Saturday, December 14, 2019, Ed Sessa

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Dr. Ed Sessa

Our retired M.D. makes another prescription of fun with this themeless puzzle. Here we see him with a very able and cute assistant.

If the good doctor carries a remedy for impatience, he could give me a scrip (see lightning bolt below on grid). When I saw - A _ D A, I filled in one crossword staple - AIDA, instead of another one - ALDA, without reading the clue or wondering about any place name MAITA. 

So I'll take dose of humility while lauding Ed's always pleasing construction and try to move on with my life with one bad cell.

No Blue Cross/Shield card required as we x-ray Dr. Ed's work:

Across:

1. Ring in one's ears?: CROP CIRCLE - Wow! Make room for this in my clue hall of fame. It turns out the rings are CROP CIRCLES and the ears are on cornstalks, not the sides of our heads!

11. Common dressage gait: TROT - A debate on this practice

15. It may offer dining options and a spa: RESORT AREA.

16. Tanning target: HIDE - Mom threatened to tan ours but never laid a hand on us

17. Imperfections affecting diamond clarity: INCLUSIONS.

18. '60s pop singer Sands: EVIE - All about Evie (Hey, you had to see that coming!)

19. Called to the shepherd: BAAED - Awww... 

20. Trial for a would-be atty.?: LSAT - A sample question from the Law School Admissions Test (Choose an answer and then click on Submit to get a detailed analysis)

21. One told to leave, maybe: PEST 

22. Camera choices: SLRS - I loved my Single Lens Reflex cameras but the iPhone is always with me so...

23. No longer is: WAS -My 24. Round number?: GIRTH WAS much larger two months ago than it IS now

25. Trig function: COTAN - If you really wonder what a COTANGENT is

27. Pickett's Charge charger: REB - Despite Longstreet's objections, Lee ordered  his REBS to attack across open ground against the strong Union position on Cemetery Ridge and many died

28. High in an irritating way: SHRILL - Gilbert Gotfried's SHRILL voice and real voice

32. Weak-kneed: TIMOROUS - An upscale adjective for TIMID

36. Sign that may have a dog silhouette on it: KEEP OFF THE GRASS - Oh...

38. "I hear ya": YEAH YEAH - That's why I had to put up the dog sign

39. Child's milestone: AGE TEN - You're a  big deal when you hit double figures

40. Future flounder: ROE - Fish eggs, of course

41. Mulligan, e.g.: RETRY - Uh, you can take a mulligan, Gary. Mulligan derivation

43. Fix: AMEND.

45. "__ little faster, please": GO A - Not the state of GOA in SW India today

46. Retinal cells: RODS - Sensors that see black and white while cones see colors 

50. Thorn in one's side: BANE - Some thought that Stella's puzzle last Saturday was this


51. Hawaiian staple: TARO - TARO root being pounded into poi with a basalt lava pestle 

53. Word from the Hebrew for "teaching": TORAH.

54. "Scientific American Frontiers" host: ALDA 

55. Tippling point?: ONE TOO MANY - AA tells it members that ONE is TOO MANY

57. Each cha in cha-cha-cha: STEP - 1, 2, CHA, CHA, CHA

58. Bad taste: INELEGANCE.

59. Lawman who was also a boxing referee: EARP - Wyatt lived in Pella, IA from 2 - 14-yrs-old

60. Green Hornet's great-uncle: LONE RANGER - Fun new info for me about Fran Striker who created both characters. The Lone Ranger's "real" name was John Reid and then later Fran invented a character who was a descendant - Britt Reid - who assumed the identity of The Green Hornet in more modern times.


Down:

1. Cheats, in a way: CRIBS - The use of CRIB meaning "to pilfer" dates to 1740. I remember cheat sheets being called CRIB sheets in my day

2. Nephric: RENAL - I know nephritis is a kidney disorder and RENAL is an adjective for kidney issues so...

3. Jazz pianist Peterson: OSCAR - Info on this Canadian Jazz artist

4. Flag bearers: POLES - A POLE carrying a POLE with the POLISH flag in the 2018 Olympic parade

5. Guck: CRUD  

6. "__ not my call": IT'S.

7. Upbraid: RAIL AT.

8. Start of a pedestrian caution: CROSS AT THE GREEN - I take issue with Dr. Sessa's preposition here. CROSS AT THE LIGHT maybe...

9. Dunham of "Girls": LENA - I've never seen her work but she is a veteran apologizer

10. __ Coast: EAST.

11. NYC landmark overlooking Central Park: THE PIERRE.

12. Inland navigator: RIVERBOAT.

13. Penner of praiseful poetry: ODIST.

14. Muscle: TEETH putting real TEETH in anti-texting/driving laws might decrease the 30. Tailgating danger: REAR ENDER this driver poses

23. Tom who coined "radical chic": WOLFE.

24. Like a drunken sailor, in more ways than one?: GROGGY - Gotta love those sailors who are GROGGY from drinking too much GROG

25. Laid it on thick: CLOYED - TV's best example

26. Med. research agency: NIH - National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD

28. Overhead expanse: SKY.

29. Half a bray: HEE - HAW. 

31. Cell download, perhaps: IPHONE APP - My golf IPHONE APP

33. Ben Stiller's mom: MEARA - Ann MEARA and Jerry Stiller. Our Hawaiian blogger Chef Wendy lives a stone's throw from Ben on Kauai 

34. Purpose: USE - The Swiss Army site says this baby has 32 USES

35. Return ID: SSN.

37. Wide partner: FAR.

42. Emulate Galway: TOOTLE - Virtuoso flute player Sir James Galway is a first-rate TOOTLER

43. Denigrate: ABASE.

44. 122-square-mile republic: MALTA - A better and more methodical solver than yours truly would have seen MALTA to correct his single error of AIDA/ALDA

46. __ candle: ROMAN.

47. Bornean beast: ORANG - Breakfast with the ORANGATANS is an option in the Singapore Zoo. Is any animal's name mispronounced more often?

48. Hustle, say: DANCE - From Latin to Disco dancing. What? You don't remember how?

49. More 32-Across: SHYER - Shier works too

51. Considerable effort: TOIL.

52. Word on some headstones: ANNO - On buildings too. Can you compute the year "In The Year Of Our Lord" below to Arabic numbers?

53. Costume in some Shakespeare plays: TOGA - "What a deformed thief this fashion is."  (Borachio to Conrad. Much Ado About Nothing, act 3, sc.3, l.126-9.)

56. Key preposition: O'ER - Aha, Dr., you didn't fool me on Francis Scott Key's line about looking "OER the ramparts"

Dr. Ed seems to have provided a lovely remedy for the tough pill some felt had we had to swallow last Saturday 

Monday November 25, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: BEHIND TIME (59A. Later than expected ... and where the ends of the answers to starred clues may be found) - Time can precede the last word of each theme entry.

17A. *Soccer ref's formal warning: YELLOW CARD. Time card.

27A. *Letter box access: MAIL SLOT. Time slot.

45A. *Area where cellphones don't work: DEAD ZONE. Time zone.

11D. *Sneak into the shot: PHOTO BOMB. Time bomb.

35D. *iPad's giant ancestor: MAIN FRAME. Time frame.

Good morning everyone. Vikings did not play, Gophers did okay, I went back to a 16 pound bowling ball, That's all I have to say.

Across:

1. Pole on the Pequod: MAST.

5. Conclude from evidence: INFER.

10. Auto loan figs.: APRS.  Between Mars and Mays.

14. Smoothie berry: ACAI.

15. Land, in France: TERRE. Add Haute and you may land in Indiana.

16. Talk over tea: CHAT.

19. Like wet mud pies: OOZY.

20. Bullring bravo: OLE. Lena's husband and Sven's buddy.

21. Like dried-out mud pies: CAKY.  If this is a word, it is ICKY.

22. Cerebral __: brain layer: CORTEX.  I did not know the brain had layers.  Did the scarecrow need a cortex??  Does the Great and Powerful Wizard have a cortex in the Castle of Oz?

24. Name of many pharaohs: RAMSES. Oh, I thought it was the names of NFL L.A. Football players.

26. Singer Mars: BRUNO.  When I was a kid, we had a German Shorthair named Bruno. Long story.  My dad took me pheasant hunting with Bruno. The crazy dog would scare up birds 100 yards away in the cornfield out of range of our shotguns.  Dad was not too happy.

30. Emeril catchword: BAM. Add another BAM and you have Pebbles Flintstone's friend.

33. Like XLII, numeral-wise: ROMAN. Forty Two!  How do you do?

36. Elevator innovator: OTIS.  We had one of these at the first Graybar warehouse that I worked at.  We would load it up with Chance hardware and it went right to the basement. Sometimes stopped a little below floor level.

37. Classic theater name: ROXY.  Moxy, Floxxy and Cottontail .

38. Eurasian border range: URAL. There are a lot of mountains. Mostly in Russia.

39. Fiber sources: BRANS.  Raisin Bran, All Bran,-- I prefer Wheat Chex.

40. Four-leaf clover, to some: OMEN.

41. Astronaut Armstrong: NEIL.  "We come in peace for all mankind".

42. Apartment payment: RENT.  Musical on Broadway.

43. "In Xanadu did __ Khan ... ": Coleridge: KUBLA.

44. Weigh station unit: TON.  No really it's only 16 pounds.  Feels like a ton.

47. Weighty exam: FINAL.

49. Montblanc topper: PEN CAP.  I only use retractibles

53. Prohibited: FORBAD.  I suppose FORBADE did not fit in the grid.

55. Biblical "you": THEE.

57. Rose of rock music: AXL.  Does he want to buy a vowel?

58. "Sorry to say ... ": ALAS.  ALAS THEE CAME and went to RENT.

62. Opposite of went: CAME.

63. Bay window: ORIEL.  My sis has a bay window in her San Francisco home. I never knew it was  called an ORIEL.   

64. Many an Omani: ARAB.

65. Like two, not one: EVEN.  Your score if you make all pars.

66. Simultaneous equation variables: X AND Y.  I never was much good at algebra.

67. No longer here: GONE.  But not forgotten, Oh my darlin' Clementine.

Down:

1. Big city big shot: MAYOR.  Running for president, I thought it was Pete's first name.

2. Amtrak express train: ACELA.

3. Witch trial town: SALEM.  "You can take SALEM out of the country but ??? you cannot take the country out of Salem".  Did you notice how all the cigarette ads have been replaced by new Medicare plans?  Ask your doctor if CAMELs are right for you. 

4. Shop __ you drop: TIL. "There were bells, on a hill, but I never heard them ringing - 'Til there was you"  Professor Harold Hill's on hand and River City Gonna have a boys band.

5. Formal words of confession: IT WAS I.  No, it was you!

6. Hickey spot: NECK.  "How in the heck can I wash my neck, if it ain't gonna rain no more."

7. Start to unravel: FRAY.

8. Slip up: ERR.  I think MLB calls it an ERROR.

9. Disaster relief organization: RED CROSS.  This time of year we all get requests for help.  I think the Red Cross is a solid organization.

10. Seed that grows squirrels?: ACORN.  I think it grows OAKS.  Boy do they ever make a mess on sidewalks this time of year.

12. Level with a wrecking ball: RAZE.  Wrecking balls are seldom used in Minnesota.  You would not believe the townhomes, apartment buildings, and multi business warehouses going up in the open spaces. No wrecking ball needed to clear space.

13. River of Hades: STYX.

18. Neptune's realm: OCEAN.  OCEAN'S 11 - Clooney and Pitt a tricky pair.

23. Part of KO: OUT.  Also the result for Twins vs. Yankees. And the Yankees didn't even have "Yankee Hankys"

25. Petite: SMALL.  Been pretty close to XL all my life.  I think C.C. is a small.

26. Cheesy pancake, perhaps: BLINTZ.

28. Cosmetics giant: L'OREAL. Some of the plush stores in our malls have cosmetic counters and ladies who ask you to try some cosmetic spray.  Then you find out it's $135 per ounce.

29. Lamp support: STAND.

31. Ice skating feat: AXEL.  I think I mentioned when I was a kid and we had an "Axel and his Dog" treehouse show every afternoon.  He would show "Our Gang" and "Laurel and Hardy" reruns.  I miss that guy,

32. Mimicking bird: MYNA.

33. Littlest of the litter: RUNT.

34. Snack sometimes eaten from the inside out: OREO.  Good old black and white cookie.  A crossword favorite.

37. City where Joan of Arc died: ROUEN.

39. Loaf holder: BREADBOX.  Remember some of those old quiz shows where a staple question was "Is it bigger than a breadbox?{

43. Weak- or knock- follower: KNEED.

45. Crime scene sample: DNA.  Do Not Ask!

46. In full view: OPENLY.

48. "Peer Gynt" dramatist: IBSEN.

50. Egypt's capital: CAIRO.

51. Guy felling trees: AX MAN.  We have an interesting chain of stores here in the Twin Cities called "The Ax Man."  They buy large lots of overstock from other businesses, display it like my garage floor, and sell it cheap.  I stop in and look now and then, but I don't buy much.  I already have a  lot of stuff in my home.  I wonder if the Ax Man might be interested.

52. Annapolis frosh: PLEBE.  This is not derogatory.  Some of them might grow up to be Admirals.

53. Clock front: FACE.  Point it at the stereo so it can face the music.

54. Norse king: OLAV.  I believe there were five of them.

55. Girl Scouts' __ Mints: THIN. I think these were the most popular. A year ago I asked for sugar free cookies and I was sold "Gluten Free".

56. Hurried, old-style: HIED.

60. Historical period: ERA.  Could be an "Earned Run Average"

61. Kids' game with a safe area: TAG.  You're it.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Here is a nice article about Boomer at Benilde-St. Margaret's, where Boomer helps coaching the kids every year. Thank you, John Sabol, Max Johnson, the bowling team and Benilde-St. Margaret's Marketing & Communications team. You all made this season special for Boomer.

2) Happy Birthday to our talented and adventurous Picard!

Sunday November 10, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Fowl Play" - Punning on various fowl-related words.

23. Action at a coop dance?: POULTRY IN MOTION. Poetry in motion.

39. Nestling tossed out of a bar?: BOUNCED CHICK. Bounced check. Vivid image.

47. Story subtitled "Murder Most Fowl"?: THE FRYER'S TALE. The Friar's Tale.

66. Rooster's wake-up call?: ALARM CLUCK. Alarm clock.

69. Tiny hatchling group?: MICRO BROOD. Microbrew.

88. What fussy hens do?: PECK AND CHOOSE. Pick and choose.

97. Fowl haulin' a semi?: CAPON TRUCKIN'. Keep on truckin'.

117. "Rooster Wars" sequel in which Hen Solo rescues Princess Layer?: THE BANTAM MENACE. The Phantom Menace (Star Wars)

I don't recall such a fowl play theme before. Ed always comes up with original & fun themes. Ed is also a very accomplished themeless constructor, so his Sunday grids are often filled with sparkly long-fill. The paralleled 2/3-Down & 83/84-Down are good examples.

I never quite get a handle of punning them. It's D-Otto's domain. Mine often lacks "surface sense".

Across:

1. Alerts that may lead to roadblocks, briefly: APBS.

5. Bela Lugosi was buried in one: CAPE. IMDb says "He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film...".

9. Orkney components: ISLES.

14. Egg boiler's aid: TIMER.

19. Ball game: POLO. Can you clue GOLF as [Ball game] also?

20. "You said it!": AMEN.

21. Steel plow pioneer: DEERE.

22. Ask for "fish 'n' chips," say: ELIDE.

26. Catkin producer: ALDER. There's a Green Alder in our neighbor's yard that has lots of catkins.

27. Make a bundle farming?: SHEAVE. Nice clue. Spitzboov made lots of bundle farming.

28. Fella: GUY.

29. The Tempter: SATAN.

31. __ fide: BONA.

32. D.C. fundraisers: PACS.

33. Confederacy foe: UNION.

35. See 16-Down: ITO. 16. With 35-Across, Japanese Olympian: MIDORI.

36. Guitarist Clapton: ERIC.

37. Primo: A ONE.

38. Car in a '60s hit: GTO.

43. Eggy quaff: NOG. Boomer likes Tom and Jerry. It has eggnog. Now he can't have alcohol due to the oral chemo.

44. Mad fad: MANIA.

46. Silver, to Long John: TREASURE.

50. Cotton Club site: HARLEM. Unfamiliar with the club.

54. Imam's faith: ISLAM.

55. Towels off gently: PATS DRY.

58. Neutral tone: BEIGE.

59. Part of a house profile: ROOFLINE. OK, this edge.

63. Puffin relative: AUK. Are these puffins or auks? So cute.

65. Gp. with many sub-par members: PGA. Another great clue.

73. Promgoer's concern: ZIT.

74. Television station?: DEN. Where TV is stationed.

75. One of two on a three-speed: BIKE TIRE.

76. Inuit transport: UMIAK.

79. Income for Inc., say: AD SPACE.

82. Tailor: ALTER.

86. Unleash a tirade: LET RIP.

92. Intermittent drip cause: SLOW LEAK. So glad our garage ceiling leak is fixed.

95. Ristorante potful: SAUCE.

96. Home-school link: Abbr.: PTA.

101. Some boxing wins: KOS.

102. Disappearing ski resort feature: T BAR.

103. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

104. 42-Down's leg count: TEN. 42. Seabed sidler: CRAB.

105. Breathers?: NOSES.

107. Smack, as a mosquito: SWAT.

108. Start to meter or liter: DECI. Tenth.

109. Anarchist in 1921 news: SACCO. Forgot. We had this guy before.

112. Voluminous ref. work: OED.

113. Canine complaints: WHINES.

115. Wes Craven film locale: Abbr.: ELM ST.

120. Herder's rope: RIATA.

121. Sun: Pref.: HELIO.

122. Sentiment-al piece?: OPED.

123. What beavers do: GNAW.

124. Have a feeling: SENSE.

125. Auto bust: EDSEL. Collectible for some.

126. What's going on: NEWS.

127. Deserve: EARN.

Down:

1. Phone programs: APPS.

2. Plays down: POOH-POOHS. 3. Navy aerobatic team member: BLUE ANGEL. Gorgeous pairs. See also 83. Head honcho: TOP BANANA. And 84. London station wagon: ESTATE CAR.

4. Pain relief: SOLACE.

5. Give a hoot: CARE.

6. "Clueless" director Heckerling: AMY.

7. Loose dressing gown: PEIGNOIR.

8. Same old same old feeling: ENNUI.

9. Promise sealed with a kiss: I DO.

10. Board-and-pieces units: SETS.

11. Sister of Luke: LEIA.

12. X-rated works: EROTICA.

13. Legislative councils: SENATES.

14. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

15. "You know where to find me": I'LL BE HERE. So grateful for my blog friends, who are always an email away for me.

17. Like paradise: EDENIC.

18. Start another eight-ball game: RE-RACK.

24. Controversial "babysitters": TVS.

25. Brief warning to a busybody: MYOB.

30. "Like, obviously!": NO DUH.

33. Eclectic magazine: UTNE. Don't think I want to read it with this cover.

34. Write, as music: NOTATE.

37. Naysayer: ANTI.

38. Part of LGBTQ: GAY.

40. Online addresses: URLS.

41. Scholarship consideration: NEED.

44. 1983 Keaton film: MR MOM. Michael Keaton.

45. Jelly garnish: ASPIC.

48. "M*A*S*H" actor Jamie: FARR.

49. Go south: TANK.

51. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly: LIPO.

52. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.

53. Beverage that goes back millennia: MEAD.

56. Speed competition: RACE.

57. Mongolian tent: YURT. Modern yurt.

60. Monk's condition, in the TV show: OCD.

61. No friend of Fido: FLEA.

62. Swedish university city: LUND. Never heard of it.

64. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. Color of el mar: AZUL. Color of the sea.

67. Mojito component: LIME.

68. Having a spat: AT IT.

69. "The __": classic Yankee nickname: MICK. Mantle.

70. Furniture stores that sell meatballs: IKEAS.

71. Astronomer Tycho __: BRAHE.

72. Move, in real estate lingo: RELO.

75. Start to parallel park: BACK IN.

77. Torchbearers?: ARSONISTS. Nice clue also.

78. Firing site: KILN.

80. Blueprint detail: SPEC.

81. Crowning point: PEAK.

85. End of the line: REAR.

87. Annie who voiced Bo Peep in "Toy Story": POTTS.

89. Man, in a Desmond Morris best-seller: NAKED APE.

90. Tango groups: DUOS.

91. Emails a dupe to: CCS. For past tense, do you use CC'd or CC'ed?

93. Encircle, as with a lei: WREATHE.

94. Had a midday meal: LUNCHED.

97. Video game makers: CODERS.

98. 2001 Audrey Tautou title role: AMELIE. Cute film.

99. Game with ghosts: PAC MAN.

100. High time?: NOON.

102. Minor pain: TWINGE.

106. __ Hall: SETON.

107. Mae West's "__ Done Him Wrong": SHE. Learning moment for me also.

110. Disney collectibles: CELS.

111. Tony relative: OBIE.

113. Iraq War concerns, briefly: WMDS.

114. In stitches: SEWN.

116. __ kwon do: TAE.

118. 2015 Verizon acquisition: AOL.

119. Feline call: MEW.

Happy 73rd birthday to dear Husker Gary's wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce. Here they're with their mom Martha. Joann is truly special. She takes great care of all her loved ones. I'll never forget her strength and devotion last time when Gary was in trouble.

Friday, November 1, 2019, Ed Sessa

White rabbit, white rabbit, and enjoy (?) Dia de les muertos

Title: It is ok DO, you didn't miss it, there is no theme today.

I heard a whisper we would have some repeat of the Friday mini-theme puzzle and my first puzzle back in the country appears to be such. Still being a bit jet-lagged, I do not remember the author of the first themeless Friday here, but I believe it was this year. While today's effort from Dr. Ed includes various pop culture references, the specific MAD MAGAZINE double-bill is key today.

30. One on many covers since 1954: ALFRED E NEUMAN. His complete (?) HISTORY. Paired with 17D. 30-Across catchphrase: WHAT ME WORRY?  Thus creating a mini-theme for this Friday themeless.

Without the constraint of a theme, there is much sparkly fill packed into this puzzle, highlighted by the introduction of grid spanner  THE NEWLYWED GAME paired with the classic TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The grid is then fattened up with ANOTHER, LAGASSE, SAPHEAD, SPEEDER, SPRUCED, TREACLE, AVON LADY, NAP TIMES (also a LAT debut word), OPEN AREA and PRETRIAL.
Let me know what you think of this addition to our rota.

Across:

1. Kia sedan: OPTIMA. The last car I owned and drove was an Optima and I enjoyed it very much.

7. Nincompoop: SAPHEAD. This is a TERM I have never heard. Of course, since it has only been around since 1691...

14. Made dapper, with "up": SPRUCED. Speaking of sap, its history likely has little to do with the TREE.

15. Syrupy stuff: TREACLE. A CSO to Steve and all our UK readers, this LINK makes it all make sense.

16. 1957 title role for Michael Landon: TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The original trailer...

18. Lays to rest: INTERS.

19. Recipient of unearned income, perhaps: HEIR.

20. Teammate of Babe: LOU. Ruth: Gehrig.

21. Lash with a bullwhip: LARUE.

22. Like jawbreakers: HARD. Well duh!

23. Mountain __: soft drinks: DEWS. A gratuitous way to get the S in.

24. "Wheel" deal: TRIP. Wheel of Fortune.

25. November honorees: VETS. Coming soon to a calendar near you.

26. Range rovers?: POSSE. Very fun clue; followed by...

27. Sub mission site: SEA. Don't ignore the space.

28. Law __: FIRM. Why are there no law pillow tops?

29. Mekong River native: LAO. This river is the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. It flows through six countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We visited the Golden Triangle last year. The Mekong is on the right.

35. Showed the way: LED.

36. Cry: WAIL.

37. Some govt. hospitals: VAS. Veteran's Administrations.

39. Eponymous musical revue of 1978: EUBIE.  Eubie BLAKE was a born musician who continues to learn and entertain.

42. Downsides: CONS.

43. 1995 comet spotter Thomas: BOPP. He, along with another amateur astronomer, Alan Hale, spotted the now named Hale-Bopp Comet.

44. In a tussle: AT IT.

45. 10-year-old adventurer who was 7 when she debuted in 2000: DORA. Her movie appeared in a puzzle here recently.

46. Group taking power by force: JUNTA.

47. Sink: SAG.

48. Othello, for one: MOOR.

49. Lacking color: PALLID.

50. Show that has appeared in various versions for six decades: THE NEWLYWED GAME.

53. "Pork fat rules!" chef: LAGASSE. Early Emeril. +

54. Smokey's target: SPEEDER. Remember?

55. One way alternative?: ANOTHER. Or?

56. Square-burgers server: WENDY'S. The third mega-successful fast-food chain was founded by a high school dropout who began life as an adopted child. HISTORY. Dave moved to South Florida and became an important figure in children's education and the rights of the adopted. He also was a genuine and friendly man.

Down:

1. Place to go fly a kite: OPEN AREA. If you believe Charlie Brown, it doesn't matter. There will be a kite eating tree waiting for you.

2. Like some hearings: PRE-TRIAL. In litigation almost every hearing is either pre or post-trial.

3. Cause of purring?: TUNE-UP. Not a furry friend but the practice of adjusting the automobile engine. MODERN MECHANICS.

4. Words of sympathy: I CARE.

5. Parts of gigs: MEGS.

6. Lemon finish: ADE. Talk about your straight to the point CSO; thank you, Dr. Ed.

7. Follows directions?: STEERS. Nice misdirection about the joy of driving.

8. Ban competitor: ARRID. Under-arm deodarants.

9. One in a jury box: PEER. From the British common law, and now a debated concept. Who are your peers?

10. Equivocate: HAW. Hmm, no hem?

11. They give lessons in French: ECOLES. Just the French word for school.

12. Permits: ALLOWS.

13. Neutralize: DEFUSE. We need more people who will be successful in defusing all the conflicts in the world.

14. Uplifting things: STILTS. A very nice visual of one of two poles each with a strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking.

22. Trail mix?: HERD. More nice misdirection; not a snack.

23. Marvel doctor: DOOM. Did anyone dress up as Victor von Doom for Halloween this year?

25. Competed: VIED. Middle English, short for envien, from Anglo-French envier to invite, call on, challenge, from Latin invitare to invite

26. Simon with songs: PAUL.

28. __ ride: FREE.

29. Waikiki neckwear: LEIS.

31. Move like a hummingbird: FLIT.

32. Pan pooch: NANA. Did anyone dress up as Peter Pan this year?

33. Peripatetic bell ringer: AVON LADY. Did anyone dress up as the Avon Lady?

34. Breaks for sitters: NAP TIMES.

38. "The Blacklist" star: SPADER. He is a wonderful actor who has matured as he has aged. I still watch, even after all the reveals.

39. Calif. barrio region: EAST LA. In this country, it is the Spanish-speaking quarter of a town or city, especially one with a high poverty level.

40. Jazz fan?: UTAHAN. Basketball.

41. Problem in an ensemble: BIG EGO. Lebron James?

42. Tailgating sight: COOLER.

43. Stuck out: BULGED.

45. Seek out water: DOWSE. There is still time to learn this ancient practice. LINK.

46. Actor/rapper Smith: JADEN. Son of Will and Jada.

48. Dovetail: MESH.

49. First name in smelly romantics: PEPE. M. LePew.

51. __ Geo: cable channel: NAT. Or a World Series champ.

52. Denver-to-Vegas dir.: WSW. Don't tell my son the way.

I am back from Thailand, still discombobulated but happy to have Dr. Ed ease me back into puzzle blogging. Have a wonderful November working toward Veteran's Day and then Thanksgiving and sneaking up on my 5th anniversary. Thank you, TTP for your double duty and all who read the Corner. Lemonade out.