QOD: Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of the success. ~ Arianna Huffington (née Ariadnē-Anna Stasinopoúlo; b. July 15, 1950), Greek-born author and syndicated columnist
The Teddy Bear's Picnic. Today's puzzle provides lots of elements needed for a successful summertime picnic.
27-Across. Folks who hopefully prevail in a tense situation: COOLER HEADS.
47. Outfield grab perfected by Willie Mays: BASKET CATCH.
And the unifier:
61-Across. Outside eating spots, and where to find the starts of 17-, 27-, and 47-Across: PICNIC AREAS.
Across:
1. Network with pledge drives: PBS. As in the Public Broadcasting Service. The logo is a silhouetted human face that is supposed to represent "everyone".
4. __ insult to injury: ADD.
7. Fragrance: AROMA.
12. Perky agent in Progressive ads: FLO.
13. Skylit courtyards: ATRIA.
Oops, wrong atria.
15. Defame in print: LIBEL.
16. At a distance: FAR.
19. Angle symbol in geometry: THETA. It's Greek to me.
21. Cross a welcome mat: GO IN.
22. Organs shielded by goggles: EYES.
23. Seated yoga pose: LOTUS.
25. Spanish aunts: TIAs. Today's Spanish lesson.
30. Keeps in the email loop: CCs. A shout out to our Blog Mistress.
33. Deceptive ploy: RUSE.
34. Arcing toss: LOB.
35. Yawn-inducing: HO HUM.
37. Like fine wine: AGED.
38. Dive like an eagle: SWOOP.
41. Singer McEntire: REBA. Reba Nell McEntier (b. Mar. 28, 1955) is sometimes referred to as the Queen of Country Music.
42. Pulsate: THROB.
44. Egg cells: OVA.
45. Stand for a speaker: DAIS.
46. UFO navigators: ETs. As in ExtraTerrestrials.
51. Rights advocacy org.: ACLU. As in the American Civil Liberties Union. The organization was founded over 100 years ago ~ on January 19, 1920.
52. Artifact: RELIC.
53. Move like a dreidel: SPIN.
56. Obstacles to teamwork: EGOS.
58. Battery terminal: ANODE.
64. Apply gently: DAB.
65. For all to hear: ALOUD.
66. Some Instagram videos: REELS.
67. Timeline division: ERA.
68. The Wizard of __ Park: Edison nickname: MENLO. Thomas Alva Edison (b. Feb. 11, 1847 ~ October. 18, 1931) established a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
69. Unicorn's horn count: ONE.
70. Pen for pigs: STY.
Down:
1. Sound of a fizzling firecracker: PFFT.
2. Far from thrilling: BLAH.
3. People who can't handle defeat: SORE LOSERS.
4. Delta HQ: ATL. Delta Airlines Headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia.
5. Event with diva impersonators: DRAG SHOW.
6. Flintstone pet: DINO.
7. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT.
8. Rituals such as wudu and baptism: RITES. Wudu is an Islamic ritual purification practice involving the washing of specific body parts before prayer and other acts of worship.
9. Do as one is told: OBEY.
10. No more than: MERE.
11. Charitable relief: ALMS.
13. Taper off: ABATE.
14. Muscular Japanese dog: AKITA.
18. City west of Tulsa: ENID. Enid is a crossword staple. The name of the town might have been inspired by Alfred Tennyson's Idles of the King.
20. Lake Erie port: TOLEDO. Hi, JazzBumpa! Is there a relationship between the town in Ohio and the one in Spain? You decide.
24. Bookmarked links: URLs. As in the Uniform Resource Locator.
26. Fireplace residue: ASH.
27. Shipping container: CRATE.
28. "You __ to know better": OUGHT.
29. Kindle purchase: E-BOOK.
30. Hacks that help video gamers win: CHEAT CODES.
31. Three-dimensional: CUBIC.
32. Break to pieces: SMASH.
36. Invest with priestly authority: ORDAIN.
39. Supervised: OVERSEEN.
40. Hors d'oeuvres spread: PÂTÉ. Yummers!
43. U.K. TV network: BBC. As in the British Broadcasting Corporation.
48. Actor Guinness: ALEC. For a certain generation, Sir Alex Guinness (né Alec Guinness de Cuffe; Apr. 2, 1914 ~ Aug. 5, 2000) is best known for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yesterday we learned that in 1952, he won an Oscar for his portrayal of Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai. I am not quite of that generation to have remembered that.
49. Sweetie: SUGAR.
50. Group of students: CLASS.
51. Declare invalid: ANNUL.
53. Email incessantly: SPAM. We had the canned meat yesterday.
54. Heap on laundry day: PILE.
55. Clickable picture: ICON.
57. Cookie that created the Dunk Club: OREO. A crossword staple.
QOD: I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.~Anna Quindlen (née Anna Marie Quindlen; b. July 8, 1952), American journalist
It's All Fun and Games Until ... The last word of each theme answer is the name of a card game, unlike Chess, which is a board game.
17-Across. * Wrestling contest where opponents hold hands: THUMB WAR.
25-Across. * Homemade liquor during Prohibition: BATHTUB GIN.
23. Poetry Out Loud org.: NEA. As in the National Endowment for the Arts.
24. Top poker cards: ACES.
27. Fatherly nickname: PAPA.
29. __-friendly: USER.
30. Quilters' gathering: BEE.
32. Positive quality: ASSET.
35. "It's a cinch!": EASY.
43. [OMG!]: GASP.
44. Sticky pine product: RESIN.
45. Long, slithery fish: EEL.
46. "Humpty Dumpty" rhyme scheme: AABB.
49. Thompson who won four NBA championships with the Warriors: KLAY. Klay Alexander Thompson (b. Feb. 8, 1990) currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks. He previously played for the Golden State Warriors for 13 seasons.
56. Money to repay: LOAN.
59. Reproductive cells: OVA.
60. __-Coeur Basilica: Paris tourist spot: SACRÉ. Today's French lesson. Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a minor basilica in Paris and is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
61. Pianist's practice piece: ÉTUDE. More of today's French lesson.
62. Cocktail garnishes: OLIVES.
66. Experts: MAVENS.
67. Rum quaff: GROG. There are several "origin" stories of how Grog came to be. Here is one version.
68. Not mainstream, informally: ALT. As in Alternative.
69. White of "The Golden Girls": BETTY. Betty Marion White (Jan. 17, 1922 ~ Dec. 31, 2021) was a wonderful comedian and actress. She also starred in the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
1. Gentle yoga style: HATHA. Everything you wanted to know about Hatha yoga but didn't know to ask.
2. Like some committees: AD HOC. Today's Latin lesson.
3. Indoor cats, e.g.: HOUSE PETS. // And 63-Down. 3-Down doc: VET.
4. Flows out, as the tide: EBBS.
5. Close to the ground: LOW.
6. Camel kin in Peru: LLAMA.
7. Classic Fender, familiarly: STRAT. Everything you wanted to know about Fender guitars.
8. Fortunetelling decks: TAROTS.
9. Utah or Maine, in Washington, D.C.: AVENUE.
10. Make a path in a field, say: MOW.
11. Former Knicks center Patrick: EWING. Although Patrick Ewing (né Patrick Aloysius Ewing; b. Aug. 5, 1962) was born in Jamaica, he lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts during his childhood before being recruited by Georgetown, where he played college basketball.
12. "Is it worth the risk?": DARE I?
16. Like turkey chili: LEAN.
18. Flat-topped landform: MESA.
22. Skydivers' needs: CHUTES.
25. Wild party: BASH.
26. La __ Tar Pits: BREA.
28. Ms. __-Man: arcade classic: PAC.
30. Tote or duffel: BAG.
31. Pitching stat: ERA. As in Earned Run Average.
33. Food preservative acid: SORBIC.
34. Scrape (by): EKE.
36. "Did I do something wrong?": ARE YOU MAD?
37. Fr. holy woman: STE. A continuation of today's French lesson.
38. Fr. fashion brand: YSL. More of today's French theme. The company is a luxury fashion house founded 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent (né Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent; Aug. 1, 1936 ~ June 1, 2008) and Pierre Bergé (né Pierre Vital Georges Bergé; Nov. 14, 1930 ~ Sept. 8, 2017)
40. Apple Pencil device: iPAD.
41. Mountain trail activity: HIKE.
42. Made a JPEG bigger, briefly: ENL. As in Enlarge.
47. Not at school: ABSENT.
48. Loud and shrill, as a trumpet: BRASSY.
50. Ski town in Utah's Wasatch Mountains: ALTA.
51. Weaver's device: LOOM.
52. Space for tech-savvy HS kids: AV LAB.
53. Clueless: NAÏVE.
54. Wine residue: DREGS.
55. Artistic category: GENRE.
57. "Skyfall" vocalist: ADELE. Adele (née Adele Laurie Blue Adkins; b. May 5, 1988) English singer-songwriter known for her soulful ballads and mezzo-soprano vocals.