VERBAL GYMNASTICS (38A. Fancy, evasive language ... or a hint to the ends of 18-, 26-, 54- and 65-Across), along with second-half words of gymnastics equipment, e.g., RINGS, BEAM, HORSE and BARS, constitutes the main feature of this healthy Tuesday crossword
ONION RINGS (18A. Deep-fried side dish) LASER BEAM (26A. Metaphor for straightness) HIGH HORSE (54A. Snootiness) COFFEE BARS (65A. Java joints)
Other — ASSUAGE (37D. Soften, as fears), EIRE and ERIE (22A. U2’s homeland; 69A. U.S. city that’s an anagram of 22-Across), LARYNGITIS (30D. Woe for a singer),MANHOOD (21A. Virility), NOW WHAT (19D. “You again?!“), PSALMS (14D. Source of the line “The Lord is my keeper”), STYNE (71A. Broadway composer Jule), TORTELLINI (12D. Stuffed, rolled pasta), TRIPE (67A. Claptrap).
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
GOOSE (18A. Flier in a V formation), thirteen bird-like assemblages of black squares in a sort of V formation, along with BIRDS OF A FEATHER (13A. Ones that are alike), FLOCK TOGETHER (30A. Gather as a group) and CLEAR FOR TAKE-OFF (49A. Give the go-ahead from the control tower) constitutes the main feature of this Monday crossword. Other — BY HOOK OR BY CROOK (7D. In any manner necessary), JURY OF YOUR PEERS (1D. Right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment), PEEK and PEER AT (20D. Sneak a look; 39D. Eye closely), WRAPPING PAPER (4D. It might show wreaths and candy canes at Christmas).
“California, Here I Come” — Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld
The abbreviation for the state of California (CA) affixed to seven common phrases to form uncommon phrases with justifying clues constitutes the main feature of this mundane Sunday crossword: STREAMING INCA (23A: Ancient Peruvian using Netflix?) CAST ELSEWHERE (33A: "No fishing here!"?) DEEP SPACE CANINE (51A: Dog whose rocket went off course?) YOU MAKE ME WANNA CASH OUT (65A: Comment to an annoying blackjack dealer?) REALLY BIG CASHEW (82A: Part of a jumbo trail mix?) (for you youngsters out there, that … is an Ed Sullivan pun … here, this should make it clear:) BACALL HANDLER (97A: Agent for Bogart's partner?) (for you non-sports fans, this is primarily a basketball term, used of whoever's, uh, handling the ball) THE LIFE OF PICA (111A: "12-Point Type: A History"?)
Other — BARRETTE (3D. It holds a lock in place), CORNIER (78A. Less deserving of a laugh, say), CRASH DIET (16D. Cause of a great loss?), EUCHARIST (75D. Catholic rite), NYALAS (59D. Spiral-horned antelopes), PERSONA (32D. Projected image), PRESSURE (13D. Force divided by area, in physics), RED HEADS (82D. Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge, e.g.), RHINO (101D. Something you might get a charge out of), SWEARER (69D. One calling foul?), TASTE BUD (1D. It may be on the tip of your tongue).
The Death Star is a fictional spacecraft and galactic superweapon appearing in the Star Wars science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas. It is capable of destroying an entire planet with its powerful superlaser. ~ Wikipedia
Of interest — BEDLAM(1D. Rowdydow), BIKINI WAX (1A. Hair-raising experience for a beachgoer?), CARTIER (32A. “Jeweler of kings, king of jewelers,“ per Edwad VII), DEATH STAR (17A. Planet pulverizer of sci-fi), Harum-SCARUM, ICE AGE (2D. Big chill?), JAILBAIT (12D. Under-age temptation), LAXATIVES (57A. They’re taken to go), LEMON ZEST (62A. Option for giving food a bite), NOTEPAD (38A. It has rules for writers), O MAGAZINE (60A. Periodical whose first shared cover featured Michelle Obama), SNAP CHAT (34D. Disappearing communication system?), TORSO (61A. Six-pack container?), YEAR ZERO (14D. Beginning of time).
Mixing up the word "RINSE” (across and down) constitutes the main feature of this Thursday crossword:
SLYTHERINS (19A. Draco Malfoy’s housemates in the Harry Potter books)
NOSE RINGS (27A. Some punk accessories)
INTENSE RIVALS (36A. Red Sox and Yankees, e.g.)
SPIN SERVE (43A. Tricky way to put a ball in play)
RINSE CYCLE (57A. Part of washing … or what’s exhibited by the circled letters from top to bottom).
Other — ABU DHABI (7A. Mideast capital), ANYHOO (5D. “Moving right along …“), Swimmer Matt BONDI who won eight Olympic gold medals; BOTOX (13D. Shot in the crease?), GIMPS (47D. Hobbling gaits),ISRAELIS (39D. Haaretz readers), LAYLA (2D. 1971 rock classic inspired by a 12th-century Persian poem), MALE NUDE (60A. “David” or “The Thinker”), PHONE SEX (63A. Activity on a hotline?), SANTA HAT (65A. Yuletide topper), TOILETTE (18A. Personal grooming), YMCA (59D. Where “you can hang out with all the boys,” in song).
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
NUDE DESCENDING A STAIRCASE NO. 2 in shaded letters descending from upper left to lower right, along with ARMORY SHOW(12D. Event at which the work spelled out by the shaded letters was first exhibited) and AVANT GARDE (28D. Like the work spelled out by the shaded letters), constitutes the interrelated group of this Wednesday crossword
Other — AIRPLANE (61A. Film whose sequel is subtitled the Sequel”), AMEN and LATIN (10D. Many prayers end with it; 9D. Many prayers are said in it), BESMIRCHED (31D. Sullied), DELAWARE / BAY (7a. With 31-Across, Cape May’s locale), EDDAS (14D. Norse literary works), ENAMORED (16A. Smitten), KNEE-DEEP (67A. Completely engaged [in]), RADIATOR (65A. Hot spot), RED NO 2 (66A. Food additive banned in 1976), SEA-SCENTED (5D. Like candles that might remind one of the beach), TONGONS (38A. Members of an island kingdom), TWERP (53D. Little nothing).
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
NIGHT(71A. Word that can precede either part of 17-, 25-, 38-, 54- and 63-Across) is the tie for the interrelated group of this Tuesday crossword:
SCHOOL CLUB(17A. Debate team or Model United Nations), Night school, nightclub LIFELINE (24A. Aid on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire), Nightlife, nightline TIME TABLE (38A. Commuter’s reference guide), Night time, night table SKYLIGHT (54A. Atrium feature), Night sky, night light STICK SHIFT(3A. It’s not an automatic feature), Night stick, night shift\
Other — AVARICE(11D. Greed), FARO (22A. Card game with a bank), LEGALIZED (10D. Like gambling in Nevada), MODE (41A. 6, in the set [3,5,5,6,6,6,7]), OAK TREE (42D. Acorn, eventually), PARAPET (49A. Shooter’s position in a fort), SLUICED (32A. Drenched with a sudden flow), STEAL AWAY (34D. Leave surreptitiously).
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
MANIA, MADNESS, FEVER, CRAZE and FRENZY found at the ends of the following answers constitutes the interrelated group of this Monday crossword:
KLEPTOMANIA (17A. Compulsion to steal)
MARCH MADNESS (23A. What a bracketologist is caught up in)
CAT SCRATCH FEVER (37A. 1977 hard-rock hit by Ted Nugent)
FASHION CRAZE (48A. Miniskirts or oversize sunglasses, once)
MEDIA FRENZY (59A. What a major scandal results in)
Other—ART HISTORY(28D. Subject that includes Goya and Gauguin), BICKER OVER (11D. Squabble about), CZAR and IVAN (56D. Old Russian autocrat; 44A. “Terrible” Russian autocrat), FLAIL (26A. Swings wildly), French W.W. I general Ferdinand FOCH, GO GRAY (46A. Age, and not try to hide it), KAYAK and OARS (64A. Boat with a double-bladed paddle; 18D. Rowboat rowers), MADLY (6A. One way to be in love), NUDIE (50D. Movie whose genre is taking off?), OZARKS (47D. Missouri mountains).
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
"Upsides," Puzzle by Jeremy Newton / Edited by Will Shortz
Six sets of words, each achieving four broken across answers by playing off a single down word, clued by the separate CLIMBING / THE WALLS (38A. With 91-Across, super-antsy ... or like 24 Across answers in this puzzle?), constitutes the interrelated group of this overly complicated Sunday crossword:
WARTS(1D. Targets of some cryosurgery) SAX (30A. Jazz band instrument) ST LEO II (26A. Pope during the rule of Emperor Constantine IV) STRONG DRINKS (22A. They can knock out lightweights) STRAINED (18A. Like some muscles and baby food) STRAW BALE (1A. Seat at a hoedown) DEBUT (17D. It’s a first) YOUTUBED (35A. Watched some online videos) DAUBED (29A. Slapped on, as paint) SHARE ONE’S BED (24A. Sleep [with]) BRAISED (21A. Like the veal in osso buco) TV DAD (13A. Cliff Huxtable or Ward Cleaver) TETON (52D. “Grand” mountain) NOTE TO SELF (52A. “I must remember this for later …”) NOT EVEN A LITTLE (61A. Opposite of totally) NO TAX (65A. Nice thing about purchases in Delaware and Oregon) NORTH (70A. Part of two state names) NY SENATE (75A. Grp. that meets in Albany) LIVER(60D. Source of bile) LESSER EVIL (78A. It’s not so bad) TASMANIIAN DEVIL (73A. Down Under marsupial) ANVIL (69A. One getting hammered) AVAIL (64A. Prove useful) COLD MEAL (57A. Dinner that was prepared hours ago, say) FACED (97D. Encountered) DEPOT (117A. Stopping point) DENUDES (113A. Strips bare) DECISION TREE (109A. Chart for weighing options) DECALS (103A. Model add-ons) DECAF TEA (97A. Cupful before sleep, maybe) DIARY (102D. Book before bedtime, maybe) PANTY RAID (120A. Old-fashioned fraternity activity) UNAFRAID (116A. Brave) DIGESTIVE AID (111A. Food processor?) LEGAL ID (107A. Driver’s license, but not a credit card, e.g.) RED (101A. It’s at one end of a rainbow)
Other — DIE DOWN (15D. Subside), DRESS UP (84D. Get all decked out), HAS A SMOKE (10D. Lights up), LAP DOG (93D. Peke or Pom), MAMMAL (67A. Moose or mouse), NFL TEAM (48D. Eagles or Ravens), ODES (83A. Feats of Keats), PEACH PIE (99A, Popular dessert in Georgia), SCRAPHEAP (77D. Lot of junk), TMNT (45A. 2007 film featuring Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo), YO MAMA (35D. Kind of joke).
Ruth Goodman believes in getting her hands dirty. Drawing on her own adventures living in re-created Victorian conditions, Goodman serves a sour bustling and fanciful guide to nineteenth-century life. Proceeding from day break to bedtime, this charming, illustrative work celebrates the ordinary lives of the most perennially fascinating era of British history. From waking up to the rapping of a “knocker-upper man” on the window pane to lacing into a corset after a round of calisthenics, from slipping opium to the little ones to finally retiring to the bedroom for the ideal combination of “love, consideration, control and pleasure,” the weird, wonderful, and somewhat gruesome intricacies of Victorian life are vividly rendered here. How to Be a Victorian is an enchanting manual for the insatiably curious. ~ Google books
The quotation: A LIGHTLY BONED… CORSET… IS… VERY EASY… TO WEAR, MORE COMFORTABLE, IN MY OPINION, THAN… UNDERWIRED BRAS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. … IT IS HARD TO ACHIEVE MORE COMPRESSION THAN IS PRODUCED BY THE SHAPEWEAR CURRENTLY ON SALE… .
The author’s name and the title of the work: RUTH GOODMAN, “HOW TO BE A VICTORIAN”
The full paragraph of the quotation: A lightly boned, corded corset like this is a very easy thing to wear, more comfortable, in my opinion, than the underwired bras of the twenty-first century. A corset moulds the body into an elegant shape, supporting the bust and smoothing out the lumps and bumps. It is warm to wear, and not too constricting. Even with enthusiastic tugging on the lacing, it is hard to achieve more compression than is produced by the shapewear currently on sale in today’s high-street shops. A corset is perhaps too hot to wear in the height of summer, and the busk length must be just right so that it does not dig in (contrary to popular expectation, longer is better: ending somewhere on the pubic bone seems to be most comfortable), but it provides a smooth, compact solidity to the torso that looks attractive through the outer clothing of the day, holding everything firmly in place and providing a fashionably high bust-line.
————————
Click on image to enlarge,
or Right click and select “Open Link in New Window".
Robert Crumb (b. 1943) is an American artist recognized for his distinctive style of drawing and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream. Crumb was a founder, and one of the most prominent figures, of the underground comix movement. One of his most recognized works is the "Keep on Truckin'" comic, a widely distributed fixture of pop culture in the 1970s. His works include Devil Girl, Fritz the Cat, and Mr. Natural. He currently lives in Southern France.
Puzzle by Frederick J. Healy / Edited by Will Shortz
Three sets of three grid-length answers constitutes the main feature of this Saturday crossword: JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH(1A. 1968 hitwith the line “I was raised by a toothless bearded hag”) A HOOSIER HOLIDAY (16A. Theodore Dreiser travelogue) NO CAUSE FOR ALARM (17A. “Don’t worry”) ORANGE POPSICLES (32A. Alternatives to lemon ices) TURN THE TABLES (37A. Went from being picked on to picking on, say) ATTENTION PLEASE (38A. Announcement start) ONE AFTER ANOTHER (55A. Seriatim) GETS TO FIRST BASE (58A. Makes early progress) IS THIS SEAT TAKEN (59A. Question on public transportation) ————————
JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH (Jagger/Richards) Watch it! I was born in a cross-fire hurricane And I howled at my ma in the driving rain, But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas! But it's all right. I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, It's a Gas! Gas! Gas! I was raised by a toothless, bearded hag, I was schooled with a strap right across my back, But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas! But it's all right, I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, It's a Gas! Gas! Gas! I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead. I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled. I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread. Yeah, yeah, yeah I was crowned with a spike right thru my head. But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas! But it's all right, I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, It's a Gas! Gas! Gas! Jumpin’ Jack Flash, its a gas Jumpin’ Jack Flash, its a gas Jumpin’ Jack Flash, its a gas Jumpin’ Jack Flash, its a gas
