Saturday, October 15, 2022, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

Themeless Saturday by Enrique Henestroza Anquiano

I’m a data scientist from Oakland, CA, with a background in computational linguistics. I fully dove into crosswords as a daily solver and then constructor in 2019, and I love that both sides have allowed me to continually engage with everything I love about language, wordplay, and even coding. I also appreciate the friends I’ve made so far through this great community. 

As a forever Simpson's fan, here's a photo of me noshing oh "The Homer" from Voodoo donuts in Portland.

This is my 
second puzzle of Enrique's I have blogged and I have been able to solve them in great time while being entertained. Joann and I took a tour of Portland a few years ago and we also waited in line and got some delicious Voodoo donuts.

Across

1. Pros: ACES.

5. Pasta joint?: ELBOW.

10. Network that airs 52-Down news: CNBC - Consumer News and Business Channel 

14. Only: SOLE.

15. "Uprooted" novelist Novik: NAOMI - Watts, Judd, Campbell and Osaka I knew but this NAOMI had solid crosses.

16. Breezy: AIRY.

17. Quaint arcade prompt: INSERT COIN - These were very busy at one time and required the player to INSERT a COIN. 

19. Harmon series: NCIS.

20. Box set bonus: FEATURETTE.

21. Try out: TEST.

22. Informal greetings: HEYS.

23. Like some fine frames: GILT.

25. Contacted over Slack, for short: IMED - All you want to know about another way to Instant Message someone

27. Some sketchy characters?: CARTOONS - Fun Enrique!

31. Ship's hdg.: NNE - One of many possibilities

32. Type of photo that led to the "Streisand effect": AERIAL SHOT - Barbara tried to suppress this picture of her Malibu mansion that highlighted coastal erosion. Her suppression instead drew much greater attention to the picture and this has become known as the "Streisand effect".

34. "Eyes up front!": ATTENTION PLEASE.

37. Do the right thing in the parking lot, perhaps: LEAVE A NOTE - I did this, but unlike this note I actually left my number and the guy was as surprised as he was grateful.

38. Doc who may share paw-shaped treats: VET.

39. Something to sneeze at: ALLERGEN.

40. Runs out of batteries: DIES.

42. Iron clothes?: MAIL - Iron is not a verb here

Chain MAIL

43. Dire: GRIM.

45. Policy-driving appointee: CZAR.

47. Swiftie or Little Monster: ADORING FAN - The name for Taylor Swift fans seems pretty obvious but Lady Gaga lovingly calls her fans "Little Monsters" because they should be proud of who they are no matter what others think.

53. Round up, as cats or cattle: HERD.

54. "I'm sorry you were offended," e.g.: NON-APOLOGY.

I’m sorry, but other people don’t overreact like you do. 

I’m sorry but other people would’ve understood it was a joke! 

I’m sorry, but you started it!

I’m sorry but you know I’m right

I’m sorry if you were offended.

I’m sorry if I didn’t do it correctly. 

I’m sorry if you think I did something wrong.

55. Lake into which the Cuyahoga empties: ERIE.

56. Fleck on a baked potato: CHIVE.

57. Iowa home of the Cyclones: AMES - My neighbor drove the 3 hours east to Ames and their very famous veterinary school to get his St. Bernard's hip fixed for $5,000.

58. "The Girl Who Drank the __": Newbery winner about a girl named Luna: MOON.

59. Polished off: EATEN.

60. Two pills before bed, e.g.: DOSE.

Down:

 
1. "Ha, right": AS IF.

2. Detour guide: CONE - There is highway construction in every direction to, from and around our town and the CONES are ubiquitous. 

3. Queen who appears in "Olaf's Frozen Adventure": ELSA.

4. Stew: SEETHE.

5. Part of a log: ENTRY.

6. What loafers do without?: LACES - Our friend Boomer might say JOBS

7. Retired Monopoly token: BOOT.

The original pieces

8. Skip past: OMIT.

9. Vitis vinifera cultivar: WINE GRAPE.

10. Guaranteed: CAN'T LOSE - "I got the horse right here, The name is Paul Revere..".
 
11. Ideal but not essential: NICE TO HAVE.

12. Ritual for some eight-day-olds: BRIS.

13. Skin malady: CYST.

18. __ the day: RUED.

24. "__ never work": IT'LL - Oh, yeah?

25. Xeon processor maker: INTEL.

26. Silver-colored plumber in Super Smash Bros.: METAL MARIO.

27. Deliver an old standard, perhaps: CROON - A wonderful CROONER that we see in x-words quite often 

28. Informal contraction: AIN'T.

29. Circus clown's collection: NOSES - I guess the clown would have to pick his nose before each performance

30. Editorial override: STET - Hey, put that back in there!

31. Beyoncé voice role: NALA.

32. With one quick look: AT A GLANCE.

33. "__ kleine Nachtmusik": EINE - A fun way to hear this wonderful music

35. "Mildred Pierce" Oscar nominee: EVE ARDEN.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - 1945

Eve Arden – Mildred Pierce

Ann Blyth – Mildred Pierce

Angela Lansbury – The Picture of Dorian Gray

Joan Lorring – The Corn Is Green

Anne Revere – National Velvet - winner

36. Environmental design artist Oxman: NERI - Congrats if you knew Ms. Oxman.

Neri Oxman (Hebrew: נרי אוקסמן; born February 6, 1976) is an American–Israeli  designer and professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she led the Mediated Matter research group. She is known for art and architecture that combine design, biology, computing, and materials engineering.

40. Snorkasaurus of Bedrock: DINO - Hey, I did know DINO!

41. "Happy to hear!": I'M GLAD.

43. Dire: GRAVE.

44. Mature: RIPEN - This very cool weather has made our tomatoes cease to RIPEN. Well there's some 80's next week

45. Nobel subj.: CHEM - The latest Nobel Prize for CHEMISTRY winners

46. From __ to hero: ZERO - Harlan Sanders was a retired man in his 60's and all he had was a recipe of fried chicken. After 1,009 rejections he made it big.

48. Souq Waqif city: DOHA - A huge market place in DOHA, Qatar 

49. "Will do!": ON IT.

50. Anxiety about exclusion, for short: FOMO.

51. Matures: AGES.

52. Wall St. index: NYSE.

Friday, October 14, 2022 Christina Iverson

Theme:

Christina Iverson is becoming a regular contributor to the L.A. Times crossword. She's back today with a bit of a rebus. Four emotions, clued as "Feeling under the weather?" are placed directly beneath four words from your daily forecast. The feelings are literally "under the weather." It's probably easiest to understand by examining the grid:

 

Other than placement, The emotions don't seem to have any relation to the weather words. We have WIND/FEAR, RAIN/LOVE, SNOW/HOPE, SUN/IRE. It would've been nice if Christina could have found another 4-letter pair to replace SUN/IRE, but it's still a pretty neat theme. As is the custom lately, there were plenty of proper names in today's puzzle, but the perps always came to the rescue. I'm happy to say that no WAGs were required. Maybe Christina will drop by to explain her inspiration for this one.  

Across:

 

1. "The Mandalorian" actor Weathers: CARL. No clue. I stopped following when Jar Jar Binks appeared.

 

5. Half of hexa-: TRI. Hexa:6, Tri:3. 

 

8. Parrot: MIMIC.

13. On track to win: AHEAD.

15. Lav: LOO. No hint that it's British on a Friday. 

 

16. Jungian archetype: ANIMA. One's true inner self in Carl Gustav Jung's analytical psychology. 

 

 

 

17. Cozy spot to read a book, perhaps: BAY WINDOW. Wind source.

 

19. Tiffany collectibles: LAMPS. Created by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They make frequent appearances on Antiques Roadshow on PBS. 

 

20. Feeling under the weather?: FEAR. Theme "feeling." 

 

21. Omniscient: ALL WISE. ALL KNOWING was too long. 

 

23. Fencing move: THRUST. LUNGE was too short. 

 

26. "Born a Crime" memoirist Trevor: NOAH. After seven years, he recently announced he's leaving his late-nite TV talk show. 

 

27. Keeps in office: REELECTS.

30. Fit: TRIM. These two words go together just like AID and ABET. 

 

32. Have a bug: AIL.

33. Spot where soap scum may accumulate: SHOWER DRAIN. Rain source. Also hair, when showering after a haircut. 

 

37. Some forensic drama spinoffs: CSIs. The original Las Vegas location is back this season, and Marg Helgenberger is returning as Catherine Willows after a 10-year hiatus. Not sure this is one of CBS's better ideas. 

 

39. Little bit: TAD.

40. Feeling under the weather?: LOVE. Theme feeling. 

 

41. "That's hardly a surprise": IT'S NO WONDER. Snow source. 

 

46. Syncopated work: RAG. Scott Joplin was a master. 

 

47. Feeling under the weather?: HOPE. Theme feeling. 

 

48. Practice of slicing open a bottle of champagne: SABERING. If you've got five minutes to waste, Alton Brown explains everything you need to know to master the art of sabering. 

 

 50. Sported: WORE. Had on. 

 

52. City east of El Paso: ODESSA. East? Yes. Close? No. It'll take you 4 hours to drive the 284 miles.

 

53. Nonspeaking roles on 37-Across: CORPSES. Corpse roles are usually nonspeaking.

 

56. Bath toy: BOAT. No rubber ducky? 

 

57. Fire sign of spring: ARIES. Leo and Sagittarius are the other two fire signs. 

 

58. Expenditures that can't be recovered: SUNK COSTS. SUN source. 

 

 63. Asian gambling mecca: MACAU. Sometimes spelled MACAO. It's a couple hour bus trip from Hong Kong. 

 

64. Feeling under the weather?: IRE. Feeling source. 

 

65. Bridal gown part: TRAIN. Well, actually it's the caboose. 

 

66. Proto- finish: PLASM. Ecto, too. 

 

67. U.K. part: ENG. England. 

 

68. Bridge payment: TOLL.

Down:
 

1. Semi-important part?: CAB.

2. "The penny drops!": AHA. Now I get it. 

3. "West Coast" singer Lana Del __: REY. "Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer and songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, containing references to contemporary pop culture and 1950s–1960s Americana." Wikipedia 

 

4. Legitimate: LAWFUL. Licit. 

 

5. Internet abbreviation before an internet abbreviation?: TLDR. I believe "TLDR" is text-speak for "too long, didn't read." So I suppose that second "internet abbreviation" would be a link to that document? Dunno. 

 

6. Hopping marsupial, casually: ROO. Kangaroo. 

 

7. Ames resident: IOWAN. Ames is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones. 

 

8. Wild duck: MALLARD. Also "Ducky" on NCIS. AHA, now it's time for that ducky. 

 

9. Spinning: IN A WHIRL.

10. Rogers of "Bosch: Legacy": MIMI.

 

 

11. Little devils: IMPS.

12. Bulk buy: CASE. Beer comes to mind. 

 

14. Double daggers, in printing: DIESES. Learning moment. It's this symbol: ‡ Asterisk, dagger, and double-dagger are used to denote items which are referenced later in the document, usually at the bottom of the current page.

 

18. "Goes without sayin'": NATCH. Colloquial "Naturally." 

 

22. Tolkien trilogy, to fans: LOTR. Lord Of The Rings.

 

 

23. "Braxton Family Values" sister: TRACI. Braxton Family Values is an American reality television series that airs on WE tv and premiered on April 12, 2011. It chronicles the lives of the Braxton sisters: Toni, TRACI, Towanda, Trina and Tamar and their mother, Evelyn" Wikipedia News to me.

 

24. Caper film event: HEIST.

25. Chicago dog component: RELISH. But NO KETCHUP! 

 

28. "... and your little dog, too!" dog: TOTO.

 

via GIPHY

 

 

29. Graceful swimmers: SWANS. Mean critters. 

 

31. Indigenous New Zealanders: MAORIS.

34. Old Icelandic text: EDDA. Hello, old cw friend. 

 

35. Director Reitman and tennis great Lendl: IVANS. Knew Lendl, but not Reitman.

 

36. "Passing" actress Ruth: NEGGA.

 

38. Stir-fry vegetables: SNOW PEAS.

42. Marsupial that plays dead: OPOSSUM.Cute when they're little.

 

 

Then there's Ole Possum, George Jones.

 

 

43. "Now __ talking!": WE'RE. I've usually heard it with "You're" rather than "We're." 

 

44. Tablet download: E-BOOK. I read Kindle E-books on my phone now, after my Kindle Paperwhite (my 3rd Kindle reader) bit the dust. 

 

45. Censor for security reasons, e.g.: REDACT. The first time do you simply "dact" it? 

 

49. Sharp comeback: RETORT.

51. Nail polish brand in square bottles: ESSIE. I'm sure we've seen this before. I'm equally sure that I forgot it by lunch time that day. 

 

53. Like-minded group: CAMP.

54. Hard-to-cheat-on exam: ORAL.

55. Costa __: RICA.

56. Rare blood type, briefly: B-NEG.

 

59. Spigoted server: URN. Not all urns are spigoted, but I believe all samovars have spigots. When we visited Japan back in the 60's there was a samovar at the breakfast buffet. Its spigot was labeled in English "Open / Crose." 

 

60. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAÕ. Whenever you see saõ you can be sure there's a Portuguese connection. 

 

61. Up to, in ads: TIL.

62. Bowen Yang's show, for short: SNL. Saturday Night Live. That's about it. I was called up when Lemonade begged off due to health issues. I sure hope he's feeling better. Desper-otto, heading back to the minors... 

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Thanks for stepping in again, D-Otto! 

2) Lemonade has decided to take a step back from blogging due to health reasons. Our blog labels showed that he started blogging for us on August  26, 2011 and wrote a total 550 posts (Thanks for the correction, TTP). That did not include the early days when I copied and pasted his writeups to the blog, just I did today with D-Otto's post. Thank you so much for your time and efforts these years, Lemonade! Looking forward to your pinchhitting someday!

 

Thursday, October 13, 2022, Amanda Rafkin

 

 The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect, illustrated in the preceding 3 minute video, is a metaphor for the key idea behind a science called CHAOS THEORY: a small  initial event in one location can be greatly amplified through a series of chain reactions that ultimately result in a very large event happening very far away.  The classic example is that of a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon River basin, ultimately causing a storm in Siberia.

Today veteran constructor (NYT and LAT) Amanda Rafkin riffs on Chaos Theory with a theme taken not from science, but from the dark arts.  Here's her reveal:

60A. Power that enables the Scarlet Witch to rewrite reality, and a hidden feature of the answers to the starred clues?: CHAOS MAGIC.  As I'm sure we're all aware, the Scarlet Witch is a denizen of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and not someone you'd want to mess with:
 

Scarlet Witch

And how does she accomplish this magic?  Don't be fooled by the above picture, as she doesn't do it with circles (CSO to AnonymousDNLC).  She simply flaps her butterfly wings to unscramble the anagrams cleverly concealed in the following themers:

15. *"Love Story" star: ALI MACGRAW.  Get out your handkerchiefs:

26. *Sports event whose medals feature braille inscriptions: PARALYMPIC GAMES.  Here's a link from the 2020 games with their history, some curiosities, the differences with the Olympic Games and the elements that make them a unique sporting event, different from all the others.
 

Paralympic Games 2012

45. *Candy smokes: BUBBLEGUM CIGARS.  For expectant fathers who've kicked the nicotine habit ...

And if you still don't see them, here's the grid with the themers highlighted in RED with the embedded, scrambled anagrams in BLACK on WHITE:
 

Be under no illusion that it was a simple trick to come up with three 2 word themers, including 2 grid spanners, embedded with scrambled MAGIC.

And now for the rest of Amanda's cruciverbal prestidigitation:

Across:

1. Point of Grant Wood's "American Gothic"?: TINE.  Nice indirection and something you wouldn't want pointed at YOU.

American Gothic
Grant Wood 1930

5. Knight's title: SIR.

8. Rescue squad VIPs: EMTS.

12. Tibetan monks: LAMAS.  LAMA is a Tibetan word meaning"highest principle"and is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The spiritual leader of all of the Tibetan lamas is the 14th Dalai Lama, currently living in exile in India.
 

Dalai Lama

13. PPO counterpart: HMO.  Preferred Provider Organization vs. Health Maintenance Organization.

14. Terra's Greek counterpart: GAIA.  In Greek mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth  and one of the Greek primordial deities. The Greeks considered Gaia to be the ancestral mother of all life.  The word geology is derived from her name and in recent years she has inspired the Gaia Hypothesis, which asserts that the entire Earth is a single organism.  This hypothesis was formulated in the 1970s by chemist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis.  A similar idea was put forth around the same time in an essay from The Lives of the Cell by physician Lewis Thomas.

17. Prophetic sign: OMEN.

18. Place to go for pro tips?: SALON.  Mani-pedi place?

19. __ closet: LINEN.

21. Reddit admin: MOD.  Reddit Moderators do more than just administer the site platform, but play an active leadership role.  Hand up if you're a moderator or participant in Reddit?

22. __ vincit omnia: AMOR.  Or as the Beatles would put it ...

23. Tight-lipped: MUM.

24. Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer: EGAN.  Jennifer Egan is an American novelist and short-story writer. Egan's novel A Visit from the Goon Squad won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
 

Jennifer Egan

31. "ur 2 funny": LOL.  Laughing Out Loud.

32. Some autumn babies: SCORPIOS.  Those babies born between October 23 and November 22 that is.  SCORPIO (♏︎) is the eighth astrological sign in the zodiac, originating from the constellation of Scorpius.

Scorpio Astrological Sign

33. Link letters: URL.  Universal Resource Locator, text that can be translated into the IP (Internet Protocol) address used by routers to locate a resource on the World Wide Web (e.g. this blog).

36. Corn core: COB.

38. Paramore music genre: EMO.   Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro.  Here's "All We Know" from their 2005 debut album "All We Know is Falling":

39. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.

40. Grottoes carved by waves: SEA CAVES.  Twenty of the most beautiful sea caves in the world.

43. Cookbook writer Garten: INA.  Also known as the Barefoot Contessa.

50. Common mixer: SODA.

51. Rapper Lil __ X: NAS.  Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X  is an American rapper and singer.  Here's his country crossover hit Old Town Road (didn't think I'd like it, but I did):

52. "Ok, ok! Turn the alarm off!": IM UP.  I usually get to the alarm before Teri hears it.

53. Cheer syllable: RAH.

54. Supreme being: DEITY.

57. "Goosebumps" series author: STINE.  Robert Lawrence Stine born October 8, 1943) has been called the "Stephen King of children's literature".  He has published a total of 62 books in the Goosebumps series, beginning with Welcome to Dead House (1992) and finishing with Monster Blood IV in 1997.  There have been several adaptations.  Here's a trailer from the TV series:

58. Ridesharing choice: UBER.

62. Muppet who once testified before Congress: ELMO.   ELMO testified before Congress in 2002 in support of federal funding for music education and research.  Despite thoroughly scouring YouTube and CSPAN I was unable obtain footage.  I suspect that the video has been classified, and may have been squirreled away somewhere in a closet in Florida.  But here's the Archive proving that it actually happened.

63. Darlin': HON.

64. Don: PUT ON.

65. Sunflower edible: SEED.

66. Covert __: OPS.

67. Gets better in a wine cellar, hopefully: AGES. A CSO to our Chairman.  I don't think he lives in a cellar, but I'm sure he's getting better as he AGES.

Down:

1. Professional with a fitting job?: TAILOR.  My Mother (1925 - 2020) was a TAILOR.  She began an apprenticeship in England just prior to WWII, which was interrupted by a 2 year stint in a factory welding fins on 500 lb bombs.  She completed her training afterwards, married my Dad on VJ Day, came to the US, had 5 children, and taught all 4 daughters to sew.  She could do anything with fine fabrics and furs and she could fit anyone in a dress or suit (assuming there was enough material!).  I believe she was the last of the great British seamstresses.  Here she is in her early 90s having a cuppa tea:

Mary Seeley
Tailor

2. Unethical: IMMORAL.  Is there a difference?  It's complicated.

3. Flatbread served with tikka masala: NAAN.  "Flatbread" gave away the crosswordese NAAN, but if you've never had tikka masala here's an easy recipe:
 

Tikka Masala

4. Key used to exit?: ESC.

5. Cocktail ingredients: SHRIMPS.   Does the recipe call for "2 dozen SHRIMPS" or "2 dozen SHRIMP".  I thought they were the DEER of the aquatic world.

6. "Ms. Marvel" star Vellani: IMAN.  Somehow I had this confused with "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", but this story is about Ms. Marvel, an American TV fantasy miniseries that also takes place in the Marvel Universe, created by Bisha K. Ali and featuring the character Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel.  Here's the trailer:

7. Investment firm T. __ Price: ROWE.  Teri worked for them for 20 years as a programmer in their IT department.  Here's Trusty, their logo:
 

8. Subject of inflation: EGO.  Today's Latin lesson.

9. "Dancing Queen" musical: MAMMA MIA.  Who said the Bee Gees invented disco?

10. Get really drunk: TIE ONE ON. Was Amanda intoxicated by all those vowels?

11. Hourglass stuff: SAND.  Or "Sand stuff: HOURGLASS".

12. Alpaca kin: LLAMA.  The beast, not the priest (see 12A).

15. "Stat!": ASAP.  Not the same:  STAT is NOW!, not just SOON.  OTOH, I used to work in a clinical path lab, and when all the doctors ordered all the tests STAT, they got them ASAP.

16. Morose: GLUM.

20. Campari aperitivo: NEGRONI.  Invented in Florence by the dauntless Italian Count Camillo Negroni in the early 20th century.  Here's a recipe for his eponymous cocktail.

23. Top 10 Lionel Richie song with the lyric "Honey, you're everything I need": MY LOVE.  I hope you've still got that hankie handy:

25. Unfilled space: GAP.

27. Spot for a small business?: LOCAL AD.

28. Raw bar need: ICE.  Chesapeake Bay sushi.  Yum, yum ...
 

Oysters on the half shell

29. Stand-up folks?: COMICS.  This marvelous COMIC had to start somewhere ...

30. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

33. __ port: USB.  They say that "the nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them".  Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers.   That said, "a broad variety of USB hardware still exists, including 14 different connector types, of which USB-C is the most recent and the only one not currently deprecated", e.g.

34. Like tote bags and metal straws: REUSABLE.

35. Opera that inspired "Rent": LA BOHEME.  Rent is a rock musical loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera.  The musical tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan's East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. 

After reviewing a few clips of Rent I'm willing to bet (although I won't be around to pay up if I lose) that La Boheme, having already survived 126 years will still be on a stage somewhere in 2148, whereas Rent will not.  Here is the scene from Act I of La Boheme where the landlord Benoit breaks in on the Bohemians to demand the rent ("affito" in Italian), perhaps the origin of the musical's title.  The Bohemians proceed to get him drunk and eventually cajole him into admitting that he is cheating on his wife.  In mock outrage they throw him out of the apartment, and shortly afterwards will head out to the streets of Paris to party (4 mins):

37. Implore: BEG.

41. Oil in some dispensary products: CBD.  I had COD for this initially until I realized that you don't need a prescription for it.  Replace the O with a B and you get CannaBiDiol, a cannabis derivative for which you may or may not need a prescription, depending on the state you live in.  The is evidence for some health benefits from CBD, but the jury is still out.

42. Shades for lifeguards: SUNTANS. RAYBANS fit but didn't perp.

44. Really work up: AGITATE.  IRK, IRE, and RILE were all too short.

46. Deli spread: MAYO.  On a BLT on toast.

47. Buddies: AMIGOS.  Today's Spanish lesson my friends.

48. Skirmish: RUN-IN.  The meaning of this clue has a significant dependence on whether you connect the words with a hyphen or not.  Here it is with a dash.

Here it is without a dash:

49. Design detail, for short: SPEC.  A good SPEC is a necessity for an accurate time and materials estimate.

53. Wishes undone: RUES.   The Scarlet Witch could wish it undone, but the results might be unpredictable.

55. Reverberate: ECHO.
 
56. Blue-roofed breakfast spot: IHOP. Breakfast served all day long.

International House of Pancakes. 

57. Self-satisfied: SMUG.

59. Fish stick?: ROD.  Cute clue, but I'd much rather have beer-battered fish fillets with chips.

61. Spot for a cucumber mask: SPA.  C'mon.  What does a cucumber have to hide?

Cheers,
Bill

As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Amanda Rafkin, 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.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022. Amie Walker

 Theme: Once again, I can't do any better than the unifier.  

55. Revived game show hosted by Jane Krakowski that's also an apt title for this puzzle: NAME THAT TUNE.  This is a game show in which contestants attempt to identify a tune played by an on-stage orchestra in a minimum number of notes.  It started on radio in 1952, and then appeared on TV from 1943 to 1959.  Over the decades it has had several reincarnations, most recently in January, 2020.  In the puzzle, theme fill are song titles.  Let's see how it works.

18. Protest song?: COME ON EILEEN.  A 1982 hit by Dexys Midnight Runners.  "Come on" is plaintive plea for someone to be more compliant or stop being annoying.

 

33. Backing track?:  HELP ME RHONDA.  A 1965 hit by The Beach Boys.  To back someone is to help out in some sort of way.

41. Opening number?:  DEAR PRUDENCE.  From the Beatles White Album, released in 1968.  "Dear Someone" is the typical opening of a snail mail letter, if anyone sends them anymore.

Hi,  Gang - JazzBumba here to fill your day with song.  Don't feel bad it you found the theme to be a bit opaque.  I had to appeal to the Corner blogger team to help figure it out.  Special thanks to Husker Gary who saw the deepest.  Some added layers here are that song, track and number are all synonyms for a tune, with each in a different context; and that each theme entry contains a girl's or woman's name, for an added touch of elegance.

Across:  

1. "We can seat you now" gadget: PAGER.  It beeps and flashes in a restaurant.

6. Italian wine used in cooking: MARSALA.   A fortified wine made in Sicily. Marsala is most commonly used in cooking to create nutty, rich caramelized sauces. 

13. Puts in a row: LINES UP.  Puts things in order.

15. "So it would appear": I GATHER.  I guess so.

16. Spoon, for one: UTENSIL. A tool or implement.

17. The 4,080-piece Disney Castle, e.g.: LEGO SET. 

It's expensive

20. Boy in the "Star Wars" prequel films: ANI.   Anakin Skywalker was a legendary Force-sensitive human male who was a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic and the prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order, destined to bring balance to the Force. Also known as "Ani" during his childhood, Skywalker earned the moniker "Hero With No Fear" from his accomplishments in the Clone Wars. His alter ego, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was created when Skywalker turned to the dark side of the Force, pledging his allegiance to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious at the end of the Republic Era.

21. "What __, your maid?": AM I.  Sarcasm.  But clean up after yourself - OK?.

22. Short mission?: RECON.  An abbreviated form of reconnaissance - an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

26. Alexander of "Rizzoli & Isles": SASHA.  Suzana Drobnjakovic [b 1973,] known by her stage name Sasha Alexander, is an American actress and TV director. She played Gretchen Witter on Dawson's Creek and has acted in films including Yes Man and He's Just Not That Into You. Alexander played Caitlin Todd for the first two seasons of NCIS.

30. Msg. to the whole squad: APB.   All Points Bulletin.  An electronic information broadcast sent from one sender to a group of recipients, to rapidly communicate an important message.

32. Drink suffix: -ADE.  Generally used with drinks made from citrus fruits.

37. Twix ingredient: CARAMEL.  Along with chocolate and a cookie.

40. Directly toward the sunset: DUE WEST.   The cardinal compass point that is a 270 degrees. westward.

43. Go bad: ROT.   Decay.

44. "Hey, that's enough!": T M I.   Too Much Information.  Please tell me less.

45. "Hey, that's enough!": OK NOW.  Stop it already.

48. Derisive look: SNEER.  often with a curled lip.

51. Virginia Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS.  Social commentary on upper class life in England after WW I.

53. Gear tooth: COG.   As defined.

60. Prodded: POKED AT.   Jabbed with a finger or other object

63. Rely on excessively: USE A LOT.  

64. Buttercup family member: ANEMONE.   Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.

Grown from bulbs

65. Array for BB gun target practice, perhaps: TIN CANS.  Cheap targets.

66. Broadway props?: TONY NOD.  Props as praise rather than accessory items - clever clue

67. Really love: ADORE.

Down:

1. Climbing spikes: PITONS.   Pegs driven into a rock or crack to support a climber or a rope.

2. Low-hemoglobin condition: ANEMIA.   A low number of red blood cells.

3. __ therapy: GENE.   The transplantation of normal genes into cells in place of missing or defective ones in order to correct genetic disorders.

4. Exxon, in Canada and Europe: ESSO.   Brand name for auto fuel.

5. Damage beyond repair: RUIN.   Destroy

6. Many-legged arthropod: MILLIPEDE.  Any of a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, 

7. Outfielder Tommie in the NY Mets Hall of Fame: AGEE.  Tommie Lee Agee [1942 - 2001] was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1962 through 1973, most notably as a member of the New York Mets.  He was the American League rookie of the year in 1966 and a two time gold glove winner. 

8. Wild party: RAGER.   A larger gathering usually of highschool or college students where massive amounts of alcohol are consumed.

9. "La La Land" Oscar winner Emma: STONE.   Emily Jean Stone [b 1988,] known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

10. Relieved sounds: AHS.  An exhaled exclamation used to express a range of emotions including surprise, pleasure, sympathy, and realization.

11. Novelist Harper: LEE.   Nelle Harper Lee [1926 - 1916] was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. It won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. 

12. Class with smocks: ART.  To protect from paint spatters.

13. Pixar film that lost to "Encanto" for a Best Animated Feature Oscar: LUCA. A 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Set on the Italian Riviera, the film centers on Luca Paguro, a young sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friends,

14. Urgent request: PLEA.

19. Mosque authority: IMAM.  A title of various Muslim leaders, especially of one succeeding Muhammad as leader of Shiite Islam.

23. Word with candy or sugar: CANE.  Works either way.

24. Track figures: ODDS.   The probability that one thing is so, or will happen rather than another thing.

25. Tidy: NEAT.   Orderly.

27. __-Pei: dog breed from China: SHAR.   The Shar Pei is a dog breed from southern China. Traditionally kept as a chicken eating dog and property guardian, the Shar Pei was driven to the brink of extinction in the 20th century. The breed is known in the West for its deep wrinkles, whilst a traditional less wrinkled form is maintained in Hong Kong. 

28. Natural rope fiber: HEMP.   Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use.  It is used to make a variety of commercial and industrial products, including rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, and biofuel.

29. 30-Across, for one: ALERT.  Warn someone of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

31. "24K Magic" singer Mars: BRUNO.   Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, dancer, and music video director. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. 

I like this one more

34. Took a nosedive: PLUMMETED.  Like the stock market this year.

35. "Darn it all to __!": HECK.   Bowdlerized exclamation of anger or dismay.

36. John Irving's "A Prayer for __ Meany": OWEN.   A Prayer for Owen Meany is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. According to John's narration, Owen is a remarkable boy in many ways; he believes himself to be God's instrument and sets out to fulfill the fate he has prophesied for himself.

37. USN officers: CDRS.  The written abbreviation for Commanders when it is used as a title.

38. Many millennia: AEON.  An indefinite and very long period of time, often a period exaggerated for humorous or rhetorical effect.

39. Matter of interest?: RATE.  Referring to the annual charge per year on a borrowed amount of money.

42. Gossip: DIRT.   Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, usually negative, and typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

46. Eye-related: OCULAR.

47. Had meager success in a series of games: WON ONE.  Like, frex., the 1-4 Lions.

49. Foe: ENEMY.  Adversary.

50. Home detector target: RADON.  Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas.

52. Boarded up: SHUT.  Closed for business.

54. Understands: GETS. Comprehends.

56. Spanish hand: MANO.  Literal.

57. __ Kate Dillon of "Billions": ASIA.   Asia Kate Dillon [b.1984] is an American actor, best known for their roles as Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black and Taylor Mason in Billions. Dillon is non-binary and uses singular they pronouns.

58. Look after: TEND.   Take care of.

59. Folded snack: TACO.  In the U.S. this is a Mexican dish consisting of a fried tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures, such as seasoned meat, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes.  It is the Spanish word for sandwich.  Once in Mexico I ordered a jamon con queso taco and got a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.  True story.

60. "The Women of Troy" novelist Barker: PAT.   Patricia Mary W. Barker  [née Drake; b. 1943] is an English writer and novelist. She has won many awards for her fiction, which centres on themes of memory, trauma, survival and recovery. Her work is described as direct, blunt and plainspoken

61. "Woman Power" singer Yoko: ONO.  Yoko Ono [b. 1933] is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York City in 1953 with her family.   In 1969 she married English musician John Lennon of the Beatles. 

62. "__ Burns: America": KEN.   Kenneth Lauren Burns [b. 1953] is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV and/or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBS.

That's all folks.  Hope you enjoyed the music.

Cool regards!

JzB