Wednesday, March 15, 2023 // Ides of March

QOD:  One of the difficulties of being alive today is that everything is absurd but fewer and fewer things are funny.  ~  Alexandra Petri (née Alexandra Attkisson Petri; b. Mar. 15, 1988), American humorist and writer

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 Ides of March

QOD:  I swear like a sailor, assuming the sailor in question died in 1800 and was really square.  ~  Alexandra Petri (née Alexandra Attkisson Petri; b. Mar. 15, 1988), American humorist and writer

A Breeze by Any Other Name.

17-Across. Wartime delinquent: DRAFT DODGER.  What's the difference between a Draft and a Breeze?

22-Across. '60s-'70s Chicago Bears running back who is the youngest inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: GALE SAYERS.  What's the difference between a Gale and a Breeze?

36-Across. Flute and oboe: WIND INSTRUMENTS.  What's the difference between Wind and a Breeze?

46-Across. Flaky baked dough: PUFF PASTRY.

And the unifier:

58-Across. "Piece of cake!" ... and apt description of the starts of 17-, 22-, 36- and 46-Across?: WHAT A BREEZE.  The first word in each theme answer can describe a blast of a breeze.  Some of the "breezes" are stronger than others.  A GALE would be quite strong, while a PUFF might barely cause a stir.

There was also a mini musical theme:

15-Across. Mid-range voice: TENOR.

5-Down. Mid-range voices: ALTI.

6-Down. Without a key: ATONAL.

Is it me, or was this quite a challenge for a Tuesday puzzle?

Across:
1. Rolex rival: OMEGA.  Both are expensive watches.

6. Wow: AMAZE.

A Maze

11. Listing at indeed.com: JOB.  I was not familiar with this website.

14. Halloween costume with pointy ears: DEVIL.

16. One of WD-40's many: USE.  Who knew there were so many ways to use WD-40?

19. Slippery road cause: ICE.

20. Multipart sofa: SECTIONAL.

21. Mufasa's "The Lion King" brother: SCAR.

25. German pastry: STRUDEL.  A strudel is a layered pastry that is usually sweet, but can have a savory filling.  Making one is probably beyond my cooking abilities.

30. Provide money for: FUND.

31. Playground retort: ARE SO!

32. __ sci: POLI.  Political Science, which is the study of dealing with systems of governance and power and the analysis of political activities.

Enough Said.

33. Web access co.: ISP.  Internet Service Provider.

40. Drunkard: SOT.  A crossword staple.

41. Sorority T's: TAUs.  It's the Greek letter that actually looks like a T.

42. Sleep disorder: APNEA.  Last year, one of the companies that makes the CPAP machines had to issue a recall.  The new materials in the machine were causing a hazardous chemical to be released into the breathing apparatus.

43. Sam or Michelle of Georgia politics: NUNN.  Michelle Nunn (née Mary Michelle Nunn; b. Nov. 16, 1966), is the daughter of former Senator Sam Nunn (né Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr.; b. Sept. 8, 1938)

44. Online marketing technique: E-BLASTS.

50. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL.  Amal Clooney (née Amal Alamuddin; b. Feb. 3, 1978) is the wife of actor George Clooney (né George Timothy Clooney; b. May 6, 1961).

51. Greek "Father of History": HERODOTUS.  Herodotus (484 ~ 425 BCE) is generally considered to have been the first person to systematically write down historical events.  He wrote Histories, which is a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars.  I read some of this years ago.

57. Birdie plus one: PAR.  A golfing reference.

60. "Mad Men" network: AMC.  Mad Men was a television drama about a Madison Avenue advertising firm in the 1960s.  The show ran from July 2007 to May 2015.  

61. Hazardous gas: RADON.  According to 39. Eco-conscious govt. group: EPA and the CDC, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking.

62. Shenanigan: ANTIC.  Appropriate for this time of year.  This year's St. Patrick's Day parade will be on Saturday, March 19.

63. Falsehood: LIE.

64. Surgical tube: STENT.

65. Everycow: BOSSY.

Down:

1. 3:1, e.g.: ODDS.

2. No more than: MERE.

3. Emergency copter op: EVAC.

4. Birthday buy: GIFT.

7. Olympic goal: MEDAL.

8. Artfully seek, as a promotion: ANGLE FOR.

9. Actress Kravitz: ZOË.  Zoë (née Zoë Isabella Kravits; b. Dec. 1, 1988) is the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet.

10. Make a mistake: ERR.

11. Electricity: JUICE.

12. Letter before Papa: OSCAR.  A reference to the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

13. Coronas and Buds: BEERS.  Both are brands of beers.

18. Venetian elder of yore: DOGE.  The Doge was the highest political position in the Venetian Republic. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Doge of Venice, but didn't know to ask.

The Dog of Venice.

21. Australian airport code: SYD.  Flying into Sydney?

23. "Star Trek" helmsman: SULU.

24. __ husbandry: ANIMAL.  Everything you wanted to know about animal husbandry, but didn't know to ask.

25. Logging tools: SAWS.

26. Fairy tale bears, e.g.: TRIO.

27. "Seasons of Love" musical: RENT.

28. Amer. money: USD.  As in the United States Dollar.

29. Wrap a gift, slangily: DO IT UP.  I don't think I have heard this expression in the context of wrapping a gift.

32. Halves of qts.: PTS.  Pints and Quarts.  Mind your Ps and Qs.

33. Holiday and Days: INNS.  Clever.  Both are motels

34. Editor's "Let it be": STET.  A crossword staple.

35. Free TV ads: PSAs.  As in Public Service Announcements.

37. Mom's mom: NANA.

38. Awning, for one: SUN SHADE.

43. Super Bowl org.: NFL.  As in the National Football League.  //  And 58-Down. QB targets: WRs.  The Wide Receiver is the target for the QuarterBack.

44. Roaming, like a knight: ERRANT.

45. Brief invite equivalent of "Drinks are not on me!": BYOB.

46. Like decrees from Francis: PAPAL.

47. Fish sauce taste: UMAMI.

48. Screwball comedy: FARCE.

49. Grand __ National Park: TETON.  Today's French lesson.

52. Just plain plain: DRAB.

53. Napa prefix: OENO-.

54. Asian holidays: TETS.  Another crossword staple.

55. Israeli weapons: UZIs.  Uriel Gal (Dec. 15, 1923 ~ Sept. 7, 2002) was an Israeli gun designer best remembered for designing the submachine gun that bears his name.

56. Cabinet dept. head: SECY.  As in Secretary.

59. Top __: Monopoly piece: HAT.  A history of the Monopoly pieces.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Beware the Ides of March!