Hello Cornerites!
Today's theme: Do-able 'N' Delightful
I thoroughly enjoyed Lynn's puzzle and I hope you did, too! She gave us four themed answers (lengths 11, 13, 13, and 11); a 3-letter reveal perfectly centered in the grid; plus two, 10-letter vertical fills. Let's admire her work: 
Beginning with the reveal:
37. Role-playing game with a 20-sided die, familiarly, and a feature of this puzzle's four longest answers: DND. Dungeons aNd Dragons is a fantasy, tabletop, role-playing game originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. It is commonly abbreviated as either D&D or DnD.
Do we have any players on The Corner? I have never played DND but I have a friend who used to play so I asked for his input. He recommends Critical Role, a YouTube series where a group of voiceover actor friends, led by Matthew Mercer, play the game.
The reveal tells us that the four, themed clues all look like this: D___ AND D___ .
17 Across. Move with a mouse, say: DRAG AND DROP. This one was my favorite!
27 Across. Farrelly brothers buddy comedy: DUMB AND DUMBER. a 1994 movie starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
43 Across. Small, irregular amounts: DRIBS AND DRABS. I have heard this expression but it is not in my lexicon. You can read more about it here.
Thank you, Lynn, for the FBI intersection! Apparently the eggcorn "DRIpS AND DRABS" often pops up.
58 Across. Eat without paying the bill: DINE AND DASH. Not cool, dude!
1. Former Iranian rulers: SHAHS.
6. Muscle twitch: SPASM.
11. Midwest winter hrs.: CST. "Hours" is abbreviated, so is "Central Standard Time".
14. Slather with grease: OIL UP. OIL prices are going UP
15. "It's been said ... ": I HEAR...
16. Hosp. recovery area: ICU. "Hospital" is abbreviated, so is Intensive Care Unit.
19. Neither's partner: NOR.
20. Karaoke selection: SONG. A cringe-worthy karaoke scene is a common movie trope. In My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Julia Roberts tries to make Cameron Diaz look bad in front of Dermot Mulroney but her plan backfires. (3:09 min.)
21. Overhead trains: ELS. In this scene from The Godfather (1972), director Francis Ford Coppola brilliantly uses the noise from the ELS (first in the bathroom, then in the dining room) to add to the viewing tension.
Warning: blood & violence (It is The Godfather, after all.)
22. Like bibs and aprons, usually: TIED ON.
24. Lotion additive: ALOE.
26. Sign of spiders: COBWEBS. Halloween is just 15 days away so we might want to know the Difference Between Cobwebs & Spiderwebs.
31. Cockeyed: ATILT.
32. Mine find: ORE.
33. Psychic powers: ESP.
36. Uses an all-in-one printer feature: FAXES.
38. Pixar title robot: WALL•E. This puzzle also features a very different Disney robot movie at 2D.
22. Like bibs and aprons, usually: TIED ON.
24. Lotion additive: ALOE.
26. Sign of spiders: COBWEBS. Halloween is just 15 days away so we might want to know the Difference Between Cobwebs & Spiderwebs.
31. Cockeyed: ATILT.
32. Mine find: ORE.
33. Psychic powers: ESP.
36. Uses an all-in-one printer feature: FAXES.
38. Pixar title robot: WALL•E. This puzzle also features a very different Disney robot movie at 2D.
40. BTW part: THE. By THE Way
41. Shark feature: FIN. You can watch for sevengill sharks, leopard sharks, spiny dogfish (sharks), and Pacific angel sharks on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Shark Web Cam.
42. Luminous: AGLOW. Speaking of spectacular marine life, here is a pic of a bioluminescent jellyfish.
48. Wandering from place to place: NOMADIC. This word helped me decide if 37D. DISC ended in a C or a K.
50. Lighten (up): EASE. Speaking of amazing bioluminescent fish, How do they "light up"?
51. Assuming that: EVEN IF. This one was one of my FAVs today.
52. Common TV set-top box: DVR. I think Lynn knows that it would be difficult to place anything on top of today's flat-screen TVs. Her clue connects an old-style TV set to an old-style piece of equipment. Nicely done!
53. Bigger than big: EPIC.
57. Unite: WED.
61. One more than bi-: TRI-.
62. Trojan War saga: ILIAD.
63. Not merely decorative: UTILE.
64. RR stop: STA. "Railroad" is abbreviated, so is "STAtion".
65. Two more than bi-: TETRA-. Two more than two is four. That is why the game Tetris uses shapes made of four squares.
66. Doomed one: GONER. Speaking of sharks...
Down:
1. Lays down the lawn: SODS. I kept reading this as "Lays down the law." I think that might have been Lynn's sneaky plan all along.
2. "Big Hero 6" hero: HIRO. Below is the trailer for the movie. It came out in 2014. I have not seen the movie nor did I watch Big Hero 6: The Series (2017 - 2021); however I did watch Baymax!, a six-episode mini-series released on Disney+ in 2022. It took me a bit to get it, but I ended up loving Baymax! He is an inflatable healthcare robot ("balloon man" in the trailer). If you like heartwarming stories, I recommend you give Baymax! a try.
53. Bigger than big: EPIC.
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| Today on The Corner |
61. One more than bi-: TRI-.
62. Trojan War saga: ILIAD.
63. Not merely decorative: UTILE.
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| I once toured Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey House in Virginia. He sought to design UTILitarian homes that were also artistic and decorative. |
64. RR stop: STA. "Railroad" is abbreviated, so is "STAtion".
65. Two more than bi-: TETRA-. Two more than two is four. That is why the game Tetris uses shapes made of four squares.
66. Doomed one: GONER. Speaking of sharks...
Down:
1. Lays down the lawn: SODS. I kept reading this as "Lays down the law." I think that might have been Lynn's sneaky plan all along.
2. "Big Hero 6" hero: HIRO. Below is the trailer for the movie. It came out in 2014. I have not seen the movie nor did I watch Big Hero 6: The Series (2017 - 2021); however I did watch Baymax!, a six-episode mini-series released on Disney+ in 2022. It took me a bit to get it, but I ended up loving Baymax! He is an inflatable healthcare robot ("balloon man" in the trailer). If you like heartwarming stories, I recommend you give Baymax! a try.
BTW, HIRO is the youth filing the police report in the trailer.
Notice the setting is San Fransokyo. 😀
3. Actor Alda: ALAN.
4. Inviting cuddles: HUGGABLE. Baymax from 2D is HUGGABLE.
5. Pampering spot at a four-star hotel: SPA.
6. Moved like a crab: SIDLED.
4. Inviting cuddles: HUGGABLE. Baymax from 2D is HUGGABLE.
5. Pampering spot at a four-star hotel: SPA.
6. Moved like a crab: SIDLED.
Why do crabs walk sideways? (1:39 min.)
7. Advanced degs.: PHDS.
8. Gassy prefix: AER-. This prefix, along with aero-, is used to indicate atmosphere, air, gas, and aviation.
9. __ and PrÃncipe: island country in the Gulf of Guinea: SÃO TOMÉ. 8 Interesting Facts
8. Gassy prefix: AER-. This prefix, along with aero-, is used to indicate atmosphere, air, gas, and aviation.
9. __ and PrÃncipe: island country in the Gulf of Guinea: SÃO TOMÉ. 8 Interesting Facts
#7 from the above link (8 Interesting Facts) is Tchiloli. The image to the right is a 1:31 min. video of the celebration.
10. Onetime Dr Pepper rival: MR. PIBB. The Coca-Cola Company introduced Peppo in 1972 to compete with Dr Pepper. They reintroduced it as MR. PIBB in 1974 after being sued for trademark infringement. MR. PIBB was discontinued in 2001 and Pibb Xtra filled its spot on store shelves. Drama drama drama.
11. Glass slipper wearer in a fairy tale: CINDERELLA. What a fun 10-letter fill, along with its symmetrical partner at 29D!
12. Shaggy's pal, to Shaggy: SCOOB.
18. Bright light in the big city: NEON.
23. Lamb nurser: EWE.
25. Back muscles, for short: LATS.
26. Morsel Miss Muffet ate with whey: CURD. "Morsel" gave us a single CURD.
27. Electronic music duo __ Punk: DAFT. They split up in 2021 but will be forever WED on XWD puzzles.
28. Home of the Mighty Five national parks: UTAH. and 46 Down. 28-Down's western neighbor: NEVADA.
29. Hybrid art technique: MIXED MEDIA. a term used to describe artworks composed from a combination of different media or materials
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| Pablo Picasso's Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper (1913) |
30. Fashion designer Karan: DONNA.
Richie Valens sings about a different Donna (1958).
He said the song was a tribute to his high school sweetheart.
34. Neatnik's opposite: SLOB.
The Odd Couple (1968) (1 min.)
35. Chapel benches: PEWS.
37. Part of CD: DISC. CD stands for "Compact DISC". It is easily confused with DISk.
37. Part of CD: DISC. CD stands for "Compact DISC". It is easily confused with DISk.
38. Bunches of bucks: WADS.
39. Shook hands on: AGREED TO.
41. Record that may be accessed in the electronic FOIA Library: FBI FILE. "FOIA" is the "Freedom Of Information Act". Oh, that makes sense.
44. Tried to win an election: RAN.
45. "Yay, me!": I DID IT.
47. "Shoot!": DARN.
48. Small salamanders: NEWTS. Their favorite food is worms, they can regrow lost or damaged limbs, and their top speed is 30 mph (48 kph). more interesting facts
49. Not hidden: OVERT.
52. Much loved: DEAR.
54. Big hassle: PAIN.
55. Capri, for one: ISLE.
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| not a herd of deer |
39. Shook hands on: AGREED TO.
41. Record that may be accessed in the electronic FOIA Library: FBI FILE. "FOIA" is the "Freedom Of Information Act". Oh, that makes sense.
44. Tried to win an election: RAN.
45. "Yay, me!": I DID IT.
47. "Shoot!": DARN.
48. Small salamanders: NEWTS. Their favorite food is worms, they can regrow lost or damaged limbs, and their top speed is 30 mph (48 kph). more interesting facts
49. Not hidden: OVERT.
52. Much loved: DEAR.
54. Big hassle: PAIN.
55. Capri, for one: ISLE.
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| neither a kids' beverage NOR a pant hem length |
56. Pop diva who was the 2017 Billboard Icon Award honoree: CHER. Here's a video I hope Lucina likes. 😀
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)
You might recognize the two young girls under their wigs as Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci.
59. Tiny criticism: NIT. It can be the egg of a louse (or other parasitic insect) or a minor shortcoming. Neither seems complimentary.
60. Broke ground: DUG.
I'll let you know if this digger finds anything. Meanwhile, have an EPIC week, everyone!
Notes from C.C.
1)
Happy birthday to CrossEyedDave, who bakes the best birthday cake in the world!
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| CrossEyedDave |
2) Happy birthday also to Blue Hen, who makes the best cheater risotto in the world!
3) I made today's "Monster Mashup" (Halloween theme) for Atlas Obscura. Click here to solve. It's edited by Samir Patel, the editor-in-chief of AO. I'm
glad that a few regulars on our blog (Hahtoolah, Tante Nique, etc) like
that site, which now features a new puzzle every Monday, about NYT
Tuesday or Wednesday level difficulty. Some big name constructors:
Brendan Emmett Quigley, Stella Zawistowski, Laura Braunstein, Natan Last
and Brooke Husic.
