QOD: Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Tuesday, 4 January 2022

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

QOD: When it’s all said and done, the real citadel of strength of any community is in the hearts and minds and desires of those who dwell there. ~ Everett Dirksen (née Everett McKinley Dirksen: Jan. 4, 1896 ~ Sept. 7, 1969), American politician and former United States Senator

This puzzle is Deep, Dude!

17-Across. * Stuffed items in the frozen-food aisle: HOT POCKETS. Deep Pockets.

23-Across. * Apartment storage measure: CLOSET SPACE. Deep Space.

39-Across. * Ideas in support of gender equality: FEMINIST THOUGHT. Deep Thoughts.

50-Across. * Tiny white flower used as filler in bouquets: BABY'S BREATH. Deep Breath.

And the unifier:

63-Across. * Where to dive in a pool ... and what the answers to starred clues all share?: THE DEEP END.

Across:

1. The "A" in many gp. names: ASS'N. As in Association. // See 21-Across. Docs' org. with a noted journal: AMA. As in the American Medical Association.

5. Pandowdy fruit: APPLE. A Pandowdy is a type of apple pie or cobbler. A learning moment for me.

10. Golden St. school: UCLA. As in the University of California, Los Angeles.

14. Seed in some yogurt: CHIA. Apparently this "growing pet" is also mixed overnight in yogurt for a healthy breakfast.

15. Manicurist's smoothing tool: FILER. Also known as an Emery Board.

16. Bridal accessory: VEIL. We had a bridal veil just last Tuesday, but that was so last year.

19. 'Enry's greeting: 'ELLO. Just you wait!

20. Hunt played by Cruise in "Mission: Impossible" films: ETHAN. I didn't remember that the character's first name was Ethan, but the perps gave me enough letters to fill in the name.

22. Chinese city that was the starting point of the Silk Road: XI'AN. Hi, C.C.! It's also the home of the Terra Cotta Warriors

27. Dwelled: RESIDED.

31. Monkey house site: ZOO.

32. Amazed: AWED.

33. Requirement for travel abroad, at times: VISA. Don't leave home without it. Oh, wait ... that's American Express

36. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. As in the Law School Admission Test.

43. Take a taxi, say: RIDE.

44. Hatcher of "Lois & Clark": TERI. Teri Lynn Hatcher (b. Dec. 8, 1954) also appeared in some episodes of Seinfeld.

45. Enjoy a book: READ. So many books, so little time.

46. NYC subway org.: MTA. As in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

48. Swallows: INGESTS.

55. Saudi, usually: ARAB.

56. Gaelic counterpart of John: IAN.

57. Spine-tingling: EERIE.

62. Number of Supreme Court justices: NINE. There have been Nine Justices on the Supreme Court since 1869, although there is no Constitutional mandate on the number of sitting Justices. Enough said.

66. Makes a request: ASKS.

67. Propelled a rowboat: OARED.

68. Tempo: PACE.

69. For fear that: LEST.

70. Moves smoothly: FLOWS.

71. Stretch across: SPAN.

Down:

1. Pang: ACHE.

2. Injection: SHOT.

3. "Star Wars" baddies: SITH.

4. Oenotourist's destination: NAPA. Wine tasting!

5. Balt. Ravens' group: AFC. The Baltimore Ravens are in the American Football Conference.

6. Commercial suffix with Water: PIK.

7. Court answers: PLEAS.

8. Eager volunteer's cry: LET ME!

9. Like a bad copy: ERSATZ.

10. Sunburn cause, for short: UV EXPOSURE.

11. Salsa singer Cruz: CELIA. Celia Cruz (Oct. 21, 1925 ~ July 16, 2003) was known as the Queen of Salas Music. Her full name was Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso.

12. Purple hue: LILAC. There are lots of shades of purple.

13. Unaccompanied: ALONE. // And 26-Down: Unaccompanied: SOLO. Hand up if you tried Stag for the latter.

18. Like a lot of '80s-'90s music: ON CD.

24. Son of Jacob: LEVI. The Biblical patriarch Jacob had 12 sons, but only one son's name has 4 letters in English. In Hebrew his name would be spelled: לֵוִי

25. Lofty poet: ODIST. As in one who writes Odes.

27. Where Prince William served: Abbr.: RAF. Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) served for several years in the Royal Air Force.

28. Pitcher in art: EWER.

Broken Porcelain Ewer by David Olander

29. Final Four game: SEMI.

30. "That was as good as it gets for me!": I DID MY BEST.

34. Fr. holy woman: STE. French abbreviation for Saint.

35. Heart chambers: ATRIA. Plural of Atrium.

37. Many years: AGES.

38. "__ does it!": THAT.

40. Brooklyn NBA team: NETS.

41. Help for a stumped solver: HINT. Did anyone need Hints on today's puzzle?

42. NFL six-pointers: TDs. As in Touch Downs.

47. Not very much: A BIT OF.

49. Clarified butter used in Indian cuisine: GHEE.

50. Boring: BANAL.

51. Come to light: ARISE.

52. Fog or cloud masses: BANKS.

That's a massive cloud bank!

53. 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby: RAHAL. I am not up on my race car drivers, so was not familiar with this name. Bobby Rahal (né Robert Woodward Rahal; b. Jan. 10, 1953) will celebrate his 69th birthday next Monday.

54. Primer mes del año: ENERO. Today's Spanish lesson. Hi, Lucina! January is the first month of the year. It's an appropriate clue, since we have just begun a new year.

58. Omar of "House": EPPS. Omar Epps (né Omar Hashim Epps; b. July 20, 1973) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. He played Dr. Eric Foreman on House.