Wednesday, February 3 2021, Fred Ohles

Theme: TO COIN A PHRASE

18. Settlement for prisoners: PENAL COLONY.

24. Place to display tchotchkes: KNICKKNACK SHELF.

 

36. She voices Elsa in "Frozen" films: IDINA MENZEL.

 

49. Approximately 247 acres: SQUARE KILOMETER. 

 

57. Pocket money ... and what's in the puzzle's circles?: LOOSE CHANGE.

 

The circled letters (for those who can see them) spell a coin. Penny, nickel, dime, quarter. In order of value, even. Coins are rarely used any more. I was overcharged 55 cents at the post office yesterday and was given 3 quarters to make up for it. Didn't have any nickels or dimes. Looks like a Crossword Corner debut for Fred Ohles.

Across:

1. Playground game: TAG.

4. Theatrical backdrops: SCRIMS. In theater, "a piece of gauze cloth that appears opaque until lit from behind, used as a screen or backdrop." Search google images for scrim, there are some neat ones.

10. Academic pds.: SEMS. Semesters.

14. 4-Down may be added to it: OIL. 4D is STP.

15. Tour: TRAVEL. Not too much of that going on these days.

16. Prose-fixing job: EDIT.

17. Expert: PRO.

20. Iberian river: EBRO. In Spain.

22. Countless years: EON.

23. One with cinco dedos: MANO. Spanish. Cinco dedos = five fingers. Mano = hand.

29. Die down, as a storm: ABATE.

30. Type: ILK. Often has a negative connotation.

31. "What was __ think?": I TO.

32. High-level H.S. classes: APS. Advanced Placement.

34. Prefix with cycle: UNI.

35. Linseed oil source: FLAX. Used as a preservative for wood, concrete, and an ingredient in paints, varnishes, and stains. It is also used in soaps, inks, and in the production of linoleum.

39. PC connections: DSLS. Digital Subscriber Line. Users get a high speed bandwidth connection from a phone wall jack on an existing telephone network. DSL works within the frequencies that the telephone doesn't so you can use the Internet while making phone calls. 

41. Little rascal: IMP.

42. "MASH" milieu: Abbr.: KOR. Korea. Love that show - my son and I watch reruns several nights a week.

43. Slippery swimmer: EEL. Yummy sushi, too.

44. Pre-1868 Tokyo: EDO. Three Asian-related entries in a row. And speaking of M*A*S*H, in the episode "Dear Uncle Abdul," (Season 8 Episode 12), Father Mulcahy writes and sings a tune with the lyrics: "Oh, my dear, I can't wait to see ya, but I'm here in South Korea; the picture you sent was quite an eyeful; I've taped it to my trusty rifle." For fans, this is the same episode where Hawkeye tells the joke with the punchline: "That's all you do? Bird imitations?" HIGH-larious. One of the handful of episodes employing the literary device of letter-writing - my favorite episodes.

 45. Like Stout's Nero Wolfe: OBESE.

54. Govt. agency with an Informed Delivery service: USPS. United States Postal Service. I love them. My nonprofit gets hundreds of letters every week, and my small-town post office handles each one with great care.

55. Cry from a crib: WAH. Aw.

56. Distant relative of the emu: RHEA. Large, flightless, long-legged birds.

61. Supergirl's symbol: ESS.

62. Wheel cover: TIRE.

63. "That's unnecessary": NO NEED.

64. GPS indication: RTE. Route.

65. Soap since 1965, familiarly: DAYS. So sneaky! Soap opera, not Dial soap.

66. Like plans yet to be finalized: NOT SET.

67. Grass in a roll: SOD. Snort. Not that kind of grass.

Down:

1. Capital east of Denver: TOPEKA.

2. Site with many home pages?: AIRBNB. Nice clue.

3. Name spelled out in a Van Morrison song: GLORIA. "And her name is G-L-O-R-I-Aaaaaaaa."

4. "The Racer's Edge": STP. An additive for motor oil that improves performance.

5. Golf course hazard: CREEK.

6. Used as fuel: RANON. Not radon. Causes lung cancer.

7. Donald Jr.'s mom: IVANA. Don't hear too much about her any more.

8. Many-voiced Blanc: MEL. Blanc was the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and many other Looney Tunes characters. Also Barney Rubble from The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely from The Jetsons.

9. Capital WNW of Denver: SLC. Salt Lake City.

10. Psalm instruction: SELAH. Interesting.

11. Three-time "Modern Family" Emmy nominee: ED O'NEILL. Also played Al Bundy.

12. Company that merged with Konica: MINOLTA. Japanese company headquartered in, wait for it ... Tokyo.

13. Oinker's digs: STY.

19. Siberian city: OMSK. Great crossword entry.

21. Eightsomes: OCTADS.

25. French military cap: KEPI. Has a flat, circular top, and visor.

26. French film: CINE.

27. "Hogan's Heroes" colonel: KLINK.

28. Sly critter: FOX.

33. Derogatory: SNIDE.

34. Decision maker at home: UMP. Baseball, nice clue. Not mom or dad.

35. "Show Boat" author: FERBER. There's our friend, Edna.

36. Apparent: ILLUSORY.

37. Wild way to run: AMOK. Who knows what movie this line is from: "There's something amok with this sponge cake."

38. New way for many to meet: ZOOM.

39. __ Moines: DES.

40. Giant redwood: SEQUOIA.

44. Scots Gaelic: ERSE. Language.

46. Old anesthetics: ETHERS.

47. Makes sure of: SEES TO.

48. Took off the board: ERASED.

50. Altar areas: APSES. Below is in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, a church in Ravenna, Italy.

51. Start of a demand: I WANT.

52. Bowling sites: LANES. Boomer!

53. "Well, shucks!": OH GEE.

57. Bygone Ford: LTD.

58. Current events TV channel: CNN.

59. "Woo-__!": HOO.

60. Savannah summer hrs.: EDT. Eastern Daylight Time.

Tuesday, February 2, 2021 Roger and Kathy Wienberg

Catchphrases:  Each of the starred answers is a catchphrase, although they are not what I would generally consider as such.  Here is a listing of what I think of as being catchphrases.

17-Across. *  Carpe diem: SEIZE THE DAY.

23-Across. *   Be the first to begin: GET A HEAD START.

38-Across. *   Party gifts container: GRAB BAG.

52-Across. *   Act in desperation: GRASP AT STRAWS.

And the unifier:

62-Across. Familiar slogan ... and what each answer to a starred clue is?: CATCHPHRASE.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Catchphrase is defined as (1) word or expression that is used repeatedly and conveniently to represent or characterize a person, group, idea, or point of view; or (2) a slogan.  The first word of each theme answer has a "Catch" component.  [Thanks, Anonymous@6:43.  I missed this completely!]

Across:

1. Morse code component: DASH.

5. John Wick, for one: HITMAN.  John Wick is a fictional character is a series of action-thriller films.  He was an orphan taken in by the Russian mafia and trained as an assassin.  John Wick is portrayed by Keanu Reeves (né Keanu Charles Reeves; b. Sept. 2, 1964) in the movies.

11. Wedding reception VIPs: DJs.  As in Disc Jockeys.  We had a live band at our wedding.

14. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo: ISLA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Puerto Rico is an Island.

15. Blueprint: SCHEMA.  Not a Tuesday word or concept.

16. Legendary bird of prey: ROC.  All your questions of the mythical ROC can be found here.

19. Rap sheet letters: AKA.  As in Also Known As.

20. "Zip your lip!": CAN IT!

21. Lust or greed: SIN.  Two of the Seven Deadly Sins.  The other five are: Sloth, Envy, Pride, Wrath, and Gluttony.

22. "And how!": AMEN.  An interesting history of the word Amen.

27. Hug: EMBRACE.

29. Mom's mom: NANA.  We called my mom's mom Nana.  Dad's mom was called Grammy.

30. Extended pd. away from work: LOA.  As in a Leave of Absence.

31. Notable period: ERA.

33. Commercial charge: AD FEE.

37. U.K. network: BBC.  As in the British Broadcasting Corporation.  The BBC dates back almost 100 years.

41. Coffee dispenser: URN.

42. Invite for: ASK TO.

44. Aggregate: SUM.

45. Container cover: LID.

What my Tupperware lid drawer looks like.

46. Escape clauses: OUTS.  An Escape Clause in a contract, sometimes known as a Clawback, is a clause that lets a party out of the terms of the contract without a penalty.

They had an Escape tunnel.  Of course, there was a fatal penalty if they were caught.

49. Letters in alphabet soup: NOODLES.  Yummers!

56. Retinal cells: RODS.  Today's anatomy lesson.

57. Fannie or Ginnie follower: MAE.  Fannie Mae is short for the Federal National Mortgage Association.  Ginnie Mae is short for the Government Mortgage Association.  Mae was the name of both my grandmother and hubby's grandmother.

58. Silently understood: TACIT.

61. Dismissal metaphor, with "the": AXE.

65. A-lister: VIP.  As in a Very Important Person.

66. Wind instruments: FLUTES.

67. Biter on a pooch: FLEA.

68. Nonetheless: YET.  Any Yet, ...

69. Corporate jet maker: CESSNA.  You, too, can own a Cessna.

70. Hide partner: SEEK.

Down:

1. Frisbee, for one: DISC.  The Frisbee started out as a pie pan.

2. Befuddled: ASEA.

3. Shoe with a strap that nearly encircles the ankle: SLINGBACK.

4. More smoke-filled: HAZIER.

5. FDR's successor: HST.  Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972) became the 33rd American President upon the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945).  

6. German pronoun found in half of Munich?: ICH.  This clue made me laugh:  Munich.

7. What we have here: THESE.

8. Highway divider: MEDIAN.  Concrete medians are cropping up all over my city.

9. Actress Seales of "Insecure": AMANDA.  Insecure is an HBO comedy series.  Apparently, Amanda Ingrid Seales (b. July 1, 1981) caused a bit of a scandal over an Emmy after-party.

10. Opposing vote: NAY.

11. Emmy category: DRAMA.

12. Phoenix's 2019 Best Actor role: JOKER.  Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (b. Oct. 28, 1974) portrayed the Joker in the movie of the same name.  I opted not to seek this film.

13. Few and far between: SCANT.

18. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

22. Hardly any: A TAD.

24. Taiwanese PC maker: ACER.  I learned of this computer manufacturer from doing the crossword puzzles

25. Queen of Olympus: HERA.  Hera is the queen of the Greek gods.  //  And 40-Down. Eros, in Rome: AMOR.  Mythological gods of love.

26. Reel trouble: SNAG.

27. Napoleon's 1814 place of exile: ELBA.  When Napoleon was exiled on St. Helena, there may have been a plot to rescue him by submarine.

28. Unruly crowds: MOBS.

32. Tummy muscles: ABS.  As in the Abdominal muscles.

34. Comprehensive: FULL SCALE.

35. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE.  And a shout out to our dear friend, Abejo.

36. Goals: ENDS.

38. Rise, as prices: GO UP.

39. Batter's job in a squeeze play: BUNT.

43. Discard: TOSS.

47. Husk-wrapped cantina food: TAMALE. CSO to Lucina!

48. Something to update on Facebook: STATUS.

50. Solemn vow: OATH.

51. "Whistle While You Work" septet: DWARFS.

52. Turkey topper: GRAVY.

53. "Chicago" showgirl Hart: ROXIE.

54. Highly skilled: ADEPT.

55. Splinter groups: SECTS.

59. Understanding words: I SEE.

60. Hardwood tree: TEAK.  Everything you wanted to know about Teak Trees.

62. Ozone-depleting chemical: CFC.  As in Chlorofluorocarbon, which is actually a class of chemical made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Chlorine and Florine.

63. Farm layer: HEN.

64. Free TV spot: PSA.  As in a Public Service Announcement.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

P.S.: Thank You, Chefwan!!

Stay safe, everyone. I see the snow is still falling this morning in many parts of the country. I guess the groundhog didn't see his shadow this morning, so maybe spring will come early this year.

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Monday February 1, 2021 Rebecca Goldstein

Theme:  KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (61. With "The," 2010 Annette Bening/Julianne Moore film ... and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30- and 45-Across) - The right parts of all theme answers are all "kids".

17. Ponce de León's pursuit: FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.

30. 2009 title chef played by Meryl Streep: JULIA CHILD.

45. Collectible '90s-'00s stuffed toy: BEANIE BABY.

Boomer here. Congrats to Rebecca Goldstein on her LAT debut!

Happy February!  Regards to the Groundhog. I am not sure we will see him because his hole is filled with snow.  Weather report from Minnesota.  High in the 30s for the next 7 days.  Golf clubs are getting lonely in the garage.

Across:

1. Stone-shaping tool: RASP.  Why would anyone need to shape a stone? 

5. Hindu noble: RAJA.

9. Whirlpool brand: AMANA.  I believe Amana appliances were founded in Amana, Iowa and Whirlpool bought them.

14. Trade fair: EXPO. C.C. and I went to an electrical expo sponsored by Graybar at U.S. Bank Stadium where the Vikings play.  Most of those kind of expos are non existent now due to Covid.  And Montreal Expos are now the Washington Nationals. 

Boomer, Oct 6, 2016

15. Dressed (in): CLAD.

16. Apple's apple et al.: LOGOS.  I guess the Golden Arches are most famous.

20. Second most populous nation: INDIA.  China #1 and India #2 are well ahead of #3 USA.

21. Hereditary unit: GENE. Cowboy star Mr. Autry.

22. Dark blue shade: NAVY.  "He joined the NAVY to see the world, but what did he see, he saw the sea.

23. Org. concerned with reducing emissions: EPA.  I have doubts about the electric cars replacing our favorite gasoline guzzlers.

25. Buddhist teachers: LAMAS.  Dalai was the most famous.

27. Smooch: KISS.

35. Year, in Medellín: ANO.  Latin is ANNO as in ANNO Domini which comes after B.C.

36. Title for Judi Dench: DAME.  "There is nothing like a DAME".  "South Pacific".

37. Cartridge filler: TONER.

38. Big signs hung in arenas: BANNERS.

40. "I dunno": BEATS ME. C. C. BEATS ME in Scrabble so I don't play anymore. 

42. Bagel flavoring: ONION.

43. Fishing sticks: RODS.  Actually its a pole unless you attach a reel.

44. Pull hard: TUG.  O'War

48. Measures of cell reception: BARS.

49. [Scowl]: I'M MAD.  No I'M NOT, I just would like a vaccine!

50. Pronoun with 51-Down: SHE. 51. Pronoun with 50-Across: HER.

52. Wall St. debuts: IPOs  Lots of GameStop confusion out there last week. 

55. Light controller in a lens: IRIS.

57. Overjoy: ELATE.

64. Turn out to be: END UP.  Sometimes it's hard to figure which END is UP .

65. Airbnb visit, say: STAY.

66. Chief Greek god: ZEUS.

67. Positive feature: ASSET.

68. Head of the Sorbonne?: TETE. Just "head" in French.

69. Whirlpool: EDDY.  Or the company that bought AMANA years ago.

Down:

1. Lower-APR loan: RE-FI.  I don't trust these commercials, especially the Tom Selleck ones.

2. Neural transmitter: AXON.

3. Tater: SPUD.  I have cousins in Idaho.  Fun commercials on TV.  Potatoes look tasty.

4. Youngsters' zoo rides: PONIES.

5. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  A long time ago.  I remember our first TV.  A 19 inch black and white console.  Then when it stopped working, my Dad would remove all of the tubes and take them to the drugstore for testing so we would know which one to replace.  Told you I'm old! 

6. Sacha Baron Cohen persona: ALI G.  C.C. and I went to his first Borat Movie.  Pretty funny.

7. "Hidden Figures" co-star __ Monáe: JANELLE.

8. God, in Hebrew: ADONAI.

9. American gymnast Raisman with three Olympic gold medals: ALY.  I once had a baseball card store, and one day a customer came in who was a gold medal winner in swimming years ago.  He said it was in a safe so I did not see it, but I believed him.

10. Apollo launch: MOONSHOT.

11. Río contents: AGUA.

12. Imp's punishment: NO TV.

13. Like used fireplaces: ASHY.  We have one of these in our basement.  Too much of a hassle to burn.  I use one of those portable electric heaters,

18. Bar beer source: TAP.  "When you say BUD, you've said a lot of things nobody else can say."

19. Disaster relief org.: FEMA.  I hope they do something about the southeastern floods and the fires out west.

24. Open a bit: AJAR.  Hahtoolah.

26. Portray: ACT AS.

27. Skewered meat: KABOB.

28. Silly: INANE.  I know you think all this is silly but I'm almost done.

29. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.

31. Verbal hesitations: UMs.

32. Popular video-sharing app, familiarly: INSTA. Instagram.  I don't have videos to share, but I use Facebook frequently.

33. Ring-tailed primate: LEMUR.

34. Bottom-of-the-barrel stuff: DREGS.

36. Jeans fabric: DENIM.  Never liked jeans. I wear Reeboks.

39. Topic of little importance: NON-ISSUE.

40. Short hairdo: BOB.  Great pitcher Mr Gibson.

41. "Grand" ice cream brand: EDY'S.

43. Give off: RADIATE.  The aforementioned electric space heater works fine.

46. Mideast leader: EMIR.

47. Most spartan: BAREST.

48. Central American country bordering Mexico: BELIZE.

52. Swedish superstore: IKEA.  We see this IKEA a lot in crosswords. We visited the IKEA in Bloomington, Minnesota but we were not impressed. 

53. Bowling targets: PINS.  Yes I know, just do not call the lane an alley.

54. Numbers that may be long or stacked: ODDS.  Craps tables in Las Vegas a fairly favorable.  I've never figured the odds in 21. I'm sure the odds are not too good at slots so I don't play them too often. 

56. Fence piece: SLAT.

58. Improved in a barrel: AGED.

59. Hitting-the-ground sound: THUD.

60. Site offering handmade crafts: ETSY.

62. Fitting: APT.

63. Caustic cleaner: LYE.

Boomer