Friday, October 18, 2019

QOD:  It’s not that marriage itself is bad; it’s the people we marry who give it a bad name.  ~  Terry McMillan (b. Oct. 18, 1951), African-American author

Thursday, October 17, 2019

QOD:  Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather.  He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop.  ~  Alfred Polgar (Oct. 17, 1873 ~ Apr. 24, 1955), Austrian-born journalist and drama critic

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

QOD:  The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedoms.  ~  William O. Douglas (né William Orville Douglas; Oct. 16, 1898 ~ Jan. 19, 1980), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

QOD:  Facing the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.  ~  John Kenneth Galbraith (Oct. 15, 1908 ~ Apr. 29, 2006), Canadian-born economist

FLASH in the Pan.  The word Flash can be proceed the first word of each theme answer to give us a new concept.

20. "Hell's Kitchen" chef: GORDON RAMSAY.  As in Flash Gordon.  Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip hero who first appeared in 1934.

Gordon Ramsay (né Gordon James Ramsay; b. Nov. 8, 1966) is a British chef, restaurateur and food critic.

31. Risky low-lying area to build on: FLOOD ZONE.  As in Flash Flood.  These two terms are close, but not the same.  The National Weather Service defines a Flash Flood as flood caused by heavy or excessive rain in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours, whereas a Flood Zone is an area that is prone to flooding for a longer period of time.

This event was neither a Flash Flood, nor did it occur in a Flood Zone.

48. Not someone an amateur should play poker with: CARD SHARK.  As in Flash Card.  We all probably had Flash Cards when in school to help learn vocabulary, math problems, or other information.  Typically, a flash card has a question on one side and the answer on the other.

And the unifier:

55. Narrative device that peeks at the future ... and a hint to the start of 20-, 31-, and 48-Across: FLASH FORWARD.

Across:

1. Bloke: CHAP.

5. Tie, in chess: DRAW.

9. Rival of Elle: VOGUE.  Both Elle and Vogue are fashion magazines.

14. Punjabi prince: RAJA.  A crossword staple.

15. Personal energy field, some say: AURA.

16. Black key wood, traditionally: EBONY.  Did you ever wonder why piano keys were in black and white?

17. Banned apple spray: ALAR.  Which crosses with 3-Down:  Cracked open, say: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

18. Electric fan noise: WHIR.

19. Fix, as a loose shoelace knot: RETIE.

23. Special or covert strategies: OPs.  As in Special Operations or Covert Operations.

24. Trucker's unit: TON.

25. Owns: HAS.   //  And 11-Down: Obtained: GOT.

28. Lorelei's river: RHINE.  According to legend, Lorelei was a beautiful young German maiden who would sing enchanting songs while sitting on this huge rock on the banks of the Rhine River.  When the boatmen heard her singing, they would become so enrapt, that they would forget where they were, causing their boats to crash into the rock and they would drown.  The legend became famous after Heinrich Heine wrote this poem, which you can read in both English and German.  The Lorelei is actually a large rock formation in the curve of the Rhine River, and there have historically been a lot of boat crashes at the site.

34. Long, long time: EON.  Another crossword staple.

35. Post-WWI art movement: DADA.  Everything you wanted to know about the DADA Art Movement, but were afraid to ask.  Marcel Duchamp (1887 ~ 1968) is an artist who is closely associated with the Dada movement.

37. Affixed with a hammer: NAILED.

38. Unknown Doe: JOHN.  John or Jane?  Wait for the perps.

40. "Gymnopédies" composer: SATIE. Erik Satie (May 17, 1866 ~ July 1, 1925) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

42. High-grade cotton: PIMA.   Not to be confused with 50-Across: Adidas alternatives: PUMAs.

43. Barely make, as a living: EKE OUT.

45. Boots the ball: ERRS.

47. Serious no-no: SIN.

52. Everyday article: THE.

53. Second-tallest living bird: EMU.  These large birds make frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

54. Burger holder: BUN.

61. Camper's craft: CANOE.

64. "English breakfast" drinks: TEAS.  Everything you wanted to know about English Breakfast Tea, but were afraid to ask.

65. Bear's warning: ROAR.

66. Assumed name: ALIAS.

67. Colored eye part: IRIS.

68. Prefix for objectors: ANTI-.  As in Antidisestablishmentarianism.

69. Where to get dates: PALMS.  Cute clue!

70. __ a one: none: NARY.

71. Barely a sound: PEEP.

Down:

1. Rugged cliff: CRAG.

2. Angelic ring: HALO.

4. Formal forgiveness: PARDON.

5. Occurs to, with "on": DAWNS.

6. German coal valley: RUHR.

7. La Scala number: ARIA.  It may not have been recorded at La Scala, Milan's opera house, but it is an ARIA from Carmen, one of my favorite operas.

8. Become fond of: WARM TO.

9. Porch with a roof, usually: VERANDA.

10. Give heed to: OBEY.

12. Institute of higher learning, to Brits: UNI.

13. Look at intently: EYE.

21. Opinion piece: OP-ED.  I learned from doing the crosswords that OP-ED means "Opposite the Editorial Page in a newspaper, and that it expresses the opinion of the author who is not generally affiliated with the paper's editorial board.  Here are some Tips on writing an Op-Ed piece.

22. Oklahoma athlete: SOONER.  The word "sooner"became associated with Oklahoma shortly after the Land Run of 1889 to people who entered what became the State of Oklahoma before the official date designated in the Indian Appropriation Act of March 2, 1889.

25. "Total patient" philosophy: HOLISM.

26. Low-hemoglobin condition: ANEMIA.

27. Many taxis: SEDANS.

28. Not accept: REJECT.

29. Pipe smoked in trendy bars: HOOKAH.  Since it's the 2nd day of Sukkot, this clue is rather timely.  Actually, the only time I have actually seen a Hookah in a Sukkah is on a UNI campus.

30. "Where are you?" response from a nearby room: IN HERE!

31. Govt. regulator of dietary supplements: FDA.  As in the Food and Drug Administration.

32. "I don't have time right now": LATER.

33. Nada: ZIP.

36. Inhaler user's malady: ASTHMA.

39. Nonverbal okay: NOD.

41. Really bug: IRK.

44. Having no purpose: USELESS.

46. Cowboy boot attachment: SPUR.

49. "Keep __ Weird": Texas city slogan: AUSTIN.  This slogan was adopted in 2000 by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas.  You can read more about the weirdness of the city.

51. Open for Christmas: UNWRAP.  Fun clue.

54. Everycow: BOSSY.  I always heard cows called Bessie, however, there is apparently a tradition of calling cows Bossie.

55. Whitecap formation: FOAM.

56. Olympian queen: HERA.  It's Greek to me.

57. Okay, but not great: FAIR.

58. Great: A-ONE.

59. Part of APR: RATE.  As in the Annual Percentage Rate.

60. Plumbing problem: DRIP.

61. Upper limit: CAP.

62. Phrase on a menu: À LA.  Think of Chicken à la King.

63. Nada: NIL.

Here's the Grid:

Monday, October 14, 2019

QOD:  Don’t mistake activity with achievement.  ~  John Wooden (né John Robert Wooden Oct. 14, 1910 ~ June 4, 2010), American basketball coach

Sunday, October 13, 2019

QOD:  If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime and you would achieve nothing.  ~  Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (née Margaret Hilde Roberts; Oct. 13, 1925 ~ Apr. 8, 2013), British Prime Minister