Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Joe Deeney

It's A Man's Man's Man's Man's Man's World.

17-Across. Spa combo: MANI-PEDI.  Guy # 1.

24-Across. Technique for closing a seam: LADDER STITCH.  Guy # 2.  A Ladder Stitch is an invisible seam.  It is used to close seams on stuffed items, such as pillows, or stuffed toys, where, after the stuffing is added.

30-Across. Like many consignment store items: GENTLY USED.  Guy # 3.

41-Across. North Carolina college town: CHAPEL HILL.  Guy # 4.

48-Across. Metaphor for a repetitive person: BROKEN RECORD.  Guy # 5.

And the unifier:

60-Across. Hamburger franchise, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 24-, 30-, 41-, and 48-Across: FIVE GUYS.  The first few letters of each of the FIVE theme answers is a synonym for a GUY.  I have never eaten at a Five Guys burger joint.

Across:

1. Roadie's cargo: AMPS.

5. Barrel wood: OAK.  Why Oak Barrels?

8. A flat equivalent: G SHARP.  Good misdirection.  I was thinking that the "Flat" was an apartment.  Nope, it's a musical reference.  Everything you wanted to know about Sharps and Flats but didn't know to ask.

14. Bus route, often: LOOP.

15. Bid the most, say: WIN.

16. Grows tired: STALES.

19. In an overly curious way: NOSILY.

20. Fix up, as hair: STYLE.

21. Gee preceder: EFF.  A B C D E F G ...

23. Room under the roof: ATTIC.  //  31-Down. Call from the 23-Across, perhaps: UP HERE!

27. Knightley of "Atonement": KEIRA.  Keira Christina Knightley (b. Mar. 26, 1985) is a British actress who also starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean series of films.  [Name # 1.]

29. Painter's prop: EASEL.

33. Not imaginary: REAL.

36. Fur baby: PET.

37. Happy Valley sch.: PSU.  As in Pennsylvania State University.  Louisiana State University has a Death Valley, which sounds so much more fierce.  The former is a region in Pennsylvania and the latter is the football stadium.

38. Author info: BIO.  As in Biography.

39. Schedule opening: SLOT.

45. Hawaii Senator Hirono: MAZIE.  Mazie Keiko Hirono (b. Nov. 3, 1947) has served Hawaii in the United States Senate since 2013.  [Name # 2.]

47. Farm animals with horns: GOATS.

52. Jobs: ROLES.

53. Pipe bend shape: ELL.

54. Ramen soup broth: DASHI.  Not a Tuesday word.  Everything you wanted to know about Dashi but didn't know to ask.

58. Suspects: IS ON TO.

62. NCAA group that will add four new members in 2024: BIG TEN.  The Big Ten Conference is the oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States.

63. "__ been wondering ... ": I'VE.

64. Verdi opera: AIDA.  Aida is a tragic opera by Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813 ~ Jan. 27, 1901).   It is set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt and was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House.  The opera premiered in Cairo in December 1871.  There is a modern rock musical version of Aida that was written by Elton John and Tim Rice that premiered in 1998.  [Name adjacent.]

65. Dolorous donkey: EEYORE.  A reference to a pal of Winnie the Pooh.  [Name # 3, fictional.]

66. Barclays Center baller: NET.  The Barclay Center is home to the NBA team the Brooklyn Nets.

67. Seethe, as over a slight: STEW.

Down:

1. Pillar of Islam known as Zakat: ALMS.  The Five Pillars of Islam.

2. Castle protection: MOAT.

3. Pay (up): PONY.

4. "Tell us!": SPILL IT!

5. Be a tad short with?: OWE.  Cute clue.

6. Assisted: AIDED.

7. Place setting piece: KNIFE.

8. "People Puzzler" airer: GSN.  As in the Game Show Network.

9. Weasel cousins: STOATS.  Everything you wanted to know about the difference between Weasels and Stoats but didn't know to ask.

10. More hurried: HASTIER.

11. Slightly: A LITTLE BIT.

12. Shrine centerpiece: RELIC.  The Right Hand of St. Stephen of Hungary is housed in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Budapest.

13. Course where one might study Jung, familiarly: PSYCH.  Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 ~ June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology.  Carl Jung vs. Sigmund Freud.  [Name # 4.]

18. June birthstone: PEARL.

22. Make available: FREE UP.

25. Tomorrow, for one: DAY.

26. Texting :-(, perhaps: SAD.

27. Ship stabilizer: KEEL.

28. Study of bugs: ENTOMOLOGY.

30. Tech that might repeat "Make a U-turn": GPS.  As in Global Positioning System.

32. Org. with a Popular Baby Names page: SSA.  I was not aware that the Social Security Administration had a page with popular baby names.  The top name in 2023 was Liam for boys and Olivia for girls.

34. Comes down with something: AILS.

35. "ur so funny!": LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.

40. Become smitten with: TAKEN TO.

41. Bengals, on scoreboards: CIN.  Joe Burrow (b. Dec. 10, 1996), who played football for the LSU (Bengal) Tigers now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.  

42. Brand of battery-powered lawn equipment: EGO.  I was not aware of this brand of lawn mowers, although it bills itself as being rated #1.  [Name Adjacent.]

43. "Royals" singer: LORDE.  Lorde is from New Zealand.  Her full name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (b. Nov. 1996).  [Name # 5.]

44. Enjoyed oneself immensely: HAD A GAS.

46. Gadget scraped on a peel: ZESTER.

48. Corrupt kickback: BRIBE.

49. Perez of "Do the Right Thing": ROSIE.  Do the Right Thing is a movie that makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  Rosie Perez (née Rosa Marie Perez; b. Sept. 6, 1964) got her start with this film which is a film about race relations in New York City.  I saw this film when I was living in France.  The theme did not translate well.  [Name # 6.]

50. Petite and playful: ELFIN.

51. "Closer" actor Owen: CLIVE.  Clive Owen (b. Oct. 3, 1964) is a British actor.  Closer was a 2004 romantic comedy that also starred Julia Roberts.  [Name # 7.]

55. Wedding dress, perhaps: SUIT.

56. Jekyll's counterpart: HYDE.  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic Gothic horror story by Robert Louis Stephenson (Nov. 13, 1850 ~ Dec. 3, 1894).  Hand up if you have actually ever read the story.  [Names # 8 and 9, fictional.]

57. "It didn't escape my notice": I SAW.

59. Small square: ONE.  Okay, if you say so.

61. Nov. honoree: VET.   Veteran's Day is celebrated on November 11.

Here's the Grid:

 

חתולה

Monday July 29, 2024 Caroline Hand

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle I am calling  

That Old Clock On The Wall  

Dean Martin ~ That Old Clock On The Wall ~ (1966)

Starting with the four themed clues, we have:

17 Across. Mistaken report of an emergency: FALSE ALARM.

23 Across. Contributing elements to a yawnfest: SNOOZE FACTORS.

38 Across. Anthony Doerr novel whose title comes from an Aristophanes play: CLOUD CUCKOO LAND.

This 626-page book was published in 2021.  Goodreads link

49 Across. Exhortation during cold and flu season: WASH YOUR HANDS.

And the reveal:

61 Across. Getting paid for work, and what an element of 17-, 23-, 38-, and 49-Across may be: ON THE CLOCK.

Depending on the CLOCK, you might find ON it one or more of these:  ALARM setting, SNOOZE button, CUCKOO bird, or hour & minute HANDS. Notice the careful wording here. The clue says element of, meaning any part of the phrase might be used for the theme.

Let's give a HAND* to Caroline Hand on her LA Times solo debut! (She collaborated with Katie Hale on this puzzle published Feb. 9, 2024.) I am impressed that the themed entries are 10-, 13-, 15-, 13- and 10-letters because this construction does not leave much wiggle room for the other fill. More transformation to the meanings of ALARM, SNOOZE, and even CUCKOO would have taken this puzzle up a notch. I clocked the theme at SNOOZE.

*Sorry for the bad pun, Caroline! In my defense, this is The Corner so I am contractually obligated to include as many bad puns as possible in my write-up.  🤓

Next we'll face the challenge of decoding the other clues:

Across:
1. Hooded snake: COBRA.  The king COBRA is the world's largest venomous snake. They can climb trees and swim, too! This is a 1 min. video of a man working with a female COBRA. I would not try to do this in a million years!

6. In the distance: AFAR.  This is A FAR cry from a deceptive clue.

10. Chimed: RANG.  

As it turns out, Ted Cassidy's biography 
Lurching Forward:  Ted Cassidy's Early Life from Cradle to Creature 
was released earlier this month.

14. To no __: fruitlessly: AVAIL. "To no AVAIL" is an idiom that means "without success".

15. La __ Tar Pits: tourist attraction in L.A.'s Hancock Park: BREA.  This is a 4:12 min. video of what it is like to visit the La Brea Tar Pits. I had no idea!  

16. Israeli airline: EL AL.     and     8 Down. __ Lingus: AER.

19. __ adieu: said farewell: BADE.  BADE is the past tense of "bid".

20. Fashion magazine with a French name: ELLE.  

21. Hasty escape: LAM.  Def.:  (noun) sudden or hurried flight, especially from the law.  

22. Aromatic spice in chili and curry: CUMIN.  The Spruce Eats answers your CUMIN questions.

27. "The Raven" poet Edgar Allan __: POE.  Here is author Neil Gaiman reading The Raven. 

 28. Eject from office: OUST.

29. Words on a cake in "Alice in Wonderland": EAT ME.

33. Paintings and sculptures: ART.  I like this clever use of plurals.

34. Sailor's greeting: AHOY.

42. Store sign: OPEN.     and     24 Down. Newspaper column: OPED.

43. Fury: IRE.

44. Old PC platform: MS-DOS.

45. All-__ cookware: CLAD.  

The suggested price for this 10-piece set is $1,500.

47. Place for a facial: SPA.

55. Emerged from slumber: AWOKE.  RISEN is being saved for 4-Down.

56. Slithery fish: EEL.

57. Timothée's "Call Me by Your Name" role: ELIO.  IMDb link

60. Surrealist Salvador: DALÍ.  (1904-1989) Going with the CLOCK theme, here is The Persistence of Memory (1931).

Click to enlarge.

64. "__ go bragh!": ERIN.

65. Cost of a taxi ride: FARE.

66. River mammal: OTTER.  We have some animal lovers on this blog who I think will very much enjoy this video someone took of a dog playing with a river OTTER (1:17 min.). At first I was concerned that they were fighting but they really are playing. The OTTER has opportunities to flee but comes back to play some more. The person who posted the video wrote, "Every evening a river otter comes to play with our daughter's dog Rio. What was once an acquaintance on the other side of the fence has now become a friend who comes to play through the fence. It has been interesting to watch as their trust of each other has developed over the past several months."

Note:  I scrolled through the comments and learned that the video was filmed in Jacksonville, FL in 2007.

67. Chianti, merlot, etc.: REDS.  I think of chianti as the wine that comes wrapped in straw baskets but that is not always the case.  Chianti article

68. Marvel hero played by Chris Hemsworth: THOR.  Chris was born on August 11, 1983 in Melbourne, Australia. Between 2011 and 2022, he played Thor in seven Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.

a face that can stop a CLOCK??

69. Rapper/actor __ Jackson Jr.: O'SHEA.  He is Ice Cube's oldest son.

Down:
1. Bistro: CAFE.

2. Shape of a presidential office: OVAL.  

3. Black-tie galas: BALLS.  

4. Like dough that's ready to bake: RISEN.  Yesterday we had 118A. Puts sourdough in the fridge overnight, say  PROOFS.

The "over" example shows the dough beginning to collapse on itself.

5. Pub drink: ALE.

6. On fire: ABLAZE.

7. Photograph holder: FRAME.

9. Hit hard: RAM.  A hard hat can protect you if you are hit hard.

10. Counterarguments: REBUTTALS.

11. Rental car company: ALAMO.

12. Lowest point: NADIR.

13. Narrow valleys: GLENS.

18. __ gobi: potato and cauliflower dish: ALOO.  ALOO means "potatoes" when it comes to Indian food. Memory trick:  both have two O's.

22. Loops in via email: CCS.

25. Split in the road: FORK.  

Green Day  ~  Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)  ~  1997

"Another turning point, a FORK stuck in the road." 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅮

Note:  This one is a twofer with "time" in the title.

26. Car: AUTO.

29. Green prefix: ECO-.

30. Jungfrau, for one: ALP.  At first I thought Jungfrau might be a phone ApP. It turns out it is in Switzerland. The photos on its tourism website are breathtaking.

31. Foot part: TOE.

32. Donut holes, at Dunkin': MUNCHKINS.  Spoiler alert:  donut holes are not actually made from cutting out holes in donuts.  Why Donuts Have Holes

33. Unreturned serve: ACE.  

Venus Williams, serving up an ACE

35. "You __ one job!": HAD.

36. Artist Yoko: ONO.  Back in 1988, Be My Yoko Ono was the debut single by the Canadian band, Barenaked Ladies.  <Hi Canadian-Eh!>

37. QB's gains: YDS.  Football  -->  Quarterback  -->  Yards

39. Italian goodbye: CIAO.

40. Lahore language: URDU.  Lahore is a city in Pakistan. This an "URDU goodbye":    

Now you know why we never see this as a crossword clue.

41. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.  Arabic is the official language of OMAN. This is an "OMANi goodbye":  

46. Caustic cleaner: LYE.  What LYE is and Why it is in our Soaps

47. Pronouns in some bios: SHE/HER.  I liked this clue! Pronouns in autobiographies are I/me. On the other hand, biographies are written about someone else's life so they require third-person pronouns. (BTW, bio is not an abbreviation in this clue. It means "a biographical sketch".)

48. The "P" of IPA: PALE.  India PALE Ale

49. Shorebird: WADER.  "WADER" is a synonym for "shorebird", as opposed to a specific type of bird. This link will take you to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Aviary Cam where you can see WADERs flitting about their enclosure.

50. In the know: AWARE.

51. Not flimsy: SOLID.  think, "a SOLID excuse"  

52. Back in style: RETRO.  

This one is my favorite comic today.

53. Shoulder muscles, briefly: DELTS.

54. Couch potato's sin: SLOTH.  

58. Slushy drink brand: ICEE.

59. Gumbo-thickening pod: OKRA.

61. Poet's "many, many times": OFT.  OFT is an adverb that means "often".

62. "No way!": NAH.

63. Dove's sound: COO.  Contrary to popular belief, COO is not half the sound a CUCKOO bird makes.  😜

Today's grid:  

We've beat the clock and made it to closing time. Thank you for clocking in!

Sunday July 28, 2024 Rebecca Goldstein & Amie Walker

Theme: "Squad Goals" - Each common phrase is rephrased as a team of Olympians.

22. Olympic fencing team?: STICK FIGURES.

24. Olympic skateboarding team?: DECK CREW.

44. Olympic table tennis team?: SPIN DOCTORS.

52. Olympic volleyball team?: BLOCK PARTY.

65. Olympic basketball team?: SHOOTING STARS.

82. Olympic weightlifting team?: CLEAN SLATE.

90. Olympic gymnastics team?: FLOOR MODELS.

111. Olympic wrestling team?: PINHEADS.

113. Olympic relay race team?: RUNNING MATES.

And an extra 42. Like the Olympic torch: LIT.

Great title. Timely and fun theme. Very consistent with the first word related to the team in each clue. Both Rebecca and Amie are very accomplished constructors. Today's grid is extra sparkly with all those long Downs. 

I'm just going to focus on Regan Smith (Minnesota), Summer McIntosh and Léon Marchand.

Across:

1. New __ on life: LEASE.

6. Student support orgs.: PTAS.

10. Chat room admin: MOD. Moderator.

13. Blackjack cards: ACES.

17. Not warranted: UNDUE.

18. Full body exercise: BURPEE. Quite challenging.

20. Shiba __: INU.

21. Hoped-for review: RAVE.

26. Victory lap speed: TROT.

27. "Schitt's Creek" surname: ROSE. Created Dan & Eugene Levy.

28. Massage places: SPAS.

30. Spuds: TATERS.

31. "Can confirm": YES IT IS.

33. Read a QR code: SCANNED.

36. Cacao __: NIB. Petty good with overnight oats.

37. On the town, say: OUT.

38. Stash: STOW.

39. Dog's wagger: TAIL.

41. Animation frames: CELS.

48. Spider-Woman voice actress Rae: ISSA.

49. Precipitation that may leave dents: HAIL.

50. Ergo: HENCE.

51. Certain vibe: AURA.

54. Pakistani language: URDU.

55. Bryant of "Human Resources": AIDY. She was with SNL for a long time.

56. Hot pot spot?: KILN. Ha. Hot pot indeed.

57. Corn serving: EAR.

58. Leave out: SKIP.

59. D'backs, on a scoreboard: ARI.

60. Have a fancy meal: DINE.

61. Haunted house decorations: WEBS.

64. "Group __!": HUG.

70. TV series pts.: EPS. Episodes.

72. Upscale: POSH.

74. Loathe: HATE.

75. Gender-affirming treatment: Abbr.: HRT. Hormone-Replacement Therapy.

76. Way of walking: GAIT. I really like this picture.

77. Color gradation: HUE.

79. Window glass: PANE.

80. Title for Julie Andrews: DAME. I used to confuse her with Julie Christie.

81. "Breaking Bad" actress Gunn: ANNA.

86. Pro __: at no charge: BONO.

87. "Atlanta" actor __ Tyree Henry: BRIAN.

88. Set a part?: COMB. Part the hair.

89. Playthings: TOYS.

92. Portmanteau hairstyle that sounds messier than it is: SLOB. Slick & bob.

93. Cartoon explorer: DORA.

94. For us: OURS.

95. "Evita" role for Mandy Patinkin: CHE.

96. "Toodle-oo!": BYE.

98. "This way to your table" speaker: MAITRE'D.

100. Jelly Roll Morton of jazz, e.g.: PIONEER.

104. Sleeps in, maybe: SLACKS.

107. Pi Day follower: IDES. 3/14, 3/15.

108. Actor Wilson: OWEN.

110. Donated: GAVE.

116. Supermarket with an aisle of "Finds" affectionately dubbed the "Aisle of Shame": ALDI.

117. Previously called: NEE.

118. Puts sourdough in the fridge overnight, say: PROOFS.

119. Surgical tube: STENT.

120. Certain gender presentation, for short: MASC.

121. Online convos: DMS. And 104. Text repeatedly: SPAM.

122. Eldest Haim sister: ESTE.

123. Good guys: GENTS. Tom Pepper came to my rescue again. He assembled the bath bench for my sister-in-law Connie.

David Liben-Nowell and Tom Pepper

 Down:

1. Vigorous: LUSTY.

2. Between, in Spanish or French: ENTRE.

3. "Toodle-oo!": ADIOS.

4. Shower attachment?: SUCTION CUP. Great fill/clue.

5. "Zoinks!": EEK.

6. Wrinkly-faced dogs: PUGS.

7. "I kid you not!": TRUE STORY. Also love these long fill: 13. Rabbit kin with a white winter coat: ARCTIC HARE. And 14. The plush toy Funshine, for one: CARE BEAR. 73. Well-worn style?: SHABBY CHIC. 76. Yard entrance: GARDEN GATE. 79. Base jumps?: PAY RAISES. 80. Yoda's words before "There is no try": DO OR DO NOT.

8. Coachella mo.: APR.

9. Waffles: SEESAWS.

10. Between the premiere and the finale, say: MID-SEASON.

11. Free throw value: ONE.

12. Channel: DUCT.

15. "Best. Day. __!": EVER.

16. Wraps (up): SEWS.

18. "About me" sections: BIOS.

19. NFL Draft airer: ESPN.

23. Crunchy addition to corn salad: FRITO. I can smell the taste.

25. Neb. neighbor: KAN.

29. Caribbean archipelago: ANTILLES.

32. Lip, casually: TUDE. Attitude.

34. Celebrity chef Cat: CORA.

35. Backbone bit: DISC.

38. Artist's workspace: STUDIO.

40. Rowing spot: LAKE.

43. Artful: SLY.

44. "Keep it down!": SHUSH.

45. Start to show some interest: PERK UP.

46. Stripe between 86-Down and violet: INDIGO. 86. Stripe between green and 46-Down: BLUE.

47. Egyptian capital: CAIRO.

52. Watch an entire series in a weekend, say: BINGE.

53. Source of some muddy prints: PAWS.

55. Relaxation exhalation: AAH.

56. Kunta __-Alex Haley Memorial: Maryland landmark: KINTE.

60. Jack's twin on "Black-ish": DIANE.

62. Hat hair cause, maybe: BEANIE.

63. "This Is __ Tap": SPINAL.

65. Give the cold shoulder: SHUN.

66. "Even still ... ": THAT SAID.

67. Marvel villain who said, "I am inevitable": THANOS.

68. Knight's cover: ARMOR.

69. Way to go, briefly: RTE.

71. Is super into, in slang: STANS.

78. Founded: Abbr.: EST'D.

82. Syringe units: CCs.

83. "Hahahaha": LOL.

84. The Get Up Kids and Saves the Day: EMO BANDS.

85. Weaving tool: LOOM.

87. Festival aesthetic: BOHO.

90. "Definitely": FOR SURE.

91. Hosting, casually: MC'ING.

97. __ out a win: EKE.

99. UMD player: TERP.

100. Calligraphy tools: PENS.

101. Put away: EATEN.

102. 100-meter dash, e.g.: EVENT.

103. Takes a breather: RESTS.

105. Grammy winner Downs: LILA.

106. Stuff in a long-jump pit: SAND.

109. Either spouse, perhaps: WIFE.

112. JFK, but not La Guardia: DEM. Fun clue angle.

114. Rejections: NOS.

115. N.Y. Rangers home ice: MSG.

Two extra notes:

1) In case you missed it, here is the obit of Chair Moe's interesting mom Phyllis.

2) The Midwest Crossword Puzzle Tournament will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Click here for more information. Here is the full list of the organizers, constructors and editors, all are Midwest-based. I think Gary linked Carly Schuna's picture before. Super cool.

C.C.