Tuesday, September 25, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

"Broken Promise"

16. Player getting paid: PRO ATHLETE.

23. "Wait just a minute!": WHOA THERE.

46. Docking aids: BOAT HOOKS.

53. Closet accessory: COAT HANGER.

32. Unfulfilled campaign pledge ... and a hint to what 16-, 23-, 46- and 53-Across all contain: BROKEN PROMISE.

Oath is broken in each answer.   When I first edited the review, I noticed that the first answer had the break after the first letter, the second answer after the second letter, the third answer after the third letter.  I was momentarily disappointed that the fourth answer wasn't broken after the fourth letter.  Then quickly realized that if it had been, then oath wouldn't have been broken.  Very nice puzzle C.C. !

"You made me promises promises
Knowing I'd believe
Promises promises
You knew you'd never keep " - Naked Eyes, 1983

Across:

1. The one here: THIS.  The one there: That.   Neither one:  Other.

5. Group of cronies: GANG.   Group of crones: Hags.

9. Natural wound protection: SCAB. 

13. Discard: DUMP.  In computing,  a dump (as a noun) is the contents of a storage area, especially after a system failure.  As a verb it means to store to another location, such as another library, volume,  disk or other media.   So, as Ol' Man Keith was commenting about on Friday's blog, a contronym, because dump = discard,  and dump = store.   Probably not as common as cleave.

14. Prohibited activity: TABOO.

15. "What a shame!": OH NO.

18. Sound from a snout: OINK.

19. Counsel: ADVISE.

20. "Am I the only one?": IS IT ME ? 

22. Move stealthily: SLINK.  I think of cats.  And ninjas. 

26. "Told you": SEE. 

27. Rogers Centre city: TORONTO. A gimme for Canadian Eh.

29. Oil field sight: RIG.

30. Cartographer's dot, maybe: ISLET.

31. Food truck snack: TACO.

37. James of "The Godfather": CAAN.  Plays the role of Sonny Corleone.  Spoiler alert:  He gets offed.  Michael Corleone becomes the Don and avenges his brother's death.   The Godfather has been the top rated film of all time in many polls, but so have GWTW, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Vertigo. 

38. Herbert Hoover, by birth: IOWAN.  31st President.  You can read about him at History.com 

39. O'Hare's airport code: ORD.  O'Hare was originally Orchard Field.

40. Great pains: AGONIES.

43. Bobs and waves: DOs.  Hairstyles.  Short for hairdos.

48. "Rashomon" director Kurosawa: AKIRA.  The Rashomon Effect

50. Christmas door decoration: WREATH.

51. Health facility: CLINIC.

52. Tech sch. grad: ENGR.  Yours truly. 

56. "Start __": Rolling Stones hit: ME UP.   1981 Pop Rock hit single from the album Tattoo You.


57. Mandel of "America's Got Talent": HOWIE.  A gimme for Bill G and Lemonade.

'America's Got Talent' Judge Howie Mandel Defends Courtney Hadwin

58. Melody: TUNE.  That girl can sing.  As can Kellie Pickler.  For those that don't solve the Saturday puzzles, take a look at Husker Gary's review and watch, as he so aptly wrote, "Her heartwarming backstory, American Idol audition and emotional reaction".

59. Coffee servers: URNS.

60. "If I may intrude ... ": AHEM.  "Ahem, this review is getting to be too long."

61. Founded, as a co.: ESTD.

Down:

1. QB-to-receiver six-pointer: TD PASS.  QB = Quarterback and TD = Touchdown.  "A touchdown is worth six points, and is scored when a team crosses the opposition's goal line with the ball, or catches or collects the ball in the end zone."  Topend Sports - Football Basics

2. Running track obstacle: HURDLE.  In preseason practice, Coach Carlson said I had the best form on the freshman track team.  I placed last in the first meet.  Ran the "2 mile" in meets after that. Never won at that event either. 

3. Apple video-editing app: IMOVIE.

4. Madrid's country: SPAIN.   Madrid is the third largest city in the European Union.

5. 128 fl. oz.: GAL. 

6. Grandpa Simpson: ABE.  Abraham Jedediah Simpson II  Click his name to read about him at Fandom.



7. Vague idea: NOTION.

8. Charges toward: GOES AT.

9. Apt Shakespearean rhyme for "truth": SOOTH.

10. Fire-breathing monsters: CHIMERAs. 

11. "Interview With the Vampire" novelist: ANNE RICE.  Click her name to read a summary about her at Britannica.com.

12. __ choy: stir-fry veggie: BOK.

14. With 37-Down, what corn is on: THE and  (37. See 14-Down): COB.  Four Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob - Wikihow

17. "For shame!": TSK TSK.

21. Skater Midori: ITO.


23. Little songbird: WREN.

24. Color of some Hello Kitty products: HOT PINK.

25. Self-esteem: EGO.

28. Fútbol cheer: OLE.

30. Charged particle: ION.

31. Altoids container: TIN.  Also, our hypocorism for Tinbeni.

32. Saloonkeeper: BAR OWNER.  e.g. Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke, or Moe on The Simpsons.

33. Trooper's speed-checking device: RADAR GUN.

34. Versailles rulers, once: ROIs.

35. Have bills to pay: OWE.

36. Indian spice blend: MASALA.

40. Finder's cry: AHA.

41. "Fooled you!": GOTCHA.

42. Overeager student's cry: OOH OOH.  Obligatory Horshack:


43. Thingamajig: DINGUS.  Gadget.  Thingamabob.  Whatchamacallit.  Gizmo.  Doodad.  Doohickey.  You know what I'm talking about ?  

44. Set in the right direction: ORIENT.

45. Like some cows and vows: SACRED.

47. Maryland team, briefly: TERPS.  The Maryland Terrapins of the B1G conference.  Stylized logo of the Big 10 Conference that has 14 universities as members.  Take the link to see who they are.

49. "Roots" role Kunta __: KINTE.

51. Rebel Guevara: CHE.  Spent a couple of hours reading and learning about him. I'll defer in this venue.

52. Big bird from Down Under: EMU.

54. Stunned state: AWE.

55. Comical Conway: TIM.  Played Ensign Parker on McHales Navy.  He was a guest on a Johnny Carson rerun early Sunday morning. 

Tuesday, Oct 30, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

"Keep in Touch"

17. *Easy-to-read character: BLOCK LETTER.

24. *Cruise stop: PORT OF CALL.

40. *Microsoft Outlook service: EMAIL.

43. *FaceTime alternative: SKYPE.

52. *Emphatic typeface: ITALIC TEXT.

65. Parting words suggested by all or part of the answers to starred clues: KEEP IN TOUCH.

Five ways to stay in contact.

Across:

1. Beauty queen's topper: TIARA. 

6. Standoffish: ALOOF.

11. Irish folk dance: JIG. 


14. Naysayers: ANTIS.

15. "Z: The Beginning of Everything" star Christina: RICCI.  She starred as Zelda Fitzgerald in the short-lived 2017 television series.

16. Santa __ winds: ANA.

19. "Real World" channel: MTV.  This reality TV program aired for 21 seasons from 1992 to 2013, and is being rebooted on Facebook.  Pick seven or eight late teens to mid twenties types, put them in a house, and film non-stop. 

20. Triangular Indian pastry: SAMOSA. "The samosa is made with all-purpose flour locally known as maida shell stuffed with some filling, generally a mixture of mashed boiled potato, onions, green peas, lentils, spices and green chili, or fruits. The entire pastry is then deep-fried in vegetable oil or rarely ghee to a golden brown color." - Wikipedia

21. Skinny fish: EEL.

22. Buzzing insect: BEE.

23. Luxury bag monogram: YSL.  As shown on this "Women's Large Monogram Matelasse Leather Chain Shoulder Bag - Black", available at Sak's Fifth Avenue.

28. Like much Scotch: AGED.  Tinbeni likes Scotch.  He said the other day, in reference to the MIXED DRINKS puzzle, that he likes his Scotch mixed with Scotch. 

30. Purchase at Lowe's: TOOL. 

31. July 4th nonstarter: DUD.  A firework, such as a firecracker or aerial display, that doesn't explode properly.   

34. Kagan of the Court: ELENA.

37. "Grr!," say: SNARL.  And 68A. "Grr!": I'M MAD. 

42. Freight weight: TON.

44. 1988 film farce fish: WANDA.  93% at Rotten Tomatoes:   A Fish Called Wanda

45. Asian part of Egypt: SINAI.  Transcontinental Countries – Is Egypt in Africa or Asia?

47. Assist: AID.

48. Goes to seed: ROTS.

50. "Enchanted" fantasy film girl: ELLA.

56. Patriots' org.: NFL. The New England Patriots of the National Football League.

59. Stool pigeon: RAT.   A police informer in this clue, in bad guy lingo.    BTW, James Cagney was misquoted.  He actually said, "... you dirty yellow-bellied rat" to the guy that killed his brother. 

60. Put a spell on: HEX.  You can read about the "Andretti curse" at Wikipedia.  In short, in 1970 the wife of co-owner Clint Brawner put a hex on them, promising that no Andretti would ever win the Indy 500 again.  Mario never won it again,  nor did his two sons, his nephew, and his grandson in 54 Andretti family attempts.  Is there something to that hex crap ?

61. Decline to participate: OPT OUT.

64. Cigar refuse: ASH.

67. Peg for a round: TEE. 

69. "Tomorrow" musical: ANNIE. The comic strip Little Orphan Annie made it to radio, stage and film.  Here's the song from the 1982 film:


70. Slip up: ERR.

71. Cozy spots: NESTS.

72. Rent-a-car choice: SEDAN.

Down:

1. File folder projections: TABS.

2. Mosaic technique: INLAY.

3. Molecule parts: ATOMS.

4. Cough drop name sung in ads: RICOLA.


5. Seeks answers: ASKS.

6. "__ you listening?": ARE.

7. Soda bottle size: LITER.  I still want to spell it litre. 

8. Four pairs: OCTET.

9. Spotted wildcat: OCELOT.  Here kitty, kitty.

  Basic Facts About the Ocelot

10. Evergreen tree: FIR.  A conifer.  You can identify the tree as a fir because the cones stand upright versus hanging down as the do in spruce and other pines.

11. One-pot New Orleans dish: JAMBALAYA.   I saw the following reader comment on a Food Wishes video for a Jambalaya recipe:

The best food in America comes from the south.

The best food in the south comes from Louisiana.

The best food in Louisiana comes from New Orleans.

And the best food in New Orleans is Jambalaya.

12. Major chip maker: INTEL.   Lemonade had the clue "Gathering of spies" for this answer last Friday in Joe Kidd's puzzle.

13. Chairperson's order keeper: GAVEL.

18. Place for a campaign button: LAPEL.

25. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS.  Clifford.  A play about a group of taxicab drivers  planning a labor strike.  Lefty was their elected chairman.  This was in the '30s, before Uber and Lyft. 

26. Archaeologist's find: FOSSIL.

27. Fail suddenly, with "out": CONK.  Or, go to sleep.

29. Desserts in Little Italy: GELATI.  Little Italy is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, once known for its large population of Italian Americans.  Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream.

31. Morning drops: DEW.

32. Actress Thurman: UMA.

33. Longtime "CBS Evening News" anchor: DAN RATHER.   24 years.  Took the helm when Walter Cronkite retired in 1981.

35. "There's __ in team": NO I.

36. Building add-on: ANNEX.

38. Hudson Riv. tech school: RPI.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  The esteemed engineering school.  Founded 1824.  Troy, N.Y.   RPI overlooks the Hudson River.    Hi Spitzboov !  Hi Irish Miss !

39. Went first: LED.

41. Worshiped star: IDOL.

46. "Iron Chef Gauntlet" host Brown: ALTON.   We tuned into his FoodTV show "Good Eats", but were never fans of the original Iron Chef program or its spinoffs.

49. Devious plan: SCHEME.

51. San __: Texas city, familiarly: ANTONE.  Do you recall the song from these lyrics ?
Rain, dripping off the brim of my hat.
It sure is cold today.
And here I am'a walking down sixty-six.
Wish she hadn't done me that way.

52. Steaming mad: IRATE.  I rate this an accurate clue for the answer.

53. Law enforcement shocker: TASER.

 

How Stuff Works - Tasers 

54. Overflows (with): TEEMS.

55. Yank in Yemen, for short: EXPAT.  Short for expatriate.  One who lives outside their native country.

57. No longer lost: FOUND.

58. Saint __: Caribbean island: LUCIA.

62. School bake sale orgs.: PTAs.

63. In that case: THEN.

65. They're related: KIN.

66. Cards checked at the gate, briefly: IDs.

Thursday, April 25, 2024 Sarah Sinclair & Kelsey Dixon

 GRWM

20. "Just decide!": MAKE UP YOUR MIND. 

30. Remedy known as "having a counter-beer" in German: HAIR OF THE DOG.

41. In great shape: FIT AS A FIDDLE.

55. Friend's invitation before a party, or a TikTok genre that shows off the starts of 20-, 30-, and 41-Across: GET READY WITH ME.  

So makeup, hair and fit.  Does fit mean outfit?

"GRWM is a slang term and acronym for Get Ready With Me that refers to a genre of vlog-style videos in which users show themselves doing their hair and makeup or dressing in an outfit, sometimes while talking with their viewers.   GRWM videos first became popularized on YouTube in 2011, becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the 2010s and 2020s on video-sharing sites like TikTok."

Who knew? 

Sarah and Kelsey did!    Congratulations to both of you on your LA Times debuts!

Across:

1. The hundred target, in Pilates: ABS.  Apparently there is also something called the 100 ABS challenge.  Who knew?

4. Wander (about): GAD. 

7. Bloke: LAD.  I think I may have learned these words reading Andy Capp.

10. "The Search for General __": food documentary: TSO.   I liked the General Tso cartoon that sumdaze posted on Monday, but FWIW, here's the trailer for the documentary:
 

13. Goal material: NET.

14. Pose: ASK.

15. Tussle over a 58-Down entry: EDIT WAR.  - The next time you pull up a Wikipedia article on a controversial issue,  explore the History and Talk tabs. 

17. Avenger in armor: IRON MAN.  A Marvel Comics character.  Iron Man is the superhero alter ego of the billionaire genius Tony Stark.

19. Foot fashion: TOE RING.   In many cultures of India, the groom puts a toe ring on the second toe  of  both feet of the bride.  An ancient tradition.   RiRi was seen sporting a toe ring with a large rock last May.

22. Stuck in one's craw: ATE AT.   Bugged.  Got on one's nerves. 

23. Sales channel: HSN.  Home Shopping Network.

24. Pokémon that evolves into Kadabra: ABRA.  No clue, but the perps were fair.  That's valid.

26. For fear that: LEST.

27. Rte. finder: GPS.

29. Around the clock worker?: GEAR.
 

35. Surfaces, e.g.: PCs.  Microsoft personal computers.

38. "So that's __?": A NO. 

39. Styled like: à la

40. Paramount+ partner, briefly: SHO time.

45. "That's valid": FAIR.

46. With 9-Down, traveling employee's allowance: PER.
       (9D) See 46-Across: DIEM. 
    - "Covered business expenses typically include accommodation, food, and incidental expenses such as fees and tips for services."

47. Body part with cinco dedos: MANO.

51. Cautionary __: TALE.    Aesop wrote many fables.  Some were cautionary tales.  

52. Landmark civil rights law acronym: ADA.  The Civil Rights Act was 1964.   The Americans with Disabilities Act was 1990. 

54. Try to buy from Ebay: BID ON.

59. Prep roses for "The Bachelor," say: DETHORN.

60. Spot far from the nosebleeds: VIP SEAT.

61. Tums, e.g.: ANTACID. 

62. Scrape (out): EKE.

63. Like much omakase: RAW.   Omakase - "the expression is used by patrons at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef, as opposed to ordering à la carte."

64. Benefit that may be rolled over: Abbr.: PTO.  Paid time off, or personal time off.

65. Peele's partner: KEY.  Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key.  So many hilarious skits.

66. Sloth in "Ice Age": SID.  - Ice Age is a 2002 computer-animated movie.  Sid is a talkative and positive minded ground sloth who stands and walks like a human. 

67. Genre with intense lyrics: EMO.

Down:

1. Cracker shape: ANIMAL.    Muppet wild drummer: ANIMAL.    And then there's George "The Animal" Steele. 

2. Scold: BERATE.

3. Tends a fire: STOKES.   Not sure why I thought of this song:

4. Spectrum: GAMUT.

5. "Now!" letters: ASAP.

6. Be Delicious perfume co.: DKNY.  Donna Karan, New York.  "Top notes are Cucumber, Grapefruit and Magnolia; middle notes are Green Apple, Lily-of-the-Valley, Tuberose, Violet and Rose; base notes are Woodsy Notes, Sandalwood and Amber."

7. "We'll take it from here": LET US entertain you.  Actually, let the regular bloggers entertain you.  My blogs are lame.

8. Add sparkle, say: ADORN. 

10. Places to sleep tight?: TWIN BEDS.

11. "Killing Eve" star: SANDRA OH.   Perhaps better known from her Grey's Anatomy role as Dr. Cristina Yang.

12. Agcy.: ORG.

16. Priority system: TRIAGE.

18. Not o'er: 'NEATH.

21. Très: OH SO.  Meaning very. 

25. Best Picture winner set in Iran: ARGO.  Also, Jason's Ship.

27. Torres of "9-1-1: Lone Star": GINA.   Gina perped in for me.

28. TA overseer: PROF.  I recall one very earnest TA that seemed to have had a mastery of the subject matter.   I'm sure his delivery got better with time. 

31. Wall clock inserts: AAs. 

32. Taper: FADE.

33. "In short" initialism: TLDR.   Too Long Didn't Read.  A summary.  Usually a bullet list of key takeaways gleaned from the lengthy article that follows. 

34. "2001" supercomputer: HAL.   HAL9000 first achieved consciousness in 1991 at the HAL laboratories in Urbana, Illinois.  Hal malfunctioned and became paranoid in a deep space mission.   

35. "As if!": PFFT.    "Not a chance!"    Or, in another sense, "Pfft, and it was gone!"

36. Role in many a spy thriller: CIA AGENT.  

37. 120mm Louboutin feature: STILETTO.  TY perps.  I had no idea what a Louboutin was before solving this answer.   I'll guess that it is a brand name for a shoe.

42. "Queen of Soul" Franklin: ARETHA.  She deserves her props.   That's all she's askin' in return, honey. 

43. Tipping point on a counter?: IPAD.  I scanned an article the other day that suggested that tipping is out of control. 

44. Puts off: EMITS.  I was getting nowhere thinking of defers, delays, postpones ...

48. Hold fast (to): ADHERE.   In woodworking, a holdfast (one word) is a tool used to secure a work piece to the bench.   
 

49. "Nuh-uh!": NO MAAM. 

50. Punch recipe?: ONE TWO. 

52. Bird of prey's nest: AERIE.    An ever growing eagle aerie

53. Hunky-dory: DANDY. 

54. Ostrich or emu: BIPED.  The two largest living (non extinct) birds.  Neither can fly, but they both can run very fast.  An emu tops out at just over 30 MPH while an ostrich can reach speeds of 43 MPH. A Cassowary is also flightless, and slightly slower than an emu. 

56. Giant diamond: ROCK.  Slang.   So many slang meanings for rock.   BTW,  did you link to the URL above and see the size of the rock that was mounted to the toe ring that RiRi was wearing? 

57. First name in haute couture: YVES  Saint Laurent.

58. Collaborative site: WIKI.   This is not the abbreviation for Wikipedia.

59. "The Sacred Art of Giving __": Ta-Nehisi Coates essay about a friendly greeting: DAP.   - An essay from 2008 in which the author comments about the co-opting of giving dap.   He points out that although whites have adopted the dap, it's done primarily in sports related settings,  and that it doesn't carry the same weight of a much deeper meaning that it does among African Americans.    A much more recent article in Salon adds additional historical context and point of view.   Both were good reads for me.

That's all for today.

Here's the grid: