Theme: Bon Apétit and Welcome Home! This is - apparently - about as straight forward a theme as you'll ever see, with each entry providing part of a dinner. Until you check the circles, which give it a whole new level of meaning. If you didn't get the circles, this will be a revelation.
Let's start with the unifier, to make things clear.
63 A. Sequence of dishes such as 18-, 25-, 38-, and 55-Across, in more ways than one: HOME MADE MEAL. The surface meaning is a MEAL you cook for yourself in your own kitchen. But the circled letters spell the HOME of some critter.
18 A. Healthy starter: GARDEN GREENS. This describes the leafy vegetables of a salad, which might get your meal off to a good start. But it also contains a DEN - a place where a wild animal, such as a fox orbear might live. Or, perhaps, a non-thematic hang-out for thieves. You decide.
25 A. Baked side: POTATO WITH CHIVES. I'd be tempted to add some butter and sour cream to this high-carb delight. However - what you don't want in your POTATO, is a HIVE - the abode of insects, such as ants or wasps.
38 A. Meaty entrée: T-BONE STEAK. This is a steak of beef cut from the short loin, including a "T"-shaped lumbar vertebra with sections of abdominal internal oblique muscle on each side. Yum! The NEST is a home for any kind of bird. And, yes, this gives me an eyrie feeling. Maybe it's the Hitchcock influence.
55 A. Filled dessert: CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS. These are oblong pastries made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing - chocolate in this case. Here it is also filled with a LAIR - another wild animal home; typically that of a fierce or dangerous one, such as a lion or a dragon.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here as the maitre'd for today's culinary delight. Let's see what other tasty morsels we can discover. But first, though Dave and Laura have both appeared here before, it looks like this is their first time as a collaboration - so, congrats!
Across:
1. Praised: LAUDED. Highly praised or admired.
7. Stalagmite creator: DRIP. A stalagmite is a mound or tapering column rising from the floor of a cave, formed of calcium salts deposited by dripping water and often uniting with a stalactite.
11. Spam holder: CAN. Slight misdirection here as you might expect a file folder rather than a metal container for a sort-of meat product. As I understand it, SPAM is very popular in Hawaii, and a genuine Hawaiian pizza is made with SPAM, not ham. To each his own.
14. Periodic Pacific current: EL NIÑO. And weather patters associated with that current. During El Niño, trade winds weaken. Warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas. El Niño can affect our weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. With this shift, areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding.
15. American Eagle Outfitters lingerie brand: AERIE. Check it out here.
17. Whiz: ACE. one highly skilled at something.
20. Zodiac animal with horns: RAM. His name is Aries, not to be confused with 15A.
21. Thurman of "The War With Grandpa": UMA. Uma Karuna Thurman [b 1070] is an American actress, producer and fashion model. Prolific in film and television productions encompassing a variety of genres.
7. Stalagmite creator: DRIP. A stalagmite is a mound or tapering column rising from the floor of a cave, formed of calcium salts deposited by dripping water and often uniting with a stalactite.
11. Spam holder: CAN. Slight misdirection here as you might expect a file folder rather than a metal container for a sort-of meat product. As I understand it, SPAM is very popular in Hawaii, and a genuine Hawaiian pizza is made with SPAM, not ham. To each his own.
14. Periodic Pacific current: EL NIÑO. And weather patters associated with that current. During El Niño, trade winds weaken. Warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas. El Niño can affect our weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. With this shift, areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding.
15. American Eagle Outfitters lingerie brand: AERIE. Check it out here.
17. Whiz: ACE. one highly skilled at something.
20. Zodiac animal with horns: RAM. His name is Aries, not to be confused with 15A.
21. Thurman of "The War With Grandpa": UMA. Uma Karuna Thurman [b 1070] is an American actress, producer and fashion model. Prolific in film and television productions encompassing a variety of genres.
22. Actress Goldie: HAWN. Goldie Jeanne Hawn b 1945] is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, before going on to receive the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Cactus Flower.
23. Vocation: TRADE. An occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified.
30. Floor model: DEMO. A unit of a product displayed to show its capabilities.
31. Genuflect: KNEEL. Knee bending gesture of respect or devotion.
32. Pool or polo: GAME. A form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.
33. Red-wrapped cheeses: EDAMS. A semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rind, of red paraffin wax.
35. Julia of "The Addams Family": RAUL. Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá Arcelay [1940 - 1994]was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies.
37. Area represented by Sen. Gillibrand: NYS. New York State. Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand [b 1966] is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009.
42. Prez on a fiver: ABE. Abraham Lincoln [1809 - 1865] was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. His likeness is found of the 5 dollar bill.
45. Whole lot: SCAD. A large number or amount.
46. Muscle twitch: SPASM. A sudden involuntary muscular contraction or convulsive movement.
49. Tank top kin, briefly: CAMI. A woman's loose-fitting undergarment for the upper body, typically held up by shoulder straps and having decorative trimming. An example here.
51. Créme de la créme: A-LIST. The best person or thing of a particular kind. the A-LIST is a group of individuals of the highest level of society, excellence, or eminence.
54. Writer Bombeck: ERMA. Erma Louise Bombeck [1927 - 1996] was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban home life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996. She also published 15 books, most of which became bestsellers.
59. "Taxi" mechanic: LATKA. Portrayed by Andy Kaufman [1949 - 1984]
54. Writer Bombeck: ERMA. Erma Louise Bombeck [1927 - 1996] was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban home life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996. She also published 15 books, most of which became bestsellers.
59. "Taxi" mechanic: LATKA. Portrayed by Andy Kaufman [1949 - 1984]
60. __ mortals: MERE. Ordinary people.
61. Place for a "snake bite" piercing: LIP. Two lower lip piercings. Not at all common among trombone players
62. "What __, chopped liver?": AM I. The earliest use of this phrase in its derogatory sense -- that is, ''something trivial; something to be scoffed at'' -- in the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang is by Jimmy Durante on his 1954 CBS-TV show: ''Now that ain't chopped liver. ''
68. Actor McKellen: IAN. Sir Ian Murray McKellen [b 1939] CH CBE is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction.
69. Leading in a tight game: UP ONE. Leading by a single point.
70. Barcelona's naciún: ESPAÑA. Spain, in Spain.
71. Flavor enhancer, for short: MSG. MonoSodium Glutamate; the sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form.
72. Buttonlike earring: STUD.
73. Squeaky ball, e.g.: DOG TOY. Fun for your pup
Down:
Down:
1. Slight advantage: LEG UP. Resulting from some assistance.
2. Apple pie order: ALA MODE. Literally, fashionable or stylish. On pie, it means topped with ice cream.
3. Starless?: UNRATED. Of a movie, by critics.
4. "You __ your best": DID. Sometimes it's not good enough.
5. Chicago-to-Toronto dir.: ENE. East, north-east.
6. Honolulu-born jet pilot who became a pop singer: DON HO. Donald Tai Loy Ho [1930 - 2007] was an American traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer. He is best known for the song "Tiny Bubbles" from the album of the same name.
7. Galapagos Islands researcher: DARWIN. Charles Robert Darwin [1809 - 1882] FRS FRGS FLS FZS was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is now widely accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science.
8. Confirms, as a password: RE-ENTERS. Enter and enter again.
9. Isl. with four provinces: IRE. The four provinces of Ireland are Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connaught. Six of Ulster's 9 counties constitute Northern Ireland.
10. See 36-Down: PIN.
36. With 10-Down, politician's flag, often: LAPEL. A lapel pin, also known as an enamel pin, is a small pin worn on clothing, often on the lapel of a jacket, attached to a bag, or displayed on a piece of fabric. Lapel pins can be ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organization or cause.
11. Traveling band: CARAVAN. A group of people traveling together. Originally, this referred to traders or pilgrims traveling across a desert in Asia or North Africa.
12. Private school: ACADEMY. A place of higher education in a special field.
13. Foes that seem impossible to beat: NEMESES. The inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall.
16. Bk. read at Purim: ESTH. ESTHER. The book relates the story of a Hebrew woman in Persia, born as Hadassah but known as Esther, who becomes queen of Persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. The story forms the core of the Jewish festival of Purim, during which it is read aloud twice: once in the evening and again the following morning.
19. Rubberneck: GAWK. Stare openly and stupidly vs turn one's head to stare at something in a foolish manner. Near equivalents, but not quite.
24. Tractor-trailer: RIG. Big truck.
26. Amo, amas, __: AMAT. Conjugation of the the Latin verb meaning "to love."
27. Crypts: TOMBS. Burial vaults, usually underground.
28. "But it's a dry __": HEAT. Presumably less uncomfortable due to low humidity.
29. Hints: CLUES.
34. Home of many L.A. Times readers: SO CAL. Southern California.
39. "The Lion King" lion: NALA. A fictional character in Disney's The Lion King film franchise. Introduced in the animated film The Lion King, Nala subsequently appears as a less prominent character in the film's sequels
40. Word processor feature: EDIT MENU. Where you can select text to copy or delete.
41. Melissa Benoist's role on "Supergirl": KARA. Kara Danvers, also known as Kara Zor-El on her homeworld, is a fictional character in the Arrowverse franchise, mainly the television series Supergirl.
42. Accolades: ACCLAIM. Enthusiastic and public praise.
43. Islands northeast of Cuba: BAHAMAS. The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archipelago's population.
44. Chewing the scenery: EMOTING. Over-acting.
47. Welcome warmly: SMILE AT.
48. Rivera who holds the MLB record for career saves: MARIANO. Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most of his career as a relief pitcher and served as the Yankees' closer for 17 seasons. He recorded 652 saves.
50. "Blech!": ICK. Expressions of disgust or distaste.
52. Apparently was: SEEMED. So it appeared.
53. Mega- squared: TERA. Prefixes indicating large and even larger numbers or quantities. Mega = 1 million, Tera = 1 trillion.
56. Hanauma Bay's island: OAHU. Where Spam is popular, maybe.
57. Gave up: CEDED. Relinquish control of possession of something, such as a territory, often unwillingly or because forced to do so:
58. Fan out: SPLAY. As fingers or limbs.
64. Photo __: OPS. A photo op, short for photograph opportunity, is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or a notable event. The term was coined by the administration of US President Richard Nixon. William Safire credited its coinage to Bruce Whelihan, an aide to Nixon Press Secretary Ron Ziegler.
65. Clever remark: MOT. Short for bon mot - a pithy or witty remark.
66. Paul Anka's "__ Beso": ESO. That kiss, from 1962.
67. High hybrid stat: MPG. A hybrid is a vehicle powered by both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. It should achieve a high number of Miles Per Gallon of gasoline.
Thus ends our Wednesday repast. Hope you didn't get indigestion. I found it quite satisfying.
Cool regards,
JzB
