Monday December 26, 2022 Lynn K. Watson and Will Nediger

 Hello Cornerites! Happy Boxing Day! Let's celebrate by filling in the boxes on Lynn K. Watson and Will Nediger's CW grid!

Today's theme is:              

A CASE FOR CRACKERJACK SOLVERS

We will start with the reveal:

57. Across  Solve a mystery, and a hint to the answers to the starred clues: CRACK THE CASE.  It takes a crackerjack solver to see that in all 3 of the themers, there is a "CRACK" in the word "CASE". The "CRACKs" are filled not with caulk, but with letters to form a familiar thing or phrase.

The themers are:

20. Across*  Pink flower native to eastern North America: CAROLINA ROSE.

rosa carolina

35. Across*  Like a game that involves evasive subterfuge: CAT AND MOUSE. An idiom referring to a dedicated pursuit with near captures and close escapes.  (No "EEKS" today!)

43. Across*  Migratory honker: CANADA GOOSE. CSO to CanadianEh!

Some people say "Canadian goose" and some say "Canada goose". It's a regional thing. Where I live, the geese prefer to not migrate. Instead, they stay all year, enjoying the mild climate and getting very fat grazing on golf course grass. I suspect they are too fat to make the trip home to Canada!

Ever vigilant, the male (gander) holds his head up higher.

Let's investigate the other clues:

Across:

1. Warning sound from a rattlesnake: HISS.  I once had a cat that got bit by a rattlesnake. She survived. HENCEforth, she would spend the rest of the day hiding in the closest whenever a hose kinked and made a HISS noise!

5. Electrical pioneer Nikola: TESLA.  11 things about Nikola TESLA

10. Certain partner: WIFE.  At first I thought this was one of those paired words clues so I kept trying to think of a word that went with "certain".

Movie trailer for The Wife (2017), starring Glenn Close.

14. "Hello... hello... hello...," e.g.: ECHO. Clever way to clue a CW staple.

15. To no __: without success: AVAIL.

16. Each, informally: A POP.  a piece

17. Sign gas: NEON.  Can also be used to pimp your ride.

50 sec. video

18. Paper size longer than letter: LEGAL.  In the U.S. and Canada, LEGAL paper is 8.5 X 14 inches. When I worked at the Australian Embassy in D.C., I had to adjust to size A4. It might not seem like that much of a difference but one's brain recognizes the disconnect right away.

19. Cab: TAXI.

23. Leftover: EXTRA.  Many people like to have EXTRA Christmas turkey so they can make sandwiches on Boxing Day.

24. Sound system: STEREO.

27. Eyes a bull's-eye, say: AIMS.  "Eyes" is a verb here.

30. Chapel centerpiece: ALTAR.

32. U.K. lawmakers: MPS.  United Kingdom is abbreviated. So is MemberS of Parliament.

39. Oodles: A LOT.  In Nov. 2016, Crystal, a standard poodle, gave birth to 16 puppies in Lancaster, MN -- possibly tying the record for her breed. The puppies are 9 weeks old in this pic. (It looks like they trapped the puppies on a suspended board to get them to line up.)

Oodles of Poodles

41. Chutney fruit: MANGO.  Alton Brown's recipe

42. Chief Valhalla god: ODIN.

46. WNW's opposite: ESE.

47. Reptile in the Chinese zodiac: SNAKE.  The only other reptile is a dragon.

You are a SNAKE if you were born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, or 2013. The next Year of the Snake is 2025.

48. __-esteem: SELF.

Miss Wormwood was always one step ahead of Calvin.

50. Pays for everyone: TREATS.  My dog loves this word!

53. Reading lights: LAMPS.

61. "Veep" actress Chlumsky: ANNA.

Anna with her Veep castmates

64. Latest craze: MANIA.

65. Tehran's land: IRAN.  Last week I read Funny in Farsi:  A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas (2004). It is a humorous look at the immigrant experience. Two thumbs up!!

66. See 28-Down: BEAR. and 28D. With 66-Across, fairy-tale character whose bed was too soft: MAMA.  "Papa", "MAMA", and "Baby" all have 4 letters but only MAMA BEAR's bed was too soft.

67. Campaign button word: ELECT.

68. Guitarist Lofgren: NILS.  An American rock musician born in 1951 in Chicago, IL. Among other things, he is know for being a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984.

NILS Lofgren -- Pretty Soon (2019)

69. Deal (with): COPE.

70. Searches for: SEEKS.

71. Checkers or chess: GAME.  "Or" keeps it singular. "And" would make it plural.

Down:
1. From this point forward: HENCE.  Hence, we shall commence the Down clues.

2. Climbing tool for frozen surfaces: ICE AX.

3. Low on funds: SHORT. SHORT for "SHORT on cash".

4. Mexican state bordering Arizona: SONORA. Also, SONORA, California, nicknamed the "Queen of the Southern Mines", is a Gold Rush town named by Mexican miners in 1948 from the state of SONORA. It is 3 miles south of Columbia State Historic Park, a popular field trip destination for 4th graders in CA studying their state's history.

5. Anklebones: TALI.  "Talus" is singular. "TALI" is plural. Both are pronounced with a 'long a' sound.

6. Level: EVEN.

7. Very long story: SAGA.  It would take a lot of time to explain SAGA's etymology.

8. Perjurers: LIARS.  "Lies" would not fit. Then I read the clue more carefully:  perjurERs

9. Parcel out: ALLOT.  not "oodles"

10. ABBA hit with the line "I was defeated, you won the war": WATERLOO.  Did you remember this song from 63D yesterday? Taking you back to 1974...

11. Craft beer letters: IPA.

12. "Sour grapes" critter: FOX.  Grateful to 19A for limiting my WAGs to all animal names spelled with 3 letters and ending in "x".

13. Prefix with -logue: EPI.  Hand up for trying "pro" first.  EPIlogues vs Afterwards vs Appendices

21. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

22. Tailor's line: SEAM.  This clue seemed more difficult when I first read it.

25. Piano piece: ÉTUDE.

/ˈāˌto͞od/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. a short musical composition, typically for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player.

26. Welcome sight in the desert: OASIS.  Other good answers:  Yuman, Chairman Moe, Lucina, and OwenKL. I hope I did not leave out any other Cornerite desert dwellers. lmk

29. Male deer: STAG.

31. Actress Russo: RENE.  I love this scene from In the Line of Fire (1993). RENE Russo and Clint Eastwood play Secret Service Agents.  (2.07 min.)

"If she looks back, that means she's interested."

"Well Abe. Wish I coulda been there for ya pal."

32. Apple computers: MACS. Mine is a PC.

33. Garden growth: PLANT.  I am a gardener. I learned from my farmer grandfathers.

I set up this greenhouse in my backyard when I lived in Colorado.

34. Underwater detector: SONAR.  animals that use echolocation

36. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

37. Private aid gps.: NGOS.  "Groups" is abbreviated. So is "Non-Governmental OrganizatonS".

38. Prescribed amount: DOSE.

40. Friendly send-off: TAKE CARE.

44. Cherished: DEAR.

45. Fashion monthly: ELLE.

this month's cover

49. Not back-to-back with: FACING.

Downward FACING Dog (Yoga)

51. Makes less unruly: TAMES.

52. Bathroom accessory: SCALE.

54. Tennis star Sharapova: MARIA.

MARIA is one of 10 women (and the only Russian)
to achieve the career Grand Slam.

55. Sacred song: PSALM.

56. Smell, for one: SENSE.

58. Joint between the foot and the hip: KNEE.  KNEEs are hinge joints. Avoid injuries by making sure your KNEES and toes are pointing in the same directing when doing Yoga or other strenuous movements.

59. Clock sound: TICK. or tock

60. Bowlers and berets: HATS.

Bowler                            Beret

61. Start of the alphabet song: ABC.

62. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix (1999)
One Cool Dude

63. Quick snooze: NAP.  I'm ready for one now.  

Here's the completed grid:

How did you do? Did you earn your CRACKer Jack Detective pin?

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments!

Saturday, March 26, 2022, Carly Schuna and Will Nediger

 Saturday Themeless by Carly Schuna and Will Nediger

Of all the amazing constructors I have met in my years of blogging, Carly and her profession have to fall into the category of  "very unique". She lives in Madison, Wisconsin and gave us this lovely and generous note on this puzzle and her unique career: 

Hi, Gary,

First of all, even though Will generously calls this puzzle a collaboration, it was almost 100% him! I reached out to Will as a very beginning constructor to ask him to test solve a themeless puzzle I had made, and he kindly invited me to make a themeless puzzle with him. I provided the seed entry (INSPECTOR GADGET), and he did the rest, walking me through each step of the process with extreme patience. I then contributed most of the clues, as that was the least I could do after Will made the entire puzzle! That was about a year and a half ago, and since then, I've had about 10 puzzles published or accepted by various outlets, so in case there was ever any doubt, Will is an excellent mentor! Everything you've probably heard about him is true: In addition to being one of the world's best constructors and speed solvers, he is knowledgeable, open-minded, and generous with his time. I truly lucked out on getting him as a mentor. 

There are so many entries in this puzzle in Will's signature vice that I love: NEW CAR SMELL, I'LL GET IT, AM I WRONG, YOU DID WHAT, and (my personal favorite) NOPED OUT, which cracks me up every time. These colorful phrase make the puzzle so much more fun and I hope solvers enjoy them!

Will is, of course, a full-time crossword constructor and editor. When I am not making crosswords, I am a circus performer and coach specializing in German wheel (see picture). I also teach static trapeze, flying trapeze, juggling, teeterboard, and more. If anyone is ever near Madison, WI and wants to learn some circus, check out Madison Circus Space, the organization I co-founded where I teach, and we can do some circus together!

Best,

Carly

Will Nediger

Madison Circus Space

  

 Across:

1. Scholarly titles, briefly: DRS.

4. Certain cephalopods: OCTOPI - Cephalo (head) Pods (feet) - Head connected to feet/arms

10. Spaghetti strap top: CAMI.

CAMISOLE

14. "Please tell me that didn't happen!": YOU DID WHAT?

16. Rights activist Clooney: AMAL - Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin)

17. Banishing acts: EXPULSIONS.

18. Choice: WILL - Our favorite scat singer addresses this issue

19. Strategically placed whoopee cushion, say: JAPE - It's in here with some of its related words

20. Waters down: THINS.

22. Canine greeting: WAG.

23. About half the weight of an average car: ONE-TON - My Chevy Colorado weighs about 4,000 lbs or two tons

26. Request for a distraction: COVER ME - "COVER ME, I'm goin' in!"

28. Flower plot: BED.

29. Vulgar: LEWD - Vulgar missed this family portrait. Wednesday's puzzle had some of these. 

32. Hightail it: BUG OUT.

33. King nicknamed "Longshanks": EDWARD I - He was 6'2" in the year 1300 and is the 19th great-grandfather to QEII

35. Pro fighter: ANTI.

36. Cyborg detective of TV and film: INSPECTOR GADGET - Carly's seed entry  

Rotten Tomatoes Review Of The Film Version

40. Formal denial: NOT I.

41. Email attention-getters: AT SIGNS - @

42. Shim, for example: SPACER.

44. Slant: SPIN - It's an election year

45. Saw from behind?: WAS - An emordnilap is a word that spells a different word backwards. (Did you notice what emordnilap spelled backwards is?)

48. Most charged: TENSEST people in this atmosphere should 50. "Take a chill pill": EASE UP.

52. Include: ADD.

53. Popular tech service: G-MAIL.

56. Goddess credited in a Milky Way origin account: HERA.

57. Stat in standings: LOSS.

59. Smallest Central American country: EL SALVADOR - #4 EL SALVADOR is 8% smaller than #1 Belize below

62. Job under the hood: LUBE - Modern cars usually do not require this anymore 

63. Ones who see what you mean: LIP READERS - Fun clue. 

An attempt to stop this practice

64. "Come Sail Away" rock band: STYX.

65. Applies, as flattery: LAYS ON.

66. Nanjiani's "The Lovebirds" co-star: RAE - Can you see Issa's name in the graphic? Norma RAE was in the Monday's "D.C." puzzle.

Down:

1. Going platinum, maybe: DYE JOB - No records here, just a salon task

2. "Hunger" memoirist __ Gay: ROXANE.

3. Ate dinner: SUPPED.

4. Massage therapist's supply: OIL.

5. Vinyl successors: CDS.

6. Buffoon: TWIT.

7. Cry from one who knows the answer: OH OH and 8. Near-the-deadline response, at times: PANIC and 27. "My heavens!": EGADS. - Emotions for me after ten seconds on Carly's German Wheel

9. "Whatevs": IT'S NO BIGGIE.

10. Farm country avian cry: CAW.

11. "You don't doubt me, do you?": AM I WRONG.

12. Husky cousin: MALAMUTE.

13. Doorbell response: I'LL GET IT.

15. Song one can't perform?: DUET.

21. Dept. in a "Law & Order" spin-off: SVU.

24. Shoppe name word: OLDE.

25. It can be faked with air freshener: NEW CAR SMELL.

30. Power measure: WATT - KiloWATTs produced during a recent 5-day stretch here in our town's solar farm (red line shows wattage for clear blue sky). St. Patrick's Day was very cloudy!

31. Refuse: DROSS - Zinc DROSS left over from galvanizing 

33. "Paradise Lost" et al.: EPICS.

34. __ coffee: DRIP.

36. Puts on the hard drive: INSTALLS.

37. Left in disgust or fear, slangily: NOPED OUT.

38. Is ready to act: STANDS BY.

39. Oscar winner Paquin: ANNA - One of Canadian constructors, Brian Paquin, believes Winnipeg-born ANNA is a distant relative

43. Brain scan inits.: EEG.

45. Garden tool: WEEDER.

46. Northern sky sight: AURORA.

47. Minimalist: SPARSE.

49. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA.

51. Herring type: SHAD.

54. Road game: I SPY - with my little eye

55. Metallica drummer Ulrich: LARS - A guy whose name I never knew until I started puzzling

58. Census checkbox: SEX - Can you ask this any more?

60. Cancer follower: LEO - LEO does look somewhat like a lion. I told my kids to lo0k for the big backwards question mark in the spring and summer south sky.

61. Soccer mom's usual ride: VAN - I'm going to venture a guess that Carly's German Wheel ride is far from usual!