Friday, May 5, 2023, Francie Jones

Theme: MOVE DOVE; it's time for LOVE. By JOVE, I think I've got it!

Puzzling thoughts: As a CSO to our resident story-teller Misty, I'd like to spin a yarn about today's puzzle ...

As I climbed into the front seat of my SUBARU I noticed a slight MAR in the fabric. I recently bought this car new, from a DEALER, so it was there I now SPED to get their response.

During the purchase negotiations, I had to SPAR several times with the sales rep. Despite his trying to get me to EMOTE about the deal, I remained MUM. I wasn't about to GIVE in to him, as I knew this guy was an ACE.

So today (having just flown from LISBON to Phoenix, and suffering severe JETLAG) the last thing I wanted to do was revisit them.

"AHOY!", I cried. "Is Mr. BADER-EISNER here?" "No", was their response. He was apparently AWOL. I couldn't VET any of the other sales employees, so I asked for a Service PRO instead.

Shortly, HERB appeared. I knew that was his name; it was embossed on his ID TAGS. He looked like he had just come to work from a FRAT party.

He had an ICE pack taped to his head, and was drinking a CHAI tea latte, made from ASSAM. I EYED him up one side and down the other, but it was what he wore in the FRONT that looked pretty HIP. He sported a tie-DYEd HALTER, and his socks had a Doctor SEUSS character embroidered on them. He looked quite the HUN!

We walked out to my car which was parked under the building's EAVE, just next to the IONIC columns. As he opened my car door and saw the tear in the driver's seat, he said, "OH, THAT?" "AT MOST, I'D BET, it's probably a slight flaw in the ALPACA leather. You see, they sometimes use their TUSK to scratch their hide, and it leaves a permanent mark; there's really nothing we can do about it".

I could see that he was doing a bit of IMPROV to get me to buy his story. I asked him, "Is that your final EDICT?"

"Actually, yes; but I have an IDEE [that's French for "idea", BTW], even though it STRAINS me to do this. Go inside and see ANNE, our Promotions Manager. Tell her that SAL, my boss, approves our giving you box seat tickets to the Diamondbacks vs METS game next week. Will that work??" TBD ...

Here is the grid, and then off to the clues and entries ...

Across:
1. Comment accompanying a dismissive hand wave: OH THAT.

7. Tucked in: ABED. This time of year I usually sleep on top of the sheets; it's too hot for being tucked in

11. Hotel hallway sign: ICE. This threw me off, as EXIT was too many characters

14. Automaker with a six-star logo: SUBARU. unclefred this is what we actually did purchase a few weeks ago. The "Ascent" model

15. Serving aid: TRAY. "Seat-backs and TRAY tables in their upright and locked position"

16. Not talking: MUM.

17. *Game delay prevented by a chess clock?: ENDLESS MOVE. First of the themers. A popular song title is: "ENDLESS LOVE". Anyone up for a little Diana Ross/Lionel Richie duet?

19. WNBA player, e.g.: PRO.

20. Message near a candy bowl: TAKE ONE. Last Halloween we had way more candy than kids trick-or-treating; by evening's end we were telling them to "TAKE as many as you like"!

21. Campus group: FRAT.

22. Cartoon supplier of giant anvils: ACME.

25. Pac-12 school in L.A.: USC. In a couple of years they will be switching to the B1G conference

26. Dull repetition: ROTE.

27. *"Has anyone found our pigeon?": WHERE IS THE DOVE. A popular song title is: "WHERE IS THE LOVE"; a duet featuring Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

32. Aveeno grain: OAT.

33. IPO launchers: COS. Abbr. for COmpanies

34. Norse god of war: ODIN.

35. European capital: LISBON. Portugal is on both my and Margaret's "bucket list"

37. Pet collar attachments: ID TAGS.

41. Boxers Laila and Muhammad: ALIS. Which sorta goes with (52-across. Face off in the ring:) SPAR.

43. Robot attachment?: ICS. RobotICS

44. With it: HIP.

45. *Completely hooked on swearing by a Roman god?: ADDICTED TO JOVE. First off, [according to worldwidewords dot org] "Why is Zeus called Jove? Jove is the older name the Romans had for the god Jupiter (which derives from an alteration of Jovis pater, father Jove). Jupiter was the Roman god of the sky, the sovereign deity who had powers over both gods and men (he was later identified with the Greek Zeus)."

OK, now that we have that cleared up for any of you who didn't know that, let's listen to Robert Palmer's rendition of "ADDICTED TO LOVE." I couldn't find a duet version of this song, BTW

49. Out of the wind: ALEE.Moe-ku:

Muhammad and Laila
Sailed into a sheltered cove;
ALIS were ALEE

50. Celery stalk: RIB. Not sure that I ever heard Howard Cosell say, during a Muhammad Ali boxing match, "Don't let the crowd noise fool you; nobody got hit in the celery stalks!"

51. Scrutinized: EYED.

53. Single, for one: BASE HIT. Do teenagers nowadays use the terms "First BASE", et al, to describe how their romantic relations are going?

56. Cantina condiment: SAL. Spanish for "salt", I think ...

THE BIG REVEAL FOR TODAY'S PUZZLE:

57. 1981 Top 10 hit for Soft Cell, and a feature of the answers to the starred clues?: TAINTED LOVE. Quite literally, the word "LOVE" was "TAINTED" three times by the use of an M, a D, and a J

61. Versatile blackjack card: ACE. One or eleven in count value. [grosvenor casinos dot com says] "It is best to hit an ACE (take another card) when holding a hand of 10 or 12-16, and stand on anything 17 and over. An ACE gives you a good chance of making 21 with a hit. When a dealer has a seven, eight or nine card showing it is impossible for them to make a blackjack, so your chances of winning increase." Your mileage may vary, of course ...

62. Carrie-__ Moss of "Jessica Jones": ANNE. I like ANNE as the Promotions Manager for the SUBARU DEALER better!!

63. Brought up: REARED. [dictionary dot com says] "The first records of the word REAR as a verb meaning “to take care of” come from before the year 900. It comes from the Old English rǣran, meaning “to raise.” When it comes to raising their kids, parents have different approaches to childrearing

64. Scratch, e.g.: MAR.

65. Space race initials: USSR.

66. Produces, as an heir: BEGETS. The Bible uses this word, often

Down:
1. Sugar suffix: OSE. SucrOSE; LactOSE; et al

2. Enemy in "Mulan": HUN. I'm sure it's true; "Google" it!

3. Agenda placeholder: TBD. To Be Determined

4. Bikini top option: HALTER. My "mental" image is of Goldie Hawn for some reason ... maybe I will find an image of her in one to confirm

5. Field of study: AREA.

6. Mastodon feature: TUSK.

7. Max: AT MOST.

8. Prefix with dilator or scope: BRONCHO. First ever use of this word by a major crossword puzzle, according to Crossword Tracker

9. Gutter spot: EAVE.

10. Turn red, say: DYE. Cute clue

11. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" technique: IMPROV.

12. Parish figure: CURATE. [Wikipedia says]: "A CURATE is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense, curate means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term curate is commonly used to describe clergy who are assistants to the parish priest. The duties or office of a curate are called a curacy"

Anyone wanting to verify this further can go to an upscale Honda DEALER to check for ACURAcy

13. Put on quite an act: EMOTE.

18. Whoville creator: SEUSS.

21. "Down in __!": FRONT.

22. AFB truant: AWOL.

23. __ latte: CHAI.

24. Team whose first manager was Casey Stengel: METS.

28. Gut bacteria: ECOLI. I am kind of surprised that this word made the cut, as it is much more harmful than good

29. Column style: IONIC. [study dot com says]: "The IONIC order originated in the mid-sixth century on the island of Ionia and was characterized by tall, slender, proportioned, and detailed columns. Buildings including temples, theaters, and stadiums were popularly designed using the Ionic order. Ionic columns were unique and more detailed than previous Doric works". Which is kind of IRONIC, as I totally guessed DORIC here ...

30. Official order: EDICT.

31. Sassy retort: DID SO. Sassy = aka, "Playground" retort

36. The "B" of RBG: BADER.

38. Cry to a matey: AHOY.

39. Buckle: GIVE.

40. Went 60 in a 50, say: SPED.

42. Pushes to the limit: STRAINS.

43. "Sounds about right": I'D BET.

45. Llamalike mammal: ALPACA.

46. Card holder?: DEALER.

47. Former CEO profiled in the book "DisneyWar": EISNER.

48. Flight risk?: JET LAG.

49. Black tea variety: ASSAM.

53. Prohibitions: BANS. The "noun" form; the clue "prohibits" would be the "verb" form

54. Window box plant: HERB.

55. Produit de la tête: IDEE.

57. Letter between sigma and upsilon: TAU. Also, the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet

58. Valuable deposit: ORE.

59. Confirm the credentials of, say: VET.

60. Newsroom VIPs: EDS.

Final thought/comment: I believe this might be Francie Jones's first ever Crossword Puzzle; if so, congratulations! If you want to stop by and say "hello" please add to the comments below

As a footnote:

First, Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Second, for those who follow Thoroughbred Horseracing, tomorrow (May 6) is the first leg of the Triple Crown for three-year old colts. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat's Derby win, which propelled him to go on and win the Triple Crown (Preakness and Belmont Stakes). All three of his victories set records for the fastest times at those distances. These records still remain today.

For what it's worth, my choices (narrowing it down from the field of 20 horses set to run down to 5 horses I would wager a bet on) are: Tapit Twice, Two Phil's, Forte, Mage, and Angel of Empire

Good luck to all of the horses and their connections, and to those who are going to wager on this race!!

Secretariat (aka, "Big Red")

Thursday, May 4, 2023, Max Schlenker

 

 ANIMAL CROSSING

Today's puzzle is brought to us by constructor Max Schlenker who has had previous settings published in Inkubator and Universal Crosswords and is making his debut today in the LA Times.  His theme concerns 4 zoologists who give us punny presentations on birds, spiders, snakes, and mollusks.  Trigger warning: some of these are a little creepy ...

17A. Teaching surface for an ornithologist?: BILL BOARD.   Ornithology is the study of birds, and birds have BILLS (aka beaks).  The famous naturalist Charles Darwin was also an ornithologist who made an extensive study of the differences between the beaks of various finches on different islands in the Galapagos Archipelago.  He concluded that the differences in the shapes and sizes of their beaks were the result of adaptations to different plant life on the different islands, and that over many years they had  evolved into different species via natural selection ...

Darwin and his famous finches

While this seemed like a good idea at the time, this article and this article seem to indicate that while the beaks of various Galapagos finches may be different, the birds are really all the same species (i.e. they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, like different breeds of the species canis domesticus).

 
27A. Lecture given by an arachnologist?: WEB ADDRESS.  Probably the most famous web addresses were given not by an arachnologist, but by an actual arachnid.   Her name was Charlotte, and here she meets Wilbur the pig for the first time.  Her short, but highly effective web addresses (e.g. "RADIANT", "SOME PIG", and "TERRIFIC") end up saving Wilbur's bacon:

50A. Demonstration given by a herpetologist?:SCALE MODEL.  This intrepid herpetologist demonstrates the milking of a scaly looking King cobra to get the venom needed to make anti-venom.

64A. Classroom icebreaker for a marine biologist?: SHELL GAME.  Enough with the creepy crawly stuff!  Pour yourself an ice cold beer and let George Hastings give you a master class in shelling Chesapeake Bay Oysters.  He isn't a marine biologist, but he is a two time national oyster shucking champion ...

And if you're not into slurping Chesapeake Bay sushi, here's a recipe for Oyster and Shrimp Bisque.

Here's the grid ...

Here are the rest ...

Across:

1. Produce duds?: SEW.

4. "I'll show you!": CAN SO.

9. Graphic novel genre: MANGA.  Here's a Beginner's Guide to Manga from the New York Public Library ...

14. __-locka, Florida: OPA.  Opa-locka is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.  The city was developed by aviation pioneer Glenn  Curtiss. Inspired by the Arabic fairy tale collection One Thousand and One Nights, Opa-locka has the largest collection of Moorish Revival themed architecture in the Western Hemisphere. Its streets have  names such as Sharazad Boulevard, Sinbad Avenue, Sultan Avenue, Ali Baba Avenue, and Sesame Street.  Here's a musical theme inspired by those same fairy tales from Scheherazade written by Nicholai Rimsky-Korsakov:

15. Speak from a lectern: ORATE.

16. In progress, quaintly: AFOOT.  Shakespeare originally used this word in King Henry V, Act 3 Scene 1, circa 1597, in the phrase: "Before the game is AFOOT, thou still let'st slip".  But it is probably more famous for its use by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the story The Return of Sherlock Holmes. 

17. [Theme clue]

19. Source of some overhead footage: DRONE.  Here is some DRONE footage of the devastation in Turkey and Syria following the deadly earthquake on February 6, 2023:

20. Org. co-founded by Helen Keller: ACLU.  Helen Keller was an American educator and advocate for the blind and deaf.  Not as well known is that she was also a co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union.  Stricken by an illness at the age of 2, Keller was left blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments.

21. __-ball pens: UNI.

22. Creamsicle flavor: ORANGE.

23. Writer Anaïs: NIN.  Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira NIN y Culmell (February 21, 1903 – January 14, 1977) perhaps best known for the length of her name.  She was a French-born American and also known as a diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica.  Here she is as an innocent teenager, presumably before she got into all the latter stuff ...

Anaïs Nin

She was also known for her bons mots, this one presumably after she got into all the latter stuff ...

25. Challenging words: DARE ME. 

27. [Theme clue]

31. Not hard: EASY.

34. Obsess over: ADORE.

35. Spanish "these": ESTOS.  Spanish lesson #1.

37. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  A peculiarly American idiom which appeared during WWII.  It may be a reference to Dear John Letters received by overseas GIs, or it may have originated with this song ...
 

38. Private aid gp.: NGO.  Non Governmental Organization.

39. "Is that it?": AND.  That's all she wrote?

41. GOP org.: RNC.  Republican National Committee.

42. Relations: KIN.

43. AOC's political party: DEM.  This clue complies with the Corner's equal time requirements (see 41A above).  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist.

44. Spa feature: SAUNA.

46. Proxy: AGENT.  Here are several synonyms for "Proxy" ...

For those interested, software applications called proxy agents are commonly using in network management for providing firewalls and related services.  If you need more than that, see -T.

48. Sidewalk stand drinks: ADES.

50. [Theme clue]

52. Roof support beam: RAFTER.  Or one of these Class 5 White Water RAFTING crazies ...

Hand up if you've done any white water RAFTING?  sumdaze?

54. PD dispatch: APB.  Police Department.  All Points Bulletin.

55. "It'd be my pleasure!": GLADLY.

57. Sign of puppy love?: WAG.

59. Fresh: ANEW.

63. Repetitive musical piece: RONDO.  A RONDO is similar to a theme and variations, with the original theme repeating after each variation.  Here's Mozart's - Rondo Alla Turca played by Marnie Laird

64. [Theme clue]

66. __-Saxon: ANGLO.  The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group that inhabited much of what is now England in the Early Middle Ages, and spoke Old English. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century.

67. Edited, with "down": PARED.

68. Female sib: SIS.

69. Scrooge, at first: MISER.  A reference to Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of Charles Dickens's novella A Christmas Carol.  Some pictures really are worth a thousand words ...

Ebenezer Scrooge

70. Dental visit freebie: FLOSS.  Would you believe, my hands are bigger than my mouth and I find these much easier to use:

Flossers

71. Sculpture, e.g.: ART.  Here's a stoneware sculpture created by potter Olin Russum ("Russ"), one of my teachers.  It was first thrown on a kick wheel in multiple sections, reshaped after it dried to "leather hard", and was then textured. The glazes were brushed on the dried raw clay and finally it was once-fired to Cone 11 (2359 F).  His young daughter named it "Beastie" and she used to roll it down the hill next to his studio.  We later bought it at an estate sale.

Beastie

Down:

1. Buckwheat noodles often served chilled: SOBA.  Despite its name, buckwheat is not closely related to wheat. It is not a cereal, nor is it even a member of the grass family. Buckwheat is related to sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb, and is known as a pseudocereal because its seeds' culinary use is the same as cereals, owing to their high starch content.

Japanese Buckwheat flowers

2. Mind-blowing: EPIC.

3. Safe spot: WALL.

4. Ear piece?: COB.

5. Circa: AROUND.

6. Flatbread served with saag paneer: NAAN.  "saag" = spinach.  "paneer" = cheese.  The cheese can be either fermented or curdled with lemon juice.  Here's a recipe.

Saag Paneer

7. Takes steps: STRIDES.

8. Ref. work whose "Concise" version has more than 1,700 pages: OED.  Oxford English Dictionary. We have a copy of the compact version, which requires a magnifying glass to read the fine print (in box above the volumes). Sadly paper dictionaries have been made obsolete by the Internet.

Compact OED

9. Niña's mother: MADRE.  Spanish lesson #2.  A Niña is a little girl.

10. Angular abode: A FRAME.  An A-frame house or other A-frame building is an architectural house or building style featuring steeply-angled sides (roofline) that usually begin at or near the foundation line, and meet at the top in the shape of the letter A.  Here is the first modern A frame house built in the US in 1934:

The Bennati House
Lake Arrowhead, CA

11. "We don't care what you think!": NO ONE ASKED.  Another popular American anthem.

12. Big bell: GONG.  Back by popular demand ...

This instrument was also featured in Puccini's last opera.  Suitors foolish enough to vie for the hand in marriage of the "Ice Princess" Turandot would announce their intention by striking a GONG in the palace courtyard three times. They were then required to answer three riddles that Turandot posed to them.  Those that failed would loose their head.
 
13. Suit to __: A TEE.

18. Like the Igbo calendar: LUNAR.  Igbo ("ee boo") is a language group in the Nigeria.  The Igbo invented a calendar called Iguafo Igbo (Igbo Calendar) so as to be aware of days and years. The calendar has four "market days" namely Eke, Afor, Nkwo and Orie. These days make a week. In the Igbo calendar, four days make a week, seven weeks make one month and thirteen months make a year.  This widgit converts Gregorian Calendar dates to Igbo market days.  We have several Nigerian families in our church, but I don't think any of them use the Iguafo Igbo.  Here is our month of May, with line 2 being the first week of Igbo month and our May 4th being market day Eke :

22. Director Welles: ORSON.  Actor and director ORSON Welles (1915-1985) was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  He is perhaps best known for his radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, which caused a major panic and for his classic movie Citizen Kane, considered one of the greatest movies of all time.  Here is the beginning of War of the Worlds broadcast (this was radio - you're just imagining the visuals):

24. Brainstorms: IDEAS.

26. __ projection: ASTRAL.  This is a song about a man who lived and died on an ASTRAL plane ...

27. Sykes of "The Upshaws": WANDA.  The Upshaws is an American sitcom created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes. The series stars Sykes, Mike Epps, Kim Fields and Page Kennedy.

Wanda Sykes

28. Trimmed, in a way: EDGED.

29. Australian hunting tools: BOOMERANGS.  A BOOMERANG is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning boomerang is designed as a weapon to be thrown straight and is traditionally used by some Aboriginal Australians for hunting.

Australian Aboriginal Boomerangs

30. Cut back: REDUCE.

32. Perform well: SHINE.

33. Streisand directorial debut: YENTL.  YENTL is a 1983 American romantic musical drama film directed, co-written, co-produced by, and starring American entertainer Barbra Streisand. It is based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story Yentl the Yeshiva Boy.  The film incorporates music to tell the story of an Ashkenazi Jewish girl in Poland who decides to dress and live like a boy so that she can receive an education in Talmudic law after her father dies.  Here she asks Where is it Written? (lyrics):

36. Mischief maker: SCAMP.  Till Eulenspiegel is one of the most famous SCAMPS in music history and  may have been based on an historical person.  He was immortalized in Richard Strauss' tone poem Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks where he pays the ultimate price for his mischief, but rises again in the end.  Here's conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading the Berlin Philharmonic playing Til's theme ...

40. Mean-spirited: NASTY.

45. Tusked Arctic swimmer: NARWHAL.  The NARWHAL, also known as a narwhale, is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada and Russia.  Here's a quick introduction to these mysterious "Unicorns of the Sea".
 

47. Portable emergency kit: GO BAG.   Here is the AARP's recommendations on the contents of a GO BAG.

49. Jockey's seat: SADDLE.

51. Philadelphia team: EAGLES.

53. Trapdoor locale: FLOOR.

55. Mono- and sono- follower: GRAM.

56. Love of "The Real": LONI.  Loni Love (born July 14, 1971) is an American comedian, television host, actress, author, and former electrical engineer. While working as an electrical engineer in the early 2000s, she switched to music engineering, until later launching a career in stand-up comedy. She was the runner-up on Star Search 2003 and was named among the "Top 10 Comics to Watch" in both Variety and Comedy Central in 2009. She was one of the co-hosts of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real, which ran from July 15, 2013 and ended on June 3, 2022

Loni Love

58. Nestlé bar with a bubbly texture: AERO.

60. Hubble org.: NASA.  The Space Telescope Science Institute on the JHU campus in Baltimore, MD has the NASA contracts to provide down link services for both the Hubble Telescope and  the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).  Here is a gallery of some of the first images received from the JWST.

61. Gulf States dignitary: EMIR.

62. Basketball legend Jerry: WEST.  Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included "Mr. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks [!!!]; "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek", for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia.

Jerry West 1972

64. Letters on a sunscreen bottle: SPF.   Sun Protection Factor  My dermatologist recommends that I use at least SPF 50.

65. Mormon letters: LDS. Latter Day Saints.  Their history and beliefs.

Cheers,
Bill

As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading, for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 Amie Walker

Theme: It's COOL when you weather the storm.  Meteorological phenomena of the COOL variety.

17 A. *Destructive meteorological events marked by high winds and heavy rain: SUPER STORMS.  These are storms of particularly high intensity causing damage over a wide area. 

28 A. *Phenomena created by sunlight refracting through ice crystals in clouds: FIRE RAINBOWS.  A fire rainbow is as a result of light being refracted as it passes from the moon or the sun over the ice crystals within the atmosphere, especially with cirrostratus or cirrus clouds.  I saw one over Black Lake a few summers ago.  It was very cool, and looked similar to this picture.

Read all about it

45 A. *Low-pressure systems also called "winter hurricanes": BOMB CYCLONES.  This is a powerful, rapidly intensifying storm associated with a sudden and significant drop in atmospheric pressure.  

And the unifier -- 61 A. Feature of early spring and late fall, or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues?: COOL WEATHER.  This is weather with temperatures that are less than warm, but not actually cold.

One sense of the word COOL is as an intensive modifier, and that's how I'm taking the meaning here.  I'm open to other interpretations.  Being in a SUPER STORM or BOMB CYCLONE is probably an intense experience, but not necessarily one that is very good or enjoyable, i.e "COOL."  Contrast the FIRE RAINBOW, which is indeed very COOL!.  But to be SUPER, on FIRE, or the BOMB would be COOL.  So, there's that.

HI Gang it's JazzBumpa, who occasionally plays it COOL.  Let's see if we can heat up this puzzle.

Across:

1. __ d'Azur: stretch of the Riviera: COTE.  The azure cost.  Azure is sky blue, so this could refer to enjoyable weather or the hue of the water.

5. Black-and-white mammal: PANDA.  Unlike azure, neither black nor white is a color.  The Panda is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. For many decades, the precise taxonomic classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and raccoons. However, molecular studies indicate the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae.

10. NBC skit show, familiarly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

13. Declare bluntly: AVOW.   Assert or openly confess.

14. Relaxed: AT EASE.  Free from worry, awkwardness, or problems; relaxed.

16. Garland that may feature kika blossoms: LEI.  In Hawaii

19. Geologic age: EON.  An immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time. 

20. Director Roth: ELI.   Eli Raphael Roth (b.1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, namely splatter films, having directed the films Cabin Fever (2003) and Hostel (2005).

21. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.  Arizona State University

22. Aquaman's staff: TRIDENT.   A three-pronged spear.

24. Indulgently lavish: DECADENT.  Characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline, or, more loosely, as defined in the clue.

27. Opening: GAP.   A break or space in an object or between two objects.

33. __ voce: SOTTO.   In a quiet voice, as if not to be overheard.

36. Spots for fast cash: ATMS.  Automatic Teller Machines.

37. Actress Long: NIA.   Nia Talita Long (b.1970) is an American actress. Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film Boyz n the Hood (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995).

38. Consequently: THUS.  As a result or consequence of this; therefore.

39. Gives in: CAVES.  Capitulates

41. Piquancy: ZING.   Zest - an enjoyably exciting quality.

42. Objective: AIM.   Goal.

43. Achy: SORE.  In pain.

44. Ballet jumps: JETES.  Like this.

49. Favorable vote: YEA.

50. Be just right for: SUIT TO A T.  To be ideal or perfectly appropriate for one; to be completely in line with one's tastes, preferences, interests, style, etc.

54. Altogether: UTTERLY.  Completely and without qualification; absolutely.

58. Blasting material: TNT.  Tri-Nitro Toluene is an odorless, yellow solid is used in explosives. In the United States, TNT is primarily made at military sites. .

59. Michael of 10-Across: CHE.   Michael Che Campbell [b. 1983] is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Che is best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he has served as co-anchor on Weekend Update alongside Colin Jost, and the two were co-head writers from 2017 until 2022.

60. "Excusez-__": MOI.   Excuse ME, in French

64. Nosher's bite: NOM.  Used for showing that you like a particular kind of food or that you think something looks or sounds very good to eat

65. Cream-filled pastry: ECLAIR.    A pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing. The dough, which is the same as that used for profiterole, is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside.   Nom, nom, nom!

66. "The __ Tour": 2023 Taylor Swift concert series: ERAS.  The ongoing sixth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Having not toured for her studio albums Lover, Folklore, and Evermore due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift is embarking on the Eras Tour in support of all of her albums, including her latest, Midnights. 

67. Flamenco cheer: OLÉ.  A Spanish interjection used to cheer on or praise a performance.

68. Party leaders: HOSTS.  Persons who receive or entertain other people as guests.

69. Intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE.   The opening sentence or paragraph of a news article, summarizing the most important aspects of the story.

Down:

1. Surveyed surreptitiously: CASED.  Inspected or studied, especially with intent to rob

2. Plant structure with reproductive cells: OVULE.    The organ that forms the seeds of flowering plants. It is borne in the ovary of the flower and consists of nucellus protected by integuments, precursors of embryo/endosperm, and seed coat, respectively.

Ka-Bloom!

3. Discussion point: TOPIC.  Subject matter.

4. Pasture grazer: EWE.  Female sheep.

5. Quarterback, often: PASSER.   Somebody is supposed to catch it - wearing the same color shirt.

6. Bring into harmony: ATTUNE.  Either literally, as in music, or figuratively, as in a social context.

7. Prefix for a revived music genre, e.g.: NEO.  A type of music that fuses contemporary style with a popular genre from some time in the past.

8. Move quickly: DART.   Move or run somewhere suddenly or rapidly.

9. Genre of YouTube videos that may bring about brain tingles, for short: ASMR.   Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia, 

10. Go to bed before putting something to bed, say: SLEEP ON IT.  Delay making a decision on something until the following day.   A tactic to avoid making a rash judgment.

11. Word on really bright Crayolas: NEON.   Neon colors are just bright types of primary and secondary colors, such as green, yellow, red, blue, and purple. Neon colors stand apart from conventional colors since they absorb and reflect more light.

12. Dryer fluff: LINT.   Fuzz made up of fine pieces of yarn and fabric, better known as microfibers. 

15. Endorses digitally: E-SIGNS.   An e-signature (electronic signature) is a digital version of a conventional handwritten signature. In many countries, including the United States, an e-signature can provide the same legal commitment as a handwritten signature if it meets certain criteria.

18. Part of NPR: RADIO.  National Public RADIO is an American nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national syndicator to a network of over 1,000 public radio stations in the United States. 

23. Blot: DAB.   Press against something lightly with a piece of absorbent material in order to clean or dry it.

25. Matinee hrs.: AFTS.  Afternoons.

26. Goes a long way: TRAVELS.   Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. 

29. Had a bite: ATE.  Noshed, perhaps.

30. Sends a text, briefly: IMS.  Sends an Instant Message.

31. Viognier, e.g.: WINE.    A white wine grape variety. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhône Valley. 

32. Droops: SAGS. Bends or hangs downward limply.

33. Try: STAB.   An attempt to do something.

34. Indiana neighbor: OHIO.   Ohio, officially the State of Ohio is a state in the Midwestern United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.8 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state.  My home state.

35. Muscle-strengthening session for a baby: TUMMY TIME.   Laying babies on their stomachs for brief periods while they're awake. It's an important way to help babies strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles, and improve motor skills.

39. Demurely evasive: COY.   Making a pretense of shyness or modesty that is intended to be alluring.

40. Curved path: ARC.  As defined.

41. Piquancy: ZEST.  Zing - an enjoyably exciting quality.

43. Not at all abundant: SCARCE.  In short supply, or insufficient to meet demand.

44. Volkswagen sedan: JETTA.  A compact car/small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill a sedan niche above the firm's Golf hatchback, it has been marketed over seven generations,

46. Comb creator: BEE.  A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal prismatic wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.

47. Get the better of: OUTWIT.   Deceive or defeat by greater ingenuity.

48. Bay Area NFLers: NINERS.  Short for Forty-niners, named for miners or other persons that took part in the 1849 California Gold Rush.  

51. Autumn colour: OCHRE.  A natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced by this pigment, especially a light brownish-yellow.

52. Still to come: AHEAD.  In the relatively near future.

53. Brief: TERSE.   Short and to the point.

54. "Uh, guess again": UM - NO.  Said of a woefully incorrect guess or comment.

55. Wrench, e.g.: TOOL.   A wrench is a TOOL consisting of a handle with one end designed to hold, twist, or turn an object (such as a bolt or nut) 

56. Scot's swimming spot: LOCH.   Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. 

57. "Seize the day" acronym: YOLO.   You Only Live Once.

62. __ Vegas: LAS.   The 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and 2nd-largest in the Southwestern United States. 

63. Business card no.: TEL.  Telephone number. 

That wraps up another COOL Wednesday.  Hope you weathered the puzzle and didn't get over-heated and storm out of here.

COOL regards!

JzB

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