Friday, November 5, 2021

QOD:  Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.  ~  Will Durant (né William James Durant; Nov. 5, 1885 ~ Nov. 7, 1981), American historian

Thursday, November 4, 2021

QOD:  Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.  ~  Will Rogers (né William Penn Adair Rogers; Nov. 4, 1879 ~ Aug. 15, 1935), American humorist and actor

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

QOD:  Americans have always been able to handle austerity and even adversity.  Prosperity is what is doing us in.  ~  James Reston (né James Barrett Reston; Nov. 3, 1909 ~ Dec. 6, 1995), Scottish-born American journalist

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

QOD:  I had gained the summit of a commanding ridge, looking round with astonishing delight, beheld the ample plain, the beauteous tract below.  ~  Daniel Boone (Nov. 2, 1734 ~ Sept. 26, 1820), American frontiersman

Under the Weather.  Notice that each of the starred theme answers is in the Down position.  The first word of each theme answer describes a weather condition.  The second word, thus, is "under the weather." 

3-Down. *   1956 Burt Lancaster film, with "The": RAINMAKER.  The Rainmaker was a 1956 movie that starred Burt Lancaster (Nov. 2, 1913 ~ Oct. 20, 1994) and Katherine Hepburn (1907 ~ 2003).  The story took place during the Great Depression in a farming town in the mid-west that was suffering from a draught.  Burt Lancaster played a con man who promised he could make it rain.  It is appropriate that this clue and answer appeared in today's puzzle because today would have been Burt Lancaster's 113rd birthday.

6-Down. *   Desperation gridiron pass: HAIL MARY.

8-Down. *   Big name in film festivals: SUNDANCE.  The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United States.  It has been showing films since 1978.  The next festival will take place from January 20 through 30, 2022.

11-Down. *   Seven Dwarfs' housekeeper: SNOW WHITE.  The version the Brothers Grimm tells of Snow White is a tad darker than Disney's version.

Here's the unifier:

62. Out of sorts ... or where four answer-ending words (see starred clues) can be found?: UNDER THE WEATHER.

Across:
1. Fabled runner-up: HARE.  //  And 47. Like the 1-Across vis-à-vis the tortoise, ironically: SLOWER.

5. Deep cleft: CHASM.

10. "Tell me if you're coming" letters: RSVP.  Technically, this is today's French lesson as well as a lesson in manners.  Répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates into English as Please respond.

14. Pacific island ceded by Spain to the U.S. in 1899: GUAM.

15. The __: Europol headquarters: HAGUE.  Europol is the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement.

16. Meticulous to a fault: ANAL.  This word appears with some frequency in the puzzles.

17. Jazz club group: TRIO.  Everything you wanted to know about Jazz Trios, but didn't know to ask.

18. Detroit NFL team: LIONS.

19. Party hat shape: CONE.

20. Large-scale ride-sharing option: VANPOOL.  It's like a carpool, but bigger.

22. Limited-access internet area: DARK WEB.  Everything you wanted to know about the Dark Web, but didn't know to ask.

24. Surfing connection: MODEM.  Web surfing.

25. A bit off: ASKEW.

26. Hogwarts potions master: SNAPE.  Professor Severus Snape was played byAlan Rickman (February 21, 1946 ~ January 14, 2016) in the Harry Potter movies.

28. Raggedy doll: ANN.  I had a Raggedy Andy when I was a kid.

30. Significant __: partner: OTHER.

33. Acorn dropper: OAK.

34. How much it costs: PRICE.

36. Prez before JFK: IKE.  Dwight David Eisenhower, aka Ike (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969) was President  from 1953 until 1961.  John Fitzgerald Kennedy, aka Jack (May 29, 1917 ~ Nov. 22, 1963) was President from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.

37. Monopoly's Atlantic or Pacific: Abbr.: AVE.  As in Atlantic and Pacific Avenues.

38. __ ignition system: hi-tech car starter: KEYLESS.  I love having a keyless ignition system.

40. October's number: TEN.  Because October is now the 10th month on the calendar.  In the old Roman calendar, however, it was the 8th month, hence, the OCT in its name.

41. Fozzie Bear's frog pal: KERMIT.  //  Not to be confused with 53-Across. Claymation green guy: GUMBY.

43. If all goes right: AT BEST.

45. Sign of healing: SCAB.

47. Diamonds or clubs: SUIT.

48. Backbone: SPUNK.

51. "You've got mail" ISP: AOL.  As in America On Line.  //  And 42-Down. 51-Across alternative: MSN.  As in Microsoft Network.

57. "Proven," in proofs: QED.  Today's Latin lesson.  QED is an abbreviation for quod erat demonstrandum, which means "which was to be demonstrated".

58. Tune that stays in your head too long: EARWORM.

61. Huntsville's st.: ALA.  As in Alabama.  NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is located in Huntsville, Alabama.

65. Tops, as a cake: ICES.  My mother used frosting on a cake.

66. November tally: VOTES.

67. "Magic" prop: WAND.

68. Lahr of "The Wizard of Oz": BERT.  Bert Lahr (né Irving Lahrheim; Aug. 13, 1895 ~ Dec. 4, 1967), is best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

69. Golf or tennis: SPORT.

70. Ransom of auto fame: OLDS.

Ransom Eil Olds (June 3, 1864 ~ Aug. 26, 1950)

Down:

1. Channel for home flippers: HGTV.

2. General feel: AURA.

4. Expressive music genre: EMO-POP.  The best Emo Pop songs?  You be the judge.

5. Techie on "24": CHLOE.  The actress who played Chloe is Mary Lynn Rajskub (b. June 22, 1971), and she appeared recently in another puzzle I wrote up on recently.

7. In the past: AGO.

9. Western plateaus: MESAS.  Hi, Lucina!

10. Tennis need: RACKET.

12. Wind indicator: VANE.

13. Roman commoner: PLEB.

21. Poet's tribute: ODE.  A crossword staple.

23. "It's a Wonderful Life" studio: RKO.  The initials stand for Radio-Keith-Orpheum.

26. Enjoy a Jacuzzi: SOAK.

27. Central church part: NAVE.

Anatomy of a Church

29. Zero, in soccer: NIL.

31. Barely gets (by): EKEs.

32. Tenant's expense: RENT.

34. Fur-protesting org.: PETA.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

35. Jacob's twin: ESAU.  A Biblical reference.  These brothers appear with some frequency in the puzzles.

38. Field goal expert, e.g.: KICKER.

39. Mark of shame: STIGMA.

44. A/C measure: BTU.  As in British Thermal Units.

46. Hit a bunch of pubs in one night: BARHOP.

48. News filler: SQUIB.  This was my last fill.

49. Trump's VP: PENCE.  Mike Pence (né Michael Richard Pence; b. June 7, 1959) also served as the Governor of Indiana.

50. Milker's handful: UDDER.  Not exactly.  If the milker is handling the Udder, he's not doing it right.

52. Be a debtor of: OWE TO.

54. Taj __: MAHAL.  India's most famous monument.

55. Button on a mixer: BLEND.

56. Football measures: YARDS.

59. Off-rd. transports: ATVs.

60. Catnap, e.g.: REST.

63. Ballpark fig.: EST.  As in an Estimate.

64. "Squared" power: TWO.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, November 1, 2021

QOD:  You don’t have to have anything in common with people you’ve known since you were five.  With old friends, you’ve got your whole life in common.  ~  Lyle Lovett (né Lyle Pearce Lovett; b. Nov. 1, 1957), American musician

Sunday, October 31, 2021 / Halloween

QOD:  Somebody should tell us right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.  Then we might live life to the limit.  ~  Michael Landon (né Eugene Maurice Orowitz, Oct. 31, 1936 ~ July 1, 1991), American actor