QOD: Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Tuesday, 23 January 2024

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

QOD: If you invite a bear to dance, it’s not you who decides when the dance is over. It is the bear. ~ Russian proverb

Any Which Way But Loose. The circles in each theme answer can be rearranged to spell out a compass direction.

18-Across. Wall Street fluctuation: MARKET SWING. West

23-Across. Unpaved side of the road: SOFT SHOULDER. South

49-Across. Boundary of a black hole: EVENT HORIZON. North

56-Across. Overly cute "So cute!": TOTES ADORBS. East

And the unifier:

37-Across. Take a different route, and a hint to the circled letters: CHANGE DIRECTION.

Across:

1. Mike and __: fruit-flavored candy: IKE. Everything you wanted to know about Mike and Ike but didn't know to ask.

4. Spanish small plates: TAPAS. Everything you wanted to know about Tapas but didn't know to ask. There is a Tapas restaurant near me, which serves very good food. The problem is you tend to order many, many dishes, so it can be rather expensive.

9. Bungling: INEPT.

14. Supervillain Luthor: LEX. The archnemesis of the superhero Superman. // And 11-Down. Like a supervillain: EVIL. [Name # 1, Fictional.]

15. On one's toes: ALERT.

16. Fourth prime number: SEVEN. A prime number is defined as having only two positive factors. Number 1 is not a prime number because the number of positive divisors or factors is only one i.e. 1 itself. The number 2 is the smallest number that satisfies the definition of prime numbers. Primes: 2, 3, 5, 7...

17. Fish-throwing Muppet __ Zealand: LEW. I don't remember this Muppet. [Name # 2, fictional.]

20. Sambuca flavor: ANISE. Everything you wanted to know about Sambuca but didn't know to ask.

22. Spanish grandmother: ABUELA. Today's Spanish lesson.

27. Patella place: KNEE.

28. Common first section of a menu, familiarly: APPS. As in Appetizers. Not to be confused with Tapas.

29. Food Network host Garten: INA. Ina Garten (née Ina Rosenberg; b. Feb. 2, 1948) is also known as the Barefoot Contessa, which was also the name of her television cooking show. [Name # 3.]

32. Jeans accent: RIVET. They actually serve a purpose.

34. Architect's creation: DESIGN.

41. Grumble over: BEMOAN.

42. Swamp reptile, for short: GATOR. A few years ago, my sister and I went to Avery Island to view the gardens. We came across an unexpected visitor there.

This critter was a little too close for comfort.

43. "lol oops": SRY. Textspeak for Sorry.

44. Exceedingly: OH, SO. Meh!

45. Mountain climber's goal: ACME. Hand up if you tried Peak first.

53. See where one's coming from: RELATE.

55. Like a couch potato: INERT.

60. Business VIP: CEO.

61. Country singer Gill or writer/producer Gilligan: VINCE. Although I have heard of Vince Gill (né Vincent Grant Gill; b. Apr. 12, 1957), I don't always know the names of screenwriters and producers, such as Vince Gilligan (né George Vincent Gilligan Jr.; b. Feb. 10, 1967). The latter is known for writing and directing both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. [Names # 4 and 5.]

62. Deceitfulness: GUILE.

63. Meat in a Dr. Seuss title: HAM. I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am. I have the Hebrew version of this book, which is called Green Eggs No Ham.

64. Shutter strips: SLATS.

65. Les __-Unis: ETATS. Today's French lesson.

66. Player coming off the bench, for short: SUB.

Down:

1. "Let me find out": I'LL ASK.

2. Passionate about: KEEN ON.

3. Post-divorce party: EX-WIFE. Not a party with cake and balloons, but a party to the divorce proceeding.

4. Brings under control: TAMES.

5. Styled after: À LA. As in Pie à la mode.

6. "As __ our agreement": PER.

7. Noah's boat: ARK.

8. Fantastic deals: STEALS.

9. Debate topic: ISSUE.

10. More contemporary: NEWER.

12. Former MLB catcher Tony in the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame: PEÑA. Tony Peña (né Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla; b. June 6, 1957) was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. In 2016, he was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. He played professional baseball for almost 30 years: beginning in 1980 with Pittsburgh Pirates until 1997, retiring with the Houston Astros. He also had brief stints with several other teams, including the Boston Red Sox. [Name # 6.]

13. "Star Trek" series, for short: TNG. The Next Generation.

19. Not yet scheduled: Abbr.: TBD. To Be Determined.

21. Fondue fuel: STERNO.

24. Safe space: HAVEN.

25. Persuasive column: OP-ED. A crossword staple. The term is short for "opposite the editorial page", referring to the practice of newspapers placing op-eds on the opposite side of their editorial page.

26. High-strung: UP-TIGHT. // And 44-Down. High-strung: ON EDGE.

29. Sundial three: III.

30. Private aid gp.: NGO. Non-Governmental Organization.

31. "I Hope You Dance" singer Lee __ Womack: ANN. Lee Ann Womack (b. Aug. 19, 1966) is primarily a country music singer. [Name # 7.]

33. Tennis player Swiatek: IGA. I am not up on my professional players. Iga Natalia Świątek (b. May 31, 2001) was born in Razsyn Poland. [Name # 8.]

34. Half a droid name: DETOO. The droid's full name is Artoo-Detoo, or R2-D2. [Name # 9, fictional.]

35. Prefix with system: ECO-. Ecosystem.

36. Use a colander: STRAIN.

37. "Ghosts" network: CBS. If you haven't seen Ghosts, you should seek it out. It is really funny. The series began as a British series, and now there is also an American series.

38. Yonder lass: HER. Meh!

39. Minnesota senator Klobuchar: AMY. Amy Klobuchar (née Amy Jean Klobuchar; b. May 25, 1960) has been a Senator from Minnesota since 2007. [Name # 10.]

40. Poison ivy reaction: RASH.

46. Prague residents: CZECHs. Prague is a beautiful city.

47. "The Island of Doctor __": H.G. Wells novel: MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is a 1869 science fiction novel about a mad scientist (Dr. Moreau) who experiments with animals. The novel addresses the moral ethics of animal dissection. [Name # 11, fictional.]

48. Bury: ENTOMB.

49. Put in power: ELECT.

50. Bouquet holders: VASES.