Tuesday, June 29, 2021 Gary Larson

Broken homes.  Another word for one's house can be found "broken" circles in each of the theme answers.  This theme made me sad because it made me think of the condo in Florida that collapsed less than a week ago.  The husband of a friend of mine was in the building visiting family that day.

18-Across. Kooks: DING-A-LINGS.  Digs.

20-Across. Where fingerprints may be analyzed: CRIME LAB.  Crib.

59-Across. Cheerleading team: PEP SQUAD.  Pad.

61-Across. Contest with a puck: HOCKEY GAME.  Home.

And the Unifier:

38-Across. Like a well-trained pet, and a hint to each set of circles: HOUSE BROKEN.

Across:

1. Reaction to a bad joke: MOAN.  I would think Groan is a more common response to a bad joke.  Why can't you trust atoms?  * 

5. Mary's was little: LAMB.  Mary had a little lamb, it's fleas as white as snow.  (As kids, we thought the word fleece was actually fleas.)

9. Hip-hop headgear: DO-RAG.

14. Armory supply: AMMO.  As in Ammunition.

15. Plus: ALSO.

16. How many single people live: ALONE.

17. Singer McEntire: REBA.  Reba Nell McEntire (b. Mar. 28, 1955) is a country singer-songwriter.

22. 2020 Super Bowl number: LIV.

23. Beehive State native: UTE.  Utah is the Beehive State, and the name of the state is derived from an Apache word.  Ute means People of the Mountains.

24. Another name for the peyote cactus: MESCAL.  Everything you wanted to know about Mescal / Peyote, but didn't know to ask.

26. Significant times: ERAs.  This is becoming a crossword staple.  It is also the name of a laundry detergent.

30. Yemen's capital: SANA'A.

32. Paid in advance, as costs: UP FRONT.

34. Ancestry.com concern: DNA.

36. Michael of "Arrested Development": CERA.  Michael Cera (b. June 7, 1988) is a Canadian actor.

37. "Got __ ideas?": ANY.

41. Pub order: ALE.  A crossword staple.

43. Gets with effort, with "out": EKEs.

44. Witness: SEE.

45. Knights __: "The Da Vinci Code" group: TEMPLAR.  The Da Vinci Code was a 2003 novel by Dan Brown, which was later made into a movie.

47. White house?: IGLOO.  We find our Igloo Ice Chest to be very convenient while on vacation.  

51. Canadian gas: ESSO.  Hi, CanadianEh!  //  And 64-Down. Tank filler: GAS.

52. Populated with trees: WOODED.

56. Spanish Main treasure: ORO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

57. Tax preparer, for short: CPA.  As in a Certified Public Accountant.  Some of our regulars are CPAs.

65. Money drawer: TILL.

66. Boo-boos: OWIES.

67. Diaper rash cream additive: ALOE.  A fresh new clue for an old staple.

68. Vacation spot: ISLE.

69. Green sauce: PESTO.  Another crossword favorite.  I have been making homemade Pesto.

70. Phishing targets: Abbr.: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.  The word Phishing first appeared arount 1996.

71. Is worth it: PAYS.  Did you know that in France, the word Pays means Country or Region?  For example, country ham would translate as jambon de pays.

Down:

1. Neiman's business partner: MARCUS.

2. Mafioso code of honor: OMERTA.  Today's Italian lesson.

3. Sleep aid brand: AMBIEN.

4. Linguist Chomsky: NOAM.

Avram Noam Chomsky (b. Dec. 7, 1928)

5. Soup scoop: LADLE.

6. Butch Cassidy or the Sundance Kid: ALIAS.  Butch Cassidy's given name was Robert LeRoy Parker (Apr. 13, 1866 ~ Nov. 7, 1908).  Apropos of today's puzzle, Butch Cassidy was from the Beehive State. 

7. 24-hour news service: MSNBC.

8. Marshy region: BOG.

9. Surrealist Salvador: DALÍ.  Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquess of Dalí de Púbol (b. May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989) is probably best known for his painting, The Persistence of Memory.  There is a fabulous Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida that is well worth the visit.

10. Twist who asked for some more: OLIVER.  A reference to Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Feb. 7, 1812 ~ June 9, 1870).

11. Harry's pal Weasley: RON.  Hi, JazzB.  Also the obligatory reference to Harry Potter.

12. Director Lee: ANG.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) has a very impressive film resume.  He has also won 3 Oscars.

13. Some fridges: GEs.  As in General Electrics.

19. Top NFL players: ALL-PROS.

21. Common temple name: EMANU-EL.  The word comes from the Hebrew (עִמָּנוּאֵל) which literally means "G~d is with us".  If "Temple" is used in the name of a house of worship, it is likely a synagogue of the Reform movement.  Other Jewish denominations rarely use the word Temple when referring to their houses of worship.

25. Violinist Leopold: AUER.  Leopold Auer (June 7, 1845 ~ July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist and composer.  He was also a well-known violin teacher.

27. Stable color: ROAN.

28. Raggedy doll: ANN.  I had a Raggedy Andy that looked just like the one below.

29. Snorters' quarters: STY.

31. Brouhaha: ADO.

33. Docs with doctored birth dates, say: FAKE IDS.

35. "Shoot": ASK AWAY.

36. Letterman's last network: CBS.

38. Skirt lines: HEMS.

39. Architect Saarinen: EERO.  Eero Saarinen (Aug. 20, 1910 ~ Sept. 1, 1961) and his father, Elie Saarinen (Aug. 20, 1873 ~ July 1, 1950) were both well known architects from Finland.  Eero designed the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.  Eero appears quite frequently in the crossword puzzles.

40. Neurologist's readout: Abbr.: EEG.  As in the ElectoEncephaloGraphy.

41. Had a bite: ATE.

42. "__ Misérables": LES.  Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1802 ~ 1885) is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.

46. Pool player's target: POCKET.

48. "Little Women" author __ May Alcott: LOUISA.  Louisa May Alcott (Nov. 29, 1832 ~ Mar. 6, 1888) wrote many novels, but is probably best known for Little Women and Little Men.

49. How much medication is taken: ORALLY.

50. Loads: OODLES.

53. Milky gems: OPALS.  Hi, Kazie!  The Opal is the national gemstone of Australia.

54. Possessed person's possessor: DEMON.

55. Sporting blades: ÉPÉES.  A crossword staple.

58. Mexican money: PESO.

60. Medicine cabinet swab: Q-TIP.

61. Jump on one leg: HOP.

62. Have bills to pay: OWE.

63. Prefix with gender: CIS-.  As in Cisgender.  Webster's defines cisgender as: "of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth."  We have seen this prefix in past puzzles.

Here's the Grid:

*  Because they make up everything. 

חתולה

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 55th birthday to Barry G, whose daily comments helped me greatly in my early days of crossword constructions. Hope all's well with your job and family, Barry!

July 2, 2016

Monday June 28, 2021 Susan Gelfand

Theme: HAT TRICKS (62. Three-goals-in-one-game hockey scoring feats ... or what the ends of 17-, 28- and 46-Across are when they're rearranged?) - The last word of each answer is an anagram of a hat.

17A. Auto on-off baking gadget: OVEN TIMER. Miter.

28A. Artisan who makes delicate items: GLASS BLOWER. Bowler.

46A. Exact repetition of what was said: DIRECT QUOTE. Toque.

 

Boomer here. Pretty fancy hat for an Archbishop.  Of course I am a bowler, but I never wore a hat like that. In fact, most bowlers do not wear bowlers but a  few wear baseball caps.  Finally the chef wearing a Toque.  I never knew it was called that. We learn something new every day, no matter how old we get.

Across:

1. Skedaddled: FLED.

5. Spontaneous notion: WHIM.

9. Leveled, as a building: RAZED.  Seems as though Mother Nature or some atmospheric development did a number on the tall highrise in Florida.  Hard to believe.

14. Tahoe or Titicaca: LAKE. On one of my bowling trips to Reno,  I took a ride by Lake Tahoe to visit a casino in Tahoe.  We have 10,000 lakes here at home but very few are a beautiful as Tahoe.

15. Role model: HERO.

16. Bakery emanation: AROMA. When it smells as good as a bakery you have to use the word AROMA.

19. Like a legally binding contract: VALID.

20. Volkswagen sedan: PASSAT.

21. Bring to life, as cartoons: ANIMATE.  When I was young, it was Mickey Mouse, Bugs bunny, and Porky Pig.  Later in life it became Fred "Yabba Dabba Do" Flintstone.

23. Opposite of WSW: ENE.  Black sidewall tires did not fit.

24. Golfer Aoki: ISAO.  We do not see him much on the PGA.  He is Japanese so we could see him in Tokyo in a few weeks.

25. Tongue twister seashell seller: SHE.  SHE sells seashells on the seashore. -- say it four times real fast.

34. Locate precisely: PINPOINT.

36. "You win": I LOSE.  One of my phrases in golf and bowling (since I got old).

37. Fascinated by: INTO.

38. Prefix with centric: ETHNO.

41. Deco artist Romain de Tirtoff's pseudonym: ERTE. His initials.

42. Plant swelling: EDEMA. I  don't know about plants but this is dangerous swelling usually in the legs or feet.  You don't want to mess with this. 

44. Tutored: MENTORED. Hoping to return to mentor the Benilde St. Margaret's  High School Bowling team again this fall.  We missed all of last year.  You know why.

49. "You bet!": YES.

50. Sorority T's: TAUS.  A Greek letter.  My knowledge ends with Delta.

51. Shoo-__: easy winners: INS.

53. Indonesia's capital: JAKARTA.

57. Idaho product: POTATO.  My uncle left with his family to grow POTATOES in Twin Falls, Idaho years ago.  I still trade occasional news with my cousin.  He plays golf and does not play potatoes.

61. Banish: EXILE.

65. Perry of fashion: ELLIS.  Interesting that ELLIS happened to be my Idaho aunt Gerry's maiden name.  

66. Buckeye State: OHIO.  They have Two MLB Teams, Minnesota is scratching to call the only team we have as Major League.

67. Latticework piece: LATH.

68. Hits with snowballs: PELTS.  In my youth I was guilty of this in the winter.

69. Checkers or chess: GAME.  Bowling or Golf.

70. Crossword-solving Simpson: LISA. This is the episode featuring Will Shortz and Merl Reagle.

Down:

1. Broadway bomb: FLOP.  I have never seen a Broadway play.  In fact the closest I ever got to New York was a bus stop in New Jersey with a view of the Statue of Liberty.

2. Volcano flow: LAVA.  "Only one way to get those hands clean mister."

3. __ out a living: barely manages: EKES.  I am sure this stupid Covid has caused some EKEing.

4. Thick, as fog: DENSE.

5. "Little" fib: WHITE LIE.  I am not sure why LIES have colors.

6. Skirt's edge: HEM.

7. Wrath: IRE.

8. Boggy tract: MORASS.

9. Stuffed pasta pockets: RAVIOLI.  I've never tried this.  I use curly pasta and make Goulash.

10. Composer Khachaturian: ARAM. A Los Angeles Football player.

11. "Nana" novelist Émile: ZOLA.

12. Give off: EMIT.

13. Florida's Miami-__ County: DADE.  I guess I mentioned this tragedy earlier.

18. Dance that "takes two": TANGO.

22. Capture: NAB.

24. __ of Panama: narrow landform: ISTHMUS.  THIS MUST be an interesting word.

25. Went undercover: SPIED.

26. Language of India: HINDI.

27. Key in: ENTER. 

29. Colony crawler: ANT.  Have not seen many this year.  We used to have ANT hills in our driveway.  Never sure how they got through the black tar.

30. Butter substitute: OLEO.  We call it Margarine now.  I remember when OLEO was not for sale in Wisconsin.  Then later it could not be yellow.  Wisconsin's cows needed the work.

31. Fret: WORRY.

32. Makeup mogul Lauder: ESTEE.

33. Clarinets and oboes: REEDS.  Also actress Donna in the Donna Reed Show.  Yes I am that old.

35. Apple or pear: POME.  Do not MOPE waiting for them to get ripe.

39. Prefix with natal or -phyte: NEO.

40. How ballerinas often dance: ON TIPTOE.  "Through the Tulips. Tiny Tim.

43. Monroe or Taylor: ACTRESS.  Or Donna Reed..

45. Pavarotti, vocally: TENOR.  I was a Bass (not a fish) in the high school glee club.

47. Pic on a pec, say: TAT.

48. Clam used in chowder: QUAHOG.  This one got me.

52. "In the __ of the Night": doo-wop classic: STILL.  Written by Cole Porter and sung by many.

53. Cherokee automaker: JEEP.  Pretty tough looking but we are enjoying our Santa Fe.

54. Wheel shaft: AXLE.

55. While away, as time: KILL.  I've heard that many people KILL time by solving a crossword puzzle.

56. Landed: ALIT.

58. Antioxidant-rich berry: ACAI.

59. Sign on a B'way booth: TKTS.  I've never been to THE B'way.  We have a Broadway Avenue close to our home.  Is there any city of over 10,000 people that does not have a Broadway ??

60. Fed. workplace monitor: OSHA.

63. "Bingo!": AHA.

64. Apple CEO Cook: TIM.

Boomer

 

Sunday June 27th, 2021 Ed Sessa

Theme:  "At the Anger Management Session ... " - Each "angry" phrase is punnily rephrased, fitting the fictional character in each clue.

27. ... Rudolph was __: SEEING RED.

29. ... Elsie was __: HAVING A COW.

42. ... Humpty Dumpty was __: DRIVEN UP A WALL.

64. ... Herbie the "Love Bug" was __: BLOWING A GASKET.

73. ... Santa Claus was __: HITTING THE ROOF.

98. ... Puff the Magic Dragon was __: BREATHING FIRE.

114. ... Bugs Bunny was __: HOPPING MAD.

117. ... Mr. Bubble was __: IN A LATHER.

And the lower right:

111D Jack Frost's advice to his angry clients?: CHILL.

So I was writing this post, then read D-Otto's post on LastPass. Poor Tom!

There's always a sense of elegance and tightness in Ed's puzzles. I'll never forget this ALL FALL DOWN puzzle. So simple. So original. So much fun. Average constructors would have been happy with a set of "angry" phrases. But Ed went extra and added an extra layer of characters in the clue.

Across:

1. Where many a promise is made: ALTAR. I do!

6. Slugger's stats: RBIS. Also 31. MLB blasts: HRS. And 2D. Frozen rope, in baseball: LINER. 76. Pine __: dugout supply: TAR. Never saw a guy like Shohei Ohtani, who has more home runs than any other pitcher.

10. Lectric Shave competitor: AFTA.

14. CNN alternative: MSNBC.

19. With 38-Across, Beethoven oeuvre with 35 works: PIANO. 38. See 19-Across: SONATAS.

20. Apiece: EACH.

21. Seal site: BERG.

22. Pong creator: ATARI.

23. IGTV company, briefly: INSTA. Instagram. I've only watched some Instagram stories. Never TV.
Wiki says "IGTV is a standalone video application by Instagram for Android and iOS smartphones. It allows for longer videos compared to Instagram feeds. While IGTV is available as a stand-alone app, basic functionality is also available within the Instagram app and website.". What is a stand-alone app, Anon-T/D-Otto/TTP?

24. On the safer side: ALEE.

25. Hebrides hill: BRAE.

26. Assigned a grade: RATED.

32. Fat substitute: OLESTRA. Calorie-free.

34. Type of type that shows stress: ITALIC.

35. Gave a thumbs-up: OK'ED.

36. Hung over?: EAVED. Lots of nice clues in this grid.

46. "Storm" seabird: PETREL.

47. Went by train: RODE.

48. "Fresh Air" airer: NPR. Hosted by Terry Gross.

49. "His Dark Materials" protagonist: LYRA. Lyra Belacqua. Played by Dafne Keen. Unknown to me.

52. "__ welcome": YOU'RE.

53. Marx Brothers film setting: OPERA.

55. Beatles nonsense syllables: OB- LA. Di. Ob-la-da.

59. Gp. using caps and crowns: ADA. Also 58. Crown or plaque: AWARD.

61. Touch of frost: NIP.

62. Bayou music style: ZYDECO. A few more music answers: 82A. Jimmy Eat World genre: EMO. 15D. How dotted notes should be played: STACCATO. 80D. Musical score mark: SLUR. 104D. One putting words to music: SINGER.

69. Mano a mano: AT IT.

71. "Words have consequences," e.g.: ADAGE.

72. Singer Anthony: MARC. One of J Lo's exes.

78. Hardest to find: RAREST.

83. Korean car company: KIA. Partially owned by Hyundai,

84. Movie physician with a two-letter name: DR NO.

85. Playground problem: BULLY. The bully boy was mild when I met him years later.

86. Lou Grant portrayer: ASNER (Ed)

89. Oil filter brand: FRAM. Unfamiliar to me.

92. Walgreens rival: CVS.

95. It has an apt number of letters in its name: FOUR. Four letters.

96. Barely made a sound: PEEPED.

103. Clothes lines: STRIPES.

105. __ Moore: canned stew brand: DINTY. Hormel brand.

106. Lambs' cries: BAAS.

107. Offerer of free drinks and chips: CASINO. Great clue!

109. Put in danger: IMPERIL.

111. No. cruncher: CPA.

119. Quiet lake transport: CANOE.

120. Highlands native: GAEL.

121. Emoji, for one: ICON. Cute.

122. Birthplace of rapper Wyclef Jean: HAITI. Three-time Grammy winner.

123. Modify: ALTER.

124. Strauss' "__ Alpensinfonie": EINE.

125. Mineral removed from some baby powder: TALC.

126. Kate's TV mate: ALLIE. Kate & Allie.

127. Economic upsurges: BOOMS.

128. Supreme leader?: ROSS. Diana of the Supremes.

129. Big name in skin care: OLAY.

130. Upper body muscles, for short: DELTS.

Down:

1. Mighty silly: APISH.

3. Zaps: TASES.

4. Fighting: ANTI.

5. Virginia's so-called "Lost Colony": ROANOKE. Wiki says it "became known as the Lost Colony due to the subsequent unexplained disappearance of its population." Read more here. Learning moment for me also. 

6. Rose on hind legs: REARED UP.

7. Hayfield sights: BALES.

8. Summer cooler: ICED TEA. Hong Kong-style lemon tea is very popular in Guangzhou in summer days. Often black tea is used. 

9. Sow or doe: SHE.

10. Group honored at a Stockholm exhibit: ABBA.

11. With great enthusiasm: FERVIDLY.

12. Feature: TRAIT.

13. Gemini rockets: AGENAS.

14. Blues singer played by Viola Davis: MA RAINEY. In the movie "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom".

16. Brussels-based gp.: NATO.

17. Cold one: BREW.

18. El __: CID.

28. Close in theaters: GLENN. Another brilliant clue.

29. "__ Nagila": Israeli folk song: HAVA.

30. Unappetizing stuff: GLOP.

33. Cold and damp: RAW.

35. Shovel it in: OVER-EAT. I love pickled herrings and I can eat the whole jar.

37. Addition, maybe: ELL.

39. Animal part that trumpets: TRUNK. Elephant. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 90. Spare tires in trunks?: ABDOMENS.

40. Nest on a crest: AERIE.

41. Got some shut-eye: SLEPT.

42. TV physician with a two-letter name: DR OZ.

43. Viscous: ROPY.

44. Fingered: ID'ED.

45. "No __!": PROB.

50. Shoe polish applicator: RAG.

51. Garden guy: ADAM. Eden.

54. Part of a musical: ACT I.

56. Boring: BLAH. Called "Wuliao" in Chinese. Hao wuliao = so boring.

57. Word with stone or star: LODE.

60. Bacteriologist's material: AGAR.

63. Trough call?: OINK.  68. Places to pick up puppies?: SCRUFFS. Cute clues for both.

65. Hunchback of fiction: IGOR.  "Young Frankenstein".

66. Bright sign: NEON.

67. Graceful equine: ARAB.

70. End-of-week cry: TGIF.

73. Quite a lot: HEAPS.

74. "No more for me, thanks": I'M SET.

75. Printer supply: TONER.

77. Avenue __, Paris' widest street: FOCH. .Wiki again: The avenue runs from the Arc de Triomphe southwest to the Porte Dauphine at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne city park. It is the widest avenue in Paris and is lined with chestnut trees along its full length.

79. "The Time Machine" people: ELOI.

81. Item in a Brit's boot: TYRE.

87. "Divine Comedy," e.g.: EPIC POEM.

88. Changes the wall covering: RE-PAPERS.

91. Hosp. procedure: MRI.

93. Joie de vivre: VIBRANCY.

94. Creeping creature: SNAIL. This snail mucin is very popular in Asia.

97. First name in '50s TV comedy: DESI. "I Love Lucy".

99. Geraint's wife: ENID.

100. Bank convenience: ATM.

101. Not surprising: TYPICAL.

102. Holy Grail seeker: GALAHAD.

108. Marsh of detective fiction: NGAIO.  "Queens of Crime".

110. First name in B-29 history: ENOLA.

112. Little, in Lille: PETIT.

113. Sign of the Ram: ARIES.

114. Heavenly ring: HALO.

115. Aware of: ONTO.

116. Stout and porter: ALES.

118. Account: TALE.

119. City transport: CAB.

121. "Who am __ judge?": I TO.

Belated Happy 56th anniversary to Spitzboov and his wife Betty!

Happy 40th Anniversary to Canadian Eh! and her husband!

C.C.