Friday, April 14, 2023

QOD:  The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.  ~  Arnold Toynbee (né Arnold Joseph Toynbee; Apr. 14, 1889 ~ Oct. 22, 1975), British historian

Thursday, April 13, 2023

QOD:  When you’re in the shit up to your neck, there’s nothing left to do but sing.  ~  Samuel Beckett (né Samuel Barclay Beckett; Apr. 13, 1906 ~ Dec. 22, 1989), Irish novelist and playwright

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

QOD:  Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.  ~  Beverly Cleary (née Beverly Atlee Bunn, Apr. 12, 1916 ~ Mar. 25, 2021), American children’s author

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

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.]

Luke and Owen Wilson

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:

חתולה

Monday, April 10, 2023

QOD:  Travel is equal parts flight and pursuit.  ~  Paul Theroux (né Paul Edward Theroux; b. Apr. 10, 1941), American travel writer and novelist

 

Sunday, April 9, 2023 // Easter Sunday

QOD:  It seems to me that I will always be happy in the place where I am not.  ~  Charles Baudelaire (né Charles Pierre Baudelaire, Apr. 9, 1821 ~ Aug. 31, 1867), French poet