Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Craig Stowe

Theme:  One Day at a Time. This could have been another circle puzzle, but instead the theme answers were marked with stars, with the word DAILY scrambled, and hidden in each.

18. *1930 Faulkner novel: AS I LAY DYING.

24. *1986 Chris de Burgh hit, with "The": LADY IN RED.

36. *Wits, when scared out of you: DAYLIGHTS.

52. *Hit below the belt: PLAY DIRTY.

58. Popular newspaper puzzle, and a hint to what's hidden in the answers to starred clues: DAILY JUMBLE.

Melissa here. The downs seemed a notch tougher than the acrosses.

Across:

1. Break down noisily: SOB. Ohhh, I was thinking of a car ...

4. Living things: BEINGS.

10. Mug: FACE. Sneaky.

14. Lab eggs: OVA. Plural of ovum.

15. "Bewitched" witch: ENDORA. Here she is in 1973 appearing on the TV game show, What's My Line? The final episode of Bewitched aired in March of 1972.

16. Vigorous spirit: ELAN.

17. 2018 giant shark film, with "The": MEG. I guess I'm living under a rock, because I've never heard of this movie.

20. Enlightened Buddhist: ARHAT. In Theravada Buddhism, an Arhat (Sanskrit: अर्हत् arhat; Pali: arahant; "one who is worthy") is a "perfected person" who has attained nirvana. In other Buddhist traditions the term has also been used for people far advanced along the path of Enlightenment, but who may not have reached full Buddhahood. The understanding of the concept has changed over the centuries, and varies between different schools of buddhism and different regions. Practicing Vipassana (a form of meditation) on the Theravada arhat path, increases one's capacity for compassion.

22. "... __ many ways": IN SO.

23. Letter between zeta and theta: ETA.

27. Patio furniture maker: CANER. Fooled me into thinking of a brand.

29. Defiant comeback: I CAN TOO.

30. Thrown out of the game: EJECTED.

32. Time zone word: Abbr.: STD. Standard, as opposed to Daylight Savings Time. Time Zone Abbreviations – Worldwide List.

33. Money left on a diner table: TIP.

35. Score often requiring overtime: ONE ONE.

39. Feral: SAVAGE.

42. Unfavorable review: PAN. I wonder why that term is used for a bad review.

43. __-Cat: winter vehicle: SNO.

46. Group of nine until 2006: PLANETS. In August 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to that of "dwarf planet." Controversy.

48. Grated together, as teeth: GNASHED.

51. DeGeneres who voices Dory: ELLEN.

54. Bird in 2019 Liberty Mutual commercials: EMU.

55. Apple discard: CORE.

57. Small amounts: DRIBS.

62. Cal. pages: MOS.

63. Humerus neighbor: ULNA. Bones of the arm.

64. Eye-related: OCULAR.

65. "Tamerlane" poet: POE.

66. Cribbage pieces: PEGS.

67. Hospital fluids: SERUMS.

68. Shade of blue: SKY.

Down:

1. Mogadishu natives: SOMALIS.

2. Emote: OVERACT.

3. Capital on the Tigris: BAGHDAD.

4. "Scram!": BEAT IT.

5. Middle of dinner?: ENS. Two Ns.

6. Ugandan dictator Amin: IDI.

7. "Honest!": NO LIE.

8. "Thank U, Next" singer Ariana: GRANDE.

9. Puts into words: SAYS.

10. 2010 Mark Twain Prize winner Tina: FEY.

11. Incompatible with: ALIEN TO. That was tough.

12. Hiker's flask: CANTEEN.

13. Fighting words?: ENGARDE. Nice clue.

19. Museum tour guide: DOCENT.

21. "Atlas Shrugged" writer Rand: AYN.

25. "Just a bit longer": NOT YET.

26. Agitate: ROIL.

28. Highly paid pitchers, typically: ACES.

31. Host between Jack and Jay: JOHNNY. The Tonight Show hosts. Johnny Carson was the best, imo.

34. Domino dot: PIP. Why are the dots on dominoes called pips?

36. Swede's neighbor: DANE.

37. Means: AGENCY.

38. Crazy (over): GAGA.

39. Step on the gas: SPEED UP.

40. Like many barbershop quartets: ALL MALE.

41. Appraising: VALUING.

43. Goes for crustaceans: SHRIMPS.

44. Small laptop: NETBOOK. According to How Stuff Works: "In general, netbook computers are smaller and lighter than notebook computers, which in turn are smaller and lighter than laptops. But there are no specific size or weight classes for computers."

45. Wandering journey: ODYSSEY.

47. Christmas tree choice: SPRUCE.

49. Puff __: venomous African snakes: ADDERS.

50. Elton John's title: SIR.

53. Madagascar primate: LEMUR.

56. Spanish eyes: OJOS.

59. Vegas opening: LAS.

60. __-ray Disc: BLU.

61. Fugitive's flight: LAM.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Glad you're back online, Owen! Hope you're home soon.

2) Dear Irish Miss (Agnes) fell backwards on the concrete floor on Sunday night. X-rays/CT scan showed that she had a sprained shoulder. Right now she has Oxycodone to control the pain, but her stomach is like mine, very averse to those pain pills. Terrible nausea. She'll need to follow up with her own doctor and an orthopedic doctor once the pain and nausea subsidize. She has family in the area, but she lives alone. Simple everyday things can be challenging for her. 

Let's send her get-well cards and cheer her up. Her contact details are here.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, Gail Grabowski

What's Your Super Power?  The word Power can be placed before the each word in each starred theme clue to give a very special type of Power.

17-Across. *   Cafeteria queue: LUNCH LINE.  Power Lunch (a working lunch where important discussions take place) and Power Line.

39-Across. *    Non-glitzy local tavern: DIVE BAR.  Power Dive and Power Bar.  I was unfamiliar with the term Power Dive.  According to the dictionary, it is a "steep dive of an airplane with the engines providing the thrust".   It also the title of a 1941 movie.

11-Down. *     Corporate retreat with team-building activities: COMPANY TRIP.  Power Company and Power Trip.

25-Down. *     Basil sitting on a sill, e.g.: WINDOW PLANT.  Power Window and Power Plant.

Anatomy of a car Power Window.

And the Unifier:

64-Across. Takeover endeavor ... and a hint to what can precede each word in the answers to starred clues: POWER PLAY.

Across:
1. Not fatty: LEAN.

5. Polynesian carving: TIKI.

9. Ebenezer's partner Marley: JACOB.  A reference to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Jacob Marley is the deceased business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge who makes a ghostly appearance to Scrooge on Christmas Eve.  He tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts before morning.

14. Luxury hotel name: OMNI.

The Omni Hotel in Houston

15. Word before rock or rain: ACID.  As in Acid Rock or Acid Rain.

16. Run off to wed: ELOPE.  A crossword staple.

19. Chickens (out): WIMPS.

20. Dr. Mark Sloan portrayer in "Grey's Anatomy": ERIC DANE.  I never watched Grey's Anatomy, so am not familiar with either Dr. Mark Sloan or ERIC DANE (b. Nov. 9, 1972).

22. Flower holder: POT.

23. Harsh treatment: RAW DEAL.

26. Rio Grande city: EL PASO.   The Texas city that has been in the news recently.

28. Buckeye State: OHIO.  It's the State that's Round on the End and High in the Middle: O-HI-O.

29. Vane heading: EAST.

32. From scratch: ANEW.

33. Drums held between the knees: BONGOS.

36. How wet hair hangs: LIMPLY.

38. Australian hub, in itineraries: SYD.  As in Sydney, home of the iconic Sydney Opera House.

41. Quattro meno uno: TRE.  Foreign math.  4 - 1 = 3.

44. Part of a mug shot profile: ONE EAR.

John Dillinger, Public Enemy #1

46. "I'll handle it": NO PROB.

48. Like early-morning golf greens: DEWY.

(I know, different spelling.)

50. Self-important type: SNOB.

He's probably on a Power Trip.

52. "Lovely" musical meter maid: RITA.

 

53. Maven: EXPERT.

55. Unwrap with gusto: RIP OPEN.

58. Rank above maj.: COL.  A Colonel is a rank above a Major.

59. Device used to record aerie hatchlings: EAGLE CAM.

62. "Better late than never," e.g.: ADAGE.  (Maxim also fits, here, but that was yesterday's word.)

68. Desert drifts: DUNES.

The name of the first book in the Sci-Fi series by Frank Herbert.

69. Taiwanese PC giant: ACER.  I learned of this company from working the crosswords.

70. Word game piece: TILE.

Also known as a manual from IKEA.

71. Lauder of makeup: ESTÉE.  Estée Lauder (nйe Josephine Esther Mentzer; July 1, 1906 ~ Apr. 24, 2004), makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

72. Lays down a lawn: SODS.

73. Worry obsessively: STEW.

Down:

1. Bit of cybermirth: LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.

2. Earthbound bird: EMU.  A male EMU can grow to a height of over 6 feet.  It is the largest bird native to Australia.  It can't fly, but can run at a rate of 30 MPH if being hunted.  If cornered, its sharp toe claws can eviscerate its hunter, so be warned.

3. Gothic novelist Radcliffe: ANN.  Ann Radcliffe (né Ann Ward; July 9, 1764 ~ Feb. 7, 1823) was a pioneer in writing Gothic fiction.  She was also one of the most popular writers of her time.  Her appeal is probably lost to time.

4. Words to pacify a pooch: NICE DOG!

5. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA.  Talia Shire (née Talia Rose Coppola; b. Apr. 23, 1946) is the sister of Francis Ford Coppola.  Other than the Rocky and The Godfather films, I can't name another movie she was in.

6. Christmas eave decoration: ICICLE.  Cute clue.

7. Bighearted: KIND.

8. Think tank nugget: IDEA.

9. Tiara sparkler: JEWEL.

10. "Aladdin" prince: ALI.

 

12. Try to block: OPPOSE.

13. Give: BESTOW.  Fun word.

18. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr.: HRE.  As in the Holy Roman Empire.

21. Doubles partner who's not serving: NETMAN.  A tennis reference.

23. Steals from: ROBS.

24. Crow's-nest call: AHOY!

27. Sidekick: PAL.

30. Final Olds made: ALERO.  This model ceased production in 2004.

31. Bro or sis: SIB.  As in a Sibling.

34. Laudatory lines: ODE.

35. Sonora snooze: SIESTA.

37. Supporting: PRO.

40. Delivery vehicle: VAN.

42. Memorization method: ROTE.

43. Israeli diplomat Abba: EBAN.  Abba Eban (né Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; Feb. 2, 1915 ~ Nov. 17, 2002) made a guest appearance recently.

45. Emmy-winning scientist Bill: NYE.  As in William Sanford Nye (b. Nov. 27, 1955).  He bills himself as Bill Nye, the Science Guy.

47. Gives a cue: PROMPTS.

48. Ten-year period: DECADE.

49. Book after Genesis: EXODUS.  A Biblical reference

51. Prepared, as coffee: BREWED.

54. Maker of tasty "pieces": REESE.

56. Cupcake finishers: ICERS.

57. Achievement for a duffer: PAR.  A golfing reference.

60. Transcript nos.: GPAs.  As in Grade Point Averages.

61. Bonkers: LOCO.

63. "That's surprising": GEE!

65. Beyond tipsy: LIT.

66. Many a microbrew: ALE.

67. Archery wood: YEW.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at.  How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed … but dull?  ~  William Bernbach (Aug. 13, 1911 ~ Oct. 2, 1982), American advertising executive

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Betty, loving wife of dear Spitzboov.  I think they have the longest marriage on our blog.

Happy Birthday also to dear Chickie (Leah), who used to comment regularly on the blog. Chickie lost here husband Bill a while ago and now lives in a new place.

Left to Right: Chickie, JD, Garlic Gal and Lucina.

June 3, 2015

 

Monday, Aug 12, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: Times 6

17. Half a million in annual pay, say: SIX-FIGURE SALARY.

27. Chromatic basis of much modern music: TWELVE-TONE SCALE.
 

48. Big rig: EIGHTEEN WHEELER.

63. Around the clock: TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN.

Boomer here.

This puzzle did a number on me.  I just want to take a minute to applaud all of you puzzle solvers out there. I enjoy commenting on the blog, and although I do not add many comments at the bottom shown on the next screen, I do read all of what you have to say. So many wonderful people on this blog!

Across:

1. Golfer __ Thompson, who had her first LPGA tournament win at age 16: LEXI.  She came on the LPGA like a fireball, and continues to play successfully.

5. College sports channel: ESPNU. Football is coming. Go Gophers!  Or your team! 

10. Inquires: ASKS.

14. Have too much, briefly: OD ON. Overdose on.

15. Surgical tool: CLAMP.  Used widely under a tent in M.A.S.H.

16. "Ignore that dele" mark: STET.

20. South Korean capital: SEOUL.  I have never been there however there are many ladies from Korea on the LPGA tour competing with Lexi.

21. Proverb: MAXIM.

22. Put the kibosh on: NIX.

23. Carry with effort: LUG.  This used to be a nut holding a tire on a wheel.  I guess they are still there but it seems the manufacturer hides them so if you get a flat, you need to call someone.

25. Like citizenship maintained in multiple countries: DUAL. Or like exhaust pipes and mufflers on a 1957 Chevy. 

35. Victory: WIN.  Root, Root, Root for the home team, if they don't WIN it's a shame !

36. In __: unborn: UTERO.

37. Sets straight: TRUES.

38. Mallorca o Menorca: ISLA.  The home of "Dragnet" IS LA.

40. Med. research agency: NIH.

41. Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT.  What comes after D Rat

42. Spanish girl: CHICA.

44. Like a chimney needing sweeping: SOOTY.  Like Santa at his arrival. Not Argyle.

47. Garden of Eden woman: EVE.  "And from the garden of Eden, picked the apple she was eatin" and I swear that I'm the one that et the core."  (Mitchell Trio).

51. Shoe or foot part: HEEL.  Folks used to teach their dog that.

52. __ de toilette: EAU.  About 100 miles east of Minneapolis lies Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  A very nice city, not a toilette.   I bowled many tournaments there in the past, at Wagner's.

53. Inveterate imbiber: SOT.

55. Impertinent: SAUCY.

59. Copy on transparent paper: TRACE.

66. Bonn article: EINE. The number of German Biers I could drink without getting sick.

67. "I'm innocent!": NOT ME.  Me neither.

68. Captain hanged for piracy: KIDD.

69. Toward the setting sun: WEST.  Also "Batman"  Adam.

70. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY.

71. Fruity beverages: ADES.  Shout out to Lemonade, same as last week.

Down:

1. It's often covered by insurance: LOSS.  I don't think there is any Dow Jones Insurance, other than selling short.

2. Actress Falco: EDIE.  I was thinking of Ernie Kovacs wife, Ms. Adams. 

3. Hugs-and-kisses symbols: XOXO.  Not a real good bowling score though.

4. Paid __: completely settled: IN FULL.

5. Heart test: Abbr.: ECG.  I thought it was an EKG.  Turns out they both mean the same thing.

6. Blighted inner city area: SLUM.  "On a cold and gray Chicago morn, another little baby child is born."  Elvis.

7. Law office hire, for short: PARA.

8. Ariz. neighbor: N MEX.  Large Southwestern state on the Mexican border. I have been there a few times and an SUV we are looking at from Hyundai is named after it's capital city, Santa Fe.  No relation to Santa Claus.

9. Potential for profit: UPSIDE.

10. Comm. system with hand motions: ASL.

11. Oliver Hardy's partner: STAN LAUREL.  Oh how I miss those guys.  Whenever a friend or relative needed to be in the hospital, I would always visit and bring them hard boiled eggs and nuts.

12. "The Americans" actress Russell: KERI.

13. River of Hades: STYX.

18. Candy heart sentiment: I LUV U. I don't know, the little candy hearts that we used to buy never had room for 5 letters.

19. Not optional: A MUST.  I had a 1968 Mustang many years ago.

24. Obtain: GET.

26. Farmland measure: ACRE.  I think there were green ones in Petticoat Junction.

27. A couple of times: TWICE.  Followed by ONCE, if you get to THREE TIMES you were in a lot of trouble.

28. "__ could help": WISH I.  "When you wish upon a star, males no difference who you are."  I think it was Jiminy Cricket.

29. Gives spiritual insight to: ENLIGHTENS.

30. Past, present or future: TENSE.

31. Mythical hunter: ORION.  This guy had some stars named after him.

32. Not at all: NO HOW.

33. Depart: LEAVE.  "Leaving, on a jet plane.  Don't know when I'll be back again."  Peter, Paul and Mary.

34. Compound with a fruity aroma: ESTER.

39. Nagging pain: ACHE. I's very uncomfortable in a tooth.  That's why I now have plastic.  I used to think Fixodent was an auto body repair shop.

43. Nuclear weapon trial: A TEST.  Hey!!  Cut that out in the Asian Pacific.

45. First word in many Grisham titles: THE.  Buck stops here.

46. Dublin-born poet: YEATS.  He's a poet but he doesn't know it.  His feet show it, they're Longfellows.

49. Comic Boosler: ELAYNE.  She thinks she's funnier than she really is.

50. California's motto: EUREKA.

53. Slow-cooked dish: STEW. I make really good stew.  Any cut of beef, celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and a special spice packet or two.  In a slow cooker for half a day, it's Greeeaaat !

54. Scrape, in totspeak: OWIE.  We had many when we were kids.

56. Mysterious sci-fi ships: UFOS.

57. Collapsible beds: COTS.  Canvas, no mattress.  Hard as a rock.

58. Arizona city on the Colorado River: YUMA.  That Colorado is really something.  I have visited Lake Mead and it's odd to see that much water in a desert.

60. Gung-ho: AVID.

61. Formally turn over: CEDE.  I give up

62. Concludes: ENDS.  We're getting there

64. Ping-Pong table divider: NET.  Pretty small, tennis courts are bigger.

65. Spanish throne occupant: REY.

I noticed last Friday that I now receive CBS channels on DirecTV.  I don't suppose I will receive credit for time lost.  I only missed a couple of PGA finishes.
 
Boomer