Friday, September 27, 2024 - Zachary David Levy

 Theme:  Everything you need to know ... y'know??

Will be found in today's blog!!

Puzzling thoughts:

First off, thanks NaomiZ for pinch-hitting for me while I was off galivanting

Second, I feel like I am off my game, so to speak, as far as puzzle solving goes.  FTR, I was out of the country galivanting; specifically, in Italy.  No laptop.  Too many other neat things to do than solve a crossword puzzle each day.  Now that I am back in the US and back solving puzzles, this one took at least 15+ minutes to complete.  And I didn't get all of the letters correct on the first go 'round

Third, I got to blog another Zachary David Levy puzzle!  Zachary might be the leader in Patti Varol's clubhouse for having the most entries @ LA Times in 2024.  Today marks his 9th puzzle this year; four of which have appeared on Friday.  Maybe he will become the new Jeffrey Wechsler ...

Zachary must've thought, y'know, that this one would be easily understood.  As was the case with the last ZDL puzzle I blogged, today's "reveal" was in each of the entry's clues.   But as I've come to know ZDL's creativity, there was an added element of surprise.  As you look back at each of the entry clues, they end with the rhetorical question: y'know?  And for those "in the know", the phrase y'know can mean that "yes, I understand".  But if you look back at the first part of each entry's clue, that object matches the answer, too  

Still confused?  Let's look at each and see if we can get our heads around this puzzle:

17-across Bloodhound, y'know?: THAT TRACKS. Click on this link for explaining the phrase "that tracks" =>  Y'know, a bloodhound is a thing that tracks, too (yeah, I know that the dog below is a Pointer, but all of the Bloodhound cartoons sucked!)

26-across Sandbox, y'know?: I CAN DIG IT.  One of my memories from the 1960's was the use of the phrase "I can dig it!"  Hippies used it as well as The Friends of Distinction in their classic 1969 hit song, "Grazin' in the Grass"

As far as sand goes, I prefer going to the beach (or the shore if I am in New Jersey) to dig (in) it 

37-across Tuning fork, y'know?: SOUNDS RIGHT.  Have you figured out yet what Zachary was doing today??  "Sounds right to me, Moe, don'tcha know" (as my friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin would say)

50-across Calculator, y'know?: IT FIGURES.  Does anyone recall the first calculator they had?  It figures; I couldn't afford one and had to use my math skills instead.  Good thing that ZDL didn't have these IT Figures in mind: 

60-across Neuron, y'know?: MAKES SENSE.  Neurons contribute to how we feel and react.  By clicking on the link, you'll get the full description [from wikipedia].  This might've been the most comprehensive clue of the five, but it makes sense, doesn't it??

Here is the grid, and then on to the rest of the clues/answers.  Maybe I'll throw in a haiku or two today, just for fun  

Across:

1. Golden Arches order: BIG MAC.  About the only thing I order from McDonalds are their Breakfast Burrito and coffee.  I might order a McRib sandwich if I know it's back on the menu

7. Mark: SAP.  First of 24 three-letter words (my buddy Irish Miss undoubtedly counted them, too)

10. Runs out of juice: DIES.  I had to take a short break after doing the intro as I was running out of juice, too

14. Widespread turmoil: UNREST.  Alas, what we are seeing on both sides of the election trail this year

15. Grande nickname: ARI.  Whatever happened to Onassis as the surname for this nickname?? 

16. Palm berry: ACAI.  Crossword composers love this word!  It is so versatile when filling a grid

19. Ceremonial practice: RITE.  Moe-ku #1:

For rookies, isn't
Baptism under fire
The RITE thing to do?

20. GPS fig.: LAT. LAT = Latitude

21. Burning up, maybe: ILL. As in running a fever ... and to throw in a dad joke, why is it that we say your nose runs and your feet smell??

22. Revises: AMENDS. Moe-ku #2:

Martin Luther's change
To theology, got an
"Amen" to AMENDS

24. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan: ELIA.

29. Accept as a tenant: RENT TO. This clue and answer had me baffled. I am familiar with the term RENT-TO-OWN, e.g.  The wording of the clue doesn't resonate for me ... and I spent a decent amount of this century being a "renter"

32. "Arrival" vehicles, for short: UFOS. The quotation marks around the word arrival gave this one away

33. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA.  I know not of Rita ORA or the song.  So, let's have a listen:

34. Home of the only royal residence in the United States: HAWAII.  This came to mind: King Kamehameha 

36. Skips class: CUTS. Pretty sure that I first did this in my senior year of high school, and a few times more when I was in college.  An anecdotal memory of one time I cut class in college was in the fall of 1971.  The Pittsburgh Pirates had won the NL title and were going to play in the World Series.  Tickets went on sale at the Hotel Webster Hall (in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh - on Pitt's campus).  I was standing in line to buy tickets and noticed that my 11:00am Economics class professor was in line, too; well behind where I was standing.  As the time neared 11, neither of us had gotten to the ticket window.  I called out to my prof and said, "Hey, if you like, I will buy tickets for you so long as you don't mark me absent from class!"  He handed me two 20's and said, "deal" - true story

40. Knowing expressions?: AHAS.  Not a facial expression but a verbal one

42. Frankfurter: WIENIE.  Hands up for having HOT DOG first? Then I changed it to WIENER and WIENEE before realizing the correct spelling

43. Silent agreement: NOD.

44. Pizzazz: ELAN.

46. Dance party flasher: STROBE.  You mean, not this guy??!! 

Oh, Moe ... really??

53. Not decent: EVIL.  So, I guess that even though BARE and NUDE fit, these weren't the answers ZDL was seeking ...

54. Zigzagging ski race: SLALOM.  Easiest clue/answer, IMO

55. Plum or tangerine: HUE.  Have I ever told you that my crayon box had only 8 colors??  Not many three-letter words that would describe this clue (as a fruit)

58. Belief system: ISM.  Second easiest clue

59. Food truck fare: TACO.  Third easiest clue

64. Spot for a pizza stone: OVEN.  Duh?  Where else would you place a pizza stone?

65. Good Grips brand: OXO.  I must admit that I much prefer the brand name use for this clue/answer than to use "Non-winning combo in Tic-Tac-Toe", e.g.

66. __ counseling: CAREER.  I know that was a big thing back in the previous century.  Are career counselors still a thing??

67. Artemis org.: NASA.  Read all about it

68. Strikes (out): XES.  I'm not a big fan of the use of the word xes in puzzles

69. Plus-ones: GUESTS.  Anybody care to guess when was the first use of the term "plus-one"? See answer at the end of the recap

Down:

1. Oft-scrutinized employee in whodunits: BUTLER. One of my favorite clues today

2. Take a deep breath: INHALE.

3. Upper crust: GRATIN.  Frawnche??  [from an on-line dictionary definition] "a dish with a light browned crust of breadcrumbs or melted cheese"

4. Converged: MET.  Also the nickname of a NYC baseball player

5. Wine region northwest of Genoa: ASTI.  This was not one of the areas of Italy we visited.  Asti is not just the name associated with Spumante (which is the Italian word for describing a sparkling wine).  It is a vast area that is home to many different grape varietals, including two of my favorites: Nebbiolo and Arneis

6. Key in a reboot sequence: CTRL.  CTRL-ALT-DEL (aka, the "three-finger salute").  Pressing these three keys in that sequence will trigger a pop-up window that allows you to reboot your computer

7. Egg holder: SAC.  Hands up for having HEN before the perps said otherwise

8. Flood insurance of old: ARK.  Another favorite clue

9. Noted name in Italian sculpture: PISANO.  We saw a lot of this guy's work on our Italy trip

10. Question before taking a risk: DARE I? Part of the game "Truth or Dare?" perhaps?  Or for us older folks, the image below is one that I resemble!

11. Giving the cold shoulder: ICING OUT.  I had to look this up to see if it were green paint or not.  It is a factual idiom 

12. Have some humble pie: EAT DIRT.  But preferably not after icing them out

13. Day breaks?: SIESTAS.  POWER NAP wouldn't fit

18. __ Baba: ALI.  In addition to her dislike of three-letter-word entries, Irish Miss does not care for fill-in-the-blank clues

23. Some ER pros: MDS.  Hand up for RNS.  Once again, this is the problem with so many TLWs.  You end up (as a constructor) with a lot of abbrs. 

25. Musketeer of fiction: ATHOS.  PORTHOS and ARAMIS did not fit

27. Fusion, but not fission: CUISINE.  Cute clue

28. Burning up: AFIRE.  Almost a clecho of 21-across

30. Letter between sigma and upsilon: TAU.

31. Totally dominate: OWN.

35. Marketing battle: AD WAR.

36. Dear, in Dijon: CHERE.  Frawnche #2 - used to describe a beloved woman or girl.  Similar to the word chérie - which of course allows me to insert another song video:

37. Some emojis: SAD FACES.  😒😓😔😞😣😢

38. Connections: INS.  

39. "Shoo!": GIT.

40. Green player on "Friends": ANISTON.  Aniston played the character Rachel Green on the sitcom, "Friends"

41. Volcanic flow: HOT LAVA. This is the "hot lava" that I prefer:

44. Obstacle to teamwork: EGO.  But doesn't every team need a leader?  One who might have a bigger ego than the others?  Just saying ... 

45. Big oaf: LUMMOX.  Not an oft-used word in crossword puzzles but it fit

47. Sheep: OVINES.

48. "Under the Volcano" star Jacqueline: BISSET.  Bisset was born Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset on 13 September 1944 - so she just turned 80.  In the movie "Under the Volcano" Bisset was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.  Here is a picture of her from that movie:

49. Brand that many stick with?: ELMERS.  Nice play-on-words with this glue-clue

51. Massey with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: ILONA. [from encyclopedia dot com] "

Massey, Ilona (1910–1974) - Hungarian-born American actress

52. __ shed: SHE.  Moe-ku #3:

Female Basset Hound
Has a backyard place to molt
That's called her SHE shed

56. Anti-piracy gp.: USCG.  United States Coast Guard

57. Son of Rebecca and Isaac: ESAU.  One of the Biblical twins

61. Log splitter: AXE.  TLW #22

62. Sends to the mat, briefly: KO'S.  KnockS Out - meh

63. Before, before: ERE. TLW #24

And there you have it.  All you needed to know - y'know - about today's puzzle was in this recap!  My overall grade for this puzzle is: ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5).  Might have scored higher if there weren't so darned many TLWs & abbreviations

See you next month

Plus-one timeline

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