Brynn and Mark's offering for us today was a 15-minute solve for me. The long fills were all very doable and greatly helped the process.
Across:
1. Mark with a diamond tip: ETCH.
5. Adrift: AT SEA.
10. Card that's often swiped: VISA 😀
14. Cause a stir: RILE.
15. Complex concerns?: RENTS - 😀 Oh, an apartment complex!
16. "Hamilton" pair: ACTS.
17. Periodic table figure: ATOMIC MASS - Uranium has an atomic number of 92. When its ATOMIC MASS is 238 it is mostly harmless but when it is 235, it can be fuel for an atomic bomb.
19. Mug shot subject: PERP - OJ's mug shot on a, uh, mug
20. Giddily silly: SLAP HAPPY and 49. Madcap: ZANY.
21. Alpes-Maritimes city: NICE - Alpes-Maritimes is a department (called states in USA) in the south of France (extreme SE of continental France on map). It contains the city of NICE which is often used for misdirection in crossword puzzles. It has alps (Alpes) and seaside (Maritimes).
22. Reggae's __-A-Mouse: EEK.
23. Ruckus: ADO.
24. Thus far: TO DATE and 40. Thus far: AS YET.
26. Late night for Old St. Nick: EVE 😀
27. Tennis clinic topic: GRIP.
29. Dinosaur in the den: VCR
30. Bounced: GAVE THE HEAVE HO - That's what most people have done to their VCR's
34. Significant stock holders: WAREHOUSE STORES.
35. Acela stops, e.g.: AMTRAK STATIONS.
37. Feint: DEKE.
38. Fashion line: HEM.
39. Take a turn for the worse: SPRAIN 😀
41. USWNT uniform number for Lindsey Horan: TEN.
42. Wanders around the airport?: TSA 😀 This wander is a noun naming someone who uses the wand not a verb describing the actions of someone who roams the airport
45. One thing after another: LIST.
46. Dish often served with applesauce: PORK CHOPS - Remember...
50. Cops who need collars: CANINE UNIT 😀
51. Starting pay?: ANTE.
52. Disney character who may have been named in 1931 for a newly discovered planet: PLUTO - PLUTO is now considered to be a dwarf planet and PLUTO Pup is not making 'toons any more.
53. Zither kin: LYRE.
LYRE Zither
54. Soft summons: PSST.
55. "Groundhog Day" segment: RESET - A fun movie with a clever premise that was perfectly cast.
56. Tech hotline caller: USER.
Down:
1. Remove traces of: ERASE.
2. "Star Wars" or "The Starry Night": TITLE - TITLE of a movie and a painting
3. "__ & Dagger": Marvel series: CLOAK.
4. __ seed oil: HEMP.
5. Game piece: ARCADE TOKEN.
6. Something a conductor might pick up: TEMPO 😀
7. Onesie closer: SNAP.
8. Amazon Handmade rival: ETSY.
9. Zedonk parent: ASS.
10. Lacking zip: VAPID.
11. Austria's Eisriesenwelt, for one: ICE CAVERN.
12. Part of a pre-marathon routine: STRETCHES.
13. Nile Valley hazard: ASP.
18. "That was the last straw": I HAVE HAD IT.
21. Problem for those struggling with delayed gratification: NO PATIENCE.
24. Forms a union: TIES THE KNOT 😀
25. Greek equivalent of the Hindu god Kamadeva: EROS - Kamadeva is the Hindu god of erotic love, desire and pleasure.
26. Billie Eilish's "Happier Than __": EVER.
27. Beau of literature: GESTE - Beau (magnanimous) GESTE (gesture). A signed, first edition for $535.81
28. Three-toed bird: RHEA - 36. "Mm-hm": YEP.
30. Strategies: GAME PLANS.
31. Works in a hotel lobby, say: ART PRINTS 😀
32. Ear protection?: HUSK 😀 - Um, what do they call people who remove those HUSKS?
33. Va-va follower: VOOM.
34. Behavior: WAYS.
41. Old hat: TRITE.
42. Stephen Sondheim octet: TONYS.
43. Bryce Canyon formation: SPIRE.
44. Sunflower kin: ASTER - How 'bout dat?
46. Faint: PALE.
47. Burden: ONUS.
48. "Only Murders in the Building" platform: HULU.
49. Cook quickly: ZAP.
50. Hosp. administration: CPR 😀 CPR could very well be adminintered in a hospital no matter who forms the administration of the hospital.
Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the Friday recap. I have been (and will be) traveling and want to thank those who have, and will, pinch-hit for me.
Today's puzzle setter is David Zachary Levy whose work has appeared here several previous times. His themes have always been clever and this one does not break with tradition. Let's start with the reveal:
53 Across: "Without a doubt!," and a hint to 20-, 31-, and 41-Across: NO BUTS ABOUT IT. At the three identified places, David has removed the word BUT from descriptive words that we have all heard before and, thereby, created appropriate answers to the clues.
20 Across: Result of an overzealous stylist?: FLYING TRESSES. FLYING BUTTRESSES Think Notre Dame de Paris:
31 Across: Result of a "Moonstruck" actress converting to Judaism?: KOSHER CHER. KOSHER BUTCHER
41 Across: Indulge in many, many naps?: SNOOZE TONS. SNOOZE BUTTONS Not snooze GOBS (36 Across).
This is how everything appears in the grid:
The rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Alluring: SEXY.
5. One rocking a pocket protector: DWEEB. GEEK and NERD were both too short.
10. Cerulean kin: AQUA. A color.
14. Neutral tone: ECRU. Another color.
15. Cost: RAN TO. Cost is used as a verb in the clue.
16. Has to: MUST.
17. Crowd sound: ROAR.
18. Four-footed Jetson: ASTRO.
That's ASTRO on the right.
19. Marathon measure: PACE. Always set your own pace.
23. Member of the fam: SIS. Sister. Got it, bro?
24. Drink that may elicit brain freeze: ICEE.
25. Drudgery: TEDIUM.
28. Genre for the Maytals: SKA.
Toots and the Maytals
29. Dispensable candy: PEZ.
30. CT scan kin: MRI. See also 3 Down.
36. A whole lot (of): GOBS. Tons. Lots. It wasn't going to be A Lot 'cause that was used in the clue.
37. Cary of "Glory": ELWES.
38. Crunch targets: ABS.
39. Angry with: MAD AT. This led to one of those first-fill-with-perps-and-then-wonder "What the heck (in this case) is a MADAT?" moments.
40. Some draft picks: ALES. Not a professional sports reference.
43. Connect: TIE.
44. Sever: CUT.
45. Extra periods, briefly: OTS. OverTimeS
46. Got going: SET OUT.
48. Stash of water balloons, e.g.: AMMO. Often clued with a reference to snowball fights.
50. Sci-fi beings: ETS. Extra TerrestrialS
56. " ... or not": WELP. In modern usage, a "linguistic shrug". Apparently, its use is common on Twitter. No wonder that I had no idea.
58. "Arrested Development" actress Portia de __: ROSSI.
59. Title for Helen Mirren: DAME.
60. Love god: EROS. Would it be AMOR? The perps always tell us which.
61. Wipe out: ERASE. For another take on this:
The Ventures
62. Ready to do business: OPEN. Reminded me of one of Cleavon Little's scenes in Blazing Saddles but I could not find a suitable clip.
63. Like the lawn at dawn: DEWY.
Neither Huey, Dewey not Louie Was Correct
64. Stadium toppers: DOMES.
The Original - The Houston Astrodome
65. Coming up: NEXT.
Down:
1. Feudal laborers: SERFS. Today, we were spared the Liege (sovereign)/Liege (vassal) conundrum.
2. Common source of food poisoning: E-COLI.
3. Shots at a doctor's office: X-RAYS. Shots as in pictures. Nice misdirection in the cluing. See also 30 Across.
4. Gagarin who was the first human in outer space: YURI. Those of us of a certain age remember the event well.
5. Street racer: DRAG CAR. Drag Racer and Dragster have both been heard by this solver. Drag Car? Never, until today.
6. Refuse: WASTE. Refuse as in to say no? No. Refuse as in please place your refuse in the trash can.
7. __ nous: ENTRE. Between us. Cours de français d'aujourd'hui.
8. Basic French verb: ETRE. Un autre cours de français d'aujourd'hui.
9. Rocket stage: BOOSTER.
10. Full of energy: AMPED. How do electricians relax after getting AMPED up all day? They chant Oooohhhhhmm.
11. Victor Hugo character: QUASIMODO. The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
12. Sch. near Hollywood: USC. More often, we encounter UCLA clued this way.
13. Devoured: ATE.
21. Air Force 1s, e.g.: NIKES. A nice bit of misdirection. We're supposed to think, at first, of the aircraft not the shoe model.
22. "__ me!": SEZ. A bit of a punt but it does go very nicely with 29 Across.
26. __ sprawl: URBAN. Cow tipping is an URBAN myth. The farmers pay them a competitive rate.
27. Humid phenomena: MISTS.
28. Spike Lee's "__ Gotta Have It": SHES.
29. Chihuahua change: PESO. Not the dog. The Mexican city.
31. "Hyperion" poet: KEATS.
32. Stan's partner in slapstick: OLLIE.
Stanley (Stan) Laurel and Oliver (Ollie) Hardy
33. Product in pink packets: SWEET 'N LOW.
34. Isn't able to: CAN'T.
35. Subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery: HBO.
36. Heaters: GATS. Both the clue and the answer are noir movie slang for guns.
39. Empowerment hashtag since 2017: ME TOO. In the news quite a bit over the past several years.
41. Stitched together: SUTURED.
42. "Shaun of the Dead" figures: ZOMBIES.
No BUTS !
44. Den youngster: CUB.
47. "__-daisy!": OOPSY. I kept trying to make some variant of UPSY work out.
48. Tea region of India: ASSAM. A region often referenced in our puzzles.
49. Pool stroke that may damage the felt: MASSE.
50. Tour de France section: ETAPE. Once, again, French.
51. Corporation that began as the Waterbury Clock Company: TIMEX. New to this solver but after the X appeared in 65 Across it was not difficult.
52. Vessel opener: STENT. In this case, blood vessel. Too close to home for this solver. No, not that close. Valerie and I were at the Hollywood Bowl the other night and when we walked to the car our friend, Allan, had a difficult time of it. The next day he received a STENT.
54. Big name in lawn mowers: TORO.
55. Soup noodle: UDON. RAMEN would not fit. Would it be SOBA? The perps always tell us which.
56. Married: WED.
57. Bard's before: ERE.
Well, that wraps things up for today. I will be back on sabbatical through the end of next month. See you in November.
... brought to you live from the Apollo in 1993 by B.B. King,
Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins and Buddy Guy.Lucille
never sounded sweeter!
Today's puzzle was brought to us by
Bill Bipal and Jeff Chen, a mentor to many
fledgling constructors. Bill is making his LA Times debut, and the big news is that Jeff
is retiring from his position as a commenter to the indispensable NYT
xwordinfo blog. Jim Horne, creator and editor of that site informs us
emphatically that
he won't miss Jeff Chen!
I know a lot of solvers don't like it when clues cross reference other clues,
especially when they reference themers. But that is also a big
giveaway that they are probably pointing to the reveal. If you perp
down on that fill you can often get yourself out of a sticky situation.
At least in this case ...
17A. See 54-Across: GRAPE JELLY. Personally I prefer marmalade, a
traditional English preserve.
You can even make your own
...
22A. See 54-Across: RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. Getting stuck in
TRAFFIC can be a real slow drag. To cope with the
GRIDLOCK I'd suggest keeping a copy of
this classic puzzle
by Merl Reagle in your glove compartment.
36A. See 54-Across: SLAM DUNK. A
SLAM DUNK, also simply known as DUNK, is a type of basketball shot that is
performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the
horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through
the basket with one or both hands. Some say that this one by
Hamidou Diallo
in 2019 is the greatest of all time. He jumps over Shaq, sinks
the ball, and then opens his jersey to reveal a Superman shirt! ...
48A. See 54-Across: A DILLY OF A PICKLE. A very, very
sticky situation and a
piquant pun
on a different kind of PICKLE.
And all the themers point to
this one ...
54A. "I love this song!," and what might be said about
17-, 22-, 36-, and 48-Across?: THAT'S MY JAM. Personally I think
JAM beats BOPS from last Thursday's puzzle.
Here's
the grid ...
Here's the rest ...
Across:
1. Purview: REALM.
6. Novelist Leon: URIS.
Leon Marcus Uris
(August 3, 1924 – June 21, 2003) was a Baltimore born author of historical
fiction who wrote many bestselling books including Battle Cry (1953),
Exodus (1958), Mila 18 (1961) and Trinity (1976).
Leo Uris Israel in the 1950s
10. Disapproving noises: TUTS. Also a long line of
Egyptian pharaohs ...
14. "The Bare Necessities" bear: BALOO. From the
Jungle Book soundtrack ...
This clue is also the name of a local ladies apparel shop in
Greenspring Station, MD. Or so I've heard.
19. Weigh in: OPINE. Short for O Christmas Tree? There are
only 102 shopping days left!
20. Jag: SPREE. Start shopping now and you won't have to go on a
last minute SPREE!
21. Long-winded: PROLIX. I resemble that remark!
But I won't admit to being pleonastic, whatever that is!
22. [Theme clue].
27. Snares: ENTRAPS.
28. Overhead: ALOFT.
29. Hubbubs: ADOS.
30. Candlelit ceremony, e.g.: VIGIL. The classic candlelight
VIGIL ceremony in our Church is called
Tenabrae, usually held on the Wednesday before Easter. The service
begins at twilight and as various hymns are sung and psalms are read, the
candles in the church are extinguished one by one. When the last candle
is snuffed out the participants leave in total darkness.
32. "Affirmative": YES.
35. Pay-__-view: PER.
36. [Theme clue]
39. Khan who founded Khan Academy: SAL.
Khan Academy
is an American non-profit[2] educational organization created in 2006 by Sal
Khan. Its goal is creating a set of online tools that help educate students.
The organization produces short lessons in the form of videos.
Its website also
includes supplementary practice exercises and materials for educators.
Sal Khan TED Conference 20111
40. Texter's "My bad": SRY.
41. Actress Shire: TALIA.
TALIA Rose Shire
(née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress who played roles as
Connie Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and
Adrian Balboa in the Rocky series. For her work in
The Godfather Part II and Rocky, Shire was nominated for Academy
Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress,
respectively, and for the Golden Globe Award for
Best Actress in a Drama for her role in Rocky.
Talia Shire
42. Tuscany town: PISA. PISA is built on a Tuscan hill,
which makes all the pictures of the prominent tower appear ASLANT.
😁
43. Cyber Monday sector: ETAIL. Hot tip -- the Monday after
Black Friday there will be a fire sale on the AI phenom
chatGPT!
45. Presidential advisory group: CABINET. There's the
CABINET and then there's theKITCHEN CABINET.
48. [Theme clue]
51. Black Sea peninsula: CRIMEA. The
Russian occupation of Crimea
is an ongoing military occupation within Ukraine by the Russian Federation,
which began on 20 February 2014 when the military-political, administrative,
economic and social order of Russia was spread to the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea and Sevastopol. The occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol was the
beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Crimean Peninsula
52. Principle: TENET.
53. Mandolin kin: LUTES. A
LUTE
is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a
hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be
either fretted or unfretted. I think it's only a distant kin of the
mandolin,
as it's more like a violin-sized guitar.. Here is Maryland lutenist
Ronn McFarlane
at St. David's Church in Baltimore, playing W. Lee's Reel accompanied
by Carolyn Surrick on viola da gamba ...
54. [Theme reveal]
59. "Don't push that button!": ABORT. Or "Push that button
to ABORT!"
60. Low-carb diet: KETO.
61. In unison: AS ONE.
62. "Stars on __": reality show hosted by William Shatner: MARS.
Hand up if you're a FAN?
63. About: OR SO.
64. Fabric fold: PLEAT.
Down:
1. "Notorious" SCOTUS justice: RBG.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(March 15, 1933 – September 18, 2020) was nicknamed "Notorious" because she
was formidable in the courtroom. She spent a lifetime flourishing in the
face of adversity before being appointed a Supreme Court justice, where she
successfully fought against gender discrimination. The comic opera
Scalia/Ginsburg
was written
about her and Antonin Scalia, her political nemesis on the court, both of whom shared a love of that art form. She was recently given a
posthumous honor by the elevation of her
Jabots
to the status of crosswordese ...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Notorious RBG
2. Musical gift: EAR.
3. Selma's st.: ALA. Selma is a city in the state of
Alabama.
4. Prune: LOP.
5. Sitcom role for Brandy: MOESHA. MOESHA is an American
television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001.
The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as MoeshaDenise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper
middle class family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of
Los Angeles. Apparently she has step-mother issues ...
6. Embryo's home: UTERUS. Sounds cozy!
7. Yardstick, e.g.: RULER.
8. Small bay: INLET.
9. For instance: SAY.
10. Fill to the brim: TOP OFF.
11. Laundry room convenience: UTILITY SINK.
12. Forum top: TUNIC.
13. X-ray __: gadget advertised in classic comic books: SPEX.
X-ray specs or X-ray glasses
are an American novelty item, purported to allow users to see through or into
solid objects. In reality, the spectacles merely create an optical illusion;
no X-rays are involved. The current paper version is sold under the name
"X-Ray SPEX"; a similar product is sold under the name "X-Ray
Gogs". Standard equipment for those who think they are voyeurs.
16. City with the world's largest naval complex: NORFOLK. A CSO
to our friend Jinx and his friend Zoё. Jinx tells me that
her racing handle is Jugni (Hindi for "female firefly."), but at the
racing kennel they called her "Cookie" ...
Zoё
18. Genre that's an element of Kawaii metal: J POP.
21. Monty Python alum Michael: PALIN. In 1989 actor Michael
PALIN retraced the fictitious steps of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg
to circumnavigate the wold in 80 days, sans airplane. Here's a trailer from the 7-part BBC television series ...
There have been several adaptations of Verne's story. We haven't seen
the Palin documentary, but we would highly recommend the more recent
PBS Masterpiece series starring David Tennant.
22. Realizes: REAPS.
23. Below: UNDER.
24. Production team member who shapes narratives: STORY EDITOR.
As of this writing these folks are still on the picket line.
25. Slugger's stat: HRS.
26. Mama's Special Garden Sauce maker: RAGU.
30. ROTC school near D.C.: VMI. The
Virginia Military Institute
(VMI) is a public senior military college in
Lexington, Virginia. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state
military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the
United States.
31. Civil rights pioneer __ B. Wells: IDA.
IDA Bell Wells-Barnett
(July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist,
educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the
founders of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP). Wells dedicated her career to combating prejudice and
violence, and advocating for African-American equality—especially that of
women.
37. Undefeated boxer Ali: LAILA.
LAILA Amaria Ali
(born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired
professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from
which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female
super middleweight titles, and the IWBF light heavyweight title. Ali is widely
regarded by many within the sport as one of the greatest female professional
boxers of all time. She is the daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali
55. Designer label initials: YSL.
Yves Saint Laurent. But then you already knew that.
56. Java: JOE.
57. California's Santa __ Mountains: ANA.
The Santa ANA Mountains
are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California
in the United States. They extend for approximately 61 miles (98 km) southeast
of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and
Riverside counties.
Theme: ALL DOLLED UP. Theme answers have a final syllable that is a homophone for DOLL
But first, today's theme song.
Sammy Nestico's arrangement of Satin Doll, played by the
Dearborn Big Band at the Plymouth, MI Fall Festival - 9/10/23
17 A. Primatologist who wrote "The Chimpanzees of Gombe": JANE GOODALL. Dame Jane Morris Goodall DBE; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; (3 April 1934) formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after 60 years studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees.
She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme, and she has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues. As of 2022, she is on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project.[6] In April 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Goodall is an honorary member of the World Future Council.
27 A. Plaything made from a clothespin, perhaps: WOODENDOLL. No homophone this time - instead the real thing. [If you consider a DOLL to be a real thing.]
49 A. Actress/entrepreneur whose son is Lorenzo Lamas: ARLENEDAHL. Arlene Carol Dahl (August 11, 1925 – November 29, 2021) was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era.
She was also an author and entrepreneur. She founded two companies, Arlene Dahl Enterprises and Dahlia, a fragrance company.
In her personal life, Dahl had six husbands, including actors Lex Barker and Fernando Lamas, and was the mother to three children the eldest of whom is actor Lorenzo Lamas.
63 A. Lentil dish from western India: GUJARATI DAL. Sweet, spicy and tangy, Gujarati Dal is comfort food at its best! This thin consistency dal is tempered with lots of spices like cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard and flavored with ginger, jaggery, lime juice. Best enjoyed with plain rice. Recipe here. Gujarat is a state in western India. Dal can refer to several kinds of legume.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here. A theme like this requires a different spelling for each homophone, or it would lack elegance. And here that requirement is nicely achieved. Not the theme I expected at first look, but it works well. Let's see what else we can discover.
Across:
1. Say "I'll be there," maybe: RSVP. An initialism of the French phrase, "répondez s'il vous plaît." This directly translates to "Respond, if you please." The initialism is often used to confirm attendance for an event, such as a wedding, birthday party or baby shower.
5. Officers-to-be: CADETS. Trainees in uniformed organizations.
11. In the past: AGO. Lone upon a time.
14. Aspire laptop maker: ACER. A Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, headquartered in Xizhi, New Taipei City.
15. Firenze locale: ITALIA. we cal it Florence, Italy. But what do we know? It is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, and home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”
16. Break in continuity: GAP. I something missing?
19. Draw upon: USE. Take, hold, or deploy (something) as a means of accomplishing a purpose or achieving a result; employ.
20. Jungian inner self: ANIMA. Jung described the animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman, and the anima as the unconscious feminine side of a man, each transcending the personal psyche. Jung's theory states that the anima and animus are the two primary anthropomorphic archetypes of the unconscious mind, as opposed to the theriomorphic and inferior function of the shadow archetypes. He believed they are the abstract symbol sets that formulate the archetype of the Self. And no, I don't understand it either. But I. am trying to get in touch with my female side. Maybe that is being animated.
21. Photographer Goldin: NAN. Nancy Goldin (born September 12, 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her most notable work is The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986). The monograph documents the post-Stonewall, gay subculture and includes Goldin's family and friends. She is a founding member of the advocacy group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now). She lives and works in New York City.
22. Provo resident: UTAHN. People from Utah.
24. Cream ingredient: ALOE. Aloe vera] is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.
An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. It is cultivated for commercial products, mainly as a topical treatment used over centuries. The species is attractive for decorative purposes, and succeeds indoors as a potted plant.
The leaves of Aloe vera contain significant amounts of the polysaccharide gel acemannan which can be used for a wide range of medical purposes. The skin contains aloin which is toxic. Products made from Aloe vera usually only use the gel. I certainly hope so.
26. Double __ Oreos: STUF. Oreo is a sandwich cookie with a sugary filling between two cocoa wafers. I am not a fan. The double stud variety has a thicker layer of sugary STUF. No, thank you.
32. Liberated: FREE. Showing freedom from social conventions or traditional ideas, especially with regard to sexual roles.
35. Fictional gentleman thief Lupin: ARSENE. Arsène Lupin is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine Je sais tout. The first story, "The Arrest of Arsène Lupin", was published on 15 July 1905.
36. Brazilian port: RIO. Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.
Mandatory
37. Locally organized lecture series: TEDX. TEDx are independent events similar to TED in presentation. They can be organized by anyone who obtains a free license from TED, and agrees to follow certain principles. TEDx events are required to be non-profit, but organizers may use an admission fee or commercial sponsorship to cover costs. Speakers are not paid and must also relinquish the copyrights to their materials, which TED may edit and distribute under a Creative Commons license. TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading"
38. Minor issue: NIT. A more or less trivial annoyance.
39. Accomplish: ACHIEVE. Get 'er done!
42. Gather dust: SIT. Be idle, as of machinery or a work force.
43. Cartoon girl whose best friend is Boots: DORA.
45. Director Ang: LEE. Ang Lee OBS [b 1954] is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. As a filmmaker Lee's work is known for its emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions.
46. Spanish "precise": EXACTO. As translated.
48. Sweater spoiler: SNAG. A small fabric defect caused by threads getting caught on an object.
51. Study feverishly: CRAM. Study intensively over a short period of time just before an examination.
53. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO.
54. Like udon, ramen, and pho: ASIAN. In various types of Asia cuisine, these are two noodles and a soup.
56. Play a part: ACT. portray a character in a movie or play.
58. Goads: PRODS. Provoke or annoys someone)so as to stimulate some action or reaction.
62. Moroccan cap: FEZ. The fez, also called tarboosh/tarboush, is a felt headdress in the shape of a short cylindrical, truncated hat, usually red, typically with a black tassel attached to the top. The name "fez" refers to the Moroccan city of Fez, where the dye to color the hat was extracted from crimson berries.
66. Issa of "Barbie": RAE. Jo-Issa Rae Diop [b 1985] credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl.
67. Trapped: SNARED. Caught, literally or figuratively.
68. Short letter: NOTE. A short informal letter or written message.
69. Meditation sounds: OMS. A mystic syllable, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, and texts. Not to be confused with the Great God Om from Terry Pratchett's brilliant novel "Small Gods."
70. High-calorie cakes: TORTES. Rich, usually multilayered, cakes that are filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit. Ordinarily, the cooled torte is glazed and garnished. Tortes are commonly baked in a springform pan.
71. Alum: GRAD. Alumni are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women. The word is Latin and means "one who is being nourished". The term is not synonymous with "graduate"; one can be an alumnus without graduating. Have I discovered a nit?
Down:
1. Punjabi prince: RAJA. RAJA is the name for a monarch — a king or a princely ruler — in historic India. While there are still rajas today, they no longer hold any real power. Through the long history of India, there have been many rajas who ruled over small areas of the continent.
2. Virus check: SCAN. Look at all parts of (something) carefully in order to detect some feature.
3. "__, vidi, vici": VENI. "I came; I saw; I conquered" is a Latin phrase used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory. The phrase is popularly attributed to Julius Caesar who, according to Appian,] used the phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela (modern-day Zile, Turkey).
4. Put together early: PRE-MADE. Made or assembled in advance.
5. Tech-focused exec: CIO. Chief Information Officer.
6. Paid for one's sins: ATONED. Made amends or reparation.
7. Absurdist art movement: DADA. DADA or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century. Developed in reaction to World War I, the Dada movement consisted of artists who rejected the logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, instead expressing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest in their works.
8. Joie de vivre: ELAN. Energy, style, and enthusiasm.
9. "How Long __ Black Future Month?": N.K. Jemisin collection: TIL. Up to the point in time or the event mentioned; until.
10. Port __: creamy French cheese: SALUT. Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurised cow's milk cheese from Pays de la Loire, France, with a distinctive orange rind and a mild flavour. The cheese is produced in wheels approximately 23 cm in diameter, weighing approximately 2 kg.
11. Taqueria drink with tamarindo and horchata varieties: AGUA FRESCA. (English: cool waters, lit. 'fresh waters') are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in Mexico and some other Latin American countries, as well as parts of the United States such as the Southwest.
12. Deep cut: GASH. A long deep slash, cut, or wound.
13. Vulnerable: OPEN. Allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked up.
18. Lead-bearing ore: GALENA. The natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms.
23. Feathery cluster: TUFT. A bunch or collection of threads, grass, hair, etc., held or growing together at the base.
25. Buck: ONE CLAM. A single U.S. dollar
26. Eastern European language: SLOVENE. Slovene or Slovenian is a Western member of South Slavic languages, which belong to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. Most of its 2.5 million speakers are the inhabitants of Slovenia, majority of them ethnic Slovenes.
27. Mascara applicators: WANDS. In this usage, a slender staff used to apply a substance to a specific location.
28. Film production company named for a constellation: ORION. Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company currentlyowned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former senior executives at United Artists. From its founding until its buyout by MGM in the late 1990s, Orion was considered one of the largest mini-major studios
29. Shuns: OSTRACIZES. Shuns or excludes from a society or group.
30. Cantilevered window: ORIEL. A form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground.
31. Stretch the truth: LIE. An assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone.
33. "Downton Abbey" sister: EDITH.
34. Laud: EXTOL. Praise enthusiastically.
40. "How Stella Got __ Groove Back": HER. Used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a female person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified. The novel, told in Stella's own exuberant, dead-on, dead honest voice, How Stella Got Her Groove Back is full of Terry McMillan's signature humor, heart, and insight. More than a love story, it is ultimately a novel about how a woman saves her own life—and what she must risk to do it.
41. Not subject to taxes: EXEMPT. Free from an obligation or liability imposed on others.
44. Taj Mahal city: AGRA. A city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. The Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite empress.
47. Loving lots: ADORING. Love and respect someone deeply.
50. Main course: ENTREE. The main course of a meal.
52. Fretful feeling: ANGST. A feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.
54. Hairstyle for Diana Ross and Bob Ross: AFRO. A hairstyle, worn predominantly by Black people, in which naturally kinky or tightly curled hair is styled in a rounded shape.
55. Baseball gripping point: SEAM. A line along which two pieces of fabric are sewn together in a garment or other article.
59. Aroma: ODOR. Aroma sounds more attractive than smell.
60. Spreadsheet input: DATA. A collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted formally.
61. Downhill racer: SLED. A land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners similar in principle to skis. This reduces the amount of friction, which helps to carry heavy loads.
64. __, dos, tres: UNO. Spanish is as easy ONE, two, three.
65. Some internet search results: ADS. Advertisements for products or services.
OK. For this Wednesday, that's all. Hope y'all had a ball, and didn't brawl, fall, crawl or hit a wall.
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