Tuesday November 23, 2021 Bruce Venzke

Buddy, can you Spare a dime?  The circled letters can be rearranged to spell out the word Spare.

18-Across. Spicy condiment: PEPPER SAUCE.  Tabasco sauce is our favorite pepper sauce.

23-Across. Astronaut's milieu: OUTER SPACE.

35-Across. Lawn areas lacking grass: BARE SPOTS.

53. NYC's World Financial Center architect: CÉSAR PELLI.  I was not familiar with César Pelli (Oct. 12, 1926 ~ July 19, 2019).  He was an Argentine-American architect best known for designing some the world's tallest buildings, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur.  I recognized many of his designs.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Coins in one's pocket ... and what literally happens in each set of circles: SPARE CHANGE.  When was the last time you actually used cash to make a transaction?  I rarely carry money anymore.

It is strange to see a Bruce Venzke puzzle without seeing Gail Grabowski's name too.

Across:
1. D.C. insider: POL.

4. Anxious feeling: ANGST.

9. "Silent Night" words before calm and bright: ALL IS.  Now is the season for the Christmas songs.

14. Actress Gardner: AVA.  Although Ava Gardner (née Ava Lavinia Gardner; Dec. 24, 1922 ~ Jan. 25, 1990) was in many films, for my generation, she is probably best known for her marriage to Frank Sinatra.

15. More rational: SANER.

16. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE.  Sierra Leone is a country on the West Coast of Africa.  It is one of the poorest countries in the world.

17. "Star Wars" sequel trilogy heroine: REY.

20. Pay off illicitly: BRIBE.

22. How a scary-movie watcher might recoil: IN HORROR.

26. Deserved, as recognition: DUE.

27. Keep separate from the rest: ISOLATE.

Covid Isolation

28. Restaurant chain with an owl logo: HOOTERS.

31. Horne of jazz: LENA.  I initially misread this as Home of Jazz.  Lena Horne (née Lena Mary Calhoun Horne; June 30, 1917 ~ May 9, 2010) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

32. In the manner of: À LA.  Today's French lesson.

34. Oktober endings: FESTS.  Oktoberfest in 2022 will be held from September 17 to October 3.  The countdown is on!  The first Oktoberfest was in 1810 in celebration of the marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

39. Perth __, NJ: AMBOY.

42. LBJ's boy beagle: HIM.  President Lyndon B. Johnson (Aug. 27, 1908 ~ Jan. 22, 1973) loved dogs.  When he was in the White House,  his most well-known beagles were named Him and Her.

43. Big brass: TUBA.  This makes me think of our friend Abejo.

47. Greets with guffaws: ROARS AT.  //  And 49-Down.  Far from a guffaw: TEE-HEE.

50. Features of some cruise ships: CASINOs.

52. Heavy weight: TON.

55. Working together as one: IN TANDEM.  Like this couple who have 67-Across. Wed on the sly: ELOPE(d).

58. '90s candidate __ Perot: H. ROSS.  H. Ross Perot (né Henry Ross Perot; June 27, 1930 ~ July 9, 2019) ran as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential campaign and as a third-party candidate in 1996.

62. When doubled, a Latin dance: CHA.  The Cha-Cha, or the Cha-Cha-Cha?

63. Fix in the crosshairs: AIM AT.

64. Knighted composer Edward: ELGAR.  Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet (June 2, 1857 ~ Feb. 23, 1934) is probably best known for Pomp and Circumstance.

65. Showy pond fish: KOI.

66. Stacks like Tupperware: NESTS.

68. Vicious with a bass: SID.  Sid Vicious (né Simon John Ritchie; May 10, 1957 ~ Feb. 2, 1979), was the bassist for the Sex Pistols.  He is probably best known, however, for being charged with brutally murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (Feb. 27, 1958 ~ Oct. 12, 1978).  He died of a heroin overdose  before going to trial for the murder while out on bail.

Down:

1. Partially cook, as rice: PARBOIL.  The How's and Why's of Parboiling Rice.

2. Employ excessively, as muscles: OVER USE.

3. Overdo the flattery: LAY IT ON.

4. Last word of Kansas' motto: ASPERA.  The full motto is:  Ad astra per aspera.  It translates to mean: to the stars through difficulties.  It apparently represents the struggles Kansas faced with issues such as slavery, Indian attacks, and the inevitable war that were debated prior to statehood.  What is your state motto and what does it mean?

5. Macduff rebuff: NAE.  Lord Macduff is a character in Macbeth.  He was from Scotland, hence, his rebuff is Nae.

6. Econ. measure: GNP.  As in Gross National Product.

7. Old photo hue: SEPIA.

Queen Victoria.  She is not amused.

8. Battlefield furrow: TRENCH.

9. "What's more ... ": ALSO.

10. Norman who created Archie and Edith Bunker: LEAR.  Norman Milton Lear (b. July 27, 1922) is still involved in producing television shows.  He will be 100 years old next summer.

11. French pilgrimage site: LOURDES.

12. Trying a case, say: IN COURT.

13. Prophetic woman: SEERESS.

19. Prefix with stat: RHEO.  As in a Rheostat.

21. Overdo, as a point: BELABOR.

24. Twinkler: STAR.

25. Soccer standout: PELÉ.  He make occasional guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  His given name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento (b. Oct. 23, 1940).  He is the only soccer player to hold 3 World Cup winner's medals.  He won the award in 1958, 1962 and in 1970.

29. Frequently, to a bard: OFT.

30. More irritable: TESTIER.

33. Fireplace grate buildup: ASH.

36. Shakespearean cries: AYs.

37. 12-point type: PICA.  More than you ever wanted to know about Printing Types.

38. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Omar Hashim Epps (b. July 20, 1973) played a doctor on the television series House.

39. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.

40. Marshmallowy treat: MOONPIE.  MoonPies are a Southern thing.  Everything you wanted to know about a MoonPie, but didn't know to ask.  They even come in Pumpkin Spice.

41. Little chickens: BANTAMS.

44. Disengages the bolt for, as a door: UNLOCKS.

45. Russian ballet company: BOLSHOI.

46. "Let me reiterate ... ": AS I SAID.

48. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.  Everything you wanted to know about the band's logo, but didn't know to ask.  The band was formed by brothers Malcolm (Jan. 6, 1953 ~ Nov. 18, 2017) and Angus Young (b. Mar. 31, 1955).

51. Round figure: SPHERE.

54. Little: SMALL.

56. "I smell __!": A RAT.

57. Ping-Pong supplies: NETS.  Not the ball, but the Nets.  I know, the clue indicates a plural.

60. Private aid prog.: NGO.  As in a Non-Governmental Organization.  What's the difference between an NGO and a Non-Profit?  Find out here.

61. Space between outfielders: GAP.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, May 8, 2018 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

"Strong Persuasion"

17. "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" singer: BARBARA MANDRELL.



25. David Bowie genre: GLAM ROCK.


32. Bourbon-making process: SOUR MASH.    TinBeni's favorite answer today.

42. Electromagnetic radiation unit: GAMMA RAY.

49. Cost per night, in hotels: ROOM RATE. Got a great room rate and free upgrade at the Hampton Inn in Pauls Valley, OK on our drive down to Texas.   Thirteen hours drive from Chicago.    Enough for one day.

And the reveal:
58. Using coercion, as shown in this puzzle's circles: TWISTING ONE'S ARM.   Arm was "twisted" in each of the five theme answers.


Across:

1. Swampy spots: BOGS.   Fens.

5. Hopeless case: GONER.

10. Zoo structure: CAGE. 

14. Pinza of "South Pacific":  EZIO.

15. Verdi aria translating to "It was you": ERI TU.

16. Gem from Australia: OPAL.

20. Flying nocturnal predator: OWL.   DW was driving and I was reading clues.  She guessed bat. 

21. Good, in Grenoble: BON.

22. "Makes sense to me": I SEE.

23. Decide not to use: PASS ON.

29. Israeli port: HAIFA.  The other three major seaports are Ashdod, Elat, and Hadera.

31. Sneezer's need: TISSUE.

35. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr.: HRE.  Holy Roman Emperor, 800-814

36. Pampered: DOTED ON.

37. Part of EDT: EASTERN Daylight Time.

41. Juillet's season: ETE.   French for summer or summertime.

44. Online financial site: E-TRADE.

48. Cuba __: rum drink: LIBRE.    TinBeni's favorite clue today. 

51. "The party's been canceled": IT'S OFF.

55. Cocktail party spread: PATE.  pâ·té

56. Seagoing pronoun: HER.

57. Extinct emu-like bird: MOA.

Flightless Birds at Lostzoo.com

63. Northern neighbor of Chile: PERU.

64. "This I Promise You" band: NSYNC.
NSYNC received its name after Justin Timberlake's mother commented on how "in sync" the group's singing voices were. The group's name is also a play on the last letter of each of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. (Wikipedia)



65. First chip in: ANTE.

66. Escalator part: STEP.

67. Storied granter of wishes: GENIE.

68. Neither winning nor losing: TIED.

Down:

1. Charlie Parker jazz genre: BEBOP.

2. Longtime Boston Symphony conductor: OZAWA.  Seiji

3. Brownies, e.g.: GIRLS.

4. Weep loudly: SOB.

5. Apache chief: GERONIMO.

6. Algerian port: ORAN.  One of nine major seaports in Algeria, but the one we see most often in crossword puzzles.

7. Matchstick-removing game: NIM.   I'd never heard of this game, except for in crosswords.

8. Internet sales, collectively: E-TAIL.

9. Rushes toward: RUNS AT.

10. Apple pie-making gadgets: CORERS.

11. Wild way to go: APE.

12. Four qts.: GAL. Four quarts make a gallon.   Four fifths make 80 %.

13. Building add-on: ELL.

18. On the ferry: ABOARD.

19. Moore of "Ghost": DEMI.

24. Actress Elisabeth: SHUE.

25. Grill fuel: GAS.

26. Irish actor Milo: O'SHEA.

27. Spicy Indian dish: CURRY.

28. Excited about, with "on": KEEN.  Fervent. 

30. Vampire tooth: FANG.

32. __ voce: softly: SOTTO.

33. Southern New Mexico county: OTERO.

34. Prefix with sphere: HEMI. 

36. Woodland grazer: DEER.

38. Atmosphere, as of a restaurant: AMBIENCE.   Had the best Chicken Genovaise I've ever had at DiBZ in Temple, Texas on Friday evening.  My sister finds the best restaurants.  She says, "I can't cook."   I think she confuses don't and can't. 

39. French existential dramatist: SARTRE.

40. "__ chic!": TRES.

43. Many a micro brew: ALE.

45. Excites: AMPS UP.

46. "Doggone it!": DRAT.

47. Enjoying the bistro, say: EATING.

50. Needing a chill pill: TENSE.

52. Muscat native: OMANI.  Muscat is the capital city of Oman. 

Oman is about the size of Kansas.
"The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, although the Sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan, but he has not designated a successor. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world, while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK and US. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with its neighbors and to avoid external entanglements."  Source: CIA World Factbook

53. Strong point: FORTE.  Lake Charles born, Slidell, LA. raised Matt Forte played played running back for the Tulane Green Wave before having a highly productive career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.   He retired this year.   JJM's daughter studies at Tulane.

54. Widely known: FAMED.

56. Hägar's daughter: HONI.

58. Adorns with Angel Soft, briefly: TPs. Adorns with toilet paper ?  Made me smile.  Fun clue.  Anonymous T, did you get your TPS Report submitted on time ?... with the right cover letter ?

59. Freshly painted: WET.

60. Hothead's emotion: IRE. 

61. MD for women: GYN.

62. Took it easy: SAT.

Vising in Texas.  That's all from me.  See all y'all later n'at !

Here's the grid:

Tuesday, Apr 10, 2018 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Firm Beliefs

18. "This Kiss" country singer: FAITH HILL

26. Swindler's swindle: CONFIDENCE GAME

47. Important percentage to a prosecutor: CONVICTION RATE

61. Heir's financial security: TRUST FUND

"Faith, Confidence, Conviction and Trust."   How beautiful is that ?   It just sounds nice as it rolls off the tongue.   Each of those four words is synonymous with having firm belief.  

ACROSS:

1. Stick a toothpick in: SPEAR

6. Former auto financing co.: GMAC.  GMAC became Ally Financial.  The auto financing arm of GM is now GM Financial. 

10. Get smart with: SASS.   As the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window, the police office said 'I've been waiting for you all day.'  The kid replied, 'Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'

14. "The Chew" co-host Hall: CARLA.   "With love, Carla Hall"
 

15. Dinghy steering tools: OARS

16. Award coveted on "Mad Men": CLIO.  Advertising award.  "... annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication."

17. In the sky: ALOFT

20. City near Scottsdale: MESA.  Zoom in, zoom out. 

21. Cookbook maven Rombauer: IRMA.  Joy of Cooking fame.

22. Childish retort: AM TOO. Am not. Am too. Am not. Am too.  Am not. Am too.

23. Freeway division: LANE

25. Go quickly, quaintly: HIE

33. Pain-relieving drug: OPIATE

34. Sailor: TAR  Here's Popeye the Sailor starring in an oater, "Tar With A Star"
 

35. "__ Tide!": Alabama cheer: ROLL ESPN "Roll Tide" Commercial

37. Derby-wearing Addams cousin: ITT.

 38. Soaked in hot water, as a tea bag: STEEPED

41. "Argo" spy gp.: CIA

42. Blaze: FIRE

44. Braying beast: ASS

45. Nautical measure: FATHOM.  As a noun, a unit of measure, equal to 6 feet.  

50. Animation still: CEL

51. First Nations tribe: CREE.   First Nations refers to the indigenous peoples of Canada, south of the Arctic Circle.  Cree Indians are a First Nations tribe.  Today, there are over 135 bands (James Bay Cree, Woodland Cree, Plain Cree Indians, etc.) in Canada alone, and over 200,000 Cree Indians in North America.  Source: Indians.Org and Wikipedia.     

52. Hawke of "Training Day": ETHAN

55. RR station posting: SKED.   Personally noticing this more often as an abbreviation for schedule.

57. Save, with "away": SOCK

63. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE.  The Q tile is another 10-pointer.  QI is the single most played word in Scrabble tournaments according to Merriam-Webster.  We see it as CHI in crossword puzzles.

64. PetSmart purchase: CAGE

65. Environs: AREA

66. Metallic mixture: ALLOY

67. Gps. requiring copays: HMOs. That clue and answer almost ran rife with abbreviations. 

68. Abound (with): TEEM

69. Younger siblings, at times: PESTS

DOWN:

1. Bogus offer: SCAM.   Like a swindler's swindle.

2. Light in color: PALE.  Ashy

3. Arrow shooter of myth: EROS

4. "Our Gang" kid with spiky hair: ALFALFA

5. Chinese zodiac animal: RAT.  The first in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.  We are currently in the year of the Dog.

 What Does Your Chinese Zodiac Sign Say About Your Personality?

6. Be released: GO FREE

7. Respectful address: MAAM.  Ma'am.  

8. Song often sung in Italian: ARIA

9. Ill. clock setting: CST. We are currently using CDT.

10. Bagel spread: SCHMEAR

11. Touched down: ALIT

12. Where feed can be stored: SILO.  In a different sense,  these can be empirical structures that often hinder organizational growth and business objectives in mid and large-sized corporations.  We called the people that created these de facto silos "Empire builders." 

13. Unaided: SOLO

19. Reagan's first secretary of state: HAIG. Alexander M. Haig.  He was also the Chief of Staff for both Nixon and Ford. 

21. With all the fine points: IN DETAIL

24. River isles: AITs.  

 Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

25. British cattle breed: HEREFORD. 10 native British cattle breeds and how to recognize them

26. Salon do: COIF

27. __ nerve: OPTIC

28. Explosive liquid, briefly: NITRO

29. Modern mil. treaty violation: N-TEST.  Nuclear testing

30. Keep from going higher: CAP.  A golfing buddy sold electrical supplies to commercial and residential contractors.  He worked untiringly for his customers.  Their success meant his success.  It could become annoying on the golf course when he took calls, but his customers and work came first.  He left the distributor after the owners capped his "going-forward" commission rate following a string of very successful sales years.  In short time, so did many on his customers.  The small business learned that when you sell products that are considered commodities, the difference between failure and success often boils down to the people you hire, the relationships and goodwill developed with customers, and the levels of service provided.    

31. Starbucks flavor: MOCHA

32. "Adam Bede" novelist George: ELIOT

36. Like a weak excuse: LAME

39. Changed-my-mind key: ESCape. 

40. Great __: big dog: DANE. Very large lap dogs. Irish Miss, Misty and Pat are fellow dog lovers.


43. Crates up: ENCASES

46. Railroad bridge framework: TRESTLE

48. Opening for air: VENT

49. Winter river blockage: ICE DAM. 

52. Make a fine impression?: ETCH

53. Monorail transport: TRAM

54. Award for Isaac Asimov: HUGO.  Literary awards "...given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year."   Way back when, I read Asimov, Pohl, Clarke, Heinlein and others.  A brother and sister were avid readers of Sci-fi, and I got hooked for a few years.  Do you remember the vivid cover art on the paperbacks ?   

55. "By all means!": SURE

56. Replaceable joint: KNEE

58. Masseur's supply: OILS

59. Coagulate: CLOT

60. Door openers: KEYS

62. Liposuction target: FAT

63. Heat in a microwave: ZAP

I have Faith, Confidence, Conviction and Trust that Argyle will return to the Corner as soon as he is able.  

See all y'all later n'at !

Monday, February 19, 2018 ~ Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime? - Synonyms for living the dream.

20A. Inquiry meant to entrap: LOADED QUESTION

35A. Nonfluctuating method of doing things: SET FORMULA

40A. Impressionist once labeled "The Man of a Thousand Voices": RICH LITTLE

52A. Wealthy, and a hint to the first word of 20-, 35- and 40-Across: ROLLING IN DOUGH

Argyle here. The Monday mavens have struck again.

Across:

1. Android downloads: APPs

5. Array around a surge protector: WIRES. I would have said plugs.

10. Words after deal or count: ME IN. Or, as one word, my take-out order.

14. Bridges of Hollywood: BEAU

(left to right) Jeff, Beau and Lloyd Bridges.

15. Part of a sports complex: ARENA

16. Enveloping glow: AURA

17. "NBA Friday" channel: ESPN. (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network)

18. Peachy: DANDY

19. Dental exam image: X-RAY

23. Right-angled shape: ELL

24. Per __: daily: DIEM

25. Freebies with a bowl of soup: CRACKERS

30. Mud __: type of wasp: DAUBER. Learn more here.

34. Sharp-eyed flier: HAWK

37. Org. supporting flossing: ADA. (American Dental Association)

38. Freelancer's encl.: SAE. (stamped addressed envelope or self-addressed envelope:)

39. QB scores: TD's. Touchdowns.

45. Pedometer unit: STEP

46. "Already?": "SO SOON?"

47. First-stringers: STARTERS

49. Honorary legal degs.: LLDs. Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. Wikipedia

51. Ipanema's city: RIO. Ipanema is a neighborhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

59. Pop music's "hottest spot north of Havana": COPA. While your already dancing ....

60. Shut down: CEASE. What the heck; let's make it drei.

61. Three, in Germany: DREI

62. Baking chamber: OVEN

63. Makes docile: TAMES

64. Folklore brute: OGRE

65. Remain up in the air: PEND

66. Sport with clay disks: SKEET

67. Can't live without: NEED. Crosswords.

Down:

1. Brother of Cain: ABEL

2. Cuban currency: PESO

3. Respected Smurf: PAPA

4. Basking locale on a cruise ship: SUNDECK. On your way to Rio.

5. Walks like a duck: WADDLES. "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck." Add, "Walks like a duck."

6. Baghdad's country: IRAQ

7. Eye care solution brand: RENU

8. Pulled the plug on: ENDED

9. Ties the knot: SAYS, "I DO"

10. Largest amount: MAXIMUM

11. Money in Malta: EURO

12. Mideast nation in a 2015 nuclear deal: IRAN

13. Vote against: NAY

21. Lodge logo animal: ELK. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

22. Hazmat suit hazard: TEAR. Hazmat is an abbreviation for “hazardous materials”.

25. Seals in the juices of: CHARS

26. Traffic report source: RADIO

27. Spy plane acronym: AWACS. (airborne warning and control system)

28. Sit for a bit: REST

29. ERA and RBI, e.g.: STATS. Statistics for earned run average and run batted in.

31. Montana city: BUTTE

32. Tribal leader: ELDER

33. Talks hoarsely: RASPS

36. Stetson hat material: FELT

41. The Netherlands, informally: HOLLAND

42. Lounge around: LOLL

43. Formally accuses of, with "for": INDICTS

44. Heart-to-heart: EARNEST

45. Used to change a ceiling light bulb, as a chair: STOOD ON. Not a good idea.

48. Relieved (of): RID

50. Move on tiptoe, say: SNEAK

52. Wander: ROVE

53. Take the lid off: OPEN

54. It usually has a set of rules: GAME

55. "That makes sense": "I SEE"

56. Hard-to-resist feeling: URGE

57. Actor Richard: GERE

58. Moved quickly, old-style: HIED

59. Squad car driver: COP. Car 54, where are you?

I shall stand not upon the order of my going, but go at once. I won't stand on a chair either.

Argyle

Saturday, February 17, 2018, Bruce Venzke

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE NEBRASKA

Bruce

Husker Gary here, giving a guided tour of a fun Saturday, Bruce Venzke puzzle. What caught my eye first was three horizontal and vertical grid spanners. The actual design of the grid, which you will find at the bottom of the write-up,  is very elegant.

BestForPuzzles.com said: Bruce Venzke is a veteran crossword constructor who began constructing puzzles in 2001. Of the nearly 600 puzzles he has made, about 400 have been collaborations with other puzzle creators. He has been published by the NY Times, LA Times, NY Sun, Newsday, Wall Street Journal and various other newspapers and magazines.

Here is a  C.C. interview with Bruce posted on February 2, 2011. 

Two of Bruce's parallel entries paid homage to my home state (hence the title): 

9. Land of Lincoln? : CORNHUSKER STATE - Yeah, even I had to shed the image of Illinois AND

28. Planter : SOWER - The statue that tops our state capitol building in Lincoln

Here are the balance of Bruce's wonderful grid spanners that were also very useful:

20. Grasp : GET THE MEANING OF - In Good Will Hunting, Will did GET THE MEANING OF things others couldn't 

25. Some drips : SALINE SOLUTIONS - I'm sure one of these is a SALINE SOLUTION

43. Charter acquisition : TIME WARNER CABLE - This is the change we got last year in Fremont, NE

48. Markings on gridirons : MIDFIELD STRIPES - Where coin tosses occur. Wait, Joe, someone has to call it first!

4. Unrelenting attempt : SUSTAINED EFFORT - Keep going Sisyphus! 

5. Usury protection : INTEREST RATE CAP - It's amazing what people will pay on short term loans

10. Airport agents see a lot of them : IDENTIFICATIONS - There are many of these sites online:

Here's the rest of Bruce's Saturday lineup:

Across

1. Borrows without returning : BUMS - Also my Dad's beloved Brooklyn Dodgers 

5. Intestinal : ILEAC - Relating to the ILEUM

10. Apple that's inedible : IMAC - I've been mad enough to take a bite out of ours a couple of times but not nearly as often as with PC's

14. 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty : ALOU - Get three vowels in your name and you'll make the starting lineup here!

15. Drag-racing fuel, briefly : NITRO - NITROmethane fuel minimally costs  $10 - $15/gal but definitely gives you more 1. Value for your money, idiomatically : BANG - for your buck

16. Very serious : DIRE

17. Costner role : NESS

18. What tots might go after? : TATER - Pretty clever Bruce!

19. Many an RPI grad : ENGR - Some are on our blog here

23. Atmo- kin : AER - It's all up in the air

24. He served the fewest 20th-century days (83) as U.S. VP : HST - FDR died on April 12th and they finally gave HST details about the atomic bomb on April 24th.

34. Somali-born model : IMAN

35. Things for one to do : SOLOS

36. Blücher's title in "Young Frankenstein" : FRAU - Every time her name is mentioned:

37. Swing improvisation? : TIRE - He should improvise a sturdier rope

38. Move like Miley : TWERK - You'll have to find that on your own time

39. "__ it up and spit it out": "My Way" lyric : I ATE - Paul Anka heard this tune below (translates to As Usual) in Paris, bought the rights to it, came back to America and wrote My Way lyrics for Frank Sinatra

40. Learning ctr. : ACAD - My friend's brother got sent to Wentworth Military ACADemy to "straighten him out". Didn't work

41. "Peg Woffington" novelist : READE - Did anyone here, uh, READE it?

42. Covered, in a way : CLAD - As you see  here

46. Tailor's concern : FIT

47. H.S. hurdle : SAT

57. Assorted mixture : OLIO

58. __ Bruni-Sarkozy, former French first lady : CARLA - From model to Première Dame de France

59. "Chocolat" actress : OLIN - Lena OLIN. Now Sweden is heard from.

60. Title derived from "Caesar" : TSAR

61. Early seal hunter : ALEUT

62. It's off-limits : NO-NO - I called my Aunt Norma Aunt NONO

63. Cease : HALT 

64. Member of a 1969 MLB expansion team : PADRE - You'd have to be a real baseball junkie to recognize this most famous and highest paid 1969 Padre. Appropriate name, huh?

65. Difficult situation : STEW - A non-edible use of this word as a noun. I'd be more likely to use it as a verb unless I was cooking


Down

2. Film apiarist : ULEE - Peter Fonda lives on in Crossword nomenclature

3. A majority : MOST - They got the MOST popular votes but not the necessary electoral ones. I couldn't name Samuel Tilden in this array.

6. He played Oskar in "Schindler's List" : LIAM - Neeson

7. Diminutive suffix : ETTE

8. Realtor's measure : AREA - Claustrophobia alert! Here's a five-minute tour of a tiny house with an AREA of approx. 200 sq. ft.

11. Flash Gordon foe : MING - The Merciless

12. Mythical vessel : ARGO

13. Random House co-founder : CERF - Best known for his work on this panel. Shown here in a very early edition! 

21. Layer : HEN - It was so windy the HEN laid the same egg four times! Rim shot!

22. Tour finish? : IST

25. Occupy, as a table : SIT AT - Who is allowed to SIT AT your table is a big deal in school cafeterias

26. Firenze friends : AMICI -More than one AMICO

27. 2016 NFL returnee : LA RAM - The RAMS are easier to move because their helmets have no city designaton like KC and some others

29. City in southwestern New York : OLEAN - The largest city in Cattaraugus County

30. 2013 Grammy winner for "Royals" : LORDE - Born inNew Zealand as Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor. LORDE crossing READE could have been a trap for me but it came to heel (I'll take mixed metaphors for $200 Alex!)

31. Sonicare rival : ORAL-B

32. South African province KwaZulu-__ : NATAL - Da Gama founded this area on Christmas day and NATAL is the Portuguese word for Christmas. The northern part of this territory was ruled for years by the Zulus.

33. Kid stuff? : SUEDE - Leather items made from baby goat skins. 

44. __ Chess: video game : WII - Most nursing homes (retirement homes?) have WII bowling which I really enjoy as well.

45. Train part : CAR - Arlo sang of The City Of New Orleans which had "Fifteen CARS and fifteen restless riders. three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail."

48. Clothes consumer? : MOTH 

49. Victor Laszlo's wife, in a classic film : ILSA- When she thought Victor was dead...

50. Retro calling aid : DIAL - Thing used one is The Addams Family

51. Like a fantasy land? : LA LA

52. Historic plaintiff Scott : DRED - A horrible part of our past

53. Musical connector : SLUR - Notes sang/played without separation

54. One may be hatched : PLOT - John Wilkes Booth had laid out a very elaborate PLOT but only his tragic part of it hatched

55. Strauss' "__ Alpensinfonie" : EINE - An Alpine Symphony

56. Buffalo feature, often? : SNOW - Coming off our old cwd friend Lake Erie

What say you?

DA GRID:

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy 51st wedding anniversary to dear Gary and his amazing wife Joann! I met them when they came to Minneapolis for a wedding a few years ago. Gary is gracious, witty and patient in person as he is on the blog.

2) Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe (Chris), our wine and beer expert. Thanks for the punny haiku and daily fun!

3) The 41st American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 23-25, 2018) will be held at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut. For those who attend, I hope you won't miss the Cru Dinner organized by the great Mike Alpern.

The Cru Dinner officially kicks off the tournament and is a great opportunity to meet with constructors and fellow solvers. Our own Jeffrey Wechsler stopped by there last year. Today's constructor Bruce Venzke has been a ACPT judge for years. He might have attended one of those Cru Dinners also.

The space is limited, so be sure to contact with Mike (alpernm@aol.com) as soon as possible. Mike also takes fantastic photos of the tournament each year. See Rich Norris?

Mike just turned 71. Have to share with you this wonderful picture of him.

Mike Alpern