February 26, 2021

QOD:  There are no such things as bad plants or bad men.  There are only bad cultivators.  ~  Victor Hugo (né Victor Marie Hugo; Feb. 26, 1802 ~ May 22, 1885), French novelist

 

Thursday, February 25, 2021

QOD:  The face of a child can say it all.  Especially the mouth part of the face.  ~  Jack Handey (b. Feb. 25, 1949), American humorist

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

QOD:  Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.  ~  Steve Jobs (né Steven Paul Jobs; Feb. 24, 1955 ~ Oct. 5, 2011). American businessman and co-founder of Apple, Inc.

 

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

QOD:  Since my leaving the drinking of wine, I do find myself much better, and do mind my business better, and do spend less money, and less time lost in idle company.  ~  Samuel Pepys (Feb. 23, 1633 ~ May 26, 1703), English civil servant and diarist

Have a Seat and Stay Awhile.  The circles spell out a type of chair.

17-Across. Holiday bloom: EASTER LILY.  Easy Chair.  An Easy Chair can come in all shapes and sizes.  It is simply a chair that is generally large, soft and comfortable.  Easter is less than 40 days away, so we will soon be seeing Easter Lilies.

26-Across. Taft's University of Cincinnati position: LAW SCHOOL DEAN.  Lawn Chair.  These, too, can come in all shapes and sizes.  We would take ours to the beach.  William Howard Taft (Sept. 15, 1857 ~ Mar. 8, 1930) had quite a career.  In 1896, the University of Cincinnati established a Law Department.  Taft, who was at the time a Federal District Judge, was named its Dean.  He, of course, later went on to become the 27th President of the United States.  After his term as President ended, he briefly became a law professor at Yale, until he was appointed to the United States Supreme Court.  He served as the 10th Chief Justice from 1921 until his death 9 years later.

Taft in a Lawn Chair (chair circa 1900).

43-Across. UPS vehicle: DELIVERY TRUCK.  Deck chair.  These can also come in lots of shapes and sizes.  As a kid, we had Adirondack chairs on our deck.  At any rate, these chairs are used outside and not in the living room.  The ice and snow storm has prevented many a UPS delivery this week.

And the unifier:

58-Across. Parlor pieces, and a hint to each set of circles: WING CHAIRS.  My grandfather had a wing chair in his parlor.  No one else could use that chair.

Across:

1. Some artists' quarters: LOFTS.  Here's a list of famous artists and their lofts.

6. Come to a halt: STOP.  Did you know Stop Signs weren't red until after 1950?

10. About, on a memo: IN RE.  From the Latin meaning: In the Matter Of

14. All-__: versatile machine: IN ONE.  You, too, can have your All-in-One Onesie.

15. Bizet's "Habanera," for one: ARIA.  This aria is from the my favorite opera, Carman.

16. Handle roughly: MAUL.

19. Sketchbooks: PADS.  You can also sketch on your iPad.

20. USO show audience: GIs.  The origin of using the term GI for American soldiers.

21. All lathered up: SOAPY.

22. Magical lamp dweller: GENIE.

23. Jong and Durance: ERICAs.  I am familiar with Erica Jong (b. Mar. 26, 1942), who is a writer, but am not familiar with the actress Erica Durance (b. June 21, 1978).

Erica Jong

Erica Durance

25. Oscar winner Kingsley: BEN.  Ben Kingsley (né Krishna Pandit Bhanji; b. Dec. 31, 1943) won an Oscar for his portrayal of Gandhi in 1982 movie of the same name.

33. Things sometimes found under a tree: GIFTS.

35. Wolf cries: HOWLS.

36. 1959 folk hit with the line "Charlie couldn't get off of that train": MTA.  Will he ever return?

37. Burden: ONUS.  Also an obligation.  See clue 85-Across in Sunday's puzzle.

38. Gave out cards: DEALT.

39. Animal house: LAIR.

40. Time of your life: AGE.

41. Prolonged battle: SIEGE.  //  Not to be confused with 1-Down: Feudal lord: LIEGE.

42. Number that's part of a nap: FORTY.  A possible theory on the origin of the term Forty Winks.

46. __ Plaines: DES.  A city in Cook County, Illinois, just outside the Chicago area.

47. Familiarize: ORIENT.

50. Rice or wheat: GRAIN.

53. "Dilbert" creator Adams: SCOTT.  Scott Raymond Adams (b. June 8, 1957) created the Dilbert cartoon in the 1990.  Often his cartoons would almost exactly mirror what was happening in my workplace.

56. Day for voting: Abbr.: TUE.  Tuesday is also the day that I provide commentary for this crossword.  In  Louisiana, voting is usually on a Saturday.

57. Sleek, in car talk: AERO.

60. Dryer trap target: LINT.

61. MLB Tiger, for one: ALER.  The Detroit Tigers are in the American League in Major League Baseball.

62. Artist Max: ERNST.  Max Ernst (Apr. 2, 1891 ~ Apr. 1, 1976) was a pioneer in the surrealism and Dada art movements.

63. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.  A Biblical reference: Enos was the son of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve.  Sometimes his name is spelled Enosh.  According to Genesis (5:6), Seth was 105 years old when Enosh was born.

64. Heap affection (on): DOTE.

65. Continues intensely, as a storm: RAGES.

Down:

2. Broadcasting: ON AIR.

3. Natural gas, coal, etc.: FOSSIL FUEL.

4. Atlanta-based station: TNT.  As in the (Ted) Turner Network Television.

5. Goes up and down: SEE-SAWS.

6. Pamplona parlor: SALA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

7. Vacation choice: TRIP.

8. Like a slippery garage floor: OILY.

9. Remit: PAY.

10. Be about to happen: IMPEND.

11. Palindromic bread: NAAN.  You too, can make your own Naan.

12. Designer Gernreich: RUDI.  Rudi Gernreich (née Rudolf Gernerich; Aug. 8, 1922 ~ Apr. 21, 1985) is not a Tuesday-friendly crossword guest.  He was actually Austrian, but fled to the United States in the late 1930s to escape the Nazis.  He became an iconic fashion designer in the 1960 and is best known for inventing the Thong.

13. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

18. Singer Diana: ROSS.  Diana Ross (b. Mar. 26, 1944) was the lead singer of The Supremes.  Sadly, Mary Wilson (Mar. 6, 1944 ~ Feb. 8, 2021), one of the founding members of The Supremes, died earlier this month.

22. Hair products: GELS.

Hair Gel gone bad.

24. Lions and tigers: CATS.  Oh, My!

25. Lightning flash: BOLT.  Usain Bolt (né Usain St. Leo Bolt; b. Aug. 21, 1986) has been compared to a flash of lightning.

27. Support the team: CHEER.

28. Composer Carmichael: HOAGY.  In addition to being a composer, Hoagy Carmichael (né Hoagland Howard Carmichael; Nov. 22, 1899 ~ Dec. 27, 1981) was also a singer, songwriter andactor.

29. Young hooter: OWLET.

30. Online advertising: E-MARKETING.

31. Arguing: AT IT.

32. __ a one: none: NARY.

33. Prod: GOAD.

34. "Bus Stop" playwright: INGE.  William Inge (né William Motter Inge; May 3, 1913 ~ June 10, 1973) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Sadly, he died by suicide at age 60.  Bus Stop was adapted into a film, which starred Marilyn Monroe.  The play takes place in a diner in the middle of no-where in middle America.  Due to a massive snowstorm, a bus and its passengers are stranded at the diner and various impromptu romantic relationships are formed.

38. Fizzles out: DIES.

39. Centers of activity: LOCI.

41. Norse name similar to Stephen: SVEN.

42. To a greater degree: FURTHER.

44. Numbskulls: IDIOTS.

45. Campus cadets' org.: ROTC.  As in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

48. Care for: NURSE.

49. Exams: TESTS.

50. __-force winds: GALE.

51. Equestrian's strap: REIN.

52. River of Pisa: ARNO.

53. Farm storage unit: SILO.

54. Tech news site: CNET.

55. Shrek, e.g.: OGRE.

58. Bundle of cash: WAD.

59. Altar in the sky: ARA.  Ara, which is Latin for "Altar", is found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Stay safe and warm, everyone and don't let anyone else do your crossword puzzle if you step away before it is complete!

Monday, February 22, 2021

QOD:  It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.  ~  George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732 ~ Dec. 14, 1799), 1^st President of the United States

February 21, 2020

QOD:  I think the first prerequisite to civilization is an ability to make polite conversation.  ~  W.H. Auden (né Wystan Hugh Auden; Feb. 21, 1907 ~ Sept. 29, 1973), Anglo-American poet