A Place for Everything
As this is the Thursday of the Octave of Christmas, I thought The Place Where I Belong by singer/songwriter Leroy Sanchez would be a good place to start ...
Today's constructor, veteran Adam Vincent, reminds us that there is a place for everything, or as he puts it, an "Apt spot to ...?". He does this with 4 multi-level themers (2 Across and 2 Down) ...
46A. Apt spot to do the running man?: POLITICAL PARTY. It could be a man running for election, or the title song from the 1987 dystopian film The Running Man, performed here by Ghost Town DJ ...
55. Apt spot to breakdance?: WRECKING BALL. A contemporary torch song by Miley Cyrus ...
4D. Apt spot to swing dance?: GOLF CLUB. If a ballet on the links doesn't get you in the mood, maybe this will ...
11D. Apt spot to do the moonwalk?: SPACE BAR. Not just the long key on the keyboard that I just pressed 8 times, but a dive on the desert world of Tatooine during in the first Star Wars movie ...
No stars, no circles, no reveal. Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. Buck: STAG.
5. Condiment often applied with chopsticks: WASABI. I think of SUSHI as a condiment to put on WASABI.
11. Out of harm's way: SAFE.
15. Quite: OH SO.
16. Howard who has two Oscars for Best Original Song: ASHMAN. Baltimore born Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan Menken composed the music. His work included songs for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Here's the trailer for the 1989 film, The Little Mermaid, based on the original Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale ...
17. Thank God, maybe: PRAY. It really helps. And a lot helps a lot.
18. Cut out early: BAIL.
19. Backless furniture: STOOLS.
20. Crop unit: ACRE.
21. Walking stick: STAFF.
23. Non-neutral particles: IONS. This guy moves fast ...
24. Is sore: ACHES.
25. Actor whose final film role was in 1961's "The Misfits":
CLARK GABLE. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Cliff ...
31. Endows (with): IMBUES.
35. Refers (to): ALLUDES.
37. Hallelujah kin: HOSANNA. As in the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah ...
38. Shallot, for one: BULB.
39. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.
42. Wedding invite request: RSVP.
43. Pro who wears a Star of Life emblem: EMT. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the "Star of Life" and holds priority rights to the use of this registered certification mark.
45. Canon SLR camera: EOS. Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an auto-focus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS IX was released using the new and short-lived APS film. In 2000, the D30 was announced, as the first digital SLR designed and produced entirely by Canon. In 2018 the system was further extended with the introduction of the EOS R camera, Canon's first full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens system.
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| Canon EOS R SLR |
46. [Theme clue].
53. James Blunt's "__ Beautiful": YOU'RE. A song by James Blunt that you can find on YouTube.
54. Helps in a bad way: ABETS.
55. [Theme clue]
60. Long hike: TREK.
62. __ of New York: photoblog with street portraits and interviews:
HUMANS. Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of Humans of New York, a photoblog and book. He was named to Time magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list.
63. Afflicts: AILS.
66. River through Aswan: NILE. Aswan is a busy market and tourist center located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the NILE at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.
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| Monastery of St. Simeon Aswan Old Town |
67. Respond impatiently: SNAP AT.
68. Gadget review site: CNET.
69. Let the cat out of the bag: TOLD. Let's “Let the Cat Out of the Bag” about the origin of this phrase.
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| Hi Hahtoolah! |
71. Like custard: EGGY. Here's a recipe.
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| Vanilla Custard |
1. Cries and cries: SOBS.
2. "How about __!": THAT.
3. Cambodia's continent: ASIA.
4. [Theme clue].
5. Used to be: WAS.
6. Moving: ASTIR.
7. Trembled: SHOOK.
8. Mixed in with: AMONG.
9. Model wood: BALSA. Today's Spanish lesson -- BALSA is the word for "raft". Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the Balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density.
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| Balsa Tree Royal Botanical Gardens Richmond, UK | |
11. [Theme clue]
12. Part of the St. Louis skyline: ARCH. It's called the Gateway Arch because St. Louis is also called "The gateway to the West". Hand up if you've taken the TRAM to the top and back down? We did when we visited one of my sisters in St. Louis. Definitely not for the claustrophobic. The Arch was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947, and construction began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965. It uses a catenary arch design, the same as the first kiln I ever fired circa 1972. 🔥.
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| St. Louis Gateway Arch |
14. Spots on spuds: EYES.
22. Got the heck out of Dodge: FLED.
24. Poor offering: ALMS. ALMS giving peaks around this time of year, but it is never enough.
26. On a cruise: ASEA.
27. "About us" blurbs: BIOS.
28. "¿Quién __?": Spanish "Who knows?": SABE.
29. Not smooth: CLUMPY.
30. More than one would like: ALL TOO WELL. A song by Taylor Swift about her memories of a relationship long ago (short version) ...
32. Disturbing: UNSETTLING.
33. Official messengers: ENVOYS. Apparently the US has a lot of them.
34. Weakens: SAPS. Or a noun connoting marks for scams.
36. Apple virtual assistant: SIRI.
37. Much of a shipwreck: HULL.
40. Cam button: REC.
41. Easy for ewe to say?: BAA.
47. Stuck to the shadows: LURKED. LURKING is also cyber-slang for read/only participation in social media.
48. Galway's isl.: IRE.
49. Some lab workers: TECHS.
50. Part of PBR: PABST. Pabst Blue Ribbon, commonly abbreviated PBR, is an American lager beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1844 and currently based in San Antonio. Originally called Best Select, and then Pabst Select, the current name comes from the blue ribbons tied around the bottle’s neck between 1882 and 1916.
52. Do up again, as a corset: RELACE. The jury seems to be out as to whether corsets are bad for women, or good for them.
57. Quran scholar: IMAM. An IMAM (/ɪˈmɑːm/; ) is an Islamic leadership position. Like many things related to religion, the significance of the term depends on which sect one belongs to.
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| Imams discoursing |
59. Minute annoyance: GNAT.
60. Dynamite kin: TNT. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was first prepared in 1863 by German chemist Julius Wilbrand and originally used as a yellow dye. Its potential as an explosive was not recognized for three decades, mainly because it was too difficult to detonate because it was less sensitive than alternatives. This wily fellow seems to be able to detonate it with ease ...
61. __ Grande: RIO. Just how grand is the RIO GRANDE?
64. Drumstick: LEG. Yum Yum! Dark meat!
65. Hog's digs: STY.
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
And a Happy New Year to all! 🎆🧨🍾🥂🎇
