Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Ed Beckert

Don't just sit there in the dark.  Turn on a light!  Today's puzzle gives us the anatomy of a lamp.  How many mystery writers does it take to change a lightbulb? §

18-Across. *  Ocular opening: EYE  SOCKET.

23-Across. *  Noise blocker: EAR PLUG.

51-Across. *  Parachute opener: RIP CORD.

55-Across. *  Fall planting in a flower garden: TULIP BULB.

And the unifier:

35-Across. Facetious comment when turning on a device whose components end the answers to the starred clues: LET THERE BE LIGHT.

And a bonus clue/answer:

66-Across. Two-time Oscar nominee Naomi: WATTS.  [Name # 1.]

After completing the first two theme answers and seeing EYE and EAR, I thought we might be going for body parts, but we had that theme a week or so ago.

Across:

1. Dangerous African snake: MAMBA.  Everything you wanted to know about the Black Mamba.

6. Test score: GRADE.

11. Anti-narcotics org.: DEA.  As in the Drug Enforcement Administration.  //  And 59-Down. 11-Across employee: Abbr.: AGT.  As in an Agent.

14. Make furious: ANGER.

15. Churchill Downs events: RACES.  Churchill Downs is the home of the Kentucky Derby.  It's been in the news a lot this year as numerous horses have been injured or died.

16. PC key near Ctrl: ALT.

17. Japanese noodle dish: RAMEN.  We saw the Ramen noodles two weeks ago when it was clued as Instant Noodle Option.

20. Misted (up): FOGGED.

22. Roam around: ROVE.

26. Paths to take: ROUTES.

28. Shoe bottoms: TREADS.  Because Soles doesn't have enough letters.

29. "All's __ in love and war": FAIR.  Do you known the origin of this phrase?

31. Hill-building insect: ANT.  //  Add a vowel, and you get 32-Across. Informal contraction: AIN'T.

33. Tablet alternative: GEL CAP.

41. Alpine warbles: YODELS.

42. Taunting syllable that's usually repeated: NYAH.  For future reference, you may be interested to known that Nyah is also the name of a town in Victoria, Australia.  I can see this being a clue/answer to a Friday level puzzle.

43. Chew the fat: GAB.

46. Perches in churches: PEWS.

47. Illinois county or its seat: PEORIA.  But will it play in Peoria?

49. Yearly pro golf event: US OPEN.

52. "No kidding?": IT IS.

53. Like many a coastal drive: SCENIC.  I highly recommend the scenic loop in Acadia National Park in Maine.

58. Lunar cycle part: PHASE.

62. Had some grub: ATE.

63. Vowel fivesome: A E I O U.  This vowel quartet appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle.

64. Four pairs: EIGHT.

65. Rosy: RED.

67. Prominent: NOTED.

Down:

1. St. Patrick's Day mo.: MAR.  St. Patrick's Day started out as a religious holiday, but now is known for parades and festivities.  I live near the end of my city's St. Patrick's Day parade.

This is the street the morning after the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

2. Former "SNL" regular Gasteyer: ANA.  Although she has subsequently appeared in several sit-coms, Ana Gasteyer (née Ana Kristina Gasteyer; b. May 4, 1967) is best known for her tenure on Saturday Night Live.  She often portrayed Martha Stewart.  [Name # 2.]

3. __ Grand: Las Vegas casino: MGM.

4. Hamburger choice: BEEF PATTY.

5. Golfer Palmer: ARNOLD.  Arnold Daniel Palmer (Sept. 10, 1929 ~ Sept. 25, 2016) is regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers.  He is also known for "inventing" the Arnold Palmer drink, which is half lemonade and half iced tea.   [Name # 3.]

6. Actor Clark of Marvel films: GREGG.  Although I am not familiar with the Marvel films, I recognized the Clark Gregg (né Robert Clark Gregg, Jr.; b. Apr. 2, 1962) from other shows and movies.  [Name # 4.] 

7. "I Think About You" country singer Collin: RAYE.  I am not up on my country music singers, so am not familiar with Collin Raye (né Floyd Elliot Wray; b. Aug. 22, 1960).  He is also known as Bubba Wray.  [Name # 5.]

8. Scored against, as on a tennis serve: ACED.

9. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.  The history of the city.

10. That, in Spanish: ESO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

11. Actress Fanning: DAKOTA.  Dakota Fanning (née Hannah Dakota Fanning; b. Feb. 23, 1994) got her start as a child actress.  [Name # 6.]

12. Late news hour: ELEVEN.  I live in the Central Time Zone, so local news comes on at 10:00 p.m.

13. Swear (to): AT TEST.

19. French wine classification: CRU.  Today's French lesson.  Everything you wanted to know about Cru but didn't know to ask.

21. Gloomy __: pessimistic one: GUS.  [Name adjacent.]

23. "And others" abbr.: ET AL.  Today's Latin lesson.

24. Singer India.__: ARIE.  India.Aire (née India Arie Simpson; b. Oct. 3, 1975) released her first album, Acoustic Soul in 2001.   [Name # 7.]

25. Tenant's monthly payment: RENT.

26. __ and beans: RICE.  A Red Beans and Rice is staple in South Louisiana.

27. Face-to-face exam: ORAL.

29. Has a hunch: FEELS.

30. Clerical robes: ALBS.  A brief history of the Alb.

33. Got larger: GREW.

34. Geppetto's boy: PINOCCHIO.  “Centuries ago there lived… ‘A king!’ my little readers will say immediately. No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.”  The true story of Pinocchio.  [Name # 8.]

36. Partner of faith and charity: HOPE.  A Biblical reference from the New Testament (1 Corinthians 13).   Faith, Hope and Charity is the name of a vineyard in Oregon.

37. Paradise: EDEN.  Paradise is not Lost this week.

38. Greek lamb wrap: GYRO.  Yummers!

39. Tresses: HAIR.  Also the name of a Broadway musical that was later made into a movie.

40. Jazz trumpeter Jones: THAD.  Although born in Michigan, Thad Jones (né Thaddeus Joseph Jones; Mar. 28, 1923 ~ Aug. 20, 1986), moved to Copenhagen, Denmark in the late 1970s, where lived the rest of his life.  He even has a street named for him in Copenhagen.  He is considered one of the best jazz trumpet player of his time.  [Name # 9.]

43. Rock instrument: GUITAR.

44. Sharp-witted: ASTUTE.

45. Heated to bubbling: BOILED.

47. Code entered by a debit card user: PIN.

48. Hand-held allergy treatment: EPI-PEN.

50. Tire inflation abbr.: PSI.

51. Puzzle with symbols: REBUS.  A is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases.  ‡

53. Spades, but not shovels: SUIT.

54. Thicken, as cream: CLOT.

56. Friendly dog's offering: PAW.

57. Actress Arthur: BEA.  Although best known as an actress, Bea Arthur (née Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 ~ Apr. 25, 2009) joined the Marine Corps just days after that branch of the military began accepting women into their company.  [Name # 10.]

60. "Murder, __ Wrote": SHE.  Murder, She Wrote was a long-running cozy mystery series about mystery writer and amateur detective, Jessica Fletcher, played by Angela Lansbury (née Angela Brigid Lansbury; Oct. 16, 1925 ~ Oct. 11, 2022).  She lived in the tiny village of Cabot Cove, Maine, which must have been the most dangerous town in the United States because a murder occurred there every week for 12 years.

61. Gate update: Abbr.: ETD.  Estimated Time of Departure at the Airport.

Here's the Grid:

§  Two ~ One to screw it in most of the way in and the other to give it a surprise twist at the end. 

What is your favorite light bulb joke?  Please share.

‡    51-Down.  The answer to the rebus is Up For Grabs.

חתולה

Many thanks to C.C. who stepped in for me last week.

Congratulations to the LSU Tigers who just won the College World Series!  Geaux Tigers!

Monday June 26, 2023 John Michael Currie

  

Hello Cornerites!

Theme:          Get in shape!  

sumdaze here. Today is shaping up to be another good day thanks to constructor John Michael Currie and his delightful puzzle!

There are four starred clues:

6 Down. *West Wing workplace: OVAL OFFICE.  The OVAL OFFICE is located in the West Wing of the White House.  

14 Down. *Multilevel investment swindle: PYRAMID SCHEME.  Investopedia explanation

24. *Pet's post-surgery device, facetiously: CONE OF SHAME.  

28. *Two, to four, e.g.: SQUARE ROOT.  The SQUARE ROOT of a number x is a number that, when multiplied by itself, equals the number x. So, in this clue, 2 is a SQUARE ROOT of 4 because 2 x 2=4. Likewise, 3 is a SQUARE ROOT of 9 because 3 x 3=9.  

The unifier sketches it out for us:

10 Down. Exceptional physical health, and a feature of the answer to each of this puzzle's starred clues: TIP TOP SHAPE.  

Each of these answers is written vertically, making the SHAPE (OVAL, PYRAMID, CONE, SQUARE) appear at the TIP TOP of the answer. I also noticed that two of the shapes are 2-dimensional (oval & square) and the other two shapes are 3-dimensional (pyramid & cone). No outliers. Well done, JMC!

Let's see what else we can round up.

Across:
1. 1997 crime drama "Donnie __": BRASCO.  "Osmond" also fit.

This mob-themed movie starred Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Here is the trailer:

7. Demo stuff: TNT.  "Demo" is short for "demolition" and TNT is short for TriNitroToluene.  

Poor Wile E.! His ideas always 'backfire' on him!

10. Egyptian boy king: TUT.  I heard he was involved in a PYRAMID SCHEME.

13. Boxing film co-starring Sage Stallone: ROCKY V.  "Stallone" told me it would be one of the Rocky films. I was not surprised to learn that Sage is Sylvester's son.

14. Experts: PROS.

15. German pronoun: ICH.  

16. Light-sensitive eye layer: RETINA.

17. Mixed breed lapdog: YORKIPOO.  They are a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Toy Poodle. They typically weigh 5-15 pounds.

19. Role in a Thanksgiving pageant: PILGRIM.  

21. The Rockies, e.g.: Abbr.: MTNS.  MounTaiNS

22. Some soft drinks: COCA-COLAS.

25. Hearty steak: T-BONE.

26. Parka part: HOOD. 

Artic gear, such as the fur-lined PARKA (to the left), is being tested by personnel
at the Natick Army Labs, Boston, MA, 1940's.
The Complete History of the Parka

27. Sibs, 'rents, etc.: FAM. Siblings and parents are FAMily.

28. Dish eaten with a spoon: SOUP.  Didn't the dish run away with a spoon?

29. Large coffee dispensers: URNS.

30. Thur. follower: FRI.  days of the week 

This cat looks like it might eat a Yorkipoo for brekky.

31. Knightly missions: QUESTS.  They say the knight who was only allowed to be on the edge of the round table was Sir Cumference.

34. "Feel Good" creator/star Martin: MAE.  ESP for this Netflix-less blogger.  more info.

35. Went extinct: DIED OUT.  

37. Beret, e.g.: HAT.

38. Irrationally afraid: PHOBIC.  

In this clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965),

Lucy tries to help Charlie Brown identify his fears. (1 min.)

40. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.  In 1957, The Silhouettes released the song Get a Job. It began:

Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip, bmm

Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na-, ahh-do  (repeat 3 more times)

Twelve years later, a group of Columbia University students who shared a passion for 1950's Doo-wop formed a group and called themselves Sha Na Na.

41. Frilly fabric: LACE.

42. __ and fortune: FAME.

43. Automobile: CAR.

44. Knowledgeable about: UP ON.

45. Track legend Owens: JESSE.  

From @Olympics:  At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, JESSE Owens won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and Long Jump -- all in front of the watching Adolf Hitler.

As an African-American athlete, Owens set three world records, shattering Hitler's theories of Aryan superiority.

47. Most cunning: SHREWDEST.

49. Tylenol target: ACHE.

50. Picked up with a toothpick: SPEARED.  

51. Honey-glazed entree: ROAST HAM.

53. "Booksmart" director Wilde: OLIVIA.  Booksmart is a 2019 teen comedy movie. Looking at the cast list just now, I noticed that an actress named Beanie played a character named Molly and an actress named Molly played a character named Annabelle.

57. Shade tree: ELM.

58. "9-1-1: Lone Star" star Rob: LOWE.  This TV show originally aired on FOX in January 2020. Last month they announced that the show has been renewed for a 5th season.

59. Sea creatures with multiple arms: OCTOPI.  This link goes to the Giant Pacific Octopus cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Note:  depending on the hour you visit the site, you might need to scroll down a bit and click the play arrow.)

60. Lousy grade: DEE.

61. Chili __ carne: CON.  translates to "with" in English

62. Political nomination, informally: THE NOD.

Down:
1. [Shiver]: BRR.  

Get it? He's a stick figure. Haha!

2. Caviar: ROE.

3. Step into character: ACT.

4. Click past promos: SKIP ADS.  This might be a debut answer. I did not find it on the one sight where I know to look. Perhaps someone can double-check that and let us know.

5. Skeptical sort: CYNIC.  

Oh, wait, I think I accidentally Googled "scenic photos".

7. Un et deux: TROIS.  French  

8. Name shouted on "Cheers": NORM.  Three weeks ago I included a "NORM" clip from the 1982-1993 TV show Cheers. Let me see if I can find a different one....  

9. Sound of disapproval: TSK.

11. The Huskies of the NCAA's Big East: UCONN.

12. This and that: THOSE.

18. Fill (with): IMBUE.  From M-W dictionary:  Like its synonym infuse, imbue implies the introduction of one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. Someone's voice can be imbued with pride, for example, or a photograph might be imbued with a sense of melancholy. 

20. Cause of squinting: GLARE.  No worries! Put on a pair of cool sunnies! 😎

22. __ change: CHUMP.  a small or insignificant amount of money

23. Marine Corps battle cry: OORAH.  CSO to Wilbur Charles and DH!

25. Promote aggressively: TOUT.

32. Food truck snacks: TACOS.  

While on my bike ride yesterday, I stopped at The Choke Coach to eat artichoke TACOS.

33. Surgical tube: STENT.

35. Thin coin: DIME.  See 22D.

36. Catherine of "Best in Show": O'HARA.  This movie is my fav of Christopher Guest's mocumentaries. Catherine O'HARA & Eugene Levy play a married couple, Cookie & Gerry Fleck. Here is the 2000 trailer (2 min.)  You will likely recognize many of the cast members.

39. Fenway Park corners: BASES.  Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, MA. The Red Sox have been playing there since it opened in 1912. It is the oldest park currently in use by a MLB team. BTW, Fenway Park is 21.4 miles away from Natick, MA.

41. Technology shunner: LUDDITE.  NPR's Planet Money did an interesting podcast on LUDDITEs. If you are curious, and have some time later today, try this link. It will take you to that episode where you can click the "20-minute listen" icon.

45. "Guns, Germs, and Steel" writer Diamond: JARED.  Goodreads link

46. French school: ÉCOLE.  I am currently reading The Sympathizer (I think some of you recommended it recently because the author's name was in a puzzle). The word lycée appears often in that book so I patted myself on the back for knowing that one. Bzzzt! Eventually perps recued me. After researching this today, I learned that ÉCOLE is used for all the school years and lycée is more like "high school".

47. Breed, as salmon: SPAWN.  "Breed" is a verb here.

48. Big name in grape products: WELCH.  

Well, the font used for the name does look bigger....

50. "Get lost!": SHOO.

52. Extra-special attn.: TLC.  "Attention" is abbreviated, so is Tender Loving Care.

54. The __ Trapps: "The Sound of Music" family: VON.

55. Wall St. investment opportunity: IPO.  "Street" is abbreviated, so is Initial Public Offering.

56. Help: AID.  In case you were wondering, many GoFundMe donations are not tax deductible. Only charitable donations given to a 501(c)(3) organization are tax deductible. Likewise, political campaign contributions are not tax deductible.

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. Catch you again next week. Be there or be SQUARE!

Sunday June 25, 2023 Dan Schwartz & Shannon Rapp

Theme: "State of Disrepair" - Seven states are scrambled and hidden inside the theme entries.

 22. Natural wonder that's roughly 1,100 times bigger than the Grand Canyon?: AMAZON RAINFOREST. Arizona.

33. "Show Me where I went wrong!?" elicitor, maybe?: SERIOUS MISTAKE. Missouri.

52. Hawkeyed writer of "To the Lighthouse"?: VIRGINIA WOOLF. Iowa.

69. Question before making a Pine Tree disappear?: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC. Maine.

93. The NHL's North Stars in 1967, for one?: EXPANSION TEAM. Minnesota. The North Stars left MN in 1993. Now the Dallas Stars.

109. Wolverine's snack dispenser?: VENDING MACHINE. Michigan.

124. Secluded place in Lhasa to think about Treasure?: TIBETAN MONASTERY. Montana.

I really like this puzzle. Perfect title. Very consistent theme set, which includes a long Minnesota! The extra state hint in the clue is probably Patti's idea.

Also so happy with the clue for TERESA (5. Teng known as the "Eternal Queen of Asian Pop"). I know this might stump you, but it made my day.

Across:

1. Landlocked African nation: CHAD. MALI is also landlocked.

11. Broker's charge: FEE.

14. Shadow: TAIL. Verb.

18. Basketball Hall of Famer Leslie: LISA.

19. Spotted cat: OCELOT.

20. Spanakopita cheese: FETA. Also 57. Mild Dutch cheese: EDAM.

21. Jasmine __: RICE. Long-grained. Chinese prefer short-grained.

25. Neighborhood: AREA.

26. __ scheme: PONZI.

27. Afro puff, for one: UPDO.

28. Actor Holbrook: HAL.

29. Post-breakup parties?: SECTS. Nice clue.

31. Front-of-the-rack sizes, often: SMALLS.

37. "__ it first!": I SAW. My sister-in-law Connie and I went to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and saw these gorgeous Lady Slippers, our state flowers.

39. Reservoir creator: DAM.

40. Family member: AUNT.

41. "You __ one job!": HAD.

42. Muscat's land: OMAN.

45. Speech fillers: UHS.

47. Good at repairs: HANDY.

50. "Too bad": A PITY.

56. Scolds harshly: BERATES.

58. Deux halved: UNE.

59. Large chau gong: TAM TAM. Do you all know chau gong?

60. Tartan pattern: PLAID.

62. Title of honor: SIR.

63. Tablelands: MESAS.

65. Body art: INK.

67. Listens to: HEARS.

77. Finish (as): END UP.

78. Pro vote: YEA.

79. "Metropolis: The Chase Suite" artist Janelle: MONAE. And 86. "Thank U, Next" singer Ariana: GRANDE. Also 101. Writer/activist __ B. Wells: IDA. And 102. Actress Fey: TINA. 123. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE. Girl power.

81. Bigelow product: TEA.

83. "August: __ County": OSAGE.

90. Tiny ammo: BBS.

91. Insect marching in a column: ARMY ANT.

96. Draws from a Juul, say: VAPES.

97. Heavy-duty cooler brand: IGLOO.

99. Big name in cheese balls: UTZ.

100. Inactive: IDLE.

104. Place for a mineral scrub: SPA.

107. Stitched: SEWN.

114. California wine valley: SONOMA.

118. Woodland deities: FAUNS.

119. Prefix with tourism: ECO.

120. Broadcasts: AIRS.

122. Some spouses: WIVES. Feels strange to be called "Doug's widow".

128. Italian automaker since 1899: FIAT.

129. Big personalities: EGOS.

130. "Turn it up!": LOUDER. The House of Kiran played Michael Learns to Rock when I was there. I suspect the owner lived in Guangzhou in the late 1990s also.

 

131. Encourage: URGE.

132. Ish: OR SO.

133. Wages: PAY.

134. Size up: ASSESS.

135. "Don't dele": STET.

Down:

1. Applauds: CLAPS.

2. Start of a call home, perhaps: HI MOM.

3. Yoga position: ASANA.

4. Truly brilliant: DAZZLING. Boomer loved these Asiatic lilies. So relieved that they're thriving.

5. Unit of measure for elephants or cargo: TON.

6. Neutral shade: ECRU.

7. Harvests: REAPS.

8. Skipped over: ELIDED.

9. Chihuahua neighbor: SONORA.

10. DOJ arm concerned with explosives: ATF.

11. Are blue: FEEL SAD.

12. UFO pilots, probably: ETS.

13. Uses Blue Apron, say: EATS IN.

14. Land parcel: TRACT.

15. Carrier in French Polynesia: AIR TAHITI. Most of the plane images have Air Tahiti Nui when I googled. Must be more popular than Air Tahiti.

16. Olympian Nathan Chen, notably: ICE SKATER. His parents are from China.

17. Grazing ground: LEA.

20. German woman: FRAU.

23. Aromatherapy array: OILS.

24. "Lookee here!": OHO.

30. Counterpart of "ser," in Spanish: ESTAR. Also 35. Spanish "Very good!": MUY BIEN.

32. Steamy spot: SAUNA.

34. "If u ask me": IMHO.

36. Slow Churned brand: EDY'S.

38. Caprice: WHIM.

42. Egg cell: OVUM.

43. Went for the gold?: MINED. Good old clue.

44. Playground retort: ARE SO.

46. Convened: SAT.

48. Swiss peak: ALP.

49. Super Bowl org.: NFL.

51. Complete a Monopoly circuit: PASS GO.

53. "Showtime!": IT'S ON.

54. Cry miserably: WAIL.

55. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.

61. Pacific tuna: AHI.

64. Lemur with long fingers and ratlike teeth: AYE-AYE. Learning moment for me. His fingers are sure long.

66. Tab, for one: KEY.

68. Shio or shoyu dish: RAMEN. Shio = Salt. And 70. Noodles served in dashi: UDON.

71. Lowering in rank: BUSTING.

72. Clean air agcy.: EPA.

73. Star in Lyra: VEGA.

74. Deserve: EARN.

75. Retired, maybe: IN BED.

76. Group of schemers: CABAL.

80. "Twilight" vampire: ESME.

81. Industry-wide expo: TRADE FAIR.

82. Latin American pastries: EMPANADAS. Never had these.

84. Ultrasound goop: GEL.

85. Outer: Pref.: EXO.

87. Sparky the Sun Devil's sch.: ASU.

88. Minor criticisms: NITS.

89. Naps: DOZES.

91. Tel __, Israel: AVIV.

92. Sean of "Stranger Things": ASTIN.

94. Swanky: POSH.

95. Condition sometimes treated with hearing aids: TINNITUS.

98. Handheld Nintendo system: GAME BOY. Also 121. Mario Kart console, for short: SNES.

103. Arched foot part: INSTEP.

105. Duelers at some bars?: PIANOS. Another nice clue.

106. Ill will: ANIMUS.

108. Amazes: WOWS. Started a second bottle of Robitussin. This cough is something else. Gets violent in the evening.

110. Because of: DUE TO.

111. Scores 100% on: ACES.

112. Foldable bed: COT.

113. Wear with time: ERODE.

115. In the open: OVERT.

116. On-ramp sign: MERGE.

117. So far: AS YET.

123. NorCal hub: SFO.

125. Two-time French Open winner Swiatek: IGA. From Poland.

126. In the style of: ALA.

127. __ Technica: tech news website: ARS.

C.C.