Monday August 31, 2020 Jerome Gunderson

Theme:  WHERE WAS I (66. Lost-one's-place words often preceded by the two-letter start of 17-, 29- and 49-Across)

17A. Rental vehicles for self-moving: U-HAUL VANS. Uh, I ...

29A. Designed for comfort and efficiency: ERGONOMIC. Er. I ...

49A. Rainy day protectors: UMBRELLAS. Um, ...

Boomer here. 

UH, Years ago I attended UM (University of Minnesota) for a year.  UH, I got one A in Bowling, 2 "B"s in Math courses, a couple of "C"s and ER one "F". D UH.

As a devout baseball fan, I am happy to honor Jackie Robinson as his normal MLB day was changed from April 15 to August 29 this year.  Players on all teams wore uniforms numbered 42 in Jackie's honor and I am proud to display my 1955 Topps Double Header card from my set.

 Across:

1. Asks for a treat, as a boxer: BEGS.  I am pretty sure that Muhammad Ali never had to beg for anything. 

5. Site of a boxer's attack: RING.

9. Chocolate syrup brand since 1928: BOSCO.  Wow, there's a brand out of the past.  I remember their commercials but I never had any.  Must have been too expensive.

14. Circus prefix with bat: ACRO.

15. Diva's delivery: ARIA.  Of course, I was in the Benilde High School Glee Club.  Every Spring we would do a joint concert with two of the Catholic girls' schools in Minneapolis.  We delivered some pretty good ARIAs back then, if I do say so myself.

16. "This __ much!": "I'm overwhelmed!": IS TOO.  "Is not".

19. "Pleasantly" chubby: PLUMP.  We go for the PLUMP Watermelon.

20. President after Madison: MONROE. Wow, we go way back to 1817 and he was from the Democratic Republican party.  They must have split up sometime later.

21. Mother-of-pearl sources: ABALONES.

23. Has title to: OWNS.  I have a title to my van, but I also own 14 golf clubs and about that many bowling balls.  Never won a title in golf but I have a couple in bowling.

25. __ standstill: AT A.

26. Tea biscuit: SCONE.  I wonder if Baskin Robbins has S CONES ?

35. Guffaw syllable: HAR.  Not sure if Oliver Hardy made this famous, but he is the first guy I ever heard him say HAR, HAR, HARDY, HAR. HAR..

36. Pirate in "Hook": SMEE.  Played by Bob Hoskins.

38. U.S. state with the lowest average annual rainfall: NEVADA.  We usually get there once a year.  I don't ever remember getting wet there. However we are skipping the retirees party this year. No vaccine, no plane rides to Nevada.

39. Horse known for its endurance: ARAB.

41. Wed: UNITE.

43. Not fer: AGIN.  Beverly Hillbillies' accent.

44. Wisdom teeth, e.g.: MOLARS.  I have fake teeth now, but in my younger years, I never cut any wisdom teeth.  I guess you need to be wise to get them.

46. Fabled loch: NESS.

48. Stooge Howard: MOE.  With Larry and Curly, my favorites.

51. Casual conversations: CHATS.

53. Contend (for): VIE.

54. Bro of van Gogh: THEO.  "But I could have told you Vincent, this world was never made for one as beautiful as you".  Starry Night - Don McClean.

56. Dedicatee of an annual MLB tribute game: OLD TIMER.  Count me in.

61. Snare: ENTRAP.

65. Lion's warnings: ROARS.

68. Lake craft: CANOE.

69. Bubbly-textured Nestlé chocolate bar: AERO.  N-E-S-T-L-E-S.  Nestles makes the very bet, Chocolate.  

70. Muscle pain: ACHE.  I get them all of the time.  Some of my golfing friends are a pain in a different location.

71. Change for the better: AMEND.

72. Tall tale: YARN.

73. Classic Jaguars: XKES.  "I was cruisin' in my Sting Ray late one night, when an XKE pulled up on the right. Dead Man's Curve - The Beach Boys.

Down:  

1. Wicked Witch of the West creator: BAUM.  "The wind began to switch, the house to pitch.  and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch."

2. Reverberate: ECHO.  Hallo,        Hallo. Hallo

3. Mom's mom: GRAN. We always called Mom's Mom "Grandma"

4. Become disenchanted with: SOUR ON.

5. Poe's "ebony bird": RAVEN. "Nevermore"

6. Nest egg letters: IRA.  I saw plenty of nest eggs at my Uncle Bill's farm.  They did not have pictures of president's (or Hamilton or Franklin) on them,.

7. Columbus ship: NINA.  This guy always has amazed me.  He packed up three ships and sailed across the Atlantic looking for India.

8. Chatterbox: GASBAG.

9. Double-winged WWI aircraft: BIPLANE.  Also amazing what flew in the 1910s.

10. Norway's capital: OSLO.

11. Leave slack-jawed: STUN.

12. Arrive: COME.  Hi, Ho, COME to the fair.  We have a big one in Minnesota, but not this year.  No Covid spread wanted.

13. "Sorry, my mistake": OOPS.

18. The Home Depot competitor: LOWE'S.  We usually use Home Depot. Closer to our home and 10% discount for veterans.

22. Shows contrition: ATONES.  Okay, Sorry if I bored you. Monday puzzles are fairly easy.

24. Noticed: SEEN.

26. Former SeaWorld star: SHAMU.  Interesting.  I went to Orlando for a golf outing a couple of times in the eighties.  We went to Disney and Epcot but skipped Sea World.  In the Land of 10,000 lakes, if you've seen one sea you've seen them all. 

27. Off-the-cushion billiards shot: CAROM.

28. Dental care brand: ORAL- B.  I just use a cup and a fizzy tablet for my dental care.

30. Spanish queen: REINA.

31. Caesar's eggs: OVA.

32. Molten rock: MAGMA.

33. Meathead: IDIOT.  MEATHEAD ?? Archie Bunker's favorite word for Michael Stivic.

34. Curved-top candy shapes: CANES.  My legs don't always cooperate, but I am not into CANES yet.

37. Mosque visitor: MUSLIM.

40. Saloon: BAR.  These seem to be Covid-19 factories.  They were closed for awhile but I guess the Governor felt sorry for the owners.  Masks and some social distance rules are in effect.  I used to stop for a quick one after work, but now I am on the wagon for good.   

42. Exam: TEST.  "This has been a TEST.  Had it been a real emergency we would have told you to go downstairs and put a pillow over your head."

45. Made changes in: REVISED.

47. Play division: SCENE.

50. Wiggle room: LEEWAY.  At least SIX feet of LEE WAY in any public situation please.

52. Hair-removal substance: HOT WAX.  Seems like we used to use this to shine up a car.

55. White wader: HERON.  Add another "R" and you have Tim HERRON of the PGA.  He only ever won one PGA tournament and his nickname is "LUMPY".  After Clarence Rutherford on "Leave it to Beaver".  Of course a Minnesota golfer and a little better than me.   

56. 26-Down, for one: ORCA.

57. Rich soil: LOAM.

58. "Great" dog breed: DANE.

59. Suffix with Jumbo: TRON.  A video game that I never tried.

60. Flightless bird: RHEA.  We had Birds last week, but I don't remember her.

62. __ of lamb: RACK.

63. Tennis great Arthur: ASHE.  Hall of Famer.  Passed to early at age 49.

64. Crusty desserts: PIES.

67. Goof up: ERR.  I'm a baseball guy.  I call it an ERROR.

Boomer

Monday August 24, 2020 Jerome Gunderson

 

Theme: AVIAN (38. Bird-related ... four of them have landed at the ends of the answers to starred clues) - The last four letter of each theme entry is a bird.

17A. *A total failure "goes over like" one: LEAD BALLOON.

57A. *Hotel chain with a geographical name: BEST WESTERN.

3D. *Last Supper cup: HOLY GRAIL.

34D. *Monastic hood: MONK'S COWL.

Boomer here. The LOON is Minnesota's state bird. No, we are not Loonies. I did not know that a RAIL was a bird.  I thought it was something I hold on to while climbing stairs. 

 

With that, I wish to extend best wishes and good health to all friends in California as fires are devastating the state.  I have two sisters in the Bay Area and I am told that it is difficult to breathe.  I also want to extend hope and happiness to our friend Desper-otto and Tony as hurricane Laura is traveling toward Eastern Texas.  Best of luck and best wishes for health and happiness to all in range of of this nastiness.      

Across:

1. LBJ's vice president: HHH.  Indeed, Hubert Horatio Humphrey from Waverly Minnesota.  I have fished in Lake Waverly a few times, great for panfish.

 

4. Sponsor's tube spot: TV AD.  Too many on the golf channel.  I keep using my remote to try to avoid commercials.

8. Dracula stabber: STAKE.  A pile of cash for poker?

13. Tic-tac-toe winner: OOO.

14. Glow: SHINE.  "SHINE, SHINE, who wants a SHINE"

15. One-on-one teacher: TUTOR. Schools are working hard to make things work. TUTORS are expensive 

16. Fifth scale note: SOL. "SOL, a needle pulling thread." Sound of Music.

19. Arena overhead view provider: SKYCAM.

21. Cowpoke's "okay": YUP.  Have I ever poked a cow?? NOPE

22. Tattoo artist's array: INKS.  I never bought a tattoo.  Some look pretty good, others are too much.

23. Stares open-mouthed: GAPES.

25. Violent storm: TEMPEST.  Comes in a teapot.

27. Eaten away by rust, say: CORRODED.  Sounds like my 1955 Oldsmobile.

30. More, in Mexico: MAS.

31. Once more: AGAIN.

32. Weather guy Al: ROKER.  Not my favorite.  I remember he was on "Seinfeld" once.

34. __ and cheese: MAC.  I have a box in the cupboard. Seems like a good side dish but I never get around to it.

37. Smooth-tongued: GLIB.  Lots of smooth tongues on some of those TV ads mentioned earlier.

39. April 1 "honoree": FOOL.

40. Slim fish often smoked: EEL.  Terrible!  Lake Waverly by Hubert's house yielded many Sunfish and Crappies.  Crappies are not crappy). 

41. Itty-bitty: TEENY.  "It was an itsy bitsy, TEENY weenie, yellow polka dot bikini".

42. Joltless java brand: SANKA.  Sorry, I really like caffeine.

43. Tips container: JAR.  My golf course clubhouse has a glass cup for tips.  They stopped charging me for a cart, so I dropped a couple of Sacagawea golden dollars in one day.

44. Leather bookbinding material: GOATSKIN.

46. Type of pub named for its unglamorous appearance: DIVE BAR.  Most of them may be named Covid distribution centers.

50. Blind pieces: SLATS. We have vertical which work very well.  Yes, sometimes there is morning sun in Minnesota.

51. Greek goddess of discord: ERIS.

52. Greek T: TAU.

54. Financial word before year or policy: FISCAL.

60. Beer named for Washington's capital, briefly: OLY.  Oh, I thought it was named after Sven's buddy.

61. Prefix with national: INTER.  Or STATE which is a big highway.

62. Covers with asphalt: PAVES.  Normally the surface of the above big highway.

63. Was victorious: WON.  Twins have WON more than they lost so far, but it's a strange season.

64. Wet-eyed: TEARY.

65. Roe source: SHAD.

66. __ Luthor, Superman nemesis: LEX.

Down:

1. Bulky "Bonanza" brother: HOSS.  The biggest Cartwright.  Dan Blocker died at age 43.

2. "Peter Pan" captain: HOOK.  Played by Dustin Hoffman I think.

4. Focused on a subject, as a crossword: THEMED.  I generally say a few CROSS WORDS when I can't figure out the theme.

5. By way of: VIA.

6. Artist Warhol: ANDY.  He has a museum in New York.

7. First appearance: DEBUT.  Ryan Jeffers made a DEBUT as catcher last week when Mitch Garver got hurt.  Jeffers singled and drove in a run in his first at bat.  I am sure that baseball is on a shelf in his home.

8. Cards, in box scores: STL.  Twins played them early.  Before they had some positives.

9. "Tiptoe Through the __": TULIPS.

10. Make things right: ATONE.  Let me know if I irritate you. I will sing you A TONE.

11. Goofballs: KOOKS.

12. Dadaist Max: ERNST.

14. Apply carelessly: SLAP ON.  Looks like a hockey shot to me.

18. Theoretical missing links: APE-MEN.

20. West Indies native: CARIB.

24. Dish up, as a dish: SERVE.  Or whack a tennis ball or slap a volleyball.

26. St. Patrick's mo.: MAR.  This also happens to be the month when I put the bowling ball in my bag and it is sitting lonely in the garage,

27. Zoo enclosure: CAGE.  I never knew why a basketball player is called a CAGER.  I am not old enough to remember when basketball was played in a CAGE.

28. Look at creepily: OGLE.

29. Washing, as the dishes: DOING.

33. Bout-ending blows: KAYOS.  Knock it off.

35. Golfer Isao: AOKI. You won't find him at the Northern Trust PGA in Boston or even Champions Tour these days.

36. Scottish family: CLAN.

38. Fizz up, as water: AERATE.  Actually to me it means - punch a whole bunch of little holes in a green.

39. Protests by not eating: FASTS.  We used to do this during Lent, it was not a protest, just a ritual.

41. Saloon bill: TAB.  I never liked Coke products,  I drink Diet Pepsi and not TAB.  I'm not even sure if TAB is still around.

42. Oil leak blemishes: STAINS.  The best way to clean them off the garage floor is use Coke.

43. Court clown: JESTER.  It was cancelled this year, but Minneapolis usually has an "Aquatennial festival and parade".  The clowns are called Aqua JESTERS.

45. Director Hitchcock: ALFRED.  Interesting Q and A, since the theme of this puzzle is "THE BIRDS".

46. Kind of bank card: DEBIT.  We don't use ours since the bank kicks us back a few cents on our credit card purchases.

47. Goodnight woman of song: IRENE.  "I'll see you in my dreams".

48. Panoramic view: VISTA.  Sometimes we visit the Electrical Dam near our home on the Mississippi River.  It is a very panoramic site.

 

 

49. Carpenter's files: RASPS.

53. Home of the Jazz: UTAH.  Jeopardy had a category where the clues asked for team names that were not plural.  Jazz was one of the answers.

55. Natural burn balm: ALOE.

56. Bobcat, e.g.: LYNX.  Our WNBA Minnesota team was another clue.

58. Dryly humorous: WRY.  I try to be dryly humorous on this site, but sometimes I cannot help getting wet.

59. Little __, singer of the #1 hit "The Loco-Motion": EVA. "Do it nice and easy now and don't lose control."

Boomer

Monday April 17, 2020 Amy Johnson

 Theme: In a Zone - Zone can follow the first word in each theme entry.

18A. Baked mac and cheese, for many: COMFORT FOOD. Comfort zone.

28A. Hit pay dirt: STRIKE IT RICH. Strike zone.

47A. "Aladdin" song whose title lyric follows "You ain't never had a": FRIEND LIKE ME. Friend zone.

62A. Buried record for future generations: TIME CAPSULE. Time zone.

Reveal:

68A. With 60-Down, on one's game ... and hint to the start of this puzzle's longest answers: IN A.

60D. See 68-Across: ZONE.

Boomer here. 

I used to bowl at the Brunswick Zone, however, some company purchased them and renamed them to Bowlero. Never Mind, I still use my Combat Zone, a reactive ball that works pretty well. Now I am waiting for a vaccine. Both of my teams have voted for a delay in the start of bowling. The Big 10+4, the PAC 12, and the SEC cannot be wrong.

Across:

1. Storied December shelf dweller: ELF.  Santa's helper

4. Kind of gun that catches speeders: RADAR. Fortunately, I have never been caught.  Maybe it's because I do not speed.

9. Burning crime: ARSON.

14. Pooh pal in a pouch: ROO.  Roo Roo the Kangaroo.

15. Spanish month: ENERO.  January.

16. Colorful tank fish: TETRA.  Nice looking fish.  I think they are foreign.  I've never seen one in a Minnesota lake.

17. Cow call: MOO.  I seem to remember that this was a Sorority in "Animal House".

20. When an after-lunch meeting might start: AT TWO.  Or a tee time?

22. Blender maker: OSTER.  I think it was a pioneer and most famous.  Graybar sold thousands of them back in the 70s.

23. Deux halved: UNE.

24. Ones paid to play: PROS.  I guess the loot is coming from TV ads this year.  No tickets have been sold.  Bar owners of locations around stadium are hurting.

26. Something that affects a result: FACTOR.  I guess Aaron Judge's 9 home runs are a FACTOR

33. Issue, as light: EMIT.

34. Memo opening words: IN RE.  I have seen and heard it but it seems redundant.  Wouldn't "RE" be enough.

35. Kid's bear: TEDDY.  Also a face on Mount Rushmore.

39. Willy Wonka portrayer Wilder: GENE.  Famous movie star.  My favorite was "Blazing Saddles."

40. Doctor's order?: SAY AH.  I thought only dentists say AH.  My doctor has me pull up my shirt so the lady can give me a needle shot in my stomach.  It doesn't hurt much.

42. __ avis: RARA.

43. Leading the league: ON TOP.  The Twins were there last week.  Then they dropped four in a row so I'm not too sure now.

45. Plant stem joint: NODE.  "Deal or NO DEal".

46. Of the mouth: ORAL.  Now SAY AH !

50. Social blunders: GAFFES.

53. Carded at the door, briefly: ID'ED.  Never happened to us.  C.C. and I do not patronize those questionable places.  Or maybe we are too old to be carded.

54. Christian sch. in Tulsa: ORU.

55. One way to read: ALOUD.  Grade school chore, mostly.

59. TV host Gibbons: LEEZA.

65. OED book, e.g.: VOL. Volume.

66. Newborn's lack, usually: TEETH.  But they still say "AH".

67. Big name in racing: UNSER.  Bobby, Al, and Al Jr.  are all millionaire race drivers that go real fast.

69. Analyze, as ore: ASSAY.

70. Fills fully: SATES.

71. "__ Misérables": LES.

Down:

1. Funny Bombeck: ERMA.  I used to like her stuff when published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  She was a clever humorist. We lost her in 1996 due to kidney problems.

2. Pirate's take: LOOT.

3. Clue in the mud: FOOTPRINT.  "in the Heat of the Night" - Lonnie Jamison makes cement casts to catch criminals.

4. Fix dinner?: RE-COOK.  Usually cooking once is enough.

5. 15-Across starts it: ANO.  Another Discover card commercial.

6. Free game version, maybe: DEMO.  Do car dealers still let customers take out DEMOs?

7. Lab greetings: ARFS.

8. Word with square or cube: ROOT. Add an "S".  I enjoyed that movie.

9. What opposites do, it's said: ATTRACT.

10. NBA official: REF.  They finally got their job back.

11. Dark beer: STOUT.

12. Maine campus town: ORONO.  We also have an ORONO city in Minnesota. Very exclusive.  Multimillionaire Irwin Jacobs who owned Grain Belt Brewery and a stake in the Vikings was known to commit a murder - suicide on his wife and himself in April of 2019.

13. Consumer advocate Ralph: NADER.  A consumer protection guy.  He went after GM's Chevy Corvair and Ford's Pinto.

19. APR-reducing loan: RE-FI.  Okay to lower your interest rate, but there are probably closing costs and other fees.

21. Bad loan, to an accountant: WRITE OFF.

25. Cinco y uno: SEIS.  "Two and two are four, five and one are six, and ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP.  So What did you learn in school today, dear little boys of mine??  Tom Paxton.

27. Nation within Oklahoma: CHEROKEE.

28. Utah lily: SEGO.

29. IRS enforcers: T MEN.  They would scare me.

30. Silly: INANE.

31. Test for fit in the changing room: TRY ON.  Tough for me to find pants that fit.  All are too big or too small.

32. Double-check, as totals: RE-ADD.  I have to RE-ADD our checkbook every month because I never write the numbers after the decimal point.  Over .50 round up and under .50 round down.

36. Stunt double, e.g.: DAREDEVIL.  Remember Evel Knievel??

37. Wee bit o' whisky, say: DRAM.  I thought it might be SHOT.

38. Clinton's alma mater: YALE.

41. Prefix with pad: HELI.

44. Holier-than-thou: PREACHY.  My priests have still not invited me back.  I guess churches are borderline safe.  I do not miss the PREACHY sermons though.

48. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo: ISLA.

49. Loafers: IDLERS.

50. "I __ go!": "Ciao!": GOTTA.

51. Astrological Ram: ARIES.  Not a Los Angeles Football player.  ARIES shows up on the first day of spring.

52. Running on __: weary: FUMES.  When the needle hits "E" you better stop for gas.  (Less than $2.00 per gallon here in Minnesota.)

56. Numbered work: OPUS.

57. Ensign-in-training inst.: USNA.  US Naval Academy producing officers for the Navy. Like Spitzboov.

58. Tidy up a bit: DUST.  If you want to "Tidy up" you might want to remove the dust.

61. Woeful cry: ALAS.

63. LAX calculation: ETA.

64. "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper: LEE.  "Shoot all the Blue Jays you want, but it's a sin to Kill a Mockingbird."  Harper Lee.

Boomer

Monday August 10, 2020 Rob Gonsalves & Jennifer Lim

Theme: DOUBLE BOOK (62. Reserve twice in error, as an airline seat ... or a hint to the two-part answers to starred clues). Book can follow both parts of each theme entry.

17. *Often-digital commentary for a museum tour: AUDIO GUIDE. Audio book. Guide book.

23. *List of incoming and outgoing calls: PHONE RECORD. Phone book. Record book.

40. *Sunday liquor-buying ban, e.g.: BLUE LAW. Blue book. Law book.

 

51. *Experience section in a résumé: WORK HISTORY. Workbook. History book.

Boomer here.  

I remember in the Army, if we were out on the town or in the Top 5 club, when ready to leave we would say I have to BOOK.  However, I am not leaving, let's see what I can do and Happy Monday!!

Across:

1. Eyes, to a poet: ORBS.  You're a poet  and you don't know it but your eyes show it, they're ORBS.

5. Got together for lunch, say: MET UP.  A New York NLer comes to the plate.

10. Animal pouches: SACS.  Not the 5th Avenue kind.

14. "Check this out!": LOOK.  A magazine and competitor with Life.  I believe it stopped publication around early 1970s.

15. Big Apple restaurateur: SARDI.

16. Come again?: ECHO.  We have no big canyons in Minnesota that produce an ECHO.

19. Tiny bit of matter: ATOM.  Or A Dick or Harry.

20. Italian scooter: VESPA.  These were great!  About a 50 CC motor that would maybe give you 30 miles per hour.  I never owned one and have not seen one in awhile, but I think they are still around. 

21. Upper bod muscle: PEC.

22. Fairway warning: FORE.  I think this started in Scotland probably something Bryson has to holler a lot.

27. "Indochine" Oscar nominee Catherine: DENEUVE.

30. __-mo replay: SLO.

31. Country in a Beatles song: USSR.  "You don't know how lucky you are."  So sang the Beatles.  I have no idea what they were singing about.

32. Wheel shaft: AXLE.  When I was a kid, TV had "Axel's Treehouse"  starring Clellan Card.  He did a tremendous rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" In a Norwegian accent.

35. Second or sixth president: ADAMS.  There is a trivia question that I think I have seen on Jeopardy about "Who is the wife of one president and the mother of another?"  Of course John's wife Abigail was the correct answer but Jeopardy ignored Barbara Bush.

39. __ Bo: exercise method: TAE.

42. "I'm unimpressed": MEH.

43. State flower of New Mexico: YUCCA.  Some look rather pretty, but some look like a bale of hay.

45. Nostradamus, e.g.: SEER.  Yeah Right!  He never predicted any of the Super Bowl winners.  I wonder how he would do in Las Vegas if he were alive today.

46. Nevada slots spot: RENO. Or maybe in RENO.  By the way, the National USBC Bowling Tournament in Reno has been cancelled this year. I have been to five of them, cashed in only one.  The USBC likes to alternate between Las Vegas, Reno, and then maybe another city.  Believe it or not, I bowled it once in Billings, Montana.  It has not been to St. Paul, Minnesota since the 1960s.

47. Add-__: extras: ONS.

49. Fruit with milk: COCONUT.  I like the shredded stuff in the Mounds bar.  Of course I am not allowed to eat those anymore.

55. Classic clown: BOZO.

56. Rainbow shape: ARC. "Why are there so many songs about Rainbows, and what's on the other side."  (Kermit)

57. "Holy smokes!": EGADS.

61. Victor's cry: I WON.

65. Cat lives count, so they say: NINE.  Innings in a baseball game, or sometimes more, and sometimes seven this year.

66. Occur as a result: ENSUE.

67. Liking a lot: INTO.  So, you folks are INTO Crosswords, I am INTO Bowling. In 2021 it looks like.

68. Bug spray ingredient: DEET.  This is nasty stuff.

69. Flopping at a comedy club: DYING. I am known to give a short act at the Graybar retirees reunion each year. I am not dying, they keep asking me back.  Most people know that Alexander Graham Bell invented a phone and reached the patent office just a few minutes before Elisha Gray, co-founder of Graybar. Bell suggested that his invention be answered "AHOY" while Elisha suggested that his phone be answered "Good morning, Graybar!"

70. Swerve: VEER.

Down:

1. Norse royal name: OLAV.

2. Rakish sort: ROUE.

3. Physiques, briefly: BODS.  Watched Bryson DeChambeau playing in the PGA over the weekend.  I only have a 32 inch set.  His BOD does not fit in it.

4. Ship's captain: SKIPPER.  The boss of Gilligan.

5. Flavor-enhancing abbr.: MSG.

6. Water in the Seine: EAU.  "The Seine, The Seine, when will I again meet her there, greet her there on the moonlit banks of EAU CLAIRE."  The Kingston Trio, except the part that I made up.

7. Balderdash: TRIPE.  I think it's what's left after cleaning fish.

8. Organ with milk: UDDER.  If you cannot get milk out of one, try the UDDER one.

9. Jigsaw puzzle parts: PIECES.  I used to love spending time on Jigsaw puzzles.  My favorite was one of 1000 pieces that had about 1000 baseball cards that are older than me.

10. "Surf" served with "turf": SEAFOOD.  I guess it's Canadian lake food but our grocery had a sale on frozen Walleye.  Great with wild rice!

11. Kristen Bell or Kristen Stewart: ACTOR.  Or maybe ACTRESS?

12. A major, for one: CHORD.  Never learned to play anything.  Only sang while others played CHORDS.

13. Vague amount: SOME.

18. Waikiki's island: OAHU.

24. Egg-shaped: OVAL.  Golf ball after Tiger Woods hits it.

25. Focal point: NEXUS.

26. Lobster's weapon: CLAW.  Baron Von Raschke's sleeper hold.  A lot of people think that pro wrestling is fake but I know it's real.

27. Responsibility: DUTY.

28. Jacob's biblical twin: ESAU.  Jacob sold his birthright to Esau for a bowl of stew.  When I found out that's all it is worth, I decided to keep mine. 

29. Tiny part of a min.: N SEC.  Nanu Nanu, Mork from Ork.

33. __ Scoresby, Lin-Manuel Miranda's "His Dark Materials" role: LEE.

34. Choose by ballot: ELECT.  Coming Soon.

36. Prayer ending: AMEN.  I am still not asked to Mass.  Too old and too sick.

37. File, Edit or Help: MENU.

38. Jigger at the bar: SHOT.  Ours in Minnesota are still open.  Lots of rules.

40. Place for deposits: BANK.  I remember years ago I used to bank at a "Savings and Loan".  Not sure what happened to them.  Banks have more features but we also use a Credit Union.

41. Suffix with buck: AROO.  Buck or how about Kang.

44. Small crown: CORONET.

46. Colorful mnemonic: ROYGBIV.

48. Like a picnic area under a tree: SHADED.  And by a lake, at least 6 feet away from anyone else.

50. Canadian native: CREE.

51. Surprised cry: WOWIE.

52. Endangered layer: OZONE.

53. O. Henry hallmark: IRONY.  Oh Henry is a candy bar.

54. "Pardon me," in Parma: SCUSI.

55. Tie tightly: BIND.

58. Top-of-the-line: A ONE.  "and A TWO". Lawrence Welk.

59. Shower attention (on): DOTE.

60. Hershey toffee bar: SKOR.  I have never had one but I think Hershey copied Butterfinger.

63. Hamburger holder: BUN.  I remember when Burgers at McDonald's were 15 cents.  And that's the truth.  Edith Ann.

64. Relay race segment: LEG.  I have two but can no longer race.

Boomer

Monday August 3, 2020 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: BUSINESS LETTERS (40. Company correspondence ... and a hint to the abbreviation hidden in 17-, 24-, 52- and 66-Across) - INC is hidden in each theme entry.

17. High-intensity indoor cycling group: SPIN CLASS.

24. Cinderella's ride: PUMPKIN COACH.

52. Pipe unclogger: DRAIN CLEANER.

 

66. Feature of New York-style pizza: THIN CRUST.

Boomer here.  

I suppose most of you use a pencil when completing a puzzle, but today you might want to use pen and INC.  

Major League Baseball is finally on TV but no fans in the stands. It just doesn't seem right.  However the Miami Marlins lead the league in positive tests, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals.  C.C. and I are still virus-free, but I have to scratch my head and wonder how these organizations of millionaires cannot stay healthy.

Across:

1. Like "le" in Fr. or "el" in Sp.: MASC. Masculine. Maybe they should wear a MASC?  Okay, bad joke.  Minnesota passed a mandate last week. 

5. Scissors sound: SNIP.  Spell it backwards and knock them down.  When we get a vaccine?

9. Stuffed shirts: SNOBS. I don't stuff shirts any more. I lost a few pounds but kept the same wardrobe.

14. Utah ski resort that means "high": ALTA.  I don't ski but I heard it's a nice place if you do.

15. Statistician Silver: NATE.  He wrote a book about "Why so many predictions fail, ...but some don't."

16. __ buddy: BOSOM.

19. Video game name for nearly 50 years: ATARI.  We had a new garage door installed last week so C.C. and  I had to move some stuff (baseball cards) out of the installer's way.  Holy cow!!  I was surprised to find my ATARI games in the garage, and the black and white TV that I used to play them on.  We have a nice two car garage but I can barely fit my van into it.

20. Bar mitzvah scroll: TORAH.

21. __-Cola: COCA.  I prefer Diet Pepsi.

23. Variety show bit: SKIT.

27. Barrio grocery: BODEGA.  You know, I hear this word on "Law & Order" reruns and in Minnesota we certainly have a bunch of corner grocery. Pop, and cigarettes stores, but I have never heard a Minnesotan call them a BODEGA.

30. "Nope": NAH.  Sounds like a Discover Card commercial.

31. Many a Monopoly prop.: AVE.  They also have "Place, Company, Works, Gardens," but none of those words fit.

32. Microwaves: ZAPS.

36. "Agree totally!": SO DO I. -- And I DO TOO !

44. Protein-building acid: AMINO. I watch too much PGA golf but I am no fan of Bryson DeChambeau.  I don't know if he uses amino acid, but it is told that he drinks six or seven protein shakes each day.  He sort of has the body of Hulk Hogan and hits a golf ball over 350 yards, but it is seldom straight.  Plus he wears one of those flat sports car hats which I consider to be an insult to Payne Stewart and especially Ben Hogan.

 

45. Settles a bill: PAYS.  We use our computer to take care of  bills.  Saves on those 55 cent stamps.

46. Epitome of slipperiness: EEL.  Slipperiness??  Describes the lane conditions at the Peterson Classic bowling tournament in Chicago.

47. Bath fixture with claw feet, perhaps: TUB.  Have you seen the walk-in tub advertised on TV.  They tout that the tub empties quickly so you don't have to sit there in the cold.  I wonder what it's like sitting while the tub fills.

49. __ Vision: eye care chain: PEARLE.  They are pretty good.  We have one near our home.

58. 500 sheets of paper: REAM.

59. Scratching post users: CATS. "Oh the CATS in the cradle with a silver spoon." Harry Chapin.

60. Duo Hall & __: OATES.  Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. Bing Crosby and others.

64. Gillette razors: ATRAS.

68. Jotted (down): WROTE.

69. Lamarr of old films: HEDY.  Born in Austria and became famous in the U.S.

70. Mandatory bet: ANTE.

71. Nine-player chamber group: NONET.

72. Part of GE: Abbr.: ELEC.  Also part of Graybar.

73. Overflow (with): TEEM.

Down:

1. Sail holder: MAST.  And maybe you can make many MASKS out of the sail when you're done with it.

2. Friskies sister brand: ALPO.  I am seeing a lot of ads about "Farmers Dog" food.  I don't have a dog.  I wonder if it's any good on pizza.

3. Pudding recipe direction: STIR.  STIR ?? Nope, toss it in the blender and use #4.

4. Cocktail party nibble: CANAPE.  I wonder if they use CANned APE in Farmer's Dog food.

5. NBC skit show: SNL.

6. Rights org. since 1909: NAACP.  I have mentioned that I was in Fort Campbell on the evening that Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered.  The memory came back as I watched some of the memories on John Lewis last week.

7. "Not to worry": IT'S OK.

8. Joe of "Home Alone": PESCI.  My favorite was Nicky in Casino.

9. Agcy. that helps startups: SBA.  Small Business Assn.  Not so sure about startups these days.  They may be trying to help small businesses stay afloat.

10. Just fair: NOT SO HOT.  My bowling is still pretty good, if we ever get a vaccine.  My golf is "NOT SO HOT", but I get by and stay healthy.

11. Japanese port: OSAKA.

12. Antiseptic acid type: BORIC.  BORIC acid comes in powder or tablet form.  I have never used it so I am not sure for what it is used.

13. Worker suffix with black or silver: SMITH.  Paul Revere was a famous silversmith.  I wish I still had all of the silver money I spent as a kid.  It's probably worth as much as the baseball cards I bought.

18. Drink all at once: CHUG.

22. Gothic novelist Radcliffe: ANN.

25. Puzzle with paths: MAZE.  Or at least the silver ball that I needed to guide through the wooden MAZE with two knobs on the sides.

26. Group bowing to a curtain call: CAST.  Been there, done that.  I was Noah.  Benjamin Britten spelled it Noye's Fludde.

27. Ali __: BABA.  And the Forty Thieves.

28. Egg cell: OVUM.

29. Arnaz of early TV: DESI.  Ricky Ricardo.

33. Deadly viper: ASP.  Cleopatra had one.

34. Awareness-raising TV ad: Abbr.: PSA.  I don't know about TV ads.  I get the test in my blood for Prostrate Specific Antigen.  For my age a PSA reading of 1 - 4 is normal.  My last one was 0.89.  Seems okay but previously I was 0.23.  My oncologist checks my blood every 6 weeks to 2 months.  He keeps telling me that my PSA is okay, but C.C. is not too convinced.

35. Devious: SLY.  And the Family Stone.

37. Leaper in a tractor company logo: DEER.  Doe, a DEER, a female DEER.  Ray, a drop of golden sun.  "The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music".

38. Hershiser of baseball: OREL.  Great Dodger pitcher who won over 200 games in about 18 years.

39. Land in the ocean: ISLE.  We have a city of ISLE, in Northern Minnesota.  Sorry, no where near an ocean.

41. Very personal: INTIMATE.

42. Part of speech after "the," often: NOUN.

43. Sports bar channel: ESPN.  They had a lot of reruns there for about 5 months.  Now maybe they have a game to show once in awhile.

48. Discreetly send a dupe email to: BCC.

50. Fair-hiring agcy.: EEOC.

51. Noah's landfall: ARARAT.  Did he really take two mosquitoes on the boat??

52. Sketched: DRAWN.

53. In style again: RETRO.  Maybe bowling will become RETRO next year.

54. Composer Copland: AARON.  Of course - thoughts follow to Hammerin' Hank or maybe even "ALL RISE" Mr. Judge of the Yankees who may be chasing some of Hank's records.

55. Wood shop tool: LATHE.

56. "I Love Lucy" role: ETHEL.  I always wondered how the writers chose the last name of "Mertz".

57. Actor-to-audience remark: ASIDE.

61. Bring into pitch: TUNE.  Or Maybe send the message to the bullpen,

62. 90° from norte: ESTE.

63. Wineglass support: STEM.  Also supporting our cucumber plant crawling up our home.

65. Good to go: SET.

67. Five-bor. city: NYC.  Yup, "ALL RISE" hits HRs there.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Melissa, who gave up her job and everything to fight for her brother and criminal justice. Melissa founded Adopt an Inmate project and has successfully facilitated over 1,200 adoptions.

Here is a podcast Melissa did with Plague Talk. I teared up listening to some of the ordeals she went through. What a beautiful, compassionate and courageous soul!

I hope you can support Melissa and her mission. Anyone who donated to Adopt an Inmate will receive a never-published puzzle I made with Melissa's talented brother Rick Fisk. We spent lots of time on the puzzle finessing the theme set and clues. It has a fresh & playful theme. You will receive the puzzle and answer grid in puz or pdf format.

Thank you!