Jake Scheele

Title: Another bird mystery solved!

Welcome to the LAT Jake. I know you have had some prior CHE puzzles published and a 2019 Universal, but at the moment that is all I know about you. You might be surprised by how many people have that name. Please come by and tell us about yourself.

This Friday challenge has many layers, including the dreaded circles for those who use the Mensa site for their solving pleasure. They will miss the unifying reveal and the answer to the mystery. The theme itself has two parts, symmetric linked fill that ask a question and 5 shorter fill (5 to 7) letters.

Before the themers are revealed, we must look at the longer fill that was woven into this tapestry. CARNAGE, EMAILER, NO DRAMA, SILLY ME,  EMBARKED,  IRON MASK, KEEP IT UP, and  WILD OATS are all very uncommon and despite that they as long or longer than the 5 middle themers.

17A. With 59-Across, old English nursery rhyme being investigated by the detectives in this puzzle: WHO KILLED (9).
And, 59A. See 17-Across (and see circles for the solution to the mystery): COCKROBIN (9) describe the mystery. HISTORY. There is a spoiler if you do not know.

23A. Wealthy TV sleuth Matt: HOUSTON (7). No doubt the least famous of the fictional detectives, the short-lived SERIES starred Lee Horsley a tall handsome poor man's Tom Selleck. Horsley's first role was as Archie Goodwin to William Cannon's Nero Wolfe and even shorter series.

26A. Hard-boiled sleuth Mike: HAMMER (6). Micky Spillane made an art of the shoot first ask questions later hero, brought to television first by Darren McGavin and then twice by Stacy Keach.

39A. Falcon-finding sleuth Sam: SPADE (5). Created by the incomparable Dashiell Hammett. He also wrote about the Thin Man and the Continental Op.

51A. Twinkly-eyed sleuth Jane: MARPLE (6). Agatha Christie's female tec from St. Mary Mead (Cabot Cove anyone) who paid attention.

54A. Wisecracking sleuth Philip: MARLOWE (7). Raymond Chandler's contribution to the genre (can you hear Alex Trebeck in your head?).

It breaks some rules, but let us look at the rest.

Across:

1. Need in many outdoor games: BALL. And indoor games as well; well not all indoor games.

5. Basic card game: WAR. It is among the many games which helped me to learn how to count long before I started school.

8. Saltpetre: NITRE. I do not know why we do not have Saltpeter/Niter. I attended a private high school where I lived on the campus and ate all my meals there. We were told by the cooks that they were forced to put saltpeter in our food to quell our sexual desire. At the girls' school up the hill, they only served the hot dogs sliced. Life can be gross.

13. Takeout option: THAI. Just marry a wonderful Thai chef and you do not need takeout, except every so often for a quick vacation (not during COVID).

14. Camaro __-Z: IROC. A muscle car.

16. They may be crumbled in ice cream: OREOS. They also may be sprinkled throughout so many crossword puzzles.

19. Coffee mate?: DONUT. Cute clue even with the modern spelling.

20. German finale: ÉNDE. Inferrable?

21. Chaotic situation, in slang: CARNAGE. Not for me; carnage could be the result of a chaotic situation but I do not see them as interchangeable.

27. Northern sky sight: AURORA. If North, it is BOREALIS if south it is AUSTRALIS .

28. __ ballerina: PRIMA. Number one!

30. Where Charlie "may ride forever," in a 1959 hit: MTA. Once again brought to mind by Boomer, this time on Wednesday.

31. Gaming biggie: ATARI. This PIONEER gaming company has had some problems.

33. Watchdog org.?: ASPCA. I really enjoy this pun.

37. Exploit: MILK. I could give examples but I do not want to milk the opportunity.

41. Medieval Asian leader: KHAN. Khan is a contracted form of Khagan, from the Turkish khan meaning "chief or ruler." It was originally a hereditary title born by early Mongol leaders, such as the legendary Genghis Khan, but is now widely used as a surname throughout the Muslim world.

42. Consents: YESES. No!

44. Twosomes in the news: ITEMS. Are they really dating?

46. Guadalajara gold: ORO. Spanish. Is Lucy our only Spanish speaking regular?

47. Gulf of Aqaba city: EILAT. In antiquity, Eilat bordered the states of Edom, Midian, and the tribal territory of the Rephidim, the indigenous inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula. The Midianites are an important part of the Book of Exodus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5OrsAjP30I

49. Took the sloop: BOATED. Ugh. 40D. Left on a sloop: EMBARKED.

55. Spammer, e.g.: EMAILER. They attack so many ways.

57. City on Utah Lake: OREM. The 57th appearance in the LAT, including one in a puzzle I did with C.C.

58. Cordial relations: AMITY. The ironic home of the horror.

64. It's a fact: DATUM. One lonely piece of data.

65. Pain in the neck, e.g.: ACHE.

66. Roman fiddler: NERO.

67. Rickman role in Harry Potter films: SNAPE. RIP Alan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i16NigDQ2HA

68. Smidge: TAD.

69. Feint on the ice: DEKE. From decoy, I would guess.


Down:

1. FYI cousin: BTW. By the way.

2. Sound from a spa: AHH.

3. Vientiane native: LAO. My cousin Joe is married to one.

4. "Just watch me": LIKE SO. Eh.

5. Metaphor for youthful indiscretion: WILD OATS. If you want read a very complicated but thought out ETYMOLOGY here is your chance.

6. Former senator Specter: ARLEN. They like his letter distribution.

7. Caviar: ROE. Fish eggs are fish eggs.

8. Having a calm temperament: NO DRAMA.

9. Identity-concealing attire, in a Dumas novel: IRON MASK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLwBmPZqiIY

10. Coffee hr.: TEN AM. Or six, seven, eight...

11. Compact item: ROUGE. Nice next to your...

12. Perfume compound: ESTER.

15. Epidemic-fighting agcy.: CDC. I cannot comment without getting into politics.

18. Mural opening: INTRA. The word, not the art.

22. Sashimi selection: AHI. Tuna.

23. Given to overacting: HAMMY.

24. Navel type: OUTIE.

25. Eurasian divide: URALS.

28. Star-Lord portrayer Chris: PRATT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxs7GkhGijE

29. Theme park staple: RIDE.

32. Samoan port: APIA.

34. One of many on a phone these days: PHOTO.

35. Rod in Cooperstown: CAREW. An all-time GREAT.

36. Positive pole, perhaps: ANODE. Cathode?

38. "Hang in there": KEEP IT UP. really?

43. "D'oh!": SILLY ME. Hi Homer.

45. More ticked off: SORER.

48. Sheltered side: LEE.

50. __ Joy: ALMOND. You can combine with your wild oats. RECIPE.

51. Honey drinks: MEADS. As old as beer and wine.

52. Capital south of Beirut: AMMAN. More BIBLICAL history.

53. Indian yogurt dip: RAITA. Not to be confused with TATZIKI.

54. Coffee shop order: MOCHA. More complicated than you thought...Mocha is a high-quality type of coffee made from a specific coffee bean. It's easily confused with the flavored drink also called a mocha, which combines coffee and chocolate. Mocha coffee beans are from the plant species called Coffee arabica, and it was originally only grown in Mocha, Yemen

56. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

60. It ends rather spookily: Abbr.: OCTober. Halloween humor.

61. Busyness symbol: BEE.

62. Tick off: IRK.

63. San Francisco's __ Valley: NOE. Here is a great LINK. One of my childhood nicknames was NOEY, no relation.

Kevin Salat

Title: An homage to the KNIGHTS WHO SAY NI.

The first Friday for Kevin S. who is a Saturday away from hitting for the cycle here at the LAT. To create this puzzle, Kevin uses a common Friday trick - a 16 x15 grid. This is an "add a sound" Friday which is made easier by an early reveal. 37A. Joint protection ... or, in a way, creators of four puzzle puns: KNEE CAPS (7). The sound "nee" is added to the end of four phrases presented in a pinwheel pattern with the central reveal. Since puzzles have various forms of symmetry, this one has some uniques aspects. (1) Both across fill are twelve letters and the sound comes from NEY being added. However, HOLD COURT does not change but NO CLOO/NO CLUE does (2) Both down fill end differently. the first NIE, the second the tricky GNA which is hard for literal people. Queen Bea is a legitimate name for someone named Elizabeth, but Down Below becomes BOLO. Because of the extra words and spaces we have ESSENCE, RED CARD, SENSORS, WELCOME, CAME NEAR, ELITISTS, BOOK SMART, INK SMEARS,  IN REVERSE, and OVERSLEPT.

18A. Embrace Love?: HOLD COURTNEY (12). Courtney Love is much more (or less) than Kurt Cobain's widow.

57A. Is unable to sign the top-billed star for an "Ocean's 13" sequel?: HAS NO CLOONEY (12). Rather true and a bit sad so soon after the passing of CARL REINER.

12D. Casual topper for Elizabeth II?: QUEEN BEANIE (11). The mental picture of the queen in a yarmulke, called by many a beanie amuses, but among the 5000 or so she has worn THIS is the closest I found. CED?

25D. Consume some deli meat?: DOWN BOLOGNA (11). Sounds like taking medicine. Have I told the story of the white bologna?

I am tired; time to get to the rest.

Across:

1. Stockpile: HOARD. This did not jump to mind despite all the hoarding shows on TV.

6. "Fuller House" actor: STAMOS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Hph-8n3rA

12. Proof letters: QED. Quod Erat Dēmonstrandum. Latin.

15. Perfume name: ESTEE. If you were speaking Latin you might Laud Her.

16. IdeaPad maker: LENOVO. Lenovo Group Limited is a Hong Kong-based company that bought IBM's PC business.

17. Sch. in Charlotte: UNC. University of North Carolina.

20. Time often named for a philosophy: ERA. Also can get your clothes clean.

21. Approached: CAME NEAR. Back to literal clue/fill.

22. Estate beneficiary: HEIR. Only if there is no will in Florida; 'Heirs' or 'heirs at law' means those persons, including the surviving spouse, who are entitled under the statutes of intestate succession to the property of a decedent.

23. Rental garage array: SEDANS. Does anyone actually call it a rental garage?

26. Basic nature: ESSENCE.

28. "Cancel the mission!": ABORT. A sideways CSO to our resident astronaut HG.

29. Anxious med. condition: OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

32. Iberian capital, locally: LISBOA. Lisbon in Portuguese.

33. "Lawdy!": GAWD. Bordering on un-pc?

34. Ready to go back?: IN REVERSE. I like this one because to back up you need to be...

36. Writer Rand: AYN. The letters will keep her popular for many generations.

38. Civil War prez: ABE. In the news these days.

41. Educated in the classroom as opposed to the street: BOOK SMART. Versus street smart; we have both kinds here at the Corner.

43. Wrinkle: SNAG.

44. Hybrid utensils: SPORKS. Are there any Foons out there?

46. Nevada copper town: ELY. Not anymore, Ely's mining boom came with the discovery of copper in 1906. Ely was home to a number of copper mining companies, Kennecott being the most famous. They left in the 70's crash.

47. Bizet opera priestess: LEILA. Opera is not my strong suit, but I know his creation CARMEN. I did not know THE PEARL FISHER.

48. Friendly greeting: WELCOME. I had no choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry_fR5H1GYw

50. Virgil epic: AENEID. Arma virumque cano. Latin.

51. Love god: EROS. Finally a Greek.

52. Snobs: ELITISTS.

56. Hosp. test: EKG.

61. It may not be intended: PUN. But today's clearly were.

62. Melodious: ARIOSE. This is having a melody, as distinguished from recitative.

63. Physique: FRAME. She was built like an A-frame.

64. Springs for a vacation?: SPA. Saratoga, and watch some horsies.

65. __ fly: TSETSE.

66. Nikon setting: F-STOP.

Down:

1. "Very cute": HEH.

2. Spanish bear: OSO. Hello, again Lucy.

3. CDC headquarters city: ATLanta.

4. Soccer ejection indicator: RED CARD. I will never forget ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvNkkdfNwEg

5. Pour to purify: DECANT. Can you get me some good wine? I decant!

6. Swing around: SLUE.

7. Gull relative: TERN.

8. Start-up money?: ANTE. Poker anyway.

9. Janelle of "Moonlight": MONÁE. A definite STAR. An award-winning movie...

10. Stayed out too long?: OVERSLEPT.

11. __ milk: SOY. Do we have any soy milk drinkers?

13. Tenor Caruso: ENRICO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t936rzOt3Zc

14. Takoma Park, Md., is part of it: DC AREA.

19. Yoga chants: OMS. I am working on a puzzle with OM part of the theme.

22. Gas company with toy trucks: HESS.

23. Long story: SAGA. Oo and have begun watching the FORSYTE SAGA.

24. Site with PowerSellers: EBAY. Who knew?

27. Gentlemen: SIRS.

29. Washington's bills?: ONES. The 1935 blue seal.

30. __ fraîche: dairy product: CRÈME.  This is a cultured cream soured with a bacterial culture, similar to sour cream or Mexican crema.

31. Helmet sticker: DECAL.

34. Concern for lefty writers: INK SMEARS. I broke myself of the twisted wrist style, so I am good.

35. Change: VARY.

37. Gorilla who learned modified 50-Down: KOKO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sesspfZKsq0

39. Hanes brand: BALI.

40. "Jiminy cricket!": EGAD.

42. Tolkien beasts: ORCS. More LOTR trivia.

43. They may pick up speed: SENSORS.

44. Cleans, in a way: SWEEPS.

45. Get excited: PERK UP. My morning coffee.

47. Allow to go free: LET OFF.

49. Commercial cow: ELSIE. Bordens.

50. Syst. with hand signals: ASL. American Sign Language.

53. "What am __ getting?": I NOT. The solve.

54. Chuck: TOSS.

55. Brand written in frosty letters: ICEE.

57. Uniform part, maybe: HAT. See "helmet" above.

58. __ Geo: NAT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsTXZuPKuAU

59. Angsty genre: EMO.

60. "For sure": YEP.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: This puzzle is similar to an animal I used to know.

David debuted here in 2016 and has more than 20 LAT publications. His first 10 were all Fridays and all written up by yours truly. Since then I have cut back and missed many Friday DABs though I did blog one about the time of his third anniversary last December. This time he uses animal species and repurposes them by using some common phrases that made them sound classier. The "-ine" suffix works for more than animals but boy there are many animals. A sampling: accipitrine – hawk, eagle; aedine or anopheline – mosquito; alcelaphine or antilopine – antelopes; anatine – ducks, geese, swans; anguine or elapine – snake; anserine – geese; aquiline – eagle; assinine – donkey; avine – birds; bovine – cattle; cancrine – crab; canine – dog; cervine – deer; cetacine – whales; columbine – doves, pigeons; corvine – crow; delphinine or delphine – dolphins; equine – horse; elaphine – deer; elaphantine – elephant; ermine – weasel; feline – cat; hippotigrine – zebras; hircine – goat; hominine – human; lacertine – lizards; leonine – lion; leporine – rabbit, hare; leopardine – leopards; lupine – wolf; lutrine – otters; lyncine – lynxes; macropine – kangaroos; meline – badgers; murine – rodent; noctilionine or pteropine – bats; ovine – sheep; pavonine – peacock; phocine – seals; piscine – fish; porcine – pig; rusine – deer; sciurine – squirrel; serpentine – snake; ursine – bear; vulpine – fox.

The theme:

17A. Horse sense?: EQUINE AWARENESS (15). Literal.

23A. Cattle call?: BOVINE SUMMONS (13). Literal.

39A. Cat's paw?: FELINE EXTREMITY (15). Literal.

49A. Fox hole?: VULPINE CAVITY (13). Literal.

61A. Hog wash?: PORCINE ABLUTION (15). Literal.

He presented them with three grid-spanners and two 13s. Also, he snuck in MELANIN, REUTERS, BLUEBELLS, and DIRTY MIND as fun fill. Both in blue are new to the LAT. So on to the grid.

Across:

1. Abate: EBB. And flow.

4. Brit. detective's rank: INSPector. They are often the foils for the unofficial detectives such as LESTRADE from Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and JAPP from Christie's Poirot. A perhaps little known fact,  DAVID SUCHET the iconic Poirot got his acting introduction to Agatha Christie playing Japp opposite the dreadful Peter Ustinov portrayal of Poirot.

8. Gastropod associated with traditional mail: SNAIL. Rhyme time.

13. It may result in an RBI: DBL. Double.

14. Staircase post: NEWEL. My first mother-in-law (may she rest in peace) was born with Newell as her maiden name.

16. Lead-in for jet or Tax: TURBO.

20. Tiny fraction of a min.: N-SEC.

21. Gas pump choice: DIESEL. Counterintuitive? Is diesel gas? Doesn't come out of a different pump?

22. Witness: SEE. With cell phones, we see so much.

26. Act part: SCENE. This is from the mid 16th century (denoting a subdivision of a play, or (a piece of) stage scenery): from Latin scena, from Greek skēnē ‘tent, stage’.

28. Piper's son of rhyme: TOM.
TOM, TOM, THE PIPER’S SON
Tom, Tom, the piper’s son,
Stole a pig, and away he run,
The pig was eat,
And Tom was beat,
And Tom ran crying down the street.

29. Afflicted: ILL.

30. Force oneself (on): IMPOSE. Very controversial words.

35. Gds.: MDSE. Goods equal merchandise, with these days is merch.

42. Lob: TOSS. I assume it started in tennis, which was interesting because I had a Professor of English, a former Davis Cup player from New Zealand, named JOHN LOBB. I often babysat for his daughter Hannah. When we played tennis, I seldom returned a serve.

43. Least strict: LAXEST. Nothing to do with the airport.

44. Bread grain: RYE. But it can make ergot, he said wryly.

45. Actress Thurman: UMA. She appears considerably more often in puzzles than in movies.

47. "¿Cómo está __?": USTED. Good morning Lucy.

56. Lincoln, familiarly: ABE. No politics.

57. Inventor Tesla: NIKOLA. Didn't I just discuss the rivalry with Edison?

58. Austen's aspiring matchmaker: EMMA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsOwj0PR5Sk

64. Online financial services pioneer: E-LOAN.

65. "Nature's soft nurse," to Shakespeare: SLEEP. Henry IV
"O gentle sleep,
Nature’s soft nurse,
how have I frighted thee..."

66. "You're __ me": NOT. Good thing for both of us.

67. Wasp's assault: STING. No comment; too political.

68. Collections: SETS. Also Tennis divisions.

69. MASH staff: DRS. Doctors, such vital people in these difficult times.


Down:

1. Paradise: EDEN. I recently met a lovely young lady named Eden, I wondered if she had eaten an apple.

2. Backyard parties, briefly: BBQs. With no open restaurants, they are very popular here. They often need charcoal 53D. Briquettes: COALS.

3. Flowers named for their color: BLUEBELLS. Also PROTECTED in Britain.

4. Place to stay: INN. But not OUTT.

5. "Then live, Macduff; what __ fear of thee?": Macbeth: NEED I.
A double dose of Will S. JW must be proud.

6. Suffix with boat or cox: SWAIN.

7. Small bird with a small-sounding name: PEWEE. He has a very self-confident look. Cutie.

8. Sailor's guardian: ST ELMO. Fire sale?

9. Cloistered female: NUN.



10. Riposte to "Am not!": ARE SO.

11. "A Doll's House" dramatist: IBSEN. All you need to KNOW.

12. Doesn't prevail: LOSES.

15. Highlands miss: LASS. With all due respect to Owen and Moe
An indolent cleric frae May
His roses allowed to decay.
His wife, more alert,
Bought a powerful squirt
And said to her spouse : "Let us spray".

18. Wikipedia's globe, say: ICON.

19. News service since 1851: REUTERS.

24. Blood carrier: VEIN.

25. Campbell jingle letters: MMMM. Good!

26. Go (through) carefully: SIFT.

27. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEOpatra. I seriously doubt she was ever called that, though it sounds like a good name for a psychic.

31. Skin pigment: MELANIN. Melanin is a complex polymer derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Melanin is responsible for determining skin and hair color.

32. Spherical legume: PEA. Princess and a...

33. Tic-tac-toe loser: OXX.

34. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr.: STE. French abbreviation for a female saint. Joan of Arc.

36. Lascivious mental state: DIRTY MIND. Too un-pc.

37. Ophthalmologist's concern: STYE. Weird next to...

38. Looked at carefully: EYED.

40. Has arisen: IS UP. Too religious.

41. Needle case: ETUI. Not "et ui."

46. One of the 3M Company's M's, originally: MINING. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. CSO to Boomer and C.C.

48. Editorial reconsideration word: STET.

49. Absorbs nicotine smokelessly: VAPES. Uggh.

50. Letter-shaped fastener: UBOLT.

51. "Vive __!": LE ROI. Long live the King!

52. Manages to attain, with "out": EKES.

54. Edward who wrote, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?": ALBEE.

55. Parking lot employee: VALET. I always get so embarrassed dressing in the parking lot.

59. Secure in a harbor: MOOR. Poor Othello.

60. Hill-building insects: ANTS. Are they talking Capitol Hill? No, too political.

62. Soup holder: CAN. Cannot.

63. Increases: UPS. The ante.