Friday, August 9, 2019, Alicia Bachman and Kurt Krauss

Title: Up the down staircase.

Hi, Lemonade here. This is my fifth exposition of a Kurt Krauss' puzzle and his 26th overall. It appears to be the debut for Alicia. I found this to be a very easy Friday, but perhaps because I saw the gimmick as soon as I had solved the first stack of six. I do have the advantage of looking for this type of theme after many years of blogging. I have done many puzzles which require reading words backward, in this case from the bottom to top. Kurt ties this all together by having the phrases each involve one of the suits in a deck of cards. This is revealed by 25A. Gets ready for the big game ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: SUITS UP (7).

Generally, I get the puzzle partially solved and see a theme. I then look for the sparkly fill, which in this case revealed ARRIBA, BOLERO, TRALEE, ISHMAEL,  RETWEET,  ROYAL WE, and  TRACTOR. Then all that is left is the write-up, so let's go.

5D. Preliminary drudgery: KROW EDAPS (9). SPADE WORK is defined as routine or difficult preparatory work.

10D. Layered lunch order: HCIWDNAS BULC (12). The CLUB SANDWICH was invented in 1894 at an exclusive gambling house in Saratoga Springs, New York, that was called the Saratoga Club House.

21D. Regal headpiece: ARAIT DNOMAID (12). A DIAMOND TIARA like Liz's 

37D. EKG reading: TAEB TRAEH (9).  The electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the HEARTBEAT.

Across:

1. i follower: POD. Since they market both an iPad and an iPod...

4. Cookout aid: SKEWER. We have our mini-theme of meat. Satay or shish kebab?

10. Butcher's assortment: HAMS. Also, bloggers.

14. Blond one in a bar: ALE. Why is there an "E" sometimes in that word? The ANSWER. Starbucks uses the term for its lightly roasted coffee.

15. Cry from a toon sombrero wearer: ARRIBA.

16. Scratcher: CLAW. The downside of kitty pets.

17. Dog star's first name?: RIN. TIN TIN.

18. Hang around: LOITER. This used to be a crime.

19. Hebrides isle: IONA. The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland.

20. King's self-allusion: ROYAL WE. The origin of this pronoun has been traced variously to 1169, when the English king Henry II used it to mean “God and I,” and to King Richard I, whose use of the pronoun bolstered his claim to be acting in concert with the deity and to be the ruler by divine right. I love the use of "allusion."

22. Share with followers, in a way: RETWEET. Do the Royals ever retweet?

24. Westchester County city known for its Playland: RYE. Clearly an invitation for some WRY HUMOR.

25. Pricey strings: STRADivariuses.

26. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. Her Q Score has gone way up recently.

29. Roman god: DEUS. The Latin word.

31. Put (out): SNUFF. A troublesome word for me as it is associated with the films in my head.

35. Others, to Ovid: ALII. More Latin.

36. "Exodus" hero: ARI. The movie version was Paul Newman.

37. Ad to lure you in: TEASER.

38. Windshield option: TINT. You can only tint a small area of the windshield.

39. Two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitová: PETRA.  There is more to her STORY than tennis.

41. Ward of "Sisters": SELA.

42. Sidesteps: EVADES.

44. Formally seek justice: SUE. More likely to seek money.

45. Take off: BOLT. Usain?

46. November 1 honoree: SAINT. All Saints' Day to many.

47. 24-Across, briefly: BURB.

48. Señor's "some": UNAS. Hmm...algunos, algunas, algún, unos, unas, algo de all mean "some."

49. Leading: ONTOP.

51. __ Aviv: TEL.

53. Melville narrator: ISHMAEL. The opening line in MOBY DICK.

56. County fair sight: TRACTOR.

60. Classic role for Carrie: LEIA. The late Carrie Fisher in STAR WARS.

61. Antique photos: SEPIAS.

63. Supermarket chain: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance. They operate franchises in 30 countries.

64. Four Tops frontman Stubbs: LEVI. A cornerstone of Motown and a rare baritone frontman.

65. Seat of County Kerry: TRALEE. This was not in my wheelhouse. As they say, it took 6 perps. Kerry's County town, Tralee is at the base of the majestic Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland.

66. Swelter: FRY. I did not see this for too long.

67. Didn't dillydally: SPED.

68. Vinny famously called them "utes" in a "My Cousin Vinny" courtroom scene: YOUTHS.

69. Amount to pay: FEE.

Down:

1. Henry VIII's last wife: PARR. She is back again.

2. Assortment: OLIO. A regular CSO for C.C.

3. Reject: DENY.

4. Magnetic Field?: SALLY. "You like me!" A Friday deception.

6. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.

7. Joker: WIT.

8. "Roger __ Book of Film": 1996 publication: EBERT'S.

9. Harder to find: RARER.

11. Cream additive: ALOE. Aloe is often in the creams but I use it in its purest form.

12. Locks in a barn: MANE. Cute horse pun.

13. Whack: SWAT.

23. Zap: TASE. I've done "Don't tase me bro" enough.

26. Utility company listing: RATES.

27. '60s-'70s Twins star Tony: OLIVA. A bonus for C.C. - baseball and Minnesota Twins great.

28. Scene of frequent Middle East unrest: SINAI.

30. Before, before: ERE. Very cute clue/fill.

32. Apply to: USE ON.

33. "The Most Happy __": 1956 musical: FELLA. I know the songs, but not the play.

34. Toga party places: FRATS. FRATernitieS.

40. Robot play: RUR.

43. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.

47. Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO.

50. Cantankerous: TESTY. Just relax. Let us provide a way that...

52. Facilitates: EASES.  Your...

53. Misfortunes: ILLS.

54. Flow slowly: SEEP.

55. Queen's home: HIVE. Bees, not royals.

56. Tower of Pisa feature: TILT. We just had the lean explained here, didn't we?

57. Bit of bickering: TIFF. Noun. 1727, "outburst of temper," later "petty quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."

58. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

59. Madcap Martha: RAYE. We share the same birthday though she had 32 years on me.

                                              LINK

62. Six-time NBA All-Star __ Gasol: PAU.

There you have it. A Friday Funday. For those of you who hate this type of puzzle, see you in two weeks. It stretches the mind to see things in new ways. Or not. Thank you, Alicia and Kurt. Lemonade out.

Monday February 18, 2018 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Vowel Movement -  A, E, I, O, U between B and N.

17. Extreme-weather restriction, perhaps: TRAVEL BAN.

25. Title bear of '60s TV: GENTLE BEN.

37. Brit's trash can: DUST BIN.

51. Classic French song whose title means "It's so good": C'EST SI BON.

61. Frank holder: HOT DOG BUN.

Boomer here.  

Hello all.  Just got back from an annual trip to Las Vegas. Graybar Electric hosts a retiree reunion at the Orleans. At the banquet on Monday, President Kathy Mazzarella reports on the previous year's successes. I give a little stand up comedy, and first I thank President Kathy for hosting the fine banquet, and then thank her for letting us know that the people they hired to replace us are doing a helluva lot better than we ever did. I did pretty well in the casinos this year. I like to play for low stakes and I found a draw poker machine where you can play 100 hands at the same time for 1 cent per hand. Also played a little low minimum craps on the machines.

Below is a photo C.C. took of me at the flower display at the Wynn on the Strip. The lunar New Year of the Pig is celebrated everywhere in Las Vegas.  C.C. and I were both born in pig years.  (Not the same year of course,)

I may have turned a corner Thursday, After a couple of ordinary games of bowling, I decided to resurrect an old Storm "Virtual Gravity" bowling ball out of the bag and nailed a 235 game with 7 strikes. (two doubles and one turkey !).  Guess what ball I will be using this morning. 

You can see more pictures here. Connie is my sister, who lives in San Francisco.

Boomer and the Pig, Wynn

Across:

1. Class-conscious gp.: PTA.  Harper Valley's is most famous.

4. Big name in underwear: SPANX. Never heard about this brand.  Are you sure it is not just BIG underwear?

9. Near-sighted Mr.: MAGOO. Voiced by Jim Backus who became more famous as Thurston Howell on Gilligan's Island

14. __-de-sac: CUL.

15. Conical home: TEPEE. Minnesota was historically the home for many Native Americans.  I often wonder how they survived Minnesota winters like the one we are having this year.  Minus 25 a couple of weeks ago, followed by around two feet of snow.  Brings to mind that famous song, "I'm dreaming of a white Groundhog Day."

16. Do penance: ATONE.

19. Dwindled: WANED.

20. Krispy __ doughnuts: KREME. These guys came to Minnesota about 10 years ago and cars were lined up at the window, but eventually they failed. I don't see any stores around any more. Maybe because the spelling was poor.

21. Chat room chuckle: LOL.  I see this all the time but I never hear "out loud".

23. Japanese computer giant: NEC.

24. 18-wheeler: SEMI. Another interesting connotation. I always see the whole truck,  doesn't SEMI mean "Half"?

28. A flirt may bat one: EYELASH.  Be careful if you are in the on deck circle.

31. Mount McKinley, now: DENALI.

32. '60s "acid": LSD.  LBJ took the IRT in the USA, What did he see?  The youth of America on LSD.  (An old acronym song in my youth).

33. Like baggy pants: LOOSE.

36. Bewilder: ADDLE.

39. Paris' river: SEINE.  When will I again, See you there, on the moonlit banks of the Seine.

43. Boxing's "Iron Mike": TYSON.  I lost interest in boxing when he bit Holyfield's ear.

44. Yahoo! rival: MSN. Add "BC" and get the news.

47. Obtain through intimidation, as money: EXTORT.  It is Tax season.

49. Attached, as hotel rooms: EN SUITE.

54. Unexpected thing to hit: SNAG. Or sometimes a centerfielder will snag a hit away.

55. Cornfield sound: CAW.  Cannot scare a crow without a brain.

56. Suffix with iso- or poly-: MER.

57. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT.

59. Sci-fi author Verne: JULES.  Very deep works. "Twenty thousand leagues under the sea", and "Journey to the center of the earth."

64. Leaning: ATILT. We have all seen or ridden on a Tilt a Whirl.  I used to call on the company that made them, Sellner Manufacturing in Faribault, Minnesota.

65. Battery post: ANODE.

66. Absorbed, as a loss: ATE.

67. Fishing line holders: REELS.  They make really hi tech reels now.  Guaranteed to catch fish.

68. What a rooster rules: ROOST.  When I was young, in my house my Mother ruled the roost.

69. Like seven U.S. flag stripes: RED.

Down:

1. Cut for an agt.: PCT.  Not a cut for Matt Kuchar's caddy, but he is trying to atone.

2. Thanksgiving birds: TURKEYS.  This clue is so easy even I can figure it out.

3. Fearful: ALARMED.  Okay, but if you ALARMED your home, you should not be fearful.

4. Flower part: STEM.

5. Brazilian soccer legend: PELE.  Only one name and everyone has heard of him.

6. Msg. for a cop car: APB.  All Points Bulletin

7. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" novelist Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

8. Arc lamp gas: XENON.

9. Animal's gullet: MAW.  Also Mrs. Kettle.

10. Finished: AT AN END.  If it's at the end of a rope, you are finished.

11. (Having) spoiled: GONE BAD.

12. Like amoebas: ONE CELL.  I think the largest single cell is an Ostrich egg

13. Wordsmith's ref.: OED. Oxford English Dictionary.

18. Wedding wear: VEIL.  "Here comes the Bride"

22. Inc., in Toronto: LTD.  Also a big old Ford

24. French salt: SEL.

25. White-sheet wearer, on Halloween: GHOST.  Dangerous costume, do not trip and watch out for cars.

26. Singer Rimes and soaps actress Hunley: LEANNS.

27. Never, in Neuss: NIE. Do we like foreign words in puzzles? Personally, I don't think it's fair.  Like getting Canadian money in change.  Sorry Ms. Eh

29. Birch family trees: ALDERS. Are Older Alders Elders ?

30. Not worth a __: SOU.

34. Hog's home: STY.  I think pigs live in stys. Hogs live in stylish stys.

35. "Barnaby Jones" star Buddy: EBSEN. Famous as Barnaby, but also as Jed Clampett in the "Beverly Hillbillies". But his bad luck was he was cast as the Tin Man in "Wizard of Oz" but had to withdraw because the metallic face makeup made him sick.

38. + or - particle: ION.

39. "Just a __!": SEC.

40. Carry out, as a task: EXECUTE.

41. "Don't believe that!": IT'S A LIE. You are correct.  Sometimes I cannot believe where my golf ball ends up.

42. Ailing: NOT WELL.

44. Hotel room amenity: MINI BAR.  We did not have one of these at the Orleans.  But I'll bet those who have them pay more for an ounce than I lose at the tables.

45. It's a law: STATUTE.  I wonder if there is a statute of limitations on the number of statutes we can have.

46. Opposite of pos.: NEG.  Yup, we have a pretty negative Post Office in our city.

48. Comic Conway: TIM.  Ensign Parker in McHale's Navy, but also appeared on "Laugh In" quite a bit.

50. Maritime safety gp.: USCG.  Hope they are all paid and back to work.

52. Joy of "The View": BEHAR.

53. Maine college town: ORONO.  We also have an Orono city in Minnesota.  Lots of well-to-do folks have homes there.

57. Sports betting numbers: ODDS.  Here are your craps odds when the point is: 4 or 10 Two for one, 5 or 9 - three for two, and 6 or 8 - six for five.  Once the point number is established, you can place double your pass line bet behind the line (some casinos offer more). It is not marked on the table because casinos rarely show a bet that has no house advantage.   

58. Browning or Burns: POET.  You're a poet and you don't know it, but your feet show it.  They're Longfellows.

59. Pickle container: JAR.

60. Ave. crossers: STS. Okay, but where do lanes go?  In bowling centers  

62. As well: TOO.

63. Beatty of "Deliverance": NED.  I loved "Dueling Banjos"

Boomer

Monday January 21, 2019 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Company Slogans

17. "Am I coming in loud and clear?" (Verizon): CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

 

28. "Waiter, isn't my steak ready yet?" (Wendy's): WHERE'S THE BEEF.

47. "Don't settle when it comes to personal potential" (U.S. Army): BE ALL YOU CAN BE.

63. "No fakes here" (Coca-Cola): IT'S THE REAL THING.

Boomer here.

Last year, the Superb Owl came to Minnesota and if you read the news, it cost the city and state around 55 million dollars (however I believe hotels, restaurants, cabbies, Uber, and MSP Airport did just fine.) This year, Minneapolis' U.S. Bank stadium is hosting the NCAA Basketball Final Four, and rumor has it that we are spending 110 Million bucks on security, traffic control and various protections. I cannot afford a ticket but it's nice to know that my tax money is paying for something worthwhile.   

Congratulations to our L.A. Times own Rams for their victory in overtime and a trip to Superb Owl number LIII.  (If you are not Roman that's 53.)  Good Luck!!!

Across:

1. Broadway auntie: MAME. "You charm the husk right off of the corn."

5. Sean Connery, for one: SCOT.  The original 007.  I think I saw every 007 movie when I was a kid.

9. Strong winds: GALES.  Reminds me of Dorothy Gale who was blown to Oz by a strong wind.  Then there was Gale Storm - "My Little Margie".  Interesting weather related name, but I doubt it was real. 

14. Words while calling a bet: I' M IN.

15. Any volume of Hume's "The History of England," e.g.: TOME.

16. Banded marble: AGATE.  We had steelies, peeries, and agates. Kid fun was great before computers and smart phones.

20. Boutros-Ghali's successor: ANNAN.  Served in the U.N. Kofi just passed away last fall. 

21. Happen as a result: ENSUE.

22. USCG officer: ENS.  Whenever I see this answer, I think of Ensign Parker in McHale's Navy. 

23. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAO.

24. Round Table title: SIR. But how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume? It isn't easy, but I'll try.  It was a Lulu of a hit song.

26. Bluesy James: ETTA.

34. The Vols' sch.: U TENN.

35. Astronomical red giant: S STAR.  I have never heard of this, so I Googled it,  Now I still don't know what it is.

36. "The Wizard __": comic strip: OF ID.  Not the Wizard that Dorothy Gale visited.

39. Gawk: STARE.  I suppose this is an "E" Star.  Sort of like an "S" Star but part of one of those stupid constellations that everyone talks about.

42. Like Cheerios: OATY.  I like GM cereals, but I have to admit, I buy the off brand copies. I bowl with a guy who retired from General Mills.  I think I will ask him if they make the Wheat, Rice, and Corn Chex, and package them in a different box for Aldi and other grocery stores. They sure look and taste the same. 

43. Sonata movement: RONDO.

45. Flu symptom: FEVER.  Peggy Lee - "Fever in the morning, Fever all through the night".

51. Cylindrical cheese: EDAM.  I love cheese, but I never buy round chunks.

52. Genetic "messenger" initials: RNA.

53. "Morning Edition" airer: NPR. One of C.C.'s favorite news channels

56. Letter before omega: PSI.  Omega is the final letter. Graybar retirees (like me) belong to "Older More Energetic Graybar  Associates" Aka OMEGA.

59. Largest Greek island: CRETE.

61. Drink served with marshmallows: COCOA. I have to drink my cocoa straight up.  Marshmallows have too much sugar.

66. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA.

67. London art gallery: TATE.

68. A single time: ONCE. Upon  time there were three bears, Mama, Papa, and baby,  Oh, never mind, you have all  heard that story.

69. Precipitous: STEEP.  I think we make tea this way.

70. Flock's "Absolutely!": AMEN. So be it!

71. Garden scrapers: HOES. Garden waterer - HOSE

Down:

1. Layered minerals: MICAS.

2. Appliance brand: AMANA.  Famous manufacturer in Amana, Iowa.

3. Bait fish: MINNOW. I bowl with a Minnow.  His real name is Marlowe, but everyone calls him "Minnow".

4. One-named New Age singer: ENYA.

5. Consecutive alphabet trio that spells a name: STU.  A big husky guy may be called Beef Stu.

6. Easy to understand: COHERENT.

7. Black cat, to some: OMEN. A strange movie about a weird young boy.

8. It includes cups, a pot and a sugar bowl: TEA SET.  Don't forget the Barbie Doll.

9. Reproductive cells: GAMETES.

10. 242, for the USA: AGE.  71 for me. (A baby boomer),  Happy I am old enough to remember and enjoyed all the hoopla surrounding 1976.

11. Narrow street: LANE.  "On Penny Lane there is a barber sharing photographs"

12. Berkshire school: ETON.

13. Puts in stitches: SEWS.

18. Initial stage, as of the flu: ONSET.

19. Baseball's Babe: RUTH.  The "Bambino" among other nicknames.  It is scary to think how good he might have been if he stayed in shape and laid off the brew. 

25. More than annoys: IRES.

27. Soak up: ABSORB.

29. Gathering around the quarterback: HUDDLE.  In the old days, the guy with the single digit number called the plays.  Now I think they have speakers in their helmets and call what the coaches tell them to do.

30. Big mess: SNAFU.  In high school we had a goofy guy named Anthony who we nicknamed Snafu.  I suppose every high school had a snafu.

31. In-flight approx.: ETA. Maybe a little early if with the wind.

32. "Dig in!": EAT.  Please pass the chicken.

33. Cook in oil: FRY.  I mean, please pass the FRIED chicken.

36. Heavenly body: ORB.

37. Them, vis-à-vis us: FOE. 

38. Once-lifetime link: IN A. Once in a lifetime.

40. Make over: RECREATE.  The fried chicken plate is empty.  Please recreate more. 

41. "Dear __ Hansen": 2017 Best Musical: EVAN.

44. British buddy: OLD CHAP.

46. Legislate: ENACT.

48. Easily maneuvered, at sea: YARE.  Umpire talk - "YARE OUT"

49. Mafioso code of honor: OMERTA.

50. Affluent Los Angeles district: ENCINO.  I don't know much about the logistics of Los Angeles.  I hope the teachers can get back on the job and schools become more to their liking.   

54. Explorer __ de León: PONCE.

55. Fits of anger: RAGES.  Argue with an ump and he may call "YARE OUT" (of the game.) 

56. Indy service areas: PITS. I wonder if they allow "SPIT" in the PITS.

57. MD's "Now!": STAT.  This comes from Latin "Statum"  which means right now.  For some reason medical professionals needed to know Latin. I think they used to write prescriptions Quaque die.

58. "Cast Away" setting: ISLE.  With Gilligan, the Skipper too, the millionaire and his wife.  The movie star, the professor and Mary Ann here on Gilligan's Isle.

60. Angels or Saints: TEAM.  We know about Albert Pujols' Angels.  St. Paul, MN has a low level minor league team called the Saints.  Apologies to Drew Brees.

62. "Oops!": OH OH.

64. Game with no winner: TIE.  I have a few neck ties that are winners.

65. Actor Cariou: LEN.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy 71st birthday to our young Madame DeFarge (Janice)! So glad you bumped into Abjeo.

2) Happy 11th birthday to our blog!  Thanks for being here for me all these years. I can't imagine what my life would be without you guys.

Monday December 3, 2018 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Vowel Movement - A, E, I, O, U between B and GG.

17. Passenger train's suitcase carrier: BAGGAGE CAR.

 

25. Turned down an invitation: BEGGED OFF.

36. Guy acting more maturely: BIGGER MAN.

50. Cross between a Boston terrier or boxer and a beagle: BOGGLE DOG.

60. Carriage outings: BUGGY RIDES.

Boomer here.  

A sad weekend as we say goodbye to our 41st president George H.W. Bush. Although my politics has been directed by John Kennedy and later by Hubert Humphrey, I can honestly say I respected President Bush. At a young age he entered military service and flew 58 combat missions in WWII.  I respected and approved of Operation Desert Storm and I felt the U.S. used the right amount of military muscle to eliminate the aggression caused by the invasion of Kuwait. Thank you for your service, Mr. Bush, and may you rest in peace with your wife, Barbara.

Across:

1. "Agreed!": DEAL. Or No Deal, What happened to Howie Mandel's hair ?

5. Rose from a chair: STOOD.

10. Free ticket: PASS.

14. Sicilian resort city: ENNA.

15. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.  If a Houston trade is made, does the player become an Astro Not.

16. Salon coloring: TINT. Whatever happened to tinted windows on air conditioned cars?

19. "Otello" solo: ARIA.  Of Course! A four letter word with three vowels

20. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

21. "Platoon" setting, briefly: NAM.  I was not called to serve there. A nasty war! My VA oncologist asked if I served there. Luckily I was in Germany. I am told that Agent Orange can affect cancer drugs.

23. Texter's soul mate: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

24. Former Yankee manager Joe: TORRE.  Great story!  He managed the Yankees for Mr. (You're Fired) Steinbrenner for 12 years!! In  his major league career as a catcher and infielder he produced over 2300 hits, and is now in Cooperstown.  Gives me hope for Joe Mauer.

28. Victorian, for one: ERA.

29. Puerto Rico, to the U.S.: TERR.  Still suffering from Hurricane Maria.  My former employer, Graybar Electric, has advanced efforts to the recovery there.

31. Harlem Renaissance author Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

32. Hissing sound: SSS.

33. Jets or Sharks, in "West Side Story": GANG.  Tonight, Tonight, Won't be just any night ...

35. Filled completely: SATED.

39. Some corporate jets: LEARS.

42. Japan is in it: ASIA.

43. Actress Ryan: MEG. Or one of the Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  What was her last name?

46. Prenatal test, for short: AMNIO.

47. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.  This is short for Terrapin now in the Big Ten Conference, (Also known as the Bigger 14 by me).  Actually a terrapin is a turtle, an odd nickname for a ferocious team.  Sort of fits in with Gophers, Badgers, and Cornhuskers.

49. Affirmative vote: AYE.  Double that if you're on a ship !

53. In one's stomach: EATEN.

55. French summer: ETE.

56. Pub pint filler: ALE.  Is this just a funny name for beer?

57. America's has 100 seats: SENATE.  53-45-2  Let's hope they can get together on some of the midterm election promises.

58. Euros replaced them in Italy: LIRE.  I once bought a bunch of Euros on eBay.  Not sure why though.

63. Tied, as a game: EVEN.

64. Continental divide?: OCEAN.  I suppose it divides continents, but I always thought a continental divide was like a mountain range that split livable areas.

65. Jazzman Allison: MOSE.

66. Cincinnati team: REDS. Originally named the Redlegs, but they shortened to Reds when they had a Rose.

67. Golfer's "pitching" iron: WEDGE.  I never can get mine to work like those guys on TV.

68. Art Deco icon: ERTE.

Down:

1. Arguments with teams: DEBATES.  In high school and colleges.  But over the previous midterms they were one on one.

2. Captivates: ENAMORS.

3. Some woolen sweaters: ANGORAS.  Not to be confused with Agnes Moorehead who played Endora on "Bewitched",

4. Bar beer: LAGER.  I thought it was Ale .

5. Story spanning generations: SAGA.

6. Mao __-tung: TSE.  That's from the 60s.  I am sure C.C. will tell you that Chairman Mao is known as  Mao Zedong in China.

7. Like stocks not sold on an exch.: OTC.  Over the counter.  Like drugs you don't need to "Ask your doctor if XXXX is right for you."

8. Sumatran ape: ORANG.  This could be short for an Orangutan. It made me think of Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver) on Dobie Gillis when he would say "You Rang".

9. Hip-hop headgear: DORAG.

10. "Everychild.onevoice" org.: PTA.  The Harper Valley PTA met one afternoon, and Mrs. Johnson wore a mini skirt and spilled the beans and socked to the sneaky members.

11. Everglades transport: AIRBOAT.

12. Nasal cold symptom: SNIFFLE.  Now that the temp in Minnesota is reaching the 20s, we are hearing a lot of sniffles here.

13. Supplied with personnel: STAFFED.

18. Assist with a heist: ABET.  We are heading to Las Vegas for the Graybar reunion soon.  When I place a bet, I am assisting the Orleans with a heist most of the time.

22. Brainy bunch: MENSA.  I would think people should be smart enough NOT to brag about their IQ.

25. Sonia of "Moon Over Parador": BRAGA.

26. Che Guevara's first name: ERNESTO.

27. Campus bigwig: DEAN.  Mindful of Dean Wormer in "Animal House"

30. It's often broken at breakfast: EGG.  "Which came first, The chicken or the egg?"

34. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer: GRIEG.

36. Naval hoosegow: BRIG.  Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200.

37. Sicily, to Sicilians: ISOLA.

38. Scratch or dent: MAR.

39. Shipping department gizmo: LABELER.  I think normally the Labeler is a person, not a Gizmo.

40. Like tearjerkers: EMOTIVE.

41. Made irate: ANGERED.  If you tried "BUGGED" and it Angered you, too bad.

43. Fighter with a cape: MATADOR.  Superman too long, Batman too short.

44. Exam that involves reading letters: EYE TEST.  I remove my glasses and cannot read the fourth line from the top.  The eye doctor says I need glasses, but I already have them.

45. Rochester brewery or its river: GENESEE.

48. Jury member: PEER.  How did they ever find a peer for Paul Manafort ??

51. Curved macaroni shape: ELBOW.  I prefer Rotini.

52. A trey beats it: DEUCE.  Unless it's wild.

54. Cartoon genre: ANIME.

57. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  Don't forget your old acquaintances.

59. "Star Trek" rank: Abbr.: ENS.  Remember Tin Conway (Ensign Parker) in McHale's Navy?  Kind of destroyed opinions of the rank.

61. H.S. equivalency exam: GED.

62. Prank: GAG.

Boomer

Tuesday, December 5 2017, Kurt Krauss

Theme: Old MacDonald 


20A. *Company that maintains network messages : E-MAIL HOST
30A. *Apple music player : I-POD NANO
36A. *Springsteen's ensemble : E-STREET BAND
46A. *"My stars!" : I DECLARE
52A. *Willa Cather novel set in Nebraska : O PIONEERS

1A. Place that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : FARM
69A. Bird that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : DUCK
13D. Animal that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : PIG
57D. Animal that can precede the starts of 20-, 30-, 36-, 46- and 52-Across : COW
Get it? E-I-E-I-O?


Melissa here. I DECLARE, this was new and different - not to mention a tricky theme. Above a Tuesday level I thought, all the way around.

Across: 

5. Spanish red wine : RIOJA

 
10. Office fill-in : TEMP

14. Yours, in Tours : ATOI. French.

15. Sign up, in Sussex : ENROL. According to the Grammarist, enrol is the preferred spelling outside of North America.

16. Jai __ : ALAI

17. The Volunteer St. : TENN. Ah. State, not Street. The nickname originated during the War of 1812, in which the volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, serving under Gen. Andrew Jackson, displayed marked valor in the Battle of New Orleans. Tennesee was named after Cherokee Indian villages called Tanasi.

18. Putting the squeeze on : PRESSURING 

22. Bygone Toyotas : SUPRAS. On a personal note - another bygone Toyota is their FJ Cruiser - my brother's car that was declared a total loss a few months ago. So sad. That thing was a tank and probably saved my life.

25. Lets up : EASES

29. '60s United Nations secretary general : UTHANT. Who??

33. Beauty at a ball : BELLE

 
34. Ivan the Terrible, e.g. : TSAR

35. Crime family leader : DON

40. "Mazel __!" : TOV

42. Take a chance : DARE

43. Soft leather : SUEDE

 
49. Counterbalance : OFFSET

50. Instruments for Yo-Yo Ma : CELLI

51. Traveled like Huck Finn : RAFTED

57. Arms-around-knees swimming pool jump : CANNONBALL

60. Gillette brand : ATRA

64. Curved molding : OGEE

65. Written reminders : NOTES

66. Worker finishing an éclair : ICER

67. Invasive plant : WEED

68. Terse summons from the boss : SEE ME

Down:

1. __ Tuesday: Mardi Gras : FAT. What is Fat Tuesday?

2. Chowed down : ATE

3. Potter pal Weasley : RON

4. Necessary nutrients : MINERALS

5. Meal : REPAST

6. Cross inscription : INRI

7. Baseball analyst Hershiser : OREL

8. Kid around : JOSH

9. "Not to mention ... " : ALSO

10. Kilt pattern : TARTAN

11. Inventor Whitney : ELI

12. Superhero suffix : MAN

19. Employed : USED

21. Painter Édouard : MANET

22. Long sandwich : SUB

23. Versatile vehicle, for short : UTE

24. Soil acidity measure : PH LEVEL

26. Most mournful : SADDEST

27. Eclectic musician Brian : ENO

28. Prince, to a king : SON

30. Grenoble's river : ISERE. In southeastern France.

31. Liver spread : PATE

32. Heavenly body : ORB

34. Drop of sadness : TEAR

37. Old cereal box no. : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance. Interesting history.

38. To the same extent : AS FAR

39. Informal "No more talk" : 'NUFF SAID

40. Twitch : TIC

41. Poetic tribute : ODE

44. Low grade : DEE

45. Itinerary approx. : ETD

47. Copied genetically : CLONED

48. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly : LIPO

49. Words ending a threat : OR ELSE

53. Quaint lodgings : INNS

54. Bassoon kin : OBOE

55. Basketball Hall of Famer Archibald : NATE. Maybe a gimme to basketball fans?

56. Grade sch. level : ELEM

58. Single-malt datum : AGE

59. Family tree word : NEE

61. Longhorn State sch. : TCU. Texas Christian University - in Ft. Worth.

62. DVR button : REC

63. Genesis craft : ARK

E-I-E-I-O.

 

Sunday September 17, 2017 Kurt Krauss

 Theme:  "Brrr!" - "Cold" can precede the first word in each theme entry.

23A. *Filled pastry : CREAM PUFF. Cold cream.

29A. *Protective sports gear : SHOULDER PADS. Cold shoulder.

41A. *Prop in an iconic "Psycho" scene : SHOWER CURTAIN. Cold shower.

66A. *Ragtime dance : TURKEY TROT. Cold turkey.

68A. *Flower named for a legendary beast : SNAPDRAGON. Cold snap.

89A. *Contents of an abandoned one may be sold at auction : STORAGE LOCKER. Cold storage. 

104A. *What will fix misteaks? : SPELL CHECKER. Cold spell.
 
15D. *2017 Broadway musical based on the rivalry between Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein : WARPAINT. Cold war.  Two of the Down 8's intersect two other Across entries. Those stacks of 8s in the upper and lower left are tough to pull off.

81D. *Lawyer's backlog : CASELOAD. Cold case.

Reveal:

111. It ushers in lower temperatures ... and what the answers to starred clues can have : COLD FRONT

Rich normally keeps this type of words-that-can-precede/follow for weekdays, unless the reveal entry really catches his interest.

This theme works the best when the key word change meanings. In this set, SHOWER, STORAGE and CASE remain the same.

Across:

1. Grand-scale poetry : EPOS. Also 38. Pope output : POEM. Alexander Pope.

5. Corrosive stuff : ACID. Also 6. Corrosive substances : CAUSTICS
 
9. Mariner org. : NASA. Unaware of the Mariner program.

13. Like an eddy : ASWIRL

19. An 80-footer is a long one : PUTT.  I made a long one when I played my very first round. So excited.

20. Square to look through : PANE

21. Got on in years : AGED

22. Old propeller site : BEANIE. Never heard of propeller beanie.

25. Commend : CITE

26. "And God Created Woman" (1956) star : BARDOT

27. Done, for Donne : O'ER

28. Afterthought preceder : ALSO. BunnyM, I also love your posts. Always thoughtful and caring.

31. Had a sample : TRIED IT

33. Wickiup, e.g. : HUT. Wickiup is new to me. Primitive hut.

34. Name of 12 popes : PIUS. Also 57. Four Holy Roman emperors : OTTOs. Ours is a quiet saint.
  
35. Most common draw in Scrabble : AN E. Odd to have an article in front.

36. Hanukkah toy : DREIDEL
 
39. Intolerant type : BIGOT

45. Janvier, across the Pyrenees : ENERO

46. Old TV knob : HOR

47. Gather in bundles : SHEAVE

48. Quick-getaway auditorium seat site : LAST ROW

50. Bygone : OLDEN

53. Actor Cage, in tabloids : NIC

54. CBS golf analyst Baker-Finch : IAN. He's from Australia.

55. Recited confidently : REELED OFF

60. Earthquake prefix : SEISMO. Hi there Jayce! Why can't you have venison burgers?

62. Wise guy : SAGE

70. __ facto : IPSO

71. Military camps : ETAPES

73. Farthest from the action, as arena seats : NOSEBLEED

74. Hogwash : ROT

75. Photog's item : NEG

77. Henri's health : SANTE. "A votre sante!"

78. Dentist's find : ABSCESS. Got via crosses.

83. Fusion, for one : ECO-CAR

87. Rap music article : THA

88. Westernmost African capital : DAKAR. Senegal's capital. Have any of you tried West African-style peanut butter chicken?

93. Ukrainian port, to locals : ODESA

94. Bowser's brand : IAMS

96. Flash : INSTANT

97. Astound : AWE. Inanehiker (Nina) on our blog is a doctor, who quieted my unease with her read of my recent blood test.

98. Hammett hound : ASTA

99. Soaked : WET

100. DNA component : ADENINE

107. Cry to Silver : HI YO

108. Crime boss : DON

109. Commotion : UPROAR

110. Comparable : AKIN

113. Split : CLEAVE

114. Dispatch : SEND. Average person checks his/her email 15 times a day.

115. Bailiwick : AREA

116. Ray, for one : ALer. Gluey fill. Tampa Bay Rays.

117. Hopper and Gabler : HEDDAS. Gluey fill.

118. Nervous : EDGY

119. Not : NARY

120. Italian noble family : ESTE

Down:
 
1. Spaceship Earth site : EPCOT

2. More refined : PURER

3. Ferrell's "SNL" cheerleading partner : OTERI

4. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STA

5. User : APPLIER. Odd *ER word.

7. Dope : INFO

8. Hi-__ : DEF

9. Morgen's opposite : NACHT. Night.

10. Currency exchange fee : AGIO. Learned from doing crossword.

11. Attack : SET UPON

12. Ross Sea penguin : ADELIE. Happy feet.

13. French clerics : ABBES

14. Scorch : SEAR

16. At risk : IN DANGER

17. Former Spanish Sahara territory that is neither a river nor has any gold : RIO DE ORO. Helpful clue. Like our grape nuts.

18. Tennis calls : LETS

24. Sierra __ : MADRE. Not LEONE.


29. Ottoman bigwig : SULTAN

30. Doo-wop syllable : DUM. No idea.

32. Uncle of Prince Wm. : EDW. Both Wm and EDW look odd.

33. "Take it" : HERE

37. "Well, that's obvious" : DUH

38. Game equipment : PIECES. We saw a Kirby Puckett game-used jersey at a store for $10K. Crazy.

39. Wanna-__: poseurs : BEs

40. Pull : TOW

41. Hip sound? : SHORT I. The i in Hip.

42. Stay out of sight : HOLE UP

43. Waiters take them : ORDERS

44. "We Try Harder" company : AVIS. Which is your favorite rental car company? We're going back to Payless. Bad experience with Dollar.

48. Reading lights : LAMPS

49. Battery pole : ANODE

51. Nevada city on I-80 : ELKO

52. Born : NEE

54. Golfer Aoki : ISAO. He should come to 3M. Both Jack Nicklaus & Gary Player were here this year.

56. Salon specialists : DYERS

58. Campus house, maybe : FRAT

59. Clotheshorse : FOP

61. Quaint lodging : INN

62. Casa room : SALA

63. Tommy Lee Jones' "Men in Black" role : AGENT K

64. "Faust" author : GOETHE

65. Win the love of : ENDEAR

67. Beliefs : TENETS

69. NFL ball carriers : RBs. Running backs.

72. Spanish wine descriptor : SECO. Dry.

76. More unpleasant, as details : GORIER

78. Stink : ADO

79. Troublemaker : BAD APPLE. Great fill.

80. Like kebabs : SKEWERED. Xi'an style. Lots of red pepper.

82. Stat for Aroldis Chapman : ERA. Rich is a Yankee fan. Patti is a Met fan.

84. Tilt : CANT

85. Govt. prosecutors : AGs. Attorney Generals.

86. Mall tenant : RETAILER

89. Walloped : SMACKED

90. Singer Billie Holiday's nickname : LADY DAY. Unknown to me.

91. __ a kind : ONE OF

92. Moving supply: Abbr. : CTN (Carton)

94. Book end? : ISH. Bookish.

95. Military command : AT EASE

98. Plot makeup : ACRES

99. Playwright Wasserstein : WENDY. Also new to me.

101. Stars watched by many : IDOLS

102. Good-sized chamber group : NONET. Group of nine.

103. Between, in Brest : ENTRE. Alliteration.

104. Quite : SUCH

105. Spewed magma : LAVA

106. Double-decker game piece : KING. Googled afterwards. Never played Pinochle. (Checkers. Thanks, WikWak.)

107. Bar mitzvah dance : HORA

111. Fire : CAN

112. Actress Charlotte : RAE

C.C.

Thursday April 6th 2017 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Quaffer's Quintet - four slang terms for overindulging in the demon drink and a fifth in the reveal.

17A. *Judy Blume genre : KIDDIE LIT. She's prolific. At least 29 published novels.

25A. *Got from the cloud? : DOWNLOADED. Everything's going to "the cloud". Be wary about data security, it's out of your hands. The only person who can get files off my hard drive is me.

36A. *Like much Chinese cooking : STIR-FRIED. Food! Get a big steel wok from your local Chinese restaurant supply store. Don't get a non-stick one, you need to be able to push food up the sides and have it stay there.

51A. *Three-year school, commonly : JUNIOR HIGH. Is this still a thing? Haven't they been Middle Schools for quite some time?

61A. Some football linemen ... and what the answers to starred clues have? : TIGHT ENDS

Kurt gives us a Thursday theme which is a dipso's delight. I like the reveal - all the ends of the other themers are synonyms for the start of this one. Nicely done.

Across:

1. Highlands hat : TAM. O'Shanter, formally.

4. Serenade, as the moon : BAY AT. First thought was "howl at" but I ran out of space.

9. Pearl seeker : DIVER

14. Botanist Gray : ASA.  Influential professor of botany at Harvard.

15. Naproxen brand : ALEVE

16. "__ Mio" : O SOLE. Let's go with Luciano Pavarotti.

19. Bags with handles : TOTES

20. Calendario start : ENERO.

21. Sierra __ : LEONE

23. Former Radiohead label : EMI

24. __ Valley: Reagan Library site : SIMI. Here in Southern California. It's a beautiful spot.

27. Not having the know-how : UNABLE

29. Locomotive, e.g. : ENGINE

30. Compose, in a way : PEN

31. Single-celled creature : AMEBA. I cannot get used to seeing this spelling. I don't bat an eyelid at the other British/American variations now, but I still want to see AMOEBA or AMŒBA

35. Sinusitis docs : ENTS. Ear, nose and throat specialists.

39. Reebok rival : PUMA

42. Dapper : NATTY

43. Cal. pages : MOS.

46. Like : AKIN TO

49. Unite securely : CEMENT

55. Julie's "Doctor Zhivago" co-star : OMAR

56. Subj. with unknowns : ALG.

57. "Cool!" : NEATO!

58. Concert venue : ARENA

59. Softens : MELTS

63. 1999-2004 Olds : ALERO

64. Vast, in verse : ENORM. 

Sole Positive of Night!

Antipathist of Light!

Fate's only essence! Primal scorpion rod -

The one permitted opposite of God!-

Condenséd blackness and abysmal storm

Compacts to one sceptre

Arms the grasp enorm-

From Ne Plus Ultra, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

65. How-__: do-it-yourselfers' buys : TO-S

66. Printing flourish : SERIF. Times Roman has them. Arial doesn't. Before these japes were common, in 1977 the Guardian newspaper in the UK published a seven-page special supplement on the idyllic island of San Seriffe in the Indian Ocean. It was April 1st, and because no-one in the print media had done anything like this before, everyone fell for it.

67. Freelancer's supply: Abbr. : SASES. They call them SAEs in the UK, the "self" part of the address is assumed.

68. Fused : ONE

Down:

1. Occupies oneself with, as a hobby : TAKES UP

2. Just plain silly : ASININE. Nice word.

3. Mob inductee : MADE MAN

4. Scott of "Arrested Development" : BAIO

5. Tavern favorite : ALE

6. Mello __ : YELLO

7. "__ From the Bridge": Miller : A VIEW. Arthur Miller's two-act play. The first staging was a one-act verse drama which didn't have much success, so Miller went back to the drawing board.

8. Wyoming county : TETON

9. Act grandmotherly toward : DOTE ON

10. Metric lead-in : ISO-.  The "plank" is a good example of an isometric exercise.

11. Elected : VOTED IN

12. Gold or silver : ELEMENT

13. Lives : RESIDES

18. Trifle : DRIB. I think I can picture a drib, but I'm not sure what a drab looks like.

22. N.Y. Mets division : N.L.E. Baseball's National League East. Opening Day is looming.

25. __-glace: rich sauce : DEMI. Food! French reduction sauce usually used as a base for other sauces, such as a red wine glaze. If you don't want to use veal stock, use chicken stock and throw a pinch or two of gelatin in there to get that silky texture of veal.

26. Got on in years : AGED

28. Long. counterpart : LAT. Note the period in the clue. Longitude and Latitude.

32. Coastal eagle : ERN

33. Museum curator's deg. : B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts.

34. Oils, e.g. : ART

36. __-Flush: household cleaner : SANI. Hesitated over SANI or SANO at first.

37. Bite symptom : ITCH

38. Network logo : EYE. CBS Television.

39. Overnight bag item, maybe : PAJAMAS

40. Elvis played one in "Blue Hawaii" : UKULELE. I had the misspelt "UKELELE" at first which led me down a SENIOR HIGH rabbit hole for a couple of minutes.

41. One working the crowd : MINGLER

43. Souvenir : MEMENTO

44. With no end in sight : ON AND ON

45. Berlin boulevard : STRASSE. "Straße" on the street signs:

47. Myriad : TONS OF

48. Pay dirt : ORE

50. "Encore!" : MORE!

52. Can't take : HATES

53. Turner autobiography : I, TINA

54. "We Got the Beat" band : GOGOS. Nit alert - the band name was "The Gogos".

58. Casino fixtures : ATMS. They don't take deposits.

60. Part of TNT : TRI-. Trinitrotoluene, not Turner Network Television. The former makes more of a bang.

62. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire, as we all know by now.

The 2017 Masters Golf starts today. I'm looking forward to the tournament, as well as listening to Jim Nantz and his reverential whispering on CBS at the weekend.

Here's the grid!

Steve