Hello Cornerites!
sumdaze here. Veteran constructor Kevin Christian keeps us entertained with a fast & fun Monday solve. Our theme is: HOSERS
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| Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted Great White North on SCTV in the early 1980s. Bob is played by Rick Moranis (left) and Doug is played by Dave Thomas (right). They introduced this impressionable Lower 48-er to the Canadian term "hoser" (an unsophisticated, rural person). |
Now, for the actual puzzle.... We have 4 themers and a unifier:
17 Across. Baskin-Robbins option: WAFFLE CONE. 
25 Across. Lemon-lime soda brand discontinued in early 2023: SIERRA MIST.
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| a PepsiCo product |
37 Across. Wet postgame celebration: CHAMPAGNE SHOWER.
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| Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Wedding Crashers (2005) |
47 Across. Wealthy executive's plane: PRIVATE JET.
This themer answered the, "Are we doing 'foods'?" question.
59 Across. Backyard item with settings found at the ends of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 47-Across: GARDEN HOSE.
Technically, we are talking about an attachment to a GARDEN HOSE. Close enough! Works for me!
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| CONE, MIST, SHOWER, and JET are all settings on a spray nozzle for a GARDEN HOSE. (They seem to be specifically designed to land on the lever when I set them down so either I or my dog gets sprayed.) |
Across:
1. Sheets of paper: PAGES. Hand up for first thinking "reams", but I waited for perps.
6. Indian prince: RAJA.
10. Walk back and forth anxiously: PACE.
6. Indian prince: RAJA.
10. Walk back and forth anxiously: PACE.
14. Walled city near Madrid: AVILA.
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| You can take a train from Madrid to Avila for about 15 Euros. |
16. MC or Visa alternative: AMEX. credit cards
19. Green gemstone: JADE.
This past summer I was at an art fair where all the booths sold JADE. I saw some unpolished JADE and thought to myself, "Huh, I have a 6 lb. (2.7 kg.), bright green rock. I wonder if it is JADE?" I went home and did some research and found this video online. Prospector Dan shows three tests. I do not have the tools for Test #1 "Light Passing Through" (at 15 min.) or Test #2 "Hardness" (at 17 min.), so I decided to do Test #3 "Specific Gravity Test" (at 20:25 min.) When DH got home, I said, "We're going to do a Science experiment!" Our calculations equaled 3. My rock is JADE!
20. Minor complaint: NIT.
21. North Carolina campus: ELON. I learned this one from doing XWDs.
22. Dasani product: WATER. Easter egg #1!
23. Piggy bank opening: SLOT. 
28. __ monitor: prenatal device: FETAL. "FETAL" is an adjective which means "relating to a fetus."
30. Smidgen: IOTA.
31. One over par, in golf: BOGEY.
33. "Back in Black" rock band: AC🗲DC.
34. Part of TNT: TRI. Trinitrotoluene
41. Corn discard: COB.
42. "Yeah, right": I BET.
43. "Circle of Friends" novelist Binchy: MAEVE. She was an Irish novelist and playwright. (1939-2012).
44. Aspire laptop maker: ACER.
45. Big name in farm equipment: DEERE.
51. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.
54. Within the rules: LEGAL.
55. Part of TLC: CARE. Tender Loving CARE
20. Minor complaint: NIT.
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| knitters' NITs ??? |
22. Dasani product: WATER. Easter egg #1!
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| pricier than water from your GARDEN HOSE |
28. __ monitor: prenatal device: FETAL. "FETAL" is an adjective which means "relating to a fetus."
30. Smidgen: IOTA.
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| PSI'm sorry for the bad puns. |
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| Are the top two real? I do not remember hearing of them. |
33. "Back in Black" rock band: AC🗲DC.
34. Part of TNT: TRI. Trinitrotoluene
41. Corn discard: COB.
42. "Yeah, right": I BET.
43. "Circle of Friends" novelist Binchy: MAEVE. She was an Irish novelist and playwright. (1939-2012).
45. Big name in farm equipment: DEERE.
51. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.
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| Hmm....Is Earl a hoser? |
54. Within the rules: LEGAL.
55. Part of TLC: CARE. Tender Loving CARE
Sending some TLC out to C.C. this week. 💜
57. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR. In the past, Latvia was part of the Soviet Socialist Republic.
58. "Put a lid __!": ON IT. This idiom means to stop something before it gets out of control.
62. Sandals brand owned by Deckers: TEVA. Deckers was founded in Santa Barbara (Hi Picard!) in 1973. It acquired the UGG brand in 1995, TEVA in 2002, and Hoka (a running shoe brand) in 2012.
63. Figure skating leap: AXEL.
64. "Coming along?": YOU IN?
65. Fortuneteller: SEER.
66. Like grass at dawn: DEWY.
67. Adds to the poker pot: ANTES.
Down:
1. Chess pieces that are often moved first: PAWNS.
2. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.
3. Ability to speak persuasively: GIFT OF GAB. One source traces the origin of this idiom to the Middle English word 'gob', which means mouth, and 'gabbe' which means idle talk.
4. Santa's helper: ELF. With Christmas just 2 weeks away, I need some ELF help!
5. Black Friday event: SALE. Black Friday Around the World
6. Shrink back in fear: RECOIL. Easter egg #2! (sort of)
57. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR. In the past, Latvia was part of the Soviet Socialist Republic.
58. "Put a lid __!": ON IT. This idiom means to stop something before it gets out of control.
62. Sandals brand owned by Deckers: TEVA. Deckers was founded in Santa Barbara (Hi Picard!) in 1973. It acquired the UGG brand in 1995, TEVA in 2002, and Hoka (a running shoe brand) in 2012.
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| TEVAs are great for water activities! |
64. "Coming along?": YOU IN?
65. Fortuneteller: SEER.
66. Like grass at dawn: DEWY.
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| Huey, Dewey, & Louie on DEWY grass??? |
Down:
1. Chess pieces that are often moved first: PAWNS.
3. Ability to speak persuasively: GIFT OF GAB. One source traces the origin of this idiom to the Middle English word 'gob', which means mouth, and 'gabbe' which means idle talk.
4. Santa's helper: ELF. With Christmas just 2 weeks away, I need some ELF help!
5. Black Friday event: SALE. Black Friday Around the World
6. Shrink back in fear: RECOIL. Easter egg #2! (sort of)
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| After you finish watering, it is good to RE-COIL your GARDEN HOSE. (OK...it's just "coil" -- but this is more fun!) |
7. Make amends: ATONE.
8. Middle Brady girl: JAN.
9. Pub brew: ALE.
10. __ party: sleepover: PAJAMA. I started filling in S-L-U-M-B-E then ran out of boxes.
11. Valuable violin: AMATI. AMATI is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived from about 1538 to 1740. In May 2013, an auction record $654,588 was paid for an AMATI violin.
12. Gives over (to): CEDES.
13. Apply, as pressure: EXERT. I was thinking "massages"....
18. Actress Pataky: ELSA. She was born in Madrid on July 18, 1976 and is mostly known for being in the Fast & Furious movies.
8. Middle Brady girl: JAN.
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| Being the middle child, JAN sometimes got tired of her older sister, Marcia, getting all the attention. |
10. __ party: sleepover: PAJAMA. I started filling in S-L-U-M-B-E then ran out of boxes.
11. Valuable violin: AMATI. AMATI is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived from about 1538 to 1740. In May 2013, an auction record $654,588 was paid for an AMATI violin.
12. Gives over (to): CEDES.
13. Apply, as pressure: EXERT. I was thinking "massages"....
18. Actress Pataky: ELSA. She was born in Madrid on July 18, 1976 and is mostly known for being in the Fast & Furious movies.
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| sexy Elsa with her hunky husband Chris Hemsworth (Thor) |
22. "Don't think I won't!": WATCH ME. Fun clue & fill!
24. Overflow (with): TEEM.
26. Grain grown in a paddy: RICE.
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| I took this picture of a farmer harvesting his RICE in Japan. |
27. Towel holders: RODS.
29. Usual: TYPICAL.
31. Include on an email surreptitiously: BCC.
32. "Caught you!": OHO. an exclamation used to show pleased surprise or recognition
33. Picnic invader: ANT. They frequently invade XWD puzzles as well.
34. Announces on X: TWEETS OUT. Now that Twitter has been renamed X, I guess it would not sound right to say "Xes OUT".
35. Gun, as an engine: REV. Vroom! Vroom!
36. Wrath: IRE.
38. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.
39. Richard of "Sommersby": GERE. his IMBd page
40. Rowboat set: OARS.
44. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR. An AVATAR is a personalized graphical illustration that represents a computer user. Sometimes it is a character or alter ego that represents that user.
45. Lethal: DEADLY.
46. "To be," in French: ETRE.
47. Parcels of land: PLOTS.
48. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. her IMBd page
29. Usual: TYPICAL.
31. Include on an email surreptitiously: BCC.
32. "Caught you!": OHO. an exclamation used to show pleased surprise or recognition
33. Picnic invader: ANT. They frequently invade XWD puzzles as well.
34. Announces on X: TWEETS OUT. Now that Twitter has been renamed X, I guess it would not sound right to say "Xes OUT".
35. Gun, as an engine: REV. Vroom! Vroom!
36. Wrath: IRE.
38. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.
39. Richard of "Sommersby": GERE. his IMBd page
40. Rowboat set: OARS.
44. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR. An AVATAR is a personalized graphical illustration that represents a computer user. Sometimes it is a character or alter ego that represents that user.
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| Here is an excellent example ... and choice! |
45. Lethal: DEADLY.
46. "To be," in French: ETRE.
47. Parcels of land: PLOTS.
48. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. her IMBd page
49. "Uncle!": I GIVE.
50. Preppy clothing brand: J.CREW. This company turned 40 this year. It filed for bankruptcy in 2020 but it is still selling its Cape Cod look.
52. "Grumpy Old Men" actor Davis: OSSIE. (1917 - 2005) He led a distinguished life.
53. Small chirpy birds: WRENS.
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| Ossie Davis played Chuck in Grumpy Old Men (1993). |
53. Small chirpy birds: WRENS.
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| Wren ten tin ??? |
56. Irish New Age singer: ENYA. IIRC, RosE also likes ENYA's music. Since it is December, I am choosing Christmas Secrets (2006).
59. Wander (about): GAD. Def: (verb) go around from one place to another, in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.
59. Wander (about): GAD. Def: (verb) go around from one place to another, in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.
While GADding about the internet, I accidentally came across this history video entitled The Sunken Town of Gad, West Virginia (17:46 min.) Some of you might find it interesting. The town was lost to the Summersville Dam in 1966. I especially liked the interviews with the former residents. (Watch for the water skiers in the background at 5:34 min.!)
60. Logger's tool: AXE. The other day I watched firefighters loading up their truck after a false alarm. One carried a large AXE. #NotJustAStereotype
61. Sweetie: HON. Bs make HON.
60. Logger's tool: AXE. The other day I watched firefighters loading up their truck after a false alarm. One carried a large AXE. #NotJustAStereotype
61. Sweetie: HON. Bs make HON.
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a great week, everyone!
Oops! I just realized I forgot to add the grid. Better late than never....
