Monday October 22, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme: FOUR H (51. Club with 20-, 32-, 42- and 57-Across as members?) - Each theme entry has four H's.

 

20. English king married six times: HENRY THE EIGHTH.

32. "Three cheers" cry: HIP HIP HURRAH.

42. How wealthy people live: HIGH ON THE HOG.

57. Keep something in mind: HOLD THE THOUGHT.

Boomer here.

It was thirty years ago this month, and the Twins had taken care of the Tigers and were preparing to host the Cardinals in the World Series.  A young lady named Terrie Robbins was in the marketing department of the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper and came up with an idea for a Homer Hanky.  The Trib ordered 100,000 of them and gave them to the fans entering the Dome for game 1.  I cannot help but notice that it seems like nearly every pro team aiming for a championship, now has a Rally Rag or a Touchdown Towel for fans to wave at the games. They are all Homer Hanky copycats.

Across:

1. Online auction venue: EBAY.  I have sold (and purchased) many baseball cards on this site.

5. Waffle House competitors: IHOPS.  Pumpkin Spice pancakes in October.

10. Mine extracts: ORES.

14. Wind-driven device: VANE. You're so vain, you probably think this puzzle is about you.

15. Complete extent: GAMUT.

16. City founded by Pizarro: LIMA. Capital of Peru and succotash beans.

17. Simple __ of kindness: ACTS.

18. Cause of squinting: GLARE.

19. Sometimes-puffy I's?: EGOS.  Lego my Ego!

23. Circular coaster feature: LOOP.  Here we go loop de loop !

24. Guthrie at Woodstock: ARLO.  And you can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.

25. Vietnamese export: TEA.  I suppose, but I thought China was the main exporter of tea.  Mainly to England.  I see cars lined up 10 deep at Starbucks drive through here in the US.

26. Vietnamese soup: PHO.

28. Denials: NOS.

30. Site for crafters: ETSY.  Heavens to ETSY !

36. Inventor's spark: IDEA.  Thomas Edison is my IDEA hero.

37. Prefix with -gram: ANA.  Insta did not fit.

38. Govt. workplace monitor: OSHA.  Occupation Safety and Health Administration is a good thing for the workplace.

47. Arrived: CAME. '''Saw... Conquered"  Caesar (Julius, not Sid)

48. One-man show about Capote: TRU.  Famous for "In Cold Blood" (not my favorite).

49. Salt Lake City athlete: UTE.

50. Bay Area airport letters: SFO.  San Francisco / Oakland - Wear a flower in your hair.

52. Gillette razor: ATRA.  I get better life from a Bic

55. Bluesman Redding: OTIS.  Famous for "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay".  Died in a Wisconsin plane crash at age 26.

61. Christmastide: YULE.  Sleigh Bells ring, are you listenin'

62. In first place: ON TOP. Of old Smoky.

63. Perjurer: LIAR.  Pants on fire

65. Bana of "Hulk": ERIC.

66. Orange Bowl city: MIAMI.  How 'bout them Dolphins!

67. Sole: ONLY.  Only the Lonely, dum dum dum dummy do wah.  Orbison.

68. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA.  Hello Carla.

69. Kenneth Lay's scandalized company: ENRON.  Still have the golf balls, bought them on EBAY.

70. Eye rudely: OGLE.

Down:

1. Longoria of "Desperate Housewives": EVA.

2. One of music's Three Bs: BACH. plus Beethoven and Brahms.

3. Savanna springer: ANTELOPE. For Ants that don't want a big wedding.

4. Simple question type: YES NO.  or Maybe

5. Singer known as the "Godfather of Punk": IGGY POP.

6. Put the kibosh on: HALT. Who goes there ?

7. Nebraska city: OMAHA. Not Lincoln where the Golden Gophers were thrashed last Saturday.

8. Less tainted: PURER.

9. Pittsburgh footballer: STEELER.  Bradshaw was great, but Big Ben is not too bad either.

10. Cassini of fashion: OLEG.

11. Southpaw's opposite: RIGHTY.  True, but why not call him a Northpaw ?

12. Be a ham: EMOTE.

13. Obama daughter: SASHA.  The younger of two daughters.  Her full name is Natasha

21. Rice-A-__: RONI. The San Francisco treat.

22. Tiny bit: IOTA.  It's Greek to me.

26. Honor society letter: PHI. Common sorority letter.  (Also Greek to me).

27. Got ready for the surprise party surprise: HID.

29. Deposed Iranian despot: SHAH.  In the Jimmy Carter era.  I remember he used to come to Rochester Mayo for medical treatment.

31. Clog or moc: SHOE.  One two, buckle my _____.

33. Bad-joke response: HA HA.  When will we see Green Bay Packer Clinton Dix as a clue ?

34. Tres menos dos: UNO.  3 - 2.  You can't fool me.

35. Speak wildly: RANT.  and Rave.

39. Saying "Quiet!" to: SHUSHING.

40. Very popular: HOT.  When you're hot you're hot, when you're not you're me.

41. Get on in years: AGE.  Older but wiser.

43. "__ the end of my rope!": I'M AT.

44. Return from work: GET HOME. Object for those on third base.

45. Enter steadily, as a line of students: TROOP IN.

46. Rwandan native: HUTU.  Odd word

47. "Border" dog: COLLIE.  Who of us who have "gotten on in years" cannot forget Lassie.

50. More lamb than tiger: SHYER.

53. Kidney enzyme that regulates blood pressure: RENIN.

54. Essential rose oil: ATTAR.  C.C. is the rosehip oil expert of our family.

56. Snow house: IGLOO.  Yes we live in Minnesota. No we have a regular house.

58. Prefix for "ten": DECA.  So that's why December is 12.

59. __ sapiens: HOMO.

60. Towering: TALL.  The NBA is in full swing. I cannot imagine what it's like to be 7 feet tall and rich!

64. Pastrami bread: RYE.  I like rye bread, but never made a sandwich with pastrami.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Let's send positive thoughts and prayers to Big Easy's wife Diane, who's having knee replacement surgery today.

Big Easy (George) and Diane

Monday Oct 15, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: PRIVATE HOUSES (33. Most suburban residences... or, in a military sense, the ends of 17-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across)

17. Bedding structure for kids: BLANKET FORT.

24. Place for people with nothing to hide?: NUDIST CAMP.

46. "Theft" on a diamond: STOLEN BASE.

55. Secretary of Defense, for one: CABINET POST.

Boomer here.  

The Whiz Kids had won it, Bobby Thompson had done it, and Yogi read the comics all the while.  "Talkin' Baseball" with Terry Cashman.  Baseball is my favorite sport, especially this time of year, and although this C.C. puzzle is from the L.A. Times, I have to admit that I am rooting for the Brewers.  C.C. and I attended a Twins Brewers game at Miller Park some years back. Great stadium and foods!

Across:

1. Largest city in the Bahamas: NASSAU.

7. Beauty chain with a salon inside each store: ULTA.  We have a mega shopping center near our home and there is a Ulta store. A bit pricey though.

11. High-level H.S. classes: APS.

14. Takes in or lets out: ALTERS.  "And the times, They are a changing" (Dylan)

15. Not at all far: NEAR.

16. Milked animal: COW.  Would you believe that goat's milk is consumed more than Cow's in the world?

19. Pirouette pivot point: TOE.

20. Approx. takeoff hrs.: ETDS.  Acronym in a crossWORD puzzle ??

21. Patronize Airbnb: RENT.  "Trailers for sale or rent." Roger Miller

22. "Fine with me": SURE.

23. Sight organs: EYES.

26. Clinton opponent Dole: BOB.  They asked him once "Briefs or boxer shorts"  His answer - "Depends".

27. Fawn's mom: DOE.  A deer, a female deer, Ray a drop of golden sun ...

28. Partner of hearty: HALE.  Mr. Irwin of the PGA.  Won a lot of senior events also, but now he usually appears as a legend,  (With Jack and Lee)

29. Snake with a tight grip: BOA.  You can bet Cleopatra's ASP.

30. Otherwise: ELSE.

32. "It's freezing out here!": BRR.  Winter is coming up here in the North.  But I'd rather freeze for a couple of months than be invaded by a hurricane.

38. Crime family head: DON.  Former Dodger great, Mr. Drysdale.

39. Captains' diaries: LOGS.  I wonder if you have to log in to read them.

40. Bro, to a sis: SIB.

42. Liquor amount downed in a gulp: SHOT.  Trust me, I know guys that can gulp more than a shot.

44. Mango leftover: PIT.

45. Burst into tears: CRY.  The Yankees had to CRY UNCLE to the Red Sox, and the Yankee fans CRIED all the way home.

50. Bohr or Borge, by birth: DANE.

51. Evacuation center beds: COTS.  Actually there were plenty of these cots in the military locations mentioned in the basic theme of this puzzle.

52. Cyprus currency: EURO.

53. MIT Chapel designer Saarinen: EERO.

54. Tiny crawler: ANT.  They amaze me in where they build their homes underground.

58. Floral luau wear: LEI.

59. "Sin City" actress Jessica: ALBA. Got a Golden Globe for "Dark Angel"

60. Impassive: STOLID.

61. Clairvoyant's claim: ESP. Another acronym ??

62. Genuine: REAL.

63. Provides food for, as a party: CATERS.  So, in Idaho, do they Cater Taters?

Down:

1. Catch: NAB.

2. Hoops pass to a high flier: ALLEY-OOP.  The man in the funny papers we all know.

3. Regulatory legal association: STATE BAR. Lawyers pass this kind of bar, Not sure about the other kind.

4. Mails: SENDS.  "You OOhh send me" Sam Cooke.

5. Torah cabinets: ARKS. Noah's boat - 300 cubits.

6. Take advantage of: USE.

7. Like a ravenous cat: UNFED.  Someone did not watch the Chewy.com commercials.

8. Téa of "Madam Secretary": LEONI.

9. Fruit pastries: TARTS.

10. Paintings, sculpture, etc.: ART.  Mr. Linkletter of "Kids say the darndest things."

11. Bona fide: ACTUAL.  I think Bona Fide means "In good faith" in Latin

12. Words of self-pity: POOR ME.

13. Win every game: SWEEP.  Brewers did it to the Rockies in the NLDS

18. Most sincere: TRUEST.  No relation to Tess.

22. Accident mementos: SCARS.

23. Flow back: EBB.  The Tide flows back, unless you are using it to wash your clothes.

24. Ryan with seven no-hitters: NOLAN.  Hard to believe this pitcher had over 5000 strikeouts, yet lost 292 games.  (Yeah but he won 324)

25. Rocket booster's push: THRUST.

27. Dedicate, as time: DEVOTE.  "Up 'til then I'll always be..devoted to you" Don and Phil.

31. Snakelike fish: EEL.  I still don't think an eel is a fish.  How about a water snake ?

32. Bacall's love, familiarly: BOGIE.  My favorite golf hole score is bogey.

34. Objects of adulation: IDOLS.

35. Boards, as a bus: HOPS ON.

36. Leafy salad green: ESCAROLE.

37. Emphatic military denial: SIR NO SIR. I was at the VA this week getting a CT Scan, and the physician assistant called me "Sir",  I said "You don't have to call me sir, I was an enlisted man."  I think they are still chuckling.

41. ''Till next time'': BYE. "Bye, Bye, Love"  Don and Phil again.

42. "Sticks and __ may break ... ": STONES.  Many years ago, I think around 1963, I took a date to Excelsior amusement park, near Reggie's Danceland. Admission to Reggie's had been doubled to $3.00 each so we did not enter, but stayed in the park. We found out later that the price was raised because the band was from England.  Yup, you guessed it - we passed on seeing the Rolling Stones.

43. Inside track info: HOT TIP.

46. Deli counter weighing device: SCALE. Doe, a deer, a female deer, Ray a drop of golden sun...

47. Writer Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.

48. Forrest's shrimp-loving friend: BUBBA.  Sergeant Skinner of "In the Heat of the Night".

49. Sans-serif font: ARIAL.

50. Train station: DEPOT.  De Pot is now legal in many states.

53. Jazz singer Jones: ETTA.

55. Compact __: CAR.

56. PC key to the left of F1: ESC.  How many of you had to look at your keyboard to confirm?

57. NFL scores: TDS.  One of these days the answer will be FGS.

Boomer

Monday Oct 8, 2018 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Momentarily

20. Soon: IN SHORT ORDER.

41. Soon: BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

58. Soon: ANY MINUTE NOW.

Boomer here.

Football season is in full swing and I like the NFL as well as college games.  Of course I focus on the Big 10, (Which has become the bigger 14).  I wonder how some of these border battle trophies originated.  Minnesota battles Michigan for the Little Brown Jug, and takes on Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan's Axe.  This week was a battle with Iowa for "Floyd of Rosedale".  Floyd is a 98 pound statue of a bronze pig.  It is back in Iowa this year, but wait 'til next year.  You never know. 

Across:

1. Stand watch for, say: ABET. Put a few dollars on the Pass Line

5. Oompah instrument: TUBA.  What do two sheep say?

9. Think-on-your-feet tests: ORALS.

14. Greiner of "Shark Tank": LORI.  I have watched a couple of episodes of "Shark Tank".  That was enough.

15. Sister of Osiris: ISIS.

16. Fabled wish granter: GENIE.  Sometimes she appears in your dream, with light brown hair.   Barbara Eden will do,

17. Time-consuming: LONG.

18. With "of" and 71-Across, Steinbeck classic: EAST. 71. See 18-Across: EDEN.

19. Swim cap material: LATEX.  George Costanza is their salesman.

23. Hulu service: NET TV.  Basketball station ??

24. __ about: roughly: ON OR.

25. Eyelid bump: STYE.  Floyd of Rosedale's home?

29. Onetime Leno announcer Hall: EDD.

31. Prefix with mount or charge: SUR.  A big beach in California

33. Head-butting beast: RAM.  LA football player

34. Scoop in a cone: ICE CREAM.  I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream.

39. Katmandu native: NEPALI.

43. Make an error: SLIP UP.

44. Pedals on antique sewing machines: TREADLES.   We had an old Singer when I was young.  I never knew what that pedal was called.

45. Right-angled piece: ELL.

46. Gp. with Vikings: NFC. And Packers and Lions and Bears, Oh My!

48. Bearded beast: GNU.

49. Fraction of a min.: NSEC. Nanosecond.

51. Hindu princess: RANI.

53. Andean pack animal: LLAMA.  If you bought a toy one, would it be called a "Dolly Llama" ?

61. Pentagon, for one: SHAPE.  Five-sided where all the military honchos hang out.

64. Med. readouts: EKGS.

65. Molecule part: ATOM. If not a Dick or Harry, is he a Tom ?

66. Usual bus. address for sending in payments: PO BOX.

67. Cheer (for): ROOT. "If they don't win it's a shame."

68. Vaccine fluids: SERA.

69. Hollywood go-between: AGENT.

70. Actress Gunn of "Breaking Bad": ANNA.

Down:

1. Dead tired: ALL IN.  See 1-Across.  Make a bet all in.

2. Trailblazer Daniel: BOONE. Incredible!  This guy lived to be 85 when the average lifespan was less than 40.

3. Surrealist Max: ERNST.  Another 85 year old !

4. Tied snugly: TIGHT.  Once there was a little girl, whose mother tied her braids so TIGHT that when she cried, the tears ran down her back.  They called her Bacteria.

5. Wedding cake layer: TIER.  Do people still take the top tier and freeze it, then thaw to eat on anniversary #1 ??

6. Gannett's flagship newspaper: USA TODAY.

7. Badlands bovine: BISON.  North Dakota State football team.

8. Texas team that won the 2017 World Series: ASTROS.  Now fighting Cleveland to see if they will have a chance to repeat.  Verlander is amazing!

9. Look like a wolf?: OGLE.

10. Brings up, as kids: REARS.  Rearing kids includes occasional bops to the rear.

11. Industrious insect: ANT.

12. Tell it like it isn't: LIE.  The Washington Post keeps track.

13. "__ sells": ad biz mantra: SEX

21. Exceed, as a budget: OVERRUN.

22. Like an intoxicated spree: DRUNKEN. Supreme Court welcoming party ?

26. Fish with a net: TRAWL.  Minnesota has over 10,000 lakes and many more fisherman.  No way to fish with a net.  Give the floppers a fighting chance.

27. New Haven Ivy Leaguer: YALIE. See 22-Down.

28. Radiates: EMITS.

30. Cook, as onion rings: DEEP-FRY.  Makes my mouth water.

32. Le Car maker: RENAULT.

34. "Peer Gynt" playwright: IBSEN.

35. Honeycomb units: CELLS.  Homes for criminals. 

36. Paperless tax return option: E-FILE.  I am old school.  Fill out the 1040 and send it in.

37. "Blue Bloods" extra: COP.

38. Bon __: witticism: MOT.

40. Pea container: POD.

42. Encouraging: URGING ON.  College football fans

47. Picture taker: CAMERA.  Smile if you are on a Candid one.

50. Roasting bird: CAPON.  Ballplayers must have their Cap on when they take the field

52. 47-Down brand: NIKON.  "I've got a Nikon Camera, gonna take a photograph, Mama don't take my Kodachrome away".  Simon & Garfunkel

54. Tenant's contract: LEASE.

55. Tossed in a chip: ANTED.  I don't think this is a word.

56. Bond portrayer Roger: MOORE.  There were 7 James Bond.  I think Sean Connery was the best.  After he quit, I did not go to 007 movies any more.

57. "Seriously, bro!": AW MAN.

59. "I'm __!": "My turn!": NEXT.  Barber shop lingo.

60. Davis Cup org.: USTA. Tennis anyone ?

61. Place for a mud bath: SPA.

62. Biker's wheels: HOG.  I wonder if Harley Davidson minds that people call his bikes, hogs.  Maybe one could be a Minnesota/Iowa football game trophy.

63. Springfield presidential library nickname: ABE.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 77 birthday to dear Jayce, who's been with our blog since 2009. Often Jayce explains Chinese language quirks better than I do. He's just super observant. Here is Jayce with his beautiful bride, who speaks Cantonese.

Wedding Day

 

June 2013, Santa Barbara

Monday October 1, 2018 C.C. Burnikel,

Theme:  ZITI (64. Tubular pasta ... and a phonetic hint to 17-, 23-, 51- and 60-Across) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of Z* T*.

17. Complete quickly, as a test: ZIP THROUGH.

23. Predecessor to Millard Fillmore: ZACHARY TAYLOR.

51. Strict rule-enforcement policy: ZERO TOLERANCE.

60. Buddhist meditation sites: ZEN TEMPLES.

Boomer here.  

Well, normally I try to think of something clever to relate however this past week has been extremely forgettable.  I know C.C. has been relaying some of my aches and pains and I have been treating arthritis without good results. Finally on Tuesday I developed a severe pain in my shoulder and I said enough is enough. On Wednesday, C.C. and I went to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis and after several hours of tests, we were told that bone cancer has invaded my body.  We are determined to follow all doctors' instructions and fight this thing like crazy.  Thank you for caring.  

 

Across: 

1. Crispy fried chicken part: SKIN. Washington NFL Team ??

5. Foolish sort: TWIT.  Not me, but millions of folks go on Twitter to Tweet.  Are they Twits?

9. Neeson of "Silence": LIAM.

13. Cancún currency: PESO.  The peso has lost a bit of ground to the dollar.  I think a peso is worth about a nickel

14. Nonspeaking street performer: MIME.  Do mimes always paint their faces white?

15. Cellist Casals: PABLO.

16. "__ it first!": I SAW.

19. Spring melts: THAWS.  The favorite part of a Minnesota spring.  Trust me, I know.

21. Lake crossed traveling from Ohio to Ontario: ERIE.  I think this great lake supplies most of the snow for the spring thaw in Buffalo NY.

22. Golf course standard: PAR.  Did you have a look at the Ryder Cup course?  Making pars was a challenge on some of those holes.

27. "Later, Jacques": ADIEU.  "I'll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee."

28. Northern sky sight: AURORA.

31. Mixed-breed barker: MUTT.  Mindful of the "Mutt and Jeff" comics of long ago.

34. Isl. of Australia: TASM. Tasmania. Home of the Tasmanian devil which looks like a little bear.  But there was also a Tasmanian comic devil who looked like he could have a role in "Star Wars"

36. Remove mist from, as a windshield: DEFOG.  I wonder if there was a lot of these clever accessories in the early days of automobiles or if you needed a rag on your front seat.

37. Sushi tuna: AHI.

38. Grabbed a chair: SAT.

39. Praiseful poem: ODE. "It was the third of June, the day Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

41. Angsty music genre: EMO.

42. Lovestruck teen from Verona: ROMEO. Wherefore art thou? Or is this the first name of a car named Alfa?

44. Houston MLBer: STRO.  If this slang is OK, then the Minnesota team would be nicknamed "Wins".  I doubt it.

46. Unexpected problem: SNAG.  Anyone ever fix stockings with clear nail polish?

47. Angelic figure: CHERUB.

49. Transplant to a new container: RE-POT.

56. Margaret of stand-up: CHO.

58. Chilly: COOL.  This is the favorite word of the entire "Pawn Stars" cast.

59. Get the better of: ONE UP. Was a typical Ryder Cup score, before it got worse.

65. Geometry calculations: AREAS.

66. Brazilian soccer legend: PELE.  Everyone has heard of this Soccer star, but I have never attended a soccer match.  I am still a little ticked off when they tore down a bowling center in St. Paul to build a soccer stadium.

67. Actor Baldwin: ALEC. I enjoy his parody of President Trump on SNL.  I don't think the Prez likes it much, though.

68. Sore throat sign: RASP.

69. Part of GPS: Abbr.: SYST.

70. Some cameras, for short: SLRS. Single lens.

Down:

1. Dog group that includes the Akita: SPITZ.  Mark was an Olympic swimmer, and has a nice gold medal collection.

2. "Tik Tok" singer: KESHA.

3. Author Asimov: ISAAC.  His trivia quizzes appear in our paper daily.  I just do Sudoku.

4. "Yet another problem?": NOW WHAT.  One of my dear mother's exclamations.

5. Tabloid TV debut of 2007: TMZ.

6. Xbox 360 competitor: WII.  I never owned one of these, but I heard they had a fun bowling game.

7. Driving force: IMPETUS.

8. Colorful aquarium fish: TETRA.

9. Poet __-tzu: LAO.

10. Active ingredient in Advil: IBUPROFEN. I have a full pharmacy on my dresser.  Got to read every label to see what fights with what.

11. Pond growth: ALGA.  This is a singular form of algae.  I don't think you will ever see any alga alone on a pond.

12. Jay of "Last Comic Standing": MOHR.

15. Musical intro: PRELUDE.  Most famous was Lawrence Welk popping his cheek with a finger.  I think you need to be my age to remember.

18. "Howdy there!": HI YA.

20. Pathetic: SAD.

24. Beatles' meter maid: RITA. May I inquire discreetly? When are you free to take some tea with me?

25. First Irish Literature Nobelist: YEATS. 1923.

26. Miner's strike: ORE. St. So. of Wash.

29. Egg-shaped tomato: ROMA

30. Spellbound: AGOG.

31. Artist Chagall: MARC.

32. "Looks like trouble!": UH OH.

33. Mountain and Pacific, e.g.: TIME ZONES.  So if you leave the East Coast at noon and fly to Las Vegas, do you have to eat lunch again?

35. Gourmet mushroom: MOREL.

38. Reporter's contacts: SOURCES.  Mostly anonymous, but everyone always wants to know.

40. Info: DOPE.  Also slang for one who has no info.

43. Before, poetically: ERE.

45. Streetcar: TROLLEY. Generally gets power from an overhead source. Not like the SF cable cars.

46. Sonnet sections: STANZAS.

48. Market upswing: BOOM.  My nickname is Boomer, sometimes my friends will shorten it.

50. Gold, to José: ORO.  We used to use this as an acronym for "Our Records Only".

52. Big name in trading cards: TOPPS.  I have a long history with Topps.  I love their "Heritage Chrome" and my 1955 Topps Doubleheader set.

53. Sam of "Jurassic Park": NEILL.

54. More adorable: CUTER.

55. Heroic sagas: EPICS.

56. Industry mogul: CZAR.

57. Zeus' jealous wife: HERA.

61. Touch lightly: TAP.  Bowl and leave a ten pin on a pocket hit.

62. Lolling trio?: ELS.  Golfer Ernie.  Not invited to the Ryder Cup because he is from South Africa.

63. Erector __: SET.  Of course I had one as a kid.

Boomer

Monday September 24, 2018 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: Unless I miss something, it's just a set of "What To What" answers.

17. How canvassers usually work: DOOR TO DOOR.

27. How page-turners are often read: COVER TO COVER.

48. How apartment leases sometimes run: MONTH TO MONTH.

62. How pistol duelers typically stand: BACK TO BACK.

Boomer here.  

My feel good story of the week.  I help coach the varsity and JV bowling teams of my alma mater high school.  We have four members who are on student visas from China, so I asked C.C. if she could give me a "Nice shot" or "Way to go" in Chinese language.  C.C. gave me a short phrase that sounds like "hen hoa" and I used it a few times and you should see the smiles I lit on the young folks faces. (They also won their first match on Friday).

Across:

 

1. Answer with attitude: SASS.

5. Female WWII gp.: WAAC.  This is the Women's Army corps.  They dropped the A for Auxillary sometime after WWII. 

9. Ink cartridge color: CYAN. A fancy name for Turquoise.

13. " ... calm, __ bright": "Silent Night": ALL IS.  If you had trouble with this clue, you have no mistletoe in your home.

15. Stone of "La La Land": EMMA.

16. Revolutionary spy Nathan: HALE. He was hanged by the British during the Revolutionary War.

19. Correct a script, say: EDIT.

20. Satisfied sounds: AHS.  The sound you may hear when new Vikings kicker Dan Bailey kicks a field goal.

21. Golf's "Big Easy" Ernie: ELS.  High trains in Chicago.

22. Raised-baton strokes, in music: UPBEATS.  I would much rather have upbeats than be beat up.

24. Sauce with falafel: TAHINI.

26. Desk tray words: IN OUT.  Yes and no matter what, "IN" always has a higher pile.

32. Prop for Chaplin: CANE. "Ain't no more cane on the Brazos, we done ground it all in molasses, Oh, Oh, Oh."

35. Lodge logo animal: ELK.  A brotherhood organizations that advances organized youth activities, And a good place to buy pull tabs.

36. Total failures: LOSERS.  Those who bought pull tabs at the Elks Lodge.

37. Novelist Tolstoy: LEO.  Not to be confused with Sven's buddy "Ole".

38. Tallahassee sch.: FSU.

40. Thanksgiving mo.: NOV.  Sometimes Monday clues are easy,  Oops, I said that last week.

41. Blows volcano-style: ERUPTS.

45. "Double Fantasy" collaborator Yoko: ONO.  Oh No, Why is her surname not Lennon.

47. At the peak of: ATOP.  Old Smokey was covered with snow.

51. Prepare (oneself), as for a jolt: BRACE.

52. Hebrew greeting: SHALOM.  Sometimes good by or Peace.

56. "Definitely!": NO DOUBT.

59. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER. "Were so gallantly streaming."

60. Org. that publishes the newsletter GoGreen!: EPA.  Had some problems this year.  Director Pruitt considered the US Treasury his personal bank account.

61. Fictional estate near Atlanta: TARA.

65. Close tightly: SHUT.

66. At any time: EVER.

67. Count who composed "One O'Clock Jump": BASIE.

68. Depresses, with "out": BUMS.  Mindful of the old Brooklyn Dodgers.

69. Boxer Oscar __ Hoya: DELA.  I never was a boxing fan, but I have heard of Oscar.

70. Catches on to: GETS.

Down:

1. 1978 Egyptian co-Nobelist Anwar: SADAT.

2. "Welcome to Maui!": ALOHA. In Hawaii, I believe this greeting is similar to "Shalom".

3. Wade noisily: SLOSH.

4. Round Table title: SIR.  "To Sir with Love", Sidney Poitier grossed over $42 Million.

5. Ties the knot: WEDS.

6. Latin "I love": AMO.  I think that was the first Latin I ever learned, but I did not love it.

7. Invoice figure: AMOUNT.

8. Use the HOV lane: CARPOOL.

9. Frito-Lay snacks with a speedy cat mascot: CHEETOS.  The punch line in a lot of "turned orange" jokes.

10. When said thrice, "and so on": YADA.  Did "Seinfeld" start this or just make it popular??

11. Touched down: ALIT.  So if Tom Brady completes a pass in the end zone, is it alit?

12. Hockey targets: NETS.  Also basketballs, soccer balls, and butterflies.

14. Courtroom transcript pro: STENO.

18. Antipasto morsel: OLIVE. Ms. Oyl, Popeye's girlfriend.

23. Osso __: veal dish: BUCO.

25. Cooler cubes: ICE.  Sheets for Zamboni to repair every 20 minutes.

26. Annoying: IRKSOME.

28. Keebler sprite: ELF. A good old Santa helper.

29. Blow off steam: VENT.

30. Suffix with switch: EROO

31. Answer the invite, briefly: RSVP.  French acronym for "Are you coming or not?"

32. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM.  I miss "Ol Red.  He was a classic entertainer.

33. Prefix with dynamic: AERO.

34. Grammar, grammatically, e.g.: NOUN. Knock, Knock, "Who's there? … No Un.

39. Crazy Eights cousin: UNO.

42. WWII vessels: PT BOATS. Most famous was JFK's PT109

43. No __ traffic: THRU.  Turn around.

44. Pierced with a fork: STABBED.  Met her on a mountain, there I took here life.  Hang down your head Tom Dooley.

46. Initial stage: ONSET.

47. "Eureka!": AHA.

49. E to E, in music: OCTAVE.  So an Octave is eight notes, and an octagon has eight sides.  So why is October the tenth month?

50. Pulsate: THROB.  Be still my heart.

53. Car dealer's offering: LEASE.  Sometimes this will fit your budget better than a purchase, but it usually better for the dealer than the consumer.

54. Ref. to a prior ref.: OP CIT.

55. Manufactures: MAKES.  Sometimes I manufacture a mess.

56. Govt. accident investigator: NTSB.

57. Island near Maui: OAHU. Island location of Pearl Harbor.  I lived through the assassination of JFK, and 9/11/2001.  I was not yet born on December 7, 1941, and happy to say.

58. Percussion instrument: DRUM.  Come they told him pa rum pa pum pum.

59. Pod in gumbo: OKRA.

63. "Snow White" collectible: CEL.

64. Grocery sack: BAG.  Paper or plastic?  Some cities are now prohibiting plastic bags. All Right!  Back to the fifties!!

Boomer

Monday September 17, 2018 Craig Stowe

Theme: EMMY (72. TV award, and a homophonic hint to the four longest puzzle answers) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of M* E*:

 17. Large-scale departure: MASS EXODUS.

26. Cost of a car, in most family budgets: MAJOR EXPENSE.

49. Edmund Hillary's conquest: MOUNT EVEREST.

64. Region including Egypt, Israel, etc.: MIDDLE EAST.

Boomer here.  

I realize that the LA Times puzzle is more dominant in Western USA, however my sympathy goes to those on the East coast of the Carolinas and Virginia in the aftermath of hurricane/tropical storm Florence. C.C. and I took a vacation to Myrtle Beach about 15 years ago. We had a great time playing some golf and eating in buffets where they had shrimp piled two feet high.

Across:

1. Potato chips source: SPUD. Not Spuds, which is a Budweiser spokesman.

5. __ bean: LIMA. Sufferin' Succotash

9. Rick's "Casablanca" love: ILSA.

13. "Aww!": CUTE.

14. Spring bloom: IRIS.

15. Les __-Unis: ETATS. Interesting that the French spell "State" backwards

16. Neighbor of Yemen: OMAN.

19. Island setting for Melville's "Omoo": TAHITI. I think this is some kind of mecca in the middle of the Pacific.

21. Court order to testify: SUBPOENA. Robert Mueller's tool.

22. Mindless memorization: ROTE.  In grade school we learned songs by note or rote.

24. Farm sound: MOO.  I think this was a sorority in "Animal House".

25. Blue expanse, on a clear day: SKY.

31. 1860s White House nickname: ABE. Classic president. Got his face on a mountain in South Dakota, and his picture on a five dollar bill !

32. Thought: IDEA.

33. Traffic light color: YELLOW.  Are left turns allowed on yellow arrow where you live?

37. Gardener's bane: WEED.  We have a nice crop in our gardens this year.  I didn't plant any, must have been bad dirt.

39. Quick taste: SIP.

41. Produced: MADE.

42. American flag feature: STRIPE.  Add an "S" and you have the movie that made Bill Murray famous.

45. At hand: NEAR.

48. Buddhist school: ZEN.

52. Fermented quaff: ALE.  Not sure what the difference is between beer and ale.  I don't like the taste of either.

55. Slugger's stat: RBI.

56. Get up: RISE.

57. Removing from the text: DELETING.

60. 1971 New York prison riot site: ATTICA. I was not there but I remember it well. Lock criminals up and they tend to get ornery.

66. "__ be fine": "No prob": IT'LL.

67. Sad verse: ELEGY.

68. Spell-checker discovery: TYPO.  This is an odd word for a spell check.  However it's also an odd designation for my Type O blood type.

69. Not virtual: REAL.  This word reminds me of real estate.  Is there such a thing as "Fake Estate"?

70. __ a one: NARY.

71. The "Y" in "YTD": YEAR.  Sometimes Monday clues are pretty easy.

Down:

                                                                                                                                                                                 

1. Loch Ness local: SCOT.

2. Adidas rival: PUMA.  Not Nike.  It drew a critique for their new commercial, but they claim sales went skyward.

3. Home of the NBA's Jazz: UTAH. Home of the Great Salt Lake

4. Robert of "Dirty Grandpa": DE NIRO.  Really liked him in "Casino".

5. Restricted in number, as an edition: LIMITED. Or a designation for a train.

6. Nest egg acronym: IRA.  Individual retirement account. "Don't leave work without it."

7. Hit's opposite: MISS.  East of LA - West of ALA.

8. Take for granted: ASSUME. As Felix Unger once said "If you Assume, you make an Ass of U and Me." Emmy Winning "Odd Couple".

9. "Was __ hard on you?": I TOO.

10. Stows cargo: LADES.

11. Caused some nose-pinching: STUNK. You may have entered "Skunk" on the grid.  I don't blame you.

12. Evaluate, as metal: ASSAY.

15. Bring to light: EXPOSE.

18. Traditional black piano key wood: EBONY.  I don't own any, but I have heard ebony wood does not float.

20. Singer Amos: TORI.  Mr. Torii Hunter was a center fielder for the Twins for a number of years.  Famous for bringing back a Barry Bonds potential home run in the 2002 All Star Game.

23. Old flames: EXES.

26. Big mouths: MAWS. Could be the casts mothers on "Hee Haw".

27. Help rob the bank: ABET. Or you may place one in Las Vegas.

28. Taunt from the bleachers: JEER.  Interesting that this word rhymes with cheer.

29. Emulate Degas: PAINT.

30. "Slippery" tree: ELM. Used by spitball pitchers before my time.  (Unless Gaylord Perry??  Nah.)

34. Do nothing: LAZE.

35. Wordsworth works: ODES.  I liked the "Ode to Billy Joe" (Bobbi Gentry)

36. Attended, with "to": WENT.

38. Reduce in brightness: DIM.

40. __ pressure: PEER.  Sometimes we see GYNT clued as "Peer ___".  I think the guy's name is Edvard.

43. Rotund: PORTLY.  Usually they get to play catcher, or Offensive Tackle.

44. Jazzman Blake: EUBIE.

46. Pilot: AVIATOR.  Most famous, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.

47. Take ten: REST.

50. Distance between bases, in feet: NINETY.  MLB only. Distance in softball is 60 feet.  Distance between Fort Campbell and Fort Polk, about 800 miles.

51. Go to bed: RETIRE.  Or leave your career, or buy a new set of Bridgestones.

52. Commercial writers: AD MEN. They must be very busy. It seems I get to watch about 20 minutes worth, every hour.  (Whoever writes the GEICO commercials belongs in rehab.)

53. Bizet opera priestess: LEILA. Leila is a smart girl.

54. Tribal leader: ELDER.

58. Avant-garde: EDGY.

59. Motown's Marvin: GAYE.  Tragic story.  He was shot to death by his father!! Marvin Gaye is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

61. Receipt detail: ITEM.  Also a story in the Tabloids.

62. Linguine seafood sauce morsel: CLAM.  They call the soup "chowder"

63. One on your side: ALLY.

65. Daycation destination: SPA.

Boomer