Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Juliana Tringali Golden

You are SO RIGHT.  Today's theme seems a bit off to me and really had me scratching my head.  Notice that each of the theme answers ends in the letters "SO".  The letters "SO" are to the RIGHT of the answer's other letters or words.  So what is the connection of the word "Good" in the theme clue?  Well, "Good" and "Right" can be synonymous.  I know ~ it's a stretch.  Notice, too, that the first and last theme answers are two words, while the middle three theme answers are only one word.  If you see a deeper meaning in today's theme, please share.

17-Across. Good dog?: LHASA APSO.

25-Across. Good shot?: ESPRESSO.

37-Across. Good condition?: PROVISO.

Provisos in the cat world.

40. Good measures?: CALYPSO.  Ok, class.  Who remembers that Harry Belafonte (Mar. 1, 1927 ~ Apr. 25, 2023), the King of Calypso, appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle?  Calypso certainly has a good beat.

48. Good character?: TED LASSO.  Ted Lasso is a television show about an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team.  Hilarity ensues.  I have never seen Ted Lasso, so I don't know if he is a good character or not.

And the unifier of sorts:

60. For good reason, and a hint to five answers in this puzzle: RIGHTLY SO.

Across:

1. Disaster relief org.: FEMA.  As in the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  

5. Kimchi containers: JARS.  //  And 40-Down. Tuna holder: CAN.  Kimchi is a traditional staple in Korean cuisine.  It is made of salted, fermented vegetables, usually cabbage.  I tried some for the first time a few weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised that it was so good.

9. Out in the sticks: RURAL.

14. Finishes a cake, say: ICES.

It looks good enough to eat, but it's actually made of felt.

15. Grades K thru 6: ELEM.  Elementary school.

16. Año Nuevo month: ENERO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  January is the first month of the year.

19. Temporary stay: VISIT.

20. Up-to-date: MODERN.

Modern, but uncomfortable, furniture.

21. Prepare to be photographed: POSE.

23. Skin pic: TAT.

24. Low-__: indistinct, as computer graphics: RES.  As in Resolution.

27. Terra-__ tiles: COTTA.  Many buildings on the LSU campus have terra-cotta tile roofs.

30. Rift: SCHISM.  The Great Schism is probably one of the most well known.  It was the separation of the Catholic church of the West from the Orthodox churches of the East. This schism took place in 1054 and was caused by disagreements between Western and Eastern church leaders on several issues, including Papal authority.

31. "Aw, not again!": UGH!

32. Little one: TOT.

Tater Tot

33. "Ask and you shall receive!": NAME IT.

41. Calm and collected: SERENE.

42. Buddy: PAL.

43. "Xanadu" band, for short: ELO.  The band's full name is Electric Light Orchestra.  [Name # 1.]

44. One after another: IN TURN.

46. Bit of luck: BREAK.  

51. Cheer at a fútbol match: OLÉ.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

52. Logger's tool: AXE.  Paul Bunyan carried a big AXE.

53. Abound (with): TEEM.

54. Monopoly token worn by Mr. Monopoly: TOP HAT.

58. Rhythm of daily life?: PULSE.  Great clue.

62. Ibuprofen brand: ADVIL.  Everything you wanted to known about Ibuprofen but didn't know to ask.

63. "That makes sense": I SEE.

64. Orangutans, e.g.: APES.  Did you know that Orangutan means "person of the forest" in the Indonesian and Malaysian languages?

65. Far from posh: SEEDY.

66. Unwelcome garden grazers: DEER.

67. Congressional assents: YEAS.

Down:

1. Movie: FILM.

2. Canyon phenomenon: ECHO.

3. Honey-based beverage: MEAD.  Also the name of a lake on the Nevada-Arizona border named after Elwood Mead (Jan. 16, 1858 ~ Jan. 26, 1936).  It is actually a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam.  It is the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity.  It has been in news recently.

4. State as fact: ASSERT.

5. Dungarees: JEANS.  Last Saturday May 20, 2023 marked an historic day for blue jeans: it was 150th anniversary of the blue jean. On May 20, 1873 Levi Strauss (Feb. 26, 1829 ~ Sept. 26, 1902) and Jacob Davis (1831 ~ 1908) obtained a U.S. patent on the process of putting rivets in men's work pants for the very first time.

6. Many a mountain whose name ends in "horn": ALP.  The most well know is the Matterhorn.

7. Word spelled out in an Aretha Franklin hit: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  Time for a musical interlude.

8. Mash down: SMOOSH.

9. Changeabout: REVERSAL.

10. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar: UNI.  Everything you wanted to know about UNI but didn't know ask.

11. Takes a breather: RESTS.

12. La Scala solos: ARIAS.  One of my favorite arias is from Carmen.

13. Mega Millions, e.g.: LOTTO.  A Mega Millions clue appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle, too.

States and Territories that have the Mega Millions lottery.

18. Cabinetmaker's calculation: AREA.

22. "This Is __ Tap": SPINAL.  This mockumentary movie came out nearly 40 years ago.  I remember it as being really funny.  I wonder how it has held up after these years.

26. "Abbott Elementary" award: EMMY.  Another mockumentary.  Abbott Elementary is current television series about teachers in a poorly funded public school (aren't they all).  The focus is a young, idealistic second grade teacher trying to do her best in a school that is also terribly mismanaged.

27. Starbucks stack: CUPS.

28. Monster in a magic forest: OGRE.

29. "Ragnarok" superhero: THOR.

30. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO.  Phillipa Ann Soo (b. May 31, 1990) landed the role of Eliza Hamilton in the musical Hamilton.  [Name # 2.] 

32. Dangerous tropical fly: TSETSE.  Everything you wanted to know about Tsetse but didn't know to ask.

34. Sword for an Olympian: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

35. __ Mujeres, Mexico: ISLA.  The Isla Mujeres is off the Yucatan peninsula near Cancun.

36. Nabbed: TOOK.

38. Wedding accessory: VEIL.

39. By nature: INNATELY.

42. "Pinkie swear?": PROMISE.

45. Password preceder: USER ID.

46. Inky image: BLOT.

47. Sportscast's second look: REPLAY.

48. Spanish dishes that are good for sharing: TAPAS.  Yummers!  More of today's Spanish lesson.

49. Give off, as a vibe: EXUDE.

50. Dig deeply (into): DELVE.

51. "None of the above" category: OTHER.

55. Excessive publicity: HYPE.

56. Riding the waves: ASEA.

57. Horseshoes turn: TOSS.  I just learned that President Bush was a big Horseshoe player.

59. "Toy Story" kid who is terrible to his toys: SID.  [Name # 3.]

61. "Isn't that something": GEE!  Isn't is something that we've finished the puzzle!

חתולה

 

Monday May 22, 2023 Doug Peterson

  

Hello Cornerites and Happy Victoria Day to our Canadian solvers!

sumdaze here. Today's theme is    Early to Bed...  (Get it? "early" like "before")

Constructor Doug Peterson is back again after last Tuesday's HQ-themed puzzle. This time he has created for us a 14 x 15 grid with 4 themed clues and a reveal. Let's begin with the reveal:

55 Across. Complete a morning chore, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue can do: MAKE THE BED.  

According to the National Sleep Foundation,
about 7 out of 10 people make a habit of making their bed every day.

All of the starts of the starred clues can be paired with the word BED to MAKE a type of BED.

16 Across. *Stage show featuring traditional Irish music: RIVERDANCE.

And a RIVERBED is a channel in which a RIVER flows (or formerly flowed).

23 Across. *Candice Bergen sitcom: MURPHY BROWN.  (1988 - 1998)

And a MURPHY BED is a bed that is hinged so it can be stored vertically against a wall.

35 Across. *Extras in a bowl of chowder: OYSTER CRACKERS.

ubiquitous OYSTER CRACKERS
And a worker tends to an OYSTER BED in Hiroshima Bay, Japan.

44 Across. *1960s counterculture slogan: FLOWER POWER.  

The fashion world embraced FLOWER POWER
as seen in this photo of 60's model Twiggy.

And a FLOWER BED needs no explanation but here's a lovely pic from Kew Gardens, London.

So tidy!

Here are the other clues (I'll try to avoid making any blanket statements!):

Across:

1. Pushover: SOFTY.  

6. Pleased with oneself: SMUG.  (See Miss Know-It-All in 1A.)

10. Appt. book lines: HRS.  Appointment is abbreviated, so is HouRS.

13. USWNT star Kelley: O'HARA.  United States Women's National Team (Soccer)

Kelley's stats

14. Misstake in this clue, e.g.: TYPO.  One might argue that adding an extra S to "mistake" is more of a spelling error than a TYPO.

15. "Uh-huh": YEP.

18. Double-helix molecule: DNA.  

making Science fun
DNA sculpture at the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA

19. Digit that can be wiggled: TOE.  Oh, that type of "digit"!

20. One of the Three Bears: MAMA. and 28 Down. Piglet's 20-Across: SOW.

21. Carpenter's fastener: SCREW.

25. Refine metal: SMELT.

(verb) extract metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting.

BTW, smelled is the preferred past tense of smell in North America; whereas smelled and smelt occur with about the same frequency in British English.

27. Ensign's affirmative: AYE.  There had better be a "Sir" with that!

28. Creep around: SKULK.  

29. "30 Minute Meals" host Rachael: RAY.  Her talk show, The Rachael Ray Show, debuted in Sept. 2006. In March, she announced that this will be its final season.

31. Disappearing Asian sea: ARAL.  

The ARAL Sea is south of the Ural Mountains.

38. Unwanted garden plant: WEED.  highly subjective

39. Industrial tub: VAT.  

40. Lent a hand to: AIDED.

41. "I __ you big-time!": OWE.  What one might say to someone who lent a hand.

43. Train station postings, for short: SKEDS.  The "K" took some kontemplation.

49. Tilted, to a Brit: LEANT.  "Leaned" is the more modern form of this word for both Americans and Brits.

50. Hoppy beverages, for short: IPAS.  India Pale Ales  

not an IPA -- but perhaps "hoppy"

51. Dazzle: AWE.

54. Colorado NHLers, in headlines: AVS.  The CO AValanche(s) went 51-24-7 this season.

58. "Get it?": SEE.

59. Signed off on: OKed.

60. Giant squid's home: OCEAN.  I was happy to see OCEAN clued aquatically as opposed to a proper noun. Let's learn about the giant squid!

61. Bucks and boars: HES.  males

62. Throw to a tight end, say: PASS.  This clue is not as risqué as it might sound. A tight end is an offensive football player who does a lot of blocking but is eligible to receive passes.

63. __ dots: POLKA.  Yayoi Kusama uses a lot of dots in her art.  more examples

Down:
1. Separate, as laundry: SORT.  verb

2. Dayton's state: OHIO.  

3. #1 preference, slangily: FAVE.

4. Three, in Turin: TRE.  

5. Rabbi's headwear: YARMULKE.

6. Item sold in sheets and coils: STAMP.  Good clue! I was stumped.

7. Avian mimic: MYNAH.  

Here is a 2 min. video of a talking MYNAH bird plus experts explain why/how.

8. Bars scanned by checkers: UPC.  Universal Product Code

I found this article on barcodes interesting.

9. Elapses: GOES BY.  

As Time GOES BY was written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931.

It became more popular in 1942 when it was sung by Sam (Dooley Wilson) in Casablanca.

10. Prefix with electric: HYDRO.  According to the US Dept of Energy, hydropower currently accounts for  about 6.3% of total U.S. electricity generation.

11. Continue a subscription: RENEW.  10D (cont'd) ... and 31.5% of total U.S. RENEWable electricity generation.

12. Give rise to: SPAWN.  

17. Game room missile: DART.

22. More dilapidated: CREAKIER.

23. Major tantrum: MELTDOWN.  

24. Actress DaCosta of "Chicago Med": YAYA.  

Before Chicago Med, she was on All My Children, and Ugly Betty.

25. __ terrier: SKYE.  I first had Scot.

Bred to protect farms from foxes, badgers, and otters,
their long, thick coats made them appear larger and protected then from bites.

26. Creative inspiration: MUSE.  

These 9 MUSEs are found in a detail from The Parnassus by Rafael.
1509-1511 Fresco. Apostolic Palace, Rome

29. Maker of HD tablets: RCA.  Hi Misty!

30. "Wherefore __ thou Romeo?": ART.

32. "Sanford and Son" star Foxx: REDD.

33. Bloodthirsty Greek god: ARES.  the god of war

34. Perception-changing drug, for short: LSD.  Some people say that the Beetles' 1967 song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is code for LSD, but John Lennon says he wrote it after his son Julian brought home a picture he drew in school of his friend Lucy O'Donnell floating in the sky, surrounded by sparkling diamonds and jewels.

36. Winnebago driver, briefly: RVer.  

37. Place to buy frosted desserts: CAKE SHOP.  CSO to our Corner Cake Guy, CrossEyedDave!  

42. Swiffer alternative: WET MOP.  A Swiffer is a type of mop.

43. Thwack: SWAT.

44. Speedy DC Comics superhero: FLASH.

45. Flood barrier: LEVEE.

46. Sahara havens: OASES.

47. Roads with tolls: PIKES.  The name came about because at each tollhouse, a long pole called a PIKE was placed across the road. After travelers paid the toll, the PIKE was lifted.

48. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP-EDS.  It is a common misconception that OP is short for OPinions; however, an OP-ED piece was originally short for OPposite the EDitorial page.

51. Ill-fated biblical brother: ABEL.  Cane was the ill-mannered biblical brother.

52. Not very powerful: WEAK.

53. Irish novelist O'Brien: EDNA.  She was born on Dec. 15, 1930 in Twamgraney, County Clare, Ireland, making her 92 years old.

56. Pseudonym lead-in: AKA.

57. Green prefix: ECO.

Here's the grid. I bet Doug would have liked to have found a way to shift MURPHY 3 spaces to the left. C'est la vie!

I hope today's puzzle was a BED of roses for you; but, if not, bedder luck next time!

Sunday May 21, 2023 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: "Performance Reviews" - Each common phrase was humorously rephrased as if it's action fitting the professional in each clue.

23A. The lazy housekeeper ...: LET THE DUST SETTLE.

43A. The disruptive hairstylist ...: MADE WAVES.

72A. The fashionable archaeologist ...: DUG IN HER HEELS.

98A. The overzealous electrician ...: BLEW A FUSE.

123A. The absent-minded dentist ...: LEFT AN IMPRESSION.

16D. The psychic bartender ...: CALLED THE SHOTS.

50D. The fearless trapeze artist ...: GOT THE HANG OF IT.

This puzzle is similar to MaryEllen's "Caution: People Overworking" theme. The mechanic BLEW A GASKET in that puzzle, which is tighter with the "overworking" layer.

Across:

1. Chow __: noodle dish: MEIN. Literally "fried noodles". Chow = Fried. Mein = Noodles. Both Cantonese.

5. Sp. girls: SRTAS.

10. USDA Choice, e.g.: GRADE.

15. Vinegar, chemically: ACID.

19. Peak near Catania: ETNA. Catania is a Sicilian port city.

20. Economical with words: TERSE.

21. Collar extension: LAPEL.

22. Support staff?: CANE.  BEAM is another 4-letter option.

26. Rootless water plant: ALGA.

27. "Lost in transit" inquiry: TRACER.

28. Natural gas component: ETHANE. Sometimes it's ETHENE.

29. Sent through a network: EMAILED.

31. Charm: ENCHANT.

33. Like some inscriptions: UNDATED. Mount Huashan was not that popular when we climbed. "Zhouqin Was Here" was probably gone.

35. WSW reversal: ENE.

36. Police dept. title: DET. Detective. Also 113. Behind, in a way: TAILING.

37. John Bunyan, notably: PURITAN.

41. Await decision: PEND.

42. Dull brown: DUN. New meaning to me. This horse showed up when I googled.

46. Leaning: TILTED.

48. Hoops player: CAGER.

53. First name in Renaissance painting: MONA.

54. Singles: ONES.

56. "Can't help ya": NAH.

57. Breakdown of social norms: ANOMIE. We've had this fill before.

59. Former capital of Japan: KYOTO.

61. Big cat voiced by Angelina Jolie in "Kung Fu Panda": TIGRESS.

65. Domed halls: ROTUNDAS.

68. Nibbled (at): PECKED.

70. Rush-order letters: ASAP.

71. Scrap: ORT.

76. Color gradation: HUE.

77. "The Wizard of Oz" actor: LAHR (Bert)

79. New __, Connecticut: CANAAN.

80. Part of a wedding toast, maybe: ANECDOTE. Boomer and I would have been married for 22 years next Thursday.

82. Summer pest, informally: SKEETER. Also 128. Burrowing bug: BORER.

84. Workbench grips: VISES.

87. Moved suddenly: DARTED.

88. "His Dark Materials" cable network: HBO.

89. Arctic native: SEAL.

91. Math points: LOCI.

94. "One Minute Man" rapper Elliott: MISSY.

95. Salt, say: SEASON.

101. System of connected PCs, for short: LAN. Local Area Network.

102. Fast-food option: TO GO.

104. For all __ and purposes: INTENTS.

106. Air traffic org.: FAA.

109. Unit of energy: ERG.

110. Showed plainly: EVINCED. Also 58. Draw forth: EDUCE.

115. Lumbered: PLODDED.

117. Playing fields: ARENAS.

121. Farm: GRANGE.

122. Vegan protein: TOFU. My favorite: stir-fried tofu.

126. Footnote note: IBID.

127. "100 years of improvement" retailer: LOWE'S. Named after the founder Lowe.

129. Mineral no longer used in baby powder: TALC.

130. Woven fish traps: NETS.

131. Fashion journalist __ Leon Talley: ANDRE. Here with Anna Wintour.

132. FaceTime alternative: SKYPE.

133. Smite, as a dragon: SLAY.

Down:

1. Like cheese in a fondue pot: MELTED.

2. Timeless, poetically: ETERNE.

3. Still together: INTACT.

4. Super casual "Sure!": NATCH. Naturally.

5. Breastbone: STERNUM.

6. Wine choice: RED.

7. Factual: TRUE.

8. Support staff member: Abbr.: ASST.

9. "The Orville" star MacFarlane: SETH.

10. Mercury Seven astronaut John: GLENN.

11. Had status: RATED.

12. Fitting: APT.

13. Take out: DELETE.

14. Periodic-table entry: ELEMENT.

15. Berry native to the Amazon rainforest: ACAI. You can get this puree at Trader Joe's.

17. Unworldly young woman: INGENUE.

18. Maze setback: DEAD END.

24. Messy stack: HEAP.

25. Steam room: SAUNA.

30. Calculating, in a way: ADDING. Not the adjective.

32. Theme park shuttle: TRAM.

34. Sanctuary section: APSE. And 38. Words from a promising couple?: I DO.

39. 6.2 miles, roughly: TEN K.

40. Like the White Sox at Fenway Park: AWAY. Hi there, Bill G, our Steve was at the NBCU box last Tuesday for the Twins vs. Dodgers game. Twins won.

44. Election Day figure: VOTER.

45. Patriarch who "walked with God": ENOCH.

47. Spencer of "Good Morning America": LARA. She used to host "Antiques Roadshow".

48. Holiday songs: CAROLS.

49. Iditarod wear: ANORAK.

51. Bird that can run 30 mph: EMU.

52. Outer layer: RIND. Have you tried sumo oranges? So good.

55. Dutch painter Jan: STEEN.

60. Starts operating, as a store: OPENS.

62. Sat in traffic, e.g.: IDLED.

63. Fries in a little butter: SAUTES.

64. Quick: SPEEDY.

66. Lab gelatins: AGARS. Did not know it's plurable.

67. Wrongdoing: SIN.

69. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA.

73. __ academy: NAVAL.

74. Selassie of Ethiopia: HAILE.

75. Fast one: SCAM.

78. WNBA stat: REBS. Rebounds.

81. Nike's __-fit fabric: DRI. It draws the sweat from the surface.

83. Honked: TOOTED.

85. Flair: ELAN.

86. Like fluffy towels: SOFT.

90. Deep black: EBON.

92. Prompt: CUE.

93. Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely": ISN'T.

95. Skipped an early appointment, maybe: SLEPT IN.

96. Piercing place: EARLOBE.

97. Short work of fiction: NOVELLA.

99. Broaden: WIDEN.

100. Curio stand: ETAGERE.

103. Name seen in many hotels: GIDEON. Bible distributor. 

105. Gentlemen: SIRS.

106. Curtain rod decoration: FINIAL. Learning moment for me.

107. Zambia neighbor: ANGOLA.

108. Bureau: AGENCY.

111. Do lunch?: CATER. Nice clue.

112. Wipe clean: ERASE.

114. Has legs, so to speak: LASTS.

116. Clothing: DUDS.

118. Pen points: NIBS.

119. Every which way: AMOK.

120. Moving with ease: SPRY.

124. Start of some subj. lines: FWD.

125. N.Y.'s AOC, e.g.: REP.

Excited to have received the author's copies of my book: Sip & Solve Easy Mini Crosswords, which will be officially released on May 30, 2023 Tuesday. It's edited by the talented Francis Heaney. 

You can order on Amazon now. Should be delivered to you on June 1.

C.C.