Sunday December 11, 2022 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Wine Pairings"

 23A. Very dangerous red?: MORTAL ZINFANDEL.

37A. Wine on tap?: DRAFT BORDEAUX.

60A. Sequel to Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath"?: CANNERY  ROSE.

73A. Hangover caused by wine?: MAL DE MERLOT.

95A. Wax eloquent about some wine?: HAIL A CABERNET.

114A. Wine that's good for one's bones?: SKELETON CHIANTI.

16D. Wine that comes in tiny bottles?: PEEWEE RIESLING.

47D. Tale about one Corleone's love of fortified wine?: SONNY AND SHERRY.

No write up today. Please go to the Comments section if you have any questions.

Across: 

1. Asparagus piece: SPEAR.

6. For the ages: EPIC.

10. Open pages in a browser: TABS.

14. Channel with Supreme Court coverage: C SPAN.

19. Childish comeback: ARE SO.

20. Biblical wedding location: CANA.

21. Writer's block cure: IDEA.

22. Troubling signs: OMENS.

26. Vatican City masterpiece: PIETA.

27. First novel in Cather's "Great Plains" trilogy: O PIONEERS.

28. Coral formation: REEF.

29. How one must win in volleyball: BY TWO.

30. Violinist Leopold: AUER.

31. "Te __": Rihanna song: AMO.

32. "Just watch me!": I CAN TOO.

34. Email folder: SENT.

36. "Invisibilia" airer: NPR.

40. Look at: EYE.

41. Actor Mendelsohn: BEN.

42. Datebook col.: FRI.

43. Painting, cinema, ballet, etc.: ART FORMS.

45. Have: POSSESS.

49. Formal talk: ADDRESS.

53. __ setter: IRISH.

54. Steer clear of: AVOID.

55. Kimono sash: OBI.

57. Proverb ending?: IAL.

58. Game that begins with the murder of Mr. Boddy: CLUE.

59. Remains unsettled: PENDS.

64. Moo __ pork: SHU.

67. "Rule, Britannia" composer: ARNE.

68. Outlaw: BAN.

69. Snacked on: ATE.

70. French assent: OUI.

71. Tavern quaffs: ALES.

72. Trough spot: STY.

76. Like gymnasts: AGILE.

77. Gobi locale: ASIA.

79. A pop: PER.

80. At the stern: AFT.

81. More rational: SANER.

82. Become frantic: PANIC.

84. Stockpiled: AMASSED.

87. Delegates, as duties: ASSIGNS.

89. Endangered Himalayan mammal: RED PANDA.

91. Rain-__ gum: BLO.

93. Coop resident: HEN.

94. Tax agcy.: IRS.

100. Sunblock letters: SPF.

103. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS.

105. Forensic facilities: DNA LABS.

106. Stretch the truth: LIE.

107. Actress Polo: TERI.

108. 1965 march site: SELMA.

110. Little brook: RILL.

111. __ section: CAESAREAN.

113. Skylit courtyards: ATRIA.

116. Nested supermarket rollers: CARTS.

117. "Red Clocks" novelist Zumas: LENI.

118. Connection point: NODE.

119. Teeny pests: MITES.

120. Private rendezvous: TRYST.

121. Dermatology concern: CYST.

122. Boxing ref's decisions: TKOS.

123. Wade noisily: SLOSH.

Down:

1. South Pacific islander: SAMOAN.

2. Keep from falling: PROP UP.

3. More ghoulish: EERIER.

4. Mary of "The Maltese Falcon": ASTOR.

5. Dappled horse: ROAN.

6. Dermatology concern: ECZEMA.

7. Create couples: PAIR OFF.

8. Cozy retreats: INNS.

9. Half-__: latte spec: CAF.

10. Unfortunate quality in a karaoke singer: TIN EAR.

11. Arithmetic figure: ADDEND.

12. Meat-flavored broths: BEEF TEAS.

13. Kid-lit girl with a blueberry pail: SAL.

14. __ and paste: COPY.

15. "In the Heights" actor Jimmy: SMITS.

17. Lost and found, e.g.: ANTONYMS.

18. Govt. cybersecurity monitor: NSA.

24. Picks up: LEARNS.

25. With the bow, in music: ARCO.

29. Ring event: BOUT.

32. Footnote kin of op. cit.: IBID.

33. Couple in a boat: OARS.

35. Radio host John: TESH.

37. Acts: DEEDS.

38. Get in shape: TRAIN.

39. Case for Mulder and Scully: X FILE.

41. Back of a hit 45 record: B SIDE.

44. Tulsa sch.: ORU.

45. Family guys: PAPAS.

46. In plain view: OVERT.

48. L.A.'s region: SOCAL.

50. Some calorie counters: DIETERS.

51. Less common: RARER.

52. Historic Nevada city: ELY.

56. Rock group: BAND.

58. Forensic series starring Paula Newsome, familiarly: CSI.

61. Ben and Jerry: NAMES.

62. Car top: ROOF.

63. "__ my way!": OUTTA.

65. Oscar winner Mirren: HELEN.

66. Icon tappers: USERS.

68. "Hello, ewe!": BAA.

71. Once more: AGAIN.

73. Hebrew prophet: MICAH.

74. Federal org. with a flower logo: EPA.

75. Sauce dispenser: LADLE.

76. Portfolio part: ASSET.

78. Small drink: SIP.

82. Buttoned-up: PRIM.

83. Ford's first minivan: AEROSTAR.

84. Score after deuce, perhaps: AD IN.

85. Hogwash: MALARKEY.

86. Flows back, as the tide: EBBS.

88. "You gotta be kidding!": SHEESH.

90. Zip: NADA.

92. City near Disney World: ORLANDO.

96. Sci-fi invaders: ALIENS.

97. "Heads or tails?": CALL IT.

98. Equal to the task: ABLE.

99. Nephews' sisters: NIECES.

100. Taken care of: SEEN TO.

101. Jabbers: PRATES.

102. Wind up: FINISH.

104. Thin openings: SLITS.

107. Hiking path: TRAIL.

109. Sloop pole: MAST.

111. "Order up!" shouter: COOK.

112. Goals: AIMS.

113. Play a role: ACT.

114. Great Basin cap.: SLC.

115. Blast letters: TNT.

Boomer left this world at 2:04pm yesterday. I'll provide the obit and funeral details once they're available. 

He was confused at times but he's not in pain at the end.

C.C.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Ed Sessa

Theme: IN THE REAR VIEW

20. *Kitchen fire, for one: HOME EMERGENCY.

24. *Laura Dern's "Little Women" role: MARMEE MARCH.

44. *Lifetime Achievement Award presented to "Sesame Street" in 2009, e.g.: DAYTIME EMMY.

50. Soft-shoe classic, or what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: ME AND MY SHADOW. That phrase is a crossword theme waiting to happen, amirite?

Melissa here. Each theme answer contains the sequence "MEEM," so "ME" followed by it's shadow "EM." There are a few additional answers in the grid with different letters that use the same pattern, I've marked them with the same highlighting as above.

Across:

1. Creates suds: FOAMS.

6. Lettuce variety: BIBB.  Named after John Bibb, a lawyer who developed this variety in Kentucky out of his Frankfort home. More about Bibb Lettuce.

10. Testy mood: SNIT. Or person. SNIT is a valid scrabble word.

14. Patronized, as a diner: ATE AT.

15. __ Bator: former spelling of Mongolia's capital: ULAN. Also spelled Ulaanbaatar, it was originally a nomadic Buddhist center.

16. Security checkpoint device: WAND. I haven't seen the wand at TSA lately, just go through the scanner, followed by a pat down if they see something. Sadly, it has become like a prison visiting room check-in.

17. Crooner Mel: TORME.

18. Tracks on a muddy road, e.g.: TIRE MARKS.

22. To boot: ALSO.

23. __ lodge: SKI.

30. '60s protest gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society, American student organization that flourished in the mid-to-late 1960s.

33. Bed bug?: APHID. Garden bed.

34. Vaio laptop maker: SONY.

35. Game, __, match: SET. Tennis.

36. Kylo Ren's mother: LEIA. Not up on my Star Wars, had to look this one up. Ben is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, the nephew of Luke Skywalker, and the grandson of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and Padmé Amidala. After turning to the dark side, he becomes the apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke, and later renames himself Kylo Ren upon becoming the Master of the Knights of Ren.

37. Yellowstone bovine: BISON. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is probably the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States, estimated in 2020 to be 4,800 bison. There have been at least two bison attacks this summer in the park, as national park visitors explode post Covid. Here’s a quick bison "rule of thumb:" If you outstretch your arm and hold up your thumb, you should be able to cover the entire silhouette of any bison in the vicinity. If not, you are too close.

39. "I Just Wanna Stop" singer Vannelli: GINO. 1978 memories!

40. Square root of 100: TEN.

41. House overhang: EAVE.

42. Pitcher's bagful: ROSIN. Baseball. A small canvas bag filled with rosin powder (a sticky substance extracted from the sap of fir trees) is used by pitchers to improve their grip on the baseball and keep their hands dry. The rules specifically allow the rosin bag to be kept on the field of play.

43. Pvt. address: APO. Military mail - Pvt. for rank of Private. APO stands for "Army Post Office," and is associated with Army or Air Force installations. FPO stands for "Fleet Post Office," and is associated with Navy installations and ships.

47. Michael of "SNL": CHE. Co-anchor on Weekend Update and co-head writer alongside Colin Jost. Not to be confused with SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

49. Latest: NEWS.

56. Common sweetener: CORN SYRUP.

57. Atlanta Dream co-owner Montgomery: RENEE. Former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream.

59. "Oh, sure, whatever you say": UM OK. Alright then.

60. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO.

61. Try to stop: DETER.

62. Chilean sea __: BASS.

63. Revise: EDIT.

64. Part of an inner circle?: SPOKE. Nice clue. Why Do Bicycles Have Spokes?

Down:

1. Butter or lard: FAT.

2. Brief "Then again ... ": OTOH. On the other hand ...

3. Flight-related prefix: AERO.

4. Jukebox musical featuring ABBA songs: MAMMA MIA. AMMA.

5. Braced (oneself): STEELED.

6. Kid's dismayed cry: BUT MOM.

7. Nastase of tennis: ILIE.

8. Mystery writer Nevada: BARR. She is known for her Anna Pigeon series, which is primarily set in a series of national parks and other protected areas of the United States.

9. Uncommon blood type, briefly: BNEG. B negative red blood cells can be given to both B and AB patients. B negative patients can only receive blood from other B negative donors or from type O negative donors (who are the universal donors).

10. Two-time Best Actress winner Hilary: SWANK. Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby.

11. Self-absorption: NARCISSISM. ISSI

12. Very dark: INKY.

13. NFL scores: TDS. Touchdowns.

19. Like netting: MESHY.

21. Linguistic suffix: ESE. Chinese. Portuguese. Vietnamese.

 
24. Island near Sicily: MALTA.

25. "Not __ out of you!": A PEEP. PEEP.

26. Thick-skinned safari beast: RHINOCEROS.

27. Valuable quality: ASSET.

28. Milne joey: ROO. A.A. Milne is the creator of Winnie the Pooh. Kanga is the doting mother to Roo. A baby kangaroo is known as a joey, which means “little animal” in the Aboriginal language.

29. Christiane Amanpour's channel: CNN. British-Iranian journalist and television host. In the news recently for refusing to wear a headscarf.

31. Durable fabric: DENIM.

32. Poker-faced: STONY.

37. Shearing day sound: BAA.

 

38. Creeping vine: IVY.

39. Hits a homer, in baseball lingo: GOES DEEP. Football lingo, too. ETA: Thanks anon@7:23, you are correct - my brain tried to make that DEED to fit the theme.

41. Idyllic places: EDENS.

42. Loyalty program perks: REWARDS.

45. Trendy place: IN SPOT.

46. "I could take it or leave it": MEH.

48. Tom who voices Woody in the "Toy Story" films: HANKS.

50. NYC cultural center: MOMA. Founded in 1929, The Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world. Date Night at The Met.

 
51. Unit of force: DYNE.

52. 1960s TV horse: MR ED.

53. Cosmonaut Gagarin: YURI. The first human to journey into outer space. Gagarin was killed in 1968 with another pilot in the crash of a two-seat jet aircraft while on what was described as a routine training flight. His ashes were placed in a niche in the Kremlin wall. After his death the town of Gzhatsk was renamed Gagarin.

54. Not duped by: ONTO.

55. Pay period, for some: WEEK.

56. Baby bear: CUB. Cubs and joeys today.

58. Poetic "before": ERE.

Sunday June 19, 2022 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Switching Sides" - The first part & second part of each common phrase is switched.

23. Part-time job for teenage waterfowl?: DUCK-SITTING. Sitting duck.

28. Extravagant and elaborate way of going around slowpokes?: FANCY PASSING. Passing fancy.

37. Breather in the ballroom?: DANCING BREAK. Breakdancing.

44. Glee found on horseback?: RIDING JOY. Joyriding.

64. First-rate dog shelter?: STERLING POUND. Pound Sterling.

85. Extremely blah coif?: NOTHING DO. Do nothing.

90. Cattle that may tip over?: LISTING STOCK. Stock listing.

101. "Life's too short for dull razors," e.g.?: SHAVING POINT. Point shaving.

107. Queue for lottery tickets?: DRAWING LINE. Line-drawing.

Hmm, am I missing some extra layer that tightens the set? There are lots of 2-word or 2-part phrases that can be swapped.  

Interesting Ed put RIDING JOY in 44A rather than 25A. In most grids, if theme entries are all placed in Across spots, the longest fill length is always shorter than the shortest theme entry.

Across:

1. Fish tacos fish, familiarly: MAHI. We also have 8. Tuna in poke bowls: AHI.

5. Department store founder depicted in "Miracle on 34th Street": R H MACY.

11. __ de fideo: Mexican noodle soup: SOPA. Fideo = Noodle.

15. Top: BEST.

19. Comparison words: AS AN.

20. "Oh, cry me a river": BOOHOO.

21. Neighbor: ABUT.

22. Ski area in Utah's Wasatch Mountains: ALTA. The other 4-letter ski area is VAIL in Colorado. ALPS too.

25. Hard on the eyes: UGLY AS SIN.

27. Egyptian goddess: ISIS. The assistant to Boomer's radiation doctor is from Egypt.

30. "Sadly ... ": I FEAR.

32. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

35. Appearance: MIEN.

36. Devoutness: PIETY. Filial piety is big in China. It's in my bones.

40. New Year's __: EVE.

42. Quirky: ODD.

43. Bless with oil: ANOINT.

50. Spring: LEAP.

52. "Nashville" actress Blakley: RONEE.

53. Gives a little: BENDS.

54. "My Kind of Country" singer McEntire: REBA.

55. Big name in baby food: GERBER. The original Gerber baby just passed away.

57. Middle Alou brother: MATTY.

58. Heavy __: METAL.

59. Mass book: MISSAL.

61. Thus far: TO NOW.

62. Retort from a self-appointed authority: SAYS ME.

63. Chap: LAD.

68. Water under le pont: EAU. le pont = the bridge.

69. "Gotcha": OH I SEE.

71. Comedy duo Garfunkel and __: OATES. Learning moment for me.

72. Gold units: KARATS.

74. Greek god of the underworld: HADES.

75. Not straight: CURLY.

76. Celebrated, as a holiday: MARKED. Nina's husband Mark ran the Grandma's Marathon yesterday. In ASICS, probably.

78. Landed: ALIT.

79. Cooking stove: RANGE.

80. Tropical veranda: LANAI. Nice and quiet.

81. Lairs: DENS.

87. Temperature unit: KELVIN.

88. Calendario square: DIA. Calendar.

89. Singer Carly __ Jepsen: RAE. So much fun with those "Call Me Maybe" covers. 

93. Out of whack: ASKEW.

97. Poet Silverstein: SHEL.

99. Tavern quaff: ALE.

100. Some charity runs: TEN-KS.

105. Effortlessness: EASE. I've watched a ton of "Butter". You wonder how BTS succeeded so long as a group. Just watch this practice video.  Talk about professionalism.

106. Subject of PETA's traveling exhibit "Without Consent": LAB ANIMAL.

113. North Carolina campus: ELON. We also have 92. Some electric cars: TESLAS.

114. Dorky sort: NERD.

115. New version of an old film: REMAKE.

116. Jessica of "L.A.'s Finest": ALBA.

117. Traps in an attic?: WEBS.

118. Change for a five: ONES.

119. "The Right Stuff" figure: YEAGER (Chuck)

120. Deck chair piece: SLAT.

Down:

1. Fuming: MAD.

2. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.

3. Southwest estate: HACIENDA. Large casa.

4. Squid organ: INK SAC.

5. Grand slam quartet, briefly: RBIS. Who has the most RBIs in a season? Don't google.

6. In great demand: HOT.

7. Witticism: MOT.

9. NCAA div.: CONF. Conference.

10. Surface for shavasana: YOGA MAT.

11. Apple product?: SAUCE. Real apple.

12. Maternity ward doc: OB-GYN.

13. Juicer refuse: PULP.

14. "Right Back __": Spice Girls song: AT YA.

15. Deep opera voices: BASSI.

16. "McFarland, USA" actress Fisher: ELSIE.  Also in "Eighth Grade"

17. Stretch on the job: STINT.

18. Like lemonade: TANGY. Ours is sweet. Baby Charlotte.

24. iPad speaker: SIRI.

26. Resort town on Colorado's Roaring Fork River: ASPEN.

29. Suffix with neat or beat: NIK.

30. Pop star: IDOL.

31. Gradually vanish: FADE.

32. Lowly: IGNOBLE.

33. Chophouse choice: T-BONE. We dined at the VA cafeteria last Wednesday. I had two tasty chicken wraps.

34. Less damp: DRIER.

38. Talk through the whole movie?: NARRATE. Great clue.

39. WSW opposite: ENE.

40. Mini vortex: EDDY.

41. Meas. reduced by fog: VIS. Visibility.

44. Pave anew: RE-TOP.

45. Halved: IN TWO.

46. Earl __ tea: GREY. Got some really good matcha at the Asian store the other day. So good in this hot weather.

47. Globetrotting group: JETSET.

48. Former White House quartet: OBAMAS.

49. New Haven sch.: YALE U.

51. Pts. of a book: PGS.

53. Forehead-covering hair: BANGS. The iconic Jane Birkin bangs.

56. Tricky road curves: ESSES.

57. Rupees and rubles: MONEY.

58. 102-Down's mother: MADRE. 102. 58-Down's son: NINO.

59. Hawaiian "thank you": MAHALO. Xie xie in Chinese.

60. Admission of guilt: I DID IT.

61. Magazine name: TITLE.

62. Not straight: SNAKING.

63. "Mean Girls" star Lindsay: LOHAN. Rachel McAdams & Amanda Seyfried are in this film also.

65. Drinks for the house: ROUND.

66. Key __: LARGO.

67. Kyiv's country: UKRAINE. Notice the Kyiv spelling.

70. Writer/actor Rogen: SETH.

73. Throw in: ADD.

75. Zoo enclosure: CAGE.

76. Valletta's island: MALTA.

77. Block that often falls on Wile E. Coyote: ANVIL.

79. Genetic material: RNA.

80. "__ Misérables": LES.

82. "Modern Family" co-star: ED O'NEILL. With Sofía Vergara.

83. Little cut: NICK.

84. Nordstrom rival: SAKS.

86. Conservationist Bindi: IRWIN.

87. Season wood, in a way: KILN DRY. New term to me.

90. Tropical garland: LEI.

91. Male deer: STAG.

93. Heaps: A SLEW. of.

94. Thin-layered rock: SHALE.

95. Shish __: KABOB. Popular street food in Xi'an. Often seasoned with cumin.

96. Chris who plays Captain America: EVANS.

97. Extra: SPARE.

98. Wrestling moves: HOLDS.

103. FBI guys: G MEN.

104. Beech or peach: TREE.

105. Dept. formed after the 1977 oil crisis: ENER.

108. Reddit Q&A session: AMA.

109. Droll sort: WAG.

110. "The Mindy Project" actor Barinholtz: IKE. Here with Mindy.

111. Org. with Thunder and Heat: NBA.

112. Gulp down: EAT. Boomer lost another 10 lbs since his surgery. His oncologist said "get fat!". He ordered Boomer to drink more Ensure, eat more food. He said the chemo drug needs to bind with protein to work. Poor Boomer gets stomach ache if he eats more than usual.

A few extra notes:

1) Thanks for the comments on Boomer's debut last Thursday. He was so happy to read your feedback. 

2) We had a very busy week. The ortho nurse said that Boomer's wound was healing nicely. We'll have one more MRI scan on July 11th and meet with the surgeon for follow-up. Hopefully Boomer can take off the sling then.

The meeting with the radiation doctor also went smoothly. Boomer is scheduled to have 5 sessions of radiation starting on June 27th.

The meeting with the oncologist went great also. Boomer will start a new oral chemo called Olparib after he completes his radiation. He'll also receive a bone strengthener infusion on July 1. Hope the side effects are less than Zometa infusion Boomer received a few years ago.

On the PT front, Boomer started the pendulum exercises last Thursday. Baby steps. He'll continue his regular PT next Monday and Thursday. We also hope to get a bone scan done next week somewhere near our home. The VA scanning place got flooded on Friday.

C.C.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Ed Sessa

Theme: YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.

Melissa here. And no, really. I have no idea what the theme is. Besides the Jekyll/Hyde thing, and all the pronouns - what connects these answers? Love to hear your thoughts. Theme answers below.

20. Dr. Jekyll, to Mr. Hyde: YOU ARE ON MY MIND.

42. Dr. Jekyll, to Mr. Hyde: I WANT TO BE ALONE.

48. Mr. Hyde, to Dr. Jekyll: IT'S NOT YOU IT'S ME.

25. Dr. Jekyll, to Mr. Hyde: I'M BESIDE MYSELF.

 Across:

1. Trudge: PLOD.

5. Deer dad: STAG. Nice clue.

9. Vexes, with "at": GNAWS.

14. Rumble in the jungle: ROAR.

15. Hourglass figure?: TIME. Great clue.

16. Roker of ''The Jeffersons'': ROXIE. Also mother of Lenny Kravitz and related to Al Roker (their grandfathers were cousins). Roxie died in 1995 of breast cancer. Lenny wrote this song for her. Sniff.

 

17. Blue-Emu target: ACHE.

18. "Never Have I __": Netflix series created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher: EVER.

19. Make amends: ATONE.

23. Ruminate (over): MULL.

24. One close to home?: UMP. Umpire. Tennis and baseball have umpires.

32. Mitchell who won a Tony Award for "Hadestown": ANAIS. American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright.

33. Tall shade trees: ELMS.

34. Robert McCloskey's "Blueberries for __": SAL. It's a children's picture book. Sal is a little girl who can't pick blueberries faster than she can eat them.

35. Slimy pest: SLUG. Really gross to step on one barefoot. Ew.

36. Piddling: DINKY. Small.

38. Passion: FIRE.

39. Sun shade?: TAN.

40. Locale: SITE.

41. Make one's case: ARGUE.

46. No longer cool: OUT. So yesterday.

47. Short holiday?: XMAS. Abbreviation for Christmas.

55. Means of entry: WAY IN.

56. Boaters and bowlers: HATS. A bowler hat, also called a derby hat, was created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849.  Worn famously by Laurel and Hardy.

A boater hat is a straw, round hat with a flat top, famously worn by Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

 

 

57. Denny's rival: IHOP. Both are known for their all-day breakfast items.

58. Say yes: AGREE.

59. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. Interesting bit of trivia.

60. Folk stories: LORE.

61. Sock away: HOARD.

62. Like audiobooks, once: ON CD. Most new computers don't come with CD drives any more, including my new iMac.

63. Device that helps a team pull together: YOKE. Must be very uncomfortable for the oxen.

Down:

1. Thank the goddesses, e.g.: PRAY.

2. "Un Poco __": song from "Coco": LOCO. "A little crazy."

3. Diamond Head's island: OAHU. The most iconic volcanic formation in all of Hawai‘i. 

4. Aim high: DREAM BIG.

5. Girds (oneself): STEELS. Brace yourself!

6. Copenhagen's __ Gardens: TIVOLI. Best known for it's wooden rollercoaster, Rutschebanen, or as some people call it, Bjergbanen (The Mountain Coaster), built in 1914. It is one of the world's oldest wooden roller coasters that is still operating today.

7. Revival meeting cry: AMEN. So be it.

8. Microbe: GERM. Or microorganism.

9. Beyoncé's 28: GRAMMYS. She's close behind the record-holder. Georg Solti (21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997), a British orchestral and operatic conductor, received 31 with his first being for Best Opera Recording at the 5th Annual Grammy Awards in 1963.

10. Policy that typically includes higher menu prices: NO TIPS.

11. Nerve impulse carrier: AXON.

12. Sailboat's need: WIND.

13. "That's how it's done": SEE.

21. Feels remorse about: RUES.

22. "Delish!": YUMMY. Or yum-o, as Rachael Ray would say.

25. Kin by marriage: IN-LAW. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “A phrase appended to names of relationship, as father, mother, brother, sister, son, etc., to indicate that the relationship is not by nature, but in the eye of the Canon Law, with reference to the degrees of affinity within which marriage is prohibited.”

26. Word in Hawaiian volcano names: MAUNA. Rising gradually to more than 4 km (13,100 ft) above sea level, Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet.

27. Brightest star in Cygnus: DENEB. Cygnus contains six bright stars that appear to form a “cross,” the brightest of which being Deneb. Deneb is one of the three stars found in the Summer Triangle asterism and is one of the largest white stars in our sky.

28. Yellowstone grazers: ELK.

29. Complete, as a PDF contract: ESIGN. I feel for folks who don't use computers. So many things, like taxes, are mostly done online now.

30. Lash of old Westerns: LARUE. Larue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s.

31. Get out of Dodge: FLEE. Let's blow this taco stand.

32. Italian wine region: ASTI.

36. "Same here": DITTO.

37. "How was __ know?": I TO.

38. With no warmth: FROSTILY.

40. In a daze: STUNNED.

41. Jai __: ALAI.

43. More of a busybody: NOSIER. We all know a few like that.

44. Rare and wonderful: EXOTIC.

45. Brought a smile to: AMUSED.

48. "Othello" villain: IAGO. Iago hates Othello and devises a plan to destroy him by making him believe that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with his lieutenant.

49. Supermodel Banks who coined the word "smize": TYRA. Smiling with your eyes.

50. Rossi of "Sons of Anarchy": THEO.

51. Knitting need: YARN.

52. "Buzz off!": SHOO.

53. Ork native: MORK. Played by Robin Williams in Mork and Mindy.

54. Olympic sword: EPEE. There are three fencing blades used in Olympic fencing - the foil, épée and sabre - each of which have different compositions, techniques and scoring target areas. The épée is the largest and heaviest of the three.

55. "Oh, cry me a river": WAH.

 

Sunday March 20, 2022 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Freakonomics!" - Each economic term is humorously rephrased as if it's a dreaded term for the person in the clue.

23A. "Surgeon freaks out over higher __!": OPERATING COSTS.

36A. "Cattle rancher freaks out over __!": STOCK MARKET DIP.

56A. "Landscaper freaks out over cut back __"!: HEDGE FUND.

78A. "Shrimper captain freaks out over __!": NET LOSSES.

93. "Restaurant owner freaks out over __!": CONSUMPTION TAX.

112. "Car rental agency franchisee freaks out over __!": BUDGET DEFICITS.

17D. "Balloonist freaks out over __!": HYPERINFLATION.

49D. "Electrician freaks out over drop in his __!": CURRENT ACCOUNT.

What a great title! 

I love 36A, 112A and 17D the best as they're really economic problems.

Ed gave us another low 140-word grid, with only 69 black squares. I always need a 144-word grid with 76 or 78 squares to make a Sunday puzzle.

Across:

1. Big do: SHINDIG.

8. Attacks: SETS AT.

14. Discusses, with "out": HASHES.

20. Traditional Eastern garments: KIMONOS. You can rent a kimono in Tokyo. Hi there, MitziMouse!

 

21. Arch support: INSOLE.

22. 1974 Top 10 Ringo Starr hit: OH MY MY.

25. Dish out messily, as goulash: SLOP ON. We have rotini, corn and Ragu sauce for our goulash.

26. Email clutter: SPAM.

27. Nerve cell transmitter: AXON.

28. Bring comfort to: SOOTHE.

30. Jared of "Fight Club": LETO. You won't find him in a USA Today crossword.

 31. Luv: HON.

32. TV Drs. Isles and Quincy: MES. OK, Medical Examiners.

34. Build-it-yourself furniture chain: IKEA.

35. Scott in an 1857 case: DRED. Dred Scott v. Sandford,

43. Estate planning list: HEIRS.

44. White option, briefly: CHARD. Chardonnay

45. "__ go down to the seas again": Masefield: I MUST.

46. Put on notice: WARN.

47. Ones at home on the range: ARCHERS. Archery range.

50. Stock seller, often: BEAR.

51. Hesitant sounds: UMS.

52. Vaccine safety agcy.: FDA. Xi'an has a few new COVID cases again. Andy lives in the 7th floor. The guy on the 4th floor came into contact with a known COVID case, then government sealed his house from outside. He's quarantining inside.

55. It may accompany vertigo: NAUSEA.

59. Open, as an envelope: SLIT.

60. Write "mispell," e.g.: ERR.

61. Hard-to-move type: STOIC. No one is more stoic than Seneca. 

 63. Hawks: SELLS.

64. Popeye's stop: AVAST.

65. Country singer Haggard: MERLE.

67. Mekong River land: LAOS.

69. Grammy, alternatively: NANA. It's "nai nai" in Chinese.

70. All, in scores: TUTTI.

71. Curved moldings: OGEES.

72. Ski resort near Montpelier: STOWE.

74. "Let me sleep on it": MAYBE.

76. Dr. Seuss' Sam-__: I AM.

77. Billionth: Pref.: NANO.

80. Punk rock's Joey or Dee Dee: RAMONE.

82. No. on a landscaper's doc: EST. Our association is polling on whether we want new driveways. Pretty expensive, but our driveways are so bad.

83. Came out on top: WON.

84. Newspaper stand?: OP-ED. Fresh clue.

85. Some fictional turtles: MUTANTS.  "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

86. Name in early Genesis chapters: ADAM.

88. Auricle, in anatomy: PINNA. We had this before.

90. Sombrero wearer's title, often: SENOR.

91. Breakfast strips: BACON.

97. Aunties' mates: UNCS.

98. Card relative?: RIOT.

99. NBA great Ming: YAO. Now the head of the Chinese Basketball Association.

100. La-la preceder: TRA.

102. New Mexico art colony: TAOS.

103. Julie with multiple Tonys and Emmys: HARRIS.

106. TriBeCa neighbor: SOHO.

109. How many ER orders are given: STAT.

110. Perceptiveness: ACUITY.

115. Common workday starting hr.: NINE AM.

116. "Swan Lake" heroine: ODETTE. The white swan

117. Longtime "General Hospital" actress: ANNA LEE.

118. Major course: ENTREE.

119. Affirmatives: YESSES. There are 64 households in our association. They need 35 Yeses for the new driveway proposal.

120. Taco truck fare: TOSTADA.

Down:

1. Itty bit: SKOSH. From Japanese. Sukoshi.

 

 

2. "Hungry, hungry" game beasts: HIPPOS.

3. "Let me clarify ... ": I MEANT.

4. It's not unusual: NORM.

5. __ kit: DNA.

6. Itty bit: IOTA.

7. Unofficial EU leaders group: G SIX. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK, which left EU. Now it's just G5.

8. Bottom-line name: SIGNER.

9. Letter abbr.: ENC.

10. General __ chicken: TSO'S.

11. Just okay: SO SO.

12. Tin mints: ALTOIDS.

13. Radon detection aid: TEST KIT.

14. Book before Joel: HOSEA.

15. Minor league rink org.: AHL. The American Hockey League. Iowa Wild is the minor league for our Minnesota Wild. I don't think they won the Calder Cup all these years.
 
16. Burn sans flames: SMOLDER.

18. Stage attention-getter: EMOTER.

19. Church councils: SYNODS.

24. Bedouin, e.g.: NOMAD.

29. With it, old-style: HEP.

33. Tackled moguls: SKIED. Eileen Gu has become an icon in China.

37. Folk legend Phil: OCHS.

38. Cocktail hour array: CHEESES.

39. Gold measure: KARAT.

40. Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS.

41. Salon and Slate: E-MAGS.

42. Large serving bowl: TUREEN. Pretty.

43. Is down with: HAS.

46. Subj. of arms negotiations: WMD.

47. Buttercup relative: ANEMONE.

48. Krypton, for one: RARE GAS.

50. Chill: BE COOL.

51. Retract: UNSAY.

53. A long ways off: DISTANT.

54. Now and then: AT TIMES.

56. "Perfectly Good Guitar" singer John: HIATT. Not a familiar name to me.

57. Attacked via email: FLAMED.

58. Arm bones: ULNAS.

59. "Law & Order: __": SVU.

62. Daily Planet name: OLSEN. Jimmy.

64. Gorged oneself: ATE A TON. Boomer does not snack during Lent.

66. Sign of summer: LEO.

68. Passes out: SWOONS.

73. College sports airer: ESPNU.

75. Netflix title puggle dog: BRUNO.

78. __ de guerre: alias: NOM.

79. Morally repugnant: SEAMY.

81. Trade center: MART.

83. Sickly looking: WAN.

85. Travis Tritt's "Tell __ Was Dreaming": ME I.

87. FBI file: DOSSIER.

88. Original name of a classic NOLA sandwich: POORBOY. I've yet to try a po' boy.

89. Offer an unwelcome opinion, maybe: INTRUDE.

90. Left one's seat: STOOD.

91. Lighter fluid: BUTANE.

92. Pain relief brand: ANACIN.

93. "Argo" spy org.: CIA.

94. Cuts partner: PASTES.

95. Fifth-century enemy of Rome: ATTILA. The Hun.

96. Explicit, in a way: X-RATED.

98. What's done for fun?: RHYME. Great fun clue.

101. On the briny: AT SEA.

104. Dire day for Caesar: IDES.

105. Pepper et al.: Abbr.: SGTS.

107. Pressure: HEAT.

108. __ consequence: OF NO.

109. "Beat it!": SCAT.

111. __ Bo: TAE.

113. Paris Jazz Festival saison: ETE. It's held in June-July.

114. Seat holders: INS.

We had a light week. Only PT and OT at the VA hospital in Minneapolis. Then we attended the Benilde-St. Margaret's bowling party in St. Louis Park. The school now names the bowling Coach's Award as the Burnikel Award. We were so moved by their gesture. He's has been coaching the kids for 9 years.

Boomer is going to have a blood draw tomorrow, then we're going to talk with Dr. Downs on Tuesday, then Boomer will have his third chemo on Thursday.  

C.C.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022, Ed Sessa

Title: Do you see what I see? LYRICS+

Happy Mittwoch, Lemonade filling a blogging gap and returning to the day of the week of my first blogging gig here, sharing Wednesday with Melissa B. I do not get another rookie setter but the great Dr. Ed Sessa. It may not be a Friday, but it is not a walk in the park. It is a visual theme without normal theme symmetry or exact theme fill. Instead you need to study the grid and "see" what picture appears when you not only highlight the double Os (no James Bond theme here) but highlight each BUS above the Os.  So today we start with the highlighted grid and work backwards.

Using your childlike imagination which may be a little dormant, you can see a yellow school bus on its two round wheels. There is overall puzzle symmetry including the two grid-spanners, but that does not help locate a theme.

The magic pairs are:

18A. Catskills restaurant job for young Jerry Lewis:     B U S BOY.

19A. Acted with total independence: ANSWERED   TO NO ONE.

This is a challenging 15 letter fill, but crucial to the plan. Lewis was a soda jerk but never a bus boy. Now his name reappears as an alleged sexual predator.

24A. Farm units:                         BUSHELS.   Doris Day

29A. Some wind components:  OBOE REEDS. They make the sound.

31A. Smooch:                                 BUSS.   kiss, kiss

38A. Melville sequel to "Typee": OMOO. This is classic crosswordese for the vowels.

45A. Garment aptly named for where it's worn:        BUSTIER. 

50A. What the filled-in circles do, in a tots' song: GOROUND AND ROUND.  Another 15 letter fill which plays double duty a reveal and part of the theme. Quite clever.

I will not touch the bustier reference, (have to be careful learning from Bill Cosby and Jerry Lewis) but will continue to the rest of the fun.

Across:

1. Animal fat: LARD. Once controversial, is it making a comeback?

5. Mer, here: SEA. French lesson.

8. Business entities: FIRMS. When used in a title, "firm" is typically associated with businesses that provide professional law and accounting services, but the term may be used for a wide variety of businesses, including finance, consulting, marketing, and graphic design firms, among others.

13. State as fact: AVER. A popular law word.

14. Photo: PIC. Nic?

15. Patronize a bistro, say: EAT OUT. I think the bistro reference was to make getting the "out" part more easily as they often offer both inside and outside dining.

16. Cover for a king: ROBE. Especially if it is an Emperor who ordered new clothes.

17. Onassis, familiarly: ARIstotle.

22. Parrot's screech: AWK. Not really. LINK. It is more well known word to computer programmers now. Right -T?

23. Voiced sounds: SONANTS. Hmm,  (ˈsəʊnənt) / adjective. phonetics denoting a voiced sound capable of forming a syllable or syllable nucleus. inherently possessing, exhibiting, or producing a sound. okay. Friday word at least. 

28. Yeoman's "yo": AYE. So many ways to say yes. I did a list years ago but now wiki will do it for you.

35. Fluids used for blood typing: SERA. plural noun: this 

an amber-colored, protein-rich liquid that separates out when blood coagulates.

36. Theater reservations: SEATS. Can you reserve standing room? Keith?

39. Rep on the street: CRED. Reputation gives you credibility. Both abbreviations.

40. Delay one's decision: SLEEP ON IT. This procrastintor's phrase has an early example which can be found in the State Paper of Henry VIII (1519): "His Grace…sayd that he wold slepe and drem upon the matter." Yes, that Henry the VIII.

42. Camera variety, initially: SLR. Single Lens Reflex. I will defer to Picard and waseely and others who like taking pictures and are much better at it than I.

44. Fills with passion: ENAMORS. Merriam Webster (MW) says, this is from the Middle English enamouren, from Anglo-French enamourer, from en- + amour first used in the 14th century meaning to inflame with love. Anyone here been inflamed recently? Splynter?

49. Smack-__: DAB. Not David Aldred Bywaters but a phrase from the 1890s meaning "exactly, squarely." Do you like:

Version 1                                                        Version 2

55. React to with a belly laugh: ROAR AT. Yay! NOT aroar!

56. New start?: NEO. Has anyone watched the new Matrix movie?

57. Inside information?: X-RAY. A really fun clue/fill as that is where docs findout what is going on inside.

58. Queen of puzzles: ELLERY. There are so many famous female detectives, but this time it is these GENTLEMEN who were the Queen.

59. Big name on Wall Street: DOW. Dow Jones is a combination of the names of business partners Charles Dow and Edward Jones who along with Charles Bergstresser founded Dow Jones & Company in 1882.  

60. To be, to Livy: ESSE. His HISTORY. Esse is "to be" in Latin.

61. "__ what I had in mind": WASN'T. This is the happy response to  my passive/agressive "I guess I should go."

62. Stop on the road: INN. A place to say. 

63. Some coll. requirements: SATS. The Scholastic Aptitude Test  is a standardized test designed to measure basic critical reading, math and writing skills. No longer universally accepted but still offered.

I used to teach an LSAT prep class. If you want to try a new SAT I will send you a practice test, send me your answers and I will tell you how well you did.

Down:

1. Mother on Krypton: LARA. Lara (née Lara Lor-Van) is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in the Superman comic strip and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lara is the biological mother of Superman, and the wife of scientist Jor-El. They like hyphenated names.

2. Big name in romance fiction: AVON. Avon has been publishing award-winning romance since 1941. It is recognized for having pioneered the historical romance category and continues to publish in wide variety of other genres, including paranormal, urban fantasy, contemporary and regency. It is now owned by Harper Collins.

3. Civil War soldiers: REBS. Them damn rebs! Or those gallant boys.

4. Overtook, with "of": DREW AHEAD. All you need to KNOW.

5. Kills it on stage: SPARKLES. HMM. 

6. Auld land: EIRE. The language of the land

7. Essential fatty __: ACIDS. The term essential fatty acids (EFA) refers to those polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that must be provided by foods because these cannot be synthesized in the body yet are necessary for health. There are two families of EFA, omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6). NIH website.

8. Florae counterparts: FAUNAE. Plants and animals.

9. "The program's starting!": IT'S ON. Oh goody, it's time for Howdy Doody.

10. High-tech worker: ROBOT. But do they have a union? How can RAMI MALEK be a robot and Freddie Mercury? Wow!

11. Elementary particles: MUONS. As explained by the Department of Energy DOE.

12. Lid bump: STYE. Not where pigs live. STYES and CHELAZIONS.

15. Dark wood: EBONY. Back already from Monday's puzzle

20. Still-life subject: EWER. Can you pitcher that picture?

21. Newlywed, at times: TOASTEE. You bet, when he gets caught in the back with a bridesmaid.

24. Pear variety: BOSC. No relaion to Harry.

25. Lyft competitor: UBER. They raised their prices here so much I do notuse them any longer. Since I am not allowed to drive, I was...

26. Really ticked: SORE. ...and almost...
 
27. Blows a fuse: SEES RED.

30. Indian lentil dish: DAL. You want to try... RECIPE.

31. Early hip-hop hardware: BOOM BOXES. Although the Boombox has strong cultural associations with New York Hip Hop culture, the first model was in fact developed in the Netherlands. The Dutch company Philips released their first 'Radiorecorder' in 1966.

32. Curt refusal: UM NO. Whi is this Curt and why is he refusing? What is he refusing? Was it Curt Flood?

33. Evening in Avignon: SOIR. Simplement, en Francaise.

34. Tipplers: SOTS.

37. Demote to the minors: SEND DOWN.

41. Host before Carson: PAAR.

42. Comic store owner on "The Big Bang Theory": STUART.

43. Full of fuzz: LINTY. Like many belly buttons, though not belly laughs.

45. Half a Yale cheer: BOOLA. Boola boola has been around since about 1901, but it may never had a better performance'

46. Range with one end in Kazakhstan: URALS.

47. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN. I will defer to Bill and others with a relationship with Christianity to discuss his writings but he was an interesting looking man. 

48. Zuckerberg Media founder Zuckerberg: RANDI. One of Mark's SISTERS. 

50. Raised on a farm: GREW. Speaking of the flora and fauna.

51. Bright light: NEON.The bright lights of Broadway is both a eupemism and a reality. How they WORK.

52. __ Major: URSA. Another bear.

53. Democratic donkey designer: NAST. Most Americans would be surprised to learn that both political symbols, the donkey and the elephant were created by the same political CARTOONIST in the late 19th century.

54. Beauty salon supplies: DYES. Can you think of another three letter beauty supply as we say adieu to to this puzzle and prepare for my next appearance at a club near you on Friday, March 11, 2022.

Grid on top so I will be saying my thanks to Dr.Ed and to all of you who read and/or write now. Maybe you can send me a joke or a cartoon I could put in here...anyway, nice to visit Wednesday and talk about this gem. Lemonade out.