Tuesday, January 21, 2020

QOD:  All I required to be happy was friendship and people I could admire.  ~  Christian Dior (Jan. 21, 1905 ~ Oct. 24, 1957), French fashion designer

Tennis, Anyone?  It's a game played on a variety of surfaces.  Note that each answer is a three-letter phrase.

20-Across. Be noisy, or equip for tennis?: MAKE A RACKET.

34-Across. Enjoy oneself, or be ready for tennis?: HAVE A BALL.

46-Across. Sue, or leave for tennis?: GO TO COURT.

60-Across. Be helpful, or enjoy playing tennis?: LIVE TO SERVE.



Across:

1. Sound of disbelief: GASP.

5. Feature of some debit cards: CHIP.  Chips are also found on credit cards.

9. Ford Fusion, e.g.: SEDAN.

14. Latin "others": ALIA.

15. __ erectus: HOMO.  What Does it Mean to be Human?  The first skeletal remains of a Homo erectus was discovered in 1891.

16. To the point: TERSE.

17. Wander aimlessly (about): MILL.

18. Israeli carrier: EL AL.  El Al has become a crossword staple.  The first scheduled flight on El Al was in July 1949.  The name of the company roughly translates from the Hebrew to "to the skies."  I usually fly El Al when I go to Israel.

19. Pisces follower: ARIES.

23. Brewery tub: VAT.

24. Admin. aides: ASSTS.  Administrative aides are Assistants.

25. Tickle pink: AMUSE.

27. Beauty contest prize: TIARA.

31. Ready for dinner: SEATED.  Just a few more people at this dinner than in attendance at my dinner parties.

38. Upside-down "e," in phonetics: SCHWA.  This symbol indicates an "uh" sound in the pronunciation of a word.

39. Dictator Amin: IDI.  Idi Amin (May 17, 1925 ~ Aug. 16, 2003), whose full name was Idi Amin Dada Oumee, was known as the Butcher of Uganda.

40. Shenanigan: ANTIC.

42. Gridiron "zebra": REF.

43. Chocolate source: CACAO.

49. Requires Febreze, maybe: SMELLS.

51. "Les MisÈrables" escape route: SEWER.

52. Cosmopolitan spirits: VODKA.

54. Order to a sloucher: SIT UP.

58. Classic Jaguar: XKE.  This 1969 model can be yours for only $102K.

64. __ Gras: MARDI.  The countdown is on!  Everything you need to known about Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

66. Chief Asgard god: ODIN.

67. Sentence structure element: NOUN.  Silly me, I wanted it to be a Verb!

68. Crime that might involve accelerants: ARSON.

69. Sit in park, say: IDLE.

70. Spilled the beans: TOLD.

71. Online magazine with a "Dear Prudence" advice column: SLATE.  You can also listen to a Slate Dear Prudence podcast.

72. Hair salon supplies: DYES.

73. Relaxing resorts: SPAS.  The Ein Gedi Spa on Dead Sea is very relaxing.

Down:

1. Ray type: GAMMA.  Gamma rays are penetrating electromagnetic radiations arising from the radioactive decay of the atom's nucleus.

2. Identity-concealing name: ALIAS.

3. Jockey's apparel: SILKS.  Everything you wanted to know about Jockey's Silks but were afraid to ask. The colorful attire dates back to the Romans.

4. Bob Ross accessory: PALETTE.  I was not familiar with the name Rob Ross (né Robert Norman Ross; Oct. 29, 1942 ~ July 4, 1995).  I recognized his picture, however, and realized that he has made guest appearances in the crosswords in the past.  He also hosted a show on PBS entitled The Joy of Painting.

5. Singer with a Best Actress Oscar: CHER.  Cher (née Cherilyn Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Moonstruck.

6. Hi, in Barcelona: HOLA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

7. Apple desktop: iMAC.

8. Music genre with accordions: POLKA.

9. Easter Island sights: STATUES.  Easter Island was annexed to Chile in 1888.  It was "discovered" by Dutch explore Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday in 1722, hence its name.

10. End of a musket?: -EER.  As in the Three Musketeers.

11. Convenience for diners on the go: DRIVE THRU.

12. Well out of the harbor: ASEA.

13. Chick site: NEST.

21. Tibet's continent: ASIA.

22. First-responder letters: EMS.  As in Emergency Medical Services.

26. Cul-de-__: SAC.

28. Lawyers' org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.

29. Struck the bell: RANG.

30. Singers below mezzo-sopranos: ALTOS.

32. Decorative pitcher: EWER.

33. Nutty: DAFT.

34. Minute Maid fruity juice boxes: HI-Cs.  I looked at Hics for the longest time.  Hics?  Hics?  What could that mean?  Then the lightbulb went on.

35. NBA commissioner Silver: ADAM.  Adam Silver (b. Apr. 25, 1962) has been the commissioner of the National Basketball Association since January 2014.

36. The other way around: VICE VERSA.

37. Miller __: beer brand: LITE.

41. "Don't have a __, man!": COW.

44. Teléfono greeting: ALO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

45. Long-established: OLD LINE.

47. Prefix with pool or pit: CESS-.  As in a Cesspool or a Cesspit.  No images for the breakfast crossword crowd.

48. Points in the right direction: ORIENTS.

50. Tackle a slope: SKI.  Tackling the bunny slope.

53. Circumvent: AVOID.

55. Unit being deployed: TROOP.

56. Throat dangler: UVULA.

57. Remains unsettled, as a payment: PENDS.

58. Dec. holiday: XMAS.

59. Two-time NBA MVP Malone known as "The Mailman": KARL.  Karl Malone (b. July 24, 1963) is from Summerfield, Louisiana.  He had a long career with the Utah Jazz.  He was known as The Mailman because he delivered the plays.

61. Whirlpool: EDDY.

62. Dominoes piece: TILE.

63. Smallest bills: ONES.

65. Part of an ellipsis: DOT.

Here's the grid: