Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Catherine Cetta

My mind is a bit Foggy today.

21-Across. "When Harry Met Sally..." screenwriter: NORA EPHRON.  Nora Ephron (May 19, 1941 ~ June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer and screenwriter.  She is best known for her rom-coms, such as the one in the clue.

33-Across. Annual LGBTQ celebration: PRIDE PARADE.

44-Across. Mug for the camera: STRIKE APOSE.

55-Across. Slippery slapstick prop: BANANA PEEL.

And the unifier:

68-Across. Thick fog metaphor ... and what each set of circled letters is?: PEA SOUP.  Rearrange the letters in the circles to get Pea Soup.  It's a nice thick soup to eat on a FOGgy day.

Across:

1. Frightened cry: EEK.

4. The-lower-the-better MLB stat: ERA.  Earned Run Average.

7. Relay segment: LEG.

10. James Bond, for one: SPY.

13. Wannabe IRS agent's test: CPA EXAM.  A CSO to all our busy CPAs.

15. Glass of "This American Life": IRA.  This American Life is a series on NPR.  Ira Glass (b. Mar. 3, 1959).

16. Make, as a knot: TIE.

17. Vitamin capsule material: GELATIN.

18. Prayer books: MISSALS.

20. Crystal ball gazer: SEER.

23. Turkey roasting instruction: BASTE.

25. Name for a man going either way?: OTTO.  Hi, Desper-Otto!

26. Full range: GAMUT.

29. Puts up with: ABIDES.

36. Sign of success: SRO.  Standing Room Only.  The Fire Marshal probably has something to say about this.

39. Help: AID.

40. Green New Deal co-sponsor, initially: AOC.  As in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (b. Oct. 13, 1989).

41. 35mm camera type: SLR.  The Single-Lens Reflex camera has become a crossword staple.

42. Bagel go-with: LOX.  Yummers!  We have lox and bagels nearly every weekend.

43. Frodo's sidekick: SAM.  A reference to the Lord of the Rings series.

47. "Be right there!": ONE SEC.  I usually say: Just a sec.

49. Cedar Rapids resident: IOWAN.

50. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.  We all know what the Taj Mahal looks like, but do we know where it is in India?

52. Pandora's box emanations: EVILS.

59. Slide on the icy road: SKID.  Even penguins can skid on ice.

63. Like dark clouds: OMINOUS.

64. "Quiet!": SILENCE.

66. Lair: DEN.

67. Many pop-ups: ADS.

69. Joule fraction: ERG.

70. Home run, for one: HIT.

71. Put two and two together: ADD.

72. Recipe amt.: TSP.  As in a Teaspoon.

Down:

1. Heart charts, for short: ECGS.  As in an ElectroCardioGram.  Often seen as EKG.  Do you know the difference between an ECG and an EKG?

2. Blunt-tipped sword: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

3. Popular smoothie veggie: KALE.  Very trendy, but has disappeared from our menus.

4. Business card no.: EXT.  As in a telephone Extension number.

5. Drizzles, say: RAINS.

6. Playground retort: AM NOT!

7. __ bean: LIMA.

8. Part of HOMES: ERIE.  Can you name all of the Great Lakes without the aid of HOMES?

9. [OMG!]: GASP.

10. Paces oneself, maybe: STARTS SLOW.

11. Amelia Earhart, e.g.: PILOT.  Amelia Mary Earhart (July 24, 1897 ~ disappeared July 2, 1937) led a fascinating life.  Her disappearance in July 1937 has sparked all sorts of theories of what happened to her.  She was officially declared dead on July 5, 1939.

12. Like 20 Questions questions: YES/NO.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

14. Jogger's speaker: EARBUD.

19. Clog or Croc: SHOE.  What's the difference between a Clog and a Croc?

22. Stern, at sea: REAR.  Here's to our pal Spitzboov.

24. "Relax, soldier": AT EASE.

26. Student stats: GPAs.  As in Grade Point Averages.

27. "Nessun dorma," e.g.: ARIA.  This is an aria from the final act of Turandot, an opera by Giacomo Puccini.  We will see this opera at the Houston Grand Opera this May.

28. Common coffee break time: MID-MORNING.  For some people, any time is ripe for a coffee break.

30. Revel (in): BASK.

31. Just sitting around: IDLE.

32. Knock off the track: DERAIL.

34. Plant places: POTS.

35. 43,560 square feet: ACRE.

37. Parks who took a seat to take a stand: ROSA.  Rosa Parks (née Rosa Louise McCauley; Feb. 4, 1913 ~ Oct. 24, 2005) was an American civil rights activist best known for the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott.  After her death in 2005, she became the first woman to lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda.

38. Team in a yoke: OXEN.  Oxen have to be taught to work in teams.

45. Slurpee rival: ICEE.  There is no difference between a Slurpee and an Icee.  Who knew?

46. Wild West enforcers: POSSES.

48. Bread with palak paneer: NAAN.  This tasty bread is becoming a crossword staple.

50. Condo or co-op: ABODE.

51. Minecraft player: GAMER.

53. Italian scooter: VESPA.

54. "That part was made-up": I LIED.

56. Ark builder: NOAH.

57. Q5 automaker: AUDI.

58. Soft "Over here!": PSST.

60. Sea speed unit: KNOT.

61. Hosp. areas: ICUs.  As in Intensive Care Units.

62. "Pirates of the Caribbean" star: DEPP.

65. "Wee" boy: LAD.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday January 17 2022 Catherine Cetta

Theme:  CODE SWITCH (60. Say "See you mañana," e.g. ... and a hint to each set of circles)

18. Coen Brothers' "Best Original" Oscar-winning output for "Fargo": SCREENPLAY. Penal code.

24. Weather warning on your cellphone, e.g.: TEXT ALERT. Tax code.

39. Informal name for the classic painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1": WHISTLER'S MOTHER. Morse code.

50. Sleight-of-hand swindle: SHELL GAME. Legal code.

Boomer here.  

In Minnesota, CODE rhymes with COLD and that's what we get in the North Star State. I have a couple of visits to the VA this week for sessions in physical therapy and occupational therapy.  I am pretty sure I can limp through the first one, and since the only occupation I have now is the Monday blog, we will see how the therapy works. Next week ---- Radiation !

Across:

1. Toon frames: CELS.  We just do not see as many cartoons on TV as when I was a kid.

5. Honking birds: GEESE. I do remember these guys honking up at North Star Lake.

10. U.S. state that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics: UTAH.  Famous for the Mormon religion.

14. Declare openly: AVOW.

15. Comparable to a beet: AS RED.  Or as a radish.

16. Prefix with physics: META.

17. Like collectible coins: RARE.  Like a sirloin steak too.

20. Roll with the punches: ADAPT. Cassius Clay was the Greatest. 

22. Egypt's Mubarak: HOSNI.

23. Before, to a bard: ERE.  "And I heard him exclaim ERE he rode out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,"

26. Lukewarm: TEPID.  That would be me, using my walker.

28. Detroit labor gp.: UAW.  United Auto Workers. They get a lot of attention.  Prices of cars are going through the roof right now.

29. Amtrak express: ACELA.  I have never been on Amtrak.

31. Add, as to a list: APPEND.

35. To's counterpart: FRO.

36. "__ girl!": encouraging words: ATTA.

42. Ships' records: LOGS.  Need a few for our fireplace.

43. Yalie: ELI.

44. Like favorite car radio stations: PRESET.  I have one station PRESET, but mostly I listen to Simon and Garfunkel, courtesy of  Desper Otto.  Our new Santa Fe does not have a CD player.

45. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. Or Ms. Hopper.

47. Actor Stephen: REA.

48. Siri counterpart: ALEXA.  Ask and she will tell you where to go.

56. Green expanse: LEA.

57. Greek i's: IOTAS.  Too small to count.

59. Shipwreck site: SHOAL.

63. Rice-like pasta: ORZO.

64. Small bills: ONES.  The first ONES were issued in 1862 with a Salmon Chase photo

65. Freeze over: ICE UP.  I am sure that every lake in Minnesota had this feature today 

66. Resign, with "down": STEP.  I can think of a name or two, but nooo politics.

67. Senator's helper: AIDE.

68. Mississippi quartet: ESSES.  YESSSS indeed.

69. Stun with a zapper: TASE.

Down:

1. Diamond weight: CARAT.

2. Sidestep: EVADE.

3. "I speak for the trees" Seuss character: LORAX.

4. Won every game: SWEPT.

5. Fuel from a pump: GAS.

6. Abstain from: ESCHEW. If you had trouble with 68 across, maybe you might CHEW on a few ESSESS

7. There's one in "beleive": ERROR.  I before E, except after C or when sounded like A like in Neighbor and Weigh.  4th grade spelling.

8. Reel from a bang on the head: SEE STARS.  Too cold here to sleep under the STARS.

9. Biblical garden: EDEN.  Home of previous Vikings Coach Bud Grant, EDEN Prairie Minnesota.

10. Strike caller: UMP.  Casey at the Bat was dealing with a blind one. 

11. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.

12. Gaming brand since 1972: ATARI.  I wasted many hours playing on mine.

13. Cut and collected in bales: HAYED.

19. After-dark period, in ads: NITE.  Crossword spelling. Can't you write NIGHT??

21. Tease: TAUNT.

25. Served, as soup: LADLED.  I just tip the pan into the bowl.

27. Delight to the max: ELATE.

30. Force, as to do something: COMPEL.

31. Boring tool: AWL.  We sold these at Graybar but I was never sure why an electrician needed one.

32. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

33. Stubborn in a porcine way: PIG-HEADED.  Again NOOOO politics.

34. Southeast England county: ESSEX.

35. Thu. follower: FRI.  The end of the work week for many.

37. Golf driving aid: TEE.  I have hundreds in the bag.  I use wood, not plastic.

38. Part of MoMA: ART.

40. Stretchy things: ELASTICS.  In the hospital the VA gave me STRETCHY socks that had little pieces of rubber sewn into them for a grip on the floor.  They did not work!  I had to be very careful getting out of bed.

41. Grad school grillings: ORALS.

46. Speaker's stand: DAIS.

47. Save: RESCUE.

48. Big name in foil: ALCOA.  I am sure everyone uses aluminum foil.  But there is also a market for huge diameter Aluminum Wire. 

49. "Madam Secretary" star Téa: LEONI.

51. Despises: HATES.  Not a word in my vocabulary.  Unless you are talking about Cancer.

52. Halloween sheet wearer: GHOST.  Bad for trick-or-treaters,  They need to SEE where they are going.

53. Big blood vessel: AORTA.  Thankfully mine still works.  I cannot say that for my other body parts.

54. Lab rats' challenges: MAZES.

55. Say "I do" without the ado: ELOPE.

58. Bruise, to a tot: OWIE.  I seem to have an OWIE in my left instep.

61. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  "East is East and West is West"

62. Some PCs: HPS.  Short for HICCUPS?

Boomer

Monday December 27, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme: FLAT BROKE (58. Totally out of funds ... and what each set of circles shows, casually) - FLAT is broken up in each set of theme answers.

17. Become light-headed: FEEL FAINT.

24. Reason for a track race do-over: FALSE START.

36. Choose love over money, say: FOLLOW ONE'S HEART.

46. Finished version, as of a document:FINAL DRAFT.

C.C. here. Hopefully Boomer will be back next Monday. He enjoys writing the Monday posts and is always eager to read your comments. 

Ideal Monday theme. Consistent set. Each answer start with F and ends with T, with L & A somewhere in the middle.

Across:

1. Maine's __ Bay: CASCO. Looks stunning.

 

6. Miner's find: ORE.

9. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.

13. __ the time: on every occasion: ALL OF.

14. Jinx: HEX.

15. Saturn's largest moon: TITAN.

19. Cream of the crop: ELITE.

20. Former Montreal MLBer: EXPO. Now Nationals. Also 33. Batter's stat: RBI. And 29. Like the crowd after a home team homer: AROAR.

21. Mauna __: Hawaiian for "long mountain": LOA. The other is Mauna KEA,  meaning "white mountain".

22. "Rolling" rockers: STONES.

23. H.S. hurdles: SATS.

26. Wing measurement: SPAN.

28. "Famous" cookie maker: AMOS.

32. Similar (to): AKIN.

40. Driver's aid: TEE. Tee drive. LPGA great Laura Davis never uses a tee. Just a clump of dirt.

41. Pea places: PODS.

42. Ward off: AVERT. And  43. One who saves the day: HERO. Very grateful to have Dr. Nina on our blog.

44. __ Spumante wine: ASTI.

50. Some canine retrievers: LABS.

54. In equal amounts: EVENLY.

55. Nest egg initials: IRA.

56. Stick-to-it-iveness: GRIT.

57. Mournful melody: DIRGE.

60. Passover meal: SEDER.

61. Sleep stage: REM. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 3. Was dreaming, perhaps: SLEPT.

62. Singer/songwriter Mann: AIMEE.

63. Lat. and Ukr., once: SSRS. Soviet Socialist Republics.

64. "__ to Joy": ODE.

65. Watchdog's warning: SNARL.

Down:

1. Streetside lunch spots: CAFES.

2. Amazon's virtual assistant: ALEXA.

4. Humongous: COLOSSAL.

5. Aptly named bug spray with an exclamation point: OFF. Boomer and I used to do flea market at Annandale. The bugs there were brutal early in the morning. It's on a a big farmland.

6. Akron native: OHIOAN.

7. Kidney-related: RENAL.

8. Phone routing no.: EXT.

9. Top of Texas?: STETSON HAT.  Nice clue/answer.

 

10. Cockpit occupants: PILOTS.

11. "Proud Mary" singer's memoir: I, TINA.

12. Spud: TATER.

16. Where many eggs hatch: NEST.

18. __ Romeo: sports car: ALFA. Hi there, Tony!

22. Final Four round: SEMIS.

25. "Oh, for heaven's __!": SAKE.

27. B-29 movers: PROPELLERS.

29. Rear at sea: AFT. Glad Ray was able to attended Spitzboov's funeral.

30. Sushi garnish: ROE.

31. Bullfight cheer: OLE.

32. Reply to a ques.: ANS. Answer.

33. Issa of "Insecure": RAE. Super talented.

34. "It's cold in here!": BRR. Real winter here in Minnesota.

35. "The Addams Family" cousin: ITT.

37. Hardly succinct: WORDY.

38. Skunk's weapon: ODOR.

39. Villainous smile: EVIL GRIN. Another great fill.

43. Closet accessory for a coat: HANGER.

44. Ski lodge style: A FRAME.

45. "Immediately!" in the ER: STAT. Those nurses at the ER and the hospital are all so nice and friendly.

46. Govt. agents: FEDS.

47. Yale and Penn: IVIES.

48. "The Big Bang Theory" crowd: NERDS.

49. Stayed home in bed, say: AILED. Can you guys believed that Boomer still bowled on Dec 16th? He had 334 I think, the worst game he's ever had. He could hardly walk then.

51. Smell: AROMA.

52. Pedal pusher: BIKER.

53. Alloy that symbolizes strength: STEEL.

58. To's partner: FRO.

59. English lit degs.: BAs

We're hopeful that Boomer will get his PT today. It's ordered by the neurosurgeon. He'll probably also be visited by the radiation guy and the oncologist for the the next steps.

C.C.

Monday November 15, 2021 Catherine Cetta

 

Theme: Split Wood - Three kinds of wood are split up.

17. "Sorry to say ... ": ALAS. With 18. Tubelike pasta: PENNE. Aspen.

28. Maternal "Holy moly!": OH MAMA. With 30. "By all means!": PLEASE DO. Maple.

 

47. Duplicitous: TWO-FACED. With 51. Response to "Am not!": ARE TOO. Cedar.

 

Reveal:

 

63. With 65-Across, chore on a winter to-do list ... and what appears in each set of circles: SPLIT.

 

65. See 63-Across: WOOD.

 

Boomer here.  

 

It was one of my chores to condition wood for a fireplace we have down the basement.  It was warm and relaxing in the winter months however it was a nasty chore to clean up when the ashes piled up.  

 

Not only that, but Tiger Woods was not one of my favorite golfers and I think Upper Deck published cards of him and they sold about as well Joe Shlabotnik.  I still have a bunch in the basement. Maybe I could burn them? Now, on to the puzzle.

 

Across:

 

1. Coarse file: RASP.  Hey, Hey, to Moscow chicks he was a lovely dear.  Ra Ra RASPutin.

5. Separated: APART.  "We might as well be APART.  It hardly matters, we sleep separately.  And drop a smile passing in the hall.  But there's no laughs left cuz we laughed them all."  (Simon and Garfunkel)

10. Places to relax: SPAS.

14. Prefix for an eight-armed creature: OCTO.  Prefix for my birthday month.

15. One who prefers their own company: LONER.  There are no bowlers that are LONERS,

16. Causes of some head scratching: LICE.  Also some of those 9- letter words?

19. Fairy tale beginning: ONCE.  Upon a time.

20. Wacky: NUTTY.  Buddy.

22. "Ciao" cousin: TA TA.

23. Ring ref's decisions: TKOS.  Technical Knockouts.  It's amazing how some of these guys are still standing on their own when the ref steps in.

24. "Good grief!": EGADS.

26. Top often with a slogan: T-SHIRT.  I have a Spare T-SHIRT.  A gift from C.C. to help me with those darn ten pins.

32. Cappuccino feature: FOAM.  I like coffee, but I am too cheap or conservative to spend dollars at Starbucks or Caribou.

33. Interwoven strands of hair: BRAIDS.  There once was a little girl whose mother tied her BRIDES so tight that when she cried, the tears ran down her back.  We called her Backteria. 

35. Conical abode: TEPEE.  We see many of these in some of the parks in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area. The Native Americans are poor, and Minnesota winters are tough on them.

37. Unreturnable serve: ACE.

38. Enjoy the rink: SKATE.  I did this a lot as a kid.  We had a public rink and warming house in the neighborhood.  I never got into hockey though.

43. Put away money for the future: SAVE UP. Little by little.  Then we took a birthday trip to a Wisconsin casino.  I am so tight,  or the machines were so tight. I probably spent more money on gasoline to get there than I left behind in the casino.

46. Clapton who sang "Layla": ERIC.

53. Intrepid: HEROIC.

54. Leaky faucet sounds: DRIPS.  We have pretty good faucets in our home.  No Runs, DRIPS, or Errors.

55. GPS suggestions: RTES.  We did not use GPS to find the Casino. We mapped out before we left the house.

56. One with a password: USER.  I have a few.  I am too old to remember more than a few.

59. Gas grill place: PATIO.  We have a deck but we got rid of the grill.  Too much of a hassle.

62. Sacred bird of ancient Egypt: IBIS.

66. Run out of steam: FADE.  My tee shots generally FADE to the right.  They ran out of  steam years ago.

67. Lets up: EASES.  If I EASE up on the bowling shot it usually hooks to the left. Also out of steam.

68. Pisa's river: ARNO.

69. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY.  We are long past cafeterias.  Can you say "BUFFET?"  

70. __ naked: STARK.

71. Wine bottle number: YEAR.  I never drank wine, nor did I wonder why the year was important.   Is it like Albert Pujols' or Mike Trout's Rookie year card ??

Down:

1. Horse coat color: ROAN.  I did not know that horses have coats.

 

2. Rights org. since 1920: ACLU.

3. Many a U.S. atlas page: STATE MAP.  Mine are all in a drawer. 

4. Like much sports analysis: POST-GAME.  Everyone has an opinion.  Mostly I turn off the post game.

5. Swiss peak: ALP.

6. Dickinson and Keats: POETS.  They are POETS and don't know it, but their feet show it, They're Longfellows.

7. Tolstoy's Karenina: ANNA.

8. Monopoly payment: RENT.  Take a ride on the Reading.  If you pass "GO", collect $200.

9. Took to dinner, say: TREATED.  Restaurant business is starting to pick up even though that doggone COVID is still hanging over our heads.

10. "Three-toed" critters: SLOTHS.

11. Little finger: PINKIE.  He went wee wee wee all the way home.

12. Honda sedan: ACCORD.  Too small for me.  Plus I try not to buy anything made by a country that bombed Pearl Harbor.

13. Takes care of: SEES TO.

21. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM.  Ten days away.  Much to be thankful for, but not YAMS.  We have pumpkin pie fixins in the cupboard.  Probably look for a turkey next week.

25. Tiny bit, as of cream: DAB.  "Brylcream, a little DAB will do ya."

27. Impudence: SASS.

28. Bard's "frequently": OFT.

29. Garden tool: HOE.  In spite of our relatively cold weather, (temps in the low 30s in the morning,) we still have a few flowers surviving in our garden.

30. Walked back and forth: PACED.  I used to take short walks outdoors, but my health has my legs a bit weak, and like I said previously, our temps are ranging in the 30s.

31. In __ of: replacing: LIEU.  Pumpkin pie will be in LIEU of yams.

34. Enthusiastic review: RAVE.

36. Actor Morales: ESAI.  I used to watch NYPD Blue all the time.  It seems to be gone from TV these days.

39. Another name for Monkey in the Middle: KEEP AWAY.

40. Paint seller: ART STORE.  George Costanza is still looking for a Jerk Store.

41. Spanish uncle: TIO.

42. Green prefix: ECO.

44. Points a finger at: ACCUSES.

45. Birdie plus one: PAR.  I was watching a quiz show recently and they said that a hole-in-one on a PAR 5!! was called a Condor.  It could be the next feat of Bryson.  I have never heard of a hole in one on a par 5. I have come within several inches on a par 3 hole but never in.  I don't need a hole in one because I have 20 - 300 games.

47. Careful cash management: THRIFT.

48. Home mixologist's dream: WET BAR.  Fix the roof!

49. Tater Tots maker: ORE-IDA.  Lots of Tater growers in Oregon and Idaho.  I had an uncle in Idaho that grew potatoes.

50. Primate studier Dian: FOSSEY.

52. Fabric fault: RIP.  Maybe Mr. Van Winkle had torn pants ??

54. More arid: DRIER.

57. Tiff: SPAT.

58. "Frozen" queen: ELSA.

60. College named for a Scottish island: IONA.  Catholic College in New York.

61. Scent: ODOR.  This word shows up a lot in Monday puzzles.  I think it stinks.

64. "You shouldn't do that": TSK.  I think you have to "TSK" three times.

Boomer