QOD

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

April Fool's Day! 2025 Zhouqin Burnikel

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. The first word of each theme answer (Baloney, Bunk, Crock, Rot) is synonym for nonsense or foolishness.

17-Across. * Simple lunch box meal: BALONEY SANDWICH.

27-Across. * Dude ranch quarters: BUNK HOUSE.

32-Down. * Slow cookers: CROCK POTS.

35-Down. * Suffer forever: ROT IN HELL.

62. With 68-Across, sprinter's infraction, or what the answer to each starred clue has: FALSE. // And 68-Across. 68. See 62-Across: START. And together these answers give us a False Start.

Today's puzzle was crafted by C.C., our blog host. A nice puzzle to start off the new month.

Across:

1. Corn or sugarcane: CROP. There are a lot of sugarcane fields in Louisiana.

5. Best possible: IDEAL.

10. Seethe with anger: FUME.

14. Shout: YELL.

15. Monte __: Monaco resort: CARLO. Monte Carlo is where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Monaco is one of 5 European "micro-States" and Monte-Carlo is a district of Monaco.

16. "Already handling this": ON IT!

20. Newsroom worker: EDITOR.

21. In abundance: GALORE.

22. Manhattan liquor: RYE. While you are reading this, I am in Manhattan, although probably not drinking one. A Manhattan is a cocktail traditionally made with rye, sweet vermouth and bitters.

23. "About me" blurb: BIO. As in Biography.

25. "I'll return in a sec," in texts: BRB. Textspeak for Be Right Back.

26. Negative link: NOR. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will keep the mail carrier from delivering your mail. That was then. Today, my mail carrier never makes it to my house before it's quitting time.

30. Folded street food: TACO. // Not to be confused with 41-Across. Art colony near Santa Fe: TAOS. Although you can probably eat a Taco in Taos.

33. Nabe with some signs in Hangul: K-TOWN. Short for Koreatown / 코리아타운 . Hand up if you knew that Hangul is the writing system of the Korean language.

34. Very dry, as champagne: BRUT. "Brut" champagne, meaning "dry" in French, is generally considered high-quality style of champagne.

38. Work hard for: EARN.

39. Spicy: HOT.

40. Trickle slowly: OOZE.

42. Unenthusiastic: TEPID.

44. Chiwere speakers: OTOE. Chiwere is a Siouan language. The Otoe are a Native American tribe of the Midwestern United States.

45. Board game with hexagonal tiles: CATAN. I am not familiar with this game.

47. Asian mushroom: ENOKI. Enoki mushrooms are long, thin, and white mushrooms with a mild, flavor and a crunchy texture. I have eaten them in Chinese Hot Pot.

49. More dawdling: POKIER. The Poky Little Puppy was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. It is still popular today.

51. "Oh, dang!": AW, SNAP!

54. "How ya doin'?": 'SUP.

55. Argument: DISPUTE.

59. Color gradation: HUE.

60. Tiny bit of matter: ATOM.

63. Big Pharma products: MEDS.

64. __-Brite: LITE.

65. Heads for the hills: FLEES.

66. Dart like a dragonfly: FLIT.

67. Sports jersey material: MESH.

69. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO.

Down:

1. Prefix with crime or security: CYBER.

2. Fully prepared: READY.

3. Snowboarding jump: OLLIE.

4. Scheme: PLOT.

5. Skater's hangout: ICE RINK.

6. Calendar unit: DAY.

7. Hosp. triage spots: ERs. As in Emergency Rooms.

8. Arroz __ cubana: rice dish with a fried egg: A LA. Arroz a la Cubana a rice dish made with white rice, fried egg, and tomato sauce. Other, non-meat, ingredients may also be added.

9. Extended time period: LONG RUN.

10. Turkeys, e.g.: FOWL.

11. Workers' group: UNION.

12. Prefix meaning "tiny": MICRO-. The Federated States of Micronesia is made up of over 600 tiny islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

13. Vanish into the __: ETHER.

18. Fusion chain with a signature miso-glazed black cod dish: NOBU. This restaurant appeared in a recent puzzle. I ate at the Nobu in Vegas last summer with 4 others. It's not cheap to eat there.

19. Applies lightly: DABS.

24. "Moving right along ... ": OK, THEN ...

25. Pasta shape made with a pinch: BOW TIE. // And 53-Down. Basil-based sauce: PESTO. You might use Pesto Sauce on Bow Tie Pasta.

27. Art of growing miniature trees: BONSAI.

28. Free throw target: HOOP.

29. Novels read on screens: E-BOOKS. Although I have some ebooks, I much prefer reading a paper book.

30. Lunar festival in Da Nang: Tết. Tết is short for Tết Nguyên Đán. Tết is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar and usually falls on January or February in the Gregorian calendar. The next celebration will be on February 16, 2026.

31. Battery size for some mice: AAA.

36. Aduba of "Mrs. America": UZO. Mrs. America was a television miniseries about the attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Uzo Abuba (née Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba; b. Feb. 10, 1981) portrayed Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (Nov. 30, 1924 ~ Jan. 1, 2005) in the series.

Uzo Abuba and Shirley Chisholm

37. Casual shirt: TEE.

42. Taxes on imports: TARIFFS. Tariffs have been in the news in recent days.

43. Procedure that can determine ancestry: DNA TEST.

46. "Chopped" host Allen: TED. I never watched Chopped, so was unfamiliar with Ted Allen (né Edward Reese Allen; b. May 20, 1965).

48. Be in debt: OWE.

49. Sacred hymn: PSALM.

50. Belly button that protrudes: OUTIE.

52. Financial review: AUDIT.

56. Seasoning in shrimp paste: SALT. Shrimp paste is a fermented condiment used in Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks.

57. Earnest request: PLEA.

58. Software customer: USER.

61. "I've seen better": MEH!

63. Drama prof's degree: MFA. As in a Master of Fine Arts.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Tuesday March 25, 2025

QOD: There’s many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher. ~ Flannery O’Connor (née Mary Flannery O’Connor; Mar. 25, 1925 ~ Aug. 3, 1964), Southern writer

Double Double, Boil and Trouble ... Does food with a double name taste better?

17-Across. * Japanese hot-pot meal: SHABU SHABU. Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish featuring thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water, served with dipping sauces, and cooked tableside, similar to fondue. The name "shabu-shabu" means "swish-swish" in Japanese, referring to the sound of the ingredients being stirred in the pot. Although I have never heard of Shabu Shabu, it sounds very similar to Chinese Hot Pot, which I have enjoyed.

26-Across. * French chocolate confection: BONBON. Bonbon is a French chocolate candy which is round on top, flat at the bottom. The outside shell is harder and made of chocolate, with few decorations. Inside is a softer filling. I am familiar with Bonbons.

28-Across. * North African dish made with semolina: COUSCOUS. Couscous is a traditional North African dish made small steamed granules of semolina that's typically steamed and served with stews or as a side dish. It's a staple food in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and countries in the Middle East. I am familiar with, and eaten, couscous.

48-Across. * Portuguese hot pepper sauce: PERI PERI. The term "Peri Peri" refers to a type of chili pepper used in these sauces, originating from Portuguese-African culinary traditions, especially in Mozambique and Angola. The primary ingredient in these sauces is the Peri Peri chili, also known as the African bird's eye chili. This is not a food I am familiar with.

50-Across. * Sichuan noodles: DAN DAN. "Dan Dan" refers to Dan Dan Noodles, a spicy Sichuan noodle dish that translates to "carrying-pole noodles" because of the street vendors who once sold it from poles balanced on their shoulders. I am not familiar with this dish.

And the unifier:

64. Event with two headliners, or a description of a restaurant check that includes any of the answers to the starred clues?: DOUBLE BILL.

I found today's puzzle had some extra crunch for a Tuesday.

Across:

1. Seven Sisters attendees, historically: WOMEN. The Seven Sisters are a consortium of seven prestigious, historically women's colleges in the northeastern United States: Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Vassar, Radcliffe, and Wellesley. The Seven Sisters were formed in 1926 to address the difficulties in women's colleges faced in raising endowment money and to served as female counterparts to the male Ivy League colleges. the name, Seven Sisters, refers to the Pleiades, a constellation of seven sisters from Greek mythology. Barnard College is affiliated with Columbia University. Vassar College became co-ed in 1969. Radcliffe College merged with Harvard University in 1999.

6. A third of the UAE?: ARAB. As in the United Arab Emirates.

10. Rock blasters: AMPS.

14. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA. This train (or 49-Down) appears with some frequency in the puzzles. // 68.-Across Philadelphia commuter org.: SEPTA. The latter stands for SouthEastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. // And 49-Down. 14-Across line: RAIL.

15. Song for a single voice: SOLO.

She should sing SOLO that no one can hear her.

16. Bruise: HURT.

19. Gobi Desert locale: ASIA. The Gobi Desert is in northern China and southern Mongolia. It's known for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. The sand dunes are said to sing when the wind blows. Many dinosaur fossils have been found in the Gobi.

20. Hash brown base: POTATO.

21. Planet simulated by NASA on Mauna Loa: MARS. Everything you wanted to know about Life on Mars while still on earth.

23. Brief "Spare me the details": TMI. Textspeak for Too Much Information.

24. "Sorta": -ISH. This i also becoming a crossword staple.

33. Bassoon cousin: OBOE.

34. Sleep lab study: APNEA. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses, called apneas, can last for several seconds to minutes.

35. Subj. for a business major: ECON. As in Economics. This is becoming a crossword staple.

37. Like a swaddled baby: SNUG.

40. Window sticker: DECAL.

41. Pledge: VOW.

42. Grace under pressure: POISE.

43. Minor issue: SNAG.

44. Bit of good fortune: BOON.

45. One who is often on track?: RACER.

46. Nabe in L.A. and NYC: NOHO. If you are in Las Angeles, the Neighborhood is North of Hollywood. If you are in New York City, the neighborhood is North of Houston (Street).

52. Entered an election: RAN.

53. Medical pen prefix: EPI-. Another crossword staple.

54. Antarctic floater: BERG.

57. Son of Daedalus: ICARUS. He's Greek to me. Icarus famous for his tragic death after flying too close to the sun on wax-and-feather wings, ignoring his father's warnings.

62. Baloney: LIES. I think of the term Baloney as meaning more of foolishness than of lies.

66. Duty: TASK.

67. Crowd sound: ROAR.

69. Opposed to: ANTI.

70. JCC alternative: YMCA. The Jewish Community Center might an alternative to the Young Men's Christian Association.

71. Kettle emanation: STEAM.

Down:

1. Ant-Man partner: WASP. Comic super-heroes.

2. Diez menos dos: OCHO. Spanish math. 10 - 2 = 8.

3. Charcuterie staple: MEAT. Charcuterie is a branch of French cuisine devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. It's really just a fancy word for cold cuts.

4. Idris of "The Wire": ELBA. Idris Elba (né Idrissa Akuna Elba; b. Sept. 6, 1972) is a British actor who portrayed Stringer Bell in The Wire.

5. Like sextants and tide charts: NAUTICAL.

6. Bonfire residue: ASH.

7. Wander freely: ROAM.

8. Actress Jessica who co-founded The Honest Company: ALBA. The Honest Company is known for its safe, eco-friendly products, particularly for babies. The company was founded in 2012. Jessica Alba (née Jessica Marie Alba; b. Apr. 28, 1981) was one of the co-founders.

9. Mint julep liquor: BOURBON. Yummers!

10. "That's the answer!": AHA!

11. "How lovely for you": MUST BE NICE. Said sarcastically.

12. Of the utmost quality: PRIMO. This makes me think of Primo Levy (July 31, 1919 ~ Apr. 11, 1987), a Jewish-Italian chemist and Holocaust survivor. He also wrote The Periodic Table, a collection of short stories based on elements in the periodic table.

13. Darken, as wood: STAIN.

18. Meh-worthy: SO-SO. Another Double, but not a food.

22. Bawl: SOB.

25. Egg, in Ecuador: HUEVO. More of today's Spanish lesson, but this time in the kitchen, not the math lab.

27. "Out of the question": NO SOAP. I think of this as being an old-timey expression, although its origin is not clear.

28. Scoundrels: CADS.

29. Kick off: OPEN.

30. Most mysterious: UNCANNIEST.

31. Poseidon, for one: SEAGOD.

32. Rocky road serving: SCOOP.

36. Pet's human: OWNER. It's actually the other way around. The Pet is the human owner.

38. Library patron, e.g.: USER. I couldn't live without my fabulous public library.

39. Mel B and Mel C bandmate: GERI. Members of The Spice Girls.

42. Leia Organa title: PRINCESS. Hand up if you knew Princess Leia's surname.

44. More than parched: BONE DRY.

47. Montreal NHLer, to fans: HAB. The Montreal Canadiens, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League, are also known as the "Habs", which is short for "Habitants".