Friday, April 5, 2024

QOD:  We fabricate fictions not so that the false will seem true, but to tell the most unspeakable truth with absolute faithfulness.  ~  Elena Ferrante (b. Apr. 5, 1943), Italian novelist

Thursday, April 4, 2024

QOD:  There is no way to stand firm on both feet and escape trouble.  ~  Homer, Greek philosopher and author  

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

QOD:  When you’re brought into this life, you’re given certain gifts, and you have to use them.  ~  Dame Jane Goodall (née Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; b. Apr. 3, 1934), English primatologist and anthropologist

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

QOD: I’ve succeeded at everything except my life.  ~  Serge Gainsbourg (né Lucien Ginsburg; Apr. 2, 1928 ~ Mar. 2, 1991), French singer-songwriter

O Captain! My Captain!  The circles spell out a very well known (Obvious) Captain, some fictional, some real. 

16-Across. Give up vaping, say: KICK A HABIT.  Captain Ahab.  Think Moby Dick, the whaling novel by Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 ~ Sept. 28, 1891).  Captain Ahab is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod.  On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg, and he (Captain Ahab) now wears a prosthetic leg made out of whalebone.  The book was inspired by an actual event.   [Name # 1, Fictional.]

23-Across. Low-cal beer option: MICHELOB LIGHT.  Captain Bligh.  Vice-Admiral William Bligh (Sept. 9, 1754 ~ Dec. 7, 1817) was a British officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for the mutiny on HMS Bounty.  He was known for his volatile temper and in 1789, his crew mutinied.  Captain Bligh and some of his loyal followers were set adrift by the mutineers.  Amazingly, he survived and his crew survived.  [Name # 2, Real.]

46-Across. "Still Alice" Best Actress Oscar winner: JULIANNE MOORE.  Captain Nemo.  [Names # 3, Fictional,  and # 4, Real.]  Captain Nemo is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (né Jules Gabriel Verne; Feb. 8, 1828 ~ Mar. 24, 1905).  You can read about Captain Nemo two of Verne's science-fiction books: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and The Mysterious Island.

58-Across. Musical instrument also called a calliope: STEAM ORGAN.  Captain Morgan.  Captain Morgan (circa 1635 ~ Aug. 25, 1688) was a Welch pirate who later became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.  He was also a sugar plantation owner, which is probably why his name today is associated with spiced rum.  [Name # 4, real.]

And the unifier:

35. With 37-Across, title for the hidden individuals in 16-, 23-, 46-, and 58-Across, thanks to the circles in each answer?: CAPTAIN.

37. See 35-Across: OBVIOUS.  Together these clues give us Captain Obvious.  Captain Obvious is a pejorative nickname given to a person who insists on stating things that are patently clear.

What other Obvious Captains can you think of?  I thought of Captain Kangaroo, Captain Kirk, Captain Marvel, Captain Underpants, Captain America, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Captain Hook.

Across:

1. Settle, as a debt: REPAY.

6. "Leaving the chat for a sec": BRB.  Textspeak for Be Right Back.

9. Puerto __: RICO.  Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory.

13. Get out of bed: ARISE.

14. Bubble tea pearls: BOBA.  Boba are the chewy tapioca pearls that are found in milk tea.  Everything you wanted to know about Boba Tea but didn't know to ask.

15. Wet dog emanation: ODOR.

18. Amaze: STUN.

19. Startled cry: EEK!

20. Muscles worked by crunches: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles.

21. Tries, with "at": HAS A GO.

27. Justice Kagan: ELENA.  Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 5.]

29. Greek Cupid: EROS.  Eros is the Greek god of love and sex.  His Roman counterpart is Cupid.  [Name # 6, Mythological.]

30. Kid-lit "Dr.": SEUSS.  Dr. Seuss is best known for writing children's books.  He write and illustrated over 60 books for children.  Dr. Suess is actually the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Mar. 2, 1904 ~ Sept. 24, 1991).  [Name # 7, Pseudonym.]

31. As above, in footnotes: IDEM.  Today's Latin lesson.  The word means meaning "the same".  It is commonly abbreviated as id., because adding the "ed" takes too long.  The word is generally used in legal citations to denote the previously cited source.

32. Roaring-lion studio: MGM.  The studio is the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

40. Surveillance org.: NSA.  As in the National Security Agency.

41. Chicago MLB team: CUBS.  One of two Major League Baseball teams in Chicago.

43. "You win": I LOSE.

44. Rib-eye request: RARE.

45. "Thor: Ragnarok" actress Thompson: TESSA.  Tessa Lynne Thompson (b. Oct. 3, 1983) is an American actress.  She starred as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok.  [Name # 8.]

52. Shorebird with a curved bill: AVOCET.  Everything you wanted to know about the American Avocet but didn't know to ask.  They do have cute curved bills.

53. "Ugh": GAH.

54. Punk subgenre: EMO.

57. Phone-silencing button: MUTE.

62. Down or dirty: BLUE.  Think sad.  He was feeling blue when he learned she was moving away.  Blue is also associated with dirty words.

63. Attention-getting sound: AHEM.

64. Furious: ANGRY.

65. Pert reply: SASS.

66. Hoped-for proposal answer: YES.  //  And 4-Down. Inquire: ASK.

67. 2023 installment in a Vin Diesel film franchise: FAST X.  Movie number 10 in the Fast and Furious series.  Also known as Fast 10: Your Seatbelts.  Vin Diesel's given name is Mark Sinclair (b. July 18, 1967).  [Name # 9, Pseudonym.]

Down:

1. Tool for tidying a golf bunker: RAKE.

2. Ohio border lake: ERIE.  A shout-out to our dear friend Abejo.

3. Mood lifters: PICK-ME-UPS.

5. "Oh, about __ high": YEA.

6. Gravity-powered winter racer: BOBSLED.

7. Slugger's stat: RBI.  Runs Batted In.

8. Product for a scented soak: BATH BOMB.  Everything you wanted to know about a bath bomb but didn't know to ask.

9. Martini & __ vermouth: ROSSI.  Martini & Rossi is an Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company primarily associated with the Martini brand of vermouth and also with sparkling wine.  [Name adjacent.]

10. Bone on a dog collar, perhaps: ID TAG.

11. Lozenge target: COUGH.

12. " ... but perhaps I'm mistaken": OR NOT.  Generally said sarcastically.

14. Sweetie: BABE.

17. Triumphant laugh: HAH!

22. "Happy Days" diner: AL'S.  Formerly Arnold's diner until Al Delvecchio took over Arnold's after Arnold got married and moved away.  [Name # 10, Fictional.]

24. App with Reels, familiarly: INSTA.

25. Castle in Spain, e.g.?: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  My home is my castle.

26. Sandwich treats: OREOs.  A crossword staple.

27. Corner PC key: ESC.

28. Not fatty: LEAN.

31. Store, after cremation: INURN.  To place or bury in an urn.

32. Distance runner: MILER.

33. Plenty of nothing: GOOSE EGGS.

34. Rumple, with "up": MUSS.

36. "Your guess is as good as mine": I CAN'T SAY.

38. Don Corleone: VITO.  Vito Corleone was the fictional in The Godfather.  He was portrayed by Marlon Brando (Apr. 3, 1924 ~ July 1, 2004) in the original movie.  [Name # 11, Fictional.]

39. Word after Red or before robin: SEA.  As in Red Sea or Sea Robin.  A Sea Robin is not a bird, but a fish.  Who knew?

42. See 59-Down: BEE GEES.  //  59-Down. With 42-Down, "Stayin' Alive" disco trio: THE.  Together we get The Bee Gee, named for Brothers' Gibb.  I'll spare your ears.

44. Issa of "The Hate U Give": RAE.  Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) visited us just last Tuesday.

46. Door frame parts: JAMBS.

Anatomy of a Door Frame.

47. Soft palate dangler: UVULA.

48. Floating flower: LOTUS.

49. Slurpee-like drinks: ICEEs.

50. Polite title: MA'AM.

51. Resistance unit: OHM.  The ohm is the unit of electrical resistance in the International System of Units. It is named after German physicist and mathematician Georg Simon Ohm (Mar. 16, 1789 ~ July 6, 1854)

55. Small shop: MART.

56. Black gem in a cameo: ONYX.  The Onyx is one of the birthstones of July.

60. Clumsy one: OAF.

61. Genetic messenger: RNA.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, April 1, 2024 // April Fool's Day

QOD:  The only reason people want to be masters of the future is to change the past.  ~  Milan Kundera (Apr. 1, 1929 ~ July 11, 2023), Czech writer

Sunday, March 31, 2024 // Easter

QOD:  When one flower blooms, spring awakens everywhere.  ~  John O’Donohue (Jan. 1, 1956 ~ Jan. 4, 2008), Irish poet