Amie Walker is an attorney/current stay-at-home parent to three little girls in Chandler, Arizona. When she’s not thinking about puzzles, she loves spending time with her family and singing in her women’s choir. Here is a picture of Amie on Jeopardy on 3/28/22. The video of the result of her game is at the bottom of this write-up.
Amie's puzzle went slowly and I was done below the Mason Dixon Line before heading north. Single small words unlocked big areas.
Across:
1. "Designing Women" co-star: POTTS - Annie was a hoot as Mary Jo Shively (l.) in this great show. These days she is still a riot as Shelton's racy grandma (r.) in Young Sheldon.
6. Constellation critter: URSA - I went through the zodiac constellations until, duh, it was just a run of the mill constellation which contains the Big Dipper. Can you see the Big Dipper (BTW, it's an asterism not a constellation) below?
10. "Might as well" hashtag: YOLO - I'd try this and I'll bet Sumdaze has!
14. Watch part: STRAP.
15. Got down to business: SET UP SHOP - In a hilarious Everybody Loves Raymond, Ray and Peggy have a real battle on where they could SET UP SHOP to sell cookies.
17. Botanical opening: STOMA.
18. Auto-graph?: CAR SELFIE - I hope this car is at a stop! π³
19. Salmorejo base: TOMATO - Salmorejo, sometimes known as ardoria or ardorΓo, is a traditional soup originating from Andalusia, southern Spain, made of tomato, bread, extra virgin olive oil and garlic.
21. Going around in circles, say: LOST π Gotta love GPS!
22. German conjunction: UND - Dick UND Doof translates to Thick AND Stupid
23. "Encanto" uncle: BRUNO.
25. Some peaceful protests: LIE INS - The Woolworth lunch counter SIT INS in Greensboro, S.C. first came to my mind.
27. Comment before "He was dead the whole time," hopefully: SPOILER ALERT - Don't tell anyone how Psycho ends if they haven't seen it. π
30. Salt component: ION - This was the first thought for this guy who has taught chemistry but I fought it. Sodium (Na) gives up an electron and becomes a positive ION and Chlorine picks up that electron and becomes a negative ION. Ergo, they attract each other.
31. Finest form: A-GAME - The NFL teams bring their A-GAME to the playoffs
2. Inflatable pilot in "Airplane!": OTTO - Ya gotta love OTTO Pilot
3. Ska instruments: TROMBONES.
5. Flippers?: SPATULAS π
6. Women of Troy's sch.: USC.
7. Rihanna's "As __ as You and Me": REAL.
8. Time out in the park?: STROLLER NAP π
9. Barbie owner?: AUSSIE π
10. Fashion house co-founded by Pierre BergΓ: YSL.
Yves Pierre Fashion Business
11. "Love that for you!": OH FUN π
12. Cuts for Canadian-style bacon: LOINS - Yup, there it is on the label
13. News stand?: OP ED.
16. Filmmaker Jackson: PETER.
20. Donor type, briefly: O-NEG - A NASA guy would see ONE-G π
24. Part of a halftime snack for many a soccer player: ORANGE SLICE - Soccer mom on duty
26. Article: ITEM.
27. Bros, e.g.: SIBS π
28. Toner target: PORE.
29. Totally psyched: AMPED
33. Part of a heart-to-heart exchange: VALENTINE π
34. "You convinced me": I'M IN - Matt Damon apologized for getting people into this risky investment.
35. Trap collection: LINT.
37. Sound like a fan: WHIR.
39. Performances that might earn major props?: USO TOURS - Bob Hope would always bring out beautiful women and tell the majors, privates, et al, "I want you to remember what you're fighting for."
42. Grounded birds: EMUS π
45. "Swell": NEATO.
46. Part of PEI: EDWARD.
47. Big name in salt: MORTON - Joy MORTON was the son of Nebraska's great tree planter, and founder of Arbor Day, J. Sterling Morton. Joy moved to Chicago and founded MORTON Salt.
48. Dazzled: SHONE.
49. Passport producer: HONDA.
51. Narrow peninsula: SPIT - Dungeness SPIT in western Washington State
53. Leaves on the side: SLAW π
55. Tavern adjective: OLDE.
5183 Main St. Manchester Center, VT
56. Cause of quakes: FEAR.
58. Hebrew for "day": YOM.
59. Total mess: STY.
It is very impressive that AMIE made the show but here is her unfortunate Final Jeopardy round:
This is better ... back to wordplay in a Friday puzzle. And today's puzzle did not just commit wordplay in the entries; it did so, too, by its reveal: 59-across. Book supplements, and an apt title for this puzzle: ADD END UMS
Ok, if you want to nitpick, the plural for ADDENDUM is ADDENDA (which I suppose could be another puzzle theme in a few years), but a couple of googled dictionary sources say it's OK to use ADDENDUMS. Maybe Yellowrocks or Misty will chirp in and give us their expert opinion? But I digress ...
Today's puzzle is a collaboration between Gary Larson and Amy Ensz. The two of them have collaborated on puzzles here (mostly on Sunday) as well as the Wall Street Journal. In an interview, Gary refers to his wife as "Amy". I wonder if her last name happens to be Ensz??
Anyway, the puzzle has four entries and a reveal; 55 characters in all. That is a lot of theme characters for a 15x15 grid (minimum number of theme characters is usually 40)... which leads to a plethora of 3-letter entries (I think I counted 19), as well as 4-letter and 5-letter ones. I am no speed demon, but today's puzzle was completed in record-Friday-time (less than 9 minutes). Once I "got" the gist of the puzzle (adding an "UM" to the end of the entries) it solved quite quickly. But that did NOT diminish the enjoyment I had figuring it out. Here are the entries:
16-across. Class reunion attendee who's in no one's yearbook?: WEIRD ALUM.
Weird Al
Weird Alum (also Weird Al)
25-across. Proper etiquette at the plate?: HOME DECORUM.
Home Decor
Home Decorum
37-across. Impulse behind the gift-giving in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?: PRESENT MOMENTUM.
Present Moment
Present Momentum
47-across. Discussion panel about sheets, duvets, blankets, etc.?: COVERS FORUM.
Sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words ... let's see how the rest of the words got THEIR moment(um):
Across:
1. Framing piece: JAMB. How about a Moe-l'ick right off the bat??
Welch's factory worker named Sam Was found stealing. He went on the lam; Tried escaping through door Of the Company Store. Don't you know he got stuck in the JAMB?
5. Swiatek who won her fourth major singles championship in 2023: IGA. Pretty sure that she does her food shopping at the "Hometown Proud" store in her area
8. Carding pre-entry: I.D.'ING. A bouncer's duty, perhaps, at a popular nightclub?
13. Vineyard measure: ACRE. The vineyards abroad generally use the term "hectare" to refer to this: "A hectare is a unit of measurement used by farmers to describe an area that is 10,000 m². Another way of looking at it is 1 hectare is equal to around 2.47 acres. As grapes for wine making are grown by farmers, the standard farm practice of measuring in hectares still stands" [Google search]
14. Russian dynast: TSAR. TSAR vs CZAR: Always remember TSAR is the head of a Russian dynast-TEE, CEE?
15. West Coast NFLer: NINER. They have a big NFL Divisional Round playoff game tomorrow vs the Packers
18. Dried poblano: ANCHO. CSO to Lucina, perhaps? I bet she knows a thing or two about peppers!
19. Off the street, in a way: GARAGED. Our subdivision has homes all with two-car garages, and allows for on-street parking on just one side to allow for emergency vehicles, et al, to pass freely
21. Irish capital: EURO. Since DUBLIN didn't fit, I knew that the "capital" meant their currency. Northern Ireland uses the British Pound, I believe
22. Touch: TAP.
27. Many of the Marshall Islands: ATOLLS. Another Moe-l'ick:
A PIRATE liked to wander afar,
On a boat, or by plane, or by car.
His next year's travel goal,
Is to see an ATOLL
Called Raroia; Its Airport Code? RRR!
29. Order member: NUN. Moe-ku:
Sister at convent Was brash. Superior said, "We'll have NUN of that!!"
30. Seldom seen: RARE. Also, the way that Chairman Moe likes having his steaks cooked (beef or tuna)
Perfect sear
31. IRS action: AUDIT. Has anyone here been AUDITed by the IRS?? Want to talk about it??
34. Place for a mineral scrub: SPA. Believe it or not, the Chairman had a mineral scrub (Dead Sea salt) when he visited Israel 15+ years ago ...
41. "__-boom-bah!": SIS. I rather doubt that modern-day cheerleading squads utter this
42. "The __ in Me": Britney Spears memoir: WOMAN.
43. Senior advocacy group: AARP. AARP counts seniors as those over the age of 50; I never referred to myself as a senior until I was eligible for Medicare
44. Bank of China Tower architect: PEI. CanadianEh!, can you confirm that he once lived on Prince Edward Island??
45. Hot Wheels maker: MATTEL.
53. Go out with: SEE.
54. Again: ANEW.
55. Sang high notes?: YODELED. Old commercial for Swiss Miss:
57. Shopping aids: LISTS. Our shopping LISTS have one of two titles on them (depending on who's shopping): naughty or nice
63. Looks down?: MOPES.
64. Pharmacy orders, informally: MEDS.
65. Far offshore: ASEA.
66. Catch in a trap: SNARE.
67. Hindu title of respect: SRI.
68. Business review app: YELP.
Down:
1. Giant part of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton: JAW. Took me a couple of tries to get this; I knew it wasn't an ARM
2. Big heart?: ACE. Fun clue
We only play with Jumbo Index cards!!
3. Sports doc's order: MRI.
4. Part of an icy breakup: BERG. Another fun clue; iceBERG
5. Quran faith: ISLAM.
6. Speedometer, e.g.: GAUGE.
7. Set, as an alarm: ARMED. Moe-ku:
My first alarm clock Was shaped like an octopus ARMED and dangerous
8. Cookbook writer Garten: INA.
9. Make a meal of: DINE ON.
10. Run up, as debts: INCUR.
11. Jacket style named for an Indian leader: NEHRU. This brings back memories
12. Best man's best friend, often: GROOM. Another fun clue
20. Sturdy material: DENIM. This clue threw me off for a few moments
22. Infield protectors: TARPS. Abbr. for TARPaulin
23. Centipede platform: ATARI. Centipede is an old arcade game
24. Sponge features: PORES.
Sponge, au naturel
26. Adorable: CUTE. This little guy, maybe?
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV)
28. Guitar legend Paul: LES.
31. 24/7 money source: ATM.
32. Thurman of "The Producers": UMA.
33. __ Quixote: DON.
34. Sports figures: STATS.
35. Blender setting: PUREE.
36. Copious: AMPLE.
38. Washbasin jug: EWER. Moe-ku:
Famous artist was Asked to paint still-life. He said, "EWER kidding, right?"
39. Loud: NOISY.
40. NL East player: NAT. Washington NATional
44. Tin alloy: PEWTER. PEWTER is an alloy composed primarily of tin with varying quantities of hardening agents such as antimony, bismuth, copper and lead
45. Grand Canyon rentals: MULES. Not now; overnight lows are in the teens and high temp's are barely above freezing
46. Hymn finale: AMEN. This is a beautiful rendition of Gloria Patri
47. Settles: CALMS.
48. Gibson garnish: ONION. A martini usually is garnished with an OLIVE or LEMON peel; a Gibson is garnished with a pickled ONION
49. Italian scooter: VESPA. Moe-ku:
Italian priest rode A scooter to evening Mass VESPA, for vespers
50. Bubbles up: FOAMS.
51. More eccentric: ODDER.
52. __-wip: dessert topping: REDDI. Anyone ever do this with a can?
56. June 6, 1944: D-DAY. My dad enlisted on D-Day; he had his 18th birthday just a few days before
Today's constructor Michael B. Berg made his debut in the New York
Times just last year (be sure to read his note about
how he got into the construction business). Now that he's ready for the big time (π) he has come to
teach us a little bit about romance. Some say love is a battleground
-- and if it is, Michael's theme describes where it all takes place
...
16A. "Don't switch to memory foam":
KEEP IT DOWN. It keeps you much warmer, and sometimes it gets hot.
25A. "Pray we can hold on to the smaller one, which is more comfortable than the
king": GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. And more than that it brings lovers closer together.
42A.
"Please double-stitch the new sham":
MAKE A STRONG CASE. True love is the best.
The themers are all references to the
boudoir of course and in this reveal
Doris Day tells us all about the language spoken there ...
56A. Nighttime heart-to-heart that's taken literally in this puzzle:
PILLOW TALK.
I think I've suggested enough about the theme. Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. "General Hospital," for one: SOAP.
Jacklyn Zeman
(March 6, 1953 – May 9, 2023) portrayed nurse Bobbie Spencer on the ABC
daytime soap opera General Hospitalfor 45 years. Prior to that
she played Lana McClain in One Life to Live.
Jacklyn Zeman
5. Care: MIND.
9. Bogus offer: SCAM.
13. Wheel shaft: AXLE.
14. Admit: COP TO.
15. Latin bear: URSA. MAJOR is the big one and
MINOR is the little one. The tail of the little one is the
NORTH STAR ...
16. [Theme clue]
18. Softball clubs: BATS. Not the ones who live in belfries. π
19. SASE, perhaps: ENC.
Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes. Aspiring novelists buy them by
the pound.
20. R&B's __ Hill: DRU.
Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was
founded in Baltimore in 1992 by Tamir Ruffin, and as of 2023, is still active.
Dru Hill recorded seven top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B
number-one hits In My Bed, How Deep Is Your Love, and
Never Make a Promise: the last a bit of R&B pillow talk ...
24. Laura of the "Jurassic Park" films: DERN. Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967), who plays Dr. Ellie Sattler, is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Here are a few memorable scenes with Dr. Sattler from Jurassic Park ... 25. [Theme
clue]
39. Coastal raptor: ERN. A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ERN, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Ten extant species exist, currently described with this label. They are also frequent flyers through crosswords puzzles ...
Sea Eagle or Ern
40. Mammoth: HUGE.
41. HS class with a big reading list: AP LIT.
Advanced Placement Literature.
42. [Theme clue]
46. Poet of ancient Rome: OVID.
Publius Ovidius Naso
(21 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as OVID was a Roman poet
who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of
Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the
three canonical poets of Latin literature. In keeping with today's theme
here's a poem from Ovid'sThe Art Of Love: Book Two.
59. With 48-Across, one who is eventually successful: LATE.
60. "Finding Dory" setting: OCEAN.
61. Peru's capital: LIMA.
62. Stretches between forces, briefly: DMZS. An outmoded
concept. Nowadays the forces are fair game no matter where they're
found.
63. Gender-fluid pronoun: THEY.
64. Sculpting material: CLAY.
CLAY
is soil composed of the dust from igneous rocks mixed with water. One of the things that can be sculpted from it is a 25D.
2. Rice paddy team: OXEN. And speaking of rice ...
Balinese rice farmer preparing his paddy for planting
3. Oscar winner Guinness: ALEC. Sir Alec Guinness, CHCBE (2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English Shakespearean actor probably most famous in the US for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas' original 1977 Star Wars trilogy. But his career really began in 1946 with a series of collaborations with Director David Lean that included The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957 Oscar and BAFTA), Dr. Zhivago, and Lawrence of Arabia. In 1959, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts.
Sir Alec Guinness
4. Liveliness: PEP.
5. Self-contained unit: MODULE. A MODULE can be easily replaced with any unit that accepts the same inputs, produces the same outputs and has an interface compatible with the units it is intended to work. This concept is widely used in electronics and software development and simplifies development and maintenance.
12. Sloop pole: MAST. A CSO to Jinx. See also 36D.
14. PC paste combo: CTRL-V. Pastes whatever is on the memory "clipboard". The former gets filled by highlighting a portion of text and clicking CTRL-C ("Copy").
17. Dot journal entries: IDEAS.
22. Nonelective courses, informally: REQS.
23. Nine-digit IDs: SSNS.
25. 64-Across creature of Jewish folklore: GOLEM. A GOLEM
(/ΛΙ‘oΚlΙm/ GOH-lΙm; Hebrew: ΧּΧֹΧֶΧ, romanized: gΕlem) is an animated,
anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created
from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The golem is a highly
mutable metaphor with seemingly limitless symbolism. It can be a victim
or villain, man or woman—or sometimes both. Over the centuries, it has
been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope, and despair.
There has been some suggestion that the Golem was the inspiration for
J.R.R. Tolkien's Gollum in the Lord of the Rings.
Golem
26. Word with glasses or gloves: OPERA. I've used binoculars at OPERAS, but I never wear gloves.
27. Novelist who wrote the "Odd Thomas" thrillers:
DEAN KOONTZ. Dean Ray Koontz
(born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as
suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror,
fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Many of his books have
appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list including Odd Thomas.
The protagonist is a twenty-year-old short-order cook named Odd Thomas,
who can communicate with the dead and helps to solve crimes.
28. Big cat in "Life of Pi": TIGER. A 2001 novel by Yann Martel about Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel from Pondicherry, India,
who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age.
He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a lifeboat in
the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger which raises questions about the nature of reality and how it is perceived and told. It's also a film adaptation directed by Ang Lee. Here's a trailer ...
29. Otto I's realm: Abbr.: HRE. The Holy Roman Empire has been described as neither holy, Roman, nor an empire.
Holy Roman Empire circa 1512 - 1806 Superimposed over modern states
31. "Tropic Thunder" actor: NOLTE. Tropic Thunder is a 2008 satirical action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, who wrote the screenplay with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as a group of prima donna actors making a Vietnam War film. When their frustrated director (Steve Coogan)
drops them in the middle of a jungle and dies in an accident, they are
forced to rely on their acting skills to survive the real action and
danger. Even though Nick NOLTE's role in the film was a minor one, the only other 5 letter actor was Jack BLACK former was easily perped. π
36. Place to watch Greyhounds: BUS DEPOT. A CSO to ZoΡ.
37. Actor's rep: AGT.
38. Background figures in video games, for short: NPCS. A non-player character (NPC), is any character in a video game that is not controlled by a player.[
40. Actor Corey: HAIM. Corey Ian Haim (December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010) was a Canadian actor. He starred in a number of 1980s films, such as Silver Bullet (1985), Murphy's Romance (1985), and Lucas
(1986). Haim's early success led to money and fame. He had difficulty
breaking away from the trauma of his experience as a child actor and was
troubled by drug addiction throughout his adult life. He died of
pneumonia on March 10, 2010.
Corey Haim
41. Vice president under 45-Down: AGNEW.
I once shook his hand at a high school Student Council meeting. I
guess I'm just one degree of separation in time and space from an ex-President of the United States!
43. Conjures: EVOKES.
44. Beck album with the single "Where It's At": ODELAY. Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck (not to be confused with the binonymous Jeff Beck
born in 1944 π) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and
record producer. Beck rose to fame in the early 1990s with his
experimental and lo-fi style. This is "Where It's At" ...
45. President who resigned in 1974: NIXON.
48. Daring: BOLD.
49. Actor Neeson: LIAM. William John Neeson
OBE (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has
received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a
BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020,
he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest
Film Actors. Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British
Empire (OBE) in 2000.
Liam Neeson
50. Buttery: RICH.
52. Cut out early: BAIL.
53. __ mater: ALMA.
54. Approve: OKAY.
57. Director Spike: LEE. A common surname among movie directors.
58. "Waterfalls" trio: TLC.
TLC is an American girl group
formed in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia. The group's best-known line-up was composed
of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. The group enjoyed success during the 1990s, with
nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one singles:
Creep, No Scrubs, Unpretty and Waterfalls ...
Cheers, Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for
proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
*
This review is dedicated to the memory of
Professor Keith Fowler, who lovedlanguage, Shakespeare, acting,
crossword puzzles, and diagonals.
Theme: This is a rank puzzle. orWe're in the Army now.
Hidden in the theme fill are the names of military ranks, indicated by the circled letters. If you didn't have the circles, this would be a tough one to suss. Let's check it out.
18 A. "I luv u" message holder: CANDY HEART. These Valentine treats.
25 A. Textbook dividers: CHAPTER HEADINGS. Printed matter (as the chapter number or title, quotations, illustrations, or decorative letters) preceding the text at the beginning of a chapter.
In most armies and in some air forces, a CAPTAIN is the commander of the largest group of soldiers that an officer can be expected to know personally—a company in the infantry, a battery in the artillery, a flight in the air force.
40 A. Hybrid interactive experience: AUGMENTED REALITY. A technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.
GENERAL is the title and rank of a senior army officer, usually one who commands units larger than a regiment or its equivalent or units consisting of more than one arm of the service. Frequently, however, a general is a staff officer who does not command troops but who plans their operations in the field.
53 A. "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" actress: MELISSA JOAN HART. Melissa Joan Hart [b. 1976] is an American actress, producer, and director. She had starring roles as the title characters in the sitcoms Clarissa Explains It All, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Melissa & Joey. She appeared as Liz in No Good Nick.
Sabrina
A MAJOR serves as the primary staff officer for brigade and task force command regarding personnel, logistical and operational missions.
And the unifier -- 63 A. Asserted one's authority, and what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters: PULLED RANK. To use one's high position in a society, organization, group, etc., to order someone to do something or to get special treatment or privileges. In puzzle context, I guess this means you have to pull out the circled letters to reveal the target words.
Hi Gang. JazzBumpa here to lead this drill, and I promise not to pull rank. I'm not a big fan of circled letter themes. This one might have had a touch of elegance if the military ranks presented were in rank order, but, alas, 'twas not to be. As much as I appreciate how difficult it must have been to find fitting theme fill entries, I am not delighted with the result. But that is mere personal preference. YMMV.
Let's put on our parching boots then, and see if we can have a successful mission.
Across
1. Snack in a hard or soft shell: TACO. My first thought was crab. Oh, well. Taco is the Spanish word for sandwich. Once in Mexico I ordered a jamΓ³n con queso taco, not knowing what jamΓ³n was. I was surprised to get a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.
5. Mega-excited, with "up": TURNT. It never occurred to me that turned could be spelt this way. This was a stumbling block for me.
10. Pattern: MOTIF. A bit of a stretch, but OK, I guess
15. Big star: IDOL. A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.
16. Formal "Same here": AS DO I. Informally -- "Me too."
17. Initiative: DRIVE. Urge or force (animals or people) to move in a specified direction. In this usage, the one being urged is yourself, and the direction is metaphoric for some goal or achievement.
20. "The Lion King" lion: SIMBA. This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, the heir of his father, Mufasa. Images here.
21. Nintendo avatar: MII. A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players.
22. Prefix added to some music genres: ALT. Short for alternative, a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge, shoegaze, and Britpop subgenres in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively.
24. Kid's elder: GOAT. Of the species Capra hircus.
30. Snippet: CLIP. A small piece or brief extract from a video or audio recording.
31. Extreme anger: IRE. Derived from Latin.
32. __ guard: SHIN. A shin guard is a thick piece of material that you wear inside your socks to protect the lower part of your leg when you are playing a game such as soccer.
33. Glutton: HOG. One who wants both his share and yours.
34. "Ooohhh": AHA. Expressions of surprise or delight.
36. Equal (with): ON A PAR. Equivalent to.
45. "The plan's been approved": ITS A GO. Used to say that things are working correctly or that you have permission to do something
46. "Who, me?": MOI. Pretentious French usage.
47. Split __ soup: PEA. Soup made typically from dried peas, such as the split pea. It is, with variations, a part of the cuisine of many cultures. It is most often greyish-green or yellow in color depending on the regional variety of peas used; all are cultivars of Pisum sativum.
48. Hiker's mix: GORP. An acronym for "good ol' raisins and peanuts", although the mix may contain M&M's and other nuts. AKA trail mix.
50. Cooling syst. meas.: BTU. British Thermal Unit.
52. "__ Green": Kermit's song: BEIN'.
Alternatively --
Urbie was also Green
58. CIO or CTO: EXEC. Executive - a corporate officer.
59. Good Charlotte genre: EMO. Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland, formed in 1995, that I never heard of. EMO is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics.
60. Kitchen cover: LID. For a pot or pan.
61. __ basin: TIDAL. The Tidal Basin is a man-made reservoir located between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel in Washington, D.C. It is part of West Potomac Park near the National Mall and is a focal point of the National Cherry Blossom Festival held each spring. Generically, a basin for boats which is accessible or navigable only at high tide.
69. "__ in Borderland": manga series: ALICE. a Japanese science fiction thriller drama streaming television series [that I never heard of] based on the manga by Haro Aso. The series was directed by Shinsuke Sato. It stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as allies trapped in an abandoned Tokyo forced to compete in dangerous games, the type and difficulty represented by playing cards, to extend "visas" that, if expired, result in the player's execution by lasers being shot from the sky.
70. Inventor Howe: ELIAS. Elias Howe Jr. [1819 – 1867] was an American inventor best known for his creation of the modern lockstitch sewing machine.
71. Gel often kept in the fridge: ALOE. A preparation of leaf pulp from the parenchymal tissue of the plant Aloe vera (Liliaceae). Aloe vera gel contains carbohydrate polymers, such as glucomannans or pectic acid, and various vitamins and essential amino acids, as well as other organic and inorganic compounds. Not sure why it would need to be refrigerated.
72. Slowly, in music: LENTO. I was thinking LARGO. Either is correct.
73. Wetland plants: REEDS. A woody plant with long, slender leaves. Reeds need a lot of moisture, and they usually grow in or near a marsh. The stalk of a reed plant is also called a reed, and it's from this stiff, wood-like material that reeds for certain musical instruments were first made.
74. Big name in golf equipment: PING. Ping Inc. designs and manufactures golf equipment. The Company's products include golf clubs, club bags, headwear, gloves, travel gear, and accessories. Ping operates worldwide as a subsidiary of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation.
Down:
1. Twitch: TIC. A repetitive movement that is difficult, if not impossible to voluntarily control. Tics can affect any group of muscles. The most common are facial tics, such as eye- blinking, nose-twitching, or grimacing.
2. Orthodontist's org.: ADA. American Dental Association. Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, as well as misaligned bite patterns.
3. Pro opposite: CON. In favor of vs. against.
4. Wall hanging showing 48 states, perhaps: OLD MAP. Makes sense - there have been 50 since 1959.
5. Largest island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, the South Pacific archipelago. Shaped like a figure-8, it's divided into Tahiti Nui (the larger, western section) and Tahiti Iti (the eastern peninsula). With black-sand beaches, lagoons, waterfalls and 2 extinct volcanoes, it's a popular vacation destination.
6. "__ your words": toddler parent's phrase: USE. Encouraging a toddler to talk - a decision one may come to regret.
7. Nutritionist's no.: RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance - the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.
8. "Sunrise" singer Jones: NORAH. Norah Jones [b. 1979] is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and, as of 2023, had sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade. She is the daughter of musician Ravi Shankar and concert producer Sue Jones.
9. Lord and Lady: TITLES. A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. And, in the plural, the title of this excellent Discworld novel.
10. Physical pros: MDS. Medical Doctors. Rather an odd clue.
11. Never seen before: ORIGINAL. In this usage, something that is the first of its kind.
12. "The Lion King" meerkat: TIMON. Featured on a non-shareable video. You can watch it here.
13. Hosp. attachment: IV BAG. IV bags contain a solution of fluids that is administered directly into the patient's bloodstream through a needle or catheter, with the composition of the IV solution varying based on the type of fluid used and the patient's medical condition. They attach to the patient, not the building.
14. Great deeds: FEATS. Achievements that requires great courage, skill, or strength.
19. Puppy plaint: YIP. Sound made by a small dog.
23. Chevy SUV: TAHOE. The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are part of General Motors' full-size SUV family and are differentiated from the similar Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL primarily by the length of the passenger and cargo area behind the C-pillar.
25. Influence: CLOUT. Influence or power, especially in politics or business.
26. __ boson: elementary particle: HIGGS. An elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics produced by the quantum excitation of the Higgs field, one of the fields in particle physics theory. The Higgs field is a field of energy that is thought to exist in every region of the universe. The field is accompanied by a fundamental particle known as the Higgs boson, which is used by the field to continuously interact with other particles, such as the electron. Now you know.
27. Q.E.D. center: ERAT. Q.E.D. is the Latin abbreviation for quod erat demonstrandum: "Which was to be demonstrated." Q.E.D. may appear at the conclusion of a text to signify that the author's overall argument has just been proven.
28. Shorten, as a skirt: RE-HEM. A hem is the edge of a piece of cloth or clothing that has been turned under and sewn. To re-hem a garment is to fold over a greater length of cloth, thus shortening the garment.
29. Meyer of "Line of Duty": DINA. Dina Meyer [b. 1968] is an American actress. She began her career appearing in a recurring role on the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210, before landing a leading role opposite Keanu Reeves in the 1995 film Johnny Mnemonic.
30. Fragrant latte: CHAI. In America, "chai" has become known as a flavor of tea with predominantly cinnamon or cardamom notes. But in India, chai is not a flavor of tea; it is tea—chai literally translates to "tea" in Hindi. Latte is a coffee drink of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk. I don't how to make this fit.
35. Marinade in Spanish cooking: ADOBO. This is a condiment or cooking sauce with a base containing chillies, particularly Chipotle and Ancho peppers. An Ancho pepper is a Poblano chili that is dried after it turns red. These sauces are used as a marinade and to add a smoky, spicy flavor.
37. Laurie of "Twin Peaks": PIPER. Piper Laurie [1932-1923] was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, and the miniseries The Thorn Birds.
38. Bit the dust: ATE IT. Died, or less extremely, experience a severe failure.
39. Director Coogler: RYAN. Ryan Kyle Coogler [b. 1986] is an American filmmaker. He is a recipient of four NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award.
41. Tricks that are also a treat?: MAGIC ACT. Performances usually compounded of verbal utterance and object manipulation, that constitute “performative” acts by which a property is imperatively transferred to a recipient object or person on an analogical basis. Happy to clear that up.
42. Self-images: EGOS. One's self, especially as contrasted with another self or the world. Similarly, one's sense of self -worth.
43. Like Odin and Thor: NORSE. Relating to medieval Norway or Scandinavia, or their inhabitants or language. Odin and Thor are members of the Norse pantheon.
44. Actress Wilson: RITA. Rita Wilson [b.1957] is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include Volunteers, Sleepless in Seattle, Now and Then, That Thing You Do!, Jingle All the Way, The Story of Us, Runaway Bride, It's Complicated, and Larry Crowne, and she appeared in the television series The Good Wife and Girls.
49. Overindulge: PAMPER. Indulge with every attention, comfort, and kindness; spoil.
51. "Except maybe ... ": UNLESS. Used to introduce the case in which a statement being made is not true or valid
52. Undeserved notoriety: BAD RAP. An unfairly bad reputation
53. Key material?: METAL. Keys are made of metal. I suppose the intended misdirection indicates a vital material. I'm unimpressed.
54. Cast out: EXILE. The state of being barred from one's native country, typically for political or punitive reasons.
55. Escorted: LED IN. Accompanied by someone who assures you arrive safely or with proper respect and acknowledgment
56. Unit of energy: JOULE. A unit of work or energy in the International System of Units (SI); it is equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through one metre. Named in honour of the English physicist James Prescott Joule, it equals 107 ergs, or approximately 0.7377 foot-pounds.
57. Kept out of sight: HID. Concealed.
62. August baby, maybe: LEO. The fifth sign of the zodiac. It corresponds to the constellation Leo and comes after Cancer and before Virgo. The traditional Western zodiac associates Leo with the period between about July 23 and August 22, and the sign spans the 120th to 150th degree of celestial longitude.
64. Fib: LIE. An untruth, spoken with the intent to deceive.
65. Young man: LAD.
66. Comedian Wong: ALI. Alexandra Dawn Wong [b. 1982] is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. She has also starred in the romantic comedy film Always Be My Maybe, on which she also served as a writer and producer.
67. Persona __ grata: NON. A Latin phrase meaning “unwelcome person.” As a legal term, it refers to the practice of a state prohibiting a diplomat from entering the country as a diplomat, or censuring a diplomat already resident in the country for conduct unbecoming of the status of a diplomat.
68. Pub delivery: KEG. A metal container holding 36 U.S. gallons of beer.
That ending sounds like a visit to the officers club. I had my nits, but this puzzle was OK, so lets raise a cold one.
While were having a toast, today is our 33rd wedding anniversary. The best years of my life!
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