Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Bryant White

Theme: (TWENTY) FOUR SHADES OF GREEN

 

Hi all, Melissa here. The second word of each theme answer is a shade of green. See the chart above, where all four of our shades appear. The artichoke shade seems more like a shade of grey, but it does look a lot like the color of a cooked artichoke heart.

16. *Orson Welles' role in "The Third Man": HARRY LIME

23. *James T. Kirk player, in recent "Star Trek" films: CHRIS PINE.

50. *"Pogo" cartoonist: WALT KELLY.

59. *"Damn Yankees!" star: TAB HUNTER.

35. Dollar bill, e.g. ... and what the ends of the answers to starred clues have in common: GREENBACK.

Across:

1. School of thought: ISM.

4. 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. 

8. Landlocked African country: MALI.

12. Sense of balance: STABILITY.

15. Half of a folk-rock duo: SIMON. Simon & Garfunkel. The Harmony Game, a 2011 documentary that tells the story of their landmark album ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

17. Public square: PLAZA. Seeing PLAZA just below SIMON makes me think of Neil SIMON's PLAZA  Suite - on Broadway March - July.

18. Court answers: PLEAS.

19. Org. promoting fluoridation: ADA. American Dental Association.

21. State of calm attentiveness: ZEN.

22. Fair-haired: BLOND.

26. Kareem, once: LEW. NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.

27. Deli order: HERO. Nice clue.

29. Police trickery: STING. Not always police - as in the 1973 movie The Sting, inspired by real-life cons, brothers Fred and Charley Gondorff, and documented by David Maurer in his book The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man.

30. Koala's hangout: TREE.

32. Crest container: TUBE.

34. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE. William.

38. Curly top: AFRO.

40. Landlocked Asian country: LAOS.

41. "Elephant Boy" boy: SABU. 1937 Movie based on Rudyard Kipling's "Toomai, of the Elephants," from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Sabu was the young Indian actor who played Toomai.

45. Jigsaw unit: PIECE. Puzzle piece.

47. Color printer refills: INKS. Ink and toner has to be some of the most overpriced office supplies ever invented. Come in for the free printer - come back soon to buy the $250 ink.

49. "What's shakin'?": SUP. Short for 'what's up?'

52. Finds the right words, say: EDITS. As an editor, I like this clue.

54. Step into character: ACT. Favorite clue of the day.

55. It may need massaging: EGO.

56. Crouch down: SQUAT.

57. Word with ice or cookie: SHEET.

63. Wetland birds: TERNS.

64. Pushing to the limit: STRAINING.

65. "Put a tiger in your tank" brand: ESSO.

66. Babe in the woods: FAWN. Also, the paper-shredding legend from the  Iran-Contra hearings.

67. LP successors: CDS. From long-playing vinyl records to compact discs.

Down:

1. "More or less" suffix: ISH.

2. Desktop item: STAPLER.

3. "The Big Sleep" private eye: MARLOWE. Detective Philip Marlowe is a fictional character who first appeared under that name in the 1939 novel, The Big Sleep,  twice adapted to film.

4. Most populous Arabian Peninsula city: RIYADH. Capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula.

5. Pandora's boxful: ILLS. From the ancient Greek story about a character named Pandora, who was given a box as a wedding gift but was ordered not to open it. Eventually, curiosity overcame her and she opened the box, releasing death, evil, and misery into the world.

6. Sundial seven: VII.

7. PIN point: ATM. PIN = Personal Identification Number.

8. End of a soldier's URL: MIL. From Wikipedia: The domain name mil is the sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet for the United States Department of Defense and its subsidiary or affiliated organizations. The name is derived from military.

9. Jaw-dropping: AMAZING. 😮

10. Cough drop: LOZENGE.

11. Absurd: INANE.

13. WWII light machine gun: BREN. Made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992.

14. Class ring number: YEAR.

 15. Acting fitfully: SPASTIC.

20. Talk smack about: DIS.

22. Deli order: BLT. Clecho of 27a.

23. Pitiless: CRUEL.

24. Boot stud: HOBNAIL. In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles.

25. Legendary Hollywood hot dog restaurant: PINKS. Can't go to Hollywood without stopping here for a dog. My daughter in front of the famous painted logo, way back in 2004.

28. French summer: ETE.

31. "Snowy" bird: EGRET.

33. Black shade: EBONY.

36. Houston NBA team: ROCKETS.

37. "Try me": ASK.

38. Cochise followers: APACHES. According to Tom Brown, Jr., the famous tracker, the Apache were desert-dwellers and therefore excellent trackers. In his books and classes, track patterns that he calls "pressure releases" are described using geological terms like ridge, peak, and plateau, as variations in prints could be clearly seen in sand.

39. Instagram overlays: FILTERS.

42. Like some lions: ASIATIC.

43. Rifle handle: BUTT END. That was tricky.

44. Good times: UPS. For some reason I could only see UPS as the delivery service, until I finally realized it was not an acronym.

46. Brain scan inits.: EEG. An electroencephalogram is a test used to evaluate the electrical activity in the brain.

48. Costume spangle: SEQUIN.

50. Fritter away: WASTE.

51. They may be drawn: LOTS. Drawing lots = making a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawn.

53. Country duo Brooks & __: DUNN.

56. Bandleader Artie: SHAW.

58. Rock producer Brian: ENO.

60. DOJ division: ATF. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

61. Bikini half: BRA.

62. Some NFL linemen: RGS. Right guards are positioned on the right of the offensive line.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Amanda Rafkin and Ross Trudeau

Homophonitically for You and I.  Very strange concept today.  Each theme answer has two words that contain the letters U and I next to each other.  (Homophonitically: Having the same sound; Having or characterized by a single melodic line with accompaniment.)

16-Across. Citrus drink in a sea breeze cocktail: GRAPEFRUIT JUICE.

27-Across. Frivolous legal entanglement: NUISANCE SUIT.

47-Across. French luxury retailer since 1854: LOUIS VUITTON.  Same sound?  You decide.


And the unifier:
59. 2011 Dolly Parton single, and what homophonically happens twice in 16-, 27- and 47-Across: TOGETHER YOU AND I.  Not to be parsed as To Get Her, You And I.  I am not familiar with this song.



Across:

1. __-been: washed-up celeb: HAS.  I have a friend who called her ex-husband her Was-been.

4. Shared again, as a story: RETOLD.

10. Samantha Bee's network: TBS.  Samantha Ann Bee (b. Oct. 25, 1969) is a Canadian-born comedian who got her start as a political commentator on The Daily Show with John Stewart.  She now has her own show entitled Full Frontal.

13. Frequently found in poetry?: OFT.

14. One with a hunger: YEARNER.  Awkward!

15. Go bad: ROT.

19. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SØREN.  Søren Kierkegaard (née Søren Aabye Kierkegaard; May 5, 1813 ~ Oct. 11, 1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian.  He is considered to be the first modern existentialist philosopher.  Sadly, he died at the young age of 42.

20. Dawn goddess: EOS.

21. Bridal veil trim: LACE.  There is a lot of lace on this wedding dress.

22. Packed in a slatted box: CRATED.

25. Like bath mats: NON-SLIP.

29. Prez on a fiver: ABE.

30. "Cream of" concoction: SOUP.

31. Lonely place, so they say: THE TOP.

35. Former: PAST.

37. Part of rpm: PER.  As in Revolutions Per Minute.

39. Actress Russo: RENE.  Rene Russo (née Rene Marie Russo; b. Feb. 17, 1954) makes very frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

40. Bury: ENTOMB.

43. Frontier lawman Wyatt: EARP.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) also makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

46. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  Home BoxOffice versus Showtime.

50. Gives a hand: ASSISTS.

53. Celebrity socialite: IT GIRL.  Clara Bow (née Clara Gordon Bow; July 29, 1905 ~ Sept. 27, 1965) was the original "It Girl".

54. One who stirs the pot: CHEF.

55. Former flier: TWA.  Trans World Airlines was founded by Howard Hughes in 1930.  It ceased operations in December 2001.  My first airplane ride, when I was about 5 years old, was on a TWA flight.  That was back in the day when airlines gave out little gifts to children who were flying.  I still have the little red bag that was filled with little toys to keep me amused on the flight.

57. "Live" sign: ON AIR.

63. Night before: EVE.

64. Most authentic: REALEST.  Awkward!

65. Generation __: GAP.

66. "Lust for Life" singer Lana __ Rey: DEL.  I am not familiar with Lana Del Rey (née Elizabeth Woolridge Grand; b. June 21, 1985).

67. How theater seating is arranged: IN ROWS.

68. Hurricane center: EYE.

Down:

1. Keeps to oneself: HOGS.

2. Early form of Latin jazz: AFRO-CUBAN.

3. Like the most twinkly sky: STARRIEST.

4. Boxing official: REF.  As in the Referee.

5. Musician's asset: EAR.

6. "Can't deny that": TRUE.

7. They might bring you to tears: ONIONS.  Why Onions make you cry.

8. Releases from a cage: LETS OUT.

9. Basketball's Erving, familiarly: DR. J.  Julius Erving (né Julius Winfield Erving, II; b. Feb. 22, 1950) had a long career in the NBA.

10. Dry run: TRIAL.

11. Italian lawn bowling game: BOCCI.  Usually spelled with an "e".

12. Pricey: STEEP.

14. Gossipy sorts: YENTAS.

17. Podded plants: PEAS.

18. Coat named for an Irish province: ULSTER.

23. "Music for Airports" producer Brian: ENO.  Our old friend Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) is also making a guest appearance in today's puzzle.

24. Bra spec: D-CUP.

26. Med. research agency: NIH.  As in the National Institutes of Health.  You can get information about Covid-19 at their website.

27. Tough spot to self-trim hair: NAPE.

28. Olympic swords: ÉPÉES.  These fencing swords are often found it the crossword puzzles, too.

32. Simulated launch site: TEST RANGE.

33. Taking a vacation, Brit-style: ON HOLIDAY.

34. Lowly worker: PEON.

Peony.

36. English "L'chaim!": TO LIFE.

38. Sitar master Shankar: RAVI.  Ravi Shankar (Apr.  7, 1920 ~ Dec. 11, 2012) is the father of musician Norah Jones.

41. Jan. and Feb.: MOs.  January and February are the first 2 Months of the Gregorian calendar..

42. Words introducing a plot twist: BUT, THEN ...  Not to be parsed as Butt Hen.

44. Road groove: RUT.

45. Hit the buffet in a major way, say: PIG OUT.

48. "Scout's honor!": I SWEAR.

49. Singer Turner: TINA.  Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock; b. Nov. 26, 1939) turned 80 on her last birthday.   I should be so lucky when (if) I turn 80.

50. Played a part: ACTED.

51. Push roughly: SHOVE.

52. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother": SEGEL.

Jason Jordan Segel (b. Jan. 18, 1980)

56. Guthrie of folk: ARLO.  Arlo Guthrie (né Arlo Davy Guthrie; b. July 10, 1947) is the son of Woody Guthrie, but you knew that.

58. Like avocados ready for guacamole: RIPE.  Yummers!

60. Bi- plus one: TRI-.

61. Tree with elastic wood: YEW.  This evergreen tree has red berries and is used for to make archery bows.  We have seen the YEW several times in the past few weeks.

62. WWII spy gp.: OSS.  As in the Office of Strategic Services.  Before becoming a cooking guru, Julia Child was in the OSS.

And Here's the Grid:

QOD:  Courage is the ladder upon which all other virtues mount.  ~  Clare Boothe Luce (née Ann Clare Booth; Mar. 10, 1903 ~ Oct. 9, 1987), American journalist and diplomat

Monday March 9, 2020 Fred Piscop

Theme: SEWED UP (40. Fixed, like the ends of the answers to starred clues) - The last words are all wardrobe malfunctions.

 

17A. *Fruity ice cream treat: BANANA SPLIT

63A. *Knock one out of the park: HIT A HOME RUN

11D. *Place for rural anglers: FISHING HOLE

25D. *Won 10 in a row, say: WENT ON A TEAR

Boomer here.

When I saw SPLIT, I thought about bowling, but then when I saw HOLE of course then I was thinking of tee to green. Not sure if I mentioned but I am starting complimentary golf advice for veterans for seven weeks at the PGA Superstore in Minnesota.  When I say "complimentary" I mean that I do not have to pay.  I am sure no one will compliment my swing.  Now on to the show on our new Microsoft 5050 keyboard.  On our old one, C.C. rubbed off all the white letters with her fast fingers.

Across:

1. Seminary book: BIBLE.

6. E-cigarette output: VAPOR.  I used to smoke cigs, but I quit 19 years ago.  I never tried vaping, but it has bad reviews now.

11. Media-monitoring org.: FCC.  I suppose it monitors MSNBC more than FOX.

14. __-proof: easy to operate: IDIOT.  I hope the PGA can lend me some IDIOT- proof clubs.

15. How the cheese stands, in a kids' song: ALONE.  Hi Oh the dairy Oh

16. "__ be in touch!": I'LL.

19. Be litigious: SUE.

20. Grandstand group: FANS. Sounds like the Coronavirus might have something to say about grandstand occupants.

21. Cough syrup, e.g.: SOOTHER.  I use sugar-free drops.  Some of the syrups contain alcohol which does not cooperate well with my drugs.

23. Chad or Rob of movies: LOWE.  LOWE's is a huge competitor of Home Depot.  We have both stores all over Minneapolis and St. Paul and suburbs.

26. Practical joke: GAG.  I am a humorist, but I never play practical jokes.

28. Lacking a downside: NO RISK. Not true of the recent Dow index.

29. Immobile: INERT.

31. Chafing result: RAW SKIN.  Not the Washington Football team.

33. Smart set member: MENSAN.

35. "Great Leap Forward" Chinese leader: MAO.  I wonder how he might have handled the Corona problem.

36. Storybook fiend: OGRE.

39. Upside-down sleeper: BAT.  They claim that these guys started the coronavirus infection. 

43. Put a jinx on: HEX.

44. Messy roomie: SLOB.  Stupid liable oversized BATS!!

46. Nourished: FED.  This would maybe be your friend on April 15, or maybe not.

47. House speaker Nancy: PELOSI.  San Francisco resident. My sisters live in her district.

49. Luggage tie-on: NAME TAG.  We do not tie ours on.  Our luggage has a clear pocket for IDs.

52. Shops with slicers: DELIS.

53. Gondolier, e.g.: BOATER.  We have many many boaters in our state of 10,000 lakes.  They are all in dry dock right now, waiting for the Spring thaw.

55. Deviate from a course, at sea: YAW.

57. MASH shelter: TENT.   "The game of life is hard to play, you're going to lose it anyway."  I really liked the movie, not so much the TV show, mainly because the reruns are on about 6 hours every day and I think I've seen them all at least five times.

58. Declares to be true: ATTESTS.  "The whole truth and nothing but the truth".

60. Carpentry wedge: SHIM.

62. Nautical pronoun: SHE.  I thought it was just a female pronoun.

68. Afternoon social: TEA.  C.C. is the TEA expert in our house.  I drink that other brown stuff that keeps you awake.

69. Chopin piece: ETUDE.

70. Marble mineral: AGATE.  I had a leather bag and it held aggies, peeries, and steelies.

71. Write "mispell," say: ERR.  Spring training is with us ERRS are spelled ERRORS.

72. "Jurassic Park" critters, briefly: DINOS.

73. Well-known: NOTED.

Down:

1. Highchair wear: BIB.

2. Wash. neighbor: IDA.  "IDA, sweet as apple cider".

3. TSA checkpoint container: BIN.  We did not have a lot of fun with the TSA on our recent trip.

4. Shoes sans laces: LOAFERS.  When I was a kid, we used to slide shiny pennies in them.

5. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.

6. Seven Sisters college: VASSAR.

7. Tyrolean peak: ALP.

8. C-SPAN figures, informally: POLS.  I usually watch MSNBC.

9. French crockful with a cheesy crust: ONION SOUP.  I never saw it with a cheesy crust.  In fact we used to take an envelope of onion soup, mix it with sour cream and make chip dip.

10. Captured back: RETOOK.

12. Crossword hints: CLUES.  Interesting to find that clue and answer in a crossword puzzle.  Thank you, Fred!!

Fred Piscop

13. Checkout worker: CLERK.

18. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG.

22. Common jazz combo: TRIO.  Not fond of Jazz.  My favorites,  as you probably know, are Chad Mitchell and Kingston.

23. Tree branches: LIMBS.  We have quite a few lying in the snow in our backyard.  Winter takes its toll on trees.

24. Shaq of NBA fame: O'NEAL.  He was something else, for sure.

27. 2/2/20, for Super Bowl LIV: GAME DAY.  I did not watch the halftime show.

30. Many coll. lab instructors: TAS.  Teaching Assistants.

32. Roll of bills: WAD.  No, I have a collection of money clips.  I do not need them often but I never have a WAD.

34. Egyptian queen in Tut's time: NEFERTITI.  Sounds like a question on "Jeopardy".

37. Amber, for one: RESIN.  The stuff they rub into baseballs is ROSIN. And it's not amber.

38. Be: EXIST.

41. Like fresh nail polish: WET.  Like our roads and sidewalks in yesterday's 62 degree weather.

42. __ XING: crosswalk sign: PED.

45. Restrain, as one's breath: BATE.

48. Captive's plea: LET ME GO.  We may hear this from a relief pitcher also.

50. Worked together perfectly: MESHED.

51. Serious cuts: GASHES.

53. Keep moist, as turkey: BASTE.  We only have turkey on Thanksgiving.  Too much of a hassle.  On Christmas it's ham.

54. [none of the above]: OTHER.  "Love and Marriage - you can't have one without the other".

56. Grinch victim: WHO.  "Horton Hears a Who".  I met Dr. Suess when I was two years old.  Of course I don't remember but he gave me two books that I kept on the shelf for some time.  "If I ran the Zoo" and "Bartholomew and the Oobleck"

59. Zap with a Taser: STUN.

61. Somali-born model: IMAN.

64. Pointless bother: ADO.  Much ADO about nothing.

65. Squeal on the mob: RAT.  I don't think James Cagney ever said "You Dirty RAT" but people think he said it.

66. Rugged vehicle, for short: UTE.  Someone from Salt Late City ??

67. "Game of Thrones" patriarch Stark: NED.

Boomer