Sunday August 6, 2023 Rafael Musa

 

Theme: "Don't Move" - S is changed to P in each common phrase.

24. Legume that helps quell anxiety?: PEA OF TRANQUILITY. Sea of Tranquility.

31. "My mind is often in the gutter ... "?: I'M NOT REALLY PURE. I'm not really sure.

58. Device that blocks all commercial endorsements?: PLUG REPELLENT. Slug repellent.

66. Basic needs for preserving a walnut?: HAMMER AND PICKLE. Hammer and sickle.

80. Ruling by a British finance minister?: POUND JUDGMENT. Sound judgement.

104. Dine and dash?: GO WITHOUT PAYING. Go without saying.

115. Citrus juicer's downfall?: REVENGE OF THE PITH. Revenge of the Sith.

124. Word on a red sign, and, when parsed in three parts, a hint to this puzzle's longest answers: S TO P.

This reminds me of the S to P puzzle Dennis and I made for the New York Times ages ago. We ended up with a simpler approach, though this letter change idea also came to us. You all know I'm bad at this letter addition/deletion/change gimmick.

I chuckled at some of the theme answers and clues. Fun. Outstanding fill from Rafael. He's really good with grids.

Across:

1. __ Punk: "Get Lucky" duo: DAFT.

5. Regard highly: ESTEEM.

11. Sand dune conveyance: SLED.

15. Spanish "Look!": MIRA.

19. Spaghetti __ puttanesca: ALLA. Puttanesca is a red sauce with an interesting origin. Google yourself, but don't put the word on the blog. I don't want another Google warning.

20. Myocardium, e.g.: MUSCLE.

21. Sprinkler hookup: HOSE.

22. Heaps: ATON.

23. Places (down): LAYS.

27. Horror film director Aster: ARI. His latest movie is "Beau Is Afraid".

28. Divest (of): RID.

29. __ Chef: meal kit company: HOME.

30. Runaway hit: SMASH.

37. Crush, in gamer slang: PWN.

38. Elation: GLEE.

39. Ethiopia's Selassie: HAILE.

40. Looked forward to: AWAITED.

44. Humanitarian/chef Andrés who founded World Central Kitchen: JOSE. He was born in Spain.

46. Bonobo, e.g.: APE.

47. Shiny fabric: SATIN.

49. "I __ you one!": OWE.

50. Mattel game with 108 cards: UNO.

51. Decennial survey: CENSUS.

54. Charge: ACCUSE.

55. Go toe-to-toe: VIE.

56. Mayor Tishaura Jones's city: Abbr.: STL. Not famliar with the mayor, sorry!

57. Ergonomic kitchen gadget brand: OXO.

61. Participated: TOOK PART.

64. Garlands that symbolize friendship: LEIS.

65. Assns.: ORGS.

72. Alan of "The Aviator": ALDA.

75. Discovery org.: NASA.

76. Bangkok currency: THAI BAHT. "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble ..."

86. Journalist Kasparian: ANA.

87. __ milk: SOY.

88. Race in place: REV. I don't get this clue.

89. Holy Week ender: EASTER.

90. More effortless: EASIER. Ah, guys, I've been struggling with flutter kicks. I kick like crazy, but I just don't move anywhere with the kick board.

92. Drench: SOP.

93. She sheep: EWE.

94. "Ciao!": ADIOS.

95. South Bend's st.: IND.

96. Ride in a velodrome: BIKE. I'm told that bikers and runners often struggle with flutter kicks.

97. Predetermined schedule: SET PLAN.

99. Actor Taye: DIGGS.

101. E pluribus __: UNUM.

103. Portable bed: COT.

110. Finnish telecom giant: NOKIA.

112. Snitch (on): NARC.

113. CIA forerunner: OSS. The Office of Strategic Services.

114. Mauna __: LOA.

120. __-serif: SANS.

121. Assert: AVER.

122. Inflatable float: RAFT.

123. Estevez of "The Breakfast Club": EMILIO.

125. Gendered possessive: HERS.

126. Kennel cacophony: ARFS.

127. Court calendar: DOCKET.

128. "Queer Eye" stylist Jonathan Van __: NESS.

Down:

1. __ Lama: DALAI.

2. Sleep interrupter: ALARM.

3. Acting on one's own: FLYING SOLO. Great fill.

4. Some future profs: TAS.

5. Ashanti, for one: EMPIRE. West African empire until 1901.

6. Leather with a fuzzy finish: SUEDE. Did you know that the eggplant leaves are very fuzzy also?

7. Water bottle confiscator: Abbr.: TSA.

8. Logical lead-in: ECO.

9. Rivendell resident: ELF.

10. CH3, chemically: METHYL.

11. Longtime orca performer: SHAMU.

12. Solitary sort: LONER.

13. Atty.'s title: ESQ.

14. Cidade de __: Rio neighborhood: DEUS.

15. Lilongwe's country: MALAWI. Capital of Malawi.

16. "I've still got fight left in me!": IT ISN'T OVER.

17. __ IRA: ROTH.

18. "__ questions?": ANY.

25. Tug-of-war need: ROPE.

26. Form, as a jury: IMPANEL.

28. GPS option: RTE.

32. Real Madrid cheer: OLE.

33. Cries of understanding: AHAS.

34. Eagerly accept, as praise: LAP UP. And 36. "Dinner is getting cold!": EAT UP.

35. Von Trapp sister: LIESL.

41. Sage: WISE.

42. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick: EWING. The New York Knicks.

43. Particulars, informally: DEETS.

44. Fair: JUST.

45. Suspicious of: ONTO.

47. Rx: SCRIP.

48. Does a great job: ACES IT.

51. Club in a Manilow hit: COPA.

52. Test: EXAM.

53. Average: NORM.

54. Like sharp cheddar: AGED.

59. Elbow-wrist connectors: ULNAE.

60. "Stay" singer Lisa: LOEB.

62. __ Academy: educational nonprofit: KHAN.

63. Watch over: TEND TO.

67. Erupts in anger: RAGES.

68. Pleasant tingling sensation, initially: ASMR.  Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

69. __ latte: spiced tea with steamed milk: CHAI.

70. Longtime Lucci role: KANE.

71. "You made that up!": LIAR.

72. After, in Arles: APRES.

73. Spanish luxury fashion house: LOEWE. This is their iconic raffia tote bag. You've probably seen it.

74. Bedding choice: DUVET COVER.

77. Absorb: ASSIMILATE.

78. Catchy melody: HOOK.

79. Use a key to enter?: TYPE.

81. Gave a hand: DEALT IN.

82. Actress __ Pinkett Smith: JADA.

83. Employing: USING.

84. Horse's "Hey!": NEIGH.

85. Argentine dance: TANGO.

91. California sch. just north of Tijuana: SDSU. San Diego State University.
 
96. Believe: BUY.

98. Fireplace tools: POKERS.

99. Scuttlebutt: DIRT.

100. Had a bite, perhaps?: ITCHED. Mosquito bite. Also love these two clues: 105. Power positions?: ON OFF. And 116. Hear here: EAR.

101. Outcome: UPSHOT.

102. "If I Ruled the World" rapper: NAS.

106. Drifts, as an aroma: WAFTS.

107. Comedian Fields: TOTIE.

108. Taboos: NO-NOS.

109. Reacts to a plot twist, perhaps: GASPS.

110. Actress Campbell: NEVE.

111. City on the Yamuna river: AGRA.

115. Big cheer: RAH.

117. Punk subgenre: EMO.

118. Insta post: PIC.

119. Type: ILK.

120. Fig. on a blue card: SSN.

C.C.

Saturday, August 5, 2023, Kyle Dolan and Dylan Schiff

 Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan and Dylan Schiff

Kyle

Dylan

Kyle is a science and tech consultant at the British consulate in Chicago and I have

blogged many of his themeless Saturday puzzles. Today he teams up with Dylan Schiff, who is a middle school science teacher like I was for 42 years. This was a big test for this solver and I enjoyed it immensely as I never felt I was out of it (except for two cells!). My issues were the two cells you see highlighted here in the grid. I had never heard of BOSS FIGHT and so I had BOSS HIGHS? where HEAT was a possible Guiness record data and SASHA could have been a character in a TV show. Buzz, we have some lovely parting gifts for you, Gary.

Across:

1. Next-level experience?: BOSS FIGHT Boss Fight Entertainment is an American video game development company based in Allen, TX. 

10. "The Hobbit" figure: DWARF.

15. Around: IN THE AREA - Middle infielders used to only have to be "IN THE AREA" at second base and not tag the base to have the runner called out. Not so any more after new rules make the fielders safer by making it illegal to "go after" the infielder.

16. Registration info: OWNER - I always intend to fill those out...

17. Strips at a party: STREAMERS 😀

18. Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts: NIECE.

Emma, Julia and Lisa who is
Emma's mother and Julia's sister

19. Raises: HOISTS - A double HOIST

20. London institution with a Los Angeles namesake, familiarly: THE TIMES - For a price you can get this London TIMES edition proclaiming a 54-year-old event. Addendum: The British Open simply calls itself The Open Championship and The London Times simply calls itself THE TIMES

22. Drop (out): OPT.

23. Industry titan: CZAR.

24. Chichi: POSH - A POSH stateroom on the Titanic that could have hosted John Jacob Astor and his wife. Astor made a huge fortune in 29. Hides: SKINS but it didn't save him from drowning on that April night in 1912.

25. High wind: PICCOLO - A stirring patriotic John Phillips Sousa song with a famous PICCOLO descant that starts at 2:00.

31. Technical drawing: SCHEMATIC - Beautiful movie star Hedy Lamarr famously drew up a schematic on a cocktail napkin. Her device helped in the WWII effort and was the forerunner for a lot of modern technology. All you'd like to know

34. Boddingtons, e.g.: ALE.

35. Doesn't surprise, in a way: LIVES UP TO - LaBron James skipped his last two years of high school playing for the Irish of St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio. He has LIVED UP TO every expectation.

37. Allow: LET.

38. Place where stuff sells left and right: SHOE STORE 😀

42. Coastal habitat: MARSH.

44. Carry a torch for: CRUSH ON - to have a feeling of romantic love for someone. She is  CRUSHING ON him.

45. Like many of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's jabots: LACY - Jabot (zha bō or ja bō): a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman's blouse or dress, from the French for bird's crop. You're welcome.

46. "Now, about ... ": AS TO - RGB might have written, "This is unconstitutional, now AS TO what we are going to do about it..."

49. Yoga roll: MAT 😀

50. Onetime carrier based in Cairo: AIR SINAI - Air Egypt also fit and I found out AIR SINAI was a subsidiary of Air Egypt

52. "The Crown" role, familiarly: LADY DI - Actual images and images from TV series The Crown 

55. Short-tailed weasel: STOAT.

56. Taboo gathering?: GAME NIGHT - 😀 Can you make your partner say the top word on the card?

Saying the word or the other five words is Taboo

                            

58. Flip side?: TAILS - This choice starts every Super Bowl

59. "All good?": ARE WE COOL?

60. Diamond Jubilee number: SIXTY - QEII on her 60th year of rein. It's also used for 75th year.

61. Beach club?: SAND WEDGE 😀 - If someone lands in a sand trap, others (certainly not me) might say, "It's all good, you're on the beach!"

Down:

1. Chess pieces known as elephants in Russia: BISHOPS - Yes, Castles (yeah, I know it's rooks) fit too.

2. Focused: ON TOPIC 

3. Elaine who had a recurring role as Jack's mother on "30 Rock": STRITCH.

4. First word of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'": SHE'S.

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, is crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too

5. Potential Guinness entry, say: FEAT - Cycling backwards on a bike for 60km in 5hrs.

6. Perfect Portions brand: IAMS - I wonder what our Lily would think

7. Test with a max verbal reasoning score of 170: GRE - Sample

6. Since she believed him to be both candid and trustworthy, she refused to consider the possibility that his statement had been __________.

   A irrelevant 

   B facetious 

   C mistaken 

   D critical

   E insincere

8. Enterprise rival: HERTZ.

9. Smith of TV's "Empire": TASHA.

10. "That's a bad idea": DON'T.

11. O'Hare and Bush, for two: WWII PILOTS - O'Hare had the Chicago Airport named for him. George H.W. Bush was also a hero and our 41st president 

 

12. Sea __: ANEMONE - A clownfish with a symbiotic relationship with a Sea ANEMONE 

13. Nook: RECESS.

14. Straight from the garden: FRESH.

21. Unsure sounds: ERS.

23. __ du Rhône: COTES - Literally "the hillsides of Rhone" that is the home of great wines

26. Seasoning on a Chicago-style hot dog: CELERY SALT - I usually don't ask my lovely bride for her input but on a whim, I asked Joann if she knew a 10-letter seasoning for a Chicago-style hot dog starting with a "C". After ten seconds she gave me the correct answer! Yay, Joann!

27. Forgets, maybe: OMITS.

28. Heathrow facilities: LAV - LAV or LOO?

30. Japanese cutlet: KATSU - Another name for something I have never heard of.

32. "Roughly": ISH.

33. "The Flight Attendant" star: CUOCO - Of course we know Kayley broke through in The Big Bang Theory

36. What "p" may stand for: PER - I'm probably the only person thought of how p resembles the Greek letter rho ⍴

37. Brand with a Pamplemousse flavor: LACROIX - Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit. La Croix is French for the cross and was founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

39. "What?!": OH MY GOD.

40. One who crosses the line?: ROADHOG - Our new car gives a slight tug in the opposite direction if you drift over a line sand gives the warning you see here on the dash if you hit the dividing line.

41. Warrant: ENTITLE.

42. Cocktail flavored with orgeat syrup: MAI TAI - Full recipe

43. "Always and Forever, Lara Jean" novelist Jenny: HAN.

45. Holds up: LASTS.

47. Long-term investment accounts?: SAGAS - I wrote to Kyle about this clue/fill. I told him I thought it was about stories (accounts) told to people who a real interest (investment) in a common history (long-term). Kyle said that I did have it right he was glad I wrote. Both things made me very happy.

48. Pageant prize: TIARA - I'm not sure if this a TIARA or a crown but it is picture of a lovely girl I had in class fifty years ago. She is the same girl that I told you  about that now raises Alpacas in the highlands of Colorado and makes hats out of their hair.

51. Minute: ITSY.

52. Blue: LEWD - The girl with the TIARA/crown above said she would look for a picture with a TIARA but felt she do better with this clue! She's a hoot.

53. Again: ANEW.

54. Boggle pieces: DICE.

57. All U.S. vice presidents until 2021: MEN.