Monday May 8, 2023 Katie Hale

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Constructor & Assistant Editor Katie Hale put a bit of her London life into today's puzzle. The coronation of Charles III and Camila was this past Saturday. Given the monarchy's checkered history, let's call today's puzzle:

The 3 themed clues are:

3 Down. Rolling Stones song that inspired a restaurant name: RUBY TUESDAY.

The Rolling Stones released Ruby Tuesday in 1967.

The restaurants were founded in 1972 in Knoxville, TN.

7 Down. Aromatic bulbs in coq au vin: PEARL ONIONS.  

Weeknight Coq Au Vin Recipe

22 Down. Nickname for Ireland: EMERALD ISLE.

Have ewe been there?

The reveal:

24 Down. Some sparklers at King Charles III's coronation, and a literal feature of 3-, 7-, and 22-Down?: CROWN JEWELS.

RUBY, PEARL, EMERALD Each is a JEWEL. Additionally, notice that the JEWEL is at the top or CROWN of the vertically-written phrase. Very clever, Katie!!  

Queen Elizabeth II sporting the CROWN JEWELS at her 1953 coronation

Today's grid:

Let's see what other gems Katie gave us:

Across:
1. Title for Elton John: SIR.  

More royal stuff:
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Elton John on Feb. 24, 1998 at Buckingham Palace.

4. "__ Misérables": LES.

7. Yellow tropical fruit: PAPAYA.  

This variety is yellow on the outside & orange on the inside.

13. "Say something funny!": AMUSE ME.  I would not recommend saying this to anyone...unless you are the King of England.

15. Exercise plan, e.g.: REGIMEN.

16. Beirut's country: LEBANON.  

17. Working hard for: EARNING.

18. Decline: SAY NO.  

19. "Dang it": AW DRAT.  Hmmmmm......

21. Occupants of a classroom farm: ANTS.  

22. Internet shopping: E-TAIL.  like "retail" but transacted Electronically

23. Spanish eight: OCHO. and 25. Spanish greeting: HOLA.

Dos CSOs to Lucina!

27. "Rugrats" dad: STU.  Stuart Louis "Stu" Pickles Jr., to be precise

28. Destination in "The Lord of the Rings": MORDOR.  IIRC, WC is our LOTR authority.

30. Actor Lowe: ROB.  I heard him say in an interview that he credits his good looks to getting a lot of sleep.

31. Spot to grab a bite: EATERY.

34. The Pussycat Dolls lead singer Scherzinger: NICOLE.  The standard spelling of her name helped me today.

36. Replies: ANSWERS.  

The caption is a bit hard to read. It says,
"Auto reply:  I am dead and will have limited access to e-mail."

38. Interstate road, e.g.: HIGHWAY. I was working on this blog when Gordon Lightfoot's passing was announced. This one is in his memory.

Carefree HIGHWAY  (1974)

39. Early Ford roadster: MODEL A.  "Roadster" made me hold off on the last letter until I found a perp.  

40. Give some slack: LOOSEN.  

41. Citymapper info, for short: ETA.  This app integrates urban transportation options such as public transport, walking, cycling, and driving.

42. Big name in outdoor apparel: L.L.BEAN.

44. Morning brew, slangily: JOE.

47. "Year of the Gentleman" R&B singer: NE-YO.  His 3rd studio album, Year of the Gentleman, was released in 2008.

49. Darlings: DEARS.  Here are some Disney Darlings:  

John, Wendy, & Michael Darling

50. Restaurant list: MENU.  

The Menu trailer (2022) starring Ralf Fiennes

I watched this movie recently. It wasn't and it was what I was expecting.

51. Buddy: FRIEND.  and 10. 51-Across, in France: AMI.

53. Farther down: LOWER.  Check out this video of Shemika Charles doing the limbo (1 min.).

54. Basic metabolic panel, e.g.: LAB TEST.  

The dogtor will see you now.

57. "Crossing my fingers!": I HOPE SO.  the answer to, "Will solvers like this puzzle?"

59. Challenges a verdict in a higher court: APPEALS.

60. Traction-improving: NON-SLIP.

61. Starbucks size: GRANDE.  

62. "Golly": GEE.  willikers

63. Spot: SEE.

Down:
1. Taco truck condiments: SALSAS.  

We're going to need more chips!

2. "To clarify ... ": I MEANT.

4. Longtime late-night host Jay: LENO.

5. Punk rock subgenre: EMO.

6. Ottawa NHL team: SENATORS.  The original Ottawa Senators (1883-1934) dominated the sport. link

8. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA.

9. Spotted pony: PINTO.  The American Paint Horse is a breed of horse that combines both the conformational characteristics of a western stock horse with a PINTO spotting pattern of white and dark coat colors.

11. Kyoto currency: YEN.  US$1.00 = ¥134.64    (3May2023)

12. "Sense and Sensibility" director Lee: ANG.  Fortunately for clue writers, Mr. Lee has directed many movies. IMDb list

14. Comic __: cartoony font choice: SANS.  People love to hate this font. This video explains some of the reasons.  (5:25 min.)

15. Overhauled, as decor: REDID.  

20. Cautious: WARY.  Not knowing 28A, this was my last fill to work out.

26. Follow instructions: OBEY.

29. Fixes, in a way: RIGS.  

(phrasal verb) If you RIG up a device or structure, you make it or fix it in place, using any materials that are available.  

Apollo 13 (1995) Square Peg in a Round Hole Scene (1:15 min.)

32. Wide-eyed wonder: AWE.

33. Blab: TELL.

35. Revolutionary Guevara: CHE.

36. Hymn ender: AMEN.

37. A flat or B sharp: NOTE.

38. Squirreling away: HOARDING.  how squirrels remember where they buried their nuts

40. Tilt: LEAN.

43. Root vegetables such as Detroit Dark Red and Bull's Blood: BEETS.  Their flavor and nutrition is hard to beat.

45. Infant's bodysuit: ONESIE.  an infant's one-piece garment that leaves the legs uncovered and fastens with snaps at the crotch

46. Belgium locale: EUROPE.

48. More than sometimes: OFTEN.

50. Janitorial tools: MOPS.

52. Word on a library poster: READ.  

53. Solitary: LONE.

54. Fall behind: LAG.  

55. Acronym in many credit card ads: APR.  Annual Percentage Rate

56. Chem. in some plastics: BPA.  Bisphenol A  

58. Earth-turning tool: HOE.  "Sun" also fit.  

That's it for today's treasure box. Enjoy the week, everyone!

Sunday May 7, 2023 Trent H. Evans

Theme: "Meditation Break" - OM is added to each common phrase.

23. Illumination in the Sugarhill Gang's car?: RAPPER'S DOME LIGHT. Rapper's Delight. The Sugarhill Gang song.

34. Critique of an overstuffed pillow?: TOO MUCH DOWN. Touch down.

47. Scriptures published in a garage?: HOME BREW BIBLE. Hebrew Bible.

66. Headline announcing a generous Butterball donation by an Oscar winner?: TOM HANKS' GIVING TURKEYS. Thanksgiving turkeys.

85. All-clear announcement near the Colosseum?: ROMAN RIOT OVER. Ran riot over.

99. Trite remark of the future?: BROMIDE-TO-BE. Bride-to-be.

110. Employee's explanation for intentional incompetence?: JUST DOOMING MY JOB. Just doing my job. 

I mentioned before that Trent has his own website (Grid Therapy) where he regularly publishes puzzles. 

Such a creative theme. I would never thought of Tom Hanks for Thanks. Talk about imagination. Quite a few cross-conferences in this puzzle. Might be Trent's style.

Across:

1. Wafer brand: NECCO.

6. Con: SCAM.

10. Count in jazz: BASIE. Count Basie. First African-American to win a Grammy.

15. Artisan's online marketplace: ETSY.

19. Charity golf tourney: PRO-AM.

20. "Otello" baritone: IAGO.

21. Build up: AMASS.

22. "I like it!": NICE.

26. Michael of "The Lego Batman Movie": CERA. Robin.

27. __ pan: SAUTE.

28. Source of many quotes, for short: ANON.

29. Apple device?: CORER. Really apple.

30. Bones, perhaps: DOG TREATS.

38. Advance: INROAD.

39. Vientiane language: LAO. Our Asian store now carries both pork larb and beef larb.

41. Tirades: SCREEDS.

42. Floor: STUN.

43. "Gosh!": DEAR ME.

46. Toi et moi: NOUS.

51. Vexes: NETTLES.

56. Casual agreement: YEP.

57. Fish bait: LURES.

58. Nobelist Pavlov: IVAN. Died in 1936. Pavlov's dog. Conditioned reflex. 

60. Some Indian music: RAGA. Also 89. Tikka masala bread: NAAN.

61. Heredity unit: GENE.

62. Anglican minister: VICAR. Father Charlie is Vicar General. So glad he was able to visit us during Boomer's last days.

64. Porch seats: SWINGS.

72. Snobbish: SNOOTY.

73. Aspect: FACET.

74. Tahiti sweetie: AMIE.

75. Athletic tear spots, for short: ACLS. Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

76. Carnival ride destination: PORT.

77. Schism results: SECTS.

79. Corner PC key: ESC.

82. Cause of some delays: RED TAPE. Social Security is a bit bureaucratic.

91. Least likely to be found: RAREST.

92. Kotb of "Today": HODA.

93. Literal and metaphorical danger spot: THIN ICE.

96. Not quite the worst grade: DEE.

97. Pickleball smashes: SPIKES. And 90. Pickleball barrier: NET.

102. Press corps members: REPORTERS.

105. Cheek colorer: ROUGE.

106. Squat: NADA.

108. Filing jobs, briefly: MANIS.

109. Lhasa __: APSO.

117. Invite information: WHEN.

118. Habitual: USUAL.

119. Bagpiper's garb: KILT.

120. French wine valley: LOIRE.

121. Wall St. index, familiarly: NYSE.

122. Like some rom-coms: SAPPY.

123. Goes: SAYS.

124. Maxwell House alternative: YUBAN. Boomer liked Folgers.

Down:

1. "Sunday Puzzle" airer: NPR. 40. Shapiro of 1-Down: ARI.

2. The Carter __: ERA.

3. "What a __-out!": COP.

4. Crowning achievement: CAPSTONE.

5. Mark in the World Golf Hall of Fame: OMEARA. Used to be very close to Tiger.

6. Blues great __ Monica Parker: SISTA. Learning moment for me.

7. Academy trainee: CADET.

8. In the past: AGO.

9. NYC cultural center: MOMA. The Starry Night is there.

10. "The Jungle Book" bear: BALOO.

11. __ acid: AMINO.

12. Droop: SAG.

13. "Kinda": ISH.

14. Approximate fig.: EST.

15. Make secret, in a way: ENCODE.

16. Steering system part: TIE ROD.

17. Threaded fasteners: SCREWS.

18. Thirst (for): YEARN.

24. Wished for a do-over: RUED.

25. Lay to rest: ENTOMB.

29. Lungs locale: CHEST.

30. Full of gossip: DISHY.

31. Doing a pirouette, say: ON TOE.

32. Oscar the Grouch, e.g.: GRUMP.

33. Hunks: SLABS.

35. AOL rival: MSN.

36. The NCAA's Huskies: U CONN. Women's basketball powerhouse.

37. One of two words with an umlaut in a metal band's name: CRUE. Mötley Crüe.

43. Actor Jacobi: DEREK.

44. Lea grazer: EWE. 48. 44-Down's sound: BLEAT.

45. Call forth: ELICIT.

49. Far from hard-boiled: RUNNY. And 54. Like soufflés: EGGY.

50. __ Rachel Wood of "Westworld": EVAN.

52. Tot's transport: TRIKE.

53. Alley assignment: LANE.

55. Lip: SASS.

59. Evita's land: Abbr.: ARG.

61. Drop without warning, in a way: GHOST. As in text, e.g.

62. Triumphant one: VICTOR. 93. Prize for a 62-Down: TROPHY.

63. "__ seen better": I'VE.

64. Total: SUM TO.

65. Place for a bangle: WRIST. Jade bangles are very popular in Guangzhou. Real jade can be pricey. Lao Pan gifted Carmen a light green one for her birthday a few years ago. It cost RMB9,0000 ($1,300).

66. Nicholas II title: TSAR.

67. Previously: ONCE.

68. Orthodontist's creation: MOLD.

69. Airport with a BART station: SFO.

70. Teri of "Oh, God!": GARR.

71. Unspoken: TACIT.

76. Harmony: PEACE.

77. Show scorn: SNEER.

78. Hosp. areas: ERS.

79. Call forth: EVOKE.

80. Meal with vegetables dipped in salt water: SEDER.

81. Boorish: CRASS.

83. "Little Girls" musical: ANNIE.

84. Took care of dinner, say: PAID.

86. Got by: MADE DO.

87. "__ we there yet?": ARE.

88. Cold open?: OH IT'S YOU. I like the clue/answer.

94. Green Monopoly pieces: HOUSES.

95. "That's it for me!": I'M GONE.

97. Playlist unit: SONG.

98. In a rigidly formal way: PRIMLY.

99. Muscle: BRAWN.

100. Handy: ON TAP.

101. "This'll end __": BADLY.

103. Post of propriety: EMILY. Emily Post.

104. Trousers: PANTS.

107. Astronaut's go-aheads: A-OKS.

110. Prime rib au __: JUS.

111. Forever Stamp letters: USA.

112. "Yo": SUP.

113. Actress Wasikowska: MIA. She's an Australian.

114. Triangular sail: JIB.

115. British singer Rita: ORA.

116. Big __: London landmark: BEN. Did any of you see our Steve at the Coronation? He's been in the UK for a few days.

I had a great walk at Springbrook Nature Reserve last Thursday with my sister-in-law Connie and our friend Tom Pepper, the crossword constructor based here in Minnesota. Afterwards Tom treated us to a delicious Thai lunch. I had the most amazing papaya salad, mild version of course, as I can't handle the hot pepper. Thai chili is something else.

C.C. & Connie

Tom & C.C., 5/4/2023

Saturday, May 6, 2023, Adrian Johnson

 Saturday Themeless by Adrian Johnson

Our Wyoming native who went to college in Minnesota is now doing great work for a startup group called BetterFi, a nonprofit working to end predatory lending in Tennessee. 

The last puzzle of AJ's I had was on9/24/23 and like that  puzzle, this one was 

full of fun word play. If a clue seemed too simple, I knew I had to rethink what else he might be getting at and was never disappointed by the fill!

Across:

1. Light touch from a decorator: ACCENT LAMP 😀

11. Zabaglione base: EGGS - Talk about yer Saturday cluing! 

15. "That's what my intuition was telling me": I HAD A HUNCH that 11 Across might be hard for some 

16. Wolfe of "Black Orchids": NERO - Saturday cluing for a familiar fill but Wolfe was a tipoff for me

17. Game-changing: MONUMENTAL - This was the theme of Susan Gelfand's 5/26/23 puzzle. 

18. Old autocrat: TSAR.

19. Floating junk: SPACE WASTE - Also called space junk or space debris. It's all going thousands of miles per hour

20. Cutest of the litter, maybe: RUNT - My wife would seek out the RUNT

21. Noise: ADO.

22. Secretive group?: GLANDS 😀 - Yes, add an "e" and secret becomes the verb secrete and glands do secrete useful chemicals

24. Jazz drummer Blakey: ART.

26. City on the James River: RICHMOND - McClellan's ill-fated attempt to take RICHMOND in 1862 took place on the peninsula with the James River on the south and the York River on the north

30. Boxer's mouth piece?: SQUEAK TOY 😀 I had to suss out what AJ wanted for the dog

32. Gender option on some surveys: OTHER - When I started teaching in 1968, we asked the kids to put down their gender, religion and race.

35. One committed to an orderly society?: NUN -  😀 The NUNS at my daughter's school are in the order of School Sisters Of Christ The King

36. Of no help: USELESS - Some hilarious "You're as useless as..." lines. ...ejection seats in a helicopter made me laugh out loud.

38. French summer: ETE - Hmmm... Not a Nice summer.

39. Race-ready, in a way: LANED - If you look closely, you can see the Jamaican women LANED in 3, 4 and 7 got the gold, silver and bronze in this 100m final.

41. Classical piece that's the basis of the 1965 hit "A Lover's Concerto": MINUET IN G - Here are both of them

     

43. Biometric reading: IRIS SCAN - This iPhone allows you to charge a purchase using an IRIS SCAN

45. GPS prediction: ETA.

46. Last stop before leaving for vacation, perhaps: KENNEL - Joann would leave me at the KENNEL before she would leave Lily

48. Racket of lamb: BAA 😀

50. Fad: RAGE.

51. Doug Wright's "I Am My Own Wife," e.g.: ONE MAN SHOW - More info. Last Saturday we had Robert Morse's ONE MAN SHOW in Tru

58. Some fluffy slippers: UGGS - At one time, Tom Brady was their spokesman. 

59. Dolphin kin: PILOT WHALE - They can be docile or aggressive with humans, so...

60. Source of smoky notes in whiskey: PEAT.

61. Uplifting historical figure?: ELISHA OTIS - He did not invent the elevator. He simply made it safe for passengers with his safety brake.

62. Cornstarch brand: ARGO - A box from 1919

63. Mythological swimmer: SEA SERPENT - Uh, we're gonna need a bigger boat

Down:

1. Targets: AIMS.

2. Veal cut: CHOP.

3. Veronese's "The Wedding Feast at __": CANA - Where it is said Christ changed water into wine

4. Train conductors, say: EDUCATE - Train is a verb and not an adjective for conductors

5. Tagged: NAMED.

6. All available options: THE WORKS.

7. __ Bar: nutritional snack: LUNA.

8. Myrmecologist's study: ANTS - From the Greek for ANT: Murmex 

9. Exam for future residents: Abbr.: MCAT - These residents are of course doctors

10. Physiological humor believed to cause sluggishness: PHLEGM - 😀 Oh, that kind of humor 

11. Competitor: ENTRANT - Ya gotta be in it to win it

12. Response during allergy season: GESUNDHEIT - Gesundheit was borrowed from German, where it literally means "health"; it was formed by a combination of gesund ("healthy") and -heit ("-hood"). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends. You're welcome

13. Majestic: GRAND.

14. Out of __: SORTS.

23. Like some change: LOOSE - I never carry any coins any more

24. Cerulean kin: AQUA - This color

Cerulean colored clothing

25. Calvin's increasingly outrageous snow art, in "Calvin and Hobbes," e.g.: RUNNING GAG - 

27. Objects: ITEMS.

28. Baby ailment: COLIC.

29. Pet for Harley Quinn: HYENA - Harley is in the DC Comics stable and her two HYENAS are named Bud and Lou. I'll bet most of us get that reference, but if you don't, see the bottom of the write-up.

30. Ego Nwodim's show, for short: SNL.

31. Journalist Cornish: AUDIE.

33. Italian volcano: ETNA.

34. Rule, for short: REG.

37. Go for the bronze?: SUNBATHE - Very different from the sprinter in Lane 7 above.

40. Miranda whose case inspired the Miranda warning: ERNESTO - ERNESTO's conviction got thrown out by the Earl Warren Supreme Court because of what they judged to be a coerced confession. He was retried and convicted with other evidence.

42. Place to pick up leaves: TEA SHOP - I wonder if C.C. has ever been in this one in Xian, China 

44. Pitches: SLOPES - The pitch of a roof might depend on how much snow your area gets

46. Gene dubbed the "Founding Father of the Modern Drum Set" by Modern Drummer: KRUPA.

47. Avid: EAGER.

49. Nobelist Sadat: ANWAR - ANWAR Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Menachem Begin 

52. African flower?: NILE - 😀 AJ chose to use flower as a noun from the verb flow.

53. Kazan with an honorary Oscar: ELIA - Many remembered how ELIA had named 8 people who had joined the communist party to the HUAC committee in the 50's and refused to stand or applaud when he got this award

54. Flowerless plant: MOSS - FERNS also do not have flowers (the blooming kind)

55. Spike Lee's "She __ Me": HATE - In Spanish 

56. "Chocolat" actress: OLIN.

57. __ Point: WEST.