Monday September 10, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: STRING TRIO (62. Composition for violin, viola and cello ... and what the starts of 17-, 29- and 47-Across comprise) - The first words are all synonyms of string.

 

17. Job: LINE OF WORK.

29. Switching from cable TV to streaming, say: CORD CUTTING.

47. Bedsheet buyer's concern: THREAD COUNT.

Boomer here. I am not stringing you along. I may have mentioned that I play a little golf in the summer, and I also watch the PGA on TV.  I have noticed two differences between the Pros short iron approach shots and my own:

1) No one shouts "Go in the hole" when I hit my shot.

2) When the pro hits his shot, the divot flies farther in the air than my golf ball.  

Tomorrow, I hope you will join me in pausing to reflect on the tragedy on this date in 2001.  Like most folks, I remember where I was and what I was thinking nearly every minute.

Across:

1. "We Create Music" org.: ASCAP.

6. "You're a riot": HA HA.  I think we had this last week.  (It wasn't funny then either.)

10. Sportscaster Albert: MARV.  Mostly basketball.

14. Diner counter alternative: BOOTH. It's been awhile since I have seen a counter in a diner.  Usually it's a choice of a table or booth.

15. Hasn't paid yet: OWES.  I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.  7 Dwarfs??

16. Jai __: ALAI.

19. Govt. crash investigator: NTSB. National Transportation Safety Board.

20. Weather-affecting current: EL NINO.  The claim is that the climate change can cause milder, warmer winters.  Stop kidding me, I live in Minnesota.  However Storm products named one of their bowling balls El Nino.  (I have one).

 21. Give up all expectations: LOSE HOPE.

23. __ Strauss, female touring guitarist for Alice Cooper: NITA.

25. Greek "i": IOTA.  Certainly have to love these four letter words with three vowels.

26. BB-shaped legume: PEA.  When I was a kid, I remember having a pea shooter.  But we did not shoot real peas unless they were those dried up hard things from the dime store.

34. Relaxing time in the chalet: APRES-SKI.  As opposed to Alps Ski, which cannot be relaxing.

36. Skin ink: TATTOO.  "Ze plane Ze plane"  Remember "Fantasy Island"?  I think Tattoo's real name was Herve. 

37. Four-time '60s-'70s A.L. All-Star __ Powell: BOOG.  At one time, Boog was the only player to play in the Little League World Series and the Major League World Series.  His real name is John.  Booger was in "Animal House"

38. 42-yr.-old skit show: SNL.  Loved it when Tina Fey did Sarah Palin.  I don't stay up that late anymore.

40. Regarding: AS TO.

41. Not at all abundant: SCARCE.

44. Totally loses it: GOES NUTS. Tyrrell Hatton is gaining this reputation when he misses a short putt.

49. Observe: SEE.  He joined the navy, to see the world, but what did he see, he saw the sea.

50. Pop's Lady __: GAGA.  Many have gone GAGA over this lady.  Not me.

51. 1982 Disney sci-fi film: TRON.  Huge Disney success

53. Most ordinary: PLAINEST. Tattoo - "Ze plainest, Ze plainest !"

57. Hydrocodone, e.g.: OPIATE.  I don't like this word.  It stands for a product that has caused so much heartache in our country.

61. Like un maníaco: LOCO.

64. Color of raw silk: ECRU.  Is raw silk, silk that has not been cooked?

65. Sights from la mer: ILES.

66. Longtime senator Specter: ARLEN.  From Pennsylvania. Could not decide if he was a Republican or a Democrat.

67. Vintage Jags: XKES.  The last thing I remember Doc, is that XKE did not come back from Dead Man's Curve.

68. Not e'en once: NEER.  Clever clue for never.

69. Wall Street's Standard & __: POORS.  Interesting name for an investment company.  Do you want to be Standard, or Poor ?

Down:

1. Having the skills: ABLE.

2. Window box dirt: SOIL.

3. Hartford's st.: CONN.  Great College Women's Basketball State,

4. Had food delivered: ATE IN.

5. "Hooked on" language teaching method: PHONICS.  Wow, do they still have this.  I remember having Phonics in first grade.

6. In what way: HOW.  "Hello" Clayton Moore from Jay Silverheels

7. GI on the run: AWOL.  Absent Without Leave.  Saw a bit of that in the States.  No so much in Germany - nowhere to run except a beer joint.

8. Valiant: HEROIC.

9. Invites to the prom, say: ASKS OUT.

10. Borough across the Harlem River from the Bronx: MANHATTAN.  Home of "Law and Order".

11. Voice above tenor: ALTO.  I disagree.  Tenor is a male voice, Alto is female,  I would clue voice below soprano.

12. Abrasive tool: RASP.

13. Hard-to-explain feeling: VIBE.  Pontiac SUV 10 years ago.  No more Pontiacs these days.

18. Pics: FOTOS.  Spelling ???

22. Bluesy James: ETTA.  Ms. Kett was a manners expert.

24. Boats like Noah's: ARKS.  I heard they are 300 cubits.  What's a cubit?

26. Brew brand with a blue-ribbon logo: PABST.  What'll you have ?

27. Pleistocene period: EPOCH.

28. Cheering and yelling, as a crowd: AROAR.  I watched a bit of football at Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday TV.  What a display of nearly 80,000 fans in red shirts cheering for the Badgers.  Then on Saturday night, I tuned in to the Gopher game vs. Fresno State.  Maroon and gold tee shirts and jerseys.  About 60,000 of them.  Amazing the drawing power of college football.

30. Down Under dog: DINGO.  Maybe your Dingo ate it.

31. "Who's there?" response from a couple: IT'S US.

32. Naples night: NOTTE.

33. Golden-egg layer: GOOSE.  Mr. Goslin - Hall of Famer for the C. Griffith Washington Senators, Also Mr. Gossage - Relief pitcher, mostly for the Yankees.

35. Flagrant: EGREGIOUS.

39. Rude dude: LOUT.  If he gets too loud, kick him out.

42. Actor Scott or his dad James: CAAN.  I really liked James in the TV Series "Las Vegas".

43. Enters sneakily: EDGES IN.

45. 2001 scandal company: ENRON. I still have some Enron Golf balls I bought on ebay a few years ago

46. Temporary solution: STOPGAP.

48. Structure protected by a moat: CASTLE.  Europe still has lots of these.  They are built like a ton of bricks with a ton of bricks. 

52. The "N" in "TNT": NITRO.  Also "Network" on Cable TV.  245 on Direct TV.

53. Theater suffix: PLEX.

54. What a key opens: LOCK.

55. Farmland measure: ACRE.   What a dentist fixes.

56. One in a forest: TREE.  If it falls in the forest and no one is around, you cannot hear it.

58. Woody Guthrie's son: ARLO.  You can get any thing you want, at "Alice's Restaurant".  I'll bet they had a counter there. 

59. Stadium section: TIER. A little bitty tier let me down

60. Many millennia: EONS.

63. Dead Sea country: Abbr.: ISR.

Boomer

Monday July 30, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: HAIR SALON (60. Permanent place ... and where to find the starts of the answers to starred clues)

17A. *ATM user's code: PIN NUMBER.

38A. *Contact sport on skates: ROLLER DERBY.

9D. *Forest threat: BRUSH FIRE.

35D. *Business known for overcharging, in slang: CLIP JOINT.

Boomer here.  OR I could ROLLER the ball and BRUSH by the 6 PIN and CLIP the ten.

Good Morning!  I was never too fond of Mondays in the old days, but since I retired they are not too bad.  C.C. and I are looking forward to later in the week to attend the 3M PGA Champions tour (over 50) in Blaine, Minnesota. I do not get to play, even though my 9 hole scores have been over 50 for a few years. But of course the pros must be over 50 years of age. What a great format! We drive to a small airport about a mile from the course and park (no charge). A shuttle bus takes us to the golf course entry and we walk in. (no charge). 3M has a tent set up and we walk in and some 3M volunteers hand us a bag full of 3M products. (no charge).  There is an area where you might purchase souvenirs, but there are also various businesses set up in the tent.  Last year we received free samples of Osteo Biflex ease and Nature Valley munchies.  Next year 3M is sponsoring a regular tour event at the TPC in Blaine, however the "free of charge" will be history.

Across:

1. "__ la Douce": IRMA.

5. Beat decisively: DRUB.  Looks like D Rub.  A muscle pain relaxer.

9. High-80s grade: B PLUS. My high school gave number grades, 70 was passing, I think B+ was about 88-90.

14. Not nice at all: MEAN.  Whaddya MEAN, not nice ?

15. In __: as placed: SITU. I think I saw this word in a previous crossword.  I did not know what it meant then, and I still don't.

16. "Spider-Man" trilogy director Sam: RAIMI.

19. It usually shows AK and HI as insets: US MAP.  I think I was about 12 when Alaska and Hawaii were added states to the U.S.  Welcome.

20. Subordinate to: UNDER.

21. Newspapers, collectively: PRESS.  Minneapolis has only one local paper, but you can also receive USA Today or a Wall Street Journal.  New York has a ton of press, I would not be able to keep up.

23. Lightning-to-thunder interval, e.g.: TIME LAG.  Lightning is quite a phenomena.  Who would think that a couple of harmless clouds would rub together and produce a million volts?

26. Play with Iago: OTHELLO.  No this was not Alexander Graham Bell's suggestion to answer a phone.  He suggested Ahoy - Hoy.

30. Naval rank: Abbr.: ENS.  I think I covered Ensign last week.

31. Crosses (out): X'ES.  Most people use "Wite out" now.

33. Fearful: AFRAID.  Three strings went into a bar.  Two of them were refused service because they were strings. The third went into the bathroom, mussed up one end and tied himself.  He returned to the bar and ordered but the bartender said, "Wait a minute, are you a string?"  No was the reply. "I'm a frayed knot"

34. Start of Act II, say: SCENE I.  I never saw a purple cow.  Have you SEEN ONE?

37. Needs to be submitted by, as a term paper: IS DUE.

40. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI.  There's that five letter word with four vowels again.

42. "Fringe on top" carriage of song: SURREY. Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry.

43. LIKE THIS CLUE: IN CAPS.  Like a baseball team too.

45. GI's internet suffix: MIL.

46. Director Lee: ANG.

49. Exec's aircraft: LEAR JET.

51. Elizabeth Warren or Lisa Murkowski, e.g.: SENATOR.  Minnesota is one of only 6 states that are represented by two women in the U.S. Senate.

54. Elizabeth Warren or Lisa Murkowski, e.g.: WOMAN. Hear me roar.

56. Bush 43 successor: OBAMA.

57. Diameter halves: RADII.  Interesting plural - not radiuses.

63. Sch. east of Hartford: UCONN.  Great women's basketball power.

64. Grand Ole __: OPRY.  In the service, I was 40 miles north of Nashville. You would not believe the impact the OPRY had on the population there.

65. Civil wrong: TORT.  Silly me.  I thought tort was something you can eat.

66. Cake pan trademark: BUNDT.

67. Make less difficult: EASE.  Not sure why the medication was called Osteo Byflex EASE.  Odd name but it did not do much for me.

68. Lambs' moms: EWES.

Down:

1. Ascribe (to): IMPUTE.

2. Get control of: REIN IN.  Let the sunshine, don't let the rain in.

3. Classic colorful candies: M AND M'S.  Famous and absolutely great candy.  Not for me anymore though.  Blood sugar too high.

4. Year in France: ANNEE.  NFL players are no longer allowed to take A KNEE during the Anthem.

5. U.S. Army award: DSM.  High award for distinguished service.

6. Barbecued piece: RIB.  Don't forget the Sauce!

7. Sch. near the Rio Grande: UTEP. El Paso, right on the U.S. border with Mexico.

8. Grand Canyon critter: BURRO.  In Minnesota, it's something we say when it is COLDO

10. Ones who may stop to help: PASSERSBY.

11. Peru airport abbr.: LIM.  This is the International Airport in Lima.  But Peru has about 8 more.

12. Thurman of movies: UMA.  So many three letter words. They might all be airports.

13. Taste of a drink: SIP.

18. Internet address: URL.

22. Incoming flight info: ETA. When will we get there or WWWGT.

24. Ice skater's jump: AXEL.  When I was a kid, there was a TV show featuring "Axel and his Dog".  He would close his show every night with a "Birdie".  Like this - "Birdie with his yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill.  Cocked a shining eye and said "Hey, What did you do when your wife dropped the cake?  Batter ?"

25. Heredity units: GENES.  If you have bad Genes, try Levi's

27. Title for Godiva: LADY.  Could be a Kenny Rogers song

28. Actress Lucy: LIU.  One of Charlie's Angels.  Only in the movie though.

29. "__ to Billie Joe": ODE.  It was the third of June another sleepy, dusty, delta day

32. Hospital supply: SERUM.

34. Sun emanation responsible for the northern lights: SOLAR WIND.  Solar means Sun.  I know what wind is.  I wonder how windy it is up there.

36. Elba of "The Wire": IDRIS.

38. Almond __: candy: ROCA.

39. Mystery writer Gardner: ERLE.  Many Perry Mason tales.  One of my favorites.

40. Feel sick: AIL.

41. Suffix with hero: INE.

44. Coll. term: SEM.

46. Hitting bottom, spirits-wise: AT A LOW.  Ran out of Vodka??

47. "That'll be enough": NO MORE.  Ain't a gonna rain _____

48. Research funding sources: GRANTS.  Coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Bud, and his son Michael who we lost last week.

50. Lake near Reno: TAHOE.  I have bowled in Reno and occasionally took the ride down to Tahoe.  I am from the land of lakes, but Tahoe is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

52. Refusals: NOS.

53. Taper off: ABATE.

55. Golden State wine region: NAPA.  We have been there too.  Drove through the wine region north of San Francisco.

57. Coax (out), as a genie: RUB. A dub dub, three men in a tub.

58. Puncture prefix: ACU.

59. Shock jock Imus: DON. I have never listened to him.  I think he belongs in a tub of something.

61. Tax form org.: IRS. Careful.  Crooks are calling on the phone, claiming you owe money to the IRS. The IRS will never contact you by phone. They use our great postal service if there is a question or problem with your return.

62. Deli bread: RYE.  I like pumpernickel best.

Boomer

Monday June 11, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: Blow by Blow, from Freeze to Gale.

17A. "That was easy!": WHAT A BREEZE.

26A. Move to Canada to avoid military service: DODGE THE DRAFT.

 

45A. Top-10 1978 hit for Kansas: DUST IN THE WIND.

61A. Girl who went to Oz: DOROTHY GALE.

Boomer here. 

"The wind began to switch, the house to pitch".  Hope this puzzle was a breeze to you all.  I could have done it, "If I only had a brain".  I have a complaint. Saturday morning my newspaper said post time at the Belmont was 5:30 PM Central time.  NBC always runs a 2 1/2 hour program to show a two minute horse race so I watched pro bowling on ESPN then tuned to NBC at 5:30. 47 commercials later they were "OFF" at about 5:55.  Canterbury Downs was built in Minnesota around 1985 and I made a few trips there back then. I won a few bucks on a ride by Mike Smith occasionally so I applaud his success.  I wonder if NBC can JUSTIFY the time discrepancy. 

Across:

1. Speechless performers: MIMES.

6. Love to bits: ADORE.

11. Hem and __: HAW. Famous TV reruns HEE ___.  I have to admit I watch it.  Where did you think I get all these stupid one liners ?

14. Overplay the scene: EMOTE.

15. NBA coach Pat who trademarked "three-peat": RILEY.  Who might remember William Bendix in "The Life of Riley" ?

16. Hole-in-one: ACE.  I have never had one of these on the golf course.  Came as close as 6 inches once.  But I have had one in a pair of socks.

19. "__ Loves You": Beatles: SHE. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.  I just learned Saturday that the Beatles chose their name in respect of Buddy Holly's "Crickets". Oh Boy !

20. Beethoven's "Moonlight," e.g.: SONATA.

21. Lawn mower housing: TOOL SHED.  If you don't have one, leave it in your garage.

23. Come to a close: END.

25. Actor Cage, in tabloids: NIC.

33. Sea of __: Black Sea arm: AZOV.

35. Midwestern tribe: OTOE.  I have a big toe and a little toe on each foot.  Never heard of an Otoe.

36. Finalize, as a deal: SEW UP.

37. Smart-alecky: CUTE.  So is a bug in a rug a smart aleck?

38. Aired again on TV: RERAN. See HEE HAW above. Plus I have most of the "Law and Order" and "Seinfeld" shows memorized.

40. Policy expert: WONK.

41. Give a heads-up: ALERT. Also means you have only one lert.

43. NASCAR's Yarborough: CALE.  Very popular NASCAR champion with many wins.

44. Bothers a lot: IRKS. One of my Mom's favorite expressions.  I guess I irked her a lot.

48. Nest egg acronym: IRA.

49. Prefix with appear: DIS.  I might DISagree with this clue.

50. Longtime bubble gum wrap: WAX PAPER.  This is an all time misnomer!  Paper is not made from wax.  It should be called Waxed paper.

55. Slowly diminished, as strength: SAPPED.  Warren Sapp was a defensive tackle with Tampa Bay and Oakland.  Many quarterbacks got Sapped.

60. Smooth machinery sound: HUM.

63. Mine extraction: ORE. Also the abbreviation for a state south of Washington.  The Beavers took care of our Gophers on the baseball diamond this weekend.

64. Cream of the crop: ELITE.

65. George's fiancée on "Seinfeld": SUSAN. Yes I would know this without using Google or a blog.

66. Fellow: MAN.

67. Brand for nasal congestion: SINEX.

68. Australian gems: OPALS.  I think this is the October birthstone.

Down:

1. Kitten cries: MEWS. Sounds like MEOW to me.

2. Texter's "As I see it ... ": IMHO. In My Humble Opinion.

3. Pained sound: MOAN.

4. Soul singer James: ETTA. 

5. Helped by an usher: SEATED.  They have Ushers in church and at ballparks. They don't seem to seat many people, just stand in the back and chat with other ushers.  (Sorry if I offended any ushers out there).

6. LAX incoming flight: ARR.

7. Food restriction: DIET.  I have lots of restrictions, but Diet Pepsi is okay.

8. Toast topper: OLEO.  This is Margarine, a corn oil product.  It was popular in Iowa, but not sold in America's Dairyland, Wisconsin.  At one time it was white and looked like Crisco.  Then I remember it in a bag with a little red button.  You needed to squeeze the button and massage the bag to turn it yellow.  Hey, I never see SQUEEZE in a crossword - 25 points in Scrabble!

9. Change the district boundaries of: REZONE.

10. Peepers' closers: EYELIDS.

11. Corned beef concoction: HASH.  Hash always seems to have a Corned Beef tagalong. When I was a kid, we had one of those metal things with a crank handle and made hash out of roast beef, etc.

12. Pain: ACHE.  I won't bother you with mine.

13. Lawn invader: WEED.  C.C. likes dandelions the most.

18. Maine city: BANGOR.

22. Attach to a light bulb socket: SCREW IN.  "Clear Choice" dental work.

24. Find out about: DETECT.

26. Showers affection (on): DOTES.  Mairzy dotes and Dozey dotes and little lambs eat Ivy.  

27. Be exorbitant with the gratuity: OVER-TIP. Many may over-tip the bartender and then tip over.

28. Hebrew scroll: TORAH.

29. Restored to health: HEALED.

30. "I need to tell you something": A WORD.  Reminded me of "Let me tell you something!"  A famous intro on TV from Pro Wrestler Jesse Ventura. (Before he became governor.)

31. Dejected spell: FUNK.  Fred Funk is a good golfer with an odd name

32. Toll rds.: TPKS.

33. Air Force sch.: ACAD.

34. NATO alphabet ender: ZULU.

39. Fairly recent: NEWISH.  This seems like a newish word, made-up.

42. Long rants: TIRADES.

46. City SE of Roma: NAPOLI.  Italian for Naples I suppose.

47. Mom's emphatic words after "Because": I SAY SO.

50. "For __ the Bell Tolls": WHOM

51. Surrounding glow: AURA.

52. Marvel Comics superheroes: X-MEN.

53. The Emerald Isle: ERIN.

54. Mechanical learning method: ROTE. Kyle Rote was a running back for the New York Giants when I was a kid.

56. Scrolling PC key: PGUP.  This sounds like a gurgle before throwing up.

57. "¿Qué __?": PASA.

58. Airline with only kosher meals: EL AL.

59. TV-watching rooms: DENS. I watch mine in the basement.  It's cooler down there.

62. One of two sts. with bordering panhandles: TEX.

Boomer

Sunday June 3, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Emergency Room Staff"-  ER is added to each theme entry.

23A. Proposed explanation for oversize British sausage?: BIG BANGER THEORY. Big Bang Theory.

41A. Kiss in the rink?: HOCKEY PUCKER. Hockey puck.
 

62A. Screwballs hanging out at the end of the block?: CORNER FLAKES. Corn Flakes.

84A. Dollhouse porch chair?: LITTLE ROCKER. Little Rock.

104A. Lackadaisical soccer shot?: SLEEPY HEADER. Sleepy head.

123A. Dark ale expert?: PORTER AUTHORITY. Port authority.

15D. Dive at the governor's mansion pool?: CAPITAL GAINER. Capital gain.

61D. Fishing pro?: ALL-STAR CASTER. All-star cast.

The gainer in 15D is new to me, but I'm glad it has a different meaning, otherwise, the root word does not change much.

Quite a lot of themage. Total 104 squares.

Across:

1. Garments with hooks: BRAS.

5. Metro regions: URBS. Never used this word. You?

9. Complaint: BEEF.

13. Metals industry acronym: ALCOA. Kicked out of Dow a while ago.

18. Ocular cleaning brand: RENU.

19. Hilarious type: RIOT.

20. Lewis lion: ASLAN.

22. Destined (to): MEANT.

26. One in a newsstand stack: PAPER. Hard to a find a New York Times in our local gas stations or Barnes & Noble. The Wall Street Journal is everywhere though.

27. News agcy.: UPI.

28. Like rainy London skies: GREY.

29. Zagros Mountains country: IRAQ. Wiki says the Zagros Mountains form the largest mountain range in Iran, Iraq and southeastern Turkey.

31. Stack: PILE.

32. Rap sheet list: PRIORS.

35. Scotland, in Scottish Gaelic: ALBA. Learning moment.

38. Spanish hillsides: CUESTAS. Learning moment.

40. Highly regarded speakers: BOSE.I was thinking of House Speakers.

46. Germane: APT.

47. Name of two 134-Acrosses: JOHN PAUL. 134. Religious leader: POPE.

49. Dupe: REPRO. Reproduction.

50. U.K. governing body: PARL. Parliament. Gluey.

52. Vital conduits: AORTAS.

54. Self-serve fast-food item: SODA.

56. Farming prefix: AGRI.

59. Greener Living org.: EPA.

66. City on the Orne: CAEN.

67. "The first thing you must know ... ": RULE ONE. You do not talk about Fight Club.

69. "You __ on My Mind": 1965 hit: WERE. We Five.

70. Reducing big-time: SLASHING. The local high-end chain Herberger's is closing all its stores.

72. DuPont acrylic: ORLON.

73. Outer __: SPACE.

75. Near the hour: TEN TO.

76. Summer time?: DISCO ERA. Great clue. Donna Summer.

80. Slate, for one: E-MAG.

81. Greet warmly: SMILE AT.

83. Ferrara family name: ESTE.

87. "Kidnapped" monogram: RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson.

88. Country suffix: STAN. 7 nations.

89. Reason for an R: GORE. R-Rating.

90. Prime minister after Begin: SHAMIR. Yitzhak.

92. Stigmatic fictional symbol: RED A. Also 98. Expiate: ATONE FOR.

94. Ham it up: EMOTE.

102. "Mad Men" network: AMC.

107. Diminish slowly: FADE.

108. Wild Blue Yonder seller since 2003: CRAYOLA. Did not know Wild Blue Yonder is a Crayola color.

110. Quiet time: LULL. Quiet most of the time at our garage sale. Those framed pictures are Boomer's jigsaw puzzles. Someone actually bought one. I was amazed.

111. Gives rise to: YIELDS.

113. Canadian tank fillers: ESSO.

114. Marine predator: ORCA.

117. Bounce: ECHO.

120. No and Phil: DRS.

121. Ballet attire: TUTUS.

129. Brand for pain: ALEVE

130. Baking staple: SUGAR. Have any of you tried these mountain yams? Sugared mountain yams used to be our Chinese Spring Festival treats.

131. Ballet bend: PLIE.

132. Picked do: AFRO.

133. What bait does: LURES.

135. Door sign: PUSH.

136. Like eyes "you can't hide," in an Eagles hit: LYIN'.

Down:

1. Texter's "Need a short break": BRB. Be Right Back. One of the little words Argyle liked to use.

2. Portuguese king: REI.

3. Distress: ANGUISH.

4. Order in the court: SUBPOENA.

5. Keats subject: URN.

6. TV's Mrs. Peel: RIGG.

7. Orange Free State settler: BOER.

8. Hot time: STREAK.

9. Rats relative?: BAH.  The expletive "rats!".

10. Saskatoon-to-Winnipeg dir.: ESE.

11. Fair-haired sci-fi race: ELOI. 7 "The Time Machine" race.

12. Castmate of Alda and Swit: FARR.

13. Rev (up): AMP.

14. Quantum events?: LEAPS.

16. Pool unit: ONE LAP.

17. Immobile: AT REST.

21. New York City suburb on the Hudson: NYACK. Forgot. We had this before.

24. Fresh __: AIR.

25. Perry who created Madea: TYLER.

30. "'Sup, Juan?": QUE PASA?

32. Lunchbox staple, casually: PBJ.

33. Kanga's kid: ROO.

34. Gless of "Cagney & Lacey": SHARON.

36. Playoffs privilege: BYE.

37. Kindle download: APP.

39. Mound meas.: ERA. Pitcher's mound. More stuff from our garage sale. The Santana and  Gardenhire bobbleheads are gone.

42. Strange: OUTRE.

43. Extended family: CLAN.

44. Celestial bear: URSA.

45. "Order up!" callers: COOKS.

48. Pennsylvania's __ Mountains: POCONO.

51. Mother of Joseph: RACHEL.

53. Finalizes, with "up": SEWS.

55. Dover's st.: DEL.

57. Enterprise offering: RENTAL. We went back to Payless this year.

58. Closely watched bars: INGOTS. Gold bars.

59. Eats into: ERODES.

60. Strict observer: PURIST.

63. Turn back: REPEL.

64. Bowling unit: FRAME.

65. Aptly named Renault: LE CAR.

68. Dawn-of-mammals epoch: EOCENE.

71. Recipe words: STIR IN.

74. They may clash on the lot: EGOS.

77. "The Fantasticks" narrator whose name translates to "The Rooster": EL GALLO. I know Pico de gallo. Did not know "gallo" means "rooster" in Spanish.

78. Atlantic resort city: RIO.

79. Kilmer's famous last words?: A TREE. OK, the last line is "But only God can make a tree".

81. Glide on blades: SKATE.

82. Computer's abundance: MEMORY.

85. Holiday hire: TEMP.

86. Libya neighbor: CHAD.

91. Common HMO requirement: REFERRAL.

93. U.K. military award: DSO. Distinguished Service Order.

95. Olive not found in martinis: OYL.

96. Cal. column: THU.

97. Conger catcher: EELER. This old EELER is the only eel catcher I know of. 

99. Fake: FALSIFY.

100. Atypical: ODD.

101. Hi-__ image: RES.

102. Perfumery compound: ACETAL.

103. Enterprise helmsman: MR SULU.

105. Old West brothers: EARPS.

106. Fearless Fosdick's creator: AL CAPP. Unfamiliar with Fearless Fosdick.

109. "__ grown": YOU'VE. Not FULLY.

112. Altar promise: I DO.

115. Clever maneuver: COUP.

116. 2012 Best Picture: ARGO.

118. "The Handmaid's Tale" airer: HULU. Any fans on our blog?

119. Bluesy Redding: OTIS.

122. French possessive: SES. His.

124. Wire intrusion: TAP.

125. Ode preposition: ERE.

126. Sneaky laugh: HEH.

127. __-tip: beef cut: TRI.

128. "Round __ virgin ... ": YON.

Happy birthday to Owen, who does not like birthday celebrations. Thank you for so many years of joy and creative inspiration, Owen! Stay healthy for us!

C.C.

Monday April 30, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme: THIRTY DAYS (58. Feature of the time periods hinted at by the starting letters of 17-, 23-, 38- and 47-Across) - Apr, Jun, Sep and Nov starts each theme answer.

17A. Fruity 12-Down topping: APRICOT JAM.

23A. Craftsperson using scrap metal, glass, etc.: JUNK ARTIST.

38A. Tax filing option for married couples: SEPARATE RETURNS.

47A. Restriction for quarantined patients: NO VISITORS.

Boomer here. And happy good morning to one and all.  I see some month abbreviations, including April.  I am not sorry to say good riddance to April this year.  Not only did the weatherman dump a ton of snow on us, but our Minnesota Twins had 4 games postponed, and managed to lose nine more in a row.  Hello May! Garden fence is ready and the dirt is rejuvenated.  We have yet to see the perennial Asian lily or the rose bush return for the summer.  

Best wishes to Argyle for a speedy rehab recovery.  Now... On with the show!  

Across:

1. Harley rider: BIKER. I had a bike when I was a kid, but it was not a Harley. I always felt that calling a Harley a bike was like calling a battery jumper cable clamp a paper clip.

6. Approved: OK'ED.

10. "The lady __ protest ... ": "Hamlet": DOTH.

14. Where one may be taken for a private word: ASIDE. To the dungeon.

15. Golfer's warning: FORE.  I often wondered where this came from.  I just holler "Look out", and that's before I swing the club.

16. Slender woodwind: OBOE. Well what's new ? A four letter word with three vowels.

19. Drive or reverse: GEAR.

20. The "S" in "CBS": Abbr.: SYST.

21. Little green veggie: PEA. Split 'em and make soup.

22. Vast chasm: ABYSS.

26. "400 Richest Americans" magazine: FORBES. No I am not in there. It's brutal to be 401st in anything. 

30. Nagging troubles: WOES.  Briefly, there is not enough room on the page to list my nagging woes.

31. Nimble: AGILE. Jack be agile, Jack be quick.

32. Stick a toothpick in, as a snack: STAB.  I'm not sure about toothpicks.  I think a knife or fork is more appropriate. 

34. "Bye, Luigi!": CIAO.  My sister has been to Italy a number of times.  She always ends her emails to me with this four letter Italian word (with three vowels).  I think she does the LA Times crossword frequently.

41. High-school kid: TEEN.

42. "On Golden __": POND.  Henry Fonda and his daughter Jane, as well as a star-studded cast.  Fonda sort of reminds me of Walter (Grumpy Old Man) Matthau and his buddy Jack Lemmon.

43. Rodeo lasso: RIATA.

44. Film critic Pauline: KAEL.

46. "Town Without Pity" singer Gene: PITNEY.  It isn't very pretty what a town without PITNEY can do.

51. One who's done for: GONER.

52. Old studio letters: RKO. It's an acronym for Radio-Keith-Orpheum.  What's interesting is downtown Minneapolis had a theatre called RKO Orpheum. Redundant and it's not there anymore.

53. Olympic sword: EPEE. Widely used in crosswords, I suspect because it's a four letter word with three vowels.  Okay, I am boring all.  I won't mention it again.

57. Ridesharing company: UBER. There are 12,000 Uber drivers now in the US.

61. Range in Europe: ALPS.

62. Country's McEntire: REBA.

63. Cove, e.g.: INLET.

64. Viral internet phenomenon: MEME. "Class, Who wants to get out at noon?"

65. Former couples: EXES. Goes first at tic tac toe.

66. Like yesterday's fashions: PASSE. 

Down:

1. Parts of cote tales?: BAAS.

2. Kids' road-trip game: I SPY. Now in a heap of trouble, "I Spy" was Bill Cosby's first TV show with Robert Culp in 1965,  You need to be as old as I to remember it.

3. White wine apéritifs: KIRS.

4. Cut and paste, e.g.: EDIT.

5. Word with room or center: REC.

6. Plenty of times: OFTEN.  OFTEN is a lot.  One OF TEN, not so much

7. TV cop with a lollipop: KOJAK. Telly Savalas played detective Kojak.  His first name was Theo, which I always considered it to be half a name.  Then along came Andy Sipowicz  who named his kid Theo.

8. Big Band __: ERA.

9. Rep.'s opponent: DEM. Politics, - Elephants and Donkeys

10. Bone-shaped treat: DOG BISCUIT.

11. Follows orders: OBEYS. If someone ORDERS a PIZZA, I might follow it out to the table.

12. Browned bread: TOAST. Ein Prosit.  "Here's to the guy who couldn't think small. Here's to the biggest embezzler of all..."  I am sure Tom can name that tune.

13. Word sewn on a towel: HERS.

18. Composer's work: OPUS.  This is interesting.  There is a business complex called OPUS in the city where I grew up.  So I googled Opus and sure enough it's a commercial real estate conglomerate.  Not sure about the composer clue.

22. Dined: ATE. Unscramble the letters and you have EAT.  A lot of people ATE between seven and nine.  

23. Spectator's bit of disapproval: JEER. Add a "T" in the middle and you have shortstop Derek, who was seldom Jeered at Yankee Stadium.

24. Tony or Hugo: AWARD.

25. Judge's apparel: ROBE. New York Yankee Aaron does not wear a robe, but when he comes to bat, the fans "All Rise".

26. Like greyhounds: FAST.

27. S-shaped molding: OGEE.

28. Ready on the vine: RIPE. The garden is coming soon.  How do you tell if green beans are ripe?

29. Poetry that doesn't rhyme: BLANK VERSE.

32. Popular vodka, popularly: STOLI.

33. Square root of 100: TEN. O GEE Whatever happened to Bo Derek ?

35. Persia, today: IRAN.

36. Required poker bet: ANTE.

37. "__, can you see ... ": O SAY. I believe the correct spelling is "OH SAY" - can you see?

39. Zoo primates: APES.

40. "Divergent" films heroine: TRIS.

45. Oxygen is about 21% of it: AIR. In large cities, I think the rest is smog.

46. Luther's sect: Abbr.: PROT.

47. Duke or earl: NOBLE.

48. Hr. after noon: ONE PM. Eleven on the West Coast.

49. Many a casino-owning group: TRIBE. We have several Native American casinos in Minnesota and they do very well.  I don't go too often because I think the house percentage is much higher than Nevada.  But one of the casinos has 24 bowling lanes.  Been there, done that.

50. Gumbo vegetables: OKRAS.

51. U.S. island territory: GUAM.

53. Author Ferber: EDNA.  A name from the roaring twenties.  She wrote at least two books that were made into movies.  If you can name them, you are older than I.

54. Buddies: PALS.

55. Seers?: EYES.  I like SNAKE ____.  (A roll of 2 at the craps table).

56. Ninety degrees from norte: ESTE.

58. Luigi's three: TRE. The second appearance of Luigi in the clues today.  Isn't he Mario's buddy ?

59. Whammy: HEX. This crossword clue has a hundred different answers.  Hope you had the ACROSS before you got to it.

60. Cry from a pup: YIP.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Spitzboov (Al) and his wife Betty visited dear Argyle on Saturday April 28, 2018. Spitzboov brought this great Marine "At Their Core" to Santa, who was a Marine.

Click here to see Spitzboov's write-up. Thank you, Spitzboov and Betty,  for visiting Argyle and letting him know that he's sorely missed. 

Please continue keeping Argyle in your thoughts and prayers. Please send cards to below address. Argyle's friend Jennifer wanted me to tell you that "he enjoys the cards that everyone sends especially with notes in them".

D. Scott Nichols

Room #219
Wesley Health Care Center
131 Lawrence St.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Argyle

Sunday March 18, 2018 Matt McKinley

Theme:   "PT Exercise" - P is converted into T, changing spelling as needed.

23A. Most highly regarded seasoning? : TARRAGON OF VIRTUE. Paragon of virtue.
 
46A. Brusque orchestral violinists? : TERSE STRINGS. Purse strings.

67A. Actress Helen with her personal programmer? : HUNT AND TECH. Hunt and peck.

91A. Kids responsible for breakfast bread? : TOASTER GIRLS. Poster girls.

114A. Well-ventilated chef's hat? : TOQUE FULL OF HOLES. Poke full of holes.
  
36D. Chocolate-loving gang? : COCOA TOUGHS. Cocoa puffs.

42D. Measurement for meat rotating on a spit? : ROAST TORQUE. Roast pork.
   
Four first-word changes. Three last-word changes. All went through considerable spelling changes while the sound remain the same. So consistent. Very creative approach.

I never head of "Poke full of holes", I figured it's "Pocketful of holes", which actually has plenty of  Google support. Then I asked D-Otto about the extra sound drop.

Across:       


1. Peaks : ACMES

6. Two-letter pop group : ABBA

10. Prepares potatoes, in a way : WHIPS. Here is how D-Otto prepares his potatoes. Authentic! Boomer said the dumplings we had in one of the buffets were made of potato flakes.

15. Card in a wallet : VISA

19. Zagreb native : CROAT

20. Vanishing sound : POOF

21. Seating option : AISLE. Boomer's spot. He needs to stretch often. So I'm always in the middle.

22. It gives you the big picture : IMAX

26. Side : EDGE

27. Call for icing, maybe : SWELL UP

28. Author Binchy : MAEVE

29. Limo amenity : MINI BAR

31. Literally, "shady side" : YIN. So in winter, I eat adzuki bean soup (Yang). In summer, I have mung bean soup (Yin). I don't really see the differences, but I was told to do so from an early age.

32. Like two Beethoven piano sonatas : IN E

33. Groom on a 1952 Life cover : ABNER. Stumper.

34. B, in a sandwich : BACON

37. Bridget Riley's "Movement in Squares," e.g. : OP-ART

40. 23rd of 24 : PSI. Greek alphabet.

41. Gets more friendly, with "up" : WARMS

45. __ collar : ETON

49. Alley in comics : OOP

50. Soft shoe : MOC

51. Portends : BODES

52. Bush boss : REAGAN. Bush Sr. So sad his reputation is tainted now.

53. Singer DiFranco : ANI

54. Card game shout : UNO

55. "Trinity" novelist : URIS

56. "__ Not There": Zombies hit : SHE'S

58. Child with a sponsor, maybe : GODSON

60. Homer's "Northeaster," for one : SEASCAPE

62. Wall covers : PANELS

65. Quick quality : WIT

66. Italian noble family : ESTE

70. One of a program dozen : STEP. Now AA has branches in China. We also have 78. Lit : SOUSED
 
73. Big-eyed bird : OWL

75. "Tristram Shandy" author : STERNE

76. Bag by the barbecue : CHARCOAL. Also in my face wash.

 
81. Honey beverage : MEAD

82. "Hamilton" award : TONY

83. 97-Across output : RTE. And 97. See 83-Across : GPS

84. Holiday drink : NOG

85. Knockoff hr. : FIVE PM. Mine is often 4:00pm.

88. Glittery rock : GEODE

89. Logician's letters : QED

90. Granite St. campus : UNH. University of New Hampshire.

94. Town : BURG

95. Low choristers : BASSI
 
98. Golf bag set : IRONS

99. "Not a chance!" : MY EYE

100. Pie nut : PECAN. Do you have Sweetgreen in your area? We don't. They have so many nice & hearty salad bowl choices.

102. Kiss at the mall, briefly : PDA

103. Security briefing org. : CIA

104. Lunch with fish : TUNA SUB

107. Large crosses : ROODS

109. Head honcho, e.g. : MAGNATE

113. Finished : OVER

117. It's often stained : DECK. Oh hey, I fixed our deck hole last year at the guidance of D-Otto and TTP.

118. Language that gives us "kayak" : INUIT

119. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author : AUEL

120. Old Eurasian rulers : TSARS

121. Wine adjective : OAKY

122. Ideal areas : EDENS

123. Letters before Q? : LGBT. LGBTQ.

124. Limited-choice, as a question : YES-NO. Big Easy, at The Orleans, the extremely slow internet connection is part of the "Resort fee". You can also pay an extra $10/day, then you can have faster connection, download speed up to 25 Mbps. I think TTP has the fastest download speed in our corner.

Down:

1. John follower : ACTS

2. Sticking point? : CRAW

3. Extra : MORE

4. Near the start : EARLY ON

5. Yalta Conference notable : STALIN

6. Informal pricing words : A POP

7. __ vivant : BON

8. High time : BOOM

9. __ de coeur: amorous relationship : AFFAIRE. Funny how we write "heart" so differently.

10. Forgo : WAIVE

11. Put on : HIRE

12. Musician's suffix : IST. Oh, like pianist.

13. Pipes and such : PLUMBING

14. Welcome : SEE IN

15. Former "Today" co-host : VIEIRA

16. Source of film trivia : IMDB

17. Complex story : SAGA

18. Lumberyard supplier : AXER. Gluey fill.

24. Staple __ : GUN

25. Doesn't hold back : VENTS

30. Ski resort refreshment? : NEW SNOW. Still plenty of snow on our ground. No more please!

33. It borders three oceans : ASIA

34. Mystify : BEMUSE

35. Does penance (for) : ATONES

37. Rex in the classics : OEDIPUS

38. It may be given with a bow : PRESENT

39. Saddlebag carrier : ASS

40. Radio tuning shortcut : PRESET. Our Chrysler van clock loses a few minutes every year, so weird.

43. Like many Bing Crosby records : MONO

44. Slant : SPIN

46. Sacred scroll : TORAH

47. Got hot online : TRENDED. I figure those bitcoin mining machines get hot all the time, since mining is a 24/7 job.

48. Joke : GAG

51. Florida NFLer : BUC

56. Words often about details : SPARE ME. Guilty of oversharing at times. Forgive me.

57. Yogi Bear co-creator : HANNA

59. CD part : DISC

61. Bastes, say : SEWS

63. Talking point? : LECTERN. Great clue.
 
64. Educates : SCHOOLS

68. Lures : TEMPTS

69. Straights and flushes : HANDS

71. Place to grab a bite : EATERY. Really miss those neighborhood dim sum places in Guangzhou. So affordable. So fresh.

72. Promise : PLEDGE

74. Randy Johnson and Aroldis Chapman : LEFTIES. Kids these days probably don't know Sandy Koufax. We also have 88. Nats pitcher González : GIO

77. Deli choice : RYE

78. Oscar __ : SNUB

79. O'Neill's daughter : OONA

80. Giuseppe's god : DIO. Italian for "god".

86. Wanderer : VAGABOND

87. 80%-Disney-owned channel : ESPN
 
92. Done with : RID OF

93. Slow and steady : GRADUAL. My speed.
 
94. Just barely, at the track : BY A NOSE

96. Animated : SPARKY

99. Powerful : MIGHTY

101. Adorable one : CUTIE. Do you have these sweet Cuties in your local grocery store?

102. "Dead __ Society": 1989 film : POETS

103. Half-__: coffee order : CAF

104. Stink : TO DO

105. Middle eye layer : UVEA

106. Part of the woods? : NECK. Neck of the woods.

107. Really mess up : RUIN

108. Hit hard : SLUG

109. Shed : MOLT

110. Start of a sad tale : ALAS

111. Bird related to the noddy : TERN. Unfamiliar with "noddy". Jet black.

112. Brand that's a homophone of its company's initials : ESSO. Standard Oil.

115. N.Y. neighbor : QUE

116. Where some pounds are spent: Abbr. : LEB. I thought Lebanese use lira.

I'm so glad that PK's grandson Aaron has bounced back and Agnes' brother Jack (a retired firefighter) is responding better to the new antibiotic. Also relieved that Santa's surgery went smoothly and he's stable. Thanks for the love and care you've shown to our blog regulars. This means a lot to me.

I've removed last Sunday's puzzle from the cloud. Just email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you still need the PDF file. Please don't blame Rich Norris. It's the paper's fault. Rich won't make mistakes like this.

C.C.