Sunday, December 31, 2023 // New Year's Eve

QOD:  Every person has to come to terms with ~ even if just for themselves ~ the gap between what they believe and how they live their lives.  ~  Courtney E. Martin (b. Dec. 31, 1979), American feminist and author

Friday, December 29, 2023

QOD:  You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.  ~  Nightbirde (née Jane Kristen Marcezewski; Dec. 29, 1990 ~ Feb. 19, 2022), American singer-songwriter

Thursday, December 28, 2023

QOD:  At your highest moment, be careful ~ That’s when the devil comes for you.  ~  Denzel Washington (b. Dec. 28, 1954), American actor

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

QOD:  A people who conceive life to be the pursuit of happiness must be chronically unhappy.  ~  Marshall Sahlins (né Marshall David Sahlins; Dec. 27, 1930 ~ Apr. 5, 2021), American cultural anthropologist

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

QOD:  Chaos is the score upon which reality is written.  ~  Henry Miller (né Henry Valentine Miller; Dec. 26, 1891 ~ June 7, 1980), American writer

Monday, December 25, 2023 // Christmas

QOD:  Health consists of having the same diseases as one’s neighbor.  ~  Quentin Crisp (né Denis Charles Pratt; Dec. 25, 1908 ~ Nov. 21, 1999), English writer

Sunday, December 24, 2023 // Christmas Eve

QOD:  If you think you’re too old to rock ‘n roll, then you are.  ~  Lemmy Kilmister (né Ian Fraser Kilmister; Dec. 24, 1945 ~ Dec. 28, 2015), English musician

Friday, December 22, 2023

QOD:  Real irony is far more sincere than earnestness.  To accept the absurdity of a situation is to accept the humanness of it.  ~ Percival Everett (b. Dec. 22, 1956), African-American novelist

Thursday, December 21, 2023

QOD:  I like being over the hill.  I’ve discovered a whole new landscape.  ~  Jane Fonda (née Jane Seymour Fonda; b. Dec. 21, 1937), American actress

Wednesday, December 21, 2023

QOD:  If we are not regularly deeply embarrassed by who we are, the journey to self-knowledge hasn’t begun.  ~  Alain de Botton (b. Dec. 20, 1969), Swiss-born British philosopher

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

QOD:  Even though you can’t expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make an attempt.  That’s morality, that’s religion, that’s art, that’s life.  ~  Phil Ochs (né Philip David Ochs; Dec. 19, 1940 ~ Apr. 9, 1976), American singer-songwriter

Monday, December 18, 2023

QOD:  A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.  ~  Greek Proverb  

Sunday, December 17, 2023

QOD:  I see the church as a field hospital after battle.  Heal the wounds, heal the wounds.  ~  Pope Francis (né Jorge Mario Bergoglio; b. Dec. 17, 1936)

Friday, December 15, 2023

QOD:  Every lie is two lies ~ the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it.  ~  Robert Brault (b. 1938), American author  

Thursday, December 14, 2023

QOD:  There is no sinner like a young saint.  ~  Aphra Behn (Dec. 14, 1640 ~ Apr. 16, 1689), British playwright

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

QOD:  Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people.  ~  Heinrich Heine (né Christian Johann Heinrich Heine, Dec. 13, 1797 ~ Feb. 17, 1856), German writer and literary critic

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

QOD:  Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your fingers.  ~  Gustave Flaubert (Dec. 12, 1821 ~ May 8, 1880), French novelist

Monday, December 11, 2023

QOD:  Though the world cannot be changed by talking to one child at a time, it may at least be known.  ~  Grace Paley (née Grace Goodside; Dec. 11, 1922 ~ Aug. 22, 2007), American writer, poet, and political activist

Sunday, December 10, 2023

QOD:  If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.  ~  Emily Dickinson (née Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, Dec. 10, 1830 ~ May 15, 1886), American poet

Friday, December 8, 2023

QOD:  Never take anyone’s advice.  ~  John Banville (né William John Banville; b. Dec. 8, 1945), Irish novelist

Thursday, December 7, 2023

QOD:  Money is a protection, a cloak; it can buy one quiet and some sort of dignity.  ~  Willa Cather (née Willa Sibert Cather; Dec. 7, 1873 ~ Apr. 24, 1947), American novelist

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

QOD:  What’s another word for thesaurus?  ~  Steven Wright (né Steven Alexander Wright; b. Dec. 6, 1955), American comedian

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

QOD:  There is a point when you go with what you’ve got.  Or you don’t go.  ~  Joan Didion (Dec. 5, 1934 ~ Dec. 23, 2021), American writer

Water, Water, Everywhere but not in my Glass, my Cup, my Pitcher, or my Bowl.

17-Across. Sherlock Holmes costume accessory: MAGNIFYING GLASS.

22-Across. Means of sticking a shower caddy to a tile wall: SUCTION CUP.

35-Across. Support from the bullpen: RELIEF PITCHER.

46-Across. Annual football game in Arizona: FIESTA BOWL.

And the unifier

52-Across. Isn't credible, or a literal description of 17-, 22-, 35-, or 46-Across?: DOESN'T HOLD WATER.

I laughed when I got the reveal.  While the last word of each theme answer could hold water, the answer as written is not an item that would hold water.

Across:

1. Mooch, as a smoke: BUM.

4. Royal elephant of children's literature: BABAR.  We saw Babar just last Wednesday when he made an appearance in the puzzle.  Babar has been around since 1931.  It's not without controversy, however.  [Name # 1, fictional.]

9. Functional: UTILE.

14. Slice of history: ERA.

15. Alpaca relative: LLAMA.  This made me think of Ogden Nash and his thoughts on the Llama.

            The one-l lama,

            He’s a priest.

            The two-l llama,

            He’s a beast.

            And I will bet

            A silk pajama

            There isn’t any

            Three-l lllama.”

16. Inheritance from one's parents?: GENES.  Cute clue.  //  and 56-Down. Makeup of 16-Across: DNA.  We learned about Eugene Pool last Thursday.

20. Marriage: UNION.

21. Desert watering holes: OASES.  Is the Cajun Oasis in the desert?

26. Fungus gnat, e.g.: PEST.

29. Paul Anka's "__ Beso": ESO.  I'll spare your ears.

30. Score more than: BEAT.  Earlier this Fall, the LSU Tigers beat the Georgia State Panthers in football by a score of 56 to 14.

31. Figure on the last float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: SANTA.  And a shoutout to our dear Argyle.  The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day / Annual Christmas Parade was in 1924.  

This Float from 1924 was filled with oxygen, so was propped up on stilts instead of actually floating.

32. To the left, at sea: APORT.

34. Takes effect: SETS IN.

38. Bibliography list: TITLES.  A bibliography is a list of all of the sources used in preparing a research paper.  The bibliography typically includes the authors' names and the titles of the works, such as papers, books, etc.

39. Neglects to mention: OMITS.

40. "The Good Place" creator Michael: SCHUR.  I never saw The Good Place and am not familiar with Michael Schur (né Michael Herbert Schur; b. Oct. 29, 1975).  The show was a sit-com that starred Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; Dec. 29, 1947).  [Name # 2.]

Michael Schur is on the right.

41. "Sunday NFL Countdown" network: ESPN.

42. Agcy. operating full-body scanners: TSA.  This federal agency, the Transportation Security Administration,  makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

45. __ out a win: almost lost: EKED.

49. Convene again: RESIT.  Meh!

51. Dubbed: NAMED.

57. Muse of poetry: ERATO.  She makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She is especially known for erotic poetry.   Erato is one of the nine muses of Greek mythology.  Can you name the other eight?  [Name # 3, fictional.]

58. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.  Justice Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She has served in the Supreme Court since August 2010.  [Name # 4.]

59. Nail polish brand: OPI.  We often see this nail polish brand in the puzzles, although the company prefers to be called a Nail Lacquer.

60. Luminous: AGLOW.

61. Weather forecast aid: RADAR.

62. Web portal with Bing: MSN.

Down:

1. Perplex: BEMUSE.

2. Ice planet beyond Saturn: URANUS.  There are so many sophomoric jokes about this planet.  Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens.

3. Realismo __: Isabel Allende genre: MÁGICO.   Today's Spanish lesson.  Isabel Allende (née Isabel Angélica Allende Llona; b. Aug. 2, 1942) novels incorporates Magical Realism, which is a style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.  Allende is a Peruvian author and much of her works have been translated into English.  Her novels are often based upon her personal experience and historical events, while weaving together elements of myth and realism.

Isabel Allende

4. Russian pancakes: BLINI.  They are supposed to be easy to make.  I can't vouch for this because I have never tried to make Blini.

5. Melmac native of 1980s TV: ALF.  Did you know that Alf's name stood for Alien Life Form?  He was known for wanting to eat the family cat, which is probably why I never watched the show.  [Name # 6, fictional.]

6. __ leaf: stew herb: BAY.

7. Bordeaux beau: AMI.  Today's French lesson.

8. Expired, as time: RAN OUT.

9. Fleece-lined boots: UGGS.  Ugg is right!

10. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.

11. Sort of: IN A SENSE.

12. "__ Misérables": LES.  Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo (Feb. 26, 1802 ~ May 22, 1885).  The book, which follows the lives of several people, focuses primarily on Jean Valjean, an ex-convict.  Jean Valjean struggles for redemption.  The novel culminates with the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris.  The novel has also been adapted into movies and musicals.  [Name adjacent.]

13. Serpentine curve: ESS.

18. "__ my cup of tea": NOT.  A shoutout to Yellow Rocks as this was an expression she often used in her comments.  Has anyone heard from her?

19. Athleta parent company: GAP.  Or, if you're in London, you must mind the Gap.

23. Orchestral reeds: OBOES.  A crossword staple.

24. Tank the efficacy of, in gamer slang: NERF.  According to dictionary.com, Nerf means: "(in a video game) to reconfigure (an existing character or weapon), making it less powerful."  The only Nerf I knew of was the Nerf Ball.

25. Arched-back yoga asana: CAT POSE.  The Cat-Cow are common warm-up positions in yoga.

27. Risotto recipe verb: STIR.  Yummers!  I love a good risotto.  It does take a long time to make and there is a lot of stirring to get the dish to come out just right.

28. Khaki kin: TAN.

31. Splinter group: SECT.  This, too, is becoming a crossword staple.

32. Mentions indirectly: ALLUDES TO.

33. Docking spot: PIER.

34. Duration of employment: STINT.

35. Novelist Riordan: RICK.  I am not familiar with this author.  Rick Riordan (né Richard Russell Riordan, Jr.; b. June 5, 1964) writes fantasy novels.  He is best known for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which is also a movie series.    [Name # 7.]

36. Light and delicate: ETHEREAL.

37. Little rascals: IMPS.

38. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE.  I always thought Thomas Stearns Eliot (Sept. 26, 1888 ~ Jan. 4, 1965) was British.  He was actually born in St. Louis, Missouri, but renounced his American citizenship and became a British subject in 1939.  [Name # 8.]

41. "Both would be fine": EITHER.

42. Narrow-headed drum: TOM-TOM.

43. Wins every game in a series: SWEEPS.

44. Astronaut Buzz who was the second man on the moon: ALDRIN.  Besides being an astronaut, Buzz Aldrin (né Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.; b. Jan. 20, 1930), was also a jet fighter pilot.  He flew 66 combat missions during the Korean War.  He legally changed his name from Edwin to Buzz in 1988. [Name # 9.]

46. Athletic: FIT.

47. Peace Nobelist Sadat: ANWAR.  In 1978, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Anwar Sadat (né Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat; Dec. 25, 1918 ~ Oct. 6, 1981) and Manachem Begin (Aug. 16, 1913 ~ Mar. 9, 1982) for jointly negotiating peace between Egypt and Israel.  Sadly, Sadat was assassinated in 1981.  [Name # 10.]

48. What did ewe say?: BAA.

50. Skier's surface: SNOW.

52. Anti-narcotics law gp.: DEA.

53. URL ending for charities: ORG.  The difference between .com and .org.

54. Suffix with pay or Cray: -OLA.  As in Payola, which is a criminal offense, and Crayola, which are crayons.

55. Conducted: LED.  Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860 ~ May 18, 1911) was Bohemian composer and one of the leading conductors of his time.  He was from a little village called Kaliště, which is in what is now the Czech Republic.   We visited Kaliště a few years ago because it is also the home town of hubby's great-grandfather.  They were contemporaries.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

I'll be away for the next few weeks, but I know you will be in good hands.  Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 4, 2023

QOD:  There is no more wretched prison than the fear of hurting someone who loves you.  ~  Rainier Maria Rilke (né René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke; Dec. 4, 1875 ~ Dec. 29, 1926), Austrian poet

Sunday, December 3, 2023

QOD:  All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun.  ~  Jean-Luc Godard (Dec. 3, 1930 ~ Sept. 13, 2022), French film director

Friday, December 1, 2023

QOD:  You don’t know what pressure is until you play for five bucks with only two bucks in your pocket.  ~  Lee Trevino (né Lee Buck Trevino; b. Dec. 1, 1930), American professional golfer

Thursday, November 30, 2023

QOD:  If you think you’re great, then something is seriously wrong with you.  ~  Marina Abramović (b. Nov. 30, 1946), Serbian performance artist

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

QOD:  We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin.  ~  C.S. Lewis (né Clive Staples Lewis, Nov. 29, 1898 ~ Nov. 22, 1963), British writer and lay theologian

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

QOD:  When you look into the eyes of an animal you’ve rescued, you can’t help but fall in love.  ~  Paul Shaffer (né Paul Allen Wood Shaffer; b. November 28, 1948), Canadian musician and band leader

Nothing Fancy today.  The Beginning word of each theme answer is another word for Humble.

18-Across. *  Unembellished facts: PLAIN TRUTH.

27-Across. *  Soda and candy, metabolically: SIMPLE CARBS.

51-Across. *  Indie rock band with the hit single "Float On": MODEST MOUSE.

61-Across. *  No-frills TV choice: BASIC CABLE.

And the unifier:

38-Across. Part of a rags-to-riches story, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS.

I now humbly present you with the rest of the answers to today's puzzle.

Across:

1. Play people: CASTS.  Actors had too many letters.

6. Light-tube gas: NEON.

10. Forehead hider: BANGS.

15. Très très: ULTRA.

16. Prefix that means 2-Down: OMNI.  //  And 2-Down.  2. The whole shebang: ALL.

17. Easy-to-read font: ARIAL.  This clue and answer is written in Arial.

20. Japanese lunchbox: BENTO.  They look like so much fun.

21. Boo-Boo's buddy: YOGI.  [Name # 1, fictional.]

22. Bryant of "Shrill": AIDY.  I am familiar with neither Shrill nor Aidy Bryant (née Aidan Mackenzy Bryant; b. May 7, 1987).  Aidy was also apparently a cast member on Saturday Night Live.  [Name # 2.]

24. Clairvoyant's gift, for short: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

25. PC alternatives: MACs.  As in an Apple computer.  //  And 55-Across. Apple platform: IOS.

31. Mobile's st.: ALA.  Mobile is on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.  If you are traveling on Interstate 10, you are forced to go through the George Wallace Tunnel which runs under the Mobile River in Mobile, Alabama.  It always causes a huge traffic jam, especially in the summer as tourist try to make their way from the west to the Florida beaches.  Little piece of Mobile trivia.

32. "Kim's Convenience" actor Paul Sun-Hyung __: LEE.  Hi, CanadianEh!  Kim's Convenience is a sit-com about a Korean-Canadian family who run a convenience store in Toronto.  Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (b. Aug. 16, 1972) portrays the patriarch in the television show.  [Name # 3.]

33. Like some forest ground: MOSSY.

34. Coke or Pepsi: COLA.  Soda fits into the spaces provided also.

36. __-rock music: ALT.  Everything you wanted to know about Alternative Rock but didn't know to ask.

37. Cruise stop: PORT.  Mobile, Alabama is a cruise port / terminal.

44. Yawn inducer: BORE.

45. Good times: UPS.  

46. Gather, as crops: REAP.

47. Former "American Gladiators" co-host Ali: LAILA.  Did you know that Laila Ali (née Laila Amaria Ali; b. Dec. 20, 1977) also wrote a cookbook?  If not, please review the answers to last Tuesday's puzzle.  [Name # 4.]

49. Ante-: PRE-.  Think Antebellum, which means before a particular war.  In the United States, it refers to prior to the American Civil War.

50. Hoppy draft choice, for short: IPA.  India Pale Ale has become a crossword staple.

54. Forevvvvvver: AGES.

56. Fuel from a bog: PEAT.

57. Sound of relief: SIGH.

59. Word before time or tire: SPARE.  Spare Time and Spare Tire.

66. Oscar winner Swinton: TILDA.  Tilda Swinton (née Katherine Matilda Swinton; b. Nov. 5, 1960) won an Oscar for her role as Karen Crowder in the 2007 legal thriller Michael Clayton.  [Name # 5.]

67. GPS figures: ETAs.  Your Global Positioning System will give you the Estimated Time of Arrival to your destination.

68. Give a wide berth: AVOID.

69. Move on tiptoe: SNEAK.

70. __ Ness monster: LOCH.  Everything they want you to believe about the Loch Ness Monster.  [Name adjacent.  Real or fictional?]

71. Really, really into crosswords, say: NERDY.  Do you consider yourself a nerd just because you enjoy doing Crossword puzzles?

Down:

1. Trophy shape: CUP.

3. "Deep breath ... ": STAY CALM.

4. TLC and HAIM: TRIOS.  //  And 5-Down. Performed like TLC and HAIM: SANG.  Both TLC and HAIM are female bands.  TLC is (was?) a R&B pop group that was big in the 1990s.  HAIM is comprised of three sisters whose surname is Haim.  [Names # 6 and 7.]

TLC

HAIM

6. Scand. land: NOR.  Norway is in Scandinavia.  

 

7. Down Under bird: EMU.  The Emu makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

8. Recorded, in a way: ON TAPE.  That is so last century!

9. Nothing, in Latin: NIHIL.  Today's Latin lesson.

10. Small stir-fry vegetables: BABY CORN.  What is Baby Corn?

 

11. "__ You the One?": reality dating series: ARE.  I'm not familiar with this show, but it was easy enough to suss the answer.

12. SF NFL team: NINERS.  San Francisco's National Football League team is the Forty-Niners.  [Name adjacent.]

13. "Great" West Egg resident Jay: GATSBY.  I first read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (né Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald; b. Sept. 24, 1896 ~ Dec. 21, 1940) years ago.  It is still a favorite.  It has also been adapted into several movie versions.  [Name # 8, fictional.]

14. Gets everywhere: SLOPS.

19. "__ the season ... ": 'TIS.  I guess the Christmas Season has officially begun, although I began to see Christmas decorations in shops before Halloween.  So when does the Season to Be Jolly actually begin?

23. Evil spirits: DEMONS.

25. Supersonic speed measure: MACH.  Mach is used as a unit of measurement in stating the speed of a moving object in relation to the speed of sound. A Mach number is the ratio of an object's speed in a given medium to the speed of sound in that medium.  Mach 1, then, is the speed of sound, around 761 mph at sea level on a standard day.  Thus, if an aircraft is traveling at Mach 1, it is traveling at exactly the speed of sound.  Clear as mud, right?

26. Six-time MLB All-Star Moisés: ALOU.  Moisés Alou (né Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré; b. July 3, 1966) makes occasional guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  He was an outfielder and played for a number National League teams, including, but not limited to the Houston Astros, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Mets.  [Name # 9.]

28. "Imagine that!": I'LL BE.

29. Ration (out): METE.

30. Riled up: ASTIR.

35. "Three Billboards ... " actress Cornish: ABBIE.  The full name of the movie is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.  It was a rather disturbing film which starred Frances McDormand (née Cynthia Ann Smith; b. June 23, 1957) who posted three billboards to draw attention to her daughter's unsolved rape and murder.  I don't recall the role that Abbie Cornish (b. Aug. 7, 1982) had in the film.  [Name # 10.]

Abbie Cornish

36. Add bubbles to: AERATE.

37. Plumbing conduits: PIPES.

39. Internet lingo from a cat meme: LOLSPEAK.  Hand up if you had heard of Lolspeak.  Apparently, it is the intentionally grammatically incorrect text accompanying a cat meme.

40. Hindu mentor: GURU.

41. Person next door: NEIGHBOR.

Ned Flanders is Homer's neighbor

42. Stare in awe: GAPE.

43. Relaxing resorts: SPAS.

47. Add to an email thread, say: LOOP IN.

48. TV revenue source: AD SALE.

49. Side that might be mashed or fried: POTATO.  Fun facts about potatoes.

51. Uses a spray bottle: MISTS.

52. Selena's "Only Murders in the Building" role: MABEL.  Only Murders in the Building is a comedy mystery about three strangers who live in a ritzy apartment building in New York.  They all decide to investigate suspicious deaths that occur in their building.  The show stars Selena Gomez (née Selena Marie Gomez; b. July 22, 1992), who portrays Mabel, Steve Martin (né Stephen Glenn Martin; b. Aug. 14, 1945), and Martin Short (né Martin Hayter Short; b. Mar. 26, 1950).  [Names # 11 and 12, one real, the other fictional.]

53. Key that exits full-screen mode: ESC.  The Escape Key.

54. Tequila plant: AGAVE.

58. "__ hardly wait!": I CAN.

60. Nutrition fig.: RDA.  As in Recommended Daily Allowance.

62. Anatomical pouch: SAC.

63. Kinda sorta: -ISH.

64. "Put a __ on it!": LID.

65. Big name in ice cream: EDY.  A crossword staple.  [Name adjacent.]

Here's the Grid: