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.
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| Fancy Balls. |
52-Across. Member of an attorney's support staff: LEGAL ASSISTANT. GALA
64-Across. Places to pick up diving gear: SCUBA SHOPS.
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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.
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| Not being Used as Directed. |
67. Cut down: HEW.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
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