Monday, December 31, 2018 / New Year's Eve

QOD:  For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.  ~  Simon Wiesenthal (Dec. 31, 1908 ~ Sept. 20, 2005), Austrian-born Holocaust survivor

Sunday, December 30, 2018

QOD:  If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.  ~  Rudyard Kipling (né Joseph Rudyard Kipling; Dec. 30, 1865 ~ Jan. 18, 1936), English journalist and novelist

Friday, December 28, 2018

QOD:  The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.  ~  Sam Levenson (né Samuel Levenson; Dec. 28, 1911 ~ Aug. 27, 1980), American humorist and journalist

Thursday, December 27, 2018

QOD:  What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left. ~ Oscar Levant  (Dec. 27, 1906 ~ Aug. 14, 1972), American composer and pianist

Wednesday, December 26, 2018 / Boxing Day

QOD:  If the human body recognized agony and frustration, people would never run marathons, have babies, or play baseball.  ~  Carlton Fisk (né Carlton Ernst Fisk; b. Dec. 26, 1947), American professional baseball player

Tuesday, December 25, 2018 / Christmas Day

QOD:  If I feel unhappy, I do mathematics to become happy.  If I am happy, I do mathematics to keep happy.  ~  Alfréd Rényi  (Mar. 20, 1921 ~ Feb. 1, 1970), Hungarian mathematician

Monday, December 24, 2018 / Christmas Eve

QOD:  Wishes cost nothing unless you want them to come true.  ~  Frank Tyger (Dec. 24, 1929 ~ May 2, 2011), American cartoonist

Sunday, December 23, 2018

QOD:  Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come ~ even if it came in a living room or to someone with a humble living.  ~  Stefan Hell (b. Dec. 23, 1962), German physicist and recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Friday, December 21, 2018

QOD:  There are more love songs than anything else.  If songs could make you do something, we’d all love one another.  ~  Frank Zappa (né Frank Vincent Zappa; Dec. 21, 1940 ~ Dec. 4, 1993), American musician

Thursday, December 20, 2018

QOD:  Intelligence requires that you don’t defend an assumption.  ~  David Bohm (né David Joseph Bohm; Dec. 20, 1917 ~ Oct. 27, 1992), American physicist

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

QOD:  My head was always bubbling over with facts and it seems to me this had little to do with my paying close attention in school and more to do with my voracious and omnivorous reading habits.  ~  Eric Allin Cornell (b. Dec. 19, 1961), recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

QOD:  A line is a dot that went for a walk.  ~  Paul Klee (Dec. 18, 1879 ~ June 29, 1940), Swiss artist

Monday, December 17, 2018

QOD:  Last, but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.  ~  William Safire (né William Lewis Safire; Dec. 17, 1929 ~ Sept. 27, 2009)

Sunday, December 16, 2018

QOD:  Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken. ~ Jane Austen (Dec. 16, 1775 ~ July 18, 1817), English novelist

Friday, December 14, 2018

QOD:  The right way is not always the popular and easy way.  Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.  ~  Margaret Chase Smith (née Margaret Madeline Chase; Dec. 14, 1897 ~ May 29, 1995), American politician and United States Senator from Maine

Thursday, December 13, 2018

QOD:  The secret to keeping moving is keeping moving.  ~  Dick Van Dyke (né Richard Wayne Van Dyke; b. Dec. 13, 1925), American actor

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

QOD:  To learn something new every day is still exciting.  ~  Ed Koch (né Edward Irving Koch; Dec. 12, 1924 ~ Feb. 1, 2013), American politician and Mayor of New York City

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

QOD:  I have a lot of confidence through my accomplishments.  I’m always trying to prove I’m not the worthless child they say I was.  ~  Paul Greengard (b. Dec. 11, 1925), American neuroscientist and recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Medicine [Paul Greengard died on April 13, 2019 at age 93.]

Monday, December 10, 2018

QOD:  Maybe where there’s clarity of air, there’s clarity of thought.  ~  Chet Huntley (né Chester Robert Huntley; Dec. 10, 1910 ~ Mar. 20, 1974)

Sunday, December 9, 2018

QOD:  I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, “What are you?”  ~  Grace Hopper (née Grace Brewster Murray; Dec. 9. 1906 ~ Jan. 1, 1992), American computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral

Friday, December 7, 2018

QOD:  Give the people a new word and they think they have a new fact.  ~  Willa Cather (né Willa Sibert Cather; Dec. 7, 1873 ~ Apr. 24, 1947), American author

Thursday, December 6, 2018

QOD:  When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.  ~  Steven Wright (b. Dec. 6, 1955), American comic

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

QOD:  Why go through life feeling cheated?  It does nothing but make you bitter.  ~  Margaret Cho (née Margaret Moran Cho; b. Dec. 5, 1968), American comedian

There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight!

One word in each of the theme answers is Hot! Hot! Hot!

17. Get increasingly steamed: DO A SLOW BURN.

26. Provocative social media tactic: FLAME TROLLING.  I am not familiar with this expression, but it makes sense.  Fortunately, we don't get much this on this blog.

44. Battlefield order: FIRE WHEN READY!

59. Striking white stripe between a horse's eyes: FACIAL BLAZE.

Across:

1. Insurance submission: CLAIM.  I had to file a claim when my 150+ year-old live oak tree decided it didn't want to be a live oak tree anymore.  The tree fell on my carport, which, fortunately, was strong enough so that my cars weren't crushed.

6. Spars on the briny: MASTS.

11. Spanish I verb: AMO.  Today's Spanish grammar lesson.

14. Vital body vessel: AORTA.

15. Choristers who are usually women: ALTOS.

16. Young bloke: LAD.

19. "Diary of a Wimpy __": Jeff Kinney book series: KID.  The book was first published in 2007, so it was too late for my childhood reading.

20. Home of the NHL's Blues: ST. L.  St. Louis is the home of the Blues hockey team.

21. Scrape off: ABRADE.

22. Radio hobbyists: HAMS.

23. Rickie Fowler's org.: PGA.  Apparently Rick Fowler (b. Dec. 13, 1988) is a golfer.

24. One way to travel: RAIL.  Because Train wouldn't fit in the spaces provided.

32. Old Italian bread?: LIRE.  Currency of Italy before the Euro.

34. Jai __: ALAI.  A crossword staple.

35. Forearm-related: ULNAR.

36. Wee hr.: ONE A.M.  Also the name of a 1916 Charlie Chaplin film.

38. Approves: OKs.

39. Disciple's query: IS IT I?  One of the disciple's asked Jesus this question.

40. "Am not!" retort: ARE SO!  Am too! also fits, but the word "am" is already used in the clue.

41. Spa treatment: PEEL.  I wanted a Pedi(cure).

43. Bullet __: list highlight: ITEM.

47. __ Mode, designer voiced by Brad Bird in "Incredibles 2": EDNA.  I never saw this movie.  I had seem the image, however.

48. Strive: VIE.

49. Skinny: INFO.  I initially tried Thin.

51. Sleeping bag closer: ZIPPER.  Camping is not my thing.  We did a lot of camping in my childhood, however.

55. Getting stuff done, initially: TCB.  As in the phrase: Taking Care of Business.

58. "Who, me?": MOI?  Today's French lesson.

61. From A to Z: ALL.

62. Venue with skyboxes: ARENA.

63. Expected: USUAL.

64. Animation frame: CEL.

65. Venomous snake: ADDER.  Also known as a viper.

66. Hindu spiritual writing: SUTRA.

Down:

1. Despicable dudes: CADS.

2. Ransack: LOOT.

3. Depleted sea: ARAL.  The ARAL sea is becoming a crossword staple.  It is considered an endorheic lake, meaning that it has no outlet to the oceans.  It also used to be the 4th largest lake in the world.

4. "__ Quiet Uptown": "Hamilton" song: IT'S.  I have tickets to see Hamilton in March 2019.

5. Spanish dessert wine: MALAGA.

6. Bryn __ College: MAWR. This college is still an all-female institution of higher education.

7. Goya's "Duchess of __": ALBA.

The last Duchess of Alba was quite a character.  She held over 40 hereditary titles and was very wealthy.  She was widowed twice.  Her third husband t'was 24 years her junior.  She died in 2014 at age 88.

Goya's Duchess of Alba was probably a character, too.

Oh, you wanted these more famous Goya portraits:

8. It may be ear-piercing: STUD.  Think of an earring.

9. Bullfight figure: TORERO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  A Torero is the bullfighter.

10. ID gradually being omitted from Medicare cards: SSN.  As in the Social Security Number.

11. Water's capability to neutralize acid: ALKALINITY.

12. Injure badly: MAIM.

13. Track ratios: ODDS.

18. President who appointed two women to the Supreme Court: OBAMA.  President Obama (b. 1961) nominated Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954) to replace Associate Justice David Souter (b. 1939); and and Elena Kagan (b. 1960) to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens (b. 1920).

22. Sledding spot: HILLSIDE.

23. "Yes, fine by me": PLEASE DO!

25. Pierre's "his": A LUI.  More of today's French lesson

26. Second cup at a diner, e.g.: FREE REFILL.

27. Unite on the sly: ELOPE.  Fresh new clue for tying the knot without all the fanfare.

28. Spoken for: TAKEN.

29. Stairway element: RISER.

30. Statistician Silver: NATE.  Nathaniel Read Silver (b. 1978) is the founder of the FiveThirtyEight blog, which gives statistics on a number of subjects including politics and sports.

31. Dire: GRIM.

32. Bakery unit: LOAF.

33. Cross inscription: INRI.  Today's Latin lesson.  This is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, which is translated as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

37. Like harvested hay: MOWN.  I wanted something that would evoke the smell of freshly harvested hay.

42. Video game stage: LEVEL.

45. Black ice, e.g.: HAZARD.  It can, indeed, be very dangerous.

46. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.  Apparently the two companies have a rivalry going on.

49. All-in-one Apple: iMAC.

50. Florida State player, familiarly: 'NOLE.  As in the Florida State Seminoles.

52. Secured, as a win: ICED.  Sorry, Tin!

53. Source of cones: PINE.

54. Early late-night TV host: PAAR.  As in Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 ~ Jan. 27, 2004).

55. Lacking slack: TAUT.

56. Business magnate: CZAR.

57. Olympics coach Karolyi: BÉLA.  Béla Károlyi (b. 1942) is best known for being the coach to gymnast Nadia Comăneci (b. 1961) and Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968).

59. Tower authority: Abbr.: FAA.  As in the Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction over the airport towers.

60. The SEC's Tigers: LSU.  As in Louisiana State University.  Whenever LSU plays Auburn, another SEC team, the Tigers are guaranteed to win.*  LSU is the only collage university in the US to have a live tiger living on campus.  You can observe Mike the Tiger on the University's TigerCam.

I hope none of you got "burned" on this puzzle!

* Both LSU and Auburn have Tigers as their mascot.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

QOD:  Teach a parrot the terms “supply and demand” and you’ve got an economist.  ~  Thomas Carlyle (Dec. 4, 1795 ~ Feb. 5, 1881)

Monday, December 3, 2018

QOD:  It is respectable to have no illusions ~ and safe, and profitable, and dull.  ~  Joseph Conrad (né Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski; Dec. 3, 1857 ~ Aug. 3, 1924), Polish-born British writer

Sunday, December 2, 2018

QOD:  A candle is a small thing.  But one candle can light another.  And see how much its own light increases, as a candle gives its flame to the other.  You are such a light.  ~  Moshe Davis (Jan. 12, 1916 ~ Apr. 10, 1996), American rabbi  [Chanukah began at sunset on December 2, 2018.]

Friday, November 30, 2018

QOD:  Isn’t it nice to know that tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it yet?  ~  Lucy Maud Montgomery (Nov. 30, 1874 ~ Apr. 24, 1942), Canadian author

Thursday, November 29, 2018

QOD:  Learning makes the wise wiser and the foolish more foolish.  ~  John Ray (Nov. 29, 1627 ~ Jan. 17, 1705), English naturalist

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

QOD:  If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values: they’re hobbies.  ~  Jon Stewart (né Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; b. Nov. 28, 1962), American comedian

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

QOD:  In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.  ~  Jimi Hendrix (né Johnny Allen Hendrix; Nov. 27, 1942 ~ Sept. 18, 1970), American musician

Monday, November 26, 2018

QOD:  I promise there’ll be a tomorrow.  It’s already tomorrow in Australia.  ~  Charles Schultz (Nov. 26, 1922 ~ Feb. 12, 2000), American cartoonist

Sunday, November 25, 2018

QOD:  It’s amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions.  ~ Ben Stein (né Benjamin Jeremy Stein; b. Nov. 25, 1944), American comedian and politician commentator

Friday, November 23, 2018

QOD:  A people must have dignity and identity.  ~ Andrew Goodman (Nov. 23, 1943 ~ June 21, 1964), American social worker and civil rights activist

Thursday, November 22, 2018 / Thanksgiving

QOD:  The color of truth is gray.  ~  André Gide (né André Paul Guillaume Gide; Nov. 22, 1869 ~ Feb. 19, 1951), French recipient of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

QOD:  Shun idleness.  It’s a rust that attaches itself to the most brilliant metals.  ~  Voltaire (né François-Marie Arouet, b. Nov. 21, 1694 ~ d. May 30, 1778), French writer

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

QOD:  When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them.  ~  Pauli Murray (née Anna Pauline Murray; Nov. 20, 1910 ~ July 1, 1985), African-American social activist and Episcopal priest

Monday, November 19, 2018

QOD:  There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.  ~  Peter Drucker (né Peter Ferdinand Drucker; Nov. 19, 1909 ~ Nov. 11, 2005), Austrian-born management consultant

Sunday, November 18, 2018

QOD:  Being a test pilot isn’t always the healthiest business in the world.  ~  Alan Shepard (né Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr.; Nov. 18, 1923 ~ July 21, 1998), American astronaut

Friday, November 16, 2018

QOD:  It is an unwavering rule for those in power that, when it comes to heads, it is best to cut them off before they start thinking, afterwards, it may be too late.  ~  José Saramago (Nov. 15, 1922 ~ June 18, 2010), Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature

Thursday, November 15, 2018

QOD:  The passion for setting people right is in itself an afflicted disease.  ~  Marianne Moore (Nov. 15, 1887 ~ Feb. 5, 1972), American poet

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

QOD:  One thing talk can’t accomplish is communication.  This is because everybody’s talking too much to pay attention to what anyone is saying.  ~  P.J. O’Rourke (né Patrick Jake O’Rourke; b. Nov. 14, 1947), American political satirist

Piece of Cake!

You can find 10 different types of cake in the circles found in this puzzle.  (Yes, this is a dreaded circle puzzle.)  The cakes are placed in pairs with one of the cakes "layered" upon the other cake in the pair.  I don't see a connection between the pairs, other than the fact that they all contain the same number of letters.  Despite the circles, the cakes makes for a sweet theme.

6-Across. Tinker Bell's friend: PAN.  //  Layered upon 15-Across.  Garden tool: HOE.

Tinker Bell's pal is Peter Pan.  Do you think they eats PANCAKES?

Despite living in the South, I had never heard of a HOE Cake.  Apparently, it is made with cornmeal and may also be called a Johnny Cake.  Here's a Recipe.

14-Across. Low on funds: SHORT.  //  Layered upon 17-Across:  Manx currency:  POUND.

Here's a recipe for Strawberry SHORTcake.

The Pound is the currency used on the Isle of Man.  Here's a Recipe for POUND Cake.

33-Across. Amaretto flavor: ALMOND.  //  Layered upon 36-Across.  Reef creature:  SPONGE.

ALMOND Cake is not a common type of cake, but it looks good.  Here's a Recipe.

Nothing is better than a good SPONGE Cake.  Here's a Recipe.

41-Across. Word that always brings a smile?: CHEESE.  //  Layered upon V8 veggie:  CARROT.

A CHEESEcake is a very different type of cake.  Here's a Recipe

Our wedding cake was a CARROT Cake.  The food editor of our local newspaper was a friend and she made it for us.  Here's a Recipe

66-Across. Coke go-with: RUM.  //  Layered upon 69-Across.  English cuppa: TEA.

RUM Cake remind me of the Christmas Holidays.  Here's a Recipe.

Just go buy a box of TEA Cake!  I'm tired of cooking!  I thought Tea Cakes would be more exciting.  Steve, can you enlighten us on the appeal of these Tea Cakes?

And the "icing" that unifies the theme:

64-Across. With 67-Across, what five pairs of answers in the circles represent: LAYER.

67-Across. See 64-Across: CAKES.

Together these to two clues give us LAYER CAKES.

Let's see what tasty treats are in store for us.

Across:

1. Hee-hawers: ASSES.

9. Part of WTO: TRADE.  As in the World Trade Organization.  The word World also fits into the spaces provided.

16. Four-bagger: HOMER.  Think of baseball.  The bases are loaded and the batter hits a Home run.  Bases don't have to be loaded, but it's fun when they are.

18. Seriously funny shows?: DRAMEDIES.  Portmanteau of Drama and Comedy.

20. Organ near the stomach: SPLEEN.  I'm pretty sure you can live without one; I lost mine when I was three.

22. Doldrums: BLAHS.

23. "Boyz n the Hood" actress Long: NIA.  Boyz n the Hood was a 1991 movie.  I never saw the movie, but apparently NIA Long (b. Oct. 30, 1970) was in the cast.

25. __ shadow: EYE.

26. Hive builder: BEE.

29. Entrance: BEWITCH.  Not the door type of entrance.

35. Trivial matter: NON-ISSUE.

37. Foes of the evil Saruman: ENTs.  Think of The Lord of the Rings.  Actually, I try not to think of those creatures.

38. Logical beginning?: ECO-.  As in ECOlogical.

40. Appear: SEEM.

44. Winding Alaskan river with a Hawaiian name: HULA HULA.  A learning moment.  I had never heard of this river.  It is way north!

48. Upper arm muscle: TRICEPS.

49. Yoga chants: OMs.  I take a yoga class twice a week.  We always chant OM at the beginning and ending of the class.

50. Wrigley Field abbr.: CHI.  As in the Chicago Cubs.

52. Roll in the grass: SOD.  Cute clue.

53. Political spin, say: SLANT.

55. Cocoa company: NESTLÉ.  Because Hershey wouldn't fit.

60. Anno Domini alternative: COMMON ERA.  Anno Domini is a Latin term meaning "In the Year of Our Lord."  It presupposes a belief in Christianity, as this calendar begins with the birth of Christ.  Other faith traditions use different calendars.  We are currently in the year 5779 in the Hebrew Calendar, for example.  For consistency with dates, however, the Christian calendar is used throughout most of the world.  Non-Christian, however, prefer the term Common Era.

65. Hippie's wheels: VW BUS.  I initially tried a VW Bug.

68. Roofing stone: SLATE.

70. More than a little heavy: OBESE.

Down:

1. Pharaoh's sacred snakes: ASPS.  These snakes make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

2. Look for bargains: SHOP.

3. Heart's companion: SOUL.  As in the phrase Heart and Soul.

4. Sea eagle: ERNE.

5. Martyred bishop of Paris: ST. DENIS.  St. Denis was a 3rd century Bishop of Paris, France.  He was beheaded, and, according to legend, picked up his head and carried it to the location where he wanted to be buried.

6. Advanced deg.: Ph. D.  As in the Doctor of Philosophy degree.  I think I had this answer the last time I did the blog.

7. "You have two choices": A OR B.

8. Writer Zora ___ Hurston: NEALE.  Zora NEALE Hurston (Jan. 7, 1891 ~ Jan. 28, 1960) was an African-American author.  She is best known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.  I have never read this novel.

9. Oscar-nominated film starring Viola Davis: THE HELP.  Viola Davis (b. Aug. 11, 1965) also stars in the television show, How to Get Away with Murder.

10. Towel holders: RODS.  Because Racks was one letter to many for the spaces provided.

11. Mate, across the Channel: AMI.  Today's French lesson.  The Channel in question is the  English Channel that separates England from France.

12. Ruby of "A Raisin in the Sun": DEE.  Ruby Dee (Oct. 27, 1933 ~ June 11, 2014) was married to actor Ossie Davis.

13. Critical-care ctrs.: ERs.  As in Emergency Rooms.  My first thought was ICU, but the clue indicated the plural.

19. Mesoamerican pyramid builders: MAYAS.  I would probably say Mayan, but ...  Here is the famous pyramid at Chichen Itza.  In 2004, we took my parents to visit this pyramid.  We were able to climb to the top then.  It may be off limits now.

21. Petty peeves: NITS.

24. Take __ from: emulate: A CUE.

26. Study hard: BONE UP.

27. Marx collaborator: ENGELS.  As in Friedrich Engels (Nov. 28, 1820 ~ Aug. 5, 1895) who collaborated with Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 ~ Mar. 14, 1883).  No relation to the Marx Brothers.

28. Buildup of fluid: EDEMA.

29. Actress Helena __ Carter: BONHAM.  Helena BONHAM Carter (b. May 26, 1966) has stared in many films directed by Tim Burton (b. Aug. 25, 1958).

30. Passes the threshold: ENTERS.

31. More like the Magi: WISER.  As in the three WISEmen.

32. "Notorious" screenwriter Ben: HECHT.  I am not familiar with Ben HECHT (Feb. 28, 1894 ~ Apr. 18, 1964).

34. Israeli leader Dayan: MOSHE.  MOSHE Dayan (May 20, 1915 ~ Oct. 16, 1981) was my childhood hero.

35. Maker of sweet wafers: NECCO.  I still love NECCO Wafers.  They are called such because they are made by the New England Confectionery Company.  My favorites are the chocolate.

39. Collective possessive: OURS.

42. "Missed it by that much": SO CLOSE.

43. Musical wunderkind Bortnick: ETHAN.  Ethan Jordan Bortnick (b. Dec. 24, 2000) began playing the piano at age 3!

45. Columbia University athlete: LION.

46. Auto parts supplier: ACDELCO.  Thank you perps for giving me the name of this company ~ ACDelco.

51. Like some gases: INERT.  Also known as the Nobel Gases.  The ones that occur naturally are Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), and Radon (Rn).

53. X-rated stuff: SMUT.

54. Get straight?: TRUE.

56. Automaker founded in Sweden: SAAB.  The company went into bankruptcy in 2011.

57. Tot: TYKE.

58. Jeans choice: LEEs.  Levi would also fit into the spaces provided.

59. Scots Gaelic: ERSE.

60. Rite Aid rival: CVS.  CVS stands for Consumer Value Stores.

61. Midnight mouser: OWL.  Cute clue; cute owl.

62. Degree for a CFO: MBA.  A Chief Financial Officer would likely hold a Master of Business Administration degree.

63. Reddit Q&A session: AMA.  AMA stands for Ask Me Anything.

I hope you enjoyed this Dessert for Breakfast!