Tuesday, March 18, 2025

QOD:  Most of American life is driving somewhere and then driving back wondering why the hell you went.  ~  John Updike (né John Hoyer Updike; Mar. 18, 1932 ~ Jan. 27, 2009), American novelist

Fifty Shades of Gray.  or maybe just 4 shades today.

17-Across. Extremely good-looking person, slangily: SMOKE SHOW.  I am not familiar with the term Smoke Show to describe an attractive person.  I guess it refers to someone who is so hot they are on fire.

23-Across. Actress who played Rollergirl in "Boogie Nights": HEATHER GRAHAM.

40-Across. Treat that can help a dog with indigestion: CHARCOAL BISCUIT.

53-Across. Online publication founded in 1996 by Michael Kinsley: SLATE MAGAZINE.  Slate is an online magazine that features stories on politics, the arts, and business.

And the unifier:

65-Across. Range between white and black, and where the starts of 17-, 23-, 40-, and 53-Across can be found: GRAY SCALE.  Is it spelled Gray or Grey?  On this side of the Pond (unless you're Canadian), the color generally spelled with an "A".  On the other side of the Pond, the colour is generally spelled with an "E".  An easy way to remember this is in American, use the "A"; in England use the "E".  Hi, CanadianEh!

Across:

1. Sleep outdoors: CAMP.

5. Salad topped with blue cheese and bacon: COBB.  Robert H Cobb is said to have created the Cobb Salad.  It's made with lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, crisp bacon, roasted chicken, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese and a touch of French dressing.

9. __ Sketch: drawing toy: E-TCHA.

14. Spiny succulent: ALOE.  As we learned from yesterday, it's a sunburn soother (See. 2-Down).

You knew I was going to include this cartoon.

15. Major producer of pineapples and bananas: DOLE.  Everything you wanted to know about the Dole Company.

16. Dubbed: NAMED.

19. Peruvian pack animal: LLAMA.

20. Cantina fare: TACOS.

21. Oahu neighbor: KAUAI.

29. Fury: IRE.

30. Quiche need: EGG.

31. __ Jima: IWO.

32. Inquires: ASKS.

36. April 15 agcy.: IRS.  Tax day is coming up soon!

38. Bother terribly: EAT AT.

44. "Access Hollywood" host Lopez: MARIO.  Mario Lopez (b. October 10, 1973) is an actor who has also appeared on Broadway as well as television.

45. Hither and __: YON.

46. Residential units, briefly: APTs.  As in Apartments.

47. Horror movie street: ELM.

48. Mallon in the World Golf Hall of Fame: MEG.  I don't follow golf, so I was not familiar with Meg Mallon (b. Apr. 14, 1963).  She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

51. Sleeping place: BED.

58. __ Island: New England state: RHODE.  Rhode Island is the smallest state in the Union.  Supposedly, the state got it name from the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, who called the island "Roodt Eylandt" (meaning "Red Island") in 1614, referring to the red clay lining the shores of Aquidneck Island, an island in Narragansett Bay.

59. Flatbreads for gyros: PITAS.

62. Belly button type: OUTIE.

68. Monastery member: FRIAR.

69. Jane Austen heroine: EMMA.  Emma is the 1815 novel written by English author Jane Austen (Dec. 16, 1775 ~ July 18, 1817).  It is set in the fictional country village of Highbury and is about the relationships among people from a small number of families.  I have never read it.

70. Sledding spot: HILL.

71. Lower leg joint: ANKLE.

72. Proofreader's catch: TYPO.

73. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL.  I always fly El Al when I go to Israel.

 

Down:

1. Performers in a play: CAST.

2. __ mater: ALMA.   Today's Latin lesson.  Alma mater literally means Nourishing Mother, but it is a phrase used to indicate where one went to college.

3. Freeloader: MOOCH.

4. Tea option: PEKOE.  The gradation and classification of tea is very complicated.  Pekoe tea actually refers to a grade of black tea, specifically referring to the size and quality of the leaves, and not a specific flavor or type of tea.

5. LP successors: CDs.  As in a Compact Disc.

6. __ and aah: OOH.

7. British fellow: BLOKE.

8. Word of caution: BEWARE.

9. Makes bigger: ENLARGES.

10. Actress Shire: TALIA.  Talia Rose Shire (b. Apr. 25, 1946) is probably best known for portraying Adrian Balboa in the Rocky series of movies.  She is also the sister of film director Francis Ford Coppola (b. Apr. 7, 1939).

Francis Ford Coppola and Talis Shire

11. Nashville-based awards org.: CMA.  As in the Country Music Association.

12. Skirt edge: HEM.

13. Tooth care org.: ADA.

18. "La Bamba" actor Morales: ESAI.  Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (b. Oct. 1, 1962) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  Did you know that his name, Esai, is a Spanish name that derives from the Hebrew root "Yesha'yahu" (יְשָׁעְיָהוּ), which means "God is salvation"?

22. Brand of fluffy slippers: UGG.  The UGG company began in Australia and got its name because the sheepskin boots are ugly.

24. Group of three: TRIO.

25. Queen of Mount Olympus: HERA.  In Greek mythology, Hera, the goddess of marriage, women, and family, is considered the Queen of Mount Olympus.

26. Seek a loan from: HIT UP.

27. Anticipate: AWAIT.

28. Apple juice brand: MOTT'S.  It's more than just apple juice.

32. Zeniths: ACMES.

33. "__ we dance?": SHALL.

34. Cosmic payback: KARMA.

35. Indian honorific: SRI.

37. __ as a fox: SLY.

39. 2010 health law, for short: ACA.  As in the Affordable Care Act.

41. Summoning words: COME HERE.

42. Tea option: BOBA.  Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese tea drink with chewy tapioca pearls (boba).   The drink is also frequently sweetened and combined with milk or fruit flavorings.

43. Spanish spelling of Agnes: INEZ. 

49. Angsty music genre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

50. Gizmo: GADGET.  A gizmo is defined as any device that gets the job done, but it often means an unknown object. 

52. Hummus and salsa: DIPS.

54. Dry run: TRIAL.

55. Bacteria-ridden: GERMY.

56. For a very specific audience: NICHE.

57. Online sales: E-TAIL.

60. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.  Yummers!  Penne alla vodka is a popular pasta dish, made with penne pasta, tossed in a creamy, tomato-based sauce that includes vodka, and sometimes chili flakes and other ingredients.

61. Vend: SELL.

62. Birds __ feather: OF A.

63. Self-serve coffee server: URN.

64. "__ Tok": No. 1 hit for Kesha: TIK.

66. Gear for a roadie: AMP.

67. Basketball star Ming: YAO.  Yao Ming (b. Sept. 12, 1980) played for the Houston Rockets from 2002 until 2011.  He is 7 ft 6 in.  In 2007, he married Ye Li, who, at 6 ft 3 in, is also a former professional basketball player.  She played for the Shanghai Octopus team in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

 

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

QOD:  Nothing travels faster than the speed of light ~ with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.  ~  Douglas Adams (né Douglas Noel Adams, Mar. 11, 1952 ~ May 11, 2001), English author

Name that Dog!

21-Across. *  Tennis racket's optimal impact point: SWEET SPOT.

58-Across. *  Explorer on the red planet: MARS ROVER.

3-Down. *  Sophocles tragedy: OEDIPUS REX.

29-Down. *  Athletic shoe introduced in 1987: NIKE AIR MAX.

And the unifier:

39-Across. Military IDs on chains, and what can be found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues?: DOG TAGS.  The last word of each theme answer is a stereotypical name, or Tag, for a Dog.

Across:

1. Unemotional: STOIC.

6. "Buzz off!": SCAT.

10. Football penalty indicator: FLAG.

14. Concert setting: ARENA.

15. Animal's den: LAIR.

16. Daughter of Darth Vader: LEIA.  A Star Wars reference.

17. In the __ of: MIDST.

18. Foam darts, for a Nerf Blaster: AMMO.

19. Quaint quarters: INNS.

20. Angler's supply: BAIT.

23. Llama's cousin: ALPACA.  Alpacas and llamas are both domesticated camelids from the Andes Mountains of South America.  They have several differences in size and face shape.

25. Stop holding on: LET GO.

26. Mom's brother: UNCLE.

28. Apple Music predecessor: iTUNES.

32. Sense of style: TASTE.

34. "__ Yankees": DAMN.  The only thing I know about this 1958 movie is this silly song.

37. Clock display: TIME.

38. Mo. with the signs Aries and Taurus: APR.  Aries is in March and the beginning of April and Taurus is in the end of April and beginning of May. 

42. Cereal with Honey and Berry Berry varieties: KIX.

43. Applications: USES.

45. Turn off course: VEER.

46. "__ Rose Has Its Thorn": Poison hit: EVERY.

48. "You have my cell number": TEXT ME.

50. Salami type: GENOA.  Did you know the word Salami is derived from Latin meaning Salt?  Genoa salami is a dry-cured salami made from pork and seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. The name refers to the preparation style, and is commonly attributed to the Italian port city of Genoa. 

52. Dos + tres: CINCO.  Today's Spanish and Math lesson.

55. Forms a line?: AD LIBS.

61. Canadian First Nations people: CREE.

62. Literary detective Wolfe: NERO.  Nero Wolfe,  the brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective, first appeared in 1934 in the novel Fer-de-Lance, by Rex Stout.

63. Scored 100% on: ACED.

64. World-renowned: FAMED.

65. Sleeveless top, for short: CAMI.  Short for Camisole.  They even come in camouflage.

66. Feature of a landline: CORD.

67. Ludicrous: INANE.

68. Black gem: ONYX.  Everything you wanted to know about Onyx but didn't know to ask.

69. "Swish Swish" singer Perry: KATY.  Katy Perry (née Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson; b. Oct. 25, 1984) Perry started singing in church as a child.

70. Athlete in a weight class: BOXER.

Down:

1. Brazilian dance: SAMBA.  You, too, can learn the Samba in just 5 minutes!

2. "Law & Order" proceeding: TRIAL.

4. __ coffee: INSTANT.

5. Friskies muncher: CAT.

6. Shredded side dish: SLAW.

7. Caravan animal: CAMEL.

8. "Lucifer" actress Garcia: AIMEE.  I am not familiar with Aimee Garcia (née Aimee Sandimés Garcia López de Ordóñez; b. Nov. 28, 1978), nor am I familiar with Lucifer.

9. Moving briskly: TROTTING.

10. Fly off the handle: FLIP OUT.

11. Television Hall of Famer Jay: LENO.  Jay Leno (né James Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) is known for his observational and deadpan comedy.

12. Informal contraction: AIN'T.  When I was a kid, we used to say "Ain't ain't in the dictionary."  Kids can't say that now because Ain't is in the dictionary.

13. Furnace fuel: GAS.

21. ESPN football reporter Paolantonio: SAL.  Since I don't generally watch ESPN, I was not familiar with Sal Paolantonio (né Salvatore Anthony Nicholas Paolantonio; b. June 13, 1956).

22. USMC rank: SGT.  As in Sergeant.  //  And 62-Down. 22-Down, e.g.: Abbr.: NCO.  As in Non-Commissioned Officer.

24. Looped in via email: CC'ED.

27. Outer rim: EDGE.

30. Dubai dignitary: EMIR.  Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates.  The word Emir (أمير) comes from an Arabic word for "commander."

31. Alluring: SEXY.

32. Pulled tight: TAUT.

33. Chapel recess: APSE.

35. Devoured: ATE.

36. Actress Helgenberger: MARG.  Marg Helgenberger (née Mary Margaret Helgenberger; b. Nov. 16, 1958) portrayed Catherine Willows on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

40. Cookie sheet holder: OVEN RACK.

41. Place in the outgoing mail: SEND.

44. Largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands: ST. CROIX.

47. Mount St. Helens, for one: VOLCANO.  Mount St. Helens last had a major eruption in May 1980.

49. Scale notes after res: MIs.

51. Organ with a drum: EAR.

53. Tiramisu topper: COCOA.  Yummers!  The name of this delicious Italian dessert from the Italian phrase tirami su, which literally means: pick me up/cheer me up.

54. Plain to see: OVERT.

56. Geoffrey of fashion: BEENE.  Geoffrey Beene (né Samuel Albert Bozeman Jr.; Aug. 30, 1924 ~ Sept. 28, 2004) was born in Louisiana and studied medicine at Tulane University, but dropped out to study fashion design.

57. Ceremonial Passover meal: SEDER.  Passover is an 8-day holiday the commemorates the exodus from Egypt.  This year, Passover begins at sunset on Saturday April 12 and runs through Sunday April 20.

Seder Plate

58. Lean and __: MEAN.

59. Group of troops: ARMY.

60. Swirling current: EDDY.

64. Minor untruth: FIB.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה