Tuesday, March 14, 2023 - Katie Hale & Brian Callahan

END OW!

A protest against pain or, when parsed properly,

73. Furnish with funds, and when parsed differently, a double feature of the answers to 18-, 26-, 41-, 53-, and 65-Across: ENDOW.
 

Anti-Construction protest sign seen on the freeway
//I'm down with the struggle ;-)

Each themer is two words that both END with the letters OW.  Take a look:

18. Symbol on some traffic lights: YELLOW ARROW.
 

There's one of these at an intersection
 on my way to work

26. Cheap shot: LOW BLOW.

41. Winter road clearer: SNOW PLOW.
 

Hand up - this has happened to you(?)

53. Expertise: KNOW HOW.

65. Small cushion: THROW PILLOW.

Across:
1. Radar images: BLIPS.
 

Bogies at 3 o'clock

6. Just waking up: ASTIR. Just enough to hit snooze.

11. Helpful hints: TIPS. ProTip: don't leave hints in the tip jar.
 

15. Greek storyteller: AESOP. I loved reading AESOP's fables in 2nd grade.

16. Radiated: SHONE.

17. Radiate: EMIT. Nice clecho.

18. [See: Theme]

20. Practice boxing: SPAR.

21. Business in a dyeing industry?: SALON. Cute.

22. Pasta suffix: INI. Types of Pasta.

23. Sushi fish: TUNA.
 

Ahi (Tuna) Sushi

24. Country singer Keith: URBAN. Country musician.

26. [See: Theme]

29. Baseball ploy to advance a runner: BUNT.
 

Sac BUNT in the bottom of the 9th

32. __-Seltzer: ALKA. Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz...

34. Ewes and does: SHES. Not does as in did but female deer - mammals.
 

They Might Be Giants - Mammals

35. Slim woodwind: OBOE.
 

Oboe

36. Faucet: TAP.

37. Meals with matzo: SEDERS.

40. Track transaction: BET. Going to the track is something I've never done. There's Sam Houston Race Track just 20 minutes down the road so maybe one day I'll put money down...

41. [See: Theme]

44. Student carrier: BUS. 99 bottle of beer OR The wheels on the BUS go...

45. "Respect" singer Franklin: ARETHA.
 

Nothing but Respect

47. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.

48. Tim of "Making the Cut": GUNN. An American author, academic, and television personality. He served on the faculty of Parsons School of Design from 1982 to 2007 and was chair of fashion design at the school from August 2000 to March 2007, after which he joined Liz Claiborne as its chief creative officer. [WikiP]
 

Tim Gunn

49. "Easier said __ done": THAN. Saturday grids, amirite?

50. Dining review site: YELP.

52. Marbled loaves: RYES.
 

I prefer seeded for ham & Swiss

53. [See: Theme]

56. Bucket O Soldiers leader in "Toy Story": SARGE.
 

Toy Story scene with Sarge

58. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. We know where SHE sat on the BUS.

59. Appropriate: APT.

61. Horror film loc.: ELM ST. Gives one Nightmares. Fortunately, I live on Oak Lane.

64. __ error: USER. PEBKAC - Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair.

65. [See: Theme]

68. Go from solid to liquid: MELT. Think ice.

69. "This Is Us" star Mandy: MOORE.
 
70. Intake guidelines: DIETS. "Diet is die with a T" -Garfield (the cat and maybe the President(?))

71. Files that can be e-signed: PDFS. Portable Document FormatS.

72. Cleaning powder brand: COMET.
 

Good for cleaning the tub.

73. [See: Theme]

Down:
1. Boston's Back __: BAY. An area in Boston known for for its rows of Victorian Brownstone homes—considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States—as well as numerous architecturally significant individual buildings, and cultural institutions such as the Boston Public Library.
 

Nice

2. Denim brand: LEES. Silly me entered Levi.

3. Cozumel, por ejemplo: ISLA. Spanish.
 

Cozumel is there

4. Contaminate: POLLUTE. Give a Hoot
 

Woodsy Owl

5. Animal trail: SPOOR. n The track or scent of an animal. v follow the track or scent of an animal or person.

6. Butterfield of "Sex Education": ASA. Nothing to do with a book from Sexual Revolution era but a show on Netflix.
 

Asa Butterfield

7. Draw back in fear: SHRINK AWAY.

8. Having trouble deciding: TORN.

9. How artichoke hearts may be packed: IN OIL.
 

These are good

10. Opposite of FF: REW.  Fast Forward; REWind.

11. Platform for software trial runs: TESTBED. I call a computer box. pl. Boxen. So, I entered TEST Box.

12. Many a checkout line purchase: IMPULSE BUY. I treat myself with a snack-bag of Doritos after grocery shopping.

13. Upright __: PIANO. As opposed to a Grand one. A neighbor gave Eldest an upright - we moved it ourselves...
 

Me acting normal when cars approached

14. Target of some plastic bans: STRAW. Anyone use the paper straws? They're OK if you sip quickly.

19. Minnesota Lynx org.: WNBA.
 

Their Logo

25. Midrange voice: ALTO. Eldest is a soprano.

27. __ buco: OSSO.

28. "Just made it!": WHEW. As you wipe your brow.

29. Tea with tapioca: BOBA. First time I had it, I didn't realize the little tapioca balls would come up the straw - nearly choked on 'em, I did.
 

Boba Tea

30. Ridesharing app: UBER. I prefer Lyft.

31. Personal reminder: NOTE TO SELF.

33. Genius Bar locale: APPLE STORE. 1) Make an appointment before you go. 2) How it Works

38. Mystical old letter: RUNE.
 

39. Tax form IDs: SSNS. Social Security NumberS.

41. Former Iranian ruler: SHAH.

42. Wee iPod: NANO.
 

Apple Nano

43. "Zorba the Greek" actress Kedrova: LILA. Yelizaveta Nikolaevna Kedrova, known as Lila Kedrova, was a Russian-born French actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Zorba the Greek, and the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for the same role in the musical version of the film. [WikiP]
 

LILA Kedrova

46. Foils: THWARTS. Those meddling kids and their dog in the Mystery Machine would THWART evil plans.

48. Creature in a 1984 horror film: GREMLIN.
 

Mogwais turn nasty when eating after midnight
[Time Zones were never explained - midnight in China or Kingston Falls, PA?]

51. Meal __: PREP. What the sous-chef does.

53. Dance style featuring stomps and chest pops: KRUMP. Krumping is a style of street dance popularized in the United States, characterized by free, expressive, exaggerated, and highly energetic movement. Dancers who started krumping saw the dance as a means for them to escape gang life and "to express raw emotions in a powerful but non-violent way." [WikiP]

54. Pried (into): NOSED. MYOB //Mind Your Own Business

55. Celebratory cry: WAHOO. Woot! kin.

57. Fly without effort: GLIDE.

60. Year-end dance: PROM. Not New Years but school's year.

62. Toboggan, e.g.: SLED.

63. Dog in Oz: TOTO. Dog from Kansas - not part of Scooby's gang.

65. SHO subsidiary: TMC. Showtime; The Movie Channel.

66. Like a fresh coat of paint: WET.

67. ENE's opposite: WSW. Right and up v. left and down on a map.

The Grid:
 

The Grid

That was a fun Tuesday-worthy puzzle. Thanks Katie & Brian.

WOs: Levi->LEES, TEST Box -> BED
ESPs: SPOOR, ASA, LILA, GUNN, KRUMP, MOORE
Fav: Looking up all the stuff I really didn't know and sharing with y'all. 21a was cute too.

Don't forget to beware tomorrow.

Cheers, -T

Monday March 13, 2023 Rebecca Goldstein

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze and Billy Joel here with today's theme:

We Didn't Start the Fire

"It was always burning since the world's been turning." ♪♪♪

song & lyrics (1989)

This is our 3rd Monday in a row with a Rebecca Goldstein puzzle. Today's is my favorite of the three, mainly due to its extra-special grid. To begin with, it is 14 X 15 squares and features vertical symmetry. Furthermore, all of the themers have an even number of letters and are centered horizontally on the grid. (I added some thin, yellow highlighting to emphasize this.)

At the end of each themer, the word "FIRE" is being "built".  F  -->  FI  -->  FIR  -->  FIRE.

Rebecca really brought the heat! She gave us:

19 Across. Not making the grade: GETTING AN F.

36 Across. Mobile virtual network offered by a tech giant: GOOGLE FI.

Basically, it is a no-contract, wireless phone plan available only to U.S. residents.

44 Across. Evergreen native to the rocky elevations of Big Sur: BRISTLECONE FIR.

The thin spines on Abies Bracteata's cones, for which the species is named,
are unique within the genus. Learn more here.

Culminating in:

57 Across. Jack London short story about survival in the Yukon Territory, and the goal of this puzzle?: TO BUILD A FIRE.

synopsis

There are several CSOs in today's answers. Let's find them!

Across:
1. Seek divine intervention: PRAY.

5. Calc prerequisite: TRIG.  "Calculus" is abbreviated, so is "TRIGonometry." Briefly, TRIG is the study of the relationships between a triangle's angles and side lengths.

9. Secretly keeps in the email loop: BCC'S.  Blind Carbon CopieS. an anachronism?

13. Pride month: JUNE.  History of Pride Month

14. 1980s tennis star Mandlíková: HANA.  The crossing of HANA and 6 Down. Malek of "Mr. Robot": RAMI got me today. I could picture his face but not the spelling. HeNA/ReMI

15. "Here comes trouble": UH OH.

16. Red line on a baseball: SEAM.

17. Love, in Spanish: AMOR.  CSO#1 to Lucina!!

18. Impolite: RUDE.

22. Popcorn bit: KERNEL.

24. Decide on: OPT FOR.

27. Physician's gp.: AMA.  Group is abbreviated, so is the American Medical Association. It was founded in 1847.

28. Every time: ALWAYS.  

31. Notable time: ERA.

32. Arizona county: YUMA.  CSO#2 to Yuman!!

34. Pickling herb: DILL.  as in DILL-icious!

35. Time for cake and prezzies: B-DAY.  "Prezzies" is slang for "presents" so we needed a slangy answer.

39. Paradise: EDEN.

41. "Just joking!": I KID.

50. Dada pioneer Jean: ARP.

"Arp was a gifted poet and painter, though it’s as a sculptor that he’s best remembered — for his reliefs, and his smoothly rounded, biomorphic forms, above all. In November 2018, one of these, Déméter, fetched $5,825,000 at Christie’s in New York, the highest price ever paid for an Arp at auction." source

Jean ARP amid his biomorphic forms

51. Defeated in a hot dog contest, say: OUT ATE.

Last July 4, Joey Chestnut won his 15th Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest by scarfing down 63 hot dogs (including buns) in 10 minutes. This is how he trains for this event.

Joey Chestnut OUT ATE his opponents.

52. Self-confidence: EGO.

53. Bamako's country: MALI.  Its population is estimated at 2.8 million people. As I write this, the Bamako weather forecast is for highs of 103 - 105ºF (39.4 - 40.5 ºC) all week.

55. Mouth-puckering: TART.

56. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE.  

a rough operator ???

60. Maghrib prayer leaders: IMAMS.

61. Not better: WORSE.  There is a comic strip called For Better or For Worse. Lynn Johnston started drawing it in 1979. In 2008 Lynn retired. It now runs as repeats.

62. Gem weight: CARAT.  Metal weights (like gold): karat.

63. "The Ant and the Grasshopper" writer: AESOP.  The moral of the story:  Time is precious so we should make the most of it by doing positive things.

Down:
1. Bedtime attire, for short: PJ'S.

2. Regret deeply: RUE.  Try not to ruminate on the actions you RUE. Doing so will ruin your sleep.

3. Grand Am for grandma, e.g.: ANAGRAM.  I asked a ragman for help with this one.

Also, CSO#3 to Ol' Man Keith, our diagonal ANAGRAM finder!!

4. Country south of Saudi Arabia: YEMEN.

5. "Enough already": THAT'LL DO.

Babe (1995) 3:29 min. clip

"That'll do, Pig. That'll do."

Am I the only one crying right now?

7. __ the ground floor: IN ON. and 37 Down. Not misled by: ONTO.

8. Carved figure on Notre Dame cathedral: GARGOYLE.

Maybe later on tonight you'll have time to watch this official video of the GARGOYLE tour at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. It is 1:16 hrs. long. You won't be disappointed!!

This is me on the GARGOYLE tour
at the Washington National Cathedral in 2013.

9. More than well-done: BURNT.  an Easter egg???

10. Quite pleased, in British slang: CHUFFED.  Does anyone watch Escape to the Chateau? Angela often tells the camera that she is "so, so CHUFFED" or "reeeealy CHUFFED" or "proper CHUFFED". Here's a British in a Minute video that explains the meaning and origin of CHUFFED.

11. Fish and chips fish, often: COD.  Speaking of British slang, fish & chips shops are called "chippies".

12. __/her pronouns: SHE.

20. Steeped beverage: TEA.

21. High-level HS exams: APS.  "High-level" is a hint to "advanced". Advanced Placement ExamS are standardized exams high schoolers can take to get college credit (with qualifying scores).

22. "Every kiss begins with __": jeweler's slogan: KAY.  The tagline was introduced in 1985.

23. Down Under bird: EMU.  They have a reputation for being quite aggressive.

25. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA.

26. Sunbeam: RAY.  CSO#4 to Ray-O-Sunshine!!

29. Halloween headpiece: WIG.

My friend Kim always makes the best costumes.

30. __-purpose flour: ALL.

33. Long, long time: AGES.

35. Commuter's two-wheeler: BIKE.

38. Late fee: FINE.  This made me think of library fines so I looked for something interesting to share in that vein. I learned that in Oct. 2021, the New York Public Library (the largest public library in the U.S.) announced it was no longer charging late fees on overdue materials. Since then, more than 72,000 materials have been returned. More importantly, people are coming back to the library. Read the CBS news story here.

39. All over the map: ERRATIC.  not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.

40. Graduate's document: DIPLOMA.

42. "Alas, that seems likely": I FEAR SO.

43. Do some serious soul-searching: DIG DEEP.

44. Sound of impact: BAM.

also, Chef Emeril Lagasse's catchphrase

45. Stringed-instrument player at Renaissance fairs: LUTIST.

Here is a 3 min., very pretty but not-at-all-from-the-Renaissance-period song.

It turns out a lute is much more guitar-like than I was picturing. "Lute" does rhyme with "flute", after all. This one looks like it has 16 strings.

46. And others, briefly: ET AL.

47. Item in a magician's deck: CARD.

48. Canada's capital: OTTAWA.  CSO#5 to Canadian-Eh!!!

49. Lobster eggs: ROE.

54. Letter-shaped girder: I BAR.  I have always loved this photo -- even though my stomach does somersaults just looking at it!

56. Distinguished gentlemen: SIRS.

58. Thurman of "Super Pumped": UMA.  They had me at "Thurman" with 3 letters.

UMA as Arianna Huffington in the 2022 drama, Super Pumped

59. Nemesis: FOE.  Well, well, well...

That's all for today. I'm stoked and delighted to read your thoughts! Have any burning questions? Fire away!

Sunday March 12, 2023 Robin Stears

Theme: "Excuses, Excuses!" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by its homophone or soundalike, befitting the excuse by the profession in each clue.

23. "I always wanted to be a ballerina, but I ... ": JUST DIDN'T GET THE POINTE. Point.

34. "I always wanted to be a baker, but I ... ": HAVEN'T GOT WHAT I KNEAD. Need.

53. "I always wanted to be a Gregorian monk, but I ... ": NEVER GOT THE CHANTS. Chance.

73. "I always wanted to be a perfumer, but I ... ": HAD NO COMMON SCENTS. Sense.

91. "I always wanted to be a gardener, but I ... ": COULDN'T FIND THE THYME. Time.

109. "I always wanted to be a wedding officiant, but I ... ": DON'T KNOW THE RITE PEOPLE. Right.

RITE is not the last word, but 109A is such a fun excuse.

Great to see Robin Stears ventured into a Sunday grid. 140-word no less. Click here to read her interview.

Across:

 

1. Jorts fabric: DENIM. Jorts = Jean shorts.

 

6. North Africa's __ Mountains: ATLAS.

11. Cranberry sites: BOGS.

15. TV ads for good causes: PSAS.

19. One who may live by the Strait of Hormuz: OMANI.

20. Go: LEAVE.

21. Old Testament twin: ESAU.

22. Actress Wilson of "His Dark Materials": RUTH. She's British.

27. Specimen for a volcanologist: ASH.

28. Gown: DRESS.

29. Long Beach's location, informally: SOCAL.

30. "I __": Election Day sticker: VOTED. Voted for the first time in 2010 after I became a US citizen.

31. North Carolina university: ELON.

32. Uniform accessory: SASH.

33. Ambulance wailers: SIRENS.

40. __ bar: DIVE.

41. German article: EINE.

42. Northeastern octet: IVIES.

43. Show clearly: EVINCE.

46. Small tastes: SIPS.  And 16. Beverage brewed with solar energy: SUN TEA.

48. Vega, e.g.: STAR.

49. Phony: SHAM.

57. Undefeated boxer Laila: ALI.

58. Means of access: DOORS.

59. Goatee spot: CHIN.

60. Key of Beethoven's "Eroica": E FLAT.

62. Soy-based frozen dessert brand: TOFUTTI. I never had this or soy yogurt.

65. Think of, as a solution: HIT ON.

67. "__ Place": 1990s TV drama: MELROSE.

69. Classic Windows catchphrase: I'M A PC. Feels like ages ago.

70. Bygone Dodge subcompact: OMNI.

71. Messy scuffle: MELEE.

72. Customizable Wii Sports avatar: MII.

81. French infinitive: ETRE.

83. Give more than a darn?: CUSS. Fun clue.

84. Midday: NOON.

85. On the clock: AT WORK.

86. Setting for many Stephen King novels: MAINE. King was born in Portland, Maine.

88. After the whistle: LATE.

90. Wallpaper hanger's calculation: AREA.

98. Sugar shack surrounders: MAPLES.

99. Actress Mireille: ENOS. "The Killing". She's also in "Hanna".

100. MLB stat: RBIS. Also 9. Batting stat: AVG.

101. Massive old computer: ENIAC.

102. Amazon crime series based on Michael Connelly novels: BOSCH. Detective Bosch. Played by Titus Welliver.

104. Fanny pack's spot: WAIST.

106. Needle a bit: SEW.

113. Not aweather: ALEE.

114. Canine pal of Nermal and Garfield: ODIE.

115. British elevators: LIFTS.

116. Pie feature: CRUST.

117. Young 67-Down: LADS. 67. Guys: MEN.

118. Batik artist: DYER.

119. Sherwin-Williams product: PAINT.

120. Toast opener: HERE'S.

Down:

1. "Say So" singer __ Cat: DOJA.

 

 

2. Some Down Under sprinters: EMUS.

3. Graham in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: NASH. Crosby, Stills & Nash.

4. QB misfire: INT.

5. __-of-the-road: MIDDLE.

6. Pasta specification: AL DENTE.

7. Till stack: TENS.

8. Muscles near delts: LATS.

10. Vacillate: SEESAW.

11. "You __!": "Yep!": BETCHA.

12. Dept. of Labor arm: OSHA.

13. Fine __: Irish political party: GAEL. From Wikipedia: It's "a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland." Learning moment for me. 

14. Dine by candlelight, maybe: SUP.

15. "The Canterbury Tales" character: PRIORESS.

17. Go to: ATTEND.

18. Gets rid of: SHEDS.

24. Appliance in some hotel room closets: IRON.

25. Reggae pioneer Peter: TOSH. The Wailers.

26. Like a ram or a lamb: OVINE.

31. Balanced: EVENED UP.

32. Curry of the NBA's "Splash Brothers": STEPH.

33. Bypass: SKIRT.

34. Home with cells: HIVE.

35. Tel __, Israel: AVIV.

36. Main points: GISTS.

37. Taking action: ON IT.

38. Captain of industry: TITAN.

39. Novelist Turgenev: IVAN. He wrote "Fathers and Sons".

40. Family room: DEN.

44. Pants part: CROTCH.

45. Award quartet for John Legend, for short: EGOT.

47. Grapefruit wedge: SECTION.

48. __ guard: SHIN.

50. Lighting effect: HALO.

51. "Poor, pitiful me!": ALAS. Just had another scary allergy episode with tuna.

52. Puny parasite: MITE.

54. "... __ quit!": OR I.

55. Sulu player John: CHO. Korean name. It's spelled as Zhao in Chinese. Chao in Cantonese.

56. Choose: SELECT.

61. Routes without tolls: FREEWAYS.

62. Person of the Year designator: TIME.

63. Skip over: OMIT.

64. So-so: FAIR.

65. Some med. plans: HMOS.

66. Company abbr.: INC.

68. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.

70. Advent: ONSET.

71. Ramadan, e.g.: MONTH. 9th month of the Islamic calendar.

74. Essential fatty __: ACIDS.

75. Brooks's country music partner: DUNN.

76. Gets into shape?: MOLDS. Great clue. These are similar to the one my grandma used.

77. Castle trench: MOAT.

78. Standard: NORM.

79. Koala hangout: TREE.

80. Genre of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones: SKA. Ska punk band.

82. Tries to live up to: EMULATES.

87. Smart __: ALECK.

89. Most uncanny: EERIEST.

91. Cooking oil option: CANOLA.

92. Weighed in: OPINED.

93. "The Addams Family" uncle: FESTER.

94. Foot part: INCH. I told my friend Adam about the 70+inches of snow we got this season in Minnesota. He sent me this picture of his son clearing the roof. He lives in Lapland now.

95. Totally worthless: NO HELP.

96. Recipe amt.: TBSP.

97. Built for NASA, say: HI-TECH.

98. Athlete's award: MEDAL.

102. Soul mate?: BODY.

103. Scrape covered with a Paw Patrol bandage, e.g.: OWIE.

104. Library convenience: WIFI.

105. Memo abbr.: ATTN.

106. Cowpoke's poker: SPUR.

107. "Will there be anything __?": ELSE.

108. Dampens: WETS.

110. Drift off: NOD.

111. Fjord kin: RIA.

112. One of five principal resources in the game Catan: ORE.

C.C.