QOD: When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you; but when you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it’s your laugh. ~ Nora Ephron (May 19, 1941 ~ June 26, 2012), American author and filmmaker
Friday 19 May 2023
Thursday 18 May 2023
Thursday, May 18, 2023
QOD: Say yes, and you’ll figure it out afterward. ~ Tina Fey (née Elizabeth Stamatina Fey; b. May 18, 1970), American comedian and actress
Wednesday 17 May 2023
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
QOD: The musician is perhaps the most modest of animals, but he is also the proudest. It is he who invented the sublime art of ruining poetry. ~ Érik Satie (né Éric Alfred Leslie Satie; May 17, 1866 ~ July 1, 1925), French pianist and composer
Tuesday 16 May 2023
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
QOD: I am always anxious to know what has happened while I've been asleep. ~ Christian Lacroix (b. May 16, 1951), French fashion designer
HeadQuarters: Each theme answer is a two word phrase where the first word begins with H and the second word begins with Q.
19-Across. Pint equivalent: HALF QUART.
25-Across. DC Comics' Clown Princess of Crime: HARLEY QUINN. This fictional character made her first appearance in a 1992 Batman cartoon. [Name # 1.]
42-Across. Members of royal courts who may be crowned at halftime: HOMECOMING QUEENS. In this scene, the Homecoming Queen is at her prom.
57-Across. Deluxe: HIGH QUALITY.
64-Across. Feels apprehensive: HAS QUALMS.
And the Unifier:
52-Down. Command ctrs., and a description of five answers in this puzzle: HQs. As in HeadQuarters.
Across:
1. Push, as a button: PRESS.
6. Scuff, say: MAR.
9. Air rifle: BB GUN. Who remembers this scene from A Christmas Story?
14. Mint with a Coca-Cola flavor: TIC TAC. I was not aware of this particular flavor. Does it refresh one's breath?
16. Language suffix: -ESE.
17. Russian crepes: BLINI. Yummers!
18. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.
21. "Yellowjackets" actress Purnell: ELLA. Yellowjackets is television thriller-drama on Showtime. It's sort of a female Lord of the Flies theme. The series takes place in 2021 with flashbacks to 1996, when a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team was flying across the country. Their their plane crashed in the wilderness somewhere. The survivors were stranded for over a year before being rescued. The series chronicles their life in the wilderness, as well as their current day life. Ella Purnell (née Ella Summer Purnell; b. Sept. 17, 1996) portrays Jackie Taylor, the captain of the soccer team. [Name # 2.]
23. Customizable Nintendo avatar: MII. The name Mii is a portmanteau of “Wii” and “me.
24. Actress Falco: EDIE. Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) is probably best known for her role as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie. [Name # 3.]
29. Re-re-re-reminds: NAGS.
30. "Rudy" coach Parseghian: ARA. Ara Parseghian (né Ara Raoul Parseghian; May 21, 1923 ~ Aug. 2, 2017) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. He played professional football before becoming a college football coach. He was the head coach at Notre Dame from 1964 until his retirement in 1974. [Name # 4.]
31. WrestleMania win: PIN.
32. Facts, for short: INFO.
34. Clobbers, quaintly: SMITES.
37. __ Buddhism: ZEN. Everything you wanted to know about Zen Buddhism but didn't know to ask.
39. Tennis icon Arthur: ASHE. Arthur Ashe (né Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.; July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 3, 1993) also makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. He began playing tennis at age 6. During his career, he won three Grand Slam singles titles. [Name # 5.]
46. Like a Mega Millions jackpot winner: RICH.
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| US States and Territories that offer the Mega Millions lottery as of November 2022. |
47. NYSE debut: IPO. As in Initial Public Offering on the New York Stock Exchange.
48. Open, as a onesie: UNSNAP.
49. Noisy car part: HORN.
51. "Weekend Update" comic Michael: CHE. I learned about Michael Che (né Michael Che Campbell; b. May 19, 1083) from doing the crosswords, as he, too, is a frequent guest here. His 40th birthday is next Friday. [Name # 6.]
53. LED TV brand: RCA. The name RCA originally was derived from the Radio Corporation of America. The company is also known for its phonographs.
54. Ball in a craft store: YARN. Most yarn I have seen in stores, is actually sold in skeins or hanks. Maybe our resident knitter(s) will weigh in on the preferred type.
61. Mine, in Marseille: À MOI. Today's French lesson.
62. 22-Down monitoring org.: EPA. // And 22-Down. Pollution stat: AQI. as in the Air Quality Index, which is supposed to be monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Here is the AQI in Louisiana.
63. Aquatic mammal: SEAL.
67. Planet orbited by a moon named Margaret: URANUS. Margaret is one of 27 moons of Uranus. Margaret is the only known prograde moon of Uranus, which means it rotates in the same direction as Uranus rotates (as opposed to retrograde rotation). It was discovered just 10 years ago by Scott Sheppard. It was apparently named after a character in Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing. Margaret is also the name of Scott Sheppard's mother. [Name adjacent.]
71. Outperform: ONE UP.
72. Official calling pitch clock violations: UMP.
73. City east of Los Angeles: POMONA.
74. Desert sanctuaries: OASES.
75. Part of LGBTQ+: GAY.
76. Teen sleuth Drew: NANCY. Nancy Drew made her first appearance in 1930, in the teen mystery novel The Secret of the Old Clock. The books were published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. I think there is still an iteration of Nancy Drew, but more modern. I remember reading Nancy Drew mysteries when I was young and being fascinated that she drove a roadster. [Name # 7.]
Down:
1. Booster gp. for schools: PTA. As in the Parent Teacher Association.
2. Crater's edge: RIM.
3. __ mode: energy-saving car setting: ECO-.
4. Iron alloy: STEEL. Everything you wanted to know about the history of steel but didn't know to ask.
5. Ferret's cousin: SABLE. Sable vs Ferret.
6. "Not my fave": MEH.
7. "Same for me": AS AM I. 6-Down.
8. Replacing the inner layer of: RELINING.
9. Smoky chip flavor, briefly: BBQ.
10. Puritanical people: BLUENOSES. Hmm ... The term also apparently refers to someone from Nova Scotia. The Bluenose was also the name of the ferry that went from Bar Harbor, Maine to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
11. Celebrity chef De Laurentiis: GIADA. I am not familiar with Giada De Laurentiis (née Giada Pamela De Laurentiis; b. Aug. 22, 1970). She hosts a cooking show in the Food Network. [Name # 8.]
12. Strip of equipment: UNRIG.
13. Informal evenings: NITES.
15. Caribbean music genre: CALYPSO. The late Harry Belafonte (né Harold George Bellanfanti, Jr; Mar. 1, 1927 ~ Apr. 25, 2023) was known as the King of Calypso. [Name adjacent.]
20. Literary Huckleberry: FINN. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain (né Samuel Clemens; Nov. 30, 1835 ~ Apr. 21, 1910) has been banned by many schools ever since it was first published in the mid-1880s. [Name # 9.]
25. __ browns: HASH. Yummers!
26. Samurai's protection: ARMOR.
27. Maguire's "Spider-Man" director: RAIMI. Sam Raimi (né Samuel M. Raimi; b. Oct. 23, 1959) is best known for his Spider-Man series of films, of which there are currently three. He has also collaborated with the Coen brothers on some films. [Name # 10.]
28. Open, as a gym bag: UNZIP.
33. Mythical man-goat: FAUN.
35. Method: TECHNIQUE.
36. Reverberate: ECHO.
38. Father of Methuselah: ENOCH. Enoch is a Biblical figure who lived before the great flood. He supposedly lived to be 365 years old. He was the father of Methuselah and Jared. Methuselah was also known for his longevity. He died supposedly died at age 969. [Name # 11.]
40. Painter Matisse: HENRI. Although he was primarily a painter, Henri Matisse (né Henri Émile Benoît Matisse; Dec. 31, 1869 ~ Nov. 3, 1954) was also known for his printmaking and sculptors, [Name # 12.]
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| Self-Portrait |
41. Make into law: ENACT. You really don't want to know how the sausage is made.
43. Headphone jack insert: MINI PLUG.
44. Get in line: QUEUE UP.
45. Fix, at the vet's office: SPAY.
50. Actress Seehorn: RHEA. Rhea Seehorn (née Deborah Rhea Seehorn; b. May 12, 1972) just celebrated her 51st birthday. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul. [Name # 12.]
54. "Yippee!": YAHOO.
55. Appliance maker: AMANA. This brand of kitchen appliances makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.
56. Tokens of love: ROSES.
58. Letter before delta: GAMMA.
59. Yankee slugger Judge: AARON. In 2017, Aaron Judge (né Aaron James Judge; b. Apr. 26, 1992) was named Rookie of the Year. [Name # 13.]
60. Peruvian pack animal: LLAMA.
65. FedEx rival: UPS. What's the difference?
66. Eve in "Killing Eve," for one: SPY. Killing Eve was a British spy thriller. Sandra Oh (né Sandra Midi Oh; b. July 20, 1971) plays Eve Polastri, the title character. [Name # 14.]
68. The "N" of NFT: NON. As in Non-Fungible Token.
69. Mom's bro: UNC. Slang for Uncle. 70-Down, I am not keen on this answer.
70. "May I just __ ... ": SAY.
Here's the Grid:
