QOD: Egotist: A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me. ~ Ambrose Bierce (né Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce; June 24, 1842 ~ 1914), American writer
Nosey Parkers. Today's puzzle is brought to us by our blog hostess C.C. and Dan Kammann. A Beak is an informal term used to describe a nose, often a large nose. Each theme answer begins with the letter B and ends with the letters EAK, thus the word BEAK is "nosing" around the answer.
18-Across. Fast talker's torrent: BLUE STREAK.
24-Across. Short mental rest: BRAIN BREAK.
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| My idea of the perfect brain break. |
38-Across. British dish named for frying sounds: BUBBLE AND SQUEAK. Bubble and squeak is a hearty, one-pan recipe that makes the left over potatoes, vegetables, and meat.
54-Across. Lean red meat choice: BISON STEAK.
And the unifier:
60-Across. Do some snooping, and a feature of 18-, 24-, 38-, and 54-Across: NOSE AROUND. A Nosey Parker is one who noses around.
Across:
1. Horse hoof sound: CLOP.
5. Chore: TASK.
9. Shade-tolerant plant with broad leaves: HOSTA.
14. Great __: big dog: DANE. Is it also a Top Dog?
15. Amazon berry enjoyed by toucans: ACAI. This berry is becoming a crossword staple.
16. Yarns: TALES.
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| There is some tale in that yarn. |
17. The "S" of GPS: Abbr.: SYST. Global Positioning System
20. Raison d'__: ÊTRE. Today's French lesson.
22. Mouse catcher: TRAP.
23. Earthbound Australian bird: EMU.
27. Come to a halt: STOP.
28. Actor Cariou: LEN. I didn't recognize the name, but I do recognize the face of this Canadian actor. Len Cariou (né Leonard Joseph Cariou; b. Sept. 30, 1939) often appeared along side Angela Lansbury (Oct. 16, 1925 ~ Oct. 11, 2022) in Murder She Wrote.
29. "That hits the spot": AAH!
30. Dorky sort: NERD.
32. Hit "+" on a calculator: ADD.
33. Activist/filmmaker Newsome: BREE. Bree Newsome (née Brittany Ann Byuarm Newsome; b. May 13, 1985) is best known for her act of civil disobedience when she removed a Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house in 2015.
35. Founded: Abbr.: ESTD. As in Established.
43. Combustible heap in a funeral rite: PYRE.
44. God, in Notre-Dame: DIEU. More of today's French lesson.
45. "Single Lady" comic Wong: ALI. Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; Apr. 19,1982) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.
46. Sale caveat: AS IS.
49. Word before a maiden name: NÉE. A continuation of today's French lesson.
50. Utah's cap.: SLC. This was my head-scratcher until I realized that the capital of Utah is Salt Lake City.
51. Beer ingredient: MALT. To make beer, you need four basic ingredients: water, malted grains, hops, and yeast. Malt is a cereal grain, most often barley, that has been steeped in water, allowed to germinate, and then dried, a process called malting. Malting converts the grain's starches into sugars, making it a key ingredient in beer.
57. Org. on tubes of toothpaste: ADA. As in the American Dental Association.
58. Bonnet-sporting Berenstain Bear: MAMA.
59. Reseals, as a road: TARS.
64. Completely destroy: RAZE.
66. Cook on a barbecue: GRILL.
67. Campus sports gp.: NCAA. As in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
68. Smell: ODOR.
69. Lower leg joint: ANKLE.
70. Watched warily: EYED.
71. General __ chicken: TSO'S. One version of the origin of General Tso's Chicken.
Down:
1. LP successors: CDs.
2. Wore a hoodie over a sweater over a shirt, e.g.: LAYERED UP.
3. Ready when needed: ON STAND BY.
4. __ dish: shallow lab container: PETRI.
5. Soda can opener: TAB.
6. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL. As in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, which is one of the major ligaments in the knee. This injury appears often in the puzzles.
7. Fry in a pan: SAUTÉ.
8. "A Real Pain" Oscar winner Culkin: KIERAN. I recognized Kieran Culkin (né Kieran Kyle Culkin; b. Sept. 30, 1982) from his portrayal of Roman Roy in Succession.
9. URL starter: HTTP. HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
10. Rower's blade: OAR.
11. Icy rain: SLEET.
12. "I love you," in Spanish: TE AMO. Today's Spanish lesson.
13. Invite to the roof deck, say: ASK UP. // And 31-Down. Ask for: REQUEST.
19. "For Pete's __!": SAKE.
21. Makes possible: ENABLES.
24. Spill the beans: BLAB.
25. Like many trees in winter: BARE.
26. Actress Perlman: RHEA. Rhea Perlman (b. Mar. 31, 1948) is best known for her portrayal of Carla on Cheers.
27. SoCal home of the Aztecs: SDSU. As in San Diego State University.
34. Put the kibosh on: END. Kibosh is a fun word.
36. Promos intended to spark curiosity: TEASER ADS.
37. Texas attraction with lions and tigers: DALLAS ZOO.
39. Rotten kid: BRAT.
40. Purple pet on "The Flintstones": DINO.
41. Caught in the act: SEEN.
42. Field goal attempt: KICK.
47. Letter-shaped girder: I-BAR.
48. Gymnastics great Biles: SIMONE. Simone biles (b. Mar. 14, 1997) has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.
51. "Tokyo Ghoul" genre: MANGA.
52. Deck out: ADORN.
53. Vision-improving surgery: LASIK.
55. Pert: SAUCY.
56. Deck with a Lovers card: TAROT.
58. Like brothers: MALE.
61. Building wing: ELL.
62. "Sorry, lassie": NAE. Today's lesson in Scottish dialect.
63. Father: DAD. We celebrated Father's Day earlier this month.
65. Hosp. triage areas: ERS. As in Emergency Rooms.
חתולה
