Monday, June 17, 2019 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: NO ENTRY (39. "Keep out!" sign ... or, in three parts, each answer to a starred clue)  - Each theme entry is in the pattern of N* O*:

17A. *Home of the NFL's Saints: NEW ORLEANS.

24A. *Dentist's "laughing gas": NITROUS OXIDE.

49. *Admiral, e.g.: NAVAL OFFICER.

 

62A. *Slipping into slumberland: NODDING OFF.

Boomer here. 

NO problem. I lived through another bone strengthener treatment. I assume my bones are stronger but my tee shots are still shorter. Last Saturday was Joe Mauer Day at Target Field and Joe's number 7 was retired by the Minnesota Twins. Well deserved Joe!!  One of my all time favorite players.  I began collecting Joe's baseball cards in 2002 and I own his rookie card as well as about 300 different Mauer cards, including the autographed one below.  

Across:

1. Number-picking bar game: KENO.  A Las Vegas favorite.  Years ago you could enter a casino restaurant and a young lady would take your ticket and money. Then the lighted board near your table would show you how your picks did.  I don't see too many Keno runners in Vegas anymore.

5. Story on a stand: ALIBI.  I didn't do it.  I was playing golf.

10. Smear (on): DAUB.  In some casinos the attendant would daub your Keno number picks.

14. '70s embargo gp.: OPEC.  I don't know about any recent embargo, but gas prices sure go up and down.  Recently, our Minnesota pumps are around $2.55 per gallon.

15. Family car: SEDAN.  Still around but many families now opt for SUVs.

16. Teen's skin woe: ACNE.

19. Cry hard: BAWL.  If you try hard it could be "BOWL"

20. Blue Cross rival: AETNA.

21. URL letters: HTTP.

23. Cartoon frame: CEL.  Some of the older Disney ones are collector's items.

28. Showy houseplant: BEGONIA.

31. Mideast's Dead __: SEA.  Pebble Beach is by the SEA. I saw a lot of SEAls there this past weekend basking and not worried about an errant golf ball.

32. Scent: ODOR.  Jake ODORizzi is performing well for the Twins this year.  Can you say "Cy Young Award"?

33. L.A. commuter org.: MTA.  I thought the MTA was in Boston.  "Let me tell you the story of a man named Charlie on a tragic and fateful day.  He put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family, went to ride on the MTA."  the Kingston Trio.  - et tu Charlie?

35. Cause increasing bitterness: FESTER.  Reminds me of Uncle Fester on the Addams family.

38. Darth, as a youth: ANI.

41. '90s Indian prime minister: RAO.

42. Sought election to: RAN FOR.  A whole bunch of Democrat candidates are heading for their first debate soon.

44. "Gotcha!": AHA.

45. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

46. Yak it up: GAB.  I wonder if this was Gabby Hayes first name.

47. Insect colony with a queen: ANT NEST.  I have not heard of a queen ant.  I thought it was queen bee.  Then of course Andy Taylor and Opie had an Aunt Bee.

54. Sch. with a Providence campus: URI.

55. Christmas season: YULE.  Don we now our yuletide carols, Fa La La Fa La La La La La.

56. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.  Incredible performer. Holds five Olympic gold medals.

60. Very serious, as straits: DIRE.

65. Shifting choice: GEAR.

66. Take as one's own: CO-OPT.  Not sure I agree with this clue.  Our Homeowners Association is deemed a cooperative.  All they take is our money every month.

67. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

68. She, in Sevilla: ELLA.  I did not know this.  My Grandma's name was Ella.

69. Accounting giant __ & Young: ERNST.

70. Put in a hold: STOW.  Always worry about our luggage when we fly.

Down:

1. Hawaiian coffee region: KONA. Is Hawaiian coffee better than our South American stuff ?  Better than four bucks a cup Starbucks ?

2. Fencing weapon: EPEE.

3. Small salamander: NEWT.  Former House Speaker Mr. Gingrich.

4. Former justice Sandra Day __: O'CONNOR.  Retired from the court in 2006 at age around 75 years old.  Something I might recommend to some of the Geezers on the court now.

5. Syst. for the hearing-impaired: ASL.  What?? Hello??

6. Big name in jeans: LEE.  A big name in jeans was Lee Majors.

7. Montana neighbor: IDAHO.  Montana is a big state with many neighbors.  I wish someone could explain to me how a beautiful and huge state has such a sparse population. I have only been to Billings, but I feel it is a great place to live. Here is C.C. and me on our way to Billings, Montana for the USBC bowling tournament in 2002.

C.C. & Boomer, July 2002, Roosevelt National Park

8. Language of southern Africa: BANTU.

9. MIT and Brookings: INSTS. Located in Washington D.C. but has nothing to do with Brookings S.D. or Mel Brooks.

10. Little bit of gel: DAB. Famous line of Brylcreem.  A little dab will do ya. (If you are a greaser).

11. Giraffes eat its leaves: ACACIA TREE.

12. Not married: UNWED.  AVAILABLE did not fit.

13. Beauty at a ball: BELLE.  Beauty at a ballgame, Joe Mauer, number 7.

18. Reason for a ball game delay: RAIN.  OR 30 minutes of accolades for a former catcher.

22. Giants catcher Buster __: POSEY.  Here's another MLB catcher who may be headed to the Hall of Fame.

25. Island whose eastern half is a sovereign state: TIMOR.

26. Interest percent: RATE.

27. Ballot markings: XES.  In MN, we need to blacken a circle on the ballot.

28. Dull-sounding pig: BOAR.

29. "Show Boat" novelist Ferber: EDNA.

30. Spreading like crazy online: GOING VIRAL. It really appears that Amazon is trying to drive local retail out of business.

34. Santa __ winds: ANA.  Of course there was Santa Anna, a Mexican who led his army to the Alamo and killed Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.  But later, Sam Houston kicked his butt out of Texas so now Desper-otto has a safe place to live.

35. Old Marseille money: FRANC.  I guess it's all euro now.

36. Rabbits have big ones: EARS.  Back in the 50s and early 60s, rabbits had TV antennae named after their ears.

37. Rummage (around): ROOT.  Makes me remember Alex Haley's book and movie.

39. In a gallant manner: NOBLY.

40. Asian takeout option: THAI.

43. U.S. regulating org. with a wing in its logo: FAA. Still wondering what's happening with the 737 MAX.  It's gotta be killing the airlines that own them.  Imagine buying a Cadillac Escalade and being told you cannot drive it because it might crash.

45. Infuriates: ENRAGES.

48. Nashville's st.: TENN.  Home of the Grand Old Opry.

49. Gentle push: NUDGE. New York Yankee Aaron - Here comes the NUDGE, Here comes the NUDGE

50. Cartoon mermaid: ARIEL.

51. Part of a pound: OUNCE.

52. It may be tiled or carpeted: FLOOR. Chairs with wheels do not roll easily on carpeted floors. 

53. Made a meal of: FED ON.

57. Nincompoop: DOLT.

58. "In that case ... ": IF SO.

59. Some: A FEW.  Gesundheit !

61. Horse and buggy __: ERA.  What's wrong with a pitcher's stat??  too easy??

63. Two-outs-in-a-single-AB stats: DPS.  Double plays. Brutal for a hitter.

64. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.  A favorite of crossword constructors.

Boomer

Monday, Jun 10, 2019 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: MOVIE TRAILERS (49. "Coming attractions" offerings, and a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues)

20. *Opening night Hollywood event: PREMIERE PARTY. Movie premiere.

33. *Recognizable face associated with a cause: POSTER CHILD. Movie poster.

40. *Photographer's concern: CAMERA ANGLE. Movie camera.

Boomer here. 

Hi everyone. I am looking forward to the first day of summer coming soon. In our daily routines, C.C. eats mostly healthy food while I prefer junk food like pizza and brats. But there is one sign of summer that we both crave. The pallets of seedless watermelon invading the produce department of the grocery stores. They are not grown in Minnesota. The farmers thought about growing seedless watermelon, but they did not know what to plant.

Across:

1. Noisy blue birds: JAYS.  Toronto's baseball team.  Needs a little help this season.

5. What a wizard may cast: SPELL. I suppose you read about the spelling bee which became an eight way tie when they ran out of words.  Each of the contestants received $50,000.

10. Magic charm: MOJO.

14. Stand watch for, say: ABET.  Now that James is gone from Jeopardy. I suppose he is back home making a bet.

15. Shire of "Rocky": TALIA.

16. State firmly: AVOW.

17. Lugosi of "Dracula" fame: BELA.

18. MLB app for watching live baseball games: AT BAT. Sorry I watch them on TV.  I do not like the computer version.

19. Farmer's place, in a kids' song: DELL.  Hi-Ho the dairy O.

23. VIP vehicle: LIMO.  I remember going to the 1987 World Series at the Metrodome. I found a place to park about half a mile away.  When we approached the parking lot of the dome, there were at least 50 limos there.  Spoiled brat baseball players!!

24. Smash into: RAM.  Play football in L.A.

25. Current unit: AMPERE.  I am not sure about this.  I believe a current unit is a volt.  An ampere is the load.

28. Practice in the ring: SPAR.  Move that "S" to the rear of the word and give me some on the golf course.

30. Mil. bravery medal: DSC.  Distinguished Service Cross.  Must be pretty special because I have never seen one.  Closest I came was a Vietnam vet came into my unit with a Silver Star.

35. Brew ordered by its initials: IPA.

36. Periods often named for music genres: ERAS.  Also mentioned in pitchers stats.

37. __-Ida Tater Tots: ORE.  I suppose this references Oregon and Idaho, but I know most potatoes are grown in Idaho.  Not sure what happens in Oregon.

38. Colored eye part: IRIS. See also 61. Eye parts with 38-Acrosses: UVEAS.

39. Double-crosser: RAT.  Cannot help thinking of James Cagney when I see this.

44. Part of CBS: Abbr.: SYS.  Columbia Broadcasting is the other part.

45. Run __: go wild: AMOK.

46. Number of feet between baseball bases: NINETY.

47. Times two, a Gabor: ZSA. "She had twenty husbands, five of them hers.  What kind of life is that?"  I think Chad Mitchell Trio sang that about Liz Taylor.  Zsa Zsa lived to the ripe old age of 99.  Wow!!

48. Work with freight: LADE.

55. "Right away!" letters: ASAP. Maple trees have this. We still miss Argyle who would send us a bottle of homemade maple syrup.

56. Well in advance: EARLY.  MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher Mr. Wynn  Began his career with Washington and if he had stayed he may have become a Minnesota Twin.  But he left the Senators for Cleveland and finished his career with the White Sox. (then back to Cleveland for a cup of coffee and win #300.)

57. Life partner: MATE.

60. Bit of lingerie: SLIP.  Did you ever walk in Minnesota in the winter?

62. Most of the time: A LOT.

63. Fit for sainthood: HOLY.

64. Respond: REACT.  Think about those Broadway plays.  Those folks have to re act every performance

65. Verne sea captain: NEMO.  Played by Michael Caine and Omar Sharif.  I always thought he was a real person that lived before my time.

Down:

1. Elbow poke: JAB.

2. Mount Rushmore prez next to Teddy: ABE.  Shame on me.  I have driven through Rapid City, SD many times and even once stopped at the casino in Deadwood.  But I never drove the extra miles to see this fabulous carving in a mountain.  It should be one of the seven wonders of the world.  Let's at least give it number 8.

3. Shrill bark: YELP.

4. Hollywood hopefuls, back in the day: STARLETS.  The Sun is our biggest star.  I suppose we could call the little ones starlets.

5. Speak haltingly: STAMMER.  My uncle Howie had a terrible one.  Difficult to understand.

6. Outdoor party area: PATIO.  A lot of patios have now been replaced by decks on multi-story homes.

7. Hamburg's river: ELBE.  The Elbe flows through Northern Germany.  I was farther south, near Frankfurt.

8. False witness: LIAR.  Pants on fire.

9. Like sideways gridiron passes: LATERAL.  We don't see these in the NFL too much anymore.

10. "__ Secretary": TV drama: MADAM.

11. No longer hung up on: OVER.  I know they did not spell it this way, but I cannot help but think of Peter Graves in "Airplane."

12. Rude awakening: JOLT.  I don't know if it is still on the market, but I remember a high caffeine soft drink by this name.

13. Big-eyed: OWLY.  Stan -" I brought you some hard boiled eggs and nuts"

21. Celt's land: EIRE. Rory McIlroy's homeland.  Speaking of whom - What a great performance in the RBC Canadian Open this weekend.

22. Western chum: PARD.

25. Imitators: APERS.

26. Tropical eel: MORAY.

27. Exams for sophs and jrs.: PSATS.  I don't remember these as underclassmen.  I think I took SATs as a senior.

28. Filmdom ogre: SHREK.

29. Spot to fish from: PIER.  In Minnesota we fish from docks. Lot of lakes, not too many piers.

30. Somber song: DIRGE. I wonder why a Batman villain never got this name.

31. Like milk on the floor: SPILT.

32. "Mighty" Mudville dud: CASEY.  Absolutely my favorite classic poem of all time.  I rewrote it once and changed it to the "Twinville nine".  I also rewrote a bowling version where "Striking out" is a good thing.

34. Crooner Perry: COMO.  My sister Barbara's all time favorite.  Her son, my nephew visited from San Francisco just last week. 

38. Source of a masculine sense of self: INNER MAN.  Or a floatation device  Inner Tube.

40. 12 bottles of wine: CASE.  I wouldn't know.  I never liked wine much. Never enough to buy a case.

41. Nonprofessional: AMATEUR.  That's me. Amateur bowler, golfer, and speller.  C.C. is a pro blogger.

42. Investment firm figure: ANALYST.  I have never found an investment firm that fit me.

43. Classroom helper: AIDE.  Not a classroom, but there are many of these, mostly volunteers, at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis.

47. Lively: ZIPPY.  We don't have a Zippy's restaurant up North.  I hear they are in Hawaii.

48. Pastel purple: LILAC.  "Each lilac of green turns to one that is blue.  Love like the Lilacs can change colors too."  Chad Mitchell Trio.

49. Prepare, as potatoes: MASH.  "The game of life is hard to play" (M.A.S.H. theme song)

50. Capital on a fjord: OSLO.  I believe this was the home of Ole and Sven.

51. Rockies ski resort: VAIL.  Mile High, I think they have year round snow.

52. "Must-see" review: RAVE.

53. Polygon measure: AREA.  Polygons are fairly assorted and complex.  I think you would need a laser to calculate the area of some.

54. It may result in a commission: SALE.  Red Sox pitcher Chris is having a tough year.

58. Patriots' Brady: TOM.  Was not one of the "Brady Bunch", but now I think the Patriots are.

59. DDE's WWII command: ETO.  European Theater of Operations.  I was too young to remember, but of course Eisenhower was president in 1954 on the ten year remembrance of D-Day.  (June 6th).  He did not participate in the remembrance because it was too emotional for him. A number of the veterans who stormed the beach that day were on hand for the 75th remembrance last week.  Of course they are in their nineties now.  God bless them.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Boomer had one more Zometa infusion last Wednesday. Here he is looking cheerful, ready to deal with the drug and its awful side effects.

Boomer, June 5, 2019

Monday, June 3, 2019 Danny Reichert

Theme: Big Plus - Last word is a person who adds things up. And a Plus Sign is featured in the middle of the grid.

17A. One who shuns alcohol: TEETOTALER.

59A. Venomous European viper: BLACK ADDER.

11D. Club sandwich pickup spot: DELI COUNTER.

 

25D. "The Queen of Disco": DONNA SUMMER.

Boomer here.

FORE!  We are finally getting SUMMER temps here in the frozen tundra!  Years ago I used to be a bogey golfer.  Then ADDER stepped into my age and I needed a stroke COUNTER to figure my score.  But I am still at it, however the TOTALER is producing three digit numbers in the final figure.

Across:

1. Medium's board: OUIJA. I remember as a kid we thought this was spelled WEEGEE.

6. Diner side dish with cabbage: SLAW.  C.C, and my favorite.  We buy the bags already prepared with green and purple cabbage and chopped carrots.

10. Wood-shaping tool: ADZE.

14. "Bolero" composer Maurice: RAVEL.

15. Like takeout food: TO GO.  Not a favorite here.  I cannot remember any take out meals.

16. Flowery Hawaiian greetings: LEIS.  Tiny bubbles, in the wine.

19. European peaks: ALPS. Do people really ski down these ??

20. Resembling a classic sheriff's badge: STARLIKE.  Did sheriff Andy Taylor give one to Barney Fife?

22. Hoppy pub order, for short: IPA.

23. Stroll in the shallows: WADE.  The Vikings had a quarterback, Wade Wilson.  Sadly he left us in February at the age of 60.

26. Rent collector: LESSOR.  Funny name for a landlord.

27. Playfully shy: COY.  A real Mc.

28. "It's just __ manic Monday": the Bangles: ANOTHER. Pleasant Valley Monday, Here in status symbol land!

30. __Tax: tax prep software: TURBO.

32. Days __: hotel chain: INN. Kinda like Motel 6.  Clean, neat, and inexpensive.  That's the way I like it.

33. Navy vessel letters: USS.  How sad that the USS John McCain became an issue. 

34. Make it to midnight on New Year's Eve, say: STAY UP.  Not me anymore.  I am usually in the sack by 10:00 PM.

36. Melodies: TUNES.  "Should old acquaintance be forgot …"

38. Religious principle: TENET.

40. Hanukkah pancakes: LATKES.  I have never seen or tasted these.  However, since we are talking about golf, years ago I was a caddy at an exclusively Jewish Country Club, and those wonderful gentlemen generously paid for my services, some of which I used for tuition at my Catholic high school. Now as an assistant bowling coach there, I am occasionally invited to share in a religious service with a Priest, a Rabbi, and a Christian Minister. 

43. Pixar specialty, for short: CGI.

45. Golf ball perch: TEE.  I would not call it a perch. I have the kind that always tee up at the same height.  The problem is that sometimes my driver is not at that height at the bottom of the swing.

46. Canonized one: SAINT.  My high school honors Saint Benildus, a Christian brother and teacher.  He was not yet a Saint when I attended but was canonized in 1967.  My Benilde High School was joined by St. Margaret's Academy and is now attended by young men and women.  Several of each who are on the bowling team. 

47. Bow-and-arrow pros: ARCHERS.  I am reminded of pro golfer George Archer who won the Masters in 1969.  (Remember?  This was when the final four holes of Augusta were on CBS for maybe 2 hours of a Sunday in April.)

49. Beast with a beard: GNU.

51. Empower: ENABLE.

53. Formerly, old-style: ERST. I am thinking this is half a word WHILE I am working on this.

54. Drummer's __ shot: RIM. I hate it when NBA 7 footers hang on it after a dunk.

55. 17-Across' condition, always: SOBRIETY. Me too. I am told that Zytiga and alcohol don't like each other.

57. Peak: ACME.  Remember when the coyote, chaser of Road Runner, many times ordered something from ACME.  I think he got it from Amazon.

63. Sigh of relief: PHEW.  You use this when you hit the Titleist way right or left, and discover that it hit a tree and ended up in the fairway.

64. Kid's building block: LEGO.  I see this frequently in puzzles.  We did not have them when I was a kid, but I seldom see "Tinkertoys" in a puzzle.  There is a huge LEGO display and store in the amusement park area at Mall of America. 

65. Egypt's capital: CAIRO.

66. Response during attendance-taking: HERE. "Making each day of the year …. Here, There, and Everywhere !"

67. Physics work units: ERGS.

68. Used a keyboard: TYPED.  We had a "Royal" when I was a kid.  I learned on a "Smith Corona".  However I am nowhere near as quick as C.C.  I think she could do 100 WPM.  Now there's a three-letter acronym with all consonants.

Down:

1. Scrap of food: ORT.  I had an ort of watermelon this weekend.

2. Dubai's fed.: UAE.  Nice place to visit but I cannot afford to live there.

3. "__ been had!": I'VE.  I've had it with three letter words.

4. Globetrotting group: JET SET.

5. Multitudes: A LOT.

6. Creepy watchers: STARERS.  Saw a few of these at the Golden Bear's Memorial Tournament.  Did you hear that he is auctioning his 18 major tournaments Rolex and the result will benefit the Children's health charity that Jack and his wife, Barbara founded. He is expecting around $18 Million!!

7. Lounges around: LOLLS.  Laughing out loud with a Lucky Strike.

8. Ones who discriminate against seniors: AGEISTS.  I have never heard of this but if I meet one I will kick him right in the knee.  (That's all the higher that my leg goes now.)

9. Exercise routine: WORKOUT.  Maybe if I do this I could kick higher ??

10. Chicken __ king: A LA.  I wonder if they sell this at the KFCs in Alabama

12. Nada: ZIPPO.  I used to have a Zippo lighter when I smoked.  So did every other smoker that I knew.  I think they are collector's items now.  (The plastic butane throw away ones made Zippo obsolete.)

13. A college applicant may have to write one: ESSAY. Yup, now that they caught rich people buying their kids way in.

18. Accounts: TALES.

21. Inconsistent: ERRATIC.  My golf swing.

23. Stand by: WAIT.  For my buddy to tee off.

24. Declare void: ANNUL.  Take a mulligan.

29. "Siberian" dogs: HUSKIES.  Nickname for Saint Cloud State College (MN) Sports.  Huskies sounds a little more fierce than Gophers

31. "Later": BYE.  "Bye Bye Love, Bye Bye Happiness"  Everly Brothers.

35. Equals on a jury: PEERS. I'll have to look into that.

37. Approx. landing hr.: ETA.  I was reading in "Money" Magazine the other day that SPIRIT Airlines has improved in reaching their ETA on time.  We used Sun Country in February and they were late both ways. 

39. Student's hurdle: TEST.

41. Dignify: ENNOBLE.

42. Less likely to tip over: STABLER.  Ken Stabler was Quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.  Ken Passed away in 2015.  The sports world lost Bart Starr (Green Bay) and Bill Buckner, (Cubs, Red Sox and others) last week.

43. Colorful cats: CALICOS.

44. Like the alphabet with alpha and beta: GREEK.  Jimmie the Greek was a famous Las Vegas Bookmaker.

48. Prime time?: HEYDAY.  "Say Hey" Willie Mays began his career in Minneapolis for the Millers in 1951.  I only saw him once in person in 1957 when the Giants came to town for an exhibition.  He hit a home run over the left field bleachers and into Met Stadium parking lot.  About 500 feet from home plate.

49. Visual aid in a statistics text: GRAPH.

50. Specialized market segment: NICHE.  I pronounce this NIKE.  They make inferior equipment.

52. Fort __, NC: BRAGG. Named after General Braxton Bragg.  Huge Army base.  I was never invited there.

56. Social skill: TACT.

58. Female sheep: EWE.  I think C.C. put some pickle relish on her watermelon.  How's that for EWE.?

60. Elegant dance floor move: DIP.  Ritz Crackers are pretty good into the French onion DIP.

61. Poetic "before": ERE.

62. Curtain holder: ROD.  We just installed one in our shower.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to our talented Owen, who turns 69 years old today, I think. May you stay forever young to entertainment us for years to come, Owen!

Monday May 27, 2019 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: CAUGHT IN THE RAIN (52A. Surprised by a shower ... and a hint involving certain outer letters of 20-, 32- and 40-Across) - RAIN is broken up in three different ways.

20. Olive Garden, e.g.: RESTAURANT CHAIN.

32. Winning big: RAKING IT IN.

40. Breakfast cereal with dried grapes: RAISIN BRAN.

Boomer here. 

Greetings from the land of the Minnesota Twins!  They are off to a great start of the season.  We'll see how they do against better teams coming up.  Brewers, Rays, and Indians.  So the puzzle theme is RAIN.  We have had plenty of that recently up North, but I am not complaining.  

The devastating tornadoes in Missouri breaks my heart.  I cannot imagine if my home was destroyed by weather. In church yesterday, we offered a prayer for those in the Show Me State that were affected.  

 

Across:

1. Boxing contest: MATCH.  Smokey the Bear says "Only you can prevent forest fires."

6. Covered with frosting: ICED. Iced tea is a great summer drink

10. Morticia Addams, to Gomez: TISH. Itt's true.  You rang?  My sister used to call me Lurch.

14. Beef recall cause: E. COLI.  Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson battled this in the off season.

Kyle Gibson

15. __ Scotia: NOVA.

16. "Sounds good": OKAY.

17. Pulsate: THROB.  Could invade your legs with too much golf.

18. Long, hard trip: TREK.  Star Trek - Gateway to the final frontier.

19. Curly salon job: PERM.  If this hairdo is a permanent, why do you need one every six months?  Yeah, I know... You grew different hair.

23. Tokyo, formerly: EDO.  Do Japanese husbands and wives say this at the altar?

24. USN NCO: CPO.  Remember CPO Sharkey Don Rickles.  I don't, I never liked Mr. Rickles.

25. Enlightened cry: AHA.

26. HBO rival, briefly: SHO.  I bought Showtime for awhile in the 1980s.  I never missed "Bizarre" hosted by John Byner .  Live from Toronto Canada. I never paid for HBO.

27. Cologne squirts: SPRITZES.

35. "Did __ something wrong?": I DO.  I know Americans say this at the altar.

36. Suspicious (of): WARY.

37. Pelican State sch.: LSU.  One of the many sports teams with a nickname of the Tigers.

38. Strings at luaus: UKES.  National music maker of Hawaii.  (Tiny Bubbles)

39. Adam's mate: EVE.  I don't think they ever had to say I DO.

44. "Ask Ann Landers" sister column: DEAR ABBY.  Dear Abby is a celebrity grandmother of Dean Phillips who happens to be our third district congressman from the state of Minnesota.

46. Feel poorly: AIL. "Ail, Ail, the gang's all here".

47. Mex. neighbor: USA.  Wishing all a solace Memorial Day.  "God Bless America."

48. Former JFK lander: SST.  I believe the Super Sonic Transports are now all grounded.

49. Govt.-issued aid: SSI.  I have one.  Never put it on line or give it to a junk phone caller.

58. Gorbachev's land: Abbr.: USSR.

59. "What a great __!": IDEA.

60. No longer squeaking: OILED.  I have also heard of this to be an adjective of one who may have over imbibed.

61. Mets' old stadium: SHEA.  Shea Stadium replaced the old Polo Grounds where Willie Mays got his start, and Bobby Thompson hit "The shot heard 'round the world". (Both in 1951).

62. Expected result: NORM.

63. Wind instrument commonly played horizontally: FLUTE.  We have a musician in the choir at church who plays the flute.

64. Sassy: PERT.

65. Yucky stuff: GLOP.  I believe this is what cost Maximum Security big time in the "Most exciting two minutes in sports".

66. UPS competitor: FEDEX.  I little more sophisticated than UPS.  I think they fly (almost) everything to Memphis in the first hours, then sort it by destination and send it by plane to the addressee the next morning.

Down:

1. 39.37 inches, in Liverpool: METRE.  How many METRES are required for a first down ?

2. Felt the pain: ACHED.  A round of golf will make your body ache, but nothing is worse than a bad tooth.

3. Trunk of the body: TORSO.

4. Solidify: CLOT.  Great to stop the bleeding, but not good in your lung.

5. Small charcoal grill: HIBACHI.  These were popular when tailgating was a great picnic before a sports game.  Now a lot of the parking is in ramps, or tailgating is prohibited.

6. "101" course title word: INTRO.

7. Former "Iron Chef America" chef Cat __: CORA.

8. Tied, scorewise: EVEN.  OR Making a par on every hole, or balancing birdies with bogies.

9. '60s TV show whose title means "doctor" in Swahili: DAKTARI.

10. Astaire headwear: TOP HAT.  I am not old enough for Fred Astaire, but I remember seeing many pictures of past Presidents wearing Top Hats in inaugural parades.

11. Swedish retailer: IKEA. We have one near Mall of America.  I went there once but was not impressed.  I would be interested in your comments, because the brand seems successful.

12. Delhi dress: SARI.

13. Choir number: HYMN. In church yesterday, the choir ended with "America the Beautiful" in honor of Memorial Day.

21. "... wish __ a star": UPON.  Thank you Jiminy Cricket, and Walt Disney.

22. Spot for stubble: CHIN.  Double this and get the name my sister Connie calls C.C.  

C.C. & Connie, Feb 2019

 26. Wild blue yonder: SKY.  "Off we go".

27. Spacek of "Bloodline": SISSY.

28. Spitting sound: PTUI.  This is pretty gross.  I do not see it often nor do I do it.

29. Viral concern at the Rio Olympics: ZIKA.  I have heard that mosquitoes carry this virus.  We have plenty of mosquitoes in Minnesota, but I have heard of no virus.

30. Garden of __: EDEN.  Many cities have borrowed this name.  We have Eden Prairie, a Western suburb of Minneapolis.  A nice place to visit but I can't afford to live there. 

31. Maritime emergency letters: SOS. … --- … Save our ship

32. Enthusiastic review: RAVE.

33. Room size calculation: AREA. They used to use measuring tape.  Now it is done by laser technology.

34. Smooth-talking: GLIB.  Go Lie In Bed

36. Abandon bachelorhood: WED.  When people say I DO

38. Website ID: URL.  I used to know what this meant, but now I am so tired of three letter acronyms, I just don't care any more.  LOL

40. Foolhardy: RASH.  There is a PBA Bowler named Sean Rash.  He is not a favorite among competitors and they gave him the nickname of "Diaper". 

41. Letting up: ABATING.

42. Bandmate of Crosby and Stills: NASH.  "You, who are on the road, must have a code, that you can live by."

43. Attempt "more than one can chew," in an idiom: BITE OFF.  This would be a good name for a remedy that would ease the itch of mosquito bites.

45. Nickelodeon toon tot: RUGRAT.

48. "Forever" post office purchase: STAMP.  It's really a great idea for the USPO.  I bought a hundred when they were still 50 cents, and now I save a nickel every time I use one.

49. José's "L'chaim!": SALUD.

50. Seven, in Spain: SIETE.  Sieben in German but I'm not sure if I spelled it right.

51. Handy list in the back: INDEX.

52. Zodiac transition point: CUSP.

53. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.  A tragic story.  Ashe was a great tennis champion and a revered black athlete when there were not so many. Mr. Ashe had a heart problem and was given a transfusion of bad blood, which ended up causing his death at age 49.

54. Icon tapper: USER.

55. Talent show for 17 seasons, briefly: IDOL.  A so called talent show where some winners advanced to fame, while others proved they had no talent.

56. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.

57. Stir to anger: RILE.  I know it has no reference, but the answer reminded me of an old TV show with William Bendix called "The Life of Riley".  Something every man pursued in the 1950's.

Boomer

Monday May 20, 2019 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: OBIE (56. Theater award ... and a phonetic hint to the answers to starred clues) - Each theme entry is in the patter of O* B*.

 

17A. *Bread with a schmear: ONION BAGEL.

61A. *Annual Florida football game: ORANGE BOWL.
 

11D. *Coastal North Carolina resort area: OUTER BANKS.

24D. *Source of free drinks: OPEN BAR.

29D. *Séance prop: OUIJA BOARD.

Boomer here.

Bad weather here again.  I had to go Out Back to make sure rain had not damaged our garden.  Also on Thursday I went Out Bowling to defend my title in the Minneapolis 700 club 4 game tournament.  I started with 193-197-215 -- 605.  It was my first 600 set since the Big C damaged my back.  However my 4th game was only 157 and I placed 7th out of about 30 entries.

Across:

1. Like some private communities: GATED.  We have one of these in the metro area out by the famous Hazeltine Golf Club.  I am pretty sure that everyone living there is a multi-millionaire so we are not planning to move there. 

6. Really dull: DRAB.  I think that was the color of a '53 Dodge I once owned.

10. Second-year student: SOPH.  Since this is an abbreviation, shouldn't there be an abbreviated clue??

14. Ex-Yankee manager Joe: TORRE. Lots of career catchers seem to make the best managers.  I think it's because they can tell when a pitching change is necessary.

15. Goldberg who drew complex "machines": RUBE.

16. Make healthy: CURE.  Hormel Company of Austin Minnesota makes a Cure 81 Ham.  It is pretty good.  Much better than another Hormel product Spam.  Yuk.

19. __ Ant: tiny toon superhero: ATOM.  a cartoon by Hanna Barbera a long time ago.  Never gained the fame of Fred and Wilma. 

20. Therapy visit: SESSION. Add another "S" and you have a former Attorney General.

21. "Honor Thy Father" author Gay: TALESE.

23. Parody: SPOOF.

26. Fire engine signal: SIREN. A famous city in Western Wisconsin. My dad was born there, and my great uncle lived on a road, which is now named Burnikel Road.

27. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" singer Jim: CROCE.  Lot's of hits.  He had to say "I love you" in a song.

31. Can opener: POP TAB.  Wow. I am sooo old I remember when they first came out.  The tab came totally separated from the can.  Fishermen would open their beer and toss the tab into the lake where fish would eat them and die.  Finally a government agency in charge of fish killing litter told soda and beer makers to clean up their act.

33. Chief Greek god: ZEUS.

34. Mono successor: STEREO.  Yeah, I am old enough to remember the early ones.

36. __ Lingus: AER.

39. Somewhat: A BIT.

40. Hint of color: TINGE.

41. Escape key function: UNDO.  Also a function of a pull top on a can.

42. Friend of TV's Sheldon and Leonard: RAJ.

43. "For my next __ ... ": singer's intro: NUMBER.  And now, we have a group whose biting satire has gained popularity …. (Chad Mitchell at the Bitter End).

44. Pass over: SKIP. to my Lou

45. "Lawrence of __": ARABIA. A star studded cast including Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, and Anthony Quinn.  The movie lasted almost 4 HOURS !!  Yup I am old enough to remember that one too.

47. "Beau __": GESTE.

48. Scheming group: CABAL.

50. Serious play: DRAMA.

53. Roberto or Sandy of baseball: ALOMAR.  They were brothers. Sandy Jr. was a catcher for a number of teams, (Not all at the same time.)  Robbie played second base mostly in Toronto and was voted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr.

55. Deep regret: REMORSE.  I had a bit of deep regret that I decided to play golf last week.

60. Line through the middle of a circle: Abbr.: DIAM.

64. To be, to Balzac: ETRE.

65. Mexican's zilch: NADA.  Okay but I have heard many Americans use this word also.

66. Primary foe: RIVAL.  I watched Brooks make his rival Tiger look pretty bad last week.

67. Lincoln in-law: TODD.

68. From __: all-inclusive: A TO Z.

69. Take care of: SEE TO.

Down:

1. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.  I never had one, but they made my Mustang look silly.  Sorry, no more Pontiacs from GM.

2. Top-notch: A-ONE.  I have never had A One on my golf scorecard.  (Except when it precedes two other numbers in the total column.)

3. "Divergent" films heroine: TRIS.  Also Hall of Famer Mr. Speaker. NO I am not old enough to remember him.  I have only heard about him.

4. Greek god of love: EROS.

5. Actress Richards: DENISE.

6. Clog-busting brand: DRANO. I have heard it contains dangerous lye.  We use Liquid-Plumr.

7. "Area" floor covering: RUG.  We have several throw rugs in our home.  I think the big ones are called carpet.

8. Prez on a fiver: ABE. No I am not old enough to remember Abe, and neither are you.  But I have a lot of respect for his contribution to our country.  (Even though Mary Todd is known to throw potatoes at him).  Abe also replaced a Native American on the copper penny designed by Victor D. Brenner in 1909.

9. Pants holder-upper: BELT.  I took off a few pounds this past year so I might need a new one or two.  Sizes are confusing.  I ordered a couple from Dr. Leonard's and they were NOT the size that the catalog said.  I am not ordering blind through the mail any more, (except maybe baseball cards.)

10. Justice replaced by Gorsuch: SCALIA.  With all due respect to Neil, I think it should have been Judge Merrick Garland.

12. It's not poetry: PROSE.

13. Macho guys: HE MEN.

18. Jazz genre: BOP.  Reminds me of the restaurant in "Happy Days".

22. Regarding: AS TO. Two short words.

25. Valley __, Pa.: FORGE.  History was never my best subject, but this city is in the historical hall of fame.  A year or so after the Declaration of Independence, and after George III had time to digest it, George Washington led a large unit of brave men at Valley Forge and defeated a large number of men of the British Army. Now - the city is loaded with historical memories and a national park.   (NO I am not old enough to have been there.  I think I read about it in National Geographic.) 

27. Business magnate: CZAR.

28. Country star McEntire: REBA.  Mostly country music, I believe she has appeared at the Minnesota State Fair more than once.

30. Ill. winter hours: CST.  Minnesota is also on Central time.  I hate when the Twins are on the West Coast and games start around 9:00 PM - CST.

32. Equal: PEER.  If you PEER into the past you may see a Norwegian, PEER Gynt.

34. Ticket remnant: STUB.  Some stubs may fetch a few bucks.  I have 5 of the 1987 World Series stubs of the games I attended.  (Four at the Metrodome and one at Busch Stadium, St. Louis).

Boomer's World Series Stubs

35. Shy: TIMID.

37. Polish a manuscript: EDIT.

38. Dogie catcher: ROPE.

41. Take advantage of: USE.

43. Simba's mate: NALA.  "The Lion King's lady"

46. Smashed into: RAMMED.  I wonder why Dodge Trucks are called "RAM",  Have they been smashed into, or did they do the smashing.  Or maybe it is what happened to the Vikings last year when they visited Los Angeles.

47. Online players: GAMERS.  About the only thing I game on line is FreeCell Solitaire.

48. Military academy student: CADET.

49. Samuel of the Supreme Court: ALITO.  I respect our Supreme Court, but why does it take so long for them to make up their mind and why are decisions seldom unanimous?

51. Desi of "I Love Lucy": ARNAZ.  Yes, "I Love Lucy" was a great sitcom in the 50's and I am old enough to remember watching it on our 19 inch black and white console TV.  But then in the sixties, Desi did not love Lucy any more.

52. Bit of computer RAM: MEG.  No Dodge Truck there also.

54. Gossip columnist Barrett: RONA.  I am just not interested in Gossip.

57. Roam: ROVE.

58. Smack, as a fly: SWAT.  Special Weapons and Tactics.  I use them when I bowl.

59. Cockney greeting: ELLO.  Where the "H" is the "H"??

62. Stool pigeon: RAT.  James Cagney's favorite word.

63. Big fuss: ADO.  Adieu, Adieu my friends Adieu, yes Adieu.  I can no longer stay with you, Stay with you.  I'll hang my harp on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee.

Boomer