Tuesday, April 12, 2022

QOD:  It’s better to be a has-been than a never-was.  ~  Tiny Tim (né Herbert Buckingham Khaury; Apr. 12, 1932 ~ Nov. 30, 1996), American singer

Piano Lessons:  One of the first music lessons teaches the note of the scale.  How to remember the note?  Do today's puzzle!

17-Across. *   __ day: on alternating days: EVERY OTHER.

25-Across. *  Aussie's "Well done!": GOOD ON YOU.

31-Across. *  One with the motto "Be Prepared": BOY SCOUT.

42-Across. *  Serves a prison sentence: DOES TIME.

47-Across. *  Part of the contract where gotchas might be found: FINE PRINT.

59-Across. The first words of the answers to starred clues are a mnemonic for this musical symbol's staff lines: TREBLE CLEF.  The mnemonic for the open spaces is FACE.

Back when I was taking piano lessons, the phrase was Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.  I guess the diet police have determined that eating too much fudge is not good.  I thought of our resident musician when I caught the theme to today's puzzle.  Hi, JazzB!

There is a lot of opportunity for some music today, which is appropriate for today's theme.

Across:
1. Chesapeake shellfish: CRAB.

5. Swings at a fly: SWATS.

10. Perfect tennis serves: ACES.

14. Can't stand: HATE.

15. Band whose debut album "Dreamboat Annie" was released in the U.S. on Valentine's Day in 1976: HEART.

16. Reclined: LAIN.

19. Thought: IDEA.

20. Raised, as kids: REARED.

21. What a vocalist may drop for emphasis: MIC.  Not Cool.

23. "What's the __?": "So what?": DIF.  Meh!

24. Pallid: WAN.

28. Historic period: ERA.

30. Deluge: TORRENT.

34. Trait carriers: GENES.  Everything you wanted to know about gene traits from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

38. Brazenly obvious: BLATANT.

39. Morton condiment: SEA SALT.  Although this article isn't about the Morton salt company, it does involve a salt company, a salt dome, an oil company.

41. Determined to have: SET ON.  I've got my heart Set On a new sofa.

43. Daily record, as on a ship: LOG BOOK.

46. Almost on "E": LOW.  Think of the dashboard on your car showing that you need more gas.

50. Mantra syllables: OMs.

52. United: ONE.

53. Talk incessantly: YAK.

54. "You're the One That I Want" musical: GREASE.

57. Bloody, as steak: RARE.

62. Back up, on a PC: UN DO.  Not back up as in store, but back up as in OOPS!

63. Philadelphia NFLer: EAGLE.

64. Winter wear: COAT.

65. Extreme disorder: MESS.

66. Struck down, biblically: SMOTE.

67. Pantry pests: ANTS.

Down:
1. "Believe" singer: CHER.

2. "Must-see" review: RAVE.

3. Eroded: ATE AWAY AT.

4. Quotable Yogi: BERRA.  How Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015) got his nickname.

5. Not barefoot: SHOD.

6. Drenched, e.g.: WET.

7. "That feels good": AAH!

8. Seismic event: TREMOR.

9. Long step: STRIDE.

10. Comedian Wong: ALI.  The comedy routines of Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; b. Apr. 19, 1982) are probably classified as for adults only. 

11. Escalade, casually: CADDY.  The Escalade is made by Cadillac.

12. Kids' song refrain: E-I-E-I-O.

13. Big blunder: SNAFU.

18. Hankering: YEN.  Also the name of Japanese currency.

22. Barrel-shaped drums: CONGAs.

25. Joint ailment: GOUT.

26. Uneaten morsel: ORT.  This used to be a crossword staple.

27. A-bomb tryout: N-TEST.

28. Recedes to the sea: EBBS.

29. Part in a play: ROLE.

30. "An ounce of action is worth a __ of theory": Emerson (probably): TON.

32. Pilfered: STOLE.

33. Suspended cover above a bed: CANOPY.

35. Place for a manicure: NAIL SALON.  Hi, Lucina!

36. "Tickle Me" Muppet: ELMO.

37. Hearty entrée: STEW.

39. Chimney sweep's target: SOOT.

40. "A mouse!": EEK.

42. Cheadle who was Basher in "Ocean's" films: DON.  Don Cheadle (né Donald Frank Cheadle, Jr.; b. Nov. 29, 1964), also portrayed the hotel manager in Hotel Rwanda.

44. Fireplace inserts: GRATES.

45. Yoga-as-exercise namesake: BIKRAM.  Also known as Hot Yoga.

47. Roman place of assembly: FORUM.

48. Foolish: INANE.

49. Brainiacs, maybe: NERDS.  Where did this word come from?

50. Valuable deposit: ORE.

51. Muslim holy city: MECCA.

54. Joy: GLEE.

55. Usher's offering: SEAT.

56. Young newts: EFTS.  They are cute little critters.

58. Dawn goddess: EOS.

60. Alter __: EGO.

61. Three-letter sandwich: BLT.  As in a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

QOD:  If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: Who Cares?  ~  Tina Fey (née Elizabeth Stamatina Fey; b. May 18, 1970), American comedian and actress

Stretched Thin.

20-Across. Go ballistic: HIT THE CEILING.

35-Across. 2002 biopic about con man Frank Abagnale: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.

41-Across. Cleaner of teeth: DENTAL HYGIENIST.

And the Unifier:

53-Across. Overextended ... and what's literally in each set of circles: STRETCHED THIN.  The word THIN is Stretched out in each of the theme answers.

Across:

1. Sousa specialty: MARCH.  John Philip Sousa (Nov. 6, 1854 ~ Mar. 6, 1932) was know as the American March King.  USA is even in his name.

6. Show appreciation for the performance: CLAP.

10. __ 67: Montreal World's Fair: EXPO.   I went to Expo 67.  I don't remember anything about it other than Buckminister Fuller's geodesic dome pavilion that housed the United States exhibit.

14. Amtrak speedster: ACELA.  I learned of the Acela from doing the crossword puzzles.

15. Hand-up command: HALT.

16. Really funny sort: RIOT.

17. Food truck fare: TACOS.  There is a taco truck that can be found downtown in Louisiana's capital city near the government buildings.

18. McDonald's slogan since 2003: I'M LOVIN' IT.  The story behind the slogan.

22. Bogey on a par 5: SIX.  A golfing reference.

23. Homer's TV neighbor: NED.

24. Tough H.S. exams: APs.  As in the Advanced Placement exams.

27. Take the sloop out: SAIL.  A sloop is a single mast sailboat.

30. Self-indulgent period: ME TIME.

38. Opera highlight: ARIA.  An Aria from Carmen, one of my favorite operas.

39. Kimono sash: OBI.  Not to be confused with Obi0-Wan Kenobi.

40. First female attorney general: RENO.  Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 ~ Nov. 7, 2016) served as the United States Attorney General from 1993 until 2001 during the Clinton administration.

46. Takes care of: SEES TO.

47. Hammett pooch: ASTA.  Asta was the Wirehaired Fox Terrier from Dashiell Hammett's 1934 novel, The Thin Man.

48. Kickoff aid: TEE.

49. Balaam's mount: ASS.  The story of Balaam and his Ass can be found in the Biblical book of Numbers (22:21-39).  The story has been the depicted in many paintings, including this one by Rembrandt.

51. Unit of heat: Abbr.: BTU.  As in a British Thermal Unit.

60. In exact terms: PRECISELY.

62. Optimist's phrase: I HOPE.

63. Chef's flavoring: HERB.

64. Ensnare: TRAP.

65. "Take a load off": RELAX.

66. Uncertain: IFFY.

67. "This round's __": ON ME.

68. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST.

Down:

1. Course with operations: MATH.

2. Trendy berry: AÇAI.  These berries have become a crossword staple.  They look a bit like blueberries.

3. Four-sided fig.: RECT.  As in a Rectangle.

4. Stops bleeding: CLOTS.

5. Cannabis concentrate: HASHISH.

6. Stylish: CHIC.

7. Poor, as an excuse: LAME.

8. Make-or-break poker bet: ALL IN.

9. Ancient Greek astronomer: PTOLEMY.  Everything you wanted to know about Claudius Ptolemy (circa 85 ~ 165 CE), but didn't know to ask.

10. Activist Brockovich: ERIN.  Erin Brockovich (b. June 22, 1960) is an environmental activist who was instrumental in building the case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for contaminating the drinking water.  Her story was made into a movie that starred Julia Roberts.

11. Ped __: street sign: XING.

12. Hawaiian staple: POI.  It's not as good as it looks.

13. MLB Hall of Famer Mel: OTT.  Mel Ott (né Melvin Thomas Ott; Mar. 2, 1909 ~ Nov. 21, 1958) was a Louisiana native.  He makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Sadly, he was killed from injuries sustained in a car accident at age 49.

19. The "v" in vlog: VIDEO.

21. Midterm, e.g.: EXAM.

24. USMA and USNA: Abbr.: ACADS.  Both are Academies.

25. "Gay" capital of song: PAREE.

26. "Mostly Ghostly" series writer R.L. __: STINE.  R.L. Stein (né Robert Lawrence Stine; b. Oct. 8, 1943) also makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  He is best know for his young adult horror fiction novels.

28. The "I" in I.M. Pei: IEOH.  I.M. Pei (né Ieoh Ming Pei; Apr. 26, 1917 ~ May 16, 2019) was a Chinese-born American architect and had a long career designing very unique buildings.  He died 2 years ago shortly after his 102nd birthday.  One of his most famous designes is the pyramid outside the Louvre.

29. Niger neighbor: LIBYA.

31. Chance to play: TURN.

32. Ensure the win: ICE IT.

33. Minister's house: MANSE.

34. Cybermessage: E-NOTE.

36. Musical with the song "Memory": CATS.  I saw the musical Cats years ago.  I don't understand why it was so popular.

37. Newton fruit: FIGS.  Yummers!  If you are feeling ambitious, you can make your own.  Nabisco's Newtons now come in several flavors, including blueberry, strawberry and apple cinnamon.

42. Gaming brand since 1972: ATARI.

43. Is bested by: LOSES TO.

44. The Beatles' "Let __": IT BE.

45. Offer a humble retraction: EAT DIRT.

50. Back of the boat: STERN.

52. __ Pendragon, King Arthur's father: UTHER.  He doesn't look very happy.

53. Medieval laborer: SERF.

54. Frozen dessert chain: TCBY.  The Country's Best Yogurt.  Another big yogurt chain is I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!  If the two companies merged, would the merger be known as I Can't Believe It's the Country's Best Yogurt?

55. Dig for quahogs, say: CLAM.  A quahog is a hard-shelled clam found in the mud flats along the Atlantic Coast.

56. Flashy promotion: HYPE.

57. Sacred: HOLY.

58. Hoppy brews, briefly: IPAs.  As in India Pale Ales.  Here is an article about the origin of the IPA.

59. "Whose turn is it?" shout: NEXT.

60. Letter before chi: PHI.

61. Ump's NBA counterpart: REF.  As in a Referee at the Basketball game.

Here's the Grid.

חתולה