Monday October 25, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme: CHANGE OF SCENE (52. Mental refresher ... and a hint to the circled letters)

20. Flexible desk accessory: GOOSE NECK LAMP.

32. Filmmaker's monochrome background: GREEN SCREEN.

41. Indecisive sort: FENCE SITTER.

Boomer here.  

I guess we are having a mild change of SCENE here in Minnesota as temperatures are sneaking into the 40s and millions of leaves are hitting the ground.  Not quite as shocking as 2020 when around this time we had about 6 inches of snow covering those leaves.

Across:

1. Duo: PAIR.  Shoes, socks, and Aces and Eights ?

5. "Who's there?" reply: IT'S ME.

10. Acquire: GET. Time to GET ready for "Trick or Treaters."  We never have too many, but I always treat them with baseball cards.  I hope they remember Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer.  I would not think of giving them any of the lousy 2021 Twins.

13. Cartoon maker of a cactus costume: ACME.  Road Runner was also a Plymouth.

14. Student's assignment: REPORT.

16. Artist Yoko: ONO.  I cannot think of anyone else named Yoko.

17. Starring role: LEAD.  I have mentioned that I was Noye in Benjamin Britain's "NOYE'S FLUDDE"  I guess old Ben could not spell.

18. Roma is its capital: ITALIA. 

19. Once around the track: LAP.  INDY is only 7 months away.

23. Yalie: ELI.

25. VCR format: VHS.  I still have a number of cartridges in the basement.  Maybe some day they might be collectors items I can sell on eBay.

26. Support for a painting: EASEL.

27. "Divine Comedy" author: DANTE.

29. Acceleration control: THROTTLE.  "One hand on the THROTTLE and the other on a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer".

35. Medieval Icelandic collection: EDDA.

36. Save like mad: HOARD.  Yes, I have a HOARD of baseball cards.  Sold some, gave some to the church garage sale, and tripped over the rest.

37. Govt. workplace monitor: OSHA.  We never had too many problems at Graybar.  Heavy items were kept lower and reasonably stacked items were carefully stacked higher on pallet decks.

43. Sport with meshed sticks: LACROSSE.  Fine city in Wisconsin.

47. Teatime treat: SCONE.  C.C. drinks TEA but I have not seen her nibble on a SCONE.

48. Last choice, perhaps: OTHER.

49. Communication syst. with hand signals: ASL.

51. Govt. code-breaking org.: NSA.  National Security Agency.

57. Barbie's beau: KEN.  I have a sister named BARBIE but she never met a KEN that I know of.

58. List of mistakes: ERRATA.  There is not enough paper to list mine.

59. Like granola: OATY.  Like Cheerios.

62. SASE, e.g.: ENC.

63. One who loses on purpose?: DIETER.  Never worked for me.  I liked food too much. Not bad now because I have to gather up strength to lift a fork.

64. Fairy tale bully: OGRE.  BIG BAD WOLF did not fit.

65. X or manta follower: RAY.  I am familiar with the X.

66. Salon filing aid: EMERY.

67. They open locks and start cars: KEYS.  Funny old timers.  Now you just push a button.

Down:

1. Bud: PAL.  The King of St. Louis.  Notice the Graybar sign on the left center wall at Busch Stadium.

 

2. King beater: ACE.

3. Pictured in one's mind: IMAGINED.

4. Second chance: RE-DO.

5. __ whiskey: IRISH.  Notre Dame.

6. Heads of France: TETES.

7. Bridge: SPAN.  The Twins once had outfielder Denard.

8. Spy for the other guy: MOLE.  When he was spying, was he the MOLE in the HOLE 

9. Guitarist Clapton: ERIC.  His son was Leif.

10. Bring up the rear: GO LAST.  But not least.

11. Tooth covering: ENAMEL.  My lips cover my teeth.

12. Knock over: TOPPLE.  We had a few trees toppled in our neighborhood this fall.  Let the sunshine in! 

15. Hire: TAKE ON.

21. Something to bake in: OVEN.

22. Zero deg. at the equator, say: LAT.  Our sun reached zero degrees about a month ago.  Now heading south to Capricorn.

23. Barely beat: EDGE.  Our Santa Fe can barely beat the Ford EDGE. 

24. Pie crust ingredient: LARD.  YUK!

28. Earl Grey, for one: TEA.  C.C. is the expert.  I have never heard her mention Earl.

29. Barely discernible amount: TRACE.  TRACE of snow is coming probably followed by a Blizzard.  Not the one from Dairy Queen.

30. "You are __": mall map info: HERE.  Here, There, and Everywhere.

31. Bordeaux and Chianti: REDS.  And Cincinnati.

33. Hall & Oates' "__ Gone": SHE'S.

34. Opposite of pros: CONS.  The population of prisons.

37. Like meds needing no Rx: OTC.  Over the Counter.

38. Era for Fred, Wilma and Pebbles: STONE AGE.  Forgot Bam Bam.

39. Egg layers: HENS.

40. Bailiwick: AREA.

41. Copied with intent to deceive, as a signature: FORGED.

42. Emerald __: Ireland: ISLE.  Only been there once when my plane to Germany stopped for fuel.

43. Student's hallway hangout: LOCKER.  Do not store liquor in your LOCKER.

44. Goddess of wisdom: ATHENA.

45. Dicey: CHANCY.  Don't bet on the Vikings -  Too CHANCY 

46. "The Last Jedi" villain Kylo: REN.

49. Daisylike flower: ASTER.  We still have a few flowers surviving in our garden.  Not for long.

50. Like many Stephen King stories: SCARY.

53. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.  Shared with New York, Pennsylvania, and Canada.

54. Utah city on I-15: OREM.  Just a click north of PROVO

55. Inevitable outcome: FATE.

56. Cozy corner: NOOK.  Just a click north of cranny

60. Attempt: TRY.  Still trying to hit that lousy ten pin.  AARGH!

61. "Absolutely!": YES.

Boomer

Tuesday September 28, 2021 Catherine Cetta

 Theme: 56. With 58-Across, salad fixings ... and what you'll find aptly hidden in puzzle rows 4, 6 and 10: CHOPPED. And 58. See 56-Across: VEGGIES. (Onion, Tomato and Carrot are chopped up by the black squares.)

20. Typically tricolored ice cream dessert: SPUMONI. And 22. Really tough, as tasks: ONEROUS.

26. Made to order: CUSTOM. And  29. Do penance: ATONE.

47. Witty Wilde: OSCAR.And 48. Bad to the core: ROTTEN.

Boomer here again. Hahtoolah will be back next Tuesday. She had a long drive back home from New England.  

Just a note about Spumoni Ice Cream.  I was addicted when my Mom worked at a pizza place they served it on the dessert menu, and I was hooked.  Later when I worked for a different pizza restaurant, desserts were not on the menu.

Across:

1. Hissed "Over here, behind the sofa!": PSST.  That's what a mouse might say.

5. Notable Titanic casualty: ASTOR.  The Waldorf - Astoria is named for him.  

10. Stir up: RILE.  Sometimes I like to RILE a dish of ice cream.

14. Latin "others": ALIA.  Four years of High School Latin and I did not know this.

15. Actress __ Neal of "Law & Order: SVU": DIANE.  ADA Casey Novak.

16. Give off: EMIT.

17. Unrefined sort: BOOR.

18. Trooper automaker: ISUZU.  They quit making cars in 2009.  I think they might still make trucks.

19. "Ooh, fun!": WHEE.  Okay to say on a roller coaster, but please stop saying it at the bowling center.

24. Either Bush, e.g.: TEXAN.  Always in the news.  Some good and some not.

25. Exhausts: DOES IN.

32. FreeCell or Snapchat: APP.

35. Sewn line: SEAM.

36. Multilevel, as wedding cakes: TIERED.  I watched the Gophers blow one at "Huntington Bank" Stadium last Saturday.  The Stadium was TIERED and the fans were TEARED up.

37. Auditioner's hope: PART.

39. Barcelona buddy: AMIGO.  My golf and bowling buddy, JORGE from Chile calls me AMIGO.

41. Rig on the road: SEMI.  Does that mean it is half a truck??

42. Sounds from sties: SNORTS.

44. Gaming novice, slangily: NOOB. Newbie.

46. Bambi's mother: DOE.  "A Deer, a female deer, Re, a drop of golden sun"  The hills are alive with "The Sound of Music".

50. Crowns for some queens: TIARAS.

52. Andes or Rockies: RANGE.  Hotpoint or General Electric?

60. For all of us: OURS.  In our home it is "For both of us."

61. __ curls: arm exercises: BICEP.  I do not do this.  Too weak.

63. Observes: SEES.

64. Unmitigated joy: GLEE.  Spent a few years in the Benilde H.S. GLEE Club.  I had a few solos.

65. Together: AS ONE.

66. Teen woe: ACNE.  Never had it when I was young, but now the cancer med is causing a few bumps.

67. Bathtub bubbles: SUDS.

68. __ Island Rams: Atlantic 10 conference baseball team: RHODE.

69. Chai and rooibos: TEAS.  C.C. is the TEA expert in our home.  I drink Folgers.

Down:

1. Part of PBR: PABST.  "What'll you have??"  Not me.  Years ago when I lived in Hardheim Germany I drank wine.  Never developed a taste for beer.  "Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he.  He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl and he called for his privates three.  Beer, beer, beer said the privates happy men are we.  There's none so fair as can compare to the fighting infantry."   

2. Slippery __: risky course of action: SLOPE.  "We'll have real ones in Minnesota soon"

3. Iowa's __ City: SIOUX.  I have been through there, also the city in South Dakota named after the Sioux.

4. Airport surface: TARMAC.

5. Favorable score for a server: AD IN.  They do not have "AD IN" in bowling or golf.

6. Maria's ayes: SISI.

7. Letter after sigma: TAU.

8. Like many 2020 meetings: ON ZOOM.  I have heard about this but never used it. Although sometimes I hit the gas pedal a bit too hard.

9. Meet up in 25 years, maybe: REUNE.  Just had my 56th High School last month.  We spelled it differently though. I'm 9th from the left on the back row.

 

10. Second drafts, say: REWRITES.

11. "This is very flattering!": I'M HONORED.

12. Stead: LIEU.

13. Nice summers: ETES. French city Nice.

21. Burden: ONUS.

23. "Ozark" actor Morales: ESAI.  I liked him in NYPD Blue.

25. Pizza Hut competitor: DOMINO'S.  I can make better at home with product from Trader Joe's.

27. Red and Black: SEAS.  I have been watching the Ryder Cup last weekend from Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. I suggest they call Lake Michigan a SEA.

28. Scot's cap: TAM.  Goes great with a bagpipe.

30. Memorable captain's name that's a sign backwards: NEMO. Omen.

31. Actress Falco: EDIE.

32. Lhasa __: APSO.

33. Thumbs-down reviews: PANS.  Teflon are the best.

34. Monitored, as an exam: PROCTORED.

36. Little honk: TOOT.

38. Walks aimlessly: TRAIPSES.  I am not drunk, it's that doggone oral chemo - 4 capsules each day.

40. Understood: GOT.

43. Tough-to-get-out-of situation: TRAP.

45. Glacier chunk: BERG.

48. Peppery root: RADISH.  Goes great in potato salad.

49. Bugs: NAGS AT.

51. Concrete-reinforcing rod: REBAR.

53. Dorothy, to Em: NIECE.  "We're off to see the Wizard ..."

54. Thelma portrayer Davis: GEENA.

55. Mississippi quartet: ESSES.  Lots of things named after our river.  Even a whole state down south.

56. Wheel teeth: COGS.  I don't think they put studs on tires any more.  I think they ruined the roads.

57. "Castle Rock" airer: HULU.

58. Sell: VEND.  Out of a machine.

59. Duel tool: EPEE.

62. Pigeon sound: COO.  I thought a dove made it too.

Boomer

Monday June 14, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme: SNOW JOBS (60. Persuasive efforts using insincere flattery ... and a hint to the last words of the answers to starred clues) - The last words can follow "snow".

17. *Emulate Bonnie and Clyde: ROB A BANK. Snowbank.

22. *Highly aware and ready to act: ON THE BALL. Snowball.

37. *Grasps an underlying meaning: CATCHES THE DRIFT. Snowdrift.

52. *Kellogg's cereal morsel: CORN FLAKE. Snowflake.

Boomer here again.  

Ha Ha, I live in Minnesota. I am not able to print the words I use to follow snow.  However I cannot remember the white stuff right now. We have had about 9 days in a row over 90 degrees, and my newspaper tells me that most of the United States is being treated the same way.  I hope you all stay cool!

Across:

1. Rigatoni or ziti: PASTA.  Creamette rigatoni is my favorite.  Add a little hamburger, onion and spaghetti sauce and you have a meal.   

 

6. Poker stake: ANTE.  So many nickel ANTE games I remember in the Caddy Shack at Oak Ridge Country Club.

10. Sandwich known by its initials: BLT.  Delicious!

13. Odysseus' journey, for example: ORDEAL.

14. Sulk: POUT.  There's a strange fish in Minnesota called an EelPOUT.  Not too good to eat. 

15. "Now I __ me down ... ": LAY.  Down to sleep.  Wait, I am  not finished yet!

16. Least wild: TAMEST.  Last Monday on the 5th hole of the course I play we all saw a deer near the edge of bushes.  It seemed pretty tame but the green is only about 50 yards from the Interstate so we hope it stayed safe.

19. Birdbrains: TWITS.

20. Fab competitor: TIDE.  I heard that transit has slowed everything sold in the grocery store.  Time to stock up on soap and toilet paper again.

21. Fairy tale start: ONCE.

24. Does some programming: CODES.  I have started to use eBay a bit again.  I used to sell many baseball cards out there.  But it seems that maybe programmers have too much to drink and not enough sleep.

25. Airline to Israel: EL AL.

26. Dutch cheese town: EDAM.

28. Before now: AGO.  "A long, long time AGO, I can still remember how the music used to make me smile."  "American Pie" - Don McLean.

31. Poe's "Annabel __": LEE.

33. Threat-ending words: OR ELSE.

41. Take for granted: ASSUME.  They say it makes an ASS out of U and ME.

42. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYS.

43. Carrot chomper's "What's up, __?": DOC.  I have a bowling buddy named "Don".  His job was at the U of M Medical Center Preparing patients for surgery.  So we call him a Gas Passer or sometimes just "DOC" 

44. Rice-A-__: RONI. The San Francisco Treat!

46. Goes kaput, as an engine: DIES.  I imagine a large number of air conditioners met their fate this past week.

49. University VIPs: PROFS.  Some are just "DOCs"

57. D.C. helper: AIDE.

58. Nevada gambling mecca: RENO.  It's also a bowling mecca with a huge bowling stadium.  I used to go each year there was an ABC tournament there.  A nice place to visit but I could not afford to live there.

59. Senseless endeavor: FOLLY.

62. Hairpiece: TOUPEE.  I still have my real hair.  Many of my friends close to my age do not.

63. Pre-1991 map letters: SSR.  This is a Russian thing.  For me, I am now a Super Senior at bowling tournaments.

64. Slender woodwind: OBOE.

65. Prom corsage: ORCHID.  I don't see them much anymore.  In our garden we are growing perennial  Asian Lilies but a rabbit ate all the leaves.  Looks like we will still have flowers soon.

66. Wide shoe sizes: EES.

67. "OMG" or "TTYL": TEXT.  Not sure how the world survived before cell phones.

68. Hawke of "Boyhood": ETHAN.

Down:

1. Shrimp relative: PRAWN.

2. Fess up: ADMIT.  It seems the Majors are admitting more and more fans to the ball games.

3. Simmer with anger: SEETHE.

4. Fez feature: TASSEL.  I never was a Shriner but they do good deeds.

5. PC key used in combinations: ALT.

6. Month that may start with a gag: APRIL.  One sister and one son and his wife all have birthdays in April.  Sometime after the 1st.

7. Noggin: NOODLE.

8. You__: online video site: TUBE.  Years ago we used to bring inner tubes to the lake and pretend we were swimming.

9. Zeta-theta link: ETA.

10. Tasteless: BLAND.  Popcorn without salt.

11. Jousting weapon: LANCE.

12. Little ones: TYKES.

13. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO.

18. Many a Gen Xer parent: BOOMER.  I expect half of you will go to comments and complain how hard it was to answer this clue.  I am not a Gen Xer, I am a Baby BOOMER.  We all know that.

20. Yarns: TALES.

23. Whale's food-filtering system: BALEEN.  I wonder how much those things eat each day.  I remember one munched on a boat in "JAWS".

24. Check the ID of: CARD.  My license expires in 2023.  I wonder if I will still look like my picture.

27. Wears out: DOES IN.

28. Here, in Havana: ACA.

29. Oxygen, e.g.: GAS.  I get my oxygen from the air.  I get gas from a pump for about $2.75 per gallon.

30. NFL tiebreakers: OTS.  Overtimes.  OTs can also be Offensive Tackles.

32. Mars residents, in sci-fi: ETS.

34. It may be flipped: LID.  PANCAKE did not fit.

35. Bay Area hub inits.: SFO.  I have two sisters living there.  They like it, I have visited.  I remember once we had a meal out side overlooking the Pacific and Alcatraz. 

36. And so on, briefly: ETC.

38. Teen's witching hour: CURFEW.

39. Med. care plans: HMOS.  I get my plan at the VA.  It is far better than an HMO.

40. Electric starter?: HYDRO.

45. Fridge of yore: ICEBOX.  Some still refer to their fridge as their ICEBOX.

47. Serious attempt: EFFORT.  Okay, as you read this I am out on the course making a serious EFFORT at Par.  I have given up on birdies.

48. Posture issue: SLOUCH.  I have one of those Copper Fit Waistbands but I still SLOUCH when I putt. 

49. So last year: PASSE.  Hmm!  Last year almost everything was closed.

50. Washer cycle: RINSE.

51. Air freshener targets: ODORS.  I don't want to talk about him.

53. Initial stage: ONSET.  I really don't want to talk about this.

54. Top dog: ALPHA.

55. Fashion's Anne or Calvin: KLEIN.  Calvin Klein is most famous, but there is a company named Klein Tools that makes pretty good stuff.

56. Looked over: EYED.

58. Spa cover-up: ROBE.

61. Write quickly: JOT.  Whenever I JOT, I have trouble reading it later.

62. Digital water tester?: TOE.  I think a finger might be easier but it did not fit in the grid.

Boomer

Happy Flag Day, thank you, Spitzboov & Agnes!

Boomer, 6/14/2021

Monday April 26, 2021 Catherine Cetta

 

Theme: ON YOUR FEET (63. "Stand up!" ... and a hint to the beginnings of the answers to starred clues)

17. *Divisive political topic: WEDGE ISSUE.

24. *Want-ad heading in the London Times, perhaps: FLAT FOR RENT.

40. *Get up and running, digitally: BOOT THE COMPUTER.

50. *Interrogate persistently: PUMP FORINFO.

Boomer here.  Kind of looks like a golf puzzle. Many times I take the WEDGE out of the bag but I do not elevate the ball and it comes out FLAT.  Also it could be in the rough or behind a tree so I need to use the foot WEDGE to BOOT it back into the fairway.  Sink the putt and PUMP my fist.  On to the next tee.

Back in 1961, the Washington Senators were known as "First on Land, First on Sea, and last in the American League."  They became the Minnesota Twins and Washington may become our 51st state shortly,  And the Twins revived the tradition of being last in the American League.

Across:

1. Igloo shape: DOME.  The Twins replaced the Humphrey MetroDOME with Target Field.  Now if it snows in April they have an excuse.

 

 

5. Least satisfactory: WORST.  I said "last" and that also means WORST. 

10. Boars' mates: SOWS.  This little Piggy went to market.

14. Did a takeoff on: APED.

15. "Christina's World" painter Andrew: WYETH.

16. Witty remark: QUIP.  I keep trying.

19. Useful Word command for the error-prone: UNDO.  "Error prone"?  Even the puzzler is talking about our Twins.

20. "Good __!": Charlie Brownism: GRIEF.  I think you can still buy PEANUTS at the ball park.

21. Immature newt: EFT.

22. Cake decorator: ICER.  Could be a hockey player who sends the puck flying down the rink to get out of trouble.

23. Biological pouch: SAC.

28. MADD ads, e.g.: PSAS.  I don't know about MADD but PSAS are also used to measure Prostate Specific Antigens.  Hey guys, keep it under 4 if you can. 

29. Gerbil or hamster, often: PET.  We had hamsters when we were kids.

30. I-90 in Mass., say: TPKE.  We do not have turnpikes in Minnesota. Just highways and lakes.

33. Defrost: THAW.  And we are pretty well THAWed  now in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  C.C. is cheering up.  They don't get snow in Guangzhou.

36. Slack-jawed: AGAPE.

43. Vowel-heavy goodbye: ADIEU.  "ADIEU, ADIEU my friend ADIEU, I can no longer stay with you."

44. Truck stop vehicle: SEMI.  Everywhere I go I find myself driving behind a big SEMI or a school bus.

45. About to arrive at: NEAR.

46. Monopoly quartet, briefly: RRS.  Take a ride on the Reading, Pennsylvania, Short Line, or B & O.

48. HQs for B-52s: AFBS.

55. Nor. neighbor: SWE.

58. Morales of "Ozark": ESAI.  He was also in NYPD Blue.  One of my favorites.

59. Female in the fam: SIS.

60. "Darn!" and "Dagnabbit!" are mild ones: OATHS.

62. Easy win: ROMP.  Just play the Twins.

66. "My treat": ON ME.

67. Double-curved arches: OGEES.

68. Starting poker pot contribution: ANTE.  Years ago we played "Nickel ANTE" at the Oak Ridge Caddie Shack. Bill Murray was not there. 

69. Sign of joy, maybe: TEAR.

70. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE.  Then why is Notre Dame the "Irish"??

71. Went up: ROSE.

Down:

1. Georgia team, in sports headlines: DAWGS. The Georgia Bulldogs. 

 

2. "Aida," for one: OPERA.

3. Battlefield doc: MEDIC.  For a while at Fort Campbell I earned that term driving an ambulance to the rifle range. Only had one instance of a soldier overdose.  But then there was an instance on April 4, 1968 when a gentleman named Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis and ugliest spilled over to the emergency room at Fort Campbell Army Hospital.  I did my best but I was a lousy MEDIC so I worked my way into a company clerk job.

4. Beat by a hair: EDGE.  This is a little Ford SUV.  We rented one in Las Vegas but I did not like it.  I am over 6 feet tall.

5. Early 20th-cent. conflict: WWI.  Before my time.

6. Yiddish laments: OYS.

7. Start-over button: RESET.  Now our DirecTV has a way to start over but I have not figured it out.

8. Assorted items: STUFF.  I think we may need to do a garage sale again.

9. Place to take it from?: THE TOP.

10. Water pistols: SQUIRT GUNS.  Absolute fun.

11. Part of a pound: OUNCE.

12. Add a lane to, say: WIDEN.  Normally there is no room to add a lane.  However Minnesota has reported that they are going to re-stripe existing roads.  Sounds stupid to me.

13. Hurling or curling: SPORT.  I suppose Baseball or Football would be too easy.

18. Failing grades: EFFS.  I got one in college.

25. Wood strip: LATH.

26. Campfire remnants: ASHES.  I have mentioned previously that I shopped at a tobacco store named "Ashes" owned by a fellow named George Ash.  

27. Harvest: REAP.

28. Guy in a popular tongue-twister: PETER PIPER.  I heard that he "Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers"

30. Not yet known: Abbr.: TBA.

31. Pea holder: POD.  Or a metal can.

32. Decorative fish: KOI.

34. Pro: ACE.  High Card

35. Wonder __: WOMAN.  Lynda Carter on TV.

37. Had: ATE.  Six was afraid of Seven because Seven ATE Nine.

38. Princess' bane, in a fairy tale: PEA.

39. Goof: ERR.  Lots of last week's Twins memories in this puzzle.

41. Grass-and-roots layer: TURF.  In football fields, TURF is not grass.

42. Tick off: MIFF.

47. "Already?": SO SOON.  Almost Done.

49. Ill-mannered sort: BOOR.

50. '90s candidate Ross: PEROT.  He ran against Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in 1992.  He won about 20% of the vote but no states.  It was the best third party result since 1912.

51. Me.-to-Fla. route: US ONE.  Did you know that only one state borders Maine ?

52. Poppa's partner: MAMMA.

53. Drummer for John, Paul and George: RINGO.  "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

54. "The best __ to come": IS YET.

55. Shorthand specialist, for short: STENO.

56. Stimulates: WHETS.  You need to WHET the knife to fix the hole in the bucket.

57. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE.

61. Many miles away: AFAR.

64. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER.  "Oh say can you see?"

65. Take advantage of: USE.

Boomer

Monday March 1, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme: FALSE STARTS (64. Track meet infractions ... or short words hiding at the beginning of the answers to starred clues) 

17. *Data transmission science: FIBER OPTICS.

24. *Elementary school fundraiser: TALENT SHOW.

51. *Rank for TV's Columbo: LIEUTENANT.

Boomer here. Years ago playing golf, sometimes I would take a mulligan. I think that counts as a FIB.  Speaking of golf, around 1964 my friend and I sold tickets to the St. Paul Open, and we won a spot to caddie.  Our golfer was Miller Barber and we only carried clubs and did not give advice.  He selected to use a driver on the longer holes. Maybe Tiger should have used a different driver to negotiate the tricky California highway.

In other news from Minnesota, we received a memo from CenterPoint Energy which is our natural gas provider. We have a gas furnace. The memo said that due to the problems last month in Texas we will receive a surcharge of $400.00.  They will bill it over 10-12 months beginning in September.  Sounds like a Greedy Griddy thing to me.

Across:

1. Nannies and billies: GOATS.  "There's a winding road, and a tall pine tree.  Near the tall pine tree she waits for me, oh yes she waits , in the little green house, that sits on top, of BILLIE GOAT HILL.

The Kingston Trio in San Francisco, California, USA!!

6. Skylit courtyards: ATRIA.  That's a hotel feature that The Orleans in Las Vegas does not have.

11. Toyota Prius, e.g.: CAR.  Santa Fe, e.g.

14. Tin Pan __: ALLEY.  Many people think this is a bowling venue. I ignore them.

15. Transactions with interest: LOANS.

16. Pub pour: ALE.  I only drink zero sugar Ginger Ale from my up north friends Canada Dry.

19. Khaki-colored: TAN.  Temperatures up north got above freezing last week.  Not enough for a TAN, but golf season is coming soon to a course near you.

20. Pedal pusher: FOOT. Pants that show ankles?

21. Full moon, e.g.: PHASE.  Three PHASE power may have helped Texas last month.

22. Cartoon maker of iron bird seed: ACME.

23. Salinger teen who says, "I prefer stories about squalor": ESME.

26. Whistle blower: REF.  Lots of whistles on the basketball court last month in Minneapolis.  The Timberwolves fired Coach Saunders but you can't fire the players.

28. Piece for three instruments: TRIO.  Chad Mitchell and Kingston are my favorites.  I suppose you already knew that.  

29. They're often pop-ups: ADS.

32. Major artery: AORTA.  Regardless of other health issues, you need the AORTA to work.

36. Irritate: ANNOY.

39. Quick swim: DIP.  I have some sour Cream and Onion soup powder dip! Great for taco chips.

40. Fell behind: TRAILED.  In our sports section in the paper, the word TRAILED comes after Twins Vikings, Wolves, and Wild.

42. Golf ball holder: TEE.  I have the kind that produce the same height for every shot. I use different ones for the par three holes.

43. Stockpile: AMASS.  Since I get the second shot of vaccine this Wednesday and hopefully start bowling, I suppose I will also be returning to A MASS on Sunday.  I am not a sinner, the Archbishop basically told those of us over 65 with health issues to stay home last March.

45. Dig deeply (into): DELVE.

46. Pigs out (on), briefly: ODS.  C.C. and I are waiting to O.D. on watermelon soon.

47. Blacken in a pan: CHAR.

49. Dictator Amin: IDI.

56. "Shoo!": SCAT.

60. The "I" in MIT: Abbr.: INST.

61. Ceremonial conical structure: TEPEE.

62. Tra-__: refrain syllables: LA LA.  We had this last week.  Home of the original McDonald's Museum, before Ray Kroc.

63. "__, humbug!": BAH.

66. Musician Brian: ENO.

67. Had the flu, say: AILED.  I have not had the flu for years.  But I ail from other stuff. And it's not watermelon.

68. Cove, e.g.: INLET.

69. Tennis do-over: LET.

70. Sanctify: BLESS.  Does God really BLESS you when you sneeze?  Did you give up something for Lent? I gave up broccoli.

71. Love to pieces: ADORE.  I adore C.C., but so far she has stayed in one piece.

Down:

1. Faux pas: GAFFE.  Kind of a strange way to spell GOOF.

2. Mixed bags: OLIOS.  We used to call Margarine OLEO.  I don't think it's sold in Minnesota or Wisconsin anymore, to support the dairy industry.

3. "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch: ALBOM.

4. Wobble: TEETER.  Join TWITTER and become a TWEETER. 

5. Leb. neighbor: SYR.

6. A, as in Athens: ALPHA.  In the military, we used Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta.  That's all I remember.

7. Invoice word: TOTAL.

8. Employee's reward: RAISE.  Also a poker move that could make you richer or cost you a bit.

9. Motivate: INCENT.

10. Biblical beast of burden: ASS.

11. Not be fooled by: CATCH ONTO.  When C.C. came over from her homeland, you would not believe how quickly she was able to CATCH ONTO golf,

12. San Antonio mission: ALAMO.  "We're killing your soldiers below, so the rest of Texas will know, and remember the ALAMO.  Johnny Cash.

13. Continue to subscribe: RENEW.  I just RENEWED our car insurance.  They knocked a bit off the price.  I have a good driving record.  I don't speed or drink. And now I have a car that bongs at me when I sneak over the lane markers.

18. Decide on: OPT FOR.  Hyundai, That's what I OPTED FOR.

22. Z __ zebra: AS IN.

25. Swapped: TRADED.  I TRADED in a decent Dodge Grand Caravan, but it never tweeted me how to drive.

27. Patronizes, as a restaurant: EATS AT.  Minneapolis restaurants are having problems.  Of course the outdoor option is out of the question this month, and potential customers are walking out because seated customers are not wearing masks.  Then of course there are cautious people like C.C. and I who have not seen the inside of a restaurant in over a year.  We don't use drive ins either.

29. Oral health org.: ADA.

30. Not bright, as a light: DIM.

31. Many a NASA mission: SPACE SHOT.  I wonder how things are on Mars?

33. "Far out, dude!": RAD.  I never talked like that, I wonder if kids still do?

34. White-__: formal: TIE.  The last white TIE I had was first communion in 1953.

35. Every one: ALL.

37. Ref. work that added "YOLO" in 2016: OED. Oxford English Dictionary.

38. Proposer's preferred response: YES.  If you're getting married, I suppose.  But when I get those proposal phone calls the answer is NO.

41. Paperless party announcements: E-VITES.

44. "__ up!": "Quiet!": SHUT.

48. Sell directly to the consumer: RETAIL.  We have been giving retailers a bit of business but they are all hurting due to Covid.  Target headquarters in Downtown Minneapolis is delaying return of many employees until September.

50. Manhattan or Staten: ISLAND. or Treasure! Next to Fashion Show Mall on the Strip.

51. Defame in print: LIBEL.

52. Foolish: INANE.

53. Woman's name backward or forward: NELLE.  "The scene was in the Jailhouse and if curfew rang that night, NELL's dad in number thirteen cell would go out like a light. (Chad Mitchell Trio.)

54. Vaulted alcoves: APSES.

55. Requirements: NEEDS.  "As long as she NEEDS me"  Sammie Davis Jr.

57. Monte __: CARLO.

58. Raise a hemline on, say: ALTER.

59. Sample, as food: TASTE.

64. Tide alternative: FAB.  I remember this,  I have not seen it stores for awhile.  Maybe I just have not looked.

65. Spanish aunt: TIA.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

"Who will buy my sweet red roses? Two blooms for a penny." Here is a picture of Boomer with his glee club in 1965.  He's on the most right.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Catherine Cetta

Theme -- I can't do much better than the unifier, so let's start with that.

 56 A. Relatively unknown quality items ... and what can be found in 16-, 26- and 42-Across: HIDDEN GEMS.  Typically something great that most people don't know about.  Here, it's literally precious stones hidden in the theme fill.

16 A. Arose to catch the proverbial worm: GOT UP EARLY.  Arise before dawn - or, in my case, before 9:00 a.m.  Do that that and you might be able to catch an oyster with a perfect PEARL.  This is a small, spherical, usually white object that forms around a grain of sand inside the shellfish.  Pearls are commonly strung together as a necklace.

 

26 A. Award won twice by Adele and Kelly Clarkson: BEST POP ALBUM.   Awards in several categories are distributed annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position."  The 2020 winner was Billie Eilish for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?   An OPAL is a soft hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·nH2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. The gemstone opal shows a variable interplay of internal colors, 

42 A. Philanthropist who was a Time Person of the Year co-honoree in 2005: MELINDA GATES.  In 2000, she and her husband Bill Gates co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable organization as of 2015.  Read more about her here.  "AGATE is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, consisting of a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate dates back to Ancient Greece in assorted jewelry and in the seal stones of Greek warriors." [Wikipedia]

Hi, Gang, JazzBumps here. These are all gems of the minor variety; no diamonds in the rough here.  Lets see what else of value we can discover in today's puzzle.

Across:

1. Not imagined: REAL.  No matter how wild your flights of fancy, there is always the REAL world to come back to.

5. On: ATOP.  

9. Arthur of tennis: ASHE.

13. Country quarters: INNS.  Establishments for the lodging and entertainment of travelers, generally smaller than hotels and with fewer amenities.

14. Be behind: TRAIL.  Lag

15. Skier's need, maybe: SNOW.   For several varieties of down-hill or cross-country skiing

18. Presidents' Day event: SALE.  Many holidays really.

19. Ivy League student: ELI.  Specifically at Yale U.

20. Dynamic prefix: AERO.  Designed to reduce air drag and/or wind resistance.

21. Sushi bar brews: SAKES.  A fermented rice beverage

22. Ristorante favorite: LASAGNA.  Layers of noodles, meat and cheese, usually with a tomato based sauce. 

24. "Holy smokes!": ZOWIE.  Golly!

30. Monks' wear: COWLS.  Long, hooded garments with wide sleeves, sometimes, just the hood. 

33. Total drubbing: ROUT.  Like a bad Super Bowl game.

34. Flatow of "Science Friday": IRA.  [b. 1949] A radio and television journalist and author.

 
35. Opposite of home: AWAY.  

36. Dozen dozen: GROSS.  That's 144 of anything.

38. Craftsy etailer: ETSY.  An American e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. 

39. Tiny, for short: LI'L.  Little, for long

40. "Not long": SOON. Li'l bit of time.

41. Guilty and not guilty: PLEAS.  Formal statements by or on behalf of a defendant or prisoner, stating guilt or innocence in response to a charge, offering an allegation of fact, or claiming that a point of law should apply.

46. Spectrum maker: PRISM.  Could be a brand name product or service, but not this time.  A PRISM will divide white light into color components, based on wave length.

Light Weight

47. Comment after a missed shot: NICE TRY.  Condolence or sarcasm?

51. Characteristic: TRAIT. A distinguishing quality of a person or thing.

53. Shred: IOTA.  Tiny amount

54. Tint: HUE. Coloration

55. "I didn't mean to do that": OOPS.  Utterance after an accident.

59. Unmitigated joy: GLEE. Originally, the specific joy of music and singing.

60. Seller, usually: OWNER. Or his/her agent.

61. Its symbol is Fe: IRON.  Elemental metal.

62. Some cameras, for short: SLRS.  Single Lens Reflex.

63. Amorously pursues: WOOS. 

64. Fiddling emperor: NERO.  While Rome burns.

Down:

1. Orion's left foot, some say: RIGEL.  Rigel is a blue supergiant that is the brightest star in the constellation Orion (the Hunter). Due to its measured size and brightness it is expected to end in a supernova one day. 

2. __ Gay: ENOLA.  a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, piloted by Tibbets and Robert A. Lewis during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb.

3. Naysayers: ANTIs.  Those with negative viewpoints.

4. Pelican State sch.: LSU.   Louisiana State University.

5. Biblical mount: ARARAT.  Legendary landing place of Noah's Arc. 

6. Tropical root vegetable: TARO.  A food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures.

7. Squeaky-wheel need: OIL.  Lubricant.

8. Tissue layer: PLY.  A single layer of any multiple layer construction, such as ply wood.

9. Attack: ASSAIL.

10. Hazard in many old Westerns: SNAKE BITE.  

11. Opening: HOLE.   An aperture or gap.

12. Lambs' moms: EWES.  Female sheep.

14. New drivers, typically: TEENS.  People between the ages of 13 and 19, inclusive.

17. Novel units: PAGES.  Not new and unusual things, but the two-sided papers bound into books.

21. Whack at a mosquito: SWAT.

23. With skill: ABLY.  

24. Family outing destinations: ZOOS.

25. Numbered piece: OPUS.  A separate composition or set of compositions by a particular composer, usually ordered by date of publication.

27. Outlet insert: PRONG.  A slender pointed or projecting part: such as a fang of a tooth ora point of an antler, or an electric plug.

28. Celestial bear: URSA.  Either the URSA MAJOR or URSA MINOR constellation.

29. First Black MLB team captain, 1964: MAYS.  Willie Howard Mays Jr., [b 1931] nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He spent almost all of his 22-season Major League Baseball career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants before finishing his career with the New York Mets. [Wikipedia]

30. Not nervous: CALM.  Serene.

31. Something Mommy needs to kiss?: OWIE.  Booboo.

32. Computer screen background: WALLPAPER.

36. Odin and Thor: GODS.  In the Aesir.

37. Wander: ROAM.  

38. "Need anything __?": ELSE.

40. Sulky state: SNIT.

41. Pie nut: PECAN. 

43. Flowery van Gogh work: IRISES.   You can see it here.

44. Battery terminals: ANODES.  And Cathodes

45. Solution strength measure: TITER.  Determined by 2 conflicting methods.  Read about it here.

48. "Over __!": THERE.   A 1917 song written by George M. Cohan that was popular with the United States military and public during both world wars. It is a patriotic song designed to galvanize American young men to enlist and fight.

 

 49. Something from a mill?: RUMOR.  People who start and spread rumors.

50. Type of survey question: YES/NO.  As opposed to multiple guess.

51. Duds: TOGS.  Clothing.

52. Dinner table staple: ROLL.  A small, usually round or oblong individual loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment (eaten plain or with butter)

53. License plate fig.: ID NO.  Identification Number.

56. "__ come?": HOW.  Said when asking how or why something happened or is the case.

57. Iconic WWII island, briefly: IWO.  An island 750 miles south of Tokyo. It was the site of an iconic WW II battle in February and March of 1945.

Raising the Flag

58. Winning game cry: GIN.   From a card game, not a martini, alas.

So goes another Wednesday.  Hope it was valuable.

Cool Regards!

JzB

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 Catherine Cetta

Double Your Fun!  The word Double can be placed before each word in the theme answer to give a new concept.

20-Across. City street spot you usually have to back into: PARKING SPACE.  Double Park and Double Space.  Double Space in typing means that there is a full space, the equivalent to the full height of a line of the text, between rows of words in a document.  Most computer texting programs default to single spacing.

This is just wrong!

33-Across. Unfavorable impression: NEGATIVE TAKE.  Double Negative and Double Take.

Double Take

42-Across. Winter clock setting: STANDARD TIME.  Double Standard and Double Time.

Double Standard.

And the unifier:

56-Across. In 2020's MLB season, each game of one was seven innings ... and what each word of three long answers can have: DOUBLE HEADER.  The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on Major League Baseball this year.

Across:

1. Like new dollar bills: CRISP.  //  And 19-Across. Singles: ONES.

6. Instruction unit: STEP.

10. Last year's frosh: SOPH.  Last year's Freshman is this year's Sophomore.  According to Webster's, the word Frosh for a first year student may derive from the German word for Frog, which is what a student is called before entering the university.

14. Mediterranean mayonnaise: AIOLI.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

15. Place for pews: NAVE.  There has been much discussion on the church nave recently.

16. Crosby, Stills & Nash, e.g.: TRIO.  Crosby, Stills & Nash were a folk rock group formed in 1968.  A year later, Neil Young joined the group and the band became known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 

17. Raced toward: RAN AT.

18. One cutting staff: AXER.  Axer isn't in the Scrabble dictionary, but if it was, it would be worth 11 points.

23. TSA __Check: PRE.  Getting the Pre-Check on my airline ticket always makes me smile.

26. "Annabel Lee" poet: POE.  Edgar Allen Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is known for his tales of mystery and poetry.  I don't think I had ever read Annabel Lee before.

27. Result of a coup, perhaps: OUSTER.

28. Sea surrounding Santorini: AEGEAN.  Santorini seems to be on the outer edge of the Aegean Sea,

30. Relate, as a story: TELL.  William Tell had a Tale to Tell.

32. Silly starter?: ESS.  Silly Goose!  It's the letter S.

36. HEATH Bar competitor: SKOR.

37. "Bel Canto" author Patchett: ANN.   Ann Patchett (b. Dec. 2, 1963) has written several novels.  Bel Canto is loosely based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis of 1996-1997, which occurred in Lima, Peru.  By coincidence, I took this book along with me to read while I was traveling in Peru about 10 years ago.  I highly recommend this book.

38. Many an Omani: ARAB.

47. UFO operators: ETs.  As in ExtraTerresterials.

50. Iowa college town: AMES.  Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa.

51. Egg-coloring holiday: EASTER.  Tsars Alexander II and Nicholas II had Fabergé jeweled eggs made for their wives as Easter gifts.

52. Useless: NO HELP.

54. Coll. entrance exam: SAT.  The SAT exams were formerly known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

55. Business card abbr.: EXT.  Think of the telephone extension number.

60. James of jazz: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

61. See-the-sights travel option: RAIL.  //  And 1. See-the-sights travel option: CAR.

62. Banana cluster: BUNCH.

66. Came down: ALIT.

67. Poet Pound: EZRA.  Ezra Pound (né Ezra Weston Loomis Pound; Oct. 30, 1885 ~ Nov. 1, 1972) was not without a lot of controversy.

68. Vowel-rich farewell: ADIEU.  Today's French lesson.

69. Surrealist Magritte: RENÉ.  René Magritte (Nov. 21, 1898 ~ Aug. 15, 1967) was a Belgium artist who is known for creating amusing images.

70. Burpee purchase: SEED.  The Burpee Seed company was founded by Washington Atlee Burpee (Apr. 5, 1858 ~ Nov. 26, 1915) in the 1870s.  The company is still going strong today.

71. Transplant to a new container: REPOT.

Down:

2. River inlet: RIA.

3. Na+ or Cl-: ION.  Together, these ions form table salt.

4. Word with happy or dash: SLAP.  As in Slap Happy or Slap Dash.

5. Rain-on-the-roof sound: PIT-A-PAT.

6. Asp or adder: SNAKE.

7. Cab: TAXI.

8. Like every other integer: EVEN.  2, 4, 6, 8, ...

9. Vine-covered walkway: PERGOLA.  A pergola can also be a covered sitting area.  We build a pergola in our back yard a couple of years ago and I spent many hours there during this pandemic season.  The word Pergola comes from the Latin, meaning projected eave.

10. Dots on a transit map: STOPS.

11. Highly decorative: ORNATE.  The mosaics at the Alhambra Palace are very ornate.

12. Concert choices: PIECES.

13. Uncouth types, in Canadian slang: HOSERS.  Hi, CanadianEh!

21. Rice-A-__: RONI.  It's the San Francisco treat and it comes in many flavors.

22. Pout: SULK.

23. Thumbs-down reviews: PANS.

24. Really smell: REEK.

25. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.  L'Eggo my Eggo!  They, too, come in several flavors.

29. All __: listening: EARS.

30. Takes care of: TENDS.

31. Sicilian smoker: ETNA.  Since 2013, this volcano has been periodically been showing some eruptive action.

34. Wind indicator: VANE.  The word Vane comes from an old English word, Fane, which means Flag.

35. Grub: EATS.

39. Baptism, for one: RITE.

40. Plastic choice, briefly: AMEX.  Nice misdirection:  American Express.

41. Ernie's Muppet pal: BERT.

43. Like unlikely tales: TALL.

44. Current units: AMPERES.  The Ampere is named after André-Marie Ampère (Jan. 20, 1775 ~ June 10, 1836), French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electromagnetism.

45. Enjoy a novel: READ.  I have read just under 50 books this year, most of which were novels.

46. Baked treat that sounds like a place to meet: DATE BAR.

47. Make precious: ENDEAR.

48. Play the flute: TOOTLE.  Flute playing in the year 2020.

49. Locked up: SHUT IN.

53. Online money-back offer: E-BATE.

54. Dinner course: SALAD.  In Israel, Salads are a common breakfast food.

57. Thin fog: HAZE.

58. The Emerald Isle: EIRE.

59. Impolite: RUDE.

63. Puppy's bite: NIP.

64. Head of the corp.: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

65. Shack: HUT.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

No matter what or how you celebrate the holidays, please respect everyone.  We are all fragile and we need to look out for the health and welfare of all.  Please wear your mask and social distance.  We want to be able to hug next holiday season.  

May 2021 bring Health and Happiness!