Sunday October 28, 2018 Greg Johnson

Theme: "Change of Address" - Each theme entry is an anagram of an US city and its state.

 

23A. Message about nearly a dozen U.S. sailors being flown overseas? (Pa.): ALL TEN NOW IN NAVY PLANES. Allentown, Pennsylvania.

35A. Annoyed Mayberry aunt gets an old Toyota at a raffle? (Wis.): ANGRY BEE WINS SCION. Green Bay, Wisconsin.

57A. Boast about Japanese animation? (Me.): BRAG ON ANIME. Bangor, Maine.

 

64A. Emanation from an aging rural miner? (Co.): OLD RUBE COAL ODOR. Boulder, Colorado.

75A. Lunch treats from Clinton's veep? (Or.): MEALS ON GORE. Salem, Oregon.

93A. Black Friday headline? (Md.): RETAIL MOB RAN MADLY. Baltimore, Maryland

110A. Muslim ascetics drain Sahara pipeline contents? (Ca.): FAKIRS BLEED AFRICAN OIL. Bakersfield, California.

We've seen a few city anagram themes. Never with its state. This necessitates very long theme entries, including two spanners.

I'm just in awe of Greg's creativity. All theme entries make fun surface sense. And the fill is solid with a few fresh entries. 

Across:

1. Run-down area: SLUM. Slums are not allowed in China.

5. Fire starter: SPARK.

10. Defunct Ford div.: MERC.

14. Like some bulls: PAPAL.

19. Bigger than big: HUGE.

20. Enjoy slowly, as a drink: SIP ON. I like sipping on a cup of hot ginger/date tea in cold days.

21. "I __ busted!": AM SO. And 36. Untrue: NOT SO.

22. Come to light: ARISE.

27. Not talkative: QUIET.

28. Receive inside info: GET A TIP.

29. Tired comment: I'M BEAT.

30. One terminus of Chicago's Blue Line: O'HARE.

33. Soccer goose egg: NIL. Tiny clue/answer dupe 78. Holiday song sextet: GEESE.

34. Cunning plan: PLOY.

41. Delaware's capital?: DEE. Delaware.

44. Disheveled: TOUSLED.

45. At least one: ANY. And 71. All: EVERY BIT.

46. Landlord's reminder: LATE RENT. Debut fill.

48. Tanning time on the Riviera: ETE.

49. Babe's counterpart: HUNK.

51. "Follow me!": C'MON.

53. State definitively: AVER.

54. Constitution letters: USS. USS Constitution.

55. White selection, briefly: CHARD. Chardonnay.

60. Not requiring stamps: POSTPAID. Do you have Informed Delivery in your area? We do.

62. Hopefully, what's left for dessert?: ROOM. Sweet.

63. "Funny thing is ... ": ODDLY.

68. Pitcher part: SPOUT.

70. Absence: LACK.

79. Brooding genre: EMO.

80. Ornate molding: OGEE.

81. Sources of bow wood: YEWS.

82. Author Caleb: CARR. He wrote "The Alienist".

83. Five-O alert: APB.

84. Tied: DEAD EVEN. Another debut.

87. Goof: ERR.

88. Myrtle whose oil is a folk remedy for skin conditions: TEA TREE. I'm allergic to this oil somehow.

92. South end?: ERN. Southern.

97. Overnight retreats: INNS.

98. Simba, at the start of "The Lion King": CUB.

99. Primrose family plant: OXLIP.

100. Ready to breed: AT STUD.

103. Moonlighter's work: SIDE JOB.

106. Tokyo shopping district: GINZA. Never been there. Shanghai is my favorite shopping place.

114. Flawed: AMISS.

115. Cap'n's underling: BOSN.

116. "Free your pores!" skincare brand: BIORE. Known for their pore strips.

117. Ignore, with "out": TUNE.

118. Tighten, as laces: RE-TIE.

119. Jazz club sessions: SETS.

120. Prefix for a Dow foam: STYRO.

121. Not quite never: ONCE.

Down:

1. 1990s-2000s Laker star, familiarly: SHAQ.

2. Humdinger: LULU.

3. Not-cute fruit: UGLI.

4. Geminids sights: METEORS.

5. 3-2-4 ID: SSN. When you make an appointment in VA hospital or clinic, you need to tell them your "last four".

6. Wrestler's coup: PIN.

7. Orbital high point: APOGEE.

8. "Deadliest Catch" narrator Mike: ROWE.

9. Work with needles: KNIT.

10. Six-legged prayer?: MANTIS. Praying mantis.

11. Addresses with "@": EMAILS.

12. Brief invite answer?: RSVP.

13. Artfully shy: COY.

14. Treo maker, before it shortened its name: PALM ONE. Learning moment for me.

15. Sheikdom of song: ARABY.

16. Air freshener scent: PINE.

17. On the briny: ASEA.

18. For fear that: LEST.

24. Kind of alcohol: ETHYL.

25. Kid raiser, in two ways: NANNY. Why "in two ways"?

26. Cockpit worker: PILOT.

31. Prez on a five: ABE.

32. Prince Harry's locks, e.g.: RED HAIR.

34. Holder of keys: PIANO. Great clue.

35. Devoured: ATE UP.

37. "C'mon, take a __": GUESS.

38. Security checkpoint device: WAND.

39. Well filler: INK.

40. Shoe or its dance: CLOG.

41. Hot sauce bottle image: DEVIL. Not familiar with this sauce. Any of you familiar with Brazilian fish stew?

42. Good guy, to a bad guy: ENEMY.

43. French 101 verb: ETRE.

47. Stopped flowing: RAN DRY.

50. Pakistani tongue: URDU.

51. Swindler: CROOK.

52. What may be baby's first word: MAMA. Universal. Also 62. Parents: REARS.

55. Fair grade: C PLUS.

56. Couldn't avoid it: HAD TO.

57. Italian lawn game: BOCCE.

58. Lymph __: NODES.

59. Love to bits: ADORE.

61. Motored (along): TOOLED.

65. Leave, slangily: BLOW.

66. Inappropriate look: LEER. This and OGLE both have grid-friendly letters, unfortunately.

67. Demand too much of: OVERTAX.

68. Silver Bullet Band rocker: SEGER (Bob). Never heard of the band.

69. Joyous song: PAEAN.

72. A new one may itch: BEARD.

73. Push forward: IMPEL.

74. Actor Maguire: TOBEY.

75. Style: MODE.

76. Nikita's negatives: NYETS.

77. Rowlands of "The Notebook": GENA. Great movie.

78. Worn things: GARB.

82. __-Magnon: CRO.

85. Hosp. drama role: ER NURSE. So grateful to the ER doc who correctly diagnosed Boomer's bone cancer. The Twin Cities Orthopedics, and the two different doctors in our local VA clinics all said Boomer's back pain was arthritis. I guess their X-rays couldn't show the cancer cells or the T 11 fracture.

86. Sells: VENDS.

87. Add to a website, as a video: EMBED.

89. Bigger copy: Abbr.: ENL.

90. Guadalajara gal pal: AMIGA.

91. Draw upon: TAP INTO.

94. Most aloof: ICIEST.

95. Cough drops brand: LUDEN'S. Never had wild cherries. You?

96. Scotch cocktail: ROB ROY.

97. "Just me," formally: IT IS I.

100. Quite a distance: AFAR.

101. Hardly a threat: TAME. The wild turkeys at Springbrook Nature Center are very tame.

102. "SNL" staple: SKIT.

103. Wild plum: SLOE.

104. Sparring punches: JABS.

105. "Never heard __": OF IT.

107. Car, truck or bike: NOUN. Always fun to clue NOUN or VERB.

108. #30 on the periodic table: ZINC.

109. Toward shelter: ALEE.

111. Small ammo: BBS.

112. Like deeply discounted mdse.: IRR.

113. Leader with perks: CEO.

Thank you for the birthday wishes for Boomer. You guys are the best! The kids he coaches every week and their teachers gave Boomer a super sweet card and healing angel last Tuesday. I'm so proud that he only missed two practices with the kids this year, both because we had a long day at the VA for various tests.

Boomer also got his back brace. It's like this. Made of hard plastic. Bulky and restrictive. Boomer calls it his "cage". 

C.C.

Saturday, September 1, 2018, Greg Johnson

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Greg Johnson

Today literally kicks off a big time of year for my Huskers as it is the first football game with a new coach, Scott Frost, who is a Nebraska native and was the QB for the last Husker National Champion team.
This first Saturday in September also marks National Tailgating Day across the country as college football finally gets going. As you can see in this picture in Lincoln, tailgating has progressed mightily from setting refreshments on the tailgate of a pickup to tents and motor homes lining the streets outside memorial stadium and across the country with full buffets.

Husker fans are famous for spotting opposition fans and inviting them in to have a bite. Today, some Akron Zip supporters will dine alfresco with Nebraska Cornhusker fans who make the stadium the third largest city in the state for that day and where games have been complete sellouts for well over 50 years.

GO BIG RED!

Constructing for us today is Greg Johnson and this is my third Saturday puzzle of his I have blogged. I used my search and destroy method of solving and had one bad cell. For some reason, I knew SHASTI was a perfectly fine Hindu word and ON GO made some sense but it turns out SHAKTI/OK GO was the correct path. Now you can do your Don Adams rendition of Maxwell Smart saying his famous catch phrase.

Let's see what else Greg has for us today:

Across:

1. Reality show whose Dutch version was called "Now or Neverland": FEAR FACTOR - No pictures here as many of their stunts involved snakes, spiders and other fauna in some very close encounters

11. Conceal: MASK - Some meds just MASK the pain

15. "Now, look ... ": LISTEN HERE.

16. "Hairspray" mom: EDNA  - A conversion that took five hours every day of filming

17. Ballpark figure: ATTENDANCE - Teams list number of tickets sold, not how many seats actually had occupants

18. Film noir crime fighters: T-MEN - Treasury officers

19. Calendar abbr.: THU.

20. "__: Cyber": CSI - A CBS spinoff series that was cancelled in 2016

21. Fluctuates: VARIES.

23. Marsh growth: SEDGE - European Meadow Sedge used in a landscape

European Meadow SEDGE

25. Dinette piece with cupboards: CREDENZA - I've always associated CREDENZAS with formal dining room sets but I don't get out much

27. City on the Oka: OREL.

28. Org. in "This Film Is Not Yet Rated": MPAA - A documentary about how ratings are determined

30. Starts to slip and slide?: ESSES - Slip and Slide

31. Collection area: DONATION BOX - Some churches have a POOR BOX near the exit that try to tap into your aura of holiness as you leave

34. Chrysler Building style: ART DECO - This beautiful building was the world's tallest for a year

35. Source of suds: BREW PUB - BREW PUBS feature beers made on-site such as this one in Toronto

40. Label on some foreign goods: MADE IN CHINA - Hmmm...

42. Colorful almanac pg.: US MAP - I wonder if this map we had for our kids was MADE IN CHINA

46. For calorie counters: LITE.

47. Enjoying the Smithsonian, briefly: IN DC - We had breakfast with our friend and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse when we were IN D.C.

48. Pirates rival: PHILLIES - MLB

50. Fire starter: SPARK - If you teach/taught science, I'll bet you've done this

51. Drama set in '60s Manhattan: MAD MEN - A fabulous 4 min scene about MAD MEN and renaming Kodak's "Wheel." 22. 51-Across bigwig: AD EXEC Don Draper shows the art of advertising at its highest level.

52. Music genre: POP - MOP, BOP, RAP, nope

54. Spare a friend's feelings, maybe: FIB  - "Does this dress make me look fat?"

55. "Your turn": OK GO.

56. One level higher than: A STEP ABOVE - See preceding picture

60. British weapon acronym: STEN  - A submachine gun made by Reginald Sheperd and Harold Turpin at The Royal Small Arms Factory at ENfield

61. Source of shade: WOODED AREA.

62. Like apron strings: TIED

63. Temptation: ENTICEMENT.


Down:

1. Result of a gas shortage?: FLAT SODA - Dr. Wife's secret weapon

2. Must-choose situation: EITHER OR.

3. Top performer: A-STUDENT - Sam Cooke sang Now, I don't claim to be an A-STUDENT, But I'm trying to be. For maybe by being an A-STUDENT, baby, I can win your love for me. Name that tune! 

4. Cal.'s 101, e.g.: RTE - We took this Pacific Coast Highway tour a few years ago

5. Thrust and parry: FENCE - With your epee, perhaps

6. Words between partners?: ANDS - A partnership whose lyrics are quoted often here

7. Starbucks tea: CHAI - CHAI is the Hindi word for tea from cha the Chinese word for tea

8. Common base: TEN - An outgrowth of our number of fingers by most accounts

9. Mordor menace: ORC - For $70 this ORC costume, from Lord Of The Rings,  is yours for Halloween

10. "The Canterbury Tales" estate manager: REEVE  - Here it is a sample of how Chaucer wrote of OSEWOLD the REVE and how it is translated

11. Liverpool lengths: METRES.

12. Online forum VIPs: ADMINS - Ours head ADMIN. here is a lovely lady named C.C.

13. Eyes-closed event: SNEEZE

14. "The Wizard of Oz" setting: KANSAS.

24. Rags or bags lead-in: GLAD  - I'll bet you know the song that starts "Put your glad RAGS on and join me hon"

25. Fire: CAN - I've been lots of things but never FIRED/CANNED

26. Multiplication symbol?: RABBIT.

28. Mineral in thin sheets: MICA.

29. Smart dog: POODLE - I don't know if Greg was  going for something like this or being fashionable. Of course I chose the lowbrow option. 😬

32. Mayan structure: TEMPLE.

33. Landlocked Normandy department: ORNE - Departments (départements) in France are administrative levels below the national level. ORNE is Department #61 below in the southern Normandy area.

36. Light and fluffy dessert: WHIP  - We use Cool WHIP

37. Garment in a Gilbert and Sullivan title: PINAFORE - I don't know any show-stoppers from this comic opera

38. Like a car in storage: UNDRIVEN  - MIL drives her '92 Olds every two weeks or so and I bought a charger to "jump" her car when necessary

39. Syncopated rhythmic element: BACKBEAT - A quick tutorial on BACKBEATS in drumming and playing bass

41. Frozen Wasser: EIS - Unser Freund Andy mag EIS in seinen Getränken nicht (Our friend Andy does not like ice in his drinks)

42. Loftiest: UPMOST - synonym for UPPERMOST

43. Cosmic energy, in Hinduism: SHAKTI - Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki (lit.: Strength of feeling of existence) is a Hindi Soap Opera

44. Tiny Tootsie Roll: MIDGEE.

45. __ butter: ALMOND.

49. Amazed: IN AWE  - Skeptical Simon was IN AWE of Susan Boyle after she started singing

50. One of four ... and of thirteen: SPADE - So simple now...

52. Service with painted nails: PEDI - PEDI? Maybe. Paint? Never!

53. Gp. with many barrels: OPEC - I think most of us remember the OPEC oil embargo of the 70's

58. Youngster: TOT.

59. Loud sound: BAM - Half the name of Barney and Betty's 57. Youngster's address: SON.

Go ahead and comment if you have finished watching your favorite college football game today. If my Huskers do not clobber the Akron Zips today, I am in for a long autumn!

DA GRID:

Saturday, June 9, 2018, Greg Johnson

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Greg Johnson

Today is National Donald Duck Day. Walt Disney was looking for a friend for Mickey and one with some negative characteristics to contrast with his famous rodent's more pleasant demeanor. It was then that short-tempered Donald was created in 1934 and he has appeared in more Disney movies than any other character and more comic books except for super heroes.

His defining feature of course was his distinctive speech that is very difficult to imitate. One of my grade school classmates could do it perfectly and we who couldn't were in awe of him when he said something in that hilarious voice. Can you do it? Go ahead, give it a shot!


I had a Greg Johnson puzzle the day before Mother's Day this year but this one today fell much faster although my first real toehold was in the SE corner which filled in a hurry with ADESTE, NO DEAR, PYRE, ERODE and MEAT. Sigh, any port in a storm.

Then like the Phoenix I rose and finished with SCARES, META, etc. The entire experience was very satisfying. 

Now eschewing Donald's "fowl" attitude, let's see what else Greg has for us:

Across:

1. Exercise activity: SWIM - If sinking counts as exercise, count me in

5. Foolish: DIPPY - In describing Major Burns' time in command, Hawkeye offers three adjectives and then Radar adds a fourth as an aside

10. Dance term literally meaning "thrown": JETE and a prime display of 16. Stylish energy: ELAN.

14. Officer's verb: CITE - I have been CITED for speeding three times by three different officer's

15. "That's so sweet!": OH YOU.

17. Exec's hire, perhaps: ASST - An advert by the British Lancashire County Council was looking for a "temporary part-time libraries North-West inter-library loan business unit administration ASSistanT."

18. Unlikely to become a decorator: COLOR BLIND - A test for red/green color blindness. And the number is...

20. ESPN.com post: RECAP.

22. Theoretical parallel world access: PORTAL - Mom is trying stop Carolyn from being drawn into a PORTAL in Poltergeist 

23. Trip approx.: ETA - Are we there yet?

24. Debt securities: LIENS.

26. Source of ancient wisdom: TORAH.

30. In order to: SO THAT.

32. Muffin topper: PAT

34. Full-body animal costume: APE.

35. Part of a gift that needs to be returned: CASSEROLE DISH - One way to remind people of the origin of a casserole

39. "I figured as much": WHAT A SURPRISE - Gee, Gary has a kitty picture below in his write-up! Sarcasm par excellence.

40. Skeptical words: THIS I GOTTA SEE.

41. It may look like a great deal: CON - You can't CON this kitty

42. It folds for easy storage: COT.

43. Textron Aviation brand: CESSNA = Kansas farm boy Clyde CESSNA started his company to build this cantilevered winged aircraft in 1927 that "could carry a half-ton load at 100 mph on a 110 hp engine"

46. __ touch: MAGIC - Any day is improved with the Platters

48. Bacon output: ESSAY - Aroma didn't cut it

51. User-created video game alteration: MOD - A mod (short for "modification") is an alteration that changes some aspects or one aspect of a video game, such as how it looks or behaves. Mods may range from small changes and tweaks to complete overhauls, and can extend the replay value and interest of the game. You're Welcome.

52. River rat: NUTRIA - A poor man's ermine

54. Take the edge off?: ERODE - Niagara has been ERODING this area for a long time

56. Kids may use them to make turkeys: HAND PRINTS.

60. Wad embellishers: ONES - The "Wad" inside could well be only ONES

61. Skin-healing aid: ALOE.

62. Get 'em all right: ACE IT - Some Nebraska honor students with the Governor 

63. Good source of protein: MEAT.

64. It followed a postwar boom: GEN-X 

65. Noticeably bored: YAWNY - I see lots of "teachers" in front of children that elicit this "gluey" response 

66. Ceremonial pile: PYRE - "And our love become a fun'ral PYRE, C'mon baby light my fire"


Down:

1. Halloween inevitabilities: SCARES - Noun not verb. why do we seek these out?

2. Not tricked by: WISE TO.

3. Comment about contagion: IT'S CATCHING - My siblings and I went through the mumps and measles as a unit!

4. Like a movie about filmmakers making a movie: META - Okay

5. Animated miner: DOC - Which shirt would best represent you?

6. Longing words: I HOPE.

7. Aviation guide: PYLON -  Racing markers or a structural component. The second PYLON might be 36. Things few understand: ESOTERICA. 

8. One unlikely to shake hands: POOR SPORT - This losing MLS soccer coach was upset about the other team's play and refused to shake hands

9. Nomadic shelter: YURT - Here are some YURTS in Ulan Bato

10. Kraft Foods trademark: JELLO.

11. Fan of the Bulldogs: ELI.

12. Summer vacation "souvenir": TAN

13. Extreme: END.

19. Dark background that makes a pitched baseball easier to see: BATTER'S EYE - This one in Wrigley field is made up of juniper bushes

21. Party holder: PLASTIC CUP - I once needed some ping pong balls for my physics lab and was so surprised to be told they were over by the PLASTIC CUPS!

25. "We've got clearance": IT'S A GO - Var. - After the meteorologists gave him clearance on June 5, 1944 by saying the weather had broken, Ike said "OK,, Let's Go" for June 6

27. Holds a benefit, say: RAISES MONEY - On GoFundMe.com you can request money for your cause. I wonder how many thought this was a worthy cause.

28. Basilica recess: APSE.

29. Chuckle bit: HEH - HEH, HEH, HEH!

31. PGA Tour Champions golfer Jay: HAAS.

33. Wool source: ALPACA - Let's leave a little for cuteness. p.s. I thought ALPACA had two "C's"

37. Evidence of frequent travel: RUT.

38. Injection molding inventory: DIES - Can you even imagine how many DIES LEGO uses?

39. Stop on the trail: WHOA.

40. "Silent Sunday Nights" network: TCM - The director could shout at them all he wanted during shooting 

44. Affectionate turndown: NO DEAR.

45. Holiday hymn opener: ADESTE - ADESTE, fideles, Laeti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem!

47. Organize, in a way: INDEX - Rapid "unindexing" and any librarian's nightmare

49. Strength: SINEW.

50. Prom gown material: SATIN - Some today are using much less material than they used to!

53. Lunch __: TRAY -  An alternate use

55. Easy win: ROMP.

56. Witch: HAG.

57. Maugham's "Cakes and __": ALE - Same book with two different publishers who had two different ideas about how to sell it. Title comes from a Shakespeare line in Twelfth Night.

58. Exclusion prefix: NON.

59. Place for a mud bath: STY.