Theme: "Yes, But Is It Art?"- Various phrases are reinterpreted as if they're art-related.
23. Molding okra likenesses?: PODCASTING.
25. Accumulation after many oil changes?: BRUSH PILES.
35. Housekeeper-artist barter agreement?: DUSTING FOR PRINTS.
56. Asset for sketching the human body?: A HEAD FOR FIGURES.
80. Traditional Western song to sing while cleaning up the atelier?: GOODBYE OLD PAINT.
98. Sculpting painstakingly, as ice?: LICKING INTO SHAPE.
115. Foundation for nude sketches?: BOTTOM LINE.
117. Color for a "Starry" Dutch classic?: NIGHTSHADE.
This title is so John, a talented artist with a terrific sense of humor.
I'm not familiar with "Goodbye Old Paint", who is the Old Paint in the lyric?
We're treated with a 140-worder with four sparkling long Downs. The clues also have John's hallmark wordplay and clue echos.
Across:
1. They often offer free Wi-Fi: CAFES.
6. Julie's "East of Eden" role: ABRA. Julie Harris. Here she's with Cal (James Dean).
10. Bygone Swedish wheels: SAAB.
14. Suit material: LIBEL. Lawsuit.
19. Tickle: AMUSE.
20. Fruity commercial prefix: CRAN.
21. Up-in-the-air bear: URSA. Minor/Major.
22. "Do __?": I DARE.
27. Therefore: ERGO.
28. Clotheshorse's collection: TIE CLIPS.
30. Singer?: STOOLIE. One who sings.
31. Cube-ic Rubik: ERNO. Rubik's Cube. This guy is 76 years old now.
33. "__ Rebel": 1962 hit: HE'S A.
34. Handles: SEES TO.
40. Dirty Harry's org.: SFPD.
43. Lab eggs: OVA.
44. Classic pops: NEHIs. Do you remember your first soft drink? Mine was Coca-Cola, around 1990.
45. Like no-see-ums: PESTY.
47. Schwarz of toys: FAO.
48. Therapist's concern: NEUROSIS. Woody Allen's characters tend to have this problem.
50. Bait: TEASE.
53. Employing: USING.
55. Stuffed shell?: TACO. Great clue.
60. Two-handed tool: SLEDGE.
63. Unable to find the way: LOST.
64. Rates highly: ADMIRES.
65. Stand-up's goals, informally: LAFFS. Laughs.
68. Philippines' highest peak: Abbr.: MT APO. Wiki says the name
of "Mt. Apo comes from Apo, a title of respect meaning "revered elder"
in various languages of the surrounding Lumad tribes." Sort of like the
"Lao" in Chinese then. Lao Tzu, Lao Shi (teacher).
106. They're depressed during recitals: KEYS. Ha ha.
107. Resolve: IRON OUT.
109. Introspective Randall Thompson choral work with a joyous title: ALLELUIA. Same as "Hallelujah", right?
112. Jr.'s exam: PSAT.
119. Golfer's cry after holing a long putt: IT'S IN. Also 10. Good in golf ... otherwise, not so much: SUBPAR.
120. Unceasingly: EVER.
121. Boxer Oscar __ Hoya: DELA.
122. Sister of Goneril: REGAN. Mean one.
123. "I think of slaying Holmes ... He takes my mind from better things" writer: DOYLE.
124. Stitches: SEWS.
125. Like Florida scrub: ARID. Not familiar with "Florida scrub".
126. Immobile: INERT.
Down:
1. Batgirl garb: CAPE.
2. Love in Spain: AMOR.
3. Thick dessert topping: FUDGE SAUCE. More food item: 7. French wheel: BRIE
4. Source of protection: ESCORT.
5. It has a watery bed: SEA.
6. All of Albee's "The Zoo Story," essentially: ACT I.
8. Spanish spreads: RANCHOS. Not food.
9. One catching with flies, maybe: ANGLER. And 38. It might be caught with a fly: FISH.
11. LAX touchdowns: ARRS.
12. Sun Devils' sch.: ASU.
13. Short-legged hounds: BASSETS.
14. Slimming procedures, informally: LIPOS.
15. Some how-to book targets?: IDIOTS. Idiot's Guide.
16. Unusually energetic sort: BALL OF FIRE. Abejo!!
17. "__ Went Mad": Riley poem: ERE I.
18. __-majesté: LESE.
24. Gems: STONES.
26. It's a blast: H TEST.
29. MSN, for one: ISP. Any of you use CenturyLink?
32. El __: NINO.
34. Show disdain for: SNEER AT.
35. Prohibitions: DONT'S.
36. Type of eye layer: UVEAL.
37. Karmann __: sports car: GHIA. I don't see the beauty of this car.
39. __ facto: IPSO.
41. Philatelist's buys: PANES.
42. Hounds, e.g.: DOGS.
46. Manga series about gaming: YU-GI-OH. I've seen a ton of these cards at card shows. Some are worth hundreds of dollars.
49. Retinal receptor: ROD.
50. Lao Tzu's "way": TAO. We say "dao" in China.
51. Text changers, for short: EDS. Editors.
52. Back in a shell: AFT.
54. Big __: SUR.
57. Scullers' pair?: ELS. Just the two letters in "Scullers".
58. OTC drug agency: FDA.
59. Rapscallions: IMPS. Always makes me think of Spitzboov.
17-month old Spitzboov
61. All-encompassing: GLOBAL.
62. __ chair: EASY.
66. Ante, e.g.: FEE.
67. Romps: FROLICS.
68. Reply of feigned innocence: MOI?
69. Prepared, as apples for strudel: CORED.
70. Copacetic, in slang: HOTSY-TOTSY. More familiar with hoity-toity.
71. Thomas Gray's "The Bard," e.g.: ODE.
72. Smooching on a plane, for short: PDA.
73. Photo possibilities: OPS.
74. Tractor brand, familiarly: CAT. Caterpillar.
76. Vibration sensor: EAR.
77. Flattery: EGO MASSAGE. Another sparkly fill.
78. First light: SUNUP.
79. "Demian" author: HESSE.
80. Mongolian dry spot: GOBI. My favorite childhood TV drama has
many scenes in the Gobi Desert. The guy on the left grew up in Mongolia
under the care of Genghis Khan, who's so romanticized in many Chinese
novels.
81. Fail to be kept private: LEAK.
82. Pakistani bread: NAAN. Also dal bean: 97. Legume family bean: LENTIL.
83. Slant: TILT.
88. Carefully consider: LOOK AT.
89. Bay State motto opener: ENSE.
92. Intestinal tract division: ILEUM.
93. Grub: VITTLES.
94. More over the top: SILLIER.
99. Ones just hanging out: IDLERS.
100. Zilch: NIL.
101. British actress-politician Jackson: GLENDA.
102. Wi-Fi connection?: HYPHEN. Great clue.
104. Very disappointing turnout: NO ONE.
107. Kin of op. cit.: IBID.
108. __-Rooter: ROTO. Bad service. High price. Don't use them.
Today's constructor, Jamey Smith, appears to be making his initial voyage on the LA Time Crossword seas although he has been published in many other ports, er, venues. Searching for him yielded many Jamey Smiths on the web but I couldn't nail him down. Searching for Stella Zawistowski was a little easier to accomplish.
Except for NESPRESSO, Jamey's long fill were quite easy to ferret out and useful in the solve. I came down to the TOW_E/E_SOR crossing and was pleased when the "N" provided the "Congratulations" screen. ENSOR and TOWNE seemed right, so I gave myself a "got 'er done!"
Across:
1. What the eyes may have?: LASIK.
6. "Nooo! Anything but that!": THE HORROR
15. Smog ingredient: OZONE.
16. Pursued: GAVE CHASE - What would crime shows be if no one ever did?
17. In a lather: SUDSY.
18. "It does seem likely": I RECKON SO - Sounds like a line from a Gary Cooper movie
19. Properties: TRAITS.
21. "__ & the Women": 2000 Altman film: DR T - Meh...
22. Rihanna hit that samples "Tainted Love": SOS - Here 'ya go
23. Morse bit: DAH - Go to this website. Type in your input and then hit Play to hear what you typed sounds like in Morse Code Dits and DAHS.
24. Yorkshire __, landmark London pub named for a slang word for strong ale: STINGO - The Yorkshire STINGO Inn on Marleybone Road, circa 1770
27. Maker of the Levante SUV: MASERATI - Ad - "Levante is a wind that blows across the Mediterranean, transforming from benign calm to gale force in an instant." If you absolutely have to spend at least $77,000 for transportation
31. Not so jumpy: CALMER.
34. Retail warning: AS IS.
35. Classic theater name: ROXY.
37. "Chinatown" screenwriter Robert: TOWNE - He won an Academy Award for his original screenplay. Can you find his name?
38. Polar opposites?: ICECAPS.
40. Painter's option: OIL BASE
43. "I don't see the __": HARM - Really? What a 42. Doofus: MORON.
45. J.Lo's fiancé: A-ROD.
46. Moved purposefully: STRODE.
48. Buttinskies: MEDDLERS - Mon Dieu, c'est ce bourreau Poirot! (My God, it is that meddling Poirot!)
50. Busy sweet spot?: APIARY - Harvest time
52. Midge __, co-organizer of the Live Aid benefit concert: URE - Bob Geldof and Midge URE who organized the event.
53. Nanny __: CAM.
55. Fútbol announcer's shout: GOL - La fútbolista marcó un gol (The soccer player scored a goal)
56. Powerless sort: EUNUCH - He might be lacking more than power
60. Meat- or wheat-based deli order: OLIVE LOAF.
64. LAN administrator: IT PRO - Remember that nerd in high school...
65. Coffee-making portmanteau: NESPRESSO - Nestle and Espresso. Nestle also makes Nesquik and Nescafe.
66. Flag: DROOP.
67. Flier with means: JETSETTER.
68. Matches exactly: SYNCS.
Down:
1. TV drama about the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815: LOST - Never saw it. Is it something like Gilligan's Island? 😕
2. Couleur de la Méditerranée: AZUR - The côte d'AZUR (blue coast) on a Nice (France) day
3. Cream __: SODA.
4. Skinny: INSIDE SCOOP - Ask the custodian. They know!
5. Hybrid instrument played by Prince and Lady Gaga: KEYTAR - Speaking of portmanteaus
6. It can precede Fridays: TGI.
7. Pair of threes, in craps: HARD SIX - Any pair in craps is called HARD
8. First female athlete to host Saturday Night Live: EVERT - 11/11/89
9. Busy and then some: HECTIC.
10. Spidey foe Doc __: OCK - Here the dialogue uses his more formal name
11. Density symbol borrowed from the Greek alphabet: RHO.
12. Online holdup?: RANSOM WARE - "Pay us if you want your system back"
13. Tibia, per esempio: OSSO - OSSO is Italian for bone
14. Old Royale 8's: REOS - A 1931 version from Ransom E Olds' company
20. On the dot: SHARP - This posts at 3:30 am CDT SHARP
25. "N," in many assn. names: NATL - As a teacher I belonged to the NATL Teacher's Assn.
26. U.S. Customs service that expedites traveler clearance: GLOBAL ENTRY - Fill out the form and get an interview to qualify for a card if you are judged to be low risk. It will greatly expedite entry into America
27. Incapacitates: MAIMS.
28. Part of a U.S. military full-dress uniform: ASCOT.
29. Sprite rival: SIERRA MIST - "I'd like a Sprite." "Is SIERRA MIST okay?"
30. Peter with the debut solo album "Legalize It": TOSH.
I have had the pleasure of introducing the cruciverb world to so many first
time publications. One day, I should count them. In any event, Will Tobias is
the next in line. His puzzle is a repurposing of common phrases used during a
baseball broadcast by cluing them with descriptive and amusing images. He even
includes, what I see as an unnecessary reveal. As we are working our way
slowly toward a World Series, the timing is good. As a Friday there is some
challenge- 39. "Strega __": Tomie dePaola Caldecott winner whose
title means "Grandma Witch": NONA and 58. Goiânia greeting:
OLA come to mind. He also squeezes in some sparkle with HIGHBALL,
PONTIFFS, NOR'EASTER, and PIRATICAL (an odd but easily inferrable word. So it
is time to begin.
20A. *Where to hang a lei on a rhino?: AROUND THE HORN (13).
A double play initiated by the third baseman who throws to second who throws
to first.
32A. *Bits of dialogue censored on network television?: FOUL LINES (9). Pretty funny. The ball is in play between the white lines.
40A. *Dracula after a hearty meal?: FULL COUNT (9). We will
not ask what Vlad has eaten, but this too is funny.
51A. *Crime of someone who wants folks to get lost?: STEALING SIGNS (13). This is not so funny as it is the basis of a major league scandal
in major league baseball causing teams to forfeit World Series wins.
The reveal: 59D. Org. in which you'd hear the answers to starred
clues: MLB. Major League Baseball.
On to the rest...
Across:
1. Travel pillow spot: NAPE. Not as controversial as
NABE.
5. "Nothing but net": SWISH. That special sound in
basketball as the ball slides down without hitting the rim.
10. One
often looking down: SNOB. One's nose often; counterintuitively it
is said to have arisen from the custom of writing “s. nob.”, that is, 'sine nobilitate,' after the names of children of untitled parents in certain English
schools.
14. Handmade blade: SHIV. I know some
fun shiv stories.
15. George who co-wrote the graphic memoir "They Called Us
Enemy": TAKEI.
16. Do the honors: POUR. A
CSO to our resident Sommelier and our friend TIN.
17.
Blaze: FIRE. Look, there is a blaze; meh.
18. Circular
gasket: O-RING. Very important in the machinery of all kinds.
19.
"__ boy!": ATTA. ATTA Girl.
23.
Acquire: GET.
25. Whitney and Washington:
Abbr.: MTS. In California- the highest peak in 48 contiguous
states and in New Hampshire with the highest winds.
26. Counted
(on): BANKED. On banking on entertaining you, but so far it is a
struggle.
27. Unstable time: CRISIS. No politics.
29.
Bygone Russian title: TSAR. Not bygone from the puzzle
world.
31. Lawful: LICIT. Hence, illicit.
37. And
others, in Lat.: ET AL. Alia or Alii.
38. Group of
experts: PANEL.
39. "Strega __": Tomie dePaola
Caldecott winner whose title means "Grandma Witch": NONA. If you
speak Italian it is a very literal answer.
42.
Doughnut-shaped: TORIC. We have had this shape many times.
43. Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Donovan: ANNE. Anne Donovan.
44. Musical inability: TIN EAR. More Tin.
45.
Dark igneous rock: BASALT. Basalt is a dark-colored,
fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene
minerals.
49. Suffix with bass: OON. Suffix with Sw?
Please.
50. High card: ACE.
55. "The
Sopranos" actor Robert: ILER. AJ, has left the building.
4. At any time: EVER. We get into the filling
fill.
5. Dark drafts: STOUTS. Rex?
6.
Cautions: WARNS.
7. "Joke, joke": I KID.
8. Email status: SENT.
9. Tall
drink: HIGHBALL. Another baseball possibility but not included in
the theme. This drink recipe is one that every aspiring bartender should
know and it is, quite simply, whiskey and ginger ale.
10.
Pitcher Warren with the most lifetime wins for a
southpaw: SPAHN.
11. Far from acceptable: NOT OK.
12. Quite unusual: OUTRE.
13. __
awareness: BRAND.
21. Drop: OMIT.
22.
Rank between marquess and viscount: EARL. Did you all watch the
movie?
23. Staff symbol: G CLEF. The treble clef
is also called the "G clef" because the symbol at the beginning of the staff
(a stylized letter "G") encircles the second line of the staff, indicating
that line to be G4 (or g above middle C).
24. Verdi baritone
aria: ERITU. Just in time for some opera.
28. Window
ledge: SILL. What you not know and do not care about the
WINDOW SILL.
29. 1,000 kilograms: TONNE. A metric ton.
30.
Bird feeder cake: SUET. Hard to think of suet as "cake."
32.
Woodland spirit: FAUN.
33. Privy to: IN ON.
34. Stahm that may affect Bahston: NOR'EASTER.
35.
Early computer: ENIAC.
36. "__
bleu!": SACRE.
38. Popes: PONTIFFS.
41.
Ring up: CALL.
42. Sound of a tiny
bell: TING.
44. __ water: TOILET.
45.
It may be a sleeper hit: B-SIDE.
46. Shingle
words: AT-LAW.
47. "Toodles!": SEE YA.
48. Judge on a diamond: AARON. Yankee star who is
being overshadowed by Luke Volt and Gianncarlo Stanton in the playoffs. NY is
down 2-1 to Tampa Bay, but Tinbeni can't lose.
49. Japanese
financial hub: OSAKA. Also the US Tennis Open women's champion
this year.
52. River delta where the Rosetta Stone was
found: NILE.
53. Winged pest: GNAT.
We get more midges in Florida.
54. Mission Control
org.: NASA.
58. Goiânia greeting: Olá. Goiânia
is a city in Western Brazil. When you see Olá rather than ¡Hola! it is a clue
you are looking for a Portuguese place, not Spanish.
I am under the weather, so I leave it you all to make our newest constructor
Will T. (Will Shortz, nor Will Shakespeare) feel at how here at the corner and
ready to come to visit and talk with us. Lemonade out.
Chairman Moe, here, filling in for my partner in "crhyme", MalMan. This
is an interesting "work" from Paul Coulter. I completed it in my usual
time for a Thursday puzzle, and had a minimal number of mistakes. I certainly
used ESP (every single perp) to solve a number of these, as I will elucidate,
later on. I had a really tough time figuring out the theme, and eventually it
was explained to me. Thanks, C.C. and HG
Paul took the "unifier", (61-Across. Colleague ... and, when preceded by
"the," what the end of 16-, 24-, 37- or 50-Across is:) WORK MATE, and
combined it with the second word in each of the numbered clues, to form a
common phrase.
Example #1: (16-Across. Figurative setting for many deals:)
BACK ROOM. The "BACK ROOM" is where many deals get made,
although I had a few sales "close" whilst at a bar. I remember getting a
purchase order, written on a cocktail napkin, from a client!
Take the word "WORK", add the word "the" and then add the last
word, and you get: "WORK THE ROOM". This puzzle literally was so
obscure to me, at first, that I think THIS obscure clip speaks volumes!
Example #2: (24-Across. Alpha Centauri, for one:)
STAR SYSTEM. Alpha Centauri is the next closest identified
STAR (and planetary) SYSTEM to the Earth. But at some 4+ light
years away, it is not weekend destination.
"WORK THE SYSTEM": doing what is needed to get around certain "rules",
or using the rules to your advantage. Due to our "no politics" rule here at
the Corner, I won't expound on how politicos may use this
Example #3:
(37-Across. Terra firma:) DRY LAND. This 1975 tune from Joan
Armatrading has
a deep meaning.
"WORK THE LAND" per Husker Gary, is a Nebraska specialty!
And what better item to WORK THE LAND than: (63. Groundbreaking
invention:) TILLER. Rotary tillers were introduced to the US in the
1930's from Germany. They were known there as “boden frasen” or earth grinder.
Spitzboov, stimmst du mir zu?
"WORK THE PROBLEM": From Apollo 13, Gene Kranz @0:17
I'm not certain that as a blogger here I have any more insight to the puzzle
than those who solve it on the published date. I usually do my puzzle solves
with pen and paper, though on the days I blog they're done electronically due to
expediency. And honest to God I couldn't see the forest for the trees in today's puzzle. A couple
of my fellow bloggers bailed me out so I could write something more lucid. Whew!
I never thought of this (blogging) as HARD WORK!
And now that it all fell into
place, so to speak, I will let my inner Stooge guide me through the rest of the
clues!
Across:
1. "Above the __": 1994 basketball film: RIM. The trailer:
The movie was shot on location in NYC, and loosely deals with an aspiring HS
basketball player from "the 'hood'".
Of course here in Arizona when folks use the term "above the rim", most of us
here in the "valley" associate that with
this rim, not the ones at the Grand Canyon. The Mogollon Rim essentially separates,
or creates the "boundary" from high plateau (>8,000' elevation) from the
desert (less than 3,000' of elevation). The correct pronunciation for Mogollon
is: "mug-ee-on"
4. Influence: HEFT. I always thought that HEFT meant to lift something
(as a verb), or something heavy (as a noun). Turns out that one of its
definitions clearly points to having ability or influence; as in "intellectual
heft"
8. African capital on the Gulf of Guinea: ACCRA. Moe-ku #1:
Ghana cave dweller Likes to play on trampolines; It's an ACCRA
bat.
13. Tip jar bill: ONE.
A dollar ain't worth much anymore. Might want to throw in a "fin", or multiple
"ones". Of course, when I thought of ONE, this came to mind:
14. "Boo'd Up" Grammy winner __ Mai: ELLA. I just finished the NYT Sunday
puzzle from Sept 20, where the constructor, Sam Trabucco, said in his
bio: "one of my top priorities ... is to make my puzzles relatable to younger
solvers. I want this hobby to remain relevant forever!"
The use of ELLA with
Grammy Winner Mai
certainly falls into that category. I guess I am one that will always equate
ELLA with Fitzgerald ...
15. Fissile rocks: SHALES. "Fissile" is from the Latin root: findare,
which means to split. Shale readily splits into layers, hence the clue/solve.
One of my favorite wine varietals is Riesling. Those grapes grown along the
slopes of the Mosel River tend to be planted in slate-rich soil. One producer,
Dr Loosen, has wines from both Red and Blue Slate soil. Go
here to
learn more about the differences between the two.
Now of course, if the clue said "Fraggle rocks", we'd have thought of
this:
18. Locker hangers: PIN-UPS. What guys in HS back in the 40's, '50's,
'60's, and '70's might have hung in their lockers. Not sure that PIN-UPS are
allowed nowadays. Examples:
A Splynter PIN-UP.
A C Moe PIN-UP
19. Bring upon oneself: INCUR. I've INCURred a fair amount of debt in my
lifetime, but have always managed to pay it off
20. Samoan capital: APIA. It resides on the north shore of Upolu,
the second largest of the Samoan Islands, and has an urban population of just
under 40,000 residents. Looks inviting
22. Big name in razors: ATRA. Although no longer produced, it was, I
believe, the first of its generation, featuring multiple blades and a pivoting
head
23. Almost at hand: NEAR. Ooh, you almost had it! It was so NEAR ...
26. Fizzles out: DIES. Literally, "fizzle" means to break wind, without
making a noise. Some SBD's do seem/smell like something "DIED"!
28. Hams it up: EMOTES. Actors are known for showing EMOTION on stage,
but when they "ham it up" they've OVER-emoted.
29. 2008 Visa milestone, briefly: IPO. Its IPO raised over $17.8 billion;
largest in the history of the market
32. Weho or Soho, in slang: NABE. WEst HOllywood / SOuth of HOuston;
NEIGHBorhoods, or "NABE" in slang. Or how to clue an obscure word to
finish a noticeable hole in a puzzle ... ESP got this one for me. You?
34. Nostrils: NARES. Another ESP. Moe-Ku #2:
Hairy proboscis Was becoming a problem. Trimmed NARES with
Nair
36. Recyclable item: CAN. CSO to Tin, perhaps??!
40. Brian of ambient music: ENO. A crossword staple. Easy 3 letter
fill
41. In __: awaiting delivery: UTERO. Or, how about a 1993 album by
Nirvana?
43. Arctic sight: FLOE. Moe-Ku #3:
Displaced polar bear Was frustrated; His mate said, "Just go with
the FLOE"
44. Rehab hurdle: DTS. Delirium TremenS, or the
condition felt by many who are abstaining from alcohol, and in rehab, which is
short for rehabilitation
45. Colorful ring: AREOLA. Since this is a "family" blog, I will
refrain from inserting a picture here
48. Animal fat: LARD. As a kid, growing up in York, PA, one of my
favorite snack foods was Grandma Utz's potato chips. Cooked in LARD.
There is no other chip that meets that flavor, IMHO
52. They may be wild: OATS. Moe-Ku #4:
A vegan was cold. Refused to use wool; instead, He sewed his wild
OATS
Into a sweater, I presume ...
56. Grimace: MOUE. Pronounced, "moo". Is that why cows always look so
annoyed?
57. San Joaquin Valley haze: SMOG. A portmanteau. From "smoke and
fog"
58. "Blue Ain't Your Color" country singer Keith: URBAN. Singer,
songwriter, and producer from Whangārei, New Zealand, whose "urban" population
went down when he left
59. Ill-judged, as a plan: INSANE. Moe-Ku #5:
The ill-judged Frenchman Went for a swim, at the Louvre. Was he
just INSANE?
64. Art Deco artist: ERTE. Another crossword staple; I described this
in my last blog
65. "Comprende?": SEE. Or, "do you understand?", en Espanol
66. Final word: SAY SO. There are at least two of my friends / relatives who need to have the final SAY SO whenever we text to each other. I'm sure you all know someone like that
67. Turns to gold, perhaps: DYES. As in dyeing ones hair, perhaps? Actually, there was no Sister Golden Hair, but it's a catchy tune from the mid-'70's
68. Zig when one should have zagged, say: ERR. From the C Moe book of fake facts: Noted author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, had a twin brother, Zag
Down:
1. Givens of "Riverdale": ROBIN. Best known as the sidekick for "shock jock" Howard Stern. Oops! That was Robin QUIVERS!! My bad! Here is Robin Givens' biography.
2. Absurd: INANE. INSANE without the "S"?
3. Muslim holy city: MECCA. The Holy City in Saudi Arabia
4. Berlin address: HERR. German for "mister". A CSO to Spitzboov.
Yesterday's puzzle had "FRAU"; HERR's "Gattin". Ich glaube, dass Die Hausfrau, ist politisch korrekt nicht, ja?
5. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra. Co-founder of the group, vocalist, and guitarist
6. Passes on a lazy river: FLOATS BY. Looks peaceful, until you get to the rapids ...
7. Florida host of the Outback Bowl: TAMPA. CSO to Wilbur Charles; the creator of the term "Moe-Ku". The Outback Bowl was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl and is played on New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and University of South Florida football teams. Usually features teams from the SEC vs Big Ten
9. Game with melds: CANASTA. One game I learned whilst in college was pinochle. A game played with a deck of 48 cards, having 2 each of the 9-10-J-Q-K-A in each of the four suits. It had meld as well. Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades was called a "Pinochle" and was = 4 points of meld; having both pairs of these cards = 30 points.
Canasta? Never learned it nor played it ... same with backgammon
10. Like an untidy desk: CLUTTERED. Both my significant other and I share the same "filing" method: horizontal! Glad we both have separate desks and that they're both rather large, in the horizontal dimension ...
11. Stand for: REPRESENT. Not sure what, these days, our REPRESENTatives in Congress are standing for. Certainly not unity ... sorry for the political bent ...
12. Indian silk region: ASSAM. Fascinating info on Wikipedia. I'd link it, but I have momentarily run out of blue ink ... but I do have a picture of the silkworms, if that's OK?
15. Jerk: SPASM. Moe-Ku #6:
Cracker lover shows Uncontrolled SPASMS. Could he Have "To Ritz" syndrome?
17. Western Asia native: KURD. The KURDish people are an ethnic group found in portions of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. I had another Moe-Ku in mind, but I may have already reached my limit for one blog. Maybe one of our other punsters can bail me out ...
21. Anger: IRE. IRE can also be clued as the abbr. for a Celtic nation. Are the Irish IREd?
24. Scorch: SEAR. The seer SEARed the sere leaves. I wonder if he was thinking about lighting a cigar??
25. Over there: YONDER. Here is an earworm for you to carry with the rest of the day. "Off we go, into the wild blue YONDER". Just hit the "play" button; no lyrics, though ... (BTW, Thanks to all military personnel and veterans who protect/protected our liberties)
27. Weatherproof, as a swimming pool: INDOOR. Hmm. Interesting clue for this answer. My first thought was FLEX-SEAL, but that was too many letters
29. Post-op area: ICU. When former Alpine Skier, Street, had surgery, her folks wanted to know where the hospital staff took her. The head nurse said, "Picabo? ICU"
30. Barren region in southern South America: PATAGONIA. Barren to some, but in barren lands grow grapes! And as your resident Sommelier (yes, I actually AM a Somm) my first thought was to educate us all on PATAGONIAN wines
31. In a burdensome way: ONEROUSLY. ONEROUSLY, I think this is a terrible word and clue ... or did I mean HONESTLY? Neither, actually. I believe that perhaps Lemonade714 could verify, but I have never run across (or down, for that matter!) the word ONEROUSLY in a crossword puzzle before
33. Tolkien figure: ELF. ELF, ENT, or ORC; take your pick
35. "Help!" on the briny: SOS. Help in the kitchen?
38. Story with symbolism: ALLEGORY. Or what the Vice President for #42 might have been referred to, if he'd been stabbed in Paris
39. First name in linguistics: NOAM. I had NOAH at first (thinking Webster) but ESP gave me NOAM, as in Chomsky
42. Takes off the books: REPEALS. Mostly referring to laws, and/or congressional acts. Damn, you, Paul Coulter! Stop making us think about politics here!! LOL!!
46. Sore __: LOSER. Why do they always use "sore" to describe a LOSER? One theory: in the sports world, two famous quotes: First, by Leo Durocher (former baseball player and manager): "Show me a good LOSER and I'll show you an idiot." Second, by Vince Lombardi (former football coach of the Green Bay Packers): “Show me a good LOSER and I'll show you a loser”.
Today, just look for the symbol "L" as formed by your thumb and forefinger
47. SDI weapon: ABM. Strategic Defense Initiative weapon = AntiBallistic Missile ... and now, you know!
49. Quad building: DORM. Nice use of the abbr. for "Quadrangle" to result in the abbr. for "DORMitory"
50. Gives forth: EMITS. EMITS/OMITS one giveth, and one taketh away
51. Mooed: LOWED. Another earworm, perhaps?
53. Belittle: ABASE. Another clue/solve that steered me toward politics ... but again, I'll refrain
54. Russet, informally: TATER. I never ate these as a kid, but my kids did
55. Curled-lip look: SNEER. I worked for a boss once whose last name was SNEER ... we didn't get along too well!!
58. Hawaiian strings: UKES. Again, I wish Paul or Rich would've clued this as an abbr. But don't fret! I am inserting a video that'll teach you how to play the UKULELE!!
60. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. ESP, once again, for me. Never saw any of the 3 "Matrixes".
62. GPS suggestion: RTE. Back in the day, before cellphones, the most convenient method, maybe? Whatever happened to these?
The Grid:
Postscript: I know that politics are not allowed here, but I couldn't resist ... and for anyone who watched last night's VP debate, I HAD to pen this additional Moe-Ku:
I give Pence credit. He displayed, once and for all, That black flies matter
OK, Knuckleheads! Leave your comments, below!!
Notes from C.C.:
Happy
79th birthday to dear Jayce, who often astonishes me with his
understanding of Chinese language. I've had guilao colleagues who speak
Chinese, but none has Jayce's deep grasp of the language quirks. Such a comfort to have you here on the blog, Jayce!
