Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Ricky Sirois

Going Dutch:  I found a couple of theories on how the term Going Dutch came into existence.  It is believed to have entered English at the time of the eastern trade route rivalry.  England and the Netherlands fought constantly over trade routes.  The phrase to go Dutch is a a contraction of In the Dutch fashion, meaning, To pay ones share.  The phrase today is used to mean paying one's way.  Not necessarily  Splitting the Check evenly at the end of a restaurant meal, but it could be.  

18-Across. *  Game timer that may implement the Fischer method: CHESS CLOCK.

24-Across. *  Choose selectively: CHERRY PICK.

52-Across. *  Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band with the hit "The Flame": CHEAP TRICK.  [Name # 1.]

61-Across. *  Silverado, for one: CHEVY TRUCK.

And the unifier, which includes 31, 41 and 45-Across:

31-Across. With 41- and 45-Across, go Dutch, or what the answers to the starred clues do?: SPLIT.

41-Across. See 31-Across: THE. and 45-Acorss. See 31-Across: CHECK.  No circles in today's puzzle, but they weren't needed.  The word CHECK is split in each two-word theme answer with the first word beginning with CHE and the second word ending in CK.

Across:

1. Has finished making payments on: OWNS.

5. NYC cultural institution redesigned by architect Yoshio Taniguchi: MOMA.  Yoshio Taniguchi (b. 1937) is a Japanese architect.  He is best know to Americans for the re-design of the Museum of Modern Art.  He was hired in 1997 to expand the Museum's space.  He is known for his fusion of traditional Japanese design with Modernist aesthetics.  [Name # 2.]

9. Made fun of: JAPED.

14. Dance for seniors: PROM.  Seniors in High School, not the retirees.

15. Dove calls: COOS.

16. Main artery: AORTA.

17. Weight adjustment button on a deli scale: TARE.

20. "Cleared for takeoff!": IT'S A GO.

22. Acorn dropper: OAK.

23. "Eureka!": AHA.

27. Wound memento: SCAR.

28. E __ elephant: AS IN.

29. Bedframe board: SLAT.

35. Sci-fi extras: ETs.  As in ExtraTerrestrials.

37. Still in contention: ALIVE.

40. Brother's daughter: NIECE.

42. The "N" of USNA: NAVAL.  As in the United States Naval Academy.

43. River mammal: OTTER.

44. Casual affirmative: YEP.

46. "No __, no fuss!": MUSS.

48. Get up: RISE.

50. Shed tears: WEEP.

58. German pronoun: ICH.  Today's German Lesson.

59. British lav: LOO.  The word “loo” is derived from the French phrase "guardez l'eau", meaning "watch out for the water!"

60. Certain Honshu resident: OSAKAN.  A person from Osaka would be called an Osakan.  Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu. The city is known for its 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle.

65. Actress Neuwirth: BEBE.  Bebe Neuwirth (née Beatrice Jane Neuwirth; b. Dec. 31, 1958) is primarily a stage actress and has won two Tony Awards.  She is probably best known to non-theater people for her role as Dr. Lilith Sternin on Cheers, where she played the wife of Dr. Frasier Crane.   She also had a recurring role in Frasier.  [Name # 3.]

66. Oscar winner Firth: COLIN.  If you watched The Middle, you know that Colin Firth (né Colin Andrew Firth; b. Sept. 10, 1960) was Frankie's favorite actor and secret crush.  [Name # 4.]

67. Back of the neck: NAPE.

68. Flake (on): BAIL.

69. Colorado ski locale: ASPEN.

70. Watery expanses: SEAS.

71. "__ it obvious?": ISN'T.

Down:

1. Related to the eye: OPTIC.

2. Ire: WRATH.

3. Like the deities Odin and Freya: NORSE.  In Norse mythology, Odin is the god of war and death.  Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, youth, and fertility.  [Name adjacent, Mythological.]

4. Makeup slip-up: SMEAR.

5. Clan that feuded with the Hatfields: McCOYS.  The Hatfield-McCoy feud revolved around two Appalachian families that apparently went on for decades and the legal issues involved ultimately ended up at the United States Supreme Court.  The actual start of the feud has been lost to history.  [Name # 5, Real.]

6. "Look, fireworks!": OOH!

7. "The Simpsons" tavern owner: MOE.  And a shout-out to our Chairman Moe.  [Name # 6, Fictional.]

8. Professional org.: ASSOC.  As in Association.

9. Tire changer's need: JACK.  Could be a name, but isn't.

10. Hotmail alternative: AOL.  As in America On Line.

11. Like someone who takes the initiative: PROACTIVE.

12. __ Sketch: art toy: ETCH-A-.

13. Capital of Senegal: DAKAR.  The official name of Senegal is the Republic of Senegal.  It is the westernmost country in continental Africa.  Dakar is a port city and the largest city in the country.

19. Fifth Avenue retailer: SAKS.  The history of Saks Fifth Avenue. [Name adjacent.]

21. Cheese gadgets: GRATERS.

25. Devoutness: PIETY.

26. Right over the plate, as a pitch: IN THERE.  Meh!

27. Egyptian soccer superstar Mohamed: SALAH.  His full name is Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly (b. June 15, 1992).  In 2019, he was named as one of the 100 most influential people in Time magazine.  [Name # 7, Real.]

30. Little needles in some medical tests: LANCETS.  Also the name of a medical journal.  The Lancet, which was founded in England in 1823, is one of the oldest medical journals.

31. Hostess __ Balls: SNO.  They now come in all sorts of "fun" colors.

32. Fire place?: PIT.

33. "You shouldn't have to do it all alone": LET ME HELP.

34. Frost over: ICE UP.

36. Retro tint for photos: SEPIA.  On your smart phone, you can probably "sepia" all your photos. 

38. Rug cleaner, for short: VAC.  As in a Vacuum Cleaner.

39. Large deer in the Rockies: ELK.

47. Glaswegian, e.g.: SCOT.  [Name adjacent.]

49. Bike wheel parts: SPOKES.

50. Neopagan religion: WICCA.

51. Amazon smart speakers: ECHOS.

53. Prominent feature of a mountain goat: HORNS.

54. Religious leader in many a Chaim Potok novel: RABBI.  Chaim Potok (né Herman Harold Potok; Jan. 17, 1929 ~ July 23, 2002) is one of my favorite authors.  [Name # 8, Real.]

55. Furniture stores that sell meatballs: IKEAs.  [Name adjacent.]

56. Log home: CABIN.

57. Got down to propose: KNELT.

59. Country singer Loretta: LYNN.  Loretta Lynn (née Loretta Webb; b. Apr. 14, 1932 ~ Oct. 4, 2022) had a music career that spanned 6 decades.  The movie Coal Miner's Daughter was based on her life.  [Name # 9.]

62. Compete: VIE.

63. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE.  United Arab Emirates:  A federation of seven kingdoms on the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered to the east by Oman, the south and west by Saudi Arabia, and the northwest by Qatar.

64. Audit firm pro: CPA.  As in a Certified Public Accountant.  I bet they are glad that Tax Day is over and they can take a well-deserved vacation.

And here's the Grid:

חתולה

Passover begins with the first Seder Monday night.  Happy Passover to all who celebrate:

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Zachary David Levy

On the Book Shelf.  Today we get both books and the supports that hold the books upright.

These bookends are for people who read between the lions.

17-Across. Garlic bread option: TEXAS TOAST.  Text.

22-Across. Column of super-heated ash and sulfur dioxide during an eruption: VOLCANIC PLUME.  Volume.

44-Across. Nightshade relish: TOMATO COMPOTE.  Tome.

51-Across. Reading on a decibel meter: NOISE LEVEL.  Novel.

And the unifier:

33-Across. One of a pair on a library shelf, as well as one of a pair in each set of circled letters: BOOK END.

The circles spell out another name for a book:  Text / Volume / Tome / Novel.  The other portion of today's theme was a bit tricky, for me at least.  {Many thanks to my fellow commentators for seeing the second portion of the theme.}  Note that the circles are at the beginning and the end of each theme clue, thus the circles form a sort of "bookend" for the clue.  Unlike many puzzles that have circles, in this puzzle circles are integral to the theme.

Across:

1. Use for support: RELY ON.

7. PC key below ~: TAB.  The Tab Key is also found under the Tilda on the Mac keyboard, too.

10. Distort, as data: SKEW.

14. Calm and Restore skin care brand: AVEENO.  [Name adjacent.]

15. MLB stat: RBI.  Runs Batted In in Major League Baseball.

16. Valley west of Sacramento: NAPA.  Known for its wineries.

19. Site with a Craft Supplies section: ETSY.  [Name adjacent.]

20. "Spider-Man" trilogy director Sam: RAIMI.  Sam Raimi (né Samuel M Raimi; b. Oct. 23, 1959) has directed a number of films, including the Spider-Man trilogy, which has such original names as Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3.  [Name # 1.]

21. "Come on down!" announcer Johnny: OLSON.  Johnny Olson (né John Leonard Olson; b. May 22, 1910 ~ Oct. 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer.  Olson is best known for his work as an announcer for game shows, including To Tell the Truth the Match Game and the iconic The Price Is Right where he shouted out "Come on down!"  Hard to believe that he died nearly 40 years ago.  [Name # 2.]

25. Superficial layer: VENEER.

26. Statistician Silver: NATE.  In 2009, Nate Silver (né Nathaniel Read Silver; b. Jan. 13, 1978) was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time.  He is an American statistician, writer, and poker player who analyzes baseball, basketball, and elections.  [Name # 3.]

27. Not here anymore: GONE.  All I could think of was Away, but that was too many letters.

28. Word that can follow goal or detail: ORIENTED.  As in someone may be Goal-Oriented, or Detail Oriented.

32. __-country music: ALT.  As in Alternative Country Music.

36. Joey pal of Piglet: ROO.  Think of Winnie the Pooh.  A baby kangaroo is called a Joey.  And Roo is the baby kangaroo friend of Piglet.  [Name # 4, Fictional.]

37. Saddle attachments: STIRRUPS.

39. "Can't you take a __!?": HINT.

40. Flow slowly: OOZE.

41. Broad neckties: ASCOTS.

48. Geological period: EPOCH.

49. Cries miserably: WAILS.

50. Casual get-together: SESH.  Short for Session.

56. Elm or ash: TREE.

57. "Noah kept bees in the ark hive," e.g.: PUN.  Cute clue.

58. Act as a go-between: LIAISE.  A fun word with lots of vowels.

59. Utters: SAYS.

60. 18-wheeler: RIG.

61. Begins, as a project: SETS TO.

Down:

1. Lab animal in a maze: RAT.

2. Night before: EVE.

3. Superman foe Luthor: LEX.  This supervillain makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 5, Fictional]

4. Jack Black film with the tagline "Meet your ancestors": YEAR ONE.  I must have missed this 2009 movie.

5. Available for purchase: ON SALE.

6. Recognize: NOTICE.

7. Rail rider: TRAIN.

The Caption reads: Ted did you know there's a miniature woman tied to the train tracks who looks remarkably like me?

8. Core group?: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles that make up one's body core.

9. Drill insert: BIT.

10. Herman whose chart is topped with a giant "E": SNELLEN.  I never thought about who came up with the Eye Chart before, so this was my learning moment.  In 1862, Herman Snellen (Feb. 19, 1834 ~ Jan. 18, 1908) a Dutch ophthalmologist, introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity.  [Name # 6.]

11. Panko-breaded chicken dish: KATSU.  Katsu is not a Tuesday word.  Panko in the clue should have led you to Japan.  Chicken Katsu is Japanese-style fried chicken.

12. __ salts: bathwater additive: EPSOM.  The name Epsom salt came from the town of Epsom, England where in 1618 a farmer's cows refused to drink the local water because of its bitter taste.

13. Hockey Hall of Famer Gretzky: WAYNE.  Wayne Douglas Gretzky (b. Jan. 26, 1961) is a former professional hockey player.  He played in the NHL for 20 seasons with 4 different teams.  He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all times.  [Name # 7.]

18. Actor Sharif: OMAR.  Most of the movies that starred Omar Sharif (né Michel Yusef Dimitri Chaloub; Apr. 10, 1932 ~ July 10, 2015) were before my movie-going time, but I have seen Doctor Zhivago.  Tomorrow would have been his 92nd birthday.  [Name # 8.]

21. Chose: OPTED.

22. Starbucks size: VENTI.

23. Memo phrase: IN RE.  Today's Latin lesson.  It is a Latin phrase meaning in the matter of.

24. Abel's brother: CAIN.  A Biblical reference.  In Genesis 4: Cain slew Abel.  East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Feb. 27, 1902 ~ Dec. 20, 1968) is recreation of the biblical Cain and Abel story as told through two generations of brothers who betray one another.  [Names 9 and 10, Biblical.]

25. Battery unit: VOLT.  In 1881, the Volt was named in honor of Alessandro Volta (né Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta; Feb. 18, 1745 ~ Mar. 5, 1827).  Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist and chemist who was a pioneer of electricity and power.  He is credited as the inventor of the electric battery and the discoverer of methane.  [I originally stated that the Volt is a unit of measurement regarding the strength of an electric current, however, in the comments, Jinx informed me that this is incorrect.]

27. Need for some hybrids: GAS.  Best Hybrid cars of 2024 - 2025 according to Edmunds.

28. Approves: OKs.

29. Like stale expressions: TRITE.

30. Ages: EONS.

31. Ellipsis element: DOT. ... 

33. Liquid diet component: BROTH.

34. Anise-flavored aperitif: OUZO.  Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is commonly drunk in Greece.

35. Cartel whose "O" does not stand for "oil": OPEC.  Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.  Everything you wanted to know about OPEC but didn't know to ask.  It came into being September 10–14, 1960, and the first countries in OPEC were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

38. Kitchen invaders: ROACHES.

39. "On the spot" spot: HOT SEAT.

41. Part of a basic Latin conjugation: AMAS.  More of today's Latin lesson.

42. Showroom pitches: SPIELS.

43. Dog with a strong herding instinct: COLLIE.

44. Battery units?: TESTS.  As in a battery of medical tests.

45. Verdi composition: OPERA.  Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813 ~ Jan. 27, 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas.  The Houston Grand Opera will be performing his 1853 opera Il Trovatore next season.  [Name #11.]

46. Amble: MOSEY.

47. Yet to be paid: OWING.

51. Steve Inskeep's network: NPR.  Steven Alan Inskeep (b. June 16, 1968) is a radio journalist for National Public Radio.  [Name # 12.]

52. French yes: OUI.  Today's French lesson.

53. Sue Grafton's "__ for Vengeance": V IS.  Sue Taylor Grafton (Apr. 24, 1940 ~ Dec. 28, 2017) wrote a detective series that featured private investigator Kinsey Millhone.  This was an "alphabet" series, with each book beginning with a letter of the alphabet.  The series started with A is for Alibi, which was published in 1982.  Her final book in the series was Y is for Yesterday.  Sadly, she died before she could finish/publish the last letter of the alphabet.   [Name # 13.]

54. Superlative suffix: -EST.

55. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO.  And a shout-out to our very own Leo III.  We miss you, Leo.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

For those in the path of the eclipse yesterday, I hope you got to enjoy the full experience.  There won't be another total eclipse that crosses the United States for another 21 years.  If you weren't in the path, this is what it looked like: