Tuesday, June 30, 2020 Steve Mossberg

The Can Can.



The first word in each theme answer can be placed before, or "open", the word Can to give us a common item often found in a kitchen.

17-Across. Open-air alehouse: BEER GARDEN.  Beer Can.

21-Across. Taunting banter between players: TRASH TALK.  Trash Can.

35-Across. Topper for a conspiracy theorist: TIN FOIL HAT.  Tin Can.

42-Across. Faux bronzing technique: SPRAY-ON TAN.  Spray Can.

56-Across. Traditional St. Patrick's Day slice: SODA BREAD.  Soda Can.  Here's a recipe for Irish Soda Bread.

And the unifier:

62-Across. Kitchen gadgets, and what the starts 17-, 21-, 35-, 42- and 56-Across are: CAN OPENERS.

Across:

1. Grating sound: RASP.

5. Self-restrained: STAID.

10. Partner of ebb: FLOW.

14. Twice tetra-: OCTA-.  Remember the Octomom, the woman who gave birth to 8 children?  Her octuplets are now 11 years old.

15. Black-and-white bamboo lover: PANDA.  China leases its Pandas to American zoos.

16. Saxophonist Coltrane named for sitarist Shankar: RAVI.  I am not familiar with Ravi Coltrane (b. Aug. 6, 1965).  He is the son of saxophonist John Coltrane (Sept. 23, 1926 ~ July 17, 1967).

19. Emergency op for choppers: EVAC.

20. Make euphoric: ELATE.

23. Green eggs lover: SAM-I-AM.  A reference to Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.  His editor, Bennett Cerf, bet Seuss that he couldn't write a book using 50 or fewer distinct words.  The editor lost.  Green Eggs and Ham uses only 50 words.  "I do not like them, Sam-I-Am, I do not like green eggs and ham."

25. Request from: ASK OF.

26. Swing and Jazz: ERAs.  As in Swing Era or the Jazz Era.

28. Slap shot disks: PUCKS.

32. Reheats in a microwave: ZAPS.

39. "Mr. Blue Sky" rock gp.: ELO.   Also known as the Electric Light Orchestra.

40. Flimsy: TENUOUS.

41. Before, quaintly: ERE.

44. Test: EXAM.

45. Add, as a column of numbers: TOT UP.  This phrase has recently generated a lot of discussion in the puzzles.

46. TV screen types: LCDs.  As in a Liquid Crystal Display screen.

48. King's domain: REALM.

52. Cal. home of the Latino Walk of Fame: EAST L.A.

60. Showed again: RE-RAN.

61. Graven image: IDOL.

64. Screwdriver, e.g.: TOOL.  Also a drink made with Vodka and Orange Juice.  Between my junior and senior year in high school, I was admitted into a college summer program.  My roommate and I would go to the weekly concerts put on by the music department, not because we were interested in the music, but for the screwdrives that were served after the concerts.

65. Compound with a fruity aroma: ESTER.

66. Give in: CAVE.  Amazing drawings can be found in the Lascaux Cave in France.  I first visited the Lascaux Caves about 30 years ago.  We had been living in France, so were comfortable with the language, however, a tour was being offered for English speakers.  We opted for that tour.  It turned out English was the languge of all the people on the tour, but the tour guide still spoke French.  We ended up being the translator for the group.

67. Award for "Fleabag": EMMY.  I have heard of Fleabag, but never watched any episodes.

68. Sweetie pie: DEARY.

69. Series-ending abbr.: ET AL.

Down:

1. Sauna options: ROBES.  Robe or towel?

2. High-speed Northeast train: ACELA.  I learned of this train from doing the crossword puzzles.  It makes appearances from time to time.

3. Cook, as clams: STEAM.

4. Political groups: PARTIES.

5. Baden-Baden, e.g.: SPA.

6. Fruit dessert with shortcrust: TART.  Yummers!

7. "Rise Up" vocalist Day: ANDRA.  I am not familiar with Andra Day (b. Dec. 30, 1984), either.

8. Brainstorming output: IDEAS.

9. Local language, in Denmark: DANSK.  Also the name of a company that makes cookware and dinner ware.

10. Uneasy: FRETFUL.

11. Eruption content: LAVA.  //  Not to be confused with 54-Down. Cocoon dweller: LARVA.

12. Track shape: OVAL.

13. Fibrous candle feature: WICK.

18. Drive or reverse: GEAR.

22. Kachina carvers: HOPIs.  A Kachina is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of Native American cultures, including the Hopis.

24. San __: San Francisco Bay city: MATEO.

27. __ Féin: SINN.  Sinn Féin is a political party in Ireland.  The phrase Sinn Féin is Irish for We Ourselves.

29. Square cereal: CHEX.  Apparently it comes in all kinds of weird flavors now.

30. Noted Silicon Valley journalist Swisher: KARA.

31. Modern education acronym: STEM.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  STEM has come under fire in recent days.

32. Citrus peel: ZEST.

33. Nestlé pet food brand: ALPO.  The name is derived from from its original manufacturer, the Allen Products Company.

34. Fortified wine from the Douro Valley: PORT.

36. It may be cracked or roasted: NUT.

37. Stable youngster: FOAL.

38. Pound part: OUNCE.

40. Easygoing, personality-wise: TYPE B.  Type A vs. Type B personalities.

43. By ear: AURALLY.

44. Heart, soul, or heart and soul: ESSENCE.

47. Truth alternative, in a game: DARE.

49. Curving: ARCED.

50. Tenant's contract: LEASE.

51. Nandi of the Georgia Aquarium, e.g.: MANTA.  Here's the story of Nandi the Manta.

53. Grab the check: TREAT.

55. Adams in galleries: ANSEL.  Ansel Easton Adams (Feb. 20, 1902 ~ Apr. 22, 1984) is best known for his beautiful black and white landscape photography.

56. Googling target: SITE.

57. Leslie __ Jr., portrayer of Burr in "Hamilton": ODOM.  Leslie Odom, Jr. (b. Aug. 6, 1981) portrayed Aaron Burr in the original Broadway production.  If you haven't seen Hamilton, I highly recommend it.  It is a great show.

58. Unhappy fate: DOOM.

59. Not just a thinker: DOER.

63. Get nosy: PRY.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  Did you know you have the right to remain silent even when you're not being arrested?  ~  Anonymous

Monday June 29, 2020 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: KEEPS AN EYE ON (55. Looks after, as suggested by the last word of 20-, 29- and 46-Across) - Synonym theme.

20. Protection for extremities during slicing and dicing: FINGER GUARDS.

29. Old-style timepieces attached to vests: POCKET WATCHES.

46. 15-season CBS drama about the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit: CRIMINAL MINDS.

Boomer here.  

I have a pocket WATCH which I never use.  I do have a wristwatch but I only wear it in Las Vegas so I can make sure when it's time to take C.C. to the buffet.  It GUARDS against losing too much $$ or my MIND. 

Across:

1. Evidence of fire: SMOKE.  My last one was a menthol, sometime around 2001.

6. Phone call enders: BYES.  "Bye, bye Miss American Pie"  (Don McClean).

10. Recedes to the sea: EBBS.  Flows the wrong way.

14. Piglike rhino relative: TAPIR.

15. Move like The Blob: OOZE.

16. Strong wind: GALE.  As in Gale Storm??

17. "__ you clever!": AREN'T.  I try to be clever, I Ain't sure.

18. Folklore meanie: OGRE.

19. Stan on the sax: GETZ.  Well known but a little before my time.

23. Long-standing dispute: FEUD.  I used to watch "Family Feud".  I liked Richard Dawson and John O'Hurley, but I am not a big fan of Steve Harvey.

24. Go public with: AIR.  I have been going a few yards AIRing out a Titleist.

25. Brewery kilns: OASTS.

33. GI chow: MRE.  Well, I used to have adjectives for GI food but MRE was not one of them.

34. Many a retired racehorse: SIRE.  I am still wondering if the Kentucky Derby will take place.

35. The "O" in OAS: Abbr.: ORG.

36. Least distant: CLOSEST.  A few holes in our golf league are marked with a prize for CLOSEST to the hole.  So far I have not cashed.

40. Coming into being: NASCENT.

42. Rude dude: CAD.  Kind of made me think of CADDIES.  I spent some time watching the Travelers tournament this past weekend.

43. Travel document: VISA.  Also a card that can get people in trouble.

45. Tropical "constrictor": BOA.  Bank Of America will issue the above mentioned cards.

50. Become frantic: PANIC.  Just push the PANIC button and all will settle down.

51. Meadowland: LEA.  "LEAn on me, when you're not strong"

52. Uses a shovel: DIGS.

59. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.  I don't have too say "I'm too young" very often but I never saw the movie.  I did see the TV episodes. I think Peter Lawford was "The Thin Man" in the late fifties and I remember ASTA.

62. Lacrosse targets: NETS.  Also hockey pucks and basketballs.

63. Specialized vocab: LINGO.

64. Null and __: VOID.  You may want to AVOID being VOID.

65. Like much testimony: ORAL.

66. Word with circle or city: INNER.  Don't forget tube.

67. Kibbles 'n Bits competitor: ALPO.  No dogs in our home.  No ALPO Either.

68. Agile: SPRY.

69. Colorful marble: AGATE.  Also had steelies, shooters, and peeries in the bag.

Down:

1. Employee group: STAFF.

2. Curie with two Nobels: MARIE.

3. Speak candidly: OPEN UP.  "Not by the hair on my Chinny Chinny Chin."

4. Regal realms: KINGDOMS.

5. Art Deco master: ERTE.

6. __-woogie: BOOGIE.  "He's the BOOGIE, Woogie bugle boy of company B"

7. Dannon products: YOGURTS.  I cannot remember if I ever tried it.

8. Pound who was a friend of T.S. Eliot: EZRA.  He's was a poet, but if you don't know it, maybe his feet show it.  They're Long Fellows.

9. Tea leaves reader: SEER. C.C. enjoys a cup of tea, but she never reads the leaves.  Too depressing.

10. Spider's hatching pouch: EGG SAC.

11. Main squeeze, in slang: BAE.

12. Lunch menu letters: BLT.  Very delicious and wholesome food.  Just fry the fat out of the bacon.

13. Utters, in slang: SEZ.

21. Earns lots of, as dough: RAKES IN.  I don't know about the dough. We just use the rake on garden weeds, and leaves in the fall.

22. Spoils, as a grandchild: DOTES ON.

26. Clog or loafer: SHOE.  Golf shoes are great.  They used to have metal spikes but now mine have plastic grippers on the soles.

27. Fork-tailed shorebird: TERN.

28. Army NCO: SSGT.  This is G.I. pay Grade E-6.  I only made it to E-5.  I think you need to serve longer than two years to get to E-6.

30. Narrow opening in a cliff: CREVICE.

31. Take the title: WIN.  The only current pro sport to watch now is golf.  Seems every week a different player WINs the title.

32. High-spirited horse: ARABIAN.

36. Sputnik letters: CCCP.  Speaking of  which, I have heard that the U.S. Air Force is detecting Russian planes near Alaska recently.

37. "__ Croft: Tomb Raider": LARA.

38. Top Norse god: ODIN.  If you are a SON of ODIN you probably have no problem with this puzzle.

39. Flight safety org.: TSA.  These guys (and ladies) are mostly standing around in the airport these days.  Last February, it took C.C. and I nearly an hour to get to the gate.

41. Toting clubs for a golfer: CADDYING.  This was my employment from age 14 to about 17.  It was a great job and I got to play a nice golf course every Monday.

44. MLB's Hank Aaron, e.g., in 21 seasons: ALL-STAR.  Hammerin' Hank was incredible!!

47. Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, with "The": MIKADO.  HMS Pinafore, Pirates on Penzance.  I used to be able to sing some of their stuff.

48. Pitifully small: MEASLY.

49. "Burnt" crayon color: SIENNA.  I am not sure if CRAYOLA makes this color anymore.

53. "__ it, Rover!": "Fetch!": GO GET.

54. Keep a mate awake, perhaps: SNORE.  I stayed awake all last night and I did not SNORE at all.

56. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.  A biblical name.  I am old enough to remember Enos "Country" Slaughter who played for several MLB teams.  I only remember the St. Louis Cardinals.

57. One in handcuffs, for short: PERP.

58. Kazan with an honorary Oscar: ELIA.

59. Actress Gardner: AVA.  She was one of Frank Sinatra's 30 wives.

60. Sun, in Sonora: SOL.

61. Bit of advice: TIP.  My advice is you may want to stay out of restaurants for awhile, but if you cannot resist, leave a TIP.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Big milestone for Barry G, who turns 50 years old today.  Barry used to be very active on our blog. Hope all's well with you and your family, Barry! Hope the in-laws are all safe and sound.

July 2, 2016

Sunday, Jun 28, 2020 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Breakfast with Your Sunday Puzzle" - Phrases are humorously interpreted as if they're breakfast-related.
 
23. Wry suggestion at breakfast about what to feed the cat when you're out of milk?: GIVE IT SOME JUICE.
 
34. Suggested which breakfast bread to brown?: PROPOSED A TOAST.

52. Sign of a sloppy breakfast eater?: EGG ON ONE'S FACE.

71. Secure a breakfast supply?: BRING HOME THE BACON.

92. Breakfast complaint about getting the oolong by mistake?: NOT MY CUP OF TEA.

 107. Breakfast go-with that comes from a plant?: CREAM OF THE CROP.

124. Reference with rows and columns covering all varieties of a breakfast drink?: COFFEE TABLE BOOK.

See, Paul sure loves food and loves play with food. He's made a few puzzles with food themes.

Today's seven theme entries are all quite long and take lots of squares, but the fill is smooth.

Paul Coulter

Across:

1. Kind of pool: TIDAL.

6. Arthur Ashe's alma mater: UCLA.

10. Clyde cap: TAM.

13. British bakery buy: SCONE. Breakfast item.

18. Antipasto morsel: OLIVE. Food again.

19. Insulted smack: SLAP.

20. Asian nurse: AMAH. I've mentioned before. Many households in Hong Kong have amahs. Most of them are from the Philippians and they have regular gatherings on Sundays in Central Hong Kong.

22. Welcome words to a hitchhiker: HOP IN.

26. "A Passage to India" heroine: ADELA. Played by Judy Davis. I watched it ages ago. So glad the guy was cleared in the end.

27. Nostradamus, e.g.: SEER.

28. Seagoing force: ARMADA.

29. Thumb-and-finger sounds: SNAPS.

31. __ center: REC.

32. Retired flier: SST.

37. Strike out: DELETE.

40. R&B's Boyz II __: MEN. Loved their "End of the Road".

41. Story featuring Paris: ILIAD. Not the city.

42. Choice group: ELITE.

43. A, in Arles: UNE.

46. Title sitcom bookstore owner: ELLEN. Turns out she's pretty tough in in real life.

48. Columnist Bombeck: ERMA.

56. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

58. Chit: IOU.

59. Code word: DAH.

60. "The Seinfeld Chronicles," e.g.: TV PILOT.

61. @@@@: ATS.

63. Intensified: AMPED.

65. Mex. miss: SRTA.

67. Brain scan letters: EEG.

68. Make __ of: botch: A HASH.

70. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role: ROSSI. Never saw the series.

76. Somewhat, informally: SORTA.

78. Beast of Borden: ELSIE.

79. One of the Reagans: RON. Remember Air America?

80. First-rate: TOPS.

83. Introduction: PROEM.

84. St. with a panhandle: IDA.

85. Monterey County seat that's the birthplace of John Steinbeck: SALINAS. We also have 8D. Truman's Missouri birthplace: LAMAR.

88. 50 Cent piece: RAP.

89. Handful: FEW. Still lots of buds in our lilies. So beautiful.
 

90. "__ voyage!": BON.

95. Family lads: SONS.

97. Advances: LENDS.

99. "Come again?" replies: EHS.

100. Apprehension: DREAD.

101. Video store section: SCI-FI.

103. It's game: TAG.

106. Damon appears as him in five films: BOURNE (Jason)

113. Sundial marking: III.

114. Curtain holder: ROD.

115. French Alps river: ISERE. Merges with the Rhone.

116. Humble: MENIAL.

118. Not that: THIS.

122. Like many elephants: ASIAN.

127. Cheesy snack: NACHO.

128. 1984 Peace Nobelist: TUTU.

129. Sitcom sign-off word: NANU.

130. Pan-fry: SAUTE.

131. Relatively cool heavenly body: K STAR. C/S STAR is cool too, right.

132. Damascus is its cap.: SYR.

133. Detect: SPOT.

134. Scarecrow stuff: STRAW.

Down:

1. Clothes: TOGS.

2. Tennis great Nastase: ILIE.

3. One may be done from a cliff: DIVE.

4. Put off by: AVERSE TO.

5. Floral necklace: LEI. My fresh lei from JimmyB.

6. World power initials until 1991: USSR.

7. Walk noisily: CLOMP.

9. Tarzan's realm: APEDOM.

10. Upsilon preceder: TAU.

11. Awry: AMISS.

12. Longtime Lehrer partner: MACNEIL.

13. Cascades peak: SHASTA.

14. Atlantic catch: COD.

15. Palais Garnier performance: OPERA. Palais Garnier was mentioned in "The Phantom of the Opera".

16. "Frasier" character: NILES.

17. Legislate: ENACT.

21. Like Irving's horseman: HEADLESS.

24. London art gallery: TATE.

25. Jest: JAPE.

30. What careful people take: PAINS.

33. Surgical tube: STENT.

35. Ten sawbucks: ONE C.

36. Gray's "The Progress of Poesy," e.g.: ODE.

37. Accomplishments: DEEDS.

38. "Enigma Variations" composer: ELGAR (Edward)

39. Jeanie's hair color, in an old song: LIGHT BROWN.

43. Allow to fluctuate, as a currency: UNPEG.

44. Whinnied, say: NEIGHED.

45. Immigrant's class: Abbr.: ESL.

47. Boxer's director: LEASH. Great clue.

49. Humdinger: RIPSNORTER. I've yet to use this word in my daily conversation.

50. Homer's hangout: MOE'S.

51. Autobahn auto: AUDI.

53. Baker: OVEN.

54. Brewery heads: FOAMS.

55. Believer's antithesis: ATHEIST.

57. Bust maker: NARC.

62. Storied Robin Hood target: THE RICH.

64. Debatable: MOOT.

66. Johnson of "Laugh-In": ARTE.

69. Elite unit: A TEAM.

72. Foot in a poem: IAMB.

73. Chan portrayer Warner __: OLAND.

74. Perk: BONUS.

75. Take __: rest: A NAP.

76. Nos. affecting UV exposure: SPFS.

77. Crumbled sundae topper: OREO.

81. Song of joy: PAEAN.

82. Fictional falcon seeker: SPADE. Sam Spade.

84. Essentially: IN EFFECT.

86. Alkaline solution: LYE.

87. "Same here": SO DO I.

91. Blends: OLIOS.

93. Bone head?: OSTE.

94. Large flying mammal: FRUIT BAT.  Bats makes me nervous.

96. Govt. benefits org.: SSA.

98. Laughing gas, familiarly: NITROUS.

102. Key of Brahms' First Symphony: C MINOR.

104. Pinnacle: ACME.

105. Targets marked with flags: GREENS.

106. Tab: BILL.

107. Annoying, as a call: CRANK.

108. Gift for el 14 de febrero: ROSAS.

109. Decree: EDICT.

110. Substantial: HEFTY.

111. Ready to pour: ON TAP.

112. Instrument for Joel or John: PIANO.

117. Adjoin: ABUT.

119. Rush __: HOUR.

120. Letter before kappa: IOTA.

121. Bias: SKEW.

123. "Bingo!": AHA.

125. Cat coat: FUR.

126. Capital of Switzerland?: ESS. Just the starting letter: Switzerland.

C.C.