QOD: 2024

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Tuesday November 12, 2024

QOD: Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do. ~ Nadia Comӑneci (née Nadia Elena Comӑneci; Nov. 12, 1961), Romanian gymnast and 5-time Olympic gold medalist

Anatomy of a Big Cat. The first and last letters of each theme answer spell out a characteristic of a Lion.

17-Across. Embarrass one's friends in public, say: MAKE A SCENE. Mane.

26-Across. Resort to desperate measures: CLUTCH AT STRAWS. Claws.

42-Across. Cartoon character often depicted as a spinning tornado: TASMANIAN DEVIL. Tail.

And the Unifier:

56-Across. Answer to the joke "What is the lazy pride member known for?," and an apt title for this puzzle?: LION AROUND.

Across:

1. Misbehave in class, say: ACT UP.

6. Little dickens: IMP.

9. Loops in on the sly: BCCs. As in Blind Carbon Copies. The "carbon copy" is a relic from the olden days when everything was actually typewritten on a typewriter.

13. Trusty: LOYAL.

14. Christmas song: NOEL.

16. Burn soother: ALOE.

19. Vocal quality: TONE.

20. Had a snack: ATE.

21. Tax pros: CPAs. As in Certified Public Accountants.

22. "What's __ into you?": GOTTEN.

24. Sweeties: BAES. The term "bae" is a slang term of endearment that is a shortened version of the words "baby" or "babe".

25. Nope __: facetious term for a snake: ROPE. I have never referred to a snake as a Nope Rope.

32. Idaho's capital: BOISE. The name of Boise, Idaho comes from the French word boisée, which means "wooded". The name originated in the early 19th century when French-Canadian fur trappers explored the region. The trappers to a river and were amazed by the cottonwood trees lining the riverbanks. They called the river "boisé" and the area "la rivière boisée", which means "the wooded river".

33. Some jeans: LEEs. We had both Lees and Levi's last week.

34. "Love __ neighbor": THY.

35. The "E" of an EGOT: EMMY. The acronym stands for: Emmy Grammy, Oscar and Tony. All are entertainment awards. For a list of EGOT recipients, check out this site.

36. Inn patron: GUEST. Hotel guests do not always get what they want.

38. Many a child in Dickens: WAIF. Think of Oliver Twist.

39. Punk subgenre: EMO. A crossword staple.

40. Tailless cat: MANX.

41. "The Natural" director Levinson: BARRY. Barry Levinson (né Barry Lee Levinson; b. Apr. 6, 1942) won an Oscar for the 1988 film, Rain Man, but he isn't an EGOT.

Levinson and Redford.

46. Odds and __: ENDS.

47. New Haven school: YALE.

48. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" singer Twain: SHANIA. Shania Twain (née Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain; b. Aug. 28, 1965) is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter.

51. __ bene: NOTA. Today's Latin lesson. The term means note well, observe carefully, take notice. It is used in manuscripts to alert the reader to pay attention to what follows.

52. Govt. intel org.: NSA. As in National Security Agency.

55. Call alternative: TEXT.

59. The "dirt" in a pudding-based dessert: OREO.

60. Lily pad squatter: FROG.

61. Loosened, as shoelaces: UNDID.

62. Pea holders: PODS.

63. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

64. Oozes: SEEPS.

Down:

1. __ mater: ALMA. More of today's Latin lesson. The term literally means Nourishing Mother. The term is used to refer to one's college.

2. Paint layer: COAT.

3. Likely "Bluey" and "Blue's Clues" watcher: TYKE.

4. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE. As in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE was formed in 1971 and is comprised of 7 Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

5. Appease: PLACATE.

6. How some tips are paid: IN CASH.

7. "The Simpsons" watering hole: MOE'S.

8. Writing tool: PEN.

9. Baker's mixture: BATTER.

10. Thicken, as cream: CLOT. Although it sounds rather icky to American ears, in England, clotted simply describes the look of the cream as it clings together. It goes will with scones and tea.

11. Ice cream holder: CONE.

12. "As __ on TV": SEEN.

15. Blocked content?: LEGO SET. My first Lego Set was similar to the one shown below.

18. Detail, briefly: SPEC.

23. Chooses: OPTS.

24. Overly adorned: BUSY.

25. Some GPS suggestions: RTES. As in Routes.

26. Punctuation in many lists: COMMA. The Oxford comma is the comma that comes before “and” in a series of three or more items. In the case of O'Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy, a missing Oxford comma cost a Maine dairy company $5M.

27. Prom rides: LIMOS.

28. "__, tell me a joke": request made in a smart home, perhaps: ALEXA. Alexa listens to everything you say!

29. Nintendo rival: ATARI.

30. Spin fast: WHIRL.

31. "Resident Alien" network: SYFY. Formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel.

32. Red root vegetable: BEET.

36. "The Lord of the Rings" wizard: GANDALF. Gandalf was portrayed in the movies by Sir Ian McKellen (b. May 25, 1939).

37. Colleges, to a Brit: UNIS. As in Universities.

38. Swell for a surfer: WAVE.

40. __-pedi: MANI.

41. Birthplace of Olympic gymnast Olga Korbut: BELARUS. Olga Valentinovna Korbut (b. May 16, 1955) was known as the Sparrow from Minsk. She competed for the Soviet Union in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. She emigrated to the United States in 1991 and became a naturalized American citizen in 2000.

43. Candy that can create a soda geyser: MENTOS. I have never tried this trick. There is a scientific reason for this chemical reaction.

44. "Us" star Lupita: NYONG'O. Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (b. Mar. 1, 1983) is another naturalized American citizenship. She is also Mexican by birth and Kenyan through her parents. She has an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave and an Emmy. She is half-way to the EGOT.

45. Spreadsheet input: DATA.

48. "Halt!": STOP.

49. Caped crusader: HERO.

50. Used a hatchet on: AXED.

51. Midday: NOON.

52. Bare: NUDE.

53. Scissors sound: SNIP.

54. Puts in: ADDS.

57. Savings plan letters: IRA. As in Individual Retirement Account.

58. United: ONE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Nailed it!

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

QOD: To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy. ~ Will Durant (né William James Durant; Nov. 5, 1885 ~ Nov. 7, 1981), American historian

I'll Take Critters the might say "I Hop" for $1000, Alex.

19-Across. Venue where a fair trial is impossible: KANGAROO COURT. When I was a kid, I used to watch Captain Kangaroo hold Court with Mr. Greenjeans.

30-Across. Destinations for some bargain hunters: FLEA MARKETS.

40. Like a half-baked scheme: HARE BRAINED.

50-Across. Fried egg-and-bread breakfast dish: TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE. Toad-in-the-hole is a traditional British dish of sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter and typically served with onion gravy. The American version is an egg cooked into a cut-out in bread.

And the unifier:

64-Across. Breakfast chain known for flapjacks, or what the first part of 19-, 30-, 40-, or 50-Across might say?: IHOP. Also known as the International House of Pancakes.

Across:

1. Gyro bread: PITA.

5. Letters that start some URLs: HTTP. As in HyperText Transfer Protocol.

9. Sunny window spot for a cat: SILL.

13. Japanese noodle: UDON.

14. Toledo's lake: ERIE.

15. What "two" meant to Paul Revere: BY SEA. The British are coming! The British are coming! It's all about the ride of Paul Revere (Jan 1, 1735 ~ May 10, 1818).

Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade.

16. Barnes & Noble purchase: BOOK.

17. Levi's alternatives: LEEs. Levi Strauss (Feb. 26, 1829 ~ Sept. 26, 1902) revolutionized work pants in 1873. Henry David Lee (Dec. 9, 1949 ~ Mar. 15, 1928) established the HD Lee Mercantile Company in 1889. The company later went on to manufacture work clothing.

18. Map detail: INSET.

22. Mex. neighbor: USA.

24. Feedbag morsel: OAT.

25. Overnight flight: RED EYE.

26. Polite denial: NO, SIR.

28. Exchanges: SWAPS.

33. Fan setting: LOW.

36. "Ghostbusters" director Reitman: IVAN. Ivan Reitman (Oct. 27, 1946 ~ Feb. 12, 2022) was a Canadian film director, but he was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now known as Slovakia. He also directed such movies as Kindergarten Cop, Dave and Twins.

37. 1990s fitness fad: TAE BO.

38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA. // and 60-Across. Highlander of ancient Peru: INCA.

39. Vietnamese New Year: TET. Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán. It is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which will fall on January 29, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.

42. French cap: BERET.

43. Precipice: LEDGE.

44. "Star Trek" character whose first name is Hikaru: MR. SULU. The original Mr. Hikaru Sulu was portrayed by George Takei (b. Apr. 20, 1937).

47. Isn't without: HAS. Cute clue!

49. Not great: BAD.

54. "Give me the car keys": I'LL GO.

55. Ancient alphabetic character: RUNE.

56. Killer whale: ORCA.

59. Showers love (on): DOTES.

61. Private nonprofits: Abbr.: NGOs. As in Non-Governmental Organizations.

62. Admin. aide: ASS'T. As in an Assistant.

63. Gave the thumbs-up: OK'ED.

Down:

1. Trivia night venue: PUB.

2. Wedding promise: I DO.

3. Couldn't stand it anymore?: TOOK A SEAT. Another cute clue.

4. Crooner Paul: ANKA. Paul Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is another Canadian. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

5. Hägar the Horrible's wife: HELGA.

6. Special reward: TREAT.

7. Wedding cake layer: TIER.

8. Mexican money: PESO. Did you know that there are currently eight countries that use the peso, as its monetary unit? With the exception of the Philippines, the other countries are in the Americas: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Uruguay

9. Religious councils: SYNODS. The word comes from the Ancient Greek σύνοδος, which means assembly or meeting.

10. Time of the week?: ISSUE. Time is now a bi-weekly magazine. It published weekly until 2020, when it began to publish every other week.

11. Suspicious (of): LEERY.

12. Hot drink with foam art: LATTE.

15. Muscles shown off by muscle tees: BICEPS.

20. Standard: NORM.

21. Memorable speaker: ORATOR.

22. Ill-suited: UNFIT.

23. Find a solution for: SOLVE. Could you find a solution for all the clues in today's puzzle?

27. "The Vampire Diaries" actor Somerhalder: IAN. The Vampire Diaries was a supernatural teen drama television series that aired from 2009 until 2017. Ian Somerhalder (b. Dec. 8, 1978) portrayed one of the supernatural teens on the series even though he was in his 30 when the show ran. He was born in Covington, Louisiana.

28. Shooting sport with clay pigeons: SKEET.

29. NASA telescope launched in 2021: WEBB. The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. As the largest telescope in space, it is equipped with high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments, allowing it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. James Webb (né James Edwin Webb; Oct 7, 1906 ~ Mar. 27, 1992) was the Undersecretary of State during the Truman administration. In February 1961, he became the second Administrator of NASA.

31. Galloping: AT A RUN.

32. Like a steak with a very red center: RARE.

33. "Gift From the Sea" writer Anne Morrow: LINDBERGH. Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (June 22, 1906 ~ Feb. 7, 2001) was an aviatrix in her own right. She was also the wife of Charles Lindbergh.