Theme: "Rooting around"
36A. Patrick Creadon documentary about SpongeBob ... and what's found in this puzzle's circles : SQUARE ROOTS
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Don't drink green beer! (the Irish don't). However, they would enjoy this little ditty from the Dropkick Murphys.
Four sets of circles show four ROOTs with nice symmetry - the "R" occupies the NW, NE, SE, SW in turn. The reveal was fun, I'd not heard of the book but it filled itself in quite nicely.
A friend of mine is the voice of Squidward in the series. It became apparent how successful it was becoming when he bought a Corvette.
Right then - let's see what else we've got of note.
Across:
1. Family nickname : MAMA
5. Religion with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
10. NCO rank : MSGT. SSGT went in first. This one is Master Sergeant.
14. Word with man or horse : IRON. Iron horse is now an almost-archaic term for a steam locomotive. It's also a great winery in Sonoma, much more up my alley.
15. Black Panthers co-founder : SEALE. Unknown to me. Crosses bailed me out.
16. Gillette product : ATRA
17. Stub __ : A TOE
18. Strains : TAXES. Taxes strain my feelings of goodwill towards the IRS.
19. Go fast : ZOOM
20. Concerning : INRE. I learned this from reading Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Letters" books.
22. Postgame postmortem : RECAP
24. Baby seal : PUP
25. Oahu resident, for example : ISLANDER. I tried HAWAIIAN first. Saw the error of my ways eventually.
27. Wake : ROUSE
29. AAA suggestion : RTE.
30. Source of a nutritious oil : COD. Cod liver, particularly
31. Sorted homogeneously : GROUPED
33. Rearward : ASTERN
35. Dirty money : GRIFT. Tried GRAFT. Changed it.
39. "¿Cómo está __?" : USTED
40. Emergency room concern : TRAUMA
43. Supposed : REPUTED
46. What -ess may denote: Abbr. : FEM. Feminine. Some PC-types get affronted by actress, heiress and the like. Me, not so much,
47. Spoiled : BAD
48. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE
49. Animals that fight by necking : GIRAFFES
51. V x CCXXI : MCV. Roman math. Computers would never have been able to cope.
52. Bemused states : DAZES
55. Mineo and Maglie : SALS. Mineo I knew. Maglie, not so much.I discover he was a baseball pitcher in the '40s and '50s. C.C. would have known this.
56. It may be caught in the flue : SOOT
58. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. The hotels were all falling to pieces before they'd even been built. I wonder what the place looks like now?
60. Carry : TOTE
62. Uffizi hangings : ARTE
63. Where to find a full house : POKER
64. Past its prime : WORN
65. Rural agreement : YES'M
66. Long-legged wader : STORK
67. Yank who missed the 2014 season : A-ROD. Not voluntarily, I might add.
Down:
1. Hamm with a kick : MIA. US Women's National Team legendary soccer player
2. Recording pros : ARTISTS
3. Saturn ring components : MOONLETS
4. End of __ : AN ERA
5. Real end : IST
6. Scorched : SEARED
7. More lenient : LAXER. I think I'd say "more lax" than "laxer". Seems more proper.
8. Knighted Guinness : ALEC. Obi-Wan Kenobi portrayer in Star Wars, amongst other great roles.
9. Plateau cousin : MESA
10. 1960 Pirate World Series hero, familiarly : MAZ. Bill Mazeroski hit the series-winning home run against the Yankees in the ninth inning of Game 7. Impressive stuff. People still gather at the site of the old stadium (the campus of the University of Pittsburgh) on the anniversary of the game, and listen to a recording of the play-by-play.
11. Clog : STOP UP
12. Complain : GROUSE
13. Packed tightly : TAMPED
21. Covered with a hard coating : ENCRUSTED
23. Projected financial statements : PRO FORMAS
25. Author Levin : IRA
26. Give : DONATE
28. Word in a home run call : OUTTA. "It's up, it's long and it's OUTTA here!". Maz's home run probably got similar treatment.
31. Watchdog warning : GRR
32. Mob member : RIOTER
34. Top-of-the-line Hyundai whose name means "horse" in Latin : EQUUS
35. H.S. equivalency test : G.E.D. General Equivalency Diploma.
37. Arizona Cardinal mascot Big __ : RED. Here's my quibble of the day - the team name is Arizona Cardinals, with an "s". It's the NCAA's Stanford who are the Cardinal (the color, not the bird).
38. It's under the hardwood : SUBFLOOR
41. Baton user : MAESTRO
42. They can be classified : ADS
43. "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon : RAMSAY. He was a professional soccer prospect in his native Scotland when he suffered a ligament injury at aged 16. Owners of unhygienic restaurants and Hell's Kitchen contestants have come to regret that fact.
44. "Play it again, Sam!" : ENCORE
45. Dance turns : PIVOTS
46. Toy company co-founder Herman : FISHER. Along with Irving Price, Herman's wife Helen, and Helen Schelle. History does not record why Schelle was left off the naming roster.
49. Insurance spokeslizard : GECKO. Annoying little bugger, I have to say.
50. Islamic ruling : FATWA
53. Lethal snakes : ASPS
54. Type of baggy '40s suit : ZOOT. Sharp!
57. President pro __ : TEM. From the Latin "pro tempore" "for the time being".
59. Annoy : IRK
61. Apt answer for this puzzle location : END. I *think* this clue was probably intended to read "Apt answer for this clue location". It doesn't make a whole lot of sense otherwise.
That's about it. No St. Patrick's jollity for me today - I'll be en route between San Jose and San Diego. I'll save my fun for the weekend when I get back to LA.
Be careful out there!
Steve
Aaaaanddddd ... here's the grid.
36A. Patrick Creadon documentary about SpongeBob ... and what's found in this puzzle's circles : SQUARE ROOTS
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Don't drink green beer! (the Irish don't). However, they would enjoy this little ditty from the Dropkick Murphys.
Four sets of circles show four ROOTs with nice symmetry - the "R" occupies the NW, NE, SE, SW in turn. The reveal was fun, I'd not heard of the book but it filled itself in quite nicely.
A friend of mine is the voice of Squidward in the series. It became apparent how successful it was becoming when he bought a Corvette.
Right then - let's see what else we've got of note.
Across:
1. Family nickname : MAMA
5. Religion with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
10. NCO rank : MSGT. SSGT went in first. This one is Master Sergeant.
14. Word with man or horse : IRON. Iron horse is now an almost-archaic term for a steam locomotive. It's also a great winery in Sonoma, much more up my alley.
15. Black Panthers co-founder : SEALE. Unknown to me. Crosses bailed me out.
16. Gillette product : ATRA
17. Stub __ : A TOE
18. Strains : TAXES. Taxes strain my feelings of goodwill towards the IRS.
19. Go fast : ZOOM
20. Concerning : INRE. I learned this from reading Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Letters" books.
22. Postgame postmortem : RECAP
24. Baby seal : PUP
25. Oahu resident, for example : ISLANDER. I tried HAWAIIAN first. Saw the error of my ways eventually.
27. Wake : ROUSE
29. AAA suggestion : RTE.
30. Source of a nutritious oil : COD. Cod liver, particularly
31. Sorted homogeneously : GROUPED
33. Rearward : ASTERN
35. Dirty money : GRIFT. Tried GRAFT. Changed it.
39. "¿Cómo está __?" : USTED
40. Emergency room concern : TRAUMA
43. Supposed : REPUTED
46. What -ess may denote: Abbr. : FEM. Feminine. Some PC-types get affronted by actress, heiress and the like. Me, not so much,
47. Spoiled : BAD
48. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE
49. Animals that fight by necking : GIRAFFES
51. V x CCXXI : MCV. Roman math. Computers would never have been able to cope.
52. Bemused states : DAZES
55. Mineo and Maglie : SALS. Mineo I knew. Maglie, not so much.I discover he was a baseball pitcher in the '40s and '50s. C.C. would have known this.
56. It may be caught in the flue : SOOT
58. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. The hotels were all falling to pieces before they'd even been built. I wonder what the place looks like now?
60. Carry : TOTE
62. Uffizi hangings : ARTE
63. Where to find a full house : POKER
64. Past its prime : WORN
65. Rural agreement : YES'M
66. Long-legged wader : STORK
67. Yank who missed the 2014 season : A-ROD. Not voluntarily, I might add.
Down:
1. Hamm with a kick : MIA. US Women's National Team legendary soccer player
2. Recording pros : ARTISTS
3. Saturn ring components : MOONLETS
4. End of __ : AN ERA
5. Real end : IST
6. Scorched : SEARED
7. More lenient : LAXER. I think I'd say "more lax" than "laxer". Seems more proper.
8. Knighted Guinness : ALEC. Obi-Wan Kenobi portrayer in Star Wars, amongst other great roles.
9. Plateau cousin : MESA
10. 1960 Pirate World Series hero, familiarly : MAZ. Bill Mazeroski hit the series-winning home run against the Yankees in the ninth inning of Game 7. Impressive stuff. People still gather at the site of the old stadium (the campus of the University of Pittsburgh) on the anniversary of the game, and listen to a recording of the play-by-play.
11. Clog : STOP UP
12. Complain : GROUSE
13. Packed tightly : TAMPED
21. Covered with a hard coating : ENCRUSTED
23. Projected financial statements : PRO FORMAS
25. Author Levin : IRA
26. Give : DONATE
28. Word in a home run call : OUTTA. "It's up, it's long and it's OUTTA here!". Maz's home run probably got similar treatment.
31. Watchdog warning : GRR
32. Mob member : RIOTER
34. Top-of-the-line Hyundai whose name means "horse" in Latin : EQUUS
35. H.S. equivalency test : G.E.D. General Equivalency Diploma.
37. Arizona Cardinal mascot Big __ : RED. Here's my quibble of the day - the team name is Arizona Cardinals, with an "s". It's the NCAA's Stanford who are the Cardinal (the color, not the bird).
38. It's under the hardwood : SUBFLOOR
41. Baton user : MAESTRO
42. They can be classified : ADS
43. "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon : RAMSAY. He was a professional soccer prospect in his native Scotland when he suffered a ligament injury at aged 16. Owners of unhygienic restaurants and Hell's Kitchen contestants have come to regret that fact.
44. "Play it again, Sam!" : ENCORE
45. Dance turns : PIVOTS
46. Toy company co-founder Herman : FISHER. Along with Irving Price, Herman's wife Helen, and Helen Schelle. History does not record why Schelle was left off the naming roster.
49. Insurance spokeslizard : GECKO. Annoying little bugger, I have to say.
50. Islamic ruling : FATWA
53. Lethal snakes : ASPS
54. Type of baggy '40s suit : ZOOT. Sharp!
57. President pro __ : TEM. From the Latin "pro tempore" "for the time being".
59. Annoy : IRK
61. Apt answer for this puzzle location : END. I *think* this clue was probably intended to read "Apt answer for this clue location". It doesn't make a whole lot of sense otherwise.
That's about it. No St. Patrick's jollity for me today - I'll be en route between San Jose and San Diego. I'll save my fun for the weekend when I get back to LA.
Be careful out there!
Steve
Aaaaanddddd ... here's the grid.
