44A. Practice that develops a variety of employee skills: JOB ROTATION
59A. Kid's imaginary companions, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles: SECRET FRIENDS
Argyle here. Bit more secret with out the circles but you should know where to look for them, spanning the two words. Definitely a male slant to the entries but are there feminine equivalents?
Across:
1. The "m" in E = mc²: MASS. This formula states that the equivalent energy (E) can be calculated as the mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c) squared.
5. Put into force: ENACT
10. Wood-shaping tool: ADZE
14. Severely damaged sea: ARAL
15. Morning show featuring Al Roker: TODAY
16. Drubbed or whipped: BEAT
17. Calf-length skirt: MIDI
18. Lady's canine love: TRAMP. "Lady and the Tramp" Disney Movie (1955)
19. Omar of "The Mod Squad": EPPS. Popular guy in crossword land.
23. Bone: Pref.: OSTEO
24. Second person: YOU. I am first person.
25. Grammy category: RAP
28. "Don't play" music symbols: RESTS
32. "I'll do that!": "LET ME!"
34. Opposite of pos.: NEG.
40. Soothing succulent: ALOE
42. Inclined: ATILT. 'A' words. 53D. Come to light: ARISE
43. Sitter's nemesis: BRAT
47. Letters after ems: ENS. Alphabetically speaking.
48. "Not __!": "Quiet!": A PEEP
49. Macho guy: HEMAN
51. Not agin: FER
52. Musician's gift: EAR
55. Curriculum __: résumé: VITAE
64. Remove a rind from: PEEL
66. "Ask me if __": I CARE
67. Pigeon banter: COOS
68. Drops the ball: ERRs
69. Country south of Egypt: SUDAN
70. French I verb: ÊTRE. (to be)
71. Path behind a ship: WAKE
72. Poet's muse: ERATO
73. Taken in, as a movie: SEEN
Down:
1. Cuban dance: MAMBO
2. Spring zodiac sign: ARIES
3. '70s-'80s Egyptian president Anwar: SADAT. Ended in assassination.
4. Deli machine: SLICER
5. Caesar's ides-of-March words: "ET TU?"
6. Good name for an average guy: NORM
7. Not much (of): A DAB
8. Top-selling Toyota: CAMRY
9. Blood bank spec: TYPE 'O'
10. Second son: ABEL
11. Act of leaving: DEPARTURE
12. Microwave: ZAP
13. Sci-fi beings: ETs
21. Long-handled garden tools: HOEs
22. Break in the action: LULL
26. Capital of Jordan: AMMAN
27. Annoying types: PESTS
29. "Now!" in the OR: "STAT!"
30. Brit's sign-off: TA-TA
31. Northampton women's college: SMITH. Smith College is in Northampton,MA. Established 1871 (opened 1875).
33. Flow back: EBB
34. City south of Baghdad: NAJAF. Minneapolis and Najaf are Sister Cities since 2009.
35. Wed on the wing: ELOPE
36. Lose it big-time: GO BERSERK
38. Ballet dip: PLIÉ
39. Tiny physics bit: ATOM
41. Poetic palindrome: ERE
45. Oil gp. that includes Iraq: OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
46. "Avatar" race: NA'VI. The movie.
50. Nephews' sisters: NIECEs
54. Happen multiple times: RECUR
56. Govt. security: T-NOTE
57. Love dearly: ADORE
58. German steel city: ESSEN. "European Green Capital 2017"
60. Beyond that: ELSE
61. "Look what I did!": "TA-DA!"
62. Group with pledges: FRAT. (college fraternity)
Theme: - "Outside Shots" - PIC bookends each theme entry.
24A. *Trademark on Sealy's home page : POSTUREPEDIC. See here. I presume they just trademarked the name, not the technology.
38A. *Like the "Hunger Games" trilogy : POST-APOCALYPTIC
45A. *1998 Bullock/Kidman film involving sorcery : PRACTICAL MAGIC. Never saw the movie.
60A. *Certain pie lover : PIZZAHOLIC. Do you guys love Hawaiian Pizzas?
64A. *One might help find a lost animal : PET PSYCHIC. Our local WCCO used to have a psychic on from time to time. Not just a pet psychic. She dealt with all kinds of questions.
80A. *Checkout choice : PAPER OR PLASTIC. I always bag myself.
88A. *Furry, green baseball mascot :PHILLIE PHANATIC. Alliteration. This will bring a big smile to Barry Silk.
104A. *Like a 107-Down :PHOTOGRAPHIC.
Reveal entry:
107. Shot surrounding the answers to starred clues : PIC
Veteran
solvers can often figure out the theme without the reveal. But often
editors require constructors to put a reveal in the lower right, just in
case some of the newbies can not grok the theme.
Erik's
puzzles are often tricky and nuanced. His grids often have an extra
layer. At times, he also makes this type of simple but fresh
themes. Treat yourself with his Food for Thought.
Our grid today is also very Erik, clean and modern. And as always, he debuted a few new sparkly entries. Not often do we see a pair of 11's, 10's, paralled 9's, four 8's fill in Down fill alone.
Across:
1. Security gp. with wands : TSA. And 96. 1-Across check : SCAN. Not an ideal cross-reference due to TSA abbr.
4. They can print rcpts. with check images : ATMs
8. Hooch : BOOZE
13. __ Spumante : ASTI
17. Minor league ice org. : AHL. American Hockey League. Calder Cup for the champions.
18. Asked too much : PRIED
20. Chinchilla, e.g. : RODENT
22. Give temporarily : LOAN. Had LEND first.
23. Los Angeles athlete : RAM
26. Lamb pen name : ELIA. Charles Lamb.
27. "Show me the evidence!" : PROVE IT. Great fill.
29. Green Giant morsels : PEAS
30. Some oral meds : GEL CAPS
32. Perfect places : EDENs
33. Nearly 25% of a marathon : TEN K. About 6.2 miles.
34. Marvin Gaye's label : TAMLA. Unknown to me.
36. Understand : SEE
37. "We need to talk" : A WORD. Partial clue would be easier for me.
41. Chocolate __ cake : LAVA
42. Oinker : PIG
43. Is yet to be decided : PENDS
44. Descartes' sum : I AM. I think, therefore I am. I like our Jayce's interpretation. His "donc" makes more sense to me.
49. Make it necessary to decrypt : ENCODE
52. Pepper typically hotter than a jalapeño : SERRANO. I planted them once. The shifted to Thai peppers the next year.
53. Paddle : OAR
54. Conestoga traveler : WAGONER
55. Bars in aisles, briefly : UPC
56. Good name for a funeral director? : MORT. Thought of D-Otto's pop.
57. See 80-Down : BEAR. And 80. With 57-Across, storied hot-porridge eater : PAPA
71. Outlook alternative : AOL MAIL. BothRich Norris and Will Shortz use AOL.
74. Joe dispenser : URN
75. Part-time player : SEMI-PRO. Same letter count as AMATEUR.
79. Most loyal : TRUEST
84. "Every kiss begins with __": jeweler's slogan : KAY
85. Trash : WASTE
86. Long swimmer : EEL. The most delicious food in the world!
87. Gauge on the dash : TACH
93. Toast opener : HERE'S
94. Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" : RON
95. Retract : UNSAY
97. Bespectacled "Scooby-Doo" character : VELMA. Stranger to me.
98. Downward dog surface : YOGA MAT. Another sparkly 7-letter fill.
100. Two-part tune : DUET
101. Mechanics' jobs : REPAIRS. Wish I were efficient as Splynter/TTP/D-Otto. They DYI everything. I could not even take out a bad deck board.
103. Ends' partners : ODDS
108. Came into : GOT
109. End of a bed : FOOT
110. Classic palindrome ending : PANAMA. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!
111. Tuscan hill city : SIENA
112. "__ takers?" : ANY
113. Acronymic anxiety about being excluded from the fun : FOMO. Fear of Missing Out.
114. Progress tracker : METER
115. Team of players : CAST
116. Veto : NIX
Down:
1. Rain delay cover : TARP
2. Some free downloads : SHAREWARE
3. "Talk to Her" Oscar-winning screenwriter Pedro : ALMODOVAR. Probably the most famous Spanish filmmaker. "Volver".
4. Tack on : APPEND
5. One below quatre : TROIS. "Quatre" is hard to pronounce for me.
6. Ocean spray : MIST
7. Chess player's pride : SET
8. Lose cohesion : BREAK APART. Opposite 69. TV drama partly set on a Louisiana farm : QUEEN SUGAR. A great pair of 10's in the middle.
9. "My bad" : OOPS
10. Tribute in verse : ODE
11. Alphabetiser's ending : ZED
12. Puzzles : ENIGMAS
13. Guinness of "Star Wars" : ALEC
14. Embarrassingly outdated : SO LAST MONTH. Fresh fill.
15. Tamsui River capital : TAIPEI. Tamsui means "freshwater". Sui=Water, same as the Shui in Feng shui.
16. "Gimme one moment" : IN A SEC
19. Fools : DUPES
21. Protective lymphocyte : T CELL
25. Pay for a pad : RENT
28. City named by Cortés : VERACRUZ. Got via crosses.
31. Placing, as bricks : LAYING
33. Ancient wrap : TOGA
34. Author Morrison : TONI
35. Power couple? : AC DC. Nailed it.
37. Swiss high points : ALPS
38. __ de gallo : PICO. Looks so fresh.
39. Board game piece : PEG
40. Rabanne of fashion : PACO. Unfamiliar figure to me.
42. Go to bat (for) : PINCH HIT
46. Spanish snack : TAPA
47. Barracks officer, slangily : LOOIE
48. Artist Chagall : MARC
49. Another name for abalone : EAR SHELL. Makes sense. It does look like an ear.
50. God head? : DEMI.Demigod.
51. Benét or Bellinger of R&B : ERIC
54. Hip-hop hitmaker Fetty __ : WAP
56. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" initials : MLK
57. Bingo relative : BEANO. Notice Rich never used "Gas remedy" or something similar?
58. Airport screen no. : ETD
60. H.S. exam : PSAT
61. Novello for whom British music-writing awards are named : IVOR. Used to stump me.
62. Former South African monarchy : ZULU KINGDOM. Another fresh fill.
63. Engine stuff : OIL
64. Engine sound : PURR
65. Arizona retirement city : YUMA
66. Comedian Alonzo's self-named sitcom : CRISTELA. Wiki says "She is the first Latina woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own US network show".
72. Square serving? : MEAL
73. Refuge : ASYLUM
75. What a script may be written on : SPEC
76. Grouse family bird : PTARMIGAN. So well-blended.
77. Pilaf-like product : RICE-A- RONI
78. Publisher Adolph : OCHS
81. Pale : ASHY
82. School gp. : PTA
83. Free __: carte blanche : REIN
85. The Irons of soccer's Premier League : WEST HAM. Wiki says "The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United". Irons sounds better than Ham.
88. Remove with force : PRY OFF
89. African American folk magic : HOODOO
90. Like Candy Crush purchases : IN-APP. In-app purchases.
91. Taiwanese PC brand : ACER. I'm using one.
92. Lines at the door? : TA TAs. Not the Black Friday lines.
93. Jazz devotee : HEPCAT
97. Blood lines : VEINS. Literally.
99. Regarding : AS TO
100. Head : DOME
101. Long-necked pampas bird : RHEA
102. River of Hades : STYX
105. First character in this clue : ONE. The clue number 105.
106. Bit of body art : TAT
C.C.
Here are a few more sweet photos of Lemonade's cute grand kids. Owen sure grows up quickly.
Charlotte
Harper
Owen
One more sweet picture of JD's grandsons:
Left to Right: Grady (Truman's little brother), Truman, Cameron and Dylan (Cameron's little brother)
Some
nice cluing deception today, with about a half dozen of them fooling
me. We last heard from Mr. Johnson in July, and this is #5 for his LA
Times Saturday constructions. No Google, no red-letters, and I wrapped
this one up in half of my personal allotted time. Today's grid reminds
me of a Christmas package bow, with two pairs of central 11-letter
spanners and climbers, with a pinwheel of four 10-letter fills
surrounding;
7. Engine part often connected to a flywheel : CRANKSHAFT - I was thinking the other end, as in CLUTCH PLATE, which didn't fit
38. Shaking one's head, maybe : FRUSTRATED
- This is me; I was hoping to get a head start on saving for a house
now that I make better money with the new job, and then my landlord
tells me two weeks ago that he's selling the house; now I am under the
gun to get a place to live. I did find the perfect "fixer-upper", so
say a prayer that I can find the money to afford it.
27. Desk accessories : NAMEPLATES
29. Some partners' workplaces : LAW OFFICES - NEWS CHAIRS fit,
but I didn't think that was right; still, most broadcasts featured two
people bringing the nightly news; growing up, I remember Roger Grimsby
and Bill Beutel on Ch. 7
Hoping your news is good news....
ChO7NeWsARD~!
ACROSS:
1. __ cord : SPINAL - extension and umbilical cord did not fit. SPINAL Tap~!
7. Considered, with "on" : CHEWED - oops, not STewed
13. Leader of the track : PACE CAR - my mind was on foot race to start
15. "To the end of the block! C'mon!" : "RACE ME~!"
16. Immediate slap shot after receiving a pass, in hockey : ONE-TIMER - this one was right in my wheelhouse, and a great play to see in any hockey game
Alex Ovechkin may be the best at this
18. Biology notebook doodle : AMOEBA - good WAG, but then again, most doodles look like amoebae
19. __ Mahal : TAJ
20. Parsons School sketches : DESIGNS - "parson" made me think "deacon", and it fit - I even tried to find a "sketch" of a "deacon"
22. __ Kan: Alpo rival : KAL
23. "A Jug of Wine ... " poet : OMAR - filled via perps
25. Brought along : TOOK
26. Plural contraction : WE'RE - not gonna take it~?
30. Blue ghost in Pac-Man : INKY - the others were Blinky, Pinky and Clyde
31. Recycling center debris : GLASS SHARDS - Sssss - and the new job contributes mightily towards this
33. Opposite of hastens : SLOWS - had it, took it out, put it back in
34. Gets under control : TAMES
35. "This doesn't concern you" : STAY OUT OF IT
37. Order of encyclopedias : A TO Z - oh, well, duh - So easy, it was hard for me to see
42. Cook seen on TV specials : DANE - ah, not a 'cook', but Dane Cook, the comedian
43. Cut down : FELL - not HEWN
44. Cover on the street : PAVE - another deception; I was thinking news team, again
45. GI grub : MRE - Meals, Ready-to-Eat
46. Like the most substantial sum : TIDIEST - I didn't think LARGEST was going to stay, but maybe the "-EST" would
49. Social post : PICture
50. Leaning to the right, in a way : ITALIC - ah, nothing political, just political
52. Cheese from the Italian for "sheep" : PECORINO - Italian 'sheep' is pecora; I thought it might be something "ovine"; Bzzzt
54. Entertain lavishly : REGALE
55. Strength : POTENCY
56. Puts up : ERECTS - curious that potency should be followed by erects....
57. Golfer's short irons : WEDGES - OK, I tried EIGHTS
DOWN:
1. 100% correct : SPOT ON - only if it's 100% 100% correct, right D-otto~?
2. Southernmost location in continental North America : PANAMA
- ah, NORTH America, not US America; I tried to figure out what is the
last place you can visit in Florida before you hit the Keys - and isn't
Panama in central America~? Meso-America~? Doesn't matter, here's Van Halen~!!!
Panama
3. It may delay river traffic : ICE JAM - LOG was not going to work with my hockey one-timer
4. Realize : NET - dah~! not GET
5. Sour : ACID
6. "That's so weak!" : LAME - I find "Sour" for "Acid" a bit lame
8. Stage embarrassments : HAMS
9. Prefix with tourist : ECO
10. Time off for many : WEEKENDS
11. Boards a ship : EMBARKS
12. Dallas plaza in 1963 headlines : DEALEY - I did not know this; the website
14. Lead-in to a promise : REST ASSURED
17. Gets out of control : RIOTS
21. Calls it a night : GOES TO SLEEP
24. Do some window maintenance : REGLAZE
26. Evidence-gathering device : WIRETAP
28. Tactic : PLOY
32. "The Kite Runner" boy : AMIR - filled via perps
33. Pre-metalworking period : STONE AGE
35. First course : STARTER
36. Spring festival focus : TULIP - couldn't see this with HEWN in the way
37. Esteem : ADMIRE
39. Recording : TAPING - I still refer to my DVR shows as ones that I "taped"
40. Show clearly : EVINCE
41. Red herrings, perhaps : DECOYS
46. Arcade game ender : TILT - pinball, not Pac-Man
47. Harbor hauler : SCOW - made me change my golf club; from an 8-iron to a wedge
48. Handy bag : TOTE
51. "Hotel du __": Anita Brookner novel : LAC
53. Light color : RED - traffic light, clever; not the 'tone' or intensity of the color
I am back for this post-thanksgiving puzzle. My trip to Thailand to meet my wife's family, renew our vows and get her to doctors who speak Thai was a wonderful experience. Now on to the puzzle.
We have our second puzzle from LEONARD WILLIAMS who has 8 NYT publications, and a 2016 WSJ. His LAT was a SUNDAY in 2012. This was strange creation, easy in places, but no reveal for the theme. I have blogged enough puzzles where themers all go from bottom to top, but I don't recall one without a reveal. This will likely upset those who do not like themes but it was all well put together. The five all have second word (read from the bottom to the top) synonymous with "rising."
Two relate to climb/ascent and two relate to hike/increase. I had fun.
23D. What Red Bull provides, aptly : TSOOB YGRENE (11). Energy boost.
27D. Scale a cliff, aptly : BMILC KCOR (9). Rock climb.
Across:
1. Old AT and T rival : GTE. General Telephone and Electric.
4. __ Na Na : SHA. More from Woodstock.
7. Pigsty : DUMP. These are not synonymous for me. A palace can be a pigsty if not cleaned etc.
11. Least used : RUSTIEST. A Friday stretch.
14. Nightmare reaction : TERROR. This was obscure to me.
16. "Collages" author : ANAIS NIN. Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell, known professionally as Anaïs Nin, was an American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. wiki.
17. Grammy winner for "I Believe I Can Fly" : R KELLY.
18. Part of a Requiem Mass : DIES IRAE. Dies irae is a Latin hymn attributed to either Thomas of Celano of the Franciscans (1200 – c. 1265) or to Latino Malabranca Orsini. The hymn is best known from its use as a sequence in the Requiem (Mass for the Dead or Funeral Mass). wiki.
19. Name suffix : III. On any application they ask for suffixes like jr. etc.
20. Ukr. and Georgia, once : SSRS.
21. With legal tender : IN CASH. meh.
23. Even prime : TWO. The only even number that cannot be divided by any other.
26. 2016 World Series Champions : CUBS.
28. Locale : SITE.
29. Con target : SAP.
30. "The Hunger Games" nation : PANEM. Bread. LINK.
32. Pianist Templeton : ALEC. I did not know this COMPOSER.
33. Estadio shout : OLE.
34. Formal reply to "Who's there?" : IT IS I.
35. Foul line shots: Abbr. : FTS. Free Throws.
36. "Too rich for my blood" : I FOLD.
38. Loose : LAX.
39. "__ and the Real Girl": 2007 film : LARS. I ended up enjoying this very odd movie.
41. Judicial attire : ROBES.
42. Altar constellation : ARA. The name means ALTAR.
43. Hudson Bay native : CREE.
44. Like kittens : SPRY.
45. Honda subcompact : FIT.
46. Actor Culkin : KIERAN. Macaulay's brother. he continues to act, 2015 in tv series Fargo.
48. Some NCOs : SGTS.
51. Nipper's brand : RCA. Nipper was a mongrel -part fox terrier part jack Russell - from Bristol, England, who served as the model for a painting by Francis Barraud titled "His Master's Voice which was used by RCA
52. Saint of "On the Waterfront" : EVA MARIE.
54. Something to exercise: OPTION. This right so many ways.
57. Particularly noxious: VIRULENT.
58. Cialis competitor: VIAGRA.
59. Periodic table listing: ELEMENTS.
60. Numbered piece: OPUS.
61. Obstinate critter: ASS.
62. That, in Tijuana: ESA.
Down:
1. Alumni: GRADS. I know, no mention of abbreviation.
2. North African capital: TUNIS. Tunisia.
4. Emphatic Acapulco assent: SI SI.
5. Rousseau et al.: HENRIS.
6. Like many elephants: ASIAN. Here is Oo after she just fed a lime to an Asian Elephant.
7. Eins und zwei: DREI. Adding in German.
8. Google find: URL.
9. Basic chem. unit: MOLecule.
10. Ask too many questions: PRY.
12. Cold sufferer's boxful: TISSUES.In Thailand they use tissues in place of napkins and paper towels.
14. Sad, to Sartre: TRISTE. French.
22. Is out sick, say: AILS.
24. Pixar title robot: WALL-E.
25. Slanted pieces: OP-EDS.
30. Rice dish : PILAF.
31. Longtime video game name : ATARI.
35. For the taking : FREE.
37. On the market : FOR SALE.
40. Singer Grande : ARIANA. Seems like a very real person, but what do I know.
44. Certain drums : SNARES.
47. Walled Spanish city : AVILA. Not sure, but I immediately thought of out dear Lucina. LINK.
49. Colors : TINTS.
50. __ precedent : SETS A. A little law reference...
51. Fixes, in a way : RIGS.
53. Fall bloomers : MUMS. Mums the flower as well as the WORD.
54. Lacto-__ vegetarian : OVO. They eat milk products and eggs.
55. Domino depression : PIP.
56. Sigma follower : TAU.
I imagine most of us are somnabulant, but I learned today that chicken has more tryptophan than turkey. I renew my thanks to C.C. and all of you for 9 fun years.
Notes from C.C.:
1) As Lemonade mentioned earlier, he and his lovely wife Oo renewed their vows in Thailand. Here are a few pictures.
2) Here is a sweet picture of JD's grandson Truman and Grady. Truman is 10. Grady is 8. JD joined our blog shortly after Truman was born. Almost 10 years. Who else have been with our blog for that long?
58A. Compressed data ... and what the ends of the answers to starred clues form? : ZIP FILE
16A. *Passionate kiss : LIP LOCK. Ziplock. Becoming a generic term now, although a genuine Ziplock comes from SC Johnson.
22A. *Net profit or loss : BOTTOM LINE. Zip-line. I went zip-lining in the rain forest in Costa Rica a number of years ago. Lots of fun. The climb up to the first platform was a little daunting. Those trees are high!
34A. *Take for a spin : TEST DRIVE. Zip drive. You don't see these around much any more. Zip drives were external hard drives for backups and extra storage.
Happy Turkey Day from the other side of the Atlantic! Thankfully not a turkey of a puzzle today. It took me a little while to tumble to the theme even with a completed grid, but the clouds cleared after a while (unlike the clouds here in Cornwall, but that makes for great seascapes).
This was Land's End yesterday - next stop, America and turkey!
Let's see what else we've got:
Across:
1. They're often run on weekends : ERRANDS
8. Stump : BAFFLE. The theme stumped me for a while until I finally saw the add-a-word gimmick.
14. Keep in office : RE-ELECT
15. ADHD treatment : RITALIN
17. Ballpark : INEXACT. A ballpark estimate. On the British news today I heard that a nuclear power plant, originally budgeted to cost £6bn, will actually cost £34bn, That's off by five ballparks and a bit.
18. Actress Davis : GEENA
.
19. Long narrative : SAGA
20. Large body of eau : MER. Vive La France!
21. Put __ act : ON AN
25. Cardiff natives : WELSH.
27. "Luck __ Lady": "Guys and Dolls" song : BE A
28. "As I Lay Dying" father : ANSE. Bundren. I only know this name from crosswords.
29. Newsroom VIPs : EDS. Editors. I always thought it apt that Lou Grant was played by "Ed" Asner.
30. Pelvic bones : ILIA
32. Marsh grasses : SEDGES. A school project taught be the difference between a grass, a sedge and a rush.
36. Relaxing : AT REST
39. Time long past : YORE
40. Flight connection word : VIA. We went LAX - LHR via SFO this trip. Direct on the way back though.
43. Actor LaBeouf : SHIA
44. Eye of el tigre : OJO
45. Many spam messages : SCAMS
51. Equipment not used in "Unplugged" albums : AMPS. My favorite "Unplugged" episodes on MTV were Eric Clapton and The 10,000 Maniacs. Here's the opening number from the latter. It's on my iTunes favorites list.
52. Metal precioso de El Dorado : ORO
53. Uninspiring : DRAB
54. Key letter : KAPPA. The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority membership badge is a golden key.
56. Result of a hung jury, often : RETRIAL
60. Oberon's queen : TITANIA. "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Bill the Bard.
61. Underwriter : INSURER. My first office job was working for a Lloyd's of London marine insurance underwriting syndicate. I wrote up premium payment information in a ledger the size of the Gutenberg Bible and weighing about 60 pounds. I volunteered for computer data operations as soon as I got the chance.
62. Be short with : SNAP AT
63. Untouched by time : AGELESS
Down:
1. Schubert's "The __ King" : ERL
2. Ruled : REIGNED
3. Strikes down : REPEALS
4. Gracie and Woody : ALLENS
5. Like Crayola's Laser Lemon or Shocking Pink : NEON
6. 1983 Mr. T comedy : DC CAB
7. Wall St. purchase : STK. Hmmm. Common Stock. I'm not a big fan of this abbreviation, but it's perfectly understood in the crossword world.
8. Game with cards : BINGO
9. Starting squad : A TEAM. I was quite surprised not to see this linked with 6D somehow.
10. Business card number : FAX. Becoming increasingly rare. I always wonder which "wonder salesman" sold the first fax machine. "It'll be really useful when someone else gets one. Who you know. And do business with. You know."
11. On fire : FLAMING
12. Driving need : LICENSE. Technically you don't need a license to drive. I'm currently driving a stick shift Nissan SUV with a name I can't pronounce (Quasqui, anyone?) sitting on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road.
13. Menu heading : ENTREES
15. Ranchero's rope : RIATA
19. Reliable income source : STEADY JOB
21. Run a tab, say : OWE
23. End piece? : OBIT
24. Work on the docks : LADE
26. Scurries : HIES
31. D-Day transport : LST. Landing Ship, Tank.
32. Title of honor : SIR
33. December has two big ones : EVES. Christmas and New Year, of course.
34. Hint of remorse : TEAR
35. Cross : ROOD. Here's the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, Scotland. Different spelling, same eventual meaning, once you put the schoolboy snickering behind you.
36. Puts in order : ASSORTS
37. "__ our letters do not well agree": Brutus : THEREIN. More Bill the Bard today. From Julius Caesar:
BRUTUS:
Therein our letters do not well agree.
Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
38. Stuffing in stuffed shells : RICOTTA
40. Anne Rice character : VAMPIRE
41. Destroys, as a 40-Down : IMPALES. After a lot of shenanigans with garlic and mirrors.
42. Aesop's "The __ in the Lion's Skin" : ASS
44. Florida horse-breeding city : OCALA. I confuse this with Acela, the DC - New York express. I'm easily confused.
46. Detergent measure : CAPFUL
48. Ritzy Twin Cities suburb : EDINA. Nailed it! C.C. knows this in her sleep.
49. Characteristic : TRAIT
50. Just making, with "out" : EKING
55. Stained glass setting : APSE
57. Knock : RAP
58. '70s-'80s Pakistani leader : ZIA. General Zia. Took power in a military coup. It didn't end well, let's just put it out there.
59. Critical care ctrs. : E.R.'S
And that's it from me, except for a "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone, especially everyone who read this far!
Theme: WELL, THAT WAS UNPLEASANT! The first word of the theme answers are adjectives describing things that might make you curl your lip, cover your eyes, plug your nose and leave in disgust.
18. Last one in, so they say : ROTTEN EGG. Swimming pool/hole cry, and a nasty sulfurous odor.
29. Bad thing to end on : SOUR NOTE. Indeed, the first rule of the musician's code is to always end on a good note. A sour note in the middle of a tune might be forgotten, or better yet, not noticed. But at the end - it's a poor statement that might be remembered. By analogy, can apply to any situation that ends badly.
34. Serious carelessness, in tort law : GROSS NEGLIGENCE. Per Wikipedia, the "lack of slight diligence or care" or "a conscious, voluntary act or omission in reckless disregard of a legal duty and of the consequences to another party." In a different, more vernacular, sense, something GROSS is disgusting.
43. Place at the very bottom : RANK LAST. To have an unsuccessful competitive season or tournament. Somebody has to end up there. In a different sense, RANK describes an offensive odor.
55. Trait of one given to obscenities : FOUL MOUTH. A person with a FOUL MOUTH utters what we used to call "bad words." Odors and struck baseballs can also be FOUL.
And, tucked deep into the far corner [but I can still smell it] the unifier: 67. Reaction to the starts of the five longest puzzle answers : YECCH. A vocalized expression of disgust.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty. Let's set the unpleasantness aside, and and seek the good stuff in this puzzle. With 5 theme entries, including a grid-spanner, plus the unifier, it's thematically rich.
Down
1. Minty Derby drink : JULEP. Now this more like it! Bourbon, crushed ice, sugar and fresh mint, typically served in a tall frosty glass. A Kentucky Derby tradition.
6. Shopping extravaganza : SPREE. An event of self-indulgence, carousal, or extreme activity.
11. ABC show for early risers, briefly : Good Morning America. A news and pop-culture program shown from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in all time zones, live in the Eastern Zone and on broadcast delay in the others.
14. "Ditto," more formally : AS AM I. Me too.
15. "Can't win 'em all" : I LOST. Somebody always goes home disappointed. Wish it were the other guy.
16. Conniving "2001" computer : HAL.
17. Copperfield's field : MAGIC. David Seth Kotkin [b 1956] aka David Copperfield is an American illusionist who has grossed [in yet another sense of the word] over $4 billion in ticket sales, more than any other solo entertainer in history. He also owns 11 islands in the Bahamas, called Musha Bay, which he uses as a private resort.
20. Complain : KVETCH. Something I assume Mr. Kotkin would have little cause to do.
22. __ extra cost : AT NO. It's all included.
23. Banged shut : SLAMMED. As a door, frex.
27. Cover the spread? : CATER. My first reaction was - eh? But a CATERER provides the victuals, aka "the spread," for an event. Clever!
28. More unsure : WARIER. More cautious, actually. Is a person who is less unsure under wary?
32. Feels lousy : AILS. Hurts or has a tummy ache.
33. Casual "You game?" : WANNA. "Do you want to?" in short mouth.
41. Westminster landmark : ABBEY. The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, opened in 1090 C. E., is a large, mostly gothic structure located in the City of Westminster, London.
42. Indifferent responses : MEHS. I'm not impressed.
47. Letter-shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP. A description that fits to a T.
49. Tablet download : E-BOOK. Electronic Book to be read on your portable device. I have sheet music on mine.
50. Becomes depleted : RUNS DRY. Gets all used up.
51. "Tickle Me" toy : ELMO. Fuzzy red muppet.
52. Tries one's hand (at) : HAS A GO. This always reminds me of the scene in Raymond Carver's short story, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" when Mitchell Anderson asks Marian, "Would you like to HAVE A GO at it?" And she does.
57. Held the deed to : OWNED.
62. Dawn goddess : EOS. The rosy-fingered goddess who opens the gates of heaven so that the sun may rise.
63. Naturally lit lobbies : ATRIA. A large open air or sky light covered space surrounded by a building.
64. Connect with : TIE TO. Make an association between
65. Apt. divisions : RMS. Rooms, with or without views.
66. Oyster bead : PEARL. A more or less spherical calcium carbonate object produced within the soft tissue of a mollusk. They have long been prized as gem stones.
Down
1. Traffic snarl : JAM. I deal with it several times a week.
2. Mex. neighbor : USA. Los Estados Unidos de Mexico and the United States of America.
3. Fall behind : LAG.
4. Old U.K. record label : EMI.
5. Hand raiser's cry : PICK ME. There's always that one kid in the back of the classroom . . .
6. Fathered : SIRED. Begat.
7. Devious scheme : PLOT.
8. Campus cadets' org. : ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corp.
9. Bk. before Job : ESTHer.
10. Summer on the Seine : ETE. French
11. "In the __": Elvis hit : GHETTO.
12. Refrigerator art holder : MAGNET. We currently have several photos in place.
13. Climate Reality Project chairman : AL GORE. ]b 1948] Former congressman, senator, vice president and presidential candidate.
19. Indian flatbread : NAAN. A leavened oven-baked flat bread common in south and central Asia.
21. Bible transl., e.g. : VERsion. Who knew there were so many?
23. Party loot : SWAG. Things given away as gifts, usually for promotional purposes.
24. Den : LAIR. Where the Lions live. They'll need to be better than they have been against the Vikings tomorrow, and I'm not a liar.
25. Guthrie of folk : ARLO. Who provided us with another Thanksgiving Day tradition. [Warning: it's a little over 18 minutes.]
26. __ Piggy : MISS. And her handsome beau, Kermit. It's a match made in a bog. Or maybe a sty.
27. Rock climber's handhold : CRAG. In rock climber's lingo, a crag is any climbable cliff. But I think the intended meaning here is an outcropping that can be grasped.
29. "Full House" actor : SAGET. Bob [b 1956] as Danny Tanner from 1987-95. He's also done several other TV and movie projects.
30. Like a child without siblings : ONLY. I was one for 6 1/2 years. It's almost like my parents raised to ONLIES.
31. Start of a cycle? : UNI-. Half a bicycle. I'm not fond of cutsie affix clues.
33. Woven traps : WEBS. The work of spiders. Here is one of my better haiku.
on the silken strands
sad fly plays a minor chord
orb weaver's delight
35. Polio vaccine pioneer : SALK. Jonas [1914-1995]
36. Kevin Durant's org. : National Basketball Association.
37. CPR specialists : Emergency Medical TechnicianS.
38. Geek : NERD. Call him/her for your computer or cell phone issues.
39. Sear : CHAR. Burn or blacken the surface of something.
40. Award for athletes : ESPY. Granted by sports TV network ESPN.
43. Sailor's jacket : REEFER. A thick, close-fitting, double breasted coat. I believe this word might also have another meaning.
44. Flowering : ABLOOM. Buds are busting out all over.
45. Half a rhyming "easy to do" phrase : NO MUSS. No fuss, no bother.
46. Menthol cigarette brand : KOOL. First introduced in 1933.
47. Harbor helper : TUG. A boat that moves other larger boats by pushing or towing them in hard to maneuver places.
48. Highfalutin : SNOOTY. Elitist.
50. 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL. [b 1953] Winner of 3 championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series.
52. Table d'__: fixed menu : HOTE. Meal with a fixed price and few options. You get what you get.
53. Mystical glow : AURA. A supposed emanation surrounding living creatures, allegedly discernible by certain adept individuals.
54. Cookbook verb : STIR. What ya got cookin'?
56. "The Amazing Race" prop : MAP. To determine the next leg of the adventure.
58. LPGA golfer Michelle : WIE
59. Japanese tech company : NEC
60. And more: Abbr. : ETC
61. [Facepalm] : DOH!
Hope you enjoyed this adventure, and escaped with your senses and sensibilities unscathed.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. We'll have 10 family members joining us to celebrate.
60. 1999 Winona Ryder drama set in a mental hospital : GIRL INTERRUPTED
40D. Dryer screen used to "catch" a hidden word in 16-, 22-, 51- and 60-Across? : LINT TRAP
Another fun and stellar offering from our C.C. Two impressive grid-spanners. All across theme answers, with a downer reveal, so to speak.
Across:
1. Swelled head : EGO
4. Short-lived fashions : FADS
8. Tennis venue : COURT
13. Color similar to khaki : TAN
14. Bowling venue : ALLEY. Apt for a Burnikel puzzle.
15. Florida senator Marco : RUBIO
19. Remove from power : OUST
20. Pyramid scheme, e.g. : SCAM
21. "Can't Fight This Feeling" band __ Speedwagon : REO. From Wikipedia: "They named the band REO Speedwagon, from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck Doughty had studied in transportation history, and the initials are those of its founder Ransom E. Olds.
Rather than pronouncing REO as a single word as the motor company did,
they chose to spell out the name with the individual letters each
pronounced ("R-E-O")." Another classic, below.