Hello Cornerites!
Today we remember those who lost their lives as a result of the four, coordinated terrorist attacks
that occurred on the morning of September 11, 2001. The victims represented 93 nations.
This is a link to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York, NY.
And now on to today's puzzle....
Theme: Nice ABs!
We'll begin with the reveal then have a look at the referenced clues.
61 Across. First leg of a journey, and a description of 20-, 30-, 38-, and 49-Across: FROM A TO B.
All of the answers to the themed clues are two-word phrases that begin with the letter A and end with the letter B.
20 Across. Pitchfork-wielding crowd: ANGRY MOB.
Let's hope they can be dissuaded by a minister wearing an AlB.
30 Across. Group that may arrange a class reunion: ALUMNI CLUB.
Perhaps they'll put on a performance where they can AdliB.
38 Across. Tech user who will only use Macs: APPLE SNOB.
Such a person might come across as overly AplomB.
49 Across. Part of speech that conveys doing: ACTION VERB.
Not to be confused with an AdverB.
Next, we'll AbsorB the other 70 clues:
1. Helps with a crime: ABETS. In this first clue, we go from A to B in just one step. Foreshadowing???
6. Capture: SNAG.
10. __ Lee desserts: SARA.
14. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. She won Oscars and BFTAs for Cold Mountain (2004) and Judy (2020). I will always love her for Bridget Jones's Diary (2001).
Bridget introduces Mr. Fitzherbert (2 min.)
15. Work very hard: TOIL.
16. Greek Cupid: EROS.
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| EROS has a quiver filled with arrows. |
17. Mother, in Madrid: MADRE.
18. Italy's capital: ROME. Google says MADRE is also 'mother' in ROME. Is that correct?
19. Sitting on: ATOP. Did you realize that the letter "a" in ATOP is a prefix? This link goes to a transcript of Grammar Girl's August 22, 2023 podcast The Wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English (Episode 942). Inquisitive minds will be clicking.
22. Tag player's cry: NOT IT.
24. Confidentiality contract: Abbr.: NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement
25. Feel sick: AIL.
26. Georgia home of the Tubman Museum: MACON. website
28. FDR coin: DIME.
34. South American country where Paddington Bear was born: PERU. It turns out that PERU, South America's 3rd largest country, is its only 4-letter country.
Try making a list of all the 4-letter countries in the world then check your answers here. (Hint: Only two are in the Western Hemisphere.)
36. Slimy garden pest: SLUG. Organic gardening tip: Hand-pick your SLUGs then put them in an exposed place where they will attract birds to your garden but is too far for them to slither back to your plants. The birds will now know to help you with future pests.
37. List-shortening abbr.: ETC. Ironically, ETC means the list continues on.
42. Bad-mouth: DIS. slang, to DISrespect and 4 Down. Region: Abbr.: TERR. TERRitory and 23 Down. Informal "Holy cow!": OMIGOD.
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| the story of Paddington Bear |
36. Slimy garden pest: SLUG. Organic gardening tip: Hand-pick your SLUGs then put them in an exposed place where they will attract birds to your garden but is too far for them to slither back to your plants. The birds will now know to help you with future pests.
37. List-shortening abbr.: ETC. Ironically, ETC means the list continues on.
42. Bad-mouth: DIS. slang, to DISrespect and 4 Down. Region: Abbr.: TERR. TERRitory and 23 Down. Informal "Holy cow!": OMIGOD.
45. Title of respect: MA'AM.
46. Medical pros: DOCS. "PROfessionalS" is abbreviated, so is "DOCtorS".
53. "That was close!": WHEW.
56. Battery size: AAA.
58. Obamacare, for short: ACA. Affordable Care Act
59. Shipping container: CRATE.
63. Bell hit with a padded mallet: GONG. Time for some music! You can hear two GONG strokes in the beginning and a couple more later on.
The Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian (released 1986)
We do not see the GONG; but, then again, we do not see anyone actually playing a guitar.
The dancing is fun, though.
64. Solving aid: CLUE. not so much on Saturdays....
A 4-letter 'solving aid' on Saturdays is GARY, as in Husker Gary. 😀
66. Sports complex: ARENA. How do you find the area in ARENA? Erase the "N".
66. Sports complex: ARENA. How do you find the area in ARENA? Erase the "N".
Actually, it is almost that easy. If the ARENA is an oval (ellipse), you can calculate the area of the ARENA this way: 
67. French fashion magazine: ELLE. Zendaya is on this month's cover.
68. Cat's warning: HISS. I'm currently reading Haley Mill's memoir, Forever Young. With that on my mind, this clue makes me think of the Disney classic, That Darn Cat! Here is a fun retro-review.
69. Heaps: SCADS. From etymonline: (noun) "large amounts," 1869, American English, earlier "a dollar" (1855, usually in plural), a word of uncertain origin. Unknown connection to scad, the fish, which, along British coasts, were often very abundant and occasionally seen in immense shoals.
70. Slow Churned ice cream brand: EDY'S.
71. Send packing: OUST. and 12 Down. Eradicate, as corruption: ROOT OUT. See 20A.
72. Admonition in a train's quiet car: SHUSH.
Down:
1. Actor Assante: ARMAND. Born October 4, 1949. He's one of those actors you might not know until you see him. Then you say, "Oh, yeah, that guy." his IMDb page
2. Party bowlful with tortilla chips: BEAN DIP. "Salsa" was too short. "Guacamole" was too long. Fritos might be the "traditional pairing".
3. Final stages of a chess match: ENDGAME. the last few moves you make in a strategic game, like chess or backgammon
5. "Later, gator": SEE YA. I like to say "Later, gator" to DH because he's a UF grad.
6. Recreational walk: STROLL.
7. Beginner, in gaming slang: NOOB. Anon T said to use zero's for the O's to trick the BOTs.
8. Ultimate goal: AIM.
9. Narrow valley: GLEN.
10. Washington airport named for two cities, familiarly: SEATAC. SEAttle and TAComa
11. Newspaper piece: ARTICLE.
13. Dangerous Egyptian snake: ASP.
21. "Mamma __!": musical featuring ABBA songs: MIA. It ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2013. This is a montage of scenes and songs:
27. TV network that owns the Peacock streaming service: NBC.
29. Chunk of time: ERA.
31. "I can help": USE ME.
32. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. Major League Soccer
33. Convent resident: NUN. CSO to Lucina!
35. Loftiest: UPMOST. Def: (adjective) uppermost.
39. Bad review: PAN. Do we really want to open this door?
40. Loo: LAV. Both are Britishisms for restroom/washroom.
41. Gift box topper: BOW.
42. Familial source of corny jokes: DAD.
67. French fashion magazine: ELLE. Zendaya is on this month's cover.
68. Cat's warning: HISS. I'm currently reading Haley Mill's memoir, Forever Young. With that on my mind, this clue makes me think of the Disney classic, That Darn Cat! Here is a fun retro-review.
69. Heaps: SCADS. From etymonline: (noun) "large amounts," 1869, American English, earlier "a dollar" (1855, usually in plural), a word of uncertain origin. Unknown connection to scad, the fish, which, along British coasts, were often very abundant and occasionally seen in immense shoals.
70. Slow Churned ice cream brand: EDY'S.
71. Send packing: OUST. and 12 Down. Eradicate, as corruption: ROOT OUT. See 20A.
72. Admonition in a train's quiet car: SHUSH.
Down:
1. Actor Assante: ARMAND. Born October 4, 1949. He's one of those actors you might not know until you see him. Then you say, "Oh, yeah, that guy." his IMDb page
2. Party bowlful with tortilla chips: BEAN DIP. "Salsa" was too short. "Guacamole" was too long. Fritos might be the "traditional pairing".
3. Final stages of a chess match: ENDGAME. the last few moves you make in a strategic game, like chess or backgammon
5. "Later, gator": SEE YA. I like to say "Later, gator" to DH because he's a UF grad.
6. Recreational walk: STROLL.
7. Beginner, in gaming slang: NOOB. Anon T said to use zero's for the O's to trick the BOTs.
8. Ultimate goal: AIM.
9. Narrow valley: GLEN.
10. Washington airport named for two cities, familiarly: SEATAC. SEAttle and TAComa
11. Newspaper piece: ARTICLE.
13. Dangerous Egyptian snake: ASP.
21. "Mamma __!": musical featuring ABBA songs: MIA. It ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2013. This is a montage of scenes and songs:
27. TV network that owns the Peacock streaming service: NBC.
 |
| NBC's logo is a peacock. |
31. "I can help": USE ME.
32. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. Major League Soccer
33. Convent resident: NUN. CSO to Lucina!
35. Loftiest: UPMOST. Def: (adjective) uppermost.
39. Bad review: PAN. Do we really want to open this door?
40. Loo: LAV. Both are Britishisms for restroom/washroom.
41. Gift box topper: BOW.
42. Familial source of corny jokes: DAD.
43. Like a frosty beverage: ICE COLD. Do you remember these A&W Root Beer commercials?
44. In a no-nonsense manner: STERNLY.
47. French manor house: CHATEAU. Do we have any Dick & Angela fans on The Corner?
Escape to the Chateau (40 sec. preview)
48. Additional helping at a meal: SECONDS. servings, not staff
50. Mental pictures: IMAGES.
51. Least common: RAREST.
52. Steamed dumpling: BAO. C.C. taught us this in her April 23, 2023 blog:
Actually "baozi". No one says "bao" alone in China. Cha siu bao, Xiaolongbao, etc. So so good.
54. Terre Haute's river: WABASH. Terre Haute is in western Indiana. Here is a USGS PDF leaflet from 1981 about the WABASH river. It lists the river as 475 miles (764.4 km) long.
57. Gather: AMASS. Catholics gather for A MASS on Sunday mornings.
60. Reverberate: ECHO.
61. Hubbub: FUSS.
I liked both of these and could not choose. The first one is a bit hard to read. It says,
"This one's from you know who, so make a fuss and thank him."
62. St. Louis landmark: ARCH.
63. "__ willikers!": GEE.
65. Actor Simu who plays Shang-Chi: LIU.
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| Simu Liu is a Canadian actor. He was born on April 19, 1989 in Harbin, China. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a Marvel movie released in 2021. |
Here's the grid: 
A lot of bafflegaB? (15 letters)
I hope not! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this one.
Wishing everyone a good week!
Notes from C.C.:
Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our creative and faithful
Saturday sherpa, who has saved me a thousand times with his fun and unexpected
clues and titles. Hope it's a lovely day for some family time, Gary!
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| Joann & Gary |
