Tuesday, July 31, 2018 David Poole

"BREAD AND BUTTER"

21. *LeBron's sport: BASKETBALL.  Breadbasket (or bread basket), and butterball

32. *Insect used in genetic research: FRUITFLY. Breadfruit and butterfly

56. *Glazed morning snack: DOUGHNUT. Bread dough and butternut.

66. *Form a queue: LINE UP. Breadline and butter up

42. Primary source of income ... and words that can precede the two parts, respectively, of the answers to starred clues: BREAD AND BUTTER.

Across:

1. Muslim veil: HIJAB.

6. Behind us: PAST. 

10. Fashion's de la Renta: OSCAR.

15. Self-__: personally mindful: AWARE. I find it joyous to watch babies become self-aware.

16. Trade show: EXPO.  Dash-T is going to a couple.  Continuing education in the security trade.  He's stoked.  

17. Eclipse shadow: UMBRA.

18. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.

19. Paella morsel: CLAM.

20. In poor taste: TACKY.

24. Cereal mix: MUESLI.

27. NASDAQ locale: WALL ST. The NASDAQ Composite Index is up over 12% this year.

31. Play a part: ACT.   Paraprosdokian: "We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public."    Old Man Keith could teach aspirants a thing or two about how to play a part.  

37. Hither partner: YON.  Hither and Yon.  Here and there (and everywhere).  Scattered.

38. Plural medical suffix: OSES.

40. NYC gallery district: SOHO.  South of Howstun.  Huestun is in Texas.

41. Lewd material: SMUT.  None here please.

47. Part of town, in slang: NABE. Neighborhood

48. Street: ROAD.

49. Branch of mechanics concerned with forces in equilibrium: STATICS.  Balanced forces.

52. Loving: ADORING. 

55. Frying liquid: OIL.

59. Watery expanse: SEA.

60. Fracas: MELEE.

62. Hammer head: PEEN.  The round part of a machinist's hammer, which is also commonly known as a "ball peen hammer."   Ball peen hammers are harder than carpenter hammers, and are used in metalworking, versus the claw hammers that are used in carpentry and woodworking. 

63. Blender selection: SPEED.  Was thinking of a setting, e.g. mince.

65. Diva's delivery: ARIA.

68. Teen anti-DWI gp.: SADD.   Students Against Destructive Decisions

69. Didn't stay: LEFT.

70. Of a battery terminal: ANODAL.  Understanding Anodal and Cathodal Stimulation

71. Small ocean landmass: ISLE.

72. Mid-month date: IDES.

73. Pathetically tiny, as a sum of money: MEASLY. Paltry.  A pittance.  Meager.  Like today's review.  Sorry folks, exhaustion and fatigue plagued me this week.  Should have called for a sub.

74. Tourney ranking: SEED.  Used in some sports tournaments that use playoff brackets, such as tennis and basketball.  Teams or players are first ranked (seeded) and then placed in the brackets. The NCAA's "March Madness" basketball tournament would be a prime example.

Down:

1. Boater or bowler: HAT.

2. "Letters From __ Jima": 2006 film: IWO.

3. Pickle container: JAR.   In baseball parlance, a pickle is when a base runner is caught between bases in a rundown, and most likely will be tagged out.

4. Many Yemenis: ARABs.

5. On __ of: for: BEHALF.

6. Quarter of a bushel: PECK. Picked plenty of pecks in the strawberry fields back home with other 13 and 14 year olds.  Think we either got a nickle or a dime for each peck picked. 

7. Wheel connection: AXLE.

8. Squabble: SPAT.

9. Mausoleum: TOMB.

10. Expenditure: OUTLAY.

11. Word before fry or potatoes: SMALL.  Small fry and small potatoes.  Both phrases have the same idiomatic meaning: insignificant.

12. Network with its HQ in Ottawa: CBC.   Hello to Canadian Eh and OAS !  CBC stands for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

13. 18-Across holder: ARK.

14. Bit of sunlight: RAY.

22. Title of respect: SIR.  A few other examples:  Herr in German,  señor in Spanish,  Pan in Polish,  Vážený pane in Czech,  Gospod in Slovenian, and also Sir in Slovak.   Thank you Google Translate.

23. Hole-making tool: AWL.

24. Chinese chairman: MAO.  Saddened when Chairman Moe said he would be leaving the blog for a while. 

25. State school near L.A.: UCSB.  University of California, Santa Barbara.  I believe Picard knows this area and school very well. 

26. Immortality: ETERNAL LIFE. 

28. Tick-borne illness named for a Connecticut town: LYME DISEASE.  A fellow 'shroomer got this really bad.  Ended up in the hospital and then couldn't work for over a year.   Since then, I make sure to blouse my pants and douse myself with Deet when traipsing through the woods chasing the elusive morels.

29. Mouth-puckering: SOUR.

30. Explosive for Wile E. Coyote: TNT.

33. Springsteen's "Born in the __": USA.

34. Physicist's particle: ION.

35. Divinity sch. degree: THD.  Doctor of Theology.

36. Watch chain: FOB.

39. Senate position: SEAT.

41. Lead actress: STAR.

43. Put up with: ABIDE.

44. Art style seen in Miami's South Beach: DECO.

45. Pakistani language: URDU.

46. Friendly horn sounds: TOOTS.

49. Horn of Africa native: SOMALI.

50. Like big wedding cakes: TIERED.

51. Flat on one's back: SUPINE.  A good starting point for lower back exercises.

52. Once-a-year flower: ANNUAL. 

53. Pine dropping: NEEDLE.

54. Wandered (about): GADDED.  Gadded makes me think old-timey,  of rich Victorians, or the Roaring Twenties, Great Gatsby-like.  

57. Italian salami city: GENOA.

58. Obeys: HEEDS.

61. Diner grub: EATS.

64. Three-pronged Greek letters: PSIs.

66. Beat a hasty retreat: LAM.  As a verb, in the sense of escape.

67. Tissue layer: PLY.

Monday July 30, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: HAIR SALON (60. Permanent place ... and where to find the starts of the answers to starred clues)

17A. *ATM user's code: PIN NUMBER.

38A. *Contact sport on skates: ROLLER DERBY.

9D. *Forest threat: BRUSH FIRE.

35D. *Business known for overcharging, in slang: CLIP JOINT.

Boomer here.  OR I could ROLLER the ball and BRUSH by the 6 PIN and CLIP the ten.

Good Morning!  I was never too fond of Mondays in the old days, but since I retired they are not too bad.  C.C. and I are looking forward to later in the week to attend the 3M PGA Champions tour (over 50) in Blaine, Minnesota. I do not get to play, even though my 9 hole scores have been over 50 for a few years. But of course the pros must be over 50 years of age. What a great format! We drive to a small airport about a mile from the course and park (no charge). A shuttle bus takes us to the golf course entry and we walk in. (no charge). 3M has a tent set up and we walk in and some 3M volunteers hand us a bag full of 3M products. (no charge).  There is an area where you might purchase souvenirs, but there are also various businesses set up in the tent.  Last year we received free samples of Osteo Biflex ease and Nature Valley munchies.  Next year 3M is sponsoring a regular tour event at the TPC in Blaine, however the "free of charge" will be history.

Across:

1. "__ la Douce": IRMA.

5. Beat decisively: DRUB.  Looks like D Rub.  A muscle pain relaxer.

9. High-80s grade: B PLUS. My high school gave number grades, 70 was passing, I think B+ was about 88-90.

14. Not nice at all: MEAN.  Whaddya MEAN, not nice ?

15. In __: as placed: SITU. I think I saw this word in a previous crossword.  I did not know what it meant then, and I still don't.

16. "Spider-Man" trilogy director Sam: RAIMI.

19. It usually shows AK and HI as insets: US MAP.  I think I was about 12 when Alaska and Hawaii were added states to the U.S.  Welcome.

20. Subordinate to: UNDER.

21. Newspapers, collectively: PRESS.  Minneapolis has only one local paper, but you can also receive USA Today or a Wall Street Journal.  New York has a ton of press, I would not be able to keep up.

23. Lightning-to-thunder interval, e.g.: TIME LAG.  Lightning is quite a phenomena.  Who would think that a couple of harmless clouds would rub together and produce a million volts?

26. Play with Iago: OTHELLO.  No this was not Alexander Graham Bell's suggestion to answer a phone.  He suggested Ahoy - Hoy.

30. Naval rank: Abbr.: ENS.  I think I covered Ensign last week.

31. Crosses (out): X'ES.  Most people use "Wite out" now.

33. Fearful: AFRAID.  Three strings went into a bar.  Two of them were refused service because they were strings. The third went into the bathroom, mussed up one end and tied himself.  He returned to the bar and ordered but the bartender said, "Wait a minute, are you a string?"  No was the reply. "I'm a frayed knot"

34. Start of Act II, say: SCENE I.  I never saw a purple cow.  Have you SEEN ONE?

37. Needs to be submitted by, as a term paper: IS DUE.

40. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI.  There's that five letter word with four vowels again.

42. "Fringe on top" carriage of song: SURREY. Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry.

43. LIKE THIS CLUE: IN CAPS.  Like a baseball team too.

45. GI's internet suffix: MIL.

46. Director Lee: ANG.

49. Exec's aircraft: LEAR JET.

51. Elizabeth Warren or Lisa Murkowski, e.g.: SENATOR.  Minnesota is one of only 6 states that are represented by two women in the U.S. Senate.

54. Elizabeth Warren or Lisa Murkowski, e.g.: WOMAN. Hear me roar.

56. Bush 43 successor: OBAMA.

57. Diameter halves: RADII.  Interesting plural - not radiuses.

63. Sch. east of Hartford: UCONN.  Great women's basketball power.

64. Grand Ole __: OPRY.  In the service, I was 40 miles north of Nashville. You would not believe the impact the OPRY had on the population there.

65. Civil wrong: TORT.  Silly me.  I thought tort was something you can eat.

66. Cake pan trademark: BUNDT.

67. Make less difficult: EASE.  Not sure why the medication was called Osteo Byflex EASE.  Odd name but it did not do much for me.

68. Lambs' moms: EWES.

Down:

1. Ascribe (to): IMPUTE.

2. Get control of: REIN IN.  Let the sunshine, don't let the rain in.

3. Classic colorful candies: M AND M'S.  Famous and absolutely great candy.  Not for me anymore though.  Blood sugar too high.

4. Year in France: ANNEE.  NFL players are no longer allowed to take A KNEE during the Anthem.

5. U.S. Army award: DSM.  High award for distinguished service.

6. Barbecued piece: RIB.  Don't forget the Sauce!

7. Sch. near the Rio Grande: UTEP. El Paso, right on the U.S. border with Mexico.

8. Grand Canyon critter: BURRO.  In Minnesota, it's something we say when it is COLDO

10. Ones who may stop to help: PASSERSBY.

11. Peru airport abbr.: LIM.  This is the International Airport in Lima.  But Peru has about 8 more.

12. Thurman of movies: UMA.  So many three letter words. They might all be airports.

13. Taste of a drink: SIP.

18. Internet address: URL.

22. Incoming flight info: ETA. When will we get there or WWWGT.

24. Ice skater's jump: AXEL.  When I was a kid, there was a TV show featuring "Axel and his Dog".  He would close his show every night with a "Birdie".  Like this - "Birdie with his yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill.  Cocked a shining eye and said "Hey, What did you do when your wife dropped the cake?  Batter ?"

25. Heredity units: GENES.  If you have bad Genes, try Levi's

27. Title for Godiva: LADY.  Could be a Kenny Rogers song

28. Actress Lucy: LIU.  One of Charlie's Angels.  Only in the movie though.

29. "__ to Billie Joe": ODE.  It was the third of June another sleepy, dusty, delta day

32. Hospital supply: SERUM.

34. Sun emanation responsible for the northern lights: SOLAR WIND.  Solar means Sun.  I know what wind is.  I wonder how windy it is up there.

36. Elba of "The Wire": IDRIS.

38. Almond __: candy: ROCA.

39. Mystery writer Gardner: ERLE.  Many Perry Mason tales.  One of my favorites.

40. Feel sick: AIL.

41. Suffix with hero: INE.

44. Coll. term: SEM.

46. Hitting bottom, spirits-wise: AT A LOW.  Ran out of Vodka??

47. "That'll be enough": NO MORE.  Ain't a gonna rain _____

48. Research funding sources: GRANTS.  Coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Bud, and his son Michael who we lost last week.

50. Lake near Reno: TAHOE.  I have bowled in Reno and occasionally took the ride down to Tahoe.  I am from the land of lakes, but Tahoe is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

52. Refusals: NOS.

53. Taper off: ABATE.

55. Golden State wine region: NAPA.  We have been there too.  Drove through the wine region north of San Francisco.

57. Coax (out), as a genie: RUB. A dub dub, three men in a tub.

58. Puncture prefix: ACU.

59. Shock jock Imus: DON. I have never listened to him.  I think he belongs in a tub of something.

61. Tax form org.: IRS. Careful.  Crooks are calling on the phone, claiming you owe money to the IRS. The IRS will never contact you by phone. They use our great postal service if there is a question or problem with your return.

62. Deli bread: RYE.  I like pumpernickel best.

Boomer

Sunday July 29, 2018 Victor Barocas

Theme: "Make Circles"- The circled letters are all car makes. The clue only refers to the second word in each theme entry.

21A. Coleoptera insect: VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE.

31A. Much of western Queensland: SUBARU OUTBACK.

43A. Gazelle cousin: CHEVROLET IMPALA.

65A. Type of center: HONDA CIVIC.

68A. Spring sign: FORD TAURUS.

84A. Long-distance exploration program: PLYMOUTH VOYAGER.

101A. Musical work: HYUNDAI SONATA.

112A. Scotland native: TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.

Victor gave us another puzzle with a fresh twist. Without the circles and its "Make Circles" title, this would be just another "listy" puzzle.

I wonder why "make" for cars but "brand" for everything else. "What's your favorite make of peanut butter" sounds odd.

Across:

1. Agreed: JIBED.

6. Compressed video format: MPEG. Moving Picture Experts Group.

10. Altar constellation: ARA.

13. Reach 22, in a game: BUST. Blackjack.

17. Features of Byzantine domes: OCULI. Plural of "oculus".

18. Retro diet, to put it mildly: PALEO. Sounds better than the Keto diet quite a few people follow.

19. Keaton role in "The Founder": KROC. Unaware of the film. Michael Keaton. Ray Kroc.

20. Sufficient, to the Bard: ENOW.

24. Stir (up): RILE.

25. Copier copy: Abbr.: ENL. Enlarged.

26. "Queen of Salsa" Cruz: CELIA.

27. Quaker cereal: LIFE.

28. Instrument in George Harrison's "Within You Without You": SITAR.

29. Beats soundly: DRUBS.

35. Select: CHOOSE.

37. Human-beast portmanteau: MANIMAL. Man and animal. New to me.

38. Gaggle members: GEESE. Boomer fed them fresh popcorn last time. The geese seemed to love the treat.

39. Flabbergast: DAZE.

40. Basic shelter: LEAN TO.

42. Blacken: CHAR.

48. Moscow Olympics mascot: MISHA.

 

52. Sage: WISE.

53. One spotted at the zoo: LEOPARD.

55. Highlands headgear: TAM.

56. Theodore Cleaver, casually: BEAV.

58. Like Ophelia, ultimately: MAD.

61. Two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner: ORR. Wiki says "The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs." Learning moment for me.

62. "We're approved!": IT'S A GO.

70. Activist Davis: ANGELA.

71. Styled after: ALA.

72. Scientist with 19 Emmys: NYE. All with PBS's  "Bill Nye the Science Guy".

73. Sink one's teeth into: BITE. Have any of you tried the Korean cold noodles? I always eat the pear slices first. So good. Asian pears are very juicy.

74. Feel remorse over: RUE.

75. "Jabberwocky" word meaning "evening": BRILLIG. No idea.

79. Pride event abbr.: LGBT.

81. Faith with pillars: ISLAM.

90. Math points: LOCI.

92. Virtual human companion: NEOPET. Wiki said it's "an online cross of Pokémon and Tamagotchi".

93. Joker's prey: BUTT.

94. Ducks with a distinctive blue-green coloring: TEALS.

96. Won't take no for an answer: INSISTS.

99. Ill will: MALICE.

103. Like businesses on Yelp: RATED.

104. Massive hunters: ORCAS.

105. Pilgrim to Mecca: HAJI.

106. When repeated, #5 on Rolling Stone's 2007 list of "40 Songs That Changed the World": LOUIE.

108. Bitter __: END.

111. E-ZPass payment: TOLL.

116. Sooner State city: ENID.

117. "__-daisy!": UPSY.

118. Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstown: WANER. Forgot. We had this name before.

119. River to Lyon: SAONE.

120. Mother of Pollux: LEDA.

121. General on menus: TSO.

122. Border: EDGE.

123. Vandalized, in a way: EGGED.

Down:

1. Roman god of the sky: JOVE. Roman name for Zeus.

2. App symbol: ICON.

3. Level for building, as land: BULLDOZE.

4. Moose kin: ELK.

5. Decathlon event: DISCUS. Decathlon consists of four runs, three jumps and three throws. Who do you think is the greatest athlete ever?

6. Christmas trio: MAGI.

7. Mood-brightening: PLEASANT.

8. Gloaming, in verse: EEN.

9. Hunk: GOB.

10. Like Dickens' Dodger: ARTFUL.

11. Battle on a log: ROLEO. Log-rolling. Sort of combo word of Roll and Rodeo.

12. Low card in a wheel straight: ACE.

13. B-deficiency illness: BERI BERI. Wiki says "Historically, beriberi was associated with a diet including much polished rice (white rice)...."  Yeah, I like Wiki as much as Yellowrocks does.

14. Baltimore NFL great: UNITAS.

15. Comfort: SOLACE.

16. Shake it on the dance floor: TWERK. Associate this word with Miley Cyrus.

18. Buds: PALS.

19. Knightley of "Bend It Like Beckham": KEIRA.

22. Cub Scout badge: WEBELOS. I just learned that this word is an acronym: "We'll Be Loyal Scouts".

23. Ancient pre-Iranian civilization: ELAM. Never heard of it.

28. Engine power source: STEAM.

30. Major 1973 decision: ROE V WADE. Great fill.

32. No later than: UNTIL.

33. Ecological community: BIOME.

34. "Yuck!": UGH.

35. Govt. health org.: CDC.

36. Triumphant laugh: HAH.

37. West in old movies: MAE.

41. Varnish ingredient: ELEMI. The plural form is a luxury skincare brand.

42. Train unit: CAR.

44. Be equivalent to: RIVAL.

45. Magic act sound: POOF.

46. Shirt protector: APRON. Do you wear an apron when cooking?

47. Emmy winner David: LARRY. Notably "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

49. Opening: START.

50. Site of many Dutch embassies, with "The": HAGUE.

51. "Famous" snack guy: AMOS.

54. Morse "E": DIT.

56. Earnings booster: BONUS.

57. Tannenbaum topper: ENGEL. German for "angel". Tannenbaum is German term for fir tree.

59. Use: AVAIL.

60. Humdinger: DILLY.

63. Striped cat: TABBY.

64. Apt: SUITABLE.

65. Big name in WWI espionage: HARI. Mata. Very pretty.

66. Wine lover's word: CAB. Cabernet.

67. Problem for a sloop: CALM. Needs wind.

69. Dig (into): DELVE.

76. Troy, N.Y., school: RPI. Spitzboov & Irish Miss.

77. Ancient region of present-day Turkey: IONIA.

78. Unregistered user: GUEST.

80. Received an AOL message: GOT MAIL.

82. Longtime host of "Scientific American Frontiers": ALAN ALDA.

83. Shapes: MOLDS.

85. Coming to: TOTALING.

86. Some calculators: HPS.

87. Helper with a harness: GUIDE DOG. Another great fill.

88. And the rest: Abbr.: ETC.

89. I-5, e.g.: RTE.

91. NC joined it in 1861: CSA.

94. Power in old films: TYRONE.

95. "Elements" writer: EUCLID.

96. Parental argument ender: I SAY SO. After "Because".

97. "But there is __ in Mudville ... ": NO JOY.

98. Annoyed state: SNIT. Followed by 100. Relaxed: AT EASE.

101. Monopoly miniature: HOTEL.

102. Makers of many links: IHOPS.

103. Essen's river: RUHR.

107. S-shaped molding: OGEE.

109. Hawaii's state bird: NENE. It sounds like "You, You" in Cantonese.

110. 1857 plaintiff Scott: DRED.

112. His relics were the subject of a 1970s Met exhibit: TUT.

113. Niagara Falls reaction: AWE.

114. Suffered from: HAD.

115. Hound: NAG.

C.C.