MY HEART'S CONTENT
It is peculiar that I blogged July 31st last year as well - that day was my second "debut" at the Corner as a blogger; 'tis unique to be able to blog the "same" day two years in a row. Today's puzzle is from a familiar constructor here at the corner - his last grid appeared on MM's watch June 28th this year. I do not think that I could be blessed with a theme any closer to my blogging heart - let me count the ways I can run amok using "little women" in my post. But first, the theme answers;
17. Grand Ole Opry fixture from 1940 to 1991: MINNIE PEARL - mini
28. "If These Walls Could Talk" star: DEMI MOORE - demi
36. Actress who played Lucy on "Raising Hope": BIJOU PHILLIPS - bijou, is not "little" in Frawnche - turns out it's British - I am chagrinned
And the Reveal -
60. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy ... as well as 17-, 28-, 36-, and 43-Across?: LITTLE WOMEN
I was thinking more like this
And Awow We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Snake charming snakes: COBRAS
7. Lacking pep: FLAT
11. Many a plaid cap: TAM
14. Damage, in a way: AMOUNT - I usually refer to anything more than $100 as being "damage"; however, I was "accosted" this week at the supermarket my a strange woman who wanted to point out to me that a pound of butter was $7.49 - I so rarely buy butter, I told her I had nothing to compare it to....
15. Like notes that aren't sharp, briefly: LO-FI - FLAT was in the grid already - this is the "other" kind of "not" sharp, as in poorly defined
16. Fuming feeling: IRE - the blogger format is generating a tremendous amount of "IRE" in me
19. UFC sport: MMA - Mixed Martial Arts; not my thing; I did watch Table Tennis from Paris tho
Bernadette Szocs, Romania
20. Sources of jealousy, perhaps: EGOS
21. Avis rival: ALAMO - car rentals
22. Larry's housemate on "Curb Your Enthusiasm": LEON - never saw the show; filled via perps
23. Pilfer: ROB - pinch, swipe, boost, palm, the "five-finger discount".....
24. Estadio chant: OLÉ
25. State of matter: SOLID - the others being Liquid, Gas and Plasma - this last one being the state found in a fluorescent light - I did not know that; see here
26. Dress up: ADORN
Velma and "Danger-prone" Daphne
32. NL East city: ATLanta
34. Account: TALE - interesting; the theme of that Jul '23 puzzle was "Long Story"
35. "__ the fields we go ... ": O'ER - Jingle Bells - we're just 146 days from Christmas~!
40. Check writer's need: PEN
41. Mine, en français: AMOI - Les Frawnche
42. Pit stop brand: STP
46. Abates: EASES - I had WaNes - that's 60% 100% correct
50. Hound's sniffer: SNOUT
51. Driveway sealant: TAR - I was out using the tractor this weekend to try and fix my stone wall - but it's too far gone; I'd like to rebuild the whole thing, andTAR PAVE my driveway, but I can't afford it this year.
53. Special attention, for short: TLC - Tender Loving Care
54. Pond blanket: SCUM - my first thought, but considered ALGA, too
55. Kit filled with money and passports, in spy movies: GO-BAG
58. Film transition: FADE - also known as a WIPE
59. Nomadic invader: HUN - ah. Not ANT. Yeah - that's the picnic invader
62. MDW alternative: ORD - no clue, but when I was composing the blog, I realized these are the codes for Chicago's airports - Midway & O'Hare
63. Family name in baseball's only all-brother outfield: ALOU - Baseball crossword standard, for C.C.
64. On the house: NO COST
65. Thesis pieces, briefly: WDs - WORDS: a quaint play on Reese's Pieces; I like it.
66. Lyric tributes: ODES - seems to be in at least one crossword a week lately
67. Unforeseen plot elements: TWISTS
DOWN:
1. Cell component?: CAMERA - cell PHONE; I was thinking JAIL cell at first
2. "Whoa": "OMIGOD~!"
3. Congo ape: BONOBO - there's also an electronica artist known as Bonobo
1. Snake charming snakes: COBRAS
7. Lacking pep: FLAT
11. Many a plaid cap: TAM
15. Like notes that aren't sharp, briefly: LO-FI - FLAT was in the grid already - this is the "other" kind of "not" sharp, as in poorly defined
16. Fuming feeling: IRE - the blogger format is generating a tremendous amount of "IRE" in me
19. UFC sport: MMA - Mixed Martial Arts; not my thing; I did watch Table Tennis from Paris tho
21. Avis rival: ALAMO - car rentals
22. Larry's housemate on "Curb Your Enthusiasm": LEON - never saw the show; filled via perps
23. Pilfer: ROB - pinch, swipe, boost, palm, the "five-finger discount".....
24. Estadio chant: OLÉ
25. State of matter: SOLID - the others being Liquid, Gas and Plasma - this last one being the state found in a fluorescent light - I did not know that; see here
26. Dress up: ADORN
34. Account: TALE - interesting; the theme of that Jul '23 puzzle was "Long Story"
35. "__ the fields we go ... ": O'ER - Jingle Bells - we're just 146 days from Christmas~!
41. Mine, en français: AMOI - Les Frawnche
42. Pit stop brand: STP
46. Abates: EASES - I had WaNes - that's 60% 100% correct
50. Hound's sniffer: SNOUT
51. Driveway sealant: TAR - I was out using the tractor this weekend to try and fix my stone wall - but it's too far gone; I'd like to rebuild the whole thing, and
53. Special attention, for short: TLC - Tender Loving Care
54. Pond blanket: SCUM - my first thought, but considered ALGA, too
55. Kit filled with money and passports, in spy movies: GO-BAG
59. Nomadic invader: HUN - ah. Not ANT. Yeah - that's the picnic invader
62. MDW alternative: ORD - no clue, but when I was composing the blog, I realized these are the codes for Chicago's airports - Midway & O'Hare
63. Family name in baseball's only all-brother outfield: ALOU - Baseball crossword standard, for C.C.
64. On the house: NO COST
65. Thesis pieces, briefly: WDs - WORDS: a quaint play on Reese's Pieces; I like it.
66. Lyric tributes: ODES - seems to be in at least one crossword a week lately
67. Unforeseen plot elements: TWISTS
DOWN:
1. Cell component?: CAMERA - cell PHONE; I was thinking JAIL cell at first
2. "Whoa": "OMIGOD~!"
3. Congo ape: BONOBO - there's also an electronica artist known as Bonobo
Flutter - my heart is a-flutter
4. Box score total: RUNS - more baseball
5. "The Phantom Menace" boy: ANI - Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader
6. Absolute bargain: STEAL - see 23A.
7. Teeny circus performer: FLEA
8. Nutrient-rich soil: LOAM
9. Naturally curly style: AFRO
10. "Fake it __ you make it": TIL
11. Narrative device employed in "Russian Doll": TIME LOOP - I've heard of the show, but I don't have Nextflix - the IMDb
12. Some tall antiques: ARMOIRES
13. Wander aimlessly: MEANDER
18. Responded in court: PLED
22. Water closet: LOO
24. How caviar may be served: ON TOAST - I tried ON SUSHI first
25. Ore refinery: SMELTER
27. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ - I cannot stand this show. Sorry.
29. Guiding principle: ETHIC
30. __ tai: MAI
Someone buy that woman a Mai Tai
33. Sum thing?: LUMP - lump sum, as in lottery winnings
36. Tofu, essentially: BEAN CURD - I tried SOYBEANS; I was also offered some fried tofu by a co-worker this past week, but she has not brought any in - yet.
37. Not out of play: INBOUNDS - as in football, tennis, golf, etc.
38. Luau bowlful: POI
39. Letters on some beer cans: IPA - getting to be like ERA and OREO; desperately trying to find new ways to clue this fill
40. "Wild Kratts," e.g.: PBS SHOW - PBS KIDS, actually; I had no clue, and when the " -SS -" appeared, and I figured something was wrong at first
44. "Love it": YUM
I luv Chocolate Moose Tracks the best....
45. Citation abbr.: ET. AL.
47. John who played Blackie Parrish on "General Hospital": STAMOS
48. Most senior: ELDEST - just had to change my oldest "O" to "E"
49. Hound's trails: SCENTS
52. Book deal negotiator: AGENT
55. __ the lily: GILD
56. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE
57. AC measures: BTUs
58. Ellipse points: FOCI - I knew that the two "focal" points were used with a piece of string to male an ellipse - this is how I made the arch over my office shelf; I did not realize there's the "line method", too....
5. "The Phantom Menace" boy: ANI - Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader
6. Absolute bargain: STEAL - see 23A.
7. Teeny circus performer: FLEA
8. Nutrient-rich soil: LOAM
9. Naturally curly style: AFRO
10. "Fake it __ you make it": TIL
11. Narrative device employed in "Russian Doll": TIME LOOP - I've heard of the show, but I don't have Nextflix - the IMDb
12. Some tall antiques: ARMOIRES
18. Responded in court: PLED
22. Water closet: LOO
24. How caviar may be served: ON TOAST - I tried ON SUSHI first
25. Ore refinery: SMELTER
27. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ - I cannot stand this show. Sorry.
29. Guiding principle: ETHIC
30. __ tai: MAI
31. Misfortunes: ILLS
36. Tofu, essentially: BEAN CURD - I tried SOYBEANS; I was also offered some fried tofu by a co-worker this past week, but she has not brought any in - yet.
37. Not out of play: INBOUNDS - as in football, tennis, golf, etc.
38. Luau bowlful: POI
39. Letters on some beer cans: IPA - getting to be like ERA and OREO; desperately trying to find new ways to clue this fill
40. "Wild Kratts," e.g.: PBS SHOW - PBS KIDS, actually; I had no clue, and when the " -SS -" appeared, and I figured something was wrong at first
44. "Love it": YUM
47. John who played Blackie Parrish on "General Hospital": STAMOS
48. Most senior: ELDEST - just had to change my oldest "O" to "E"
49. Hound's trails: SCENTS
52. Book deal negotiator: AGENT
55. __ the lily: GILD
56. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE
57. AC measures: BTUs
58. Ellipse points: FOCI - I knew that the two "focal" points were used with a piece of string to male an ellipse - this is how I made the arch over my office shelf; I did not realize there's the "line method", too....
60. Language along the Mekong: LAO
61. Blow away: WOW - and one last image before I sign off
I think I see "Little Women" on the shelf there....
Splynter61. Blow away: WOW - and one last image before I sign off
