17. Terrain feature of permafrost regions: GROUND ICE.
24. Staples competitor: OFFICE DEPOT.
35. Took the risk: CHANCED IT.
49. "Star Wars" ruling body: JEDI COUNCIL.
And the reveal:
58. Casino plays ... and events that occur as you work your way down through the four sets of circles: DICE ROLLS.
Melissa here. Note that ROLLS indicates a circular anagram, where the word DICE is gradually rotated around the grid: DICE / ICED / CEDI / EDIC. C.C. had to revise her initial grid to satisfy this ROLLing requirement. Impressive. Felt like a Wednesday+ level to me, with a few thorny spots. The circles help to visualize the ROLL, but are not necessary to solve.
Across:
1. Like Joe Cocker's voice: RASPY.
6. Light-rail stop: Abbr.: STA.
9. Assists in arson, say: ABETS.
14. Waldorf salad ingredient: APPLE.
15. Waldorf salad ingredient: NUT. Clecho.
16. Inhumane: CRUEL.
19. Harry who led Wrigley crowds in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game": CARAY. Why Harry Caray was simply the best. (Baseball clues - tell-tale sign of a C.C. puzzle.)
20. Mint containers: TINS.
21. Patriots' gp.: AFC. More baseball sports. AFC = American Football Conference. Its counterpart is NFC - National Football Conference. There are 16 clubs in each conference.
22. "Trading Spaces" topic: DECOR. The show on TLC. First thought of the 1983 movieTrading Places, with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy.
23. Units measured in BTUs: ACS. Here is a BTU calculator that will estimate the number of BTUs required to heat or cool a home.
30. Madrid mama bear: OSA. Spanish, feminine. Masculine is OSO.
31. Jogging pace: TROT.
32. Really ticked off: SORE.
34. Builder's guideline: SPEC.
38. Some turkeys: TOMS.
41. Saturated __: FATS.
42. Apply crudely: DAUB.
45. DuVernay who created TV's "Queen Sugar": AVA. For some reason I thought her name was Ana. Nope. Didn't realize how many films she has made.
46. "Time for my walk!": ARF.
47. Pinch, as a pooch: DOGNAP. Tricky. Pinch is informal for steal.
53. Lynx coat: FUR.
54. Flat fees: RENTS. Great clue.
55. Barrel wood: OAK.
56. Asian desert: GOBI.
57. Colleague of Gorsuch: ALITO. The only other U.S. Supreme Court Justice with a five-letter last name is Kagan.
60. Less furnished: BARER.
61. It's tapped into a tray: ASH. My first thought was ice, but that's tapped out of a tray.
62. Long range: ANDES. Mountains, not time.
63. Practices in a ring: SPARS.
64. Spelling event: BEE.
65. Out of order?: MESSY.
Down:
1. Disheveled: RAGTAG. Fun word.
2. Yellow-orange fruit: APRICOT.
3. One paying for a plug: SPONSOR.
4. Positive sign: PLUS.
5. Ginza tender: YEN. Official currency of Japan. Ginza is in Tokyo - looks like New York City.
6. Sound of sadness: SNIFF. Aw.
7. Stanley of "The Lovely Bones": TUCCI. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film - based on the book by Alice Sebold. He said it was horrible playing such a dark role, and will never do it again.
8. Cleaned one's plate: ATE.
9. Knuckle under: ACCEDE. Two c's. Needed perp help here.
10. Support for an injured knee: BRACE.
11. Ace of Base genre: EUROPOP. Did not know this term. Wikipedia.
12. Prickly hybrid: TEA ROSE. Could have been anything.
13. Cunning: SLY.
18. Inane: DAFT.
22. Faked in the rink: DEKED. Don't remember seeing past tense of this word before.
24. Inauguration Day pledge: OATH.
25. Makes well: CURES.
26. Middle of a winning trio: TAC. Tic tac toe.
28. Dropbox files, casually: DOCS.
32. Complete fiasco: SNAFU.
33. Leaf-peeping mo.: OCT. This clue made me think of Spring, instead of Fall.
34. John Deere logo animal: STAG.
36. High hairstyles: AFROS. Sneaky. Not updOS.
37. Fan club focus: IDOL.
38. __ Mahal: TAJ.
39. Venn diagram feature: OVERLAP.
40. European archipelago known for its wine: MADEIRA.
43. Gradually becomes clear: UNFOLDS.
44. Showy trinkets: BAUBLES.
46. Stage crew: ACTORS.
47. Bank management aid?: DIKE. Another sneaky clue. The question mark indicates the misdirection, but it still took me a while to grok.
48. Overly proper: PRISSY. Or this PRISSY.
50. Prefix with act and cede: INTER.
51. Invisible urban pollution: NOISE.
52. Hidden trove: CACHE.
56. Out of sight: GONE. Was thinking the slang term, not literally.
57. Core muscles: ABS.
58. Blot gently: DAB. And now we know the difference between DAUB (carelessly) and DAB (gently) - before I thought they were the same.
Theme: The Great Park Adventure. The Theme answers in this unusual grid can be combined with the word PARK to yield a meaningful phrase. The brilliant aspect to it is that the sense of the word PARK is different in each instance. Let's have a look.
1 D. *It may be political: SCIENCE. Political SCIENCE is a field of study. Whether it is an actual SCIENCE is a debate I will not engage at this time. And politics is outside the limits of discussion on this blog, so caution is advised. A SCIENCE PARK or RESEARCH PARK is a location where organizations devoted to the study of various aspects of SCIENCE are clustered.
6 D. *Period in the Age of Reptiles: JURASSIC. This period lasted 46 million years, from 201 to 145 million years ago, when it was succeeded by the Cretaceous Period. It began with a major extinction event which wiped out over half of all species known to have existed at that time. Two additional, but less severe, mass extinctions happened during the period. JURASSIC PARK is a science fiction movie, based on a book of the same title by Michael Crichton, in which dinosaurs are cloned from the DNA in fossilized remains, and much mayhem ensues. There are several sequels in the franchise. The subject PARK is a cross between a theme PARK and a nature PARK, but since it's used as a fiction title, I'll grant it it's own category.
11 D. *New Orleans time zone: CENTRAL. The continental U.S. has 4 time zones, Eastern, CENTRAL, Mountain and Pacific. This zone contains all of 9 states, and parts of 6 others. CENTRAL PARK is located in Manhattan, New York City. I'm sure it's the best known of New York's municipal PARKS, and was surprised to learn it is only the 5th largest. It was established in 1857 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. I also went to CENTRAL Catholic High School in Toledo many decades ago, but that's off topic.
13 D. *Deep __: SOUTH. This is a geographic and cultural region of the southern United States, not necessarily defined by state boundaries. Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas are generally included, along with all or parts of other neighboring states. SOUTH PARK is an animated TV show for adults, set in the fictional eponymous city, that features satire via dark, surreal humor on a variety of mature topics.
15 D. *Main idea: THEME. The major topic of a talk, written work or exhibition. A THEME PARK is an amusement park with a unifying idea or setting. The Disney PARKS spring to mind.
And, of course, the unifier -- 54A. Completes a road test maneuver ... or the answers to starred clues, as arranged: PARALLEL PARKS. This is a parking maneuver in which the vehicle ends up parallel to the street edge or curb. I used to be pretty good at this, but cannot remember having done it in many, many years. In this uniquely designed grid, all the above mentioned PARKS are oriented vertically and parallel to each other. And, as a no-extra-charge bonus, the puzzle is also a pangram, with 6 letters occurring one time each. IMHO, this is quite stellar.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa in the driver's seat. Let's take a cruise through the rest of this puzzle.
Across:
1. Moo __ pork: SHU. Sounds like it should be beef, and actually can also be either that or chicken. This is a northern Chinese dish of stir fried meat, onions and eggs, wrapped in thin pancakes and served over rice.
4. Low-level employment: MCJOB. Had this entry the last time I blogged. A lousy job with low pay and limited prospects.
9. Starz competitor: TMC. The Movie Channel. These are cable channels featuring movies as regular programming.
12. Police: COPS. Slangily.
14. Sweet text: I LUV U. Because I LOVE YOU has way too many letters. Possibly influenced by the 1965 Tony Award winning play and resulting 1967 movie romantic comedy LUV. Or maybe not.
15. "No argument": TRUE. I agree; amen brother.
16. "Don't make __ hard!": IT SO. Somehow, I always manage to avoid the easy way.
17. Drew (in): LURED. Was attracted to.
18. Backwoods possessive: HIS'N. Well, y'all, I ain't so sure 'bout this'n.
19. "__, Brute?": ET TU. Big Julie's lament, when he was done in by his friends for being too ambitious.
20. Some ski lifts: T-BARS. These are devices which push the skier up the slope by providing a bar on which to sit or lean.
21. "It is the __, and Juliet is the sun": Romeo: EAST. In this bright metaphor, Romeo refers not only to Juliets's beauty, but also suggests that her affection has relieved the darkness of his rejection by Rosaline.
22. "How cool!": NEATO. Well done, Will!
24. Former JFK lander: SST. Super Sonic Transport - commercial passenger aircraft that traveled faster than the speed of sound. The last flight was in 2003.
25. "Burnt" pigment: UMBER. Raw UMBER is a brown earth pigment containing oxides of iron and manganese. Heat transforms this into the more richly colored red-brown burnt UMBER by dehydrating the iron oxide.
26. Comic strip woman who married Irving: CATHY.
27. Baja bear: OSO. Spanish is spoken in Baja California.
28. Mac: FELLA. Just some guy.
29. Language suffix: -ESE. Englandese, Germanese, Francese. This isn't working.
30. Prefaced: LED INTO. Preceded whatever ensued.
33. Au pair's subj.: ESL. A foreign person who provides housework and/or baby sitting services in exchange for room and board. So that person might study English as a Second Language.
34. Many Olympic events: RACES. Running, swimming, various down-hill events
35. Wolfs (down): SCARFS. Gobbles, devours.
40. Vistula River city: KRAKOW. Second largest city in Poland, and an academic, cultural and artistic center that dates from the 7th century. Early settlements there go back to the stone age.
46. Chef's hat: TOQUE. Does the hat matter as much as what's under it?
47. Little untruth: FIB.
50. Ewe-ish?: OVINE. Does this one have Jeffrey feeling sheepish? How wool we ever know?
51. Uncertainty: DOUBT. Maybe; maybe not.
52. Master: ACE. Someone who exhibits excellent skills.
53. Medieval weapons: MACES. A MACE is a heavy club with a metal hear and spikes.
57. Game before the finals: SEMI. Game involving the last four eligible teams. The winners move on to the finals.
58. Doughnut finish: GLAZE. A mixture of confectioner's sugar in milk, applied to a fresh donut and allowed to dry..
59. Analogy words: IS TO. A is to B as Y is to Z.
61. __ II razor: TRAC. A double-bladed razor.
62. One wearing gloves to work: BOXER. An athlete who engages in pugilistics.
63. Poolroom array: CUES. Sticks used to strike the CUE balls.
64. Tax form IDs: SSNS. Social Security Numbers.
65. Pipsqueak: TWERP. An insignificant silly and annoying person.
66. Omar of "House": EPPS. [b 1973] American actor, rapper, song writer and record producer.
Down:
2. Starbucks purchases: HOT TEAS. Alternatives to coffees.
3. Lake Placid, vis-a-vis New York City: UPSTATE. A place or area farther north, from the coast, or at a higher elevation from one's present location.
4. Jazz vibraphonist Jackson: MILT. [1923 - 1999] His nickname was "Bags."
5. Spritzer mixer: CLUB SODA. Carbonated water with either potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate or both added to enhance flavor.
7. Intimation: OVERTONE. A subtle quality, implication or connotation.
8. Blossoms-to-be: BUDS. a BUD is a growth element on a plant that develops into a leaf, flower or shoot.
9. Subject to court judgment: TRIABLE. Able to be put on trial.
10. Common paella ingredients: MUSSELS. Edible marine bivalve mollusks.
23. Skinny toon Olive: OYL.
25. Mysterious craft: UFO. Unidentified Flying Objects, typically suspected of being of extra-terrestrial origin.
31. Stammering sounds: ERS. Along with ems and ums.
35. Criterion: Abbr.: STD. Standard, or benchmark against which something may be judged..
36. Craftsmen paid by the barrel?: COOPERS. They make and repair barrels and casks.
37. Atlantis dweller of comics: AQUAMAN. I mis-read this as Atlanta dweller, and was vary confused. He first appeared in MORE FUN COMICS #73 [November, 1941]; then in the late 50's became a founding member of The Justice League.
38. Protocols: RUBRICS. Statements of policies, purpose or action.
39. Greek cheese: FETA. A Greek white cheese made from the milk of ewes or goats.
41. Tomato variety: ROMA. A firm, meaty, flavorful tomato, suitable for canning and making paste and sauce.
42. Greed: AVARICE. Extreme covetous materialism.
43. Creates, as a fuss: KICKS UP.
44. Ragtime dance: ONE STEP. Shortest direct route from A to B? With possible KICKING UP.
45. Director Craven: WES. Best known for horror films of the slasher variety.
47. Uncultivated, as farmland: FALLOW. Plowed, but left unsown, to restore fertility as a part of crop rotation.
48. Mountaineer's aid: ICE AXE. Item used by climbers to cut footholds in the ice. It has a fead with one flat and one pointed end, and a spike on the foot.
49. Richard of "Law & Order: SVU": BELZER. [b 1944] American actor, author and comedian.
55. Pride parade letters: LGBT. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered. The initialism has been adopted as self-identification by those so described, and is intended to emphasize the the diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures.
56. Heist puller: PERP. The original meaning of a term [that we have adopted here for some fell purpose of our own] is as the PERPETRATOR of a crime, i.e. the guilty party.
57. City map parts: Abbr.: STS. Along with Aves. Blvds. and Pkwys.
60. CIA predecessor: OSS. Office of Strategic Services, founded in 1942 to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all armed forces branches. other functions included the use of propaganda, subversion and post-war planning. It was dissolved by President Truman in 1945, and it's functions assigned to other agencies. In 1946 the Central Intelligence Group was formed by the Presidnet. The National Security act of 1947 established the Central Intelligence Agency, which then took up OSS functions.
Having completed our maneuver, we are now safely PARKED at the finish line of this UNPARALLELED puzzle. Hope you enjoyed the excursion.
41. 12-Down queueing pattern depicted by six puzzle answers: TWO BY TWO.
Melissa here. Wow! Eight theme answers! A fresh theme, and from what appears to be Andrew Linzeritsyit's debut - at least here at the corner. Note the special 16x15 grid - an extra column was needed to accommodate all the down theme answers. The visual of the center answers in two vertical rows makes me think of animal tracks.
Across:
1. Teensy: ITSY.
5. Box for tea leaves: CADDY.
10. Japanese box lunch: BENTO.
15. Tree with an oil-rich seed: SHEA.
16. Streamlined: SLEEK.
17. Frank __ Wright: LLOYD.
18. "Long time no see" follower: HOW YOU BEEN.
20. Old enough: OF AGE.
21. "Lady and the __": TRAMP.
22. Traffic signals: ARROWS. There is an intersection near me that I avoid because so many drivers don't know (or don't care) that you can't turn right on a red arrow. I wait my turn (pun intended) for the green arrow only to be honked at by impatient drivers behind me.
24. Possesses: HAS.
25. Stage of grief: ANGER. Not quite the same, but okay.
26. Smartens (up): WISES.
28. Manhattan liquor: RYE. A Manhattan is made with whiskey (traditionally rye whiskey), sweet vermouth and bitters.
29. Full of activity: ABUZZ.
34. "Ben-Hur" extras: ROMANS.
37. "Now it's clear": OH I SEE.
38. Sonogram subject: EMBRYO.
39. Sticks (out): JUTS.
42. Had a nice chitchat: GABBED.
44. __ out a living: EKED.
45. Ahead: ONWARD.
47. Not for kids, filmwise: R-RATED.
49. One whose wages come from wagers: BOOKIE.
50. Slugger Hank: AARON.
51. Feel crummy: AIL. Aw.
54. Rum-flavored cakes: BABAS.
56. River mouth formation: DELTA.
58. Far from friendly: ICY.
60. Steep headlands: BLUFFS.
64. With deleted scenes included: UNCUT.
65. Passover staple: MATZO.
67. Likely to goof: ERROR PRONE.
69. Dam that created Lake Nasser: ASWAN. Built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt.
5. Fort Collins sch.: CSU. Colorado State University.
6. Actress Jessica: ALBA.
9. Informal "See what I mean?": Y'KNOW.
10. Come into one's own: BLOSSOM.
11. Pixie: ELF.
13. Rapper whose name sounds like a big cat: TYGA.
14. Poems of praise: ODES.
19. "A Wrinkle in Time" (2018) actress: OPRAH.
23. Electrically connected with: WIRED TO.
27. Plant firmly: EMBED.
30. "So what?!": BIG DEAL.
31. Can. neighbor: USA.
35. TV's "Science Guy": NYE.
36. Lawn starter: SOD.
37. Honshu port: OSAKA.
39. Chore: JOB.
40. "One card left!" game warning: UNO.
43. Corn unit: EAR.
46. Science fair awards: RIBBONS.
48. Ultimately become: END UP.
51. Nook: ALCOVE.
52. 58-Down default music program: ITUNES.
53. Under the surface: LATENT.
55. "So I was wrong!": SUE ME.
57. Defunct scandal-plagued company: ENRON.
58. Apple computer: IMAC.
59. Toll lane choice: CASH. Cashless tolls (EZ Pass or by mail) are becoming more and more common now. Nice that cars don't have to stop, but also a little creepy.
63. Unaccompanied: SOLO.
66. Ray gun sound: ZAP.
68. Legged it: RAN.
Note from C.C. :
Happy birthday to dear CanadianEh!,
who's been with our blog since 2012. Love your insightful and caring comments, CanadianEh!
Theme: Buried Treasures. Highly desirable, indeed, coveted items are concealed in multi-word answers. Let's look first at the unifier to see what kind of hidden words we should look for.
53 A. They're "presented" in 20-, 28- and 46-Across: ACTING AWARDS. They'll be identified in the theme entries below - "presented," yes, but in an obscure way.
20 A. "What a terrifying experience!": I WAS SO SCARED. We've all had those moments. You know what yours are. Twenty-four OSCARs are presented each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science for acting and various other categories of artistic and technical excellence.
28 A. "Love to everyone!": GIVE THEM MY BEST. Lots of affection to spread around. The EMMY awards are presented at various times throughout the year for excellence in television by three different organizations - the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
46. Leave the firm to work solo: GO OUT ON YOUR OWN. Do you have that entrepreneurial spirit? The TONY awards recognize excellence in Broadway plays. They are presented at an annual ceremony in New York by the American Theater Wing and the Broadway League.
Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa on center stage today, a bit surprised to not see an Independence Day theme. But we do have a fine entry by Jeffrey. So let's read this script down and see if we can act on it.
But first - come on, it's the 4th of July, so this is mandatory.
Who doesn't love the Muppets?
OK - back to business.
Across:
1. Error: SLIP. Starting off with a mistake. Did somebody miss a cue or forget their lines?
5. Place for a panel: DAIS. A low platform for a lectern, seats of honor or a throne. STAGE also fits.
9. Chemistry lab fluids: ACIDS. Solutions of pH less than 7, capable of neutralizing alkaline materials by donating a proton or accepting an electron pair. Sorry for going all geeky on you. Long ago I was a chemist.
14. "Gray's Anatomy," for one: TOME. A large, heavy or scholarly BOOK [which also fits, BTW,] not the like-named TV drama.
15. Austen novel: EMMA. A comedy of manners set in Regency England. The eponym considers herself to be a match-maker, and misadventures ensue.
17. Wilson of "Father Figures": OWEN. Actor, producer and screen-writer who received an OSCAR nomination for best screen play for co-writing The Royal Tannenbaums with Wes Anderson
18. Ground corn, e.g.: MEAL. The edible portion of ground grain.
19. "Poems are made by fools like me" poem: TREES. By Joyce Kilmer.
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
23. __ Major: constellation: CANIS. Had the sky bears last week, along with Orion the Hunter. Today, it's going to the dogs. This is the big one, Orion's hunting dog, Laelaps.
24. Fitting: APROPOS. Apropriate, apt, timely. From French, meaning "on that subject."
32. Summer on the Seine: ETE. A French season that is not tarragon.
33. Sch. term: SEM. Short or long, a school term is a semester.
34. Author Joyce Carol __: OATES. [b. 1938] Author of over 40 novels, and many plays, short stories, novellas and poems.
35. Arctic deer: CARIBOU. Also known as reindeer, they are native to all sorts of arctic and sub arctic terrain in Europe, Siberia and North America.
38. Org. providing creature comfort?: ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Be kind to your hunting dog. Or caribou.
42. Sue Grafton's "__ for Lawless": L IS. Her alphabet mystery series started with A is for Alibi. I lost interest around D.
43. "Cats" monogram: T S E. Thomas Sterns Elliot. Jellicle Cat comes from his infant niece's attempts to say "calico cat," or perhaps it was "dear little cat." Some things are uncertain.
50. Run: OPERATE. Be in control of.
51. "There is __ in the affairs of men": Brutus: A TIDE. " . . . Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." Sounds like an opportunist to me.
63. Quasimodo creator: HUGO. Victor [1802 - 1885] One of the best known French novelists. Q is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. His other famous work is Les Miserables. Two of my grandsons were in a youth production of the musical a few years AGO. Watching them die at the barricade was wrenching.
64. Head, in Le Havre: TETE. French. I have no head for French.
65. Muckety-muck: NABOB. A person of conspicuous wealth or high status. Sometimes used ironically about one who overestimates himself.
66. Lose one's cool: SNAP. Throw a fit.
67. River of central Germany: EDER. A 177 Km long tributary of the Fulda, a 220 KM long tributary of the Weser, a 281 Km long river which flows through Bremen and empties into the North Sea at Bremerhaven. From this port my Hungarian grandmother came to America, lo, these many years past.
Down:
1. Unlikely to become overwrought: STOIC. One who does not show emotion, named for the 3rd century B.C. Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium. This was a philosophy of personal ethics based on logic and an unwillingness to give in to the passions of the moment, with a view towards fairness and justice.
2. Like a McJob, typically: LOW WAGE. Also with few prospects, for which the worker is typically over-qualified.
3. "This is serious!": I MEAN IT. Not joking, this time.
4. Thoughtful: PENSIVE. Long ago I saw a movie that had a snippet of dialog that went something like this --
He: You look pensive.
She: No. I was just thinking . . .
Don't remember what movie it was.
5. Sales rep's aid: DEMO. A working model or example, used to demonstrate the product
6. Iowa college city: AMES. Iowa State U. is in AMES, which is about 30 miles north of Des Moines.
7. All-in-one Apple desktop: I-MAC. Computer.
8. Arabic for "peace": SALAAM.
9. Door holder's words: AFTER YOU.
10. Andalusian city: CORDOBA. In southern Spain, this area has been occupied since Neaderthal times. The city originated as a Roman settlement, then was a center of Muslim culture from the 8th century until it was recaptured by Christian forces in 1236. It is the hottest city in Europe with an average high temperature of 37 C [99 F] in July and August.
11. Martinique, par exemple: ILE. An island in the Lesser Antilles.
12. Quit working: DIE. Said of batteries and machinery. I quit working almost a decade ago, and am still alive.
13. Coast Guard pickup: SOS. An international code signal indicating great distress and an urgent need for help, used especially by ships at sea.
21. Chicago-to-Chattanooga dir.: SSE. South-southeast. Maybe even add in another south.
22. LP's 33 1/3: RPM. Spin [or should I say "swirl"] rate of Long Playing phonograph records, in Revolutions Per Minute.
25. Adoptee from the 38-Across, perhaps: PET. An animal taken into a person's home to live.
26. Sugar suffix: -OSE. Glucose, dextrose, fructose, etc. I wasn't able to track down the origin with only minimal effort, so we can all wonder why.
27. GPS lines: STS. Streets.
29. Safety org. with "Travel Tips" blog posts: TSA. Transportation Security Administration.
30. Part of HMS: HER. The other parts are "Majesty's" and "Ship," because the Queen owns the navy.
31. First name in American poetry: EMILY. Dickenson [1830 - 1886]
Ample Make This Bed
Ample make this bed.
Make this bed with awe;
In it wait till judgment break
Excellent and fair.
Be its mattress straight,
Be its pillow round;
Let no sunrise' yellow noise
Interrupt this ground.
- Emily Dickenson
35. Ancient underground tunnel: CATACOMB. Originally, a subterranean cemetery, with recesses for tombs, as constructed by the Romans. Less strictly, any similar underground construction.
36. Sci. course: BIOlogy.
37. Stillwater sch.: OSU. Oklahoma State University, not THE O. S. U.
38. In the past: AGO. Derived from an obsolete Middle English verb used to indicate the passage of time.
39. Absorb, with "up": SOP. As a sponge, or slice of bread.
40. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author: POE. Edgar Alan [1809-1849.] The story of a murder, committed for no known reason, as told by the murderer, who wants us to think he is sane.
41. Mai tai liqueur: CURACAO. It is flavored with the dried peel of the laraha, a bitter orange native to the Lesser Antilles island for which the drink is named.
43. How food may be salted: TO TASTE. A lot or a little - your choice.
44. Moved like a dust devil: SWIRLED. A dust devil is a well-formed, generally harmless whirl-wind a few meters wide with an upward thrust. It is formed when a pocket of warm surface air rises through cooler air above it.
45. Last chance to catch a live show: END DATE. The date on which something comes to a close.
47. Baseball legend Mel: OTT. [1909 - 1958] Right fielder for the New York Giants from 1926 to 1947; 6-time National League home run leader; All-Star for 11 consecutive seasons; inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1952.
48. Paddock sounds: NEIGHS. Horses, not whispering.
49. Like fish in ceviche: RAW. This dish is popular in the Pacific coastal regions of Latin America. The fresh fish is cured in citrus juices and spiced with peppers, and other seasonings such as onions and cilantro. It must be prepared and eaten fresh, since it is not cooked.
52. Fragrant compound: ESTER. Formed by the reaction of an alcohol with a carboxylic acid. Low molecular weight ESTERS are usually pleasantly fragrant. They commonly occur in the essential oils of plants, and are responsible for the aromas of fruits.
54. Soup or salad: NOUN. Maybe it's just me, but I find this type of reflexive clue to be profoundly annoying.
55. Wildly enthusiastic (over): GAGA. Are you enthusiastic?
They have way too much fun
56. Surmounting: ATOP. On top of.
57. Khaki kin: TAN. Colors, not fabrics.
58. Landing hr. calculation: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
59. Isr. neighbor: LEBanon. To the north.
Well, not surprisingly, I had my nit, but this was still a fine and fun outing from Jeffrey.
I'll close with some musical selections from last Thursday's concert when your humble trombonist performed with the Plymouth Community Band at Kellogg Park. This program is traditional for the last performance before the 4th of July, and draws, by far, the largest audience of the Summer. Videos courtesy of my Lovely Wife.
Cool regards - and have a happy and blessed holiday.
Liberty Fanfare and the National Anthem
America the Beautiful, Olympic Fanfare and Armed Forces Salute
And - to counter-balance that bit of foolishness at the top --
Theme: Failure of imagination on my part, maybe, but I can't come up with anything better than the reveal:
60. "Careful now" ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 27- and 46-Across: EASY DOES IT.
Unless I'm missing something else [always a possibility] this indicates that in the two-or-three-word theme entries, the penultimate word ends in E, and the last word starts with Z; the spoken letters E-Z being phonetically equivalent to EASY. See - it's not hard.
17. Marmalade ingredient: ORANGE ZEST. So, it's ZEST, not PEEL, as I originally entered, and the jar in my fridge lists as an ingredient. I'm a big fan of this jam-like preserve, but my lovely wife doesn't like it at all.
27. Sign near school playgrounds: DRUG FREE ZONE. Keeping our kids clean and sober.
46. Theoretical lowest temperature: ABSOLUTE ZERO. Take some cold comfort in knowing there is a limit to how cold it can get. This is ZERO on the Kelvin scale, -273.15 Celsius, or -459.67 Fahrenheit. Anyone for some ice cream?
Hi gang, JazzBumpa on duty. Let's proceed and see how E-Z today's puzzle is.
Across:
1. Far direction?: EAST. There's a near EAST and a far EAST, which can be reached by traveling west. That is circular reasoning.
5. Frankfurt's river: ODER. Es gibt twei Frankurt. Frankfurt am Main und Fankfurt an der Oder. The Oder river rises in the Czech Republic and flows north-ish through Poland and defines 187 Km of the Germany-Poland border. At 525 Km, the Main is the longest river completely contained in Germany. It meanders in every direction imaginable, but ultimately westward, where it joins the Danube at the city of Mainz. Strangely, the two names are not related.
9. Word repeated in a historic FDR quote: FEAR. Nothing to FEAR here, move right along.
13. Formal "no" from 14-Across: VETO. A bill passed by both houses of congress can be signed into law by 14. A or vetoed. To over-ride a veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in both houses.
14. White House VIP: POTUS. President Of The United States.
21. Violent windstorm: TEMPEST. Traces utimately back to Latin Tempus, meaning time, via Tempastas, meaning season.
23. Ceaselessly: NO END. Going on and on and . . .
26. City in Florida or Italy: NAPLES. NAPLES [Napoli] Italy is a city in southern Italy, not far from Mt. Vesuvius. It dates to the 2nd millennium, B. C. and has many centuries of important art and architecture. NAPLES, FLA is an up-scale city in souther FLA on the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by miles of white sand beaches.
31. Geological period: EON. In geology and astronomy, one billion years; casually, an indefinite but very long time period.
32. __ trap: SET A. Literally, make a trap ready to catch an animal; figuratively, invent a plan to catch someone doing something wrong.
33. Bear in two constellations: URSA. Major and Minor, AKA Big and Little Dippers.
39. Former U.N. leader Hammarskjöld: DAG. Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the 2nd Secretary General of the U. N.
40. Biblical song: PSALM. A sacred hymn, specifically in the O.T Book of Psalms. Here is a setting of Psalm 74 in the Russian chant style by Russian composer Pavel Chesnikov, arranged by Holland, that we performed last year. One of the most beautiful compositions I've ever played.
42. Division on a Clue board: ROOM. Have you played the Harry Potter version? It murders the players.
43. Sardine holders: TINS. Metal containers. Cans also fits.
45. Philosopher __-tzu: LAO. Ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, and founder of Taosim. Quote: "Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
50. Brownish horse: SORREL. A horse of various reddish-brown hues, with same color or lighter mane and tail. Sometimes also called chestnut; there is confusion and controversy about the two names.
53. Yarn: STORY. Generally one that challenges the willing suspension of disbelief.
54. Mathematical proposition: THEOREM. A proposition that is not self-evident, but can be proven by a chain of reasoning.
56. City near the Great Salt Lake: OGDEN. In the Bee Hive State.
59. Prego competitor: RAGU. Pasta Sauces.
64. Turkmenistan neighbor: IRAN. Turkmenistan is South of Uzbekistan, North of Afghanistan, North-east of Iran.
65. Green __: THUMB. High level of gardening ability.
66. Actress Blanchett: CATE. Among her many other roles, she portrayed the Elf Queen Galadriel.
68. "Haven't decided yet": I MAY. Still thinking . . .
69. Topple from power: OUST. Via the voting booth, or revolution.
Down:
1. Bolivian leader Morales: EVO. President since 2006, and the first to come from the indigenous population.
2. Prefix with dynamic: AERO-. Relating to the motion physics of air or other fluids around moving bodies.
3. Headliner: STAR. An actor or other performer, not a celestial body.
4. Weight-training activity: TONING. Body definition from moderate muscle building and loss of fat.
5. Bar gadgets: OPENERS. For various kinds of bottles.
6. Egg qty.: DOZ. They usually come in cartons of 12. Note abrv. in cl. & ans.
7. Bastille Day saison: ETE. French Summer.
8. Fall color: RUST. This year sure is going by quickly. Autumn leaves are various shades of red.
9. Diving gear: FLIPPERS. Quasi-fish feet.
10. Prop for Picasso: EASEL. Art supporter.
11. Came up: AROSE. Emerged, became apparant.
12. Flies off the handle: RANTS. Loses it.
15. Shorthand expert, for short: STENOgrapher.
18. Cause for an "Oops!": GOOF. Error, mistake, faux pas.
22. "Don't be such a baby!": MAN UP. Be brave or tough enough to deal with it.
24. Must: NEED TO. Meet or satisfy a requirement.
25. Nuts and bolts, so to speak: DETAILS. God is there - or the devil, depending on your point of view.
27. Cotillion girl: DEButant. Young ladies introduced to polite society at a formal ball.
28. Katy Perry hit with the lyric "Louder, louder than a lion": ROAR.
29. PC command after an "Oops!": UNDO. I can realate.
30. Hershey bar in a red-and-yellow wrapper: ZAGNUT. Peanut brittle and cocoanut with a small amount of cocoa - no chocolate to melt and make a mess.
34. Mall event: SALE. Price reduction promotion.
35. Bygone apple spray: ALAR. Daminozide, a plant growth regulator used to keep unripe apples from falling off the tree from 1963 to 1989, when it was voluntarily withdrawn doe to cancer fears.
37. Skirt: GO AROUND. Evade, avoid.
38. Fireplace bit: EMBER. Glowing ash.
41. Sound from the pasture: MOO. The song of cows.
44. Stuck with, as a friend: STOOD BY. A friend, indeed.
47. Wintry mix component: SLEET. Frozen rain.
48. Therefore: ERGO. Hence, for that reason, consequently.
49. Bayou music style: ZYDECO.
50. __ mining: STRIP. A form of extraction, most commonly used for coal, in which the surface soil and rocks are removed to reveal the mineral, which is then extracted with heavy machinery.
51. Midwestern hub: O'HARE. Chicago airport.
52. Lear daughter: REGAN. The middle child. Her sisters are Cordelia and the eldest, unfortunately named Goneril.
55. Half a fish: MAHI. No better than half a fly. MEH!
57. Jacob's twin: ESAU. Biblical antagonists.
58. Quibbles: NITS. Half a fish, for example.
61. Bottom line: SUM. Of an added-up column of numbers.
62. Singer Sumac: YMA. [1923-2008] Peruvian coluratura soprano with a vocal range of over 4 1/2 octaves.
63. Saigon holiday: TET. Vietnamese lunar new year.
That's it. Not to hard, not too E-Z, and not bad, though I had my half-nit, or so. Thus endeth another Wednesday.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Here is a picture of JD's grandson Truman at his 5th grade graduation. Click here to see all the Truman pictures I've archived. JD joined our blog shortly after Truman was born, so he grew up with our blog.
61. Employee hours suggested by this puzzle's circles: LATE SHIFT.
Melissa here. SHIFT clues us in that LATE will be scrambled - four ways. Not just scrambly, but Scrabble-y, with K, V, X, Y and Z - but alas no J or Q. (Googling for scrambled things, I came across this funny.)
Across:
1. Not quite round: OVAL.
5. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA.
9. Ply: LAYER.
14. Like every U.S. president: MALE. So far.
15. "Coulda been a lot worse!": PHEW.
16. Romantic text: ILUVU. Romantic, if you're 12.
19. Gymnast Simone who won four golds in Rio: BILES.
Theme: Pretty as a picture. Let's start with the unifier, all will then be in focus.
56 A. End of a close race ... and what the last part of the answers to starred clues can literally be: PHOTO FINISH. This is a race that is so close that a picture is taken along the finish line to see who gets a nose across it first. In this puzzle, the last part part of each theme entry can be paired with the word PHOTO to get a specific meaning. Of course, a PHOTO FINISH can also be matte or glossy, but that's not what we are talking about.
17 A. *Sports bookie's figure: POINT SPREAD. The expected margin of victory - you can place a wager that a given team will win or lose a game by more than that amount. A PHOTO SPREAD is a group of pictures on a topic that are printed together in a magazine.
37 A. *R&D setting: TEST LAB. This is where the detail work is done to provide analytical data on the quality and performance properties of a product or its associated precesses. A PHOTO LAB is, or was, a place where traditional photographic negatives were developed to make the real image. Almost all photography is digital now, so I'm not sure how many PHOTO LABS exist these days.
11 D. *Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde," e.g.: DOUBLE ALBUM. This is group of two LP or CD musical recordings packaged as a unit. Digital streaming is phasing these things out as well. A PHOTO ALBUM is a book in which one can place cherished pictures for posterity.
25 D. *Marksmanship match: TURKEY SHOOT. A SHOOTING proficiency contest using moving targets, with a TURKEY as the winner's prize. A PHOTO SHOOT is an appointment with a photographer in a studio or on location to take a series of photographs.
Hi Gang - not particularly photogenic JazzBumpa here to zoom in on the fine [focal] points of this puzzle. Full disclosure: I am NOT a camera.
Nevertheless, here I am at the far right of a big trombone and tuba extravaganza at First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, MI this past Sunday. Should have vids in a week or so.
Photo credit: my Lovely Wife
Across:
1. Keebler cracker: ZESTA. Wheat based saltines.
6. Shoots the breeze: CHATS. Has a casual conversation.
11. E, in Morse code: DOT. Letters are represented by sequences of dots and/or dashes. Here, the sequence is one.
14. Parts of plots: ACRES. Land, not story features.
15. Kama __: SUTRA. More than just a sex manual, this ancient Hindu text is a guide to virtuous and gracious living, regarding love, family life and other pleasurable aspects of human existence.
16. Bruin great Bobby: ORR. A famous moment.
19. Action film gun: UZI. The Uzi is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. [Wikipedia.]
20. Caspian Sea feeder: URAL. This river originates in the Ural Mountains and flows through Russia and Kazahkstan in Eurasia.
21. Where work may pile up: IN BOX. Mine was a compost heap.
23. Criticized unfairly, in slang: HATED ON.
27. Stand in a studio: EASEL. Support for a picture.
29. Get away from: ELUDE. Or evade.
30. Inoffensive: HARMLESS.
33. "Tell It Like It Is" crooner __ Neville: AARON.
34. Suffix with billion: AIRE. A person with more money than she needs.
35. Fashionable way to arrive?: LATE. I guess appearing on time is gauche.
36. "What a pity": TSK. Tongue clucking.
40. Meadow: LEA. An open area of grassy or arable land.
41. Four-stringed instruments, typically: UKES.
43. Weighty volume: TOME. A large, scholarly book.
44. Buck the system: REBEL. Go your own way.
46. PassÈ street corner convenience: PAY PHONE. Among other passe things in this puzzle.
48. As __: generally: A RULE. Most of the time.
49. Location: SCENE. A particular place
50. Online player, briefly: P C GAMER. Played mostly on phones, these days, I imagine.
52. Taj __: MAHAL. A marble mausoleum built in 1642 by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. When I was young, I thought it was the Tajma Hall. Made sense to me at the time.
54. Foundry waste: SLAG. Stony by-product material from the smelting of ore.
55. Good Grips gadget brand: OXO. Ergonomically designed kitchen utensils.
63. "Don't Bring Me Down" rock gp.: ELO.
64. Singer Cyrus: MILEY. Not a fan.
65. Finnish tech giant: NOKIA. Telecommunications, information technology and consumer electronics company.
66. Hanoi holiday: TET. Vietnamese New Year - the most important celebration in their culture.
67. Green vehicles, for short: E-CARS. E, for eco-friendly.
68. Belgian treaty city: GHENT. This peace treaty formalized the end of the War of 1812. Ghent is the largest city in the East Flanders province of Belgium.
Down:
1. Cook quickly: ZAP. Heat in a microwave oven.
2. Prefix with logical: ECO-. Concerning the interactions of living organisms among each other and with their surroundings.
3. __ Lanka: SRI. An island nation south-east of india.
4. Top songs set: TEN. The 10 most popular songs in the country at any given time, based on downloaded and streamed songs from music retailers.
5. Stellar scholar: A STUDENT. Student who gets all A's on a report card.
6. D.C. network: C-SPAN. Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a public service.
7. Sling: HURL. Throw forcefully.
8. Gobbled up: ATE. Devoured.
9. Carol syllable: TRA.
10. Extreme cruelty: SADISM. More than that - it is deriving pleasure from inflicting pain and suffering on someone.
12. Rice-shaped pasta: ORZO.
13. Froot Loops shelfmate: TRIX. Sugary cereals marketed at children.
22. Jodie Foster title role: NELL. Movie about a girl raised in a mountain cabin who has no contact with the outside world, and devised her own language.
23. Intensify: HEAT UP.
24. "Seward's Folly" purchase: ALASKA. On March 30, 1867, U. S. Secretary of State William Seward signed a treaty with czarist Russia for the purpose of purchasing Alaska for 2 cents per acre. There was little enthusiasm in the U. S. Senate, where the treaty was ratified on April 9, by a single vote. Settlement in the territory was sparse until gold was discovered in 1898.
26. Tokyo, long ago: EDO.
27. "Copperhead Road" singer Steve: EARLE.
28. Nevada's __ 51: AREA. A highly classified remote area located 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, and the subject of popular conspiracy theories.
30. Blackjack request: HIT ME. Request for another card.
31. Remington played by Brosnan: STEELE. Another TV series I never watched. You can read about it here.
32. Driveway coating: SEALER. Petroleum based material intended to protect a black-top surface.
34. In unison: AS ONE. Though many, we are single-minded.
38. English school since 1440: ETON. An English independent boarding school for boys, which pops up frequently in cross words. If the clue asks for an English School and the space provided holds four letters, fill in ETON and move on.
39. Big talk: BRAGGING. To speak in a pompous or self-aggrandizing way about one's own accomplishments.
42. Animal welfare gp.: SPCA. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
45. Pitching stat: ERA. Earned Run Average, the mean of the number of earned runs per nine innings thrown by a given pitcher or pitching staff. An Earned Run is one fully resulting from the efforts and accomplishments of the offensive team; that is, one that does not result from any kind of error or mistake on the part of the defense. WHIP [walks and hits per inning pitched] is a more modern stat that is considered to be more meaningful.
47. "I need a hand": HELP ME. Request for assistance.
50. Tricks: PLOYS. Devious maneuvers.
51. Half-__: coffee compromise: CAF. Coffee with half the caffeine content. I used to drink that before I went full decaf.
52. Bubbly brand: MOET. Producer and distributor of champagnes.
53. Wheel connector: AXLE. A rod or spindle passing through the center of a wheel.
54. Ending for young and old alike?: STER. Suffix denoting a person engaged n or associated with a particular activity or thing, frex.: gangster.
57. Hyphenated Minute Maid brand: HI-C. Marketed since 1948. The original flavor was orange. The name reflects the high content of vitamin C. No idea if that is still accurate 70 years later.
58. Schnozz extension?: -OLA. A suffix of no specific meaning. in this case the effect is mildly humerous.
59. Japanese drama: NOH. A highly stylized form of classical theater involving, masks, costumes and various props.
60. '50s prez: IKE. Dwight David Eisenhower.
61. Sermon subject: SIN. An immoral act breaking divine law.
62. Boater or bowler: HAT. Fitting, I think, that we top this off with a couple pretty pictures. So here I will put a lid on it.
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