Any Which Way But Loose. The letters in the circles are currently arranged any which way but correct. Rearrange the letters and they will spell a compass direction.
18-Across. Wall Street fluctuation: MARKET SWING. West
23-Across. Unpaved side of the road: SOFT SHOULDER. South
49-Across. Boundary of a black hole: EVENT HORIZON. North
56-Across. Overly cute "So cute!": TOTES ADORBS. East
And the unifier:
37-Across. Take a different route, and a hint to the circled letters: CHANGE DIRECTION.
Across:
1. Mike and __: fruit-flavored candy: IKE. Everything you wanted to know about Mike and Ike but didn't know to ask.
4. Spanish small plates: TAPAS. Everything you wanted to know about Tapas but didn't know to ask. There is a Tapas restaurant near me, which serves very good food. The problem is you tend to order many, many dishes, so it can be rather expensive.
9. Bungling: INEPT.
14. Supervillain Luthor: LEX. The archnemesis of the superhero Superman. // And 11-Down. Like a supervillain: EVIL. [Name # 1, Fictional.]
15. On one's toes: ALERT.
16. Fourth prime number: SEVEN. A prime number is defined as having only two positive factors. Number 1 is not a prime number because the number of positive divisors or factors is only one i.e. 1 itself. The number 2 is the smallest number that satisfies the definition of prime numbers. Primes: 2, 3, 5, 7...
17. Fish-throwing Muppet __ Zealand: LEW. I don't remember this Muppet. [Name # 2, fictional.]
20. Sambuca flavor: ANISE. Everything you wanted to know about Sambuca but didn't know to ask.
22. Spanish grandmother: ABUELA. Today's Spanish lesson.
27. Patella place: KNEE.
28. Common first section of a menu, familiarly: APPS. As in Appetizers. Not to be confused with Tapas.
29. Food Network host Garten: INA. Ina Garten (née Ina Rosenberg; b. Feb. 2, 1948) is also known as the Barefoot Contessa, which was also the name of her television cooking show. [Name # 3.]
32. Jeans accent: RIVET. They actually serve a purpose.
34. Architect's creation: DESIGN.
41. Grumble over: BEMOAN.
42. Swamp reptile, for short: GATOR. A few years ago, my sister and I went to Avery Island to view the gardens. We came across an unexpected visitor there.
 |
| This critter was a little too close for comfort. |
43. "lol oops": SRY. Textspeak for Sorry.
44. Exceedingly: OH, SO. Meh!
45. Mountain climber's goal: ACME. Hand up if you tried Peak first.
53. See where one's coming from: RELATE.
55. Like a couch potato: INERT.
60. Business VIP: CEO.
61. Country singer Gill or writer/producer Gilligan: VINCE. Although I have heard of Vince Gill (né Vincent Grant Gill; b. Apr. 12, 1957), I don't always know the names of screenwriters and producers, such as Vince Gilligan (né George Vincent Gilligan Jr.; b. Feb. 10, 1967). The latter is known for writing and directing both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. [Names # 4 and 5.]
62. Deceitfulness: GUILE.
63. Meat in a Dr. Seuss title: HAM. I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am. I have the Hebrew version of this book, which is called Green Eggs No Ham.
64. Shutter strips: SLATS.
65. Les __-Unis: ETATS. Today's French lesson.
66. Player coming off the bench, for short: SUB.
Down:
1. "Let me find out": I'LL ASK.
2. Passionate about: KEEN ON.
3. Post-divorce party: EX-WIFE. Not a party with cake and balloons, but a party to the divorce proceeding.
4. Brings under control: TAMES.
5. Styled after: À LA. As in Pie à la mode.
6. "As __ our agreement": PER.
7. Noah's boat: ARK.
8. Fantastic deals: STEALS.
9. Debate topic: ISSUE.
10. More contemporary: NEWER.
12. Former MLB catcher Tony in the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame: PEÑA. Tony Peña (né Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla; b. June 6, 1957) was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. In 2016, he was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. He played professional baseball for almost 30 years: beginning in 1980 with Pittsburgh Pirates until 1997, retiring with the Houston Astros. He also had brief stints with several other teams, including the Boston Red Sox. [Name # 6.]
13. "Star Trek" series, for short: TNG. The Next Generation.
19. Not yet scheduled: Abbr.: TBD. To Be Determined.
21. Fondue fuel: STERNO.
24. Safe space: HAVEN.
25. Persuasive column: OP-ED. A crossword staple. The term is short for "opposite the editorial page", referring to the practice of newspapers placing op-eds on the opposite side of their editorial page.
26. High-strung: UP-TIGHT. // And 44-Down. High-strung: ON EDGE.
29. Sundial three: III.
30. Private aid gp.: NGO. Non-Governmental Organization.
31. "I Hope You Dance" singer Lee __ Womack: ANN. Lee Ann Womack (b. Aug. 19, 1966) is primarily a country music singer. [Name # 7.]
33. Tennis player Swiatek: IGA. I am not up on my professional players. Iga Natalia Świątek (b. May 31, 2001) was born in Razsyn Poland. [Name # 8.]
34. Half a droid name: DETOO. The droid's full name is Artoo-Detoo, or R2-D2. [Name # 9, fictional.]
35. Prefix with system: ECO-. Ecosystem.
36. Use a colander: STRAIN.
37. "Ghosts" network: CBS. If you haven't seen Ghosts, you should seek it out. It is really funny. The series began as a British series, and now there is also an American series.
38. Yonder lass: HER. Meh!
39. Minnesota senator Klobuchar: AMY. Amy Klobuchar (née Amy Jean Klobuchar; b. May 25, 1960) has been a Senator from Minnesota since 2007. [Name # 10.]
40. Poison ivy reaction: RASH.
46. Prague residents: CZECHs. Prague is a beautiful city.
47. "The Island of Doctor __": H.G. Wells novel: MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a 1869 science fiction novel about a mad scientist (Dr. Moreau) who experiments with animals. The novel addresses the moral ethics of animal dissection. [Name # 11, fictional.]
48. Bury: ENTOMB.
49. Put in power: ELECT.
50. Bouquet holders: VASES.
51. Pilot's update, briefly: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival. A crossword staple.
52. Reacts to yeast: RISES.
53. Bubble and churn: ROIL.
54. One of four active volcanoes in Italy: ETNA. The volcano is on Sicily.
56. Den sets: TVs.
57. Not trendy: OUT.
58. Fjord kin: RIA.
59. Simple sammie: BLT. Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
