Friday, August 30, 2019 Joe Deeney

BIRD IDIOMS


18. Fat flier?: ROUND ROBIN.

A round robin is a tournament format in which every player (or team) plays every other player (or team) in order.

26. Frozen flier?: COLD TURKEY.

Cold turkey has come to mean to suddenly stop doing something.  Often associated with quitting smoking. 

40. Feeble flier?: LAME DUCK.

Referring to an elected official who is nearly powerless because they are only holding the position  until the end of the current term.

53. Funny flier?: SILLY GOOSE.

I think the meaning of silly goose has to be taken in context.  It can be playful and it can be insulting.

64. Frugal flier?: BUDGET HAWK.

One who trains the focus of a keen eye and a sharp pencil on a spending plan, looking for opportunities to pare spending.



Each theme "flier" clue was described with an adjective that began with the letter F.   5 theme clues that used only 6 different words.  Pretty neat.   Definitely consistent.

I enjoyed solving this puzzle and spotting the birds hidden in the clues.  I had no idea where we were going until I got one.    I hope you did not find this puzzle "for the birds."  


Across:

1. Letters before QIA: LGBT.  LGBTQIAPK+ and What It Means

5. "Harrumph!": PSHAW.

10. Chance in a box: AT BAT.

15. "Small world": OH HI.

16. Make it right: ATONE.

17. First two-time Nobelist: CURIE.  Marie Skłodowska Curie

20. Cuts back: TRIMS.

21. Suffix with violin: IST.

22. For whom Wednesday is named: ODIN.

23. One of a famous 154: SONNET.  A Guide to the Sonnets of William Shakespeare

24. Ignite: START.

29. Unpleasant look: SNEER.

31. Dress down: BERATE.  Refund: Rebate.  Old car: Beater.  

32. Metaphorical Donne poem: THE FLEA.

34. Rand who created Howard Roark: AYN.  From the book, The Fountainhead.

35. Old phone part: DIAL.   I posted this before.  I love how the parents? encourage the boys to figure out how it works. 


39. Half a matching set: HIS.

43. __ wrongs ...: TWO.  don't make a right.

44. Bet first: OPEN.

46. Phil's twin on "Rugrats": LIL.  Phil and Lil DeVille.  No idea.

47. Eyes slyly: PEEPS AT.

49. Baffler: ENIGMA.

52. Jet: SPRAY.

57. "Creed" actress Thompson: TESSA.  Tessa Thompson   No idea.

59. Simultaneity: UNISON.  Ballet Mécanique

60. Rick's "kid": ILSA.   Casablanca

62. Comedy club reactions: HAs.  HA HA HA HA HA !

63. Colorful four-tone toy: SIMON.


67. Vintner's concern: AGING.  Oeno stuff.

68. Didn't dine out: ATE IN.

69. Latin 101 verb: AMAT.   He loves.

70. "That's incorrect": NOT SO.

71. "It __ happened yet": HASN'T.

72. "So Sick" singer: NE-YO.   Shaffer Chimere Smith   No idea.

Down:

1. Sri Lankan primate: LORIS.  So cute.  Don't rub their bellies.


2. The Flying Dutchman, for one: GHOST SHIP.  A Tale From Holland

3. Group with an extremely high population?: BHUTANESE.   The people of Bhutan.    The country's landscape ranges from lush subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan mountains in the north, where there are peaks in excess of 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). - Wikipedia

4. Sn, on a table: TIN.   And  27. Pb, on a table: LEAD.     Elements in the Periodic Table, in Group 14 (the Carbon Group), Periods 5 and 6 respectively. 

5. Cowpoke's pal: PARD.

6. Not easily moved: STOIC.

7. Fraternize: HOBNOB.

8. Team's lack?: AN I.

9. Harmless cyst: WEN.

10. Carry on: ACT OUT.

11. Flush: TURN RED.

12. Precipice: BRINK.

13. "Mental Illness" Grammy winner Mann: AIMEE. 

14. Cross: TESTY.

19. "How about that": DO TELL.

23. Politician's positions: STANCES.

25. One sometimes accused of being blind: REF (eree).  

28. Stop producing opportunities, as a financial market: DRY UP.

30. Adjust, as wheels: REALIGN.

32. Brief while?: THO (ugh).   While I tend to agree that two wrongs don't make a right, sometimes tit for tat feels good.  Though I don't think it's always the best reaction. 

33. Pal of Picasso: AMIGO.

36. "So sad!": IT'S A SHAME.

37. Far off: AWAYS AWAY.

38. Land purchase: LOT.

41. Muppet who doesn't use the pronoun "I": ELMO.

42. Didn't give up on: KEPT AT.

45. __ Column: Trafalgar Square monument: NELSON'S.

Nelson's last and most famous battle was fought off the Spanish cape of Trafalgar, when he defeated Napoleon and the French and Spanish fleets. 

48. Mature leader?: PRE.

50. "12 Years a Slave" Oscar winner Lupita __: NYONG'O.  "12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical period drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two con men in 1841 and sold into slavery."

Nyong'o played the role of Patsey, a slave who works alongside Northup at a Louisiana cotton plantation.

51. Thought-revealing drama techniques: ASIDES.

53. Geena's "Thelma & Louise" co-star: SUSAN.   "It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, two friends who embark on a road trip with unforeseen consequences."

54. Fictional fencer Montoya: INIGO.  Inigo Montoya is a fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride.

55. Age __: LIMIT.

56. Onetime Rolex rival: ELGIN.   "Elgin was founded in 1864, right as the civil war was coming to an end. The first watch Elgin made, an 18 sized B W Raymond railroad grade watch, was finished in 1867 and over the next 100 years, they went on to produce about 60 million watches. Elgin produced their first wristwatch around 1910." -  The Elgin Watch Collectors Site

Fun Trivia ?  NBA HOF'er Elgin Baylor was named after his father's favorite watch: -  NBA.com - Legends Profile: Elgin Baylor

58. Invite as one's date for: ASK TO.

61. Email folder: SENT.

64. "Harrumph!": BAH.

65. Acting guru Hagen: UTA.

"Hagen was an influential acting teacher who taught, among others, Matthew Broderick, Christine Lahti, Amanda Peet, Jason Robards, Sigourney Weaver, Katie Finneran, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Lemmon, Charles Nelson Reilly, Manu Tupou, Debbie Allen, Herschel Savage, George Segal, Jon Stewart, and Al Pacino. She was a voice coach to Judy Garland" - Wikipedia

66. Role for Harrison: HAN.   Actor Harrison Ford played Han Solo.

Friday, August 23, 2019, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: I must P!

Hi, Lemonade here back with my Friday foil, Jeffrey Wechsler. It was fun to read Tom's slant on JW's last two Fridays. It reminded me of when marti was reviewing Jeffrey's Thursdays when he first appeared here at the LAT. But now I am back on the clock with another over-sized offering that no doubt was the product of (my guess) the inspired 16 letter fill - PART APPRECIATION (16). With Jeffrey's background as a  curator, I am betting that was where this gem started. Of course, he had to then make the rest of the themers grid-spanners, the middle two at 15 spaces and the outside two 16 spaces. He also introduced some unused fill, one with one prior appearance in any mainstream puzzle (ICY HOT), and AHIAHI brand spanking new. We also get to reveal EXTERNS, HOE CAKE, NYMPHET,  TITULAR, HANDKNIT, and PURLOINS.  There are some very fun words there.

17A. Gratitude for a well-played role?: PART APPRECIATION (16). A literal but funny clue/fill.

27A. Crackin', peelin' and fadin'?: PAINT MISBEHAVIN' (15). By far my favorite, as I could hear the music in my head as this filled.

45A. Couples therapist?: PAIR CONDITIONER (15). How many have ever tried couples therapy?

55A. Extreme example of layering for cold weather?: PANTS IN ONE'S PANTS (16). This is absurd which is its charm, though the second P is distracting.

Time to solve...

Across:

1. Irrigation need: PIPE.

5. '90s trade pact: NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement.

10. "Go no further!": HALT. Reminds me of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

14. Heart: CRUX. The heart of the matter. Hey marti, hope you are well.

15. "... __ player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage": Macbeth: A POOR. Jeffrey's Shakespeare quote.

16. Lake near Carson City: TAHOE. It may be the perfect place on Earth.

20. Papal messenger: LEGATE. Now it is an ecclesiastic delegated by the pope as his representative. Historically it was a provincial governor of senatorial rank appointed by the emperor in ancient Rome.

21. On the other side of: Abbr.: ACRoss.

22. Enzyme suffix: ASE.

23. Unscrupulous: AMORAL. As opposed to Anthony Gael Moral.

25. Youthful maiden of myth: NYMPHET. I think of Lolita and Nabokov's words, "Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as 'nymphets.' " - Part One, Chapter 5." Please no Jeffrey Epstein comments.

31. Clean, as greens: RINSE.

32. Newton honorific: SIR. Isaac.

33. LGBT History Mo.: OCTober.

34. '60s campus gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

35. Start growing: SPROUT. Add an "S" and you have the newest grocery chain coming to my neighborhood, LINK.

37. Hem partner: HAW. Hee.

40. Asian language: LAO. Like THAI, just the beginning of the land.

42. Hammer site: EAR. The ear bones - the malleus, or hammer, the incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup.

43. Kofi Annan's birthplace: GHANA. His BIOGRAPHY.

49. Like Macbeth in "Macbeth": TITULAR. Like eponymous. A bonus Shakespeare reference.

50. Jumpy: ON EDGE.

51. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra

52. HP product: INK. Funny, not technology.

53. Hit: STRUCK. No violence, please.

60. Discrete things: ITEMS.

61. Poetry Muse: ERATO.

62. Fruit with fuzz: KIWI.

63. First name in Latin bands: DESI. Arnaz.

64. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Yipes?

65. Venerable college that owns a river island: ETON. Did you know? Queen's Eyot (pronounced 'eight') is an island on the River Thames close to Windsor. The island has been owned by Eton College since 1923 and has a beautiful clubhouse used for weddings etc.

Down:

1. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. Phencyclidine.

2. Investment option, briefly: IRA.

3. Misappropriates: PURLOINS. There was a famous letter.

4. Nonresident doctors: EXTERNS. Intern ≠ extern.

5. Controversial combat material: NAPALM. This is a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasoline thickened with special soaps.

6. Cal. entry: APPT. Calendar - appointment.

7. Golf alert: FORE. Mini-clecho.

8. Golf club part: TOE.

9. Understood by few: ARCANE. Jeffrey's middle name?

10. Seuss title top: HAT. Cat in the...

11. "Aloha __": Hawaiian "Good evening" that sounds like a repeated fish: AHIAHI. Not to be confused with AHI AHI. Timing so soon after the lovely Jimmy B. C.C. puzzle.

12. Ease: LOOSEN.

13. Principle: TENET.

16. Lighting area?: TARMAC. My guess is this refers to the runway lights at airports. Very Friday clue/fill.

18. Patterned mineral: AGATE. This one is for sale at $4,200.00

19. Lidocaine brand endorsed by Shaq: ICY HOT. The second appearance of this brand, It was introduced to the LAT and all major newspapers by one C.C. Burnikel July 25, 2017.

23. Car loan nos.: APRS. An annual percentage rate (APR) is the annual rate charged for borrowing.

24. Hotel employee: MAID.

26. Mil. rank: PVT.

28. Comcast, e.g.: Abbr.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.

29. Warning sound: SIREN.

30. Wide-ranging: BROAD.

35. "You're not the only one!": SO CAN I.

36. Ocean State sch.: URI. The University of Rhode Island.

37. Like some homemade sweaters: HAND KNIT. We have a friend who gives Oo something she knitted every time we see her. I am not sure she should have retired.

38. Rare blood type, briefly: A-NEG.

39. Word with hard or soft: WARE.

40. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Dr. Watson.

41. Bygone HBO series about a sports agent: ARLISS. You can now stream this series.

43. Generate: GIN UP. Not a phrase I know. The idiom gin something up means to increase something, to get something going, to stir something up, to agitate or perhaps make a little trouble, sometimes through less than honest means. grammarist.com

44. Southern cornmeal fare: HOECAKE. A hoecake is cornbread made minimalist—a thin, unleavened round made from the simplest batter (cornmeal, water, and salt).

45. "Ecce homo" speaker: PILATE. His Latin name was Marcus Pontius Pilatus. As a child, I heard him called Pontius Pilate (Pilot). It should have been said like the exercise.

46. Makes up (for): ATONES. A continguous clue with religious overtones.

47. Scottish archipelago: ORKNEY. You can READ ALL ABOUT. More arcane knowledge about Great Britain.

48. Ancient statuary fragments: TORSOS.

49. Unenthusiastic: TEPID.

53. Cinch: SNAP.

54. Parisian bean?: TETE. Bean as noggin or the like in French.

56. "That's quite enough": TMI. Too Much Information.

57. "Do it, __ will!": OR I. Sounds ominous.

58. What a V-sign probably means in a restaurant: TWO. I love this clue. Very visual.

59. Envy, say: SIN. One of seven supposedly deadly ones.

Where do all the Fridays go? Another gone, but not before some good old fashioned Jeffrey Wechsler challenge and humor. My two granddaughters are now going to school after a very fun summer. Labor Day approaches. Thank you, Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

Here are a few cute pictures of Lemonade's grandchildren Charlotte, Harper and Owen. You can see more pictures here. 

2) Happy birthday to the always cheerful and happy Tinbeni, who's been with our blog for a long long time. Hope it's a day full of adventure and fun, Tinbeni!

Friday, August 16, 2019 Bruce Haight

Workwear

17. Railway inspector's attire?: TRACK SHOES. 

22. Blackjack dealer's attire?: DECK PANTS.  

33. Corporate director's attire?: BOARD SHORTS.

49. Toothpaste maker's attire?: TUBE SOCKS.

57. Roadside mechanic's attire?: FLARE JEANS.

Bruce suggests seemingly appropriate pieces of attire for various occupations.   Funny.   I got them all easily enough, but I don't know what deck pants are, and never heard the term before.  Regardless, solving the puzzle was good Friday fun, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Across:

1. Congress, with "the": HILL.  Because of Capitol Hill of course.   Like saying the Oval Office or the White House when figuratively referring to the executive office / presidency.

5. Bashes: GALAS.  The fun kind of bashes, rather than verbal or physical attacks.

10. Whistle blower: COP.  Not ref(eree).

13. Burden: ONUS.  

14. It often follows an overture: OPERA.   For example, the overture from the Barber of Seville.


15. "That's not good": OH NO.  If you concatenate those two little words you get OHNO,  the last name of Winter Olympics great Apolo.   He was good !

 Apolo Ohno Physics

16. Help during spelling: WAND.    Saurcerus.  Soarcirrus.  Sorersirus.   Sorceress.

19. 60 minuti: ORA.   Minuti definitely sounded Italian.   Rossini would have got that ORA quicker than I did.   Maybe not though, because he was too busy writing operas to do crossword puzzles.   I read he was prolific.

20. Oodles: A TON.

21. San Jose skaters: SHARKS.   My nephew is a huge fan.   Huge I tell you.   He gets season tickets and walks to the SAP Center for games.   He took us to a nearby restaurant that had great steaks and ribs.   For you locals, I think it was Henry's World Famous Hi-Life.

25. With 18-Down, '30s-'40s band leader: ARTIE, and 18. See 25-Across: SHAW.    ARTIE SHAW.

Leader of Bands

26. Israeli military hero: DAYAN.  Moshe.

27. Writer born Herbert George: HG WELLS.   Did not know his first and middle names, but had H-W--L- at the time, and the answer popped out.    HG is a seen here at the Crossword Corner as an abbreviation of Husker Gary, our Saturday sherpa.

29. Floor support?: YEA.

31. Leader who was painted by Warhol: MAO.

"In this example from his Mao series, Warhol melded his signature style with the scale of totalitarian propaganda to address the cult of personality surrounding the Chinese ruler Mao Zedong (1893–1976). Nearly fifteen feet tall, this towering work mimics the representations of the political figure that were ubiquitously displayed throughout China. Warhol’s looming portrait impresses us with the duality of its realistic qualities and its plastic artificiality."   Mao - The Art Institute of Chicago

32. Canon model: EOS.

You would probably have to be a serious shutterbug or a professional to shell out the dinero to purchase one of these jewels.  For instance, the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera (body only) would set you back ~ $2800.  Add a lens such as the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM for ~ $2100,  a memory card ~ $65, and a few other accessories, and you've spent some serious coin.   

37. Disneyland's Main Street, __: USA.  I've never been to Disneyland, but I've been to Disneyworld a couple of times.  Disneyworld also has a Main Street, USA.

39. Lead-in to X, Y or Z: GEN.  List Of Generations    Millenials seem to be the subject of so much flak.  It seems to me that members of every generation bash subsequent generations, as their generation was bashed by those prior.  "What's the matter with kids these days ?!?"    

40. West Bank gp.: PLO.

41. Word with jam or joint: SESSION.  Or when plural, with Jeff.

44. Wipe off: ERASE.

48. Equalizes: EVENS.

53. Crude, as humor: RIBALD.

55. Deduce, with "out": SUSS.   A skill used by solvers. 

56. Sea-__: TAC.   I believe that if Sea-Tac is hyphenated, it is a reference to the airport, which has been around since the 1940s.    If it is not hyphenated, it is a reference to the city, which has only been around since 1990. 

59. Don Corleone: VITO.

60. W competitor: ELLE.   Did not know of W magazine.

61. Gloss over: ELIDE.

1.  transitive verb
   If you elide something, especially a distinction, you leave it out or ignore it.
   [formal]
2.  transitive verb
   In linguistics, if you elide a word, you do not pronounce or write it fully.
   [technical]
   COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

62. Finished: OVER.

63. You might be shocked to meet one: EEL.   Never had eel.   C.C. taught me last Sunday that it must be cooked and never eaten raw as the blood is highly toxic.   I don't think I was the only one.  Hi Lucina !

64. Things to avoid: DON'TS.

65. __ Point: WEST.

Down:

1. "Strange ... ": HOW ODD.

2. Measured two-dimensionally: IN AREA.

3. Madness: LUNACY.

4. Trip provider: LSD. 

And there ain't no road just like it
Anywhere I found
Running south on Lake Shore Drive heading into town
Just slippin' on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound

I know, but I like the song...

5. Must, informally: GOTTA.  On another day or in other parts of the country, hafta or havta. 

6. It has strings attached: APRON.

7. Relied (on) for support, to a Brit: LEANT.   Someone should create a puzzle with these American English and British English variants, a la "Relieved wheat ?" with Spelled Spelt as the answer.  Or not.

8. Basketball's three-point line, for one: ARC.

9. Nordstrom competitor: SAKS.    Had a card for shopping at Saks in the Galleria Houston.   Bought a few suits and ties there.  Have never been in a Nordstrom.

10. Laughs gleefully: CHORTLES.  A word that seems to be gaining in popularity.

11. About 2.2 lbs.: ONE KILO.

12. Do demons' work: POSSESS. 

15. Midwestern hub: O'HARE.   The primary hub for United Airlines, and the third largest hub for American Airlines. 

20. Sleep disorder: APNEA.

23. Floor: KAYO.  Knock Out to K.O. to kayo.  That's my guess.

24. Bygone Mideast sovereign: SHAH.

28. Sticky stuff: GOOP.

30. Ship that survived the Clashing Rocks: ARGO. From the 1963 Movie.  Hey !   There's Jason ! CSO !    And Triton to save the Argo.

According to someone named Datsmaharse who posted at Funtrivia.com:

The original Argonautica passage by Apollonius Rhodius:
"Then a vaulted billow rushed upon them, and the ship like
a cylinder ran on the furious wave plunging through the hollow sea. And the eddying current held her between the clashing rocks; and on each side they shook and thundered; and the ship's timbers were held fast.
Then Athena with her left hand thrust back one mighty rock and with her right pushed the ship through"

31. AOL rival: MSN.   Two of the web's oldest content providers with AOL in 1989 and MSN in 1995.  CompuServe and Prodigy were a couple of others.

33. Game involved in several Costner films: BASEBALL.   Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, For Love of the Game.

34. Bad impression: DENT.   Chicago Bear HOF'er Richard Dent made a great impression in that magical 1985 season and in Super Bowl XX.   Longtime Bears fan Madame Defarge had season tickets for years and years.  Through thick and thin.  No fair weather fan, she.


35. Like four midyear months: R LESS.   You are supposed to do something with oysters in these months.  Or maybe not do something.   Anyway, May, June, July and August.

36. Snapper rival: TORO.   Lawn products companies named after animals.   No thanks.  I'll stick to my Deere and Scag which were named after people.  OK,  people are animals too.  

37. Access charge: USER FEE. 

38. Figaro's hometown: SEVILLE.  Wow !   Small world.  We were just discussing Rossini's "Il barbiere di Siviglia"  above at Overture / Opera.

42. Capture: SNARE.

43. Man, for one: ISLE.

45. Like some volcanoes and military personnel: ACTIVE.

46. Hockey gear: SKATES.

47. Go along with: ESCORT.

50. Bolt with great speed: USAIN.  He's fast at ~ 28 mph.

51. __ cake: BUNDT.  DW used to make the best rum cakes. 

52. Word containing three of itself: ESSES. 

54. Worked a party, briefly: DJ'ed.   Disc Jockeyed.   Part of desper-otto's past.  At a radio station.  Maybe spun a platter at a party or two...  Who knows ?  Maybe he'll tell us. 

58. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.   Electric Light Orchestra.   Here's a version of the song from the soundtrack of the movie:


I wonder if desper-otto ever DJ'ed any ELO...

59. Promise: VOW.

Friday, August 9, 2019, Alicia Bachman and Kurt Krauss

Title: Up the down staircase.

Hi, Lemonade here. This is my fifth exposition of a Kurt Krauss' puzzle and his 26th overall. It appears to be the debut for Alicia. I found this to be a very easy Friday, but perhaps because I saw the gimmick as soon as I had solved the first stack of six. I do have the advantage of looking for this type of theme after many years of blogging. I have done many puzzles which require reading words backward, in this case from the bottom to top. Kurt ties this all together by having the phrases each involve one of the suits in a deck of cards. This is revealed by 25A. Gets ready for the big game ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: SUITS UP (7).

Generally, I get the puzzle partially solved and see a theme. I then look for the sparkly fill, which in this case revealed ARRIBA, BOLERO, TRALEE, ISHMAEL,  RETWEET,  ROYAL WE, and  TRACTOR. Then all that is left is the write-up, so let's go.

5D. Preliminary drudgery: KROW EDAPS (9). SPADE WORK is defined as routine or difficult preparatory work.

10D. Layered lunch order: HCIWDNAS BULC (12). The CLUB SANDWICH was invented in 1894 at an exclusive gambling house in Saratoga Springs, New York, that was called the Saratoga Club House.

21D. Regal headpiece: ARAIT DNOMAID (12). A DIAMOND TIARA like Liz's 

37D. EKG reading: TAEB TRAEH (9).  The electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the HEARTBEAT.

Across:

1. i follower: POD. Since they market both an iPad and an iPod...

4. Cookout aid: SKEWER. We have our mini-theme of meat. Satay or shish kebab?

10. Butcher's assortment: HAMS. Also, bloggers.

14. Blond one in a bar: ALE. Why is there an "E" sometimes in that word? The ANSWER. Starbucks uses the term for its lightly roasted coffee.

15. Cry from a toon sombrero wearer: ARRIBA.

16. Scratcher: CLAW. The downside of kitty pets.

17. Dog star's first name?: RIN. TIN TIN.

18. Hang around: LOITER. This used to be a crime.

19. Hebrides isle: IONA. The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland.

20. King's self-allusion: ROYAL WE. The origin of this pronoun has been traced variously to 1169, when the English king Henry II used it to mean “God and I,” and to King Richard I, whose use of the pronoun bolstered his claim to be acting in concert with the deity and to be the ruler by divine right. I love the use of "allusion."

22. Share with followers, in a way: RETWEET. Do the Royals ever retweet?

24. Westchester County city known for its Playland: RYE. Clearly an invitation for some WRY HUMOR.

25. Pricey strings: STRADivariuses.

26. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. Her Q Score has gone way up recently.

29. Roman god: DEUS. The Latin word.

31. Put (out): SNUFF. A troublesome word for me as it is associated with the films in my head.

35. Others, to Ovid: ALII. More Latin.

36. "Exodus" hero: ARI. The movie version was Paul Newman.

37. Ad to lure you in: TEASER.

38. Windshield option: TINT. You can only tint a small area of the windshield.

39. Two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitová: PETRA.  There is more to her STORY than tennis.

41. Ward of "Sisters": SELA.

42. Sidesteps: EVADES.

44. Formally seek justice: SUE. More likely to seek money.

45. Take off: BOLT. Usain?

46. November 1 honoree: SAINT. All Saints' Day to many.

47. 24-Across, briefly: BURB.

48. Señor's "some": UNAS. Hmm...algunos, algunas, algún, unos, unas, algo de all mean "some."

49. Leading: ONTOP.

51. __ Aviv: TEL.

53. Melville narrator: ISHMAEL. The opening line in MOBY DICK.

56. County fair sight: TRACTOR.

60. Classic role for Carrie: LEIA. The late Carrie Fisher in STAR WARS.

61. Antique photos: SEPIAS.

63. Supermarket chain: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance. They operate franchises in 30 countries.

64. Four Tops frontman Stubbs: LEVI. A cornerstone of Motown and a rare baritone frontman.

65. Seat of County Kerry: TRALEE. This was not in my wheelhouse. As they say, it took 6 perps. Kerry's County town, Tralee is at the base of the majestic Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland.

66. Swelter: FRY. I did not see this for too long.

67. Didn't dillydally: SPED.

68. Vinny famously called them "utes" in a "My Cousin Vinny" courtroom scene: YOUTHS.

69. Amount to pay: FEE.

Down:

1. Henry VIII's last wife: PARR. She is back again.

2. Assortment: OLIO. A regular CSO for C.C.

3. Reject: DENY.

4. Magnetic Field?: SALLY. "You like me!" A Friday deception.

6. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.

7. Joker: WIT.

8. "Roger __ Book of Film": 1996 publication: EBERT'S.

9. Harder to find: RARER.

11. Cream additive: ALOE. Aloe is often in the creams but I use it in its purest form.

12. Locks in a barn: MANE. Cute horse pun.

13. Whack: SWAT.

23. Zap: TASE. I've done "Don't tase me bro" enough.

26. Utility company listing: RATES.

27. '60s-'70s Twins star Tony: OLIVA. A bonus for C.C. - baseball and Minnesota Twins great.

28. Scene of frequent Middle East unrest: SINAI.

30. Before, before: ERE. Very cute clue/fill.

32. Apply to: USE ON.

33. "The Most Happy __": 1956 musical: FELLA. I know the songs, but not the play.

34. Toga party places: FRATS. FRATernitieS.

40. Robot play: RUR.

43. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.

47. Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO.

50. Cantankerous: TESTY. Just relax. Let us provide a way that...

52. Facilitates: EASES.  Your...

53. Misfortunes: ILLS.

54. Flow slowly: SEEP.

55. Queen's home: HIVE. Bees, not royals.

56. Tower of Pisa feature: TILT. We just had the lean explained here, didn't we?

57. Bit of bickering: TIFF. Noun. 1727, "outburst of temper," later "petty quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."

58. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

59. Madcap Martha: RAYE. We share the same birthday though she had 32 years on me.

                                              LINK

62. Six-time NBA All-Star __ Gasol: PAU.

There you have it. A Friday Funday. For those of you who hate this type of puzzle, see you in two weeks. It stretches the mind to see things in new ways. Or not. Thank you, Alicia and Kurt. Lemonade out.

Friday, August 2, 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Defining Cricket


17. Cricket: GAME WITH WICKETS.

25. Cricket: WIRELESS SERVICE.

45. Cricket: DISNEY BUG JIMINY.

59. [Crickets]: AUDIENCE SILENCE.

Four gridspanners !

Across:

1. Center of the Milky Way?: CARAMEL.   Thought this might be about the candy bar and not the galaxy, but the use of THE Milky Way, rather than A Milky Way made me wait for a couple of perps.

8. Calder creation: STABILE.  Alexander Calder.  Here's a pic of his 53' Flamingo 50 ton stabile in front of the Miles Van Der Rohe designed Federal Building in downtown Chicago.

15. First state, in a way: ALABAMA.   If the states are listed in alphabetical order.   That wasn't my first thought when reading the clue.

16. Journey's end: ARRIVAL.

19. Once, in olden days: ERST.

20. 2000 Bell Atlantic acquisition: GTE.  The birth of Verizon.

21. Slashed pronoun: HE / SHE.   I struggled with this one.   I had the ending HE, and so I tried a beginning SHE, then a nonsensical HER and a HIM.  Not surprisingly nothing fit until, as Steve says, "The penny dropped".  D'OH !

22. Suspect: PRESUME.

33. Seed-to-be: OVULE.

34. LAX calculation: ETA.  Los Angeles Airport / Estimated Time of Arrival.  Not that you needed me to spell it out...  Oh, by the way, the X means nothing.   It's just a filler so the airport code has three letters.

35. Energy source: ATOM.  Incredible reactions when harnessed.  Atom Ant was a mid '60s Hanna Barbera cartoon.   He was incredibly strong.  Of course, so was Mighty Mouse and Underdog.

36. They might help you change your position: WANT ADS.   One place you might visit if you are looking for a job.

39. Prepare for coating, as aluminum:  ANODIZE.

41. Within: Pref.: ENTO.  ENdO wouldn't work this time.  You must rely on the perp to get the third letter correct.

42. Land of Freud: Abbr.: AUS.  I completed a puzzle the other day and the clue was, 'Birthplace of Freud".   It needed 7 letters and I confidently entered Austria.   The perps didn't support that, and it soon worked out that the answer was Moravia.  That answer sent me to the internet.

Both are correct.  Moravia was part of the Austrian Empire in the year of his birth, 1856.   The area of Moravia became part of Czechoslovakia in 1918 with the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  When Czechoslovakia broke up in 1993 to become the Czech Republic and Slovakia,  the Moravia region became part of the Czech Republic. 

44. Scrooge: MISER.

49. Beat by a hair: NOSE OUT.  Edge.  Made me think of a photo finish horse race.

50. Wheat species that's also a British past tense: SPELT.   Not fooled.  Wheat belt farmers like PK would know this.

54. Article in Bonn: DER.   All nouns in German are either masculine, feminine or neuter.  The little word in front, the article, will tell you the gender.  Another tidbit ?    As you know, in English, only proper nouns are capitalized, but in German, ALL nouns are capitalized.   

Here are the German definite and indefinite articles:

der - the (masculine)
die - the (feminine)
das - the (neuter)
ein - a (masculine and neuter)
eine - a (feminine)

Thank you Rocket Languages for the lesson.

Your challenge when solving a crossword is to recognize the gender, but like a number of Spanish clues that don't give you a hint (compare the clue "Other, in Spanish" to the clues, "Juan's other" or "Juanita's other")  you are going to have to get the perp to be correct.   Or get lucky.

55. Fraternity activity: RUSH.   "He doesn't always listen to RUSH, but when he does, the whole neighborhood does too".

63. Like answers that lower test scores: IN ERROR.

64. Pre-owned item: USED CAR.  A specific answer to a general clue.  Friday worthy.

65. Top-rated TV show of 1984-'85:  DYNASTY.   Who shot JR ?   Oh wait, that was Dallas.  This was prime time show designed to be competition to Dallas, and it eventually worked.

66. WWII vessels: PT BOATS.  Patrol Torpedo.  Saw my first one watching McHale's Navy.

Down:

1. Source of tweets ... or growls: CAGE.   Another very good Friday clue that required creative thinking.

2. Defunct fruit coating: ALAR.  The FDA approved the spray that was used on apple trees (and cherries) to regulate growth so the apples didn't ripen and fall to the ground too early.  A few years later, questionable EPA testing and a questionable 60 Minutes feature story incorrectly terming it a pesticide raised significant public awareness that it was a carcinogenic.  Public concern (deemed "hysteria" by many, but especially the apple growers) created the "Alar Scare" that caused the manufacturer to withdraw the product.

3. Barrels into: RAMS.

4. Help the bad guys: ABET.

5. Big mouth: MAW.

6. Political refugee: EMIGRE.

7. Barista's output: LATTES.  Didn't we have LATTE ART recently as the answer ?

8. Understood: SAW.  Tried got first.  No bueno.

9. Start to cycle?: TRI.   I had to go from one wheel to three wheels to complete this answer.

10. Many a Middle-earth combatant: ARCHER.  When I see Middle-earth, I think of J.R.R Tolkein. You ?

11. Eco-friendly carrier: BIKE.  Clever.  Bicycle, and arguably, motorcycle when compared other motorized vehicles.

12. Composer Charles: IVES.


13. Plastering strip: LATH.

14. Other than this: ELSE.

18. 1946 Literature Nobelist: HESSE.  Perps.  Don't know how a person could answer this based on the clue alone, unless they were were a literature expert.  It is Friday.

22. __ bargain: PLEA.

23. Sports gp. that originally had "Lawn" in its name: USTA.  I usta play tennis.  Got smoked in the very first tournament I entered.   It was a small town contest run by the parks department.  Still have the Wilson T2000.

24. Nasty: MEAN. Ilie Nastase's nickname was Nasty, but I think that was a bit unfair. He was no shrinking violet.  That's for sure.  But he wasn't nasty.

25. Knocked the socks off: WOWED.

26. Grand Prince of Moscow, 1328-'40: IVAN I.

27. Litters' littlest: RUNTS.  Easy to think the response would be singular.

28. John of music: ELTON.  Sir Elton.


29. "Barbarella" director Roger: VADIM.   I saw the movie but didn't think much of it.  Kinda goofy. Would never have got this without the M in JIMINY.   And four others.

30. Formal identification: IT IS I.  Formal, in the sense that it is the grammatically correct response. Nice clue.

31. Deceive: COZEN.  To trick or cheat, or obtain by deception.  There's a large law firm in Philly called Cozen O'Connor that has probably had to bear the brunt of many jokes.

32. Board at one's fingertips: EMERY.

37. How "The Banana Boat Song" begins: DAY O.  Why was this song popular ?


38. Fills in: SUBS.  Substitutes.  Husker Gary is apt to fill the void when a teacher needs time off.

40. Drop: OMIT.

43. Soft leather: SUEDE.

46. Takes the stage: ENTERS.  Thespians, musicians, emcees, comics, public speakers etc.  They all strive to take the stage.

47. Becomes harder to afford: GOES UP.   What goes up, must come down.   Spinning wheel, got to go 'round.


48. Legal scholar: JURIST.

50. Came out with: SAID.

51. Inconsequential: PUNY.  Not of significant concern.  Mere.

52. Early banishment site: EDEN.

53. Pre-Euro currency: LIRA.

55. Start from scratch: REDO.

56. Donald, to Huey, Dewey and Louie: UNCA.  Comic strip vocalization of uncle.  The characters are a Walt Disney production.

57. "Get lost!": SCAT.

58. "... nor shall ever see that face of __ again": Lear: HERS.

60. Excluding: NOT.

61. Shout: CRY.

62. Syr. neighbor: LEB.  Syria and Lebanon.

Friday, July 26, 2019, Joe Schewe

Title: There is no "I" in "team" or this theme.

Joe is back for his fifth LAT publication, his first Friday and second 2019 publication. The concept is simple - remove the letter "I" from the first word of a two word in the language phrase and then clue the result for maximum humor. The icing on the Friday cake is the puzzle has both the puns created by removing the letter and a punderful reveal - 63A. Minimal red-removing amount ... and a phonetic hint to four long answers: ONE EYE DROP (10). So you drop one "I" to get the theme. The puzzle is a bit of an homage to our dear editor, who penned this Sunday Puzzle back in 2000.

There is some fun fill such as AMHERST, CISTERN, ELECTEE, MANATEE, OPEN-AIR, RENT OUT, SO AND SO, SOCKETS, TEENAGE, and UNDERGO. Nothing else new to the puzzle world, so let's get on with it. (BTW this is my Friday, we do every other- Lemonade).

17A. Airline category for hombres?: SEÑOR CLASS (10). The "I" disappears from the Senior Class which airlines still mention but no longer discount.

25A. Run in prison?: CON OPERATED (11). Here the I in "COIN" leaves.

37A. Sculptor, at times?: NOSE MAKER (9). This missing I made for the most amusing fill for me. Noise to Nose - very cute.

53A. VIP at royal banquets?: CHEF OF STATE (11).

And since I already gave the reveal, on to the rest.

Across:

1. Promotional giveaways: COMPS. COMPlimentaryS. Freebies.

6. Hard-to-sell wheels: HEAP. I believe it signifies a car ready for the scrap HEAP.

10. Muscles in a flex-off: PECS. Pectorals - chests.

14. Illusory pictures: OP-ART. Optical.

15. __ rug: AREA.

16. Mélange: OLIO. A favorite C.C. word.

19. Colorado's __ Verde National Park: MESA. Go see it. The LINK.

20. It's as low as it gets: NADIR. Apogee is the highest point.

21. Handy bag: TOTE.

23. USPS delivery: CTN. An abbreviation for a carton.

24. Fast no more: EAT.

28. Battle (for): VIE.  Old French: to challenge, provoke from the Latin invītāre to entertain, invite.

29. Menlo Park, N.J., notable: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

30. Surgical tools: LASERS. I had YAG laser capsulotomy after my cataract surgery.

31. Bellicose god: ARES.  Clearly not an airhead. MYTHOLOGY

33. "__ the night before ... ": TWAS. And all through the blog...

36. Gregg user: STENO. Gregg is a system of shorthand used by many secretaries including all of the ones I employed when I practiced law.  Or a stenographer is a person who makes a written verbatim record using a unique shortened writing style called “steno” on a steno machine.

40. Old Nick: SATAN. Yes, the coach of Alabama football.

43. Massachusetts Bay city: LYNN. Was this a Natick for you?

44. "Little we see in Nature that is __": Wordsworth: OURS.
LINK.

48. Code of silence: OMERTA. Sicilian.



50. Freight weight: TON.

52. Born, in Bordeaux: NEE. Just French that used universally for the birth name of a woman.

56. Chain letters?: DNA. Cute clue; it has been a while since I received a chain letter, though I see many attempts on Facebook.

57. Author Kesey: KEN. And LSD pioneer. He is most famous for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. It reminds me of orange sunshine and purple owsleys.

58. Piece of farm equipment: PLOW?

59. Limited message: TWEET. Nope, I am not falling into that trap.

61. Historic periods: ERAS.

66. USAF NCO: TSGT. "TSgt" in informal parlance, is the sixth enlisted rank (pay grade E-6) in the U.S. Air Force, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant.

67. Gray's subj.: ANATomy.

68. Uninterrupted movement: SEGUE. Seg-way in its Italian root form.

69. Bit of choreography: STEP.

70. Youngster: TYKE. Etymology: 14th Century: from Old Norse tīk meaning bitch. What?

71. Govt. security: T-NOTE.

Down:

1. NYSE listings: COS. Companies.

2. Like outdoor theaters: OPEN AIR.

3. Dugong relative: MANATEE. Both manatees and dugongs, nicknamed "sea cows", are slow-moving herbivorous (mostly) marine mammals that belong to the Sirenian animal order.

4. Encourage: PROD. That is harsh. Probably a parent who is...

5. Rigid: STRICT.

6. Actor Holbrook: HAL. A wonderful actor who is famous for his portrayal of Mark Twain who is still with us as a 94-year-old.

                                                                 LINK

7. Sister of Euterpe: ERATO. The Nine Muses were: Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomeni, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania, and Calliope. The word museum also comes from the Greek Muses.

8. Writer with lessons: AESOP. A fabulous answer.

9. Soft shade: PASTEL.

10. Little dog: POMeranian.

11. Winner at the polls: ELECTEE. I do hate the EE words.

12. Water storage tank: CISTERN. A fun word.

13. Blankety-blank type: SO AND SO. A wonderful fill, usually dirty so and so.

18. Certain Slavs: CROATS.

22. Clear: ERASE.

24. Girl rescued by Uncle Tom: EVA. Uncle Tom's Cabin

26. Staircase post: NEWEL.

27. Member of MLB's 2017 champions: ASTRO. Watch the series.

32. 24-Across greedily: SNARF. An odd word. They suggest it either comes from the sound one makes eating quickly, or from its cousin scarf and snack combined.

34. Acker of "The Gifted": AMY. LINK.

35. Nick working at night?: SANTA. A little Nickolodeon reference.

38. Good way to go out: ON TOP.

39. __ pine: KNOTTY. My childhood bedroom was knotty pine panels.

40. Light bulb holders: SOCKETS.

41. UMass town whose third letter isn't pronounced: AMHERST. I know many who say the "H" but they are wrong.

42. Like many new drivers: TEENAGE.

45. Experience: UNDERGO.

46. Charge to occupy: RENT OUT.

47. Red or Black: SEA.

49. Financially sound: AFLOAT.

51. Having collected the least dust: NEWEST. Meh.

54. Corleone brother: SONNY.

55. Fine-tune: TWEAK. Miley Cyrus?

60. Fall locale: EDEN. Wonderful misdirection, fall from grace the garden of Eden.

62. Indy letters: STP.

64. Automne follows it: ETE. En Francais.

65. Protest leader?: PEE. Urine charge of this clue CED.

I hope you all enjoyed your morning Joe. I did and maybe Joe will stop by and say hello and tell us a story. See you all in August. Lemonade out.

Friday, July 19, 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Breeding Assignment

Jeffrey mates a leading B to the first word of common phrases that start with an R... to a homophone R word... and creates new life with these phrases and definitions.  Breed 'em and weep.  Or laugh, as I did.

17. That necessary morning cup of coffee?: BREWED AWAKENING.   Rude Awakening.

24. Prepare some fish for frying?: BREAD HERRINGS.   Red Herrings.

44. Good nickname for Stephen King?: BRAIN OF TERROR.   Reign of terror.

58. Part of the Hulk's healthy diet?: BRUTE VEGETABLES.    Root vegetables.


I first tried my hand at it with "rags to riches" and came up with "Boasts about personal wealth" for "brags to riches" but the spelling doesn't change, so although it rhymes it's not a homophone and not consistent with Jeffrey's lead.  

How about "Crumple new bills ? for "Break in the money ?"  That might work.   How about "Male chauvinist's belittling comment about a confident, busty woman ?"   Rest assured that I could never make it as a constructor.   Hats off to those with the wordsmith skills.


Let's examine some of the other clues and answers.

Across:

1. Martial arts move: CHOP.   First thought was kick.

5. Lawrence with an eponymous college: SARAH. No idea.  Sarah Lawrence College

10. Oppressive atmosphere: PALL. An air of gloom

14. Dynamic opening: AERO.    The top 10 most aerodynamic production cars.    I guessed the Teslas and the Prius, but not the Alfa that Dash - T's wife drives.   Top aerodynamic production cars.

15. British Columbia neighbor: IDAHO.

16. Court contemporary of Bjorn: ILIE.   First name in the clue, first name in the answer.   Tennis courts.  Borg and Nastase.  Borg beat Nastase in the 1976 Wimbledon men's final.   In more recent news, Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in this year's men's final.

20. Persevere, with "on": SOLDIER.   Having the tenacity to keep going despite the obstacles.

21. Great Society era, with "the": SIXTIES.

22. [There's another doc]: ENC.   Enclosure.   A reference, often in the footer area of an introductory page, that alerts you that there are more documents in the mailer or folder.     There were tons of enclosures in the mailer when I did a ReFi mortgage by mail with Norwest Bank in the mid 90's.  Plus a lot of sticky note arrows telling us where to sign and date.

23. "The X-Files" subjects: ETs.   Extra-Terrestrials.   I learned from crosswords that they eat Reese's Pieces.

31. Nashville awards org.: CMA.   Country Music Association.

33. Very: REAL.     

34. Baku native: AZERI.   Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan.   "The modern ethnonym "Azerbaijani" or "Azeri" refers to the Turkic peoples of Iranian Azerbaijan and Republic of Azerbaijan. They historically called themselves or were referred to by others as Muslims, Turks, Turkmens, Persians, or Ajams" - Wikipedia.

"Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton; surface and underground water are polluted by untreated municipal and industrial wastewater and agricultural run-off"  - CIA World Factbook.

Not in our travel plans.  

35. Decided in court: RULED.

38. Show set in Vegas: CSI.  Crime Scene Investigation.   There's a long-running German crime / drama series I enjoy that runs on the MHz channel.   It's called Tatort, which translates to Crime Scene.  I have to read the subtitles to understand most of it.  There's a lot of $10 words in German, like Tatortermittlung, which translates to Crime Scene Investigation.

39. Discontinue: SEVER.

40. Theater area with no seats: AISLE.   Freshness in the clue for a common crossword fill.

41. Work with an Ethiopian princess: AIDA.   Verdi's opera.

43. Lea feeder: EWE.

48. Cedar Rapids campus: COE.   A liberal arts college named for one of the early donors.  Wikipedia tells me that the man that invented CorningWare,  S. Donald Stookey  was an alumni of Coe College.

49. __ canto: BEL.   Italian for beautiful singing or beautiful song.  Various definitions.

50. Truly enjoy something: EAT IT UP. 

54. Most beneficent: KINDEST.    Like L. Frank Baum's Glinda. 

60. Lot measure: ACRE.   There are 640 of them in a Section.   A quarter-quarter section is 40 acres. 640/4 and the resulting 160/4 = 40,  which is how far it was from our house to the next neighbor when I was growing up.   Well, except for the high school vice principal.   She lived directly across the street.  I had to mind my P's and Q's.  

61. See some sorority sisters, say: REUNE.   I've seen this word most often in crosswords.

62. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters":  OLGA.

Oh, this is the Chekhov.  Sounds the same, but spelled differently than the Star Trek character.

63. "__ Cassius has a lean and hungry look": YOND.

64. Belgian expressionist James: ENSOR.    Last Friday, I got the answer ENSOR ("Former CNN journalist David") because of the 5 perps.    This time I had 4 of the 5 perps and I missed it.   Didn't get the S in GUS.   D'oh !

65. Oenology datum: YEAR.   Wine related.  As in Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill, 1973. 

Down:

1. Many have meters: CABS.  Taxicabs. 

2. Sub: HERO. Grinder, hoagie.

3. Russian city: OREL.   Did not know, but as Abejo would say, "Four perps and I got it".   This city is also spelled Oryol in English.

4. Ground material: POWDER.    In spices like chili and cinnamon powder, talcum in baby and cosmetic powders, in fireworks and ammunition as gunpowder, et alia.  

5. Cognac cocktail: SIDECAR.   Never had one, but recognized the drink name with a few perps.

6. Month after Shevat: ADAR.   Guessed ADAR and built around it.    It's the one month on the Hebrew calendar that comes immediately to mind.   Elul if pressed for another.   IDAHO gave me the needed confidence.

7. Cold and damp: RAW.  Similar to dank and clammy, but more bitter due to the cold.     Unlike the Arizona weather in the summer.   Hi, Lucina !  Hello, Yuma !  You too, CartBoy !    It's pretty warm right now in much of the rest of the country.

8. Signs of solutions: AHAs.   Or TADAs.   

9. Apt to use more corn?: HOKIER.  I used to be addicted to the hokey-pokey.  But then I turned myself around.  Hey, that was almost Boomer-esque !  

10. Wee: PINT SIZE.

11. Et __: ALII.  "Et alii (masculine), et aliae (feminine) or et alia (neuter), in all cases meaning and others. Mixed-gender groups would use et alii".  - Wiktionary

12. Black Friday likelihood: LINE.

13. Durability metaphor: LEGS.   Usually with has, as in  "That story has legs and we're going to be hearing about it for a long time".    You have to be on your toes and knuckle down as you solve Jeffrey's puzzles, or he'll make your head swim and pull the wool over your eyes.   But if you keep a stiff upper lip and your nose to the grindstone, you can get the upper hand.

18. German article: EINE.    A.

19. Epic film budget line: EXTRAS.   Along the lines of Ben-Hur, with a cast of thousands.

24. Model material: BALSA.    A very light,  yet strong,  hardwood.  It was an answer on Jeopardy!   last week.

25. Dunkin' Donuts option: DECAF.  Coffee flavor without the caffeine.  Not my cup of tea.

26. Is charismatic: HAS IT.  The "it" factor.   The It Factor Quiz

27. Omit, in speaking: ELIDE.

28. "Not happening": NEVER. A different take on never:


29. Expanded: GREW.

30. Royal address: SIRE.

31. Food often served with a mallet: CRAB.    A restaurant in San Antonio features a crab and mallet.

I just checked their prices.  The Snow Crab is now 23 and  the King Crab is now 32, but the Lobster is still 24.

32. Naturalist John: MUIR.

36. Drew out: ELICITED.

37. Indicate: DENOTE.

42. Settler?: ARBITER.   Are arbiter and arbitration arbitrary?

45. Haydn's includes 106 symphonies: OEUVRE.   Complete body of work. 

46. "General Hospital" Emmy winner Sofer: RENA.  Don't remember her, but I remember Luke and Laura.  Yeah,  I watched it for the better part of one year during college.   It was a girlfriend thing.

47. Member of an exclusive network: OLD BOY.    In England.  Not to be confused with a Good Old Boy network in the southern US.   Both can loosely be defined as "who you know and have ins with" but the Old Boy network in England largely stems from relationships and ties to prestigious universities, such as ETON and Oxford.    A new learning for me.

50. Major success of the dot-com bubble: EBAY.  ebay 

51. Oil acronym: ARCO.   Atlantic Richfield Company.   We had the Atlantic gas stations here and there when I was growing up in the Youngstown Pittsburgh area.   Then they became ARCOs, and soon thereafter were retrofitted as other gas station chains. 

52. Dice roll, say: TURN.


53. Hammer part: PEEN.  Only on a few of the many hammer types.  55 Types of Hammers – The Ultimate Guide

54. Numbers game: KENO.

55. Cosmo rival: ELLE.

56. Phantasy Star Online publisher: SEGA.   An online Role Playing Game (RPG). 

57. Bygone dynast: TSAR.   In my mind, the spelling for the hereditary Russian rulers should be TSARs.    The spelling for business leaders and heads of departments should be czars, such as "Energy Czar William Simon".   When solving crosswords, I follow that self-created rule unless the perps force a change.  Rich seems to have the same proclivity.

59. Mouse in Disney's "Cinderella": GUS.    The intersection of Gus and Ensor did me in today.    If I ever knew of this little fellow, I forgot.



And with that, here's the grid: