Theme: WINGSPANS (56. Plane
measures ... and, literally, what can be seen in the answers to starred
clues) - WING spans across and bookends each theme answer.
18. *Health and prosperity : WELL-BEING
29. *It might require treatment with an EpiPen : WASP STING
36. *Dramatic way to go out : WITH A BANG
46. *Fabergé item auctioned for $9.6 million in 2002 : WINTER EGG
Boomer
here. I have been busy bowling, with little time to complete
crosswords, although I occasionally expound cross words at those ten
pins. No 300 games this past season; only a 299 and 297 to brag about,
but I did qualify for the National Senior Games in the bowling division
coming to Minnesota in July. The National Senior Games is a multi-sport
competition for people over 50 years of age and is set up like the
Olympic games. I am having trouble buying in to all the hype but
looking forward to the competition.
On to the puzzle. I noticed wings in a few answers, but could not see the centerfielder of the Washington Nationals anywhere.
Across:
1. Pundit's piece : OP-ED
5. Schoolmarmish : PRIM - a PROPER response
9. Something to draw before bedtime : BATH. Does one need a paper and crayon to "DRAW" a bath?
13. Skedaddles : FLEES
15. Four-ring-logo company : AUDI - So, is a three ring car called a "CIRCUS"?
16. Mélange : OLIO
17. Many a Wilde play : FARCE - Not a nice thing to say about Oscar.
20. Sparkly accessory : TIARA - A crowning clue.
22. Toughens : INURES
23. Pour like crazy : TEEM. Rain hard.
24. Glimmers : SHINES - They have glimmering shoe stands in Las Vegas.
27. Miss identification : NEE - A miss does not need a "nee" until she is married.
31. Skinny swimmers : EELS - Also a great golfer Mr. E.Els
32. Loophole : OUT - My clue would have been a pop up or strike three.
33. Wolverine portrayer Jackman : HUGH
34. Most reasonable : SANEST
38. Novelist Graham : GREENE
41. Homer's son : BART - What would a puzzle be without a Simpson?
42. Route word : VIA
45. Realizes : NETS - Found at both ends of a basketball court.
48. Manipulate : USE
49. Serious depression : CRATER - I might have clued "A view of the moon"
51. Cubemaster Rubik : ERNO
52. Exploratory spacecraft : PROBES
54. Make rhapsodic : ELATE
59. Word before box or card : IDIOT - I guess you have to be one to figure out this clue.
61. List catchall : ET AL - "How much breakfast did you have this morning, Caesar?
62. Slender wind : OBOE
63. Seamless transition : SEGUE - How do you spell the one that Paul Blart rode?
64. Remove from a manuscript : DELE - My spell check says this is not a word.
65. Road runner : TIRE - How about a coyote nemesis? beep beep!
66. Parks on a bus : ROSA
Down:
1. Hiker's spray brand : OFF - I think Cutter works better but it didn't fit the grid.
2. Flat highland : PLATEAU
3. Most spine-tingling : EERIEST
4. Put out the fire, pack up the tent, etc. : DECAMP - Rosemary's surname
5. Offer from Rover : PAW
6. Line on a Québec map : RUE - Did not get this one. Why not Golden Girl McClanahan
7. Waiting at a light, perhaps : IDLING - I'll bet the U.S. wastes millions of gallons of gas per day doing this.
8. Eeyore creator : MILNE
9. Dutch South African : BOER
10. Property recipient, in law : ALIENEE
11. Adds holiday glitter to : TINSELS - Remember the old heavy stuff? Then you are probably as old as I am.
12. Hardly a sharer : HOG - Also a Washington NFL football player of old.
14. Msg. from the pulpit : SER - I don't care for abbreviations
19. Clear tables : BUS - Why not just call it a Greyhound and leave the clueing to us.
21. Quick on the uptake : ASTUTE
23. Tango need : TWO
25. __ school : HIGH - How about "result of marijuana?" Legal in several states.
26. Occupy : INHABIT
28. Ballpark fig. : EST - I don't care for abbrev.
30. Climb, in a way : SHIN - Come on, it's the front of an ankle!
31. Subj. including grammar : ENG - I don. care for ABB.
34. 1964 Nobel Prize decliner : SARTRE
35. Kitty starter : ANTE - It's a pot starter - cats have nothing to do with it.
36. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" director Anderson : WES
37. Destructive agent : BANE
38. Serengeti grazer : GNU - I never gnu that.
39. Time to catch one's breath : RESPITE
40. Neverending : ETERNAL
42. Reeling feeling : VERTIGO - I gnu this one
43. Like volcanic rock : IGNEOUS
44. Gone by : AGO
46. Sushi bar condiment : WASABI - This is strong stuff. You need it to kill the raw fish taste.
47. Study hall occupant, often : READER - Or the guy who checks your meter.
49. "Blue Bloods" network : CBS - Also frequently on WGN
50. Transplant to a new container : RE-POT
53. Look up and down : OGLE
55. Fleur-de-__ : LIS
56. Get hitched : WED
57. Neither partner : NOR
58. Understand : SEE
60. It may be iced : TEA
Boomer
Notes from C.C.:
1) Jazzbumpa (Ron) was scheduled to blog today, but his mom suffered a stroke on June 2. She's 94 years old, so Ron is quite worried about her future.
2) Spitzboov (Al) had an ambulatory surgery yesterday to repair an umbilical hernia.
Let's beam positive thoughts to them.
1) Jazzbumpa (Ron) was scheduled to blog today, but his mom suffered a stroke on June 2. She's 94 years old, so Ron is quite worried about her future.
2) Spitzboov (Al) had an ambulatory surgery yesterday to repair an umbilical hernia.
Let's beam positive thoughts to them.
34 comments:
Greetings!
Thanks, Jeff and Boomer! Great work!
Puzzle went rapidly for me.
My best to your mother, Jazz, for a speedy recovery.
Feel better soon, Al!
Had an accident getting into the pool, after getting out for emergency. Darn. Don't need more pain.
Cheers!
Chicken Scratches On Your Paper?
When birds are flying, they're on the WING.
They twitter and tweet, that's how they sing.
When they want to rest
They sit in a nest,
But working crosswords just isn't their thing!
First to the building they added an annex.
Then 'twas an ell that they added next.
For the final phase
Add a WING to the maze,
And the building's floorplan will really perplex!*
*This describes every hospital I've ever been in, and a few schools, too.
Morning, all (and condolences and positive thoughts to Jazzbumpa and Spitzboov)!
A little bumpy today, but nothing too bad. Didn't get the theme until I hit the reveal, but it was nice to go back and find the hidden WINGS. I had GET instead of SEE for awhile and didn't even notice I had WINGSPANG as a result. There was no way that TIRG worked for 656A, however, so I managed to eventually see and fix my mistake.
I'm assuming "IDIOT Box" refers to the television, but I've never heard of an "IDIOT Card" before.
I had EASTER EGG before WINTER EGG. Seemed to fit until it suddenly didn't. Can't say I've ever heard of WINTER EGG before, but it sure is lovely. I wonder how it tastes? ^_^
Yes we are all praying for Ron's mother.
I have an umbilical hernia so I am curious about the procedure and what precipitated the need to operate...
On to the puzzle, hi Boomer it has been a while, sorry no 300 recently but you still can roll a perfect write up. The puzzle was fun, the theme based on a great reveal and the rest was mostly doable. When you have their ways to divide a word and four theme answers one will repeat.
I have never seen ALIENEE used in connection to a closing but it is real at least in the law dictionary.
Lots of nice 7 letter words IGNEOUS VERTIGO and WASABI all goo Wednesday words.
Thanks Jeff and Boomer
Good Morning, Boomer and friends. Nice to see you again, Boomer.
I found this puzzle to be easier than yesterday's puzzle. The WELL-BEING and WASP STING came quickly.
My favorite clue was Parks on a Bus = ROSA.
The WINTER EGG was made by Carl Faberge in 1913 for Tsar Nicholas II as a gift for his mother.
My first thought for Miss Identification was Err before NEE. Fun to see WED further down in the puzzle after uncovering NEE.
I am familiar with the IDIOT Box, but what is an IDIOT Card?
My thoughts are with you, JazzBumpa. I hope your mother is doing well.
All the best to you, too, Spitzboov.
QOD: Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~ Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 ~ June 22, 1969)
Good morning!
This felt like a Monday. Only ALIENEE, VERTIGO and IGNEOUS pushed it later into the week. I really need to learn to read the entire clues. Seems I always miss the reveal.
Boomer, why do I get the impression that you don't care much for abbreviations?
I much prefer a shower in the morning to a bath at night.
I think IDIOT cards refers to that stack of 3x5's in the hands of the guy giving the speech -- something to refer to when he gets lost and feels like an IDIOT.
Is that why they refer to the "alienated" wife -- she's the one who's gonna get the property? And is it called an ANTE because it comes "before" the hand? I guess it does.
Best wishes, Spitz. Jazz, sorry to hear about your mom.
Best wishes to Ron and Al. Hope everything turns out okay.
Since this puzzle was probably constucted months ago, Mr. Stillman was predicting my future. Three week ago I had that reeling-feeling VERTIGO for three days and a week later I had a WASP STING by a kamikaze was that somehow flew headfirst into a glass of Coke, with ice, and when I went to take a sip, I was stung on the upper lip. It was still upside down ( and dead) 5 minutes later when I showed my wife.
I've heard of IDIOT box, but idiot card is a new one. The top half of the puzzle filled in about 2 minutes but stalled at SHIN and HUGH. I've never heard SHIN used that way. CBS and SARTRE were other unknowns. I knew the Faberge would be an EGG, but WINTER was all perps.
Boomer: Great job "Pinch-Hitting." Good luck in the up-coming Tournament.
Jazz and Spitz: Positive thoughts from Villa Incognito.
Also to Husker Gary on his "correction" next Monday.
OK, I only needed ESP to get ERNO Rubik.
And 49-a, Serious depression, for CRATER brought out the V-8 can smack.
Hmmm, isn't RE-POT what you do to get HIGH again???
(Smoke'em if you got'em).
Cheers!
Good morning all, and good seeing you Boomer! Easy puzzle today, and you made it thoroughly enjoyable with your comments.
Abbr? Who needs 'em!
I think "idiot cards" originated in television, with the big script boards held off-screen to cue the actors. Other than that, my only hiccup was putting ARNO Rubik instead of ERNO. Which made my Study hall occupants doing some weird things. After straightening that out, it was smooth sailing to the end.
Jazz, continued thoughts going out to you. Al, I hope you have a speedy recovery!
Musings
-What a very nice mid-week offering and write-up. Did you stick a 10 pin on that 299, Boomer?
-There are fewer shoe SHINES needed with everyone in tennis shoes these days
-KC’s Chris Young got 19 OUTS last night before giving up a hit to the Twins
-My most familiar use of the word TEEM(ing)
-I used to NET big money every summer with my detasseling crews
-Oh yeah, spacecraft can indicate singular or plural
-Carson, Leno, ET AL always were seeking a SEGUE when conversations were going nowhere
-Constant spring rains have our yards TEEMING with skeeters
-Poe’s RUE Morgue was a fictional street in what some call the first modern murder mystery
-A vineyard we visited in Sonoma, CA TINSELS his crop to deter birds
-Getting a crowd ES.
-Shinny? Yes. SHIN? Not so much.
-Wouldn’t you get VERTIGO taking this selfie?
-I unknowingly ate a big hunk of WASABI once. Yikes!
-I hope all medical issues we are facing resolve themselves quickly!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jeff Stillman, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.
Got through this fairly easily. Theme was good and it did help me with some of the puzzle, i.e.: WINTER EGG and WITH A BANG.
Did not know WES Greene, but perps and a wag did it.
SARTRE came slowly. I will have to look him up and see what the story is/was.
Had PROBER for a while. PROBES won that battle. Obviously I was not sure about WASABI. I do not frequent (or even go to) sushi bars.
Liked IGNEOUS, VERTIGO, PLATEAU, and EERIEST. Good words.
Hoped the Czar's mother liked her birthday gift. It is beautiful.
ALIENEE is a new word for me. However, BOER, right next to it was easy.
Weather good today in NE Illinois. Working in the garden again.
Hope your mother improves, Jazzbumpa, and good luck to you Spitzboov.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Good Morning:
Caught the theme after wasp sting; wing seemed to jump right out. No real problems and just about right for a Wednesday. Thought of CC at olio and Abejo at tea.
Well done, Jeff, and kudos to Boomer for an A+ expo. You are in rare form, today, Boomer; I enjoyed every word! Good luck in the Tournament.
Best wishes and thoughts to Jazz and feel better soon, Spitz. Best of luck to HG for Monday's procedure.
Having two of my sisters for dinner tonight and a long-time friend for lunch tomorrow, so I'll be a busy bee today.
Unfortunately, the escapees are still on the loose. I just hope they are caught before anyone is harmed.
Have a great day.
Hoping for the best for Jazz's mom, and for Spitz's surgery. Thanks to Boomer for doing the honors for us today!
I got all of this only after a few missteps in the south, due to missing the implied plural of PROBES and not being sure of ERNO or whether to spell LIS as LYS. But it did come out in the end.
AUDI is the last remaining brand from the Auto Union company, originally comprising four different brands all based in Saxony – Audi and Horch in Zwickau, Wanderer in Chemnitz-Siegmar and DKW in Zschopau. The company made a significant contribution to the progress of the automotive industry in Germany. We visited the museum last December when there for Christmas.
Good Morning.
Thanks Jeff for a very pleasant mid week run. Boomer, the expo was a fine one; thanks for the back up.
I didn't see the theme, but I seldom think of it or look for it while I'm solving. I especially like BATH. When my son was about five, I sent him upstairs to "draw a bath," and ten minutes later he came down as dirty as when he went up. However, in his grubby little hands, he had a drawing for me. It was a varied perspective plan of the bathroom--with the one dimensional tub running water. Naturally I saved it. I will have it framed for the family bathroom in his new home. Clever little chap and a funny memory.
JazzB, some prayers are headed your way. Spitzboov, feel better. HG, all the best.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Good morning all,
Nice to see you here Boomer. Congrats and good luck in the tournament. Loved your write up.
Prayers and good thoughts going out to Bumpa, Spitzboov and Gary too.
I never saw the wings, but surprised that I was able to fill a good deal of the puzzle without perping, BUT I have to say alienee is new and I didn't understand nets for realizes. Winter, shin and nee were all perps. Many of the clues were fun and fresh for me. I'm rusty.
Madame D., cute bath story.
Pretty smooth solve, altho a wrong entry on cross between GREENE and SHIN. Had and M instead of an N.
Thanks Jeff for a fun puzzle, and Boomer for the great fill-in job. Good luck in the tourney.
JzB and Al - We are all thinking and praying for you!
Positive thoughts to Jzb & Spitz,
& a few CrossEyed thoughts for everyone else...
Well being tip?
Wasp Sting? I wonder if John Lampkin started this way?
A modern Viking Funeral?
Winter Egg?
Teacher blackboard tips.
Irish Miss, I can't read your comment without envisioning a very busy cannibal! :>)
Hello, friends. How nice to see you, Boomer! I enjoyed your review.
And Jeff Stillman gave another fun run today and it's a good thing because I'm out of practice although Doug Peterson had two nice puzzles in the Southwest magazine. One was supremely easy, the other more challenging but fun.
I love Oscar Wilde's farcical writing and I see a new, fresh clue for our musical friend, the OBOE. Parks on a bus, ROSA was my favorite, too.
Like some of you, I had to wait for WINTER but EGG was obvious. It's gorgeous! Many of Faberge's EGGs are displayed in the Hermitage at St. Petersburg, Russia.
Best wishes and prayers, Bumpa, for your mother and for Al. Gary, good luck on your procedure.
Boomer, I wish you well in the tournament!
Have a great day, everyone!
Good Humpday puzzle.
My heart goes out to all you guys with medical issues. Jazzbumpa, praying for your mom.
The top half went quickly, but I slowed down at 38A. Did not know GREENE, ERNO. For 49A, I kept on thinking "depression" as a medical ailment. SEQUE/SEGUE? Fabergé clue was an EGG, but what was the beginning? Got that the first letter was a "W" but still didn't get it. In the end perps helped, and all was well.
IDIOT CARD is also known as IDIOT BOARD or CUE CARD; the off screen prompts used to refresh actors on their lines. Nowadays some actors use invisible earpieces feeding words directly to them. No need to go looking around.
All told, had to push myself in places, but was worth the effort.
Health and prosperity to everyone. Your WELLBEING means a lot to me. 'Til tomorrow.
Jeff,
Any time you can keep Denard Span to 3 for 17 in a series, you've done well. My Cubs kept him in check this week. I'm sure C.C. wishes he was back playing for the Twinkies.
Prayers and good thoughts going out to JazzBumpa, Spitzboov as well.
Bryan Bickell of the 'Hawks has missed 2 games of the Stanley Cup Finals to VERTIGO.
Good Morning Everyone, Not a total speed run today, but I was on Jeff Stillman's wave length for most of the puzzle. Alienee was total perps and Greene crossing Wes, held me up for quite some time. I've heard of both of them, but could not dredge them up from the memory bank.
I thought the Miss Identification clue was very clever as well as Parks on a bus.
I did finally get the theme, but not until I had filled in Wing Spans. To have the word spelled in progression was probably hard to accomplish: W-ing, Wi-ng, Win-g.
My thoughts are with JazzB and Spitzboov today.
Have a great day.
Boomer, Good luck and Congratulations on the upcoming Nat. Sr. Games.
DO @ 11:47 - WhenI first read your comment, I wasn't sure what you meant UNTIL I went back and re-read mine. ACK! I sound like Hannibel Lector with his chianti and fava beans and having a friend for dinner! You gave me quite a laugh, I must say.
Wait just a second there mister! I offer these alternate themes:
I prefer mine naked with one of B-Dubs dry rubs like Desert Heat or Chipotle BBQ with blue cheese and celery. Also prefer "wings" over "drums"
And this offering for Way Back Wednesday(all the way back to 1985).
Irish Miss, I could almost believe you are having two of your sisters and a long time friend for lunch...you have been having me for lunch in WWF lately. But I finally won one!! (OK, but only after finally breaking your winning streak.)
Rare for me to not finish a Wednesday, but I got stuck on GREENE. I was sure it was the answer, but:
1. I didn't (and still don't) understand SHIN
2. I was completely married to GETS for 45A, and that left me with a GGU, which is not an animal I had ever heard of
Can someone explain SHIN to me?
kids shinning a tree(2:49)
Mr. Goat, there were several answers that were a stretch for me. I've heard the expression to 'shinny' up a pole. So by extension, I guess I could stretch 'shin' to mean to climb though I've never heard or read that usage. Similarly, I've never heard TINSELS used as a plural word. But if Jeff and Rich thought they were OK for a Wednesday and necessary to make the puzzle fit together, then they're OK by me.
Gary and Spitz, best wishes and good thoughts for you guys. JzB, similar good wishes for your mom and you. Actually, my good wishes extend for all of us with health concerns.
JazzB - Sorry to hear about your Mom and will pray for her.
HG - Hope all goes well in your planned reversal surgery next week.
Tinman @ 0847 - You're RE-POT explanation made me LSHMSH. (Laugh so hard my stitches hurt.)
Thanks to all who wished me well. It gives one an added "lift' to recovery.
Hi All!
First, best wishes to JzB, Spitz, and HG. You all are in my thoughts...
A Wonderful WED. offerING from Jeff and expo from Boomer (good luck!). Thanks to both of you.
No w/os today but I CRATERed in the NE. I had to lookup Mélange; oh, OLIO. DNF.
GREEN and SARTRE I learned during DW's studies. If it wasn't for her, I'd be a TEEMing IDIOT. (ERNO I knew 'cuz I'm a nerd).
To me GNU is the recursive acronym GNU's Not Unix.
Sans SEGUE:
Fav: IDIOT and ASTUTE in the same puzzle. ROSA Parks on a bus and NEE are cute too.
M. Defarge - The framed BATH drawing is an awesome idea.
Cheers, -T
I've been too busy to comment lately, but did want to chime in and wish the best to Ron's mom, Al, and Gary. I hope it all turns out well.
Thanks Anon T @ 7:38. I hope so. He doesn't know I still have it. I do know from handing down other items, his wife will LOVE it, which makes me even happier I saved it. My grandson wears Super Bowl XX and Cubs 85 tee shirts that were his dad's!. One of my daughters drew a picture of a "Calipitter" [sic] that now hangs in the hall between her kids bedrooms. Great fun being a saver Gramma. Enjoy the rest of the evening.... Madame D
HeartRx @5:18 Me thinks the lady protests too much! You have been a most formidable opponent in all of our WWF's games. If we were keeping score, I dare say we would be about 50-50 in wins. In any case, we have a lot of fun, win or lose. 😉
Ahh - everything's wraped up so I can FLEE to a 10-day vacation. Another 1/2-day working at home in the am and OFF w/ Eldest to ORD at noon. I'll visit my Bro in Naperville, SEE Rush (the band) w/ him & Sis in CHI (we're so pump'd! - we've been calling daily), then down to SPI Sat for a week of RESPITE with dad.
It's amazing how much work one must do before USEing vacation. I'm ELATEd to see my family though - DW & Yougest will meet us in CHI Friday!
If you don't hear from me it's 'cuz... -T OUT. Cheers.
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