Tuesday, November 29, 2022

QOD:  The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.  ~  C.S. Lewis (né Clive Staples Lewis; Nov. 29, 1898 ~ Nov. 22, 1963), British writer and lay theologian

The Princess and the Pea.  Each theme answer is a two word phrase where each word begins with the letter "P".  Today's puzzle is theme-heavy.  There are 6 theme answers: 4 in the Across position and 2 in the Down position.

17-Across. Big name in crossword magazines: PENNY PRESS.

28-Across. Wet blanket: PARTY POOPER.

47-Across. Challenging yoga asana named for a showy bird: PEACOCK POSE.  Nope, can't manage this pose.

61-Across. Electricity facility: POWER PLANT.

3-Down. Noodles often served alla vodka: PENNE PASTA.  Yummers!

30-Down. Picnic dinnerware: PAPER PLATE.

Across:

1. Word before and after against: HOPE.  Against Hope and Hope Against.  Hope can also be a woman's name.  [Name adjacent.]

5. Bite: CHOMP.

10. Credit card option, familiarly: AMEX.

14. Above: OVER.

15. Sound transmission: AUDIO.

16. Rain gutter site: EAVE.

19. Wreak havoc on: RUIN.

20. Concave belly buttons: INNIES.

21. Dramatic declaration during an unveiling: ET VOILÀ.  Today's French lesson.

23. Cave-dwelling fish: EEL.

24. Yuletide songs: CAROLS.  Why Christmas songs are called Carols.  Carol is also a woman's name.  [Name adjacent.]

26. Egyptian cobra: ASP.  The snake that did in Cleopatra.

33. Ancestry.com sample: DNA.

34. "__ the front door!": SHUT.

35. Look daggers (at): GLARE.

36. Blu-ray __: DISC.

38. One-named singer whose four studio albums have numerical titles: ADELE.  Her given name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (b. May 5, 1988).  The four referenced studio albums are numbered 19, 21, 25, and 30.  The numbers refer to her age in which she started working on the album.  [Name # 1.]

41. Go in circles: SPIN.

42. Actress/model Kate: UPTON.  Kate Upton (née Katherine Elizabeth Upton; b. June 10, 1992) began  her modeling with Sports Illustrated in 2011 and was a cover model in 2012.  [Name # 2.]

44. First word for some babies: MAMA.

46. __ out a living: EKE.

50. Uncooked: RAW.  Some uncooked foods are delicious.

Sashimi

51. Shoelace tips: AGLETS.  I learned the name for the shoelace tips from doing the crossword puzzles.

52. Indy 500 sponsor: STP.

54. Digital currency: BITCOIN.

57. Pro at net working?: GOALIE.  Cute clue.

60. Empty hallway sound: ECHO.

64. Sci-fi author Stephenson: NEAL.  I don't generally read Science Fiction, so am not familiar with Neal Stephenson (né Neal Town Stephenson; b. October 31, 1959).  [Name # 3.]

65. Like the humans in "WALL-E": OBESE.

66. Director Preminger: OTTO.  Otto Preminger (né Otto Ludwig Preminger; Dec. 5, 1905 ~ Apr. 23, 1986) was born in Austria-Hungary.  He started his career in Austria before moving to the United States.    He was known for pushing the boundaries of censorship by dealing with themes that were taboo, such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm) and rape (Anatomy of a Murder).  He also directed the 1960 film Exodus.  [Name # 4.]

67. Oscar winner Catherine __-Jones: ZETA.  Catherine Zeta-Jones (b. Sept. 25, 1969) is married to  Michael Douglas (b. Sept. 25, 1944).  They share the same birthdate, albeit he is 25 years her senior.   [Name # 5.]

68. Nash of "The Rookie: Feds": NIECY.  Niece Nash (née Carol Denise Ensley; b. Feb. 23, 1970) also portrayed Deputy Raineesha Williams on the television sit-com Reno 911!  [Name # 6.]

69. Gas in an eye-catching sign: NEON.

Down:

1. Grand Canyon people: HOPI.

2. Brick __ pizza: OVEN.  Yummers!

4. Orange half of a "Sesame Street" duo: ERNIE.  [Name adjacent.]

5. Bottle tops: CAPS.

6. "Ben-__": HUR.  The novel Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace was first published in 1880.  It was adapted into a movie starring Charlton Heston in 1959.  It was an influential Christian novel when it was published and was a best seller until 1936 when Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind was published.  [Name adjacent.]

7. Laudatory poem: ODE.  A crossword staple.

8. Great woe: MISERY.  Also the title of a novel by Stephen King.

9. Hospital recovery area, for short: POST-OP.

10. Some spray cans: AEROSOLS.

11. Haleakala National Park island: MAUI.  The park is named after a dormant volcano.

12. Profoundly bad: EVIL.

13. Warrior princess played by Lucy Lawless: XENA.  Xena: Warrior Princess was an adventure television show that ran from 1995 until 2001.  [Name # 7.]

18. Shrill cries: YELPS.

22. YouTube journal: VLOG.

24. "Dang it!": CRUD.  Really?

25. Basketball shot: ATTEMPT.  Why an attempt?

26. Make logical sense: ADD UP.

Cartoon logical sense.

27. Long-billed marsh bird: SNIPE.

29. "I see now!": AHA!

31. "Get Out" actress Alexander: ERIKA.  Get Out is a 2017 psychological horror film.  Erika Alexander  (née Erika Rose Alexander; b. Nov. 19, 1953) played a TSA detective in the film.  [Name # 8.]

32. Continue to subscribe: RENEW.

37. Pepsi rival: COCA~COLA.

39. Country between Thailand and Vietnam: LAOS.  Laos is landlocked.

40. Ambulance letters: EMS.  As in Emergency Medical Services.  Emergency motorcycles can be seen all over cities in Israel.  They are the first responders and can provide medical assistance until the ambulance arrives.

43. Canceled, at Cape Canaveral: NO GO.

45. Greek fable writer: AESOP.  You can find his fables here.  [Name # 9.]

48. Like some earrings and ties: CLIP-ON.  Are clip-on earrings even available anymore?

49. Obi-Wan __: KENOBI.  Alec Guinness (né Alec Guinness de Cuffe; Apr. 2, 1914 ~ Aug. 5, 2000) portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in some of the Star Wars movies.  [Name adjacent.]

53. Bird of prey's claw: TALON.

54. Mercedes-__: BENZ.  I was shopping a month or so ago and there was an older woman in the shop who was wearing a Janis Joplin tee shirt.  The clerk asked her if she was a Joplin fan.  The woman replied, "oh, yes, but I was her babysittter."  [Name adjacent.]

55. Frozen drink brand: ICEE.

56. Not this: THAT.

57. Lady __ tea: GREY.  This must be the phrase of the week.  This tea appeared in Sunday's puzzle.  I knew of Earl Grey Tea, but was not familiar with Lady Grey Tea.  The difference seems to be that citrus peels are an addition to the Lady Grey Tea. 

58. Keen about: INTO.

59. Prestigious British school: ETON.  Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) were classmates at Eaton.

62. Tiny: WEE.

63. Keyboard key for exiting full-screen mode: ESC.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Many thanks to Sumdaze for filling in on Tuesdays while I was in Israel.

At the Market in the Old City of Jerusalem

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

QOD:  Everyone is so obsessed with themselves nowadays that they have no time for me.  ~  Louise Rennison (Oct. 11, 1951 ~  Feb. 29, 2016), British comedian and author

Road Trip:  We will visit first Athens then Sérres, Greece.  The first word in each theme answer begins with an A, THEN the second word begins with an S.

1-Across. *   "Yes, captain!": AYE, SIR!

18-Across. *   "Well, shoot": AW, SHUCKS!  Also the name of a chain of oyster bars.

27-Across. *   Immunotherapy injection: ALLERGY SHOT.

44-Across. *   Plane passenger's selection: AIRLINE SEAT.  

55-Across. *   Director's "That's a wrap!": AND SCENE!

And the unifier:

65. Capital of Greece, or a three-word hint to the answers to the starred clues: ATHENS.  Take it apart, and we get A Then S.

Across:

7. Kansas City cuisine, briefly: BBQ.  There are lots of regional styles of Barbecue.

10. "Quickly!" letters: ASAP.  As Soon As Possible!

14. Period of self-care: ME TIME.

15. Steal from: ROB.  [Name adjacent.]

16. Greek philosopher known for a paradox: ZENO.  There are actually several Greek philosophers, but the one with paradoxes was Zeno of Elea (BCE 490 ~ 430).  [Name # 1.]

17. "Things are bleak": IT'S BAD.

20. Like many budget reno projects: DIY.  As in Destroy-It-Yourself.

21. Aussie greeting: G'DAY.  Hi, Kazie!

23. Wide variety: ARRAY.

24. Underling: PEON.

25. Little pigs count: THREE.

31. Playground game: TAG.

34. God: DEITY.

35. "Stop pouring": WHEN.

36. Start of a play: ACT I.

37. Kayaking site: LAKE.

38. Scallion kin: CHIVE.  Everything you wanted to know about the difference between Chives and Scallions, but didn't know to ask.

39. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.  Rosa Parks (née Rosa Louise McCauley; Feb. 4, 1913 ~ Oct. 24, 2005) was instrumental in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, when in December 1955, she refused to give up her seat to move to the back of the bus.   [Name # 2.]

40. Happily __ after: EVER.

41. Move, in Realtor lingo: RE-LO.  As in Re-Locate.

42. Expand, as a highway: WIDEN.  A widening of Interstate-10 in Louisiana is anticipated.

43. Dreaming sleep phase, briefly: REM.  As in Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

46. "How about that!": I'LL BE!

48. Surrender, as territory: CEDE.

49. Janelle of "Moonlight": MONÁE.  Janelle Monáe (née Janelle Monáe Robinson; b. Dec. 1, 1985)  also starred in Hidden Figures.  [Name # 3.]

51. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI.  Everything you wanted to know about this history of the Levi Strauss company, but didn't know to ask.  [Name adjacent.]

52. Scrabble-like game app, briefly: WWF.  As in Words With Friends.  These initials also stand for World Wildlife Fund and was formerly referred to the World Wrestling Federation.

58. Think highly of: ADMIRE.

60. "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE-T.  Ice-T (né Tracy Lauren Marrow; b. Feb. 16, 1958) also portrays  Detective Odafin Tutuola on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.   [Name # 4.]

61. Job on a band's tour: GIG.

62. Immersed briefly: DIPPED.  On Rosh Hashanah, the holiday we just celebrated, it is traditional to dip apples in honey.

63. Some long-lasting bulbs: LEDs.  As in Light-Emitting Diode light bulbs.

64. Good Grips kitchenware brand: OXO.  This brand appears with som frequency in the puzzles.

Down:

1. In the thick of: AMID.

2. Himalayan creature sometimes sought on "Finding Bigfoot": YETI.  Also the name of a very expensive brand of ice chests and related items.  [Name # 5.]

3. Online crafts marketplace: ETSY.

4. Sis or bro: SIB.  As in Sibling.

5. Language that paints mental pictures: IMAGERY.

6. Kid-lit's Clifford, notably: RED DOG.

7. Donkey sound: BRAY.

8. Decoration on a wrapped present: BOW.

9. NFL play callers: QBs.  As in Quarter Backs.

10. Sky blue: AZURE.

11. Encryption for private messages: SECRET CODE.

12. "My Way" songwriter Paul: ANKA.  Paul Albert Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-born singer.  He and Mick Jagger (b. July 26, 1943), and John Lennon (b. Oct. 9, 1940) are contemporaries, but have completely different musical styles.  [Name # 6.]

13. Small bouquet: POSY.

19. Musical partner of Rodgers before Hammerstein: HART.  Richard Rodgers (né Richard Charles Rodgers; June 28, 1902 ~ Dec. 30, 1979) and Lorenz Hart (né Lorenz Milton Hart; May 2, 1895 ~ Nov. 22, 1943) collaborated on stage musicals from 1920 until Hart's death .  [Names # 7 and #8.]

Hart is on the right.

22. No place in particular: ANYWHERE.

24. Tosh of reggae: PETER.  His given name is Winston Hubert McIntosh (Oct. 19, 1944 ~ Sept. 11, 1987).  He was murdered at age 42.  [Name # 9.]

25. NBC singing competition hosted by Carson Daly: THE VOICE.  [Name # 10.]

26. Fine-tune, as skills: HONE.

27. Chicago's __ Planetarium: ADLER.  If you haven't been to the Adler Planetarium, it is well worth the visit.  It was named after Max Adler (May 12, 1866 ~ Nov. 4, 1952).  He had been a vice president at Sears Roebuck.  After he retired, he became a key figure in funding the planetarium, which has the distinction of being the first planetarium the western hemisphere.  [Name adjacent.]

28. Walk away: LEAVE.

29. On the same wavelength: LIKE MINDED.

30. Con artist's aide: SHILL.

32. Hopelessly lost: AT SEA.

33. Humongous: GIANT.

36. Come to light: ARISE.

38. Nursery bed: CRIB.

42. "Teamwork makes the dream work!": WE DID IT!

44. Smart __: wiseacre: ALEC.

45. Reno's state: NEVADA.  Reno, Nevada is also the home of the National Judicial College.

47. Endures: LASTS.

49. Postal delivery: MAIL.

50. __ and for all: ONCE.

51. Danish toy maker: LEGO.  The Lego company has been around for 90 years.  Did you know that Lego comes from the Danish words Leg Godt, which translates to Play Well in English.  I played with Legos as a child, when they only came in white and red bricks.  It's all fun and games until you step on one at night in the dark.

52. Clear, as data: WIPE.

53. Little songbird: WREN.

54. Govt. agents: FEDS.

56. Sense of self: EGO.

57. Shoot down: NIX.

59. Freeway meas.: MPH.  As in Miles Per Hour.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה