Tuesday, October 22, 2024 Prasanna Yeshiva

It's Football Season!  The first letter of each word in the theme answer gives us the letters QB, for the team's QuarterBack.

16-Across. Social gathering where patchwork bedspreads are made: QUILTING BEE.

27-Across. "Abbott Elementary" creator/star: QUINTA BRUNSON.  If you've never seen Abbott Elementary, you should check it out.  It's a mockumentary about a fictional elementary school in Philadelphia.  It focuses on the teachers in an underfunded and mismanaged school.  Quinta Brunson (b. Dec. 21m 1989) portrays an idealistic second-grade teacher.  [Name # 1.]

45-Across. Hybrid monster of Arthurian legend: QUESTING BEAST.  Everything you wanted to know about the Questing Beast but didn't know to ask.

And the unifier:

58-Across. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, familiarly, or an apt title for this puzzle: STARTING QBs.  [Names # 2 and 3.]  Patrick Lavon Mahomes, II (b. Sept. 17, 1995) plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Lamar Jackson (b. Jan. 7, 1997) plays for the Baltimore Ravens.  Both are the Starting QuarterBacks.

Across:

1. "Milk" director Van Sant: GUS.  Milk is a 2008 bio-pic about Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 ~ Nov. 27, 1978), the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.  He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  Gus Van Sant, Jr. (b. July 24, 1952) appeared on a Tuesday recently.  He has directed many films, including the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, which launched the careers of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. [Name # 4.]

4. List of editorial mistakes: ERRATA.

10. Driver's approx.: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

13. Palo __, California: ALTO.

14. Potato prep tool: PEELER.

15. Circle segment: ARC.

18. Jewel: GEM.

19. Cooler brand: IGLOO.

20. Comic book legend whose last film cameo is in "Avengers: Endgame": STAN LEE.  Stan Lee, whose given name was Stanley Martin Lieber (Dec. 18, 1922 ~ Nov. 12, 2018), was the brains behind Marvel Comics.  [Name # 5.]

22. Colgate rival: CREST.  Is there a difference?

26. Southernmost Great Lake: ERIE.

31. "Your time __!": IS UP.  Parsed differently, it becomes I Sup, which means I am eating.

33. 007's first film foe: DR. NO.  Joseph Wiseman (May 15, 1918 ~ Oct. 19, 2009) portrayed the villain Dr. No in the film.  [Name # 6, fictional.]

34. Insurance spokeslizard with a British accent: GECKO.  Did you know that GEICO stands for Government Employees Insurance Company.

35. Dietary guideline letters: RDA.  As in Recommended Daily Allowances.

36. DOD intel arm: NSA.  The National Security Agency is an arm of the Department of Defense. 

37. "Montero" singer Lil __ X: NAS.  His given name is Montero Lamar Hill (b. Apr. 9, 1999).  He is probably best known for his 2019 country rap song Old Town Road.  [Name # 7.]

39. Bard's above: O'ER.

40. "I'm an open book": ASK ME.

42. Denny's rival: iHOP.

44. A5 and Q5 automaker: AUDI.

48. Letters of support, briefly: RECS.  As in Recommendations.

49. First-year law student's course: TORTS.  A tort is a civil wrong that causes harm to another person by violating a protected right. A civil wrong is an act or omission that is intentional, accidental, or negligent, other than a breach of contract.  The term derives from Latin tortum, meaning “something twisted, wrung, or crooked.”

50. "Nice shot!": GOOD ONE!

53. Layers of tall cakes: TIERS.

57. Director DuVernay: AVA.  She makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Ava Marie DuVernay (b. Aug. 24, 1971) received of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award. In 2011, she founded her independent distribution company ARRAY.  [Name # 8.]

62. Skin pic: TAT.

63. Saved to watch later: TI-VO'ED.  Is this still a thing?

64. French night: NUIT.  Today's French lesson.

65. Overhead trains: ELs.  A crossword staple.

66. Knights' horses: STEEDS.

67. "__-boom-bah!": SIS.

Down:

1. Amount of olive oil, informally: GLUG.  Not sure I have ever used this informal term to describe a bit of olive oil.

2. Gas co., for one: UTIL.  As in a Utility company.

3. Beer pong target: SOLO CUP.

4. Prefix with gram or graph: EPI-.  As an Epigram, a brief, clever, or witty statement that is often memorable and sometimes satirical,  or an Epigraph, which is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document, monograph or section or chapter.  What's the difference, you ask.  Well, an epigraph is a reference to someone else's work, while an epigram is an original statement.

5. Kylo of the "Star Wars" sequels: REN.  [Name # 9, fictional.]

6. Decaf alternative: Abbr.: REG.  Regular vs Decaffeinated coffee.  I prefer Regular.

7. Clerical robes: ALBS.  According to Webster's, the word Alb comes from the Middle English albe, aube, in part borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Late Latin alba "white garment or vestment, originally one worn by the recently baptized". 

8. Threaten to topple: TEETER.

9. Accent pieces on a hardwood floor: AREA RUGS.

10. Rank that requires 21 merit badges: EAGLE SCOUT.

11. Family figure?: TREE.  Cute clue.

12. Pinnacle: ACME.

13. Pollution meas.: AQI.  As in the Air Quality Index.

17. Actress Spelling: TORI.  Tori Spelling (née Victoria Davey Spelling; b. May 16, 1973) is probably best known for being on Beverly Hills 90210.  [Name # 10.]

21. Sudoku digit: NINE.  Some people really love this game, but I prefer word games.

23. Objectives: ENDS.

24. Use a sieve: STRAIN.

25. Soak up some rays: TAN.

27. Big name in breakfast cereal: QUAKER OATS.  The name was apparently selected because it symbolized good quality and honest value.

28. Congo primate: BONOBO.  The difference between a Chimpanzee and a Bonobo.

29. Gave the nod: OK'ED.

30. Sushi seaweed: NORI.  Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine.  It is usually made from a species of red algae genus.  It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made into flat sheets and used to wrap rolls of sushi.

31. Baghdad's country: IRAQ.  Baghdad is the capital and the largest city in Iraq.  The name Baghdad is a combination of two Persian words that mean "gift of God" or "founded by God".  The word "Bagh" means "god" and "Dad" means "gift".  The city was founded in 762 CE.

32. California sch. just north of Tijuana: SDSU.  As in San Diego State University.

36. Bottom-line figures: NET COSTS.

38. Imitator: APER.  Did you know that a Bonobo is an Ape?

41. Teacher's advanced deg.: MSED.  As a Master of Science in Education.

43. Alt.: HGT.  As in Height.

44. Gives, as homework: ASSIGNS.

46. "So true, right?": ISN'T IT?

47. Routing abbr.: ATT'N.  As in Attention.

50. Yard entrance: GATE.

51. Shaped like an avocado: OVAL.

52. Roof projection: EAVE.

54. Same, in combinations: EQUI.  As in Equidistance, which combines Equi and Distance.  Not keen on this clue.

55. Slugger's stat: RBIs.  As in Runs Batted In, a baseball term.

56. Retired fast jet, for short: SST.  As in SuperSonic Transport.  This used to be a crossword staple.

59. Fish-to-be: ROE.  It can also be found on sushi wrapped in Nori.

60. Journalist Koppel: TED.  Ted Koppel (né Edward James Martin Koppel; b. Feb. 8, 1940) is probably best known for being the anchor of Nightline.   Ted was the host and anchor of the late night news show from 1980 until 2005.  The show began during the Iran Hostage crisis in 1979.  [Name # 11.]

61. Cards checked by the TSA: IDs.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday October 21, 2024 Micah Sommersmith

  

Happy Monday, everyone!

Theme:                    This one's a KEEPer!  

Constructor Micah Sommersmith KEEPS it real by delivering a fun puzzle with the perfect unifier. What's that? You're ready for the themers? KEEP your hat on. Here they are:

20 Across. Precarious plan, metaphorically: HOUSE OF CARDS.  When my grandfather babysat us, his go-to tactics were:  (1) seeing who could stand on our heads as long as he could and (2) teaching us how to make playing card houses.

Bryan Berg recently set a world record. Check out this 1:16 min. video for the details. 

34 Across. Events with sprints and relays: TRACK MEETS.  

40 Across. Corporate executive's perk: COMPANY CAR.  This answer was the topic of many comments on last Friday's puzzle.

And the reveal:

54 Across. "I don't need that back," and what can be said about the starts of 20-, 34-, and 40-Across: YOU CAN KEEP IT.

It's hard to KEEP up with all the various constructors so let me point out that Micah is a brilliant lateral thinker. Today's puzzle is a good example. When he says YOU CAN KEEP IT, he is calling upon these idioms:

• KEEP HOUSE  ~  do the cleaning and cooking for a household.
• KEEP TRACK  ~  stay informed on what is happening to someone or something.
• KEEP COMPANY  ~  spend time with someone.

OK, let's KEEP on KEEPing on:

Across:

1. Vision-correcting surgical beam: LASER.  This can be expensive so one should KEEP an eye out for special deals.

6. Topiarist's target: BUSH.  A topiarist is skilled at topiary gardening. This is a 1 min. video visit of the world's oldest topiary garden, located at Leven's Hall, U.K.  

10. No-frills grocer based in Germany: ALDI.  There are 2,427 locations in the U.S.

14. Words on a Wonderland cake: EAT ME.

15. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.  "How are you (formal)?" in Spanish

16. Woodwind insert: REED.     and     35 Across. Woodwind instruments that need 16-Acrosses: CLARINETS.  

how to put a REED on a CLARINET (1:45 min.)

17. Moves briskly: TROTS.  

18. Symbols like :-) and :-(: EMOTICONS.  It's fun that this word's symmetrical partner is 57-Across HUMANLIKE.

An EMOTICON is a sequence of keyboard characters used to illustrate a facial expression/picture/symbol. On the other hand, an emoji is a small image. 😊

22. Sinus MD: ENT.  

23. JFK successor: LBJ.  

24. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.  

Might I make an exception for MalMan? His puns are the best!

25. Poetic sphere: ORB.

28. Many a "Men in Black" character: ALIEN.  Men in Black was released in 1997. Sequels came out in 2002, 2012, and 2019. Here is a 2:19 min. clip from Men In Black II, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith ... and many ALIENs.  

30. Tissue that covers the iris and pupil: CORNEA.  Details about eyeballs give me the heebie-jeebies.

32. Pink Floyd co-founder Barrett: SYD.  When my brother was in high school, he asked our parents if he could paint his bedroom door. It had a big ding in it so my parents were impressed that he wanted to make things nicer. They quickly agreed but then were surprised with the final result. It looked like this:  

Here is the story of SYD and the band.

36. Go in one's __: replace: STEAD.  Use "in stead" if you mean "standing in for". Use "instead" if you mean "something other than".

Example:  Because my friend was busy, I went to the meeting in her stead. She said I should take her car instead of my own.

38. Penn of "Harold & Kumar" films: KAL.  These three films star John Cho and Kal Penn as stoner buddies. The first one was Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). Hand up if you've ever been to a White Castle. I've only been once.

39. Cooks quickly, as tuna: SEARS.  SEARed ahi tuna is a popular restaurant dish in Hawaii. 

Yes, it is supposed to be that raw on the inside. So 'ono (delicious)!

43. On the __: furtively: SLY.  "Furtively" means to do something in a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed.

44. Punch combo: ONE TWO.  This clue/answer combo was my favorite today!  

45. Ordinary writing: PROSE.

47. Half a score, or a perfect score: TEN.  I liked this clue, too. "Score" can mean "twenty" and it can mean "a number that expresses accomplishment."  

48. Doc intended to protect confidentiality: NDA.  As it turns out, I recently signed a Non-disclosure Agreement as part of an Appearance Release document. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was out on my kayak and a film crew asked if they could get some shots of me to possibly use as interstitial footage for a documentary they are making. I can say that the topic is intriguing and that it will be narrated by one of my favorite actors. I imagine it will be a while before it is released. I'll KEEP you posted....

50. German pronoun: ICH.  In English, it means "I".

JFK appears twice today.

51. Smallish batteries: AAs.  The -ish and the plural deterred me from size AAA.

57. Anthropomorphic: HUMANLIKE.  We see a lot of examples of ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things in animated films.  

Be Our Guest  ~  Jerry Orbach as Lumière and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

60. Over the top: EXTRA.  The party hosts went a bit EXTRA in the above presentation.

61. Not close: AFAR.

62. Change to fit in, perhaps: EDIT.  This one makes me think both of a fashion adjustment and of a writing change.

63. Spud: TATER.  Both are slang for "potato".

64. Elevator direction: DOWN.  Such a simple clue, but it works, right?

65. Double-hyphenated digits, for short: SSNs.  123-45-6789

66. Three-ingredient sweet treat: S'MORE.  Want Some MORE S'MOREs? You do not have to wait until you go camping. You can make them in your microwave.  

Down:

1. Mythical river of forgetfulness: LETHE.  Today I learned that the LETHE is one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld. The other four are Styx (the river of hate), Acheron (the river of pain), Cocytus (the river of lamentation) and Phlegethon (the river of fire). Given those choices, one ticket for LETHE, please!

2. Slugger Judge who was the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year: AARON.  We often see this word's homophone, ERIN, but not in a baseball clue.  ☘⚾

3. Portly, or porter: STOUT.  I liked this fun play on port-ly and port-er!

A porter is a dark beer...so is a STOUT.

4. CPR experts: EMTS.

5. Flip, as a property: RESELL.  Here is a 5 min. flip video.  

6. Slim Jim product: BEEF JERKY.  

... and know you know!

7. "Semper Fi" military org.: USMC.  

the meaning of Semper Fidelis (1:20 min.)

8. Ferret kin: STOAT.  Cue the cute animal pic.  

STOATs eat small rodents as well as bigger mammal prey, including rabbits and squirrels.

9. Porkpie's place, perhaps: HAT RACK.  Where else would you put your pulled pork empanada?  

left:  a pork pie 
right:  Buster Keaton sporting his porkpie hat

10. Pickleball paths: ARCS.  

11. Sign before Virgo: LEO.   ...and the only 3-letter sign.

12. TV room: DEN.

13. Employee badges, e.g., for short: IDs.  

19. Figures of speech: IDIOMS.  See today's reveal for three examples. Others include "KEEP the ball rolling (Don't pause.); KEEP up with the Joneses (Buy things for social status as opposed to need.); and KEEP your nose clean (Stay out of trouble).

21. Memorial bio: OBIT.  I always read the OBITs.

25. NBA star with the hit rap album "Shaq Diesel": O'NEAL.

26. Have another go at: RETRY.

27. Chilean sea __: BASS.  I Googled this for the blog and ended up Wiki-walking over to this 5 min. video about caring for giant sea BASS--not Chilean sea BASS. I especially liked when they show what a baby giant sea BASS looks like.  

28. Change to fit in: ADAPT.

29. Civil rights gp. since 1909: NAACP.

31. Witherspoon of "Walk the Line": REESE.  Reese Witherspoon (b. March 22, 1976) won an Oscar for best actress for her performance as June Carter Cash in this biopic about Johnny Cash. This scene stayed with me. I wonder how today's celebrities might respond in a similar situation. (1:32 min.)  

32. Pebble, e.g.: STONE.     and     42-Down. Pebble, e.g.: ROCK.

33. Country south of Saudi Arabia: YEMEN.  Oil accounts for about 60% of Yemen's exports. Scrap iron is next on the list at 6.4%. Saudi Arabia used to be Yemen's top trading partner but now it is China. It receives a little over 30% of Yemen's goods.

36. Kilt wearer, often: SCOT.  

37. Occur to: DAWN ON.  It DAWNed ON me that this would be a good place to insert a song from Tony Orlando and Dawn. Here is Candida from 1970. 

41. Small lumps: NODULES.

46. Units of paper: SHEETS.  A ream is 500 sheets.

49. Corrosive compounds: ACIDS.  Vinegar ACIDity 101

51. Is __: probably will: APT TO.

52. Broadcast network: AIRER.  one that airs a TV show

53. Fixed gaze: STARE.  Here's a seasonal one...  

54. Crochet need: YARN.  I started with "hook". Do we have any crocheters on The Corner?

55. Similar (to): AKIN.

56. Test: EXAM.

57. Consumed: HAD.  I HAD chana masala for dinner.

58. Airborne mystery: UFO.  The U.S. Air Force coined this term in 1952.

59. Gaping mouth: MAW.  This can be a literal mouth or something suggestive of a mouth, like a cave's entrance.

Today's completed grid:

That's it for today. You can KEEP the change!