Friday, August 16, 2019

QOD:  Mockery is often the result of a poverty of wit. ~  Jean de la Bruyère (Aug. 16, 1645 ~ May 11, 1696), French philosopher and writer

Thursday, August 15, 2019

QOD:  A party without cake is just a meeting.  ~ Julia Child (née Julie Carolyn McWilliams; Aug. 15, 1912 ~ Aug. 13, 2004)

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

QOD:  You should always leave the party 10 minutes before you actually do.  ~  Gary Larson (b. Aug. 14, 1950)

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

QOD:  Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at.  How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed … but dull?  ~  William Bernbach (Aug. 13, 1911 ~ Oct. 2, 1982), American advertising executive

What's Your Super Power?  The word Power can be placed before the each word in each starred theme clue to give a very special type of Power.

17-Across. *   Cafeteria queue: LUNCH LINE.  Power Lunch (a working lunch where important discussions take place) and Power Line.

39-Across. *    Non-glitzy local tavern: DIVE BAR.  Power Dive and Power Bar.  I was unfamiliar with the term Power Dive.  According to the dictionary, it is a "steep dive of an airplane with the engines providing the thrust".   It also the title of a 1941 movie.

11-Down. *     Corporate retreat with team-building activities: COMPANY TRIP.  Power Company and Power Trip.  

25-Down. *     Basil sitting on a sill, e.g.: WINDOW PLANT.  Power Window and Power Plant.

Anatomy of a car Power Window.

And the Unifier:

64-Across. Takeover endeavor ... and a hint to what can precede each word in the answers to starred clues: POWER PLAY.

Across:
1. Not fatty: LEAN.

5. Polynesian carving: TIKI.

9. Ebenezer's partner Marley: JACOB.  A reference to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Jacob Marley is the deceased business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge who makes a ghostly appearance to Scrooge on Christmas Eve.  He tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts before morning.

14. Luxury hotel name: OMNI.

The Omni Hotel in Houston

15. Word before rock or rain: ACID.  As in Acid Rock or Acid Rain.

16. Run off to wed: ELOPE.  A crossword staple.

19. Chickens (out): WIMPS.

20. Dr. Mark Sloan portrayer in "Grey's Anatomy": ERIC DANE.  I never watched Grey's Anatomy, so am not familiar with either Dr. Mark Sloan or ERIC DANE (b. Nov. 9, 1972).

22. Flower holder: POT.

23. Harsh treatment: RAW DEAL.

26. Rio Grande city: EL PASO.   The Texas city that has been in the news recently.

28. Buckeye State: OHIO.  It's the State that's Round on the End and Hi in the Middle.

29. Vane heading: EAST.

32. From scratch: ANEW.

33. Drums held between the knees: BONGOS.

36. How wet hair hangs: LIMPLY.

38. Australian hub, in itineraries: SYD.  As in Sydney, home of the iconic Sydney Opera House.

41. Quattro meno uno: TRE.  Foreign math.  4 - 1 = 3.

44. Part of a mug shot profile: ONE EAR.

John Dillinger, Public Enemy #1

46. "I'll handle it": NO PROB.

48. Like early-morning golf greens: DEWY.

(I know, different spelling.)

50. Self-important type: SNOB.

He's probably on a Power Trip.

52. "Lovely" musical meter maid: RITA.

53. Maven: EXPERT.

55. Unwrap with gusto: RIP OPEN.

58. Rank above maj.: COL.  A Colonel is a rank above a Major.

59. Device used to record aerie hatchlings: EAGLE CAM.

62. "Better late than never," e.g.: ADAGE.

68. Desert drifts: DUNES.

The name of the first book in the Sci-Fi series by Frank Herbert.

69. Taiwanese PC giant: ACER.  I learned of this company from working the crosswords.

70. Word game piece: TILE.

71. Lauder of makeup: ESTÉE.  Estée Lauder (nйe Josephine Esther Mentzer; July 1, 1906 ~ Apr. 24, 2004), makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

72. Lays down a lawn: SODS.

73. Worry obsessively: STEW.

Down:

1. Bit of cybermirth: LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud

2. Earthbound bird: EMU.  A male EMU can grow to a height of over 6 feet.  It is the largest bird native to Australia.  It can't fly, but can run at a rate of 30 MPH if being hunted.  If cornered, its sharp toe claws can eviscerate its hunter, so be warned

3. Gothic novelist Radcliffe: ANN.  Ann Radcliffe (né Ann Ward; July 9, 1764 ~ Feb. 7, 1823) was a pioneer in writing Gothic fiction.  She was also one of the most popular writers of her time.  Her appeal is probably lost to time.

4. Words to pacify a pooch: NICE DOG!

5. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA.  Talia Shire (née Talia Rose Coppola; b. Apr. 23, 1946) is the sister of Francis Ford Coppola.  Other than the Rocky and The Godfather films, I can't name another movie she was in.

6. Christmas eave decoration: ICICLE.  Cute clue.

7. Bighearted: KIND.

8. Think tank nugget: IDEA.

9. Tiara sparkler: JEWEL.

10. "Aladdin" prince: ALI.

12. Try to block: OPPOSE.

13. Give: BESTOW.  Fun word.

18. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr.: HRE.  As in the Holy Roman Empire.

21. Doubles partner who's not serving: NETMAN.  A tennis reference.

23. Steals from: ROBS.

24. Crow's-nest call: AHOY!

27. Sidekick: PAL.

30. Final Olds made: ALERO.  This model ceased production in 2004.

31. Bro or sis: SIB.  As in a Sibling.

34. Laudatory lines: ODE.

35. Sonora snooze: SIESTA.

37. Supporting: PRO.

40. Delivery vehicle: VAN.

42. Memorization method: ROTE.

43. Israeli diplomat Abba: EBAN.  Abba Eban (né Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; Feb. 2, 1915 ~ Nov. 17, 2002) made a guest appearance recently.

45. Emmy-winning scientist Bill: NYE.  As in William Sanford Nye (b. Nov. 27, 1955).  He bills himself as Bill Nye, the Science Guy.

47. Gives a cue: PROMPTS.

48. Ten-year period: DECADE.

49. Book after Genesis: EXODUS.  A Biblical reference

51. Prepared, as coffee: BREWED.

54. Maker of tasty "pieces": REESE.

56. Cupcake finishers: ICERS.

57. Achievement for a duffer: PAR.  A golfing reference.

60. Transcript nos.: GPAs.  As in Grade Point Averages.

61. Bonkers: LOCO.

63. "That's surprising": GEE!

65. Beyond tipsy: LIT.

66. Many a microbrew: ALE.

67. Archery wood: YEW.

Here's the Grid:

Monday, August 12, 2019

QOD:  Don’t be fooled into believing that because a man is rich he is necessarily smart.  There is ample proof to the contrary.  ~  Julius Rosenwald (Aug. 12, 1862 ~ Jan. 6, 1932), American businessman and philanthropist

Sunday, August 11, 2019

QOD:  Nothing discloses real character like the use of power.  ~ Robert G. Ingersoll (né Robert Green Ingersoll; Aug. 11, 1833 ~ July 21, 1899), American writer and orator