Tuesday, May 12, 2020

QOD:  If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.  ~  Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015), American baseball player and coach

Animal Crackers.  You'll crack up when you find the animals in each idiom.

18-Across. Animal kingdom predator: FOX IN THE HENHOUSE.

29-Across. Animal kingdom traitor: SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

49-Across. Animal kingdom eccentricity: BATS INTHE BELFRY.

62-Across. Animal kingdom complication: FLY IN THE OINTMENT.

And two related theme clues:

56-Across. Figure of speech: IDIOM.

2-Down. Fanatic love of animals: ZOOMANIA.


Across:

1. HIV-treating drug: AZT.  Short for Azidothymidine.

4. Word with contracts or contractions: LABOR.  As in Labor Contracts and Labor Contractions.

9. More brooding: MOPIER.

15. Mauna __: LOA.  Mauna Loa is a Hawaiian volcano that last erupted in April 1984.

16. Frugal way to wed: ELOPE.  Fun new clue for this crossword staple.

17. Big blood vessels: AORTAE.  Plural of Aorta.  You should only have one.

21. Car radio letters: AM/FM.

22. Genius 8000 toothbrushes, e.g.: ORAL-Bs.

23. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Homer Simpson's neighbor.

24. Bakery draw: AROMA.

27. Most populous continent: ASIA.

28. Road Runner stills, e.g.: CELS.

32. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.  Lucy Liu (b. Dec. 2, 1968) played Joan Watson on the television crime series Elementary, which ran from 2012 ~ 2019.

33. Bark holder: TREE.

34. Absorb, with "up": SOP.

35. Speeder's undoing: RADAR.

37. Igor, to Dr. Frankenstein: ASST.  Hmm...  This answer bothered me because the clue didn't indicate the answer would be an abbreviation.

40. Like Redbox films: ON DVD.

44. __ a plea: COP.

46. One removed by a wine lover: CORK.

48. Musical knack: EAR.

54. Enticement: LURE.

55. Space: ROOM.

57. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

58. Sheena who collaborated with Prince: EASTON.  Sheena Easton (née Sheena Shirley Orr; b. Apr.  27, 1959) and Prince (né Prince Roger Nelson; June 7, 1958 ~ Apr. 21, 2016) first met in 1984 and collaborated on several hit songs.

60. It can end on a high note: ARIA.

66. 1927 movie innovation: TALKIE.  It was also a Walkie.

67. Turkic language: UZBEK.

68. The Bosporus, e.g.: Abbr.: STR.  As in the Borporus Strait.  It is part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.  It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  It is also known as the Strait of Istanbul.  In May 1766, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Bosporus.

69. Zooms: SPEEDS.

70. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Yummers!  I am growing some basil in my garden this year so hopefully I will be able to make some pesto later this summer.

71. PreCheck org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.  I am always happy when  I get the PreCheck mark on my plane ticket.  I have no immediate plans for flying now or in the near future, though.

Down:

1. Two before Charlie: ALFA.

3. It may involve cooking the books: TAX FRAUD.

4. Super Bowl IV MVP Dawson: LEN.  Len Dawson (né Leonard Ray Dawson; b. June 20, 1935) played in one of the early Super Bowl games.  The game was played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.  The Kansas City Chiefs (an AFL team) trounced the Minnesota Vikings (an NFL team) in a score of 23 - 7.

5. PC shortcut key: ALT.

6. __-chic: hippie-influenced fashion style: BOHO.  BoHo apparently stands for Bohemian Homeless.    Who knew?

7. Performs surgery: OPERATES.

8. Go over again: REHASH.

9. Guys' attaché alternatives: MAN BAGS.  Mmmm ... No.

10. Fireworks cries: OOHS!

11. Golf expert: PRO.

12. Apple music app: iTUNES.  I used to get my podcasts from iTunes, but the operating system changed.

13. Stands for oils: EASELS.

14. Clarinets, e.g.: REEDS.

19. "It's just a flesh wound": I'M OK.  I just ran amok.

20. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) was born in Sighet, Transylvania (now a part of Romania).  During World War II, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz.  His mother and sister were immediately killed, but Elie and his father were selected for labor.  They were later transported to Buchenwald.  His father died in Buchenwald, but Elie survived.  He went on to write over 50 book, several of which were about his experience in the concentration camps.  Probably his most famous book is Night, which was originally written and published in French.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian works.  When I was in college, I was fortunate to meet him.

25. Some undergrounds: METROs.  Think of the subway system in Paris.

26. It can be fresh but not insulting: AIR.  Fun clue and answer!

28. Crunch's rank: CAP'N.

29. 35mm camera type: SLR.  As in Single Lens Reflex camera.  We see this a lot in the puzzles, but what does it really mean?  Find out here.

30. Cultural funding gp.: NEA.  As in the National Endowment for the Arts.

31. Swindled: ROOKED.

36. Entr'__: ACTE.  Today's French lesson.  It literally means "between the acts".

38. Work a crowd: SCHMOOZE.

39. Digit for water testing?: TOE.

41. Clear-cut, as for lumber: DEFOREST.

42. Pesky critters: VARMINTS.

43. Parched: DRY.

45. Pittsburgh team: PIRATES.

47. Stat for the 45-Down: RBI.  As in Runs Batted In.  I think Hank Aaron (b. Feb. 5, 1834) still leads with the most runs with 2,297 RBIs.

49. Gunny sack fabric: BURLAP.

50. Socks pattern: ARGYLE.  Why Argyle is a pattern for socks and not suits.

51. Enjoy a bagel, say: NOSH.  I had the plural of this word last week.  It comes from the Yiddish word נאַשן, meaning "to nibble on".

52. Add: TOTE UP.

53. Actor Neeson: LIAM.  Liam William Neeson (b. June 7, 1952) was married to Natasha Richardson.  He played Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler's List.

54. Artists' pads: LOFTS.

58. City west of Tulsa: ENID.  Enid make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is the 9th largest city in Oklahoma.  Can you name the 8 largest cities in Oklahoma?

59. Pen points: NIBS.

61. First razor with a pivoting head: ATRA.

63. Pres. after Harry: IKE.  As is Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969), who was President immediately after Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972).

64. Site-seeing place, with "the": NET.  As in the Internet.

65. Ring ref's decision: TKO.  As in Technical Knock Out.


Here's the Grid: