Monday June 18th, 2018 Peter A. Collins

Theme: FOREIGN LANGUAGE ( 37. What's left when you remove the first and last letters of the answers to starred clues)

20A. *Indiana university: PURDUE. Urdu.

22A. *Thin metallic layer: PLATING. Latin.

53A. *Raucous party: SHINDIG. Hindi.

56A. *Uniform top: JERSEY. Erse.

Boomer here.

The theme feels thin today. But the candidates are limited to start with.  Spent most of the weekend watching the U.S. Open golf tournament on TV.  I really don't care to see the best players in the world make double bogeys. My playing buddies and I make double bogeys all the time.  The difference being that we don't have some idiot yelling "Go in the hole" after every tee shot.  I don't mind that the rough is ankle high or there are ten bunkers around every green.  Accuracy is a must in golf.  But greens are the target.  Why make the surfaces of greens the consistency of my driveway?  Anyway, hats off to Brooks Koepka for his stellar performance !

Across:

1. "See ya!": TA TA.

5. Potato chip, to Mr. Chips: CRISP.

10. Barbershop singer: BASS.  We had two bass levels in my high school glee club.  I was a second bass.  But in baseball I played center field.  We also have bass in our Minnesota lakes.  Let's see, probably at least 200 bass each in 10,000 lakes, that's 2 million fish.

14. Israel's Abba: EBAN. This could be a forbidden use of e cigs, those nasty vapor things.

15. Book of maps: ATLAS.  Charles Atlas course, Roy Rogers horse and only the shadow knows.  Ah do you remember those...(Statler Brothers)

16. Shoot out: EMIT.

17. Classic theater name: ROXY.

18. Alabama march city: SELMA.Think of all the hate there is in Red China!

Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!

Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,

But when your return, it's the same old place,

We survived the eve of destruction.

19. Caesar's cover-up: TOGA. Get one for the party at Animal House, Delta Tau Chi!

24. Water vapor: STEAM.

25. Hex: WHAMMY.

27. Pacific cyclone: TYPHOON. I'll take their word for it.  I think we call them hurricanes in the US.

29. Yesterday's hit: OLDIE.  Oldie but a goodie.  But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone.  Yes, I watch some of those Pat Boone, Time Life half hour commercials, but I have not purchased.

33. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU.

35. Museum filler: ART. Mr. Garfunkel

36. Sanctify with oil: ANOINT.

41. Yearly records: ANNALS.

42. Choice from a tap, for short: IPA.  This is an acronym for some kind of India beer.  I had to Google it to learn.

43. "If I Ruled the World" rapper: NAS.

44. Vermouth name: ROSSI. They make Vermouth and Wine.  You may make a martini after you finish this puzzle.

45. Employed full time: ON STAFF.

48. "You convinced me": I AGREE.

50. Shelter resident: POOCH. A pooch can be a small dog.  However in the NFL it is a kick that goes about 20 yards to avoid a threatening returner like Pharoh Cooper.

57. On the wall, as art: HUNG.

58. Home of the NBA's Heat: MIAMI.  Used to be pretty good when they had LeBron

61. Meat safety org.: USDA.

62. Caesar's surprised words: ET TU.  Brutus to Caesar "How many eggs did you have for breakfast, Caesar ?" Caesar - "Et Tu Brute"

63. Fruit served in balls: MELON. We just serve it in squares and triangles.  It tastes great, and doesn't roll off your plate.

64. Cross paths: MEET.

65. "__ Fiction": 1994 Tarantino film: PULP. Never saw it.  Not a big fan of John Travolta.

66. County near London: ESSEX.

67. Part of DOS: Abbr.: SYST.

Down:

1. U. of Maryland team: TERPS. A Terrapin is a sort of turtle.  Heckuva name for a football or basketball team.  Almost as bad as Gophers!  Maryland joined the Big 10 a few years ago.  I think there are 14 schools in the Big Ten, so four of them must be small. Sorry, Husker Gary, Nebraska is not small. A welcome competitor.

2. Close to: ABOUT.

3. Spring onslaught at the IRS: TAX RETURNS.  Interesting name.  I pay income tax every Spring, but so far, none of it has ever been returned.

4. Soon: ANY DAY.

5. Beer purchase: CASE.

6. 66, for one: Abbr.: RTE. So famous even a Northern lad has heard of this famous highway, although I don't think I have ever traveled it.  It runs from Chicago through St. Louis, OK City, Albuquerque and on into Los Angeles.  I think there was a famous TV show with Martin Milner about Rte. 66

7. Sick: ILL. Chicago may be ILL.

8. Chinese watercraft: SAMPAN.

9. One starts, "The Lord is my shepherd": PSALM.

10. Pig-tailed Muppet: BETTY LOU.

11. Mine, in France: A MOI.

12. "__ on the dotted line": SIGN.  I have not seen a dotted line to sign on, Has anyone?  Most lines are ______________

13. Buck: STAG.  We used to call these parties where you don't bring a date.

21. One working at home?: UMP.  Some of these guys get a theatrical kick out of calling strike three.  I can't stand it.  No one goes to a ball game to see an Umpire, (except maybe his Mom.)

23. In a crowd of: AMONG.

25. Unlike new clothes: WORN.  Also unlike our driveway.

26. Crisis telephone: HOTLINE.

28. Some Halloween figures: HAGS.  "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too" 

30. "Gorillas in the Mist" author: DIAN FOSSEY. 46. Subject for 30-Down: APE.  In the funny papers - Alley Oop

31. "Young Frankenstein" role: INGA.

32. Cézanne's summers: ETES.  Maybe we could get ETES at IHOb.

33. Way, way off: AFAR.

34. U2 frontman: BONO.  I prefer a clue of Cher's Hubby - I got you babe!

36. Vet school subj.: ANAT.

38. Relaxing, as restrictions: EASING UP.

39. Trojan War epic: ILIAD.  I think this was written by Homer.  Maybe when "All Rise" Judge hits one out, John Sterling can call "It is high, it is far...ILIAD"

40. Church area behind an altar: APSE.

45. Bacchanalian revelries: ORGIES.

47. Discussion platforms: FORUMS.

49. "I wannit!": GIMME. "a head with hair, long beautiful hair, shining gleaming, streaming, flaxen waxen",  Did I mention I do Karaoke

51. Surrenders formally: CEDES.  Don't give up, we're almost done.

52. Marriott alternative: HYATT.  Both are a bit pricey.

53. "George of the Jungle" elephant: SHEP. Shep was an original Stooge, see below.  I think he was replaced by Curly.

54. Native Rwandan: HUTU.  Heard on the basketball court.  "Throw the Ball" "HU TU ?"

55. IHOP's "I," originally: Abbr.: INTL. IHOP has become IHOb now.  Have a burger with your pancakes??

56. Hex: JINX.

59. Baseballers Kaline and Rosen: ALS. I am privileged to have watched Al Kaline play a few games against the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium

60. Head Stooge: MOE. Larry, and my favorite "Curly".  I had a bowling teammate named Carl and we called him Curly.  But he wasn't a stooge.

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

Monday Jun 4, 2018 Roland Huget

Theme: MIXMASTER (60. Sunbeam brand ... and a literal hint to the circled letters:) - MASTER is anagrammed in each theme answer.

17A. Wind current that affects weather patterns: JET STREAM.

27A. Pet rodent's exercise gadget: HAMSTER WHEEL.

45A. Good survival skills: STREET SMARTS.

Boomer here.  

Yes the Mixmaster from Sunbeam!  And we had a beaming sun here in Minnesota this week.  I will never be able to understand how the mercury can hit triple digits a mere 6 weeks after we shoveled 18 inches of the white stuff out of our way.

Across:

1. __-as-you-are party: COME.

5. Wedge or pump: SHOE. Wedge, pump or golf.  I'll be wearing mine tomorrow and possibly using a wedge. 

9. Apple's Touch and Nano: IPODS.

14. Help with a robbery, say: ABET. Or -- visit a track and place a bet on Justify.

15. Phone in a purse: CELL.

16. "I kid you not": NO LIE.

19. Barton of the Red Cross: CLARA.  There is a name from the past.  A nurse in our  Civil War, Ms. Barton not only was of the Red Cross, She created it.

20. Purpose: USE.

21. First rainbow color: RED.  Mr. Skelton. aka Clem Kadiddlehopper

22. First Peace Corps director Sargent __: SHRIVER. Now we are in my era.  Mr. Shriver was not a Sergeant, his middle name was Sargent.  He was President Kennedy's brother-in-law, and I believe the President gave him the job of overseeing the newly created Peace Corps.

24. Lipton rival: NESTEA. N-E-S-T-L-E-S - Nestles makes the very best ... Chocolate.

26. Apple mobile platform: IOS. I know it doesn't matter in a crossword, but Apple displays this as iOS.  I think it stands for i Overcharge Society.

34. Concerning: ABOUT. Fight between Muhammad Ali and George Frazier.

37. Held the deed to: OWNED.

38. Mai __: cocktail: TAI. Pronounced My Tie and used to Tie one on.

39. Guns, as an engine: REVS.  In my neighborhood this is done in a 30 year old Chevy with little or no muffler.

40. Nest of chicks: BROOD.

41. Turkey meat preference: DARK.

42. Top worn with jeans: TEE. C'mon.  Everyone knows this is a piece of wood to hold a golf ball before Dustin Johnson whacks it 320 yards.

43. Birth-related: NATAL.  If you natal day happens to be February 29, how old are you.  Gilbert and Sullivan claimed that if you were born 20 years ago you would be "A little boy of five" and that was a paradox.

44. Numbered supermarket section: AISLE.

48. Brit's bathroom: LOO.  I wonder if the composer of "Skip to My Loo" had to go ?

49. Filmdom awards: OSCARS. I know this stands for the Academy Awards but the name actually came from some lady at the Academy who thought the statue looked like her Uncle Oscar.  It reminds me of half of the "Odd Couple" Oscar Madison played by Jack Klugman.  I think Walter Matthau played Oscar in the movie, Neil Simon was nominated for the Oscar for writing the "Odd Couple" but he did not win.

53. Longtime TV fitness guru Jack: LALANNE.  What a guy, lived to a ripe old age of 96.  Famous for the Power Juicer.  You could toss a handful of carrots into the thing and drink them in 2 minutes.

57. Job ad letters: EOE.

58. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.

59. Sumatran ape: ORANG.

63. Miata automaker: MAZDA. The fancy sports car has sneaked its way into the $25K range.

64. Jai __: ALAI. a fancy game like playing tennis against a wall.

65. Latin being: ESSE.

66. Sanctify: BLESS.

67. Clue or Risk: GAME. I think it was done by Cosmo Kramer and Neumann in Seinfeld's living room.

68. Peepers: EYES. Jeepers Creepers, where'd you get that clue?

Down:

1. Bayou cuisine: CAJUN.

2. More than plump: OBESE. - I was watching Lance Lynn pitch for the Twins on Saturday.  If He and Miguel Sano are first in line at the aftergame buffet, I wonder if anyone else gets to eat.

3. Doles (out): METES.

4. UFO pilots, presumably: ETS.

5. Riot, in the funny way: SCREAM. Wasn't this a movie back in the 90s ?

6. Take to heart: HEED.

7. Rio greeting: OLA.  I have a friend from Chile, and when he emails me its Hola. Can Brazilians not pronounce "H"s. ?

8. Shade trees: ELMS.

9. Narrow, exclusive group: IN CROWD. Not too exclusive. I believe there are 400 million Americans who think they are in it.

10. Refined manner: POLISH. or buff your golf shoes.

11. Norwegian royal name: OLAV. Ya Sure.

12. Desperate, as straits: DIRE.

13. Char on a grill: SEAR. Add an S and you have a retail chain that's losing money.

18. Halloween trick alternative: TREAT.

23. Put on the payroll: HIRED. Drank a root beer.

25. In this way: THUS.

28. Alphabetizes, say: SORTS.

29. Time for semiannual clock changes: Abbr.: TWO AM. Our computer and clock radio does it by itself.  We don't get up at 2 am to finish the job.  Next morning works.

30. __ Gay: WWII bomber: ENOLA. A B-29 named after the pilot's mom.  I was born after WWII. However my parents and history teachers taught me enough. I cannot applaud what our government ordered on that day in 1945. 

31. Vowels after zetas: ETAS.

32. British nobleman: EARL. Duke outranks Earl.

33. Facebook thumbs-up: LIKE.

34. Part of MFA: ARTS.

35. Borscht basic: BEET. I like beets, but they can add to your blood sugar.

36. Partner of "done with": OVER. Reminds me of Peter Graves in "Airplane".  The opening scene was filmed at MSP Airport.

40. Relay stick: BATON. Olympics are two short years away!

41. Brake rotor: DISC.

43. Nightlife sign's light source: NEON GAS.

44. On the briny: ATSEA.

46. African antelopes: ELANDS.

47. Dorm pal: ROOMIE.

50. Unable to sit still: ANTSY. Named after the New York Football team the GI ANTS.

51. Baseball Hall of Famer Pee Wee: REESE. And a great broadcaster "Holy Cow"!  Who said this first?  Pee Wee or Harry with the glasses. We had a Halsey here that copied them.

52. Tender spots: SORES.

53. Bausch's partner: LOMB.

54. Asia's vastly diminished __ Sea: ARAL. The Aral Sea is not really a sea but more like a lake.  In fact our own Lake Superior is larger than lake Aral.

55. Lie idly (around): LAZE.

56. Periodical with a URL: E-MAG.  I never saw an E-MAG and I never hope to read one.  But I can tell you anyhow, I'd rather see than be one.

57. Reason to study: EXAM.

61. Dockworkers' org.: ILA.

62. Match, as a bet: SEE. That would be in poker, instead of a raise.

Boomer

Monday May 28, 2018 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: PH SCALE (39. Acidity measurement range ... and where you'll find 17-, 23-, 50- and 60-Across?) - Each theme entry starts with P and H.

17. Simon & Schuster, for example: PUBLISHING HOUSE.

23. Jimi Hendrix classic: PURPLE HAZE.

50. Sort in compartments: PIGEON HOLE.

60. One's cleanliness habits: PERSONAL HYGIENE.

 

Boomer here.  

Hello all of you Mamas and Papas. Monday, Monday Can't trust that day. Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way. There I go reliving my youth of the 60s. Speaking of the 60s, this puzzle reminded me of my Dad's employer in the 60s. Physicians and Hospital Supplies. Also known as P & H.  However in those days, the drug industry was acceptable with prescriptions mostly around $3.00, Not like it is today with "Ask your Doctor" ads and Big Pharma was a term that had not yet been coined.

Across:

1. Emulated Pinocchio: LIED. I enjoy it when the Washington Post awards Pinocchios.

5. Gas and oil: FUELS.  Where is it at where you live?  In Minnesota, we are at around 2.85 per gallon of regular.  I heard in Manhattan it's around $5.00

10. Puppy sound: YIP.

13. Charitable gift: ALMS.

14. "How awful!": OH DEAR. Something Edith Bunker used to say.

16. Artist Yoko: ONO. Then I think Archie would say OH NO

20. Sch. in Charlottesville: UVA.

21. Leave speechless: STUN.  Milwaukee police are facing questions regarding their use of a stun gun on Sterling Brown of the NBA.

22. Path around the sun: ORBIT.  Also the path of an Aaron Judge home run.

27. Longtime senator Kennedy: TED.  Maybe could have been President except for that night in July, 1969.

28. Poetic "above": O'ER. - O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave, and the NFL.

29. Like stretchy waistbands: ELASTIC.

32. Spot on the tube: TV AD.  The number of ads I see for car insurance and prescription drugs, makes me think those two products might be over-priced?

35. Hitching post?: ALTAR. I get it, but it's a stretch.

37. Dove's call: COO.

38. Rolled-up bunch of money: WAD.

41. Sing with a closed mouth: HUM. That's not singing, that's humming.

42. Memorable boxer: ALI.  He put boxing on the map!  Everyone knew who the heavyweight champ was in the day.

43. Highways and byways: ROADS. Country Roads, take me home, to the place I belong.  West Virginia????

44. Stinging insect: WASP.

45. Solarium: SUN ROOM.

47. CIA relative: NSA.

49. Series-ending abbr.: ETC. Abbreviation for Latin et cetera."and so on".  Also a gift shop in Hudson, Wisconsin.

56. Mascara mishap: SMEAR.

58. Westernmost of the Aleutian Islands: ATTU.

59. Chicken __: POX. I thought of LEG and KFC.  I had chicken pox once and that was enough.  Odd name for an illness.  What did chickens ever do to deserve this ?

64. Young Skywalker's nickname: ANI.

65. Lighter filler: BUTANE. Yeah - these things are dangerous.  Glad I don't smoke.

66. Uncle Remus rabbit's title: BR'ER. Born and raised in the briar patch

67. "Delish!": YUM.

68. Ply with alcohol: BESOT.

69. Shopping place: MART. Always seems to indicate lower price.  K-Mart, Walmart etc.  Any more? 

Down:

1. Drink from a bowl: LAP UP. No, I just lift the bowl to my mouth and tip it.

2. Candy heart words: I LUV U.

3. Imprison: EMBAR.

4. ISP alternative: DSL.  The computer age has smothered us with three letter acronyms.

5. Kind of child or parent: FOSTER. Half a pair of sunglasses.

6. "Yup": UH HUH.

7. Twin Cities suburb: EDINA.  Edina is known to host the first indoor shopping center I believe in the US, circa 1957.  C.C. and I were there last week.  Southdale Mall has expanded and added and changed tenants, and it seems to want to compete with Mall of America.

8. Novelist Deighton: LEN.

9. Hollywood's __ Awards: SAG.

10. "Darn tootin'!": YOU BETCHA. - This phrase is tied to us Scandinavians Don'tcha know.

11. Treacherously sneaky: INSIDIOUS.

12. Frost or Browning: POET. He's a poet but don't know it, but his feet show it, They're Longfellows.

15. Pi follower: RHO. It's Greek to me.

18. Cruise stop: ISLE.

19. Disposal scraps: ORTS.

24. Sci-fi escape vehicle: POD. I would pick UFO.  Not even peas can escape from a pod.

25. Greek Zs: ZETAS.  Z is our last letter.  I think Zeta comes early in the Greek lineup.  Somewhere near Gamma Beta Epsilon.

26. Israeli airline: EL AL.

30. Exist: ARE.

31. Give a free pass: COMP.

32. First word in Moore's Christmas poem: 'TWAS.  Contraction for "It was". 

33. Eatery list including 99-cent items: VALUE MENU. Nothing anymore for less than a dollar.  McDonald's has a $1, $2, $3 and others have two for $6.

34. For now, in Latin: AD INTERIM. Technically translates "In the meantime" but I will okay it for now.

35. "Me too": AS AM I.

36. PC monitor type: LCD. I know this is an acronym for liquid crystal display, but I never understood it.  I know you get a clearer picture, but I'm not sure why.

39. Expert: PRO.  Short for professional, also means pretty darn good.  All of you are PRO crossword solvers.

40. Hula __: HOOP. The hoop went public in 1958 and I think everyone in the US had at least one.  I believe they were originally sold for .99 each.

44. Sob syllable: WAH.

46. Early color TVs: RCAS.  Before color TVs, RCA was a leading maker of "Victrola" sound equipment.  Remember The mascot dog "Nipper" ?

47. "Wait a bit longer": NOT YET.

48. Like a bug in a rug: SNUG.

51. Fancy parties: GALAS. Do you pronounce this GAY LA or GALLA ?

52. Prefix with centric: ETHNO. My puzzle's better than your puzzle

53. Rossini work: OPERA. Or a noontime soap.

54. No social butterfly: LONER.

55. Apply, as pressure: EXERT.

56. Fix at the vet: SPAY.

57. Knock over, as a bank: ROB.  I'm now thinking of Mary Tyler Moore's (Laura Petrie's) husband on the Dick Van Dyke show.

61. Pencil remnant: NUB.

62. Had lunch: ATE.

63. PC pioneer: IBM. I don't remember an IBM personal computer.  Most of IBM's computers were the size of a cruise ship.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Here is Boomer's 700 Club champion's plaque. The lights were knocked out due to the severe storm last Thursday night when they had the banquet, so all the bowlers enjoyed a candlelight dinner in hot hot weather.

Monday May 21, 2018 Jake Braun

Theme: INSIDE JOKE (61. Humor shared by a select few ... and by this puzzle's circles) - Three synonyms of jokes are hidden in three theme entries.

17A. Like #1 hits: TOP RANKING.

29A. Stands for sheets with notes: MUSIC RACKS.

44A. For a full license, it's 17 or 18 in most states: DRIVING AGE.

Boomer here.  

Good morning all.  I am sure you were able to CRACK a GAG while you solved this puzzle.  Much simpler Monday offering than last week. We finally got two new doors on our humble home last week.  Now C.C. can open them with one arm, and I can open them without the colorful language.

 

Across:

1. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA.

6. Sore after exercise: ACHY. Billy Ray Cyrus had a Breaky Heart

10. Landlocked African nation: CHAD. Okay, but my clue would have been Mr. Mitchell of the famous 60s Trio.

14. They're entered in court: PLEAS.

15. One of Pittsburgh's three rivers: OHIO. What is round on the ends and High in the middle?

16. Hawaii County seat: HILO. A song of love is a sad song, Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hilo.

19. Wide-eyed: AGOG.

20. Buffet fuel: STERNO. This would be a backwoods buffet.  Most casino buffets use steam tables.

21. Sewn medical treatment: STITCHES.

23. 36 inches: YARD.  How many were in Tom Brady's passing stats this year?

25. "So that's your game!": OHO.

26. Auto loan default result: REPO.

35. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E MIN. I think this was my grade on my first Latin test.

36. Rice field: PADDY. A fixture in Vietnam, but also Paddy O'Furniture is a famous Irish furniture store.  Is Irish furniture always green?

37. Shirt with a slogan: TEE. First time I've seen this word in a puzzle without a golf reference.

38. School basics: ABCS.

39. Pub beer orders: PINTS.

40. Cup of joe: JAVA. How many names can you think of for coffee?

41. Writing desk room, perhaps: DEN.

42. Classic orange soda: FANTA. A Coca Cola Company product - comes in many flavors but I don't see it in stores around Minnesota.

43. Inch or mile, e.g.: UNIT. Also a term for an Army Company.  Add a "wit" and it's what the sergeant called any one of us.

47. Macy's department: MEN'S. - History lesson.  Macy's in Minnesota was once Dayton's, owned by the family of our current Governor, Mark.  Dayton's was very popular years ago.  Macy's is high class but a bit on the pricey side.

48. LeBron, e.g., briefly: CAV. Looks like the Celtics are handling Mr. James pretty well in the playoffs.

49. Nose-in-the-air type: SNOB.

51. Challenging words: I DARE YOU. Sometimes you get "Double Dared"

56. Privy to the scheme: IN ON IT.

60. Sushi seaweed: NORI. This is seaweed that people eat! Not me.

63. Leg joint: KNEE.

64. Litter yippers: PUPS.

65. Sufferer healed by Jesus: LEPER.

66. Apt "ayes" anagram: YEAS. All in favor ?

67. Exxon, formerly: ESSO.

68. Substitutes' squad: B TEAM.  As opposed to the team of George Peppard and Mr. T who called everyone "Sucka", not lollipop. 

Down:

1. Tenants' qtrs.: APTS.

2. Vegas machine: SLOT.  Remember the old machines where you put coins in the slot.  Now they only take paper money.

3. Le Pew of skunkdom: PEPE. A famous skunk created in the 40s.  I think he fell in love with Penelope Pussycat.

4. Bags you don't check: CARRY-ONS.  I really hate it when people carry on bags that my bowling balls would fit into, then stuff them overhead. Two other cross-referenced answers: 31. 4-Down attachments: ID TAGS. 34. 4-Down may be stored under them: SEATS.  Not the bowling ball size though.

5. Yoga position: ASANA.

6. Hunky-dory: A-OK.  NASA talk in Houston I believe.

7. Letters after phis: CHIS. It's Greek to me.

8. Dash, as of a spice: HINT.

9. Quotable Berra: YOGI.  One of my all time favorite Yankees.  "When you get to a fork in the road, Take it."  Finished his career as a Met.

10. "One, two, one-two-three" dance: CHA CHA.

11. Like more efficient gas: HIGH OCTANE. Since Octo is eight in Spanish and ten in Month number, why is high octane 89-92 ? 

12. Botanical balm: ALOE.  Add VERA and we have a plant on our deck.

13. Kennel barkers: DOGS.

18. Usual: NORM. After the movie "Psycho" I think people stopped naming their sons, Norm. (Apologies to any Normans here on the blog today).

22. Whig rival: TORY.  I think people believe that Whigs and Tories became Republicans and Democrats, however after the big wedding Saturday, I think there's a bit of Whig in all of us.

24. Fooling: DUPING.

26. Check, as an invoice: RE-ADD.

27. Fireplace glower: EMBER.

28. Park place with tables: PICNIC AREA.

30. North Pole letter recipient: SANTA. Memories of Argyle here.

32. DJ's assortment: CDS.

33. Actor Costner: KEVIN.  One of my favorites, especially as Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  I think he bought into a casino in Deadwood, SD but it did not do well.

39. Flying Peter: PAN.

40. 747, e.g.: JUMBO JET. We don't see them much any more.  The 737 seems to be the jet of choice these days.

42. Pentagon side count: FIVE.  Hand slap gimme.

45. Isn't the same for everyone: VARIES.

46. Oklahoma city: ENID.

50. 16 oz.: ONE LB.  Okay - Libra is Latin for scale. That is how "pound" got the "LB" abbreviation.  This is why Latin drove me insanis.

51. Pitch-black: INKY.  I once scored 208,000 on a Pac Man machine at Great America Amusement Park in Northern Illinois.  When I finally lost there were about ten people behind me watching.  Inky was one of the characters in the game.  I think he was the blue one.

52. All finished: DONE. Almost

53. "Jeepers!": YIPE.

54. Heavy burden: ONUS.

55. Govt. mail agency: USPS. - We have 80,000 people in Brooklyn Park.  The mail gets delivered, but not always on time.

57. "Uh-uh": NOPE.

58. Flat-package furniture chain: IKEA. We have a huge IKEA store near the Mall of America. 

59. Senate six years: TERM.  33 seats are up for grabs in 169 days!

62. Prefix with metric: ISO.

Boomer

Monday May 14, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: (Split) Word Chain - Four rows of words form a word chain.

14. With 15-Across, station with a hook and ladder: FIRE. Firehouse.

15. With 16-Across, indoor chores: HOUSE. Housework.

16. With 28-Across, tireless sort: WORK. Work horse.

28. With 31-Across, big biting insect: HORSE. Horse fly.

31. With 32-Across, sticky strip: FLY. Flypaper.

32. With 40-Across, bills to pay with: PAPER. Paper money.

40. With 42-Across, financier: MONEY. Money man.

42. With 43-Across, strength needed for a team job: MAN. Man power.

43. With 61-Across, turn off, as a computer: POWER. Power down.

61. With 62-Across, Australia: DOWN. Down under.

62. With 63-Across, attempt: UNDER. Undertake.

63. With 14-Across, become ignited: TAKE. Take fire.

Boomer here. Happy Monday everyone! Demanding theme for a Monday, but C.C. said "Amazing grid work".  

I certainly hope that all of you young ladies out there had a happy and satisfying Mother's Day.  Congratulations to your families!  I had an interesting week.  I bowled in the Minneapolis "700 Club" tournament.  This is a 4 game scratch (no handicap) tournament for any bowler who has had a 700 + series in league.  There are 5 divisions separated by age, and I am in the "Older than dirt" division. (70+).  The tournament is held across 8 lanes so we move after each game.  I do not recall ever bowling a set like the one I had last Thursday.  254 - 262 - 140 - 246!  I left 4 splits in the ugly 3rd game but still recovered enough (902) series to win my division.  Sometimes it pays to be older than dirt.

Across:

1. Big name in PCs: ACER.  Makes me think of my 1975 AMC Pacer.  Great idea but they should have made one that was more dependable.

5. Play idly, as a guitar: THRUM. Now is this a strum with a thumb ?

10. Not that: THIS.

17. Particle for Fermi: ATOM. Nobel-winning physicist Enrico Fermi.

18. Out-of-use anesthetic: ETHER.

19. Blunted blade: EPEE. I never could figure out how a sword got this name.

20. One fighting back: RESISTER.

22. "The Quiet American" novelist Graham __: GREENE. - wrote novels and short stories before my time.

24. First stage of grief: DENIAL.

25. Firmly resolved (against): DEAD SET.

26. Election winners: INS

27. Company head: BOSS. The head is usually the CEO.  A boss is in charge of a chain gang.  "When I came down to Old Hannah, had a number for my name.  They chained us together and we started cuttin' cane"

37. Big cheese: EXEC. He could be a CEO

38. Wide shoe size: EEE.

39. Azerbaijan's capital: BAKU. If you have never been to Azerbaijan, you probably came to this blog to get the answer.  Welcome!

44. Censor's target: SMUT.

46. Friend of Frodo: SAM. Frodo Baggins/Sam Gamgee. Green eggs and ham, Sam I am!

47. Elk relative: RED DEER. I don't believe these are prominent in the U.S.  We have brown deer in Minnesota, but there is one around Christmastime with a red nose.

51. Dungarees: DENIMS.

54. Mistakes: ERRORS. A baseball stat with Runs, Hits, and Left on base.

55. Hand-tightened fasteners: WINGNUTS. A famous product of Ideal to connect wires,  I am sure Graybar has sold millions of them.

57. Galway Bay's __ Islands: ARAN.

58. New Orleans NFLer: SAINT. Lost to the Vikings last playoff with an unbelievably ridiculous "Hail Mary" pass to Stephon Diggs.

60. Lotion additive: ALOE. - C.C. has an Aloe Vera plant in our home.

64. "Do it, or __!": ELSE.  Or ELSE what ?

65. Wordsworth words: POESY.  Sounds like catcher Buster of the Giants, but spelled differently.

66. Fed. power dept.: ENER. I know they are talking energy, but we don't buy our power from the feds, do we?

Down:

1. A long way off: AFAR.  "We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar".

2. Credited in a footnote: CITED.  If you text while driving you may get CITED.

3. Like jagged edges: EROSE.  Did anyone send or receive an "E rose" for Mother's Day? It's sort of like an email but it smells nicer.

4. Wax nostalgic: REMINISCE.

5. Angle symbols: THETAS.

6. Marriott or Hyatt: HOTEL. Well known national names,  I prefer the "Orleans" in Las Vegas.  Bowling lanes on the second floor.

Boomer, 2018, the Orleans

7. German industrial region: RUHR.

8. Apply: USE.

9. Traffic slowdown spots: MERGES. We have a ton of these this year in MN.  Late Spring, no the powers that be a fixing every road in the greater Metropolitan area.  Took me an hour each way to and from the bowling tournament I mentioned earlier.  (The bowling center was a whopping 15 miles from my home.)

10. Coarse cloth: TWEED. Tweedle Dee Dee, Tweedle Dee Dum.

11. Aspirations: HOPES.  My Mom's name was Hope. Happy Mother's Day Mom, wherever you are!

12. Cara of "Fame": IRENE. Good night.

13. Trapshooting: SKEET.

21. Triangle ratio: SINE. This math went well over my head.

23. Farrier's abrasive tool: RASP.

25. Elder statesman: DOYEN.

27. Sound from the fold: BLEAT.

28. Sewn edge: HEM. If a sewn edge is a hem, then what is a haw?

29. Kitchenware brand: OXO. Not a common name.  I think they make Farberware.

30. Stimpy's sidekick: REN.

31. Thigh bone: FEMUR. Connected to the HIP bone.

33. Loathe: ABOMINATE.

34. Cat foot: PAW. Father's Day is next month for Opie and all of you who have a Paw.

35. Just get (by): EKE.

36. Capek's robot play: R.U. R.

41. 1914 battle river: YSER. I've heard of it, it's in Europe somewhere, but I don't think I could find it on a map.

43. Hunger twinge: PANG.

45. Really botch: MESS UP.  Error did not work, plus we already had it.

46. "Who goes there?" guard: SENTRY.

47. Aptly named novelist: READE.

48. Swashbuckling Flynn: ERROL. Errol was a bit before my time and I managed to never see an Errol Flynn movie.  The only black and white films I saw were the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy.  "Hard boiled eggs and nuts" is one of my favorite expressions.

49. Tied chess games: DRAWS.  I used to play chess but I was no good.  Somehow "Stalemate rings a bell but if you only have five letters to fill, Draws are okay.

50. "Death, be not proud" poet: DONNE.

51. Uses the good china: DINES. What's it called if you use paper plates ?

52. Disney's Chinese warrior: MULAN.

53. Feed, as a fire: STOKE.

55. Like a 10-lane highway: WIDE. - I saw 16 lanes (8 coming and 8 going) in Atlanta once.  Minnesota traffic could use that however we don't have plows wide enough for winter wear.

56. Tarot reader: SEER.

59. Chilean year: ANO.

Boomer