Sunday, June 4, 2023

QOD:  When it comes to sex, the most important six inches are the ones between the ears.  ~  Dr. Ruth Westheimer (née Karola Ruth Siegel, b. June 4, 1929), German-American sex therapist

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

QOD:  If you can’t have a good laugh at the expense of others, why are they even here?  ~  Scott Adams (né Scott Raymond Adams; b. June 8, 1957), American cartoonist and creator of Dilbert

Crazy Relations:  The word "sister" can be found "twisted" in the circles.

20-Across. Prime time for vacationers: TOURIST SEASON.  Webster's defines Tourist Season as "the time when many people go to visit places as tourists."

29-Across. Work out of the office?: BUSINESS TRIP.  Webster's defines a Business Trip as "a visit made to a place for work purposes, typically one involving a journey of some distance."

46-Across. Pacific spot named for the day it was discovered: EASTER ISLAND.  Easter Island a territory of Chile.  It's native name is Rapa Nui and it is known for its monumental statues of oversized heads.

56-Across. '80s hard rock quintet, and what's literally found in each set of circles: TWISTED SISTER.  I'll spare your ears.

Across:

1. Welsh dog: CORGI.  A favorite of the Queen.

6. Voice mails: Abbr.: MSGs.  As in Messages.

10. Heed: OBEY.

14. Atom with a negative charge: ANION.

15. German mark successor: EURO.  Each country that uses the Euro can have one side of the coin depict a design symbolic of its nation.  You can see the German national side of the Euro here.

16. Very hot state: RAGE.

17. Works on a keyboard: TYPES.

18. Mideast's Gulf of __: ADEN.

19. __ job: deception: SNOW.

23. Informal affirmative: YUP.

24. Small amount: TAD.

25. Weep: CRY.

26. Childcare writer LeShan: EDA.  Eda Lashan (June 6, 1922 ~ Mar. 3, 2002) hasn't visited us in the puzzles in quite a while. 

32. King's rabid dog: CUJO.  Cujo was the subject of a novel by Stephen King (b. Sept. 21, 1947).

35. Laugh sound: HEE.

36. Like some waves: TIDAL.

37. Chevy subcompact: AVEO.

38. Basic building blocks: ATOMS.

41. Half of Mork's sign-off: NANU.  A reference to the 1980s sit-com, Mork and Mindy.

42. Greek cheeses: FETAs.  Almost everything you wanted to know about Feta Cheese, but didn't know to ask.  Feta is a Protected Designation of Origin product, so technically only the cheese made in some areas of Greece can be called Feta.

44. Washington NLer: NAT.  As in the Washington Nationals, the Major League Baseball team.

45. Cavefish's functionless parts: EYES.  Some of these fish barely even have eyes.  Cavefish is actually a generic term for fish that have adapted to living in caves and underground habitats.  Some fish have no eyes altogether, other fish have vestige eyes.

50. Chicago-to-Miami dir.: SSE.  South-SouthEast.

51. Elton's "Rocket __": MAN.

52. Prior to, poetically: ERE.  A crossword staple.

53. Baglike structure: SAC.

60. Lightsaber wielders: SITH.  Think of the Star Wars movies.

62. Dove's home: COTE.

63. Wavy pattern: MOIRE.

64. __ socks: KNEE.

65. Beheaded Boleyn: ANNE.  Anne Boleyn (1500s ~ May 19, 1536) was the 2nd of Henry VIII's wives.  She was also the mother of Elizabeth I, Queen of England.

66. Kate's TV sidekick: ALLIE.  Kate & Allie was a sit-com from the 1980s.  Kate was played by Susan Saint James (b. Aug. 14, 1946) and Allie was played by Jane Curtain (b. Sept. 6, 1947).

67. Legal memo phrase: IN RE.

68. Cordelia's father: LEAR.  A reference to a play by Willie the Shakes.

69. Prominent: NOTED.

Down:

1. Like a remark evoking a "Rowr!": CATTY.

2. "The joke's __!": ON YOU.

3. Make into confetti: RIP UP.

4. Active type: GOER.

5. At its original position: IN SITU.  Today's Latin lesson.

6. Carnivore's regimen: MEAT DIET.

7. Frothy water: SUDS.

8. 776 BC Olympics locale: GREECE.  And home of Feta Cheese.

9. Undersea trackers: SONARS.  Sonar is short for Sound Navagation and Ranging.  

10. -ish, numerically: OR SO.

11. Time to celebrate: BANNER DAY.

12. Vanity: EGO.

13. Fine-grained wood: YEW.

21. Nickname for Alexandra: SASHA.

22. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYST.  As in the Global Positioning System.

27. "Cheers" server: DIANE.  Diane was played by Shelley Long (b. Aug. 23, 1949).

28. Top mark: A PLUS.

29. Hiss, as a villain: BOO AT.

30. Vegas lights: NEONS.

31. Pronged: TINED.

32. Bookstore eateries: CAFÉs.

33. Eye parts with irises: UVEAS.

34. Traveler in life's fast lane: JET SETTER.

39. Stag: MALE DEER.  //  And 59-Down: Stag: SOLO.

40. Paparazzi targets: STARS.

43. Interstate hauler: SEMI.

47. Mischief-maker: RASCAL.

48. Emulate the Gregorians: INTONE.

49. Upscale retailer __ Marcus: NEIMAN.  Affectionately known as Needless Markup.

53. Clown's heightening prop: STILT.

54. Falcon's nest: AERIE.

55. 2015 "Rocky" films sequel: CREED.

57. Amusement park cry: WHEE!

58. Highest Italian peak south of the Alps: ETNA.  It's the volcano on Sicily.

60. Schuss, e.g.: SKI.

61. Lodging with a "keeper": INN.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Friday, June 4, 2021

QOD:  Travel has always been one of the best ways to make new memories and reconnect with your loved ones.  ~  Dr. Ruth Westheimer (née Karola Ruth Siegel, b. June 4, 1929), German-born American sex-therapist and author

Thursday, June 4, 2020

QOD:  We’re the only species that have crapped up the planet and the only species that can clean it up.  ~  Dennis Weaver (né William Dennis Weaver; June 4, 1924 ~ Feb. 24, 2006), American actor

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

QOD:  Changing mass consciousness is an individual responsibility.  ~  Dennis Weaver (né William Dennis Weaver; June 4, 1924 ~ Feb. 24, 2006)

What Do The Animals Say?  In today's puzzle, we have 4 pairs of clues and answers.  The first clue asks for a particular animal, and the last word in the second answer provides the animal sound.  What a clever theme from our Corner Hostess!  I think this is one of my favorite themes in recent memory.

Note: Animals in other countries make different sounds.  Who knew?

1-Across. Animal heard at the end of 30-Across: WOLF.  //  30-Across. Jamaican resort: MONTEGO BAY.

60-Across. Animal heard at the end of 17-Across: SNAKE.  //  17-Across. Suspected 1930s-'40s spy: ALGER HISS.

Alger Hiss (Nov. 11, 1904 ~ Nov. 15, 1996) was an attorney and held a number of positions in the Federal Government, including the Department of Justice and the State Department.  He was accused of spying for the USSR.  Although never convicted of the spying charges, he was convicted for perjury related to the spying charges and was sentenced to 5 years in Federal prison.

19-Across. Animal heard at the end of 46-Across: MOOSE.  //  46-Across. "Humboldt's Gift" Pulitzer-winning novelist: SAUL BELLOW.

Saul Bellow (né Solomon Bellows; June 10, 1915 ~ Apr. 5, 2005), was a Canadian-American awarding winning author.  He was the recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Literature, as well as the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  Try as I might, I just cannot get through any of his works.

70-Across. Animal heard at the end of 62-Across: SEAL.  //  62-Across. Canoe material: BIRCH BARK.

The Birch is a hardwood tree with paper-like bark, which is surprisingly water resistant, hence, makes a perfect material for canoes.

Today's theme reminded me of this song that was popular a year or two:

Across:

5. "Give me __": A SEC.  Don't rush me!

9. Texas A&M student: AGGIE.  As in a student attending the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, which is located in College Station, Texas.  The main campus is over 5,200 acres.  The George Bush Presidential Library is located at the main campus.

14. Grandstand level: TIER.  There are many tiers to the LSU Tiger Football Stadium, also known as Death Valley.  The original stadium, built in 1924, held 12,000 fans.  It has expanded over the years and now has a capacity of over 102,300.  It is the 7th largest stadium in the world.  Of the 6 stadiums above the LSU Tiger Stadium, 4 are also American college football stadiums.  (The Kyle Stadium on the Texas A&M Campus holds about 400 over LSU's capacity.)

15. Actress Gilbert of "The Conners": SARA.  Sara Gilbert (née Sara Rebecca Abeles; b. Jan. 29, 1975) graduated from Yale University in 1997.  Apparently, she plays Darlene Conner on the television sit-com.

16. Cheating on an ethics exam, e.g.: IRONY.  After I graduated from law school, in addition to the State bar exam, I had to take a separate ethics exam.  I found it amusing that to pay for the privilege of taking the ethics portion of the licensing requirement, the payment had to be made in the form of a certified check or money order.  A personal check was not acceptable.

20. Mediocre: SO-SO.

21. Bandleader Arnaz: DESI.  Probably everyone on the Corner knows that Desi Arnez (né Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III; Mar. 2, 1917 ~ Dec. 2, 1986) was married to Lucille Ball (née Lucille Désirée Ball; Aug. 6, 1911 ~ Apr. 26, 1989) for 20 years.  She was his 2nd wife; he was her first.

23. Baking soda amts.: TSPs.  As in Teaspoons.

24. Selfish types: HOGS.

26. Thrill to pieces: ELATE.

28. Sports gp. with a tour: PGA.  Golfing.

34. TV host Meredith: VIEIRA.  As in Meredith Louise Vieira (b. Dec. 30, 1953).  She has been the host of a number of shows, including 60 Minutes and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

36. Blues singer James: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan, 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) has become a crossword staple.

37. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.  Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) is another crossword staple.

 Then

Now

38. Prefix with mural: INTRA-.  Think of Intramural Sports.

39. You, in Germany: SIE.  Today's German lesson.

40. New England fish: SCROD.  Who knew this word had a past pluperfect subjunctive?

42. Sci-fi figures: ETs.  As in Extra-Terrestrials.

43. Brunch, e.g.: MEAL.  Yummers!

45. Enemy of ancient Athens: SPARTA.

49. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE.  As in William Sanford Nye (b. Nov. 27, 1955).  Is he a Scientist or a Comedian?

50. Sunning areas: POOLS.

51. Teller's comedy partner: PENN.  As in the comedy team of Penn and Teller, comprised of Penn Fraser Jillette (b. Mar. 5, 1955) and Raymond Joseph Teller (b. Feb. 14, 1948).  Penn is the gabby one, while Teller remains silent.

53. Norway's most populous city: OSLO.  Oslo is also the capital of Norway and is the home of the Viking Ship Museum.

55. Not out: SAFE.  Think of baseball.

57. "Look what I did!": TADA!

65. Completely full: SATED.

66. Off in the distance: AFAR.

67. Patent's genesis: IDEA.

68. Pages with viewpoints: OP-EDs.  I learned from doing the crossword puzzles that Op-Ed means Opposite the Editorial page.

69. Stretch out in a recliner: REST.

Down:

1. Org. for Naomi Osaka: WTA.  As in the Women's Tennis Association.  Naomi Osaka (b. Oct. 16, 1997) is a professional tennis player who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother.  I don't follow sports, so was unfamiliar with her until this past weekend.  She was defeated by Katerina Siniakova, a Czech tennis player, at the French Open.

2. Some Picassos: OILS.

3. Building toy with theme parks: LEGO.  The Smithsonian recently reported on a humorous study wherein a few volunteers swallowed the heads of Lego figurines to see how long it stayed in the body.

4. What an open window allows in: FRESH AIR.  I initially tried Sunlight, which fit in the spaces provided.

5. Campfire residue: ASH.

Anatomy of a Camp Fire.

6. Declared with authority: SAID SO.

7. Highlands language: ERSE.  I generally think of Erse being an Irish language, but Webster's says it is also a Scottish language, hence the Highlands.

8. Walkman insert, once: CASSETTE.  I had one of these once, back in the dark ages.

9. Ready-fire link: AIM.

10. Cave: GROTTO.  I initially tried Gave In, which also fit in the spaces provided.  The Ave Maria Grotto, located in Cullman, Alabama was built on the grounds of St. Bernard Abby by one of the monks.  In addition to the grotto, there are over 100 miniature reproductions of world famous Catholic religious structures.  The Grotto is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is an interesting place to stop, if you are driving through the area.

11. Jam fruit: GOOSE BERRY.  A Goose makes a Honking sound.  Close, but no cigar, to today's theme.

12. Brit. police rank: INSP.  As Inspector.  Anyone who reads Elizabeth George's mystery series knows about Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley.

13. Places for contacts: EYES.  They come in all colors and designs.  I once had a DWI case where the defendant had been stopped for being high on something.  It didn't help that he was wearing contacts that had CANNABIS leaf designs on them.

18. Piglet's little buddy: ROO.  A reference to Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends.

22. "Before ___ you go ...": I LET.

25. "Today" rival, for short: GMA.  As in Good Morning, America, which airs on ABC.

27. Audibly stunned: AGASP.

28. Sailing companion of the Niña: PINTA.  Christopher Columbus's three ships were the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.

29. Sleeps till noon, say: GETS UP LATE.

31. Sam of "Jurassic Park": NEILL.  Sam Neill (né Nigel John Dermot Neill; b. Sept. 14, 1974) was born in Ireland, but now lives in New Zealand.  He played Dr. Alan Grant in some of the Jurassic Park movies.

32. "I left ___ on the fridge": A NOTE.

33. Pointy-eared Jedi master: YODA.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

34. Competes (for): VIES.

35. "First Blood" tough guy: RAMBO.  Played by Sylvester Stallone.

39. Mexican buffet offering: SALSA BAR.  Not sure I have actually seen a Salsa Bar at a Mexican restaurant, but I'm game to try some varieties of Salsa.

41. Marijuana: CANNABIS.  See 13-Down.

44. Slithery sea creatures: EELS.

45. Fin. neighbor: SWE.  Sweden is the neighbor of Finland.

47. Took a peek: LOOKED.

48. Some Lincoln Center productions: OPERAS.

52. Highest degree: NTH.  My initial thought was a Ph.D.

53. ___ buco: veal dish: OSSO.

54. Easy-peasy thing: SNAP.  Did you find this puzzle to be a SNAP?

56. Marcher's flute: FIFE.

58. Florida's Miami-___ County: DADE.  Lemonade lives a county over from Miami-Dade.

59. ___ rug: AREA.

61. Mag workers: EDs.  As in Editors.

63. Dated PC monitor: CRT.  As in a Cathode-Ray Tube.

64. ___ Kan pet food:  KAL.

Here's the grid: