QOD: Tuesday October 29, 2024

Tuesday 29 October 2024

Tuesday October 29, 2024

QOD: If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. ~ Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (née Ellen Eugenia Johnson; b. Oct. 29, 1938), 24th President of Liberia and recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

GOAAAAAL! Last week, I had the Football QuarterBacks. This week we hit the soccer GOAL! The word GOAL can be found STRETCHED in each of the theme answers.

17-Across. Person announcing numbers in a hall: BINGO CALLER. GOAL.

26. Grammy Award won twice by CeCe Winans: BEST GOSPEL ALBUM. CeC Winans (née Priscilla Marie Winans; b. Oct. 8, 1964) has earned 15 Grammys. GOAL [Name # 1.]

45-Across. Notre-Dame de Paris, notably: GOTHIC CATHEDRAL. Since the massive fire at the cathedral in April 2019, the church has been closed. It is anticipated that the cathedral will reopen in early December 2024. What features make a cathedral gothic? According to Britannica, "the term Gothic was coined by classicizing Italian writers of the Renaissance, who attributed the invention (and what to them was the nonclassical ugliness) of medieval architecture to the barbarian Gothic tribes that had destroyed the Roman Empire and its classical culture in the 5th century CE." GOAL

And the Unifier:

59-Across. Crowdfunding target, and what can be found in three of this puzzle's answers: STRETCH GOAL. I had not heard this term, but have been the "recipient" of such a concept. A Stretch Goal is "a form of motivation that relies on challenging your team to push harder and reach for the proverbial stars."

Across:

1. Useful quality: ASSET.

6. "All __ Up": Elvis hit: SHOOK.

11. LED TV brand: RCA. The initials stand for Radio Corporation of America.

14. "¡Hasta __!": LUEGO. Today's Spanish lesson. See you later, alligator.

15. Satirical 2022 biopic about Al Yankovic: WEIRD. [Name # 2.] Quinta Brunson (b. Dec. 1989), who was featured in last Tuesday's puzzle, appears in the Weird Al biopic. Alfred Matthew Yankovic (b. Oct. 23, 1959) began his career when he was on the Dr. Demento Radio Show in 1976.

16. Pole worker: ELF.

Also known as Aerial Aerobics.

19. "Houdini" singer Lipa: DUA. Dua Lipa is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Earlier this year, Time magazine included Dua Lipa (b. Aug. 22, 1995) in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. [Name # 3.]

20. Justice Dept. worker: ATT. As in an Attorney.

21. Rock groups: BANDS.

22. Many an early email user: AOLER. An AOLer is a person who subscribes to America On Line.

24. Dot on a domino: PIP.

25. Childish comeback: AM SO.

34. Canyon sound: ECHO.

35. __ protector: SURGE.

36. Workplace protection agcy.: OSHA. As in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

37. Opponent: FOE.

38. Scuff up: MAR.

39. Yogurt container: TUB.

40. Wallet bills: ONES.

42. Military trainee: CADET.

44. __ moments ago: MERE.

48. Floor protectors: MATS.

49. Bendy letter: ESS. Or, as we would write the letter, it is an "S."

50. Watercooler gurgles: GLUGS.

52. Poet T.S.: ELIOT. T.S. Eliot (né Thomas Sterns Eliot; Sept. 26, 1888 ~ Jan. 4, 1965) is considered to be one of the 20th century's greatest poets. [Name # 4.]

55. No. 1 pal: BFF. As in Best Friend Forever.

58. Apple's mobile platform: iOS. As in iPhone Operating System.

62. Luau gift: LEI.

63. Ram, in the zodiac: ARIES.

64. Privileged group: ELITE. We are an Elite group of crossword solvers.

65. "Not Dead Yet" TV network: ABC. Not Dead Yet is a sit-com about a woman who gets a job writing obituaries.

66. Undersized: DINKY.

67. Upscale watch brand: ROLEX. Did you know that a genie just "whispered" the name "Rolex" into the ear of the company's founder one day, hence the name of the company.

This diamond encrusted watch will set you back a few bucks.

Down:

1. Actress and entrepreneur Jessica: ALBA. Jessica Marie Alba (b. Apr. 28, 1981) has been acting since the age of 13 when she appeared in the 1994 film Camp Nowhere. [Name # 5.]

2. Court filing: SUIT.

3. Shipped off: SENT.

4. Pancake batter ingredient: EGG.

5. Oversized: TOO BIG. David Byrne (b. May 14, 1952), of Talking Heads, was known for wearing a BIG suit.

6. White lake bird: SWAN. Does the King of England all the swans in England?

7. Grasped: HELD.

8. Paints on palettes: OILS.

9. Extracted resource: ORE. A crossword staple.

10. Subtitled TV show from Seoul, e.g.: K-DRAMA. Korean Dramas, or K-Drama, refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. Complete unknown to me.

11. Chain known for Cheddar Bay Biscuits: RED LOBSTER. Apparently the company just hired a new CFO.

12. Whodunit game: CLUE. It's also a musical.

13. Hardly close: AFAR.

18. Guitar clamps: CAPOS. Everything you wanted to know about a guitar Capo but didn't know to ask.

23. Scandinavian capital: OSLO. The capital of Norway.

24. Compensated break from work: Abbr.: PTO. As in Paid Time Off.

25. Tavern beverage: ALE.

26. Enshroud in mist: BEFOG.

27. Thrifty, in brand names: ECONO.

28. Pianist's reference pages: SHEET MUSIC.

29. Poison __: SUMAC. Everything you need to know about Poison Sumac before you venture out into the wild.

30. Designer bag name: PRADA. Prada is an Italian high-end fashion house that specialized in leather handbags, shoes, and prêt-à-porter. The company was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada (d. 1958). [Name # 6.]

31. White marsh bird: EGRET. Egrets are such beautiful and elegant birds.

32. Communications officer on the Enterprise: UHURA. A Star Trek reference. [Name # 7, Fictional.]

33. Selena's "Only Murders in the Building" role: MABEL. Only Murders in the Building is a sit-com where three strangers share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. It stars Steve Martin (né Stephen Glenn Martin; b. August 14, 1945), Marty Short (né Martin Hayter Short, Mar. 26, 1950) and Selena Gomez (née Selena Marie Gomez; b. July 22, 1992). [Name # 8. ]

41. Thick carpet: SHAG. Shag Carpets were a big thing in the 1970s. Are they making a comeback?

42. Loops in via email: CCs. Originally CC stood for Carbon Copy from the days when a piece of carbon paper was placed between two sheets of paper in the typewriter so the sender could retain a copy. The term survives even though it is a far cry from the original meaning.

43. 2000s teen series set in Newport Beach: THE OC.

44. Surgeons' degs.: MDs. As in Medical Doctor.

46. "How tragic": IT'S SAD.

47. Old Testament queen: ESTHER. In Hebrew, she is known as Hadassah. Esther is the Persian version of the name. In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther tells the story of a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora. She find with the king and becomes queen. She then risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when the court official Haman persuades the king to authorize a pogrom against all the Jews of the empire. The Book of Esther, which is read during the Jewish Holiday of Purim, is the only Biblical book that does not mention the name of G'd. [Name # 9.]

50. Arizona county or river: GILA.

51. "Feel What U Feel" Grammy winner Lisa: LOEB. I am not familiar with Lisa Anne Loeb (b. Mar. 11. 1968). [Name # 10.]

52. Olympic speedskater Jackson: ERIN. Erin Jackson (b. Sept. 19, 1992) was the first Black American to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She won the gold medal in the Women's 500m speed skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. [Name # 11.]