Focal Points

When I woke up this morning, there was actually SNOW on the ground. Come-on, already; May is just around the corner!

Today's crossword puzzle by David W. Cromer is called "Stay Focused." The theme answers consist of common similes:

20A: Fully understandable (CLEAR AS A BELL)
41A: Totally spotless (CLEAN AS A WHISTLE)
60A: Really brainy (SHARP AS A TACK)

Without focus, a person cannot complete a task. When a person is focused on a goal or ambition, he/she can be successful in life. The unfocused person is in a constant state of disorganization and chaos. A person also needs to focus on the things that matter and learn how to deal with the every day distractions of life. When I'm distracted, I either go for a walk, go  to the gym, or take a nap. I'm refreshed later and I'm able to perform the job.

Alphabet soup:

23A: Aide: Abbr. (ASST)
29A: End of UCLA's Web address (EDU)
33A: Pre-coll. exam (SAT)
10D: Carpoolers' conveniences (HOV LANES)
37D: Battleship letters (USS)
62D: Kindergartner's recitation (ABCs)
63D: Pinafore designation (HMS)

Oh, the places you go:

31A: Country with a major canal (PANAMA)
1D: Big tourist draw (MECCA)
4D: Posh residence (ESTATE)
34D: San Antonio Mission (ALAMO)
49A: Grassy plain (LEA)
61D: London's _____ Park (HYDE)

H.G. Wells, who I discussed in Saturday's entry, is the author of today's cryptoquote:

No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft.

Wells is obviously talking about writers dealing with editors. As a copy editor, I have to make criticisms and decisions that aren't always easy. Some authors are easily offended. A good writer learns not to take things personally and responds by making improvements to his/her work.

The JUMBLE picture is a bird stealing a piece of jewelry from a well-dressed woman, and a policeman is chasing the bird as well. It looks like something out of a comedy from the silent-movie era. The caption reads "The bird decided to steal the diamond necklace because he felt he was _____."

Word list:

CUVOH = VOUCH
RAYWE = WEARY
DOLLBY = BOLDLY
TEPABU = UPBEAT

I had a bit of trouble with the last word.

Scrambled solution: VHWEABOLEAT
Solution: ABOVE THE LAW

GROAN!

That's all for today. I don't know how I'm going to survive six more days of eating matzoh. Oh, well, Passover only comes once a year.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Saturday Stumper--April 12, 2014

Spring has officially hit NYC at last! But before I went outside to enjoy the sunshine, I tackled today's Stumper, along with today's and tomorrow's NYT puzzles. This was another difficult but not killer puzzle. The constructor Frank Longo provided lots of great clues and not too much alphabet soup or boring filler.

1A: It's compressed for delivery (ZIPPED FILE). With the advent of Cloud Computing and other advanced storage systems, the WinZip file has gone the way of dial-up Internet. 

15A: They're worlds apart (ALIEN RACES). See also Marvel Comics. Sorry, I'm not a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy. I really don't care if these other forms exist or not.

Sierra Nevada

17A: Stretch in the Sierra Nevada (PINE FOREST). I've never been to the Sierra Nevada, but the diversity of tree species makes for great photo-ops. 

12D: Phrase coined by H.G. Wells in 1914 (ATOMIC BOMB). Wells first used this phrase in a book called The World Set Free. He was definitely the master of war games.

3D: Measure with no rhyme (PINT). I would've never guessed that in a million years, but I knew it had nothing to do with poetry.

13D: Patent (PLAIN TO SEE). I thought this clue had to do with inventions at first, but "patent" also means "obviously open to notice.

23A: WTUL's home, informally (NAWLINS). Only tourists pronounce the name of New Orleans this way. I usually just refer to the city by its more common acronym, NOLA. The campus radio station of Tulane University, WTUL has the dubious distinction for giving the epitome of "class"--Jerry Springer--his start in talk radio. 

26D: Open gems (HOLES IN ONE). A very rare feat in a golf tournament, indeed.

29A: Nurses' opposite (CHUGS). This is probably my favorite clue of the puzzle, since this has to do with alcohol, lol (sipping vs. chugging).

36A: They develop less of a head cold (BEERS). Another alcohol clue! The head refers to the foam at the top of every beer glass.

41D: Plan for a peak performance (SKI TRIP). Many people I know get a rush from skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. Yours truly prefers to stay indoors, thank you.

46A: Referesher course (SORBET). Sorbet is always served after a big meal (usually weddings or bar/bat mitzvahs) to soothe the palate and to provide guests with a refreshing break.

49A: "Friendship" or "Forward" (STATE MOTTO). "Friendship" is the state motto of Texas, while "Forward" is Wisconsin's. 

52A: Superblocks (URBAN AREAS). Superblocks refer to streets that are much larger than the traditional city blocks (e.g., Broadway, Madison Ave., Park Ave.) 

54A: Locals around Whitechapel Road (EAST ENDERS). Also the name of a long-running soap opera on the Beeb.

The name game:

11D: Best Actress Oscar winner after Halle (NICOLE), as in Kidman

25D: Harvard Law Dean, 2003-2009 (ELENA KAGAN), who is now, of course, a Supreme Court justice.

Patton Oswalt

The solution to today's cryptoquote is by one of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt (b. 1969):

I fantasize and idealize myself as Bugs Bunny, but I know deep down I'm Daffy Duck.

Awwww. I know just how you feel. Bugs Bunny was the alpha male. He was cocky, brash, and confident and usually outsmarted his antagonists. Daffy, on the other hand, was always down on his luck. 

I had a tough time with the crytoquote and filled in "ion" for "ize" at first. There were also lots of difficult consonant combinations.

Finally, we wrap up with the JUMBLE. Some teenages from the 1950s are listening to records on a turntable, but the father disapproves of what they are playing. The caption reads "When a young Elvis topped the music charts in April 1957, some parents were _____."

Elvis Presley at his finest.

Word list:

LIPTO = PILOT

OZAKO = KAZOO

HURNKS = SHRUNK

TALLEY = LATELY

Scrambled solution PLOKOSHUAL

Solution: ALL SHOOK UP

My own parents grew up in the Elvis era, but were not big fans of his music. My dad preferred country, and my mom idolized Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Imagine if Elvis was a big star in the present day. Facebook and Twitter would certainly crash.

Time to call it a day. I'm not sure if I will have a chance to solve the Sunday puzzle, so till Monday. . . .

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick