Tuesday July 23, 2024

QOD:  The more you reason, the less you create.  ~  Raymond Chandler (July 23, 1888 ~ Mar. 26, 1959), American novelist and detective fiction writer 

Do Not PASS Go.  Today's treat comes to us from our very own Irish Miss and C.C.  Do Not PASS up the opportunity to complete today's puzzle.

17-Across. Vocalist who expresses unrequited love: TORCH SINGER.  Pass the Torch

28-Across. Early sci-fi adventure hero: BUCK ROGERS.  Pass the Buck.

35-Across. Hockey feats: HAT TRICKS.  Pass the Hat.  The modern equivalent is the on-line GoFundMe request for money to pay for something or to reward someone.

46-Across. Cocktail makers: BAR KEEPERS.  Pass the Bar.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Kill a few hours, and an apt title for this puzzle?: PASS THE TIME.

Across:

1. Vehicle not allowed in Venice: CAR.  Cars are not permitted in Venice, Italy; boats are the preferred method of public transportation, even police vehicles.

4. Museum piece: RELIC.

9. Relax in a tub: SOAK.

13. Mineral deposit: ORE.  A crossword staple.

14. __ acid: AMINO.  Protein building blocks.

15. "More or less": SORTA.

16. Put money (on): BET.

19. Skin bump: WART.

21. In first place: AHEAD.

22. Letters on tubes of toothpaste: ADA.  As in the American Dental Association.

23. Pencil end: ERASER.

26. "And that's final!": I MEAN IT!

31. Bring on board: HIRE.

32. Mil. rank: SGT.  Sergeant is a military rank.

33. Anchor a boat: MOOR.

34. "__ your age!": ACT.

39. Madrid Mrs.: SRA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

41. Previously: ONCE.  "Once upon a time there lived... 'A king! ' my little readers will say immediately.  No, children, you are mistaken.  Once upon a time there was a piece of wood."   Oh, wait!  That was last week.

42. Franchise that includes "Iron Man" and "WandaVision," for short: MCU.  As in Marvel Comic Unlimited.

45. Chimney dust: SOOT.

49. Petitions to a higher court: APPEALS.

51. Workplace for a forensic scientist: DNA LAB.

52. Uno e due: TRE.  Today's math and Italian lesson.

53. Vision-correcting surgery: LASIK.

56. Barest trace: WISP.

61. "Couples Therapy" network, for short: SHO.  I am not familiar with this show, which is apparently  a documentary series following couples as they seek the help of psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik  with their troubled relationships. 

62. Grammy winner Baker: ANITA.  Anita Baker (née Anita Denise Baker; Jan. 26, 1958) is known for her soulful ballads.  She has won several Grammys for her work.  [Name # 1.]

63. BBC airer, familiarly: TELLY.  Television.

64. Spanish for "to be": SER.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

65. Award for "Hadestown": TONY.  I saw Hadestown a year or so ago.  It's a modern re-telling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.  Eurydice, a young girl looking for something to eat, goes to work in a hellish industrial version of the Greek underworld to escape poverty and the cold, and her poor singer-songwriter lover Orpheus comes to rescue her.

66. Sign of fire: SMOKE.  Where there's smoke ...

67. Museum pieces: ART.

Down:

1. Spider traps: COBWEBS.

2. Partial floor covering: AREA RUG.

3. Take back, as a statement: RETRACT.

4. Rodent in the Vietnamese zodiac: RAT.  The animals in the Vietnamese zodiac are Tý (Mouse), Sửu (Ox), Dần (Tiger), Mão (Cat), Thìn (Dragon), Tỵ (Snake), Ngọ (Horse), Mùi (Goat), Thân (Monkey), Dậu (Rooster), Tuất (Dog), and Hợi (Pig).

5. Introspective music genre: EMO.  A Crossword staple.

6. Turkish currency: LIRA.

7. Move very slowly: INCH.

8. Joint inheritor: CO-HEIR.

9. Cain, to Adam: SON.  There was another son, but Cain slew Abel.  [Names # 2 and 3, Biblical.]

10. Common label at Whole Foods: ORGANIC.  The store affectionately known as Whole Paycheck.

11. Humbly accepted blame: ATE DIRT.

12. Martial art developed in Okinawa: KARATE.

15. Steamed vegetables, e.g.: SIDE.

18. __ Club: Costco rival: SAM'S.

20. Sound of disapproval: TSK!

24. Humorist Bombeck: ERMA.  Erma Louise Bombeck (née Erma Louise Fiste; Feb. 21, 1927 ~ Apr. 22, 1996) was an American humorist.  In addition to writing several books, she also wrote a syndicated newspaper column about suburban life.  [Name # 4.]

25. Daikon or beet: ROOT.  A Daikon is a white Asian radish.

27. Cries of discovery: AHAs!

29. Understood: GOT.

30. Misspelling, e.g.: ERROR.

35. Dislike intensely: HATE.

36. Tattoo artist's supply: INK.

37. Looped in on an email: CC'ED.  As in Carbon Copied.

38. Enthusiastic: KEEN.

39. Opera diva, usually: SOPRANO.

40. Successfully entices: ROPES IN.

42. "Bridesmaids" actress McCarthy: MELISSA.  Melissa Ann McCarthy (b. Aug. 26, 1970) is a comic actress.  [Name # 5.]

43. Uninvited party guest: CRASHER.

44. Spot for a flash drive: USB PORT.

45. Made no changes: SAT PAT.

46. Ho-hum: BLAH.

47. Desirable traits: ASSETS.

48. "__ Patrol": animated series with dogs in uniform: PAW.  Paw Patrol is a big hit with the toddler set.

50. Ski resort near Snowbird: ALTA.  Alta is a ski resort in Utah.

54. To-do list entry: ITEM.

55. Metric weight: KILO.

58. Trough locale: STY.

59. "I have a dream" monogram: MLK.  As in Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan 15, 1929 ~ Apr. 4, 1968).  [Name # 6.]

60. Place for winged liner: EYE.  Think of Amy Winehouse (née Amy Jade Winehouse; Sept. 14, 1983 ~ July 23, 2011).  She died 13 years ago today.

Here's the Grid:

It's your turn to PASS on your comments to C.C. and Irish Miss.

חתולה

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

QOD:  Money doesn’t make you special; It makes you lucky.  ~  Eve Ensler (b. May 25, 1953), American playwright

Clam Up.

16-Across. *   Historic lifetime golf or tennis achievement: CAREER GRAND SLAM.  You can get a breakfast Grand Slam at Denny's.

19-Across. *   Cushioned Adidas running shoes: CLOUD FOAM.

21-Down. *   Social status hierarchy: CLASS SYSTEM.

And the Unifier:

23. Seafood appetizer, and what each answer to a starred clue literally is?: STUFFED CLAM.  The word Clam forms the border of each starred answer and the rest of the answer is "stuffed" into the Clam.

I had never heard of Stuffed Clams before and I grew up in New England.  According to this recipe, they are generally made of quahogs (remember that quahogs appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle!).

Across:

1. Aquatic barker: SEAL.  Do seals really bark?

5. "Notorious" justice, initially: RBG.   I had the opportunity to meet with the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2006 when I was sworn in to the United States Supreme Court.  She met with a small group of 10 of us after the swearing in ceremony. 

8. Frozen rock in a bar?: CUBE.  Hi, Tinbini!  I hope you are well.  We haven't "seen" you in a while.

12. Lake that drains via the Niagara River: ERIE.  Seein Erie appear in the puzzle brings back memories of our friend Abejo.

13. City on the Nile: CAIRO.  Cairo, Illinois is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

15. Daunting exam: ORAL.

20. TV censoring device: V-CHIP.

22. Do canine care?: FLOSS.

25. Long-bodied fish: EEL.

26. Dose amt.: TSP.

28. Super Bowl org.: NFL.  As in the National Football League.

29. Bronze component: TIN.  Hi, Tinbini!  We do miss you!  Bronze is an alloy consisting mostly of copper and tin, with a handful of other elements.

31. Hang loosely: DRAPE.

33. Tigger's best friend: ROO.  A reference to Winnie the Pooh and his many friends.

35. Clear sky hue: AZURE.

37. Long-eared equines: ASSES.

38. Need to pay: OWE.

39. More secure: SAFER.

40. Extreme clutter: MESS.

41. Oscar-winning actress Berry: HALLE.  Halle Marie Berry (b. Aug. 14, 1966) won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Leticia Musgrove in the 2001 movie Monster's Ball.  The movie was largely filmed in New Orleans.

43. "Should that happen ... ": IF SO.

44. Power source for Watt: STEAM.  Think of the Watt steam engine, named after James Watt (1736 ~ 1819).

46. Sleeping sound: SNORE.

48. City hall leaders: MAYORS.  Thomas Willett (1605 ~ 1674) was the first and third mayor of New York City.

50. Guiding principles: CREDOS.

53. Driver's licenses, e.g.: IDs.  In Louisiana, it is now possible to have one's driver's license on one's iPhone.

54. Donnybrook: RHUBARB.  I am not familiar with this definition of Rhubarb.  My mother made the best Rhubarb and Strawberry pie.

58. "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. __: CHU. Jon M. Chu (né Jonathan Murray Chu; b. Nov. 2, 1979), adapted Kevin Kwan's novel of the same name into the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians.

59. A or B, but not O: NOTE.  I am assuming that the A and B refer to musical notes.  If all three letters have something in common, it would be blood type.

61. "30 Rock" actor __ Morgan: TRACY.  Tracy Jamal Tracy (b. Nov. 10, 1968) was very seriously injured in a car accident in 2014.  Fortunately, after a long recovery period, he seems to be fine now.

62. Pleased: GLAD.

63. Follow orders: OBEY.

64. Product pitcher: AD REP.  Hand up if you first entered Ad Man.

65. "Mary Magdalene" star Rooney __: MARA.  Mara Rooney (née Patricia Rooney Mara; b. Apr. 17, 1985) also starred in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

66. Capital on the Tiber: ROME.

67. Party attendee: GUEST.

68. Portent: OMEN.

Down:

1. "Be there in a __!": SEC.

2. Stat for Clayton Kershaw: ERA.  As in Earned Run Average.  Clayton Kershaw (b. Mar. 19, 1988) is a professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

3. Breathing necessity: AIR.

4. Bloodsucker: LEECH.  Leeches used to be a common "medical" procedure.  Are they making a come-back?

5. Pasta sauce brand: RAGU.

6. Eagle or lark: BIRD.

7. Steffi in the Tennis Hall of Fame: GRAF.  Steffi Graf (née Stefanie Maria Graf; b. June 14, 1969) was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.

8. Pink cocktail, familiarly: COSMO.  A Cosmo is made of vodka, cranberry, Cointreau and a bit of lime juice.  Yum!

9. Digital address letters: URL.  A crossword staple.

10. Sheep sound: BAA.

11. Common name for a tree-lined street: ELM.  Also a street where you might experience a nightmare.

13. Corn, wheat, etc.: CROPS.

14. Switch type: ON/OFF.

17. Privileged groups: ELITES.

18. Cowboys' home: DALLAS.  The football team.

20. Chapter companion: VERSE.

24. Foals' fathers: SIRES.

25. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM.  Yummers!  This has become a crossword staple.

27. Links tournament with two-person teams: PRO AM.

28. Yuletide carols: NOELS.

30. Roman fiddler: NERO.

32. Basil-based sauce: PESTO.  Yummers!  I am growing some basil so I can make my own pesto.

34. "Wise" flier: OWL.  Owls are such beautiful birds.

36. The Congo, formerly: ZAIRE.  As I am writing this, a volcano is erupting from Mount Nyiragongo.  The volcano is on the northeastern part of the country near the Rwanda border.  The official name of the country is the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  It was known as Zaire from 1971 until 1997.

41. Word or phrase preceded by "#": HASHTAG.

42. Put into code: ENCRYPT.

45. Goof up: ERR.

47. Uranus or Neptune: ORB.

48. Key that may sound sad or angry: MINOR.

49. Marinade in Philippine cooking: ADOBO.  I am not familiar with Adobo, but you it sounds interesting.

51. Windy City hub: O'HARE.  The airport in Chicago is named in honor of Butch O'Hare (né Edward Henry O'Hare; Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), an American navy aviator.  He was shot down in action during World War II.

52. Khartoum's nation: SUDAN.  We're spending a lot of time in Africa in today's puzzle.

55. Language of Pakistan: URDU.

56. Like Hubbard's cupboard: BARE.

57. Nails, as a test: ACES.

60. Lens location: EYE.

62. Controversial food letters: GMO.  As in a Genetically Modified Organism.

Here's the Grid:

Today's puzzle is brought to you by our very own Irish Miss and C.C., our blog mistress!

חתולה