7. Indicate with an index finger: POINT TO.
8. Lived it up: HAD FUN.
9. Online marketing technique: E-BLAST.
10. YouTube journal: VLOG.
11. Musical gift: EAR.
12. Relieved (of): RID.
13. Trips around the sun: Abbr.: YRS.
21. Gandhi's land: INDIA.
22. Early-to-mid-August baby: LEO.
25. El Niño feature?: TILDE. Love this clue.
26. Shoreline recess: INLET.
27. "Jeepers!": EGADS.
29. "May __ now?": I GO.
30. Lady bird: HEN. Another great clue. Also a 2017 film.
31. From this area: LOCAL.
32. Humble worker, briefly: PROLE. Another new word for me, "a member of the working class."
33. Succeeds commercially: SELLS.
37. Bk. with the ark story: GEN.
38. Rocker Rose: AXL. Also Eddie Murphy's character in the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop.
39. Like a particularly dark sky after sunset: MOONLESS.
40. The blahs: ENNUI.
42. In imminent danger: AT PERIL. Sounds odd - usually hear IN peril.
45. Opened or closed, as a lens aperture: IRISED. If you say so.
46. Hairdresser's goop: GEL.
47. Must: HAVE TO.
48. Swiss convention city: GENEVA.
52. Brilliantly colored: VIVID.
53. Soul singer Baker: ANITA.
54. Annual Jan. speech, in Twitter hashtags: SOTU. State of the Union.
55. Orange skin: RIND.
56. Flashy rock genre: GLAM.
57. "Wait a __!": SEC.
58. Under the weather: ILL.
59. Poet __-tzu: LAO. "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe."
Theme: I'M OUTA HERE! The first word of two-word entries is a synonym for some kind of void.
17. Horror film setting: VACANT HOUSE. I'm not a maven of this genre, but it seems like an appropriately scary choice.
24. Rural "Out of the office" sign: GONE FISHING. Alternatively, in slang, oblivious or unconcerned about the realities of daily life. Also, this:
37. Ammo for a starter pistol: BLANKCARTRIDGES. Contains gunpowder, but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound (report), the wadding is propelled from the barrel of the gun, and the firearm's action cycles. [Wikipedia]
48. One whose "chicks" have flown?: EMPTYNESTER. Parents in the house, after the children are grown and gone. Tough transition for many. Our kids are approaching that point in life.
59. Explanation for an evolutionary transition: MISSINGLINK. Presumed gap in the evolutionary fossil record. Most scientists find the term to be cringe-worthy.
Hi gang, JzB NOT absent today, and here to lead the way through - well - nothing, really. The irony is that, with 5 entries, a theme built around absence is so full of thematic richness. Let's see if we can poke holes in the rest of the puzzle.
Across:
1. Bullpen hero: CLOSER. The pitcher who is usually brought in for the 9th inning of a game when his team has a small lead he is supposed to protect.
7. Technical opening?: PYRO. PYRO-technical refers to fireworks displays or a brilliant performance of some specific skill. Fireworks and affix clues generally leave me cold.
11. Juan or Jose lead-in: SAN. City names. SAN Jose is the capital of Costa Rica. SAN Juan is a town in Trinidad and Tobago, located in the San Juan-Laventille Region in Saint George County.
14. Mom's sis: AUNTIE. My Mom's twin sis is still alive and will be 97 in a few days.
15. Semi warning: HORN. Beep-beep.
16. Asian menu general: TSO.
19. Physicist with a law: OHM. His law states that the current through a conductor is equal to the voltage divided by the resistance: I = V/R. R is a constant property of the conducting item, and the current flow depends on the applied voltage.
20. Bird feeder cake: SUET. White animal fat. The fat is white. The color of the animal doesn't matter.
21. Common math base: TEN. The base is the number of symbols [numerals or letters] that a counting system uses to represent numbers. In base TEN, these symbols are the digits 0 through 9.
22. Ocean dots: ISLES. Dots represent small islands on maps.
27. Acting twins Mary-Kate and Ashley: OLSENS. Former child actresses, born in 1986, they shared the roll of Michelle Tanner on the TV series FULL HOUSE. They have had several other acting projects, and are now fabulously wealthy fashion designers.
30. Feel some pain: ACHE. Day-after-yard-work syndrome.
31. Send forth: ISSUE. Emit.
32. Hotshot: ACE. High-level performer. What you want your CLOSER to be.
33. Easy gait: LOPE. A long, bounding stride.
41. Zingers: MOTS. Short for Bon MOT, which is French for "good word," said of a witticism or biting retort.
42. Vote, say: OPT. Make a choice from among a range of options. Also from French, and ultimately Latin optare, choose or wish.
43. Title Kazakh in a 2006 spoof: BORAT. More low humor.
44. Big heads?: EGOS. In psychoanalysis, the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity. More loosely, a person's sense of self esteem and importance. In context, an overweening self-importance.
46. Revolver?: PLANET. Each PLANET in the solar system rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun.
52. Color separator: PRISM. This video, just under 6 minutes, gets pretty deep into the weeds. I suspect Gary, at least, will like it.
53. __ Gang: OUR. Kids comedy team from back in the day. There are lots of long vids on YouTube, if you want to go down that rabbit hole. Here's a short excerpt. Evidently the piano was over-dubbed later, so this 7-yr-old did a really good job of staying in tune on this great old song.
54. Minimally: A BIT. Not too much off the top. It's thin there.
58. Many times, in poems: OFT. Because "frequently" is hard to work into the metric scheme.
63. Pointillism unit: DOT. A neo-impressionist painting technique that uses tiny dots of pure color that become blended in the viewer's eye. Interesting counter-point [so to speak] to the prism we encountered not so very long ago.
64. Stirring solo: ARIA. An operatic song, not mixing alone in the kitchen.
65. Rio Grande city: EL PASO. In far west Texas, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
66. George Strait's "All My __ Live in Texas": EXS. As long as we're in Texas, why not. George Strait is one of the few country singers I can tolerate for more than about 12 seconds. Here's a link.
67. Watch over: TEND.
68. Bird hangouts: ROOSTS. Birds' resting spots. They usually sit upright on roosts. Bats, however, will hang. Just sayin' . . .
Down:
1. LeBron et al., briefly: CAVS. LeBron James and his team mates on the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team.
2. Waikiki party: LUAU. A traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment. It may feature food such as poi, Kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia and beer, and entertainment such as traditional Hawaiian music and hula. [Wikkipedia]
3. Back in the day: ONCE. Frex, when the OUR GANG kids were kids.
4. Saves, for a 1-Across: STAT. If the lead is 3 runs or fewer in the expected final inning of a baseball game when the CLOSER enters, it's a save situation. If he then shuts down the inning without the opposing team either tying or going ahead, his team wins, and the save is recorded. Otherwise, there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
5. Strauss' "__ Heldenleben": EIN. "A Hero's Life," an 1898 tone poem by Richard Strauss. In it's entirety, it lasts ca. 50 minutes. Here is a short low brass excerpt - and, oh, boy, are these guys good!
6. 1984 Olympics gymnastics standout: RETTON. Mary Lou [b 1968] won a gold medal, along with 2 silver and 2 bronze, back in the day.
7. LG product: PHONE. LG Electronics Inc. is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea, and is part of the LG Group, employing 82,000 people working in 119 local subsidiaries worldwide. [Wikipedia]
8. "That's so __!": YOU. Said of clothing or a situation that seems to suit a person perfectly.
9. $200 Monopoly props.: RRS. The Rail Road properties.
10. Vague lunch date time: ONE-ISH. Approximately 1:00 pm. Hold a spot for me.
11. Skyy alternative, familiarly: STOLI. Vodkas. Skyy, now available in at least 17 flavors, is owned by the Campari Group of italy. Stolichnaya [for long] comes from the former Soviet Union. Ownership is disputed between a Russian state owned company and a private company owned by a Russian billionaire.
Now vodka is fine in its place;
in martinis, though, never a trace!
It’s swilled on the docks,
Can be used to clean clocks,
The gearwork, the hands and the face.
12. Looking drained: ASHEN. Pale from shock, fear or illness.
13. Chinese menu promise: NO MSG. MonoSodium Glutmate, a flavor enhancer.
18. Coop residents: HENS. Not sure if they are allowed to occupy the ROOSTS.
23. Jim's role on "The Big Bang Theory": SHELDON.
24. Best Buy "Squad" member: GEEK. Computer experts.
25. It's true: FACT. Something that is indisputably correct - though you can always find somebody who will dispute it. Cf, Flat Earth Society.
26. One piping frosting: ICER. Cake decorator.
27. Kon-Tiki Museum city: OSLO. The museum presents a broad selection of Thor Heyerdahl's life work.
28. Hurdle for atty. wannabes: LSAT. Law School Admission Test.
31. Watson's company: IBM. Watson is a computer designed to answer questions asked in natural language.
32. National Gallery attraction: ART. The Gallery is an ART museum located on the National Mall in Washington D. C.
34. Meanie: OGRE. A mythical man-eating giant, or, figuratively a mean-spirited boss, or bully.
35. Fuel used in some whisky production: PEAT. An earthy material made of partly decomposed vegetation. It's used in Scotland for whisky production. Anywhere else?
36. Md. winter hours: EST. Eastern Standard Time.
38. Masked critter: COON. The raccoon is the largest animal of the procyonid family,
39. Holy recess: APSE. Usually the semi-circular or polygonal shaped end of a church, where the altar is located.
40. Building girder: I-BAR. A metal structural beam shaped like the letter I. this shape maximizes stability in all dimensions.
45. Floor exercise surface: GYM MAT.
46. Spitting sound: PTUI. Erm . . .
47. "My Fair Lady" lyricist: LERNER. Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe also collaborated on Camelot, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon.
48. Lyric poem: EPODE. A form written in couplets, with alternating long and short lines. Another meaning is the third and final part of an ode, following the strophe and the antistrophe Last time out, I had EPOS, and didn't know that, either.
49. "Fantastic" Dahl character: MR. FOX. Eponym for the 1970 novel, and then 2009 movie. A rare story, in which a predator is the hero, and the farmers and their live stock are the enemy.
50. Pulitzer-winning columnist Leonard: PITTS. His home paper is the Miami Herald. He won his Pulitzer in 2004.
51. "Alas!": SO SAD. [sigh]
54. Lunch for Spot, maybe: ALPO. A dog, and his dinner.
55. Fairness obstacle: BIAS. A skewed point of view that enables interpreting new information as confirmation of existing beliefs, even when it isn't.
56. Brookings, e.g.: Abbr.: INSTitution, a century-old American research group on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C. It conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and development. [Wikipedia]
57. Boxing stats: TKO's. Technical Knock Out. A decision by the referee or ring physician that the boxing match cannot safely continue.
60. Fury: IRE. Anger.
61. Ignore a Commandment: SIN. A transgression of divine law.
62. Day-__: GLO. An American paint and pigment company, and it's registered trademark for luminescent decorative products.
That wraps up another Wednesday, in a bright and colorful manner. Here's the filled-in grid, then I really am outa-here.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Happy 55th birthday to Yellowrocks' son Alan! Have a wonderful day shopping and visiting places you love. You have the best mom!
26. *Laurence Fishburne's "What's Love Got to Do With It" role: IKE TURNER.
35. *With 41-Across, two-time NBA All-Star named for an NBA Hall of Famer: ISAIAH.
41. *See 35-Across: THOMAS.
51. *Swimmer with five Olympic gold medals: IAN THORPE.
60. *Early 20th-century muckraker: IDA TARBELL. Awesome.
48D. Expert computer operations group ... to which the answers to starred clues belong?: IT TEAM.
Melissa here. I come, like all the regulars, with a heavy heart today, but I know Santa would want the show to go on. I'm guessing that C.C. consulted with him on this puzzle, which feels a bit comforting. Do you feel him? I do.
Across:
1. Low-pH compound: ACID.
5. Creighton University city: OMAHA.
10. Silly: DAFT.
14. Running behind: LATE.
15. Spanish bar food: TAPAS.
16. Falls back: EBBS.
19. Pacific Rim continent: ASIA.
20. Disney collectible: CEL.
21. __ anglais: English horn: COR. -->
22. "Casablanca" actor Peter: LORRE.
24. Dublin residents: IRISH.
30. Dried chili in Mexican cuisine: ANCHO.
31. Tiny tunneler: ANT. Dig the alliteration.
32. Colorful tropical fish: TETRA.
33. Cause of red cheeks: ROUGE. Or joy.
36. Biol. or geol.: SCI.
38. Spa treatments: PEELS.
40. Courthouse figs.: DAS. District Attorneys.
43. Woody thicket: COPSE.
45. Extends a tour: REUPS.
46. Sunbather's goal: TAN.
47. Place for a Fitbit: WRIST. My daughter and I just got each other one for an early Mother's day gift. Nifty little devices.
Theme: Whatever moves you. The second word of each 2 or 3 word theme entry indicates a descriptor for being highly motivated. I wouldn't say they are quite synonyms, by they do have a common feel. These are the characteristics of ambition and, with along with some luck, skill, and tenacity, success - in business, sports, music or any meaningful endeavor.
17 A. Solar power, e.g. : RENEWABLEENERGY. Five types are recognized: solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric. Personally, ENERGY is what gets you out of bed to face the challenges of the day.
26 A. Soul mate : KINDREDSPIRIT. Those with similar interests and attitudes are KINDRED SPIRITS. Soul mates are bound together more tightly than that, IMHO. Many years ago, I wrote a sonnet about them [see below]. Personally, SPIRIT is the enthusiasm that keeps you going.
THE SUBSTITUTE
There are those whose lives are meant to be entwined,
Lovers thrust together by the force of destiny,
When choice and fate converge, that they may be
Connected at the soul, the heart, the mind.
Within their closed circumference one can find
Two curves in perfect fit -- his yang, her yin,
That in each cycle once again begin
To cluster into love's sweet spiral bind.
But consider -- if in the vast span of infinity
One of them becomes displaced in small degree;
Is born a decade late, perhaps is sent
To the farthest corner of the continent --
The distant echo of an unfelt touch, an unseen face.
Who will be the one who comes to take his place?
48 A. Heavy military barrage : ARTILLERYFIRE. An assault using cannons, mortars, and other weaponry with greater range fire power than rifles and hand guns. Personally, FIRE [as, in the belly] is powerful ambition and determination.
63 A. Common transmission feature : FRONT WHEELDRIVE. Unsurprisingly, this is a tranny system that provides power to the front wheels of a vehicle. Personally, DRIVE is the urge, sometimes innate, to achieve a goal or satisfy a need.
This theme is at once simple, but also possibly a bit elusive. And there's plenty of it, with 2 grid-spanning entries and 2 more at 13 letters each. The trade-off is more words of shorter length than is typical for a Wednesday. The lack of a unifier mid-week is also a little strange.
Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here, somehow feeling motivated. How about you? Lets FIRE it up, get the SPIRIT moving, and use that ENERGY to DRIVE through today's puzzle.
Across
1. Dull : HO-HUM. What - bored already? C'mon, let's keep it moving - at least as far as 20A.
6. "Stronger than dirt" cleanser : AJAX. This is how I remember it. [Yes, I am THAT old!]
10. PCs' "brains" : CPUS. Central Processing Units.
14. Backspace over : ERASE. On a computer, not a typewriter.
15. Try to throw, at a rodeo : BUCK. The highly motivated action of an unwillingly mounted animal.
16. Tall concert instrument : HARP. One harp player I've worked with transports hers in a repurposed hearse.
20. Animal that sounds dull : BOAR. Male hog. Here's an insect that sounds even duller.
43. Any of three 10th-century Holy Roman Emperors : OTTO. The HRE started with Charlemagne in 800 A. D. and ended with Francis II in 1806. For several decades it was run on Otto-pilot.
Otto I [The Great] 962-973 Otto II 973-983 Otto III 996-1002
45. Jazzman Jackson : MILT. Vibraphonist Milton "Bags" Jackson [1923-1999] was a founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Here is a slightly different line up.
46. Caravan stops : OASES. Fertile desert spots, with water.
51. Exact revenge on : GET. As in GET even.
52. Big lug : OAF. Lout, churl.
53. Letters after thetas : IOTAS. Not fond of this at all. The Greek alphabet is a unique thing, as are each of the letters in it. Sure, some word could have multiple IOTAS in it, but that is not the sense of this clue.
56. Until next time, in texts : TTYL. Talk To You Later.
59. Slanted page? : OP-ED. Located Opposite to the Editorial Page. Viewpoints are only slanted if you disagree.
66. Sportswear brand : IZOD. Ordinary clothing adorned with an expensive alligator.
67. Lawman played by Russell and Costner : EARP. Wyatt, of OK Corral fame.
68. Ill-fated Ford : EDSEL. Manufactured from 1958-60. Now a collectors item.
69. Lady Gaga's "Cheek to Cheek" duettist Bennett : TONY. These kids are having way too much fun.
70. Helpful hints : TIPS. Pro-tip: see if you can land a gig with Lady Gaga.
4. Password partners : USER IDS. Protection for your on-line activities.
5. Litter cry : MEW. It's the cat's meow.
6. "SOS" band : ABBA.
7. Month with fireworks : JULY. This is what makes the 4th of July my least favorite holiday.
8. Blackjack components : ACES. Along with face cards or 10s. Blackjack is the name of the game, but also a 2-card holding consisting of an ace, counting 11 points, along with one of the other mentioned cards, counting 10. Other spot cards have the count of their pips. Winner is the player who comes closest to 21 without going over, regardless of the number of cards held.
32. Foot bones : TARSI. A cluster of 7 articulating bones at the back of the foot. Five of them connect to the metatarsals - the long bones of the foot.
37. Overpower with a shock : TASE. Use a Taser, an elecroshock gun, on someone.
40. Give off : EMIT. As light, heat, or an odor.
41. Boxer Oscar De La __ : HOYA. [b 1973] He holds dual American and Mexican citizenship. Representing the U. S., he won an olympic gold medal in 1992.
44. Fine cotton fabric : ORGANDY. A translucent fabric that is usually stiffened and used in women's clothing.
47. Provides with, as an opportunity : AFFORDS. From an Old English root meaning "go forth."
49. Trial : TEST.
50. Hot streak : ROLL. Experience a prolonged spell of success or good luck.
53. "__ ain't broke ... " : IF IT. Don't fix it.
54. Minestrone pasta : ORZO. Noodles the approximate size and shape of rice grains.
55. Snagglepuss, e.g. : TOON. Created in 1959, he was featured in a series of shorts, then became a semi-regular on the Yogi Bear Show, and also appeared in other Hanna-Barbera series.
56. Bangkok native : THAI. From the Kingdom of Thailand. The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its citizens. Until 1949 it was called Siam by outsiders.
57. Maryland athlete, for short : TERP. Terrapin, for long.
58. Slangy affirmatives : YEPS.
60. Tuscan tower site : PISA. Home of the leaning tower, in Italy.
61. First name in stunts : EVEL. Mr. Knievel [b 1938, d 2007.] Contrary to rumor, he never jumped the Grand Canyon. His Snake River Canyon jump was a bust, both as a stunt and financially.
62. Proofreader's "drop this" : DELE. Delete.
64. Just out of the pool : WET. Untoweled
65. Dead end? : DEE. Spelt out terminal letter. Rather a sad way to end a puzzle. That wraps up another Wednesday. With only a couple of nits, my enthusiasm remains undampened. Don't lose that passion, peeps!
Cool regards!
JzB
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to Kazie (Kay),
who has been with our blog since the summer of 2008. Kay used to
frequent our blog and was our authority on any French and German matter.
Last time when she emailed me, she was readying for a German trip to
visit her old son and family. She was also very happy that her young son
was engaged.
2)Women of Letters puzzle packet is ready! All the 18 puzzles were constructed and edit by women. The
constructors include: Tracy Bennett, Laura
Braunstein, C.C. Burnikel, Amanda Chung, Debbie Ellerin, Gail
Grabowski (today's co-constructor) Tracy Gray, Mary Lou Guizzo, Angela Olson Halsted
(PuzzleGirl), Pam Amick
Klawitter, Sarah Keller, Lynn Lempel, Donna S. Levin, Ruth Bloomfield
Margolin, Andrea Carla Michaels, Robin Stears, and Robyn Weintraub. The
editors are our own Patti Varol and Amy Reyhaldo. Deb Amlen of Wordplay
initiated this project in early 2017.
To get the puzzles, please donate $10 or more to any of the charities listed in the website. Then send a copy of your receipt as proof of donation to WomenofLettersCrosswords@gmail.com. You'll get a beautifully designed puzzle pack with all the great puzzles, answer grids and all the constructor bios.
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