QOD: Fantasy is an exercise bicycle of the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. ~ Sir Terry Pratchett (né Terrance David John Pratchett; Apr. 28, 1948 ~ Mar. 12, 2015), British humorist and novelist
A Little Dab Will Do You! Today we have a puzzle filled with homophones. The last word or syllable of each theme has the same sound.
17-Across. Total left to pay: BALANCE DUE.
26-Across. Farmer's wake-up call: COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO.
45-Across. "Any suggestions for my next move?": WHAT AM I GONNA DO?
59-Across. Water on the grass at dawn: MORNING DEW.
Here's the Grid:
Across:
1. Minty cocktail associated with the Kentucky Derby: JULEP. Yummers!
6. FedEx competitor: UPS. Both companies have been delivering packages to the wrong addresses. I get daily notices on NextNeighbor from people trying to locate a package that has been misplaced.
9. No longer happening: PAST.
13. Pioneering gaming company: ATARI. Atari has been in the gaming business since 1972!
14. The two of them: BOTH.
16. Palo __, California: ALTO.
19. Decisive victory: ROUT. The largest rout in college football took place in 1916 when Georgia Tech beat Cumberland University in a score of 222 to Zero. John Heisman, later honored by having a trophy named after him, was the coach of Georgia Tech.
20. __ Na Na: SHA. Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll and doo-wop revival group formed in the late 1960s.
21. Rower's blade: OAR.
22. Anxious fellow in the maternity ward: DAD-TO-BE.
24. James Bond creator Fleming: IAN. In addition to writing the James Bond series, Ian Fleming (né Ian Lancaster Fleming; May 28, 1908 ~ Aug. 12, 1964) also wrote children's book, notably Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
25. Mineral in hemoglobin: IRON.
33. Weighty volume: TOME.
34. Golf course standard: PAR.
35. Sends sprawling: TRIPS.
36. Color wheel segment: HUE.
37. Stirs memories in: REMINDS.
40. To the __ degree: NTH.
41. Athlete from College Station, Texas, familiarly: AGGIE. The school was founded in 1871 and opened in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, hence the A&M in its name. Texas A&M was the state's first public institution of higher education. It was established under the Morrill Land-Grant Act. It began as an all-male military academy, then evolved into a major research university. In the 1960s, the school began admitting women and minorities. In 1963, the name officially became Texas A&M University.
43. Wedding announcement word: NÉE. We see this French word often in the puzzles.
44. Anti-fur gp.: PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
49. Slender: SLIM.
50. Early ISP: AOL. America On Line.
51. Infuriated: MADE MAD.
54. PC key on either side of the space bar: ALT.
55. Angst-filled musical genre: EMO.
58. Region: AREA.
62. Fibs: LIES.
63. Victorious cry: I WIN!
64. Deliver a speech: ORATE.
65. Gentle whirlpool: EDDY.
66. Hoops org.: NBA. The National Basketball Association has been around since 1947.
67. Louisa May Alcott's "Little __": WOMEN. Little Women is the 1869 novel by Louisa May Alcott. It was based on Alcott's live and follows the lives of the four March sisters ~ Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy~ as they grow from childhood to womanhood during the American Civil War.
Down:
1. Quick punches: JABS.
2. Arches National Park state: UTAH. Arches National Park was established to protect over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, It was originally designated as a National Monument in 1929 before it became a National Park in 1971.
3. "__ Land": Emma Stone/Ryan Gosling musical film: LA LA. La La Land is a movie that starred Ryan Gosling (b. Nov. 12, 1980) and Emma Stone (b. Nov. 6, 1988) as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles.
4. Chapter in history: ERA.
5. Acorn producer with a pyramid-shaped crown: PIN OAK. A Pin Oak is a fast-growing, deciduous tree in the red oak family known for its distinctive pyramidal shape, drooping lower branches, and tolerance for wet, heavy soils. Native to the eastern and central US, it is popular in landscaping for its russet-red fall color, though it requires acidic soil to prevent yellowing.
6. Taxi alternative: UBER.
7. Group of whales: POD.
8. Recording venue: STUDIO.
9. Significant other: PARTNER.
10. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO. Aloo gobi is a flavorful Indian curry made from potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi) cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a blend of aromatic spices like turmeric, cumin, and coriander. It is generally served over a bed of rice. The key to a good aloo gobi is cooking the potatoes and cauliflower to a tender consistency, which means adding them at different stages or cooking them separately before combining.
11. Ticket remnant: STUB. Most of my tickets are now electronic, so I no longer have ticket stub souvenirs.
12. Lug (around): TOTE.
15. Gathered through the grapevine: HEARD.
18. Party snack: CANAPÉ. Yummers!
23. Dunderheads: DOLTS.
24. Raw bar surface: ICE.
26. Cold symptom: COUGH.
27. Final Greek letter: OMEGA. It's all Greek to me.
28. Beaver construction: DAM.
29. Round rubber gasket: O-RING. Sadly, the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was caused by the failure of rubber O-ring seals in the right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), which became brittle and failed to seal in cold temperatures
30. Enjoyed an elegant supper: DINED.
31. Decide one will: OPT TO.
32. Workplace std. setter: OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration often finds it way into the puzzles.
33. Melt: THAW.
37. Dominion: REALM.
38. "The Matrix" protagonist: NEO. Neo was portrayed by Keanu Charles Reeves (b. Sept. 2, 1964).
39. Alaska national park with the tallest peak in North America: DENALI. So beautiful and majestic.
42. "Piece of cake": IT'S EASY.
44. Friend: PAL.
46. Florida setting of some Carl Hiaasen novels: MIAMI. Carl Hiassen (b. Mar. 12, 1953) is a Floridian journalist and novelist. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and in his spare time he began writing novels. His novels are humorous crime stories. I haven't read any of books, but I did watch his adapted-for-television show Bad Monkey.
47. "Works for me": I'M DOWN.
48. "Maybe later": NOT NOW.
51. Like tomcats: MALE.
52. Bone-dry: ARID.
53. Monopoly card: DEED.
54. Actress Kendrick: ANNA. Anna Cooke Kendrick (b. Aug. 9, 1985) is known for her comedic timing and endearing characters in musicals and comedies.
55. Mild Dutch cheese: EDAM. Yummers! Edam is a semi-hard Dutch cheese traditionally sold in spheres with a red wax rind.
56. Dole (out): METE.
57. Wilson of "Stick": OWEN. Owen Wilson (b. Nov. 18, 1958) is also known for his comedic roles in movies and television. In Stick, Wilson portrayed a has-been golf pro.
60. Part of a celery stalk: RIB. It's the chewy part of the celery.
61. Miracle-__: garden brand: GRO.
חתולה
