QOD: One climbs a mountain, not to conquer it, but to be lifted away from the earth up to the sky. ~ Russell Banks (né Russell Earl Banks; Mar. 28, 1940 ~ d. Jan. 7, 2023), American novelist
I've Gotta Hand it to You: Today's theme made me think of Bob Fosse and Jazz Hands. Each theme clue has a Handsy meaning.
17-Across. Nondigital means of telling time: ANALOG WATCH.
29-Across. Display after a poker player's call: CARDS ON THE TABLE.
49-Across. Appreciation at a live performance: ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
And the unifier:
61-Across. Quick polling method, and what 17-, 29-, and 49-Across all are, in different ways: SHOW OF HANDS. Hand up if you sussed today's theme.
Across:
1. Hotel amenity that may require a password: WI-FI.
5. Put up with: ABIDED.
11. More, in Spanish: MAS. Today's Spanish lesson. Hi, Lucina!
14. Playmates: PALS.
15. Negative campaign message?: VOTE NO. Cute clue.
16. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA. Everything you wanted to know about RNA vaccines but didn't know to ask.
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| RNA's structure vs DNA's structure |
19. Plum's center: PIT.
20. Bar bill: TAB.
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21. Southeast Asian language: LAO. Everything you wanted to know about the language of Laos but didn't know to ask. The language is very similar to that spoken in Thailand. Laos is a land-locked country that primarily borders Thailand and Vietnam.
22. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI.
23. Takeout option with egg rolls: CHINESE. Yummers!
27. Tool for opening wooden crates: CROW BAR.
31. "Star Trek Beyond" actor John: CHO. John Cho (né Cho Yo-Han; b. June 15, 1972) was born in Seoul, South Korea. He also stared in the Harold & Kumar movies. [Name # 1.]
32. Small vortex: EDDY.
33. Pigpen: STY.
34. Breathe heavily: PANT.
36. Place for a peel: SPA.
38. Common promise from a procrastinator: SOON.
45. Stately trees: ELMs.
48. Be nosy: PRY.
54. Naval officer: ADMIRAL.
55. Onion kin: SHALLOT. What's the difference between Shallots and Onions?
56. Snoozes: NAPS.
57. Milk source: COW.
59. Sault __ Marie: STE. Sault Ste. Marie straddles the international boarder of the United States (Michigan) and in Canada (Ontario). The twin cities are connected by a bridge across the St. Mary River. Sault Ste. Marie claims to be one of the oldest cities in the United States. Hi, Yoopers Phil and CanadianEh!
60. Brief "Oversharing!": TMI. Textspeak for Too Much Information. It has become a crossword staple, appearing in a puzzle just last week.
66. Play it by __: EAR.
67. Taken from above, as photos: AERIAL. Can you guess the city below?
69. Unenviable grade: DEE.
70. Harden into bone: OSSIFY.
71. Email folder: SENT.
Down:
2. Bond creator Fleming: IAN. In addition to creating Bond, James Bond, Ian Fleming (né Ian Lancaster Fleming; May 28, 1908 ~ Aug. 12, 1964) also wrote Chitty Chatty Bang Bang: The Magical Car for his son, Casper. [Name # 2.]
3. __ Building: Manhattan landmark named for its triangular shape: FLAT IRON. The Flat Iron building was built in 1902 by renowned architect Daniel Burnham (né Daniel Hudson Burnham; Sept. 4, 1846 ~ June 1, 1912).
4. Kitchen prep spot: ISLAND.
5. Slugger's stat: AVG. As in Average.
6. Archery device: BOW.
7. Lang. of Florence: ITAL. Italian is spoken in Florence, Italy, the home of David.
8. Separate: DETACH.
9. Concert bonuses: ENCORES. Theme adjacent. I saw the Tina: The Tina Turner Musical recently. There was a big Encore at the end of the show. The cast got a big Hand before and after the Encore.
10. Play-__: kids' clay: DOH.
11. Onetime Dr Pepper rival: MR. PIBB. We think we saw Mr. Pibb recently. Mr. Pibb arrived on the scene in the summer of 1972. [Name adjacent.]
12. Cat or rat: ANIMAL. Not only are they animals, but they are rhyming animals.
13. Political humor, often: SATIRE.
18. Beyond plump: OBESE.
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| Actually in this case, the"obese" sheep is too full of wool. |
22. Influences: SWAYS.
23. Letters on a Soviet uniform: CCCP. As in Central Committee of the Communist Party. // And 41-Down. Russian "no": NYET.
24. "Very funny": HA HA!
25. Lawn roll: SOD.
26. Conclusions: ENDS.
28. Baseball Hall of Famer Mel: OTT. Mel Ott (né Melvin Thomas Ott; Mar. 2, 1909 ~ Nov. 21, 1958) was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He played for the New York Giants for nearly 20 years from 1926 through 1947. Tragically, he was killed from injuries sustained in a car accident. He was only 49 years old. [Name # 3.]
30. Far from laid-back: TYPE A.
35. North African capital: TUNIS. Tunis is the capital of Tunisia.
37. Swiss peaks: ALPS.
39. Wealth: OPULENCE.
40. "... __ it seems": OR SO.
43. New Deal president's initials: FDR. As in Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945). [Name # 3.] // And 1-Down. 43-Down job-creating program: WPA. Originally known as Works Progress Administration, later renamed to Works Projects Administration. // And 58-Down. Conflict during 43-Down's presidency, briefly: WWII. Also known as World War II. [Name #4.]
44. Team instructors: COACHES.
46. Speedometer abbr.: MPH. As in Miles Per Hour.
47. Drastically lower, as prices: SLASH.
49. __ and raved: RANTED.
50. Whoopi's "Ghost" role: ODA MAE. [Name # 5.]
51. Ballpark figure?: UMPIRE. Cute clue.
52. Elevator stops: FLOORS.
53. Chapel fixtures: ALTARS.
61. __ Paulo, Brazil: SÃO. The city has an interesting history.
62. Clumsy sort: OAF.
63. Go by plane: FLY. // And 65-Down. Bygone jet, for short: SST. As in SuperSonic Transport.
64. Levy of "Schitt's Creek": DAN. Dan Levy (né Daniel Joseph Levy; b. Aug. 9, 1983) is the son of Eugene Levy (b. Dec. 17, 1946). They look alike. [Name # 6.]
And the Grid:
חתולה
