Friday, January 5, 2024

QOD:  The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel.  Once invented, it cannot be improved.  ~  Umberto Eco (Jan. 5, 1932 ~ Feb. 19, 2016), Italian author

Thursday, January 4, 2023

QOD:  I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.  ~  Sir Isaac Newton (Jan. 4, 1643 ~ Mar. 31, 1727), English mathematician and physicist

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

QOD:  A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a shortcut to meet it.  ~  J.R.R. Tolkien (né John Ronald Reuel Tolkien; Jan. 3, 1892 ~ Sept. 2, 1973), English author

Tuesday, January 2, 2023

QOD:  The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” but “That’s funny.”  ~  Isaac Asimov (né Isaak Yudovich Ozimov, Jan 2, 1902 ~ Apr. 6, 1992), Russian-born science fiction writer

Happy New Year, my crossword friends.  I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2024.

Double Cross.  The word Cross can be placed before each word in the theme answer to give a new concept.

17-Across. *  Hurdles for would-be attorneys: BAR EXAMINATIONS.  Cross Bar and Cross Examinations.

25-Across. *  Rural byway: COUNTRY ROAD.  Cross Country and Cross Road.

"Well isn't this a nice quiet country road! Not another car in sight!"

41-Across. *  Clarinet, bassoon, etc., in an orchestra: WIND SECTION.  Cross Wind and Cross Section.

54-Across. Things to "see" in a dictionary, and what both parts of the answers to the starred clues are?: CROSS REFERENCES.

Across:

1. Starfleet Academy student: CADET.  Starfleet Academy is the fictional academy is where recruits to Starfleet's officer corps are trained in Star Trek.  Apparently it was established in the year 2161 in San Francisco.  That's good news for San Francisco since it means that a major earthquake will not be destroying the city for at least another 140+ years.

6. "Ain't gonna happen": NOPE.

10. Mattress support piece: SLAT.

14. Fruit on a cocktail toothpick: OLIVE.  Why Olives are in martinis.

15. Lyft rival: UBER.

16. Opera house level: LOGE.

At the Hungarian State Opera House

20. "Take a load off": SIT.

21. Toothpaste dispensers: TUBES.

22. Group of eight: OCTET.

23. Break bread: DINE.

24. More formal than business casual: DRESSY.

29. Beyoncé's "Best __ I Never Had": THING.  [Name # 1.]

30. Made for __ other: EACH.

31. Pampering place: SPA.

34. Make mad: RILE.

35. TGIF part: THANK.

37. Growth on an old loaf: MOLD.

38. "Woo-hoo!": YAY.

39. Cold feet: FEAR.  Probably some of the early European settlers got cold feet when they sailed near Cape Fear in North Carolina.

40. Light supper: SALAD.  It could be a Big Salad.

44. Arcade coins: TOKENS.

47. Backyard storage for hoes and hoses: SHED.

48. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi: ANNAN.  Kofi Annan (né Kofi Atta Annan; Apr. 8, 1938 ~ Aug. 18, 2018) served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 through December 2006.  He and the UN were co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.   [Name # 2.]

49. Spud, informally: TATER.  It's a bit un-PC, but very funny and if you listen to the end, you will see why it's relevant here.

51. __ Dhabi: ABU.  Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates.  The name means Father of Gazelle.  It is so named because of the abundance of gazelles in the area.

57. "Bloodline" actor Chandler: KYLE.  Kyle Chandler (né Kyle Martin Chandler; b. Sept. 17, 1965) has starred in a number of television shows, including Friday Night Lights and Early Edition in addition to Bloodline.  [Name # 3.]

58. Part of a plot: ACRE.  My initial thought upon reading this clue was that plot referred to a story line in a novel.

59. Windy City airport: O'HARE.  The three letter airport abbreviation for O'Hare International Airport in Chicago is ORD.  That is because the airport was originally called Orchard Airport.  In 1949, the airport was renamed O'Hare in honor of Edward O'Hare (Mar. 26, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a World War II flying ace and war hero.  [Name adjacent.]

60. Fly off the shelves: SELL.

61. "To __ It May Concern": WHOM.

62. Narrow openings: SLITS.

Down:

1. Corn discards: COBS.

2. Jai __: Basque game: ALAI.  A crossword staple.  A brief history below:

3. Earth: DIRT.

4. December 24 or 31: EVE.  We've experiences both in the past 2 weeks.

5. Tapping out messages: TEXTING.  Do not text while driving.

6. Digit: NUMBER.

7. Award similar to a Tony: OBIE.  The Off-Broadway theater award.

8. Farm structures: PENS.

9. Timeline segment: ERA.

10. Like cold cuts: SLICED.

11. Ransacks: LOOTS.

12. Youngest "Despicable Me" daughter: AGNES.  I didn't remember the names of the children in this movie.  [Name # 4, fictional.]  Hi, Irish Miss (not fictional.)

13. Peevish: TESTY.

18. Grandma's daughter: AUNT.  Could also be clued as Mother's sister, Father's sister, Grandpa's daughter ...

19. Bar mitzvah scroll: TORAH.  Below are the Torah Scrolls at the synagogue in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

23. Two-part sci-fi epic starring Timothée Chalamet: DUNE.  Timothée Chalamet (b. Dec. 27, 1995) just celebrated his 28th birthday.  His father is French, thus Timothée holds dual French and United States citizenship.  [Name # 5.]

24. Charging station: DOCK.

25. Novelty "pet" that's really a plant: CHIA.

Hello, Kitty!

26. Greasy: OILY.

27. Quite a while: YEARS.  We have been enjoying C.C.'s blog for quite a while now.

28. Took off: RAN.

29. Give it a go: TRY.

31. Guitar Hero challenge: SOLO.

Han Solo

32. Architectural drawing: PLAN.

33. Throw in: ADD.

35. Change for a 50, maybe: TENS.

36. Possessed: HAD.

37. Rosie on "The Jetsons," for one: MAID.  [Name # 6, fictional.]

39. Helsinki inhabitants: FINNS.

40. Sound systems: STEREOS.

41. Ferret kin: WEASEL.  What's the difference between a Weasel and a Ferret?

42. Respect highly: ESTEEM.

43. "Believe" Grammy winner: CHER.  It's hard to believe that Cher (née Cherilyn Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) will be 78 this year.   [Name # 7.]

44. Bulletin board pins: TACKS.

45. BLT option: ON RYE.

46. Small hill: KNOLL.  I heard there is a grassy knoll in Dallas.

49. Film crew employee: TECH.

50. __-Cuban jazz: AFRO.

51. Blueberrylike berry: AÇAÍ.  These berries have become popular in foods and in the crossword puzzle.

52. Ernie's "Sesame Street" pal: BERT.  Muppet friends.  [Names # 8 and 9, fictional.]

53. Finds a purpose for: USES.

55. Uncooked: RAW.

Yummers!

56. Stanley Cup org.: NHL.  As in the National Hockey League.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Many thanks to Splynter for filling in for me during my absence.

Monday, January 1, 2024 // New Year's Day

QOD:  One has two duties ~ to be worried and not to be worried.  ~  E.M. Forster (né Edward Morgan Forster Jan. 1, 1879 ~ June 7, 1970), British novelist

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