Monday October 22, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme: FOUR H (51. Club with 20-, 32-, 42- and 57-Across as members?) - Each theme entry has four H's.

 

20. English king married six times: HENRY THE EIGHTH.

32. "Three cheers" cry: HIP HIP HURRAH.

42. How wealthy people live: HIGH ON THE HOG.

57. Keep something in mind: HOLD THE THOUGHT.

Boomer here.

It was thirty years ago this month, and the Twins had taken care of the Tigers and were preparing to host the Cardinals in the World Series.  A young lady named Terrie Robbins was in the marketing department of the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper and came up with an idea for a Homer Hanky.  The Trib ordered 100,000 of them and gave them to the fans entering the Dome for game 1.  I cannot help but notice that it seems like nearly every pro team aiming for a championship, now has a Rally Rag or a Touchdown Towel for fans to wave at the games. They are all Homer Hanky copycats.

Across:

1. Online auction venue: EBAY.  I have sold (and purchased) many baseball cards on this site.

5. Waffle House competitors: IHOPS.  Pumpkin Spice pancakes in October.

10. Mine extracts: ORES.

14. Wind-driven device: VANE. You're so vain, you probably think this puzzle is about you.

15. Complete extent: GAMUT.

16. City founded by Pizarro: LIMA. Capital of Peru and succotash beans.

17. Simple __ of kindness: ACTS.

18. Cause of squinting: GLARE.

19. Sometimes-puffy I's?: EGOS.  Lego my Ego!

23. Circular coaster feature: LOOP.  Here we go loop de loop !

24. Guthrie at Woodstock: ARLO.  And you can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.

25. Vietnamese export: TEA.  I suppose, but I thought China was the main exporter of tea.  Mainly to England.  I see cars lined up 10 deep at Starbucks drive through here in the US.

26. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

28. Denials: NOS.

30. Site for crafters: ETSY.  Heavens to ETSY !

36. Inventor's spark: IDEA.  Thomas Edison is my IDEA hero.

37. Prefix with -gram: ANA.  Insta did not fit.

38. Govt. workplace monitor: OSHA.  Occupation Safety and Health Administration is a good thing for the workplace.

47. Arrived: CAME. '''Saw... Conquered"  Caesar (Julius, not Sid)

48. One-man show about Capote: TRU.  Famous for "In Cold Blood" (not my favorite).

49. Salt Lake City athlete: UTE.

50. Bay Area airport letters: SFO.  San Francisco / Oakland - Wear a flower in your hair.

52. Gillette razor: ATRA.  I get better life from a Bic

55. Bluesman Redding: OTIS.  Famous for "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay".  Died in a Wisconsin plane crash at age 26.

61. Christmastide: YULE.  Sleigh Bells ring, are you listenin'

62. In first place: ON TOP. Of old Smoky.

63. Perjurer: LIAR.  Pants on fire

65. Bana of "Hulk": ERIC.

66. Orange Bowl city: MIAMI.  How 'bout them Dolphins!

67. Sole: ONLY.  Only the Lonely, dum dum dum dummy do wah.  Orbison.

68. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA.  Hello Carla.

69. Kenneth Lay's scandalized company: ENRON.  Still have the golf balls, bought them on EBAY.

70. Eye rudely: OGLE.

Down:

1. Longoria of "Desperate Housewives": EVA.

2. One of music's Three Bs: BACH. plus Beethoven and Brahms.

3. Savanna springer: ANTELOPE. For Ants that don't want a big wedding.

4. Simple question type: YES NO.  or Maybe

5. Singer known as the "Godfather of Punk": IGGY POP.

6. Put the kibosh on: HALT. Who goes there ?

7. Nebraska city: OMAHA. Not Lincoln where the Golden Gophers were thrashed last Saturday.

8. Less tainted: PURER.

9. Pittsburgh footballer: STEELER.  Bradshaw was great, but Big Ben is not too bad either.

10. Cassini of fashion: OLEG.

11. Southpaw's opposite: RIGHTY.  True, but why not call him a Northpaw ?

12. Be a ham: EMOTE.

13. Obama daughter: SASHA.  The younger of two daughters.  Her full name is Natasha

21. Rice-A-__: RONI. The San Francisco treat.

22. Tiny bit: IOTA.  It's Greek to me.

26. Honor society letter: PHI. Common sorority letter.  (Also Greek to me).

27. Got ready for the surprise party surprise: HID.

29. Deposed Iranian despot: SHAH.  In the Jimmy Carter era.  I remember he used to come to Rochester Mayo for medical treatment.

31. Clog or moc: SHOE.  One two, buckle my _____.

33. Bad-joke response: HA HA.  When will we see Green Bay Packer Clinton Dix as a clue ?

34. Tres menos dos: UNO.  3 - 2.  You can't fool me.

35. Speak wildly: RANT.  and Rave.

39. Saying "Quiet!" to: SHUSHING.

40. Very popular: HOT.  When you're hot you're hot, when you're not you're me.

41. Get on in years: AGE.  Older but wiser.

43. "__ the end of my rope!": I'M AT.

44. Return from work: GET HOME. Object for those on third base.

45. Enter steadily, as a line of students: TROOP IN.

46. Rwandan native: HUTU.  Odd word

47. "Border" dog: COLLIE.  Who of us who have "gotten on in years" cannot forget Lassie.

50. More lamb than tiger: SHYER.

53. Kidney enzyme that regulates blood pressure: RENIN.

54. Essential rose oil: ATTAR.  C.C. is the rosehip oil expert of our family.

56. Snow house: IGLOO.  Yes we live in Minnesota. No we have a regular house.

58. Prefix for "ten": DECA.  So that's why December is 12.

59. __ sapiens: HOMO.

60. Towering: TALL.  The NBA is in full swing. I cannot imagine what it's like to be 7 feet tall and rich!

64. Pastrami bread: RYE.  I like rye bread, but never made a sandwich with pastrami.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Let's send positive thoughts and prayers to Big Easy's wife Diane, who's having knee replacement surgery today.

Big Easy (George) and Diane

Friday, October 12, 2018, Ed Sessa

Title: Sub-chapter C? No, we need an S Corporation to solve this.

One of the many very successful constructors who emerged since we moved to the LAT, Dr. Sessa, a pediatrician presents us with his 86th LAT to go along with 36 NYT publications, hitting for the cycle in both venues. My first time blogging him was the same day his INTERVIEW with C.C. was published in 2011. Today we have a very simple and getable theme, merely adding a cedilla. It is a mark ( ¸ ) written under the letter c, especially in French, to show that it is pronounced like an "s" rather than a "k" (e.g., façade ). Here we just change the C to S. As Ed said in his interview, he wants to amuse and to make the theme an aha moment. I saw the theme with BRISK LAYER which made the solve much easier. As a seasoned professional, he adds a variety of sparkly fill. ACTUALLY, BATH SOAP,  COROLLAS,  DIAMETER,  OVERLAPS, and SHIMMIES. The themers-

17A. Eggs-uberant hen?: BRISK LAYER (10). My Uncle Harold taught BRICK laying in trade school. The clue is funny to me.

24A. Loon, at times?: DUSK CALLER (10). The change from DUCK caller would not help unless you know Loons (the official bird of the Corner) was famous for its night CALLING.

36A. Do some '80s Sochi sunbathing?: BASK IN THE USSR (13). This 1968 Beatles song -BACK IN THE USSR - is repurposed with memories of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

49A. Hitchhiking and texting?: THUMB TASKS (10). Thumb TACKS and hitchhiking are not as popular as they used to be, but it is amazing how fast young people maneuver their thumbs while texting. 

59A. What young elephants do for fun?: NIP AND TUSK (10). The first known usage of 'nip and TUCK' comes from the Arkansas Times and Advocate, August 1838: "It will be a close race in this county - Tully and Cummins, nip and tuck; and I don't know which will have it." 

The rest-

Across:

1. "Ta-ta!": SEE YA. I like this expression.

6. Kaput: SHOT.

10. Musical ending: CODA. JzB can say more about this as the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure

14. Ready for the operation: UNDER. The anesthesia.

15. Dance that may involve a chair: HORA. This is back again! Let's dance. We had a great Simchat Torah party this year with lots of dancing. It is not often you get to dance with a 99-year-old wonder , I was the one with the cane.

16. "Amores" poet: OVID. Publius Ovidius Naso, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. LINK.

19. Like used books: READ. Well-read I hope.




20. __ Xtra: cherry soda brand: PIBB.
No longer Mr. Pibb. I wonder if Dr. Pepper is next.

21. Apple on a desk: IMAC.

22. Word with ring or book: WORM. Sounds like a puzzle theme.

23. Rights org.: ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union.

27. Butler on a plantation: RHETT. Not the one who opens the door but the one who doesn't give a damn.

29. Like Colbert's show: ON LATE.

30. Kiss: SMOOCH.

35. Summit: APEX. Or acme.

40. "The Well-Tempered Clavier" composer: BACH.

41. Taking medication: DOSING. Does he mean taking LSD? I know he is trained, medical man.

42. Final flight destinations?: ATTICS. Wonderful clue.

44. Kitchen shelf array: HERBS.

54. Tick repellent: DEET. N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called DEET (/diːt/) or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents.

55. __ Club: SAMS.

56. When repeated, fish on a menu: MAHI.

57. "That being the case ... ": IF SO.

58. Letters after E?: COLI. Hard to parse.

61. The third Mrs. Roy Rogers: DALE. I had no idea the Leonard Slye had two prior marriages. LINK.

62. Airer of many NCAA games: ESPN.

63. Farm stray: DOGIE.

64. 1974 CIA spoof: S*P*Y*S. After the massive success of M*A*S*H, this movie which also starred Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland were marketed with the asterisks to make people think they had something in common.

65. Reasons: WHYS. Why not?

66. Cornered, in a way: TREED. Forced or chased up a tree: a treed raccoon.


Down:

1. Not up to snuff: SUBPAR.

2. Increase the value of: ENRICH.

3. Consumer-friendly?: EDIBLE. A stretch but it actually works.

4. Hedge opening: YES, BUT. Another tricky variation clue; well done.

5. Biblical traveler: ARK.

6. Former SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU.

7. Georgetown athletes: HOYAS.

8. Eponymous vacuum brand: ORECK. Founded by David Oreck in 1963, Oreck Corporation began as a manufacturer of upright vacuum cleaners for the U.S. hotel industry.

9. Roofer's supply: TAR.

10. Popular Toyotas: COROLLAS.

11. Has in common: OVERLAPS.

12. Line through the middle: DIAMETER.

13. Include: ADD.

18. Pot top: LID.

22. Lacking color: WAN.

25. Ben of Ben and Jerry's: COHEN. Ben & Jerry's was founded in May 1978, when Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. ... In 1977, they moved to Burlington, Vermont, and completed a five-dollar correspondence course in ice cream making from Pennsylvania State University. Encyclopedia.

26. "Toy Story" dinosaur: REX.

28. Scolder's cluck: TSK.

31. In the __ of: MIDST.

32. Creator of Iceland's Imagine Peace Tower: ONO.

33. Ties may be broken in them, briefly: OTS.

34. Only half-pretentious?: CHI.

36. Bar by the tub: BATH SOAP.

37. If truth be told: ACTUALLY.

38. Does a ragtime dance: SHIMMIES.

39. "That's disgusting!": UGH. Which describes...

40. Skeeter eater: BAT.

43. "60 Minutes" network: CBS.

45. One slightly changed this clue: EDITOR. Was it only slightly?

46. Storm shelter, say: REFUGE.

47. Blues great Smith: BESSIE.

48. Fired up: STOKED.

50. Sect in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County: AMISH. Today, there are over 25 different Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren church groups in Lancaster County, all holding to slightly different traditions and their own interpretations of the Bible.

51. Like maple trees and pigeons?: SAPPY. Pigeon as in the victim of a scam, a sap.

52. Ruling descendants of Genghis: KHANS. The FAMILY TREE.

53. Thing to confess: SIN.

58. DJ's inventory: CDS.

59. Strange (to): NEW.

60. "Silent Spring" subj.: DDT. The novel by Rachel Carson was published in 1962. I remember it as being very controversial at the time.

I really enjoyed this puzzle and writing up all the different things that it revealed. I also was very proud of Oo and honored at the Torah party. Thank you Dr. Seesa and thank you all.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme:  SPELL IT OUT. Otherwise unrelated answers each contain a stand-alone letter.  These letters, taken in order, spell a word.

20. *Niacin and riboflavin: B VITAMINS.   A class of water soluble, chemically distinct naturally occurring compounds, often found together in the same foods.

28. *Twenty Questions question: WHO AM I?  Animal, vegetable or mineral.

36. *Earth, Wind & Fire hit album whose title means "everything considered": ALL  'N ALL.  Their 8th studio album, released in 1977, which was certified triple platinum in the U. S.

43. *Fighter pilot's sensation: G FORCE. A measurement of the type of acceleration that causes a perception of weight. 

47. *Bravura performance reaction, briefly: STANDING O.  The audience shows their appreciation with a STANDING OVATION.

46. Winning exclamation aptly arranged and spelled by the standalone letters in the answers to starred clues: BINGO.  Also a classic game in which sections of a 5x5 matrix printed on a card are covered with tiles in designated patterns.  The first person to achieve the desired pattern shouts, "BINGO." and receives a prize.  There are many variations.

BINGO

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here.  I'm not the greatest speller, but I think I can get us through this.  Note that the stand alone letters alternate from beginning to end of the fill, except for the middle one, where it is in the middle.  Nice touch! Now, let's sit for a spell, and see how we can do filling in our 15 x 15 matrix.

Across:

1. Muslim pilgrimage: HAJJ.  A pilgrimage to Mecca in the last month of the year, a goal for every Muslim.

5. Made docile: TAMED.

10. Valley with a Wine Train: NAPA.  In California

14. Melville's "Typee" sequel: OMOO.  Both novels are narratives of adventures in the south Pacific, based on the author's experiences.

15. Limber: AGILE.  Lithe and flexible.

16. Malicious: EVIL.   Characterized by bad intent

17. Bandit band: GANG.   Or crossword puzzle solvers - right, gang?

18. Jackrabbits, e.g.: HARES.  Leporids in the same family as rabbits, having characteristically longer ears.

 Albrecht Dürer, 1502.

19. Minimum __: WAGE.  The least amount an employer can legally pay a full time employee per hour of work.

23. 7UP competitor since 1961: SPRITE.  Lemon-lime flavored soft drinks.

25. Harbinger: OMEN. An OMEN is an event of prophetic significance.  A harbinger announces or precedes the arrival of something.  Not equivalent at all.

29. "I could be wrong": MAYBE NOT.

33. Knocks firmly: RAPS.  As on a door.

34. Pseudonym: FALSE NAME.   Like, for instance - JazzBumpa.

35. Part of LACMA: ART.  Los Angeles County Museum of ART.

38. "Nothing to shout about": MEH.  Reaction to mediocrity.

39. Some llama herders: PERUVIANS.  In the Andes Mountains of South America.

41. Nuclear reactor component: CORE.  The location in the reactor containing the fuel components and where the nuclear reactions occur, generating heat.

42. Ceylon, now: SRI LANKA.  An island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean, famous for it ancient Buddhist ruins.

45. Kikkoman sauces: SOYS.  A liquid condiment made of soy beans, grains, and brine, fermented with an aspergillus fungus.

46. Medical lab specimen: BIOPSY.  A tissue sample examined to detect the presence of a disease.

51. Copies: APES.  Mimics.

54. Pogo stick sound: BOING.  Sound of a spring recoiling.

55. Pac-12 team since 2011: UTES.  University of Utah.

59. Mule team beam: YOKE.  A brace joining a pair of animals across the neck and shoulder area so that they can pull a load together.

60. The way we word: USAGE.  The habitual or normal practices in spoken and written language, such as not using the word "word" as a verb.

61. Snapper rival: TORO.  Lawn and garden tools.

62. Baaing mas: EWES.  Mothers of lambs.

63. Domingo, for one: TENOR.  José Plácido Domingo Embil, [b 1941] known as Plácido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, conductor and arts administrator.

64. Whack: STAB.   Emulate Lizzie Borden

Down:

1. Ungenerous sort: HOG.  One who wants it all.  The opposite of 23 D.

2. Physicians' gp.: AMA.  American Medical Association.

3. Trevor's predecessor on "The Daily Show": JON. Messrs. Noah and Stewart, respectively.

4. Women's sportswear: JOG BRAS.  Sturdier than the normal bra, they prevent movement and reduce the potential for damage to chest ligaments during vigorous physical activity.

5. South Seas island: TAHITI.  Shaped like a figure 8, it is the largest island in French Polynesia.

6. Striped quartz: AGATE.  A silicate rock containing mixtures of different crystal structures and physical forms, often with a variety of colors. 

7. Actress Sorvino: MIRA.  Mira Katherine Sorvino [b 1967] has won both Academy and Golden Globe awards.

She too

8. Grade sch. level: ELEMentary, my dear Watson.

9. Lucie's dad: DESI. Arnaz.

But who was her mom?

10. Rather and Cronkite: NEWSMEN.  TV news journalists.

11. Gardner of the silver screen: AVA. Ava Lavinia Gardner [1922-1990] was an American actress and singer.  She was nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards, but never won.

Wikipedia

12. Sty denizen: PIG.  Farm animal, also, another name for 1 D.

13. Tavern offering: ALE.

21. Vitality: VIM. Vigor's partner.

22. Prestigious prize: NOBEL.  Established by the will of Swedish scientist Alfred NOBEL and first awarded in 1901.  Prizes are offered annually in six categories for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics (since 1969), and the promotion of peace

23. They're not selfish: SHARERS.  Opposites of 1 D and 12 D.

24. The Supremes, e.g.: POP TRIO.  Group of 3 singers performing commercial popular music.

26. Captivates: ENAMORS.  To attract and hold attention vs to fill with feelings of love.  Not a good match.

27. What the ruthless show: NO MERCY.  Or what a crossword blogger might show for inexact cluing.

28. Gets a present ready to present: WRAPS.  Uses tape and decorative paper.

29. Exodus sustenance: MANNA. An edible substance miraculously supplied to the Israelites during their 40 year ravels in the desert.

30. "That's a shame": ALAS.  An expression of grief, pity or concern.

31. Fashion initials: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent.  I've never seen the appeal of wearing clothing with somebody else's initials on them.

32. Giggle: TEHEE.  Comic book laugh.

34. Reactive criticism: FLAK.  A hard time given to someone, perhaps with NO MERCY.

36. Salt's "Halt!": AVAST.  Stop or cease, generally associated with a naval context.

37. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN. [b 1980]

40. Once-banned James Joyce novel: ULYSSES.  I'm not sure why anyone thought it would be necessary to ban a book that is so unreadable.

41. Weak excuses: COP OUTS.  More generally, taking an easy way out of difficult situations.

43. __ snap: GINGER.  A sharply flavored cookie made with GINGER.

These are awesome

44. Mariner's hazard: FOG.  Impairs visibility.

48. Adjoin: ABUT.  To touch or lean upon.

49. Bridge site: NOSE.  This is the bony upper part of the NOSE, above the nostrils, where eyeglasses rest.

50. Primatologist Fossey: DIAN.  [1932-1985] An American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups from 1966 until her death. 

51. Pro vote: AYE.  All in favor  .  .  .

52. Comics punch sound: POW.  Sometimes KA-POW, or BANG.

53. Scrape (out): EKE.  To just manage to get by in some tough situation.

56. Little kid: TOT. A small child, possibly a moppet.

57. Historical period: ERA.  A distinct time with particular identifying characteristics.

58. Cry out loud: SOB.  Wah!

And so we reach the end of another Wednesday.  Were you spell-bound?

Cool Regards!
JzB

Thursday, August 2nd 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme: Book 'em, Steve-o! Miscreants to be tracked down and dealt with.

20A. The blacksmith was busted for __: FORGING CHECKS. Have you seen the "Forged in Fire" show on the History Channel? They create some badass weapons each week. The producer came up with the idea after being "forced" to watch cooking shows like "Chopped" by his 14-yo daughter.

26A. The miner was busted for __: PICKING POCKETS

42A. The marathoner was busted for __: RUNNING NUMBERS

50A. The barber was busted for __: SHAVING POINTS

and a "bonus" unifier:

53D. Blacksmith, miner, marathoner or barber, in this puzzle: PERP

Morning! I tend to associate puzzles like this with the late Merl Reagle - he was extremely fond of the punning theme. Ed's done a nice job with the theme entries, nothing is forced, and there's also a couple of non-theme 10's in the across entries for good measure. The theme entries tie together well, and there's that "bonus" PERP cropping up late in the downs.

When you create a puzzle with a lot of theme squares, you can leave yourself a problem with the rest of the fill. Ed's done a pretty good job for the most part, but there are some clunkers which I didn't love.

Let's see what pops:

Across:

1. Lacks options: HAS TO

6. Passion: FIRE

10. Asian holidays: TETS

14. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are last seen in "Hamlet": ACT IV. They died at the hands of pirates, according to Hamlet.

15. Super-large film format: IMAX

16. Tons: A LOT

17. Give some space: LEAVE ALONE

19. Filmmaker Wertmüller: LINA. Who? She was the first woman nominated for "Best Director" Oscar back in 1975.

22. Chow line?: ARF. Woof. A "line" a chow (hound) might use.

24. Clamor: DIN

25. Pistons great Thomas: ISIAH

31. Pattern for some school uniforms: PLAID

32. French peak: ALPE. The Alpe d'Huez is a famous, grueling climb which makes a frequent appearance in the Tour de France stage race, including this year's route. The crowds of spectators can be more of a challenge than the hill itself.

33. Toxin fighters: SERA

34. Dogpatch name: ABNER. Looks a little racy for the time:

36. Some: A FEW

40. Desertlike: ARID

41. Jane Curtin title role: ALLIE. Kate's mutual support cohort in the 80's sitcom.

47. Confuse with booze: BESOT. One of those verbs you rarely see, if ever. The adjective is more common, but nothing to do with booze: "I was besotted by ..."

48. Vein find: ORE. I think I've seen ORE in every Thursday puzzle for the last couple of months.

49. Word with bar or suit: WET

55. "I hate the Moor" speaker: IAGO. Shakespeare's "Othello".

56. Creates opportunities: OPENS DOORS

59. Piano piece for four hands: DUET

60. "Love Song" singer Bareilles: SARA. Who? Oh - this song!

61. China's Zhou __: EN LAI

62. Alternatively: ELSE

63. Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl airer: ESPN. Now that's a proud moment for the players! Rose Bowl? Pah! Set your clocks for December 18th this year. Where would you rather be, let's face it!

64. Real cards: RIOTS

Down:

1. "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that" speaker: HAL. "2001: A Space Odyssey" The mischievous computer, the primary antagonist. HAL 9000 for completeness. If you tick up one letter of the alphabet, HAL becomes IBM. Coincidence?

2. Big heart?: ACE

3. Military wheels: STAFF CAR

4. Watch-when-you-want gadget: TIVO. Is Tivo a thing any more? I thought cable boxes come with DVR built in.

5. Went too far with: OVERDID

6. Taxpayer's chore: FILING

7. "That's my cue!": I'M ON

8. Gave a buzz: RANG

9. Office VIP: EXEC

10. "The Voyeur's Motel" writer Gay: TALESE.

11. Evoke: ELICIT

12. Some small trucks: TONKAS. "Small" is relative. They're big toys to little kids!

13. Secret store: STASH

18. Not fer: AGIN. There's more, further down.

21. Walk in the woods: HIKE. Ignore the movie (usually good advice) - try the book.

22. iPhone downloads: APPS

23. Agitate: RILE

27. Soul supplier: KIA.

28. Pampers maker, for short: P AND G. Procter and Gamble. Not the easiest letter progression to parse.

29. World Cup cheer: OLÉ! I think it might be time to retire this one. I watched almost every minute of the 2018 World Cup and my recollection count of "olés" is nil.

30. EMT's skill: CPR

34. MSNBC journalist Melber: ARI. Thank you, crosses.

35. Compost holder: BIN

36. Clerical vestment: ALB. Three letters. Fill it in and move on.

37. Had no co-pilot: FLEW SOLO

38. Joyce's land: ÉIRE. Not really. Joyce left Ireland in 1912, never to return. Éire wasn't adopted as the official name of the free state until 1937 under Éamon de Valera. Confused?

39. Old place?: WEST

40. Not for: ANTI. Brother of AGIN in 18D

41. One changing a bill: AMENDER. Yeah. No. Clunk.

42. Move again, as lumber: RE-HAUL. Yeah, No. Clunk. One-two punch of "really?" for me here.

43. Linguist's concerns: USAGES

44. Dissenting ballot: "NO" VOTE. I say Nay Nay! Enough!

45. Presidential speechwriter Peggy: NOONAN. She wrote some remarkable speeches for Reagan and Bush 41. She was inspired in one case by John Gillespie Magee Jr's poem "High Flight" which he wrote while he was a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII. He completed the verses a few weeks before his death in 1941:

 "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

– Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

46. "Mila 18" novelist: URIS

47. Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" was one: B-SIDE. Beloved of karaoke bars everywhere.

51. Odor detector: NOSE

52. Students' stats: GPA'S

54. "Beloved" author Morrison: TONI

57. Squeal: RAT

58. Part of the fam: SIS. Could be BRO or SIB, so wait for the crosses.

Pip, Pip!

Steve

Saturday, July 21, 2018, Ed Sessa

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Ed Sessa

Gourmands and healthy eaters, avert your eyes! Today we celebrate one of the causes of being overweight in America - National Junk Food Day. The onion rings and french fries caught my eye immediately! Calories, get thee behind me. My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak!

My granddaughter knew this and collaborating with my wife presented me a Father's Day present with Heath Bars, shoestring potatoes, Cheez-its and assorted other goodies my doctors would love to ban. 

Today's constructor is Ed Sessa M.D., a pediatrician who would take one look at this picture  and shake his head in dismay.

Dr. Sessa practiced in upstate New York and is now retired and living on Sanibel Island in Florida. Ed said he made some puzzle for local publications and then decided to submit one to Will Shortz and the NYT and said he was very happy it was accepted with only a minor theme change. Shortly after that he was accepted by Rich Norris at the LA Times. If you want to know more about Ed's puzzling career, I highly recommend a 2007 Ed Sessa interview by C.C.

I just put down my shoestring potatoes and will now explore the rest of Dr. Sessa's prescriptions for us today.

Across:

1. Sleight of hand?: PALM - He has no card in his hand 41. "... or so it may __": SEEM.

5. Like pie?: AS EASY - Hey, fits in with the day we are celebrating!

11. Tennis stroke: LOB - an unbelievable return of a LOB shot

14. Name on the 1949 "Death of a Salesman" playbill: ELIA - There it is. Who was your favorite Willy Loman? Mine was/is Lee J. Cobb

15. Bug on the road?: BEETLE - VW

16. Common cause of conflict: EGO 

17. "The Karate Kid," e.g.: CINDERELLA STORY - Here's the final scene where he defeats his bully opponent 

20. Guide for surfers: SITE MAP - Like an outline for the content for a website 

21. Gray shades: TAUPES

22. Be of service to: AID

23. Org. with traveling bans?: THE NBA - Can you spot the player in the white jersey protesting? 

25. One hanging around a lifeguard tower: PADDLE BOARD  - Here are some lifeguards using them

29. Studio once run by Howard Hughes: RKO - Hughes fought censors for years to get this movie starring his girlfriend and her assets 

34. Some museum art: NUDES - Jane wasn't NUDE in this movie but wore a special bra designed by Howard for publicity shots

32. 1958 Pulitzer author James: AGEE - Seen here quite a bit

33. D.C. figures: REPS - They have to get reelected every two yrs so they start raising money five seconds after they are sworn in

36. 16th-century council site: TRENT - A 19-year Catholic effort to react to the Protestant Reformation

38. Unspecified degree: NTH.

39. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT - Stands for meaning OPus CITatum meaning "referring to previous works cited"

40. Nasal partitions: SEPTA - Also heart partitions 

43. Unadulterated: PURE.

44. Slangy okay: YEP - Gary Cooper was indeed a man of few words 

45. Ice cream named after a Canadian river: KLONDIKE BAR - A favorite for 96 years

48. Quite a lot: OCEANS - It's gonna take an OCEAN of calamine lotion  

50. Address in a mess: SIR - A fun scene in a MESS Hall where Will Stockton doesn't differentiate  between SIRS and Maam's 

51. Confront aggressively: ACCOST - This girl's 65. Tae __ do: KWON  knowledge can be used against anyone who tries to ACCOST her

53. Swears: PLEDGES - Everyone at our school PLEDGES allegiance at the start of the day with varying degrees of enthusiasm

57. 2013 Hudson's Bay Company acquisition: SAKS FIFTH AVENUE - I perused their $195 ties online 

60. "... exclaim, __ he drove out of sight": Moore: ERE  - Clement Moore 's next line was originally "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

61. Sign with an arrow: ONE WAY.

62. Start to giver or taker: CARE.

63. Befitting: APT

64. Hazmat team members, often: ROBOTS - Better him than a human

Down:

1. Atlas display: PECS - Charles Atlas's PECS were in full display in this ad that was a staple of comic books of my ute

2. Et __: ALII - Latin for "And others". Could it be an OCEAN of them?

3. Dust bunny component: LINT 

4. Achieved some progress: MADE A DENT - I feel better when I have MADE A DENT in next week's blog

5. Rubber eraser, for one: ABRADER - A device that scrapes away or erodes by friction

6. Go slowly: SEEP - SEEPING lava hitting a soda can

7. Sargasso Sea spawner: EEL.

8. Pac. cousin: ATL  - The old A & P grocery stores stood for ATLantic and Pacific

9. Christian in cinema: SLATER  - A star  whose life fell apart at a young age with alcohol, drugs and the law who is trying to put his life back together.

Arrested for having a gun in his luggage at JFK

10. Ambiguous answer: YES AND NO

11. Little big cat: LEOPARD CUB - This little CUB has some big feet to grow into 

12. Mythical monster: OGRE.

13. First and last word of a common four-word saw: BOYS - Slight change

18. Dr. Skoda on "Law & Order": EMIL - Played by wonderful J.K. Simmons 

19. Bathing spot: TUB.

23. Popular online lists: TOP TENS - the Top Ten hits for every summer from 1958 to 2017

24. Discussed, with "over": HASHED.

25. Mark: PATSY - His claim


26. Come to terms: AGREE.

27. Daddy Warbucks, e.g.: DEEP POCKET - That's who gets sued 

28. Former Mormon leader Ezra Taft __: BENSON - Was Ike's Secretary of Agriculture in both of his terms

30. Actress Knightley: KEIRA - Okay

31. Blender brand: OSTER - This is the very OSTERIZER that sat on our counter for years

35. "Nosebleed seats" section: UPPER DECK.

37. Supposes to be: TAKES FOR - As in TAKES FOR granted

42. Loses temporarily: MISLAYS - My MISL (mislain?)car fob got lost forever and cost $295 to replace

46. Bodega patron: LATINO - Marcelino ran the one in Seinfeld

47. European capital: KIEV - Any theater person would recognize the production with this character - Perchik: A radical student from Kiev and later Hodel's husband, Perchik leaves Anatevka to work for the revolution in Kiev.

49. Fortune 500 listings: Abbr.: COS - The Fortune 500 would be their top 500 COmpanieS 

52. Complain: CARP - More likely a fish from the Platte River than when 51. Sailing: ASEA 

53. Really good, in '90s slang: PHAT - These adjectives are so hip and then quickly so "last year"

54. Rodents do it: GNAW - It's also a feeling I have when I finish blogging a puzzle and think I made a big goof

55. Money in la banque: EURO - One place to spend those EUROS

56. Treated by the doctor: SEEN - After I was SEEN by my ENT in March, I had hearing aids and a CPAP  machine that day. Yay me! Boo aging!

58. Four-wk. period, usually: FEB  - Old joke - "How many months have 28 days?" Answer - "All of them"

59. Minimum for many games: TWO - or to Tango as Al Pacino shows in this wonderful scene from Scent Of A Woman

Wouldn't some Cheetos go well with commenting on Dr. Sessa's puzzle?

DA GRID