Theme: If you're bored, try skating. OK. That's a reach. Let's check the unifier.
66A. Olympic arena that features the ends of 17-, 25-, 41-, and 52-Across: SKATE PARK. This is an area designed and equipped for skateboarding. Let's dig a little deeper.
17A. Commuter option: LIGHT RAIL. This is a a railroad system or systems constructed to lower engineering standards than a mainline railroad, typically one operating small, frequent trains in an urban area. A SKATE PARK RAIL is a a bar on upright supports where the skater can do slides and other tricks. There are two types. The FLAT RAIL is long horizontal bar that is low to the ground. A HAND RAIL is a railing down a set of stairs or a bank.
25 A. Hawaiian dish with skipjack tuna: POKE BOWL. Chunks of raw, marinated fish — usually tuna — which is then tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and umami-packed sauces. A SKATE PARK BOWL is a structure with a continuous curved side that is usually between 3 and 12 feet deep. The curved walls of bowls allow skaters to ride around and across the bowl in addition to the back and forth skating.
41 A. Dumped unceremoniously: KICKED TO THE CURB. This is being dismissed or rejected in an abrupt and possibly humiliating manner. A SKATE PARK CURB is the ledge of an elongated block, generally flat and low to the ground where beginners can learn to do tricks. The edges and top surface can both be used in different ways.
52 A. Cloverleaf segment: EXIT RAMP. This is a short roadway by which vehicles may leave a major highway. A SKATE PARK RAMP is a sloping surface that connects two places that are at different levels. They are often combined with other elements to make more complex structures.
Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to SKATE us through today's puzzle. I won't be doing any fancy tricks. You can find pictures of most of these features at this link.
Across:
1. Nile reptile: ASP. A name used in classical antiquity for a venomous snake, probably the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje. It was the symbol of royalty in Egypt, and its bite was used for the execution of favoured criminals in Greco-Roman times.
4. Woodworking tool: RASP. Rasps, or, more correctly, rasp-cut files, have a series of individual teeth produced by a sharp, narrow, punchlike chisel. Their very rough cut is suited to the fast removal of material from soft substances, such as wood, hooves, leather, aluminum, and lead.
8. School year: CLASS. Free: Freshman, Sophomore, etc.
13. "Knock, knock" response starter: WHO'S [there.]
15. Crooner Paul: ANKA. Paul Albert Anka OC (b. 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way"
16. Put a cap on: LIMIT. A restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible.
19. State one's views: OPINE. As defined.
20. Union member?: SPOUSE. A marriage union. Clever clue. Whether this is also a labor union is left unstated.
21. Total disorder: MESS. A dirty or untidy state of things or of a place.
23. "__ whiz!": GEE. A statement of astonishment or wonder.
24. Attempt: STAB. I'm at first you don't succeed, stab, stab again. [Not attributed to Julius Caesar.]. BTW, the Ides of March is next Wednesday.
27. "Good Will Hunting" univ.: MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
29. Ahmed of "The Night Of": RIZ. Rizwan Ahmed (Urdu pronunciation: [b. 1982) is a British actor and rapper. He has received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, he was named in the Time 100 listing of the most influential people in the world. I've maxed to never hear of him until just now.
31. "If I were __ ... ": YOU. Used when giving someone advice.
32. "Time's Arrow" novelist Martin: AMIS. Martin Louis Amis (b.1949) is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels Money (1984) and London Fields (1989). He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir Experience and has been listed for the Booker Prize twice. Amis served as the Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester until 2011. In 2008, The Times named him one of the fifty greatest British writers since 1945.
34. Guns, as an engine: REVS. Presses the accelerator to increase the revolutions per minute and therefore the speed.
4. Woodworking tool: RASP. Rasps, or, more correctly, rasp-cut files, have a series of individual teeth produced by a sharp, narrow, punchlike chisel. Their very rough cut is suited to the fast removal of material from soft substances, such as wood, hooves, leather, aluminum, and lead.
8. School year: CLASS. Free: Freshman, Sophomore, etc.
13. "Knock, knock" response starter: WHO'S [there.]
15. Crooner Paul: ANKA. Paul Albert Anka OC (b. 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way"
16. Put a cap on: LIMIT. A restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible.
19. State one's views: OPINE. As defined.
20. Union member?: SPOUSE. A marriage union. Clever clue. Whether this is also a labor union is left unstated.
21. Total disorder: MESS. A dirty or untidy state of things or of a place.
23. "__ whiz!": GEE. A statement of astonishment or wonder.
24. Attempt: STAB. I'm at first you don't succeed, stab, stab again. [Not attributed to Julius Caesar.]. BTW, the Ides of March is next Wednesday.
27. "Good Will Hunting" univ.: MIT. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
29. Ahmed of "The Night Of": RIZ. Rizwan Ahmed (Urdu pronunciation: [b. 1982) is a British actor and rapper. He has received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, he was named in the Time 100 listing of the most influential people in the world. I've maxed to never hear of him until just now.
31. "If I were __ ... ": YOU. Used when giving someone advice.
32. "Time's Arrow" novelist Martin: AMIS. Martin Louis Amis (b.1949) is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels Money (1984) and London Fields (1989). He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir Experience and has been listed for the Booker Prize twice. Amis served as the Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester until 2011. In 2008, The Times named him one of the fifty greatest British writers since 1945.
34. Guns, as an engine: REVS. Presses the accelerator to increase the revolutions per minute and therefore the speed.
37. Mandarin greeting: NIHAO. You say it as 'nee hao' and you often see it spelt 'nihao'. It means “hello” (literally “you good”) so you know when / where to use it! I guess you don't say it to a bad person.
44. Pitch perfect: ON KEY. Accurate in pitch, musically pleasing. I'm usually satisfied if an anthem singer doesn't make me wince.
45. Potatoes, in South Asian cuisine: ALOO. Derived from Indian.
46. "Twittering Machine" artist Paul: KLEE. Paul Klee (1879 – 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented with and eventually deeply explored color theory,
47. Snakelike fish: EEL. Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (/æŋˈɡwɪlɪfɔːrmiːz/), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.
49. TD's six: PTS. In American football, a touchdown scores 6 POINTS.
51. Mary __ cosmetics: KAY. Mary Kay Ash (born Mary Kathlyn Wagner; 1918 – 2001) was an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. At her death, she had a fortune of $98 million, and her company had more than $1.2 billion in sales with a sales force of more than 800,000 in at least three dozen countries.
57. Rx writers: DOCS. Physicians, aka "Docs" write Prescriptions - written directions or orders for the preparation and use of medicines. I have a few.
59. Movie night room: DEN. Where the big screen TV is most likely located.
60. Woodwind for Elaine Douvas: OBOE. Elaine Douvas has been principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera for more than 40 years and an oboe instructor at Juilliard since 1982.
49. TD's six: PTS. In American football, a touchdown scores 6 POINTS.
51. Mary __ cosmetics: KAY. Mary Kay Ash (born Mary Kathlyn Wagner; 1918 – 2001) was an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. At her death, she had a fortune of $98 million, and her company had more than $1.2 billion in sales with a sales force of more than 800,000 in at least three dozen countries.
57. Rx writers: DOCS. Physicians, aka "Docs" write Prescriptions - written directions or orders for the preparation and use of medicines. I have a few.
59. Movie night room: DEN. Where the big screen TV is most likely located.
60. Woodwind for Elaine Douvas: OBOE. Elaine Douvas has been principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera for more than 40 years and an oboe instructor at Juilliard since 1982.
61. Enticing scents: AROMAS. So many words with nuanced meanings for types of smells.
64. Spy collection: INTEL Intelligence - the collection of information of military or political value. Not the American semiconductor chip maker headquartered in Santa Clara, California
68. After-bath wrap: TOWEL. A piece of thick absorbent cloth or paper used for drying oneself or wiping things dry.
69. Not all: SOME. A portion of some collective.
70. Sparkling wine region: ASTI. A city in the Piedmont region of Italy, S of Turin that is famous for its carbonated wine.
71. Makes out, in Manchester: SNOGS. Kisses and caresses amorously. I learned this word read Harry Potter.
72. Affirmative votes: YEAS.
73. QVC alternative: HSN. Cable TV shopping networks.
Down:
1. Puncturing tools: AWLS. A small pointed tool used for piercing holes, especially in leather.
2. Model in a bottle: SHIP.
3. Toy with a handlebar and a big spring: POGO STICK. A device for jumping off the ground in a standing position, through the aid of a spring, or new high performance technologies, often used as a toy, exercise equipment or extreme sports instrument. It led to an extreme sport named extreme pogo or "Xpogo". It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole. The spring joins two sections of the pole, which extends below the footpads.
4. Unique person: RARE BIRD. An exceptional person or thing; a rarity. Usually not an actual. bird.
5. Political commentator Navarro: ANA. Ana Violeta Navarro-Cárdenas (née Navarro Flores; [b.1971] is a Nicaraguan-American political strategist and commentator. She appears on various television programs and news outlets, including CNN, CNN en Español, ABC News, and Telemundo. She is also a co-host of the daytime talk show The View, garnering Emmy Award nominations for her work.
6. Cut corners: SKIMP. Expend or use less time, money, or material on something than is necessary in an attempt to economize.
7. Hunter-gatherer diet: PALEO. A diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans, consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and processed food.
8. Reason to say "Whew!": CLOSE ONE. An escape or dangerous activity that was almost not successful.
9. Carmex target: LIP. A brand of lip balm produced by Carma Laboratories, Inc
10. Buddy in Barcelona: AMIGO. A friend in Spanish.
11. Muscular power: SINEW. Literally, sinew is a cord in your body that connects a muscle to a bone./. Figuratively, the source of strength, power, or vigor.
12. Stainless __: STEEL. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion results from the chromium, which forms a passive film that can protect the material and self-heal in the presence of oxygen.
14. Closed: SHUT.
18. Figure in Russian history: TSAR. The ruler of Russia until the 1917 revolution. The way crosswords spell CZAR.
22. Chicago WNBA team: SKY. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. The Sky experienced a period of success from 2013 to 2016, making four playoff appearances and playing in the 2014 WNBA Finals. They experienced a second period of success starting in 2019 and won their first championship in the 2021 WNBA Finals.
26. Lincoln competitor: BUICK. A division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General Motors in 1908. Before the establishment of General Motors, GM founder William C. Durant had served as Buick's general manager and major investor.
27. Shark name that comes from Maori: MAKO. The shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus), also known as the blue pointer or bonito shark, is a large mackerel shark. It is commonly referred to as the mako shark, as is the longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus). The shortfin mako can reach a size of 4 m (13 ft) in length and weigh 570 kg (1,260 lb). The species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
28. "Let's do it!": IM IN. An agreement to participate in something.
30. Actress Catherine __-Jones: ZETA. Catherine Zeta-Jones CBE (b. 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her film and humanitarian work.
33. Shooting sport: SKEET. A shooting sport in which a clay target is thrown from a trap to simulate the flight of a bird.
35. Abbreviation on a TV remote: VOume.
36. Intersection sign: STOP.
38. Angry shout from a green Avenger: HULK SMASH. 'Hulk smash" is the trademark slogan of the Incredible Hulk, a Marvel Comics Universe character. Outside of the comic universe, hulk smash has come to refer to destructive actions taken in a fit of rage.
39. Locale: AREA. A region or part of a town, a country, or the world.
40. Follow orders: OBEY. Do what I say!
42. Exasperated expressions: EYE ROLLS. A gesture in which a person briefly turns their eyes upward, often in an arcing motion from one side to the other. In the Anglosphere, it has been identified as a passive-aggressive response to an undesirable situation or person. The gesture is used to disagree or dismiss or express contempt for the targeted person without physical contact.
43. Much-anticipated nights out: HOT DATES. Social outings with a current or potential lover which holds the possibility of a sexual encounter.
48. Scientist's workplace: LAB. I saw a sign once that said what we need in this laboratory is more labor and less oratory.
50. Aching: SORE. In pain
52. Changes the narrative?: EDITS. Clever clue, but I disagree. To edit is to fine tune the text and/or prepare it for publication. Changing the narrative wold involve extensive rewriting.
53. Noble gas whose name comes from the Greek for "strange": XENON. The chemical element of atomic number 54, a member of the noble gas series. It is obtained by distillation of liquid air, and is used in some specialized electric lamps.
54. Split evenly: IN TWO. Bisected.
55. Overgrown, in a way: MOSSY. Covered in moss.
56. Black tea grade: PEKOE. A high-quality tea made from the downy tips of the young buds of the tea plant
58. __ América: international football tournament: COPA. the top men's football tournament contested among national teams from South America. It is the oldest still-running continental football competition, as well as the third most watched in the world. The competition determines the champions of South America. Since the 1990s, teams from North America and Asia have also been invited to compete.
62. __ and crafts: ARTS. The skills of making objects, such as decorations, furniture, and pottery by hand
63. Largest organ in the human body: SKIN. The external limiting tissue layer of an animal body. The skin is an organ because it is composed of tissues working together. The main three tissues are: the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin; the dermis, under the epidermis; and the subcutaneous or fat layer, under the dermis. Each layer has its own distinct form and functions and is composed of a unique profile of cells.
65. Brain scan letters: EEG. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.
67. Reddit Q&A: AMA. Ask Me Anything, an event on Reddit where a new kind of crowdsourced interview can happen. The interviewee begins the process by starting a post, describing who they are and what they do. Then commenters from across the internet leave questions and can vote on other questions according to which they would like to see answered.
That brings this session to a close. Hoe you didn't wipe out or skin your knees.
Cool Regards!
JzB
No comments:
Post a Comment
This is a fun blog. Light-hearted banter is welcome. Snark is not. If you want to fight, find my other blog.
Play nice, and we'll all have fun.
I like to return visit, when I can - but I need to find you. If you have multiple blogs, please leave a direct link to the appropriate post.
Cheers!
JzB