Today’s Theme: Changes in Attitude. The second word of each theme response is an action of change.
16. Some Den Boxes = CABLE CONVERTERS. People can convert from one religious belief to another. People are not, however, Cable Converters.
22. Hookups to Many Electronic Devices = POWER ADAPTORS. People can adapt to their environments. People are not, however, Power Adaptors.
35. Jacob Riis, et al. = SOCIAL REFORMERS. This clue actually refers to human action. Jacob Riis was a social reformer who tried to improve the conditions of the new immigrants to New York City in the 1800s. At first, I thought that perhaps Jacob Riis was a Dutch artist.
44. Currency Pros = MONEY CHANGERS. This clue also refers to human action.
55. Insurance Investigators = CLAIMS ADJUSTERS. There were a lot of Insurance Investigators and Claims Adjusters in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
Across:
1. “The Facts of Life” Actress Charlotte = RAE. I never watch this show, but Charlotte Rae often appears in crosswords.
4. Swiftly = APACE. Not the first word that popped into my head.
9. Just ____: Minimal amount = A DAB. I wanted A Tad, and hey, two of the letters worked!
13. Dual-Purpose Room Shape = ELL. Why a dual purpose room?
15. Academy Freshman = PLEBE. Comes from the Roman for Plebian, who were the commoners.
19. Mimi’s “Mine” = A MOI.
20. Clown for the Camera = MUG.
21. Pounce On = LEAP AT. Something my cats would do.
25. Solar Wind Particle = ION.
26. “Alley ___” = OOP. Alley Oop is a comic strip character.
27. Yale or Harvard = IVY.
30. Form 1040 IDs = SSNS. Stands for Social Security Numbers. They are required on the Federal 1040 Tax Forms.
32. Hammer-Wielding God = THOR. Norse god of myth.
34. Gave the Boot = AXED.
38. Fruity Pastry = TART.
39. Community Word = OURS.
40. “Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you” speaker = YODA. From the “Star Wars” series. (Link)
41. Go Downhill Fast? = SKI. Nailed it!
42. Course Taught Bilingually: Abbr. = ESL. Stands for English as a Second Language. This is a common crossword response.
43. Dorothy Gale’s State: Abbr. = KAN. Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” was from Kansas.
51. Card Carrier = MEMBER.
53. Sound from a Wowed Crowd = OOH. This clue feels like a filler clue.
54. Do In = SLAY. Kill could fit also, but slay immediately popped into my head.
58. Shrewd = CAGEY.
59. Helmsley dubbed “Queen of Mean” = LEONA.
60. Specks in la mer = ILES. A foreign reference to islands in the sea.
62. Op-ed Piece, e.g. = ESSAY.
63. Timeline Divs. = YRS. Timelines are often divided into Years.
Down:
1. Postgame Summary = RECAP.
2. Crockett’s Last Stand = ALAMO. Davy Crockett fought at the Alamo.
3. Be Rude in a Crowd = ELBOW. This was my favorite clue.
4. Enjoyed a Blue Plate Special = ATE.
6. For All to Hear = ALOUD.
7. Line Dance = CONGA.
8. Lt. Holder = ENV. Abbreviation for Envelope.
9. Rite Site = Altar. I liked this clue. Lots of religious rites, including marriages, occur at altars.
10. Threw Overboard = DEEP SIXED.
11. ____ Kadabra: Foe of the Flash = ABRA. I am not familiar with the comic strip character “The Flash” but the fill was an easy guess after reading the enemy’s surname.
12. Blue Ribbon-Worthy = BEST.
15. Before Surgery, Briefly = PRE-OP.
17. What to do After Making Your Metaphorical Bed = LIE IN IT.
18. Corrida Combatant = EL TORO.
23. Parks in ‘50s News = ROSA. When Rosa Parks died, she received a state funeral. She was a true heroine in the Civil Rights movement. She refused to give up her seat on a bus.
24. Vanishing Sounds = POOFS.
29. Gridiron Gains: Abbr. = YDS. Stands for Yards.
30. Overcharge, Slangily = SOAK.
31. Practice Grid Game = SCRIMMAGE.
32. With Sincerity = TRULY.
33. Part of H.R.H. – HER. Her Royal Highness. Queen Elizabeth of English would be referred to as HRH.
34. Surrounded By = AMONGST.
35. Oft-Numbered Rts. = STS. Stands for Streets. Who knew?
36. They Aren’t Champs = LOSERS. Like the kids in GLEE.
37. “You’ve Got Mail” Co-star = RYAN. The movie starred Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
42. Bad Guy = ENEMY. I don’t really think of an enemy being necessarily a bad guy.
43. Island VIP = KAHUNA. Hawaiian term ~ the Big Kahuna.
45. Big Apple Awards = OBIES. These are the Off-Broadway theater awards.
46. Cryptographers’ Creations = CODES.
47. Orange-roofed Eateries, for Short = HOJOS. Short for Howard Johnson’s. Howard Johnson’s was both a restaurant and a hotel chain. It was famous for its fried clams and its wide variety of ice cream flavors.
48. Poem of Lament = ELEGY.
49. Not as Easy to Come By = RARER.
50. Handicappers’ Methods: Abbr. = SYSTS. Stands for Systems. This refers to gambling, which is illegal in Louisiana, so we call it “gaming.”
51. 13th Century Date = MCCI. Or, 1201 in a more common usage.
52. Airline to Tel Aviv = EL AL. A common crossword fill.
56. Pub Pint = ALE.
57. “Come to think of it …” = SAY. I got this through the perps.
