Monday September 2, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: LABOR DAY (64. September 2, 2019 ... and what the first words of the answers to starred clues commemorate) - The first word can follow LABOR.

17A. *New Year's Eve headwear: PARTY HAT. Labor Party,

 

40A. *Billiards stick: POOL CUE. Labor pool.

11A. *Ground out on which the fielder needn't tag the runner: FORCE PLAY. Labor force.

35A. *Great Britain's flag: UNION JACK. Labor union.

Boomer here.  

Greetings all.  Wishing you a restful holiday.  Why do the call it Labor Day and then give 3/4 of the country the day off work?  But most of all, I am sure most of you will join me in wishing safety and free of damage to Lemonade and all who may be in the path of Dorian along the Southeastern shoreline of our country. 

Across:

1. Grazing area: LEA.  In Southern Minnesota we have a small city named Albert Lea, named after a famous soldier and surveyor in the 19th century.

4. Islamic mystic: SUFI.

8. Would rather have: PREFER.  I would PREFER an easier clue.

14. Rock concert gear: AMP.  Okay, I know what turns up the volume, but to me an AMP will always be a measure of electricity.

15. Mellowed in a cask: AGED.  Or me in a townhouse.

16. Novelist __ de Balzac: HONORE.

19. Offshore driller: OIL RIG.  Maybe Desper-otto can tell us if they are still doing this.  I remember BP having a problem in the Gulf of Mexico.

20. Loses speed: SLOWS.

21. Absorbed: RAPT.

23. Treats with a cold pack: ICES.  I have been treating aches and pains with a heating pad.  I am ready to try ice.

24. Weather-affecting current: EL NINO.  I think I still have that Storm bowling ball.

26. Vinyl record feature: GROOVE. " Lookin' for fun and feeling Groovy "  Paul and Art.

28. Building sites: LOTS.  We have lots of building sites here in Brooklyn Park.  Many town homes and condos are reaching for the sky.  We may get two Reps after the 2020 census.

30. Comprehensive: IN DEPTH.

33. France, under Caesar: GAUL.  GAUL is a bit of a questionable name for a country.  Sounds like Gall and in Gallbladder.

36. "And __ what happened?": THEN.

38. Relative via marriage: IN-LAW.

39. Sprint: RUN.  Many are preparing to run in 2020.

42. "SNL" alum Poehler: AMY.  Don't know her, but we have Ms. Klobuchar in the running, plus I have a younger sister named Amy also.

Amy Poehler

43. City near Syracuse: UTICA.

45. "Trees," for one: POEM.  "I wish that I could only see a poem as lovely as a tree."  It would not look like the tired old ash tree in our yard.

46. Parting words: BYES.

47. Compound cry of dissatisfaction: BOO HISS.  Not hearing this too much at Target Field this year.  We will see how our Vikings do soon.

49. Agile: SPRY.

51. Common workday starting hr.: NINE AM.

53. OSHA's "S": SAFETY.  Occupational Health.

57. Indian royal: RAJA.

59. Powerful engine: V TEN.  Have not seen one of them ever.  I think a Rolls Royce or a Packard may have had one back in the thirties.  I think BMW may have tried it in the past also.

61. Patty Hearst's SLA alias: TANIA.

62. Florida fruit: ORANGE.  Speaking of which, I hope Dorian does not ruin the crop.

66. "Hannibal" villain: LECTER. 44. Italian wine favored by 66-Across: CHIANTI.

67. Jacob's twin: ESAU.  I am not a big bible toter, but this story is really strange.  Jacob killed his twin Esau apparently to fool his blind father and gain a birthright.

68. Outfielder's asset: ARM.  A high batting average would be helpful also.

69. Muslim ascetics: FAKIRS.

70. Sunrise direction: EAST.  If you travel west 12,000 miles you get to the far East.

71. ___ Bo: fitness system: TAE. 

Down:

1. Moment of forgetfulness: LAPSE.  I notice that since I got older I have had many forgetful moments.  Now I know what they are called.  I hope I don't forget it.

2. Online shopping mecca: E-MALL. C.C. does a bit of online shopping. Saves on gasoline.

3. Cook's protection: APRON.  We have one at the end of our driveway.

4. Refuses: SAYS NO.  "You say YES, I say NO, you say WHY, and I say I don't know.  Hello, Goodbye.

5. "That stinks!": UGH.  This could be an acronym for an Under Ground Home.  Might be useful this week in Florida.

6. Fright: FEAR.

7. Suitcase tie-on: ID TAG.  And yet Airlines still lose them.

8. Kind of "Star Trek" torpedo: PHOTON.

9. King, in France: ROI.

10. Give some pep to: ENLIVEN.  Remember a breakfast cereal called "Pep"?  Then you are old enough to eat Grape Nuts.

12. Canal across New York: ERIE.  There's that Great Lake again.  Must be superior to the others.

13. Rules, briefly: REGS.

18. Woven fabric: TWILL. Wow! I have not seen TWILL fabric since Pep was a cereal.

22. Harry and William of England: PRINCES.  Without the "S" - this Purple Rain guy is a Minnesota icon.  There is a museum in a Southwest suburb of Minneapolis.  Even the Twins had a Prince night where they gave away purple stuff.

25. Enzo's eight: OTTO.  I have heard of OTTO Von Bismarck.  Not sure if the capital city of North Dakota was named after him.

27. Slobbery comics pooch: ODIE.  Jim Davis created Garfield and this dog.  The reason I remember this is that we had a Lithonia lighting rep Named Jim Davis that called on Graybar, and we used to call him ODIE.

29. Frequents, as a store: SHOPS AT.

31. Get under control: TAME.

32. Interstate rds.: HWYS.  I think the Interstate highway system that was initially created by Dwight Eisenhower was a great idea.  We have an I-35W in Minnesota that could have been planned better though.   A few years ago a bridge (and a bunch of cars) fell into the Mississippi River, They rebuilt the bridge, and now they have a big mess downtown while they add a few lanes. 

33. Vittles on the trail: GRUB.  J.K Simmons, (The State Farm ad guy) used to call lunch "GRUB" when he was Emil Skoda on "Law and Order".

34. Prefix with correct: AUTO.   It does it by itself.

37. Symphonic rock gp.: ELO.

40. Ache: PAIN.  You name it, I got it.

41. Infield quartet: UMPS.  In the majors only.  Lower divisions get by with one or two.

46. Substantially: BY FAR.

48. Cuts off, as diplomatic ties: SEVERS.

50. Inform on: RAT OUT.

52. Big fight: MELEE.  NHL season is right around the corner.

54. Continue until: END AT.

55. Jewel-studded topper: TIARA.

56. "I did good!": YAY ME.

57. Massage deeply: ROLF.  A treatment.  I am surprised that there is no commercial on TV -- "Ask your doctor if ROLFING is right for you."  Or why doesn't Joe Namath let you know that Medicare does not cover Rolfing.

58. Rectangle measure: AREA.  Lengths times Width

60. Mission Control org.: NASA.

63. Olympic country code alphabetically just before GHA: GER.

65. Music majors' degs.: BAS.

Last Word. I woke up Saturday morning to learn that Valerie Harper passed away.  Of course I always liked the Mary Tyler Moore show because they pretended it was in Minneapolis even though the only Minneapolis scenes were Mary walking along Lake of the Isles, and tossing her hat on Hennepin Avenue.  Valerie played Rhoda Morgenstern well, and earned a few Emmy awards.  But my newspaper informed me that Valerie was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013 and given about three months to live.  Six years later it caught up with her.  Thank you for setting an example for me, Rhoda.  Now rest in peace. 

Boomer

Monday August 26, 2019 Kevin Christian

Theme: Titleholders in Music

19. Nickname for Elvis Presley: KING OF ROCK 'N ROLL.

 

37. Nickname for Ella Fitzgerald: FIRST LADY OF SONG.

49. Nickname for James Brown: GODFATHER OF SOUL.

Boomer here. Greetings all. Those of us that follow Major League Baseball probably noticed that this was "Oreo" weekend.  All home team players wore very very white uniforms, while the visiting teams dressed in black.  Players were allowed to have their nicknames on the backs of their uniforms.  

It started to rain Saturday on the golf tournament so I switched TV to the Cubs - Nationals game.  There were no Cubs uniforms with "TTP" on the back.  I did not see a "Boomer" name on any uniform either.  I suppose none of the players were born in 1947. 

There were a couple of Black Hawk hockey players in the announcers booth and they led the 7th inning "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". I hope they play hockey better than they sing. I'm sure Harry Caray was spinning in his grave. 

Hey Elvis lovers try this:  "As the snow flies, on a cold and gray Chicago morn, another little baby Cub is born in a Wrigley." 

Across:

1. Meat shaped for a burger: PATTY.

6. Consider: DEEM.

10. Place to unwind: SPA.

13. Sound before "Bless you": ACHOO.

14. Food brand for Fido: ALPO.  I'll bet that dogs with other names eat it also,

15. Visa competitor, briefly: AMEX.  I don't think they have the cash back and travel miles deals to compete.

16. Like a wet day: RAINY.  The aforesaid golf tournament in Atlanta.

17. "Deal me a hand": I'M IN.  This is a new slogan for the Minnesota State lottery.  C.C. and I don't play because of the long odds, so "I'm Out."

18. __ slaw: COLE.  I am pretty sure that Nat King Cole belongs on the header list.

22. One rotation of Earth on its axis: DAY. Doris recorded "Sentimental Journey".  Not sure if she could be called a "Queen of  Soul".

23. Up until now: YET.

24. "I'll pay any price!": NAME IT.

28. Nod off: DOZE.  Previous Twins hero Brian Dozier was playing for the Nationals Saturday.  I  think his nickname is Doze, but I did not see it.

31. Not hers: HIS.

34. "We're having __!": retail come-on: A SALE.  Chris SALE is having a so so year for the Red Sox.

35. Jupiter's wife: JUNO.

36. Marriott rival: OMNI.  Dodge had an "OMNI Hatchback" on the market in the 70s.  They were small and ugly and have now been replaced by big and beautiful SUVs.

40. Scarlett's plantation: TARA. Also 60. Scarlett's last name: O'HARA.

41. Acme: APEX.

42. "Nevermore!" bird: RAVEN.  Edgar Allen Poe wrote this poem over 150 years ago, and it lives on.  I wrote "Zoilo, Tony and the Brew" about 35 years ago, and nobody cares. "The Mudcat, the Kitty and Old Blue, They knew them from Duluth to Waterloo.  Especially Zoilo, Tony and the Brew."

43. Boy in "Star Wars" prequel films: ANI. Darth Vader.

44. Currier and __: printmakers: IVES.  "These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives."

45. Seth of "SNL": MEYERS.

46. Ring or stud site: EAR.  No way anyone is EVER going to put a hole in my ear.

48. He wrote "The 42-Across": POE.  SEE!  Boomer not even mentioned.

58. Funny Bombeck: ERMA.  She left us in 1996.  The Minneapolis paper used to carry her column.

59. A4 automaker: AUDI.  A4 Is just the model name.  Maybe they misspelled "4A"

61. Close by: NEAR.

62. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN.

63. Post-op therapy: REHAB.

64. 2,000 pounds: TON. Load 16 of them, and what do you get.  Another day older and deeper in debt.

65. Ain't right?: ISN'T.  "So Ain't that too damn bad?"

66. Brutalizes: MAULS.

Down:

1. Place to spread a picnic blanket: PARK.  Not Fenway.

2. Smoothie berry: ACAI. These are healthy but very expensive.  Not as $$$ as health insurance though.

3. Slender: THIN.  Speaking of expensive food, I used to love Thin Mints.  Not anymore.  Now I just snack on Metformin.

4. Half a barbecuer's pair: TONG.  We have a pair in the kitchen.  Sometimes I use them to pick up something I dropped on the floor.  What can I say.  Sometimes older people need a little help.

5. Up-and-down weight loss effort: YO-YO DIET.  Not to be confused with Yo-Yo Ma, an accomplished cellist.

6. Grocery section with milk: DAIRY.

7. Red Muppet: ELMO.  He is tickled to be in this puzzle.

8. "Lawrence of Arabia," e.g.: EPIC.  This movie lasted nearly four hours!!  I preferred the 90 minute flicks at the Drive In.

9. 2000s OCD-afflicted TV sleuth: MONK.

10. Often sarcastic "Nice one!": SMOOTH MOVE.  Generally you should call "Nice one" on the golf course, whether it's a good shot or not.

11. __-mell: disorderly: PELL.  We used to call Pall Mall Cigs - Pell Mell.

12. Ice skater's jump: AXEL.

15. Property measure: ACRE.  Also can describe a bad tooth.

20. White part of beef: FAT.  Don't forget the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  Celebrated heavily in New Orleans and Las Vegas.

21. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE.  Speaking of Las Vegas there is a "Nye" county just west northwest of the "Silver City". We stay at the "Orleans", but not during the Mardi Gras festivities.

C.C. & Boomer, Feb, 2019

24. 1990s commerce pact acronym: NAFTA.  "North Atlantic Free Trade."  Trade does not seem to be free any longer.

25. Thai or Laotian: ASIAN.  Occasionally I like Chow Mein for a meal.  But C.C. says it is not real Chinese food.

26. He's not single: MARRIED MAN.

27. Film lioness: ELSA.

28. Fellas: DUDES.  I am not a Dude.  I dress sloppy and have never been to one of their ranches.

29. Banded gemstone: ONYX.

30. Place to observe animals: ZOO.  We have two zoos in Minnesota, but they don't seem to compete.  Neither has a Panda or a purple cow.

32. __ circle: group of close advisers: INNER.

33. Omens: SIGNS.

35. Joke: JAPE.

36. "__, can you see ... ": O SAY.  This is our national anthem.  I really object to some of the performances allowed at special events.  Can you say Roseanne Barr ??

38. Loo: LAV.

39. Having an irregular design: FREE FORM.

44. "Roth" investment: IRA. The "Roth" seems very complicated, however tax-efficient I suppose.

45. Bovine sound: MOO.  This was a sorority in "Animal House".

47. Not at all close by: AFAR. "We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse AFAR"

48. Make a hard copy of: PRINT.

49. Fellow: GENT.  Earlier in the puzzle he was a "Dude".

50. Black-and-white treat: OREO.  MLB games last weekend.

51. Uber alternative: TAXI.

52. Runs smoothly: HUMS.

53. Blissful Genesis place: EDEN.  I have mentioned this before.  We have a Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie.  It's about 40 miles south of us, and a very nice suburb.  I think Bud Grant lives there.

54. New York stadium dismantled in 2009: SHEA.  It is amazing that the Mets and formerly the Giants have gone through three ballparks.  So have the Twins and others.  While the Cubs and Red Sox live on in Wrigley and Fenway.

55. Honolulu's island: OAHU.

56. Eurasia's __ Mountains: URAL.

57. Chocolate dogs: LABS.  I have not seen a "Chocolate dog".  I have eaten chocolate bunny rabbits around Easter, but not any more. 

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to Montana,  a retired math & science teacher who lives in Montana. Here is a nice picture from her Oregon Trail trek back in 2012. 

Monday, Aug 19, 2019 Julian Kwan

Theme: SLICED BREAD (63. "Best thing" bakery metaphor ... and a hint to each row of circles) -

17. Data-intensive branch of engineering: INFORMATICS. 19. "Positively Entertaining" TV network: ION. RAISIN.

23. God, in Judaism: YAHWEH. And  25. Red-handed: IN THE ACT. WHITE.

 

38. Camaraderie: RAPPORT. And 41. Avant-garde music genre: ART ROCK. POTATO

 

52. Winter hike footwear item: SNOW SHOE and 54. Insect-sized superhero: ANT MAN. WHEAT.

Boomer here.  Hello puzzle masters.  Let me help you get to the CRUST of the matter. Raisin, White, Potato and Wheat bread are sliced up.

Across:

1. Paris eateries: CAFES.  I had a talk with C.C. the other day about the birth of Drive-in Restaurants, (McDonald's, Burger King, KFC etc.). They pretty much cut into the success of the CAFE business. 

6. Abyss: CHASM.

11. Birthday count: AGE.  Of course my age makes me a Baby Boomer. The experience is great.

14. Rack flavoring: SPICE.  There were a group of girls with this last name.

15. Hang in midair: HOVER.  Add an "O" and you have a vacuum cleaner.

16. Easter beginning?: NOR. Nor'easter.

20. After-tax amount: NET.  My after-tax amount is LOOSE CHANGE, but that was too long,

21. Unveiling word: VOILA.

22. Iraq War worries, for short: WMDS.  It is unfortunate that so many countries have them in their silos.

28. Burning crime: ARSON.

30. "__ luego": HASTA.  See you later!  Luckily we don't have too many foreign language words in our puzzles. N'est-ce pas?

31. "Oh dear!": ALAS.

34. Choir voice: TENOR. In my first year I was a Baritone, but then I graduated to Bass.  (Voice, not fish)

36. Judge on "The People v. O.J. Simpson": ITO (Lance). This famous judge holds the judge record for appearing in crosswords.  "All Rise!"

43. Annoying kid: IMP.

44. Greetings from Fido: WOOFS.  Not "Ruffs, or Arfs?"

46. Aired with sharper resolution: IN HD.

47. De-creases?: IRONS.  I like this clue and answer.  Clever play on words that I cannot enhance.

49. Lariat: LASSO.

58. Surfer's ride: WAVE.  I never tried this.  10,000 lakes do not have the waves that "Surf City" has.

59. Makeover result: NEW DO.  Pronounced "NUDE OOU"

61. Self-image: EGO.

62. Approx. landing time: ETA. The "E" for estimated is a word for Sun Country trips.

66. Fish in Japanese unadon: EEL. I Googled this and learned that Japanese have a dish called a unadon with roasted eels.

67. Aspect: FACET.  How many facets on your diamonds??

68. Montana Tech city: BUTTE.  It's pronounced BEAUT.  Not sure if they make Butter there.

69. NFL scoring stat: TDS.  Preseason has started.  I don't pay too much attention until they "Rack 'em up for real."

70. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.  I normally skip this section of the paper.

71. Thumbs-ups: YESES.

Down:

1. CBS forensic spin-off starring Gary Sinise: CSI NY.

2. Sleep concern: APNEA.  I think this is a breathing problem. I am told that I snore, but I don't consider that Apnea.

3. Elegant Manhattan avenue: FIFTH.  Only three blocks from "Puzzlemaster" Mr. Shortz.

4. Environmental prefix: ECO.  Weird things are happening.  July was a super hot month on record, arctic ice is melting.  Soon Manitoba may have more lakes than Minnesota.

5. Diner employee: SERVER.

6. Spiced tea: CHAI.  Popular tea. You can get it at Starbucks.

7. Emergency phone link: HOTLINE.  Always loved the setup in Maxwell Smart's secret control room (Agent 86 ?) Get Smart

8. Birdlike: AVIAN.

9. Jiff: SEC.

10. Doubtfire's title: MRS.  Rest in peace, Robin Williams.

11. Pixar specialty: ANIMATION.  Do they still have cartoons every Saturday morning on TV??

12. "Glad you spotted that error": GOOD CATCH.

13. Surrealist Max: ERNST.

18. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS.  Mayo Clinic offers MOHS surgery for skin cancer.  Created by Dr. Mohs.  The mineral hardness thing, I am not familiar with.

22. Director Anderson: WES.

24. Stinging flier: WASP.  You do NOT want to be stung by one of these nasty flying objects.

26. Norse god with a hammer: THOR.  "If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning, all over this land."  Peter, Paul, and Mary.

27. Kevin of "Central Intelligence": HART.

29. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO.  I can proudly say I have never watched one episode of the Simpson's.

31. MLB's Diamondbacks, on scoreboards: ARI.  Good team, ugly uniforms, especially on the road.  I cannot believe they let Greinke go.  However I think Zack has pitched for about 12 major league teams.  Must be a misfit.

32. Covered with plastic, as an ID card: LAMINATED.  Actually, most of my cards are already plastic, no lamination required.

33. Yeses from bosses: APPROVALS.  I would spell the clue Yesses.

35. Space-research org.: NASA.

37. Gave the green light, briefly: OK'D.

39. Dominates totally: OWNS.

40. __ Hashanah: Jewish New Year: ROSH.  This year starts September 29 and ends October 1.  I am not Jewish but I have many friends that are.  (Plus I like October 1 because that's when Graybar pays the quarterly dividends,)

42. Tear gas situation: RIOT. Did you watch Yankees Indians game last Saturday.?  Brett Gardner, C.C. Sabathia  (Not our C.C.) and Aaron Boone were tossed by the umpires.  It was a RIOT.

45. Bilked: FLEECED.

48. Be in debt: OWE.  I OWE, I OWE, it's off to work I go.  "Bashful, Grumpy, and Doc"

50. DUI-fighting org.: SADD.

51. Stuck-up: SNOBBY.  This is NOT Charlie Brown's Dog.  Good Grief !

52. 1974 hit "__ Home Alabama": SWEET.  "Where the skies are so blue"  Lynard Skynard.

53. Chilling in a cooler: ON ICE.  Many winter Olympic events are held there.

55. Track competitions: MEETS.  These could be Summer Olympic events.

56. Playing marble: AGATE.  I had a bagful when I was a kid.  Most were replaced by cat's eyes.

57. Connection points: NODES.

60. Moistens: WETS.

63. "City by the Bay" airport code: SFO.  In case you missed it last time: A fellow named Bennett passed away and went up to the pearly gates and met St. Peter.  He was issued a harp and wings and asked if a friend of his, Sam Fink was there.  "No one here by that name" said St. Peter, "you may want to check down in the other place."  So Bennett went down there and found Sam who had opened a discotheque and they had a long chat.  But then Bennett said he had to go and went back up to the pearly gates.  St. Peter met him and said, "Aren't you missing something?"  Bennett responded - "Oh my gosh!!  I left my Harp in Sam Fink's Disco."

64. Once around the track: LAP.

65. Lament: RUE.  A Golden Girl.

Boomer

Monday, Aug 12, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: Times 6

17. Half a million in annual pay, say: SIX-FIGURE SALARY.

27. Chromatic basis of much modern music: TWELVE-TONE SCALE.
 

48. Big rig: EIGHTEEN WHEELER.

63. Around the clock: TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN.

Boomer here.

This puzzle did a number on me.  I just want to take a minute to applaud all of you puzzle solvers out there. I enjoy commenting on the blog, and although I do not add many comments at the bottom shown on the next screen, I do read all of what you have to say. So many wonderful people on this blog!

Across:

1. Golfer __ Thompson, who had her first LPGA tournament win at age 16: LEXI.  She came on the LPGA like a fireball, and continues to play successfully.

5. College sports channel: ESPNU. Football is coming. Go Gophers!  Or your team! 

10. Inquires: ASKS.

14. Have too much, briefly: OD ON. Overdose on.

15. Surgical tool: CLAMP.  Used widely under a tent in M.A.S.H.

16. "Ignore that dele" mark: STET.

20. South Korean capital: SEOUL.  I have never been there however there are many ladies from Korea on the LPGA tour competing with Lexi.

21. Proverb: MAXIM.

22. Put the kibosh on: NIX.

23. Carry with effort: LUG.  This used to be a nut holding a tire on a wheel.  I guess they are still there but it seems the manufacturer hides them so if you get a flat, you need to call someone.

25. Like citizenship maintained in multiple countries: DUAL. Or like exhaust pipes and mufflers on a 1957 Chevy. 

35. Victory: WIN.  Root, Root, Root for the home team, if they don't WIN it's a shame !

36. In __: unborn: UTERO.

37. Sets straight: TRUES.

38. Mallorca o Menorca: ISLA.  The home of "Dragnet" IS LA.

40. Med. research agency: NIH.

41. Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT.  What comes after D Rat

42. Spanish girl: CHICA.

44. Like a chimney needing sweeping: SOOTY.  Like Santa at his arrival. Not Argyle.

47. Garden of Eden woman: EVE.  "And from the garden of Eden, picked the apple she was eatin" and I swear that I'm the one that et the core."  (Mitchell Trio).

51. Shoe or foot part: HEEL.  Folks used to teach their dog that.

52. __ de toilette: EAU.  About 100 miles east of Minneapolis lies Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  A very nice city, not a toilette.   I bowled many tournaments there in the past, at Wagner's.

53. Inveterate imbiber: SOT.

55. Impertinent: SAUCY.

59. Copy on transparent paper: TRACE.

66. Bonn article: EINE. The number of German Biers I could drink without getting sick.

67. "I'm innocent!": NOT ME.  Me neither.

68. Captain hanged for piracy: KIDD.

69. Toward the setting sun: WEST.  Also "Batman"  Adam.

70. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY.

71. Fruity beverages: ADES.  Shout out to Lemonade, same as last week.

Down:

1. It's often covered by insurance: LOSS.  I don't think there is any Dow Jones Insurance, other than selling short.

2. Actress Falco: EDIE.  I was thinking of Ernie Kovacs wife, Ms. Adams. 

3. Hugs-and-kisses symbols: XOXO.  Not a real good bowling score though.

4. Paid __: completely settled: IN FULL.

5. Heart test: Abbr.: ECG.  I thought it was an EKG.  Turns out they both mean the same thing.

6. Blighted inner city area: SLUM.  "On a cold and gray Chicago morn, another little baby child is born."  Elvis.

7. Law office hire, for short: PARA.

8. Ariz. neighbor: N MEX.  Large Southwestern state on the Mexican border. I have been there a few times and an SUV we are looking at from Hyundai is named after it's capital city, Santa Fe.  No relation to Santa Claus.

9. Potential for profit: UPSIDE.

10. Comm. system with hand motions: ASL.

11. Oliver Hardy's partner: STAN LAUREL.  Oh how I miss those guys.  Whenever a friend or relative needed to be in the hospital, I would always visit and bring them hard boiled eggs and nuts.

12. "The Americans" actress Russell: KERI.

13. River of Hades: STYX.

18. Candy heart sentiment: I LUV U. I don't know, the little candy hearts that we used to buy never had room for 5 letters.

19. Not optional: A MUST.  I had a 1968 Mustang many years ago.

24. Obtain: GET.

26. Farmland measure: ACRE.  I think there were green ones in Petticoat Junction.

27. A couple of times: TWICE.  Followed by ONCE, if you get to THREE TIMES you were in a lot of trouble.

28. "__ could help": WISH I.  "When you wish upon a star, males no difference who you are."  I think it was Jiminy Cricket.

29. Gives spiritual insight to: ENLIGHTENS.

30. Past, present or future: TENSE.

31. Mythical hunter: ORION.  This guy had some stars named after him.

32. Not at all: NO HOW.

33. Depart: LEAVE.  "Leaving, on a jet plane.  Don't know when I'll be back again."  Peter, Paul and Mary.

34. Compound with a fruity aroma: ESTER.

39. Nagging pain: ACHE. I's very uncomfortable in a tooth.  That's why I now have plastic.  I used to think Fixodent was an auto body repair shop.

43. Nuclear weapon trial: A TEST.  Hey!!  Cut that out in the Asian Pacific.

45. First word in many Grisham titles: THE.  Buck stops here.

46. Dublin-born poet: YEATS.  He's a poet but he doesn't know it.  His feet show it, they're Longfellows.

49. Comic Boosler: ELAYNE.  She thinks she's funnier than she really is.

50. California's motto: EUREKA.

53. Slow-cooked dish: STEW. I make really good stew.  Any cut of beef, celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and a special spice packet or two.  In a slow cooker for half a day, it's Greeeaaat !

54. Scrape, in totspeak: OWIE.  We had many when we were kids.

56. Mysterious sci-fi ships: UFOS.

57. Collapsible beds: COTS.  Canvas, no mattress.  Hard as a rock.

58. Arizona city on the Colorado River: YUMA.  That Colorado is really something.  I have visited Lake Mead and it's odd to see that much water in a desert.

60. Gung-ho: AVID.

61. Formally turn over: CEDE.  I give up

62. Concludes: ENDS.  We're getting there

64. Ping-Pong table divider: NET.  Pretty small, tennis courts are bigger.

65. Spanish throne occupant: REY.

I noticed last Friday that I now receive CBS channels on DirecTV.  I don't suppose I will receive credit for time lost.  I only missed a couple of PGA finishes.
 
Boomer

Monday, Aug 5, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: THE WHOLE SHEBANG (60. What the ends of 17-, 29- and 46-Across figuratively comprise) - Lock, stock and barrel end the three theme answers.

17. Wall safe access: COMBINATION LOCK.

29. Base for many soups: CHICKEN STOCK.

 

46. Classic country store container: PICKLE BARREL.

Boomer here.

And Happy August to all.  Coming soon to Minnesota is "The great Minnesota get together" where a fried dill pickle is sold $9 each.  Also known as the State Fair.  C.C. and I attended it each year until two years ago when parking was all messed up, and we skipped last year when my back was all screwed up. It's a pretty good fair though.

Across:

1. Tea service carrier: CART.  It also carries two senior citizen golfers.

5. Club in a Manilow title: COPA.  I think Ricky Ricardo sang there.

9. Shirk work: DOG IT.  Is this spelling missing an "sh" ?

14. Isaac's eldest son: ESAU.  Twin brother of Jacob.  Neither was a Minnesota Twin.

15. Tel __: AVIV.

16. Berlin Olympics star Jesse: OWENS.  Jesse broke world records as often as most people break bread.

20. Not yet bug-free, as software: IN BETA.

21. Smelling __: SALTS.

22. Lion in the sky: LEO.  Leo is Latin for lion, but the constellation order of stars looks more like a swan.

23. Grand __: wine label words: CRU.  I used to occasionally drink wine in Germany because it cost 2 marks (about 50 cents) a bottle back then.

25. Tijuana aunt: TIA.

26. Part of 24-Down: LOS. 24. Home to the NCAA Bruins: UCLA.  Famous for John Wooden's efforts at winning NCAA final four tournaments.  Thanks to Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Reggie Miller and others.

32. PC fixer: TECH.

35. Yale student: ELI.

36. Country divided in 1945: KOREA.

37. French friend: AMIE.

38. Part of a French toast: SANTE.  I have French toast for breakfast now and then, but I don't remember the SANTE.  Is that syrup?

41. Opposite of sloppy: NEAT.

42. Pool game call before "Polo!": MARCO.  Or a GEICO commercial.  (With a llama in it, I think.)

44. __ number on: confound: DO A.

45. Hathaway of "Ocean's 8": ANNE.  How many "Oceans" were there ??  

50. Tavern offering: ALE.  "Away, Away with rum by gum - The song of the temperance union"

51. Musical pair: DUO. DUET did not fit in the squares.

52. Paving material: TAR.  This is going on all over the place.  C.C. and I drove over to the Dam on the Mississippi the other day and we needed to walk a half mile just to get to the river.  They were repaving the parking lot.

53. __ Baba: ALI.

56. Doc's order to a pharmacist: SCRIP.  I had a conversation with my pharmacist last week.  I think he prefers the word prescription.

58. Use, as a scratching post: CLAW AT..

64. "West Side Story" heroine: MARIA.  "And suddenly that name, will never seem the same to me.  Say it loud and there's music playing, say it soft and it's almost like praying." 

65. New York canal: ERIE.

66. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.

67. Titleholder: CHAMP.  See UCLA Basketball.  They have taken a step back since John Wooden.

68. Confers knighthood on: DUBS.  Hey, How did some of my golf hits get into this puzzle ?

69. Website for crafty people?: ETSY.

Down:

1. Director DeMille: CECIL.

2. All together: AS ONE.

3. Role for Stallone: RAMBO.  A bit of a Rocky role.

4. London underground: TUBE.  Used to have some lake fun on these.  Now the lakes have e coli!

5. Yellow songbirds: CANARIES.  They have some islands named after them off the east coast of Africa.

6. Egg cells: OVA.

7. Cherry discards: PITS.  Reminds me of Mr. Pitt in Seinfeld.  Had to have new socks right away.

8. Fly a plane: AVIATE.  I often wonder how Mr. Lindbergh felt as he aviated the Atlantic.

9. "Let's not talk about that": DON'T ASK.  "Don't tell"

10. Barn hooters: OWLS. Went to sea with pussycats.

11. Old Metro automaker: GEO.

12. End of many co. names: INC.  They need to incorporate to include this in your title.  Many corporations have red INK on their bottom line.

13. Cluck of disapproval: TSK. I thought this came in pairs.

18. Thing to scratch: ITCH.  "And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch. Just then, the witch, to satisfy an itch, went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.  And Oooh what happened then was rich !"

19. Lena of "The Reader": OLIN.

26. Oscar winner Sophia: LOREN.  Best Actress twice in the 60s.

27. Atlantic or Pacific: OCEAN.

28. It can have wheels or blades: SKATE.  I used to have a pair of ice skates but I haven't used them for years.  I thought they were somewhere in the garage, but maybe I gave them away.

29. Cash alternative: CHECK. I still use the checkbook for some bills, but most of my bills are settled with ACH.  Saves a stamp. 

30. In a way, slangily: KINDA.

31. Having a key, in music: TONAL.

32. City on Florida's Gulf Coast: TAMPA.  I played golf at Grenelefe, went to Disney World, and got down to Tampa to visit Graybar.  Great City!

33. Computer message: EMAIL.  Another one of those new words that was created in the 90s.  "do you remember then?"

34. Homeric temptress: CIRCE.

39. Civil wrong: TORT.  I guess so.  I thought it was a lemon pastry, that must be a TART.

40. Divers' maladies: EARACHES.  What?

43. Addressee of many a Brit's "I say": OLD CHAP.

47. Current Italian currency: EURO.  When they first were approved and minted, I bought a bunch to sell at the flea market.  I think I made 75 cents,  I'm not sure.

48. Heated to bubbling: BOILED.

49. Author Gardner with many plots: ERLE.  His middle name was Stanley.  Not sure what Perry Mason's middle name was, but I thought Ham Burger was a clever name for the D.A.

53. Anticipate: AWAIT.

54. Highway divisions: LANES.  NO, NO!  These are synthetic boards made to look like wood that you roll a 15 pound ball at 10 pins and maybe knock down nine of them.

55. PC fixer: IT GUY.

56. Do pool laps, say: SWIM. I remember these at the high school pool.  Had to do 20 laps and get a life saver badge

57. Country where "Raiders of the Lost Ark" begins: PERU.

59. Blessed with the necessary skills: ABLE.

60. SHO sister channel: TMC.  Sorry, I don't pay for either one.  My TV bill is high enough and now DirecTV won't show CBS so I cannot watch the rest of the PGA tournament.

61. "I knew it!": HAH.

62. Significant period: ERA.  This is a significant pitcher's stat.  Twins just traded for Sam Dyson of the Giants, and he already laid two eggs.  I think his ERA for the Twins is about 19.00. 

63. Sis, to her sis: SIB.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Here is a little clip of our corner blogging team.

Monday, July 29, 2019, Mark McClain

Just Stringing Along.  The word String can precede the first word of each theme answer.

17-Across. *  Music course for budding composers: THEORY CLASS.  String Theory.

 

24-Across. *  Meatless taqueria item: BEAN BURRITO.  String Bean.  David Akeman (June 17, 1915 ~ Nov. 10, 1973), known as String Bean, was a musician and comedian on Hee Haw.  He and his wife were murdered by burglars in 1973.

Oh, a String Bean is also a vegetable.

39-Across. *  Closet accessory for neckwear: TIE RACK.  String Tie.

51-Across. *  Marshall Islands site of nuclear testing: BIKINI ATOLL.  String Bikini.

It looks complicated to get all those strings just right.

And the unifier:
62-Across. Like the starting team, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: FIRST STRING.

Hahtoolah, here.  Boomer and I are switching days for reasons that will become apparent tomorrow.  Fear not, however, Boomer will be back in his Monday position next week.  And a big Thank You to Boomer for filling in for me last week while I was attending a conference in NYC.

Across:

1. Polio vaccine pioneer: SABIN.  Albert Sabin (né Abram Saperstein; Aug. 26, 1906 ~ Mar. 3, 1993) was born in Baiłstok, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire).  His family left the old country and ultimately found their way to the United States.  In 1930, he became a US citizen.  He is best known for the development of the oral polio vaccine.  He also developed vaccines against other viral diseases, including vaccines for encephalitis and dengue fever.

6. Bacteria in undercooked meat: E. COLI.  The scientific name for this bacteria is Escherichia coli.   It is a group of bacteria that lives in the intestines of healthy people and animals.  Although often associated with illness, most varieties of E. coli are harmless.  It is a common bacteria used in high school and college biology labs.

11. Blot gently: DAB.  A little DAB'll do ya!

 

14. Budget prefix: ECONO.  Think of an Econo Lodge.

15. Gas in flashtubes: XENON.  Xenon in an inert gas.  It's chemical symbol is Xe and its atomic number is 54.

16. Pitcher's stat: ERA.  As in an Earned Run Average.

19. Animation frame: CEL.  This has become a crossword staple.

20. Mannheim mister: HERR.  Today's German lesson.

21. Non-discrimination want-ad letters: EOE.  As in Equal Opportunity Employer.

22. Rub out a pencil mark: ERASE.

28. Castilian hero: EL CID.  El Cid (né Rodrigo Díaz; born about 1043 ~ died 1099) was a Castilian military leader in medieval Spain.  His name, El Cid, is Spanish Arabic meaning "lord".  Over the centuries, he has become a mythical figure.

31. Gate securer: LATCH.

32. "Get lost!": BEAT IT!



 34. AT&T news channel: CNN.  As in the Cable News Network.

35. Entrepreneur Musk: ELON.  Elon Musk (né Elon Reeve Musk; b. June 28, 1971) is a technology entrepreneur who was born in South Africa.  He now holds South African, Canadian and US citizenship.  He is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla.

38. Tire inflator: AIR.

42. Señora Perón: EVA.  Eva Perón (née María Eva Duarte; May 7, 1919 ~ July 26, 1952) was the wife of Juan Perón.  Everything I know about her I learned from the musical Evita, so I take that with a grain of salt.

43. Washington MLB team: NATS. As in the Washington Nationals, the baseball team of Washington, D.C.

45. Bath tissue layer: PLY.

46. Like contentious discussions: HEATED.

48. Car music source: RADIO.  Car radios have so many options today.

50. Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA.  Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  When she assumed the office in August 2010, she was only the 4th woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.  Prior to joining the Supreme Court, she was the first female dean of the Harvard Law School.

55. The "HD" in HDTV, briefly: HI-DEF.  As in High Definition.

56. "Wayne's World" catchword: NOT.  When you go to the dentist, you are having a good time ... NOT! 57. Director Kazan: ELIA.  Elia Kazan (né Elias Kazantzoglou; Sept. 7, 1909 ~ Sept. 28, 2003), was born in Istanbul, Turkey to Greek parent.  The family immigrated to the United States in 1913.  His first feature film was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  He is probably best known for directing On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire.

61. Incubation target: EGG.  On the farm, the mother hen is the incubator.

66. "The Simpsons" bartender: MOE.  Did you know that Moe actually has a surname?  His full name is Moammar Morris Szyslak, but he generally goes by just Moe.

67. Host onstage: EMCEE. 68. Banded marble: AGATE.  Agate is a crossword staple.  It is a translucent variety of quarts and is sometimes used as a semiprecious stone.

69. "__ now or never": IT'S.

 

 70. Author Dahl: ROALD.  In addition to being a novelist, Roald Dahl (Sept. 16, 1916 ~ Nov. 23, 1990) was a flying ace and intelligence officer during World War II.  He is best known to me for writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  There was a fascinating article appeared in the Smithsonian about Roald Dahl a few years ago.  He had a very unique work space.

71. Sandwiches on pita: GYROS.  Yummers!

Down:
1. Eve's third son: SETH.  After Cain slew Abel, Adam and Eve had another child.  See Genesis 4:8.

2. Tooth pain: ACHE.  See 56-Across.

3. Dutch South African: BOER.  The word Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans noun for farmer, and refers to the Dutch and Huguenot population that settled in South Africa in the late 17th century.

4. Circling the sun, as a planet: IN ORBIT.

5. Oslo's land: Abbr.: NOR.  Oslo is the capital of Norway.

6. Former inmate: EX-CON.

7. Tabloid figure, for short: CELEB.  As in a Celebrity.

8. Words before whim or hunch: ON A.  As in the phrase On a Whim, or On a Hunch.

9. __ Angeles: LOS.

10. Newspaper ad, often: INSERT.  These generally take up the bulk of the Sunday paper.

11. Track-and-field competitor in 10 events: DECATHLETE.  Can you name the 10 events in a Decathlon?  I'll give you a hint:  it consists 4 track events and 6 field events.  The Decathlon became an Olympic event in the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games.

12. Childish rebuttal: ARE SO!

13. Cotton unit: BALE.

18. Vote for passage: YEA.

23. Uncle Ben's boxful: RICE.

25. Fix, as text: EDIT.

26. Wrist-to-elbow bone: ULNA.

27. Big spread with cattle, say: RANCH.  One of the largest cattle ranches in the United States is the Parker Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii.

28. Abba of Israel: EBAN.  Abba Eban (né Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; Feb. 2, 1915 ~ Nov. 17, 2002) makes frequent guest appearances in the crosswords.  He was born in South Africa, but was not a Boer.

29. "Star Wars" heroine: LEIA.  She was portrayed by Carrie Fisher (née Carrie Frances Fisher; Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).

30. Printer toner containers: CARTRIDGES.

33. Second-chance basket: TIP IN.

34. Shed tears: CRY.

36. Pizza parlor appliance: OVEN.

37. Spanish "nothing": NADA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

40. H.G. Wells race: ELOI.  These fictional post-humans from the 1985 novel The Time Machine, have become a crossword staple.

41. Fall (over): KEEL.

 

44. "For Pete's __!": SAKE.

47. Reaction to pollen, e.g.: ALLERGY.

49. "I beg to __": "I don't agree": DIFFER.

51. Archie Bunker type: BIGOT.

52. Adams with a camera: ANSEL.  Ansel Adams (né Ansel Easton Adams; Feb. 20, 1902 ~ Apr. 22, 1984) was known for his black-and-white landscape photography, much of which was of the American West and the National Parks.

53. Hauled: TOTED.

54. Extra NBA periods: OTs.  As in Over Times.

55. Prefix with sphere meaning "half": HEMI-.  Think of a Hemisphere.

58. Tall story teller: LIAR.

59. Whip __ shape: INTO.

60. "For __ 3-5": toy box spec: AGES.  My grand-niece just turned 6 months, so I'll have to wait a bit to find toys in the 3-5 age range.

63. Texter's "I think": IMO.  Textspeak for In My Opinion.

64. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  RCA was originally founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America.

65. "You're it!" game: TAG.

Here's the Grid:

The 10 events making up the decathlon include: 100-meter sprint, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash, 1500-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw and the pole vault.

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Take the high road.  No matter how much strife, and consternation, frustration and anger you might be confronted with ~ don’t go to that level.  ~  Tim Gunn (né Timothy MacKenzie Gunn; b. July 29, 1953)