Tuesday June 20, 2023 Kathy Lowden

Theme: Rhyming Trio - Each theme entry consists of three words ending with *ALE.

20. Rhyming term for a dead letter?: SNAIL MAIL FAIL.

27. Rhyming description of "Moby-Dick"?: PALE WHALE TALE.

45. Rhyming discount for week-old leafy greens?: STALE KALE SALE.

54. Rhyming hazard for cyclists on shared-use track?: RAIL TRAIL NAIL.

C.C. here. Hahtoolah has been in Texas to take care of a loved one. She'll be back next Tuesday.

Across:

1. Words before a start date: AS OF.

5. "The Sopranos" chef Bucco: ARTIE. Quite a few names for a 15X15 grids: 14. Eric of "Munich": BANA. 16. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO. 23. Rat Pack member __ Davis Jr.: SAMMY. 31. Director Kazan: ELIA. 33. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen: HANS. 61. Baby-voiced red Muppet: ELMO. 63. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA. 8D. "Vera Drake" Oscar nominee Staunton: IMELDA. 21D. Country singer Lovett: LYLE. 52D. Reality TV judge Cowell: SIMON.

10. Pen tips: NIBS.

15. Florida city with a Little Havana neighborhood: MIAMI.

17. Glamping shelter, maybe: YURT. Mongolian-style.

18. Bass staff symbol: F CLEF.

19. Pull: HAUL.

24. Canine checker: DENTIST.

32. Salami choice: GENOA.

 

37. Metric weights: KILOS.

40. Spreadsheet lines: ROWS.

41. Kept __: held off: AT BAY.

43. Fluttered down to a perch, say: ALIT.

50. Took up the challenge: HAD AT IT.

51. "__ luck!": LOTSA.

58. Mosque prayer leader: IMAM.

60. Traffic jam: TIE UP.

62. Sidewalk eatery: CAFE.

64. Detroit NFL player: LION.

65. Founded, as a co.: EST'D.

66. White-water transports: RAFTS.

67. Yin and __: YANG. Cucumbers & watermelons are Yin. Gingers & dates are Yang.

Down:

1. Deep gulf: ABYSS.

2. Steamy setting at a spa: SAUNA.

3. Freeway entrance: ON RAMP.

4. Shrine site in Portugal: FATIMA. Our Lady of Fátima,

5. Radio band toggle: AM FM.

6. Costa __: Nicaragua neighbor: RICA.

7. Anklebones: TALI.

9. Paris tower engineer: EIFFEL. Here's Picard at the Eiffel Tower, 2015.

 

10. Pitcher's dream game: NO-HITTER.

11. Lingua di Roma: ITALIANO. My sister-in-law Connie speaks Italian. She spent 3 years there. She just told me about this sun-dried tomatoes. So good.

12. HVAC meas.: BTU.

13. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL.

22. Rare blood type, informally: A NEG.

25. "__ and steady wins the race": SLOW.

26. Assam, Darjeeling, etc.: TEAS. Celebrated the church lady Margaret's 80th birthday last Saturday at the newly opened House of Kirin. Very authentic Cantonese food. Alas, something did not agree with me. Or maybe I talked too long with the waiter whose mom is from Guangzhou. I had sore throat immediately and started coughing on Sunday. Yesterday was bad at the oil change place. Gonna get some Robitussin after I'm done with this post. Important meeting later this morning.

Margaret & C.C., 6/17/2023

28. Large deer: ELK.

29. Nintendo game console: WII.

30. Islamic equivalent of kosher: HALAL. Also 36. Greeted with a respectful bow: SALAAMED.

33. Corned beef concoction: HASH.

34. "__ girl!": ATTA.

35. Selection process for Bucks and Bulls: NBA DRAFT.

38. World Cup cry: OLE.

39. Girl of the fam: SIS.

42. Cooler brand named for a mythical creature: YETI.

44. Like most basketball players: TALL.

46. Off-__: askew: KILTER.

47. Leader of the Huns: ATTILA. Attila the Hun.

48. Needing company: LONELY. I'm so comfortably alone. 

49. List-shortening Latin term: ET ALIA.

53. __ for the ride: ALONG.

55. Coral habitat: REEF.

56. Mom's sister: AUNT.

57. High-ABV beers, typically: IPAS.

58. Freezer cubes: ICE.

59. Some graduate degrees, for short: MAS.

Thank you so much to those who bought my little book and left an Amazon review. I'm so grateful that you took the time and wrote a feedback. This means a ton to me.

C.C.

Monday April 11, 2022 Kathy Lowden

Theme: PPS (71. Second addendum to a letter ... and a hint to 18-, 34-, 44- and 62-across) - Each theme entry is in the P* P* pattern.

18. Petite Mattel doll with her own Netflix TV series: POLLY POCKET.

34. Guy featured in "Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation": PETER PIPER.

44. Porky's girlfriend: PETUNIA PIG.

62. Animated feline in Inspector Clouseau films: PINK PANTHER.

Boomer here. Another LA Times debut. Congratulations, Kathy Lowden!

PPS: Most of us have probably followed the news about Mark Vande Hei.  He is the astronaut who became famous for floating around in space longer than any other person.  The only reason I mention this is that he graduated from Benilde St. Margaret's high school in the mid 1980s. A baby boomer you may know is also a Benilde alumni from 1965, and a BSM Bowling coach.

 

Across:

1. Bar passer: Abbr.: ATT. Attorney - with my medicine. I am not allowed any spirits.  So I pass the bar every day.

4. Donkeys: ASSES.  "I'm a gold lock, I'm a gold key.  I'm a don lock ..."

9. Silly: INANE.

14. Heckler's word: BOO.  Major League baseball is now open.

15. Kind of milk one shouldn't cry over: SPILT.  Leslie Gore.  "It's my party and I'll Cry if I want to."

16. Luxury watch: ROLEX.  Most of us exchange the ROL wit TIM.

17. CPR expert: EMT.  This is also known as thinwall conduit.  Electrical Metallic Tubing.

20. Put on a peg, as a golf ball: TEED.  Hoping I can knock it off soon.  We still are getting a bit of snow here.

22. Carp in a pond: KOI.

23. WWII subs: U BOATS.

24. Rich as Croesus, e.g.: SIMILE.

26. Lire replacers: EUROS.  I bought some of these once on eBay.  It was a mistake.

28. Person, place or thing, in grammar: NOUN.

30. Irish or English dogs: SETTERS.

38. MSN competitor: AOL.  The battle that never was.

39. Ooze with: EXUDE.

40. Silent assent: NOD.  I get it.

41. Main blood vessel: AORTA.  Very important to us all.

43. World Wide __: WEB.  A home for spiders.

46. Wand symbolizing royal authority: SCEPTER.  Hail to the king!!

49. Snow pea holders: PODS.

50. __ & Young: accounting firm: ERNST.  A little high class for most of us.

52. Places for belts: WAISTS.  Or at a bar?

56. Séance contact: SPIRIT.  Jet Blue tried to buy Spirit Airlines recently but I heard that the deal fell through.  They were trying to eliminate a low cost competitor.

59. Firepit residue: ASH.  Ash Wednesday is in the past.  Easter is coming soon.

61. Avoid completely: SHUN.

65. "... butterfly ... bee" boxer: ALI.  Louisville KY was Mr. Ali's home.  Much memorabilia there.

66. Broadway backer: ANGEL.  Los Angeles baseball team.

67. Road one-eighty: U TURN.  Better not do it on a highway.

68. Dangerous tide: RIP.  Mr. Van Winkle.

69. Aptly named novelist: READE. Charles.

70. Digital units: BYTES.  Do not get bitten by a BYTE.

Down:

1. Aids in illegal activity: ABETS.  Sports betting is starting up everywhere.  I heard that the odds on Tiger winning the Masters was 700 to 1.

2. Actress Marisa: TOMEI.  George Costanza made friends with her on "Seinfeld".

3. Tribal symbol: TOTEM.

4. Cleopatra's snake: ASP.  When I think of Elizabeth Taylor, what kind of life is that.  Chad Mitchell Trio.

5. Did not remain silent: SPOKE UP.

6. Cylindrical barn neighbor: SILO.  The hogs do not need a fridge.  They have a SILO.

7. Kimmy Schmidt player __ Kemper: ELLIE.

8. Hog's home: STY.  Yeah, but they have a SILO !

9. Will Smith film suggested by an Asimov classic: I ROBOT.

10. Free, after "at": NO COST.  Beware of stuff with "NO COST"

11. __-Seltzer: ALKA.  Spee Dee.

12. Nair rival, once: NEET.

13. Phone no. go-withs: EXTS.  I think extensions are a thing of the past.

19. More pristine: PURER.

21. Had an evening meal: DINED.  Have you seen the new stacked burgers from Dairy Queen.  They would not fit in my mouth.  And I have a BIG Mouth.

25. Stuff of legends: LORE.

27. Depleted: USED UP.  I think my chemo will be USED UP in about seven weeks.

29. NorCal NFL team: NINERS.  Forty of them.

31. Wyatt of Dodge City: EARP.  I remember the show starring Hugh O'Brien.

32. Naan relative: ROTI.

33. Refinery by-product: SLAG.  Ugly stuff.

34. Church benches: PEWS.  Of course our church has them.  No kneeling kneelers though. 

35. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.

36. Boob __: TV: TUBE.  I watch a lot of TV.  What does this make me ??

37. "... like the __ calling the kettle black": POT.  Smoking the "M" word.

41. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA.

42. Watering place: OASIS.  This used to be a cigarette brand.

44. Prefix for "five": PENTA.  The PENTAgon has five sides.

45. Remote area known for its middle?: NOWHERE. Middle of nowhere. I've been there now and then.

47. Livened (up): PERKED.  Made coffee.

48. Almost a homer: TRIPLE.  We have a guy named Buxton who may hit a few of these this year.

51. Badly worn: TATTY.

53. Musical symbol: SHARP.

54. Dutch flower: TULIP.  Tiptoe through them with Tiny Tim.

55. Little scissors cuts: SNIPS.  Save your scissors.  I really do not have enough hair left.

56. Box for practice: SPAR.

57. Tree with needles: PINE.  At least you do not have to rake the needles in the fall.

58. "Young Frankenstein" Fräulein: INGA.

60. Close, as a door: SHUT.  or UP, as a mouth.

63. Well-worn pencil: NUB.

64. OR attendants: RNS.  Many great ones at our VA facilities.

Boomer