Friday, March 24, 2023

QOD:  No performer should attempt to bite off red-hot iron unless he has a good set of teeth.  ~  Harry Houdini (né Erik Weiss; Mar. 24, 1874 ~ Oct. 31, 1926), Hungarian-born illusionist

Thursday, March 23, 2023

QOD:  To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable.  ~  Erich Fromm (Mar. 23, 1900 ~ Mar. 18, 1980), German psychoanalyst

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

QOD:  If you find an American who feels entirely class-secure, stuff and exhibit him.  He’s a rare specimen.  ~  Paul Fussell, Jr. (Mar. 22, 1924 ~ May 23, 2012), American cultural and literary historian

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

QOD:  People can say what they like about the eternal vanities, love, and truth and so on, but nothing’s as eternal as the dishes.  ~  Margaret Mahy (Mar. 21, 1936 ~ July 23, 2012), New Zealand author of children’s books

It's Politically Correct:  Each theme answer is a two word phrase where the first word begins with P and the second word begins with C.

17-Across. Black-and-white cruisers: PATROL CARS.  Hand up if your first thought was Police Car instead of Patrol Car.  Also known as Panda Cars.

26-Across. Former name of Ball Arena: PEPSI CENTER.  The Ball Arena, formerly known as the Pepsi Center, is in Denver, Colorado.  It's home to the Denver Nuggets (basketball), the Colorado Avalanche (hockey), and the Colorado Mammoth (lacrosse).

39-Across. Public space in London's West End: PICCADILLY CIRCUS.  Although it's a wild and crazy round-about, the Circus in the name is derived from the Latin word meaning circle.

53-Across. Influential duo: POWER COUPLE.  Iconic Power Couples from 1954 to 2020.

64-Across. Snack Pack product: PUDDING CUP.

And the unifier:

63-Down. Some laptops, and a hint to five long answers in this puzzle: PCs.  Is my MacBook a Personal Computer?  What's the difference between a PC (Personal Computer) and an Apple laptop?

Across:

1. Defeated player's concession: I LOST.

6. Phone download: APP.

9. Cobra's warning: HISS.

13. "Yes to Fresh" candy: MENTOS.  I knew of the candy, but not its catch-phrase.

15. Bath bathroom: LOO.  Why do the Brits use the word Loo?  Apparently, it comes from the French phrase guardez l'eau, which means "watch out for the water".  This French phrase was actually used when emptying out the chamber pot from the bedroom window.

16. Snack (on): MUNCH.  Detective Munch, played by the late Richard Belzer (Aug. 4, 1944 ~ Feb. 19, 2023), first appeared in the television series Homicide: Life on the Streets, before moving on to a Law & Order spinoff.  I wonder what snack he Munched on.

19. "Aw, shucks!": OH, GEE!

20. Fit to eat, to Muslims: HALAL.  Halal is an Arabic word that means lawful, or permitted.

21. Bygone Russian royal: TSAR.  Did you know that the word Tsar is derived from the Latin title of Caesar?

23. First digit in a googol: ONE.  The One (1) in a Googol is followed by 100 Zeros.  It's a really, really big number.

24. Little cut: SNIP.

29. Cargo weight: TON.

30. Sunscreen nos.: SPFs.  As in Sun Protection Factor.

31. Indonesian island between Java and Lombok: BALI.  There are lots of things to see and do in Bali.

32. "So that's it!": OH, I SEE.

34. Knee injury initials: ACL.  As in Anterior Cruciate Ligament.  We see this knee injury occasionally in the puzzles.

36. "What a shame!": TSK.

44. Oolong, e.g.: TEA.  Everything you wanted to know about Oolong Tea, but didn't know to ask.

45. Combat sport, briefly: MMA.  Short for Mixed Martial Arts.

46. "We did it!": HOORAY!

47. __ year: LEAP.  People born on February 29 are known as Leaplings.  My great-grandfather was a Leapling.

50. Blueprint detail, for short: SPEC.

52. Overhead trains: ELs.  Short for Elevated train.

57. Tuckered out: BEAT.

58. Spanish "that": ESO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

59. Short "And yet ... ": OTOH.  Textspeak for On The Other Hand.

60. Hunter in the night sky: ORION.

62. Said yes to an invite, say: RSVP'D.  Today's French lesson.  The letters stand for répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates to Respond if you please.  A response, however, is really expected, whether you please or not.

68. Jigsaw puzzle part: PIECE.

69. Memorable period: ERA.

70. Cruise venues: OCEANS.

71. Beltway VIPs: SENs.  As in Senators. 

72. Add sound to: DUB.

73. Promotes aggressively: HYPES.

Down:

1. Little rascal: IMP.

2. Actress DeLaria: LEA.  Lea DeLaria (b. May 23, 1958) is best known for her portrayal of Carrie Black on Orange is the New Black.  [Name # 1.]

3. In a precarious position: ON THIN ICE.  Here's a fascinating video of someone who intentionally skates on thin ice.

4. Sandal fastener: STRAP.

5. Home Depot purchase: TOOL.

6. Fla. neighbor: ALA.  Alabama is Florida's neighbor.  Ever wonder why Alabama has such a small coastline?

7. Some dessert wines: PORTS.  Everything you wanted to know about Port Wines, but didn't know to ask.

8. "Could be": POSSIBLY.

9. "Come again?": HUH.

10. Gold bar: INGOT.  Everything you wanted to know about Gold Ingots, but didn't know to ask.

11. Play division: SCENE.

12. See-through: SHEER.  Before she was the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton (b. Jan. 9, 1982) took part in a fashion show while in college.

14. Hit with an open hand: SLAPPED.

16. Gourmet mushroom: MOREL.  These mushrooms used to be a crossword staple.

18. Score symbol: CLEF.

22. Obamacare, initially: ACA.  //  And 49-Down. The second "A" of 22-Down: ACT.  The actual name of Obamacare is the Affordable Care Act.

24. "Knock it off!": STOP.

25. Like nine games of the 2021 baseball season: NO HIT.  Read about all Nine No-Hit games.

27. Biblical song: PSALM.

28. Part of TNT: NITRO.  It's formal name is TriNitroToluene.

30. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.  The Dead Sea Scrolls can be seen at the Israel Museum: Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.

33. Weighing device: SCALE.

35. Bracelet fastener: CLASP.

37. Image in many a software tutorial: SCREENCAP.

38. __ Lumpur, Malaysia: KUALA.

40. "That was exhausting!": I'M POOPED.

41. "Toodle-oo!": CHEERIO!

42. Winter Games org.: IOC.  As in the International Olympic Committee.

43. Method: Abbr.: SYST.  As in System.

48. Slowly wear down: ERODE.

51. Trudge: PLOD.

53. Suspects, in police slang: PERPS.

54. Davis of "Do the Right Thing": OSSIE.  I saw Do the Right Thing when I was living in France.  It didn't translate well.  Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis; Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) played a character named Da Mayor.  [Name # 2.]

55. Like wicker baskets: WOVEN.

56. Freedom, in Swahili: UHURU.  It is also the first name of the former president of Kenya, who served in that Office from April 2013 until September 2022.

Uğuru Kenyatta (b. Oct. 26, 1961)

57. One over par, in golf: BOGEY.

61. Ruler division: INCH.

65. Perfume amount: DAB.

66. French article: UNE.  More of today's French lesson.

67. Ltr. add-ons: PSs.  As in PostScripts.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, March 21, 2023

QOD:  It is a bad idea, usually, to investigate piteous weeping, but always a fine thing to look into a giggle.  ~  Lois Lowry (née Lois Ann Hammersberg; b. Mar. 20, 1937), American writer of children’s literature

Sunday, March 19, 2023

QOD:  Never make an important decision without a woman at the table.  ~  Leonard Lauder (né Leonard Alan Lauder; b. Mar. 19, 1933), American businessman