Tuesday, May 2, 2023 Steve Faiella

It's Party Time!  This puzzle is just in time for the Coronation this weekend, where I'm sure there will be a big FÊTE, BALL, GALA and BASH.  I'll need to polish my tiara.

17-Across. Term of office for Supreme Court justices, e.g.: LIFE TENURE.  FÊTE.  The life tenure of the Supreme Court Justices has come under fire recently.  Enough said.

24-Across. "The Silence of the Lambs" villain: HANNIBAL LECTER.  BALL.

Fancy Balls.

52-Across. Member of an attorney's support staff: LEGAL ASSISTANT.  GALA

64-Across. Places to pick up diving gear: SCUBA SHOPS.

 

And the unifier:

41-Across. Investigative department, and what 17-, 24-, 52-, and 64-Across have?: INTERNAL AFFAIRS.  Also the name of a 1990 Richard Gere film.

Did you get your invitation for this AFFAIR? 

Across:

1. Unlikely election win, say: UPSET.  Probably the most famous upset election victory was on November 3, 1948, when the Chicago Daily Tribute erroneously declared Thomas Dewey (Mar. 24, 1902 ~ Mar. 16, 1971) defeated Harry Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972) in the Presidential election.

6. Tidbit in a coffee grinder: BEAN.  I just got my hubby an espresso machine, so the coffee grinder is getting a workout.

10. __-washed jeans: ACID.  Contrary to its name, Acid-washed jeans are not actually washed in acid.  

14. Housework task: CHORE.

15. French friend: AMIE.  Today's French lesson.  This is your French girlfriend.

16. Medicine amount: DOSE.  //  And 66-Down. "__ as directed": USE.

19. Choir song: HYMN.

20. "__ was saying ... ": AS I.

21. Quirky: ODD.

22. U.K. mil. award: DSO.  As in the Distinguished Service Order.  It is a British military decoration awarded to officers who have performed meritorious or distinguished service in war. The decoration was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1886.  Awardees can add the initials D.S.O. after their names. 

31. Donkey: ASS.

32. Part of a tall cake: TIER.

33. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.  Ava DuVernay (né Ava Marie DuVernay; b. Aug. 24, 1972) directed Selma in 2004, which is a biopic about Martin Luther King, Jr.   [Name # 1.]

34. Dry shell: HUSK.  I would say this is a nod to our Husker Gary, but Gary is clearly not a dry shell.

37. Milky gem: OPAL.  Australia is known for its Opals.  They remind me of Kazie, who used to comment regularly, because she was from Australia.

39. Archipelago unit: ISLET.  The word “archipelago” comes from the medieval Italian word archi, meaning chief or principal, and the Greek word pelagus, meaning gulf, pool, or pond.  The Aleutian Islands are probably the most well known archipelago to Americans.  They are a chain of 14 large volcanic islands off the cost of Alaska.  Most of the Islands are a part of Alaska, but some belong to Russia.

44. Brief digression: ASIDE.

45. Point sets, in math: LOCI.

46. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.  As in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

47. Actor Cariou: LEN.  Although the name, Len Cariou (né Leonard Joseph Cariou; b. Sept. 30, 1939), did not ring a bell, I have certainly seen this actor in such television shows as The West Wing and Law & Order.  He got is start as a stage actor, and is best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the stage play of the same name.  [Name # 2.]

48. Tall shade trees: ELMS.

50. "Unforgettable" singer __ King Cole: NAT.  Nat King Cole (né Nathaniel Adams Cole; Mar. 17, 1919 ~ Feb. 15, 1965) was an American jazz singer.  In 2000, 35 years after this death, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (see 65-Down).  In the early 1990s, Natalie Cole (née Natalie Maria Cole; Feb. 6, 1950 ~ Dec. 31,  2015), created a version of Unforgettable where, through the magic of technology, she sang with her father [Name # 3.]

57. Desert viper: ASP.

58. NYC subway org.: MTA.  As in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

59. Post-WWII alliance: OAS.  As in the Organization of American States.  The OAS is an international organization that was founded 75 years ago, on April 1948.  It was designed for the purpose of solidarity and cooperation among its member states within North and South America.  Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C.

61. Open just a crack: AJAR.  When is a door not a door ...

68. Glacier fragment: BERG.

69. Anna's "Frozen" sister: ELSA.  Frozen was first a Disney film, and now a musical on Broadway.  [Name # 4.]

70. Core belief: TENET.

71. __ A Sketch: ETCH.  Everything you wanted to know about the Etch-A-Sketch, but didn't know to ask.

72. Monopoly card: DEED.

73. Vase-shaped jugs: EWERS.

Down:

1. Sch. near Hollywood: UCLA.  As in the University of California, Los Angeles.

2. Jam band with a namesake Ben & Jerry's flavor: PHISH.  It's a chocolate-based ice cream with gooey marshmallow swirls, caramel swirls, and gummy chocolate fish.  [Name # 5.]

3. Bulgaria's capital: SOFIA.  Sofia, Bulgaria is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

4. Before, poetically: ERE.

5. "Grand" Wyoming range: TETONS.  More of today's French lesson?

6. Inn offering a morning meal, briefly: B AND B.  As in a Bed and Breakfast.

7. Ostrichlike bird: EMU.  What's the difference?

8. Football filler: AIR.

9. Tease: NEEDLE.

10. Like some committees: AD HOC.  Today's Latin lesson.  It literally means: for this.  An ad hoc committee is generally created to look into a single matter of limited scope, not to pursue any issue of interest.

11. Artfully shy: COY.

12. School-of-thought suffix: -ISM.  As in Darwinism.

13. Work-from-home space, perhaps: DEN.  During the first months of the pandemic, I worked in my outdoor den.

18. Inventor Thomas: EDISON.  We often see Thomas Alva Edison (Feb. 11, 1847 ~ Oct. 18, 1931) in the puzzles.  Some electric companies are named after him.  [Name # 6.]

23. Printing flourish: SERIF.

25. Nude: NAKED.

26. Completely flummoxed: AT A LOSS.

27. Fragrant spring shrub: LILAC.  We had Lilac bushes in our yard when I was growing up.  I love the smell of the flowers.

28. Actress Shire: TALIA.  Talia Shire (née Talia Rose Coppola; b. Apr. 25, 1946) and film director Francis Ford Coppola (b. 1939) are sister and brother.  She is probably best known for her role as Adrian Balboa in the Rocky films.  She also portrayed Connie Corleone in the Godfather movie.  [Name # 7.]

29. Tennis great Chris: EVERT.  Chris Evert (née Christine Marie Evert; b. Dec. 21, 1954) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  [Name # 8.]

30. "Midnight Cowboy" role: RATSO.  Dustin Hoffman (né Dustin Lee Hoffman; born Aug. 8, 1937) portrayed Ratso Rizzo in the movie.  [Name # 9.]

34. Group email starter: HI, ALL.  

35. "I wish I could __ that!": "So gross!": UNSEE.

36. Wasp's defense: STING.

38. Tropical trees: PALMS.

40. Jolly December visitor: SANTA.  The history of Santa.  And a nod to our own dear Santa.  [Name # 10.]

42. Film spools: REELS.

43. Social media account that may provide anonymity: FINSTA.  A Fake Instagram.  Who knew?

49. Ended, as a subscription: LAPSED.

51. One small bite: A TASTE.

53. Cry of frustration: AARGH!

54. Tough character's claim: I'M BAD.

55. "... said __ ever": NO ONE.

56. Slender candle: TAPER.

60. Ultrafast 62-Downs: SSTs.  //  And 62-Down. Fast plane: JET.  Although you'll no longer see the SST in the sky, you will see them in the puzzles.

61. Actor Vigoda: ABE.  Abe Vigoda (né Abraham Charles Vigoda; Feb. 1921 ~ Jan. 26, 2016) was also in the Godfather films with 28-Down.  [Name # 11.]

63. __ de Triomphe: ARC.  More of today's French lesson.  Its full name is Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and it is probably the most famous monument in Paris.  It is the Étoile, or Star, from which 12 avenues radiate.

65. Rock & Roll HoF city: CLE.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is found in Cleveland, Ohio.  Why Cleveland, you ask ...  The building was designed by the famous architect I.M. Pei (né Ieoh Ming Pei; Apr. 27, 1917 ~ May 16, 20019) and is an absolute beautiful building.  It's designed to look a bit like a turntable.

66. "__ as directed": USE.

Not being Used as Directed.

67. Cut down: HEW.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

 

Monday May 1, 2023 Robin Stears

 

Happy May Day Cornerites!

sumdaze here with today's puzzle:        Daily Fiber Intake  

What? Not that type of fiber? Erm...how about these?

17. Street art involving knitted wool: YARN BOMBING.

New to me. Here is the definition:  the action or activity of covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material, as a form of street art.

Here are 3 examples of YARN BOMBING.

28. Internet troll who takes over a discussion: THREAD JACKER.

I had THREAD hACKER until the O'JAYs fixed things. I have not heard of this term but it makes sense if you think of a carJACKER as someone who 'takes over' someone else's car.

44. Concept in particle physics: STRING THEORY. Proposed in 1968 by Italian theoretical physicist Gabriele Veneziano, STRING THEORY provides a theoretical framework in which all particles, from photons to quarks, are one-dimensional strings as opposed to zero-dimensional points.    MasterClass explanation

xkcd comic

58. Access points for some treehouses: ROPE LADDERS.  

YARN, THREAD, STRING, ROPE. The first word in each of 4 long entries is in the 'twine family'. Today's solve lacked starred clues, reveals, and circles. It was a clean, Monday-level puzzle with a congruity that could help out, should one need a hint. Thanks, Robin Stears !

Across:
1. Mother's nickname: MAMA.

5. Wound: INJURE.

11. Leopard or lynx: CAT.  

a leopard and a Canadian lynx

14. Actor Alda: ALAN.  

Hawkeye (ALAN Alda) needs help with a crossword puzzle. M*A*S*H  (31 secs.)

15. Oklahoma athlete: SOONER.  Oklahomans earned this nickname when the Oklahoma Territory was opened for settlement through land claims races in 1889. Each race began with a pistol shot. Those who jumped the gun were called SOONERs.

16. The Grand __ Opry: OLE.  The last time this word was in a puzzle I blogged, I went to their website so I could report on who was performing that day. I've been getting pop-up ads from them ever since....

19. Can. lawmakers: MPS.  Members of Parliament  (Hi CanadianEh!)

20. "ru 4 real!?": OMG. Both could be a texting reply to outlandish news.

21. Famous __ cookies: AMOS.  Hawaiians have unofficially adopted Wally AMOS. He was stationed at Hickam AFB on Oahu from 1954-1957. Years later, and after selling his Famous AMOS company, he started The Cookie Kahuna shops in HI.

22. Remainder: REST.  Nice angle! No time for a nap now as I still have to respond to the remainder of the clues.

23. Bird that may wake up the farm every morning: ROOSTER.  Mine crowed throughout the day.

25. Minnesota neighbor: IOWA.  Their border is along 43º 30′ N.

"...Iowa voters preferred a state whose greatest length would be between the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers on the west. Once Congress accepted these rivers as boundaries, it limited Iowa’s northern extent. Congress decided on 43º 30′ because it was near the divide between the watersheds of the southward-flowing Des Moines and Iowa Rivers and the northward-flowing Blue Earth River." source

33. At the right moment: ON CUE.

In the movie Funny Farm (1988), Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith are out of their element when they buy a farm in Vermont. In this scene, they are now jaded and are trying to sell it to another optimistic couple. (1:06 min.)

I hear these words in my head whenever I see something stereotypically idyllic.

"CUE the deer."

36. Insufficiently: MEAGERLY.

37. Close by: NEAR.  

38. Fresh as a __: DAISY.  and 38 Down. Kennel barkers: DOGS.

My neighbor has a Jack Russell Terrier named DAISY. For some reason, DAISY has decided she does not like my DOG. OTOH, my DOG is neutral about DAISY.

40. Smart-mouthed: WISE.  and 51 Down. Smart-mouthed: SASSY.

41. Dangling pieces of jewelry: EAR DROPS. I have not heard earrings called this before.

43. Brewery shipments: CASES.  

47. Young woman: LASS.

48. Cleans one's teeth, in a way: FLOSSES.  Only FLOSS the ones you want to keep!

52. Pottery wheel material: CLAY.

55. Panorama: VIEW. 

How birds see the world (Larson)

56. 401(k) kin: IRA.  Both are ways to save for retirement.

57. Chest bone: RIB.  

62. "It's __ good": ALL.  

Bob Dylan's It's All Good (2009)

63. Pancake mixture: BATTER. Up!

64. Self-images: EGOS.

65. "Toodles!": BYE.

66. Like a lawn: GRASSY.  

67. Extremely: VERY.

Down:
1. Big city bigwig: MAYOR.  Not just "big cities" but small cities and fast food restaurants can have MAYORs, too!

2. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO. I have visited there but did not get to see the basement. #Pee-wee's Big Adventure

3. Emmy-winning actress Martindale: MARGO.  

I did not recognize her name; but, after seeing her photo, I realize I have seen her in many dramas.
This is a photo from The Americans. DH liked her in Justified.

4. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.

5. Chemically related compound: ISOMER.  Def:  one of two or more compounds that have the same chemical formula but different arrangements of the atoms within the molecules, which may result in different physical/chemical properties.

6. "That'll do": NO MORE.  It's what parents say to kids who are acting silly.

7. ZipRecruiter listings: JOBS.  website

8. Bi- minus one: UNI.  Think "number of wheels on a cycle".

UNIcycle stunts (3 min.)

9. Darth Vader's grandson Kylo __: REN.  Darth Vader is Princess Leia's bio-dad and Ben Solo, aka Kylo REN, is Leia's son. Here is a family tree:

P.S.  The actor who plays Kylo REN is Adam Driver, a former US Marine.

10. Rowing machine, familiarly: ERG. I need to memorize this one -- along with Opi nail polish, Eli Yale student, and British singer Rita Ora.

11. Beckoning word: COME.  The Japanese hand gesture to beckon someone to COME closer is with the palm facing down. This is why Manaki-neko (Beckoning Cat) has his paw facing downward.  

12. Swiss ski destination: ALPS.

13. Exam: TEST.

18. Wash: BATHE.

22. IndyCar venues: RACEWAYS.

24. In a way that's meant to last: STURDILY.

25. "Beware the __ of March": IDES.

26. Member of the "Love Train" soul group: O'JAY.

Love Train was released in 1972.

It reached #1 on both the R&B Singles and Billboard Top 100 charts.

This video is of their 2006 performance on Letterman.

They still got it!

27. Tail movement: WAG.  

29. Horse-and-buggy sect: AMISH.

30. Singer Kristofferson: KRIS.  He starred with Barbara Streisand in the 1976 remake of A Star is Born. This is the steamy album cover for the movie's soundtrack.

31. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE.  

32. Some deli loaves: RYES.

33. Tip jar bills: ONES.  Tipping - World Map

34. Nicely organized: NEAT.  like today's puzzle

35. "Virgin River" novelist Robyn: CARR.  There seem to be several books in this series.

39. Some rentals, for short: APTS.  APartmenTS

42. Genetic material whose first letter stands for "ribo": RNA.

43. Stadium throng: CROWD.

45. Submits tax returns online: E-FILES.

46. Name associated with the Great Chicago Fire: O'LEARY.  They said it was her cow that kicked over a lantern.  

O'LEARY's Cow by Johnny Horton

49. Prolonged battle: SIEGE.

50. Shortstop's blunder: ERROR.

52. Grumpy sort: CRAB.

53. __ of the valley: LILY.  

As it turns out, this is the birth month flower for May.

54. Skilled: ABLE.

55. Pet docs: VETS.  Has anyone seen Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet? She is VERY skilled/ABLE.

58. Supreme Court justice known as "Notorious," initially: RBG.  Ruth Bader Ginsberg (3/15/1933 - 9/18/2020)

59. Boat blade: OAR.

60. School support gp.: PTA.  "Group" is abbreviated, so is "Parent-Teacher Association".

61. Actor Patel: DEV.  DEV is a 33 year-old British actor. His breakout role was in 2008 as the lead in Slumdog Millionaire.

Here's the grid:

Time to cut the cord! Have a great week, everyone!