Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Tim D'Alfonso

I've Gotta Hand it to You:  Today's theme made me think of Bob Fosse and Jazz Hands.  Each theme clue has a Handsy meaning.

17-Across. Nondigital means of telling time: ANALOG WATCH.

29-Across. Display after a poker player's call: CARDS ON THE TABLE.

49-Across. Appreciation at a live performance: ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

And the unifier:

61-Across. Quick polling method, and what 17-, 29-, and 49-Across all are, in different ways: SHOW OF HANDS.  Hand up if you sussed today's theme.

Across:

1. Hotel amenity that may require a password: WI-FI.

5. Put up with: ABIDED.

11. More, in Spanish: MAS.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

14. Playmates: PALS.

15. Negative campaign message?: VOTE NO.  Cute clue.

16. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA.  Everything you wanted to know about RNA vaccines but didn't know to ask.

RNA's structure vs DNA's structure

19. Plum's center: PIT.

20. Bar bill: TAB.

 

21. Southeast Asian language: LAO.  Everything you wanted to know about the language of Laos but didn't know to ask.  The language is very similar to that spoken in Thailand.  Laos is a land-locked country that primarily borders Thailand and Vietnam.

22. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI.

23. Takeout option with egg rolls: CHINESE.  Yummers!

27. Tool for opening wooden crates: CROW BAR.

31. "Star Trek Beyond" actor John: CHO.  John Cho (né Cho Yo-Han; b. June 15, 1972) was born in Seoul, South Korea.  He also stared in the Harold & Kumar movies.  [Name # 1.]

32. Small vortex: EDDY.

33. Pigpen: STY.

34. Breathe heavily: PANT.

36. Place for a peel: SPA.

38. Common promise from a procrastinator: SOON.

42. MMA org.: UFC.  Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

45. Stately trees: ELMs.

48. Be nosy: PRY.

54. Naval officer: ADMIRAL.

55. Onion kin: SHALLOT.  What's the difference between Shallots and Onions?

56. Snoozes: NAPS.

57. Milk source: COW.

59. Sault __ Marie: STE.  Sault Ste. Marie straddles the international boarder of the United States (Michigan) and in Canada (Ontario).  The twin cities are connected by a bridge across the St. Mary River.     Sault Ste. Marie claims to be one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Hi, Yoopers Phil and CanadianEh!  

60. Brief "Oversharing!": TMI.  Textspeak for Too Much Information.  It has become a crossword staple, appearing in a puzzle just last week.

66. Play it by __: EAR.

67. Taken from above, as photos: AERIAL.  Can you guess the city below?

68. Early color TVs: RCAs.  A timeline of the RCA (Radio Company of America).

69. Unenviable grade: DEE.

70. Harden into bone: OSSIFY.

71. Email folder: SENT.

Down:

2. Bond creator Fleming: IAN.  In addition to creating Bond, James Bond, Ian Fleming (né Ian Lancaster Fleming; May 28, 1908 ~ Aug. 12, 1964) also wrote Chitty Chatty Bang Bang: The Magical Car for his son, Casper.  [Name # 2.]

3. __ Building: Manhattan landmark named for its triangular shape: FLAT IRON.  The Flat Iron building was built in 1902 by renowned architect Daniel Burnham (né Daniel Hudson Burnham; Sept. 4, 1846 ~ June 1, 1912).

4. Kitchen prep spot: ISLAND.

5. Slugger's stat: AVG.  As in Average.

6. Archery device: BOW.

7. Lang. of Florence: ITAL.  Italian is spoken in Florence, Italy, the home of David.

8. Separate: DETACH.

9. Concert bonuses: ENCORES.  Theme adjacent.  I saw the Tina: The Tina Turner Musical recently.  There was a big Encore at the end of the show.  The cast got a big Hand before and after the Encore.

10. Play-__: kids' clay: DOH.

11. Onetime Dr Pepper rival: MR. PIBB.  We think we saw Mr. Pibb recently.  Mr. Pibb arrived on the scene in the summer of 1972.  [Name adjacent.]

12. Cat or rat: ANIMAL.  Not only are they animals, but they are rhyming animals.  

13. Political humor, often: SATIRE.

18. Beyond plump: OBESE.

Actually in this case, the"obese" sheep is too full of wool.

22. Influences: SWAYS.

23. Letters on a Soviet uniform: CCCP.  As in Central Committee of the Communist Party.  //  And 41-Down. Russian "no": NYET.

24. "Very funny": HA HA!

25. Lawn roll: SOD.

26. Conclusions: ENDS.

28. Baseball Hall of Famer Mel: OTT.  Mel Ott (né Melvin Thomas Ott; Mar. 2, 1909 ~ Nov. 21, 1958) was born in Gretna, Louisiana.  He played for the New York Giants for nearly 20 years from 1926 through 1947.  Tragically, he was killed from injuries sustained in a car accident.  He was only 49 years old.   [Name # 3.]

30. Far from laid-back: TYPE A.

35. North African capital: TUNIS.  Tunis is the capital of Tunisia.

37. Swiss peaks: ALPS.

39. Wealth: OPULENCE.

40. "... __ it seems": OR SO.

43. New Deal president's initials: FDR.  As in Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945).   [Name # 3.]  //  And 1-Down. 43-Down job-creating program: WPA.  Originally known as Works Progress Administration, later renamed to Works Projects Administration.   //  And 58-Down. Conflict during 43-Down's presidency, briefly: WWII.  Also known as World War II.  [Name #4.]

44. Team instructors: COACHES.

46. Speedometer abbr.: MPH.  As in Miles Per Hour.

47. Drastically lower, as prices: SLASH.

49. __ and raved: RANTED.

50. Whoopi's "Ghost" role: ODA MAE.  [Name # 5.]

51. Ballpark figure?: UMPIRE.  Cute clue.

52. Elevator stops: FLOORS.

53. Chapel fixtures: ALTARS.

61. __ Paulo, Brazil: SÃO.  The city has an interesting history.

62. Clumsy sort: OAF.

63. Go by plane: FLY.  //  And 65-Down.  Bygone jet, for short: SST.  As in SuperSonic Transport.

64. Levy of "Schitt's Creek": DAN.  Dan Levy (né Daniel Joseph Levy; b. Aug. 9, 1983) is the son of Eugene Levy (b. Dec. 17, 1946).  They look alike.  [Name # 6.]

And the Grid:

חתולה

Monday March 27, 2023 Zachary David Levy

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here with Zachary David Levy's latest puzzle. The theme is Back to School!

All of the first parts of the themers can be added AFTER, i.e., at the back of the word SCHOOL to create an in-the-language phrase. Let's take a look:

17 Across. Swimming trunks worn by some surfers: BOARD SHORTS.  

It's a  tough job finding these pics for your edification,
but I'm willing to make the sacrifice.

26 Across. Plant family that includes tomatoes and eggplant: NIGHTSHADE.  WebMD link

37 Across. Guardian angel, e.g.: SPIRIT GUIDE.

49 Across. Salad vegetable that may be red, yellow, or green: BELL PEPPER.  

Now the reveal:

59 Across. Common time for homework, and where to find the starts of 17-, 26-, 37-, and 49-Across: AFTER SCHOOL.

Placing the red words AFTER the word SCHOOL, we find these familiar things:

SCHOOL BOARD

SCHOOL NIGHT

SCHOOL SPIRIT

SCHOOL BELL

Let's study the rest of the clues:

Across:
1. Blow a gasket: ERUPT. This phrase and "blow a fuse" are idioms that mean "to become very angry or upset. Likewise, someone can ERUPT in anger.  

6. Tediously familiar: BANAL.  

11. "That's a pretty low __": BAR.  A 'low BAR' is another way of saying a 'low standard'.

14. Angled cut: BEVEL.  

15. Love, in Italian: AMORE.

Moonstruck (1987)

Dean Martin sings. Cher and Nicolas Cage act. Good stuff!

16. Female sheep: EWE.  

EWE rang(e)?

19. Youngster: LAD.

20. One playing hooky: TRUANT.  an Easter Egg???  

best ever excuse note
ABC News story

21. From stem to __: STERN.  the whole enchilada

23. Country music's __ Brown Band: ZAC.  Unfamiliar to me but I had ZA_ so filling in the "C" seemed like a solid guess at a name. official website

28. Cold-weather coat: ANORAK.

31. Cheek colorers: ROUGES.  Perhaps it's a regional thing, but I think most people say "blush" now-a-days.

32. Old Delta rival: PAN AM.  Here's a link to some old Pan American seaplane pics.

33. Sample: DEMO.  My first car was a dealer DEMO. It had all the bells & whistles.

36. Lemons: DUDS.  speaking of cars....

40. Telephone-on-the-web tech: VOIP.  Voice Over Internet Protocol.  a thorough explanation from the FCC

42. Muslim scholar: IMAM.

43. Gumption: NERVE.  

46. Consume, as food: INGEST.  First we INGEST then we digest. Afterwards, we might need a rest.

48. Make precious: ENDEAR.

53. Genetic material: DNA.

54. Pay increase: RAISE.  Earning one requires gumption.  

55. Mount where Noah landed: ARARAT.  

58. Citrus drink suffix: ADE.

64. La Brea __ Pits: TAR.

65. Inform against: RAT ON.

66. Delivery room helper: DOULA.  

67. Calm part of a hurricane: EYE.  

68. Scissors sounds: SNIPS.
I heard a Ted Talk about how the sound of scissor SNIPS when someone cuts your hair can trigger ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). Basically, you feel very relaxed and certain parts of your brain tingle -- like watching Bob Ross paint on TV. Here's the transcript.

69. Blubbers: CRIES.

Down:
1. Flow back: EBB.

2. __ Speedwagon: REO.

Keep on Loving You was released on REO Speedwagon's 1980 album, Hi Infidelity. It was their first single to break the top 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached the #1 spot in March 1981.

3. Charlottesville sch.: UVA.  The University of Virginia 

Designed by Thomas Jefferson, UVA with Monticello was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. UNESCO site

4. Jaunty: PERT.  

5. Abbr. before a synopsis: TLDR.  I know it means Too Long Didn't Read but I am confused as to why this would appear before a synopsis. How can one write a synopsis without reading it first? Any thoughts?

6. Persian faith that promotes spiritual unity: BAHÁ’Í.  According to the Official Website of the Worldwide Bahá’í Community, the Bahá’í calendar consists of 19 months with 19 days in each month plus 4-5 intercalary days.

7. In the middle of: AMONG.

8. Word with due or true: NORTH.  I like clues like this.

9. Installation object: ART.  The term "installation ART" is used to describe large-scale, mixed-media constructions, often designed for a specific place or for a temporary period of time.  

Example:  Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View by Cornelia Parker, 1991, via Tate, London

10. Not as much: LESS SO.

11. Under fire: BELEAGUERED.  This was a challenging 11-letter fill, along with its symmetrical partner, 25D.

adjective

1.)  in a very difficult situation.
"The board is supporting the beleaguered director amid calls for his resignation."
2.)  (of a place) surrounded by armed forces aiming to capture it or force surrender; besieged.

"He led a relief force to the aid of the beleaguered city."

12. Bestowed, as a grant: AWARDED.  The other day, some of us were commenting about xkcd. I said I had been trying to find a Randall Munroe comic to include in my review. I finally found one that fit:  

13. Sign of irritation: REDNESS.  Try some aloe.

18. Pocketed, as a pool ball: SUNK.

The Hustler

Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman (1961)

22. Landed hard: THUDDED.  The clue is in past tense so we needed to use the past tense of THUD.   

Kind of awkward...

23. Hit with a laser: ZAP.  Is that the technical term?

24. "Love, Victor" actress Ortiz: ANA.  

Ana plays Victor's mom on Love, Victor (Hulu and Disney+).

25. "The Godfather" right-hand man: CONSIGLIERE.  If you knew this answer, you probably found the west side pretty easy. I did not.

Definition:  a member of a Mafia family who serves as an adviser to the leader and resolves disputes within the family.

Robert Duvall played Tom Hagen, the Corleone family's CONSIGLIERE

in The Godfather (1972). James Caan is playing Sonny Corleone. (2 min.)

Both were nominated for (but did not win) an Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role for their performances in this movie.

27. Pants, slangily: TROU.  short for "TROUsers"

29. Descends, as a rock wall: RAPPELS.  Australian-style RAPPELling is going down face-first.

30. "Who __ to judge?": AM I.

33. Low-lit: DIM.

34. "When will u b here?": ETA.  textspeak

35. Studio whose films begin with a roaring lion: MGM.

38. Ceremonial event: RITE.

39. Roadside lodging: INN.

40. Text alert option: VIBRATE.

41. Like many multivitamins: ONE A DAY. as in dosage or ONE A DAY® brand name

44. Passenger transport: VAN.

45. Span of time: ERA.

47. Asparagus units: SPEARS.  

48. __ on the side of caution: ERRS.  

50. Punk icon Smith: PATTI.  CSO to the L.A. Times Crossword Editor

51. Area before surgery, briefly: PRE-OP.

52. Works hard for: EARNS.

56. "Thunderstruck" rock band: AC🗲DC.

57. Recurring role for Chris Hemsworth: THOR.  Chris is an Australian actor born 8/11/83. He has been in the news lately, talking about lifestyle changes he is making after finding out that he has a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's.  Vanity Fair interview

These images are starting to feel gratuitous.

60. Groupie: FAN.

Kristen Schaal was FANtastic as superfan Mel in Flight of the Concords (2007-2009).

If you are not familiar with the show, she is their only FAN and yet they are not nice to her.

(1:24 min.)

61. French "yes": OUI.

62. Nashville's Grand __ Opry: OLE.

63. __ Vegas Aces: LAS.  The Aces were the 2022 WNBA champions. They were in the news last week because Tom Brady (ex-football player, no relation to the 70's TV family) became a minor owner of the team.

cool logo

I better hurry and post the grid before the SCHOOL BELL rings.

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!