google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

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Showing posts with label Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski. Show all posts

Aug 8, 2018

Wednesday, August 8 2018, Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: GAG ORDER. Ipecac, anyone?

19. Kontinental Hockey League trophy named for an astronaut: GAGARIN CUP. The KHL was created to further the development of hockey throughout Russia and other nations across Europe and Asia. Gagarin Cup.

26. Airport area with carousels: BAGGAGE CLAIM.

38. Planning to wed: ENGAGED. This GAG is perfectly centered in the grid.

46. One arranging gigs: BOOKING AGENT.

54. Joke used repeatedly ... and aptly found in 19-, 26-, 38-, 46- and 54-Across: RUNNING GAG. Running gags in Seinfeld.

Great progressive, or "running" placement of this clever GAG, see?



Across:

1. Game fish: BASS. First thought of the card game, Go Fish.

5. Body wrap spot: SPA. First thought was an injury. Nope.

8. Clams up, with "down": PIPES.

13. Jaunty tune: LILT. Merriam Webster defines it exactly so: "a spirited and usually cheerful song or tune," but I usually think of google dictionary's definition "a characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking."

14. Like a dotted note, in mus.: STAC. “Staccato” is an Italian word that means “sharply detached or separated from the other notes.” The symbol to indicate that a note or chord is to be played with a staccato articulation is a dot above or below the note (or chord).


15. Overflowing (with): AWASH.

16. Sign of spoilage: ODOR.

17. Ending with Wal: MART.

18. High-calorie cake: TORTE. Not SHORT. Could be almost anything - not many low-calorie cakes, are there?

22. Wrangler maker: JEEP.

23. Homer's neighbor: NED. The Simpson's - Ned Flanders.


24. Have grand plans: ASPIRE.

31. Pulitzer-winning author James: AGEE. For A Death in the Family. “God doesn't believe in the easy way.”

32. One of a clashing pair, perhaps: EGO. Cute.

33. Gobbled up: EATEN.

37. Moral misstep: SIN.

41. Glorifying homage: ODE.

42. Do a bakery job: KNEAD.

44. Part of pewter: TIN. Pewter contained lead as a hardener until it became widely known that lead can be toxic. It is now typically made of tin, copper, antimony, and bismuth.

45. Olympian warmonger: ARES.

50. 1965 Yardbirds hit: I'M A MAN. Not to be confused with Chicago's tune with the same name.


52. Corrosive substance: LYE.

53. Fruity beverages: ADES.

60. "The Kiss" sculptor: RODIN.

62. Old Royale 8's: REOS.

63. Jessica of "Dark Angel": ALBA.

64. "Ready Player One" novelist Ernest: CLINE.

65. Eye protector: LASH.

66. Clout: PULL.

67. Missouri River tributary: OSAGE.

68. Seeker of intel: SPY.

69. Eye woe: STYE.

Down:

1. Paperless journal: BLOG.

2. "Radames' Letter" musical: AIDA.

3. Trudge (through): SLOG.

4. Off-the-wall: STRANGE.

5. Getz of jazz: STAN. One of the greatest saxophonists of all time. Soul Eyes.

6. Pique-nique place: PARC. Not sure why google translate didn't translate parc to park on the English side.


7. Bona fide: ACTUAL. Latin = in good faith.

8. One way to stand: PAT. Interesting.

9. WWII flag-raising island: IWO JIMA.

10. Peeling gadget: PARER.

11. Big name in makeup: ESTEE.

12. Smith of Fox News: SHEP.

14. Wee bit: SMIDGEN.

20. Stephen of "Counterpart": REA. Spy thriller, on Starz.

21. "Don't text and drive" ad, e.g.: PSA. Public Service Announcement.

25. Mottled: PIED. In the case of the Pied Piper, he wore multi-colored clothing.


26. Enjoy the sun: BASK.

27. Feudin' with: AGIN. Hillbilly glossary.


28. Heredity unit: GENE.

29. Albumen container: EGG.

30. Tropical raccoon relative: COATI.


34. Zoomed: TORE.

35. Garden in a Sistine Chapel mural: EDEN.

36. Source of some tweets: NEST.

38. Genesis kingdom: EDOM.

39. Gimlet liquor: GIN. Gin, lime, and soda.

40. World's third-most spoken language: ENGLISH.

43. Belittling: ABASING.

45. Inevitable generational differences: AGE GAPS.

47. Dinghy implement: OAR.

48. Small knobs: KNURLS.

49. "We the Living" writer Rand: AYN.

50. Megastars: IDOLS.

51. __ blitz: MEDIA.

53. West Coast gas brand: ARCO.

55. Twice-monthly tide: NEAP.

56. Prone to prying: NOSY.


57. Market surplus: GLUT.

58. With skill: ABLY.

59. Powerful wind: GALE.

61. Name change indicator: NEE.

Mar 19, 2018

Monday March 19, 2018 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: DOUBLE DATES (61. Two-couple outings ... and what the answers to starred clues are?) - Both words in each theme entry can precede "date".

 20A. *Begin preparing an evening meal : START DINNER. Start date. Dinner date.

 11D. *Downpour : HEAVY RAIN. Heavy date. Rain date.

 35D. *Steaming morning mugful : HOT COFFEE. Hot date. Coffee date.

Boomer here.

Good morning or afternoon (as the case may be) and a shout out to our normal Monday morning quarterback, Argyle, under care in the hospital.  Best wishes and I am sure the crossword enthusiasts that frequent this blog hope you are back soon, so they won't have to put up with me.
  
Across:
        
1. Bird's crop : CRAW

5. Pols with a donkey symbol : DEMS - I cannot imagine two more questionable logos than a donkey and an elephant but it is what it is.  I think Seinfeld jokes about it.

9. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC - I believe this is Latin for something.  But Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be.  First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me.  (From my high school days).

14. Operate with a beam : LASE 

15. Natural burn soother : ALOE - Of course.  What would a crossword puzzle be without a four- letter word with three vowels ?

16. Set of beliefs : CREDO - more Latin

17. "__ That a Shame" : AIN'T - I think Fats Domino said it first.  Is Fats his real first name?

18. "Hold your horses!" : WHOA

19. Cybercommerce : E-TAIL - a clever spin word (not really a word) selling things on the internet (Like maybe on eBay which is not really a word either)

23. Nov. 11 honoree : VET - Yes I am and thankful for all the freebies offered on that day.

24. Capital of Minn. : ST PAUL - We Minnesotans had no trouble with this clue.

25. Taxi driver : CABBY

27. Many a '50s pompadour sporter : GREASER - I don't know.  A pompadour is more like a Bryce Harper do while a greaser is more of a Fonz'.


30. Catastrophic 2017 hurricane : IRMA

33. "The fresh air is delightful!" : AAH - Or the first part of a sneeze.

36. Suffix with Jumbo : TRON - Seen now at most Ballparks


37. Spreads apart, as one's fingers : SPLAYS

39. Hunt like a cat : PROWL

41. Internet connectivity delay : LAG - Or Tiger Woods laying up on a par five.

43. "The Waste Land" poet T.S. : ELIOT

44. Tennis great Gibson : ALTHEA. Ann Marie Johnson's role In the Heat of the Night.

46. Starlet's goal : FAME

48. Org. with Bulls and Bucks : NBA - Chicago/Milwaukee connection.

49. Bonkers : LOCO

50. Tart plant stalk diced for pie filling : RHUBARB - A conversation between Earl Weaver and Ron Luciano.  (May they rest in peace)

53. A : Z :: alpha : __ : OMEGA - We just returned from an OMEGA reunion in Las Vegas.  It stands for Older More Energetic Graybar Associates.


55. Originate (from) : DERIVE

59. Arctic toymaker : ELF - I thought Santa made the toys, The elves just helped.  But I have never been to the North Pole.  But I live in Minnesota - weather is the same.

64. Civilian attire : MUFTI

66. Wordsmith Webster : NOAH - I think it was clued this way because no one knows if that other Noah had a surname.

67. Hertz fleet : CARS

68. Spring for a meal : TREAT

69. Fish in some cat food : TUNA - Cat Food ????  I don't like the clue.  I grew up on tuna sandwiches, tuna casserole, and tuna salad, and I never meowed once.  So there.

70. Otherwise : ELSE

71. Oozes : SEEPS

72. "Don't go" : STAY

73. Actress Cannon : DYAN - Was married to Cary Grant but it only lasted about 3 years.

Down:

1. Yearbook section : CLASS - "And the class of all of us was just part of history".

2. Grammy winner Bonnie : RAITT. She loves Minnesota and will be here for a concert this June.

3. "It's __": "No problem" : A SNAP - Sounds like an insurance company with a duck spokesman.

4. Counter-wiping aid : WET RAG - I guess two three letter words are okay.

5. Procrastinator : DAWDLER

6. Pre-college, briefly : EL-HI - Short for Elementary and High School, but I have never heard it.

7. Cow's hurdle, in rhyme : MOON - Where Alan Shepard played golf.

8. Mystical gathering : SEANCE

9. Severe, as criticism : ACERB

10. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR T

12. "Garfield" dog : ODIE - Good old crossword Odie, another four letter word with three vowels

13. Future stallion : COLT - OR an Indianapolis football player.

21. Slowpoke in a shell : TURTLE

22. Body parts that may be pierced : EARS - I am so old that I remember when ears were the ONLY thing that people had pierced.  Just two extra holes in the head.

26. List of charges : BILL - OR a Buffalo football player

28. Big name in ISPs : AOL - An acronym for "America on Line".  Internet pioneers for sure.

29. Chaotic mess : SNAFU - I am sure every high school graduating class had a fellow with this nickname, and I don't think he liked it.

31. "Butt out," for short : MYOB. Mind Your Own Business. True, but I like Ben Franklin's motto "Mind your Business" which was used on a coin.

32. Dog in old whodunits : ASTA - From "The Thin Man" Movie.  I am not old enough to remember the movie, but I seem to remember a TV series of the same name, with a dog of the same name also.

33. "C'mon, be __!": "Little help, please!" : A PAL

34. Woody's son : ARLO - Take the "City of New Orleans" train to "Alice's Restaurant" and get anything you want.

38. Looked closely : PEERED - OUCH - for a moment I thought this was another two- three letter word answer.

40. "To __ it may concern" : WHOM

42. Yak it up : GAB

45. 2012 Affleck thriller : ARGO. I did not see the movie, but I have corn starch of the same name in my cupboard.

47. Seized the opportunity : MADE HAY - and speed it up will ya'

51. Favorite hangouts : HAUNTS

52. Prepared (oneself), as for a jolt : BRACED - You may leave he orthodontist this way.

54. Does film splicing, say : EDITS

56. Lombardy's land : ITALY. Change the Y in the clue to an I and you have Green Bay Wisconsin.

57. Vice __ : VERSA

58. German steel town : ESSEN - I never visited this town,  I was further North in a small town called Hardheim.

59. Rescue squad VIPs : EMTS - I keep posting that EMT is Electrical Metallic Tubing but nobody listens.

60. Light, to a moth : LURE - NO, NO, This an implement used to catch fish (not tuna) in Minnesota !!

62. Match in a ring : BOUT - I remember when these were on free TV every Friday night.  I think it was sponsored by Gillette.

63. Singer Del Rey : LANA


65. Bojangles' dance genre : TAP - Nope, Mr. Bojangles did a soft shoe dance.

Boomer


Notes from C.C.:

I still have not been able to talk to Argyle. The phone is still off the hook. But Jennifer, Argyle's friend, told me that he is getting clearer and stronger. He even asked about me yesterday. So it's all good and comforting. She said they don't know how long he'll be in the hospital, but the next step is a rehab facility.

Sorry I don't have more information. I"ll let you know the exact surgery once I get Argyle's OK.

Dear Santa

Jul 19, 2017

Wednesday, July 19, 2017, Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

TITLE: Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Bruce and Gail have given us a fun and straightforward Wednesday exercise with five theme fills and no reveal necessary. As the title indicates their five themers were two-word phrases where the first syllable of the first word began with an N and a T for the third letter, In between Bruce and Gail have inserted the vowels in sequential order. Pretty cool!




Theme Answers


17. Innate talent : NATURAL APTITUDE - I'm gonna say Samuel Rashevsky had this when he played and beat these masters at eight-years-old in 1920




22. Broadcaster's transmission to affiliated stations : NETWORK FEED - Fewer and fewer people are taking the NETWORK FEED and are watching over the, uh,  NET




39. Sharp-smelling air pollutant : NITROGEN DIOXIDE - NO2 is a big contributor to this smog over Mexico City




49. Hardly any time at all : NOTHING FLAT - He was there quickly but Arriba means Hooray, so he must have gotten great joy in running. BTW, this is not a slogan for a plastic surgeon.




60. With "The," Tchaikovsky work that ends with "Waltz of the Flowers" : NUTCRACKER SUITE - So that's NUTCRACKER when it is danced in Milan




NAT asked, "Am I a NUT or will this fun puzzle NET NOT one NITHere is the balance of this just right Bruce and Gail puzzle.


Across


1. Lower in price : LESS - Are you really shopping for the lowest price for this?




5. Try : TASTE

10. Nutmeg spice : MACE - Different parts of the same seed (not a nut)




14. Actor La Salle : ERIQ


15. Crams, with "up" : BONES


16. Sea of __: Black Sea arm : AZOV


20. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK


21. Shuttle flight phase : REENTRY - Phase when the Columbia disaster occurred

25. "My gal" of song : SAL

26. Carpentry joints : MITERS


31. Barbecue accessory : SPIT - Ya couldn't think of a better name? 



35. "I Put a Spell on You" singer Simone : NINA


38. Full range : GAMUT - Bruce and Gail ran the GAMUT of vowels (okay, not Y but...)


42. Writer of tales with talking animals : AESOP 




43. Dental alternatives to pastes : GELS - Even for our 4-legged friends -->

44. Angers : IRES


45. Fireplace inserts : GRATES

47. Springfield presidential library nickname : ABE - Honestly!


56. Legendary Rhine siren : LORELEI - I have cruised on the Rhine but did not hear the Siren Song


59. Cruller coating : GLAZE


63. Physics particle : ATOM


64. French term of endearment : CHERE - Mon CHÈRE, 
passons à la suite de Casse-Noisette (My dear, let's go to the (same as in Italian above) Suite?

65. List component : ITEM


66. Tiny sound : PEEP


67. County near London : ESSEX - Home to Southend-on-Sea, Colchester and Chipping Ongar



68. Mil. medals : DSCS - 70 years later the country presented the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Lt. Donald Schwab of Hooper, NE. His son Dr. Terry Schwab accepted. 






 
 Down


1. Russian Revolution leader : LENIN - "I'll take Russian Leaders for $2,000, Alex." "The answer is, 'Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov was referring to this when he chose Lenin as a pseudonym.'"  "What is the Lena River?" "Correct!"


2. Backspace, perhaps : ERASE


3. Occupy, as a desk : SIT AT - What I could never do when I taught.


4. __ Valley, Calif.: 1960 Winter Olympics site : SQUAW - At this Olympics, Jean Vuarnet became to first person to win gold on metal skis instead of traditional wood


5. Sched. uncertainty : TBA


6. Big name in ISPs : AOL - Didn't everyone in America get at least one of these free disks in the 90's?



7. Wolf (down) : SNARF


8. Conical shelter : TEPEE - I had a geography prof who had women in our class put up a TEPEE as was done by many Native-American cultures as seen in this depiction of Blackfeet. BTW, that wouldn't fly at this house 




9. Regard highly : ESTEEM


10. Damon of "We Bought a Zoo" : MATT




11. Blue sky color, in Calais : AZUR


12. Showman Buffalo Bill : CODY - He built a great house in North Platte, Nebraska called Scout's Rest Ranch


13. Morn's counterpart : EVE

18. Bygone theaters : RKOS - Can you find the RKO symbol on this poster for what is called "America's greatest movie"?

19. Spectrum shade : INDIGO - ROY G BIV

23. Jingled : RANG


24. __ light: filming tool : KLIEG


27. Roll along the runway : TAXI - Returning to the gate after TAXIING is disheartening 


28. Qatari ruler : EMIR


29. Far from polite : RUDE


30. Some Fr. martyrs : STES - Women should be eligible to be priests, cardinals and popes not just STES (Saints)


31. Unexpected obstacle : SNAG

32. Harbor sight : PIER

33. "__ deal!" : IT'S A



34. Run leisurely : TROT

36. Storm direction: Abbr. : NNE - Nor'easter!

37. Dwight's opponent : ADLAI - I loved when ADLAI, as JFK's U.N. Ambassador, told the Russians he was willing to wait "until hell freezes over" for their answer on misses in Cuba.

40. Swiss army knife tool : OPENER - Wait a minute, oh, there it is!



41. Copyright pg. ID : ISBN - The International Standard Book Number for this book by our talented editor Rich Norris is 1402775806



46. Comfort in grief : SOLACE

48. Flan ingredients : EGGS

50. Computer repair experts : TECHS - Remember those guys you made fun of in school? 

51. Backpacking activities : HIKES

52. Transmission lubricant : FLUID


53. Milks, in Marseilles : LAITS - Quatre grandes bouteilles de LAIT (Four large bottles of milk)

54. Tenochtitlán native : AZTEC

55. Abounds (with) : TEEMS

56. Minstrel's instrument : LUTE

57. Plains native : OTOE

58. Law gp. that now only uses horses for ceremonial events : RCMP - RCMP member Dudley Do-Right's horse was named, uh, Horse

60. Go out for a bit? : NAP

61. Ode preposition : ERE

62. "Toy Story" dinosaur : REX

The Grid:



Comment at wall, I mean well, I mean will:









Feb 21, 2017

Tuesday, February 21 2017, Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: Lend Me Your Ears.

17. High-tech bookmark : INTERNET ADDRESS

28. Office gossip : WATER COOLER TALK
 

48. Right granted in the First Amendment : PROTECTED SPEECH

62. "Et tu, Brute?," e.g. : FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Melissa here. Love the four grid-spanners. No reveal clue today, but it's hiding in the answer to 62A. Very clever.

Across

1. One in a bad mood : CRAB





5. Diplomat's asset : TACT

9. Vatican-related : PAPAL

14. Memorization method : ROTE. Repetition.

15. Patron saint of Norway : OLAF. Not Olav.

16. Nimble : AGILE




20. African language group : BANTU

21. Winter bug : FLU

22. Cupid's counterpart : EROS

23. Safari beast : RHINO

26. Mystery writer whose Baltimore home is preserved as a museum : POE

35. Moved quickly, old-style : HIED

36. Meat inspector's org. : USDA

37. "Awesome!" : ZOWIE. Stumped me.

38. Office coffee holder, perhaps : URN

39. Hard-rock link : AS A

40. "O Sole __" : MIO. "The sun, my own sun."

42. 1965 march state: Abbr. : ALA





43. Gold or silver : METAL

45. Rainbow flag initialism : LGBT

47. Gillette's __ II razor : TRAC

51. Bubbly prefix : AER. Aerate.

52. Clapton classic : LAYLA

53. Gem from Australia : OPAL

56. Private eye : TEC. DeTECtive.

58. Go around in circles? : ORBIT

66. Pat down : FRISK

67. Inbox clogger : SPAM. NOAA discovered this perfectly preserved can of SPAM resting at the bottom of the ocean (4,947 meters) on the slopes of a canyon leading to the Sirena Deep in the Mariana trench.





68. Pamplona parlor : SALA. Spanish, a large room or hall to entertain guests.

69. Sight or hearing : SENSE

70. Wine city near Turin : ASTI

71. River of central Germany : EDER





Down

1. Bed with sliding sides : CRIB

2. Author Jaffe : RONA

3. Mail-routing abbr. : ATTN

4. Obviously embarrassed : BEET RED

5. Weigh station unit : TON

6. Pub offering : ALE

7. Science Diet product : CAT FOOD

8. Nonstick kitchen brand : T-FAL. French cookware - portmanteau of TEFlon and ALuminum.

9. Sketching tablet : PAD

10. Shake hands on : AGREE TO

11. Harbor strolling spot : PIER

12. "One more thing ... " : ALSO

13. Not as much : LESS

18. Industrial area of western Germany : RUHR

19. Play for a sucker : DUPE

24. Post-op areas, briefly : ICUs. Intensive Care Units.

25. Margarita option : NO SALT

27. Ricelike pasta : ORZO

28. Sound of a tree falling, say : WHUMP

29. Broadcaster : AIRER

30. __-one: long odds : TEN TO

31. Kappa follower : LAMBDA

32. Informed (of) : AWARE. I wonder why the (of) is needed here - since of could also follow AWARE.

33. Pale purple : LILAC

34. Stacy who played Mike Hammer : KEACH





39. Out of the wind : ALEE
41. "The __-bitsy spider ... " : ITSY

44. Completely flummoxed : AT A LOSS. I often hear "I am lost for words," instead of "I am at a loss for words." Doesn't make sense to me.

46. Easy-to-swallow meds : GELCAPS

47. Flowering hybrid with thorns : TEA ROSE. Wikipedia: Hybrid tea is an informal horticultural classification for a group of garden roses. They were created by cross-breeding two types of roses, initially by hybridising hybrid perpetuals with tea roses.






49. Phased-out PC screens : CRTS. Cathode Ray Tubes.

50. Farm machine : PLOW

53. Does in, mob-style : OFFS

54. Whittle (down) : PARE

55. Idi of Uganda : AMIN

57. Big cat of film : ELSA

59. Actor Pitt : BRAD

60. Vegging out : IDLE

61. Many an Ivan, in old Russia : TSAR

63. Lute kin : UKE

64. Gained a lap? : SAT

65. "No more deets!" : TMI. "Too much information!" (Deets=details.)






Nov 30, 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016, Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

TITLE: AT THE TURN - Holes 1 - 9 are said to be the "front nine" in golf. Being at the turn means you've finished the front nine and are heading for the "BACK NINE", holes 10 - 18 and that is where Gail and Bruce are taking us today

Gail and Bruce have given us this theme by not only hiding the word NINE but spelling it backwards in three long fills as you can see in the grid below. 


Here is their reveal: 

59. Take on holes 10 through 18 ... and a hint to a letter sequence hidden in 17-, 27- and 45-Across : PLAY THE BACK NINE

There is a golf apparel business shop with that name in its logo.
The actual theme fills with the ENIN motif are:

17. Stock in company producing solar panels, e.g. : GREEN INVESTMENT - Perhaps one day we can invest in a Solar-Powered charging station for electric cars like this one at the University of Iowa. It will charge 40 cars/day for a 30 mile run.


27. Exonerated by the evidence : PROVEN INNOCENT - He was "found not guilty" not "PROVEN INNOCENT"


45. Standing hospitable offer : OPEN INVITATION - Our lovely, though too infrequent, blogger Chef Wendy has this house on Kauai. She has told me that Joann and I have an OPEN INVITATION to visit her and use the bedroom on the right side of this picture.


Resident golf hacker Husker Gary here, ready to holler FORE and hit the cwd links with Bruce and Gail:


Across

1. Rough guess : STAB 

5. Company that developed the first aluminum teakettle : ALCOA

10. Pre-coll. catchall : ELHI - Not a favorite word with this veteran educator, but waddaya gonna do?

14. Words of lament : AH ME

15. Inventive types? : LIARS 

16. Wild way to run : RIOT

20. California rolls and such : SUSHI - "SPICY TUNA ROLLS" was in Mark Diehl's Saturday puzzle

21. Bud holder? : KEG

22. Touch-and-go : RISKY - Two girls trying to emulate Tom Cruises's entrance in RISKY Business.


23. Swell treatment : ICE - Tin, would you at least put ICE on a bad ankle?

25. Cato, for one : ROMAN

33. Single : LONE 

34. Suggested actions : DO'S - A DO and a DON'T for Uggs



35. Wish for : DESIRE

37. In-flight fig. : ALT - Altitude

38. Jack's value, sometimes : TEN - Pair it with and ace and you're good to go!

39. Spearheaded : LED

40. Fixture that may have claw feet : TUB

41. Closed in on : NEARED

43. Fish that can swim backwards : EEL


44. A.L. West pro, informally : STRO - Some people like to call the Huskers the Skers. I'm about as big of a fan of that as I am of ELHI.

48. Five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ledecky : KATIE

49. Church-owned Dallas sch. : SMU

50. Moth-__ : EATEN


53. "Inside Politics" airer : CNN - Their final pre-election poll was as errant as most others


55. Initial stage : ONSET - It's hard to believe that just a year ago near the formal ONSET of this past election we were really interested in the Iowa Caucuses.

62. Vacation spot : ISLE

63. Nemesis : ENEMY

64. Canal past Rochester : ERIE

65. Far from friendly : COLD - Maybe most faculties aren't as COLD to sub teachers as they are indifferent

66. Parceled (out) : METED

67. Frees (of) : RIDS


Down

1. Loses firmness : SAGS

2. No __ traffic : THRU - This sign might work as well


3. Former Iowa Straw Poll city : AMES

4. Dwelling fit for a queen : BEEHIVE - She's right there...


5. Boxer Laila : ALI

6. Website offering : LINK

7. Stalactite sites : CAVERNS

8. Home of college football's Ducks : OREGON

9. Mule's father : ASS

10. White-coated weasels : ERMINES

11. Golf ball positions : LIES - First rule in golf - "Play it where it LIES"


12. Sound of frustration, often : HONK

13. __-bitty : ITTY

18. Good-natured : NICE

19. Copied, in a way : TRACED - I hated it when I TRACED in books like this


24. Called the whole thing off : ENDED IT

26. Early assembly-line autos : MODEL T'S - You could have one any color you wanted EXCEPT black for the earliest ones. Years later, Ford figured out that using only black paint was cheaper and speeded up the process.

27. Arrange : PLAN

28. Logger's contest : ROLEO


29. Ready to draw, as beer : ON TAP

30. Physics particle : ION - Has an excess or deficiency of electrons

31. Capone cohort : NITTI

32. Cape Cod community : TRURO


36. Black, in verse : EBON

38. Studio renter : TENANT

39. Sweet-smelling garland : LEI

42. Typed in again : REKEYED - My specialty (curse)

43. 50-50 wager : EVEN BET - I know the Sunday LA Cwd is carried in fewer newspapers and so this is a repost of an image from my comment on Gail's solo Sunday puzzle. Two punters died this summer in a car crash, one from Nebraska and one from Michigan State. The Big Ten minted this coin to be used in the 50-50 coin toss before each game.
44. Knockout : STUNNER

46. __ Creed : NICENE

47. Wild way to run : AMOK

50. Large-scale : EPIC

51. "One more thing ... " : ALSO - One of his catchphrases



52. Towering : TALL

54. Put a handle on : NAME

56. Apple Watch assistant : SIRI

57. Oklahoma city : ENID

58. Driving needs? : TEES - Apropos for a golf-themed puzzle day

60. Clothes line : HEM - HEM lines and the stock market


61. Dancer Charisse : CYD

Well after finishing the BACK NINE, I think I'll head for the clubhouse and let you TEE off with your comments!