Tuesday, May 16, 2023 Doug Peterson

HeadQuarters:  Each theme answer is a two word phrase where the first word begins with H and the second word begins with Q.

19-Across. Pint equivalent: HALF QUART.

25-Across. DC Comics' Clown Princess of Crime: HARLEY QUINN.  This fictional character made her first appearance in a 1992 Batman cartoon.  [Name # 1.]

42-Across. Members of royal courts who may be crowned at halftime: HOMECOMING QUEENS.  In this scene, the Homecoming Queen is at her prom.

57-Across. Deluxe: HIGH QUALITY.

64-Across. Feels apprehensive: HAS QUALMS.

And the Unifier:

52-Down. Command ctrs., and a description of five answers in this puzzle: HQs.  As in HeadQuarters.

HeadQuarters of the Longaberger Basket Company

Across:

1. Push, as a button: PRESS.

6. Scuff, say: MAR.

9. Air rifle: BB GUN.  Who remembers this scene from A Christmas Story?

14. Mint with a Coca-Cola flavor: TIC TAC.  I was not aware of this particular flavor.  Does it refresh one's breath?

16. Language suffix: -ESE.

17. Russian crepes: BLINI.  Yummers!

18. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

21. "Yellowjackets" actress Purnell: ELLA.  Yellowjackets is television thriller-drama on Showtime.  It's sort of a female Lord of the Flies theme.   The series takes place in 2021 with flashbacks to 1996, when a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team was flying across the country.  Their their plane crashed in the wilderness somewhere.  The survivors were stranded for over a year before being rescued.  The series chronicles their life in the wilderness, as well as their current day life.  Ella Purnell (née Ella Summer Purnell; b. Sept. 17, 1996) portrays Jackie Taylor, the captain of the soccer team.  [Name # 2.]

23. Customizable Nintendo avatar: MII.  The name Mii is a portmanteau of “Wii” and “me.

24. Actress Falco: EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) is probably best known for her role as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.  [Name # 3.]

29. Re-re-re-reminds: NAGS.

30. "Rudy" coach Parseghian: ARA.  Ara Parseghian (né Ara Raoul Parseghian; May 21, 1923 ~ Aug. 2, 2017) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  He played professional football before becoming a college football coach.  He was the head coach at Notre Dame from 1964 until his retirement in 1974.  [Name # 4.]

31. WrestleMania win: PIN.

32. Facts, for short: INFO.

34. Clobbers, quaintly: SMITES.

37. __ Buddhism: ZEN.  Everything you wanted to know about Zen Buddhism but didn't know to ask.

39. Tennis icon Arthur: ASHE.  Arthur Ashe (né Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.; July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 3, 1993) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  He began playing tennis at age 6.  During his career, he won three Grand Slam singles titles.  [Name # 5.]

46. Like a Mega Millions jackpot winner: RICH.

US States and Territories that offer the Mega Millions lottery as of November 2022.

47. NYSE debut: IPO.  As in Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

48. Open, as a onesie: UNSNAP.

49. Noisy car part: HORN.

51. "Weekend Update" comic Michael: CHE.  I learned about Michael Che (né Michael Che Campbell; b. May 19, 1083) from doing the crosswords, as he, too, is a frequent guest here.  His 40th birthday is next Friday.  [Name # 6.]

53. LED TV brand: RCA.  The name RCA originally was derived from the Radio Corporation of America.  The company is also known for its phonographs.

54. Ball in a craft store: YARN.  Most yarn I have seen in stores, is actually sold in skeins or hanks.  Maybe our resident knitter(s) will weigh in on the preferred type.

61. Mine, in Marseille: À MOI.  Today's French lesson.

62. 22-Down monitoring org.: EPA.  //  And 22-Down. Pollution stat: AQI. as in the Air Quality Index, which is supposed to be monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Here is the AQI in Louisiana.

63. Aquatic mammal: SEAL.

67. Planet orbited by a moon named Margaret: URANUS.  Margaret is one of 27 moons of Uranus.  Margaret is the only known prograde moon of Uranus, which means it rotates in the same direction as Uranus rotates (as opposed to retrograde rotation).  It was discovered just 10 years ago by Scott Sheppard.  It was apparently named after a character in Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing.  Margaret is also the name of Scott Sheppard's mother.  [Name adjacent.]

71. Outperform: ONE UP.

72. Official calling pitch clock violations: UMP.

73. City east of Los Angeles: POMONA.

74. Desert sanctuaries: OASES.

75. Part of LGBTQ+: GAY.

76. Teen sleuth Drew: NANCY.  Nancy Drew made her first appearance in 1930, in the teen mystery novel The Secret of the Old Clock.  The books were published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.  I think there is still an iteration of Nancy Drew, but more modern.  I remember reading Nancy Drew mysteries when I was young and being fascinated that she drove a roadster.  [Name # 7.]

Down:

1. Booster gp. for schools: PTA.  As in the Parent Teacher Association.

2. Crater's edge: RIM.

3. __ mode: energy-saving car setting: ECO-.

4. Iron alloy: STEEL.  Everything you wanted to know about the history of steel but didn't know to ask.

5. Ferret's cousin: SABLE.  Sable vs Ferret.

6. "Not my fave": MEH.

7. "Same for me": AS AM I.  6-Down.

8. Replacing the inner layer of: RELINING.

9. Smoky chip flavor, briefly: BBQ.

10. Puritanical people: BLUENOSES.  Hmm ... The term also apparently refers to someone from Nova Scotia.  The Bluenose was also the name of the ferry that went from Bar Harbor, Maine to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

11. Celebrity chef De Laurentiis: GIADA.  I am not familiar with Giada De Laurentiis (née Giada Pamela De Laurentiis; b. Aug. 22, 1970).  She hosts a cooking show in the Food Network.  [Name # 8.]

12. Strip of equipment: UNRIG.

13. Informal evenings: NITES.

15. Caribbean music genre: CALYPSO.  The late Harry Belafonte (né Harold George Bellanfanti, Jr; Mar. 1, 1927 ~ Apr. 25, 2023) was known as the King of Calypso.   [Name adjacent.]

20. Literary Huckleberry: FINN.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain (né Samuel Clemens; Nov. 30, 1835 ~ Apr. 21, 1910) has been banned by many schools ever since it was first published in the mid-1880s.  [Name # 9.]

25. __ browns: HASH.  Yummers!

26. Samurai's protection: ARMOR.

27. Maguire's "Spider-Man" director: RAIMI.  Sam Raimi (né Samuel M. Raimi; b. Oct. 23, 1959) is best known for his Spider-Man series of films, of which there are currently three.  He has also collaborated with the Coen brothers on some films.  [Name # 10.]

28. Open, as a gym bag: UNZIP.

33. Mythical man-goat: FAUN.

35. Method: TECHNIQUE.

36. Reverberate: ECHO.

38. Father of Methuselah: ENOCH.  Enoch is a Biblical figure who lived before the great flood.  He supposedly lived to be 365 years old.  He was the father of Methuselah and Jared.  Methuselah was also known for his longevity.  He died supposedly died at age 969.  [Name # 11.]

40. Painter Matisse: HENRI.  Although he was primarily a painter, Henri Matisse (né Henri Émile Benoît Matisse; Dec. 31, 1869 ~ Nov. 3, 1954) was also known for his printmaking and sculptors,  [Name # 12.]

Self-Portrait

41. Make into law: ENACT.  You really don't want to know how the sausage is made.

43. Headphone jack insert: MINI PLUG.

44. Get in line: QUEUE UP.

45. Fix, at the vet's office: SPAY.

50. Actress Seehorn: RHEA.  Rhea Seehorn (née Deborah Rhea Seehorn; b. May 12, 1972) just celebrated her 51st birthday.  She is probably best known for her portrayal of Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul.   [Name # 13.]

54. "Yippee!": YAHOO.

55. Appliance maker: AMANA.  This brand of kitchen appliances makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.

56. Tokens of love: ROSES.

58. Letter before delta: GAMMA.

59. Yankee slugger Judge: AARON.  In 2017, Aaron Judge (né Aaron James Judge; b. Apr. 26, 1992) was named Rookie of the Year.  [Name # 14.]

60. Peruvian pack animal: LLAMA.

65. FedEx rival: UPS.  What's the difference?

66. Eve in "Killing Eve," for one: SPY.  Killing Eve was a British spy thriller.  Sandra Oh (né Sandra Midi Oh; b. July 20, 1971) plays Eve Polastri, the title character.   [Name # 15.]

68. The "N" of NFT: NON.  As in Non-Fungible Token.

69. Mom's bro: UNC.  Slang for Uncle.  70-Down, I am not keen on this answer.

70. "May I just __ ... ": SAY.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday May 15, 2023 Gary Cee

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Constructor Gary Cee has given us an uplifting puzzle. Here is a link to a 2011 interview with Gary Cee posted by the wonderful C.C. Burnikel.

Today's theme is

Rise & Shine

Let's start with a happy song to put everyone in a good mood.

We have 4 themed clues:

17 Across. Cold War political symbol: IRON CURTAIN.

Winston Churchill's 1946 speech at Westminster College in Fulton, MO is said to have made IRON CURTAIN a household phrase. Alexander Campbell had previously used the phrase metaphorically in his 1945 book, It's Your Empire.  

Countries behind the IRON CURTAIN are shaded red.  more info

23 Across. Project announced as a test of public opinion: TRIAL BALLOON.

This is when a company or politician puts out feelers for how the public might respond to a new product, policy, idea, candidate, etc. We see these often as visual metaphors in political cartoons. The No Politics policy here on the Corner means you will have to Google your own examples.

48. Maryland-based daily paper: BALTIMORE SUN.  Hi Waseeley!

This newspaper was founded in 1837 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing.

59. Alabama team: CRIMSON TIDE.

Univ. of Alabama lore credits the team name to a 1907 football game. Birmingham's iron-rich soil turned Alabama's white jerseys red. A sportswriter wrote that the team played like "a CRIMSON TIDE." UA website

The reveal is perfectly centered in the grid:

38 Across. "On your feet!" courtroom command, and a hint to the ends of the answers to 17-, 23-, 48-, and 59-Across: ALL RISE.

CURTAIN, BALLOON, SUN, TIDE. ALL these things RISE.  

Next, I will attempt to RISE to the challenge of explaining the remaining clues.

Across:

1. Golden Globe, e.g.: AWARD.

6. Resounding success: SMASH.  This word has a lot of different uses -- some positive and some definitely not positive. In the entertainment world, it is used colloquially to mean something very successful.  Example:  Ke Huy Quan won a Golden Globe AWARD for his performance in the SMASH hit, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

11. Stubborn animal: ASS.  An ASS is what we consider a donkey, except that it is wild. Is it really fair to call a wild animal "stubborn" because it does not want to do what you want it to do?

average lifespan = 27-40 yrs.

14. Nissan crossover SUV: ROGUE.  This is a 5-passenger, mid-size AWD crossover vehicle first introduced for 2008.

15. Yellow parts of eggs: YOLKS.  Imagine if roosters laid eggs. There would be so many new dad YOLKS to crack you up.

16. Like carpaccio: RAW.  One of the biggest differences between beef carpaccio and tartare is that carpaccio is made from thinly sliced beef tenderloin while tartare is made from meat that has been minced.  

This tuna CARPACCIO has capers, limes, and red onions.

19. __-friendly: green: ECO.

20. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG.  Last Monday he was clued with Sense and Sensibility.

21. Aunt Bee's charge, in a classic sitcom: OPIE.  

OPIE decides to keep Aunt Bee (1:28 min.)

22. Newbie: TYRO.  ESP.

From Merriam Webster:  The word tyro is hardly a newcomer to Western language. It comes from the Latin tiro, which means "young soldier," "new recruit," or more generally, "novice." The word was sometimes spelled tyro as early as Medieval Latin, and can be spelled tyro or tiro in English (though tyro is the more common American spelling).

27. Harvest-ready: RIPE.

Nothing beats home-grown tomatoes!

30. Low-tech calculator: ABACUS.  

31. Smudge: SMEAR.  or  35 Down. Pat gently: DAB.

33. Satisfied paparazzi, maybe: POSED.  "Satisfied" is a verb here. Now I get it!

37. Self-mover's rental: VAN.

40. Singer Yoko: ONO.

41. Rank below cpl.: PFC.  An Army Corporal is an E-4 paygrade; whereas a Private First Class is an E-3. In case you were wondering, The Colonel is KFC.

42. Tusked hogs: BOARS.

43. Speaker Emerita Pelosi: NANCY.

45. Gift box trimming: RIBBON.  

cat presents

47. Butterfly catchers: NETS.

53. In __ of: LIEU.  

54. British peer: EARL.  Peerage is the body of peers or titled nobility in Britain. The five ranks of British nobility, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. Until 1999, peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords and exempted from jury duty. Titles may be hereditary or granted for life.

55. Bit of back talk: LIP.  #teenagers

58. Rather strange: ODD.  ODDs are even strange people find others ODD.

63. Forensic drama franchise: CSI.

64. Physics Nobelist Marie: CURIE.  Marie Curie,  née Maria Sklodowska, was born in Warsaaw on November 7, 1867.  Nobel Prize website

65. Airplane walkway: AISLE.  and  67 Down. Airplane assignments: SEATS.

66. Daughter's brother: SON.  

Try not to overthink it.

68. Drive off: REPEL.  Were you thinking golf balls ... cars ... cattle ... nails ... a fundraiser???

Bonus:  You can cook with them, too!  (the plants--not the mosquitos)

Down:
1. Opera highlight: ARIA.  Here is a very well-known ARIA:

The Magic Flute – Queen of the Night (3 min.)

Mozart; Diana Damrau, The Royal Opera

2. Threadbare: WORN.

3. On tenterhooks: AGOG.  

4. "Let's get out of here!": RUN.  I cannot verify if this is true, but I saw one website that said "Let's get out of here" is the 2nd most often used stock phrase in movies, after "I love you." This is a 2:35 min. montage of "Let's get out of here" clips. They go fast. See how many movies you recognize.

5. Architectural Digest subject: DECOR.  

May 2023 issue

6. Damascus location: SYRIA.  

7. Road trip stopover: MOTEL.  

Don't stop at this one!

8. __ carte menu: À LA.   (of a menu or restaurant) listing or serving food that can be ordered as separate items, rather than part of a set meal.

9. Hit the slopes: SKI.

10. QVC alternative: HSN.  Both are TV shopping channels.

11. "May I speak now?": ARE YOU DONE.  Putting the reveal in the center of the grid enabled Gary Cee to give us four 10-letter, vertical fills. I especially appreciate that work in a Monday puzzle!  (See also 12D, 28D, and 29D.)

12. Immune from criticism: SACROSANCT.  

(Adj.) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.

13. Require smelling salts: SWOON.  

Lauren Bacall shows us how it's done.

18. Wire service co.: UPI.  United Press International

22. Doting affection, briefly: TLC.  Tender Loving Care

23. English breakfast, for one: TEA.  At first I fell for the diversion and could not see how one cup of tea could stand in for a full English breakfast. Then I remembered that English Breakfast is a black TEA blend.

BTW, my favourite part of an English breakfast is the tomato.  DH cooks a tomato for me when he makes his eggs.

24. Foundation: BASIS.  Here's one Ray-O style:

Players at 1st, 2nd, & 3rd .... BASIS loaded

Happy birthday, Ray-O-Sunshine!! 🎂

25. Five-spots: ABES.  Does anyone call these "Abes"??? 

26. Carrying freight: LADEN.  LADEN was the MW Word of the Day last Wednesday. Does anyone else get their daily emails?

27. Invitation letters: RSVP.  

28. "Regrettably, yes": I'M AFRAID SO.

29. Tentatively on the schedule: PENCILED IN.  

32. Bar mitzvah official: RABBI.

33. Dallas suburb: PLANO.  From the (assumedly non-biased) PLANO Chamber of Commerce:

What started as a small, quiet farming community. Plano has transformed into a city known across the country for our smart people, amazing quality of life, and strong job market. Plano is home to roughly 284,579 residents, several Fortune 1000 companies, and more than 10,000 businesses.

34. Bobby of the Bruins: ORR.  A hockey player familiar to XWD solvers.

36. Word with Beach, Beastie, and Backstreet, in band names: BOYS.  Good Monday clue!

The Beach BOYS sing Good Vibrations on The Ed Sullivan Show (1968).

composed by Brian Wilson; lyrics by Mike Love; iconic "California sound"

39. Weaver's device: LOOM.

44. Journalist Curry: ANN.  Ms. Curry was born 19 Nov. 1956 in Guam. No relation to 64A.

46. AC power unit: BTU.  A British thermal unit is a measure of the heat content of fuels or energy sources. It is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temperature that water has its greatest density (approximately 39 degrees Fahrenheit).

48. Allied groups: BLOCS.

49. Send payment: REMIT.

50. Simplifies: EASES.

51. "We're full" B'way sign: SRO.  "B'way" is short for "Broadway" and "SRO" is short for "Standing Room Only".

52. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR.  

today's anatomy lesson

55. Invisalign side effect, perhaps: LISP.  an alternative to metal braces

56. At a standstill: IDLE.

57. Banana throwaway: PEEL.  What happened to the banana who got a sunburn?  He PEELed.

59. Keeps in the email loop: CCS.

60. Regret: RUE.

61. Golden yrs. fund: IRA.

62. Cravat or ascot: TIE.  

Here is the grid:

I'll see you next week,