Tuesday, November 14, 2023

QOD:  A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life.  Nothing looks more stupid than a hat.  ~  P.J. O’Rourke (né Patrick Jake O’Rourke; Nov. 14, 1947 ~ Feb. 15, 2022), American political satirist

A Day at the Gym.  The End word of each theme answer is a Workout one might do at the gym.

16-Across. *   Device that crushes pungent cloves: GARLIC PRESS.

24-Across. *   Go swimming in one's birthday suit: SKINNY DIP. 

48-Across. *   Perm style popular in the 1980s and early 1990s: JHERI CURL.

58-Across. *   Very little, informally: DIDDLY SQUAT.

And the unifier:

38-Across. Come to a satisfying conclusion, and what the answer to each starred clue literally has: WORKOUT IN THE END.

Across:

1. Yahtzee cubes: DICE.   //  27Across. Domino dimple: PIP.  The dimples on the dice and dominos are both called PIPs.

5. Load to bear: ONUS.  From the Latin, literally meaning Burden.

9. Includes on an email: CC's.  A shout out to our wonderful Blog host.

12. Milky white gem: OPAL.  Hi, Kazie!  These gems are prevalent in Australia.

13. Exactly right: SPOT ON.

15. Barrister's field: LAW.  A Barrister is an attorney who specializes in trial litigation, as opposed to a 

Solicitor, who focuses on more transactional areas of law, such as contracts.  These terms are more common in the United Kingdom rather than in the United States.  In England, the Barrister in criminal court wears the iconic wig.

18. Unlock, in verse: OPE.

19. Shared values: ETHOS.

20. "Tag, __ it!": YOU'RE.

22. Puts on: DONS.

28. Flexible blackjack card: ACE.

30. Letters accompanying college apps: RECS.  As in Recommendations.

31. Maker of Calm + Restore skin care products: AVEENO.  We learned from a recent crossword puzzle that Aveeno products are also vegan.

I know everyone won't get the joke, but it made me laugh. *

33. Sheep sound: BAA.

34. Threesome: TRIO.  Ménage à trois?

41. Wild guess: STAB.

42. P-like Greek letter: RHO.  The Greek letters appear so often in the puzzles that we should have them all memorized by now.

43. Apple AirPod, e.g.: EARBUD.

44. Qatari leader: EMIR.  The letters also stand for European Market Infrastructure Regulation.

46. __ deco: ART.  We haven't seen our old friend Erté (né Romain de Tirtoff; Nov. 23, 1892 ~ Apr. 21, 1990) in a long time.  He used to make frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  He was best known for his Art Deco designs.

47. Some coll. degrees: BSs.  As in a Bachelor of Science degree, as opposed to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

52. Olympic sword: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

54. Vampire teeth: FANGS.

My neighbor's cat that we renamed Fang.  He likes us better than his real owner.

55. Video game pioneer: ATARI.

57. Tot: KID.

64. "World of Dance" judge, to fans: JLO.  Jennifer Lynn Lopez Affleck (b. July 24, 1969) got her start as a Fly Girl on the television comedy In Living Color.  She is well known for her many marriages and relationships.  [Name # 1.]

65. Make a minister: ORDAIN.

66. Constellation bear: URSA.  I guess if you have a good imagination, you can see the Bear in the Stars.  It's easier to see the Big Dipper.  Can you find the 27-Down. Bear hands: PAWS?

67. << on a remote: Abbr.: REW.   The Rewind button.

68. Rapper Lil Uzi __: VERT.  Although I didn't recognize the name, when I saw his photo, I realized that Lil Uzi Vert (né Symere Basil Woods; b. July 31, 1995) has made appearances in the puzzles before.  Apparently, he had a $24M pink diamond imbedded into his forehead, until it was "ripped" out during a concert.  [Name # 2.]

69. Yellowstone grazers: ELKS.  We learned from last Tuesday that all Elks are Deer, but not all Deer are Elks.

Down:

1. "Best in Show" animal: DOG.  One of the funniest movies I have seen.

2. Hoppy brew letters: IPA.  As in India Pale Ale.  The real story of IPA's origin.

3. Sedan, e.g.: CAR.

4. Astronaut Ochoa who was the first Latina in space: ELLEN.  Not only was Ellen Ochoa (b. May 10, 1958) the first Latina in space, but she was also the director of the Johnson Space Center.  In 1993 she became the first Hispanic woman to go into space when she went on a 9-day mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery.  [Name # 3.]

5. Stand against: OPPOSE.

6. Scandinavian language, to its speakers: NORSK.  Norsk is one of two principal languages of Norway, but there are several others.

7. Native people of Colorado: UTE.  A crossword staple.

8. Distress call: SOS.  This is becoming a crossword staple.  It has appeared in several of the past Tuesday puzzles.

9. Sun block?: CLOUD.  Great misdirection.

10. __ pants: warm-weather wear: CAPRI.  Where did they come from?

11. Use a broom: SWEEP.

13. PTA meeting place: SCH.  The Parent Teacher Association meetings take place at the School.

14. "Bye Bye Bye" boy band: NSYNC.  [Name adjacent.]

17. "Hard pass": IT'S A NO.

21. Bivalve in a bed: OYSTER.

22. Golfer's gouge: DIVOT.

23. Rossini composition: OPERA.  Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) wrote 39 operas, as well as many pieces of music, including chamber music and sacred pieces.  He is probably best known for his 1816 opera The Barber of Seville.   [Name # 4.]

25. Tehran's land: IRAN.

 

26. Less of a mess: NEATER.

29. Journalist Katie who guest-hosted "Jeopardy!" in 2021: COURIC.  Katherine Anne Couric (b. Jan. 7, 19957) always seemed a little too cheerful for me.  [Name # 5.]

32. Actress Anita of "La Dolce Vita": EKBERG.  Anita Ekberg (née Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg; Sept. 29, 1931 ~ Jan. 11, 2015) was a Swedish actress.  In 1964, she became a permanent resident of Italy.  She is known for her role as Sylvia in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita, which was directed by Federico Fellini (Jan. 20, 1920 ~ Oct. 31, 1993).  [Name # 6.]

33. Sci. course: BIO.

35. Yeshiva leader: REBBE.  Rabbi vs Rebbe.

36. Occupied: IN USE.

37. Betting numbers: ODDS.

39. Drive-__ window: THRU.

40. Trash-talking types: HATERS.

45. Bungle: MIS-DO.

46. Writing movement rooted in internet culture: ALT LIT.  Alternative Literature.

48. Jackie O's son: JFK, JR.  Tragically, JFK, Jr. (né John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.; Sept. 25, 1960 ~ July 16, 1999) and his wife, Caroline (née Caroline Jeanne Bessette; Jan. 7, 1966 ~ July 16, 1999) were killed in a plane crash while on their way to the wedding of a Kennedy cousin.  After the death of President John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy (née Jacqueline Lee Bouvier; July 18, 1929 ~ May 19, 1994) married shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and became known as Jackie O.  [Names # 7 and 8.]

Caroline Kennedy, JFK, Jr., and Jackie Kennedy Onassis

49. Selassie of Ethiopia: HAILE.  Everything you wanted to know about Emperor Haile Selassie (né Täfäri Mäkonnän; July 23, 1892 ~ Aug. 27, 1975), but didn't know to ask.  When he became emperor, he changed his name to Haile Selassie which means Power of the Trinity in Amharic.  [Names # 9.]

50. Fund: ENDOW.

51. Storm-tracking aid: RADAR.

53. Arouse, as interest: PIQUE.

56. Author Rand: AYN.  Ayn Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982) was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher.  She is best known for her novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, both of which I read when I was in college.  [Name # 10.]

59. Hip-hop producer Gotti: IRV.  I am not into the hip-hop scene, so am not familiar with Ive Gotti (né Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Jr.; b. July 26, 1970).  [Name # 11.]

60. 1950s political monogram: DDE.  As in Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969).  [Name # 12.]

61. Bookmarked link: URL.  The Uniform Resource Locator has become a crossword staple.

62. Invite (to): ASK.

63. Prof's assistants: TAs.  As in Teaching Assistants.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

*  Avinu Malkeinu (Hebrew: אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ; "Our Father, Our King") is a Jewish prayer recited during the High Holidays.  Avinu is pronounced like Aveeno.

Monday, November 14, 2022

QOD:  Hopelessness is the enemy of justice.  ~  Bryan Stevenson (b. Nov. 4, 1950), African-American civil rights lawyer

Friday, October 14, 2022

QOD:  Remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world.  ~  Ocean Voung (b. Oct. 17, 1988), Vietnamese poet

Sunday, November 14, 2021

QOD:  The weirder you’re going to behave, the more normal you should look.  It works in reverse, too.  When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person.  ~  P.J. O’Rourke (né Patrick Jake O’Rourke; b. Nov. 14, 1947), American political satirist

Thursday, November 14, 2019

QOD:  If they’ve never learned to be alone, people only develop weak and fragile defenses against the ways live decides to hurt them.  ~  Astrid Lingren (née Astrid Anna Emilia Ericsson, Nov. 14, 1907 ~ Jan. 28, 2002). Swedish author

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

QOD:  One thing talk can’t accomplish is communication.  This is because everybody’s talking too much to pay attention to what anyone is saying.  ~  P.J. O’Rourke (né Patrick Jake O’Rourke; b. Nov. 14, 1947), American political satirist

Piece of Cake!

You can find 10 different types of cake in the circles found in this puzzle.  (Yes, this is a dreaded circle puzzle.)  The cakes are placed in pairs with one of the cakes "layered" upon the other cake in the pair.  I don't see a connection between the pairs, other than the fact that they all contain the same number of letters.  Despite the circles, the cakes makes for a sweet theme.

6-Across. Tinker Bell's friend: PAN.  //  Layered upon 15-Across.  Garden tool: HOE.

Tinker Bell's pal is Peter Pan.  Do you think they eats PANCAKES?

Despite living in the South, I had never heard of a HOE Cake.  Apparently, it is made with cornmeal and may also be called a Johnny Cake.  Here's a Recipe.

14-Across. Low on funds: SHORT.  //  Layered upon 17-Across:  Manx currency:  POUND.

Here's a recipe for Strawberry SHORTcake.

The Pound is the currency used on the Isle of Man.  Here's a Recipe for POUND Cake.

33-Across. Amaretto flavor: ALMOND.  //  Layered upon 36-Across.  Reef creature:  SPONGE.

ALMOND Cake is not a common type of cake, but it looks good.  Here's a Recipe.

Nothing is better than a good SPONGE Cake.  Here's a Recipe.

41-Across. Word that always brings a smile?: CHEESE.  //  Layered upon V8 veggie:  CARROT.

A CHEESEcake is a very different type of cake.  Here's a Recipe

Our wedding cake was a CARROT Cake.  The food editor of our local newspaper was a friend and she made it for us.  Here's a Recipe

66-Across. Coke go-with: RUM.  //  Layered upon 69-Across.  English cuppa: TEA.

RUM Cake remind me of the Christmas Holidays.  Here's a Recipe.

Just go buy a box of TEA Cake!  I'm tired of cooking!  I thought Tea Cakes would be more exciting.  Steve, can you enlighten us on the appeal of these Tea Cakes?

And the "icing" that unifies the theme:

64-Across. With 67-Across, what five pairs of answers in the circles represent: LAYER.

67-Across. See 64-Across: CAKES.

Together these to two clues give us LAYER CAKES.

Let's see what tasty treats are in store for us.

Across:

1. Hee-hawers: ASSES.

9. Part of WTO: TRADE.  As in the World Trade Organization.  The word World also fits into the spaces provided.

16. Four-bagger: HOMER.  Think of baseball.  The bases are loaded and the batter hits a Home run.  Bases don't have to be loaded, but it's fun when they are.

18. Seriously funny shows?: DRAMEDIES.  Portmanteau of Drama and Comedy.

20. Organ near the stomach: SPLEEN.  I'm pretty sure you can live without one; I lost mine when I was three.

22. Doldrums: BLAHS.

23. "Boyz n the Hood" actress Long: NIA.  Boyz n the Hood was a 1991 movie.  I never saw the movie, but apparently NIA Long (b. Oct. 30, 1970) was in the cast.

25. __ shadow: EYE.

26. Hive builder: BEE.

29. Entrance: BEWITCH.  Not the door type of entrance.

35. Trivial matter: NON-ISSUE.

37. Foes of the evil Saruman: ENTs.  Think of The Lord of the Rings.  Actually, I try not to think of those creatures.

38. Logical beginning?: ECO-.  As in ECOlogical.

40. Appear: SEEM.

44. Winding Alaskan river with a Hawaiian name: HULA HULA.  A learning moment.  I had never heard of this river.  It is way north!

48. Upper arm muscle: TRICEPS.

49. Yoga chants: OMs.  I take a yoga class twice a week.  We always chant OM at the beginning and ending of the class.

50. Wrigley Field abbr.: CHI.  As in the Chicago Cubs.

52. Roll in the grass: SOD.  Cute clue.

53. Political spin, say: SLANT.

55. Cocoa company: NESTLÉ.  Because Hershey wouldn't fit.

60. Anno Domini alternative: COMMON ERA.  Anno Domini is a Latin term meaning "In the Year of Our Lord."  It presupposes a belief in Christianity, as this calendar begins with the birth of Christ.  Other faith traditions use different calendars.  We are currently in the year 5779 in the Hebrew Calendar, for example.  For consistency with dates, however, the Christian calendar is used throughout most of the world.  Non-Christian, however, prefer the term Common Era.

65. Hippie's wheels: VW BUS.  I initially tried a VW Bug.

68. Roofing stone: SLATE.

70. More than a little heavy: OBESE.

Down:

1. Pharaoh's sacred snakes: ASPS.  These snakes make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

2. Look for bargains: SHOP.

3. Heart's companion: SOUL.  As in the phrase Heart and Soul.

4. Sea eagle: ERNE.

5. Martyred bishop of Paris: ST. DENIS.  St. Denis was a 3rd century Bishop of Paris, France.  He was beheaded, and, according to legend, picked up his head and carried it to the location where he wanted to be buried.

6. Advanced deg.: Ph. D.  As in the Doctor of Philosophy degree.  I think I had this answer the last time I did the blog.

7. "You have two choices": A OR B.

8. Writer Zora ___ Hurston: NEALE.  Zora NEALE Hurston (Jan. 7, 1891 ~ Jan. 28, 1960) was an African-American author.  She is best known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.  I have never read this novel.

9. Oscar-nominated film starring Viola Davis: THE HELP.  Viola Davis (b. Aug. 11, 1965) also stars in the television show, How to Get Away with Murder.

10. Towel holders: RODS.  Because Racks was one letter to many for the spaces provided.

11. Mate, across the Channel: AMI.  Today's French lesson.  The Channel in question is the  English Channel that separates England from France.

12. Ruby of "A Raisin in the Sun": DEE.  Ruby Dee (Oct. 27, 1933 ~ June 11, 2014) was married to actor Ossie Davis.

13. Critical-care ctrs.: ERs.  As in Emergency Rooms.  My first thought was ICU, but the clue indicated the plural.

19. Mesoamerican pyramid builders: MAYAS.  I would probably say Mayan, but ...  Here is the famous pyramid at Chichen Itza.  In 2004, we took my parents to visit this pyramid.  We were able to climb to the top then.  It may be off limits now.

21. Petty peeves: NITS.

24. Take __ from: emulate: A CUE.

26. Study hard: BONE UP.

27. Marx collaborator: ENGELS.  As in Friedrich Engels (Nov. 28, 1820 ~ Aug. 5, 1895) who collaborated with Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 ~ Mar. 14, 1883).  No relation to the Marx Brothers.

28. Buildup of fluid: EDEMA.

29. Actress Helena __ Carter: BONHAM.  Helena BONHAM Carter (b. May 26, 1966) has stared in many films directed by Tim Burton (b. Aug. 25, 1958).

30. Passes the threshold: ENTERS.

31. More like the Magi: WISER.  As in the three WISEmen.

32. "Notorious" screenwriter Ben: HECHT.  I am not familiar with Ben HECHT (Feb. 28, 1894 ~ Apr. 18, 1964).

34. Israeli leader Dayan: MOSHE.  MOSHE Dayan (May 20, 1915 ~ Oct. 16, 1981) was my childhood hero.

35. Maker of sweet wafers: NECCO.  I still love NECCO Wafers.  They are called such because they are made by the New England Confectionery Company.  My favorites are the chocolate.

39. Collective possessive: OURS.

42. "Missed it by that much": SO CLOSE.

43. Musical wunderkind Bortnick: ETHAN.  Ethan Jordan Bortnick (b. Dec. 24, 2000) began playing the piano at age 3!

45. Columbia University athlete: LION.

46. Auto parts supplier: ACDELCO.  Thank you perps for giving me the name of this company ~ ACDelco.

51. Like some gases: INERT.  Also known as the Nobel Gases.  The ones that occur naturally are Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), and Radon (Rn).

53. X-rated stuff: SMUT.

54. Get straight?: TRUE.

56. Automaker founded in Sweden: SAAB.  The company went into bankruptcy in 2011.

57. Tot: TYKE.

58. Jeans choice: LEEs.  Levi would also fit into the spaces provided.

59. Scots Gaelic: ERSE.

60. Rite Aid rival: CVS.  CVS stands for Consumer Value Stores.

61. Midnight mouser: OWL.  Cute clue; cute owl.

62. Degree for a CFO: MBA.  A Chief Financial Officer would likely hold a Master of Business Administration degree.

63. Reddit Q&A session: AMA.  AMA stands for Ask Me Anything.

I hope you enjoyed this Dessert for Breakfast!