QOD: Why resist temptation? There will always be more. ~ Don Herold (July 9, 1889 ~ June 1, 1966), American humorist
Body Double: The word Body can be placed before each of the two words in the theme answers to give a new concept. Body Double is also a 1984 Brian De Palma film about young actor's obsession with spying on a beautiful woman who lives nearby.
17-Across. Intimate conversation in bed: PILLOW TALK. Body Pillow / Body Talk. Pillow Talk is a 1959 movie starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day. A Body Pillow is usually a long, narrow pillow that you cradle while you sleep. The benefit of a body pillow is that it gives extra support to side sleepers, especially those suffering from back issues or sleep apnea. Body Talk, also known as Body Language, "is the means by which people convey information through physical behaviors rather than words."
25-Across. Laundry apparatus used as a percussion instrument: WASHBOARD. Body Wash / Body Board. Body Wash is a liquid soap. A Body Board is used in the sport of bodyboarding in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave. A Washboard is frequently used in Zydeco music.
35-Across. Aerosolized popcorn condiment: SPRAY BUTTER. Body Spray / Body Butter. Body Spray is similar to perfume, however, body sprays have a lower level of concentrated oil and more alcohol, while perfume have a higher level of oil and less water or alcohol. Body Butter is similar to a body lotion, however, body butter is better for rougher skin and is thicker than a lotion.
48-Across. Timepiece innards: CLOCKWORK. Body Clock / Body Work. Your Body Clock defines your daily rhythms. I think of Body Work as something that your car might need after an accident.
And the unifier:
57-Across. Actor's stand-in, or a hint to what can precede both parts of 17-, 25-, 35-, and 48-Across: BODY DOUBLE. Everything you wanted to know about a Body Double but didn't think to ask.
Brad Pitt and his Body Double.
Across:
1. Gentle touches: PATS.
5. Raise, as morale: BOOST.
10. Harvest: REAP.
14. Baker's appliance: OVEN.
15. One of the Three Musketeers: ATHOS. The Three Musketeers is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas (1802 ~ 1870). The novel takes place in the 1620s and recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan (a character based on Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan) after he leaves home to travel to Paris He had hoped to join the Musketeers of the Guard, but was ineligible. He was, however, befriended by three musketeers: – Athos, Porthos and Aramis, "the three musketeers". [Name # 1, fictional.]
16. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Yummers! Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made with (Surprise!) vodka and penne. There are a few other ingredients as well, including heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions. The alcohol is said to intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish.
19. "The Rabbit Hutch" National Book Award winner Gunty: TESS. The Rabbit Hutch is a Tess Gunty's first novel, that was published in 2022. It is about 4 teenager who recently aged out of the state foster-care system and are now living together in a run-down town in the mid-West. [Name # 2.]
20. Pizzeria owner in "Do the Right Thing": SAL. Do the Right Thing is a 1989 film by Spike Lee (b. 1957) about race relations in a Brooklyn. Salvatore "Sal" Fragione, portrayed by Danny Aiello (1933 ~ 2019), is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in the neighborhood. [Name # 3, fictional]
21. Prepare ahead of time: PLAN.
22. Make a quick policy change: PIVOT.
23. Coming in handy: UTILE.
28. Funnel-shaped flower: PETUNIA.
30. Apple platform: IOS. // Not to be confused with 41-Across: Bit of positivity?: ION.
31. Greek letter before upsilon: TAU.
32. Fellows: MEN.
33. CPR pro: EMT. An Emergency Medical Technician better be able to perform CardioPulmonary Resuscitation.
34. "Been there, __ that": DONE.
38. Yes votes: AYES.
40. Key __: car remote: FOB.
42. Bad review: PAN.
43. Poivre partner: SEL. Today's French lesson gives us Pepper and Salt.
44. Ideal: OPTIMUM.
51. Muscat resident: OMANI.
52. "NCIS" protagonist __ Jethro Gibbs: LEROY. Leroy Jethro Gibbs the main character in NCIS and is portrayed by Mark Harmon (b. 1951). [Name # 4, fictional.]
56. Actress Shawkat: ALIA. Alia Shawkat (b. 1989) makes occasional appearances in the puzzles. She portrayed Maeby Fünke on Arrested Development. [Name # 5]
60. Exams for srs.: SATs. The Scholastic Aptitude Tests make frequent appearances in the puzzles.
61. Foe: ENEMY.
62. Wax alternative: NAIR. Hair removal products.
63. Whack: SWAT.
64. Like grainy graphics: LO-RES. Oh, as in Low Resolution. I kept looking at LORES and wondered what that meant, then the light bulb went on.
65. Best Female Athlete, e.g.: ESPY.
Down:
1. Comes as a surprise, maybe: POPS UP.
2. Fly a plane: AVIATE.
3. "Preach!": TELL IT!
4. NBC sketch show, familiarly: SNL. As in Saturday Night Live.
The original Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players
5. Weep loudly: BAWL.
6. Capital of Canada: OTTAWA. Hi, CanadianEh!
7. Hawaiian word for "family": OHANA.
8. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL. It now comes in all sorts of flavors, er, scents.
9. Disapproving sound: TSK!
10. Math comparison: RATIO.
11. Stairs alternative: ELEVATOR.
12. Concession speech giver: ALSO RAN.
13. Late, as a library book: PAST DUE. My public library has done away with late fees.
18. First game of the season: OPENER.
22. "All Creatures Great and Small" airer: PBS. As in Public Broadcasting Service.
24. Sugar cubes: LUMPS.
26. "Atlas" actor Liu: SIMU. Simu Liu (b. 1989) is a Canadian actor. He was born in Harban, China, but his family moved to Canada when he was a small child. In 2022, he was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world. ([Name # 6.]
27. Good intel: HOT TIP.
29. Shortly: IN A FEW.
33. Flow out: EBB.
34. Jeans material: DENIM.
35. Miss, in Mexico: SENORITA. Today's Spanish lesson.
36. "Carpe diem" acronym: YOLO. You Only Live Once.
37. "My Neighbor __": 1988 Miyazaki film: TOTORO. This seems to be a bit obscure for a Tuesday. My Neighbor Totoro is a Japanese animated film that focuses on two young sisters their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan. I had not heard of this film, nor had I heard of its director Hayao Miyazaki (b. Jan. 5, 1941). [Name # 7.]
38. Sr.'s course for college credit: AP CLASS. As in Advanced Placement Class.
39. Sonia Sotomayor's alma mater: YALE LAW. Sonia Sotomayor (b. 1954) has served on the Supreme Court since August 2009. I wouldn't want her job. [Name # 8.]
43. Pie in the __: SKY.
44. "I'm cool with that": OK BY ME.
45. Deadly African snakes: MAMBAS. Everything you wanted to know about the Mamba but didn't know to ask.
46. Release, as a carabiner: UNCLIP.
47. "__ loves company": MISERY.
49. Seashore: COAST. Here I am at Diamond Beach, also known as Breiðamerkursandur, is a beach located on the south coast of Iceland. Its name comes from the "diamond" pieces of ice from the nearby glacier. I didn't go swimming there.
50. More impolite: RUDER.
54. Dreyer's ice cream, east of the Rockies: EDY'S. This ice cream brand makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.
57. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air": BEL. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a television show from the 1990s and starred Will Smith (b. 1968).
58. Artist Yoko: ONO. Yoko Ono (b. Feb. 18, 1993) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. I can't believe she is 91 years old! [Name # 9.]
59. French article: UNE. More of today's French lesson.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
Many thanks to Anonymous T who filled in for me while Hubby and I explored the Land of the Midnight Sun.
The caption reads: I'm sorry, sir, you're overdrawn.
QOD: When people die, they cannot be replaced.They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate ~ the generic and neural fate ~ of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.~Oliver Sacks (July 9, 1933 ~ August 30, 2015), British neurologist
QOD: Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow. ~ Don Herold (July 9, 1889 ~ June 1, 1966), American humorist
QOD: If you haven’t found something strange during the day, it hasn’t been much of a day. ~ John A. Wheeler (né John Archibald Wheeler; July 9, 1911 ~ Apr. 13, 2008), American theoretical physicist
Man's Best Friend. The last word of each theme answer can precede the word Dog to give us a new and common phrase.
I'll start with the unifier today.
54-Across. Pretend to be wealthy, in old slang ... and a hint to words that end answers to starred clues: PUT ON THE DOG.
According to a number of sources, the idiom Putting On the Dog is uniquely an American expression. It was first recorded in print in the early 1870s in a book entitled Four Years at Yale, and it means "to make a flashy display." It may derive from the popularity of lap dogs during the 1860s and 1870s. Because a lap dog was considered to be pampered, "putting on the dog" was a way of showing off.
20-Across. * Hit the roof: BLOW ONES TOP. As in the Top Dog - Number 1 Best!
38-Across. * Goes on a winning streak: GETS HOT. Could also be parsed as Get Shot, but that doesn't fit the theme. Hot Dog. Hi, Misty!
11-Down. * Old Spice rival: RIGHT GUARD. Guard Dog.
29-Down. * Photogenic evening event: SETTING SUN. Sun Dog. Everything you always wanted to known about a Sun Dog, but were afraid to ask.
Across:
1. Tampa NFLers: BUCS. As in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their logo is fierce. Hi, Tin!
5. Copier powder: TONER.
10. Like much testimony: ORAL.
14. Sundance Film Festival state: UTAH. This is an annual event that takes place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Next year the film festival will run from Thursday, January 23, 2020 through Sunday February 2, 2020. It is a showcase festival for American and foreign independent filmmakers. Get your tickets now!
15. Virtuosic piece: ÉTUDE.
16. Document with an executor: WILL. As in your Last Will and Testament.
17. Celeb's wheels: LIMO. As in a Limousine.
How classy!
18. Angry diner patron's decision: NO TIP.
19. French Toaster Sticks brand: EGGO. Leggo my Eggo!
27. Pretend to be: POSE AS. Can you spot the differences in these pictures?
30. Word with call or ritual: MATING. As in a Mating Call or a Mating Ritual.
32. Rudder's region: STERN. Hi, Spitzboov!
33. Religious faction: SECT.
34. Ballet skirt: TUTU. // Not to be confused with 42-Across. Fictional terrier from Kansas: TOTO.
37. Museum display: ART.
41. Satisfied exhalations: AHs!
44. Picture of health?: X-RAY.
45. Kiddie-lit brutes: OGRES.
47. "Famous potatoes" referred to in a license plate slogan: IDAHOS. My Own Private Idaho.
49. Rubble-lifting machine: LOADER.
50. Movie theater: CINEMA. Where you go to see a film at the Sundance Film Festival.
52. __ bath: therapeutic soak: SITZ. Believe me, you don't want to see a picture.
53. Energy unit: ERG. An Erg is the amount of work done by a force of one dyne exerted for a distance of 1 centimeter. The word erg comes from the Greek word for work.
60. Arnaz of early TV: DESI. Desi Arnaz (Mar. 2, 1917 ~ Dec. 2, 1986) was the husband of Lucille Ball and played her husband, Ricky Ricardo, on I Love Lucy. Sadly, their marriage in real life was not a happy one.
62. Anwar of Egypt: SADAT. Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat (Dec. 25, 1918 ~ Oct. 6, 1981) was the 3rd President of Egypt. He worked to make peace with Israel, and in 1978, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli Prime Minister, Menacham Began. Three years later, Sadat was assassinated by one of his countrymen while celebrating the annual event marking Egypt's crossing of the Suez Canal during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
63. U2 lead singer: BONO. His given name is Paul David Hewson (b. May 10, 1960).
64. Sufficient, briefly: ENUF. Enuf said!
65. Bike for a tyke: TRIKE.
66. Shamu was one: ORCA.
67. Rooms with recliners: DENS.
68. Take the wheel: STEER. I initially tried Drive, but I guess we were looking for a more bovine answer.
69. RR depot posting: SKED. As in the schedule.
Down:
1. Daffodil-to-be: BULB.
2. Electric co., e.g.: UTIL. As in a Utility.
3. Covert ops garb: CAMO. I was thinking a little more Cloak and Dagger, so initially tried Cape. (Look closely.)
4. More flamboyant: SHOWIER.
5. Nadal's sport: TENNIS. Rafael Nadal (b. June 3, 1986) is a professional tennis player. He has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
6. Great Plains natives: OTOES.
7. Tree-borne allergen sources: NUTS.
8. Tweak, as text: EDIT.
9. Work under, as a manager: REPORT TO.
10. Have bills to pay: OWE. I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!
12. Pool owner's concern: ALGAE. It's hard work to keep a pool algae-free.
13. "Airplane!" actor Bridges: LLOYD. Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. (Jan. 15, 1913 ~ Mar. 10, 1998) was the father of actors Beau and Jeff Bridges. Airplane! is a very funny movie.
21. Indonesian ape: ORANG.
22. Luau finger food: POI. When I tried poi, it was more like the consistency of humas, not something that one would eat with one's fingers.
26. Blowup letters: TNT. As in TriNitoToluene.
27. Natl. Merit Scholarship qualifying exam: PSAT. The Preliminary SAT is a standardized test administered by the College Board and is co-sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
28. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO. Today's Spanish lesson. Oaxaca is is a city in central Mexico known for its colorful buildings made from greenish volcanic stone.
30. Western plateaus: MESAS.
31. Like overworked muscles: ACHY.
33. Houston MLBer: 'STRO. As in the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team. Note, however, that the official logo doesn't abbreviate the name.
35. You, quaintly: THEE. I initially tried Thou.
36. Cold War country: Abbr.: USSR. As in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or in the alphabet used in Russia, the country would have been known as Союз Советских Социалистических Республик.
39. Drains of energy: EXHAUSTS.
40. One in a comb row: TOOTH.
43. Glorifying verse: ODE. A crossword staple.
46. Open-sided structures also called summerhouses: GAZEBOS. Do you know the difference between a Gazebo and a Pergola?
48. Sound system part: AMP.
49. Leave a paper trail?: LITTER. My favorite clue of the puzzle.
50. Formally gave up: CEDED.
51. Goddess of peace: IRENE. Good night!
52. Slithering reptile: SNAKE.
55. Fruit pastry: TART. Yummers!
56. Drooling toon canine: ODIE. Garfield's chum.
57. Nerdy sort: DORK.
58. Back in the day: ONCE. Once upon a time there was, "a king!", my little readers will instantly exclaim. No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. ** To which children's story are these the opening lines?
