Wednesday, May 27, 2020, Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: HAVE A FLING

17. Give up: CHUCK IT IN.

24. Block the sun: CAST SHADOWS.

40. Frighten: THROW A SCARE INTO.

52. Attack verbally, with "at": HURL INSULTS.

66. Lose control: PITCH A FIT.

Hi all, Melissa here. Theme is self-explanatory, easily gotten after any two of the five theme answers filled in. Love the grid-spanner in the middle.

Across:

1. Choice words?: AND OR.

6. Bugs on the road: VWS. Volkswagen eClassics Debuts an Electric VW Bus, But Not For US.

9. "Take me __": AS I AM.

14. Supported: BORNE.

15. Relative of Downy and Tide: ERA.

16. Like San Francisco summer weather, often: FOGGY. I remember one very hot day in San Jose, when my sister-in-law asked where was the coolest place in the bay area. Her husband's answer was Candlestick Park (former home of the SF Giants), and they went to a Giant's game that day to cool off.

19. Delicate bridal netting: TULLE.

20. "Very well": SO BE IT.

21. Irish __: SEA. Not pub.

23. Jordanian queen who is also a humanitarian activist: NOOR. The widow of King Hussein, she was his fourth spouse and Queen Consort between their marriage in 1978 and his death in 1999.

27. Restraining device: SHACKLE.

31. Brewpub unit: TAP. Not mug.

32. "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse" speaker: IAGO. Shakespeare's Othello.

33. WWII battle site, for short: IWO. Famous image from the Battle of Iwo Jima.

35. Pub perch: STOOL.

44. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI.

45. __TV: reality channel: TRU.

46. Bat mitzvah, e.g.: RITE. Bat mitzvah is a Jewish coming of age ritual for girls. Bar mitzvah is for boys.

47. Tallahassee sch.: FSU. Florida State University.

50. See 22-Down: I SEE NOW.

57. __ Day VitaCraves: ONE A. When I saw the name of this, I assumed it was vitamins for pets. Nope. Gummy-vitamins for varied consumers (women, men, teens, adults, and immunity support).

58. Filming site: LOT. When my daughter and I took the Gilmore Girls-themed Warner Brothers tour, I discovered that The Waltons filmed on the same lot, and recognized some of the exteriors from both.

59. Cornell University city: ITHACA. New York.

64. Not be straight with: LIE TO. Those two-word answers are tricky.

68. Delaware capital: DOVER.

69. Green prefix: ECO.

70. Disney princess from Avalor: ELENA.

71. McCarthy's dummy friend: SNERD. Mortimer Snerd was the secondary dummy of Edgar Bergen, after Charlie McCarthy.

72. Anti vote: NAY.

73. Worked on a galley, perhaps: ROWED. A galley is a type of ship propelled mainly by rowing.

Down:

1. Basics: ABCS.

2. NYC neighborhood: NOHO. North of Houston Street, as opposed to Soho, which is South of Houston Street.

3. Trounce: DRUB. I've heard trounce, but not DRUB.

4. Some time ago: ONCE.

5. Football do-over: RE-KICK.

6. Pet doc: VET.

7. Apple Watch spot: WRIST.

8. Most rational: SANEST.

9. Toward the tiller: AFT. Aft - at, near, or toward the stern (rearmost) of a ship. The tiller is the lever used to steer the ship.

10. Squeak or creak: SOUND.

11. Digs in the snow: IGLOO. Nice misdirection - digs as noun, not verb.

12. Lit: AGLOW.

13. "Wayne's World" co-star: MYERS. Party on!

18. Home of Roma: ITALIA.

22. "I get it!": AHA.

25. Works with thread: SEWS.

26. Abbey area: APSE.

27. Construction area: SITE.

28. See 38-Down: HAHN.

29. Business opening: AGRO.

30. Work in a galley, perhaps: COOK. One word short of a clecho. In this instance, the galley is the kitchen of a ship.

34. Scorpio mo.: OCT.

36. Fade: TIRE.

37. "Come __!": ON IN.

38. With 28-Down, German nuclear fission pioneer: OTTO.

39. MGM mogul Marcus: LOEW. Wikipedia.

41. In-flight amenity: WIFI. Anyone flying these days?

42. Seed pod: ARIL.

43. Like much beach cottage decor: RUSTIC.

48. "... from New York!" show, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live. Like other late-night shows, broadcast without a live audience these days.

49. Annual Queens sports event: US OPEN. Tennis.

51. Bible book named for a woman: ESTHER.

52. Wrestling moves: HOLDS. Growing up, my brother used to practice new wrestling holds on me. I was never a fan of wrestling after that.

53. Labor group: UNION.

54. Kent player in film: REEVE. Clark Kent, played by Christopher Reeve, in Superman.

55. "Gotta run!": LATER.

56. Seat of New York's Oneida County: UTICA.

60. Angelic ring: HALO.

61. Not very many: A FEW. "I'm not gonna have 'em all now, I"m just gonna have a few ..."

62. French movie: CINE.

63. Not very much: A TAD.

65. O'Hare, on tix: ORD.

67. First car, for many: TOY.

Monday December 9, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: MEAT OF THE MATTER (60. Issue's most important element ... and a hint to 17-, 30-, 36- and 47-Across) - The start of each theme entry is a type of meat.

 

17. Career-boosting political spending on local projects: PORK BARREL BILLS.

30. Amateur radio hobbyist: HAM OPERATOR.

36. Zeros: GOOSE EGGS.

47. Paltry sum: CHICKEN FEED.

Boomer here.

Greetings all and happy Monday. This puzzle is not a TURKEY but instead a nice piece of FILET MIGNON, medium rare. I had my quarterly visit with my oncologist Friday and had pretty good news. My blood numbers deserved an "attaboy" and he discontinued the Zometa chemo.  He said I have had enough, and I agreed with him, (and did not throw up yesterday,)  He also cut my steroid dose in half to help control my blood sugar.

And by the way, confidential to TTP and other bowlers, last Monday was 184-215-223 - 622.  My first 600 series since before my diagnosis.  As you read this, I am trying for another one this morning.  

Across:

1. "Georgia on My Mind" singer Charles: RAY.  Willie Nelson sings this too.  A little scratchier than Ray.

4. Party music mix, briefly: DJ SET.  DJ used to stand foe Disc Jockey back when disks were 45 RPM records.  I suppose CDs count too.

9. Keep from having kittens, say: SPAY.  I guess they don't have birth control pills for cats.

13. "Big Band" and "Jazz" periods: ERAS.  A low one could earn a pitcher a Cy Young award. I could probably hang a baseball remark on half of the answers,  but C.C. won't let me.

15. Easily fooled: NAIVE.

16. __-in-one: golfer's ace: HOLE.  I have come close a couple of times, but never knocked one in.

20. Speaker sound: AUDIO.

21. Smitten: IN LOVE.  I have a sister who really liked the song "Once in love with Amy".

22. Dancer Duncan: ISADORA.  Wow, there's a name out of the past.  Born in San Francisco and died at age 50 a couple of years before our stock market crashed.  

25. Thurman who played The Bride in "Kill Bill" films: UMA.  I have a bowling buddy, William Whitenour, who hates those films.

26. Chill in the air: NIP.  Looks like PIN spelled backwards.  You really have to hit them hard to get them in the air.

29. Pos. opposite: NEG.

33. "Cats" poet's monogram: TSE.

34. Chief Norse god: ODIN.

35. "Great" dog: DANE.

40. Polite address to a woman: MA'AM.  I think MISS is more polite.  MA'AM is a contraction for MADAM, and we all know what they do for a living.

43. Creme-filled cookie: OREO.  "The Wizard of OZ" is making the rounds on the cable channels.  I think the soldiers that are guiding the Wizard's castle chant OREO.

44. Rx: MED.  5mg LESS of daily Prednisone for me.

51. Madison in NYC, e.g.: AVE.  Named after U.S. 4th President.

52. Polite way to address a man: SIR.  In the Army, this is what we called officers. Everyone else was "Hey You".  Once in a while at the VA Medical Center, someone might call me SIR.  I tell them I was an enlisted man so they don't need to call me sir.

53. Positive vote: AYE.

54. Aspen getaway: SKI TRIP.  "Well they called him Super Skier, as he lined up on the sundeck.  He thought that he would never take a spill.  When they finally brought him down they had to use three toboggans to carry all the pieces of the hill".  (Chad Mitchell Trio)

56. To a greater extent: MORE SO.

59. "There you have it!": VOILA.  I have to reverse two letters to bring up Frank Viola of the 1987 Twins.  Winning pitcher of two games in the World Series vs. the Cardinals.

64. Leave out: OMIT.  I think a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles wears one of these.

65. Prefix with sonic: ULTRA. There is a cosmetics store near our home called ULTA. They charge ULTRA prices.

66. Sunrise direction: EAST.  Here in Minnesota, we have to stare EAST for a long time this time of year.  However the sun never fails to rise, it just sleeps late.

67. Sport played on horseback: POLO.  Makes me think of Marco in the GEICO commercial.

68. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE.

69. Sgts.' superiors: LTS.  Yup, you gotta call them SIR.

Down:

1. Change the wall color: REPAINT.  Buy really good paint and you won't have to do it so often.

2. Excites: AROUSES.

3. Football play measure: YARDAGE. Gophers are waiting for a bowl invitation. Probably just as well.  I think Ohio State would have pulverized them.

4. Forensic evidence: DNA. DNA is an acronym for some kind of acid that I cannot spell or pronounce.  But I noticed that you can buy DNA testing kits for outrageous prices.

5. Glass container: JAR. When is a door not a door?  When it's ajar.

6. iPhone assistant: SIRI.  I don't think SIRI knows anything about bowling.

7. Tie, as a score: EVEN UP.  Put an "S" in front of this and have something to drink.

8. "I have to know!": TELL ME.  Follow the yellow brick road,

9. Prison knife: SHIV.

10. Cornmeal dish: POLENTA.

11. "__ the President's Men": ALL.  Great movie about "Deep Throat" and Watergate.  Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman were terrific.

12. "I agree": YES.  Maybe the Wizard can give me a brain and a heart. I already have a lot of nerve.

14. Slide on the road: SKID.  Gotta be careful on Minnesota winter's roads.

18. Word of mock sadness: BOO HOO.  I guess I'll never get back to Kansas.

19. Wild hog: BOAR.

23. Swiss watch brand: RADO.  Never heard of this brand.  My wristwatch runs on a battery and I have to pay someone to replace it about every 20 months.  Whatever happened to "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

24. Friends in Lyon: AMIS.  This doesn't look like a word.  I think I'll just call them Munchkins.

27. + or - particle: ION.

28. Opposite of post-: PRE.

31. __ a kind: ONE OF.  Three of a kind may win the poker hand.

32. Commercials: ADS. The Medicare Open Enrollment ended Saturday.  PLEASE tell me the ads have ended also.

36. Yukon automaker: GMC.  I find the Model names of cars and SUVs are fascinating.  Who thinks of these?  Yukon, Equinox, Santa Fe, Tuscon, RAV4, Explorer, Bronco, Durango ??? 

37. "__ to you, matey!": ERES.  And "ERES to you, Mrs Robinson, Heaven holds a place for those who pray, Hey, Hey, Hey.  (Simon & Garfunkel)

38. Many a techie: GEEK.  Best Buy has a whole Squad of them.

39. Bare-naked Lady: GODIVA.  "Seventeen, a beauty queen, she made a ride, that caused a scene in the town."  (Peter and Gordon).

40. Variety show hosts, briefly: MCS.  I know that there are still Masters of Ceremonies, but are there still Variety shows??

41. Sushi tuna: AHI.  Not me- I may eat StarKist, but not too often.

42. Postal service: AIRMAIL.

44. Word before vows or status: MARITAL.

45. Most wicked: EVILEST.  I think the Snake River Canyon was the Evilest.

46. Leaves: DEPARTS.

48. Syrup brand since 1902: KARO.  Wow, we always had a bottle of this in the house when I was young.  I have not seen it for years.

49. Impressive sight: EYEFUL.

50. Quik maker: NESTLE. N-E-S-T-L-E-S  Nestle's makes the very best -- Chocolate.  I guess I watched too much TV when I was a kid.

55. Convenient bag: TOTE.  Dorothy had to TOTE TOTO on her way to OZ.

57. Director Preminger: OTTO.  Dorothy's little dog's anagram.

58. "__ be in England ... ": Browning: OH TO.

60. Floor cleaner: MOP.

61. Broody music genre: EMO.

62. Geographical direction suffix: ERN.  Search me.  I thought it was Ernie Banks' nickname.

63. Daisy __: Li'l Abner's wife: MAE.  I loved all of the antics in Dogpatch.  RIP Al Capp.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Hahtoolah (Susan), who has been with our blog for over 11 years and faithfully guided us on Tuesdays for the past year.

Susan  (Hahtoolah)

Monday March 18, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Solo Act - The first words are synonyms of "only":

 

18. Tonto's friend, with "The": LONE RANGER.

23. Early Neil Diamond hit: SOLITARY MAN.

36. Offspring sans siblings: ONLY CHILD.

53. Used car selling point: SINGLE OWNER.

60. Something unlike any other: ONE OF A KIND.

Boomer here.  

I see SINGLE in the puzzle.  Reminds me that the Major League season begins March 28.  Baseball has always been my favorite sport, however I am taken aback by the contract given to Bryce Harper by the Phillies. $330 Million ????  I hope he can do something about his hair.  What bothers me the most is that one of my idols, Harmon Killebrew I believe earned $120,000 after his MVP year in 1969.  

I had a tough week at the VA hospital last week. A couple of treatments to fight cancer.  Very necessary but it knocked me on my butt for a few days. I even had to get a sub for bowling on Thursday.

Across:

1. Slick-talking: GLIB.

5. Crime organizations: GANGS.  Not always crime.  Reminds me of the "Gang of 8".  Four GOP and four Dems in the senate who wrote the prelude to border security and economic horizons for the U.S. 

10. On the Atlantic, say: ASEA.  "I joined the Navy to see the world, but what did I see?  I saw the sea."

14. Bow-and-arrow-carrying Hindu god: RAMA.

15. Spry: AGILE.

16. Running shoe brand: NIKE.  One of the PGA Players tournament commentators said Tommy Fleetwood looks like a homeless person who just robbed a Nike store.

17. Smartphone downloads: APPS

20. Copper-and-zinc alloy: BRASS.  Of course this was a group designation for all the officers in the Army.

22. Countries: NATIONS.

26. Fireworks reaction: OOH.  And don't forget AAH.

28. "Honest" prez: ABE.  Of course he presided before our time. But he will always be a benchmark President.

29. Suffix with ranch: ERO.  I had a few friends that drove Ford Rancheros.  It was kind of half sedan, and half pickup truck.  I thought it was a pretty good vehicle, but Ford discontinued it in the late 70s.

30. Work into a frenzy: STIR UP.  I think if you insert another "R", you have that nasty little thing on your cowboy boot to make your horse run faster.

32. Brother of Bobby Kennedy: TED.  Brother of John and Bobby.  Chappaquiddick did him in.

33. Lawman Wyatt: EARP.  Hugh O'Brien played him in adult western of the 60s.

35. Body art, briefly: TATS.  Never liked them.  But I respect others' choice.

40. Sheet music pitch indicator: CLEF.

43. Leaning Tower site: PISA.

44. "Survivor" station: CBS.  It also had the Big 10 (+4) hoops tournament.  Gophers made it to the semis and will get a nod for the NCAA March Madness.  Final Four will wrap up in Minneapolis next month.  I don't expect to see the Gophers there, but give them a couple of circles in your bracket.

47. Gauchos' lariats: REATAS.

50. Chair part: LEG.  Chairs have four, the rest of us have two.  If they don't work well, maybe a little GEL will help.

51. Paintings, etchings, etc.: ART.  Mr. Garfunkel.  I always wondered if that was his real surname.

52. 10-minute NFL periods, if they last that long: OTS.

57. Alike in many respects: SIMILAR.

59. Capital of Yemen: SANAA. Sha NaNaNa, hey ay ay Good bye

63. Repairs with turf, as a lawn: SODS.  Not sure if we still have a lawn.  I have not seen it for months.

64. Cap'n's mate: BOSN.  Could be a shortened "Old Spice" commercial

65. Birds in a gaggle: GEESE.

66. French cruise stops: ILES.

67. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO. I suppose I OTTO watch "The Simpsons"some day so I get these clues.

68. __ Allan Poe: EDGAR.

69. Laundry brand: TIDE.  Tide is a year older than me - born in 1946.  Like me it has taken many baths and it still smells fine.

Down:

1. Clutches for: GRABS AT.

2. Carriage passenger's warmer: LAP ROBE.  Just do not feed "Rusty" Beef - a - reeno.

3. Stabbed by Buffy, as a vampire: IMPALED.

4. Voices below tenori: BASSI.  Beyond my expectations.  I only know tenor and bass.

5. Four qts.: GAL.

6. In days of yore: AGO.  A long, long time ago, I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.  Clear Lake Iowa, 1959

7. Fool: NINNY.

8. Eye twinkle: GLEAM.  When P & G made toothpaste, they spelled it wrong.  I don't think it's on the shelves anymore.

9. Sealy competitors: SERTAS.  It seems as though Mattresses last longer than cars.  Amazing how many ads are out there.

10. Year in Tuscany: ANNO.  Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be.  First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me.

11. Lady of Italy: SIGNORA.

12. Barely manages, as a living: EKES OUT.  So if you are barely managing this puzzle, put some clothes on and eke it out.

13. Bubbly prefix: AER.

19. "__ That a Shame": AIN'T. My tears fell like rain.

21. Dutch painter Jan: STEEN.

24. Devastated Asian sea: ARAL.

25. Golfer McIlroy: RORY.  He was all over the TPC Sawgrass Saturday but managed to hang in there.

27. Some laptops: HPS.  I used to sell HPS Lamps - High Pressure Sodium.  The yellowish ones that replaced Mercury and Fluorescent in Street Lighting.

31. "__ be my pleasure": IT'D.

34. Angel dust, for short: PCP.  I cannot spell what the technical name is for this drug, but it can really take you for a loop.  Worse than Zoledronic Acid.

36. Shakespearean "frequently": OFT.

37. Jack and Jill went up one: HILL. Duh.

38. "Understood": I SEE.  I see said the blind man, but he really didn't.

39. Old Nigerian capital: LAGOS.  Was the Nigerian capital made of plastic blocks?  Oops, I am confused with the Legos at Mall of America.

40. __-Magnon: CRO. My gosh - these guys are hundreds of centuries old.  I'll bet not even Ancestry.com can find your Cro-Magnon ancestor, but they probably say they can.

41. "Better if we skip this": LET'S NOT. And say we did.

42. Most simple: EASIEST.

44. Tubular ricotta-filled pastry: CANNOLI.  The mob guys always order these on "Law and Order".

45. Covered with crumbs before cooking: BREADED.  I don't know about crumbs, but breaded fish fillets are tasty Friday meals.

46. Street in Berlin: STRASSE.  Also in Hardheim.  I lived at Sieben Eister Sandweg Strasse for a few months.  (They did not have enough room in the barracks.)

48. "Not likely!": AS IF.

49. Stored fodder: SILAGE.  There are silos as farm buildings in Minnesota.  Even with the hemispherical roofs, the snow is causing problems.

54. In one's birthday suit: NAKED.  Eke it out

55. "Norwegian Dances" composer: GRIEG.

56. "__ something I said?": WAS IT.

58. Pre-stereo: MONO.  We have had this before, and I had a MONO record player before and so did many of you.

60. "Name a price--I'm flexible," in ads: OBO.  I hate Best Offers on eBay.

61. Intel-gathering govt. group: NSA.

62. __ Spiegel: German magazine: DER.

Note to TTP and other bowlers on our blog:

The gentleman second from left is a young bowler from Minnesota. Around 8-10 years ago I was in a classic league with Matt McNeil and we both bowled anchor for our respective teams.  One night I swept three games from him with an 814 series. I think it was the only time in the league that anyone took three from Matt.  This week he has qualified second on the PBA tour and the finals will be on FS1 on Thursday at 7:00 PM Central time.  I do not recognize the 4th and 5th qualifier.  Third is Bill O'Neill and whoever survives the stepladder will face the master from Australia, Jason BelMonte. I will be watching.

Boomer

Monday March 4, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Where's My Car? - S is added to the given name of each famous person whose last name is a car.

17. Poet's Rambler?: OGDEN'S NASH.

23. "High Noon" actor's Mini?: GARY'S COOPER.

36. President's Continental?: ABRAHAM'S LINCOLN.

47. "Pillow Talk" actor's Hornet?: ROCK'S HUDSON.

56. First lady's Mustang?: BETTY'S FORD.

Boomer here.  

I am done complaining about the weather. A sign of Spring, the Topps Heritage baseball cards for 2019 showed up Saturday. I only purchased two boxes.  (So far).  I have been a collector for many years and was a store owner and card show dealer in the past. Not so much anymore. 

Speaking of the past, my mother drove a Nash back in the fifties and I also remember the Hudson Hornet. I do not like the current Mini Cooper ad on TV when the guy substitutes "tall concrete" for "cottonwood trees" in "Don't Fence Me In".  "I hate it when they get the words wrong!"  spoken by Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  

Bowling is improving. Last Thursday I had two games over 200 in my three game set. First time since I went on the DL.  No 600s yet but stay tuned.

Across:

1. Moorehead of "Bewitched": AGNES.  Darrin was not a big fan of Endora. Shout-out to our blog Agnes (Irish Miss).

Eileen (sister of Agnes) and Agnes, 11/22/2013

6. Whole bunch: SCAD.  Move the S behind the D and you might have some luxury cars, but not a whole bunch of them.

10. This is one: CLUE.  I think it was done by Miss Scarlett in the Kitchen with a knife.

14. Sparkling topper: TIARA.

15. Extremely: OH SO.  I think he is a Japanese baseball player with the Angels.

16. "With this __ ... ": RING. I thee wed.

19. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.  I have seen this before, initially in Germany.

20. Ronan Farrow's mom: MIA. Most famous for "Rosemary's Baby" in my opinion.  Was hitched to Frank Sinatra for a year or two.

21. Ding in a car: DENT.  Yankee shortstop BUCKY was a World Series MVP in 1978.

22. Parcels (out): METES.

26. Most-feared Hun: ATTILA.  Of Course he was the most feared.  How many names of Huns can you remember ?

 31. Canonized pope who kept 26-Across from invading Rome: ST LEO. "The Great"

29. 2001 scandal company: ENRON. As the collector that I am and have said before, I have some Enron golf balls. Maybe they will be worth something some day.  (Of course, I also still have some Mark McGwire rookie cards.)

30. Deity with goat legs: FAUN.

33. Gumshoe: TEC.  They left out some letters de tive.

40. Stocking flaw: RUN. to the city of refuge.

41. La Scala solos: ARIAS.

42. Dijon darling: AMIE.

43. Touch of color: TINCT.

45. Most slippery, as roads: ICIEST.  Plenty of these all across the upper Midwest.

50. Complex tales: SAGAS.  I thought this was "SuperAmerica Gas".  But they changed the name to Speedway.

51. Tale teller: LIAR.  Pants on fire.

52. Tour gp. with tees: PGA.  Watched the "Bear Trap" over the weekend.  I do not have enough balls to play a course like that.

55. School attended by many English statesmen: ETON.

59. Has a cold, say: AILS.  Ail Ail, the gangs all here.

60. Rowboat movers: OARS.  Gently down the stream.

61. Like horror film music: EERIE.  One of the Spooky Great Lakes.

62. Fuss: TO-DO.  I think this is two words about nothing.

63. Cloudy: GRAY.

64. Most high schoolers: TEENS.

Down:

1. Split bit: ATOM.  Mr. Terrific was A Tom.

2. 1958 Chevalier musical: GIGI.  I thought a 1958 Chevalier was a General Motors compact car.

3. Nothing, in Spain: NA DA.  It's nothing in the USA as well.

4. Before, poetically: ERE.  A poetic Great Lake.

5. Open-toed shoe: SANDAL.

6. Cher's singing partner: SONNY.  I Got You Babe.  Sadly lost an argument with a tree while skiing.

7. Online talks: CHATS.

8. Beast of burden: ASS.  Okay, I won't make a comment on this one today.

9. Head-slapping word from Homer: DOH. I can honestly say that I have never watched a full episode of "The Simpson's".

10. Sleazy sort, in slang: CREEPO.

11. "Pay attention when I speak": LISTEN TO ME.  I hate it when people say this.

12. Racing family name: UNSER.  I have heard of Bobby and Al.  I guess there were a few more drivers.

13. They may clash on film sets: EGOS.

18. Toxin fighters: SERA.

22. Dummy: MORON.  Famous word uttered by Rex Tillerson.

23. Actress Torres of "Firefly": GINA.

24. Phones in pockets or purses: CELLS.  I think you can even have a smart or a flip.

25. "That's __ haven't heard": ONE I.

26. A distant place: AFAR. We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse AFAR.

27. "Forbidden" perfume: TABU. In my address book it's the TAB between T and V

28. What things do when touched by Midas: TURN TO GOLD.  Except at the muffler shop, where the only thing is how many ounces you will need to pay the bill.

31. Actress Jada Pinkett __: SMITH. Pretty common name. We have Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota. She took Al Franken's place.

32. Flight safety org.: TSA. Visited a few of them on Feb. 10.  Passed through with flying colors.

34. Fans of college sports' Bulldogs: ELIS.

35. Tech product review website: CNET.

37. Actor Tom who said, "There's no crying in baseball": HANKS. "A League of Their Own".  Enjoyed him better in "Forrest Gump."

38. Curved parts: ARCS.

39. Eve's firstborn: CAIN. The story goes that he killed his younger brother, Abel.  Glad I did not have an older brother.

44. "No problem for me!": I CAN SO.  We always said "I Can Too."  How about you?

45. "By Jove!": I SAY.

46. Tight undergarment: CORSET.  Not sure why anyone would wear one of these.  Doctor had me wearing a big plastic corset for about 6 weeks and I hated it.

47. Betting odds, e.g.: RATIO.  Odds are usually expressed in whole numbers. 2-1, 3-1, 6-5, etc.  A ratio is usually expressed in fractions.  Mathematics professors may bite my head off if I am wrong.

48. Michelob diet beer: ULTRA.  I suppose there is no corn syrup in it.

49. Rattlebrained: DITSY.  Brother of ITSY and BITSY.

50. Chair or sofa: SEAT.

52. Skin opening: PORE.

53. Broad smile: GRIN. and Bear it.

54. Citrus drinks: ADES.

56. Peat source: BOG.

57. Organ with a drum: EAR.  If you hear with an ear, and speak with a beak, why is your nose not called a Mell

58. Lawyer's charge: FEE.  Some may call it a fee, others may call it a ransom.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

I mentioned last Wednesday about the 42nd American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 22 to March 24, Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut). Mike Alpern, who organized the annual  Cru Dinner, told me that "The response has been great and next week, an invitation to all tournament rookies will go out which should fill the remaining spots. If you would, please let your fans know that if they're thinking of attending the Cru Dinner, the time to do it is now."

So contact Luca's grandpa Mike soon. You don't want to miss a precious mingling opportunity with other solvers and constructors. If you're a rookie, you'll get a nice surprise gift.

Wednesday, September 19 2018, Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette

 Theme:

17. Ladled party drink: FRUIT PUNCH.

25. Cigarette brand featured on "Mad Men": LUCKY STRIKE.

37. Martial arts level: BLACK BELT.

51. Manhattan stage attraction: BROADWAY HIT.

62. Slimy pest in a flower bed: GARDEN SLUG.

Melissa here. No reveal in today's puzzle, but it wasn't needed with these five theme answers - such POW-erful second words made it obvious. A fair amount of sporting references, all gettable even for those of us who don't follow sports.

Across:

1. Most populous città in Italia: ROMA.

5. Vintage photo tone: SEPIA. Dictionary.com: a reddish-brown color associated particularly with monochrome photographs of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Interesting origin - via Latin from Greek sēpia ‘cuttlefish:’ a blackish fluid secreted by a cuttlefish as a defensive screen. It is bottled and sold both as an ink for fountain pens, and in gourmet food shops to flavor and color food. In Spain and Italy,  inky black dishes are marked as Nero or Seppia. Cuttlefish vs. cuttlefish.

10. Scheming: UP TO.

14. "Are you __ out?": IN OR.

15. Tidies text: EDITS.

16. Scattered, as seeds: SOWN.

19. Vast landmass: ASIA.

20. Island near Maui: LANAI.

21. "__ a Lady": Tom Jones hit: SHE'S.

23. It blows things up: TNT. The three letter answer should have made this obvious but I immediately thought along the lines of enlarging a photo.

24. CPR pro: EMT.

29. Ingredient in a Florentine dish: SPINACH.

31. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA.

32. Notice: SEE.

33. Crossword-solving Simpson: LISA.

36. WWI pistol: LUGER.

40. Happen next: ENSUE.

43. Korean imports: KIAS. Automobiles.

44. "Hostel" director Roth: ELI.

47. __ Bornes: card game: MILLE. Nostalgic for me, my family and I played this. According to Wikipedia: French for a thousand milestones, referring to the distance markers on many French roads) is a French card game. Mille Bornes is listed in the GAMES Magazine Hall of Fame.

48. Being disrespectful to: SASSING.

55. Cal. column: THU.

56. Oft-numbered rd.: AVE.

57. Saltimbocca herb: SAGE. Saltimbocca is a meat dish - traditionally veal, but also made with chicken or pork - cooked with prosciutto and sage.

58. Stationery brand: EATON. Letter writing with pen and paper is mostly a lost art.

60. Indian music: RAGA.

65. Heal, in a way: KNIT. Comfrey leaf and root is also known as boneset, or knitbone, because of it's ability to heal both soft tissue and broken bones. We have many plants growing in our yard.

66. Fire remnant: EMBER.

67. New Age composer John: TESH.

68. Not mad: SANE.

69. Fixes the leaks in: SEALS.

70. Two-toned cookie: OREO. Not to be confused with the black and white.

Down:

1. Rummages (through): RIFLES.

2. Parkway entrances: ON-RAMPS.

3. Canadian force member: MOUNTIE.

4. Met melody: ARIA. Opera. If this were a C.C. puzzle, I would think of this:

5. Fall mo.: SEP. Perfect timing.

6. Part of a college URL: EDU.

7. Belarus city: PINSK. Belarus is to the east of Poland. Minsk is the Capital. Pinsk is near the southern border, and looks like a beautiful place to visit.

8. In need of calamine lotion: ITCHY.

9. Fire pit residue: ASHES.

10. N. American land: USA.

11. Bulletin board item: POSTING.

12. Hostess sponge cake: TWINKIE. There are 40 ingredients in a TWINKIE. Michael Pollan on Twinkie vs. carrot, below.

13. Painting the town red: ON A TEAR.

18. Chef Jet __, frequent "Cutthroat Kitchen" judge: TILA. Speaking of lost arts and Michael Pollan, he declared that cooking has become a spectator sport.

22. "All the same ... ": STILL.

26. Western sch. with NCAA Division I team championships in 20 sports: UCLA.

27. Hen-to-be: CHICK.

28. Post office assignments: ROUTES.

30. Sci-fi/fantasy award: NEBULA.

34. Slalom slider: SKI.

35. Embarrass: ABASH.

38. West Yorkshire city: LEEDS.

39. Morales of "The Brink": ESAI.

40. Boards at the dock: EMBARKS. Verb not noun.

41. Kurt Cobain's group: NIRVANA.

42. Alabama Slammer ingredient: SLOE GIN.

45. More diminutive: LITTLER.

46. Not outsourced: IN-HOUSE.

49. WWII weapon: STEN.

50. Enthusiastic: GUNG HO.

52. Pay: WAGES. Answer could be singular or plural.

53. "Only __": NPR sports program: A GAME.

54. __ mate: tealike beverage: YERBA. South American hot infused drink, traditionally served in a gourd with a metal straw. Seems odd to drink hot liquid from a metal straw ...

59. About: AS TO.

61. Dined: ATE.

63. St. with a former "Small Wonder" slogan: DEL.

64. Stammering sounds: ERS.