Friday, June 5, 2020

QOD:  We have been trained too long to strive and not to enjoy.  ~  John Maynard Keynes, 1^st Baron Keynes (June 5, 1883 ~ Apr. 21, 1946), British economist

Thursday, June 4, 2020

QOD:  We’re the only species that have crapped up the planet and the only species that can clean it up.  ~  Dennis Weaver (né William Dennis Weaver; June 4, 1924 ~ Feb. 24, 2006), American actor

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

QOD:  I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.  ~  Dudley Field Malone (June 3, 1882 ~ Oct. 5, 1950), American attorney and political activist

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

QOD:  Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.  ~  Cornel West (né Cornel Ronald West; June 2, 1953), African-American philosopher and social critic

Arts and Entertainment.  Each theme answer is a 2-word phrase where the first letter begins with "A" and the second word begins with "E".

17-Across. *   The "bush" type is the largest living land animal: AFRICAN ELEPHANT.

26-Across. *   Dorothy's female caretaker: AUNTIE EM.



47-Across. *   Sasha Fierce, for Beyoncé: ALTER EGO.  I Am ... Sasha Fierce was Beyoncé's 3rd album, which was released in 2008.

61-Across. *   Cardio workout: AEROBIC EXERCISE.  I miss not being able to go to the gym every day.  Exercising at home just isn't the same.



And the Unifier:

40-Across. "Ghost Hunters" channel suggested by the answers to starred clues: A AND E.

Across:

1. Thumb one's nose (at): SCOFF.

6. Type of lamp with a volcanic name: LAVA.

10. Magazine for docs: JAMA.  The Journal of the American Medical Association has been in publication since July 1883.  It is a peer-reviewed medical journal that publishes articles on original  medical research.  It's British counterpart is The Lancet, which is the oldest medical journal.  The Lancet has been in publication since 1823.  It was so named because a lancet was used in bleeding ill patients, which was, at the time, considered the "state-of-the-art" medical treatment.

14. Linney of "Ozark": LAURA.  Laura Linney (née Laura Legget Linney; b. Feb. 5, 1964) also played Sarah in one of Bill G's favorite movie Love Actually.

15. Sign above a door: EXIT.

16. Bullfight shouts:  ¡OLÉs!

20. "For sure!": YES!

21. Tots' sport with bases: T-BALL.

22. Listless feeling: ENNUI.  A crossword staple.

23. Fa-la link: SOL.

24. Eve's second son: ABEL.  //  Not to be confused with 18-Down. Start of a classic palindrome: ABLE.  The entirety of classic palindrome is:  Able Was I Ere I Saw Elba.  It is, ostensibly, attributed to Napoleón.

31. Majors in golf and tennis?: OPENS.

34. __ as a peacock: PROUD.

35. Self-centered: VAIN.

37. __ slaw: COLE.

39. Teen anti-DWI gp.: SADD.   Students Against Destructive Decisions.

41. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.

42. Big name in cosmetics: OLAY.

43. Really excited about: INTO.

44. Ear-to-ear smiles: GRINS.

45. It's taken by a witness, with "the": STAND.

49. Narc's coup: BUST.

51. Binary digit: ONE.

52. Cast a spell on: CHARM.

55. Up and about: AWAKE.

58. Waze display: MAP.  Waze is a GPS navigation software app.  It is owned by Google.

64. Baltic capital: RIGA.

65. Coastal recess: COVE.  Jessica Fletcher lived in Cabot Cove, Maine.

66. Greek column type: IONIC.

67. Poke: PROD.

68. Not new: USED.

69. Salon dos: COIFS.

Down:

1. Leave rolling in the aisles: SLAY.

2. Barista employer: CAFÉ.  A Barista is a person who sells expensive coffee.

3. Shared between us: OURS.  Yours, Mine and Ours was a 1968 movie starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.

4. "TGIF!" time: Abbr.: FRI.  As in the phrase, Thank G-d, It's Friday!

5. Piece of trivia: FACTOID.

6. Dunham of "Girls": LENA.

Lena Dunham (b. May 13, 1986)

7. Ice skating feat: AXEL.  You, too, can learn this skating move with this easy video.  If you do it right, it is an aerobic exercise.

8. Fancy residence: VILLA.

9. Enjoyed the buffet: ATE.

10. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" author: JOHN LE CARRÉ.  John le Carré is the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell (b. Oct. 19, 1931).  He is probably best known for his 1963 novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.  He worked for the British Secret Intelligence Service, until his books really took off.  He then left the MI6 to become a full-time writer.

11. The first "A" in A.A. Milne: ALAN.  Alan Alexander Milne (Jan. 18, 1882 ~ Jan. 31, 1956) wrote   about Winnie-the-Pooh.  The character of Christopher Robin in his books was based on his son, Christopher Robin Milne (Aug. 21, 1920 ~ Apr. 20, 1996).  He hated being tied to his fictional character.

12. List of options: MENU.

13. Italian wine hub: ASTI.

19. Tiny bird call: PEEP.

23. Emulate an American attending the Sorbonne, say: STUDY ABROAD.

25. Humerus, for one: BONE.

26. Lhasa __: small dog: APSO.

27. Eurasian border range: URALS.

28. Greet silently: NOD AT.

29. "Dear __ Hansen": 2017 Best Musical: EVAN.  I saw this musical a year or so ago.  It's about a young boy with social anxiety who invents a role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn.

30. Ray of the tropics: MANTA.  Oh, not a person, but a critter.  Nice misdirection.

32. "It's the truth!": NO LIE!

33. Urban Dictionary focus: SLANG.

36. Pop star: IDOL.

38. Canadian tank filler: ESSO.  This has become a crossword staple.

40. Gives a hand: AIDS.

44. No-name, as a brand: GENERIC.

46. Unfeeling: NUMB.

48. Drag on a joint: TOKE.

50. Food truck fare: TACOS.

52. Complain: CARP.

53. Designated survivor: HEIR.

54. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

56. "__ Only Just Begun": Carpenters hit: WE'VE.  The Carpenters were a brother and sister duo.  Sadly, Karen Carpenter (Mar. 2, 1950 ~ Feb. 4, 1983) died of complications related to anorexia a month before her 33rd birthday.

57. Canceled abruptly: AXED.

58. Prefix with bar or car: MINI.

59. "In your dreams!": AS IF!

60. They're above the abs: PECS.  As in the Pectoral and Abdominal muscles.

62. Post-op stop: ICU.  As in the Intensive Care Unit.

63. Dove's call: COO.

Here's the Grid:

Sunday, May 31, 2020

QOD:  Television is a device that permits people who haven’t anything to do watch people who can’t do anything.  ~  Fred Allen (né John Florence Sullivan; May 31, 1894 ~ Mar. 17, 1956), American comedian and radio personality