Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Hoang-Kim Vu and May Huang

Working for Peanuts.  The Starting word of each theme answer pertains to one's wages: RATE, PAY and FEE.

18-Across. Review site used by students: RATE MY PROFESSORS.  Yup! There's a website for that.

28-Across. Honor, with "to": PAY TRIBUTE.

49-Across. Alliterative chant from "Jack and the Beanstalk": FEE FI FO FUM.

And the unifier:

64-Across. Entry-level wages, and a hint to the first words of 18-, 28-, and 49-Across: STARTING SALARIES.

Across:

1. NYC nabe with the Museum of Ice Cream: SOHO.  Who knew there was a Museum of Ice Cream in the neighborhood South of Houston?

5. Keith Haring genre: POP  ART.  Keith Haring (né Keith Allan Haring; May 4, 1958 ~ Feb. 16, 1990) was known for his Pop Art that often depicted themes of social activism.  Sadly, he died of complications of AIDS at only 31 years old.  [Name # 1.]

11. First piece moved in chess, often: PAWN.

15. "My turn!": I'M UP.

16. Dealership perk: LOANER.

17. __ vera gel: ALOE.  //  Not to be confused with 42-Across. Lisbon greeting: OLÁ.  Today's Portuguese lesson.

21. First part: INTRO.

22. Après-__: SKI.  Today's French lesson.

23. White House rejections: VETOEs.

24. Bronx-born member of Congress, familiarly: AOC.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (b. Oct. 13, 1989) represents New York's 14th District in the United States House of Representatives.  [Name # 2.]

26. Using Wi-Fi: ON-LINE.

32. Ye __ Shoppe: OLDE.

35. Sheltered, at sea: ALEE.  This used to be a crossword staple.

36. German article: DER.  Today's German lesson.  //  And 41-Across.  French article: LES.  

37. Most concise: TERSEST.

40. Tell tales: LIE.

43. EMT skill: CPR.

44. Makeup for lashes: MASCARA.

46. Ride-or-die pal, briefly: BFF.  I wasn't familiar with the phrase "ride-or-die", but the perps gave me the Best Friend Forever.  According to the Slang Dictionary, the phrase means extreme loyalty to someone or some thing.  It does not exactly have a positive connotation.

47. Singer Del Rey: LANA.  Lana Del Rey (née Elizabeth Woolridge Grant; b. June 21, 1985) is known for her melancholic melodies.  [Name # 3.]

48. Opportunity: SHOT.

52. Montana's capital: HELENA.  How Helena got its name.  It's still a mystery.  Maybe Montana will weigh in and give us her take on the State's capital.  [Name adjacent.]

54. Soccer goal part: NET.

55. Calm: SERENE.

58. Neutral possessive pronoun: IT'S.

60. __ cotta: TERRA.  Today's Latin lesson.  The term means Baked Earth.  I saw the Terra Cotta Warriors when I was in Xi'an, C.C.'s home town.

67. Appellation: NAME.

68. Sign after Taurus: GEMINI.  Gemini and Taurus = a love match.

69. Colorful eye part: IRIS.  Everything you wanted to know about the Iris but didn't know to ask.

Iris are also colorful flowers

70. Avoided a tag, perhaps: SLID.  Think baseball.  It looks painful.

71. Like some fancy bathroom floors: HEATED.  My bathroom floors are not so fancy.  We did, however, experience some very fancy heated toilets while in Vietnam.

72. "__ No Sunshine": Bill Withers hit: AIN'T.  Bill Withers (né William Harrison Withers, Jr.; July 4, 1938 ~ Mar. 30, 2020) was working as an aircraft assembler when this song was released in 1971.   [Name # 4.]

Down:

1. Apple's virtual assistant: SIRI.  If you ask Siri personal questions and you will get some funny answers.  [Name # 5.]

2. Mideast sultanate: OMAN.

3. Sluglike species of "Star Wars": HUTT.  The most famous Hutt is probably Jabba.

4. Run: OPERATE.  As in operating some sort of machine, and not running a marathon.

5. Kleenex layer: PLY.

6. "My bad!": OOPS!

7. Sport that turns everyday objects into an obstacle course: PARKOUR.  You learn something new with every crossword puzzle.  The word parkour is derived from the French term (more of today's French lesson) parcours du combattant, which roughly translates to obstacle course.

8. Bless using oil: ANOINT.  Charles III, King of Great Britain (b. Nov. 14, 1948) was anointed at his coronation ceremony last Saturday.

9. Whistle blower?: REF.  Cute clue.

10. Rome's __ Fountain: TREVI.  The Trevi Fountain was constructed in the 1700s.  Construction began in 1732 and it was completed in 1762.  

11. Muted shades: PASTELS.

12. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO.  Another learning experience.  Aloo Gobi is a vegetarian dish made with potatoes and cauliflower.   It looks good.

13. Was dressed in: WORE.

14. Loch in tabloid photos: NESS.  The modern legend of the Loch Ness monster dates back just 90 years.

19. Tie up at the dock: MOOR.

20. Madame's Spanish counterpart: SEÑORA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

25. Angry Orchard beverage: CIDER.

27. Acquit: LET OFF.

28. Tropical tree: PALM.

29. Pseudonym: ALIAS.

30. "Unbelievable!": YEESH!

31. "Take care on the way home!": BE SAFE!

33. Late-afternoon coffee choice: DECAF.

34. Broadcaster of some NCAA games: ESPNU.  ESPNU is the sister company of ESPN that covers college sports.

38. Pixieish: ELFIN.

39. Shuttle on rails: TRAM.  Also known as streetcars.

41. Not yet visible: LATENT.

45. Held together: COHERED.

46. Scrams: BEATS IT.

47. Game of chance also known as "Mexican bingo": LOTERIA.  Another learning experience

50. Mystery: ENIGMA.  Alan Turing (né Alan Mathison Turing; June 23, 1912 ~ June 7, 1954) cracked the Enigma Code.  The Enigma machine was an encryption machine the Germans used during WWII to transmit coded messages.  Turing and other researchers at Bletchley Park found some weakness in the code and were able to decrypt it.  It's a fascinating history.

51. Greek cheese: FETA.  Feta is a soft, crumbly Greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk that is brined in salt.

53. "Psycho" actress Janet: LEIGH.  Janet Leigh (née Jeanette Helen Morrison; July 6, 1927 ~ Oct. 3, 2004) is the mother of actress Jamie Lee Curtis (b. Nov. 22, 1958).  The shooting of the shower scene in Psycho gave Janet nightmares for years after.  It creeps me out, too.  [Name # 6.]

55. Taxpayer IDs: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

56. List-shortening abbr.: ET AL.  A crossword staple.

57. Actor Malek: RAMI.  Rami Said Malek (b. May 12, 1981) made a convincing Freddie Mercury in the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody.  [Name # 7.]

59. Levelheaded: SANE.

61. 2023 Super Bowl performer, to fans: RI-RI.  Ri-Ri is the nickname of Rihanna (née Robin Rihanna Fenty; b. Feb. 20, 1988).  She likes a lot of exposure.[Name # 8.]

62. Bridle part: REIN.

63. Admin. aide: ASST.  As in an assistant.

65. Formerly called: NÉE.  More of today's French lesson.  Technically, the word comes from the French which means born.  The word née, the feminine past participle of naitre, "to be born." The masculine form is né.

66. Pot top: LID.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday May 8, 2023 Katie Hale

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Constructor & Assistant Editor Katie Hale put a bit of her London life into today's puzzle. The coronation of Charles III and Camila was this past Saturday. Given the monarchy's checkered history, let's call today's puzzle:

The 3 themed clues are:

3 Down. Rolling Stones song that inspired a restaurant name: RUBY TUESDAY.

The Rolling Stones released Ruby Tuesday in 1967.

The restaurants were founded in 1972 in Knoxville, TN.

7 Down. Aromatic bulbs in coq au vin: PEARL ONIONS.  

Weeknight Coq Au Vin Recipe

22 Down. Nickname for Ireland: EMERALD ISLE.

Have ewe been there?

The reveal:

24 Down. Some sparklers at King Charles III's coronation, and a literal feature of 3-, 7-, and 22-Down?: CROWN JEWELS.

RUBY, PEARL, EMERALD Each is a JEWEL. Additionally, notice that the JEWEL is at the top or CROWN of the vertically-written phrase. Very clever, Katie!!  

Queen Elizabeth II sporting the CROWN JEWELS at her 1953 coronation

Today's grid:

Let's see what other gems Katie gave us:

Across:
1. Title for Elton John: SIR.  

More royal stuff:
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Elton John on Feb. 24, 1998 at Buckingham Palace.

4. "__ Misérables": LES.

7. Yellow tropical fruit: PAPAYA.  

This variety is yellow on the outside & orange on the inside.

13. "Say something funny!": AMUSE ME.  I would not recommend saying this to anyone...unless you are the King of England.

15. Exercise plan, e.g.: REGIMEN.

16. Beirut's country: LEBANON.  

17. Working hard for: EARNING.

18. Decline: SAY NO.  

19. "Dang it": AW DRAT.  Hmmmmm......

21. Occupants of a classroom farm: ANTS.  

22. Internet shopping: E-TAIL.  like "retail" but transacted Electronically

23. Spanish eight: OCHO. and 25. Spanish greeting: HOLA.

Dos CSOs to Lucina!

27. "Rugrats" dad: STU.  Stuart Louis "Stu" Pickles Jr., to be precise

28. Destination in "The Lord of the Rings": MORDOR.  IIRC, WC is our LOTR authority.

30. Actor Lowe: ROB.  I heard him say in an interview that he credits his good looks to getting a lot of sleep.

31. Spot to grab a bite: EATERY.

34. The Pussycat Dolls lead singer Scherzinger: NICOLE.  The standard spelling of her name helped me today.

36. Replies: ANSWERS.  

The caption is a bit hard to read. It says,
"Auto reply:  I am dead and will have limited access to e-mail."

38. Interstate road, e.g.: HIGHWAY. I was working on this blog when Gordon Lightfoot's passing was announced. This one is in his memory.

Carefree HIGHWAY  (1974)

39. Early Ford roadster: MODEL A.  "Roadster" made me hold off on the last letter until I found a perp.  

40. Give some slack: LOOSEN.  

41. Citymapper info, for short: ETA.  This app integrates urban transportation options such as public transport, walking, cycling, and driving.

42. Big name in outdoor apparel: L.L.BEAN.

44. Morning brew, slangily: JOE.

47. "Year of the Gentleman" R&B singer: NE-YO.  His 3rd studio album, Year of the Gentleman, was released in 2008.

49. Darlings: DEARS.  Here are some Disney Darlings:  

John, Wendy, & Michael Darling

50. Restaurant list: MENU.  

The Menu trailer (2022) starring Ralf Fiennes

I watched this movie recently. It wasn't and it was what I was expecting.

51. Buddy: FRIEND.  and 10. 51-Across, in France: AMI.

53. Farther down: LOWER.  Check out this video of Shemika Charles doing the limbo (1 min.).

54. Basic metabolic panel, e.g.: LAB TEST.  

The dogtor will see you now.

57. "Crossing my fingers!": I HOPE SO.  the answer to, "Will solvers like this puzzle?"

59. Challenges a verdict in a higher court: APPEALS.

60. Traction-improving: NON-SLIP.

61. Starbucks size: GRANDE.  

62. "Golly": GEE.  willikers

63. Spot: SEE.

Down:
1. Taco truck condiments: SALSAS.  

We're going to need more chips!

2. "To clarify ... ": I MEANT.

4. Longtime late-night host Jay: LENO.

5. Punk rock subgenre: EMO.

6. Ottawa NHL team: SENATORS.  The original Ottawa Senators (1883-1934) dominated the sport. link

8. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA.

9. Spotted pony: PINTO.  The American Paint Horse is a breed of horse that combines both the conformational characteristics of a western stock horse with a PINTO spotting pattern of white and dark coat colors.

11. Kyoto currency: YEN.  US$1.00 = ¥134.64    (3May2023)

12. "Sense and Sensibility" director Lee: ANG.  Fortunately for clue writers, Mr. Lee has directed many movies. IMDb list

14. Comic __: cartoony font choice: SANS.  People love to hate this font. This video explains some of the reasons.  (5:25 min.)

15. Overhauled, as decor: REDID.  

20. Cautious: WARY.  Not knowing 28A, this was my last fill to work out.

26. Follow instructions: OBEY.

29. Fixes, in a way: RIGS.  

(phrasal verb) If you RIG up a device or structure, you make it or fix it in place, using any materials that are available.  

Apollo 13 (1995) Square Peg in a Round Hole Scene (1:15 min.)

32. Wide-eyed wonder: AWE.

33. Blab: TELL.

35. Revolutionary Guevara: CHE.

36. Hymn ender: AMEN.

37. A flat or B sharp: NOTE.

38. Squirreling away: HOARDING.  how squirrels remember where they buried their nuts

40. Tilt: LEAN.

43. Root vegetables such as Detroit Dark Red and Bull's Blood: BEETS.  Their flavor and nutrition is hard to beat.

45. Infant's bodysuit: ONESIE.  an infant's one-piece garment that leaves the legs uncovered and fastens with snaps at the crotch

46. Belgium locale: EUROPE.

48. More than sometimes: OFTEN.

50. Janitorial tools: MOPS.

52. Word on a library poster: READ.  

53. Solitary: LONE.

54. Fall behind: LAG.  

55. Acronym in many credit card ads: APR.  Annual Percentage Rate

56. Chem. in some plastics: BPA.  Bisphenol A  

58. Earth-turning tool: HOE.  "Sun" also fit.  

That's it for today's treasure box. Enjoy the week, everyone!

Sunday May 7, 2023 Trent H. Evans

Theme: "Meditation Break" - OM is added to each common phrase.

23. Illumination in the Sugarhill Gang's car?: RAPPER'S DOME LIGHT. Rapper's Delight. The Sugarhill Gang song.

34. Critique of an overstuffed pillow?: TOO MUCH DOWN. Touch down.

47. Scriptures published in a garage?: HOME BREW BIBLE. Hebrew Bible.

66. Headline announcing a generous Butterball donation by an Oscar winner?: TOM HANKS' GIVING TURKEYS. Thanksgiving turkeys.

85. All-clear announcement near the Colosseum?: ROMAN RIOT OVER. Ran riot over.

99. Trite remark of the future?: BROMIDE-TO-BE. Bride-to-be.

110. Employee's explanation for intentional incompetence?: JUST DOOMING MY JOB. Just doing my job. 

I mentioned before that Trent has his own website (Grid Therapy) where he regularly publishes puzzles. 

Such a creative theme. I would never thought of Tom Hanks for Thanks. Talk about imagination. Quite a few cross-conferences in this puzzle. Might be Trent's style.

Across:

1. Wafer brand: NECCO.

6. Con: SCAM.

10. Count in jazz: BASIE. Count Basie. First African-American to win a Grammy.

15. Artisan's online marketplace: ETSY.

19. Charity golf tourney: PRO-AM.

20. "Otello" baritone: IAGO.

21. Build up: AMASS.

22. "I like it!": NICE.

26. Michael of "The Lego Batman Movie": CERA. Robin.

27. __ pan: SAUTE.

28. Source of many quotes, for short: ANON.

29. Apple device?: CORER. Really apple.

30. Bones, perhaps: DOG TREATS.

38. Advance: INROAD.

39. Vientiane language: LAO. Our Asian store now carries both pork larb and beef larb.

41. Tirades: SCREEDS.

42. Floor: STUN.

43. "Gosh!": DEAR ME.

46. Toi et moi: NOUS.

51. Vexes: NETTLES.

56. Casual agreement: YEP.

57. Fish bait: LURES.

58. Nobelist Pavlov: IVAN. Died in 1936. Pavlov's dog. Conditioned reflex. 

60. Some Indian music: RAGA. Also 89. Tikka masala bread: NAAN.

61. Heredity unit: GENE.

62. Anglican minister: VICAR. Father Charlie is Vicar General. So glad he was able to visit us during Boomer's last days.

64. Porch seats: SWINGS.

72. Snobbish: SNOOTY.

73. Aspect: FACET.

74. Tahiti sweetie: AMIE.

75. Athletic tear spots, for short: ACLS. Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

76. Carnival ride destination: PORT.

77. Schism results: SECTS.

79. Corner PC key: ESC.

82. Cause of some delays: RED TAPE. Social Security is a bit bureaucratic.

91. Least likely to be found: RAREST.

92. Kotb of "Today": HODA.

93. Literal and metaphorical danger spot: THIN ICE.

96. Not quite the worst grade: DEE.

97. Pickleball smashes: SPIKES. And 90. Pickleball barrier: NET.

102. Press corps members: REPORTERS.

105. Cheek colorer: ROUGE.

106. Squat: NADA.

108. Filing jobs, briefly: MANIS.

109. Lhasa __: APSO.

117. Invite information: WHEN.

118. Habitual: USUAL.

119. Bagpiper's garb: KILT.

120. French wine valley: LOIRE.

121. Wall St. index, familiarly: NYSE.

122. Like some rom-coms: SAPPY.

123. Goes: SAYS.

124. Maxwell House alternative: YUBAN. Boomer liked Folgers.

Down:

1. "Sunday Puzzle" airer: NPR. 40. Shapiro of 1-Down: ARI.

2. The Carter __: ERA.

3. "What a __-out!": COP.

4. Crowning achievement: CAPSTONE.

5. Mark in the World Golf Hall of Fame: OMEARA. Used to be very close to Tiger.

6. Blues great __ Monica Parker: SISTA. Learning moment for me.

7. Academy trainee: CADET.

8. In the past: AGO.

9. NYC cultural center: MOMA. The Starry Night is there.

10. "The Jungle Book" bear: BALOO.

11. __ acid: AMINO.

12. Droop: SAG.

13. "Kinda": ISH.

14. Approximate fig.: EST.

15. Make secret, in a way: ENCODE.

16. Steering system part: TIE ROD.

17. Threaded fasteners: SCREWS.

18. Thirst (for): YEARN.

24. Wished for a do-over: RUED.

25. Lay to rest: ENTOMB.

29. Lungs locale: CHEST.

30. Full of gossip: DISHY.

31. Doing a pirouette, say: ON TOE.

32. Oscar the Grouch, e.g.: GRUMP.

33. Hunks: SLABS.

35. AOL rival: MSN.

36. The NCAA's Huskies: U CONN. Women's basketball powerhouse.

37. One of two words with an umlaut in a metal band's name: CRUE. Mötley Crüe.

43. Actor Jacobi: DEREK.

44. Lea grazer: EWE. 48. 44-Down's sound: BLEAT.

45. Call forth: ELICIT.

49. Far from hard-boiled: RUNNY. And 54. Like soufflés: EGGY.

50. __ Rachel Wood of "Westworld": EVAN.

52. Tot's transport: TRIKE.

53. Alley assignment: LANE.

55. Lip: SASS.

59. Evita's land: Abbr.: ARG.

61. Drop without warning, in a way: GHOST. As in text, e.g.

62. Triumphant one: VICTOR. 93. Prize for a 62-Down: TROPHY.

63. "__ seen better": I'VE.

64. Total: SUM TO.

65. Place for a bangle: WRIST. Jade bangles are very popular in Guangzhou. Real jade can be pricey. Lao Pan gifted Carmen a light green one for her birthday a few years ago. It cost RMB9,0000 ($1,300).

66. Nicholas II title: TSAR.

67. Previously: ONCE.

68. Orthodontist's creation: MOLD.

69. Airport with a BART station: SFO.

70. Teri of "Oh, God!": GARR.

71. Unspoken: TACIT.

76. Harmony: PEACE.

77. Show scorn: SNEER.

78. Hosp. areas: ERS.

79. Call forth: EVOKE.

80. Meal with vegetables dipped in salt water: SEDER.

81. Boorish: CRASS.

83. "Little Girls" musical: ANNIE.

84. Took care of dinner, say: PAID.

86. Got by: MADE DO.

87. "__ we there yet?": ARE.

88. Cold open?: OH IT'S YOU. I like the clue/answer.

94. Green Monopoly pieces: HOUSES.

95. "That's it for me!": I'M GONE.

97. Playlist unit: SONG.

98. In a rigidly formal way: PRIMLY.

99. Muscle: BRAWN.

100. Handy: ON TAP.

101. "This'll end __": BADLY.

103. Post of propriety: EMILY. Emily Post.

104. Trousers: PANTS.

107. Astronaut's go-aheads: A-OKS.

110. Prime rib au __: JUS.

111. Forever Stamp letters: USA.

112. "Yo": SUP.

113. Actress Wasikowska: MIA. She's an Australian.

114. Triangular sail: JIB.

115. British singer Rita: ORA.

116. Big __: London landmark: BEN. Did any of you see our Steve at the Coronation? He's been in the UK for a few days.

I had a great walk at Springbrook Nature Reserve last Thursday with my sister-in-law Connie and our friend Tom Pepper, the crossword constructor based here in Minnesota. Afterwards Tom treated us to a delicious Thai lunch. I had the most amazing papaya salad, mild version of course, as I can't handle the hot pepper. Thai chili is something else.

C.C. & Connie

Tom & C.C., 5/4/2023