Wednesday, August 23, 2023

QOD:  Stories are like genes.  They keep part of us alive after the end of our story.  ~  A.S. Byatt (née Antonia Susan Drabble; b. Aug. 24, 1936), British novelist

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

QOD:  You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.  ~  Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015), American baseball player and coach

Moving Up the Ranks:

16-Across. Intimate meeting with an important person: PRIVATE AUDIENCE.

22-Across. Rum brand with a pirate logo: CAPTAIN MORGAN.

48-Across. Significant parts of family budgets: MAJOR EXPENSES.

58-Across. United Nations body: GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Across:

1. Covertly includes on an email: BCCs.  As in Blind Carbon Copy.  A term that originated back in the day when correspondence was on paper.

5. "You're a winner!" email, often: SCAM.

9. "In that case ... ": IF SO.

13. Chills-inducing: EERIE.

14. Tom yum soup cuisine: THAI.  Tom Yum Soup must be good because it has YUM in its name!  Hi, Lemon and Oo.

15. Spanish hundred: CIEN.  Hi, Lucina!

19. Tax-collecting agcy.: IRS.  The dreaded Internal Revenue Service.

20. Pool float filler: AIR.

21. Stock up on: AMASS.  //  And 37-Across. Hoarder's heaps: PILES.

27. Big-eyed bird: OWL.

28. Pride newborn: LION CUB.

31. Stager of live shows: IMPRESARIO.

36. Like some off-price merchandise: Abbr.: IRR.  As in Irregular.

38. Roomy family car, for short: SUV.

39. Last Greek letter: OMEGA.  Also the name brand of an expensive watch that makes occasional guest appearances in the puzzles.  //  65-Across. Pricey watch brand: ROLEX.  Another expensive watch.  What's the difference?

41. Gulf st.: ALA.  Alabama is one of the American Gulf States.  It has a some nice beaches. 

42. Didn't mind one's own business: INTERFERED.

44. Hotel pricing information: DAY RATE.

47. Former U.K. record label: EMI.  The history of the Electrical and Musical Industry name. 

54. Birch who had a recurring role on "The Walking Dead": THORA.  I have never seen The Walking Dead, and am not familiar with Thora Birch (b. Mar. 11, 1982).  It took this long in the list to come to the first name in the puzzle.  [Name # 1.]

56. Rock's __ Speedwagon: REO.

57. Prefix in some genre names: ALT.  Short for Alternative.  

63. Makes really mad: IRES.

64. Javier's "Being the Ricardos" role: DESI.  Javier Bardem (né Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem; b. Mar. 1, 1969) is a Spanish actor.  He is married to fellow Spanish actress, Penélope Cruz (b. Apr. 28, 1974).  [Name # 2.]

66. Racing legend A.J.: FOYT.  This name did not ring a bell for me.  A.J. Foyt (né Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr.; b. Jan. 16, 1935) won the numerous races including the Indy 500 four times in the 1960s and early 1970s.   [Name # 3.]

67. Garden of Genesis: EDEN.

68. Prayer ender: AMEN.

Down:

1. Quotable catcher Yogi: BERRA.  Although he was a professional baseball catcher, Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015) is probably best known for his unintentionally funny quotes.  [Name # 4.]

2. Like raw celery: CRISP.  Because Crunchy was too many letters.

3. Western __: history class, briefly: CIV.  As in Western Civilization.  Is this even taught in school these days?

4. Salty expanse: SEA.

5. Oktoberfest mug: STEIN.

6. Bracelet ornament: CHARM.  Charms are also found on the Charivari that men attach to their lederhosen at Ocktoberfest.

7. Non-pro sports org.: AAU.  As in the Amateur Athletic Union.

8. Prefix with Atlantic: MID.

Mid-Atlantic States

9. "Top Gun" moniker: ICEMAN.  Val Kilmer (né Val Edward Kilmer; b. Dec. 31, 1959) portrayed Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the movie Top Gun.

10. Venture capitalist, e.g.: FINANCIER.

11. Min. parts: SECs.  60 Seconds make up one Minute.

12. Dollar bills: ONES.

13. Large-scale tale: EPIC.

17. Coin toss choice: TAILS.

18. Othello's false friend: IAGO.  Iago is a fictional character from Willie the Shakes' play Othello.  Iago hates Othello and plans to destroy him.  [Name # 5, fictional]

23. Ripped: TORE.  

24. Fills with wonder: AWES.

25. Tapenade fruit: OLIVE.  Tapenade is an olive spread that is common in southern France.

26. __ de Janeiro: RIO.

29. Compulsion: URGE.

30. "Country Nation" singer Paisley: BRAD.  As you can probably tell by the name of the song, Brad Paisley (né Bradly Douglas Paisley; b. Oct. 28, 1972) is a country music musician.  [Name # 6.]

31. Apple tablet: iPAD.  How did I ever survive without my iPad?

32. Actress Kunis: MILA.  Mila Kunis (née Milena Markovna Kunis; b. Aug. 14, 1983) was born in the Ukraine when it was a Soviet state.  Since 2015, she has been married to Ashton Kutcher.  [Name # 7.]

33. Bills included with some board games: PLAY MONEY.

34. Ed who plays Santa in "Elf": ASNER.  Ed Asner (né Eddie Asner; Nov. 15, 1929 ~ Aug. 29, 2021) is probably best known for his portrayal of Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore shows.  He died just about a year ago at age 91.  [Name # 8.]

35. Dirt road furrow: RUT.

39. "All __": John Legend #1 song: OF ME.

40. Lo __: noodle dish: MEIN.  Yummers!

42. Judge featured in a season of "American Crime Story": ITO.  American Crime Story is a television story featuring true life crimes.  Its first season focused on the murder trial of OJ Simpson.  Judge Lance Ito (né Lance Allen Ito; b. Aug. 2, 1950) is best known for presiding over the trial. [Name # 9.]

43. Some towed cars, for short: REPOS.  Anyone see the 1984 movie Repo Man?

45. Hardest to find: RAREST.

46. Open just a crack: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

49. Totally remove: ERASE.

50. Marks, as a ballot: X'ES IN.  Awkward!

51. Black fur: SABLE.  The black sable ferret is a cute little critter.

52. Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy": ELLEN.  Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (b. Nov. 10, 1969) portrayed Dr. Meredeth Grey on the television series, Grey's Anatomy.   [Name # 10.]

53. River that made Achilles (mostly) invincible: STYX.  When Achilles' mother dipped him into the River Styx, she held him by his heel.  He became invincible, except for that portion of his foot held by his mother.

54. "Bring on the weekend!" letters: TGIF.  Also the name of a restaurant chain.

55. Courageous one: HERO.

59. Fruit drink suffix: ADE.  Hi again, Lemonade!

60. Was on top: LED.

61. Important time: ERA.

62. Cry during an argument between siblings: MOM.

חתולה

Monday, August 23, 2021

QOD:  Patience?  A virtue for the dead.  ~  Nazik al-Malaika (Aug. 12, 1923 ~ June 20, 2007, Iraqi poet

Sunday, August 23, 2020

QOD:  I always think of myself as an 18-year-old beginning my career, all the time.  ~  Marian Seldes (née Marian Hall Seldes; Aug. 23, 1928 ~ Oct. 6, 2014), American stage actress

Friday, August 23, 2019

QOD:  Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.  ~  Clifford Geertz (né Clifford James Geertz; Aug. 23, 1926 ~ Oct. 30, 2006), American anthropologist

Thursday, August 23, 2018

QOD:  The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.  ~  Mark Russell (né Mark Ruslander; b. Aug. 23, 1932)

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

QOD:  If we are to prosper together in our increasingly small world, we must listen to, and learn from, each other’s stories.  ~  Queen Noor of Jordan (née Lisa Najeeb Halaby;  b. Aug. 23, 1951)

Sunday, August 23, 2015

QOD:  The way money goes so fast these days, they should paint racing stripes on it.  ~  Mark Russell (b. Aug. 23, 1932)

Friday, August 23, 2013

QOD:  The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.  ~  Mark Russell (b. Aug. 23, 1932)