Wednesday, October 13, 2010

QOD: Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. ~ George Washington Carver (Jan. 1, 1864 ~ Jan. 5, 1943), African-American agricultural scientist and inventor

Today’s Theme: Today’s Troubled Economy. The first word of each theme response describes an individual’s financial status, from wealth to poverty.

17. Challenges for an Interviewee = LOADED QUESTIONS.

25. Not Even Close = WELL OFF THE MARK. I initially tried Wide off the Mark, but that doesn’t fit today’s theme.

40. Journalism Bigwig = MANAGING EDITOR.

51. Defied Tradition = BROKE WITH CUSTOM.

Across:
1. Mr. or Mrs. = ABBR. Wow! A tricky first clue! I had the down clues filling in “ABB_” before the lightbulb went on and I realized we were going for an abbreviation.

5. Furtive Message = MEET ME. Does a request to “meet me” really have a hidden agenda?

11. New Deal Prog. = TVA. Stands for the Tennessee Valley Authority. My initial response was the WPA (Works Process Administration), which was also a New Deal program.

14. ‘Toon Predator ____ E Coyote = WILE. From the Road Runner cartoons.

15. First Pro Team to Play on Artificial Turf = ASTROS. Is that where the word Astroturf came from?

20. Serious Religious Dissents = HERESIES.

21. Elite Eight Org. = NCAA. Stands for National Collegiate Athletic Association.

22. Trinidad’s Partner = TOBAGO.

24. Digital Greeting = E-CARD.

30. ____ the Finish = IN AT. As in the phrase I have never used: In at the finish.

31. Seventh of Eight, Now = URANUS. I got this one immediately. Once there were nine planets, but now that Pluto has been demoted, there are only eight. Uranus is the eighth planet from the sun. // And 37-Across: Neptune, for One = SEAGOD. Neptune is both a planet and a Roman god.

32. Japanese Drama = NOH. We had this clue within the past week.

33. Bar Shot = SNORT. Huh?

34. “May I Help You?” = YES. Rather obscure clue/response combination.

39. It May be Raw = DATA. Oysters may also be raw, but that word is too many letters.

44. Goof = BONER. This is becoming a crossword staple.

45. Kind of Will or Trust = LIVING.

46. Greek Vowel = IOTA.

47. “If You Ask Me …” = “AS I SEE IT.” Another so-so clue.

55. Spy Novelist Deighton = LEN. I used to read a lot of his books when I was in high school.

56. It’s Attractive = MAGNET. Great clue! It had me fooled for the longest time.

57. Earthenware Pot = OLLA. Learned this word from doing crossword puzzles.

58. Big Name in Ice Cream = EDY. Edy’s Ice Cream is slow-churned, whatever that means.

59. Church Councils = SYNODS.

60. Fix Up = REDO. Well, Mend is actually a more accurate response to the clue, but doesn’t work with the perps.

Down:
1. Hole-Making Tool = AWL. I learned about the awl from doing crossword puzzles.

2. Many a Britannica Article = BIO. Stands for biography. The Britannica has short biographies on famous people.

3. Mindless Chatter = BLAH BLAH.

4. Reacted to Giving Out Too Many Cards = REDEALT.

5. Constituted From = MADE OF.

6. ABA Honorifics = ESQS. Stands for Esquire. I don’t use this honorific; it seems so pretentious.

7. Case in a Purse, Perhaps = ETUI. Another crossword word. Even with a picture, I still won't remember this word.

8. Elder or Alder = TREE.

9. Trunk Growth = MOSS. Great misleading clue. I initially tried Ring.

10. D.C. Setting = EST. Stands for Eastern Standard Time, as in the time zone.

12. Joan of “Knots Landing” = VAN ARK. Knots Landing was a Dallas spinoff.

13. Longtime Syrian Ruling Family Name = ASSAD.

18. Consequently = ERGO.

19. Pizarro Victims = INCAS.

22. Womb-Mate = TWIN. My favorite clue of the day.

23. Vintner’s Prefix = OENO. Another crossword staple.

24. Outback Critter = EMU. Somehow, I think of critters as being small, cute creatures, not big, feathery birds.

26. Yeasts, e.g. = FUNGI.

27. Eight-Time British Open Host Town = TROON. No idea.

28. Greek Leader? = HARD G. Oh, I was thinking along the terms of Hellenistic.

29. M.D.’s Specialty = ENT. Stands for Ear, Nose, and Throat.

33. Shows Signs of Age, as a Roof = SAG.

34. 1950s Niners Hall of Fame Quarterback = Y.A. Tittle. No idea. I don’t quarterbacks who play today, much less who played before I was born.

35. Harrow Rival = ETON. I misread this as Harlow rival, so was thinking of a rival of the actress Jean Harlow, instead of the prestigious schools in England.

36. Puppeteer Tony = SARG. No idea.

37. Weasel = SNEAK. Another great misleading clue. I was thinking of the critter.

38. Listening Device = EAR.

40. Tied in the Harbor = MOORED.

41. 1963 Burton Role = ANTONY. He played Antony in the movie Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor.

42. Picks = ELECTS. I initially wrote Select.

43. “Mon ____!”: Poirot Exclamation = DIEU. A reference to Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Periot. I used to read Agatha Christie mysteries also.

44. Book Read by Millions = BIBLE. Do people actually read the Bible, or do they just say they do?

47. Traveling = AWAY.

48. Communicating Digitally? = SIGN. Oh, I ignored the question mark and was thinking of electronic communications.

50. Get Rid Of = SHED.

52. Magnesium Has Two = EMS. As in the letter “M.” I didn’t get tricked by this clue this time.

53. Passé = OLD.

54. Cultural Revolution Leader = MAO.