Friday, January 22, 2021, Bruce Haight

Theme: Fore! Oops, no, I think I had a five. As in five common GOLF terms used in five OTHER common phrases.

Chairman Moe here, with a CSO to Boomer, Husker Gary, TTP, and yours truly (others, too?), who are admitted golfers who also like to solve (and blog) crossword puzzles. Bruce Haight gave us a semi-themed puzzle today that evoked a plethora of play-on-words, all related to the sport purported to have been invented by the Scots several centuries ago. Most of these were "tap-ins" for this former "scratch" golfer.

And while I found a "fair way" to solve the golf terms, I was hitting "out of the rough" on many of the crossing words. Too many to list here but I suppose others didn't hit all of the "greens in regulation". If I had to (54-Down. Formally record(s),): POST(s) my golf score on this puzzle, I'd say that I "shot over par". But soon after solving, I visited my personal "19th hole" and had a celebritory libation! Let's see if you all found this a fair test, or were always hitting out of a "bunker".

18-Across. Difficult golf shot?: HARD DRIVE. My first HARD DRIVE I can recall was on the hole following the hole on which I had my first hole-in-one. My playing partners offered little pressure, but if I recall, I snap-hooked it and wound up getting a double-bogey.

The play-on-words phrase HARDDRIVE is a reference to the device that operates your computer, which must have pleased the 25-Down. Nerdy type(s): GEEKs.

24-Across. Breakfast spot for golfers?: DOUGHNUT HOLE. Ok, who else among us first entered "SAUSAGE LINKS" as this answer?! I know I did!! Not that DOUGHNUT HOLE isn't a good entry, but I wish Bruce had used the other, as it would've saved me a number of three-putts!!

But for breakfast, I know I've had these before:

38-Across. Low-quality golf equipment?: MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. As the perps emerged, I saw the erstwhile MICKEY MOUSE CLUB come into view. The term "Mickey Mouse" has been used to denote something of lower quality. I have a good friend who used to work for WDW in Orlando, and whenever I visited him he treated me to a round of golf on several of the courses there. We even saw this famous rodent teeing off:

49. Golf simulator shot?: COMPUTER CHIP. Very clever! Golf simulators have been around for several years, and I'm guessing their HARD DRIVES must use a COMPUTER CHIP to capture the images portrayed on the screen.

A CHIP shot is one that is hit from an area close to the putting green, usually with a pitching wedge. But as the video below shows, pro golfer Phil Mickelson has perfected a CHIP shot that no simulator could ever match:

60-Across. Place to meet single golfers?: DATE RANGE. Another clever use of a computer phrase (see image) that is used primarily on Excel Spreadsheets

As well as perhaps where wouldbe lovers might arrange for their first "date", as this clip from one of my favorite golf movies suggests; there were so many to choose from:

As I recall, there are 18 holes in golf, and we've but played 5. Actually there are far more than 13 clues and solves remaining. And since common courtesy among golfers is to complete the round in 4 hours or less, I will do my best to maintain a brisk pace of play!

Across:
1. Hard to rattle: STOIC. Being STOIC is being calm and almost without any emotion. When you're stoic, you don't show what you're feeling and you also accept whatever is happening. This little guy being STOIC with his rattle!

6. Easy-to-read sign: NEON. I'm pretty sure that this purveyor used NEON in his tavern's sign. I can read it just fine!

10. Two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and teammates: METS. First golf and now baseball?? I bet the solvers of this puzzle who aren't sports fans must be livid right now!!

14. "The Metamorphosis" author: KAFKA. All right! Finally, a clue that is not sports-related, but is all about the fine arts. Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist. "The Metamorphosis" tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect. Biographical?

15. Big show: EXPO. EXPO's, aka "trade fairs" are business and industry's means to show off, in a big way, their merchandise and services. This blogger spent many years participating in the PACK EXPO, which was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. With over 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, McCormick Place is the largest and most flexible use convention center in North America.

16. Miami Heat coach Spoelstra: ERIK. Golf, then baseball, and now basketball, too??! Erik Jon Celino Spoelstra (born November 1, 1970) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2012 and 2013, with star forward LeBron James, the Miami Heat won back-to-back NBA Championships

17. Gather: INFER. Sometimes a picture is worth a 1,000 words

20. Liftoff approx.: ETD. Estimated Time of Departure. My guess, for this clue, is that departure occurred after the countdown reached zero!

21. Approximately: CIRCA. An old word that refers mostly to an old, and approximate date in time. As in this example: c. 1732 – 1799: The beginning year is approximate; the end year is known precisely; where the c. is the abbreviation for CIRCA

23. "__, right?!": I KNOW. The phrase made popular by Jimmy Fallon (c. 2000) and probably attributed to Tina Fey. Or maybe in this song that I randomly found ... "Google" it and you can find it ...

27. Deck chair wood: TEAK. This hard wood comes from a deciduous tree that grows in tropical regions of the world. Known for both its strength, durability, and water resistance

28. Sports standout: ALL PRO. OK, back to the sports clues again ... only this time, the second word, PRO, is what a lot of golfers refer to the head person at a golf course. But in this case, ALL PRO is a reference used to acknowledge a professional athlete who is at the top of their field in any given season. Sports writers, fans, and fellow players all have a vote. And some years they just don't recognize the G.O.A.T. (and trust me, Wilbur Charles, it pains me to say that!)

32. Ophthalmology concerns: STYES. Not this:

34. Dismissive sound: PFFT. For fans of The Office:

37. Tool that only works in water: OAR. Great clue. According to Crossword Tracker, this clue wording has never appeared in a published Crossword puzzle before! Kudos to Bruce (or the Editor) for coming up with this clever cluing

42. Número pequeño: UNO. Literally translated, Número pequeño means a "small number". UNO, Spanish word for "one", is both a small number as well as a lonely number, as the '60's Rock 'n' Roll band "Tres Perro Noche" tells us:

43. WNBA broadcaster: ESPN. Oh dear God, when will these sports clues end??!! Women's National Basketball Association --> Entertainment and Sports Programming Network . . .

44. Fretted fiddles: VIOLS. Once again, Wikipedia to the rescue. The fun of blogging is learning things you thought you knew but didn't

45. Easygoing folks: TYPE B'S. But what if their blood is "A Negative"?!

48. Desk set: PENS. Remember when PENS were something fashionable and had status? I doubt many TYPE B'S owned one of these:

55. State in two time zones: IDAHO. Off the top of my head, I am thinking that TEXAS would've fit as another 5-letter state spanning two time zones. I am seeing IDAHO more and more these days in xword puzzles; it's akin to MAINE and OHIO as being small-letter states with multiple vowels. Always good for a constructor to use in crosses

58. Wide variety: ARRAY. Moe-ku:

The poster with wide
Variety of Dad jokes?
ARRAY-O-Sunshine!

59. Italian diminutive suffix: INO. Wiktionary has a boat load of them

62. Soup veggies: OKRAS. Looks yummy

64. Sporty Camaro: IROC. I had TTOP at first. Hot Rod Dot Com has an interesting opinion about this model of Camaro

65. "That Is NOT a Good __!": Mo Willems children's book: IDEA. How can anything written by a guy named "MO" be bad?!

66. Food pkg. info: NET WT. The net quantity of contents is a statement on the label that shows the net weight (often abbreviated, NET WT.) of food in a package. Only the net weight of the food is included in this statement; the weight of the container, wrapper or packing is not included. However, any water or other liquid added to food, or propellant used in an aerosol, can be included in the net weight. This statement must be distinct and must be placed in the lower 30 percent of the principal display panel.

67. Like dungeons, typically: DANK. Unlike this definition: "The term 'DANK' is often used to describe a meme in which the comedy is excessively overdone and nonsensical, to the point of being comically ironic. I can relate to that!

68. Support at sea: MAST. This is another word that fits into a lot of xword puzzles with its common letters. There are 15 four-letter words that can be made with "__AST"

69. Makes more bearable: EASES. See 68-Across comment, but there are only 11 five-letter words using "__ASES" . . .

OK, on to the back nine!

Down:
1. Made tracks?: SKIED. Cross Country Canada has a tutorial for making snow tracks. They will hopefully look like the picture below afterwards . . .

2. Non __: not so much, in music: TANTO. Learning moment. Defined as an adverb: (especially as a direction after a tempo marking) too much. "allegro non tanto". Hmm ... and I was thinking this Moe-ku instead:

The LR's sidekick
Was excessive. Masked man said:
"You're TANTO, Tonto"

3. One working a security detail, perhaps: OFF DUTY COP. This article offers some insight into OFF DUTY COPS and their moonlighting details . . .

4. Mike and __: candy: IKE. These were Eisenhower's favorites. Notice the "NET WT." on the package

5. "Fast & Furious" staple: CAR CHASE. "Fast and Furious" the movie series. Nine of 'em. And in case you wondered, the correct order to watch them is: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 3, 7, 8, and, (for now) "Hobbs and Shaw." There are also two official "Fast and Furious" shorts that take place before the second and fourth movies. There's also another film, "Better Luck Tomorrow," which is considered a prequel for franchise character Han. So many clips to choose from:

6. Indira Gandhi's father: NEHRU. He's a fashion designer, no? Fortunately my body size and shape was not a candidate for wearing one ...

7. __ change: EXACT. Most toll roads are going away from booths and collection lanes (EXACT change only) in favor of the E-ZPass or as we had in Florida, SunPass. I'd vote for getting rid of toll roads completely ...

8. Harpo Productions CEO: OPRAH. Harpo is OPRAH spelled backwards

9. Go-ahead: NOD. For the Guardians of the Galaxy fans, "I am Groot":

10. German chancellor since 2005: MERKEL. Angela Dorothea MERKEL (née Kasner; born 17 July 1954) is a German politician who has been Chancellor of Germany since 2005. Lots of info about her if you click on this link

11. "The Night Circus" novelist Morgenstern: ERIN. Erin Morgenstern (born July 8, 1978) is an American multimedia artist and the author of two fantasy novels. Here she is in 2011

12. Record for later: TIVO. Using the word "TIVO" as a verb fits this clue. "TIVO" as a noun is a brand name for a Digital Video Recorder. After a quick read of its history, TIVO seems to have lacked the marketing and/or sales leadership to have captured the digital video recording market when it had the brand recognition

13. Slant: SKEW.

19. Pickle herb: DILL. All you ever wanted to know about DILL

22. HP product: INK. Hewlett-Packard. Printer. INK.

26. Stable supply: OATS. They say that horses are among the smartest animals

29. Top choices: POLO SHIRTS. A Friday clue for sure. "Top" as in what you wear between your waist and your neck. POLO SHIRTS can denote either a generic type of pullover top (usually made of cotton or synthetic fiber) or the specific brand. And since today's puzzle is about golf, why not show an image of a Pro Golfer who's paid by Ralph Lauren to wear their POLO SHIRTS?

30. Fidel's successor: RAUL. The Brothers Castro of Cuba. Since today's puzzle is about golf (and other sports popped up, too) I might've suggested that Bruce use the clue: Madrid footballer

31. Golf balls, e.g.: ORBS.

32. Salacious stuff: SMUT. Hmm. I don't see salacious below . . . must be the "Friday" definition for SMUT!

33. Lilliputian: TINY. The Lilliputians are a society of people around six inches in average height, but with all the arrogance and sense of self-importance associated with full-sized humans. From the book Gulliver's Travels

34. Indian VIPs: PMS. Prime MinisterS. Moe-ku:

She had P.M.S.
Her Doctor said, "It's just an
Ovary action."

35. Clotheshorse: FOP. In the literal sense of the word:

36. First answer in the first-ever published crossword: FUN. The first-ever crossword puzzle ran in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. Looks like FUN!

39. Polite assent: YES'M. Contraction for "yes ma'am". Which is a contraction for "yes madam".

40. All of us: EVERYONE. How's EVERYONE doing today?

41. POTUS, per Article II, Section 2: C IN C. Commander IN Chief. #46 began his 4-year term as CINC on Wednesday

46. Payment option: E-CHECK. Provide the on-line merchant with your bank's routing number and your bank account number, and "voila", you've created an E-CHECK

47. Uncultured one: BOOR. Moe-ku:

Crude South African
And a few ill-mannered Brits
Fought in the BOOR War

48. Soup veggie: PEA. Clecho; didn't we have OKRA as today's soup veggie?

50. __ Express: fast-food chain: PANDA. I've never had PANDA. Does it taste like chicken?

51. Impulses: URGES.

52. Pick up the tab: TREAT. Do you think that Tramp picked up the tab?

53. Dazzled: IN AWE. I'm IN AWE every time I finish a Friday puzzle. You?

55. "Look what __!": I DID. Every kid's favorite saying!

56. Uber CEO Khosrowshahi: DARA. Perps solved this. I had no clue other than what Bruce gave us, and that didn't help. Here is a brief biography

57. Oodles: A TON. 2,000 pounds (A TON) would be oodles, methinks

61. Asset in darts: AIM. This guy's got phenomenal AIM. Amazing

63. Mauna __: KEA. Well, it was going to be either KEA or LOA. And to end the "round", how about one more golf photo with Mauna Kea in the background?

The Grid:

So, how did YOU hit 'em today? See you soon . . .

Monday, December 14, 2020 Bruce Haight

Theme: Going Postal - Each even-letter-numbered theme entry is consisted of all two-letter state abbreviation.

18. Florida swim-with-the-dolphins park: MARINELAND. MA/RI/NE/LA/ND.

23. Energy source with tunnels: COAL MINE. CO/AL/MI/NE.

53. Huge corporate agreement: MEGA DEAL. ME/GA/DE/AL.

63. One requiring a token payment?: ARCADE GAME. AR/CA/DE/GA/ME.

Reveal:

39. With 43-Across, America ... or what 18-, 23-, 53- and 63-Across contain, briefly: UNITED.

43. See 39-Across: STATES.

Boomer here. This grid is a special 16x14. 

When I was a kid, I remember having a boxed "Game of the States" but like many of my 1950s baseball cards it is now history.  I noticed that Minnesota's postal abbreviation did not make it into the puzzle. I suppose it's because it does not have a vowel.  But North Dakota made it!  DaMN.

Across: 

1. Food nutrients that might be saturated: FATS.  Speaking of Minnesota, I'm sure you've all heard of Mr. FATS.

5. Trooper automaker: ISUZU.  Some autos have strange names. Who ever heard of Hyundai?

10. Docks: PIERS.  Also, when I was a kid, we had a dock at our cabin at North Star Lake.  I think it has to be a lot bigger to get PIER status. 

15. Father of Leif: ERIK.  Yes he was and Leif took the surname Erikson.  I guess Thorvaldsson was too hard to spell.

16. Curry spice: CUMIN.

17. Away from the dock, maybe: AT SEA.  "We sail the ocean blue, in our saucy ships of beauty."  Gilbert and Sullivan - HMS Pinafore.

20. Lightning-fast Bolt: USAIN.  I think he owns eight Olympic golds from three Olympics.  I think his Mom should have named him Lighting.

21. 1860s prez: ABE.  Honestly?

22. Energy source: OIL.

25. Slangy "Now it's clear": I GOT YA.

28. Miler Sebastian: COE.  Another owner of Olympic medals. Not so many as "Lightning."

29. Tree pod used as ersatz chocolate: CAROB.

31. Muslim mystic: SUFI. Whirling Dervish.

34. Bellicose god: ARES.  Greek god of war.  Said to be an Olympian of Greek history.

38. Symphony wind: OBOE.

41. Black-clad subculturist: GOTH.

42. Boy Scout groups: DENS.  I'm pretty sure that Boy scout groups were called Troops. Cub scouts met in DENS.

44. "Back forty" unit: ACRE.

45. "What's more ... ": ALSO.  I see Alabama

46. Words of woe: AH ME.  Now it looks like Maine.

47. Favored on Facebook: LIKED.  I use Facebook now and then.  Now they are getting sued.  Mr. Zuckerberg got too big too fast I guess.

48. Pester: NAG.

50. Amber and epoxy: RESINS.

58. Zodiac butter: RAM.  LA football player or a Dodge truck.

59. Smartphone no.: TEL.  I only use a dumb phone.

62. Rossini work: OPERA.

66. Sexy poster: PIN-UP.

67. Big blood vessel: AORTA.

68. Grand __: auto race: PRIX.

69. Bloodhound's clue: SCENT.  Did someone say South Carolina ??

70. Haughty one: SNOOT.

71. __ Spumante wine: ASTI.

Down:

1. Hurricane response org.: FEMA.  They had a lot to do on our Gulf Coast last summer.

2. Many a Syrian: ARAB.

3. Flat-fixing tools: TIRE IRONS.

4. Slider on a slope: SKI.  Popular in Minnesota.  We have a golf course south of Minneapolis that becomes a ski area in the winter.  Right now it has no use.  We did get a bit of snow in October and early November but it is long gone.  It was 47 degrees last week but getting colder now.

5. Seal the deal: ICE IT.  Cannot do that with temperatures like above.

6. Pilot played by Hanks: SULLY.  Quite a feat, he landed his plane on the Hudson River.  Saved a lot of lives.

7. Actress Thurman: UMA.

8. Brass component: ZINC.

9. Loosen, as a knot: UNDO.

10. São __, Brazil: PAULO.

11. "I'm baaaack": IT'S ME AGAIN.

12. Morales of "Criminal Minds": ESAI.  I remember him on NYPD Blue.

13. Equestrian's control: REIN.

14. All there: SANE.  I see Nebraska.  

19. Gaming novice: NOOB.

24. Stomach __: digestive aids: ACIDS.

26. Starts one's daily jog: GOES ON A RUN.  We used to go on a daily WALK.  I am too old to run.

27. "Take me __": "This is me": AS I AM.

29. Musical finale: CODA.

30. Biblical shepherd: ABEL.  Cain's BRO.

32. Unmitigated: UTTER.

33. Greens __: golfer's payment: FEE.  I have made plenty of these.  Thankfully the course does not charge by the stroke.

35. Rolling Stone interviewees: ROCK STARS.  We keep a few rocks in the garden area.  The stars are overhead and you can only see them at night.

36. To be, in Toulon: ETRE.

37. Mower storage spot: SHED.  Our Association hires a lawn service.  Thankfully because I don't think we would have room for a mower in the garage.

39. Grammar lesson subject: USAGE.

40. Utmost degree: NTH.

47. Corona wedge: LIME.  Bartender's favorite garnish.

49. Modify to fit: ADAPT.

51. Muse with a lyre: ERATO.

52. Anwar of Egypt: SADAT.  No one ever said what he was SAD AT.

53. Deck-swabbing tools: MOPS.  I was not on a ship, but we used MOPS in the barracks also.

54. Large-scale tale: EPIC.

55. Heredity carrier: GENE.

56. Small batteries: AAAS.

57. Scientologist Hubbard: L RON.

60. Radiate, as light: EMIT.

61. Thompson of the LPGA: LEXI.  This young lady is now 25 and well established on the LPGA tour.  Can you believe that she qualified for the women's LPGA U.S. Open at age 12?

64. __-Magnon: CRO.  I am not as old as this guy but some days I feel .... Oh never mind.

65. College transcript no.: GPA.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

 1) Amazing puzzle, Bruce!!

2) Here is Kathy (Yellowrocks) entering her new home on Thursday (Dec 10, 2020). So glad you settled in and are back to our Corner family quickly.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Bruce Haight

Say Cheese!  Each three word phrase FINISHes with a word that can mean a PHOTOgraph.  In English, one is encouraged to say "Cheese", because that word is hard to pronounce without the mouth forming into a smile.  Other languages use different words and phrases to elicit a smile.

17-Across. Drain a basketball three-pointer, say: MAKE THE SHOT.

Robert Parish makes the Shot!

26-Across. "Understand?": GET THE PICTURE.  This phrase is usually said somewhat sarcastically.

41-Across. Mess up a football hike: FUMBLE THE SNAP.

And the unifier:

54-Across. Very close race, and what 17-, 26- and 41-Across have in common: PHOTO FINISH.

Across:
1. Fountain orders: COLAs.  I tried Sodas, then Cokes, before settling on Colas.

6. Embarrass: ABASH.

11. Zig counterpart: ZAG.

14. Full of energy: ALIVE.

15. Ultra-masculine: MACHO.  Sorry!

16. Rage: IRE.  This has become a crossword staple.

19. Peter of Neverland: PAN.

20. Like a medium steak that was ordered rare: OVER DONE.

21. "We'll see": MAYBE.

23. __ Paulo: SÃO.   São Paulo, Brazil is one of the largest cities in the world.

24. Richard's running mate: SPIRO.  Spiro Theodore Agnew (Nov. 9, 1918 ~ Sept. 17, 1996) was Richard M. Nixon's running mate and became the 39th Vice President of the United States.  He was the 2nd Vice President to resign the position, but the 1st to resign due to a scandal.

31. Beauty at a ball: BELLE.

33. Back forty's forty: ACRES.

34. Road furrow: RUT.

35. Brit's "Goodness!": I SAY.

36. Way up or down: STAIR.

37. Flutter by like a butterfly: FLIT.

38. Sibs, uncs, etc.: FAM.  Siblings and uncles are members of a family.

39. Treasure holder: CHEST.

40. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters": IRINA.  Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (Jan. 29, 1860 ~ July 15, 1904) wrote Three Sisters in 1900.  It was first performed in 1901.  As the title suggests, it focus upon the 3 Prozorov sisters: Olga, Maria and Irina.  There is also Andrei, the brother in the family, but the play isn't entitled Three Sisters and a Brother.

44. __-Turkish War, 1911-12: ITALO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Italo-Turkish War, but were afraid to ask.

45. Prefix with center or dermal: EPI.  As in Epicenter or Epidermal.

46. "Don't wimp out, bro!": MAN UP.

48. Start of a partial concession: I'LL ADMIT.  Okay, I'll admit that I have fun creating this commentary.

53. Bearskin floor covering, e.g.: RUG.

57. Dot follower, on campuses: EDU.  Check out LSU.

58. British noblemen: EARLS.  More than you ever wanted to know about British Titles.

59. Juliet's love: ROMEO.

60. Super Bowl party bowlful: DIP.  Yummers.  I'll take the dip, but pass on the Super Bowl.

61. Harped (on): DWELT.

62. Rodeo ride: STEER.

Down:
1. Hunting outfit, for short: CAMO.

2. Norse king: OLAV.  There have been several Norse kings named Olav (sometimes spelled as Olaf).  The first was Olav I, who reigned from 995 to 1000.  The most recent was Olav V (July 2, 1903 ~ Jan. 17, 1991), who reigned from 1957 until his death 33 years later.

3. Facebook response: LIKE.

4. In opposition: AVERSELY.

5. Fixed appointment: SET DATE.  Once couples SET a DATE for their wedding, they often send out Save the Date cards to friends and family before sending the official wedding invitation.

6. "You said it!": AMEN.

7. Loyal political group: BASE.

8. German gripe: ACH!

9. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  Home Box Office vs Showtime.

10. They might capture embarrassing comments: HOT MICS.  Often these are political comments, so we'll skip the videos.

11. "Shh!": ZIP YOUR LIP.

12. Spirited horse: ARAB.  The history of the Arabian Horse.

13. Chromosome carrier: GENE.

18. Partner of holler: HOOT.  Who know that there were so many different owl hoots?

22. Museum collection: ART.

24. Lemon-lime drink since 1961: SPRITE.

25. Place to tie up: PIER.

26. Making more alluring: GLAMMING UP.  David Bowie, Glamming it up.

27. Really would rather not: HATE TO.

28. PayPal payment, e.g.: E-CASH.

29. Spoil: RUIN.

Ruins of Ancient Rome.

30. James of blues: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; b. Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012), makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Here is a taste of her music.

31. "Back to the Future" bully: BIFF.  Biff was played by Thomas Wilson (b. Apr. 15, 1959). 

Biff, then and now.

32. Isaac's eldest son: ESAU.  In the Biblical book of Genesis, Jacob and Esau were the fraternal twins of Isaac and Rebekah.  Although Esau was older, he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentils.

36. Author Silverstein: SHEL.  Sheldon Allan Silverstein (Sept. 25, 1930 ~ May 10, 1999) was known for his cartoons and children's stories.  Some of his best known books are The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic.

37. "Sorry, no can do": 'FRAID NOT.

39. Turned (on) remotely, as the lights: CLAPPED.  Order Now!

40. How ark creatures boarded: IN PAIRS.  Did you know that there are actually two narratives in Genesis telling of Noah getting the animals on the ark?  In the first narrative, Noah is commanded to bring two of every kind of animal, male and female, onto the ark.  A few verses later, Noah is told to bring seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of animals that are not clean onto the ark.

42. Utility bill meas.: BTU.  Short for British Thermal Unit.

43. __-esteem: SELF.

46. TV horse who "will never speak unless he has something to say": MR. ED.  A horse is a horse, of course, of course ...

47. BMW rival: AUDI.

48. "__ cost you!": IT'LL.

49. Driving around in circles, maybe: LOST.

50. Silent performer: MIME.

51. "Gotcha": I SEE.

52. Superhero with a hammer: THOR.

55. Hem partner: HAW.

56. Iron __: ORE.

Here's the Grid:

Yesterday marked the end of the 2020 Hurricane season.  It has been quite a season.  There were 30 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, the most ever recorded.  Twelve of those storms hit the continental United States.  Five of those 12 named storms hit Louisiana.  Thirteen of the 30 named storms reached hurricane categories.  After running through the 21 Atlantic list of names, we had to go to the Greek alphabet, where 9 of those letters became named storms.