Tuesday, November 23, 2021

QOD:  When you grow up, who you were as a teenager either takes on a mythical importance or it’s completely laughable.  ~  Julie Buntin, American novelist

Buddy, can you Spare a dime?  The circled letters can be rearranged to spell out the word Spare.

18-Across. Spicy condiment: PEPPER SAUCE.  Tabasco sauce is our favorite pepper sauce.

23-Across. Astronaut's milieu: OUTER SPACE.

35-Across. Lawn areas lacking grass: BARE SPOTS.

53. NYC's World Financial Center architect: CÉSAR PELLI.  I was not familiar with César Pelli (Oct. 12, 1926 ~ July 19, 2019).  He was an Argentine-American architect best known for designing some the world's tallest buildings, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur.  I recognized many of his designs.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Coins in one's pocket ... and what literally happens in each set of circles: SPARE CHANGE.  When was the last time you actually used cash to make a transaction?  I rarely carry money anymore.

It is strange to see a Bruce Venzke puzzle without seeing Gail Grabowski's name too.

Across:
1. D.C. insider: POL.

4. Anxious feeling: ANGST.

9. "Silent Night" words before calm and bright: ALL IS.  Now is the season for the Christmas songs.

14. Actress Gardner: AVA.  Although Ava Gardner (née Ava Lavinia Gardner; Dec. 24, 1922 ~ Jan. 25, 1990) was in many films, for my generation, she is probably best known for her marriage to Frank Sinatra.

15. More rational: SANER.

16. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE.  Sierra Leone is a country on the West Coast of Africa.  It is one of the poorest countries in the world.

17. "Star Wars" sequel trilogy heroine: REY.

20. Pay off illicitly: BRIBE.

22. How a scary-movie watcher might recoil: IN HORROR.

26. Deserved, as recognition: DUE.

27. Keep separate from the rest: ISOLATE.

Covid Isolation

28. Restaurant chain with an owl logo: HOOTERS.

31. Horne of jazz: LENA.  I initially misread this as Home of Jazz.  Lena Horne (née Lena Mary Calhoun Horne; June 30, 1917 ~ May 9, 2010) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

32. In the manner of: À LA.  Today's French lesson.

34. Oktober endings: FESTS.  Oktoberfest in 2022 will be held from September 17 to October 3.  The countdown is on!  The first Oktoberfest was in 1810 in celebration of the marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

39. Perth __, NJ: AMBOY.

42. LBJ's boy beagle: HIM.  President Lyndon B. Johnson (Aug. 27, 1908 ~ Jan. 22, 1973) loved dogs.  When he was in the White House,  his most well-known beagles were named Him and Her.

43. Big brass: TUBA.  This makes me think of our friend Abejo.

47. Greets with guffaws: ROARS AT.  //  And 49-Down.  Far from a guffaw: TEE-HEE.

50. Features of some cruise ships: CASINOs.

52. Heavy weight: TON.

55. Working together as one: IN TANDEM.  Like this couple who have 67-Across. Wed on the sly: ELOPE(d).

58. '90s candidate __ Perot: H. ROSS.  H. Ross Perot (né Henry Ross Perot; June 27, 1930 ~ July 9, 2019) ran as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential campaign and as a third-party candidate in 1996.

62. When doubled, a Latin dance: CHA.  The Cha-Cha, or the Cha-Cha-Cha?

63. Fix in the crosshairs: AIM AT.

64. Knighted composer Edward: ELGAR.  Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet (June 2, 1857 ~ Feb. 23, 1934) is probably best known for Pomp and Circumstance.

65. Showy pond fish: KOI.

66. Stacks like Tupperware: NESTS.

68. Vicious with a bass: SID.  Sid Vicious (né Simon John Ritchie; May 10, 1957 ~ Feb. 2, 1979), was the bassist for the Sex Pistols.  He is probably best known, however, for being charged with brutally murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (Feb. 27, 1958 ~ Oct. 12, 1979).  He died of a heroin overdose  before going to trial for the murder while out on bail.

Down:

1. Partially cook, as rice: PARBOIL.  The How's and Why's of Parboiling Rice.

2. Employ excessively, as muscles: OVER USE.

3. Overdo the flattery: LAY IT ON.

4. Last word of Kansas' motto: ASPERA.  The full motto is:  Ad astra per aspera.  It translates to mean: to the stars through difficulties.  It apparently represents the struggles Kansas faced with issues debated such as slavery, Indian attacks, and the inevitable war prior to statehood.  What is your state motto and what does it mean?

5. Macduff rebuff: NAE.  Lord Macduff is a character in Macbeth.  He was from Scotland, hence, his rebuff is Nae.

6. Econ. measure: GNP.  As in Gross National Product.

7. Old photo hue: SEPIA.

Queen Victoria.  She is not amused.

8. Battlefield furrow: TRENCH.

9. "What's more ... ": ALSO.

10. Norman who created Archie and Edith Bunker: LEAR.  Norman Milton Lear (b. July 27, 1922) is still involved in producing television shows.  He will be 100 years old next summer.

11. French pilgrimage site: LOURDES.

12. Trying a case, say: IN COURT.

13. Prophetic woman: SEERESS.

19. Prefix with stat: RHEO.  As in a Rheostat.

21. Overdo, as a point: BELABOR.

24. Twinkler: STAR.

25. Soccer standout: PELÉ.  He make occasional guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  His given name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento (b. Oct. 23, 1940).  He is the only soccer player to hold 3 World Cup winner's medals.  He won the award in 1958, 1962 and in 1970.

29. Frequently, to a bard: OFT.

30. More irritable: TESTIER.

33. Fireplace grate buildup: ASH.

36. Shakespearean cries: AYs.

37. 12-point type: PICA.  More than you ever wanted to know about Printing Types.

38. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Omar Hashim Epps (b. July 20, 1973) played a doctor on the television series House.

39. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.

40. Marshmallowy treat: MOONPIE.  MoonPies are a Southern thing.  Everything you wanted to know about a MoonPie, but didn't know to ask.  They even come in Pumpkin Spice.

41. Little chickens: BANTAMS.

44. Disengages the bolt for, as a door: UNLOCKS.

45. Russian ballet company: BOLSHOI.

46. "Let me reiterate ... ": AS I SAID.

48. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.  Everything you wanted to know about the band's logo, but didn't know to ask.  The band was formed by brothers Malcolm (Jan. 6, 1953 ~ Nov. 18, 2017) and Angus Young (b. Mar. 31, 1955).

51. Round figure: SPHERE.

54. Little: SMALL.

56. "I smell __!": A RAT.

57. Ping-Pong supplies: NETS.  Not the ball, but the Nets.  I know, the clue indicates a plural.

60. Private aid prog.: NGO.  As in a Non-Governmental Organization.  What's the difference between an NGO and a Non-Profit?  Find out here.

61. Space between outfielders: GAP.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

QOD:  If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.  ~  Cicero (né Marcus Tillius Cicero; Jan. 3, 106 BCE ~ Dec. 7, 43 BCE), Roman statesmen and philosopher

We're in the Money!  Slang words for money are "split" in today's theme answers



16-Across. Huff and puff: BREATHE HARD.  Bread.

38-Across. Lawn area where rainwater collects: LOW SPOT.  Loot.

10-Down. Bags for potatoes, say: BURLAP SACKS.  Bucks.

23-Down. Subject to, as the proverbial mud: DRAG THROUGH.  Dough.

And the Unifier:

59-Across. Divvy up poker hand winnings, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: SPLIT THE POT.


Across:

1. Gives up the single life: WEDS.

5. Christina of "Sleepy Hollow": RICCI.  The 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow was loosely based on Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Christina Ricci (b. Feb. 12, 1980) played Katrina Van Tassel.

10. Physique, briefly: BOD.

13. Holliday pal: EARP.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) has been making a lot of guest appearances in the puzzles recently.  He was a close friend and associate of Doc Holliday (né John Henry Holliday; Aug. 14, 1851 ~ Nov. 8, 1887).  Both are best known for their participation in the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

14. Headgear for shading one's face: SUN HAT.

15. Luau strings: UKE.

18. Narrow inlet: RIA.

19. Gland near the larynx: THYROID.

20. Snow glider: SLED.  

21. Bollywood's country: INDIA.

24. "Jeopardy!" material: TRIVIA.

26. Seed in some sauerkraut: CARAWAY.  Everything you wanted to know about Caraway, but were afraid to ask.

29. Brass band sound: OOM-PAH.

32. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.  A crossword staple.

33. Ellipsis trio: DOTS.

36. Cotton thread: LISLE.  More than you ever wanted to know about Cotton Lisle.

37. Programming glitch: BUG.

40. Jurisprudence org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.  The current President of the ABA is Judy Perry Martinez, an attorney from New Orleans.  I had brunch with her shortly before the  self-imposed quarantine began.

41. "Mad TV" alum Lange: ARTIE.  I am familiar with neither Mad TV nor Artie Lange (b. Oct. 11, 1967).

43. Installed, as carpet: LAID.

44. Taiwanese laptop giant: ACER.  I learned of this compter company from doing the crossword puzzles.

45. Lou portrayed in "The Pride of the Yankees": GEHRIG.  Lou Gehrig (né Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig; June 19, 1903 ~ June 2, 1941) played 17 years for the New York Yankees.  He died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig disease, at age 37.

47. Do-it-yourself diagnostic tool: TEST KIT.

49. Rolled in the aisles: ROARED.

52. Spur-of-the-moment: HASTY.

53. Animator's output: 'TOON.  As in a cartoon.

55. Egyptian or Ethiopian: AFRICAN.  Ethiopia and Egypt are currently fighting over water from the Nile.

Egypt in Green; Ethiopia in Orange.

58. Letters in an academic address: EDU.  As in the Internet address.

63. Fix, as a fight: RIG.

64. Norelco product: SHAVER.

65. New Balance rival: NIKE.

66. Slangy word of indifference: MEH.  Meh!

67. Fall bloomer: ASTER.

68. Cubicle fixture: DESK.

Anatomy of a Cubicle.

Down:

1. Organic flytrap: WEB.  Cute clue.

2. Piece of corn: EAR.

3. Dr. with Grammys: DRE.

Dr. Dre (né Andre Romelle Young; b. Feb. 18, 1965)

4. Like some relations: SPATIAL. Not Sisters.

5. One with regrets: RUER.

6. __ water: facing trouble: IN HOT.

7. Waiting room seat: CHAIR.  Some of the Most Uncomfortable Chairs.

8. Aerobic regimen, casually: CARDIO.  Some cardio exercises we can do in quarantine.

9. "__ be an honor": IT'D.

11. "The Grapes of Wrath" figure: OKIE.  A reference to John Steinbeck's 1939 novel.

12. Like a useless battery: DEAD.

14. Not prone to mingling: SHY.

17. Defrost: THAW.

20. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI.

21. Sprain soother: ICE BAG.

22. The great outdoors: NATURE.

25. Chevy needing recharging: VOLT.  Does anyone have one of these vehicles?

27. Commotion: ADO.

28. Cry of distress: YOWL.

30. Even if: ALBEIT.  Fun word.

31. Robust: HEARTY.

34. PreCheck org.: TSA.

35. Hot rod?: SPIT.

38. "Star Wars" twin sister: LEIA.  Princess Leia was played by Carrie Fisher (Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).  She suffered a heart attack while flying from London to Los Angeles.  Tragically, her mother, Debbie Reynolds (Apr. 1, 1932 ~ Dec. 28, 2016), died the following day.

39. Thomas Gray's "The Bard," e.g.: ODE.  Here is the Poem.

42. Resolve, with "out": IRON.

44. Finally finished: AT AN END.

46. Sales reports diagrams: GRAPHS.

48. Ousted Iranian ruler: SHAH.  The last Shah if Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Oct. 26, 1919 ~ July 27, 1980).  He was ousted in February 1979.  He makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

50. D-sharp equivalent: E FLAT.

51. Take the wheel: DRIVE.

53. Political stretch: TERM.

54. Yellow comics dog: ODIE.  A reference to the Garfield comic strip.

56. Road in old Rome: ITER.  Today's Latin lesson.

57. NFL snapper: CTR.  Center.  

59. Org. funded by FICA: SSA.  As in the Social Security Administration.

60. Traditional March 14 dessert: PIE.

61. Thumbs-ups: OKS.

62. Shatner's "__War": TEK.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.  ~  Cicero (né Marcus Tillius Cicero; Jan. 3, 106 BCE ~ Dec. 7, 43 BCE), Roman statesmen and philosopher