Tuesday November 26, Geoffrey Brown

Don't You Forget About Me.  Each theme answer is what one might say upon leaving a friend.

20-Across. Parting words from a hide-and-seek player?: CATCH YOU LATER.

31-Across. Parting words from a masseuse?: KEEP IN TOUCH.

40-Across. Parting words from an escape room participant?: I'M OUTTA HERE.

53-Across. Parting words from a magazine vendor?: UNTIL NEXT TIME.

Across:

1. Unit of cilantro: SPRIG.  Some people find that cilantro tastes like soap.  It's due to a genetic variation in their olfactory receptor gene.

6. Sasquatch kin: YETI.  The Yeti is a mythical creature rumored to inhabit the Himalayan mountains of Asia.  It's also the name of a company that makes high-end coolers.

10. Nursery school song subject: ABCs.

14. Massey of old films: ILONA.  Ilona Massey (née Ilona Hajmássy; June 16, 1910 ~ Aug. 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio actress.  She was a born in Budapest, Hungary.

15. Bring in: EARN.

16. "Don't rock the __": BOAT.

17. Unfounded stories: MYTHS.

18. Outlet store warning: AS IS.

19. City with a country within its borders: ROME.  The Vatican is within the city limits of Rome.  Vatican City became an independent state in 1929 when when the Lateran Treaty was signed by the Holy See and Italy.  It was the result of negotiations between the Italian government and the Holy See that began in 1926.  The Vatican is the smallest country in the world.

23. Country between Thailand and Vietnam: LAOS.

24. Teacher's session: LESSON.

25. Deeply devoted: ARDENT.

28. Hugo Award genre: SCI-FI.  The Hugo Award is considered the most prestigious award in science fiction.  It's presented at the World Science Fiction Convention.  The award is named after Hugo Gernsback (Aug. 16, 1884 ~ Aug. 19, 1967).  Gernsback is known as the Father of Science Fiction.

30. Filmmaker Ang: LEE.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker.  The first film that I saw of his was the 1994 movie Eat Drink Man Woman.  

36. Wee woolly one: LAMB.

38. Took a load off: SAT.

39. City on Alaska's Seward Peninsula: NOME.

45. In favor of: FOR.

46. Any "Cheers" episode, now: RERUN.

47. "Sorry, pass": IT'S A NO.

49. Rice dish seasoned with saffron: PAELLA.  Paella is a Spanish dish of rice cooked with seafood, meat, and vegetables, and flavored with saffron.

52. Nabe in London and NYC: SOHO.  SOHO is short for South of Houston Street.  It is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City.  Soho is also a neighborhood in London's West End.

 

57. Schlep: TOTE.

58. Wrestling form with a salt purification ritual: SUMO.  In sumo wrestling, the act of throwing salt into the ring before a match is a purification ritual.  The salt is used to cleanse the area and ward off evil spirits.  It is a practice deeply rooted in Shinto beliefs; this practice is called "shio-maki" in Japanese, and is considered a key part of the pre-match ceremony before wrestlers enter the ring.

59. Inner circle: CADRE.

62. Poetic tributes: ODEs.  A crossword staple.

63. __ code: AREA.  Area code by state

64. Church platform: ALTAR.

65. Egg container: NEST.

66. Billings' st.: MONT.  You will find the town of Billings in Montana.

67. Heaviest internal organ: LIVER.

Down:

1. __ card: cellphone chip holder: SIM.  SIM = Subscriber Identity Module.

2. Tissue thickness: PLY.

3. Campus military org.: ROTC.  ROTC = Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

4. Take a breath: INHALE

5. Car part missing on a Tesla: GAS TANK.

6. Informal assents: YEAHs.

7. "__ peasy lemon squeezy!": EASY.

8. The Powerpuff Girls, e.g.: TRIO.  The Powerpuff Girls was a cartoon series that featured three kindergarten-age girls with superpowers.

9. Hormone that regulates blood sugar: INSULIN.  The history of Insulin.  The importance of insulin was discovered in 1921 by Sir Frederick G Banting (Nov. 14, 1891 ~ Feb. 21, 1941), Charles H Best (Feb. 27, 1899 ~ 1979) and JJR Macleod (né John James Rickard Macleod; Sept. 6, 1876 ~ Mar. 16, 1935) at the University of Toronto.  In 1923, Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery.  Because Charles Best was a graduate student, the Nobel Committee ignored his contribution and he was not acknowledged for his contribution.  Best was Banting's graduate student, so Banting shared his Nobel Prize money with him.

10. Scrape: ABRASION.

11. Wellingtons, e.g.: BOOTS.

12. Brief appearance in a film: CAMEO.  Also a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewelry.

13. Unlikely to approve of horseplay: STERN.

21. Dove's home: COTE.

22. Opposite of right: LEFT.

25. "__ Want for Christmas Is You": ALL I.  A Christmas song made famous by Mariah Carey (b. Mar. 27, 1969).

26. 20 quires: REAM.  Webster's defines a Quire as "a collection of 24 or sometimes 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality : one twentieth of a ream."

27. Floor model: DEMO.

28. Hall of Fame pitcher Warren who holds the record for most wins by a southpaw: SPAHN.  Warren Edward Spahn (Apr. 23, 1921 ~ Nov. 24, 2003) played for 21 years in the major league, much of that time with the Boston Braves.

29. Quote: CITE.

32. Genesis twin: ESAU.  Esau was the hairy twin brother of Jacob.

33. Tucson school, for short: U OF A.  As in the University of Arizona.

34. "That can't be right!?": C'MON.

35. Villain's adversary: HERO.

Baby Hero pose in yoga.

37. Beefy to the max: BURLIEST.

41. Poker player's giveaway: TELL.

42. Classic Pontiac muscle car: TRANS AM.

43. Barrel of laughs: RIOT.

44. Principled: ETHICAL.

48. Mogadishu resident: SOMALI.

49. Slip into: PUT ON.

50. Battery terminal: ANODE.

 

51. Plural diminutive suffix: -ETTES.

52. Summer ermine: STOAT.  In the summer, the animal's back is cinnamon-colored and the stomach is white.  During the winter, the stoat's fur molts to completely white, and the animal is then called “ermine”.

54. Continental capital: EURO.  Did you know that each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse side of the euro coin?

55. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN.

56. 1999 satire about a reality show: ED TV.

60. Issa of "Barbie": RAE.  Issa Rae (né Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She also starred in a television comedy called Insecure.

61. Make a mistake: ERR.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday November 25, 2024 Sean Ziebarth

  

Happy Monday, everyone!

Theme:                                                            Letter B  

The antennas are a nice touch. After all, they are beetles.

It is not often we see 1-Across acting as a themer in a grid. Let's check it out now:  

Notice that there are no extraneous B's.

1 Across. The Dynamic Duo's underwater craft: BAT-SUB.  

Batman & Robin are the Dynamic Duo.

21 Across. Navigational aid for Hansel and Gretel: BREAD CRUMB.

The plan was to follow the BREAD CRUMBs back home but birds ate their navigational aids.

37 Across. Many a union position: BLUE COLLAR JOB.

Investopedia article about BLUE COLLAR

53 Across. Firefox or Safari subwindow: BROWSER TAB.  

Firefox and Safari are BROWSERS, as are Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

The unifier can be found expertly tucked into the bottom, right corner:

68 Across. Some surprise hit songs, and what 1-, 21-, 37-, and 53-Across all have?: B-SIDES.

When we were kids, my brothers and I would ride our Schwinn bikes down to the local music store and buy 45s (45-rpm records). These records were vinyl, 7-inches in diameter, packaged in a plain white paper sleeve, required a special adapter in the center, and had two songs: an A-Side, which was the song playing on the radio, and a B-SIDE, which was another song by the same artist but mostly unknown. Occasionally the B-SIDE became more popular than the A-Side, but that was rare. Today music is released differently but some artists still release what they call B-SIDE music. The term has morphed, much like icebox and hang up the phone. This article talks about the new and old meaning of B-SIDES.

Getting back to the puzzle, the reveal points out that each of the themers begins and ends with the letter B. They have Bs on each SIDE.  

Across:

7. The Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, et al.: ALPS.  

11. Org. issuing broadcasting licenses: FCC.     and     19 Across. Spy org.: CIA.

Organization is abbreviated, so is Federal Communications Commission and Central Intelligence Agency.

14. West Texas city: ODESSA.  Yesterday this was the answer to 72-Down Permian Basin city.

Odessa is said to have been named after 
Odesa, a coastal city in Southern Ukraine.

15. Command to a dog: HEEL.  

16. NHL great Bobby: ORR.  Bobby skates through many XWD puzzles.

17. Blab on and on: NATTER.  Def. (verb) (informal) talk casually, especially about unimportant matters; chatter.

18. Like a "fun size" candy bar: MINI.  

Mars was the first to call its candy fun size
and at one time had a Trademark on the word "fun".
Time magazine article on Halloween and "Fun Size" candy

20. Word before trip or surf: EGO.  EGOsurfing is when one does an internet search for one's own name.

24. Like a small orchard, perhaps: TEN ACRE.  A 10-acre plot is room for about 840 apple trees which would yield 80 - 100 tons of apples.

Winnie-The-Pooh lived in The Hundred Acre Wood.

27. Art studio stand: EASEL.

28. Lobster kin common in Cajun cuisine: CRAWDAD.  According to Grammarly, "Crawfish, crayfish, and crawdads are the same animal. Which term you use may depend much on where you live. Louisianans most often say crawfish, whereas Northerners are more likely to say crayfish. People from the West Coast or Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas often use the term crawdad." Perhaps some locals will chime in.

crawfish étouffée

32. The Aswan High Dam's river: NILE.  

33. Ginger __: ALE.  

34. Museum artifact: RELIC.  

36. Pester incessantly: NAG.

40. "__ Hot to Handle": Netflix dating show: TOO.  I am unfamiliar with this show but it was an easy guess.

41. Woodworking tool: LATHE.  

You can use one to make things like furniture legs (as shown) and baseball bats.

42. Somerhalder of "Lost": IAN.  IMDb page

43. Story that may be debunked on Snopes: MYTH.  Snopes.com is where to go if you want to fact-check something on the internet. It has a trustworthy reputation for outing the untrustworthy.

45. Set on the scales: WEIGHED.

47. Western film: OATER.  

The use of the term OATER peaked around 1991. I wonder why.

49. Antique diamond shape: ROSE CUT.  As its name implies, this cut was inspired by the shape of a ROSE bud. This article was a lot more interesting than I was expecting -- especially the part about candlelight.

57. Donkey Kong, e.g.: APE.  as it turns out, not a donkey

58. Ore-__ Tater Tots: IDA.  crosses another highly processed food (37-Down)

59. Swerve: VEER.

60. Wrinkle-resistant, as a shirt: NO IRON.

63. French article: LES.  

64. Bend at the barre: PLIE.  

65. "Murder on the __ Express": ORIENT.  This Agatha Christie book was originally published in 1934. It was made into a movie in 1974 and again in 2017.

66. Shrill shriek: EEK.  I am not sure if this 35 sec. video qualifies as EEK or "sweet". Watch the cat bring his mouse friend to share from his food bowl.  

67. Govt. IDs: SSNS.  Social Security Numbers

Down:

1. Lisa of "High Fidelity": BONET.  You might remember Lisa from The Cosby Show (1984-1992). She turned 57-years old earlier this month.  

2. Pithy bit of wisdom: ADAGE.  

3. Wyoming's Grand __ National Park: TETON.  Here is a lovely 1:41 min. video of the park's bison herd in the fall from the CBS Sunday Morning show. If you can, use headphones so you can hear all the nature sounds.  

4. Retired fast jet, briefly: SST.

5. Press into service: USE.

6. Streisand who directed and starred in "The Prince of Tides": BARBRA.  We had BARBRA last Monday for Yentl. Perhaps we will have The Way We Were next week.

7. Sighed words: AH, ME.

8. Luke's twin sister in the "Star Wars" saga: LEIA.  Luke and LEIA discover they are twins in Return of the Jedi (1983).

9. Be up in the air: PEND.  Will it fall back down? That depends....

10. Pie serving: SLICE.  Here is a SLICE of pumpkin pie for this coming Thursday...

... and a special Happy B-day message to Picard!

11. Pay close attention to: FOCUS IN ON.  

12. Forensic scientist's workplace: CRIME LAB.  This grid had several nice vertical fills.

13. Seafood item that needs to be cracked: CRAB LEG.  

a.k.a. a sea otter snack

22. Started over with neater penmanship, say: REWROTE.

23. Scooted: RAN.  Both are past tense for "move swiftly".

25. Rights advocacy gp.: ACLU.

26. Fishing basket: CREEL.  

29. New __, India: DELHI.

30. Over-the-counter hay fever brand: ALLEGRA.  

Also, a character in the movie Hitch (2005). I like the scene where Kevin James gets ALLEGRA's phone number. Will Smith is his dating coach. (2:35 min.) 

31. Spanish day: DIA.  

33. Really big favor: A LOT TO ASK.

35. Sheds tears: CRIES.  

Roy Orbison  ~  Crying 

The song was released as a 45-rpm single by Monument Records in July 1961.

The B-SIDE was Candyman.

37. Beefaroni maker Chef __: BOYARDEE.  He was a real person.

38. Crow call: CAW.

39. Green gemstone: JADE.  

This hard pillow in the form of a crawling baby
was designed to support the neck so one's hair would not be crushed.
Imperial Summer Palace (1662-1722) Heber Bishop Collection

40. Internet service with TV ads featuring Zach Braff and Donald Faison: T-MOBILE.  

You might remember these guys as BFF MDs on the TV series Scrubs (2001-2010).

44. Take an axe to: HEW.

46. Schmooze (with): HOBNOB.  Shakespeare gave us this word in his play Twelfth Night. For a while it meant "to drink alternately to each other". Since "drinking HOBNOB" was generally a social interaction, it took on the meaning in today's clue.

48. Gets back to a host: RSVPS.

50. Gave a hoot: CARED.  

51. Ahead by a hair: UP ONE.  I like the word play here:  a-head by a hair.

52. Camping shelters: TENTS.

54. Slippery swimmers: EELS.  The collective noun for EELS is a swarm.

55. Bridle strap: REIN.  

We say this horse is "in the two-REIN" because the rider is still using
the hackamore while the horse is getting used to the bit.

56. "__ bien!": TRÈS.  very good / very well / alright / excellent / super

61. Surgery ctrs.: ORS.  "Centers" is abbreviated, so is operating rooms.

62. Junior's junior: III.  Joe's son is Joe Jr. (or Joe II). Then Joe Jr.'s son would be Joe Jr.'s junior (or Joe III).

That was the last one and I have other things to attend to ... but that is BESIDE the point. 😀

Notes from C.C.:

As sumdaze pointed out in 10D, today is Picard's birthday. Happy Birthday, Robert!

Left to Right: Valerie, MM, Merlie & Picard 9/14/2021

 

Sunday November 24, 2024 MaryEllen Uthlaut

Theme: "Activewear" - Each clothing item is humorously rephrased fitting the starting *ING part of the clue.

21. Article of clothing that provides warmth and comfort?: NURSING JACKET.

35. Article of clothing that calls for compliments?: FISHING PANTS.

37. Article of clothing that shouldn't be dry-cleaned?: BATHING SUIT.

59. Article of clothing that tends to run?: JOGGING SHORTS.

 82. Article of clothing that binds in certain places?: WEDDING GOWN.

84. Article of clothing that may be striking?: BOWLING SHIRT.

102. Article of clothing that gives a pop of color?: PAINTING SMOCK.

What a great title: "Activewear", with all the first words in *ING form.

MaryEllen Uthlaut is a veteran constructor who has made puzzles for the ACPT. Read her bio here. See Kelly Clark on the list? That's the Kelly who comments on our blog.

Across:

1. Marked division: CHASM.

6. Selfie taker: CAMERA.

12. Grinding club: PESTLE. I don't think I grind anything.

18. Peak in the Cascades: SHASTA.

19. Protective charm: AMULET.

20. Seychelles currency: RUPEES. Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa.

23. Like a venerated object: TOTEMIC.

24. Animal with the thickest fur of any mammal: OTTER.

25. Hurry: RUSH.

26. Left empty: VACATED.

28. Key __, Florida: WEST.

29. Cacophonies: DINS.

30. Better with electronic devices: TECHIER. Like all the T's on our blog.

31. "How __ doth breed a habit ... ": Shakespeare: USE.

34. Great sorrow: WOE. And 68. Source of 34-Across: BANE.

43. Church structures: STEEPLES.

44. Tree-dwelling lizard: IGUANA.

45. Obsolete PC component: CRT.

46. Say the kiddush, for example: BLESS. From Google: "Kiddush is Jewish benediction and prayer recited over a cup of wine immediately before the meal on the eve of the Sabbath or of a festival."

48. Bee complex?: HIVE. 69. Cost of a plug?: AD FEE. Love these clues.

49. Document filed annually: TAX RETURN.

51. Beatle McCartney: PAUL.

52. Excavation locations: SITES.

53. Blunted sword: EPEE.

54. Glass of public radio: IRA.

55. Lipstick smearer: KISS.

56. Settled a debt: PAID.

58. Hi-__ graphics: RES.

62. "Queen __": pop nickname: BEY. Beyonce.

65. Nada: NONE.

66. Building block of Denmark: LEGO.

67. Washington MLBer: NAT.

72. Overly suave: OILY.

73. Office circulations: MEMORANDA. Plural of memorandum.

75. Grocery section: DELI.

76. Purple Heart, e.g.: MEDAL. Our Dennis has one.

78. Drained of color: WAN.

79. Bitter feeling: RANCOR.

80. Malted milk mix: OVALTINE. 4. Verb on an 80-Across package: STIR.

87. Born in France: NEE.

88. Nonpartisan trio?: ENS. The three N's in Nonpartisan.

89. Containing dried grapes: RAISINY.

90. Like some camisoles: LACY.

92. Frontier figure Crockett: DAVY.

96. Winter cap features: EARLAPS.

97. "Flashdance ... What a Feeling" singer Irene: CARA.

98. Sound transmission: AUDIO.

99. Granted, as by a judge: AWARDED.

105. Deep red: GARNET.  I can't tell the differences.

106. Commencements: ONSETS.

107. Exuberant cry: YIPPEE.

108. More than enough: EXCESS.

109. Midsize sofa: SETTEE.

110. Ship's poles: MASTS.

Down:

1. Skydiving pack filler: CHUTE.

2. Hinds' counterparts: HARTS. Also 9. Moose, in Europe: ELK.

3. Cash or property: ASSET.

5. "Holy smokes!": MAN.

6. Louisianan of French Canadian descent: CAJUN.

7. Pile up: AMASS.

8. "I figured as __": MUCH.

10. "John Wick" actor Keanu: REEVES.

11. Develop a bond: ATTACH.

12. Mentored students: PROTEGES.

13. Muse of music: EUTERPE.

14. Drove over the limit: SPED.

15. President pro __: TEM.

16. Gift presented with an "aloha": LEI.

17. "Close this window" key: ESC. What kind of keyboards are you using? So upset that Microsoft stopped their Comfort keyboards.

18. Ball or fall preceder: SNOW.

22. "Peer Gynt" composer: GRIEG.

23. Sullies: TAINTS.

27. Woodworker's tool: CHISEL.

29. Charitable act: DONATION.

30. __ for tat: TIT.

31. Like neon signs in the daytime: UNLIT.

32. Entrepreneur Wozniak: STEVE.  Co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs.

33. Snaky turns: ESSES.

34. Beaujolais, e.g.: WINE.

35. Tailor's concern: FIT.

36. Plant-sucking insect: APHID.

37. Reactive dog: BITER.

38. Open-mouthed: AGAPE.

39. Prom rentals: TUXES.

40. __ Krishna: HARE. The Hare Krishna movement is a branch of Hinduism. Learning moment for me.

41. Rawboned type: SCRAG.

42. Coffee server: URN.

46. Word before continuo or profundo: BASSO.

47. Grown thick and green: LUSH.

50. Drive forward: URGE.

51. __ bank: PIGGY.

52. Auntie, to dad: SIS. The lady in red is my aunt, my dad's younger sister. The other guy is my dad's younger brother. The simple structure under the tree is my grandma's tomb.

55. Ring somberly: KNELL.

56. Brit's baby carriage: PRAM.

57. Legalese interpreter: ATTORNEY.

59. Diner mugful: JOE.

60. Pelvic bones: ILIA.

61. Set upright: ON END.

62. Baccarat term: BANCO. Spanish for "bank".

63. Give as a gift: ENDOW.

64. Long (for): YEARN.

65. Dern's "Jurassic Park" co-star: NEILL. Sam.

 

68. Sharp noise: BANG.

69. Sun-dried brick: ADOBE.

70. Red cattle breed: DEVON.

71. Blemishes: FLAWS.

72. Permian Basin city: ODESSA. Wikipedia says Permian Basin is "the highest producing oil field in the United States". Another learning moment for me.

73. Satirical magazine since 1952: MAD.

74. Fury: RAGE.

76. Mosque structures: MINARETS.

77. Make shiny, in a way: ENGILD. Not a word I use.

78. __ blanket: killjoy: WET.

81. Scolding speeches: TIRADES.

82. Twisted: WRY.

83. Quechua speaker: INCAN.

85. Animals also known as river horses: HIPPOS.

86. Unthinkably high-risk, as a plan: INSANE.

90. Milky coffee order: LATTE.

91. Spring up: ARISE.

92. Unloads: DUMPS.

93. Take as one's own: ADOPT.

94. Bad practices: VICES.

95. Harness for oxen: YOKE.

96. Coastal raptor: ERNE.

97. Gadget news website: CNET.

98. Location of the world's highest and lowest points on land: ASIA. Mount Everest and the Dead Sea.

99. Stage of life: AGE.

100. Wane's partner: WAX.

101. __ de Triomphe: ARC.

103. Ideal or fatal ending: IST.

104. Place for sweaters?: GYM. Sweat-ers.

C.C.