Saturday, August 29, 2020, Gail Grabowski

 Saturday, August 29, 2020, Gail Grabowski

Today's constructor is our former MS English teacher Gail Grabowski. Her puzzle is another pinwheel style like Joe Deeney's from last Saturday and has only 27 blocks

Once I got a toehold in the NE, I was sailing along and then some major speed bumps in the SE had me struggling to finish. Gail's cluing was just abstract enough to keep me searching for fill but that is what makes Saturdays so challenging.

Let's see what Gail has for us today:

Across:

1. Followed: ADHERED TO

10. Charlie Parker genre: BEBOP - My grandson is named Parker in Charlie's honor 

15. Carpenter's accessory: NAIL APRON - Also used for holding cash for garage sales and admission money

16. Not in the dark: AWARE.

17. "Perhaps": I'M NOT SURE - My thoughts as I use this new blogger site

18. Convene again: RESIT.

19. Wild: MAD - I'm just WILD/MAD about golf

20. More than a little: SOME.

21. Language class subject: TENSES - I blog this puzzle, I blogged this puzzle, I will have blogged this puzzle. Very appropriate for our English teacher 

22. Changed by time: AGED - Coopers making barrels to produce AGED whiskey

24. Took in slowly: NURSED - Many whiskey drinks need to be NURSED if you are going to be able to drive home safely and legally

26. Volatile letters: TNT.

27. Sports artist Neiman: LEROY - Husker coach Bob Devaney in LEROY's distinctive style

29. Comics socks: POWS - This took me a while

30. Start to fill?: AUTO.

31. Green: NEW

33. Diner's grazing spot: SALAD BAR - These may never come back 

35. Checked out: SCANNED.

39. Bass product: PALE ALE - Shoes? No. Fish? No. Music? No. Oh, it's ALE

40. Southwestern state symbol: LONE STAR.

42. It sells in advertising: SEX.

43. 11-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop Vizquel: OMAR - Making plays like this

44. Bring (out): TROT.

46. Instrument with an end pin: CELLO - Now it makes sense

50. Noir sleuth: TEC - Private eye, P.I., sleuth, deTECtive, etc.

51. Frequent fliers: JET SET.

53. Be overly sweet: CLOY - I'm more used to hearing it as a participle as in, "The cloying movie made it hard for me to stay to the end."

54. Did some course work: COOKED - Somebody COOKED that soup. Fun clue, Gail.

56. Release: EMIT.

58. Shuttle __: BUS - Here comes a Disney Shuttle BUS to pick us up at All Star Sport Resort

59. Douze mois: ANNEE - French - Douze (twelve) mois (months) is a ANNEE (year) The double EE made me uneasy for a while

60. Now: AT PRESENT.

62. What a hitchhiker aspires to be: RIDER.

63. Enclosure for dangerous underwater cinematography: STEEL CAGE - That's all that protects this diver from an 18' Great White

64. Clothes closers: SNAPS.

65. One who won't give: HARDLINER.

Down:

1. __ shelter: ANIMAL.

2. Crash or crush: DAMAGE.

3. Get in the way of: HINDER.

4. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp.: ELO - The 3-letter house band for crossword puzzles

5. "Aw, nuts!": RATS.

6. Japanese electronics giant: EPSON.

7. Devise: DRUM UP - We've all seen this way to DRUM UP a Mouse Trap

8. Capa wavers: TOREROS - Three TORREROS with the Matador

9. Gender-neutral pronoun: ONE.

10. Revealed: BARED.

11. Bremner of "Black Hawk Down": EWEN.

12. Low-pitched wind: BASS TUBA.

13. Avenue after Reading Railroad: ORIENTAL - Even on this earliest known version if you look carefully

14. Seller of Lab supplies: PET STORE - Not for my science lab but for a Lab dog

21. Model 3 autos: TESLAS.

23. "Conspiracy Theory" director Richard: DONNER.

25. Trade: SWAP.

28. Aches: YENS.

30. Commercial bigwig: AD EXEC - Do you know the unusual wife of this TV AD EXEC? (*answer below the write-up)

32. Soaked: WETTED.

34. Co-star of Meryl in "It's Complicated": ALEC - Meryl did star with ALEC Baldwin in that movie but this is a picture of our cousin, and my former student ALEC Bohm, whose first MLB homer was a 443' shot for the Phillies last week.

35. Toys that run on tracks: SLOT CARS - The SLOT CARS here are being propelled by bikers!

36. "Door's open": COME ON IN.

37. Amazon predator: ANACONDA.

38. Projectile with a flight: DART - It always seemed funny to me that the bullseye is not highest possible score on a throw

41. Nile home of a historic stone: ROSETTA - The famous Rosetta Stone

45. State of mind: TEMPER - Effective teachers have a more easy-going TEMPER

47. New England retailer since 1912: LL BEAN - The flagship store in Freeport, Maine

48. Room for leisure activity: LOUNGE.

49. Bed occupant: OYSTER.

51. Shows disapproval, in a way: JEERS.

52. Ready to pack it in: TIRED.

55. Stay fresh: KEEP.

57. Snitch: TELL - Should I snitch on that guy who snitched a candy bar?

60. Shade of gray: ASH.

61. It may be natural: Abbr.: SCI.

* AD EXEC Darren Stevens was married to Samantha Stevens who was Bewitched 

Comment below:

Sunday March 22, 2020 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Components Lacking" - ING is deleted from each familiar phrase.

23A Roadway closed for repairs?: DOWN STREET. Downing Street.

45A. TV show about Amtrak services?: TRAIN PROGRAM. Training program.

66A. Cornfield maze, e.g.?: LAND PATTERN. Landing pattern.

88A. Free-for-all debate?: OPEN ARGUMENT. Opening argument.

112A. Unarmed spy?: CLEAN AGENT. Cleaning agent.

114A. Sidewalk vendor's supply request?: STAND ORDER. Standing order.
 
37D. Incidental music at a race?: TRACK NUMBER. Track number.

41D. Make sketches of Barbie dolls?: DESIGN WOMEN. Designing Women.

DESIGN WOMEN is the only phrase clued as a verb phrase. Did you know that constructor Andrea Carla Michaels was a writer for "Designing Women"?

Seeing Gail's byline just makes me so happy. She never fails to deliver a solid puzzle. So many sparkling long fill in this grid.

Across:

1. Thin coating: FILM.

5. Square things: ATONE.

10. Hi-tech training site: PC LAB.

15. City on the Aare: BERN.

19. Palm native to South American swampland: ACAI. You can get the frozen acai packets at Trader Joe's.

20. Precept: TENET.

21. Family name in Civil War fiction: O'HARA.

22. Golfer Aoki: ISAO. Saw lots of legends at 3M Championship over the years. Not him.

25. Sturdy piece of lumber?: SOUNDBOARD. Fun clue.

27. "Not interested" feeling: ENNUI.

28. Maintain control (over): RIDE HERD.

30. Oater orphans: DOGIES.

31. Online biz: E-TAIL.

33. Quirky: ODD.

34. Prop for Mr. Monopoly: CANE.

35. Hot Wheels maker: MATTEL.

38. "Nixon in China" tenor role: MAO.

40. Showed up for: ATTENDED.

44. Omits an attachment, say: ERRS. I do this at times.

50. "Dumbo" actress Green: EVA. She was the Bond Girl in "Casino Royale".

51. Stephen of "Counterpart": REA.

52. Had a stable baby: FOALED.

53. Insignia automaker: OPEL.

54. Presentation prop: EASEL.

56. __ 5000: annual list of the fastest-growing privately held companies: INC.

57. "Stranger Things" actor: ASTIN (Sean)

58. Despicable sort: TOAD.

59. Surface: ARISE.

60. Pay attention: TAKE NOTE. And 76. "Right this way": FOLLOW ME. 92. Rutted route: DIRT ROAD. 105. Preempts the following show, perhaps: RUNS LATE. These are just four.

62. Cold War st.: SSR.

63. Pequod co-owner: PELEG.

65. HR dept. data: SSNS.

70. Agitated state: SNIT.

73. Apply to: USE ON.

75. Mdse. category: IRR.

78. Boiling words: I'M MAD.

80. PepsiCo-owned chip brand: LAYS. Cucumber-flavored.

81. Command to start playing: HIT IT.

82. Choose: OPT.

83. Plane part: CABIN.

84. Carson's successor: LENO.

85. "I won't miss it": NO LOSS.

86. Put a nick in: MAR.

87. Chemistry suffix: ENE.

91. Mother of Ares: HERA. Sister and wife of Zeus.

94. "You're a fine __ to talk": ONE.

95. Triathlon segments: EVENTS. Hope Tokyo Games will be delayed rather than canceled.

97. Address bar letters: HTTP.

98. Played for a sap: HAD.

100. Guitar-making hardwood: ALDER. And 121. Key wood: EBONY.

102. V8 veggie: CARROT.

108. Ford named for a legendary flier, briefly: T BIRD.

116. They're often scrambled: EGGS.

117. Big dos: GALAS.

118. Sure rival: ARRID.

119. It's near the humerus: ULNA.

120. Recipe smidge: DASH. Looking forward to my salt kelp.

122. Besmirch: TAINT.

123. Often-pickled veggie: BEET.

Down:

1. Lose steam: FADE.

2. Quicken's boxed Q, for one: ICON. Any of you use Quicken?

3. Scotts Turf Builder target: LAWN.

4. French social dances: MINUETS.

5. NFL pass, complete or not: ATT.

6. Gibbs of country: TERRI.

7. Ninja Turtles' human pal April __: O'NEIL. No idea. Read more here.

8. Requirement: NEED.

9. Kin of -kin: ETTE.

10. Prepared for a selfie: POSED.

11. Bit of guitar music notation: CHORD.

12. Heap kudos on: LAUD.

13. Prince Valiant's son: ARN.

14. Statistician's concern: BAD DATA.

15. Giant in the development of neurological disease therapies: BIOGEN. This Biogen employee has been widely ridiculed in China. I feel sad for her.

16. Actor Morales: ESAI.

17. Hard to come by: RARE.

18. Affirmative actions: NODS.

24. Webmaster's creation: SITE.

26. Animal-based fertilizer: BONE MEAL. Never used it.

29. Hula __: HOOP.

32. "He Was Despised," in Handel's "Messiah": ALTO SOLO.

34. PC corner key: CTRL.

35. Is worthy of: MERITS.

36. Concert venues: ARENAS.

38. Personal bearing: MIEN.

39. "So?": AND.

40. Improved in a barrel: AGED.

42. Pre-event periods: EVES.

43. Glen relative: DALE.

46. Porch furniture material: RATTAN.

47. Sci-fi visitor: ALIEN.

48. Stick in a cage: ROOST.

49. Genre of Vasarely's "Zebra": OP ART.

52. Twitter follower, often: FAN.

55. Recess rebuttal: ARE SO.

58. Bygone despots: TSARS.

61. Advanced French class assignment: ESSAI. Essay.

63. Positive particle: PROTON.

64. Signed up: ENLISTED.

67. Krall of jazz: DIANA.

68. Richard __, first black "SNL" host: PRYOR.

69. IRS convenience: E-FILE.

71. Convey: IMPART.

72. Colorful swimmers: TETRAS.

74. Sewer worker in a '50s sitcom: ED NORTON. "The Honeymooners".

77. Sgts.' superiors: LTS.

78. Like most cupcakes: ICED.

79. Salon service with a pedi: MANI.

80. Give for a while: LEND.

81. __ office: HOME.

84. Go for a rebound: LEAP.

85. "Sister Act" extra: NUN.

89. Thick soup: POTTAGE.

90. Jupiter and Mars: GODS.

91. Fragrant coating for grilling: HERB RUB.  I seldom use herb.

93. Clobber: THRASH.

96. Preventative power: VETO.

98. Spicy Asian cuisine: HUNAN. Originated in Hunan province, which is south of Hubei province where Wuhan is the capital. Hu means "lake".  Hunan means "south of the lake". Hubei means "north of the lake". The two provinces are neighbors separating by a big lake.

99. Pacing, perhaps: ANTSY.

100. Gaming pioneer: ATARI.

101. Bolshevik leader: LENIN.

102. Duped?: CC'ED.

103. Bit of plankton: ALGA.

104. Short standards?: REGS. Regulations.

105. Move, for short: RELO.

106. Six-part undergrad exam: LSAT.

107. Blade brand: ATRA.

109. Not occupied: IDLE.

110. Surrealist Magritte: RENE.

111. "Phooey!": DRAT.

113. Yak it up: GAB.

115. "Silent Spring" subj.: DDT.

   

Today we celebrate the 79th birthday of Pat (PK on our blog). Stealing this nice cake from CrossEyedDave again. Happy birthday, PK, you're a special person!

C.C.

Sunday November 24, 2019 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Accentuating the Negative" - UN is attached to front of each common phrase.

23A Like frayed laces on hockey skates?: UNFIT TO BE TIED. Fit to be tied.

 

39A. Dig up buried Burma-Shave relics?: UNEARTH SIGNS. Earth signs.

57A. Brief period of apathy?: UNMOVING DAY. Moving day.

82A. Committee leader who's a bit on edge?: UNEASY CHAIR. Easy chair.

97A. Orthodontist's concerns: UNSOUND BITES. Sounds bites.

119A. Pets that help with luggage after a trip?: UNPACK ANIMALS. Pack animals.

16D. Rattle football linemen?: UNNERVE CENTERS. Nerve center.

52D. Do a "Wheel of Fortune" job?: UNCOVER LETTERS. Cover letters.

There's no any extra layer to further tie the theme together, in case you wonder.

Lots of words can have an UN prefix, so this set may seem to be loose to some. But I think Gail was just trying a full new set of UN* gimmick.

The grid is classical Gail. Both the design and the fill. There's an art behind her simplicity. Hard work too, of course.

Across:

1. "Proud Mary" pop gp.: CCR. Creedence Clearwater Revival.

4. "Glad that's over!": WHEW.

8. Vineyard measure: ACRE. JimmyB brought me this special bottle of wine from his vineyard years ago. I've been saving it.

12. Contaminate: POLLUTE.

19. Grammy winner Corinne Bailey __: RAE.

20. Lille lover's word: AIME.

21. Coward in drama: NOEL. Noel Coward.

22. More eco-conscious: GREENER.

26. Forward motion: ADVANCE.

27. Stretches on the job: STINTS. Nice clue.

28. Waferlike: SLENDER.

30. Brontë governess: EYRE.

31. Road trip expenses: TOLLS.

32. Area 51 creatures, it's said: ETS.

33. Tail end: REAR.

35. Málaga mlle.: SRTA. Alliteration.

38. Flight school hurdle: SOLO.

44. Roomba, briefly: VAC. Our vacuum is pretty heavy, but it gives me a regular workout. 

45. Contrail makeup: VAPOR.

47. Defense org.?: ABA. Court defense.

48. Wet suit material: NEOPRENE. I think our mouse pad is made of this stuff also.

50. Elm Street surname: KRUEGER.

53. Advice to a sinner: ATONE.

55. Junkyard fillers: WRECKS.

56. Seemingly forever: EON.

61. Iowa Straw Poll city, once: AMES. Wiki says the polls is now called "Iowa State Fair Straw Poll".

62. Do as Vassar did in 1969: GO CO-ED.

64. NOYB part: NONE.

65. Text addition?: ILE. Textile.

66. Feminine side: YIN. Cucumber is Yin. Ginger is Yang.

67. "Say no more": STOP.

68. Deceptive operation: STING. Police sting.

70. It has all five black keys in its scale: D FLAT.

72. Grab with a toothpick: STAB.

75. Vital opening?: VEE. Vital.

77. Verizon subsidiary: AOL.

78. Song often sung in Italian: ARIA.

79. Flip, in a way: RESELL. I told you about our old neighbor. He won $100,000 lottery prize. Gambled them all away. Lost his home also. Some real estate guy fixed his house and flipped for a quick profit.

81. German gent: HERR.

85. Biodegrade: ROT.

86. Frustrate: DERAIL.

88. Really go for: ADORE.

89. "The Ten Commandments" role: RAMESES.

91. Team culled from other teams: ALL-STARS. Rod Carew was a 18-time All-Star. Most for a Twin. Boomer bowled with Carew once.

94. URL ending: EDU.

95. Marner of fiction: SILAS.

96. Jeans go-with: TEE.

100. Contest on horseback: TILT.

104. Queen's offspring: ANTS.

106. Some square dancers: GALS. Hi there Kathy!

107. Title after vows, perhaps: MRS.

108. Passover feast: SEDER.

109. Ten Benjamins: THOU.

111. Erode: EAT AWAY.

115. Rinky-dink: CHEESY.

116. Morgan of "The Bucket List": FREEMAN. Tarnished reputation now. 

121. Challenge for a flight attendant: AIR RAGE. Still remember the first time you took a plane?

122. Work (out): SUSS.

123. Sistine Chapel mural setting: EDEN.

124. Release, with "out": LET.

125. "Ain't gonna happen!": NO SIREE.

126. Straddling: ATOP.

127. Learning method: ROTE.

128. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYS.

Down:

1. Some prefer them thin: CRUSTS. The first pizza I had is Hawaiian Pizza at Pizza Hut in Guangzhou. So I always associate pizza with thick crust and pineapples.

2. Braggart's comeback: CAN TOO.

3. Pharmacy order: REFILL. Tiny clue/answer dupe with the great 13. Limited offer come-on: ORDER NOW.

4. Guitar amp units: WATTS.

5. Singles, say: HITS.

6. Moody music genre: EMO.

7. "Blue-Backed Spelling Book" author: WEBSTER.

8. Join the game, in a way: ANTE.

9. Small decision-maker: COIN.

10. 2018 Masters champ Patrick: REED. Also 12. Vardon Trophy org.: PGA. And 37. Links rarities: ACES. Gail is a golfer.

11. Trees with berries: ELDERS.

14. Assess: LEVY.

15. King and a Norman: LEARS.

17. TV's Jim Rockford, for one: TEC. Detective.

18. Cockney adverb: ERE.

24. Under Cupid's spell: IN LOVE.

25. "Frozen" snow queen: ELSA.

29. Pull back, with "in": REIN.

32. Huge, to a poet: ENORM.

34. Eligibility factor: AGE. Right now, the retirement age in China is 60 for men. 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers.

36. Suffers a sudden decline: TANKS.

39. Overturns: UPENDS.

40. What stars may represent: RATING.

41. Doggie bag treat: T BONE.

42. Chill (with): HANG.

43. __ paint: SPRAY.

46. Flu symptom: AGUE.

49. Negligent: REMISS.

50. They're often tapped: KEGS.

51. Underlying cause: ROOT.

53. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA. Forgot. We had this before.

54. Imposing building: EDIFICE.

58. Often-minced veggie: ONION. Isn't this pretty?

59. Quran deity: ALLAH.

60. Word of support: YEA.

63. Met works: OPERAS.

69. Frat letter: TAU.

70. Pre-BBQ treatment: DRY RUB.

71. Difficult times: TRIALS. So grateful to your support all these years, esp last year.

73. Alternative medicine plant: ALOE.

74. Initial orders?: BLTS. Initially.

76. "Un Ballo in Maschera" aria: ERI TU.

78. Equally eccentric: AS ODD.

80. Funny Bombeck: ERMA.

81. Paris abductee: HELEN. Of Troy.

83. Arabian Peninsula port: ADEN.

84. Energetic risk-taking type, so it's said: ARIES. We have two on our blog: Abejo and Irish Miss.

86. Spreadsheet filler: DATA.

87. Sign __: LANGUAGE.

90. Regard: ESTEEM.

92. 2010 World Cup host: Abbr.: RSA. Republic of South Africa.

93. One and only: SOLE.

95. Sgt. played by John Wayne in "Sands of Iwo Jima": STRYKER. Learning moment for me.

98. Patriotic chant: USA USA.

99. Apple since 1998: IMAC.

101. Lofty standards: IDEALS.

102. Stahl of "60 Minutes": LESLEY.

103. Hush-hush meetings: TRYSTS.

105. "The Rapture of Canaan" novelist Reynolds: SHERI. Haltoolah might have read this book.

108. Excel: SHINE.

110. Sharif of "Che!": OMAR.

112. Flanged fastener: T NUT.

113. Lhasa __: APSO. Meaning "bearded" in Tibetan.

114. Bee-eater's prey: WASP.

115. Tech news site: CNET.

116. __ base: FAN.

117. Brazil map word: RIO.

118. Name change indicator: NEE.

120. Flap: ADO.

C.C.

Congratulations on your wife's first art show, Picard!