Friday March 27, 2020

QOD:  There are no such things as guilty pleasures, only pleasures.  ~  Quentin Tarantino (né Quentin Jerome Tarantino; b. Mar. 27, 1963), American film director

Thursday, March 26, 2020

QOD:  When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  ~  Viktor Frankl (né Viktor Emil Frankl; Mar. 26, 1905 ~ Sept. 2, 1997), Austrian neurologist

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

QOD:  The truth will set you free.  But first, it will piss you off.  ~  Gloria Steinem (née Gloria Marie Steinem; b. Mar. 25, 1934), American feminist and journalist

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

QOD:  If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.  ~  Cicero (né Marcus Tillius Cicero; Jan. 3, 106 BCE ~ Dec. 7, 43 BCE), Roman statesmen and philosopher

We're in the Money!  Slang words for money are "split" in today's theme answers



16-Across. Huff and puff: BREATHE HARD.  Bread.

38-Across. Lawn area where rainwater collects: LOW SPOT.  Loot.

10-Down. Bags for potatoes, say: BURLAP SACKS.  Bucks.

23-Down. Subject to, as the proverbial mud: DRAG THROUGH.  Dough.

And the Unifier:

59-Across. Divvy up poker hand winnings, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: SPLIT THE POT.


Across:

1. Gives up the single life: WEDS.

5. Christina of "Sleepy Hollow": RICCI.  The 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow was loosely based on Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Christina Ricci (b. Feb. 12, 1980) played Katrina Van Tassel.

10. Physique, briefly: BOD.

13. Holliday pal: EARP.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) has been making a lot of guest appearances in the puzzles recently.  He was a close friend and associate of Doc Holliday (né John Henry Holliday; Aug. 14, 1851 ~ Nov. 8, 1887).  Both are best known for their participation in the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

14. Headgear for shading one's face: SUN HAT.

15. Luau strings: UKE.

18. Narrow inlet: RIA.

19. Gland near the larynx: THYROID.

20. Snow glider: SLED.  

21. Bollywood's country: INDIA.

24. "Jeopardy!" material: TRIVIA.

26. Seed in some sauerkraut: CARAWAY.  Everything you wanted to know about Caraway, but were afraid to ask.

29. Brass band sound: OOM-PAH.

32. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.  A crossword staple.

33. Ellipsis trio: DOTS.

36. Cotton thread: LISLE.  More than you ever wanted to know about Cotton Lisle.

37. Programming glitch: BUG.

40. Jurisprudence org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.  The current President of the ABA is Judy Perry Martinez, an attorney from New Orleans.  I had brunch with her shortly before the  self-imposed quarantine began.

41. "Mad TV" alum Lange: ARTIE.  I am familiar with neither Mad TV nor Artie Lange (b. Oct. 11, 1967).

43. Installed, as carpet: LAID.

44. Taiwanese laptop giant: ACER.  I learned of this compter company from doing the crossword puzzles.

45. Lou portrayed in "The Pride of the Yankees": GEHRIG.  Lou Gehrig (né Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig; June 19, 1903 ~ June 2, 1941) played 17 years for the New York Yankees.  He died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig disease, at age 37.

47. Do-it-yourself diagnostic tool: TEST KIT.

49. Rolled in the aisles: ROARED.

52. Spur-of-the-moment: HASTY.

53. Animator's output: 'TOON.  As in a cartoon.

55. Egyptian or Ethiopian: AFRICAN.  Ethiopia and Egypt are currently fighting over water from the Nile.

Egypt in Green; Ethiopia in Orange.

58. Letters in an academic address: EDU.  As in the Internet address.

63. Fix, as a fight: RIG.

64. Norelco product: SHAVER.

65. New Balance rival: NIKE.

66. Slangy word of indifference: MEH.  Meh!

67. Fall bloomer: ASTER.

68. Cubicle fixture: DESK.

Anatomy of a Cubicle.

Down:

1. Organic flytrap: WEB.  Cute clue.

2. Piece of corn: EAR.

3. Dr. with Grammys: DRE.

Dr. Dre (né Andre Romelle Young; b. Feb. 18, 1965)

4. Like some relations: SPATIAL. Not Sisters.

5. One with regrets: RUER.

6. __ water: facing trouble: IN HOT.

7. Waiting room seat: CHAIR.  Some of the Most Uncomfortable Chairs.

8. Aerobic regimen, casually: CARDIO.  Some cardio exercises we can do in quarantine.

9. "__ be an honor": IT'D.

11. "The Grapes of Wrath" figure: OKIE.  A reference to John Steinbeck's 1939 novel.

12. Like a useless battery: DEAD.

14. Not prone to mingling: SHY.

17. Defrost: THAW.

20. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI.

21. Sprain soother: ICE BAG.

22. The great outdoors: NATURE.

25. Chevy needing recharging: VOLT.  Does anyone have one of these vehicles?

27. Commotion: ADO.

28. Cry of distress: YOWL.

30. Even if: ALBEIT.  Fun word.

31. Robust: HEARTY.

34. PreCheck org.: TSA.

35. Hot rod?: SPIT.

38. "Star Wars" twin sister: LEIA.  Princess Leia was played by Carrie Fisher (Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).  She suffered a heart attack while flying from London to Los Angeles.  Tragically, her mother, Debbie Reynolds (Apr. 1, 1932 ~ Dec. 28, 2016), died the following day.

39. Thomas Gray's "The Bard," e.g.: ODE.  Here is the Poem.

42. Resolve, with "out": IRON.

44. Finally finished: AT AN END.

46. Sales reports diagrams: GRAPHS.

48. Ousted Iranian ruler: SHAH.  The last Shah if Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Oct. 26, 1919 ~ July 27, 1980).  He was ousted in February 1979.  He makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

50. D-sharp equivalent: E FLAT.

51. Take the wheel: DRIVE.

53. Political stretch: TERM.

54. Yellow comics dog: ODIE.  A reference to the Garfield comic strip.

56. Road in old Rome: ITER.  Today's Latin lesson.

57. NFL snapper: CTR.  Center.  

59. Org. funded by FICA: SSA.  As in the Social Security Administration.

60. Traditional March 14 dessert: PIE.

61. Thumbs-ups: OKS.

62. Shatner's "__War": TEK.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.  ~  Cicero (né Marcus Tillius Cicero; Jan. 3, 106 BCE ~ Dec. 7, 43 BCE), Roman statesmen and philosopher

Monday, March 23, 2020

QOD:  It’s the brain, not the heart or lungs, that is the critical organ.  ~  Sir Roger Bannister (Mar. 23, 1929 ~ Mar. 3, 2018), British athlete and neurologist

Sunday, March 22, 2020

QOD:  There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.  That will be the beginning.  ~  Louis L’Amour (né Louis Dearborn L’Amour; Mar. 22, 1908 ~ June 10, 1988), American novelist