Sunday, January 7, 2024

QOD:  A house is not a home until it has a dog.  ~  Gerald Durrell (Jan. 7. 1925 ~ Jan. 30, 1995), British naturalist

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

QOD:  I never made a damn dime until I started doing what I wanted.  ~  Carroll Shelby (né Carroll Hall Shelby; Jan. 11, 1923 ~ May 10, 2012), Texan chicken farmer and car designer

Hidden Talents:

17-Across. Iron or lead: METALLIC ELEMENT.

22-Across. Home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks: STAPLES CENTER.

49-Across. Flat-topped South African landmark: TABLE MOUNTAIN.  I was not familiar with this South African mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, South Africa.  It is, indeed, quite flat.

55-Across. Giving 110%, say: TOTAL COMMITMENT.

And the Unifier:

36. With 38-Across, unpublicized skill found in each set of circles: HIDDEN.  //  38. See 36-Across: TALENT.  The word Talent is Hidden in the circles in each theme answer.

Across:

1. Attempts, with "at": HAS A GO.  Meh!

7. Apple on a desk: iMAC.  My iMac looks like this.  It is quite old, but it still works.

11. Endorses: OKS.

14. Refrigerator, once: ICE BOX.

15. Wax Ready-Strips maker: NAIR.  Ouch!

16. By way of: VIA.

20. Annoying noise: DIN.

21. Unclean: DIRTY.

27. Eight, in Ecuador: OCHO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

29. Nowhere near appropriate: SO WRONG.

30. Dental care brand: ORAL B.  This brand appears often in the puzzles.  The company now makes  the trendy electric toothbrushes.

32. "The Constant Gardener" Oscar winner Rachel: WEISZ.  Rachel Weisz (née Rachel Hannah Weisz; b.  March 7, 1970), was born in England, but became a naturalized US Citizen in 2011.  She is married to James Bond (Daniel Craig) in real life.

33. Public transit option: BUS.

40. Pigs' digs: STY.

41. Lavished affection (on): DOTED.

45. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.  Sonia Sotomayor (b. June 25, 1954) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

46. Early IHOPs, structurally: A-FRAMES.

48. Mesa or Boulder: CITY.  If this was a clue last Sunday, would the answer have been AZCO?

53. Contact info item: E-MAIL.  It should be phone number, as I get more text messages than e-mails when someone wants to contact me.

54. Form 1099 org.: IRS.  It's beginning to be that time again when we think of getting our tax information together to send to the Internal Revenue Service.

63. Cal. neighbor: ORE.  Not the ore that is mined, but the State of Oregon.  An interesting scholarly paper on the origin and meaning of Oregon.

64. Greek liqueur: OUZO.  Ouzo is an anise-flavored aperitif that is clear until it comes in contact ice, when it becomes milky opaque.

65. __ de Rossi of "Arrested Development": PORTIA.  Portia de Rossi (née Amanda Lee Rogers; b. Jan. 31 1973) appeared recently in a puzzle.  //  And 46. Actress Shawkat of "Arrested Development": ALIA.  Alia Shawkat (b. Apr. 18, 1989) portrayed Maeby Fünke on Arrested Development.  Neither the actress nor the character are Tuesday puzzle names.

David Cross and Portia de Rossi

Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat

66. Stark in "Game of Thrones": NED.  Although he is a fictional character, his full name was Lord Eddard Stark.  I never watched the show and I tried to read the book, but found it difficult to plow through.

67. __ Virginia: WEST.  Everything you wanted to know about the West Virginia statehood, but didn't know to ask.

68. Faux: ERSATZ.  This word was clued as "Like a bad copy" in last Tuesday's puzzle.

Down:

1. That guy: HIM.

2. Perfect service: ACE.

3. "Quiet on the __!": SET.

4. Lawyer's org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.

5. Meir of Israel: GOLDA.  Golda Meir (née Golda Mabovitch; May 3, 1898 ~ Dec. 8, 1978) was a remarkable woman.

6. Yellow primroses: OXLIPS.  Such pretty flowers.

7. Company abbr.: INC.

8. Astronaut Jemison: MAE.  Mae Carol Jemison (b. Oct. 17, 1956) was the first Black woman to venture into Space.  She was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in September 1992. 

9. Be unwell: AIL.

10. Dining room pieces with cupboards: CREDENZAs.  I think of a credenza as being more of an office piece of furniture.

11. Not at all subtle: OVERT.

12. Kunta in "Roots": KINTE.  Kunta Kinte was a character in Alex Haley's 1976 book, Roots.  It was later made into a mini-series, which aired before the days of taping shows to watch later.  In the mini-series, Kunta Kinte was portrayed by LeVar Burton (b. Feb. 16, 1957).

13. Mythical man-goat: SATYR.

18. Like a bicycle climbing a hill: IN LOW.

19. Vase-making dynasty: MING.  So beautiful.

22. Not on the level: SHADY.

23. Tattled: TOLD.

24. Lamb's mom: EWE.

25. __ Lanka: SRI.  The tear-drop shaped country off the coast of India.

26. "An arm and a leg" is a high one: COST.  It's also an idiom.

27. Sounds of awe: OOHs!

28. Lit __: CRIT.

31. Strange one made by politics?: BEDFELLOW.

33. Porto-Novo's land: BENIN.  Benin is a small country in West Africa to the left of Nigeria.  Hand up if you knew this country.

34. Condo, e.g.: UNIT.

35. Remain: STAY.

37. Standard: NORM.

39. Points in math class: LOCI.

42. Eastern "way": TAO.

43. Bird in Liberty Mutual ads: EMU.  Those ads are so annoying.

44. Acid-washed jeans fabric: DENIM.

47. Zebra feature: STRIPE.

49. Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.  Today's French lesson.

50. Love, in Sicily: AMORE.  Today's Italian lesson.

51. With __ breath: tensely anticipatory: BATED.  Bated or Baited?.

52. Fur tycoon for whom a northwest Oregon city was named: ASTOR.  I just read an interesting novel entitled The Social Graces by Renée Rosen, which is about the New York Astors and Vanderbilts in the late 1800s.  When the novel takes place, the Astors are considered "old money" because they were over 3 generations from when their money was made by "dirty" hands in the fur trade, whereas the Vanderbilts were nouveau riche.  Their money was made by The Commodore Vanderbilt, who was just a generation away and was considered coarse and crass.

56. Billiards stick: CUE.

57. Quarter-lb. quarters: OZs.  As in Ounces.

58. One-liner: MOT.  More of today's French lesson.  Most often paired with Bon.  Bon Mot = witty remark.

59. __ America Pageant: MRS.  Apparently, there is still a Mrs. America Pageant for married women.  Ladies, if you are interested, here's how to apply.  No age limit, but you do have to be married.

60. GPS prediction: ETA.  The GPS will give you an Estimated Time of Arrival, just like at the airport.

61. Little point to pick: NIT.

62. Toon devil: TAZ.  They are formidable creatures.

If you have found your Hidden Talent, can you tell it what it is?

חתולה

 

Friday, January 7, 2022

QOD:  You’ve got to go there to know there.  ~  Zora Neale Hurston (Jan. 7, 1891 ~ Jan. 28, 1960), African-American writer

Thursday, January 7, 2021

QOD:  Ask the average person his views on snakes and he will, within the space of ten minutes, talk more nonsense than a brace of politicians.  ~  Gerald Durrell (Jan. 7. 1925 ~ Jan. 30, 1995), British naturalist

 

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

QOD:  I believe that all children should be surrounded by books and animals.  ~  Gerald Durrell (Jan. 7. 1925 ~ Jan. 30, 1995), British naturalist

Buckle Up!  Today we have both the dreaded circles and anagrams!  So, buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride on this ROCKY ROAD as we travel around the world in a puzzle that contains lots of foreign language words.

I'll start with the unifier:

And the Unifier:
61-Across. Nutty ice cream parlor order ... and a hint to each set of circled letters: ROCKY ROAD.

17-Across. Not be serious: KID AROUND.

24-Across. "Answer with the first thing that comes to mind" exercise: WORD ASSOCIATION.

36-Across. World's largest lizards: KOMODO DRAGONS.  The Komoda Dragon is found in the Indonesian islands.

52-Across. '70s Chilean president: SALVADOR ALLENDE.  Salvador Allende (June 26, 1908 ~ Sept. 11, 1973) was a physician and President of Chile from 1970 until 1973 when he was killed in a coup.  After the coup, Augusto Pinochet (Nov. 25, 1915 ~ Sept. 10, 2006) became the dictator of Chile.  The latter was my first thought, and both names have the same number of letters.

Salvador Allende.

We've also have a little criminal activity going as well.

15-Across. Thieves' hideout: LAIR.  //  65-Down.  Thieves' hideout: DEN.

16-Across. Thief: CROOK.

Across:

1. Indian music style: RAGA.

5. French "to be": ÊTRE.  The first of several references to the French language in today's puzzle.  The verb Être is an irregular verb.  In the present tense, the verb is conjugates as: Je suis / Nous sommes (I am / We are); Tu es / Vous être (You are You are); Il eat / Elle eat (He is / She is) / Ils sont / Elles sont (They are). 

9. Goldman __: investment banking giant: SACHS.  Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman (Dec. 9, 1821 ~ July 20, 1904).  Thirteen years later, his son-in-law, Samuel Sachs (July 28, 1851 ~ Mar. 2, 1935), joined the firm, and the name became as we know it today.

14. Go with the __: FLOW.

19. Like the accent in passé: ACUTE.  The French language uses 5 distinct accents:

the cédille Ç,

the accent aigu é,

the accent circonflexe â, ê, î, ô, û,

the accent grave à, è, ù

and the accent tréma ë, ï, ü.

20. French monarch: ROI.  The French King.

21. Hockey score: GOAL.

23. Cold War mil. program: SDI.  As in the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars.  The program was initiated in 1983 during the Reagan Administration.  The program was designed to develop a space-based missile defense program to protect the country from a nuclear attack.  The program is sometimes considered the straw that broke down the Cold War between the United States and the USSR.

29. Golfer Michelle: WIE.  Michelle Song Wie (b. Oct. 11, 1989) was the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship.  She was 10 years old at the time.

30. "I've seen better": MEH!

31. Playground equipment: SWINGS.

32. Quaint lodging: INN.

33. Passé: OLD HAT.  Note that the clue contains a acute accent.

42. "Peer Gynt Suite" dancer: ANITRA.  Definitely not a Tuesday clue, but I am sure you have heard the music that accompanies the dance.

43. "Mangia!": EAT!  Today's Italian lesson.  Mangia is the imperative verb form of the verb to eat.

45. Wine city north of Lisbon: OPORTO.  Today's Portuguese lesson.  This city, which is the second largest city in Portugal, appears as Porto in maps in English.

48. CEO's degree: MBA.  The Chief Executive Officer would likely have a Master's in Business Administration.

51. Wallet single: ONE.

56. Ed.'s backlog: MSS.  As in a backlog of Manuscripts.

57. Actress Russo: RENE.  Rene Russo (née Rene Marie Russo; b. Feb. 17, 1954) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  She began her career as a fashion model.

58. World Cup cheer: !OLE¡  Today's Spanish lesson.

59. Funny Cheri: OTERI.  Cheri OTERI (née Cheryl Anne Oteri; b. Sept. 19, 1962) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was on Saturday Night Live 2 decades ago, where she played a number of roles, including the Spartan cheerleader.

Cheri is on the Right.

66. Seasonal mall temp: SANTA.  Their temporary job is over until next season, which, I think now begins in about July.

67. "Omigosh!": YIPE!.

68. Loitering, say: IDLE.

69. German steel city: ESSEN.

70. Some pipe joints: ELLS.

71. Utopia: EDEN.

Down:

1. D.C. United's former stadium: RFK.

2. "Green Book" Oscar winner Mahershala: ALI.  Mashershala Ali (né Mahershalalhasbaz Gilmore; b. Feb. 16, 1974) also won an Oscar for his performance in Moonlight.  He was also the star of the 3rd season of True Detective, and appeared for a couple of seasons in House of Cards.

3. Neptune or Pluto: GOD.  They are brothers in Roman mythology.

4. Palme d'Or, e.g.: AWARD.  It is the Oscar of the Cannes Film Festival.

5. Kid-lit girl who lives on the "tippy-top floor" of the Plaza Hotel: ELOISE.  The Eloise Books were not actually a part of my childhood.

6. Cross-shaped Greek letter: TAU.

7. Second Beatle on the "Abbey Road" cover: RINGO.

8. Ambulance patient's MD: ER DOC.  As an Emergency Room Doctor.

9. Scoundrel: SCALAWAG.  Fun word.

10. Fly ball's path: ARC.  Think baseball.

11. "My __ Vinny": 1992 comedy: COUSIN.  This movie is a favorite of many of the regulars on this blog.

12. Show-off: HOTDOG.  A CSO to Misty's dogs.

13. Wound yarn units: SKEINS.  A CSO to our resident knitters.

18. Travel aimlessly: ROAM.  May your roam be on a smooth road and not a Rocky Road.

22. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" host Tyler: AISHA.  Aisha Tyler (née Aisha Naomi Tyler; b. Sept. 18, 1970) is a complete unknown to me.  I watched the show when Drew Carey was the host.  I didn't know it was still on.

24. 1914-'18 conflict, briefly: WWI.  Also known as World War I, the War to End All Wars.

25. Farm grunt: OINK.

26. Nevada casino city: RENO.  Not to be confused with 57-Across.  Reno is also the home of the National Judicial College.  I took some courses there about 20 years ago.

27. Photo session: SHOOT.

28. Latin jazz great Puente: TITO.  Tito Puente (né Ernesto Antoino Puente; Apr. 20, 1923 ~ May 31, 2000) is sometimes called the King of Latin Music.

34. Pres. or P.M.: LDR.  Presidents and Prime Ministers are Leaders of their respective countries.

35. Pulitzer category: DRAMA.

37. Sportscaster Albert: MARV.  Marv Albert (né Marvin Philip Aufrichtig; b. June 12, 1941) was involved in a sex scandal in the late 1990s.

38. Toronto native: ONTARIAN.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

39. LED component: DIODE.

40. Hard-to-miss sign: NEON.

41. Beach pailful: SAND.

44. Summer shirt: TEE.

This shirt is appropriate now.  No need to wait until summer. 

45. Be absorbed gradually: OSMOSE.

46. Farfalle and fusilli: PASTAS.

The Farfalle is on the left.

47. Acting twins Mary-Kate and Ashley: OLSENS.

49. Cambridge chaps: BLOKES.

50. Treaty partner: ALLY.

53. Sandwich shop specification: ON RYE.  We just had some smoked whitefish on rye.  Yummers!

54. Lubricate again: RE-OIL.

55. Like "Stranger Things": EERIE.

60. Numbered hwy.: RTE.

62. Lowest-ranking NCO: CPL.

63. Roulette bet: ODD.  I initially tried Red.  But, instead, we were looking for Even or Odd.

64. Brewpub pour: ALE.

Here's the Grid: