Saturday, September 10, 2022, Christina Iverson and Taylor Johnson

 Saturday Themeless by Christina Iverson and Taylor Johnson

My last Christina puzzle was a collaboration with Matthew Stock in August and Taylor has had a solo Tuesday and Sunday LA Times offering this year. It was a nice solve and this baby boomer enjoyed references to Marvin Gaye, Lou Reed, Lara (Zhivago theme) and Andie McDowell.

Iowan Christina had this to tell me when I wrote her to get some info on Taylor: I will no longer be Patti's assistant editor by the time the puzzle comes out, but you could say I worked as Patti's assistant editor, and am currently working on some other crossword projects.

Taylor had this tell us: I’m a 32-year old crossword constructor living in Minneapolis, MN. By day I work for a food co-op, and by night, (and really all the time), I hang out with a couple of small humans that call me dad.

I first got into solving crossword puzzles around five years ago. I began constructing around the time my daughter was born, in the spring of 2021. I strive to make puzzles that everyone can enjoy solving, from the seasoned vets, t0new sovlers just starting out. I want my puzzles to be approachable, fresh, full of life and zest, a healthy dose of pop culture, and a focus on representation and inclusivity. I want my puzzles to be for everyone, and reflect the world we live in. Most of all, I just want people to have fun, that’s cool, right?

Across:

1. Cohen persona: ALI G.

Sasha Baron Cohen and
his persona ALI G

5. Within: AMID - I so love the Desiderata that starts - Go placidly AMID the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. 

9. Insects that may reproduce without males: ANTS - It's called Parthenogenesis. This hilarious scene jumped to my mind immediately.

13. City on the Mississippi, for short: NOLA.

14. Terminal point: GATE - I got very interesting looks when I showed up at the GATE with 110 kids in tow for the flight. The kids always gots lots of compliments afterwards.

15. Pond noise: CROAK.

16. Entry-level perk?: DOOR PRIZE - Clever cluing - A PRIZE for merely walking through the DOOR

18. Angiogram image: AORTA.

19. NPR podcast hosted by Sam Sanders until 2022: IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.

21. A lot to manage?: ESTATE - Like the Biltmore ESTATE in Asheville, N.C.

 
22. Foolhardy: RASH - Don't say or do anything RASH when you are emotional. Wait until IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.

23. Understand: GET.

24. Keys left for a housesitter: SPARE SET.

28. Revolutionary group?: THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

31. "Elementary" star: LIU - She plays Dr. Joan Watson to Johnny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes in these takes on Sherlock Holmes cases set in modern times in NYC. 

32. Before: AGO.

33. Righteous Babe Records founder DiFranco: ANI.

34. 24-hour post: INSTAGRAM STORY - you can share photos and videos that disappear from your profile, Feed and messages after 24 hours, unless you add them to your profile as story highlights. Uh, they don't always disappear!

41. Otherworldly: ETHEREAL.

42. Musical Reed: LOU - I best remember his Walk On The Wild Side that raised transgender issues in 1972.

43. "Llama Llama Misses __": rhyming book by Anna Dewdney: MAMA.

44. Some spooky stories: ATTICS - They are usually the top story of a house and can seem spooky

48. "But I can probably manage on my own": NO WORRIES IF NOT.

52. Sub standard?: SONAR - Obviously this about a submarine but the standard for substitute teachers these days is, "Do you have a pulse?"

53. Make things interesting, so to speak: UP THE ANTE - I'll see your $2 and raise you $100.

54. Label giant: AVERY - We used these back when we actually mailed out Christmas cards

55. Single serving, say: DOSE - Fun clue

56. Lo-cal: LITE.

57. "Let's Get It On" singer: GAYE - His 1973 hit is so smooth

58. Nestlé brand: EDY'S and 12. Calypso-influenced genre: SKA - A popular crossword ice cream brand and music 

59. Bound: LEAP - Considering their age, I wonder if Christina and Taylor know the phrase "Able to leap tall buildings in a single BOUND"? 🤔

Down:

1. MacDowell of "Groundhog Day": ANDIE.

2. Pilfers: LOOTS.

3. Rather brief concession speech: I LOST - This Russian master in The Quenn's Gambit would say "Я проиграл"

4. "Only Happy When It Rains" rock band: GARBAGE - A catchy tune with "not so cheery" lyrics.

5. Accept: AGREE TO - Star NFL quarterbacks can AGREE TO contracts for $50M+/yr

6. Word with drag or sail: MAIN 

7. Native people of Guatemala: ITZA - The name Chichen Itza is a Mayan language term for “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.” The Itza were an ethnic group of Mayans who had risen to power in the northern part of the Yucatan peninsula, where the city is located.

8. Judge: DEEM.

9. Piques: AROUSES - Curiosity and cats...

10. Travel guide?: NORTH STAR - The one point in the sky north of the equator that is in the same place every night. It was very helpful for the night travels of the underground railroad.

11. Big name in British art: TATE Art Gallery in London

15. Yellow hue: CANARY - To switch things up, I'd put my exams on CANARY yellow paper

17. Adventurous brothers of 1990s Nickelodeon: PETES - 

20. Good ways to save, initially: IRAS.

24. Katey of "Sons of Anarchy": SAGAL - Some of Katey's many roles

25. Gym ball?: PROM.

26. Minuscule: EENY.

27. "Sorry, did I just gross you out?": TMI - "No, I'd love to see that scar again!"

28. Window shade: TINT.

29. Opposite of a speaking fee?: HUSH MONEY - Sometimes it accompanies an NDA (non-disclosure agreement)

30. "Doctor Zhivago" heroine: LARA - Oscar winning Lara's Theme

31. "It's not you, it's me," maybe: LIE.

35. Service provider?: TEAWARE - synonymous with TEASET

36. Well-protected storehouse: ARMORY - This famous one at Harper's Ferry, WV (then VA) was the site of John Brown's ill-fated raid in 1859. His raid was put down by U.S. Marines led by none other than Robert E. Lee.

37. Part with teeth: GEAR.

38. Date components: SLASHES - I like it when a program enters the SLASHES for me.

39. Fields of comedy: TOTIE.

40. Waste stream's discharge point: OUTFALL.

45. Umbilical variety: INNIE.

46. Terra __: COTTA  - A clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous

47. Soak, in a way: STEEP - Steps 4 & 5 below

48. Starburst?: NOVA - a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. You're welcome.

49. "How __!": RUDE - Right?

50. Shuffle gadget: IPOD - My old red one is full of music and I get it out occasionally 

51. Artisan's platform: ETSY 

52. Short list of stars?: SAG - SAG is short for Screen Actors Guild who do have a list of member stars.

Friday, September 9, 2022, Brooke Husic

Theme: No 'C', Señor

Puzzling thoughts: This is the LA Times solo debut for today's constructor, but Brooke Husic is no stranger to Crossword puzzles, nor the LAT. We saw her this past Saturday, if you recall. She is a computational chemist who creates crosswords for The New Yorker, The New York Times, USA TODAY, and a variety of “indie” platforms. She edits puzzles at Inkubator Crosswords and The American Values Club and co-hosts the Crossnerds podcast. She and Natan Last also host a "Creating Crossword Puzzles" workshop. See the example of the puzzle they created in their May workshop

Despite her reputation in the Crossword community, this may be the first of hers that I've solved, as I was unable to look at the one that Gary recapped.

Hope she stops by to either read the comments and/or offer some of her own

As the "theme" suggests, today's puzzle deletes the letter "C" from the entry, and is solved through a series of starred, wordplay clues. For example:

21-across. *What an eager newlywed requests from a wedding photographer?: (C) ALL THE SHOTS. Of the four entries this one (for me) was the weakest

28-across. *Poem dedicated to a computer chip?: BINARY (C) ODE.

43-across. *Band gear only used in the warmest months?: SUMMER (C) AMP.

50-across. *Reason for roadwork?: (C) OLD SHOULDER. This was my favorite of the four

Brooke even left some room for the reveal (in the bottom right corner): 66-across. Show the door, and a phonetic hint for the answers to the starred clues: SEE (C) OUT. As an editor herself, I wonder how she, Patti, and Christina got along as this one evolved from concept to publication?

Here's the grid and the rest of the clues/entries:

Across:
1. Jesmyn Ward's "Men We Reaped," for one: MEMOIR. Not familiar with the author nor the book/MEMOIR; neither was my partner, Margaret. But there was help from the perpendiculars ... And soon after, 16-across showed up, clued as "American Street" author __ Zoboi: IBI. [See my comment for 1-across]

7. Kraków native: POLE. Moe-ku/haiku/Senryu:

The burlesque star is
From Kraków. She is a true,
Home-grown POLE dancer

11. Soccer star Hamm: MIA. Remember several blogs ago when I thought that MIA Hamm was the one who showed off her sports bra in the Summer Olympics?

14. Grand Marnier flavor: ORANGE. [Grahnd Mahr-knee-eh'] This used to be one of the Chairman's favorite liquers. Grand Marnier is a visionary blend of fine cognac and bitter orange-flavored liqueur. Explore their history, products, and cocktails on the official website

15. Verb in a risotto recipe: STIR. The risotto reference lead me to thinking about what the Italian word for STIR is? It's mescolare

17. Form a queue: LINE UP. When I first read the clue, I was thinking, "Draw a circle and add a little hook to the bottom edge??" [Q]

Moe-'lick/Limerick:

What prevails among TSA views
Are those actions you carefully choose.
You don't want to attract
More attention; just act
Like adult. Mind your peace and our QUEUEs

18. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA. Margaret is a "nouveau vegan" and knew of SOBA. Thanks, sweetie!

19. Zoomer's parent, maybe: X'ER. Does Zoomer mean "one who uses Zoom"? Not hip to that phrase. But if so, I have used Zoom and my Mom is certainly NOT a Gen X'er. Or, maybe I missed the gist of this clue entirely

20. "Mudbound" director Rees: DEE. I would've added this to 1 and 16-across; I need to get out more

24. Actress Taylor-Joy: ANYA. Known to me from her role in Queen's Gambit, but I'll be damned if I remembered her name. More perps to the rescue

25. Genuine: REAL.

26. Chapati flour: ATTA. [From bbc.co.uk/food] "Pale-brown in colour and gritty in texture, chapati flour is finely milled wholewheat flour, also known as 'atta'.' Chapatis. by Manju Malhi. Chapatis can be reheated but they're best cooked fresh. You could also spread your favourite pickle or chutney over them and roll them into tortilla shapes."

OK, Margaret didn't know this one, so I couldn't give her an "ATTA girl"

33. "Vice" Oscar nominee: ADAMS. Whatever happened to clues like, "Get Smart" actor, Don?

34. Complete collections: SETS. They're valuable, I've been told. Rumor has it that our Monday blogger Boomer has several SETS of baseball cards ...

35. "Well, gosh!": GEE. An easy clue. "Well, gosh!"

36. Petty gripes: NITS. What we Crossword Corner-ites have expressed, occasionally, about the puzzles and/or clues we encounter

37. All-out brawl: MELEE.

39. Tzatziki herb: DILL.

40. Simple top: TEE.

41. Ramírez who plays Che on "And Just Like That ... ": SARA. Why not "Frozen dessert maker, Lee?" Because, we have to learn all of the new actors and authors and so on ...

42. Uses a microfiber cloth: DUSTS. A handkerchief works for me

46. Blues guitarist Baker: ETTA. Has she accompanied blues singer James?

47. Info on a political rival: OPPO. Crossword Tracker's history of this word:

48. Jittery: EDGY. What we bloggers might get if we wait until the last minute to do our recaps

54. Psychic ability: ESP. Or alternately clued: "What helped me solve 1-across and 16-across, according to the acronyms used at the Crossword Corner?" Every Single Perpendicular

57. Zendaya's "Euphoria" role: RUE. [per Wikipedia] "Euphoria is an American teen drama television series created and principally written by Sam Levinson for HBO and based on the Israeli miniseries of the same name created by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin."

Well that alone made it an unknown for me, as I don't subscribe to HBO nor am a fan of teen drama TV. But I am attaching the trailer for those interested in seeing what it's about

58. Not fooled by: ONTO. Hey editors: We are ONTO your tactics of taking simple word entries and making them difficult to solve, by associating their clues with a proper name. You'll RUE the day you decided to do this, LOL!!

59. Lithuania neighbor: LATVIA. I think POLAND is the only other 6-letter country that borders Lithuania

61. Snack __: BAR.

62. Bring up: REAR. It's a lot different REARing a child in today's world ...

63. Hits the books and rings a bell: IDIOMS. Not my work, but a couple of jokes that use IDIOMS for their punchline:

A church's bell ringer passed away. So they posted the position and a man came in with no arms wanting the job. The clergy weren't sure he could do it, but he convinced them to let him try it. They climbed the bell tower and the guy ran toward the bell and hit it with his head. They gave him the job. The next day he went to ring the bell, tripped, bounced off the bell and fell to the sidewalk below. Two guys were walking past. One asked, "Do you know this guy?" The second guy responded, "No, but his face rings a bell."

The next day, the deceased bell ringer's twin brother comes in for the again vacant bell ringer position. He also has no arms. They lead him up to the bell tower, he runs at the bell, trips and falls to the sidewalk below. The same two guys walk by. The first asks, "Do you know him?" The second guy responds, "No, but he's a dead ringer for the guy we saw yesterday."

64. One rising at dawn: SUN. MOE fits! And I do (rise at dawn, that is)

65. Condition underdiagnosed in girls: Abbr.: ADHD. A-D/HD stands for: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. [from Verywell Mind dot com]: "ADHD symptoms in girls are often viewed as character traits rather than symptoms of a condition. For example, a girl might be described as spacey, forgetful, or chatty. Later in life, a woman might reach out for help for her symptoms, only to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety instead"

Down:
1. Shaping aid: MOLD. Anybody recall these?

2. Pelee Island's lake: ERIE. Pelee Island is on the Canadian side of Lake ERIE, for those unaware. And speaking of Canada, and Canadian wineries, here's a question: What is Canada's largest winery? Why, at over 700 acres of vineyards, Pelee Island Winery is the largest private estate winery in Canada. Fun Fact #1

3. Pride of lions: MANE. Wordplay alert!! This one actually came to me right away. Helps to be a punster, sometimes

4. Single: ONE. Dual meaning: A single could mean just ONE person; or it could mean a ONE dollar bill

5. Rainforest lizards: IGUANAS. Another simple clue for a Friday. What else could fit?

6. Get back (to): REPLY. You should've seen the email thread when Anonymous T was welcomed into our blogger fraternity. There were over 20 REPLYs [sic]

7. Quiet "Over here": "PSST". I said this to Margaret recently (when I entered a room and she didn't see or hear me). Scared the bejeezus out of her

8. Short "And yet ... ": OTOH. Short, meaning an abbreviation

9. Set free: LIBERATE. Another easy Friday fill

10. Pencil toppers: ERASERS. They recently started adding these to the small pencils you get at a golf course. Never trust a golf scorecard with erasures

11. Person with a spiritual calling?: MIXOLOGIST. Now we're talking! Right up my alley! I was a MIXOLOGIST (aka, bartender) for one of my last part time jobs. I knew how and where to use Grand Marnier

12. "Wow, no doubt": I BET. If you drew quads (4 of a kind) in Texas Hold 'em poker, you'd certainly BET. This is a 20 minute+ video, but the first clip in the QUEUE is pretty insane

13. Runs on TV: AIRS. Easy

22. Chem class: LAB. Easy

23. Bale contents: HAY. Very easy. Is this a Friday puzzle??

24. Places for taking notes?: ATMS. Excellent wordplay clue. This threw me off at first

26. "Farewell": ADIEU. ADIEU was/is a word that many players use to begin their guesses at WORDLE as it uses 4 of the 5 vowels

27. Art gallery on the Thames: TATE MODERN. Learning experience for me; [tate.org.uk] "Tate is a family of four art galleries in London, Liverpool and Cornwall known as Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives"

29. Imam's faith: ISLAM. Easy

30. Born: NEE. Easy

31. Faucet brand: DELTA. Moe-ku/haiku/senryu #3

Faucet replacement
Caused grief, at first. They cried!
"Don't Moen, it's DELTA!

32. Long fish: EELS.

33. Farm insects: ANTS. Odd clue, but it fits

37. Stranded: MAROONED. Moe-ku/haiku/senryu #4

Stranded artist found
It ironic when she was
MAROONED with maroon

38. Time piece: ERA. WATCH, CLOCK, SUNDIAL - none of these fit

39. Obligation: DUTY.

41. Chain with a Beauty Insider rewards program: SEPHORA. This

42. Break down chemically: DEGRADE. "RUST" was too short

44. Can. elected officials: MPS. MemberS of Parliament. CSO to CanadianEh!

45. Disposable sock: PED. Does anyone actually use these when trying on shoes?

49. Where to get counter offers?: DELIS. More wordplay in the clue. DELIS are known to have a counter (for ordering cold cuts, etc), and I guess the clerks there can provide you with an offer or two

50. Spheres: ORBS. Another easy clue

51. Tropical party: LUAU. And yet, another easy clue

52. Park City's state: UTAH. Seems the easy clues come in threes, today

53. Noble title: LORD. EARL also fits

54. Cruet filler: Abbr.: EVOO. I tried WINE at first and then saw the perps

55. Liu who plays the superhero Shang-Chi: SIMU. Total unknown. LUCY was my first guess

56. Kind of tense: PAST. Present and future are two others

60. Hair __: TIE. CUT fit, but was incorrect

Overall, a good puzzle, but not Friday worthy, IMO. But I doubt this will be the last puzzle we see from Brooke Husic. I'm looking forward to your comments...

Thursday, September 8, 2022, Pawel Fludzinski

 

Good morning Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, with today's puzzle recap.  Our puzzle setter today is Pawel Fludzinski. There is information about Pawel to be gleaned if you perform a web search.  If you include the words Crossword Corner in the search terms, the returns should include past Crossword Corner writeups containing quite a bit of information thanks to the efforts of Husker Gary.

Today's puzzle features a word ladder that leads us from HATE to LOVE.  A word ladder puzzle is one in which a given word is converted into another by way of a series of words each formed by changing just one letter of its predecessor.

Let's start with the unifier:

73 Across:  Mushy message, and the end of a sequence that progresses through the answers to the starred clues: LOVE NOTE.  LOVE is the final rung on the ladder.

Here, marked with stars for our convenience, are the starting rung and the three intermediate rungs of the ladder:

1 Across:  *Mean message: HATE MAIL.  The initial rung is HATE.  We certainly do not want to end here.

27 Across:  *Occasion for hiring a babysitter: DATE NIGHT.  Change the H to D and we have DATE.

41 Across:  *"So Much to Say" Grammy winners: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.   Change to T to V and we have DAVE.  For fans of the band:

53 Across:  *Fits together neatly: DOVETAILS.  At the risk of stating the obvious, changing the A to O gives us DOVE.  

Then at 73 Across change the D to L.

Here is a look at the completed grid:

. . . and the rest of the clues and answers: 

Across:

9. Administer an oath to: SWEAR IN.

16. 2018 SAG Life Achievement Award honoree: ALAN ALDA.  Eight letters four of which are A's.  A constructor's friend.  Perped.

17. Above it all, in a way: TALLEST.  A bit of an odd use of  "Above it all" unless you're talking about a mountain or a building.  Thanks for the "in a way" tipping us off to the clue taking a bit of liberty.

18. Featured dishes: SPECIALS.

19. Grassy expanse: PRAIRIE.  One night Johnny Carson got to talking about his Nebraska roots and he told this allegedly true story during a sketch scene. Johnny mentioned that the most fearsome Indian tribe were not the Sioux, nor the Apache or even the Comanche Indians. No they were the Fahkarwee tribe!

Johnny went on to explain,: Almost every wagon train that crossed the prairie on their trek to California were known to have their wagon masters and scouts constantly scanning the horizon ahead the entire trip asking, "Where the Fahkarwee?"

20. Impassive: DRY EYED.

22. Skewed view: BIAS.  I think that it is best to cut vegetables diagonally but I am BIASed

23. Walk leisurely: AMBLE.

29. Beers served with lime: CORONAS.

32. Grubhub link: MENU.  Grubhub says that it "is part of a leading global online food delivery marketplace."

33. Persia, today: IRAN.  Everything You Want To Know About The Change of Name

34. "Hidden Figures" org.: NASA.  "Hidden figures" is a movie about the early days of NASA and the contributions of a team of African-American women.

36. Jazz great who was the first African-American man to win a Grammy: BASIE.   The best motion picture cameo ever?

Blazing Saddles - 1974

45. Nocturnal sound: SNORE.

46. 50+ group: AARP.  Formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons.   It was formed in 1958 as a sister organization to the National Retired Teachers Association.  At its core,  an insurance marketing device.

47. Microsoft search engine: BING.  Used for about 2.5% of web searches worldwide.

48. Spring: LEAP.  Combine this answer with 3 Down and you get (see 3 Down).

51. Pungent cleanser: AMMONIA.  Why do chemistry students learn about AMMONIA first?  It's pretty basic stuff.

58. Put into words: UTTER.

59. Disney's "__ and the Detectives": EMIL.  First, it was (and still is) a book but I guess the movie is more widely known.

60. Hailed: GREETED.  Not the frozen precipitation.

History Of The World - Part I - 1981

63. Philadelphia school whose teams are the Explorers: LA SALLE.  The addition of the team name to the clue was helpful.

65. Lucrative venture: GOLD MINE.  What do you get when you drop a piano down a gold mine?  A flat minor.  No, not a person not yet of legal age.  See 71 down.

70. Harness racer: TROTTER.

71. Minor issue?: AGE LIMIT.  Clever cluing.  A minor is a person under the age of 18 or 21 depending on the issue at hand.

72. Stops: ARRESTS.  In criminal matters, ARRESTS sometimes follow stops,  in mountain climbing the terms are synonymous.

Down:

1. Consumes: HAS.  Eat?  Wrong tense.  Ate?  Wrong tense.  Aha, HAS.

2. Swiss mountain: ALP.

3. __ kwon do: TAE.

Tae Kwon Leap

4. Env. insert: ENC.  ENClosure in an Envelope

5. __ name: MAIDEN.  Usually, we get the answer NEE.

6. Banned fruit spray: ALAR.  Widely used as a growth regulator sprayed on apple trees.  It cut waste and labor by preventing the fruit from falling before it was ripe.  It also had toxic effects on humans.

7. Without much thought: IDLY.

8. Performed light surgery on?: LASED.  Light as in ray of light not as in minor.  Minor as in the opposite of  major not as in 71 Across.  Major not as in army rank.

9. Fla. recreation spot: ST PETE.  Recreation spot was a bit more misleading than simply referring to a city in Florida.

10. Norton in "The Shawshank Redemption," for one: WARDEN.  A great movie with Bob Gunton cast as Warden Norton William Sadler.

11. Portuguese feminine pronoun: ELA.  Why, in puzzles, does the use of Portuguese seem less fair than Spanish or French?

12. Excuse: ALIBI.

13. Outfit again: RERIG.  Usually referring to a seagoing vessel.

14. Whitlock Jr. of "The Wire" and "Veep": ISIAH.  As with ISIAH Thomas, there is some question as to whether the bestower of the name knew how to spell.

15. Arms treaty subj.: N TEST.  Nuclear TEST.  Unless, of course, you're George Bush.

21. Big name in pianos: YAMAHA.  Big name in motorcycles, too.

23. Corrosive compounds: ACIDS.

24. Colonel called "the second most dangerous man in London" by Sherlock Holmes: MORAN.  Second to Professor Moriarty, Colonel Sebastian "Basher" MORAN first appeared in the 1903 short story The Adventure of the Empty House.

25. "Way to go!": BRAVO.  If the clue was not in quotes, indicating something that someone might say, the answer might have been a synonym of ROUTE.

26. Introvert: LONER.

28. Worn-down pencils: NUBS.

30. Santa __ winds: ANA.  A bit of local SoCal meteorology that often blows through the puzzles

31. Posed (for): SAT.

35. Swingline insert: STAPLE.  Swingline is a brand of STAPLErs.

37. Cloister leader: ABBOT.  ABBESS was just a bit too long.

38. Canonized one: SAINT.

39. Concave navel: INNIE.

40. Painter Degas: EDGAR.   His first name is almost an anagram of his second.  He seems to have had a real affinity for ballet . . . or, at least, for ballerinas.

42. Cheesy sandwich: MELT.

Tuna Melt Sandwich

43. Pitching stat: ERA.  A baseball reference.  Earned Run Average.

44. Typing stat: WPM.  Words Per Minute

49. Young bird of prey: EAGLET.

50. Broadcasters: AIRERS.  Meh.

52. Confuse: MUDDLE.  I prefer to MUDDLE jalapenos.

53. Atlanta-based airline: DELTA.   Always highly ranked even in these trying flying times.

54. Astrologer Sydney: OMARR.   1926 - 2003  His column appeared in more than 200 newspapers.

55. Cap brim: VISOR.

56. Thrill to pieces: ELATE.

57. "The Goldbergs" actor George: SEGAL.

61. Like deli orders: TO GO.

62. Hgt.: ELEV.  Height  ELEVation.  The first of four abbreviations in a row.

64. Capt.'s underlings: LTS.  Second.  Captains and LieuTenantS.

66. Max. opposite: MIN.  Third.  Maximum  MINimum

67. "I think," in texts: IMO.  Fourth.  In My Opinion

68. Minor quibble: NIT.  At this point you may have had one to pick.

69. Bastille Day time: ETE.  French for summer.  Bastille day is celebrated on le 14 juillet.

A bientot,

le lamentin

P.S.   Pawel, you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever, in the Comments section below.  We'd love to hear from you.

P.P.S.  As the theme of today's outing ended up being LOVE, I could not pass on the opportunity to insert the following.   It was written by Chet Powers (who used the stage name Dino Valenti) but it was popularized by Jesse Colin Young's band, The Youngbloods.  Hmmm, maybe I should have gone with something by Arthur Lee's band, Love.  In any event, have a terrific Thursday and a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Get Together

___________________________________________

Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Susan Gelfand

Theme: Music with Dinner.  Though, I might have that backwards.  Either way, it's both tasty and notable.  And maybe I'll have to sing for my supper.  Let's hope not.  So let's dive in.

20 A.   Favorite vegetable side dish of singer Donna?: SUMMER SQUASH.  This is a squash that is harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible.  LaDonna Adrian Gaines (1948 –  2012), known professionally as Donna SUMMER, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music gained a global following.

31. Favorite leafy course of singer Al?: GREEN SALAD .    A SALAD is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient.  A GREEN SALAD consists of lettuce and other uncooked green vegetables.

Albert Leornes Greene (b. 1946), better known as Al GREEN, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s.  

42. Favorite fish entree of singer Carole?: KING SALMON.  The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus Oncorhynchus.  Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include KING SALMON, Quinnat salmon, Tsumen, spring salmon, chrome hog, Blackmouth, and Tyee salmon.

Carole KING Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway, and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

53. Favorite fruity dessert of singer Fiona?: APPLE STRUDEL.  A STRUDEL is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, in this case sliced APPLES,  spices, and other optional ingredients.

Fiona APPLE McAfee-Maggart (b. 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. APPLE has received numerous awards and nominations, including three Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and a Billboard Music Award

   

Hi Gang, it's JazzBumpa here, today's maitre'd cum impresario.  Hope you enjoy the savory offerings from Chef Susan.  Let's see what other delights are on the menu.

 1. Truism: AXIOM.   A statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.

6. Scrape cover: SCAB.   A dry, rough protective crust that forms over a cut or wound during healing.

10. Runs or walks, e.g.: STAT.  Baseball statistics.

14. Subway to the Louvre: METRO.   A rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architecture and unique entrances influenced by Art Nouveau. It is mostly underground and 226.9 kilometres long.

15. Spanish lake: LAGO.  Literal translation.

16. One and only: LONE.  Having no companions; solitary or single.

17. Fuss at the mirror: PREEN.   Devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.

18. Many an Omani: ARAB.  Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. 

19. Legendary: EPIC.  Of extraordinary scope or magnitude.

23. Go out, as the tide: EBB.  Recede, diminish.

26. Sail support: MAST.  A tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails.

27. Toepick-assisted skating leaps: LUTZES.

 

 28. More gloomy: DARKER.  As in some fiction or weather phenomena.

30. "Okey-dokey": YEAH.   Agreement or approval

34. Decide (to): OPT.  Make a choice to do something, or not

37. Contract negotiator: AGENT.  A person who acts on behalf of another person or group.

38. Family boy: SON.  Male offspring.
 
39. Bub: FELLA.   Some guy.

41. Crayola eight-pack choice: RED.  One of the primary colors.

44. Speaker's platform: DAIS.  A low platform for a lectern, seats of honor, or a throne.

46. Candy bar nut: ALMOND.  The oval edible nutlike seed (kernel) of the almond tree, growing in a woody shell, widely used as food.

47. Saunters: MOSEYS.  Walks or moves in a leisurely manner.

50. Some ceiling fixtures: FANS.   Twirly thing that moves air.

52. Big __ Conference: NCAA division that includes Montana: SKY.  A collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision.

56. Shoe inserts: FEET.  I wanted orthotics.  Oh, well.  If it fits, wear it.

57. Curling __: IRON.  Device for unstraightening hair.

58. Post-swim wrap: TOWEL.  A piece of thick absorbent cloth  used for drying oneself or wiping things dry.

62. Quechua speaker: INCA.     South American Indians who, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, ruled an empire that extended along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile. 

63. Raven's retreat: NEST.   Bird's home.

64. Connect with: TIE TO.   Make a connection or relationship between two or more persons or things.

65. Queries: ASKS.  Requests an answer or some information.

66. Picks up on: GETS.  Understands.

67. Like draft beer: ON TAP.

Down:

1. Concert piece: AMP.  Sound amplifier.  Not a musical selection.

2. Gen __: XER.  the demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials, generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980.  My kids are from 1970 and 1972.

3. Meteor follower: -ITE.   Cutesy clue for a suffix.   When meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors. When a meteoroid survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it's called a meteorite.

4. Raw metals: ORES.    Naturally occurring solid materials from which metals or valuable minerals can be profitably extracted.

5. __ Valley: puzzle game with optical illusions: MONUMENT.  Interesting game.  I played it a few years ago, then forgot about it more recently.

6. Closes with force: SLAMS.  As if in anger.

7. Keyboard symbol above 6: CARET.   This thing: ^

8. Food thickener: AGAR.   A jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori and "tengusa". 

9. Winter Olympics racer: BOBSLED.   A team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh.

10. Nancy Drew, e.g.: SLEUTH.   A person who investigates crimes.

11. Birthstone after opal: TOPAZ.  For the months of October and November, respectively.

12. Pernod flavor: ANISE.  A Mediterranean plant of the parsley family, cultivated for its aromatic seeds which are used in cooking and herbal medicine.

13. Help desk pros: TECHS.  AKA nerds.

21. Red planet: MARS.   The 4th planet in our solar system.

22. Sine __ non: essential: QUA.  QUA means "in the capacity of."  The phrase refers to something that is absolutely necessary.

23. Mystery writers' award: EDGAR.   Named for Mr. Poe.

24. River transport: BARGE.   A flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight

25. Kennel club designation: BREED.   A stock of animals within a species having a distinctive appearance and typically having been developed by deliberate selection.

29. Fox Sports MLB reporter Rosenthal: KEN.   Ken Rosenthal (b. 1962) is an American sportswriter and reporter. He serves as a field reporter for Fox Major League Baseball since 2005, and was an in-studio reporter for MLB Network from 2009 to 2022. Since August 2017, he is a senior baseball writer for The Athletic.

30. Yin and __: YANG.  Yin and yang is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes interconnected opposite forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and yang and formed into objects and lives.

I used this idea in a sonnet I wrote many years ago.

THE SUBSTITUTE

There are those whose lives are meant to be entwined,

Lovers thrust together by the force of destiny,

When choice and fate converge, that they may be

Connected at the soul, the heart, the mind.

Within their closed circumference one can find

Two curves in perfect fit -- his yang, her yin,

That in each cycle once again begin

To cluster into love's sweet spiral bind.

But consider -- if in the vast span of infinity

One of them becomes displaced in small degree;

Is born a decade late, perhaps is sent

To the farthest corner of the continent --

The distant echo of an unfelt touch, an unseen face.

Who will be the one who comes to take his place?

32. Seller's caveat: AS IS.  What you see is what you get.

33. Chaney of classic horror: LON.   Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (1883 –1930) was an American actor, director, screenwriter and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup.  Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".

34. "Mayans M.C." star Edward James __: OLMOS.   Edward James Olmos (b. 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), actor in and director of American Me (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, and Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017). In 2018 through 2022, he has played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC.

35. Cheap wine, in British slang: PLONK.   Who knew?

36. Jessica of "Cocoon": TANDY.   Jessie Alice Tandy (1909 – 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She acted as Blanche DuBois in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948. Her films included Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and The Gin Game. At 80, she became the oldest actress to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Driving Miss Daisy.

39. Artificially high voice: FALSETTO.

 

 40. West __: high-end design retailer: ELM.   One of many brands owned by the Williams-Sonoma Co.

42. Smooching: KISSING.  Touching with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting.

43. Temporary castle material: SAND.   For when you're at the beach.

I especially like the arch

44. River mouth formations: DELTAS.    Landforms shaped like triangles, created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or another river that cannot carry away the supplied sediment. 

45. Affirmative vote: AYE.  I see.

47. Criminal group: MAFIA.   An organized international body of criminals, operating originally in Sicily and now especially in Italy and the US and having a complex and ruthless behavioral code.

48. Debuts: OPENS.   As, frex., a play or movie

49. Tiny bit: SPECK.   Mote

50. Cold coat: FROST.  a deposit of small white ice crystals formed on the ground or other surfaces when the temperature falls below freezing.

51. Many godmothers: AUNTS.  Moms' sisters.  Or dads'.

54. Genealogy diagram: TREE.  A diagram showing the relationships between people in several generations of a family; a genealogical tree.

55. Meat cut: LOIN.  a cut from the part of the body on either side of the spine between the lowest ribs and the hipbones.

59. In need of a 58-Across: WET.  From swimming or getting caught in the rain.

60. Due-in hr.: ETA.   Estimated Time of Arrival

61. Cut (off): LOP.   To cut off (a branch, limb, or other protrusion) from the main body of a tree.  Can one lop a loin?

After today's tasty adventure, I will leave you to ponder that meaty question at your leisure.

Cool regards!

JzB