Tuesday, July 5, 2022

QOD:  The noblest art is that of making others happy.  ~  P.T. Barnum (né Phineas Taylor Barnum; July 5, 1810 ~ Apr. 7, 1891), American showman

It's Yours for the Taking:  Go for it.  The word GET can be found after the word IT in each of the theme clues.

20-Across. *   Financial plan followed by a mayor: CITY BUD GET.

28-Across. *   Nests, as a set of measuring cups: FITS TOGETHER.

44-Across. *   Achieve one's specific goal: HIT THE TARGET.

And the unifier:

55-Across. "Seize the day!," and what the answers to the starred clues literally have: GET AFTER IT.

Across:

1. Seat that may swallow the remote control: SOFA.

5. U.K. soccer teams: FCs.  I think this stands for Football Clubs.  I wasn't in the UK on this past trip, so can't confirm.

8. Tappable symbols: ICONS.

 

13. Happy kitty sound: PURR.

14. Washer capacity: LOAD.  My washing machine got a real workout this past weekend.

16. Krispy Kreme buy: DONUT.  Yummers!

17. Thing: ITEM.

18. "Pitch Perfect" actress Kendrick: ANNA.  Some of the scenes in Pitch Perfect 2, which also starred Anna Kendrick (née Anna Cooke Kendrick; b. Aug. 9, 1985), were filmed at the Louisiana State University.

19. Residence: ABODE.

23. From square one: ANEW.

24. "Totally!": YES.

25. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

26. Breakfast syrup choice: MAPLE.

32. Olympian's goal: MEDAL.  What are the medals really made of?

35. Technical sch.: INST.  As in an Institution.

36. Big primate: APE.

37. Words that clarify spelling: AS IN.  "A" as in Apple.

38. Some postgrad degs.: MAs.  As in a Master of Arts degree.

39. Bermuda shorts endpoint: KNEE.

Um... NO!

40. Automobile: CAR.

41. Way out there: AFAR.

43. No longer vivid: FADED.

48. Repeated slogan: CHANT.

49. Frying liquid: OIL.  What is the best cooking oil for frying?

50. Some laptops: PCs.  I use a Mac.

53. Fish often grilled, on menus: MAHI.  Yummers!

Mahi Mahi

58. Odds partner: EVENS.  Because Odds and ENDS wouldn't fit.

60. Take five: REST.  Take Five was a favorite of my Dad's.  We played it at his funeral.

61. Score in a tennis shutout: LOVE.  Why Love in Tennis?

62. Royal domain: REALM.

63. Fill until full: SATE.

64. Scissors sound: SNIP.

65. Annual cable sports awards: ESPYS.

66. Drug used in microdosing therapies, for short: LSD.  It's formal name is Lysergic acid diethylamide.

67. Snakelike swimmers: EELS.  We had some of the most amazing smoked eel at the Volendammer Vishandel fish shop in Amsterdam.

Down:

1. Like hot wings: SPICY.

2. Belly button type: OUTIE.

3. Guitar neck features: FRETS.

4. West Point team: ARMY.

5. Show off shamelessly: FLAUNT.  If you've got it ...

6. Time-share units: CONDOS.

7. Participated on karaoke night: SANG.

8. Mont. neighbor: IDA.

9. Bright blue pigment: COBALT.  Everything you wanted to know about Cobalt, but didn't know to ask.

10. How some tots count to five: ON ONE HAND.

11. Ready for skinny-dipping: NUDE.

12. Instant Pot dish: STEW.

15. Mailer-__: programs that send automated messages: DAEMONS.

21. Skip out (on): BAIL.

22. License plates: TAGS.  Here are some examples of Louisiana license plates.

27. Vet's patient: PET.

28. Autograph seeker: FAN.

29. Wonder Woman's headpiece: TIARA.  Well, sort of.  I think of a tiara as being bejeweled.

30. Fencing blade: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

31. Woodwind insert: REED.

32. Name associated with supersonic speed: MACH.  Named after Ernst Walfried Josef Wenzel Mach (Feb. 18, 1838 ~ Feb. 19, 1916).

33. Actor Morales: ESAI. Esai Morales (né Esai Manuel Morales Jr.; b. Oct. 1, 1962) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles, but I can never remember how to spell his name.

34. Really inexpensive: DIRT CHEAP.

38. Holds weight: MATTERS.

39. Kit __ Klub: "Cabaret" setting: KAT.

41. "I see now!": AHA!

42. __ shui: FENG.

43. Perceived: FELT.

45. How prosciutto is sliced: THINLY.  Prosciutto is uncooked, unsmoked dry-cured ham.

46. Cooks in an oven: ROASTS.

47. Talented: GIFTED.

50. Naturally inclined (to): PRONE.

51. Courteous: CIVIL.

52. Pedometer units: STEPS.

53. For a __ pittance: MERE.

54. St. crossers: AVES.  Streets and Avenues.

56. Color named for a duck: TEAL.

57. Besides: ELSE.

59. Texting format, briefly: SMS.  As in Short Messing Service.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Many thanks to Malodorous Manatee and Waseeley for holding down the fort on Tuesdays while I was away.   We traveled from Budapest, Hungary to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Budapest

Mespelbrunn Castle

The Netherlands

Flower market in Amsterdam

Mespelbrunn Castle

Amsterdam