Friday, September 6, 2024, Zachary David Levy

 

 

I R Malodorous Manatee and I R here with a recap of this Friday morning's puzzle from puzzle setter Zachary David Levy.   In the puzzle, at 58 Across, he asks the question that David Spade is snidely posing, above:

58 Across:  Rude greeting, or an apt title for this puzzle?: AND YOU ARE ?  In this case, though, we are required to take the phrase literally as in adding (and) U R.  Zachary takes standard items and adds U R to the beginning to create appropriate answers to the clues.  Something AND U R.

This is the third puzzle in a row that I have recapped where "letter play" is at the core of the themed-answers.  Fortunately for our still-recovering-previously-scratched-up heads today's letter play is not as enigmatic as it was a couple of weeks ago.  Today, this gimmick is employed at four places.  I R ready to point them out if U R ready to take a look:

17 Across:  Cash in Eurasia?: URAL GREEN.  Al Green the singer morphs into money in the URAL region along the border between Europe and Asia.  Green being slang for money.  The expression "long green" has been around since the late 1880s, but it isn't as popular as some more recent slang terms for money, like moola (or moolah), dough, or even scratch.

24 Across:  Greetings from the bear's den?: URSINE WAVES.  A SINE WAVE is a periodic wave whose waveform is the trigonometric sine function.   Got that?  Here, it simply morphs into something a bear might do.

35 Across:  Like an address bar?: URL SHAPED.  A computer-ese reference.  The address bar is at the top of an open browser web page.  This solver is not sure at all what URL SHAPED means (perhaps a wide, not very high space) but it was derived, in this case, from L-shaped.  Perhaps 39 Down (below) will inspire someone to open a neighborhood Address Bar

49 Across:  Tunes for some pathetic Dickens characters?: URCHIN MUSIC.   Here, CHIN morphs into URCHIN.  In baseball, CHIN MUSIC refers to a pitch thrown at a batters head.  I am pretty sure that no batter said "Please, sir I want some more" ala Oliver Twist.

Here, now, the filled-in grid:

... and, as is customary, the other clues/answers:

Across:

1. "Doctor Who" genre: SCI FI.  SCIence FIction.

6. Air quality monitoring org.: FCC.  A bit of misdirection.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency first came to mind) but the clue was refering to the airwaves (radio and television).

9. Wrap brand: SARAN.  Having used The Fugs recording in an earlier write-up, we'll go with this:

14. Capital city of Piedmont: TURIN.  Site of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

15. Sigma preceder: RHO.  I helps to have a working familiarity with the Greek alphabet if one is into solving crossword puzzles.

16. System of beliefs: CREDO.  "I believe".   Valerie has plates that read:

I Believe In Enternal Love

For The Orchiette With Turnip Greens For Example

19. Mars exploration vehicle: ROVER.  The more we learn about Mars the less strange, and therefore, in an odd way, the weirder, it becomes...at least to this observer.

20. Swede's neighbor: DANE.  A geographical proximtiy reference.

21. __ Lingus: AER.  A frequent crossword flier.

22. Many a dance track: REMIX.  I REMIXed a REMIX.  It's back to normal.

23. DOJ arm: FBI.

27. Pass: ELAPSE.  Not a football reference.  Not a mountain gap reference.  Not a pick-up line reference.  Not a school grade reference.  Not a dice game reference.

As Time Goes By

29. Not at all welcoming: ICY.

30. Friendly opening: ECO.  One of those types of clues.  ECOfriendly

31. "__ Meenie": 2010 pop single: EENIE.  Unknown to this solver.  I looked it up.  Justin Beiber recorded it.  I have heard of him but know very little about him or his music.

32. Storybook bear: PAPA.

34. Bone, in Italian: OSSO.  As in OSSO bucco.

38. Jul. 4 shindigs: BBQS.  Abbreviated clue . . .

41. From Los Angeles to San Bernardino: EAST.  Easy for this SoCal solver.  Likely not so easy for folks from other places.

42. Crew: POSSE.  Modern slang.  No U.S. Marshall in a TV western ever said "Round up a crew".

46. Driveway stuff: TAR.  What in TARnation!?

47. Kilmer of "Real Genius": VAL.  I would have referenced "Top Secret" (1984)

48. Concern for a software engineer: PIRACY.  A music or movie reference would have been easier to suss out.

53. Tavern owner who stocks Duff beer: MOE.  MOE Syzslak.  A "Simpsons" TV show reference.

54. Covers: COATS.

55. Allow: LET.

56. Shellacking: ROUT.  Slang for decisive victory/defeat.

57. When repeated, "et cetera": YADDA.

60. As good as it gets: IDEAL.

61. Not keep up: LAG.  A friend told me that for minimal LAG I should use an analogue connection instead of Bluetooth for my speaker system.  Sound advice.

62. Sonar sounds: PINGS.  As in The Hunt For Red October.

63. Where chickens come home to roost: NESTS.  A clue meant to be taken literally.

64. Bile: IRE.

65. Map feature: INSET.

Down:

1. Payment to a breeder: STUD FEE.  I suspect that the horse would work for free.

2. Having a decent prognosis: CURABLE.

3. Like many songs or movies in Farsi: IRANIAN.

4. Spicy herb seasoning in gumbo: FILE.  As in FILÉ gumbo.  

Hank Williams

5. End to end?: ING.  Another one of those types of clues.  EndING

6. Unshackles: FREES.

7. French endearment: CHERI.

8. Big gathering of fans, casually: CON.

9. Disconcertingly odd: SCREWY.

10. Fragrance: AROMA.

11. Brings back to life: REVIVES.

12. Campaign pros: AD EXECS.  As in ADvertising campaigns.

13. Negating word: NOR.

18. Not in circulation, perhaps: RARE.

22. Episode lead-in, sometimes: RECAP.  Of what previously happened.

24. Friendly opening: USER.   Another one of those types of clues.  USER friendly,  Sometimes we get ECO friendly.

25. Bite gently: NIP AT.

26. "Hamilton" Tony nominee Phillipa: SOO.

28. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.  History suggests that not all of them were completely so.

32. Mass reading: PSALM.  Something to be read during the service.

33. "Open wide" sounds: AHS.  As at the doctor's office.

34. Fragrance: ODOR.  I once met a wine waiter with a really bad body ODOR.  Sort of like a dead skunk only sommelier.

36. Shows bias: LEANS.

37. Out of this world: EPIC.  An idiomatic clue and an idiomatic answer.  Far out, man!

38. AC meas.: BTU.  Air Conditioning.  British Thermal Unit.

39. Spot for beer and video games: BARCADE.  New to this solver.  A portmanteau of BAR and ARCADE.

40. Scannable squares: QR CODES.

43. Some Pacific Islanders: SAMOANS.

44. Nemesis: SCOURGE.

45. Exam for pupils: EYE TEST.  Not pupils as in students.

47. Set taken by a doctor: VITALS.

48. Feel sorry for: PITY.

50. Charged: HAD AT.   Hand up for first thinking RAN AT.

51. Of an arm nerve: ULNAR.

52. Tufted marsh plant: SEDGE.

56. Destroy: RUIN.

57. Dark portion of a Chinese circle: YIN.

58. Arab name that means "high": ALI.

59. Brand celebrating Hello Kitty's 50th Mani-versary in 2024: OPI.  A nail polish reference.  Crosword puzzles sure are broadening.

________________________________________

Tuesday August 20, 2024, Zachary David Levy

Rope Bridges:  The Cambridge Dictionary defines a Rope Bridge as: a bridge made of long pieces of rope tied together with knots, and wooden boards for people to walk on".  In today's puzzle, the Rope spans and connects each two-word phrase.

Me crossing a Rope Bridge in the Peruvian Amazon.

17-Across. Garage button: DOOR OPENER.

25-Across. Jewelry that hangs just below a lobe: DROP EARRING.

37-Across. Coriander-based sauce: CILANTRO PESTO.  I make Basil Pesto.

49-Across. Promotional interest rate, perhaps: ZERO PERCENT.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Rudimentary span suspended over a river, or a span found in 17-, 25-, 37-, and 49-Across: ROPE BRIDGE.

While the video below is not a rope bridge, the bamboo bridge of Kampong Cham in Cambodia spans the Mekong River from the mainland to Koh Pen, an island in the river.  We walked across it a couple of years ago.  It is probably the most dangerous bridge I have ever crossed.  Hubby fell while trying to speed walk and still has the scars on his leg from being cut on the bamboo.

Across:

1. Postinjury support: CRUTCH.

7. Do one's darned best?: SEW.  Cute clue.

10. Puts together: ADDS.

14. Like a yes-no question: BINARY.  More than you would ever want to know about Binary Responses.

15. "But you can call me ... " letters: AKA.  Also Known As.

16. Take in, as crops: REAP.

19. Sandwich spread: MAYO.

20. Jacket wool: TWEED.  Everything you wanted to know about Tweed but didn't know to ask.

21. Emoticon eyes, often: COLON.

:-)

22. Ryder Cup org.: PGA.  As in the Professional Golfers' Association.  Everything you wanted to know about the Ryder Cup but didn't know to ask.

28. Cot settings: BUNKS.

30. Food label letters: RDA.  As in the Recommended Daily Allowances.

31. Born: NÉE.  Today's French lesson.  This word has become a crossword staple.

32. Leave gratified: SATE.

33. Brings down: SADDENS.

41. Take care of: PROTECT.

The tiny words at the bottom of the door read: "To Punish and Enslave"

42. Nothing, in Spanish: NADA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

44. Gallery piece: ART.

47. Slice of history: ERA.

48. Tie sometimes worn with an open collar: ASCOT.

54. Find to be mined: ORE.

55. "__ means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten": "Lilo & Stitch": OHANA.  Today's Hawaiian language lesson.

56. Like a cheering crowd: AROAR.  The dreaded A word.

58. Predetermines the outcome: RIGS.

64. Lake that feeds the Niagara River: ERIE.  This reminds me of our old friend Abejo.  [Name Adjacent.]

65. Actor's prompt: CUE.

66. Soccer star Messi: LIONEL.  Can you believe we made it all the way to clue 66 before encountering a name!  Lionel Andrés Messi (b. June 24, 1987) is an Argentine professional soccer player, or as they say in countries outside of the United States, a professional football player.   [Name # 1.]

67. Religious offshoot: SECT.  Last week the Quakers formed the SECT.  (See 64-Across from last week's puzzle.)

68. Broadcast: AIR.

69. State, in Mexico: ESTADO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

Down:

1. Ingredient in some oils, briefly: CBD.  As in Cannabidiol, which is the chemical found in marijuana.  CBD is legal in many states, including Louisiana.

2. __ Grande: RIO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

3. Mattel card game: UNO.

4. Tangy: TART.

5. Packs together: CROWDS.

6. Link prefix: HYPER.

7. Wall St. "500" index: S AND P.  Standard and Poor is more commonly denoted as S&P.  The S&P 500 is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.  I hope you didn't try to parse this as SAND P.

8. Barely make (out): EKE.

9. Tug-of-__: WAR.

10. Knight's outer layer: ARMOR.

11. Give a hand?: DEAL IN.

12. Start of a new routine: DAY ONE.  School has already started here so many kids have already had their Day One of the new school year.

13. Light cake type: SPONGE.  A brief history of the Sponge Cake.

18. Fair-hiring initials: EEO.  As in Equal Employment Opportunity.

21. Leggy wader: CRANE.  What's the difference between a crane and an egret?

22. "Cosmos" network: PBS.  As in Public Broadcasting Service.  Cosmos was a television series that aired in 1980-1981 that covered many scientific subjects on the origin of life and our place in the universe.  It was written and narrated by Carl Sagan (Nov. 9, 1934 ~ 1996).

23. Nacho dip, briefly: GUAC.  As in Guacamole.  Yummers!

24. Not supporting: ANTI.

26. One performing CPR, perhaps: ER DOC.  As in Emergency Room Doctor.

27. Highly skilled (at): ADEPT.

29. Seaweed superfood: KELP.

33. Saw logs: SNORE.

34. Oil used in some perfume: ATTAR.  This makes occasional appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Everything you wanted to know about Attar but didn't know to ask.

35. Beats by __: headphones brand: DRE.  The Dre in Beats by Dre refers to music producer Dr. Dre (né Andre Romell Young; b. Feb. 18, 1965), who founded the company, Beats Electronics, in 2006.  [Name # 2.]

36. IDs on 1040 forms: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

38. Stuffed cornmeal snack: AREPA.  I have probably eaten Arepa, but didn't know that was what they were called.

39. Stuffed tortilla snack: TACO.  Yummers!  More food.

40. Olfactory stimulus: ODOR.

43. Feasted: ATE.

44. Island chain northwest of Morocco: AZORES.  I will be traveling to the Azores with my sister next spring.  The Azores are a chain of 9.

45. Sign on again: RE-HIRE.

46. Very unfortunate: TRAGIC.

48. Early video game consoles: ATARIS.  [Name adjacent.]

50. Commencement: ONSET.

51. Prank: CAPER.

52. Before, poetically: ERE.

53. Having a dignified air: NOBLE.

57. Good-for-a-laugh type: RIOT.

59. Sony Music subsidiary: RCA.

60. French affirmative: OUI.  Today's French lesson.

61. Genetic code carrier: DNA.

62. HS diploma alternative: GED.  As in General Education Development or General Education Diploma.

63. "Mr. Blue Sky" gp.: ELO.  As in the Electric Light Orchestra.  [Name adjacent]

Here's the grid:

Did you notice how few names were in today's puzzle!

חתולה