Friday, August 30, 2024, Ella Dershowitz

 Theme:  Sing it!

Constructor Ella Dershowitz gives us seven theme clues, each naming songs that are related by themes in the lyrics.  The punny theme answers are symmetically placed in the grid horizontally, and the first and last theme answers span the grid.  

Here are the theme clues and answers:

17. "Call Me Maybe" or "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)"?: TELEPHONE NUMBER. 

"Call Me Maybe" is a 2012 song by Carly Rae Jepsen.  "Operator" is a 1972 song by Jim Croce  Each song (or NUMBER) relates to using the phone, which makes it a TELEPHONE NUMBER.

27. "Popular" or "Fashion!"?: IN TUNE.  

"Popular" is a 1996 song by Nada Surf, and "Fashion" is a 1980 song by David Bowie.  Each song (or TUNE) relates to what's "in," which makes each song an "IN" TUNE, a phrase that usually means being at the correct musical pitch.

28. "Sound of da Police" or "The Artist in the Ambulance"?: SIREN SONG.

"Sound of da Police" is a 1993 song by KRS-One.  "The Artist in the Ambulance" is a 2003 song by the band Thrice.  Each song (yes, SONG!) mentions sirens, which makes each song a SIREN SONG.  A siren song is an alluring utterance, especially one that is seductive or deceptive.  In Greek mythology,  sirens were dangerous creatures who lured sailors with their music and voices to wreck their ships.

38. "Midnight Train to Georgia" or "Chattanooga Choo Choo"?: RAILROAD TRACK.

"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song most famously performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1973.  "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was originally recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1941.  Each song (or TRACK) mentions the railroad, which makes each of them a RAILROAD TRACK, usually meaning the structure on which a train's wheels roll.

48. "Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" or "Can't Buy Me Love"?: BUDGET CUT.

"Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" is a 1953 song by Louis Armstrong.  "Can't Buy Me Love" is a 1964 song by The Beatles.  Each song (CUT) mentions money, which relates to budget, which makes each of these songs a BUDGET CUT, usually meaning a planned reduction in expenditures.

50. "I'm Too Sexy" or "Summer in the City"?: HOT AIR.

"I'm Too Sexy" is a 1991 song by Right Said Fred.  "Summer in the City" is a 1966 song by The Lovin' Spoonful.  Each song (AIR) deals with being hot, although in the first case, the singer is sexy/hot, and in the second, he's just plain hot.  So there you have it:  HOT AIR, which usually means empty or boastful speech.

61. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or "Talkin' Baseball"?: LINE DRIVE SINGLE.

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is a 1908 song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, often sung as part of the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game.  "Talkin' Baseball" is a 1981 song by Terry Cashman. Each song (SINGLE) is about America's favorite pastime, making each a LINE DRIVE SINGLE.  It's risky for me to explain baseball lingo, but it seems to mean a batted ball that goes in a straight line, resulting in the batter getting to advance a single base.  You are welcome to improve on that explanation!

Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Unflattering press for a celeb: BAD PR.  Celeb is short for celebrity; PR is short for Public Relations.

6. Fries, e.g.: SIDE.  Fries are a side dish.

10. Owned: HAD.

13. On a cruise: AT SEA.

14. Ridicule: TAUNT.

16. 2019 March Madness champs: UVA.  University of Virginia.  March Madness is an annual NCAA college basketball tournament.

17. [Theme clue]

20. BTS genre: K-POP.  BTS is a South Korean boy band, an example of Korean popular music, known as K-Pop.

21. Done deal: SURE BET.

22. Tony winner Hagen: UTA.  Uta Hagen (1919-2004) was a German-American actress and acting teacher.  

Uta Hagen

25. NFL three-pointers, for short: FGS.  Field GoalS in American football.

27. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme clue]

32. Figure, briefly: BOD.  A brief way to refer to the human figure, or body.

33. Lebanese capital: BEIRUT. 

34. Art stand: EASEL.

38. [Theme clue]

42. Griswold of the "National Lampoon's Vacation" films: CLARK.  Clark Griswold is the paterfamilias character played by Chevy Chase in the movies.  I could not have retrieved this from any part of my brain.  Perpendicular clues (perps) to the rescue!

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

43. Adidas addition: INSOLE.

45. Undecided initials: TBA.  To Be Arranged:  a nifty calendar abbreviation.

48. [Theme clue]

50. [Theme clue]

54. Antioxidant juice brand: POM.  I used to drink a lot of this!

"Wonderful" brand 100% Pomegranate juice

55. Some mantras: OMS.  According to the Times of India, "OM ... is a sacred symbol, sound and mantra of the universe. In many ancient scriptures, OM is described as the first sound of the universe, the vibration of which brought everything into existence."

56. Puzzles: ENIGMAS.

58. "Success!": TA-DA!  Mock fanfare.

61. [Theme clue]

66. Actress Ryan: MEG.  Meg Ryan is an American actress known for her quirky roles in romantic comedies.

Meg Ryan, famously faking an orgasm in "When Harry Met Sally"

67. Watch rim: BEZEL.  A bezel is a narrow rim that secures the clear cover on a watch, or that holds a gemstone in place (instead of prongs).  I kept thinking "bevel" because of the angled edge on some watch crystals.  The V wasn't helping me with 57 Down, coffee specification.  Changing the V to Z was my last move on this puzzle.

68. Wood finish: STAIN.

69. Equal: ARE.  Two and two ARE four.

70. Actor's compilation: REEL.  It makes sense that actors today compile video reels showcasing their acting skills.

71. Explored a national park, perhaps: HIKED.  John Muir was quoted as saying, "People ought to saunter in the mountains – not 'hike'!"  I'm happy to say that we are saunterers.

DH and I sauntering with my Mom earlier this month in the White Mountains.

Down:

1. Item used at home: BAT.  Oh, home plate!  Baseball bat.  

2. Used (up): ATE.

3. Fiber alternative: DSL.  Internet connection types:  while DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data, fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity.

4. Cheat at cards, say: PEEK.

5. Reneé of the "Mean Girls" musical: RAPP.  Reneé Rapp is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition for starring as Regina George in the Broadway musical "Mean Girls."  I Did Not Know (DNK) this one -- thanks, perps!

Reneé Rapp

6. Like bumper-to-bumper traffic: STOP GO.  Usually called stop-and-go traffic.  We have lots of that in Los Angeles.

7. "Amsterdam" novelist McEwan: IAN.  "Amsterdam" is a 1998 novel by British writer Ian McEwan, for which he was awarded the 1998 Booker Prize.

First edition, first printing, available from AbeBooks.com

8. Union __: DUES.

9. The blahs: ENNUI.  Word adopted from French for a feeling of tiredness and boredom.

10. Commotion: HUBBUB.  Noise made by a lot of people all talking or shouting at the same time.

11. Maker of Healthy Start Newborn skin products: AVEENO.  Didn't know, but not surprised.

Aveeno Daily Moisture Healthy Start Newborn Balm

12. Moved unpredictably: DARTED.

15. Spoil: TURN.   On our recent trip with Mom, DH told a restaurant staff member that the wine had TURNed.  The response:  Oh, how funny, another customer said the same thing about the same bottle yesterday!  Quickly followed by:  Let's open a new bottle!

18. Long Island university that has hosted several presidential debates: HOFSTRA.

19. Ran into: MET.

22. Common port type: USB.  USB, or universal serial bus, is a mechanism used to connect peripheral devices to computers.

23. Cake part: TIER.

24. Opera solo: ARIA.

26. Arrive quietly: SNEAK UP.

29. Actor Stoltz: ERIC.  Eric Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer.  DNK.

John Travolta and Eric Stoltz in "Pulp Fiction"

30. Void's partner: NULL.

31. Roam (about): GAD.

35. Bad marks: STIGMAS.

36. Sea eagle: ERNE.  A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern) is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae.

I took this photo of an African Fish-Eagle -- eating a fish! -- in Botswana.

37. Not followed: LAST.  The last in a series is not followed by anyone or anything.

39. Crystal ball, e.g.: ORB.

40. Pixar film set on the Day of the Dead: COCO.  Lovely animated film highlighting Mexican culture.

41. Longtime "Project Runway" host Heidi: KLUM.  Beautiful and clever.

It would just be mean not to include a photo of Heidi Klum.

44. GRE org.: ETS.  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

45. Title role for Geena Davis: THELMA.  From the 1991 movic, "Thelma & Louise."

46. Tougher to fillet, perhaps: BONIER.

47. Not much, colorwise: A TINGE.  I've seen a lot of interior decorating catalogs lately featuring just A TINGE of beige in the paint and furnishings.

49. "Spill!": DO TELL.

51. Period: AGE.  As in the Age of Dinosaurs, or the Viking Age.

52. Film trivia site: IMDB.  IMDb (an acronym for Internet Movie Database) is an online resource for information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online.

53. More red: RARER.  This took me a while.  Oh, meat!  We're vegetarian.

57. Coffee specification: SIZE.  I needed DH to help me here.  I had SIvE, because I was stuck on BEvEL instead of BEZEL for 67 Across.  DH said SIZE immediately, and I realized that BEZEL is a thing.

59. "Spill!": DISH.  Do tell.

60. Averse to: ANTI.

62. Neckline shape: VEE.

63. Nickelodeon slime: GAK.  DNK.  My grandchildren concoct their own slime!

64. Fabrication: LIE.

65. Sew up: END.  A fitting way to END a puzzle.

The grid:

Did you hum along through this musical challenge?  

Or was it a STOP-and-GO experience rife with ENIGMAS?

NaomiZ