Friday, January 26, 2024

QOD:  Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.  ~  Wayne Gretzky (né Wayne Douglas Gretzky; b. Jan. 26, 1961), Canadian professional ice hockey player, Canadian professional ice hockey player

 

Thursday, January 25, 2024

QOD:  We accept the love we think we deserve.  ~  Stephen Chbosky, (b. Jan. 25, 1970), American screenwriter

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

QOD:  You can live down any number of failures, but you can’t live down a great success.  ~  Vicki Baum (née Hedwig Baum; Jan. 24, 1888 ~ Aug. 29, 1960), Austrian writer

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.

51. Pilot's update, briefly: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.  A crossword staple.

52. Reacts to yeast: RISES.

53. Bubble and churn: ROIL.

54. One of four active volcanoes in Italy: ETNA.  The volcano is on Sicily.

56. Den sets: TVs.

57. Not trendy: OUT.

58. Fjord kin: RIA.

59. Simple sammie: BLT.  Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, January 22, 2024

QOD:  Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.  ~  Jim Jarmusch (né James Robert Jarmusch; b. Jan. 22, 1953), American film director

Sunday, January 21, 2024

QOD:  It’s not harmless to be pleasing and self-effacing; it cost too  much to bury yourself so that other people will approve of you.  ~  Geena Davis (née Virginia Elizabeth Davis; b. Jan. 21, 1956), American actress