Tuesday, October 29, 2019 Chase Dittrich

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To!



Today is a bid of an odd theme.  After I finished the puzzle, I stared at the circles and the unifier  for a long time before the the light bulb went on.  So, today we'll start with the Grid and Unifier:

38-Across. Act in a bipartisan way, and what the circled letters do Across and Down: CROSS PARTY LINES.  The circled letters are common letters of words that Cross each other.   Each of the "crossed" words describes a type of Party, hence the Circled Letters Cross Party Lines!  Notice, too, the nice symmetry of the circle placement on the grid.  Clever!

There are 4 sets words that Cross the Party Lines as we shall see below:

The word Pool crosses with the word Work at the letter O.  Hence we get a Pool Party and a Work Party.  A Pool Party sounds like fun.  A Work Party ~ not so much.

16-Across. Game with cues and balls: POOL.

11-Down. Toil: WORK.

~~~~~~~

Two words cross Masquerade ~ Disco at the letter S and Theme at the letter E, giving us a Masquerade Party, a Disco Party and a Theme Party.

17-Across. Social event with costumes and facial covers: MASQUERADE.

 

3-Down. "Y.M.C.A." music genre: DISCO.

9-Down. Unifying feature of many escape rooms: THEME.

~~~~~~~~

Two words cross Tupperware ~ After at the letter T and Beach at the letter A.  This gives us a Tupperware Party, and After Party and a Beach Party.

61-Across. Kitchen storage brand: TUPPERWARE.  We've all probably all owned some Tupperware at some point in our lives.

50-Down. Chasing: AFTER.  An After Party is a party that is held after another party of event.  There are lots of After Parties following the Oscars, or so I'm told.  I have never been invited.

52-Down. Surfer's hangout: BEACH.

~~~~~~~~

The word Wrap crosses the word Stag at the letter A, giving us a Wrap Party and a Stag Party.

64-Across. Rolled-up sandwich: WRAP.  A Wrap Party is a party for the cast and crew of a film or television program after the completion of the production.  It could also be a party held for wrapping gifts.  I belong to an organization that wraps gifts for children in the community at Christmas time.  We call that gathering a Wrap Party.

57-Down. Without a date: STAG.  The party for the groom before his wedding.

Across:

1. Rogues: CADS.

5. Is without: HASN'T.  //  Interesting to be right next to 10-Across: Possesses: OWNS. 

14. Rose's Broadway love: ABIE.  A reference to the play Abie's Irish Rose, which was also made into a movie.  It was a comedy from the 1920s about a young Irish Catholic girl who fell in love with a young Jewish man and the obstacles they faced from their families.

15. Copier brand: RICOH.

Probably not for home use.

19. Gaelic tongue: ERSE.  A crossword staple.

20. Defunct Amer. soccer competition: U.S. CUP.

21. Commented: REMARKED.

23. Footwear insert: SHOE TREE.  Not to be used while wearing the shoe.

26. Slice of history: ERA.

27. Homebuyer's need: LOAN.

28. Accustom (to): ENURE.

32. Ron Weasley's pet Scabbers, for one: RAT.  I initially tried Bat.  Everything I know about Harry Potter, I learned from doing the crossword puzzles.  At least I recognized that Ron Weasley is a character from Harry Potter.

35. The "S" in CBS: Abbr.: SYS.  As in the Columbia Broadcasting System.

37. San Diego ball club: PADRES.

42. Major blood vessels: AORTAs.

43. Have a bug: AIL.

44. Northern Calif. airport: SFO.  The code letters for the San Francisco International Airport.

45. Avow: SWEAR.

46. Lunch hour: NOON.

49. Nutrition fig.: RDA.  As in the Recommended Dietary Allowance. 

51. Native encountered by Crusoe: CANNIBAL.  A reference to Robinson Crusoe, the 1719 novel Daniel Defoe.  Hand up if you have read this book.

55. Large watchdogs: MASTIFFS.

59. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI.  Cheri OTERI (née Cheryl Anne Oteri; b. Sept. 19, 1962) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was on Saturday Night Live 2 decades ago, where she played a number of roles, including the Spartan cheerleader.

60. Rebuke from Caesar: ET TU.

65. Office communication: E-MAIL.

66. "__ hardly wait!": I CAN.

67. Internet transmission delays: LAGS.

68. Uses for a fee: RENTS.

69. Therefore: THUS.

Down:

1. "The Stranger" novelist Albert: CAMUS.  Albert Camus (Nov. 7, 1913 ~ Jan. 4, 1960) was a French existentialist philosopher.  He was born in Algeria to French parents.  His father was killed in the Battle of Marne in 1914, so Camus never knew his father.  In 1957, Camus was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.  He was killed 3 years later in a car accident at age 46.  I read a lot of Camus back when I was in high school.

2. Make self-conscious: ABASH.

4. Book that continues a story: SEQUEL.

5. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr.: HRE.  As in the Holy Roman Empire, which was neither Holy nor Roman.  The Holy Roman Empire was actually a group of territories in Western and Central Europe from the time of Charlemagne until the early 1800s.  The largest territory within the HRE was the Kingdom of Germany, but included Bohemia, Italy and Burgundy.  It's rulers were often referred to as the King of the Romans.  The boundaries of the HRE were fluid over the centuries.  The term Holy Roman Empire was first used sometime in the 13th Century.

Map of the HRE around 1000 C.E.

6. Balloon filler: AIR.  Some balloons are filled with Helium, but they float away.

7. Hiccups cure, so they say: SCARE.

8. Lymph __: NODE.

10. Part of MO: OPERANDI.  As in Modus Operandi, a phrase from the Latin, which means Mode of Operating.  

12. Odor detector: NOSE.

13. Iditarod conveyance: SLED.  The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an annual event that runs from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.  The word Iditarod means "distant place" and is derived from a native Alaskan language.  The original of today's race began in the early 1970.  History of the Iditarod.

18. __ no good: scheming: UP TO.

22. "That's __ shame": A REAL.  This wasn't the first word that popped into my mind.

24. Speaks in a gravelly voice: RASPS.

25. One-named "Only Time" singer: ENYA.

 

29. Caterer's coffeepots: URNs.

30. Snorkeling spot: REEF.

Great Barrier Reef

31. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.  A crossword staple.

32. Some TVs: RCAs.  As in the Radio Corporation of America.

33. In __: lined up: A ROW.

34. Ripped up: TORE.

36. Mrs., in Madrid: SRA.  Today's Spanish lesson

37. Traffic cone: PYLON.

39. Recipients of venture capital: START UPS.

40. Broadway restaurant founder: SARDI.  The famous Sardi's restaurant in Manhattan's Theater District began as a modest little eatery in 1921.  It was originally called The Little Restaurant.  The founders were Melchiorre Pio Vincenzo Sardi and his wife, Eugenia Pallera.  He was known in New York as Vincent Sardi (Dec. 23, 1885 ~ Nov. 19, 1969).  Shortly after the restaurant first opened, it moved down the block under its current name ~ Sardi's.  Because the restaurant is in the Theater District, Vincent Sardi hired a sketch artist to draw caricatures of actors and other celebrities, which adorn the walls of the restaurant.

41. "Mean Girls" screenwriter Fey: TINA.  Tina Fey (née Elizabeth Stamatine Fey; b. May 18, 1970) was also a sketch writer for Saturday Night Live before her portrayal of Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

47. __ about: roughly: ON OR.

48. Peabrain: NIT-WIT.

51. "Washington Journal" channel: C-SPAN.

53. Pianist Claudio: ARRAU.  I am not familiar with Claudio Arrau León (Feb. 6, 1903 ~ June 9, 1991).  He was a Chilean pianist.

54. Real estate claims: LIENS.

55. Whimper: MEWL.  An interesting word.

56. Gillette brand: ATRA.

58. Do a slow burn: FUME.

62. Mango remnant: PIT.

63. Trains over the street: ELs.

The Chicago Loop.

Today is National Cat Day! QOD:  Children, old crones, peasants and dogs ramble; cats and philosophers stick to their point.  ~  H.P. Lovecraft (né Howard Phillips Lovecraft; Aug. 20, 1890 ~ Mar. 15, 1937), American writer

Monday October 28, 2019 Craig Stowe

Theme:  MIDDLE GROUND.(52. Compromising standpoint ... and what the answers to starred clues contain?) - LAND is in the middle of each theme entry.

20. *Do business shrewdly: WHEEL AND DEAL.

28. *Murmur lovingly: BILL AND COO.

34. *Basic experimentation method: TRIAL AND ERROR.

41. *Like a typical walking stride: HEEL AND TOE.

Boomer here.

Land Ho!!  Enjoy the Monday puzzle!  First of all, I wish to thank C.C. and all of you faithful Crossword Corner member bloggers for all of the fine birthday wishes I received yesterday.  Also, I have been enjoying the World Series without favoring one team or the other. But I do find it incredible that the visiting team has won every game so far.  I do not remember that ever being the case in a World Series, but sometimes, at my age, I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast. I have not heard if the Astros asked to stay in Washington for game 6, but I think they are watching the "Wizard of Oz" and trying on the ruby slippers and clicking the heals and repeat, "There's no place like home, There's no place like home." 

Across:

1. Gives in to gravity: SAGS. Old folks like me fight this gravity problem constantly. Some of us are losing the fight.

5. Annoying little kids: IMPS.

9. Hunter's plastic duck, e.g.: DECOY.  I am not a hunter. I have seen these but I don't think they work.  You cannot fool a duck.

14. Clear off the road, as snow: PLOW.  This season is coming to our home in Minnesota soon.  part of the reason why our taxes are on the high side.  It's expensive to keep the roads clean.

15. Actress Gilbert of "The Conners": SARA.

16. Make amends: ATONE.

17. What "Ten-hut!" is short for: ATTENTION.  I thought it was a row of Quonset huts on a Marine base.

19. Income __: TAXES.  The season is coming next April.  About time the flu season subsides. 

22. Tidy up: NEATEN.

23. "__ you kidding?": ARE.  No I am not.  I wish there was a tax shot to buy.

24. Off-the-wall: ODD.  Add an "S" and my mind wanders to the craps table.  I know the odds for every number.  I learned them the hard way.  You can make a 4, 6, 8,or 10 the hard way.  You may get 30 to one, but correct odds are 35 to one.

27. Walmart warehouse club: SAM'S.  We have one of these west of our home, but it does not seem much different than Walmart, except I think you have to purchase a membership. Like Costco

32. Muslim mystic: SUFI.

33. Lake near Carson City: TAHOE.  This is a beautiful lake in the higher elevation of Nevada.  I never went to Carson City, but we visited Harrah's club in Tahoe after bowling in Reno.

39. Sea item sold by 39-Down, in a tongue-twister: SHELL. 39. See 39-Across: SHE.  She sells sea shells by the seashore.  Say that real fast three times.

40. Say no to: DENY.

44. Bygone Japanese audio brand: AIWA.  I don't remember them.  I think Sony acquired them.

48. Conclusion: END.  It's not the end.  We still have the "down" clues.

49. Boardroom VIP: CEO.  Interesting - in the 19th century, native Americans had a chief, and the military had officers.  Not sure where the executives came from.

50. The Lone __: RANGER.  At a bowling center I used to patronize, there was an autographed photo of Clayton Moore.  "Who was that masked man? I don't know, I wanted to thank him."

55. Deck alternative: PATIO.  Our home does not have a patio.  We have a raised deck that serves us well.  Except I don't know how the squirrels get up on it.

58. Belittle: DENIGRATE.

59. 17-syllable Japanese poem: HAIKU.

60. Suffix with major: ETTE.  "Halftime brings on pretty girls, with little short skirts and long blonde curls. - But who's got time for majorettes, when NBC has got the Jets and I just can't afford two sets."

61. Auth. unknown: ANON.

62. Desert retreats: OASES.  Singular OASIS was a brand of cigarettes,  I don't see them anymore.

63. Monica's brother on "Friends": ROSS.  "Also the surname of George's fiance on Seinfeld."  I don't watch "Friends".  I've had enough.

64. German thinker Immanuel: KANT.

Down:

1. Reproduces like salmon: SPAWNS.  If salmon reproduces so much, how come it's so expensive ?

2. __ Gibson, first African-American to win a Grand Slam tennis title: ALTHEA.  Virgil Tibbs wife on "In the Heat of the Night".

3. Pep rally cheer: GO TEAM.  "Go Wild, and take the Timberwolves with you!"

4. Candy and such: SWEETS. Then there was Wilson Sweet, also on "In the Heat of the Night."

5. Turkey's largest city: ISTANBUL.  I thought it was Constantinople. I am old.

6. Principal: MAIN.  I will bet this is the most common name for a street.

7. Spur to action: PROD.

8. Beach footwear: SANDAL.

9. Job of typing in facts and figures: DATA ENTRY.

10. List-shortening abbr.: ET AL.  What's the difference between ET AL and ETC.? One letter of course.

11. Courtney who played Monica on "Friends": COX.  I do not watch "Friends".  I remember a timid comedian named Wally, and also Courtney had a bit role on a Seinfeld episode, before she got famous and rich.

12. Single: ONE.  Gotta pick up those single pins.

13. "By all means!": YES.

18. Phillies' div.: NLE.  It seems there is a team called NATS in that division doing quite well,

21. Significant stretch of time: ERA.  Mainly because their pitchers have low ERAs.

24. Twice cuatro: OCHO.  If this were German I would say Gesundheit.

25. Way in: DOOR.  Add an "S" "Light my Fire"

26. Forest female: DOE.  A deer, a female deer - The hills are alive, with the "Sound of Music".

29. "__ tree falls in the forest ... ": IF A.  With no one around, does it still make a sound??

30. High-end chocolatier: LINDT.

31. __ es Salaam: DAR.

32. Lustful: SALACIOUS.

34. At that time: THEN.

35. Oboe or clarinet: REED.  I remember Donna Reed.  This was back in the day when some of the sitcom was named after the leading actor or actress.  Isn't that right, LUCY?

36. Not feeling well: ILL.  The Great State of TTP,  Notice in campaign season, All states are great.

37. __ volente: God willing: DEO.

38. Vigorous qualities to put into one's work: ENERGIES.  Our power supplier is XCEL Energy.  They serve us very well.

42. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.

43. Walk feebly: DODDER.  That's how I walk, especially upstairs. I just didn't know what it was called.

44. Arctic jacket: ANORAK.

45. Exotic lizard kept as a pet: IGUANA.

46. Was happening: WENT ON.  Fires in California wine country seem to go on and on.  Hope folks up there are safe.

47. Passionate: ARDENT.

51. Buenos Aires' country: Abbr.: ARG.  With all the problems in the middle east we don't hear about unrest in South America. Except recently there was hubbub in Santiago, Chile - A spinoff of a subway fare increase.  Reminds me of Poor Old Charlie on the MTA.  "Did he ever return?"

52. Karaoke prop that often ends in "c" nowadays: MIKE.  "Mike, Mike, Mike what day is it??  Hump day".  Don't get me wrong, I am still no fan of car insurance commercials.

53. Jared of "Dallas Buyers Club": LETO.

54. Tolkien creatures: ENTS.

55. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

56. Small battery: AAA.  These are not that small.  I have things in my possession that take those little round batteries that have a four digit number for their name.

57. "__ the season ... ": 'TIS.  To be Jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la.

Boomer

Sunday October 27, 2019 Robin Stears

Theme: - "What About Bob?" - Each theme entry is in the pattern of B* O* B*.

23. Flop: BOX OFFICE BOMB.

34. Colorful Bobby Vinton album (and hit song): BLUE ON BLUE.

49. 1936 Edward G. Robinson gangster film: BULLETS OR BALLOTS.

68. Sun metaphor: BIG ORANGE BALL.

89. Make extreme efforts: BEND OVER BACKWARD.

103. 1998 Stephen King "haunted love story": BAG OF BONES.

118. "You're in my space, pal!": BACK OFF, BUSTER!

Great to see Robin back.

The middle O's are all different. That's the key to this theme.

Do you feel this puzzle is more challenging than our normal Sundays?

Across:

1. Narratives of deeds: ACTA. Waited for cosses.

5. Dental alloys: AMALGAMS.

13. Hamlet relative: VILLAGE. Not Shakespeare's Hamlet.

20. Bubbly name: MOET.

21. Attacked aggressively: TORE INTO.

22. It's usually taken in twos: ASPIRIN.

25. He plays Armstrong in "First Man": GOSLING (Ryan) 

26. Cub : bear :: cria : __: LLAMA.

27. Not quite cuatro: TRES. 4/3.

28. Relative of tsk: TUT.

29. Silent letters?: ASL. "Handy talk: Abbr." is another way to mislead us.

30. Article in Die Zeit: EIN.

31. English class assignment: ESSAY.

38. Certain flower cultivator: ROSARIAN. Oh, one who cultivates roses.

40. Town __: CRIER.

42. Eur. land on the Atlantic: POR. Portugal.

43. Gravlax herb: DILL. Wiki said "Gravlax" is a Nordic dish consisting of raw salmon, cured in salt, sugar, and dill."  I love pickled herrings. I probably will like this too.

44. Perform at the Improv, say: AD LIB.

45. Blows: ERUPTS.

55. Troon turndowns: NAES. Scottish for "no".

56. It borders three oceans: ASIA.

57. Carpet layer's concern: AREA. Do you guys all use those robot vacuums? Are they good?

58. Entirely fill: SATE.

59. Fine-tunes: HONES.

60. Baseball's "Stan the Man": MUSIAL.

63. Gillian's role on "The X-Files": DANA.

65. Justification: REASON.

67. Finesse: ART.

73. Like sashimi: RAW. Steve makes his own sushi rolls. Not sure of sashimi.

75. Currency replaced by the euro: PESETA.

77. Two-master: YAWL.

78. Search for provisions: FORAGE.

80. Waiter's handouts: MENUS.

81. Medication container: VIAL.

85. Usher: LEAD.

87. Sign sometimes upsetting: OMEN.

88. Clobber: DRUB.

93. Shoot for, with "to": ASPIRE.

95. Use a password, say: LOG IN. Test your internet speed here. Go! What's your number? I don't think any of you can top TTP.

96. 1985 movie with three possible endings: CLUE.

97. Asian holiday: TET. January 25, 2020.

98. Something in the air: AROMA.

99. Lemonade-and-lager drinks: SHANDIES. Not a term familiar o me.

107. Mike __, "Glee" character: CHANG. Also unknown to me.

108. "United Shades of America" channel: CNN.

109. "Xanadu" gp.: ELO.

110. Pub pal: LAD.

111. "Lucky Guy" playwright Ephron: NORA.

113. "Band of Gold" singer Payne: FREDA. Read more here.

115. Help: BENEFIT.

122. Like many a covered bridge: ONE LANE.

123. Selfish: EGOISTIC.

124. Saltimbocca meat: VEAL.

125. Time frames: PERIODS.

126. Property tax payer, e.g.: ASSESSEE. Expensive to live in Guangzhou now. Carmen's apartment is about 540 square feet, cost RMB1,500,000 (about $211,000). And she lives in the suburb. The downtown prices are forbidding.

127. Links numbers: PARS.

Down:

1. "Epitaph for a Spy" author Eric: AMBLER.

2. "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper: COOLIO. We had him before. This one is easy: 16. Rapper __ Nas X: LIL.

3. AFC South team: TEXANS.

4. Elementary particle: ATOM.

5. DOJ division: ATF.

6. Miss Piggy tagline: MOI.

7. Trig function: ARC TAN.

8. Suspicious: LEERY.

9. Taunt: GIBE.

10. Muchos meses: ANOS. Many months.

11. "Newhart" production co.: MTM.

12. Audible sign of distress: SOB.

13. Hard to pin down: VAGUE.

14. U-235 and C-14: ISOTOPES.

15. Records in a collection: LPS.

17. Sans-serif typeface: ARIAL.

18. Infomercial cutlery brand: GINSU.

19. Author Madeleine L'__: ENGLE. "A Wrinkle in Time" author.

24. Spenser's "The __ Queene": FAERIE.

28. Round-bodied flatfish: TURBOT. Another stranger.

32. Bank deposit: SILT.

33. Huevos rancheros condiment: SALSA.

34. Collector's items?: BILLS.

35. Girl in Byron's "Don Juan": LEILA.

36. Postal creed word: NOR.

37. Former Alabama-based grocery chain: BRUNO'S. Wiki says "The chain was acquired by Birmingham-based Belle Foods which discontinued the brand in 2012" .

39. He lost to Ike twice: ADLAI (Stevenson)

40. Pool room: CABANA.

41. Nutritional amt.: RDA.

46. Broad view: PANORAMA.

47. Many a "Stranger Things" character: TEENAGER.

48. Old draft org.: SSS.

49. Ole Miss rival: BAMA.

50. Ones taking things the wrong way: USURPERS.

51. "I'm only going to say this once": LISTEN UP.

52. Great Seal word: ORDO. Novus ordo seclorum.

53. Raise: REAR.

54. Giga- x 1,000: TERA.

59. Angels baseball cap feature: HALO.

61. Five-spots: ABES.

62. Inebriated: LIT.

64. Whatever or whichever: ANY.

66. Polar worker: ELF.

69. Yielded: GAVE.

70. Ore that's a source of silver: GALENA.

71. Piece in a still-life: EWER.

72. Tell all: BLAB.

74. Make (one's way): WEND.

76. Suddenly, in music: SUBITO. No idea.

79. Crossed the lake, in a way: ROWED.

80. "Jerry's Kids" telethon org.: MDA. OK. Muscular Dystrophy Association.

82. Not near the coast: INLAND.

83. Cherish: ADORE.

84. Apple's apple and Target's target: LOGOS.

86. Russian cottage: DACHA.

89. Wager without looking at one's cards: BET BLIND. One moire learning moment.

90. Energetic spirit: VIM.

91. Close-knit group: CLAN.

92. Panda's skill, in a 2008 film: KUNG FU.

94. Foul caller: REF.

99. Vertical mine accesses: SHAFTS.

100. Summer cooler: ICE TEA.

101. Win the love of: ENDEAR.

102. Corgi complaints: SNARLS.

103. Name probably derived from scat singing: BEBOP.

104. Coeur d'__: ALENE.

105. Hopeless case: GONER.

106. "them" author: OATES. Joyce Carol Oates.

107. Snappish: CROSS.

111. Barracks bosses, briefly: NCOS.

112. "The Grapes of Wrath" figure: OKIE.

114. Invitation letters: RSVP.

116. Peyton's quarterback brother: ELI.

117. __ Schwarz: FAO.

118. Actress Arthur: BEA.

119. Reno and others: Abbr.: AGS.

120. Shakespearean cry of disgust: FIE.

121. Pre-A.D.: BCE.

Happy 72nd birthday to Boomer, the absolute center of my universe. He had two treatments on a Friday morning last month, then in the afternoon he went to coach the kids again. He takes his coaching responsibilities very seriously. Three times a week, he's always there. And of course, he's been here for us every Monday, even when he was going the daily radiation.

We went to Mystic Lake the day on Friday as the casino is always a zoo on weekends. Boomer loves the nickel poker there. 

Boomer, 10/25/2019

The buffet is also fantastic.  Here is my plate. The big pile in front is coleslaw (red cabbage, carrot, walnut and cranberry). So good. I went back for seconds. The one on top left is Cajun Salmon (a bit dry), the white in the middle is cod. A few slices of radish with guacamole. Then a slice of char siu, so delicious! Then some kind of Italian pasta salad. Orzo, I think. At the end of the fork is a piece of  marinated artichoke.