Tuesday November 26, 2024

QOD:  You can only predict things after they’ve happened.  ~  Eugène Ionesco (Nov. 26, 1909 ~ Mar. 28, 1994), Romanian-born French playwright

Don't Forget About Me.  Each theme answer is what one might say upon leaving a friend.

20-Across. Parting words from a hide-and-seek player?: CATCH YOU LATER.

31-Across. Parting words from a masseuse?: KEEP IN TOUCH.

40-Across. Parting words from an escape room participant?: I'M OUTTA HERE.

53-Across. Parting words from a magazine vendor?: UNTIL NEXT TIME.

Across:

1. Unit of cilantro: SPRIG.  Some people find that cilantro tastes like soap.  It's due to a genetic variation in their olfactory receptor gene.

6. Sasquatch kin: YETI.  The Yeti is a mythical creature rumored to inhabit the Himalayan mountains of Asia.  It's also the name of a company that makes high-end coolers.

10. Nursery school song subject: ABCs.

14. Massey of old films: ILONA.  Ilona Massey (née Ilona Hajmássy; June 16, 1910 ~ Aug. 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio actress.  She was a born in Budapest, Hungary.

15. Bring in: EARN.

16. "Don't rock the __": BOAT.

17. Unfounded stories: MYTHS.

18. Outlet store warning: AS IS.

19. City with a country within its borders: ROME.  The Vatican is within the city limits of Rome.  Vatican City became an independent state in 1929 when when the Lateran Treaty was signed by the Holy See and Italy.  It was the result of negotiations between the Italian government and the Holy See that began in 1926.  The Vatican is the smallest country in the world.

23. Country between Thailand and Vietnam: LAOS.

24. Teacher's session: LESSON.

25. Deeply devoted: ARDENT.

28. Hugo Award genre: SCI-FI.  The Hugo Award is considered the most prestigious award in science fiction.  It's presented at the World Science Fiction Convention.  The award is named after Hugo Gernsback (Aug. 16, 1884 ~ Aug. 19, 1967).  Gernsback is known as the Father of Science Fiction.

30. Filmmaker Ang: LEE.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker.  The first film that I saw of his was the 1994 movie Eat Drink Man Woman.  

36. Wee woolly one: LAMB.

38. Took a load off: SAT.

39. City on Alaska's Seward Peninsula: NOME.

45. In favor of: FOR.

46. Any "Cheers" episode, now: RERUN.

47. "Sorry, pass": IT'S A NO.

49. Rice dish seasoned with saffron: PAELLA.  Paella is a Spanish dish of rice cooked with seafood, meat, and vegetables, and flavored with saffron.

52. Nabe in London and NYC: SOHO.  SOHO is short for South of Houston Street.  It is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City.  Soho is also a neighborhood in London's West End.

 

57. Schlep: TOTE.

58. Wrestling form with a salt purification ritual: SUMO.  In sumo wrestling, the act of throwing salt into the ring before a match is a purification ritual.  The salt is used to cleanse the area and ward off evil spirits.  It is a practice deeply rooted in Shinto beliefs; this practice is called "shio-maki" in Japanese, and is considered a key part of the pre-match ceremony before wrestlers enter the ring.

59. Inner circle: CADRE.

62. Poetic tributes: ODEs.  A crossword staple.

63. __ code: AREA.  Area code by state

64. Church platform: ALTAR.

65. Egg container: NEST.

66. Billings' st.: MONT.  You will find the town of Billings in Montana.

67. Heaviest internal organ: LIVER.

Down:

1. __ card: cellphone chip holder: SIM.  SIM = Subscriber Identity Module.

2. Tissue thickness: PLY.

3. Campus military org.: ROTC.  ROTC = Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

4. Take a breath: INHALE

5. Car part missing on a Tesla: GAS TANK.

6. Informal assents: YEAHs.

7. "__ peasy lemon squeezy!": EASY.

8. The Powerpuff Girls, e.g.: TRIO.  The Powerpuff Girls was a cartoon series that featured three kindergarten-age girls with superpowers.

9. Hormone that regulates blood sugar: INSULIN.  The history of Insulin.  The importance of insulin was discovered in 1921 by Sir Frederick G Banting (Nov. 14, 1891 ~ Feb. 21, 1941), Charles H Best (Feb. 27, 1899 ~ 1979) and JJR Macleod (né John James Rickard Macleod; Sept. 6, 1876 ~ Mar. 16, 1935) at the University of Toronto.  In 1923, Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery.  Because Charles Best was a graduate student, the Nobel Committee ignored his contribution and he was not acknowledged for his contribution.  Best was Banting's graduate student, so Banting shared his Nobel Prize money with him.

10. Scrape: ABRASION.

11. Wellingtons, e.g.: BOOTS.

12. Brief appearance in a film: CAMEO.  Also a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewelry.

13. Unlikely to approve of horseplay: STERN.

21. Dove's home: COTE.

22. Opposite of right: LEFT.

25. "__ Want for Christmas Is You": ALL I.  A Christmas song made famous by Mariah Carey (b. Mar. 27, 1969).

26. 20 quires: REAM.  Webster's defines a Quire as "a collection of 24 or sometimes 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality : one twentieth of a ream."

27. Floor model: DEMO.

28. Hall of Fame pitcher Warren who holds the record for most wins by a southpaw: SPAHN.  Warren Edward Spahn (Apr. 23, 1921 ~ Nov. 24, 2003) played for 21 years in the major league, much of that time with the Boston Braves.

29. Quote: CITE.

32. Genesis twin: ESAU.  Esau was the hairy twin brother of Jacob.

33. Tucson school, for short: U OF A.  As in the University of Arizona.

34. "That can't be right!?": C'MON.

35. Villain's adversary: HERO.

Baby Hero pose in yoga.

37. Beefy to the max: BURLIEST.

41. Poker player's giveaway: TELL.

42. Classic Pontiac muscle car: TRANS AM.

43. Barrel of laughs: RIOT.

44. Principled: ETHICAL.

48. Mogadishu resident: SOMALI.

49. Slip into: PUT ON.

50. Battery terminal: ANODE.

 

51. Plural diminutive suffix: -ETTES.

52. Summer ermine: STOAT.  In the summer, the animal's back is cinnamon-colored and the stomach is white.  During the winter, the stoat's fur molts to completely white, and the animal is then called “ermine”.

54. Continental capital: EURO.  Did you know that each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse side of the euro coin?

55. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN.

56. 1999 satire about a reality show: ED TV.

60. Issa of "Barbie": RAE.  Issa Rae (né Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She also starred in a television comedy called Insecure.

61. Make a mistake: ERR.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Sunday, November 26, 2023

QOD:  It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire.  ~  Marilynne Summers (née Marilynne Summers Robinson; b. Nov. 26, 1943), American novelist

Friday, November 26, 2021

QOD:  You can’t get hung up on age or beauty, because then you’re always chasing after something you’ll never get back.  ~  Tina Turner (née Anna Mae Bullock; b.  Nov. 26, 1939), American singer

Thursday, November 26, 2020 / Thanksgiving

QOD:  Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received.  Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling.  Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.  ~  Henry van Dyke, Jr. (né Henry Jackson van Dyke, Jr.; Nov. 10, 1852 ~ Apr. 10, 1933), American author and diplomat

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

QOD:  We know we cannot plant seeds with closed fists.  To sow, we must open our hands.  ~  Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (b. Nov. 26, 1931), Argentine recipient of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize

Don't Go Away Mad, Just GO Outside!  Each two-word theme answer begins with the letter G and ends in O, hence the word "GO" is on the "outside" of each answer.

17-Across. Transmission specification: GEAR RATIO.  How to determine Gear Ratio:

25-Across. Stockholm-born three-time Best Actress nominee: GRETA GARBO.   This Swedish actress never actually said, "I want to be alone."  According to her, she said, "I want to be let alone."

Greta Garbo (née Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; Sept. 18, 1905 ~ Apr. 15, 1990)

36-Across. Longtime New Year's Eve bandleader: GUY LOMBARDO.  Guy Lombardo (né Gaetano Alberto Lombardo; June 19, 1902 ~ Nov. 5, 1977), was a Canadian-born musician.  In 1924, he formed the Royal Canadians along with his brothers.  He began his tradition of playing big band music on New Year's Eve in 1929.  His band could be heard on this date for the next 47 years ~ first on radio, then finally in the late 50s on television.

50-Across. Video game series with a Warriors of Rock edition: GUITAR HERO.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Leave the house ... and a literal feature of 17-, 25-, 36- and 50-Across: GO OUTSIDE.

Across:

1. Cigar residue: ASH.

4. "West Side Story" sides: GANGS.

9. Cul-__: dead-end street: DE-SAC.

14. Versatile truck, for short: UTE.

15. Head off: AVERT.

16. Oven emanation: AROMA.

19. Divided island of Southeast Asia: TIMOR.  The island is divided between East Timor and Indonesia.

20. Fielder's mishap: ERROR.  Think baseball.

21. Irish watering hole: PUB.  The Best Irish Pubs according to the Irish Post.

23. Trucker on a radio: CB-ER.

24. Catch one's breath: REST.

28. Barfly: SOT.

29. Run out of juice: DIE.

30. Weekend show with Aidy Bryant, to fans: SNL.  Aidy Bryant (née Aidan Mackenzy Bryant; b. May 7, 1987) is an American comedian who has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2012.

31. "Dig in!": EAT.

32. Actress Berry: HALLE.  Halle Berry (née Maria Halle Berry; b. Aug. 14, 1966), is probably best known for her role in the 2001 movie Monster's Ball, which also starred Billy Bob Thornton.

34. Real estate units: ACRES.  Some Acres are Green.

39. Dalmatian marks: SPOTS.  This dog breed can actually trace its roots to the Dalmatia region of Croatia.  Can you Spot the Dalmatians on the book's cover?

41. Skin irritations: SORES.

42. PC key near Z: ALT.  The Alt key, or optional key, is used to change the function of another pressed key.  //  And 54-Across. Escape key function: UNDO.

43. Partners for mas: PAs.  Ma and Pa Kettle were a bit before my time, but I remember hearing about them.

46. Terminate: END.

47. Suffix with Brooklyn: -ESE.  As in Brooklyese, the dialect of speech associated with Brooklyn.

53. Dashing style: ELAN.  A crossword staple.

55. Comfy footwear: MOC.

56. Leave the chair: STAND.  Here's a chair with its stand.

57. Secret Service role: AGENT.

62. Rodeo rope: REATA.

63. Bring together: UNITE.

64. Gp. that isn't gun-shy: NRA.  As in the National Rifle Association.

65. Welles on-screen: ORSON.  Orson Welles (né George Orson Welles; May 6, 1915 ~ Oct. 10, 1985), is probably best known for his role as Charles Foster Kane in the 1941 movie, Citizen Kane.  The character of Kane was believed to have been modeled after the San Simeon Castle Builder of 3-Down: William Randolph HEARST.

66. Hall of Fame pitcher Ryan: NOLAN.  Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (b. Jan. 31, 1947), had a 27 -year career in major league baseball.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

67. Corn serving: EAR.

Down:

1. Hole-making tools: AUGERS.  Scary looking tools!

2. Den music system: STEREO.

3. San Simeon castle builder: HEARST.  See 65-Across.

William Randolph Hearst (Apr. 23, 1863 ~ Aug. 14, 1951)

4. Teri of "Young Frankenstein": GARR.  Teri Ann Garr (b. Dec. 11, 1944) was so funny in Young Frankenstein.

5. Gardner of the silver screen: AVA.  Ava Gardner (née Dec. 24, 1922 ~ Jan. 25, 1990) was one of Frank Sinatra's wives.  Her first marriage was to Mickey Rooney, then she married Artie Shaw.

6. Badminton divider: NET.

7. Beef: GRIPE.

8. Strong ales: STOUTS.

9. Not dis?: DAT.

10. CNN journalist Hill: ERICA.  Erica Ruth Hill (b. July 20, 1976) was the co-anchor of Weekend Today for several years.

11. Mariachi's hat: SOMBRERO.

12. One-celled swimmers: AMOEBAE.  Anatomy of an amoeba.  For a 1-celled critter, it sure has a lot of parts.

13. Orange veggies: CARROTS.  Anyone remember Captain Kangaroo and Bunny Rabbit?

18. Hogwash: ROT.

22. Keep out: BAN.

25. Fish organ: GILL.

26. Move, in realty ads: RE-LO.

27. Shone with a nearly blinding light: GLARED.

29. Pampering place: DAY SPA.  A nice place to be pampered.  Many day spas, however, can be very pricy.

32. Simple shelter: HUT.

33. Ambulance letters: EMS.  I initially tried EMT, for Emergency Medical Technician.  Unfortunately, that gave me Tores for Skin Irratations (41-Across).

35. S&L offerings: CDs.  As in Certificate of Deposits.

36. Looked through a home remodeling magazine, perhaps: GOT IDEAS.

37. Transvaal settler: BOER.  Transvaal is a province of South Africa.  The word Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans noun for farmer, and refers to the Dutch and Huguenot population that settled in South Africa in the late 17th century

38. Florence's river: ARNO.

The Ponte Vecchio over the Arno in Florence, Italy.

39. Arizona cactus: SAGUARO.

40. Tool that unclogs using suction: PLUNGER.

44. Chair part for elbow resting: ARM.

45. Feudal Japanese military ruler: SHŌGUN.  It's also the title of a novel by James Clavell.

47. "Seinfeld" regular: ELAINE.  The character of Elaine was played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus (b. Jan. 13, 1961).  She wasn't a very good dancer.

48. Former Justice __ Day O'Connor: SANDRA.  Sandra Day O'Connor (b. Mar.. 26, 1930) was the first female United States Supreme Court Justice.  She was nominated to the High Court by President Ronald Reagan.  She replaced Potter Stewart on the Court.  When she retired in 2006, after having served no the Court for nearly 25 years, Samuel Alito replaced her.

49. Make beloved: ENDEAR.

51. Lone Ranger's pal: TONTO.  The Lone Ranger ran on television from 1949 to 1957.

52. Affordable, in brand names: ECONO.  As in the Econo-Lodge.

53. Sci-fi beings: ETs.  As in ExtraTerrestials.

56. British firearm acronym: STEN.  I didn't realize that the STEN gun was an acronym.  It is named after its designers: Major Reginald V. Shepherd and Harold Turpin, and EN for Enfield, the government's rifle and arms factory in London's Borough of Enfield. 

58. Color like khaki: TAN.

60. Black gold: OIL.

61. Hagen of Broadway: UTA.  Uta Thura Hagen (June 12, 1919 ~ Jan. 14, 2004) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  We know we cannot plant seeds with closed fists.  To sow, we must open our hands.  ~  Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (b. Nov. 26, 1931), Argentine recipient of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize