google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Joe Deeney

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Showing posts with label Joe Deeney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Deeney. Show all posts

Feb 11, 2019

Monday February 11, 2019 Joe Deeney

Theme: DOWN PAYMENT (25D. Typical mortgage requirement, and what ends each answer to a starred clue)

3D. *Grade-boosting option: EXTRA CREDIT.

8D. *Singer's spouse who co-wrote "Ring of Fire": JUNE CARTER CASH.

14D. *Chess situation that forces a draw: PERPETUAL CHECK.

Boomer here.  

Good morning or afternoon as the case may be. Last week was fairly uneventful.  Lots and lots of snow.  I had a VA appointment last Wednesday. Only took about 25 minutes for the trip West at 7:30 AM, but leave the clinic and head back toward Minneapolis while many were on their way to work, was a solid hour.  Free snow for everyone! Just bring an ice chest or a trailer and a shovel and take as much as you want off my yard!


Across:

1. Org. whose product is measured in barrels: OPEC.  Gas prices are still affordable here, about $2.00 per gallon of 87 regular.  I have heard the federal government is considering a small gas tax to fix roads and bridges. 

5. Pillar of Islam involving travel: HAJJ.

9. School near Windsor Castle: ETON.

13. Hugs-and-kisses symbols: XO XO.  My sister signs cards this way sometimes.

14. Pacific island host of two "Survivor" seasons: PALAU.


15. Medical image: X-RAY.  This must then be a kiss by the sun.

16. Analogy words: IS TO.  IS NOT!

17. Modern John Hancock: E SIGNATURE. Mr. Hancock is very famous for signing the Declaration of Independence so that King George can read it without his spectacles.


19. Epithet never actually used by Jimmy Cagney: DIRTY RAT.  Rumor has it that he said "You Dirty Mouse."

21. Angsty music genre: EMO.

22. LAX posting: ETA. MSP posting is indeed "estimated" depending on when they get the snow cleared from the landing runway.

23. Elect (to): OPT.

24. Dressed down: SCOLDED.

28. Songwriter Porter: COLE. Yes, but my favorite Cole is Mr. Nat King.

30. Frightening: FEARSOME.  This could be the "Fearsome Foursome" defensive linemen of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s.  Honored on the "Ring of Honor" at U.S. Bank Stadium.  Includes Notre Dame Grad Alan Page who went on to become a judge.  What is interesting, Alan was born in 1945 in Canton, Ohio.  His Hall of Fame honor will be there forever.


31. Red wine choice: MERLOT.

33. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.  My fairy tales only had Big Bad Wolves.

34. Be victorious: WIN.

35. Was in debt to: OWED. "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go."

36. WWII naval threat: U-BOAT.  This was a Nazi submarine.  Abbreviation "Underwater boat."

38. Picnic invaders: ANTS.  Also pants invaders.

39. Grass roll: SOD. These things are heavy and hard to work with. Seed takes longer but it is light and easy to apply.

40. Shopping complex: MALL.  Of course, on the old site of Metropolitan Stadium, 60s and 70s home of the Vikings and Twins, now stands the Mall of America.  It's huge with many stores but it's a bit of a tourist trap.  C.C. and I have been there a number of times. It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to spend there.

41. Go by, as time: ELAPSE.

43. They're planted in snow while skiing: SKI POLES.  Oh, I thought they were people from Poland who like to ski.

45. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.  Highly respected!

46. Largest living bird: OSTRICH.  True, and also lays the largest eggs.


47. Emails a dupe to: CCS.  Not to be confused with C.C.'S

48. Couture initials: YSL.

51. Tapped-off cigar remnant: ASH.  I mentioned my friend George Ash last week.

52. Hours for cuppas: TEA TIMES.  I am a golfer.  I suppose the leaders get the later ones?  Just kidding.

54. Cord cutters' reception aids: TV ANTENNAS.  I think you need to be my age to remember these.  We have a dish on our roof right now,  Many people have their shows delivered by cable. 

58. Air filter acronym: HEPA. High Efficiency Particulate Air.

59. __ hop: gym dance: SOCK.  We had Sock hops in High School.  The idea was to take off your shoes so you would not scar the gym floor. (Most left their shoes on however.)


60. Infatuation: CRUSH.  Orange soda, yum.

61. "I'll take care of that": ON IT.

62. Log splitters: AXES.  Paul Bunyan was not an Axe.  But I have heard that he split a few logs in his day.

63. Spade of handbags: KATE.  I am not a handbag expert, but I have heard Kate Smith sing the National Anthem once or twice.


64. Education support gps.: PTAS.  Let me tell you of the story of a Harper Valley's widowed wife.

Down:

1. Nitrous __: OXIDE.  Sounds like the name of a laundry detergent.

2. Theorize: POSIT.  I remember a German toast "Prosit" I think.

4. Crotchety oldster: COOT.  That's me!!!

5. Attacks: HAS AT.

6. Got off a horse: ALIT.

7. XKE, for short: JAG.  "I was cruisin' in my sting ray late one night, when an XKE pulled up on the right.  Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve."  Jan and Dean.

9. Raves about: EXTOLS. Many EXTOL their work on crosswords!

10. Play about Capote: TRU.  Stock ticker symbol for TransUnion.

11. Rowing tool: OAR.  "Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is but a dream."

12. TV scientist whose show has won 19 Emmys: NYE. Bill.


18. Love, to Luigi: AMORE. "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie" Deano

20. "Carpe diem" initials: YOLO. You Only Live Once.

24. Game Gear creator: SEGA.  I never got past Nintendo.

26. Gives off: EMITS.

27. Closely packed: DENSE.

29. Out-of-date: OLD.  Here I am again!!

30. Deceives: FOOLS.  If you bluff in a poker game and get called, the fool could be you.

31. Meno __: not as fast, in music: MOSSO.

32. Furry C-3PO worshipers: EWOKS.  I never was one of those Star Wars fanatics.

37. "Eww!": BLEH.

38. Small batteries: AAS.  AAAs are smaller. An Ass is much larger.

40. Somewhat wet: MOIST.  Yup, we have moist snow on the ground.

42. Nowhere to be found: LOST.

44. Practical jokes: PRANKS.  April 1st is sooner than you think.

47. __ and desist: CEASE.

49. Vintage photo tone: SEPIA.

50. Exams for aspiring judges, briefly: LSATS.  I took an SAT test in High school.  I think it is an acronym for Standard Aptitude Test, but we did not have to stand when we took it.

52. Item listed above "u-bolt" in a hardware glossary?: T NUT.  Sometimes called a TEE NUT.  That's what I am, waiting for the snow to melt -- "FORE".

53. Blue-roofed eatery: IHOP.  International House of Pancakes.  Delicious, but they sell flavored pancakes for about a buck apiece, and a 25 cent cup of coffee for about $2.00.  Maybe the owner will be running for president soon.

54. Airport safety org.: TSA.  I am very happy that they are back to work and getting paid.

55. __ populi: popular opinion: VOX.

56. Blackjack half: ACE.  Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man.

57. Gun lobby org.: NRA.

Boomer



Nov 6, 2018

Tuesday, Nov 6, 2018 Joe Deeney

"Alliteration in Literature"

17. Frank McCourt memoir: ANGELA'S ASHES.

24. J.M. Barrie play: PETER PAN.

38. Shakespeare comedy: LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.

50. Gillian Flynn novel: GONE GIRL.

62. Portmanteau for a collection containing 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across?: ALLITERATURE. Clever.  Alliteration in Literature. 

Across:

1. "__ Buddies": '80s sitcom: BOSOM.  Alliteration in the title of this sitcom. I remember that Tom Hanks was a co-star and that I didn't watch it.  Saw a couple of episodes much later in syndication after he became famous.

6. Words on a check: PAY TO.

11. Asian noodle soup: PHO.

14. Lavender is similar to it: PURPLE. Color wise.

15. Hon: DEARY. Looks like dreary through my dreary eyes.

16. Toondom's Olive: OYL.  Olive Oyl is to Popeye as Nell Fenwick is to Dudley Do-Right.

19. "XING" one: PED

20. Postcard view of a city: SKYLINE.  My first apartment in Houston was a 2BR townhouse at 6419 Skyline Drive.  That's near Hillcroft and Richmond for you Houstonians.  The view from my bedroom window was the school across the street.

21. Hold the deed to: OWN

22. Sandy slope: DUNE.


23. Salacious: LEWD.

26. Sharp turns: ZIGS.

29. Many, many years: EON.

31. Deli subs: HEROS.  No e in the plural of the deli hero, but there is an e for a group of courageous and brave heroes.

32. Game with Wild Draw Four cards: UNO.  If I recall correctly, you had to declare "Uno" when you got down to one card left in your hand.

33. Of an arm bone: ULNAR.   Mark McClain threw trapezium at us in a clue in his "Alphabetic Order" puzzle Sunday.   Here are some other anatomical terms of the:

35. Response to bad service: NO TIP.    I can't recall ever having such bad service in a restaurant that I didn't leave a tip.  Smaller tip, yes.  Definitely have encountered waitstaff that probably should have chosen another profession. 

42. Wombs: UTERI.

43. Mar. parade honoree: ST. PAT.  Saint Patrick.   Pádraig in Irish.  Mark McClain had the clue, "Two-time British Open champ Harrington" for Pádraig in Sunday's puzzle that C.C. reviewed.   

44. Genetic messenger: RNA. Ribonucleic acid. 

45. Starr knighted in 2018: RINGO.   Not to be a nitpicker, but he was knighted as Sir Richard Starkey. 

48. Nine-digit ID: SSN. Social Security Number.  Canadian Eh taught (some of) us that our neighbors to the north get a Social Insurance Number,  but that it is not intended to be, nor is it supposed to be used,  as an all purpose identification number.

49. Antiprohibitionists: WETS. vs Drys.   Wets is much easier to spell. 

53. "In that case ... ": IF SO

55. Discovery cries: AHAs.

56. Blossom buzzer: BEE.

57. What discreet acts are done on, with "the": DOWN LOW.   Some discreet acts done on the down low are lowdown. 

61. Big Apple paper, for short: NYT.  New York Times. 

64. Sticky stuff: GOO.

65. Joe of "Casino": PESCI.

66. "__ to suggestions": I'M OPEN.

67. California's Big __: SUR

68. Second-string squad: B TEAM.

69. Fork points: TINES.

Down:

1. Camp bed: BUNK.

2. Wild party: ORGY.

3. Wizards' castings: SPELLS.

4. Skateboard leap: OLLIE.   I like How-To videos, but I don't think I'll be trying this anytime soon.


5. Have good intentions: MEAN WELL.

6. Smartphone predecessor, for short: PDA. Personal Digital Assistant

7. Greek storyteller: AESOP.

8. God, in Judaism: YAHWEH.   First time I've encountered this word. 

9. Jacque's "thirty": TRENTE.   Starbucks offers a size called Trenta.   Italian for thirty.  It's 31 oz.  Gulp !  I went to PronounceNames.com and listened to both trente and trenta.   So close in spelling...

10. Cries of worry: OYs.

11. Temporary retail space: POP UP STORE.  Apple opened a few pop up stores in 2015 to create excitement and get their new watches in front of consumers in London, Paris and Tokyo.

Flash forward to NYC in 2018.   Rumors abounded and expectations rose in New York City about a possible new product launch... possibly a new iPhone... but it wasn't to be.  This place was selling a new variety of actual apples.

 12. "Laughing" scavenger: HYENA

13. From days past: OLDEN.

14. Faux __: social goof: PAS.  Want to avoid a hefty fine and up to 2 years in jail ?  10 Cultural Faux Pas to Avoid While Visiting 10 Countries

18. Arizona resort: SEDONA.


22. Crave, with "over": DROOL.

25. Dadaism pioneer: ERNST.  Max. 

26. Z, in a pilot's alphabet: ZULU.  Alpha, Bravo, Charlie.... Xray, Yankee, Zulu.  

27. Playing an extra NBA period: IN OT. In overtime.

28. Ahnold's political nickname: GOVERNATOR. A blend of governor and Terminator for the 38th Governor of California and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

30. Captures: NABS.

33. Employing: USING.

34. Decays: ROTS.

36. "Money __ everything": ISN'T.

37. School orgs.: PTAs. Parent Teacher Associations

39. Great Lakes natives: ERIES.

40. Silver lining: UPSIDE.

41. Fled: RAN FOR IT.

46. Thanksgiving gravy ingredient: GIBLET.

47. Ultimatum words: OR ELSE.  In July 1977,  Arnold was in a relationship with Beverly Hills hairdresser Sue Moray when he met Maria Shriver.  "He went on to have a relationship with both Moray and Shriver until August 1978, when Moray (who knew of his relationship with Shriver) issued an ultimatum." - Wikipedia

49. Chinese dumpling: WONTON.

50. __ up on: unites against: GANGS.

51. "What a kidder!": OH YOU.

52. High-end German camera: LEICA.  I'd say high-end.   Just read that their M10 retails for greater than $6K. 

54. Hindu guru: SWAMI.

58. Rapper __ Fiasco: LUPE.  Stage name for Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, a 36 year old rapper, entrepreneur and record producer from Chicago - Wikipedia.  

59. Mining hauls: ORES.

60. Benign cyst: WEN.   I only knew of Wen tools from the Home Depot and Wen personal care products,  but here it is   "... a common cyst that forms from a hair follicle. They are most often found on the scalp."  Wikipedia - Trichilemmal cyst.

62. BOLO kin: APB. Be on (the) lookout - All Points Bulletin

63. Apple CEO Cook: TIM.   Tim Cook couldn't do anything about the apple pop up store opening in NYC earlier this year.  Not that he needed to.  Apple Inc was reaching the One Trillion Dollar valuation.  Wow !  Raise the roof Tim !


Here's the grid:





Sep 13, 2018

Thursday September 13th 2018 Joe Deeney

Theme: TOGA, or another type of "butter" churn!

16A. Rolls off the alley: GUTTER BALLS. Bowling's not my thing, I just don't have the coordination for it.

23A. Swing era dance: JITTERBUG. Ditto me and dancing, that coordination problem again. This picture is captioned "Scandalous Teen Crazes". The scandal!



32A. Smoking hazard: CIGARETTE BURN. I was half-expecting "BUTT" instead of BURN, but of course that wouldn't work with the theme. Mr. Purist says that you shouldn't have any of the same letters of your scramble adjacent to the ones you have scrambled - in this case the "RE" in "CIGARE-" breaks the rule. However, I'm feeling charitable today, so no grumble.

44A. Anticipatory counterargument: PREBUTTAL. A relatively new portmanteau - "pre-emptive rebuttal" usually in politics where you 'fess up to your shortcomings before the opposition point them out. I use the same tactics in a competitive sales situation - I know the FUD that the competition are going to dish, so I get my counters in first (FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt).

and the reveal:

52A. Dairy implement, and a hint to what's hidden in 16-, 23-, 32-, and 44-Across: BUTTER CHURN

A nice clean theme from Joe, and I counted the grid size twice to make sure we're back to a regulation 15x15 after the last four Thursdays produced an additional square across or down.

Let's see what we've got in the fill - two clunkers and a lot of pleasant stuff!

Across:

1. Minimally: A TAD

5. Oversight: LAPSE

10. "Man With a Plan" network: CBS. In the news this week for reasons they didn't wish for.

13. One and only: SOLE

14. Fads: MANIAS

15. No longer active: Abbr.: RET. As in a retired asset. Most retired people I know are more active than the rest of us who are nose-to-the-grindstone keeping-the-wheels-of-industry-turning. My retired sister probably puts up more air miles than me, and spends her time exploring Mayan ruins in Honduras, hitchhiking through Cuba, yomping up mountains in Montana and generally playing "Where's Waldo?".

18. "__ we there yet?": ARE

19. College Board exam, briefly: AP TEST. Strictly "advanced placement", but one of those "no longer an abbreviation" examples. So is "exam" in the clue. Coincidence?

20. French assent: OUI

21. It's calculated using ht. and wt.: B.M.I. Body Mass Index.

22. Make a face, say: REACT

26. Loan application section: DEBT

27. Badgers: NAGS

28. Staff helper: AIDE

29. "Be My __ Ono": Barenaked Ladies song: YOKO. A nice departure clue for a crossword staple. I didn't fill it in right away because it could have been a lot of different words if you don't know the song.

30. West Coast athletic footwear company: LA GEAR

36. Got close to empty: RAN LOW

37. Area to lay anchor: COVE

38. High style: UPDO

39. Cry related to "hey": AHOY! Often heard in a cove?

40. Opt out: PASS

47. Goldfinger's first name: AURIC

48. Three-time NBA Finals MVP Duncan: TIM. One of the most unassuming people ever to suit up for a professional sports team.

49. __ Butterworth: MRS. Her first name was revealed, to great fanfare in 2009. Joy! No, not the emotion, that's her name. Apparently. What is Aunt Jemima's last name? We should be told.


50. Post-workout lament: I'M SORE

51. Open event gold medalist in the 2016 Chess Olympiad: USA. Apparently there are two categories, "Open" and "Women's". Don't ask me why. Ask FIDE, the World Chess Federation. Also, don't ask me why one is a translation of the other either. Odd bods, those chess folk.

55. Do a 5K, e.g.: RUN. Followed by 50A, probably.

56. Meets up with the old gang: REUNES. Ach. Clang! I know we've seen this before, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant.

57. "Makes sense": I SEE

58. Conclusion: END

59. Increase: ADD TO

60. Typically round-neck shirts: TEES

Down:

1. Norse gods' home: ASGARD. I got stuck on "Valhalla" and couldn't let go for a time. Valhalla is in Asgard. I also got distracted by "Isengard" from The Lord of the Rings. I wonder about what goes on with my synapses sometimes.

2. Head cover: TOUPEE

3. Window-switching keyboard shortcut: ALT-TAB

4. Catch a scent of: DETECT

5. Yellow __: LAB

6. "Fifty Shades of Grey" heroine: ANA. Thank you, crosses, The whole "Grey" genre passed me by.

7. Trial episodes: PILOTS

8. French toast: SALUT!

9. Nail polish brand: ESSIE. I'll take Joe's word for it. Not on my regular shopping list.

10. More like Oscar the Grouch: CRABBIER

11. Hamilton local: BERMUDAN. I read "locale" and was trying to figure out how to cram BROADWAY into a place it patently did not belong.

12. "In the Heat of the Night" Oscar winner Rod: STEIGER. He won the Oscar for Best Actor. Co-star Rod Steiger won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA award for the same thing. I don't know any movie where that's ever happened before or since.

14. B.A. Baracus player: MR. T. The "A" Team.

17. Superlative suffix: EST
-
23. Copacetic: JAKE. I'd not seen this synomym before. From the "Roaring Twenties" according to that font of all knowledge, the Oracle at Delphi. I mean Wikipedia.

24. "Makes sense": I GOTCHA. See "I SEE" above.

25. Old World Style sauce: RAGU. This one:


27. Swed. neighbor: NORW. Not my favorite. SWE and NOR in my book. You don't see DENM or FINL.

29. Retired NBAer Ming: YAO. I think he stands six feet nineteen and can leap the Great Wall in a single bound, even in retirement.

30. Tax: LEVY

31. Japanese prime minister since 2012: ABE. Is he honest? We should be told.

32. Big name in juice pouches: CAPRI SUN

33. Hot: IN DEMAND

34. Amorphous mass: GLOB. Is a globule a little glob, or something else entirely? Discuss.

35. Home Depot purchase: TOOL

36. Burst: RUPTURE

39. Ready to sire: AT STUD

40. Test limits: PUSH IT

41. Excite: AROUSE

42. Yes or no follower: SIRREE!

43. Drama segments: SCENES

45. Sunspot center: UMBRA. Suntan? Burnt Umbra :)

46. Leveled, with "up": TRUED

47. Theater chain initials: AMC. Pioneers of the multiplex and megaplex theaters, both in the USA and around the world.

50. Form W-9 org.: IRS.

53. Explosive stuff: TNT. Boom!

54. Fair-hiring letters: EEO. I always want it to be "Equal Opportunity Employer" which puts me off my stroke somewhat.

I love the window seat on the plane, I can't understand why anyone would want to pull the shade down, it's a beautiful world out there. I'm heading south back to LA from Seattle, and this is the sunset outside. Not the best picture, but I thought it was one to share.



Thanks to all for the birthday wishes yesterday. I was treated to a quite amazing dinner at José Andrés' restaurant here in LA last night. We ate at the kitchen bar with just eight other people and were presented with a twenty (!) course tasting menu served by the chefs who prepared the dishes. Most times I think I could take a stab at reproducing something I've eaten in a restaurant, but this one? Not a chance.

Grid? Gridded!

Steve



Aug 28, 2018

Tuesday, August 28, 2018 Joe Deeney

Fish Stories - You should have seen the one that got away ! 

20. Place at the track?: FINISH SECOND.

28. Hard-to-fold bed linens: FITTED SHEETS.

44. Senior British military rank: FIELD MARSHAL.

55. Phrase including hand gestures symbolized by the puzzle circles:  IT WAS THIS BIG

OK, these fish weren't hidden very well, especially given the circles, but (and I hope you saw it),  if you count the letters between FI and SH,  you'll notice that the distance is increasing by 2 each time.   The span from the head to the tail of the fish is getting progressively bigger !  Like those "Top this !" fish stories.   Neat !

I believe this to be a debut for Joe Deeney at the LA TIMES Crossword.   I didn't struggle to complete the puzzle, but did have to check or fill in perps to get more answers than usual.

Across:

1. Uneducated guess: STAB.

5. Recreation in which players become characters, for short: RPGSRole Playing Games.  Know what they are, but have never been in or played one.

9. Get rid of: SCRAP.

14. Word before or after brand: NAME.  McDonald's is a name brand in the fast food industry.  The Big Mac is a McDonald's brand name.  Not a fan, but McDonald's will do in a pinch.  Haven't had a Big Mac since I was a preteen, so about 50 years.  Eins ist genug !   Test your Drive-Thru Diet.    Anyway, as you know, many brand names get adopted into our everyday language, such as kleenex, scotch tape, popsicles, q-tips and chapstick.

15. Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity chain: IHOP.
 16. Pup: POOCH.

17. Figure skating leap: AXEL.

18. Launched at great speed: CATAPULTED.

22. Calf's suckling spot: UDDER

23. Stuntman Knievel: EVEL.  Watched the documentary Being Evel  about him a few weeks ago.  That guy was nuts. 

24. Lioness of film: ELSA.

31. Airport rental: CAR.

34. Have title to: OWN.

35. Mexican pyramid builder: AZTEC.

36. Herb in Italian seasoning: OREGANO.

39. Lively, musically: UPTEMPO.  Unlike "old country," many "new country" hits have more of an upbeat, uptempo, almost pop sound. 

41. Ready to bloom: IN BUD.

42. No. on a grad's résumé: GPA

43. Va. winter hours: EST

49. Unload for cash: SELL

50. Yale students: ELIs.

51. "Better in Time" singer Lewis: LEONA.  No idea. 118M views of this YouTube:


58. Russian ballet company, familiarly: THE BOLSHOI.

61. Deadly shark: MAKO.  Typed in orca.  Typed over with MAKO.  No smudges or wite-out needed.

62. Bad-tempered: SURLY.

63. Mario __: Nintendo racing game series: KART.  Had to let perps solve it.

64. "It's my time to shine!": I'M ON.

65. Leg joints: KNEES.

66. Iowa State city: AMES

67. Screwball: ZANY.

Down:

1. Major mess: SNAFU. Situation Normal - All Fouled Up

2. No. on an IRS form: TAX ID.

3. Make changes to: AMEND.

4. "You are beyond __!": "Incredible!": BELIEF.

5. High in calories: RICH

6. Early stage of a clinical trial: PHASE TWO.

7. Avenged a wrong: GOT EVEN.   Getting even is not a good way to live a life, but it is a plot line of many westerns.

8. Completely forgot, in slang: SPACED.

9. Created, as a web: SPUN.

10. Portmanteau brand for flu symptoms: COLDEEZE.  Never used it.  May have seen a commercial.  Perps needed.

11. Nonsense: ROT.  URL Rot is one term for when you try to link to a page that no longer exists.

12. Blackjack half: ACE. Had to check perps.  Could have been ten.

13. Scholar's deg.: PHD.

19. Campaign pros: POLS. Politicians.

21. __ Lanka: SRI.

25. "I got this": LET ME

26. Dance moves: STEPS.

27. Fancy necktie: ASCOT.

29. Truck weight unit: TON.

30. Fedora, e.g.: HAT.

31. Elaborate dos: COIFS.

32. Golfer Palmer, to fans: ARNIE.   Fierce competitor.  Adored by his fans, who became known as "Arnie's Army."

33. Billy Idol's "__ Yell": REBEL.  I like the song. Probably the only one in this crowd that does.


37. Easily fooled: GULLIBLE.

38. Use an abacus: ADD.

39. FedEx Office alternative: UPS STORE.  The local UPS Store was opened as "Mail Boxes Etc" but then rebranded to The UPS Store.  Officially,  the article The is part of the trademarked name.   

40. Dismissive sound: PAH.  Or a tuba sound.  Hi Abejo !

42. "A Time to Kill" novelist John: GRISHAM.  Most of his book titles start with an A.

45. Kitten cry: MEWL.  I started with meow. 

46. "North to the Future" state: ALASKA

47. Actor Mahershala of Netflix's "Luke Cage": ALI.  Remembered his name from the last time.

48. B'way show with the song "Valjean's Confession": LES MIZ.  Never heard of the song, but the perps made it the only possible answer.

52. 44th president: OBAMA.

53. Canon competitor: NIKON.  Canon, hmm. Camera or copier/printer device ?  Epson (printer brand)  will be the answer on another day. 

54. Terrible pain: AGONY.   Also, the name of one of the three hills that basic training soldiers marched up and down at Ft Knox.  The other two were Misery and Heartbreak.  I believe we did a 20 mile and 15 mile night march.  Grueling in combat boots with all the gear. 

56. Hasbro specialty: TOYS

57. Oldies, in their day: HITS.  Song hits.

58. "Shame on you!": TSK

59. Attila the __: HUN.

60. Bard's "before": ERE.