Monday January 22, 2024 Billy Ouska

  

Theme:                A Rough Translation

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. I hope you got off on the right foot and did not stumble on this one!

I searched The Corner and found this Tuesday, April 19, 2022 puzzle by today's constructor, Billy Ouska. It's nice to see him back with a Monday challenge. He delivered three themed clues and a reveal tucked into the SE corner. A less crowded field allowed room for some longer, fun fills. Sussing those out was my favorite part of this puzzle.

The themed clues are:

17 Across. Artistic gymnastics event: UNEVEN BARS.  

I've always been impressed by this skill!

24 Across. Campy musical comedy starring Tim Curry, to fans: ROCKY HORROR.  

This is Tim Curry, in character and in life.
He played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in both stage and film versions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

47 Across. Cocktails with peach schnapps and orange juice: FUZZY NAVELS.  

FUZZY was a nice add to Billy's list of synonyms for ROUGH. It made me think of leather. Only one side is smooth. The ROUGH side is what we call suede. A saddle with the suede side showing is called a "roughout" saddle.  

Here's a FUZZY-skinned peach slice garnish for your FUZZY NAVEL.

 

And the reveal:

57 Across. Inauspicious beginning, or a feature of 17-, 24, and 47-Across: ROUGH START.

UNEVEN BARS, ROCKY HORROR, and FUZZY NAVEL all START with a synonym for the word ROUGH.

Let's keep going. The terrain can be uneven so watch your step!

Across:
1. Raised, as horses: BRED.

5. Dust-ups: TIFFS.  I was not familiar with this phrase. They can be arguments or a scuffles.  

10. Rights org. with a Smart Justice campaign: ACLU.  "Organization" is abbreviated, so is American Civil Liberties Union.

14. Lyft alternative: TAXI.  UBER also has four letters.

15. Former Chinese premier Zhou __: ENLAI.  (1898 - 1976) He was a leading figure in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and also the premier of the People's Republic of China from 1949 until his death.  

Many say his 1972 meeting with Nixon was a game-changer.
(I wrote this Saturday night so 112-D in yesterday's puzzle was a gimme.)

16. Shoe with little to no heel: FLAT.  

I am wondering if any of the guys had trouble with this one. It's a no-brainer for women.

19. Sample: TEST.  

20. Miatas and CX-5s: MAZDAS.  Mazda Motor Company's headquarters are near Hiroshima, Japan.  

21. Fluff, as hair: TEASE.  Here is a 1:46 min. How-To video:  

22. Cough syrup dosage unit, maybe: CAP.  

This brand's lid (CAP) doubles as a cup for administering the dosage.
I had this in mind when I entered CuP before CAP.

27. Have a higher position than: OUTRANK.  This was the theme of last Wednesday's puzzle.  

29. Geologic span: EON.     and     42 Down. Historic spans: AGES.

30. "Garfield" dog: ODIE.

31. Place to observe undercover activity?: SLEEPLAB.  Polysomnography, known as a sleep study, is a test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, your heart rate, and breathing during sleep. It also measures eye and leg movements. Has anyone here done one?

36. Safari park roarer: LION.  

37. Rolled sandwiches: WRAPS.  If you are wondering which is the healthier choice, sandwiches or WRAPS, you might want to read this article.

39. Prefix with space: AERO-.  

40. First picture in a baby book, perhaps: SONOGRAM.  Often the terms SONOGRAM and ultrasound are used interchangeably; however, there is a difference. An ultrasound is a tool used to take a picture and a SONOGRAM is the picture that the ultrasound generates.  

43. Slangy about-face: U-EY.  U-Turn. Well mates, from what I can tell, this seems to be more of an Aussie spelling.

44. Voice range of many a 4-Down: SOPRANO.     and     4 Down. Opera star: DIVA.  

Metropolitan Opera SOPRANO, Maureen McKay  (3 min.)

I do not know what she is singing about but her voice is beautiful

and it makes me feel a melancholy for something just out of reach.

52. Far from strict: LAX.  Def.:  not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.

53. Ram of horoscopes: ARIES.  Those born March 21 - April 19.

54. Make a priest, say: ORDAIN.  confer Holy Orders on

56. Mario Kart units: LAPS.  I had the luxury of remembering this from a previous puzzle I blogged. 

61. Narrow opening: SLIT.  Or SLoT? The definitions for slot seem more focused on a SLIT designed for something to be inserted into it.

62. Like agts. who no longer work for "the company": EX-CIA.  "The company" is a nickname for the CIA.

63. Outback birds: EMUS.  EMUS have a reputation for being very dangerous; but in actuality, there are no confirmed cases of an EMU directly killing a human. (Of course it would be foolish to threaten or provoke one!)  Read more here.

64. " Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ.  A polite way of asking "How are you?" in Spanish.

65. "Stunning!": SO HOT.  HOT has been slang for "attractive" for many years now. SO HOT, meaning more than attractive is a step up from that.

a stunning sunset
(Both sunsets and suns are SO HOT.)

66. Far from bold: MEEK.  

Down:
1. AC meas.: BTU.  

2. Made a break for it: RAN.  Made and RAN are both past tense.

3. Freedom from an obligation: EXEMPTION.  Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2016, your federal tax return no longer counts up how many EXEMPTIONs you have -- but your State return might.

5. Hamstring, for one: TENDON.  

Try this stretch for tight hamstrings.
Notice that she is reaching her chin towards her toes as opposed to her nose to her knee.

6. Place for a passenger: IN BACK.  I cannot wait for driverless cars so I can ride as a passenger IN the BACK seat.

7. Chem lab vessel: FLASK.  

8. Not within walking distance: FAR.

9. Female sib: SIS.  

Click to expand.

10. Trying to find: AFTER.  as in "they're only after a good time"

11. Wipe away: CLEAR.

12. Rodeo rope: LASSO.

13. Give voice to: UTTER.

18. Old Testament book before Nehemiah: EZRA.

Also, Better Than Ezra is an American rock band based in New Orleans. Their name comes from an Ernest Hemmingway book, A Moveable Feast, "Anything was better than Ezra learning to play the bassoon," referring to Ezra Pound. Here is the song Good off of their debut album.  

Who knew FFA jackets were cool?

21. Vocal quality: TONE.     and     23 Down. Broadcast's sound component: AUDIO.

22. Goes from hot to warm: COOLS.  Obviously!  😜

25. App with reviews: YELP.  Years ago, before YELP and smartphones, a friend and I were the unknowing beneficiaries of a big misunderstanding. We were at a restaurant. The soup was delicious so I pulled a pen and pad out of my backpack and started writing down what I thought the ingredients might be because I wanted to replicate it at home. I felt "caught" when the waitress approached unexpectedly so I tried to hide what I was writing. She must have thought I was secretly reviewing the restaurant because after that she kept bringing us small bites that the "chef wanted us to try" and giving us way too much information on what we were eating. We finally figured out what was happening when she brought us a free dessert. Did we clear the air? No. It was too awkward. But we did leave a big tip!

26. Long-handled garden tools: HOES.

28. Nevada city near Lake Tahoe: RENO.  

That's a climbing wall in the NW.

31. Actor Rockwell: SAM.  

Here he is with Saoirse Ronan in See How They Run (2022).

32. Pioneering late-night host Jack: PAAR.  I always forget...two As or two Rs?

33. Passport info: LEGAL NAME.

34. Big venue: ARENA.

35. Fenway Park team, casually: BO SOX.  Do people say this?

37. Small, chirpy bird: WREN.  In proportion to its size and weight, the call of the Winter Wren is ten times louder than that of a crowing rooster. "Chirpy", indeed.

38. Disney's "__ and the Last Dragon": RAYA.  This movie was released in 2021, making XWD constructors everywhere very happy. Here's the trailer:  

41. "__ Grocery Games": Food Network series also called "Triple G": GUY'S.  It stars Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives fame.

44. Spanish golfer Garcia who won the 2017 Masters Tournament: SERGIO.

45. No longer in style: OLD HAT.  

Ah, but wouldn't it be lovely if they were still in style?
(cartwheel hat, 1948)

46. Educational TV ads: PSAS.  Public Service Announcements

Please see mine below.

47. Untrue: FALSE.  

Linus goes for the meta approach.

48. Range between Europe and Asia: URALS.  

49. "Quiet, you!": ZIP IT.  

50. Brand of saltine crackers: ZESTA.  

51. Go to bat (for): VOUCH.  Def.:  to be able from your knowledge or experience to say that something is true.

55. Celebrity couple: ITEM.  Here is People Magazine's list of the top 10 celebrity couples at this year's Golden Globes. Bennifer is #2 so I guess there is some stability in the universe.

57. Hi-__ image: RES.

58. Good Grips brand: OXO.  

I use a lot of these OXO containers.

59. Feel shame about: RUE.  A cringe attack is the sudden, intense feelings of embarrassment, shame, or awkwardness that flood over us when we recall past actions or events that we perceive as negative or humiliating. The experience is often accompanied by a mental replay of the incident, complete with vivid sensory and emotional details that can make the event feel as if it is happening in the present.

60. "For shame!": TSK.  

Time for the grid:

46-Down.  PSA

Cue my annual reminder....  Tax season in the U.S. is just around the corner. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. This will be my 6th year as a VITA preparer. D-Otto volunteered for several years, too. If you know someone who needs assistance with filling out their forms, perhaps recommend they try VITA. We do both Federal and State income taxes. Certain complicated returns are out-of-scope. Use this link to find an IRS VITA location near you.

Have a good week, everyone!

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Dear Agnes suggested that regulars designate someone to alert me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you just can't be on the blog for sometime for whatever reason. We're a close community, we care very much one another's well-being. I know first-hand how important your cards and emails meant for Boomer and me in his fight against cancer. We want to provide the same support to all our regulars.