QOD: Everyone is so obsessed with themselves nowadays that they have no time for me. ~ Louise Rennison (Oct. 11, 1951 ~ Feb. 29, 2016), British comedian and author
Road Trip: We will visit first Athens then Sérres, Greece. The first word in each theme answer begins with an A, THEN the second word begins with an S.
1-Across. * "Yes, captain!": AYE, SIR!
18-Across. * "Well, shoot": AW, SHUCKS! Also the name of a chain of oyster bars.
27-Across. * Immunotherapy injection: ALLERGY SHOT.
44-Across. * Plane passenger's selection: AIRLINE SEAT.
55-Across. * Director's "That's a wrap!": AND SCENE!
And the unifier:
65. Capital of Greece, or a three-word hint to the answers to the starred clues: ATHENS. Take it apart, and we get A Then S.
Across:
7. Kansas City cuisine, briefly: BBQ. There are lots of regional styles of Barbecue.
10. "Quickly!" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible!
14. Period of self-care: ME TIME.
15. Steal from: ROB. [Name adjacent.]
16. Greek philosopher known for a paradox: ZENO. There are actually several Greek philosophers, but the one with paradoxes was Zeno of Elea (BCE 490 ~ 430). [Name # 1.]
17. "Things are bleak": IT'S BAD.
20. Like many budget reno projects: DIY. As in Destroy-It-Yourself.
21. Aussie greeting: G'DAY. Hi, Kazie!
23. Wide variety: ARRAY.
24. Underling: PEON.
25. Little pigs count: THREE.
31. Playground game: TAG.
34. God: DEITY.
35. "Stop pouring": WHEN.
36. Start of a play: ACT I.
37. Kayaking site: LAKE.
38. Scallion kin: CHIVE. Everything you wanted to know about the difference between Chives and Scallions, but didn't know to ask.
39. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. Rosa Parks (née Rosa Louise McCauley; Feb. 4, 1913 ~ Oct. 24, 2005) was instrumental in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, when in December 1955, she refused to give up her seat to move to the back of the bus. [Name # 2.]
40. Happily __ after: EVER.
41. Move, in Realtor lingo: RE-LO. As in Re-Locate.
42. Expand, as a highway: WIDEN. A widening of Interstate-10 in Louisiana is anticipated.
43. Dreaming sleep phase, briefly: REM. As in Rapid Eye Movement sleep.
46. "How about that!": I'LL BE!
48. Surrender, as territory: CEDE.
49. Janelle of "Moonlight": MONÁE. Janelle Monáe (née Janelle Monáe Robinson; b. Dec. 1, 1985) also starred in Hidden Figures. [Name # 3.]
51. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI. Everything you wanted to know about this history of the Levi Strauss company, but didn't know to ask. [Name adjacent.]
52. Scrabble-like game app, briefly: WWF. As in Words With Friends. These initials also stand for World Wildlife Fund and was formerly referred to the World Wrestling Federation.
58. Think highly of: ADMIRE.
60. "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE-T. Ice-T (né Tracy Lauren Marrow; b. Feb. 16, 1958) also portrays Detective Odafin Tutuola on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. [Name # 4.]
61. Job on a band's tour: GIG.
62. Immersed briefly: DIPPED. On Rosh Hashanah, the holiday we just celebrated, it is traditional to dip apples in honey.
63. Some long-lasting bulbs: LEDs. As in Light-Emitting Diode light bulbs.
64. Good Grips kitchenware brand: OXO. This brand appears with som frequency in the puzzles.
Down:
1. In the thick of: AMID.
2. Himalayan creature sometimes sought on "Finding Bigfoot": YETI. Also the name of a very expensive brand of ice chests and related items. [Name # 5.]
3. Online crafts marketplace: ETSY.
4. Sis or bro: SIB. As in Sibling.
5. Language that paints mental pictures: IMAGERY.
6. Kid-lit's Clifford, notably: RED DOG.
7. Donkey sound: BRAY.
8. Decoration on a wrapped present: BOW.
9. NFL play callers: QBs. As in Quarter Backs.
10. Sky blue: AZURE.
11. Encryption for private messages: SECRET CODE.
12. "My Way" songwriter Paul: ANKA. Paul Albert Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-born singer. He and Mick Jagger (b. July 26, 1943), and John Lennon (b. Oct. 9, 1940) are contemporaries, but have completely different musical styles. [Name # 6.]
13. Small bouquet: POSY.
19. Musical partner of Rodgers before Hammerstein: HART. Richard Rodgers (né Richard Charles Rodgers; June 28, 1902 ~ Dec. 30, 1979) and Lorenz Hart (né Lorenz Milton Hart; May 2, 1895 ~ Nov. 22, 1943) collaborated on stage musicals from 1920 until Hart's death . [Names # 7 and #8.]
 |
| Hart is on the right. |
22. No place in particular: ANYWHERE.
24. Tosh of reggae: PETER. His given name is Winston Hubert McIntosh (Oct. 19, 1944 ~ Sept. 11, 1987). He was murdered at age 42. [Name # 9.]
25. NBC singing competition hosted by Carson Daly: THE VOICE. [Name # 10.]
26. Fine-tune, as skills: HONE.
27. Chicago's __ Planetarium: ADLER. If you haven't been to the Adler Planetarium, it is well worth the visit. It was named after Max Adler (May 12, 1866 ~ Nov. 4, 1952). He had been a vice president at Sears Roebuck. After he retired, he became a key figure in funding the planetarium, which has the distinction of being the first planetarium the western hemisphere. [Name adjacent.]
28. Walk away: LEAVE.
29. On the same wavelength: LIKE MINDED.
30. Con artist's aide: SHILL.
32. Hopelessly lost: AT SEA.
33. Humongous: GIANT.
36. Come to light: ARISE.
38. Nursery bed: CRIB.
42. "Teamwork makes the dream work!": WE DID IT!
44. Smart __: wiseacre: ALEC.
45. Reno's state: NEVADA. Reno, Nevada is also the home of the National Judicial College.
47. Endures: LASTS.
49. Postal delivery: MAIL.
50. __ and for all: ONCE.
51. Danish toy maker: LEGO. The Lego company has been around for 90 years. Did you know that Lego comes from the Danish words Leg Godt, which translates to Play Well in English. I played with Legos as a child, when they only came in white and red bricks. It's all fun and games until you step on one at night in the dark.
52. Clear, as data: WIPE.
53. Little songbird: WREN.
54. Govt. agents: FEDS.
56. Sense of self: EGO.
57. Shoot down: NIX.
59. Freeway meas.: MPH. As in Miles Per Hour.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
