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

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

QOD:  Home lies in the things you carry with you everywhere and not the things that tie you down.  ~  Pico Iyer (né Siddharth Pico Raghaven Iyer; b. Feb. 11, 1957), British author

A Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits!  The first word of each theme answer describes a style of haircut.

17-Across. *  Vocabulary gone viral: BUZZ WORDS.  We have Nikola Bizumić (1823 ~ 1906) to thank for the buzz cut.  He invented manual hair clippers in the late 1800s.  With the advent of these clippers, barbers could easily chop hair close and fast.

26-Across. *  Tee style: CREW NECK.  What's the difference between a crew cut and a buzz cut?  Buzz cut is the most low maintenance haircut.  Crew cut has a clean fade on the sides.  Crew cut is a grown up buzz cut on top.  Crew cut has just enough length on top for texture.

33-Across. *  "Old Time Rock and Roll" singer: BOB SEGER.  Robert Clark Seger (b. May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.  He is best known for his raspy voice.  When I think of Bob Seger, I immediately think of: 35-Across. "Just take those old records off the shelf / I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself," e.g.: LYRICS.

46-Across. *  New Year's Day sporting event: BOWL GAME.  A bowl cut is a hairstyle where the hair is cut to the same length all around the head, giving it the shape of an upside-down bowl.

52-Across. *  Fluffy carpets: SHAG RUGS.  A shag haircut is a layered hairstyle with choppy layers, volume, and wispy bangs.  This style was popular in the 1970s.

And the unifier:

66-Across. Options package for a new car, and what can be found at the start of the answer to each starred clue: TRIM LEVEL.  I am not familiar with the term Trim Level.  Apparently it means a version of a car model with a specific set of features and options. 

And, We start our puzzle with an Easter Egg:

1-Across. Hairless: BALD.

Across:

5. "A Nightmare on __ Street": ELM.

8. Insurance company with a duck mascot: AFLAC.  The name of the insurance company comes from its original name: American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus.

13. Et __: and others: ALIA.  Today's Latin lesson.

14. French champagne brand: MOËT.  The full name of this champagne is Moët et Chandon, but is generally just called Moët.  The company is one of the world's largest champagne producers and is a prominent champagne house.  The company was established in 1743 by Claude Moët (1683 ~ 1760).

16. Slow-moving tree dweller: SLOTH.

19. Former capital of Japan: KYOTO.

20. Wow: AMAZE.

21. Gabaldon who writes the "Outlander" novels: DIANA.  Diana J. Gabaldon (b. Jan. 1, 1952) is an author and television writer. She is best known for the book series Outlander. This series of book is part historical fiction, part romance, part adventure, part fantasy, and part adventure.  There are about 9 books in the series.  I started to read the first book, but it really isn't my style.

23. [As per the original]: SIC.  We saw Latin abbreviation just last week.  Sic is short for the phrase sic erat scriptum means thus it had been written.  Sic is used in writing to indicate that a quotation is an exact transcription of the original source, including any errors. It's used to show that the author is aware of the errors and is reproducing the quotation as it appears in the original text.

24. __ of luxury: LAP.

28. As thick as __: THIEVES.

32. Exchange: SWAP.

39. Hoppy brew: ALE.  //  And 57-Across. Spot for a pint of 39-Across: PUB.  Ales are becoming a crossword staple.

40. Vulgarly showy: GAUDY.

42. "The Raven" poet: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) American writer and poet.   He's best known for his short stories and poems, particularly those involving mystery and the macabre.  His novel The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which was first published in 1841, is considered to be the first modern detective story.

43. Formally adopt, as a treaty: RATIFY.

49. Clown costume part that may honk: NOSE.

51. Oddballs: WEIRDOS.

56. Narc's org.: DEA.  As in the Drug Enforcement Agency.

58. Home city of K-pop's BTS: SEOUL.  K-pop is short for (South) Korean Popular Music.  The band BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean, hence the band is from Seoul, South Korea.

60. Played out: STALE.

64. Smell: AROMA.

68. With 31-Down, Great Barrier Reef locale: CORAL.  //  31-Down. See 68-Across: SEA.  I recently went snorkeling in the Coral Sea.  We had to wear stinger suits to protect us from the stinger jelly fish that are prevalent in the waters in the southern hemisphere summer.

69. Smack: SLAP.

70. Farm grunt: OINK.

71. Between, in French: ENTRE.  Today's French lesson.

72. Mos. and mos.: YRS.  Months and Months become Years.

73. Hush-hush docs: NDAs.  As in Non-Disclosure Agreements.

Down:

1. __ ghanoush: BABA.  Smoky Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip with tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil and spices.  Yummers!

2. Grad: ALUM.

3. Superstar Minnelli: LIZA.  Liza Mary Minnelli (b. Mar. 12, 1946) is the daughter of Judy Garland (née Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 ~ June 22, 1969) and Vincente Minnelli (Feb. 28, 1903 ~ July 25, 1986).

4. Wows: DAZZLES.

5. Dramatically maudlin, slangily: EMO.

6. Title for an earl: LORD.  There are five ranks in British peerage.  In descending order those ranks are:, duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.  Below the peerage are honorary ranks that include baronet and knight.  Technically, in British titles, "Lord" is not a specific rank itself, but rather a courtesy title used to address members of the peerage, generally, barons and below, meaning it falls at the lower end of the British nobility hierarchy.

7. First responder: MEDIC.

8. "No such thing as a stupid question!": ASK AWAY.

9. Go by plane: FLY.

10. Baggy: LOOSE.

11. Story in Architectural Digest?: ATTIC.  Clever!  The attic is the top Story in a house.

12. __-full: at capacity: CHOCK.

15. Old Russian rulers: TSARS.  I discussed Tsars in last week's puzzle.

18. Create a tapestry: WEAVE.  Probably the most famous tapestry is the Bayeux Tapestry, which isn't woven, but rather embroidered.  If you want to see the tapestry, to NOW!  The Bayeux Tapestry Museum will be closed for renovation work beginning this September and will not reopen until October 2027.

22. Many a honeymooner: NEWLYWED.

25. Title gal in a Buddy Holly hit: PEGGY SUE.

27. "Tiny Desk Concerts" producer: NPR.  Tiny Desk Concerts are little musical performances that are done in the National Public Radio offices.

28. Ski lift option: T-BAR.

29. Spanish greeting: HOLA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

30. "Yeah, sure": I BET.

34. __ the wrong way: RUB.

36. Apple tablet: iPAD.

37. "¿__ está usted?": COMO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  I am fine, thank you very much.

38. Views: SEES.

41. __ Jones: DOW.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.

44. Gerund suffix: -ING.  A gerund is any of various nonfinite verb forms that most often functions as a noun.  

45. Sign of movement?: FOR SALE.  Cute clue.

47. Von Trapp sister: LIESL.  Liesl was a fictional von Trapp sibling created for the movie The Sound of Music.  All the names of the real von Trapp children were changed for the film.

48. Rankle: GRATE ON.

50. Award quartets, for short: EGOTs.  As in the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

52. Word separator: SPACE.

53. Lake along Michigan's thumb: HURON.

54. Scrub, as a mission: ABORT.

55. Cantankerous: SURLY.

59. "Nothing you say is true!": LIAR.

61. Voracious: AVID.

62. Headey of "Game of Thrones": LENA.  Lena Headey (née Lena Kathren Headey; b. Oct. 3, 1973) portrayed Cersei Lancaster in Game of Thrones.

63. Lodge group since 1868: ELKS.  Its full name is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  It is an  American fraternal order that was originally formed as a social club in New York City.  It now has more than 750,000+ members at at least 1,920 lodges. 

65. Tarnish: MAR.

67. U.K. lawmakers: MPs.  As in Members of Parliament.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה