Monday January 18, 2021 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme:  PULLED PORK (63A. Shredded Southern barbecue dish that's depicted in this puzzle's circles) - Letters PORK are pulled apart.

17A. Energy-boosting munch: POWER SNACK.

23A. Explosive container for muzzle-loading guns: POWDER FLASK.

40A. Period or comma: PUNCTUATION MARK.

50A. Escape from jail: PRISON BREAK.

Boomer here. Another BAG (Bruce and Gail) treat. It's Bruce's theme idea, as his name is first in the byline.

Okay, pulled pork!  It's a very tasty military meal, served in mess halls throughout the country.  Maybe one of the reasons the hall is named mess.  Here in Minnesota, we received some wet snow followed by a few inches of lighter snow blown by 35 MPH winds.  C.C. and I will be staying home for a while.

A little news for our puzzlers.  Leah Remini (Formerly of "King of Queens" sit com) is scheduled to host a new show called "People Puzzlers" on the game show channel (my DTV 233) beginning Monday January 18 I believe at 5:00 PM - Central Time.  No, I am not being paid for this commercial.

Across:

1. "Field of Dreams" state: IOWA.  A great movie set in Dyersville, IA.  I visited there once but I was a little disappointed. Only the ball field and a small souvenir stand. 

 

 

5. Easing of govt. control: DEREG.

10. Snow glider: SLED.  I've heard of these.  We had a great hill to ride down from a baseball field to our backyard. But then someone built a house there.

14. Iranian ruler ousted in 1979: SHAH.

15. Teaser ad: PROMO.  We see these all the time.  Stores double the price then have a two for one sale.  I was not born yesterday.

16. Buzzing colony: HIVE.  A home for the fleas, a hive for the buzzin' bees.  A nest for birds, there ain't no words for the beauty and the splendor and the wonder of my HAIR.  The Cowsills.

19. "Be it __ so humble ... ": EVER.  There's no place like home.  Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.

20. Former SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU.

21. Meadowland: LEA.  Albert LEA in Southern Minnesota got some snow also.

22. Convenience store inconvenience: LINE.  I think the lines I have seen to get a vaccine are a bit longer.

27. Miss a birdie by one: MAKE PAR.  Back in the days when C.C. and I played regularly on a par 71 course, she made 11 birdies one summer.

31. Base runner's undoing: TAG.

32. Not fer: AGIN.

33. Qualifying race: HEAT.  Miami's NBA team.  I took a business trip to Florida back in the 1980s.  Visited Epcot, Disney World and Tampa but skipped Miami.

36. Waterproof fishing boot: WADER.  A lot of Minnesota fisherman use these.  Not me, I always used a boat.

43. With regret: SADLY.

44. __ Ration: old dog food brand: KENL.  Only served to old dogs?

45. Opera star Pinza: EZIO.

46. Covert __: secret missions: OPS.  Kevin Costner meets with "X" (Donald Sutherland) in JFK.

48. Lip applications: GLOSSES.

55. __ Emu: insurance ad bird: LIMU.  I really hate Liberty Mutual ads.  ALL of them.

56. Dublin's land: Abbr.: IRE.  On my way to Germany, our flight needed to refuel in Shannon Ireland.    We only could layover in the airport bar however. 

57. Lauder of makeup: ESTEE.

62. Seaweed gelatin: AGAR.

66. Buster Brown's dog: TIGE. "I'm Buster Brown, I live in a shoe.  That's my dog Tige, he lives there too."

67. Cybercommerce: E-TAIL.  A huge Christmas venture last year due to COVID.

68. Word after cutting or leading: EDGE.  Growing up, we had a car dealership named "Town's Edge Oldsmobile".  It was in the middle of town.

69. Poetic tributes: ODES.

70. Battle of the __: SEXES.  It looks like we may have one for Alex Trebek's job.

71. Stack under a tarp: WOOD.

Down:

1. Web access cos.: ISPS.

2. "I know! Call on me!": OH OH.

3. Toddler's drink: WAWA.  Later on in life, they learn how to say "PEPSI".

4. "Can I get a word in?": AHEM.

5. Two-outs-in-a-single-AB stats: DPS.  Double Plays. There are usually one or two in most baseball games.  In 1990 the Twins made two TRIPLE PLAYS in a nine inning game vs. Boston.

6. East end?: ERN. Eastern.

7. Author Dahl: ROALD.  "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" author.

8. Ceremony host: EMCEE.  I've never been a master of ceremonies.  But sometimes they call on me to tell jokes.

9. Low-riding, open-wheel racer: GO KART.

10. Sleight-of-hand scams: SHELL GAMES.

11. Wife of Augustus: LIVIA.

Livia and her son Tiberius

12. Odds opposite: EVENS.  Seems to me this was a coin flipping gamble waiting for the school bus.

13. Jeter elected to the Hall of Fame: DEREK.  I believe his "Rookie" card is 1993.

18. Kentucky's __ Arena: RUPP.  Named for a famous basketball coach of Kentucky, Adolph Rupp.

24. Island near Maui: OAHU.

25. Inflict, as havoc: WREAK.  Lots of NHL games WREAK of havoc.

26. Stag's daughter: FAWN.

27. Weather report visual aids: MAPS.  We still see them on TV, but drivers use SIRI or ALEXA or some other talking ghost.

28. Isla surrounder: AGUA.

29. "Be __: rewind": old video rental reminder: KIND.  I still have a few.  Maybe I can sell them to a museum someday.

30. Extras in an envelope: ENCLOSURES.  Many times it's a well printed invoice that you need to send back with your payment. 

34. Didn't fast: ATE.

35. Hint of color: TINGE.

37. Häagen-__: DAZS.  "I Scream, you Scream, we all SCREAM for ICE CREAM.

38. The "E" in the mnemonic HOMES: ERIE.

39. Bygone theaters: RKOS.  We had an RKO Orpheum theater in Minneapolis.  All theaters are struggling now.

41. Keying-in error: TYPO.  I get a red line under all mine.

42. Cantina crockery: OLLA.

47. "Blade" star Wesley: SNIPES.

49. Gave the nod to: OKED.

50. Student of Socrates: PLATO.  These older Greek guys are all famous.

51. Stiff as a board: RIGID.

52. Public persona: IMAGE.

53. "Et tu, __?": BRUTE.  "How many eggs did you have for breakfast Caesar??"

54. "No reason to get all upset!": RELAX.

58. Eject, as lava: SPEW.  Really have not heard about one since Mount St. Helens.

59. Chore list heading: TO DO.  Visit L.A. Times Crossword Corner; shovel front step, eat breakfast. 

60. Hence, in logic: ERGO.

61. Barely made it, with "by": EKED.

64. Tell it like it isn't: LIE.  Remember if you lie, everyone will know, and the Boogie man will get ya.

65. Golf's "Big Easy" Ernie: ELS.  On the Champion's Tour now but still shows up on the regular PGA tour now and then.

Boomer

Monday October 12, 2020 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: TOOL BOX (39. Carpenter's accessory that might hold the ends of the answers to starred clues) - The last word is a type of tool.

 17. *Party drink in a bowl: FRUIT PUNCH.

 62. *Software help text: README FILE.

 11. *School evacuation exercise: FIRE DRILL.

 32. *Pre-WWII aircraft used for postal deliveries: MAIL PLANE.

Boomer here. 

Looks like I am going DRILL down, FILE my nails, have some Hawaiian PUNCH and grab a PLANE outta here.

Across:

1. Hyundai sedan: AZERA. I thought Hyundai names their models after Southwestern US. Cities.

6. Meet in competition: FACE. "FACE the Nation."  Sorry, no politics.

10. Maker of nonstick cookware: TFAL. Like Teflon. Works great new, but wears out after a while.

14. French red wine with a physician in its spelling: MEDOC.

15. Black gem: ONYX.

16. Home for bees: HIVE.  "A home for the fleas, a HIVE for the buzzin' Bees ... There ain't no words for the beauty and the splendor and the wonder of my HAIR. (Cowsills) 

19. Spring flower: IRIS.

20. Soft slip-on: MOC.  I have some, but I always have to use my finger to get the back of the slipper over my heel.

21. "Très sexy!": OO LA LA.

22. Source of some tweets: NEST.  I do not tweet. I have heard birds that do.

23. Costumes: GETUPS.  I used to GET UP on Mondays and put on a bowling costume. Not this year, waiting for the vaccine. 

25. Spiral-horned antelope: ELAND.

27. Approx. takeoff hr.: ETD.

28. Owner of the restaurant NOLA: EMERIL.  The one in New Orleans is closed for a bit.  Nasty virus.

31. Biker's stunt bike, briefly: BMX.  Never owned one of these.  I think you had to be rich and not too bright.

33. State with a three-word capital: UTAH.  And the SALT LAKE is really something to see!!

37. Novelist Jong: ERICA.

38. Burlesque wrap: BOA.  Otherwise known as a snake.

41. Haul with effort: LUG.  Also a nut to hold your tire on your car.

42. Kicking partner?: ALIVE.  ALIVE and well and living in Minnesota!

44. Lowly worker: PEON.  I suspect these folks would rather be a PEON than unemployed.

45. Jolson and Jarreau: ALS.  I prefer Kaline and Leiter.

46. Depends (on): RELIES.

48. Space-saving abbr.: ETC.

50. "My Cousin Vinny" star: PESCI.  I really, really liked him in "CASINO".

52. Underground chamber: CAVERN.  "There is a CAVERN in the town".  Oops, I hate it when I get the words wrong.

55. Shed feathers: MOLT.

57. Earthy pigments: OCHERS.  I googled this stuff and it looks like you could put it in a pipe and smoke it.

59. Verizon ISP: AOL.

61. Israeli diplomat Abba: EBAN.  How in the world could we make a puzzle with a BAN on "E"

64. Actress Meyer of "Dragonheart": DINA

65. Gardner who created Perry Mason: ERLE.  Middle name Stanley,  I was a big fan of Raymond Burr.  Reruns are on the rerun channel but now I hardly ever watch.

66. Sampler's sip: TASTE.

67. Apple topper: STEM.  Keeps them on the tree.

68. British mil. honors: DSOS. DSO is Distinguished Service Order.

69. Villain's look: SNEER.  Also the look of my fourth grade teacher.

Down: 

1. Car radio letters: AM FM.  Normally I listen to CDs.  Who can remember when cars had NO CD player.  Yup, that's when there were No CDs and you listened to those little tapes 

2. State in which astronauts float: ZERO G.

3. Elicit: EDUCE.

4. French monarch: ROI.

5. Pantomime: ACT OUT.

6. Hoops offenses: FOULS.  Go to that line where throws are FREE. 

7. Actress Gunn of "Breaking Bad": ANNA.  Reminded me of Frances GUMM.  "Somewhere over the Rainbow".  From Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 

8. Rinse or spin: CYCLE.  Ours is a little loud.

9. Breathe out: EXHALE.

10. More like a wafer: THINNER.  Smelly liquid we used to make paint more workable.

12. Hertz rival: AVIS.  The most expensive rentals in Las Vegas.  We never used them.

13. Out of concern that: LEST.

18. Hall & Oates or Sonny & Cher: POP DUO.  I liked Simon and Garfunkel.

24. Second-largest U.S. state: TEX.  It was THE largest before 1959.

26. Rival co. of Visa: AMEX.  Not my brand. Sorry.

29. Post-op areas: ICUS.

30. Fall behind: LAG.  Kind of describes my golf shots.

31. Tree trunk: BOLE.

34. T-shirt or polo: TOP.  "Old Smoky" Destination

35. Brewery output: ALE.  Well it's not a brewery product, but I enjoy Canada Dry Ginger Ale eh.

36. "Perry Mason" network: HBO.  This surprised me.  I can get Perry Mason shows on a free channel.  Well it's not actually free.  It's in a package I get from Direct TV.

38. 35-Down seller: BAR.  I get mine from a grocery store.

39. Golf ball supports: TEES.  They only support the ball until you whack it.

40. Like challenging push-ups: ONE-ARM.  There are not a lot of one arm bandits in casinos any more.  I guess they did not take your money fast enough.  Now it's mostly push a button.  

43. Mekong River country: VIETNAM.  I was never there, but I respect and salute those who were.

45. Royal flush card: ACE.  Robert de Niro  Who was Ace Rothstein in "Casino".

47. Put points on the board: SCORED.  A problem for our Twins AND Vikings.

49. Sports bar fixtures: TV SETS.  Back in younger days when I could go to those "Sports Bars" I hated them because the bars were so loud you could not hear the TVs.

51. Cake finishers: ICERS.  Hockey players who shoot the puck wildly down the rink to avoid trouble.

52. Relinquishes formally: CEDES.

53. Salary increase: RAISE.  Social Security is not really salary, but once in awhile we get a raise. 

54. Actor Nick: NOLTE.  Born in Omaha, Nebraska, I enjoyed him in a TV Series "Rich Man, Poor Man." Career was interrupted by a love for that bad stuff in a bottle.  

55. What docs prescribe: MEDS.  Looks like I will be getting a new MED later this month.

56. Last bio: OBIT.

58. Saintly aura: HALO.  I have some great HALO track lighting in a hall shining on my USBC Awards hanging on the wall.

60. Villain's look: LEER.

63. Breeze creator: FAN.  Not allowed at sporting events this summer and fall.  This has to change soon.

Boomer

Wednesday, June 17, 2020, Gail Grabrowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: ONE FOR THE ROAD?

18. Organic gardening staple: COMPOST HEAP.  Who remembers the car rental company, "Rent a Cheap Heap?"

24. One experiencing too much stress: NERVOUS WRECK. "A vehicle, airplane, etc., that has been badly damaged or destroyed. 

51. Shipping need: PACKING CRATE. I did not know this, but CRATE is slang for an old rickety vehicle, especially a decrepit automobile or aircraft.

59. Aggressive male gorilla, for one: CHEST BEATER. A beater car is a vehicle that you run into the ground. They are typically older, high-mileage cars that still run well.

38. Jalopy found at the ends of four other long answers: BUCKET OF BOLTS. "A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often an old car."

Melissa here. On the downside to the weekend now. This was clever - I'd heard of all of these except CRATE. Who knew there were so many words to describe junky cars.
 

Across:

1. Drug used in microdosing therapies: LSD. What is microdosing LSD?

4. Corkboard item: TACK.

8. Whoop it up: PARTY.

13. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen": EPI.

14. WWII wolf pack unit: UBOAT.

16. Irish actor Milo: OSHEA. He played the chief justice of the Supreme Court on “The West Wing.” Died in 2013 at 86.

17. __-relief: BAS.

20. Crafts, in Sevilla: ARTES. Spanish.

22. So yesterday: OUT.

23. Donkey: ASS.

29. Former province of eastern Cuba: ORIENTE.

30. Cry like a baby: WAIL.

32. Calligrapher's tip: NIB.

33. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.

36. Bend at the barre: PLIE. 

42. Texas ALer: STRO.

43. H.H. Munro's pen name: SAKI.

44. DDE's WWII command: ETO.

46. Many, many moons: EONS.

48. Ensnared: IN A TRAP.

54. Jazz horn: SAX.

57. Part of a Swiss skyline: ALP.

58. Movie with gunslingers: OATER.

64. Stage legend Hagen: UTA.

65. OB/GYN test: AMNIO.

66. Dickens' "The Mystery of __ Drood": EDWIN.

67. Word before or after pack: RAT.

68. Like some pasta sauces: MEATY.

69. Male deliveries: SONS. Nice.

70. Application file suffix: EXE.

Down:

1. Israel's northern neighbor: LEBANON.

2. Slab on the grill: SPARERIBS.

3. Hand out: DISTRIBUTE.

4. Seat of Pima County, Arizona: TUCSON.

5. Blood-typing letters: ABO.

6. URL ending: COM.

7. "Bam!": KAPOW.

8. Greenhouse vessel: POT.

9. __ Wednesday: ASH.

10. "Better Call Saul" actress Seehorn: RHEA.

11. Herbal brews: TEAS.

12. Shrill barks: YAPS.

15. Take in the sights: TOUR.

19. Crock-Pot dish: STEW.

21. "Not a creature was stirring" time: EVE. From 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

25. Magazine founder Eric: UTNE.

26. Senate posts: SEATS.

27. Consigliere's boss: CAPO. A Consigliere is an adviser, especially to a crime boss. Capos, short for caporegimes) are the appointed heads of crews, and are usually given responsibility for delicate tasks (like infiltrating union locals) Dons, Capos, and Consiglieres: The Structure of the American Mafia.

28. Decide not to run: KILL. Unexpected answer.

31. English major's field: LITERATURE.

34. Come __ standstill: TO A.

35. Next __: close relative: OF KIN.

37. Levy put on heirs: ESTATE TAX.

39. Farm output: CROP.

40. Hawaiian coffee district: KONA.

41. Microsoft search engine: BING.

45. Manage: OPERATE.

47. Sign of healing: SCAB. Or SCAR? Waited for the B in BEATER to be sure.

49. Future oaks: ACORNS.

50. __-la-la: TRA.

52. Swiss abstractionist Paul: KLEE. This is his Castle and Sun.

53. Tablets at a Genius Bar: IPADS. Cute.

54. Bogus offer: SCAM.

55. Sighed lament: AH ME.

56. Princess played by Lucy Lawless: XENA.

60. "Take a load off": SIT.

61. Hasbro product: TOY.

62. Couple: TWO.

63. A, in German class: EIN.