Thursday March 12th 2020 Michael Paleos

Theme Happy Days - if you remember the date. Unhappy days if you forget!

17A. First anniversary gift for a zookeeper?: PAPER TIGER. 

38A. 10th anniversary gift for a musician?: TIN HORN. There's a bar near me called the Tinhorn Flats in Burbank, used often for location shoots for commercials. It's got those great saloon doors that swing back when you push through them.

57A. 50th anniversary gift for a fast-food worker?: GOLD NUGGET

11D. 15th anniversary gift for a golfer?: CRYSTAL BALL

25D. 25th anniversary gift for a chef?: SILVER SPOON

Cool theme from Michael today. Plus, if you thought that you'd never seen GOLD NUGGET in a crossword before, you very likely haven't. None of the major puzzles have used it before. Yay! Something new!

Let's go roaming through the gloaming and see what we turn up:

Across:

1. Soft end of the Mohs scale: TALC. Diamond is at the other end.

5. Old Toyota models: ECHOS

10. Order to go: SCAT. Get outta here! Fun clue.

14. Squiggly lines in the funnies, maybe: ODOR

15. Hot day refuge: SHADE

16. "Him __?": love triangle ultimatum:  OR ME

19. Like eyes "you can't hide," in an Eagles song: LYIN'

20. Ring loudly: PEAL. I've been in a bell-tower while the bells were being rung, and they're quite muffled. It's outside that you get full volume. I'm sure that you know a true cockney has to be born within the sound of Bow Bells - the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London. A full peal of eight bells must have at least 5,000 changes, that's a lot of bell-ringing.

21. It can spice things up: TABASCO. Avery Island, where the sauce is produced, it very pretty. I was making a dish at the weekend which called for Louisiana Hot Sauce. I've got about 20 types of hot sauce, but did I have Louisiana? Then the penny dropped - Doh! Tabasco!

23. Prescription specs: DOSES. Another fun clue - "specs" as in specifications.

26. 2000 Gere title role: DR. T.

28. Gere, for one: ACTOR. Shifting into second "Gere".

29. Super Mario Galaxy consoles: WIIS. I did a little digging on this one, and a lot of the "gaming community" say the the plural is Wii, just like fish or sheep.

30. Japanese ice cream flavor: GREEN TEA. Tea grown in the shade has the best flavor, such as matcha or gyokuro.

32. "It's __ good": ALL

33. Livid: IRED

34. Lots and lots: OODLES

37. Race in place: REV

40. Wire-concealing garment, perhaps: BRA. Professional male soccer players in the major leagues now wear what looks like a sports bra - it "conceals" a tracking device so that sports scientists can analyze the movement, speed and distance traveled on the pitch during a game.

41. Least encumbered: FREEST

43. Musical work: OPUS

44. "A lie that makes us realize truth," per Picasso: ART. Pablo had a bit of a mean streak. This is another of his: "I'm a joker who understands his epoch and has extracted all he possibly could from the stupidity, greed and vanity of his contemporaries". Ouch!

45. Adds insult to injury: RUBS IT IN

47. Hair gel squirt: GLOB

48. Bow ties, e.g.: PASTA

50. The Spartans of the NCAA: M.S.U. Michigan State.Their mascot, a Spartan, is creatively named "Sparty". They really went out on a limb with that one.

51. "Well, I'll be!": GOLLY

52. Totally jazzed: AMPED UP

54. Like many 45 records: MONO.

56. Jordanian queen dowager: NOOR

62. Stop discussing: DROP

63. Hail: GREET

64. Passion: LOVE

65. __ pool: GENE

66. __ pool: STENO. Fun cluing today. A close-proximity clecho.

67. Biblical spot: EDEN

Down:

1. Cover: TOP

2. Nicole's "Cold Mountain" role: ADA. Thank you, crosses

3. Hack: LOP

4. Brunch choice: CRÊPES. Food! Strictly speaking, crêpes are sweet and galettes are savory (unless you come from a certain part of Brittany, but let's not get into that, it causes a lot of argument!).

5. "¿Cómo __?": ESTA

6. Kids: CHILDREN

7. "Macbeth" role: HAG

8. "Swan Lake" princess: ODETTE

9. Blood fluids: SERA

10. Comforted: SOLACED

12. Palermo pal: AMICO

13. Barbershop part: TENOR

18. In medias __: RES. A narrative device where you open a story in the middle of it, then go back and fill in the bits as you go. Shakespeare was fond of its usage, such as in Hamlet.

22. Relay sticks: BATONS

23. Middle-earth figure: DWARF. Might be small, but definitely not to be messed with.

24. Gulf ship: OILER

27. Fiery candies: RED HOTS

30. South side?: GRITS. Another cracking clue.

31. Like a shutout: NO-RUN

33. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat this": IT'S BAD

35. Screen legend Flynn: ERROL

36. Failed to act: SAT BY

39. Long-outlawed smoking establishment: OPIUM DEN

42. Greek Muse of music: EUTERPE. I didn't know this, but the crosses were solid.

46. Oil, for many: IMPORT. Via your 24D

47. Look-up aid: GOOGLE

48. Herbal Essences maker, for short: P. AND G. Proctor and Gamble. "I supervised the exam and then hit the casino. I proctored and gambled" Pa-da-ching! I'll be here all week.

49. 64-Across, at La Scala: AMORE

51. Serengeti herbivore: GNU

53. Fleece-lined footwear brand: UGGS. These things were all the rage not too long ago. They even convinced Tom Brady to wear a pair.

55. Not duped by: ONTO

58. Two-time Emmy-winning actress __ Grant: LEE

59. OMG part: GOD

60. 67-Across outcast: EVE. Quite a bit of cross-reference and clue play today.

61. Number of Canadian provinces: TEN. I tried to recall them, I missed British Columbia and Alberta, but invented Victoria, so I was roughly on the right track, and thought Newfoundland and Labrador were seperate. So I had ten, just not the right ten.

With that little geography challenge out of the way, here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Bryant White

Theme: (TWENTY) FOUR SHADES OF GREEN

 

Hi all, Melissa here. The second word of each theme answer is a shade of green. See the chart above, where all four of our shades appear. The artichoke shade seems more like a shade of grey, but it does look a lot like the color of a cooked artichoke heart.

16. *Orson Welles' role in "The Third Man": HARRY LIME

23. *James T. Kirk player, in recent "Star Trek" films: CHRIS PINE.

50. *"Pogo" cartoonist: WALT KELLY.

59. *"Damn Yankees!" star: TAB HUNTER.

35. Dollar bill, e.g. ... and what the ends of the answers to starred clues have in common: GREENBACK.

Across:

1. School of thought: ISM.

4. 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. 

8. Landlocked African country: MALI.

12. Sense of balance: STABILITY.

15. Half of a folk-rock duo: SIMON. Simon & Garfunkel. The Harmony Game, a 2011 documentary that tells the story of their landmark album ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

17. Public square: PLAZA. Seeing PLAZA just below SIMON makes me think of Neil SIMON's PLAZA  Suite - on Broadway March - July.

18. Court answers: PLEAS.

19. Org. promoting fluoridation: ADA. American Dental Association.

21. State of calm attentiveness: ZEN.

22. Fair-haired: BLOND.

26. Kareem, once: LEW. NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.

27. Deli order: HERO. Nice clue.

29. Police trickery: STING. Not always police - as in the 1973 movie The Sting, inspired by real-life cons, brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff, and documented by David Maurer in his book The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.

30. Koala's hangout: TREE.

32. Crest container: TUBE.

34. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE. William.

38. Curly top: AFRO.

40. Landlocked Asian country: LAOS.

41. "Elephant Boy" boy: SABU. 1937 Movie based on Rudyard Kipling's "Toomai, of the Elephants," from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Sabu was the young Indian actor who played Toomai.

45. Jigsaw unit: PIECE. Puzzle piece.

47. Color printer refills: INKS. Ink and toner has to be some of the most overpriced office supplies ever invented. Come in for the free printer - come back soon to buy the $250 ink.

49. "What's shakin'?": SUP. Short for 'what's up?'

52. Finds the right words, say: EDITS. As an editor, I like this clue.

54. Step into character: ACT. Favorite clue of the day.

55. It may need massaging: EGO.

56. Crouch down: SQUAT.

57. Word with ice or cookie: SHEET.

63. Wetland birds: TERNS.

64. Pushing to the limit: STRAINING.

65. "Put a tiger in your tank" brand: ESSO.

66. Babe in the woods: FAWN. Also, the paper-shredding legend from the  Iran-Contra hearings.

67. LP successors: CDS. From long-playing vinyl records to compact discs.

Down:

1. "More or less" suffix: ISH.

2. Desktop item: STAPLER.

3. "The Big Sleep" private eye: MARLOWE. Detective Philip Marlowe is a fictional character who first appeared under that name in the 1939 novel, The Big Sleep,  twice adapted to film.

4. Most populous Arabian Peninsula city: RIYADH. Capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula.

5. Pandora's boxful: ILLS. From the ancient Greek story about a character named Pandora, who was given a box as a wedding gift but was ordered not to open it. Eventually, curiosity overcame her and she opened the box, releasing death, evil, and misery into the world.

6. Sundial seven: VII.

7. PIN point: ATM. PIN = Personal Identification Number.

8. End of a soldier's URL: MIL. From Wikipedia: The domain name mil is the sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet for the United States Department of Defense and its subsidiary or affiliated organizations. The name is derived from military.

9. Jaw-dropping: AMAZING. 😮

10. Cough drop: LOZENGE.

11. Absurd: INANE.

13. WWII light machine gun: BREN. Made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992.

14. Class ring number: YEAR.

 15. Acting fitfully: SPASTIC.

20. Talk smack about: DIS.

22. Deli order: BLT. Clecho of 27a.

23. Pitiless: CRUEL.

24. Boot stud: HOBNAIL. In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles.

25. Legendary Hollywood hot dog restaurant: PINKS. Can't go to Hollywood without stopping here for a dog. My daughter in front of the famous painted logo, way back in 2004.

28. French summer: ETE.

31. "Snowy" bird: EGRET.

33. Black shade: EBONY.

36. Houston NBA team: ROCKETS.

37. "Try me": ASK.

38. Cochise followers: APACHES. According to Tom Brown, Jr., the famous tracker, the Apache were desert-dwellers and therefore excellent trackers. In his books and classes, track patterns that he calls "pressure releases" are described using geological terms like ridge, peak, and plateau, as variations in prints could be clearly seen in sand.

39. Instagram overlays: FILTERS.

42. Like some lions: ASIATIC.

43. Rifle handle: BUTT END. That was tricky.

44. Good times: UPS. For some reason I could only see UPS as the delivery service, until I finally realized it was not an acronym.

46. Brain scan inits.: EEG. An electroencephalogram is a test used to evaluate the electrical activity in the brain.

48. Costume spangle: SEQUIN.

50. Fritter away: WASTE.

51. They may be drawn: LOTS. Drawing lots = making a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawn.

53. Country duo Brooks & __: DUNN.

56. Bandleader Artie: SHAW.

58. Rock producer Brian: ENO.

60. DOJ division: ATF. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

61. Bikini half: BRA.

62. Some NFL linemen: RGS. Right guards are positioned on the right of the offensive line.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Amanda Rafkin and Ross Trudeau

Homophonitically for You and I.  Very strange concept today.  Each theme answer has two words that contain the letters U and I next to each other.  (Homophonitically: Having the same sound; Having or characterized by a single melodic line with accompaniment.)

16-Across. Citrus drink in a sea breeze cocktail: GRAPEFRUIT JUICE.

27-Across. Frivolous legal entanglement: NUISANCE SUIT.

47-Across. French luxury retailer since 1854: LOUIS VUITTON.  Same sound?  You decide.


And the unifier:
59. 2011 Dolly Parton single, and what homophonically happens twice in 16-, 27- and 47-Across: TOGETHER YOU AND I.  Not to be parsed as To Get Her, You And I.  I am not familiar with this song.



Across:

1. __-been: washed-up celeb: HAS.  I have a friend who called her ex-husband her Was-been.

4. Shared again, as a story: RETOLD.

10. Samantha Bee's network: TBS.  Samantha Ann Bee (b. Oct. 25, 1969) is a Canadian-born comedian who got her start as a political commentator on The Daily Show with John Stewart.  She now has her own show entitled Full Frontal.

13. Frequently found in poetry?: OFT.

14. One with a hunger: YEARNER.  Awkward!

15. Go bad: ROT.

19. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SØREN.  Søren Kierkegaard (née Søren Aabye Kierkegaard; May 5, 1813 ~ Oct. 11, 1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian.  He is considered to be the first modern existentialist philosopher.  Sadly, he died at the young age of 42.

20. Dawn goddess: EOS.

21. Bridal veil trim: LACE.  There is a lot of lace on this wedding dress.

22. Packed in a slatted box: CRATED.

25. Like bath mats: NON-SLIP.

29. Prez on a fiver: ABE.

30. "Cream of" concoction: SOUP.

31. Lonely place, so they say: THE TOP.

35. Former: PAST.

37. Part of rpm: PER.  As in Revolutions Per Minute.

39. Actress Russo: RENE.  Rene Russo (née Rene Marie Russo; b. Feb. 17, 1954) makes very frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

40. Bury: ENTOMB.

43. Frontier lawman Wyatt: EARP.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) also makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

46. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  Home BoxOffice versus Showtime.

50. Gives a hand: ASSISTS.

53. Celebrity socialite: IT GIRL.  Clara Bow (née Clara Gordon Bow; July 29, 1905 ~ Sept. 27, 1965) was the original "It Girl".

54. One who stirs the pot: CHEF.

55. Former flier: TWA.  Trans World Airlines was founded by Howard Hughes in 1930.  It ceased operations in December 2001.  My first airplane ride, when I was about 5 years old, was on a TWA flight.  That was back in the day when airlines gave out little gifts to children who were flying.  I still have the little red bag that was filled with little toys to keep me amused on the flight.

57. "Live" sign: ON AIR.

63. Night before: EVE.

64. Most authentic: REALEST.  Awkward!

65. Generation __: GAP.

66. "Lust for Life" singer Lana __ Rey: DEL.  I am not familiar with Lana Del Rey (née Elizabeth Woolridge Grand; b. June 21, 1985).

67. How theater seating is arranged: IN ROWS.

68. Hurricane center: EYE.

Down:

1. Keeps to oneself: HOGS.

2. Early form of Latin jazz: AFRO-CUBAN.

3. Like the most twinkly sky: STARRIEST.

4. Boxing official: REF.  As in the Referee.

5. Musician's asset: EAR.

6. "Can't deny that": TRUE.

7. They might bring you to tears: ONIONS.  Why Onions make you cry.

8. Releases from a cage: LETS OUT.

9. Basketball's Erving, familiarly: DR. J.  Julius Erving (né Julius Winfield Erving, II; b. Feb. 22, 1950) had a long career in the NBA.

10. Dry run: TRIAL.

11. Italian lawn bowling game: BOCCI.  Usually spelled with an "e".

12. Pricey: STEEP.

14. Gossipy sorts: YENTAS.

17. Podded plants: PEAS.

18. Coat named for an Irish province: ULSTER.

23. "Music for Airports" producer Brian: ENO.  Our old friend Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) is also making a guest appearance in today's puzzle.

24. Bra spec: D-CUP.

26. Med. research agency: NIH.  As in the National Institutes of Health.  You can get information about Covid-19 at their website.

27. Tough spot to self-trim hair: NAPE.

28. Olympic swords: ÉPÉES.  These fencing swords are often found it the crossword puzzles, too.

32. Simulated launch site: TEST RANGE.

33. Taking a vacation, Brit-style: ON HOLIDAY.

34. Lowly worker: PEON.

Peony.

36. English "L'chaim!": TO LIFE.

38. Sitar master Shankar: RAVI.  Ravi Shankar (Apr.  7, 1920 ~ Dec. 11, 2012) is the father of musician Norah Jones.

41. Jan. and Feb.: MOs.  January and February are the first 2 Months of the Gregorian calendar..

42. Words introducing a plot twist: BUT, THEN ...  Not to be parsed as Butt Hen.

44. Road groove: RUT.

45. Hit the buffet in a major way, say: PIG OUT.

48. "Scout's honor!": I SWEAR.

49. Singer Turner: TINA.  Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock; b. Nov. 26, 1939) turned 80 on her last birthday.   I should be so lucky when (if) I turn 80.

50. Played a part: ACTED.

51. Push roughly: SHOVE.

52. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother": SEGEL.

Jason Jordan Segel (b. Jan. 18, 1980)

56. Guthrie of folk: ARLO.  Arlo Guthrie (né Arlo Davy Guthrie; b. July 10, 1947) is the son of Woody Guthrie, but you knew that.

58. Like avocados ready for guacamole: RIPE.  Yummers!

60. Bi- plus one: TRI-.

61. Tree with elastic wood: YEW.  This evergreen tree has red berries and is used for to make archery bows.  We have seen the YEW several times in the past few weeks.

62. WWII spy gp.: OSS.  As in the Office of Strategic Services.  Before becoming a cooking guru, Julia Child was in the OSS.

And Here's the Grid:

QOD:  Courage is the ladder upon which all other virtues mount.  ~  Clare Boothe Luce (née Ann Clare Booth; Mar. 10, 1903 ~ Oct. 9, 1987), American journalist and diplomat