Tuesday, October 11, 2022 Jared Goudsmit

Road Trip:  We will visit first Athens then Sérres, Greece.  The first word in each theme answer begins with an A, THEN the second word begins with an S.

1-Across. *   "Yes, captain!": AYE, SIR!

18-Across. *   "Well, shoot": AW, SHUCKS!  Also the name of a chain of oyster bars.

27-Across. *   Immunotherapy injection: ALLERGY SHOT.

44-Across. *   Plane passenger's selection: AIRLINE SEAT.  

55-Across. *   Director's "That's a wrap!": AND SCENE!

And the unifier:

65. Capital of Greece, or a three-word hint to the answers to the starred clues: ATHENS.  Take it apart, and we get A Then S.

Across:

7. Kansas City cuisine, briefly: BBQ.  There are lots of regional styles of Barbecue.

10. "Quickly!" letters: ASAP.  As Soon As Possible!

14. Period of self-care: ME TIME.

15. Steal from: ROB.  [Name adjacent.]

16. Greek philosopher known for a paradox: ZENO.  There are actually several Greek philosophers, but the one with paradoxes was Zeno of Elea (BCE 490 ~ 430).  [Name # 1.]

17. "Things are bleak": IT'S BAD.

20. Like many budget reno projects: DIY.  As in Destroy-It-Yourself.

21. Aussie greeting: G'DAY.  Hi, Kazie!

23. Wide variety: ARRAY.

24. Underling: PEON.

25. Little pigs count: THREE.

31. Playground game: TAG.

34. God: DEITY.

35. "Stop pouring": WHEN.

36. Start of a play: ACT I.

37. Kayaking site: LAKE.

38. Scallion kin: CHIVE.  Everything you wanted to know about the difference between Chives and Scallions, but didn't know to ask.

39. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.  Rosa Parks (née Rosa Louise McCauley; Feb. 4, 1913 ~ Oct. 24, 2005) was instrumental in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, when in December 1955, she refused to give up her seat to move to the back of the bus.   [Name # 2.]

40. Happily __ after: EVER.

41. Move, in Realtor lingo: RE-LO.  As in Re-Locate.

42. Expand, as a highway: WIDEN.  A widening of Interstate-10 in Louisiana is anticipated.

43. Dreaming sleep phase, briefly: REM.  As in Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

46. "How about that!": I'LL BE!

48. Surrender, as territory: CEDE.

49. Janelle of "Moonlight": MONÁE.  Janelle Monáe (née Janelle Monáe Robinson; b. Dec. 1, 1985)  also starred in Hidden Figures.  [Name # 3.]

51. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI.  Everything you wanted to know about this history of the Levi Strauss company, but didn't know to ask.  [Name adjacent.]

52. Scrabble-like game app, briefly: WWF.  As in Words With Friends.  These initials also stand for World Wildlife Fund and was formerly referred to the World Wrestling Federation.

58. Think highly of: ADMIRE.

60. "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE-T.  Ice-T (né Tracy Lauren Marrow; b. Feb. 16, 1958) also portrays  Detective Odafin Tutuola on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.   [Name # 4.]

61. Job on a band's tour: GIG.

62. Immersed briefly: DIPPED.  On Rosh Hashanah, the holiday we just celebrated, it is traditional to dip apples in honey.

63. Some long-lasting bulbs: LEDs.  As in Light-Emitting Diode light bulbs.

64. Good Grips kitchenware brand: OXO.  This brand appears with som frequency in the puzzles.

Down:

1. In the thick of: AMID.

2. Himalayan creature sometimes sought on "Finding Bigfoot": YETI.  Also the name of a very expensive brand of ice chests and related items.  [Name # 5.]

3. Online crafts marketplace: ETSY.

4. Sis or bro: SIB.  As in Sibling.

5. Language that paints mental pictures: IMAGERY.

6. Kid-lit's Clifford, notably: RED DOG.

7. Donkey sound: BRAY.

8. Decoration on a wrapped present: BOW.

9. NFL play callers: QBs.  As in Quarter Backs.

10. Sky blue: AZURE.

11. Encryption for private messages: SECRET CODE.

12. "My Way" songwriter Paul: ANKA.  Paul Albert Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-born singer.  He and Mick Jagger (b. July 26, 1943), and John Lennon (b. Oct. 9, 1940) are contemporaries, but have completely different musical styles.  [Name # 6.]

13. Small bouquet: POSY.

19. Musical partner of Rodgers before Hammerstein: HART.  Richard Rodgers (né Richard Charles Rodgers; June 28, 1902 ~ Dec. 30, 1979) and Lorenz Hart (né Lorenz Milton Hart; May 2, 1895 ~ Nov. 22, 1943) collaborated on stage musicals from 1920 until Hart's death .  [Names # 7 and #8.]

Hart is on the right.

22. No place in particular: ANYWHERE.

24. Tosh of reggae: PETER.  His given name is Winston Hubert McIntosh (Oct. 19, 1944 ~ Sept. 11, 1987).  He was murdered at age 42.  [Name # 9.]

25. NBC singing competition hosted by Carson Daly: THE VOICE.  [Name # 10.]

26. Fine-tune, as skills: HONE.

27. Chicago's __ Planetarium: ADLER.  If you haven't been to the Adler Planetarium, it is well worth the visit.  It was named after Max Adler (May 12, 1866 ~ Nov. 4, 1952).  He had been a vice president at Sears Roebuck.  After he retired, he became a key figure in funding the planetarium, which has the distinction of being the first planetarium the western hemisphere.  [Name adjacent.]

28. Walk away: LEAVE.

29. On the same wavelength: LIKE MINDED.

30. Con artist's aide: SHILL.

32. Hopelessly lost: AT SEA.

33. Humongous: GIANT.

36. Come to light: ARISE.

38. Nursery bed: CRIB.

42. "Teamwork makes the dream work!": WE DID IT!

44. Smart __: wiseacre: ALEC.

45. Reno's state: NEVADA.  Reno, Nevada is also the home of the National Judicial College.

47. Endures: LASTS.

49. Postal delivery: MAIL.

50. __ and for all: ONCE.

51. Danish toy maker: LEGO.  The Lego company has been around for 90 years.  Did you know that Lego comes from the Danish words Leg Godt, which translates to Play Well in English.  I played with Legos as a child, when they only came in white and red bricks.  It's all fun and games until you step on one at night in the dark.

52. Clear, as data: WIPE.

53. Little songbird: WREN.

54. Govt. agents: FEDS.

56. Sense of self: EGO.

57. Shoot down: NIX.

59. Freeway meas.: MPH.  As in Miles Per Hour.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday February 8, 2021 Jared Goudsmit

Theme: B AND B  (38. Inn offering a morning meal, briefly ... or a hint to six puzzle answers) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of B* B*:

17A. Foamy tubful for unwinding: BUBBLE BATH.

27A. Lumber on a diamond: BASEBALL BAT.

47A. Bryan Cranston crime drama: BREAKING BAD.

62A. Fish-and-chips coating: BEER BATTER.

3D. Infant's source of nourishment: BABY BOTTLE.

30D. Icon with a left-facing arrow: BACK BUTTON.

Boomer here. Congrats to Jared Goudsmit on his LA Times debut.

My older sister, Barbara Burnikel, is pretty good at solving crosswords.  She lives in San Francisco and subscribes to the New York Times.  

Last Friday I needed a "Boomer Blood" draw at the VA. and today I will receive a phone consultation from my oncologist to let me know how I am doing. During the Blood Draw, I asked if they had any Covid vaccine doses lying around, and the young lady told me that they just had a clinic for vaccines the previous week and 650 veterans received shots.  I was shocked by the news that all of the recipients were 85 years or age or older.  I remember years ago when I was too young to buy cigarettes or liquor, but I never knew the day would come where I was too young to get a shot.

Across:

1. Swedish pop group with the hit "Chiquitita": ABBA.

5. Top dog: ALPHA.  This sounds like a fraternity thing.

10. Trojan War hero: AJAX. A cleanser that you might clean your driveway with.

14. Stroller, in Sheffield: PRAM.

15. Give up, informally: BAG IT.  Our Las Vegas trip was cancelled this year, so I won't have to BAG IT at the craps table.

16. Serenity "before the storm": CALM.  "Serenity now" - Frank Costanza on Seinfeld.

19. Excessive publicity: HYPE.

20. Needlelike engraving tools: STYLETS.

21. Mae __, first Black woman in space: JEMISON.  About 10 years younger than I.  She floated aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

23. Airer of Tyler Perry's "The Oval": BET.  Black Entertainment Television.

24. Harmonic: TONAL.

25. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.  I have cable TV but I pass on paying extra for HBO.

33. Deli sandwich, initially: BLT.  One of my favorites, but a little tough to open wide to eat.

34. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.

35. Use the exit: LEAVE. "Leaving on a Jet plane, Don't know when I'll be back again." John Denver.

36. On the __: quarreling: OUTS.  Three of them are the end on an inning.

41. Whole heap: SCAD.

42. Turns to soup, as ice cream: MELTS.  I have found some excellent "Vanilla Bean" ice cream at Aldi.  1/2 fat and I lace it with sugar-free chocolate pudding powder and some sugar free wafers. 

44. Mystical vibe: AURA.

46. Jest: KID.  No KIDDING - it's a great dessert.

50. Investigative journalist Nellie: BLY.  HOF Twins pitcher Bert BLYleven.

51. "Check it out for yourself!": GO SEE.

52. Bird in Liberty Mutual ads: EMU.  Yup, and if you ask me, they are pretty stupid ads.

54. Ali of "Love Story": MACGRAW

57. Artist's board: PALETTE.

61. Loafing around: IDLE.  If you live in my state, it's called letting your car warm up in the winter. 

64. Old Russian ruler: CZAR.

65. Hosp. trauma pro: ER DOC.  I have a bowling buddy named Don.  He is a retired ER gas passer so of course we call him "Doc".

66. Caramel-filled candy: ROLO.

67. Shift and Tab: KEYS.  On the keyboard.  It has taken me time to get used to the fact that our Santa Fe does not have KEYS.  Press a button to open the doors.  Put your foot on the brake and push a button and it starts.

68. Praises highly: LAUDS.

69. Small bills: ONES.  Honoring our first president but these days it doesn't buy much.

Down:

1. Police dept. alerts: APBS.   More than one All Points Bulletin.

2. Very dry, as Champagne: BRUT.  I seem to remember a cologne by this name.

4. Easygoing pace: AMBLE.  Putt out on the hole then AMBLE to the next tee.

5. Help a robber, say: ABET. Double it  $10.00 on the Pass Line.

6. Experiment sites: LABS.

7. Links org.: PGA.  I was following them in Phoenix last week.  A few spectators but I did not see any masks.  Okay, I did not wear a mask when I played last summer, but I kept a distance. 

8. Assassin's assignment: HIT JOB.  Also Albert Pujols' assignment.

9. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA.

10. Trojan War hero: ACHILLES.  He must have been the guy with the bad heel.

11. Blue birds: JAYS.  Toronto's MLB baseball team eh.

12. Purina rival: ALPO.

13. Marvel-ous heroes?: X-MEN.

18. Do not disturb: LET BE.  "Speaking words of wisdom, LET it BE, LET it BE.  Beatles.

22. Retail complex: MALL.  Minnesota has a "Mall of America" on the South side of Minneapolis.  Since we live on the north side, we don't visit it much.  Have not been there at all since the virus hit. 

24. Like many first-time workers: TEENAGE.  My first time job was a caddy at the country club.  I was fourteen.  Great job and free golf every Monday morning.

25. Cold War threat: H BOMB.

26. Clearer, as a sky: BLUER.  It's a bit odd.  A clear blue sky in the summer and it's very pleasant.  Same clear blue sky in the winter and you freeze your tail off. 

28. Priest's robe: ALB.

29. One-named "Chandelier" singer: SIA.

31. Be of use to: AVAIL.  We had a bit of snow last week and had to AVAIL ourselves of a couple of shovels.  Nothing like the Northeast got last week however. 

32. Bear in a kid's bed: TEDDY.  Mr. Roosevelt on Mount Rushmore.

37. Walks drunkenly: STAGGERS.  My meds prohibit alcohol in my system but sometimes I stagger anyway. 

39. Name, as a knight: DUB.  Hit a golf ball less than five yards.

40. Bikini top: BRA.

43. Toffee candy bar: SKOR.

45. Journalist __ Rogers St. Johns: ADELA.

48. Author Allende: ISABEL.

49. Period "ushered in": NEW ERA.  This is our NEW ERA of Covid vaccine.  Minnesota has given shots to 8% of its citizens.  I have received four emails "We'll let you know" from the VA. Still waiting my turn.  

53. Paris subway: METRO.  I thought it was one of those big, long sandwiches.

54. Rocking Jagger: MICK.  HOFer Mantle.

55. Axlike tool: ADZE.

56. Potter's material: CLAY.

57. Jab: PROD.

58. Elementary lesson: ABCS.

59. Marketing prefix: TELE.  Yes and I wish they would leave me alone.

60. Greek matchmaker: EROS.

63. Tulane URL ending: EDU. And many others.

Boomer