Thursday, December 30 2021, August Miller

 

Okay, so it is one day early.  The sentiment still holds.  Happy New Year, Cruciverbalists!  

Malodorous Manatee here with today's recap.  I am back from the mountains (where the temperature dipped to minus 15°F one morning).  

A scientific journal once wrote, "The challenge to using manatees as experimental animals is not their ability to learn but the fact that they are difficult to motivate and move quite slowly."  I just might be an anomaly.  The empirical evidence seems to suggest that I can be properly motivated and can move quickly (when required) but, sometimes, seem not to learn from experience.  Therefore, in a few days it will be back to the type of cold weather that my parents, and millions of their closest friends, moved to SoCal to escape.  Of course, with vistas such as this who cares?

Teocali Mountain, Colorado - Photo by MM

Be that as it may ...

In 1983, an experimental non-narrative film was released that was called Koyaanisqatsi which is a Hopi word meaning Life Out of Balance.  Today, our puzzle constructor,  August Miller, presents his take on that theme.  In four places within the grid (17, 23, 37 and 47 Across - each clue being marked with an *), the letters of the word BALANCE can be found jumbled (and adjacent to each other) within the longer answers.  If your source used them, there are circles to indicate the location of the jumbled letters.  Here is how this looks in the completed puzzle:

The unifier comes at:

58 Across:  Create instability . . . or a hint to each set of circles: UPSET THE BALANCE.

For those who are interested, here is the trailer for the film:

As there are no themed answers (merely letters located within otherwise unrelated answers), let's dive right in

Across:

1. Spanish gal pal: CHICA.  This marine mammal first tried AMIGA . . . and both the I and the A worked out.  The rest did not.

6. Bygone dictator: TSAR .  . . making frequent appearances in crossword puzzles.

10. "__ Guy": 2019 Billie Eilish #1 hit: BAD.  I checked out the video on YouTube so you don't have to.  Not my style.  Apologies to any Eilish fans here.

13. Winter warmer: COCOA.   I prefer a good single malt (yeah, I know that it actually constricts the blood vessels).

14. Troll, at times: HATER.   Troll as in internet troll.

16. Summer cooler: ADE.  LemonADE (a CSO), LimeADE, OrangeADE, etc.  Sometimes FAN.

17. * 1971 road movie co-starring James Taylor: TWO LANE BLACKTOP.  The first of the locations.

20. Peddle: VEND.  SELL would have fit and the E would have worked.

21. Creator of the former messaging software AIM: AOL.  AOL Instant Messenger.  I confess to still having an AOL account.  I try to direct all of my "commercial" email (read: Junk) there.  Remember picking up these disks at various places around town?

22. Arab League headquarters city: CAIRO.  Egypt, not Illinois.

23. * Astronaut's insulator: SPACE BLANKET.  I often carried one with me in my backpacking days.  The second answer with jumbles.

Photo Not By MM - And Not of MM

27. Suffering: IN PAIN.

30. Like crab apples: TART.  Sour.  The dictionary lists three additional definitions for TART:  (1)  A pastry shell with shallow sides and no top crust. (2) A pie.  (3) A harlot.

31. Hit the __: BOOKS.  Study, or read

32. "That was close!": PHEW.  We've seen this spelled other ways in other puzzles.

34. "Nova" airer: PBS.

37. * Part ways for good: MAKE A CLEAN BREAK.  The third site.

41. Reserved: SHY.

42. Soccer legend Mia: HAMM.  Love that double M.

Mia Hamm

43. Wee, facetiously: EENSY.  Neither ITSY, BITSY, TEENY nor WEENY.  Apologies for the ear worm.

44. Flimsy: THIN.

46. Expressionless: GLASSY.  As in GLASSY Eyed

47.  * "Key Largo" co-star: LAUREN BACALL.  The fourth set of circles.

52. Ed of "Up": ASNER.  "Up" was a 2009 animated motion picture.  AKA Lou Grant.  "Up"also featured Dug the talking dog.

53. Turn sharply: ZAG.  ZIG?

54. Dash gauge: TACH.  TACHometer.  Do you prefer analog or digital?

62. Barely passing: DEE.  We were graded on the curve a couple of weeks ago, too.

63. Last critter in a kindergarten reader, maybe: ZEBRA.

64. Revise: ALTER.

65. Act like a human?: ERR.  To ERR is human.  To forgive is against company policy.

66. Ember: COAL.  As we were driving down the road "Sweet Caroline" came on the radio.  I said to Valerie, "Did you know that Neil Diamond used to be called Neil COAL"?  "Then the pressure got to him."

67. Loses one's grip, in a way: SKIDS.

Down:

1. Surveillance system, for short: CCTV.  Closed Circuit TeleVision

2. Suffragist Julia Ward __: HOWE.  She is, perhaps, better known for writing "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic".

Glory, Glory Harry Lewis

3. App symbol: ICON.

4. Chilled Japanese brew: COLD SAKE.  SAKE is made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran.

The Lucky Sake Cat

5. Energizer size: AAA.

The Energizer Bunny

6. 2000s Fox drama set in Newport Beach: THE OC.  As in Orange County, California.

7. Weasel family member known for its fur: SABLE.

8. Ga. airport: ATL.  Code for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

9. LGBT activist __ Carey: REA.  (Born 22 December 1966)

10. It's a dyeing art: BATIK.  It was more popular in the 60's but it's not a dying art.  Oh, dye-ing art!

11. Really dig: ADORE.  The clue is from an earlier time.

12. Where to get off: DEPOT.

Grand Central Station

15. Miniature vehicle with a remote, briefly: RC CAR.  Radio Controlled CAR

18. Tandoori bread: NAAN.  Smoking or Naan?

19. "Critique of Pure Reason" writer: KANT.  He visited us last Friday.  Apparently, he just KANT stay away.

24. City with a notable tower: PISA.

Photo By MM

25. Backup group: B-TEAM.  Not The A-Team

26. Many a home front: LAWN.  Brick? Aluminum Siding?  Not the Eastern Front.

27. Models for old clones: IBMS.  IBM PC Clones

28. Biblical boater: NOAH.

Noah's Ark

29. Slow: POKY.

32. Fallback: PLAN B.  Is the B-Team called upon to execute PLAN B?

33. Something to take up with your tailor?: HEM.  Two rival tailors had a contest to see who could cut and perfectly hem a six-foot long piece of fabric.  The result was a tie.

34. Uni-ball products: PENS.

35. Low pitch pro: BASS.

36. American vodka brand: SKYY.  Actually, SKYY is now owned by Gruppo Campari of Italy.

 
38. __ music: small talk: CHIN.

39. Male pseudonym used by all three Brontë sisters: BELL.  For me, a learning moment.

40. Heart-to-heart: REAL TALK.  As in "Let's have a ...."

44. Genealogy chart: TREE.

45. Frequency unit: HERTZ.  Not the car rental company.

46. Madly in love: GAGA.  Do a web search o GAGA and it returns all sorts of other pop culture stuff.

47. Magna cum __: LAUDE.  With High Honors

48. According to: AS PER.

49. Indy 500 family name: UNSER.  In 2015, five members of the UNSER family raced at the same time on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track.

Robby, Bobby, Al Sr.,  Al Jr., and Johnny

50. Hyundai sedan: AZERA.  Another automotive reference.

51. Plotting group: CABAL.

55. Not a fan of: ANTI.  Opposed

56. Looped in, on Gmail: CC'ED.  Remember Carbon Copies?

57. Towel term: HERS.

59. Many a noir hero: TEC.  Gritty film genre slang for DeTECtive

60. "Big Little Lies" network: HBO.

61. __ Cruces: LAS.  The Crosses.

. . . and with that geography lesson, it is time, now, to go work on my balance on a pair of skis.  I shall try not to cross my tips . . .

Thursday, November 18, 2021, August Miller

 

Ahoy, cruciverbalists!  Today's puzzle setter is August Miller who has been seen here quite often lately.  I recapped one on his puzzles on June 17th of this year.  That effort was followed with puzzles on September 3rd, September 29th, October 13th and, just a bit more than two weeks ago, on November 3rd.  Apologies if I missed any.

The theme of today's puzzle made all marine creatures feel right at home.  At six places within the grid, the names of six SEAS are placed, as anagrams, within circles.  If your publication chose not to print the circles then you may have found yourself in a bit over your head, underwater, or, at least, up to your neck. . . theme-wise.

The explanation is found at 33 Down:  Dramatic shift . . . or what's literally found in each set of circles?: SEA CHANGE.  The vocabularic ancestor of Paradigm Shift.

PAINSCA -  CASPIAN

EAGANE -  AEGEAN

YLOWEL -  YELLOW

LITBAC -  BALTIC

INGERB -  BERING

ICRADIAT -  ADRIATIC

The phrase The Seven Seas" is a merely a figurative term so having six is okay.  Seas differ from oceans in that they are found on the margins of oceans and are usually located where the land and ocean meet.

Because there are no themed answers, per se, let's dive right in:

Across:

1. Apply softly: DAB.  Also, a small amount . . . and a flatfish.  Oh, and a puzzle constructor.

4. Indy 500 leader: PACE CAR.  Only on at the start of the race.

11. About 40 gallons of it usually makes a gallon of syrup: SAP.

14. GPS calculation: ETA.  Estimated Time of  Arrival

15. Mollusk with a nacreous shell: ABALONE.  We often saw NACRE as a crossword puzzle answer back in the day.

16. Gp. for moms and dads: PTA.  Parent Teacher Association.  Abbreviated clue with GP for group.

17. Particles from far, far away: COSMIC RADIATION.  High energy charged particles , x-rays, and gamma rays produced in space.

20. Burger topping: ONION.  Relish wouldn't fit.  See 23 Across.

21. 23andMe subject: DNA.  23andMe is a company that offers genetic testing.  See 28 Across.

22. Lena Dunham TV show: GIRLS.  One of several actor/actress references, today.

23. Dog topping: RELISH.  Onion wouldn't fit.  See 20 Across.

25. To wit: NAMELY.

26. Wind-driven clouds: SCUD.  Also the name of a missile.

SCUD Clouds

28. Hereditary unit: GENE.  See 21 Across.  Might have been clued as  _____ Simmons or Autry.

29. Riddle end, maybe: WHAT AM I.  You can see me once in a year, twice in a week, but never in a day.  What am I?  The letter e.

32. 2001 NBA MVP Allen: IVERSON.  A basketball reference.

36. Goal: AIM.  Alternatively:  We ___ to please.  You ___, too, please.

37. Student, ideally: LEARNER.

39. Runner Down Under: EMU.  Down Under being slang for Australia.  EMUs are flightless.

40. Zoom alternative: SKYPE.  A bit of present-day technology.  Fixed focal length lens was not going to fit.

42. Race part: LEG.  Sometimes, a racer's part, too.

43. Over: AGAIN.

45. Brazilian soccer great: PELE.  Ne Edson Narantes do Nascimento.

46. Responds to a phone solicitation, perhaps: GIVES.  I first thought of YELLS, RANTS, RAVES.  Neither HANGS UP nor CURSES would fit.

48. Improvs, e.g.: ACTS.  I guess IMPROV is now an "official" word.

49. Eye-bending genre: OP ART.  An example:

51. Fiennes of "The Grand Budapest Hotel": RALPH.  Another of several actor/actress references, today.

53. Drops off before midday?: DEW.  Clever.  The drops of dew come off the grass before noon.  We were, I suppose, meant to think of something sleep-related,

55. Easy throw: LOB.

56. "Later": BYE.  As in "See you later."

57. Words With Friends, for one: APP.

60. Post-teaching title for some: EMERITA.  Female equivalent of EMERITUS.

62. Latvia neighbor: ESTONIA.

64. Fluorescent element?: SILENT C.  We have seen this type of c/a before.  It "gets me" less often than it used to.

65. Like many a wedding planner: ENGAGED.  For those who plan their own weddings.

66. "It's just a flesh wound": ILL BE OK.  A staple of OATERS.  

67. Repair crew with tiles: ROOFERS.  TILERS was too short and FLOORERS was too long.

Down:

1. Interior designer's specialty: DECOR.

2. Make reparations: ATONE.  Afterwards, one can be at one with their conscience.

3. Margherita pizza herb: BASIL.

4. It tops out at ten in a doctor's office: PAIN SCALE.  It has been argued that the PAIN SCALE was used to inappropriately market opioids.  Pain Scales And The Opioid Crisis

5. "Mixed-ish" airer: ABC.  Another TV show.

6. Calling or playing follower: CARD.  Pick a CARD, ANY CARD.

7. Stylish vigor: ELAN.

8. Musical symbol resembling a set of crosshairs: CODA.

9. Young Darth: ANI.  Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader  are characters in the Star Wars series of films.

10. When the Cold War ended: REAGAN ERA.

11. Pinnacle of religion?: SPIRE.  A nice play on words.

12. Coral island: ATOLL.  I always forget if it's two tees and one ell or vice versa.

13. Violet hybrid: PANSY.  Violet could refer to a color, a flower, or her:

18. Like eyes starting to tear up: MOIST.

19. Dingy kitchen item?: TIMER.  Dingy means dirty or unclean.  A dinghy is a small watercraft.  In this case, though, the puzzler maker (or editor) wants us to think of something that makes the sound "ding".  Ding-y, if you will.

24. "A Treatise of Human Nature" author: HUME.

25. Campbell of "Scream" films: NEVE.  Another of several actor/actress references, today.

27. Ease up: DIAL IT BACK.  Idiomatic expression defined in the clue.

28. Spiced brew: GINGER BEER.  Hands up for first thinking of some kind of tea.

29. Paper-nest builder: WASP.  Did wasps invent paper?

30. Backpack, e.g.: HIKE.  Noun or verb?  Verb.

31. 1926 Pulitzer-winning poet: AMY LOWELL.

34. Neglect to mention: OMIT.

35. Sisters in the 2017 film "The Little Hours": NUNS.

38. Excite, with "up": REV.  The first of three three-letter answers in sequence.

41. Exuberance: PEP.  The second.

44. Gender __: GAP.  The third.

46. Underground recess: GROTTO.

Grotta Azzurra

47. Declines: SAYS NO.  PASSES would have fit the space and two of the letters would have worked out.

50. Flared dress style: ALINE.  One can see whence the name was derived.

52. Released: LET GO.

53. Arnaz of early TV: DESI.  Another of several actor/actress references, today.

Babalu

54. Painter Nolde: EMIL.  One of the early Expressionists.

58. Place to drop a line: PIER.  Another play on words.  "Drop a line" is idiomatic for writing.  In this case, though, fishing.

59. Paw parts: PADS.

61. 1860s gray: REB.  A Civil War reference.  The soldiers of the Confederacy wore gray uniforms and re referred to as REBs (rebels).

63. Klutz: OAF.  So, this shark swims into a bar . . . "Arrrgg", he yelled.  I'm such a klutz!

. . . and with that, the completed grid:

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