Tuesday, August 19, 2025

QOD:  You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.  ~  Ogden Nash (né Frederic Ogden Nash; Aug. 19, 1902 ~ May 19, 1971), American poet and humorist

The Energizer Bunny.  The first word of each theme answer is another word for energy.

3-Down. Potential basketball assist that hits the floor: BOUNCE PASS.

7-Down. Fast-food pickup location: DRIVE THRU WINDOW.

9-Down. "Quiet!": ZIP YOUR LIP.

28-Down. Kitchen gadget often used on oranges: JUICE PRESS.

Here's the unifier:

31-Down. Like some protein-rich snacks, or what can be found in 3-, 7-, 9-, and 28-Down?: HIGH ENERGY.  Note that each theme answer is in the down position.  This gives each synonym of ENERGY to be in the HIGH position.

Across:

1. Dining room fixture: TABLE.

6. QB's successes: TDs.  We have a mini Football Theme.  QuarterBack's successes are Touch Downs.  //  15-Across. Cards, on scoreboards: ARI.  The ARIzona CARDinals are a professional football team.  //  52-Across. QB's errors: INTS.  As in INTerceptions.

9. Sassy letter-shaped gesture: Z-SNAP.

14. Scrub hard, as a pot: SCOUR.

16. "Leave it to me": I WILL.

17. Connected to an outlet: PLUGGED IN.

19. Spotted bean or horse: PINTO.

20. Gas in bright signs: NEON.

21. "Nice work!": VERY GOOD.

23. Kindergarten recitation: ABCs.

25. Bygone automaker from South Korea: DAEWOO.

27. Loaf with seeds: RYE.

28. Leave at the altar: JILT.

29. The "L" of MLK: LUTHER.

34. Swiss peak: ALP.

35. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH.

36. Beethoven's Third: EROICA.  Eroica is Italian for Heroic.

37. South Beach neighbor: MIAMI.

39. Sign at a packed B'way theater: SRO.  As in Standing Room Only.

41. McDonald's arches et al.: LOGOs.

42. Fly or flea: INSECT.

44. Citrus with an unappealing name: UGLI.  The Ugli fruit is a natural hybrid of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine.  It tastes better than it looks.

46. Birthday party topper: HAT.

47. End section of an Italian sonnet, e.g.: SESTET.

48. Burrito kin: WRAP.

49. Historical period: ERA.

50. Pocketful in a nursery rhyme: POSIES.  Ring Around the Rosie ....  Is this rhyme really about the Black Plague?

53. Neverland boy who befriends the Darling children: PETER PAN.

57. Hue: TONE.

59. Ooze, as charm: EXUDE.

60. "We're not on the same page": I DISAGREE.

64. Buffalo __: WINGS.  What's the real origin of Buffalo Wings?

65. __ de plume: NOM.  Today's French lesson.  Translated to mean a pen name.

66. "Copy that": ROGER.

67. Doesn't leave: STAYS.

68. Early afternoon: TWO.

69. Tim Gunn's area of expertise: STYLE.  Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (b. July 29, 1953) was the chief creative director at Kate Spade, Co.  He was also on Project Runway.

Down:

1. Kitchen qty.: TSP.  As in Teaspoon.

2. Knee surgery target, for short: ACL.  As in an Anterior Cruciate Ligament.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

4. Some Winter Olympics sleds: LUGES.

5. Cogito, __ sum: ERGO.  Today's Latin lesson.  I think, therefore I am.

6. Smidge: TAD.

8. Muscle fiber: SINEW.

10. Big gulp: SWIG.

11. El __: climate pattern: NIÑO.  El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.  Its cooler counterpart is La Niña.  During El Niño years, there tends to be less hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.   La Niña years, on the other hand, favor more intense hurricanes in the Atlantic.

12. Voice below soprano: ALTO.

13. Trudge: PLOD.

18. Break up: END IT.

22. Auditioner's goal: ROLE.

23. One of the Three Musketeers: ARAMIS.  Also the name of a men's cologne.

24. Author credit: BYLINE.

26. Word of woe: ALAS.

30. As well: TOO.

32. Nature photography, perhaps: ECO-ART.

33. Jah worshippers: RASTAS.  Everything you ever wanted to know about Rastafari, but didn't know you needed to know.

38. Ran into: MET.

40. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

43. Camaro roof option: T-TOP.  Another crossword staple.

45. Endures: LASTS.

51. Miracle worker, perhaps: SAINT.

52. Gold bar: INGOT.

53. Congregants' benches: PEWS.

54. Red sign above a door: EXIT.

55. Sushi fish: TUNA.  //  And 62-Down. Sushi fish: EEL.

56. Provocative: EDGY.

58. Boathouse collection: OARS.

61. "Seems to me," online: IMO.  Textspeak for In My Opinion.

63. Poetic "before": ERE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday February 18, 2025

QOD:  If it wasn’t for the effort, I could argue against hard work all day.  ~  Janan Ganesh (b. Feb. 18, 1982), British journalist

The Doors:  The circles spell out the word Door.

16-Across. Student with twice the usual level of concentration?: DOUBLE MAJOR.

28-Across. Bridal shower planner, typically: MAID OF HONOR.

43-Across. "We need medical help here!": CALL A DOCTOR.

58-Across. Common minivan feature, or a "closing" feature of this puzzle?: SLIDING DOOR.  Notice how the letters "DO" slowly "Slide" towards the letters "OR" until the DOOR has Slid shut.

Here's the Grid showing the Sliding Door.

Across:

1. Adoptathon adoptees: PETS.

5. Makes less wild: TAMES.

10. Contented sigh: AHH!

13. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.  Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

14. Find: LOCATE.

15. Fish eggs: ROE.

18. Mo. after Mar.: APR.

19. Metal marble: STEELIE.

20. Pestered: NAGGED.

22. Farm vehicle: TRACTOR.

25. Counterpart of poetry: PROSE.

26. Powdery residue from a volcanic eruption: ASH.

30. Gala headpiece: TIARA.  In British royalty, there are very specific rules about who can wear a tiara, and when it can be worn.

32. Small-time celebs: D-LIST.

33. "G'day, __!": MATE.

34. Tree used in traditional Native American medicine: ALDER.  The Alder tree has many medicinal usages.

36. Quaint contraction: 'TWAS.  This makes me think of Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll.

40. Parting word: ADIEU.

42. One may begin, "Who's got two thumbs and ... ": BOAST.

48. Shakespearean denial: NAY.

49. Crush an exam: ACE IT.

50. Way up a snowy mountain: SKI LIFT.

52. Hot fudge dish: SUNDAE.  Yummers!

54. 29-Down goo: PINE SAP.  //  And 29-Down:  29. Evergreen tree: FIR.

57. Qty.: AMT.  Quantity vs Amount

61. Floral garland: LEI.

62. Julia's "Seinfeld" role: ELAINE.  Elaine Benes was the fictional character from Seinfeld portrayed by  Julia Louis-Dreyfus (b. Jan. 13, 1961).

63. "Yeah, I'll pass": UM, NO.

64. Comedy show with Michael Che and Colin Jost, for short: SNL.  Saturday Night Live makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  This show just celebrated its 50th Anniversary!

65. Short-term employees: TEMPS.

66. Barnyard baby's sound: PEEP.

Down:

1. Goalie's protective gear: PADS.

2. Award quartet first completed by Richard Rodgers: EGOT.  The Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony is becoming a crossword staple.  We saw it just last Tuesday (See 50-Down).

3. "No argument here!": TRUE THAT!

4. Civil War sword: SABER.

5. Black Lives Matter co-founder Ayo __: TOMETI.  Black Lives Matter was formed in 2013 by several woman including Ayọ Tometi (born August 15, 1984), who was known then as Opal Tometi.

6. Fed. health law: ACA.  As in the Affordable Care Act.

7. Min. opposite: MAJ.  Major and Minor.

8. School founded by Henry VI: ETON.  Eton College was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as “Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore”.  Henry wanted his subjects to have the opportunities of gaining knowledge that he had enjoyed, and he made provision for 70 poor boys, known as King's Scholars, to be housed and educated at Eton free of charge.  Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) are both alums of Eton.

9. High-ranking angels: SERAPHS.  Hierarchy of Angels.

10. Catherine of __: first wife of Henry VIII: ARAGON.  The musical Six is about the six wives of King Henry VIII in their own voices.  Divorced (Catherine of Aragon), beheaded (Anne Boleyn), died (Jane Seymour), divorced (Anne of Cleves), beheaded (Catherine Howard), survived (Catherine Parr).

11. "Fingers crossed": HOPE SO!

12. Border collie, e.g.: HERDER.

14. German camera brand: LEICA.  The Leica company has been around since the mid-1800s.  It began as an optical company and manufactured lenses and microscopes.  Ernst Leitz (1843 ~ 1920) joined the company in the 1860s.  The camera got its name from the first three letters of Leitz, and the first two letters of the word Camera.

17. Andes pack animal: LLAMA.

21. Underground recess: GROTTO.

23. Quirky one: ODD DUCK.

24. Auditioner's aim: ROLE.

26. Drive-thru convenience: ATM.  The Automatic Teller Machine used to be a crossword staple.  We haven't seen it in a while.

27. "Cheap Thrills" singer: SIA.  Sia, whose given name is Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (b. Dec. 18, 1975), is an Australian singer and songwriter.  She is known for not showing her face during her performances, instead hiding behind big bows or wigs.  As we learned from yesterday (24-Across), she is also the One-named Chandelier singer.

31. Req. for domestic air travel starting in 2025: REAL ID.  The deadline to use a non-REAL ID to board domestic flights and access federal facilities is May 7, 2025.  I have had a Real ID since 2016.

34. Help: AID.

35. Some July babies: LEOs.

37. Sharer's offer: WANT SOME?

38. Cool __ cucumber: AS A.

39. Pigpen: STY.

41. Collection of numbers for crunching: DATA SET.

42. "__ it on!": bold challenge: BRING.

43. Cellist Pablo: CASALS.  Pabla Casals (né Pau Casals i Defilló; Dec. 29, 1876 ~ Oct. 22, 1973), was a Spanish and Puerto Rican cellist, composer, and conductor.

44. Keen insight: ACUMEN.

45. Dal legume: LENTIL.  Dal is an Indian dish of lentils, that's often served with rice. The word "dal" refers to the dried, split seeds of legumes, which are a rich source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

46. Baskets scored off rebounds: TIP INS.

47. QB-protecting gp.: O-LINE.  Football season is over.  The offensive line (O-line) in football is a group of five players who block the opposing defensive line and create openings for the running back.

51. Out of patience: FED UP.

53. Fashion monthly: ELLE.

55. First-rate: A-ONE.

56. Stage accessory: PROP.  The playwright Anton Chekhov (Jan. 29, 1860 ~ July 15, 1904) is credited with the quote, "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired.  Otherwise don't put it there". 

59. Billie Eilish's "Therefore __": I AM.

60. Quick swim: DIP.

That's all for this Tuesday.  Enjoy the rest of your week.

חתולה