Tuesday July 12, 2022 Catherine Cetta

Does this make me look fat?  Each theme answer contains a "cut" carbohydrate.  Cutting or limiting carbohydrates from one's diet may help with weight loss.

17-Across. *   Performer who may wear harem pants: BELLY DANCER.  BEER

25-Across. *   People in a love-hate relationship: FRENEMIES.  FRIES

36-Across. *   Body-lifting exercises: CHIN-UPS.  CHIPS

47-ACROSS. *   Veers from the straight and narrow: BREAKS BAD.  BREAD

And the unifier:

56-Across. Dieting advice, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do: CUT THE CARBS.

Across:
1. California wine region near Sonoma: NAPA.  How Napa Valley became known for its wines.

5. Not quite: ALMOST.

11. Zamboni surface: ICE.  The Zamboni is named after its inventor, Frank Zamboni (Jan. 16, 1901 ~ July 27, 1988).

14. Nowhere to be seen, for short: AWOL.  Absent Without Leave, or Absent Without Official Leave.

15. Simple shelter: LEAN TO.

16. Prom rental: TUX.

19. Lob's path: ARC.

20. "Star Wars" heroine: LEIA.  Leia was portrayed by Carrie Fisher (née Carrie Frances Fisher; Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).  Sadly, she died young.

21. Taylor Swift's "__ Song": OUR.  I'll spare your ears.

22. If not: ELSE.

23. Tree frog sound: CHIRP.

27. Transmission choice for driving uphill: LOW GEAR.

29. Stockpile: AMASS.

30. Chips __!: cookie brand: AHOY.  This made me think of our dear friend Spitzboov.

31. Creme Egg candymaker: CADBURY.  Everything about the Cadbury Creme Eggs, but didn't know to ask.

35. Hearty holiday drink: NOG.

37. Spigot: TAP.

40. Ambushed: WAYLAID.

41. Corn Belt tower: SILO.

42. Storybook brutes: OGRES.

45. Tracks down: LOCATES.

51. Pet rabbit's home: HUTCH.

52. Wallop: SOCK.

53. Feel crummy: AIL.

54. Carpenter's clamp: VISE.  Everything you wanted to know about Bench Vises, but didn't know to ask.

55. Source of milk for pecorino cheese: EWE.  Everything you wanted to know about Pecorino Cheeses, but didn't know to ask.

60. Time zone word: Abbr.: STD.  As in Central Standard Time.

61. Dined at a bistro, say: ATE OUT.

62. Nerd: GEEK.  Did you know that the word Geek originally referred to a carnival worker who would bite the heads off live animals? 

63. That lady: SHE.  It could have been Her, so I had to wait for the perps.

64. Tinkers (with): MESSES.

65. Avant-garde: EDGY.

An Avant-garde hairstyle

Down:

1. Capture: NAB.

2. Knock the socks off: AWE.

3. Tadpole: POLLIWOG.  Is there a difference between a polliwog and a tadpole?

4. Hay fever, e.g.: ALLERGY.

5. "Marriage Story" actor Alan: ALDA.  Alan Alda (né Alfonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; b. Jan. 28, 1936) is probably best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H.  Marriage Story was a 2019 film.

6. Actress Thompson: LEA.  Lea Thompson (née Lea Katherine Thompson; b. May 31, 1961) is probably best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future films.  In those films, she played the mother to Marty McFly, who was played by Michael A Fox (b. June 9, 1961).  In real life, she was only 10 days older than her "son".

7. Regal home: MANOR.

8. Promptly: ON CUE.

9. Rudder's locale: STERN.

10. Only Canadian MLB city: TOR.  The Toronto is the home to baseball's Blue Jays.  Hi, Canadian Eh!

11. Firenze locale: ITALIA.  Better known to English speakers as Florence, Italy.  Did you know that Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy, hence her first name?

12. Swear words: CURSES.

13. More than necessary: EXCESS.

18. Cry of pain: YIPE.

22. Television award: EMMY.

23. Tartan-sharing kin: CLAN.

Men of different clans, as evidenced by the tartans.

24. Santa's jolly syllables: HO HO.

25. Physically delicate: FRAIL.

26. Disneyland hat pair: EARS.

28. Sore: ACHY.

32. Genetic material: DNA.

33. Construct: BUILD.

34. Bun, e.g.: UPDO.  Oh, a hairstyle, not an item of food.

36. Wine barrel: CASK.

37. Giggled self-consciously: TITTERED.

38. Smart __: know-it-all: ALEC.

39. Swanky: POSH.  One of Spice Girls was known as Posh.

40. Like disappointing coffee: WEAK.

41. McMuffin meat option: SAUSAGE.

42. Think too much (about): OBSESS.

43. Old-__ forest: GROWTH.  Did you know about the Old-Growth Forest Network?

44. Ebb: RECEDE.

46. Rather smart: CHIC.

48. Cook in some olive oil, say: SAUTÉ.

49. Tugs at a fishing line: BITES.

50. Choir section: ALTOS.

54. November honorees: VETS.  We have lots of Veterans on this blog.

56. Pic taker: CAM.  As in a Camera, also known as a smart phone.

57. Shade on a color wheel: HUE.

58. Plead: BEG.

59. Big __ Country: SKY.  Hi, Montana!

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday July 11, 2022 Justin Daneau

Theme: TV Time

16. Where to watch pillars and frames?: SUPPORT NETWORK.

36. Where to watch Stonehenge and Big Ben?: ENGLISH CHANNEL.

59. Where to watch tracks and tunnels?: RAILWAY STATION.

Boomer here. Congrats to Justin Daneau on his L.A. Times debut!

Simon and Garfunkel were "Homeward Bound" sitting at the RAILWAY station.  Seeing the word CHANNEL reminds me of many years ago as a kid,  We had a 19" black and white TV and two channels were broadcast. (4 & 5) Those were the days !

Across:

1. Apple discard: CORE.  The fruit. Computer too.

5. Cash dispensers: ATMS.  Never use it anymore.  We use a credit card and get cash back from the bank.

9. Edinburgh resident: SCOT.  We have a great golf course near our home called Edinburgh.  LPGA used to have a tournament there.  C.C. and I played it once. Difficult and high price.

13. Highest point: APEX.

14. Metal corrosion: RUST.  I've heard of a bar called a Rusty Nail.

15. Novelist Tokarczuk who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature: OLGA.  Often clued as "Gymnast Korbut".

 

19. Professional org.: ASSOC.

20. Big name in ridesharing: UBER. 

21. Observe: SEE.  "I SEE" said the blind man, but he really didn't. 

22. "Rugrats" dad: STU.

24. "Almost Famous" director Cameron: CROWE.   

26. Low-scoring tie: ONE ONE.  Extra innings.

29. Guzzles (down): SNARFS.

32. Serious hwy. crime: DUI.  Never for me and I do not imbibe.  Now Minnesota stupidly legalized some kind of chew that makes people high and they are also looking toward Marijuana.  I cannot imagine what might happen to insurance rates. 

33. One-sixth of an inch, to a typesetter: PICA.

35. Uncommon: RARE.  How do your like your steak?

40. Bengay target: ACHE.  No problem here.

41. Smell: ODOR.  Getting tired of this word. Baltimore second baseman.

42. Ultrasound goop: GEL.

43. "Onwards!": LET'S GO.  Let's go Twins!  Your bullpen needs changes.

46. Put a hex on: CURSED.

48. Play idly, as a guitar: STRUM.  I had a guitar once. Never could play.

50. Stitching target: RIP.

51. "Frankly," in texts: TBH. To Be Honest.

53. Coup d'__: sudden regime change: ETAT.  We call it an election.

55. Modern creatures that are technically dinosaurs: BIRDS.  Baltimore team.

62. Facts and figs.: INFO.

63. Egg on: GOAD.

64. Volcano on Sicily: ETNA.  California city also.

 

65. "The Martian" actor Damon: MATT.

66. Writes the wrong ZIP code, say: ERRS.  Or drops a fly ball.

67. Filter (through): SEEP.

Down:

1. Spanish house: CASA.  Blanca.

2. Magnum __: masterpiece: OPUS.

3. Gym sets, briefly: REPS. Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

4. Tell-all news story: EXPOSE.

5. Flight update abbr.: ARR. Delayed or Cancelled are frequent these days.

6. Ballet skirt: TUTU.

7. "The Beat With Ari Melber" broadcaster: MSNBC.

8. Has the wheel: STEERS.  Old cattle.

9. Female pig: SOW.

10. From a short distance, with "at": CLOSE RANGE. Within 50 yards of the green.

11. Big, mean giant: OGRE.

12. Help oneself to: TAKE. A nap in the afternoon.

17. Ocean floor dwellers with many arms: OCTOPI. 8 arms and no feet.

18. Sci-fi film with light cycles: TRON.

23. Aussie colleges: UNIS.

25. Wave a red flag at: WARN.  I think someone got kicked out of the game.

26. Postal scale unit: OUNCE. Now .60 forever stamp to mail.

27. Workforce during the wee hours: NIGHT SHIFT.  

28. Amazon gadget activated by saying "Alexa": ECHO. HELLO. hello, hello.

30. Set loose: FREED.

31. Unload for cash: SELL.  Be an eBay user.

32. Start a card game: DEAL.  Ante up for 5 card stud.

34. Rock band with the album "Powerage": AC DC.  Most homes have AC.  You need a battery for DC.

37. "__ we forget": LEST.

38. Length of many TV dramas: HOUR.  Sometimes even longer.

39. Joyful Spanish shout: ARRIBA.

44. Mushroomed: GREW.  C.C.'s green beans are coming along.

45. Power interruption: OUTAGE. These can really upset refrigerated foods.  XEL energy does a faithful current job for MN.

47. Treats with petty malice: SPITES.

49. City hall bigwig: MAYOR.  Every city has one.

51. Barbershop request: TRIM.  I was in a quartet.

52. "Dirty John" actor Eric: BANA.

54. Ruler of imperialist Russia: TSAR.  Anagram of RATS!

56. Solemn observance: RITE.

57. "All finished!": DONE. Almost !

58. One of the Rice Krispies trio: SNAP. Crackle.  I think POP is their dad.

60. "Thanks a __!": LOT.

61. QB stats: TDS. Rodgers and Mahomes go deep!

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to CanadianEh!, who joined our corner in 2012. Don't you guys wish she could blog for us? I tried :-)

 

C.C.

Sunday July 10, 2022 Amie Walker & Christina Iverson

Theme: "Divine Inspiration" - Seven goddesses are hidden inside the theme entries.

22. *Daikon, for one: WINTE RRADISH. I knew "terra" is Latin for "land". Never knew Terra is  Goddess of the Earth.

28. *"Pay attention!": LOOK ALIVE. Kali is the four-armed Hindu goddess. 

 44. *Protective sorts: GUARDIAN ANGELS. Diana was Roman goddess of the hunt. Artemis in Greek.

 66. *Meme featuring a cartoon dog sitting calmly in a room on fire: THIS IS FINE. Egyptian goddess
Isis.

 69. *Pre-anthem request: PLEASE RISE.  Eris is the Greek Goddess of discord.

 90. *Roku service: VIDEO STREAMING. Greek Dawn goddess.

104. *Hairstyle made famous by Jennifer Aniston: THE RACHEL. Greek goddess Hera.

Reveal:

115. Divine feminine energy, and what can be found in each of the answers to the starred clues: INNER GODDESS.

We've had hidden Norse Gods in the past. I don't recall a goddess theme. Fun!

The goddess that comes to my mind is of course Chang'e, Chinese goddess of the moon, but it's probably too obscure, plus no phrases to hide her. I can't even find a workable one to hide NIKE.

Across:

1. Money of Manila: PESO.

5. Bronze finish?: PATINA. The sheen on a bronze statue. "Antiques Roadshow" drew a huge crowd when they stopped in Minneapolis a few years ago.

11. Swindle: SCAM.

15. Shade tree: ELM.

18. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC. Passed away last year.

19. Tequila-based cocktails: PALOMAS. Wikipedia ingredients: Agave tequila, fresh lime juice, salt & pink grapefruit soda.

20. [Sigh]: AH ME.

21. Nanny's bleat: MAA.

24. __ beer: ROOT.

25. With 110-Down, geometric style: ART. 110. See 25-Across: DECO.

26. Bagel option: SESAME. Here's the sesame grinder that I use.

27. 23andMe sample: DNA.

30. Substance: DEPTH.

33. Collects little by little: GLEANS.

35. [Sigh]: ALAS.

36. Braz. neighbor: ARG.

39. Old Testament prophet: NAHUM. Boomer might know him.

41. New Orleans nickname, with "the": BIG EASY. Hi there George!

48. Extinguishes: DOUSES.

52. Red Muppet who refers to himself in the third person: ELMO.

53. Time to hustle?: DISCO ERA. Nice clue.

54. Marketing jargon: ADSPEAK.

55. Specifics, informally: DEETS. Details.

57. "Dateline NBC" anchor Lester: HOLT.

58. Watchdog warning: GRR.

59. "Waitress" composer Bareilles: SARA.

60. Collaborative site: WIKI.

62. Ice cream purchase: PINT.

63. Fibber's admission: I LIED.

65. Diner fave: BLT.

71. Chewie's shipmate: HAN. Also the largest ethnic group in China. In the world too. I'm a Han.

72. Posh digs: SUITE.

73. Faint: PALE.

74. Grasps: SEES.

75. Half of zwei: EINS.

77. Singer Orbison: ROY.

78. "Project Runway" fashion icon Tim: GUNN.

79. Asian gambling mecca: MACAU. Just had its worst COVID break. All casinos are shut down now.

 

82. Swindles: FLEECES.

84. Permanently, informally: FOR KEEPS.

88. Breathing organ: LUNG.

89. Saint of Ávila: TERESA.

92. "3.15.20" hip hop artist Childish __: GAMBINO.

94. __ wool: STEEL.

95. Quaint contraction: TIS.

96. Top spot: ACME.

99. How detectives might act: ON A TIP.

102. Stiff "Me too": AS DO I.

107. Evergreen tree: FIR.

109. Talking head: PUNDIT.

113. Rotten: BAD.

114. "Succession" cousin: GREG. Learning moment for me. Played by Nicholas Braun.

118. Singer Grande's debut fragrance: ARI.

119. Tomato type: ROMA.

120. Spotted: NOTICED.

121. Jackie Robinson Stadium sch.: UCLA.

122. SHO subsidiary: TMC.

123. Maker of some Chromebooks: ACER. Our monitor also.

124. Like some experimental music: ATONAL.

125. Skyrocket: SOAR.

Down:

1. Laser tag sounds: PEWS.

 

2. City halfway between Buffalo and Cleveland: ERIE.

3. Transgressions: SINS.

4. Set of eight: OCTAD.

5. Norm: PAR.

6. Ga. neighbor: ALA.

7. Mary __ Lincoln: TODD.

8. Chatting on Slack, for short: IMING.

9. Stuffy-sounding: NASAL.

10. Fire proof?: ASH. Gimme for regulars.

11. Some beach wraps: SARONGS. Malaysian-style.

12. Pick: CHOOSE.

13. Frantically: AMOK. With Run.

14. Like a crossword clue that refers to itself: META.

15. "Inbox zero" hindrance: EMAIL.

16. Cocoon creator: LARVA.

17. Partners: MATES.

19. Like some cellphones: PRE-PAID.

23. Correct, as text: EMEND.

28. First name in boxing: LAILA.

29. Simple buckets: LAYUPS.

31. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI. Pad see ew uses wider rice noodles. Pai thai uses thin rice noodles.

32. Attila and his colleagues: HUNS.

34. Critic whose final blog post ended, "I'll see you at the movies": EBERT.

36. Kept underground, say: AGED.

37. "No jumping on the couch," e.g.: RULE.

38. Walk-off home run, e.g.: GAME WINNER.

40. Word before learning or language: MACHINE.

42. 221B Baker Street, e.g.: ADDRESS. Sherlock Holmes.

43. Shipwreck signal: SOS.

45. Indian flatbreads: ROTIS.

46. Nary a soul: NO ONE.

47. Hanukkah coins: GELT.

49. Laura Hillenbrand book about a racehorse: SEABISCUIT. Tobey Maguire played the jockey in the movie.

50. Some "Bridgerton" characters: EARLS.

51. Do figure eights: SKATE.

54. Solo for a diva: ARIA.

56. Hits the slopes: SKIS.

58. __ club: GLEE.

61. "You betcha!": I SURE AM.

62. Feel sorry for: PITY.

63. Malady: ILLNESS.

64. Judge to be: DEEM.

66. Robbery: THEFT.

67. Track and field great __ Gebrselassie: HAILE. Ethiopian.

68. Verizon bundle: FIOS.

69. Breadcrumbs choice: PANKO. Gimme. All our grocery stores now carry Panko.  Pan = Bread. Ko = Powder/Flour.

70. Domain: REALM.

73. Free of contaminants: PURE.

76. Folk legend Pete: SEEGER.

78. Title character who is never onstage: GODOT.  "Waiting for Godot"

80. Latin years: ANNI.

81. Brand of sheepskin boots: UGGS.

83. Farm-to-table endeavor, briefly: CSA. Community-Supported Agriculture.

84. Big exam: FINAL.

85. Jazz great James: ETTA.

86. Board mtg. exec: PRES. President.

87. Vanilla bean, e.g.: SEEDPOD.

90. Salad dressing component: VINEGAR. Has any of you tried Trade Joe's Sesame Dressing?

91. For all to hear: ALOUD.

93. "Rent" song "La Vie __": BOHEME. The Bohemian Life.

96. Up, in baseball: AT BAT.

97. Bracelet dangler: CHARM.

98. Combat doctor: MEDIC.

100. Otherwise: IF NOT.

101. __ bean: PINTO. Refried beans.

103. River through Pakistan: INDUS. Originated in the Tibetan plateau.

105. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

106. Gator kin: CROC.

108. Bridle strap: REIN.

111. "Godmothered" actress Fisher: ISLA.

112. Ruler until 1917: TSAR.

115. Cookbook writer Garten: INA.

116. Early TV brand: RCA.

117. Come together: GEL.

Belated Happy 75th birthday to Bill (Waseeley) and Happy 52nd birthday to Tony (Anon-T)! I'm so sorry that I missed both. Been a hectic week.

Today we celebrate the birthday of my brilliant mentor and friend Don G. Happy birthday, Don!

Don G and his wife Barbie

Tomorrow we have four more appointments at the VA. Hopefully the x-rays turn out good so Boomer can take the sling off. Also hope that Boomer does not have too much side effects from the new bone strengthener infusion this time.

C.C.