QOD: Loneliness is more fatal than a poor diet or lack of exercise, as corrosive as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Friendship literally saves our lives. ~ Marisa G. Franco, African-American psychologist [Dates unknown]
Making a Bucket for your Bucket List. A good Bucket should be able to Carry Weight, have a Handle and Hold Water. Thus, each of the theme answers are characteristics that should be on list of items for making a good bucket.
M
20-Across. * Has significant influence: CARRIES WEIGHT.
44-Across. * Is able to wrap one's head around: HAS GOT A HANDLE ON.
26-Down. * Stands up to scrutiny: HOLDS WATER. But what if there's a hole in the bucket?
28-Down. Enumeration of life goals, on which one should also find the answers to the starred clues?: BUCKET LIST. A Bucket List refers to things one should do be for Kicking the Bucket. The term Kicking the Bucket means to die and is somewhat disrespectful. It has a rather gruesome origin. The wooden frame used to hang animals by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. As the animals struggled and spasmed, they were said to “kick the bucket.”
Let's move on to more cheerful topics. What else is in our puzzle today?
Across:
1. Emery board target: NAIL. Did you ever wonder what exactly Emery is? According to Merriam-Webster it is "a dark granular mineral that consists of corundum with iron oxide impurities (such as magnetite) and is used as an abrasive."
5. Change as needed: ADAPT.
10. "F" on a gas gauge: FULL.
14. No-frills grocery chain that collects a deposit for a shopping cart: ALDI. Is there a connection between Aldi and Trader Joe's? There is a Trader Joe's within walking distance from my house.
15. With a long face: SADLY.
16. Michigan neighbor: OHIO. Here's a cute little riddle for you: What's Round on the End and High in the Middle?
17. Self-checkout sound: BEEP.
18. Batch of Brownies: TROOP. My favorite clue of the puzzle.
19. Paper towel purchase: ROLL.
23. AirPods holders: EARS. I'd be afraid I'd lose them. The pods could be considered 32-Down. Sci-fi getaway option: ESCAPE POD. People get "lost" in listening to their AirPods.
24. Nothing to write home about: SO-SO.
25. Small talk: CHAT.
27. Bubble tea "bubbles": BOBA. What is Boba?
30. Encapsulated ecosystem: BIODOME. Scandal in the Biosphere.
33. Lead an orchestra: CONDUCT. It's not as easy as you might think.
36. "Tutti," in English: ALL. Today's Italian lesson.
37. Ones who fail to keep up appearances?: NO SHOWS.
39. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO. [Name # 1.] Margaret Moran Cho (b. Dec. 5, 1968), is a comedian who makes makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.
40. Potluck contribution: SIDE. If everyone brings a side dish, where is the main course?
42. Base for jam and clotted cream: SCONE. Yummers!
43. Hershey toffee bar: SKOR. Yummers!
47. Vessel in some Asian restaurant names: WOK.
48. __ favor: POR. Today's Spanish lesson, if you please, and a nod to our Lucina.
49. "Do __ disturb": NOT.
50. [Shrug]: BEATS ME.
53. Boat pulling a fishing net: TRAWLER.
57. Play part that follows an overture: ACT I. We learned last Friday that many modern plays lack an Act Two.
58. Footnote abbr.: OP. CIT. Today's Latin lesson. Op. Cit. is a Latin for the phrase opus citatum or opere citato, which means the work cited.
60. Foolish talk: JIVE.
61. Nurses a sprain, say: ICES. Has anyone heard from Tinbini recently?
62. Group of associates: POSSE.
63. "Make it snappy!" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.
64. Word: TERM. The two are not interchangeable.
65. Touches up, as text: EDITS.
66. Range components: Abbr.: MTNs. As in Mountains.
Down:
1. Seize: NAB.
2. Smart __: wisenheimer: ALEC. A possible theory on the origin of the term Smart Alec. [Name adjacent.]
3. Planning session offering: IDEA.
4. Comprehend without hearing, in a way: LIP READ.
5. Up and about: ASTIR.
6. Has the guts (to): DARES.
7. Noisy commotions: ADOs. It's probably just Much Ado About Nothing.
8. Farm machines: PLOWS. Everything is bigger in Texas.
9. Like a universal donor's blood: TYPE O. Everything you wanted to know about blood types, but didn't know to ask.
10. Permanently: FOR GOOD.
11. "I have a bad feeling about this": UH-OH!
12. Bouncy tune: LILT.
13. Texting guffaw: LOL. Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud. But you knew that.
21. Boca __, Florida: RATON.
22. 13-digit pub. codes: ISBNs. As in the International Standard Book Number.
25. Fine hairs: CILIA.
29. Hay fever sound: ACHOO! This has become the word of the month.
30. Shindig: BASH.
31. __ Valuable Player: MOST. LSU's Angel Reese (b. May 6, 2002) was named the Most Outstanding Player after the Women's basketball championship game last week.
33. Grifter: CON ARTIST.
34. "Marry Me" actor Wilson: OWEN. Owen Wilson (né Owen Cunningham Wilson; b. Nov. 18, 1968) is a comedic actor who has been in a number of films, many of which are somewhat off-beat. He is the older brother of actor Luke Cunningham Wilson (b. Sept. 21, 1971). [Name # 2.]
35. Unable to make up one's mind: TORN.
38. Jolly syllables: HO-HO.
41. Self-absorption: EGOTISM.
43. Smooth R&B tune: SLOW JAM.
45. Gives the go-ahead: OKs.
46. Subj. of Rosalind Franklin's research: DNA. Rosalind Franklin's (July 25, 1920 ~ Apr. 16, 1958) research was critical in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. Sadly, she died young and never received the recognition she deserved. [Name # 3.]
50. Can of worms, maybe: BAIT.
51. Latin "behold": ECCE. More of today's Latin lesson.
52. Wallow in sadness: MOPE.
54. Numbered hwys.: RTEs. As in Routes.
55. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN. [Name adjacent.]
56. Gym count: REPs.
59. Forensic series whose theme song is "Who Are You": CSI.
Here 's the Grid:
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