Monday November 25, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: BEHIND TIME (59A. Later than expected ... and where the ends of the answers to starred clues may be found) - Time can precede the last word of each theme entry.

17A. *Soccer ref's formal warning: YELLOW CARD. Time card.

27A. *Letter box access: MAIL SLOT. Time slot.

45A. *Area where cellphones don't work: DEAD ZONE. Time zone.

11D. *Sneak into the shot: PHOTO BOMB. Time bomb.

35D. *iPad's giant ancestor: MAIN FRAME. Time frame.

Good morning everyone. Vikings did not play, Gophers did okay, I went back to a 16 pound bowling ball, That's all I have to say.

Across:

1. Pole on the Pequod: MAST.

5. Conclude from evidence: INFER.

10. Auto loan figs.: APRS.  Between Mars and Mays.

14. Smoothie berry: ACAI.

15. Land, in France: TERRE. Add Haute and you may land in Indiana.

16. Talk over tea: CHAT.

19. Like wet mud pies: OOZY.

20. Bullring bravo: OLE. Lena's husband and Sven's buddy.

21. Like dried-out mud pies: CAKY.  If this is a word, it is ICKY.

22. Cerebral __: brain layer: CORTEX.  I did not know the brain had layers.  Did the scarecrow need a cortex??  Does the Great and Powerful Wizard have a cortex in the Castle of Oz?

24. Name of many pharaohs: RAMSES. Oh, I thought it was the names of NFL L.A. Football players.

26. Singer Mars: BRUNO.  When I was a kid, we had a German Shorthair named Bruno. Long story.  My dad took me pheasant hunting with Bruno. The crazy dog would scare up birds 100 yards away in the cornfield out of range of our shotguns.  Dad was not too happy.

30. Emeril catchword: BAM. Add another BAM and you have Pebbles Flintstone's friend.

33. Like XLII, numeral-wise: ROMAN. Forty Two!  How do you do?

36. Elevator innovator: OTIS.  We had one of these at the first Graybar warehouse that I worked at.  We would load it up with Chance hardware and it went right to the basement. Sometimes stopped a little below floor level.

37. Classic theater name: ROXY.  Moxy, Floxxy and Cottontail .

38. Eurasian border range: URAL. There are a lot of mountains. Mostly in Russia.

39. Fiber sources: BRANS.  Raisin Bran, All Bran,-- I prefer Wheat Chex.

40. Four-leaf clover, to some: OMEN.

41. Astronaut Armstrong: NEIL.  "We come in peace for all mankind".

42. Apartment payment: RENT.  Musical on Broadway.

43. "In Xanadu did __ Khan ... ": Coleridge: KUBLA.

44. Weigh station unit: TON.  No really it's only 16 pounds.  Feels like a ton.

47. Weighty exam: FINAL.

49. Montblanc topper: PEN CAP.  I only use retractibles

53. Prohibited: FORBAD.  I suppose FORBADE did not fit in the grid.

55. Biblical "you": THEE.

57. Rose of rock music: AXL.  Does he want to buy a vowel?

58. "Sorry to say ... ": ALAS.  ALAS THEE CAME and went to RENT.

62. Opposite of went: CAME.

63. Bay window: ORIEL.  My sis has a bay window in her San Francisco home. I never knew it was  called an ORIEL.   

64. Many an Omani: ARAB.

65. Like two, not one: EVEN.  Your score if you make all pars.

66. Simultaneous equation variables: X AND Y.  I never was much good at algebra.

67. No longer here: GONE.  But not forgotten, Oh my darlin' Clementine.

Down:

1. Big city big shot: MAYOR.  Running for president, I thought it was Pete's first name.

2. Amtrak express train: ACELA.

3. Witch trial town: SALEM.  "You can take SALEM out of the country but ??? you cannot take the country out of Salem".  Did you notice how all the cigarette ads have been replaced by new Medicare plans?  Ask your doctor if CAMELs are right for you. 

4. Shop __ you drop: TIL. "There were bells, on a hill, but I never heard them ringing - 'Til there was you"  Professor Harold Hill's on hand and River City Gonna have a boys band.

5. Formal words of confession: IT WAS I.  No, it was you!

6. Hickey spot: NECK.  "How in the heck can I wash my neck, if it ain't gonna rain no more."

7. Start to unravel: FRAY.

8. Slip up: ERR.  I think MLB calls it an ERROR.

9. Disaster relief organization: RED CROSS.  This time of year we all get requests for help.  I think the Red Cross is a solid organization.

10. Seed that grows squirrels?: ACORN.  I think it grows OAKS.  Boy do they ever make a mess on sidewalks this time of year.

12. Level with a wrecking ball: RAZE.  Wrecking balls are seldom used in Minnesota.  You would not believe the townhomes, apartment buildings, and multi business warehouses going up in the open spaces. No wrecking ball needed to clear space.

13. River of Hades: STYX.

18. Neptune's realm: OCEAN.  OCEAN'S 11 - Clooney and Pitt a tricky pair.

23. Part of KO: OUT.  Also the result for Twins vs. Yankees. And the Yankees didn't even have "Yankee Hankys"

25. Petite: SMALL.  Been pretty close to XL all my life.  I think C.C. is a small.

26. Cheesy pancake, perhaps: BLINTZ.

28. Cosmetics giant: L'OREAL. Some of the plush stores in our malls have cosmetic counters and ladies who ask you to try some cosmetic spray.  Then you find out it's $135 per ounce.

29. Lamp support: STAND.

31. Ice skating feat: AXEL.  I think I mentioned when I was a kid and we had an "Axel and his Dog" treehouse show every afternoon.  He would show "Our Gang" and "Laurel and Hardy" reruns.  I miss that guy,

32. Mimicking bird: MYNA.

33. Littlest of the litter: RUNT.

34. Snack sometimes eaten from the inside out: OREO.  Good old black and white cookie.  A crossword favorite.

37. City where Joan of Arc died: ROUEN.

39. Loaf holder: BREADBOX.  Remember some of those old quiz shows where a staple question was "Is it bigger than a breadbox?{

43. Weak- or knock- follower: KNEED.

45. Crime scene sample: DNA.  Do Not Ask!

46. In full view: OPENLY.

48. "Peer Gynt" dramatist: IBSEN.

50. Egypt's capital: CAIRO.

51. Guy felling trees: AX MAN.  We have an interesting chain of stores here in the Twin Cities called "The Ax Man."  They buy large lots of overstock from other businesses, display it like my garage floor, and sell it cheap.  I stop in and look now and then, but I don't buy much.  I already have a  lot of stuff in my home.  I wonder if the Ax Man might be interested.

52. Annapolis frosh: PLEBE.  This is not derogatory.  Some of them might grow up to be Admirals.

53. Clock front: FACE.  Point it at the stereo so it can face the music.

54. Norse king: OLAV.  I believe there were five of them.

55. Girl Scouts' __ Mints: THIN. I think these were the most popular. A year ago I asked for sugar free cookies and I was sold "Gluten Free".

56. Hurried, old-style: HIED.

60. Historical period: ERA.  Could be an "Earned Run Average"

61. Kids' game with a safe area: TAG.  You're it.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Here is a nice article about Boomer at Benilde-St. Margaret's, where Boomer helps coaching the kids every year. Thank you, John Sabol, Max Johnson, the bowling team and Benilde-St. Margaret's Marketing & Communications team. You all made this season special for Boomer.

2) Happy Birthday to our talented and adventurous Picard!

Monday, November 18, 2019 Kurt Krauss

All IN.  The last word of each theme answer rhymes with IN, but each has a unique spelling.

17-Across. Swashbuckling leading man of Hollywood's Golden Age: ERROL FLYNN.  Errol Flynn (né Erroll Leslie Thomson Flynn; June 20, 1909 ~ Oct. 14, 1959) was born in Tasmania.  Shortly after moving to Hollywood, he landed the plumb role as Peter Blood in the movie Captain Blood.  He was a relatively unknown actor at the time, but with the role, he shot up to stardom.  A few years later, he was charged with and tried for statutory rape, but was ultimately acquitted.

27-Across. German Shepherd of '50s-'60s TV: RIN TIN TIN.  Rin Tin Tin (Sept. 1918 ~ Aug. 10, 1932) was an actual German Shephard and movie star.  Rin Tin Tin was a rescue dog found on the battlefield during World War I.  His American owner trained him to act in silent movies.  After his death, several other dogs were acquired the name to appear in additional Rin Tin Tin movies.

41-Across. North Vietnamese leader with a trail named for him: HO CHI MINH.  Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 ~ Sept. 2, 1969) was the President of North Vietnam from 1945 until his death in September 1969.

55-Across. Hotel chain since 1952: HOLIDAY INN.  Holiday Inn is a British-owned American chain hotel.  It is a subsidiary of InterContinental Hotels Group.

Hahtoolah here.  Fear not, my friends, Boomer will be making a surprise appearance later this week.

Across:

1. Aquarium: TANK.

5. Yeshiva teacher: REBBE.  The word  rebbe comes from a Hebrew word meaning teacher.  The word is used primarily by the Hasidic movement of Judaism.

10. Dance in a pit: MOSH.  Mosh is a form of dancing where the dances jumps up and down, often violently bumping into other dancers.

14. Iranian money: RIAL.  As of last week, the 1 Rial was worth 0.000030 US Dollars.

15. For all to hear: ALOUD.

16. Baja's opposite: ALTA.  Today's Spanish Lesson.

19. Precious: DEAR.

A Precious Deer.

20. Delivers, as a convention-opening speech: KEYNOTES.  The individual making the speech is referred to as a Keynote Speaker.

21. Donny or Marie: OSMOND.  Back in the late 1970s, Donny (né Donald Clark Osmond; b. Dec. 9, 1957) and Marie Osmond (née Olive Marie Osmond; b. Oct. 13, 1959 ) were a brother and sister singing duo who also hosted a variety show called Donny and Marie.

23. Hairstyles: DOs.  //  And 50-Down. Bee home: HIVE.  Also a hair style.

24. Art Deco designer: ERTÉ.  Erté (né Roman Tyrtov; Nov. 23, 1892 ~ Apr. 21, 1990) was a Russian-born French artist.  He went by Erté, which is the French pronunciation of his initials.  His drawings are very stylized.

25. Barbara of "Mission: Impossible": BAIN.  Barbara Bain (née Mildred Fogel; b. Sept. 13, 1931), was known as Cinnamon Carter on Mission: Impossible.  Can you find Barbara?

32. Beach head-turners: HUNKS.

33. Forest moon that's home to the Ewoks: ENDOR.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.  Ewoks are creepy looking little critters.

34. Dedicated poem: ODE.

35. First chip in the pot: ANTE.

36. Tokyo's country: JAPAN.

37. Pinot __: white wine grape: GRIS.  What's the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio?

38. Geol. or chem., e.g.: SCI.  Geology and Chemistry are fields of Science.

39. Nattily dressed fellows: DUDES.

40. Fortune-teller's card: TAROT.  Everything you wanted to know about Tarot Cards, but were afraid to ask.

43. City near Provo: OREM.

44. "SportsCenter" channel: ESPN.  Originally known as the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.  Where all y'all should have been watching the LSU fighting tigers beat Ole Miss in football last Saturday by a score of 58-37.

45. Gear tooth: COG.

46. "Peanuts" newspaper section: COMICS.  Charles Schulz really didn't like the name Peanuts for his comic strip.

49. Jeep model named for a tribe: CHEROKEE.

54. "I get it now!" cries: AHAs!

57. Trap fluff: LINT.

58. __ Oyl: OLIVE.  Olive Oyl was created in 1919, thus she is celebrating her 100 birthday this year.  She appeared in the comic strips for 10 years before she became Popeye's girlfriend.

59. Advance, as money: LEND.

60. Enemies: FOES.

61. Package sealers: TAPES.

62. Pre-revelry nights: EVES.

Down:

1. Long haul: TREK.

2. Suffix with billion: -AIRE.  Who wants to be a Billionaire?

3. __ a soul: no one: NARY.

4. Ice cream bar named for a Yukon river: KLONDIKE.  What would you do for a Klondike bar?

5. Rapids transports: RAFTS.

6. Fashion monthly: ELLE.  This fashion magazine first began publication 71 years ago this month.

7. Pop music's Backstreet __: BOYS.  A boy band from the 1990s.

The band 20 years later.

8. Pastry that might be sticky: BUN.

9. Ralph Kramden's pal: ED NORTON.

 

10. Drama set at an advertising agency: MAD MEN.  This show, starring Jon Hamm, was a fascinating look into the advertising business in the 1960s.  The show ran from July 2007 to May 2015.

11. Bread spread: OLEO.

12. Laurel seen with Hardy: STAN.  Stan Laurel (né Arthur Stanley Jefferson; June 16, 1890 ~ Feb. 23, 1965) and Oliver Hardy (né Norvell Hardy; Jan. 18, 1892 ~ Aug. 7, 1957) were a comedy duo best known for their slapstick routines.

13. Difficult: HARD.

18. Diving birds: LOONS.  Hi, Canadian Eh!

22. Swizzle: STIR.  Hence the Swizzle Stick.

24. Hyphen-like mark: EN DASH.  Who knew there were so many sizes?

25. Con game: BUNCO.

26. Bit of high jinks: ANTIC.

27. Transfer to memory, as data: READ IN.

28. Best way to sign: IN PEN.  Also the way some of us do the crossword puzzles.

29. MLB exec Joe: TORRÉ.  Joseph Paul Torré (b. July 18, 1940) was the manager of the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007.  He is currently serving in the capacity as Major League Baseball's chief baseball officer.  He began his baseball career with Milwaukee Brewers in 1960.

30. "Take the cake" or "cream of the crop": IDIOM.

31. Home on a branch: NEST.

32. Diner fare: HASH.  My grandmother used to make beet hash.  As I recall, it was pretty tasty.

36. Basketball scoring technique: JUMP SHOT.

37. Grotesque architectural figure: GARGOYLE.  Some of the most famous gargoyles are found on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Sadly, the Cathedral burned earlier this year.  I am not sure of the status of its Gargoyles.  This is my favorite gargoyle that was found on the roof.

39. Part of DVD: DISC.

40. Irish lullaby start: TOORA.

42. Thieves' bank jobs: HEISTS.

45. Hands over: CEDES.

46. Cow kid: CALF.

47. State east of Indiana: OHIO.  It's the State that's Round on the Ends and Hi in the Middle.

48. Horse hair: MANE.

49. Paper holder: CLIP.  Remember Clippy?

51. Ukraine's capital: KIEV.  In the Ukraine, the preferred spelling is Kyiv.  Both the city and the country have been in the news recently.

52. Feminine suffix: -ENNE.

53. Breaks off: ENDS.  Think of breaking off, or ending, a relationship.

56. Suffix with pay or Cray-: -OLA.  As in Payola or Crayola.  One is a crayon, the other is a crime.  Getting a box of 64 Crayolas was really special.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  I hate to spread rumors, but what else can I do with them?  ~  Amanda Lear (b. Nov. 18, 1939), French singer and painter.