Friday February 5, 2010 Gary Cee

Theme: BE ON THE BALL (38A. Demonstrate effectiveness, and a literal hint to the puzzle theme found in the answers to starred clues) - The embedded word BE in each theme answer is placed directly above/on the embedded BALL in the grid. See the circled illustration.

14A. *First family member: ABEL. The middle son of Adam and Eve. Biblical "First family".

17A. *Old street corner singer: BALLADEER

21A. *Arthur in a dress: BEA. I know Bea Arthur. But why "in a dress"?

25A. *Receptacle for choice slips: BALLBALLOT BOX

47A. *Brit. award: OBE (Order of the British Empire)

55A. *Danseur noble's partner: BALLERINA. Danseur noble is male ballet dancer.

62A. *Ball honorees: BELLES. Ball should not be in the clue as it's part of the theme answers.

65A. *Southwestern horseman: CABALLERO. New word to me. Hey, Chuck of the West!

A solid CEE, Gary! It would be utterly cool if all the embedded BEs in the grid followed the same pattern. The "starred clues" in the unifying theme answer did not prevent me from noticing the BEs in OBESE (70. Extra large?) or BENT (25. Inclination). They went rogue.

I'll still shout an OLE (6D. 65-Across's "Bravo!") for the creative theme concept and for including our unofficial blog mushroom MOREL (8D. Provençal cuisine delicacies) in the grid. Don't know why they are "Provençal cuisine delicacies". Morel are prized every where, with the delicate flavor and high prices. Maybe because the French put morels in coq au vin?

You might have noticed that not all the theme answers are symmetrical, unlike the Will Nediger "Watch the Birdie" puzzle we had last June. Birdie is ONE UNDER PAR in golf. And Will put ONE under PAR in 10 different places, all symmetrically. Just perfect. Like today's explanatory answer BE ON THE BALL, Will's ONE UNDER PAR is also positioned in the very heart of the grid.

An easier Friday for me. Thee/four letter fill aplenty. My favorite clue today is PICABO ( 11D. Street going downhill?). Picabo Street was a skier. Her name is pronounced like "Peekaboo".

Across:

1. __ St Ives: Cornwall museum: TATE. I only knew the two Tate galleries in London (Tate Britain and Tate Modern). Wikipedia says the Tate also has a museum in Liverpool.

5. Drift: ROAM

9. Caught on video: TAPED. Poor John Edwards.

15. Muppet who testified before Congress: ELMO. In 2002. For increased funding in music education. Nice to learn this trivia.

16. Spry: AGILE

19. Director De Mille: CECIL. His last film is "The Ten Commandments".

20. Keys: ISLETS

23. Orkan sign-off word: NANU. Mork always signs off with "Nanu-nanu" ("goodbye"). From "Mink & Mindy". Learned from doing crossword.

27. Publisher often seen in PJs: HEF. Hugh Hefner. Publisher of the "Playboy".

28. Park, in NYC: AVE. Park Ave.

30. Cpl.'s superior: SGT

31. Valuable rock: ORE. Wrote down GEM first.

32. Mine entrance: ADIT. Like this.

34. Cover letter letters: ENC (Enclosed/Enclosure)

36. Diamond stat: ERA

42. Farm dweller: ANT. Ant Farm. Got the intersecting A from TEA (33. Drink from a bag) quickly, so I did not think of EWE or anybody else.

43. Musical ability: EAR

44. D.C. fundraisers: PACS (Political Action Committees)

52. Eastern principle: TAO. Literally "way" in Cantonese. Mandarin Chinese is DAO. Japanese is do, as in Judo ("gentle way").

54. "Murder, __ Wrote": SHE

58. Eucharist plate: PATEN. To put bread on. I simply forgot.

60. Culinary author Rombauer: IRMA. Author of the "Joy of Cooking". I tend to mix her up with Erma Bombeck the humorist.

61. 63-Across hdg.: ENE. And STORM (63A. Besiege)

67. Musher's wear: PARKA

68. Abbr. that shortens text: ET AL

69. Gossip columnist Cassini: IGOR. Brother of OLEG, the only Cassini I know of.

71. Con: SHAM. So is SCAM first.

72. Three-part nos.: SSNS. Social Security Numbers.

Down:

1. "Bewitched" role: TABITHA. No idea. I've only heard of ENDORA.

2. Hangdog: ABASHED. See unabashed more often.

3. Lie: TELL A FIB.

4. Actress Barkin: ELLEN. Somehow I don't think she is Dennis's type.

5. Ruby and others: REDS. My first reaction was DEES.

7. Microscopic organism: AMEBA

9. Middle x: TAC. "Middle x" in the game of Tic- Tac-toe. And ALGEBRA (22D. Course with x's). Nice x echo.

10. One taking a little off the top?: AGENT. Delicious clue!

12. Emma's "Sense and Sensibility" role: ELINOR. Played by Emma Thompson.

13. Ritzy: DELUXE

18. Aleutian island: ATKA. Or ATTU.

26. Other, in Spain: OTRA. Sometimes it's OTRO.

29. Risky undertaking: VENTURE

35. Fidel's friend: CHE (Guevara). Fidel Castro. Not dog.

37. Finsteraarhorn, e.g.: ALP. Finsteraarhorn unknown to me. The highest peak of the Bernese Alps. Located in S central Switzerland.

39. Start of many a story: ONCE. Once upon a time.

40. "Do I dare to __ peach?": Eliot: EAT A. I know what's going on in your mind, Argyle!

41. Near-exhaustion metaphor: LAST LEGS. Idiom: on one's last legs.

45. Root for: CHEER ON

46. Radar guns, e.g.: SENSORS

47. San Luis __, California: OBISPO. Literally "bishop" in Spanish.

48. Bill for shots: BAR TAB. Drink "shots".

49. Author Leonard: ELMORE. He once said "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."

51. Chops finely: MINCES

53. European auto: OPEL. Still belonged to GM, after the turmoil.

56. Carefree diversions: LARKS

57. Bard's "below": 'NEATH

59. "__ forgiven": ALL IS

64. West who said "To err is human, but it feels divine": MAE. Lois is the Mae West of our blog.

66. Repeated nursery rhyme opener: BAA. "Baa, Baa, black sheep...". No nursery rhyme in my childhood. Brought up by my grandma who was completely illiterate.

Thank you for the nice comments on my husband's blogging yesterday. He had fun reading them last night.

And to those who still google the old "Star Tribune Crossword Corner" blog title or the current "LA Times Crossword Corner" to find us every day, why not come to the Comments section and let your voice be heard? Here is detailed instruction on how to get your profile and turn blue. Come join us for the fun!

Answer grid.

C.C.

Friday, September 2, 2022, Jeffrey Wechsler

 Title: Shh, I am trying to think, and I lost an H. 

Jeffrey is back with a puzzle that mostly plays very easy for a Friday. I do remind you that all final clue/fill pairings are up to the editor(s) so don't heap too much praise or too many complaints on JW. It is nice to know we will still get puzzles from our veterans like Jeffrey, Doug Peterson, Rich Norris, Gary Cee, and others. Today is a Friday staple, adding letters to a word in a phrase and cluing the created combination with wit and charm. Today we have a bi-gram (2 letters)  added- SH. 

RABBIT SHEARS and HOCKEY SHRINK  are both laugh-out-loud fill. The puzzle is also has conventional symmetry with 13/12/12/13 themers. We have no really obscure fill; FARRO and CORUNDUM are not easy but it is a Friday. We also have ALTAR BOY, FACING OFF  and MISS A BEAT  as long fill .

I have been doing puzzles since I sat in my parents' bed and watched them do the Sunday NYT and all the other delights in the Sunday magazine starting in about 1955.  I have seen many changes in all puzzles when editors move on. Everyone has the right to present the puzzles they want; but relax, they all also need to sell ads, I am encouraged for the future no matter how brief, especially if I get to blog a JW now and then. It may be only once a month, or even less but it will always be fun for me, and a joy to discuss with you all. On to the theme...

19A. Storage area for Christmas toys?: SANTAS SHELVES (13).  I think it is perfectly natural that Santa's helpers who are all elves, would store their work product on SHELVES. We do not even need to debate whether Santa himself is in fact an elf.

24A. Clippers used by Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail?: RABBIT SHEARS (12). If you not know Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail from the Beatrix Potter books you might be stumped, but I imagine all would recognize a cotton-tail as a type of rabbit.

40A. Analyst for Ducks and Penguins?: HOCKEY SHRINK.(12). This challenged my link finding ability and made me cry "oncle." Are there psychiatrists for hockey players?  Would they work to make them meaner? You, my reading audience, are welcome to find a perfect link and make me look foolish.

46A. Earthquake-resistant?: FIT FOR SHAKING (13). This a very cerebral fill, which made me think before getting the clue/fill. FIT FOR A KING is a very common phrase and the only themer to change.  Many new tall buildings are constructed to withstand major tremors. More than half of the world's 7.8 billion population live in cities and urban areas, and 2.5 billion more are expected to join them within the next 20-25 years.(arch daily). (Various architecture magazines). The world has had the horror of the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City and in SoFla, we had Champlain Towers South, a 12-story beachfront condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, United States, partially collapse. Ninety-eight people died. 

Now that Jeffrey has lightened the mood, or was it me? Let us examine the rest.

Across:

1. __ Cass: MAMA. Cass Elliot was a member of the successful 60s band The Mamas & the Papas. They only were together from 1965 to 1968, but since that was the end of high school and start of college for me, I recall them fondly. As far as who I would have fondled...never mind. 

5. Some Sappho poems: ODES. JW has brought his whole artistic side to this puzzle, first music then poetry, though I doubt he was in high school when she was writing. 

9. Not great, chancewise: SLIM. And his partner, NONE.

13. Malicious: EVIL. MAL is a root word in many languages for bad and has been used by writers, poets and movie makers forever. Oo loves musicals, so we recently watched the Disney series of movies called the DESCENDANTS which were based on the premise that all of the DISNEY villains had children who were equally bad. Or were they? 

The CAST.

14. Ruminant with striped legs: OKAPI. The okapi, also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe, or zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. Although the okapi has striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Wiki.

15. Locks in a stable?: MANE. Staying in four legged mammals for $800 Alex, where do horses mainly live?

16. Chimney concern: NEST. Birds however can live anywhere, except maybe in a... 

17. Horror movie locale: CRYPT. Which freedom...

18. Rankles: IRKS. the bees.

22. "The Comedy of Errors," for one: FARCE. I love how JW sneaks in his Shakespeare with this play. It is the story of the farcical misadventures of two sets of identical twins. Many years earlier, the Syracusan merchant Egeon had twin sons, both named Antipholus. At their birth, he bought another pair of newborn twins, both named Dromio, as their servants. Why name both sons the same? For comedy of course. One son, and one servant were lost at sea, eventually reunited leading to much laughter of confusion.

23. Prepped: READY. Past participle? This not getting ready but already ready.

29. Cookies that once came in collectible tins: OREOS. This is a replica of a 1918 can.

30. Flying things: WINGS. Cute misdirection as wings are very often integral to flying. 

31. Basic nutrient: FAT. Despite what Jack S. thought fat is important in a human diet. What HARVARD RESEARCHERS found.

34. Hors d'oeuvres carrier: TRAY. Not the waiter but his instrument, but not a

35. Hand-picked instrument?: BANJO. Very cute visual clue.

36. Arrived: CAME. Boomer told me NOT to comment on this though it might be...

37. Very popular: HOT. No pictures, sorry.

38. Canine that preys on red kangaroo and swamp wallaby: DINGO. I know nothing of the RED KANGAROO or the SWAMP WALLABY   I know DINGOS are from Australia and like to eat babies. "A dingo ate my baby!" is a cry popularly attributed to Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, as part of the 1980 death of Azaria Chamberlain case, at Uluru in the Northern Territory, Australia. The Chamberlain family had been camping near the rock when their nine-week-old daughter was taken from their tent by a dingo. Maybe?

39. Après-ski drink: COCOA. Ahh. chocolate.

42. Initial phase: ONSET. I am waiting for this to be the WORDLE word. (I wrote this Monday, August 28 at 8:13 PM, life can be amazing!)

45. Cy who pitched the first perfect game of the modern era: YOUNG. Again I could find no film of this all time great (511 victories!) but here is a retrospective on Cy and other baseball greats.

                                    

51. Touched down: ALIT. Like a mosquito on your arm.

52. Still in the game: ALIVE. It is imperative to be alive to play the game.

53. Dish (out): DOLE. Bob failed in many tries to become President. RIP Bob.

56. Inheritance factor: GENE. My first wife's uncle Gene was not nice.

57. Records, in a way: TIVOS. All you would want to know and more as TiVo has its own site. TiVopedia.

58. Aerial enigmas: UFOS.

59. Set up: Abbr.: ESTD. ESTablisheD. Good for businesses and buildings.

60. Pour out forcefully: SPEW.  I use this word with rhetoric or vitriol not volcanoes.

61. Some lit. degrees: MFAS. Masters of Free Association? I recall when I used to get lit my mind wandered; and it is doing it again.

Down:

1. Guys: MEN. 

                                        

2. Hail, in a hymn: AVE. Do you think of  Ave Maria? Or  Avē Imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant  ?

3. Falter: MISS A BEAT.

4. Assistant in Mass production: ALTAR BOY. The capital M gives it away; Boomer was an Altar Boy, not just for the wine.

5. Pod that may be fried or pickled: OKRA. Such a debated food, but I married a woman raised in Birmingham who loved it. Maybe try this RECIPE.

6. Diary pages: DAYS. So simple it was hard.

7. Actor Omar: EPPS. He has had a good career for a young man. His IMDB.

8. Order of Darth Sidious: SITH. There are many here who scoff at the STAR WARS epics, and there are many who love them. Sidious is a most central character but he died. Or did he?

9. Shows satisfaction: SMILES. There are happy smiles. relieved smiles and satisfied smiles which are not all nice.

10. Silk source: LARVA. You probably all know silk comes from a silkworm. Bombyx mori, the domestic silk moth, is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of Bombyx mandarina, the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth.

11. Tatted up: INKED. I grew up in a religious home where marking your body was s sin, because you had to be arrogant to improve on the perfection your creation had been. 

12. Out of order?: MESSY.

14. Chamber group: OCTET.

20. CBS military drama with regional spinoffs: NCIS. This first location in Virginia was a spin-off of s series known as JAG. They both were created by DONALD P. BELLASARIO who must be a real Giglionaire by now. From Virginia  NCIS went to Miami, New York, LA, New Orleans and now Hawaii. They also had some Doctors without Borders and a Cyber division.

21. __ on the side of caution: ERRS. DONALD clearly did not. Of course. I meant Bellasario. No politics here.

22. Grain of emmer, spelt, or einkorn: FARRO. This refers to the grains of three wheat species, which are sold dried, and cooked in water until soft. It is eaten plain or is often used as an ingredient in salads, soups, and other dishes. That will make you lose weight.

24. "Divergent" novelist Veronica: ROTH. Veronica Anne Roth (born August 19, 1988) is an American novelist and short story writer, known for her bestselling Divergent trilogy.

                                        

25. "Boys Don't Cry" Oscar winner: SWANK. Hilary has won two best actress Oscars, also winning for "Million Dollar Baby" with Clint Eastwood.

26. Trunk hardware: HINGE. The trunk of a car? The piece of luggage? DKDC.

27. "Have a ball!": ENJOY. My new life motto/

28. In the past: AGO. Up until weeks ago, in fact. I was always...

31. Going head-to-head: FACING OFF. with everyone, but now I know we are...

32. "You're __ friends": AMONG.

33. Deck chair wood: TEAK. Teak weathers beautifully.

35. Shaving brand: BIC. They were just cheap ball points when Boomer and I were young; of course we sill wanted them.

36. Mineral in abrasives: CORUNDUM. Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the presence of transition metal impurities in its crystalline structure. wiki

38. Inflict upon: DO TO.

39. Woo-shik of "Parasite" and "Train to Busan": CHOI.

40. Hoisted: HEFTED.

41. Wanda who plays Dr. Karl in the "Bad Moms" films: SYKES. Her IMDB.

42. Old enough to vote, say: OF AGE.

43. "Frasier" role: NILES. David Hyde Pierce and his 40 year RELATIONSHIP.

44. Stretch: STINT. I relate it to a prison sentence; why not?

47. "Phooey!": RATS. They got us boss, time to go.

48. Intimate apparel item: SLIP. Finally a picture...

49. Bee flat?: HIVE. Very cute, the apartment where the bees live.

50. State openly: AVOW. AVOW = AVER another APEX ACME choice.

54. Mauna __: LOA. I tried for years to get my clue, "it's higher than LOA" in a puzzle, no chance.

55. Start of spring?: ESS. Silly end to the puzzle but the word SPRING does start with an S.

I thank you all for reading, writing and enjoying. I now realize I cannot compete with all the Bloggers who link so much wonderful stuff. My limited vision and brain power are all you get. Thank you Jeffrey , C.C. ,and Boomer . Lemonade out leaving you the grid...

Monday, December 20, 2010 Gary Cee

Theme: Play Time - Each of the words in the theme entries can proceed the word GAME.

17A. Miniature data storage device: MEMORY CARD. A device with many shapes and names(examples). A MEMORY GAME, in its simplest form, is recalling the position of a item to form a pair. CARD GAME doesn't need an explanation.

24A. Teen group sleepover: PAJAMA PARTY. Also known as a slumber party. PAJAMA GAME was a Broadway musical, based on the novel 7½ Cents and made into a film staring Doris Day in 1957. PARTY GAMES, I miss them.

38A. With 40-Across, in an advantageous position (and what both words in 17-, 24-, 47- and 60-Across can be): AHEAD OF.... And 40A. See 38-Across: ...THE GAME

47A. Like an actor who doesn't miss a line: WORD PERFECT. I wonder why the word processing application wasn't used as the clue. The meaning like 2D. To __: precisely : A TEE seems out-dated to me. WORD GAME: Fictionary comes to mind. PERFECT GAME is a baseball game in which no opposing player reaches base or a 300-point game in bowling. C.C.'s husband, Boomer, has several.

60A. Bobby Vee hit with the line "I come bouncing back to you": RUBBER BALL. The song. RUBBER GAME is needed to decide the winner if a series is tied at an even number of wins. The use of the word Rubber to describe a tiebreaker is believed to have originated in the English game bowls(lawn bowling). And that's the BALL GAME.

Argyle here. Gosh, I don't know if I got anything left in me to comment on the rest of this ambitious Monday puzzle but I'll try.

Across:

1. Things to make notes on : PADS

5. Gate clasp : LATCH

10. Woeful word : "ALAS!"

14. Home of the Osmonds : UTAH

15. Impressive display : ARRAY

16. Coke or Pepsi : COLA

19. Like many a movie twin : EVIL

20. Faraway friend who likes to write : PEN PAL

21. Traditional stories : LORE

23. New England hrs. : EST. Eastern Standard Time.

27. Bolivian high points : ANDES The South American mountain range.

31. Above-the-street trains : ELS

32. Second afterthought, in a ltr. : PPS

33. Heckle : JEER

34. Writer's deg. : MFA. Master of Fine Arts (MFA).

35. Itzhak Perlman's instrument : VIOLIN. A virtuoso; feel free to link your favorite piece.

41. Tears to shreds : RIPS UP

42. Seaman's call for assistance : SOS

43. Baseball's Slaughter : ENOS. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938-1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St. Louis Cardinals.

44. Not masc. : FEM.

45. Old Mideast org. : UAR. United Arab Republic.

46. Digs for : SEEKS

51. "Toto, __ a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" : I'VE

52. Encl. with a manuscript : SASE. Self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE).

53. Gap : HIATUS

58. Require : NEED

62. Ricelike pasta : ORZO

63. Judges hear them : PLEAs

64. Sicilian volcano : ETNA

65. Wine glass part : STEM

66. Occupied, as a desk : SAT AT

67. Hurdle (over) : LEAP

Down:

1. It gives you gas : PUMP. Good one.

3. Rhett's last word : DAMN

4. Hit the mall : SHOP

5. 1971 Clapton classic : "LAYLA"

6. Pop-up path : ARC

7. Song refrain : TRA, LA, LA. A great song with many lyrics. "Tra la la Boome de ay, I lost my mind today, won't miss it any way."

8. Pool shots : CAROMS. Sometimes called the "kiss" shot, the carom shot involves bouncing your ball off another to get it in the pocket.

9. Beast that grew two heads every time it lost one : HYDRA

10. King topper : ACE

11. Where romantic couples park : LOVERS' LANE

12. Crème de la crème : A-LIST

13. Like the sea : SALTY

18. Jay-Z performances : RAPS

22. "Silas Marner" foundling : EPPIE

25. Funny Foxworthy : JEFF

26. Orbital high point : APOGEE

27. Barely open : AJAR

28. Pop your pop might have liked : NEHI

29. Suspended animation : DEEP FREEZE

30. Took off the board : ERASED

34. Floor-washing aid : MOP

35. Videotape format : VHS. The Video Home System is better known by its abbreviation VHS and I was expecting something more technical.

36. Response to "You all right?" : "I'M OK"

37. Storied loch : NESS. In Scotland.

39. Down in the __ : DUMPS

40. Raced : TORE

42. Wager that isn't risky : SAFE BET

45. Bond girl Andress : URSULA. Image.

46. Hullabaloo : STIR

47. Indigent imbibers : WINOs. We haven't seen much alliteration lately.

48. In full view : OVERT. Covert - hidden from view. Whoopi, on the View.

49. Wild West brothers : EARPs. There were six brothers: Newton (from their father's first marriage), James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan and Warren. There were also three sisters: Martha, Virgina and Adelia. Web site.

50. Where the toys are : CHEST. How is the latest "Toy Story"?

54. One slain by Cain : ABEL

55. Westminster gallery : TATE

56. Forearm bone : ULNA

57. Open-handed blow : SLAP

59. __ Pérignon : DOM. Champagne.

61. Sheep sound : "BAA!"

Answer grid.

Argyle

Wednesday, November 28, 2018, Gary Cee

Theme: A Breed Apart. 

17. High-tech classroom: COMPUTER LAB. The Labrador is the most popular dog breed by registrations (191,988) worldwide. (Wikipedia.)

23. Fighter at the Olympics: AMATEUR BOXER.

51. Court long shot: THREE POINTER.

61. Astute attorney: LEGAL BEAGLE.

38. Military IDs ... or what 17-, 23-, 51- and 61-Across have: DOG TAGS. Clever - each answer is 'tagged' with a breed of dog. I guess you could call it Collar-ID. Snort.

Melissa here. Several clues related to New York made me wonder if our constructor is from there. Yes.

Across:

1. Mary Oliver, e.g.: POET.

5. Tweak: ADJUST.

11. Obliterate in a flash: ZAP. Good description for microwaving food.

14. Prefix with sphere: ATMO. Dictionary.com: Greek, combining form meaning “air,” used in the formation of compound words.

15. Self-moving vacuum: ROOMBA. Tried to put an H in there somewhere.

16. "I __ you one": OWE.

19. Starchy grain: OAT.

20. Bygone Persian rulers: SHAHS.

21. Long-jawed fish: GAR. Gar species of New York, below:

22. Present: HERE.

27. Man-horse hybrid: CENTAUR.

30. Synagogue reading: TORAH.

31. Country between Vietnam and Thailand: LAOS.

32. Quaint contraction: TIS.

34. Type of coffee or whiskey: IRISH.

37. Congressional statute: ACT.

41. Life highlights, briefly: BIO.

42. Moby-Dick, e.g.: WHALE.

44. Hula strings: UKE.

45. Pungent quality: BITE.

46. Rice dish: PILAF. Dictionary.com defines Pilaf as: a Middle Eastern or Indian dish of rice (or sometimes wheat) cooked in stock with spices, typically having added meat or vegetables. A quick google search turns up recipes for Moroccan, Japanese, Armenian, Asian, Indian, Persian, Lebanese, Russian, Turkish, Italian, and Greek versions.

49. "The Shawshank Redemption" extras: INMATES.

54. __ hog: ROAD.

55. Org. whose returns were never sales: IRS.

56. Get to: REACH.

60. Trellis climber: IVY.

64. Golf peg, or where it's used: TEE. Not being a golfer, C.C.'s explanation in Sunday's write up (87D) of TEE colors in MN was interesting - are the colors not standard?

65. Long cold spell: ICE AGE. Opposite of a cold snap.

66. Image in a botanical print: LEAF.

67. Make a typo, say: ERR.

68. Litter box visitor: PET CAT.

69. Pre-Easter season: LENT.

Down:

1. D.C. influence gps.: PACS. Political Action Committees.

2. "However," in tweets: OTOH. On The Other Hand.

3. "Handsome, clever, and rich" Jane Austen character: EMMA.

4. Headwear with tails: TOP HATS.

5. Works on walls: ART. Sneaky. Works used as noun, not verb.

6. Stag's mate: DOE.

7. Longtime Univision news anchor Ramos: JORGE.

8. Two dots above a vowel: UMLAUT.

9. Pizza chain in many food courts: SBARRO.

10. Bar bill: TAB.

11. Madagascar!, in the Bronx: ZOO EXHIBIT. Anyone seen it?

12. In the know: AWARE.

13. Pan in Neverland: PETER.

18. Inst. with the fight song "On, Brave Old Army Team": USMA.

22. Frost: HOAR.

24. Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death of __-Tune)": AUTO.

25. H.S. subject that covers all the angles?: TRIG. Nice clue.

26. Jewish ritual: BRIS.

27. Jaguar's weapon: CLAW.

28. Individually: EACH.

29. "Fat chance!": NOT A PRAYER.

33. "The Simpsons" disco devotee: STU.

35. Locale: SITE.

36. Soil-clearing tools: HOES.

38. Mark for omission: DELE.

39. Related: AKIN.

40. Well-mannered man: GENT.

43. Made up things: LIED. Could also be LIES as a noun - needed 54A ROAD to be sure.

45. Reveal everything: BARE ALL.

47. Individually: APIECE.

48. Draw a blank: FORGET.

50. Nothing but: MERE.

51. Done to death: TRITE.

52. Float in the air: HOVER.

53. Actor Oscar __ of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi": ISAAC. I've only seen him in Inside Llewyn Davis. Did not know that he was born in Guatemala. His family settled in the US when he was five months old.

57. Pulitzer-winning author James: AGEE.

58. Close-knit group: CLAN.

59. Test by lifting: HEFT.

61. Backtalk: LIP.

62. Alternative to JFK or EWR: LGA. NYC's three major airports: JFK = John F. Kennedy International, EWR = Newark Liberty International, LGA = LaGuardia.

63. Perfecta or trifecta: BET.

Thursday, November 17, 2011 Gary Cee

Theme: Be careful how you pet my cats!

17A. Pirates' home : PITTSBURGH. This Major League Baseball team is the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the Central Division of the National League.

26A. Group working on tips? : NEWS BUREAU. Fun clue. "Tips" aren't the extra cash left on the restaurant table, but news items furnished from those in the know.

48A. Jersey Shore city popularized by Springsteen : ASBURY PARK. "The Boss" performed regularly at this seaside resort in the 70's. Here's his "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)".

59A. Trudeau comic : DOONESBURY. One of my favorite un-PC comics here. (Note: A "Deaniac" was a supporter of the liberal Vermont Governor Harold Dean's unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2004).

And the unifier:

39. Bugs, or what's literally found in 17-, 26-, 48- and 59-across : RUBS THE WRONG WAY. In each of the theme entries, the word "rubs" appears the "wrong way", or backwards.

Marti here, so it must be Thursday again. I started off very slowly on this one, but when I finally went back and figured out 2D. UZI, it finally seemed to all flow in the right direction! Loved this unusual theme, and clean execution. Let's look at the fill:

Across:

1. Big picture : MURAL. Why yes, that would be a really big picture.

6. Title holder? : SASH. I wanted "belt"...

10. Bean used in Asian sauces : SOYA. I'm sure C.C. uses this bean in her cooking, right?

14. Protective layer : OZONE. I skipped this one for the time being...

15. "Salome" solo : ARIA. This Strauss opera highlights Salome's disturbing obsession with St. John the Baptist that drives her to demand his head on a platter, in exchange for performing the "Dance of the Seven Veils".

16. Piece of mind? : OP-ED. "Opposite the Editorials (page)". And 11D. Write a 16-Across : OPINE

19. Complete, in Cannes : FINI. Literally, "end". Seen at the end of French films in Cannes.

Correction from Kazie (thank you!): "Fini" actually means "finished" rather than end which is "fin", which I think is more likely at the end of movies. 

And then we have 13D. Final word at Orly : ADIEU. Yes, I guess the last word you would say to someone embarking on the plane in Paris would be "adieu" (good-bye!)

20. Committed to : SET ON. I'm set on having a turkey next Thursday for dinner.

21. "Divine Comedy" poet : DANTE

22. High-tech printer capability : SCAN. I just bought a new printer that faxes, scans, and prints wirelessly. Problem is, I can't figure out how to make it work !

28. Playwright Pinter : HAROLD. Surely you know him as the author of "The French Lieutenant's Woman"?  Correction: Harold Pinter wrote the screenplay adaptation.  John Fowles didn’t write it, either (really).  In 1977, Fowles translated the 1893 novel “Ourika” by Claire de Duras, and titled it “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”. He later revised it in 1994.  What a tangled web !

30. Six-pack muscles : ABS. We have a mini-muscle theme going on here, with 29D. Back muscle, for short : LAT. (Could have been clued as "Publisher of this puzzle: Abbr."). And this is for the gals...

31. Laundry room brand : AMANA. I was looking for a detergent, not the washing machine!

32. About half a million square miles of Asia : GOBI. The Gobi desert is most notable as the location of several cities along the Silk Road.

35. Dept. of Labor arm : OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

42. Caesarean infinitive : ESSE. "To be" (or not to be...). Not to be confused with a Caesarean section, which has an entirely different meaning!

43. It parallels the radius : ULNA. The two bones of the forearm.

44. John Barleycorn : BOOZE. The "Z" in this one was my very last fill. I was thinking of "Daniel BOOnE". (What was I thinking???)

45. "___ Sera, Sera" : QUE. What will be, will be.

47. One with goals : SCORER. Loved this clue/answer! A real V-8 moment, when I realized they were talking about things like hockey goals. I bet Eddy B and JD got this one immediately!

54. Pol. convention attendees : DELS. I had "DEmS" at first. Then realized, they wanted "delegates", not "democrats".

55. Swing vigorously : FLAIL. I think of "flailing" as swinging randomly, not vigorously?

56. Flexible wood : OSIER. Willow wood, used for making baskets and other crosswordese items.

58. Down the drain : LOST. Oh goodness, my train of thought just went down the drain...

64. Largest of the Near Islands : ATTU. Part of the Aleutians, and site of a famous ski hill. (You knew I had to get in a reference to my favorite sport, right?)

65. Ornamental vases : URNS.

66. Aqua ___: alcohol : VITAE. Thank goodness, the constructor provided the "alcohol" hint. Otherwise, I would have penned in VELVA without any hesitation!

67. Singer who said "Men should be like Kleenex: soft, strong and disposable" : CHER. Always the philosopher, that one...

68. Enlightened response : I SEE.

69. Frost and others : POETS

Down:

1. Clean, in a way : MOP

2. Israeli gun designer ___ Gal : UZI. My one gate-opener for this puzzle! It's usually clued as "Israeli submachine gun". Nice to see this attribute to it's creator. (I think...)

3. Turn bad : ROT.

4. Exterminator's target : ANT. Wanted "rat", at first.

5. Diminished state : LESS. Ah, but "Less is more", right?

6. Brown : SAUTE. Wow! This one whacked me upside the head when I finally sussed it through perps. What an ambiguous clue for such a common word. Loved it!

7. Robin's weapon : ARROW. Had to think: "Batman" or "Hood"?

8. Traces : SIGNS

9. "That's rich!" : HAH. HAH! Loved this one, too!

10. "Everything's fine for now" : SO FAR SO GOOD. Wonderful, lively fill. And so far so good...only 31 more clues to unravel.

12. Gossipmonger : YENTA. A Yiddish busybody.

18. Give a little : BEND

21. Add (in), as music to a film : DUB

22. Piece of the pie : SHARE. Hands up for all who filled in "slice"??

23. "The Stranger" writer : CAMUS. "L'Etranger" by Albert Camus. Said to be an existentialist novel, but the novel had much broader meanings and explores absurdism to the extreme. Curious to know, have you read it, Hahtool?

24. Most Egyptians : ARABS

25. Conclusion that doesn't follow : NON SEQUITUR. "So, I plan to make meatloaf for dinner tonight..."

27. Scott of "Happy Days" : BAIO

32. Hair goop : GEL

33. Have : OWN

34. Uplifting garb : BRA. For the guys..

36. Cursed : SWORE. #*^@&!~$%#&@* puzzle...

37. Not brown or blue, perhaps : HAZEL. Like this here.

38. Australia's ___ Rock : AYERS. In the land of "Oz" (Australia).  I immediately thought of our Kazie.

40. One of three duck brothers : HUEY. Dewey and Louie are the other two, but they wouldn't fit here.

41. Letters after C or MS : NBC. CNBC and MSNBC are both cable networks. CNBC is the "Consumer News and Business Channel". MSNBC is another cable news channel, whose name comes from a combination of "Microsoft" and "NBC".

46. www address : URL. Does anyone need an explanation of this one? (email me...)

47. Arcade game starter : SKEE. -ball

48. Company with a spokesduck : AFLAC.

49. A deadly sin : SLOTH. To cover all the bases, you need to have wrath, greed, pride, lust, envy and gluttony as well.

50. Moisten while cooking : BASTE. See 20A. It requires careful basting.

51. Standard partner : POORS. Standard & Poors, a US based financial services company that publishes financial research analysis on stocks and bonds.

52. In cahoots : AS ONE. Any questions?

53. Light wash : RINSE. Hmmmm...I still think a light wash requires some sort of soap?

57. Invitation letters : RSVP. "Répondez s'il vous plaît". Literally, "Respond, if it pleases you." Well, what if I don't feel like responding?? Emily Post would frown on that attitude, I'm afraid.

59. SADD focus : DUI. Students Against Drunk Driving are concerned about people who Drive Under the Influence.

60. Theater program item : BIO. Biography. No hint of abbr. in the clue? So, I guess "bio" is a legit modern term?

61. Colorado native : UTE. What's a "ute"??? (See "My Cousin Vinny" clip, done before.)

62. Informer : RAT. "You dirty rat..."

63. Celebratory cry : YES! ("I FINISHED THIS BAD PUPPY!!")

Answer grid.

Thanks for hangin' with me for a while. I'm looking forward to hearing all your comments. I am flying down to Chapel Hill, N.C this morning to meet DH (he's doing a project down there this week). So I will be offline for part of the day. But I will check in as soon as I get settled into our hotel room. In the meantime, carry on, and play nice!

Hugs,

Marti

Friday, January 19, 2024, Gary Larson and Amy Ensz

Theme: He who hesitates is lost

Puzzling thoughts:

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.

Covers For

 

                                                                  

                       click on this to expose:       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

14. Need for poi: TAROS.

17. Arlene of classic cinema: DAHL. Or, Willy Wonka creator Roald

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

58. London-to-Paris dir.: SSE. Directions, anyone??

60. "__ your head!": USE. What I usually say to myself when trying to figure out the puzzle themes

61. Airport code for Australia's second largest city: MEL. Airport code for MELbourne

62. Plant juice: SAP.

Here's the grid: Thanks to sumdaze for showing me how to caption my pics!! 😘

For those who asked for a grid showing the answers to the 01/16/2024 Universal Crossword puzzle:

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Gary Cee

Words within words.  This was a very clever theme, but I am not clever enough to come up with a good title, so here's your challenge:  Name this Puzzle!  And the winner is TTP for is entry of:

Indifferently Different

17-Across. Playful but egocentric?: SELFISHLY ELFISH.

27-Across. Hopeful but insubstantial?: MEAGERLY EAGER.

44-Across. Terrible but legal?: LAWFULLY AWFUL.

58-Across. Impolite but uptight?: PRUDISHLY RUDISH.

Across:

1. Barton who wrote "A Story of the Red Cross": CLARA.  Clara Barton (née Clarissa Harlowe Barton; Dec. 25, 1821 ~ Apr. 12, 1912) led a remarkable life.  [Name # 1.]

6. TMI part, briefly: INFO.  Textspeak for Too Much Info.

10. Tibetan priest: LAMA.  As Ogden Nash has informed us: 

        The one-l lama,

        He's a priest.

        The two-l llama,

        He's a beast.

        And I'll bet

        A silk pajama

        There isn't any

        Three-l lllama.

14. Refueling ship: OILER.

15. Juice extractor extraction: PULP.

16. Actor Bana: ERIC.  Eric Bana (né Eric Banadinović; b. Aug. 9, 1968) just celebrated his 54th birthday.  [Name # 2.]

20. Egyptian boy king: TUT.  The tomb of King Tut (né Tutankhamun) was discovered 100 years ago.  [Name # 3.]

21. "hehe": LOL.  More textspeak.  Laughing Out Loud.

22. Jot down: NOTATE.

23. Blue cheese from England: STILTON.  Everything you wanted to know about Stilton Cheese, but didn't know to ask.

26. Diagnostic test for epilepsy, for short: EEG.  As in the ElectroEncephaloGraphy.  Everything you wanted to know about the EEG but didn't know to ask.

33. Words in the title of some tribute poems: ODE TO.

35. "__ your head!": "Think!": USE.  //  Change one vowel, and you get 57-Across. Can. neighbor: USA.  

36. Start all over: REDO.

37. Horseback game with a namesake shirt: POLO.

38. Like pet birds, typically: CAGED.

40. __ Millions lottery: MEGA.

41. Starting on: AS OF.

42. Heavenly sphere: ORB.

Celestial Spheres

43. Cheat: COZEN.  Definitely not a Tuesday word.

48. Mucky stuff: GOO.  //  And 62-Across. Exude, as confidence: OOZE.

49. Spot for a pingpong table: REC ROOM.

52. Pampers all the time: SPOILS.

56. Links org.: PGA.  As in the Professional Golfers Association.

63. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL.  Amal Clooney (née Amal Alamuddin; b. Feb. 3, 1978) married George Clooney in 2014.  She was born in Beirut, Lebanon.  Her speciality is international law and human rights.  [Name # 4.]

64. Jeff's wife on "Curb Your Enthusiasm": SUSIE.  Susie Essman (née Susan Essman; b. May 31, 1955)  plays Susie Greene on Curb Your Enthusiasm.   [Name # 5.] 

65. "Terrible" time for tots (and their parents): TWOS.

66. Solitary: LONE.

67. Joyful shout: CHEER.

Down:

1. Is priced at: COSTS.

2. Fire dept. rank: LIEUT.  As in Lieutenant.  The fire pole is a traditional feature in the fire station, but it also presents a safety risk to the firemen.

3. Coldest temperature on record, e.g.: ALL TIME LOW.  What is the coldest recorded temperature in your state?

4. NWSL official: REF.  Hand up if you knew that NWSL stood for National Women's Soccer League.  Referees are needed for the soccer games.

5. Melber of MSNBC: ARI.  Ari Melber (né Ari Naftali Melber; b. Mar. 31, 1980) hosts The Beat with Ari Melber, which airs on MSNBC.  [Name # 6.]  

6. Apple device featuring Siri: iPHONE.

7. __ and void: NULL.

8. Travel by air: FLY.  Flying is not fun anymore.

9. Carefully attentive: OPEN-EYED.

10. Skipped town: LEFT.

11. Opera solo: ARIA.  My favorite aria from Carmen.

12. Fine spray: MIST.

13. Dull pain: ACHE.

18. Uphill climb: SLOG.

19. Stadium section: LOGE.

Loge in the Budapest Opera House

24. Release, as steam: LET OFF.

25. Chinese philosophical principle: TAO.

26. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

28. Sport with scrums: RUGBY.  The perps gave me enough letters to let me guess Rugby.  I know nothing about this game.  Apparently scrums is short for scrummage.

29. Under __: sports apparel brand: ARMOUR.  I am not familiar with this sportswear, but I have seen the logo.

30. "Heavens to Betsy!": GEEZ, LOUISE!  Also the name of a clothing boutique in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

31. Advantage: EDGE.

32. Speckled horse: ROAN.  What exactly is a Roan horse?

33. Hot springs gemstone: OPAL.  How opals are formed.  Australia is a huge source of opals.  Hi, Kazie!

34. Lentil pancake in Indian cuisine: DOSA.  You, too, can learn how to make Dosa.

38. Mammoth: COLOSSAL.  The Colossal of Rhodes was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

39. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO.  Arlo Davy Guthrie (b. July 10, 1947) is the son of folk singer Woody Guthrie.  Arlo is probably best known for Alice's Restaurant, but he also sang The City of New Orleans.  [Name # 7.]

43. Ozone-depleting chemical, for short: CFC.  Short for ChloroFloroCarbons.

45. Aptly named hybrid fruit: UGLI.  The Ugli is a hybrid of a tangerine or orange and a grapefruit.  

46. Diamond-shaped pattern: ARGYLE.  Also a reference to our dear Santa.

47. Have on: WEAR.

50. Davis of "Do the Right Thing": OSSIE.  Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis; Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) was an actor and a civil rights activist.  He was also married to actress Ruby Dee.  I saw Do the Right Thing when I was living in France.  It didn't translate well.  [Name # 8.]

51. HBO's "Real Time With Bill __": MAHER.  Bill Maher (b. Jan. 20, 1956) is a comedian and political commentator, known for his satire.  [Name # 9.]

52. Catch sight of: SPOT.

53. Ship's front: PROW.

54. Liqueur with a licorice taste: OUZO.  Everything you wanted to know about Ouzo, but didn't know to ask.

55. Mid-month day: IDES.  Beware the Ides of March.

56. Course of action: PLAN.

59. Managed care gp.: HMO.  As in a Health Maintenance Organization.

60. The Trojans of the NCAA: USC.  As in the University of Southern California.

61. "I think we all know that!": DUH.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Sandwich, Massachusetts is the oldest town on Cape Cod.
The law enforcement officers there are the Sandwich Police.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to Joseph (MM), who has been wittily guiding us on Thursdays. Here's a picture of him in Chiang Rai. He said "On that trip we spent time in Langkawi, Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Singapore."

 

Chiang Rai, 2017