Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Paul Coulter

Theme: Done, but not with E's.  Theeclues would need a long "E" sound added at the end for the theme fill to make sense.  And even better, the "i.e." in the clue, suggesting "for example" is also the letter combo that needs to be added to the base clue to supply that sound.  Quite elegant.

17. Cook, i.e.?: BAKED TREAT.  Add the "E" sound for the COOKIE, not the baker.

23. Pink, i.e.?: LITTLE FINGER.  Not a Game of Thrones character, but add the "E" sound to get your PINKIE.

37. Rook, i.e.?: FIRST YEAR PLAYER.  With the added "E" sound a chess piece becomes a newly minted pro athlete.

61. Sort, i.e.?: AIR MISSION.  With the added "E: sound we get, not a separation and arrangement of things, but rather a SORTIE, defined as a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint - or something of that SORT. The term originated in siege warfare.  So the fill is a bit too specific for the clue.

50. E'er, i.e.?: BONE CHILLING.  When you add the "E"sound, it's not a Great Lake nor a response to seeing an elephant, but rather a reaction to something strange and frightening. 

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to E's us through this puzzle.  This is a clever theme, but a bit gimmickEE for my taste.  Let's see what else is going on.

Across:

1. "Encore!": AGAIN.  A request for another tune at the end of a performance.

6. Small strings: UKES.

 

Mandatory

 10. Big zero: NADA. Nothing in Spanish, adopted into American slang

14. Ballet bend that's a homophone for a cheese dish: FONDU. Watch this video - which is not at all cheesy -  and you can have fun doing it.

 

 15. One chip, maybe: ANTE. Start of a poker hand.

16. Love, in Lima: AMOR.  Spanish

19. Canceled: NO GO.

20. 1953 Alan Ladd classic: SHANE.

 

 21. Many a dictator's quality: EGOMANIA.  

25. Actress Ryan of "Courage Under Fire": MEG.   Meg Ryan [b 1961] is an American actress and producer. Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982.

 

 28. Nickname of 1950s Reds slugger Ted: KLU.  Theodore Bernard Kluszewski [1924 - 1988] also known as "Big Klu", was an American professional baseball player known for his bulging biceps and mammoth home runs in the 1950s decade. He played from 1947 through 1961 with four teams in Major League Baseball.

29. Meds-approving agcy.: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.

30. Climbing vine: IVY.

31. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.    Brian Peter George Eno [b. 1948] is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica.

33. Upright: ON END.

42. Elevator stop: FLOOR.

43. Leaves in small bags: TEA.  Then boiled in water - just that.

44. Pitcher's stat: ERA.

45. Univ. dorm mentors: RAS. Resident Assistant is a live-in position held by students. Generally, the goal of an RA is to create a safe and comfortable environment for the residents of a dorm.

47. Enero begins it: ANO.  January is the first month of the year in Spain and many other countries.

49. __ Jones: DOW.  Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp and led by CEO Almar Latour.  The company publishes The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News and Private Equity News.  Every day they publish the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a price-weighted measurement stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.  I have commentary on my blog every business day, if you are interested.

56. City north of Des Moines: AMES, IOWA.  The home of Iowa State University.

57. Must-haves: NEEDS.  Self explanatory.

60. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP.  Yes, this is actually a word, and this is what it means.

64. Inner: Prefix: ENTO-. Or endo-  always need perps.

65. USAF noncom: TSGT.  Technical Sargent.

66. Lombardy's land: ITALY.  Northern region

67. Smartphone call record, say: LIST.

68. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA.  CITI is the home of the Mets. It was completed in 2009.  It replaced SHEA, with was built in 1964

69. Pluralizers: ESSES.  English language word construction.

Down:

1. Edwards, in Calif.: AFB.  Air Force Base

2. Dress like, for the costume party: GO AS. Impersonate someone.

3. Egyptian cross: ANKH.

Symbol of life

4. Utopian: IDEAL.  Just about perfect.

5. Annoying sort: NUDNIK.  One who is a bore or a nuisance.

6. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr.: UAR.  United Arab Republics

7. Show respect, in a way: KNEEL.   A position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission.

8. Eiffel Tower level: ETAGE.  Similar to the story of a house - in French.

9. Detonate: SET OFF.  Cause to explode.

10. Part of the "Hey Jude" refrain: NANANANA.  This goes on forever, and for my money, ruins an otherwise decent song.  YMMV.

11. "You're __ friends": AMONG.  Here among the cornerites.

12. Range rover?: DOGIE.  A motherless calf in a range herd

13. Loud, as a crowd: AROAR.  At a sporting event, frex.

18. Big name in 43-Across: TETLEY.   Founded in 1837 in Yorkshire, England. It is the largest tea company in the United Kingdom and Canada, and the second largest in the United States by volume.

22. Pain relief brand marketed to women: MIDOL.

24. Ditty: TUNE.  A simple song

25. Annoy: MIFF.  Be a NUDNIK.

26. Like villains: EVIL.  Well sure - they're the bad guys.

27. Greek lamb sandwich: GYRO.  The meat is a dense lamb meat loaf cooked on a rotating [hence gyro] vertical spit.

32. Breakfast cereal grain: OAT.

34. Checked out: EYED.  Leered or ogled, maybe.

35. Lyre-playing emperor: NERO.   Imperator Nero Cladius Divi Claudius filius Caesar Augustus Germanicus [37 - 68 CE] was the fifth emperor of Rome. He was adopted by the Roman emperor Claudius at the age of thirteen, and succeeded him to the throne. Nero seems to have been popular with his Praetorian guards, and with lower-class commoners in Rome and the provinces, but was deeply resented by the Roman aristocracy.

36. Sketch: DRAW.

38. Touchy subject: SORE SPOT.  Something difficult to talk about.

39. Singing sister of Toni Braxton: TRACI.  [b. 1971] is an American singer, reality television personality and radio personality. 

40. Authentic: REAL.  Not ersatz.

41. Pressed Italian sandwich: PANINI.  A grilled sandwich made with Italian bread.

46. Young hogs: SHOATS.  Weaned piglets.

48. Single-piece outfit for a baby: ONESIE.

50. Breakfast item: BAGEL.   A dense bread roll in the shape of a ring, made by boiling dough and then baking it.

51. Muscat native: OMANI.  Oman is a country on the south-east cleat of the Arabian peninsula.

52. Older efts: NEWTS. Semi-aquatic salamanders.

53. "If only": I WISH.  

54. Coffeehouse order: LARGE. Grande, perhaps.

55. Exploits: GESTS.  Adventures.

58. Sabado y domingo, por ejemplo: DIAS.  Saturday and Sunday, for example, are days of the week.

59. Exclusive: SOLE.  One and only - like a selected fish is a sole sole; or consider the bottom of a specific foot.

62. L.A. commuter org.: MTA.  Metropolitan Transportation Authority.    Not exclusive to L.A.

 

 63. Albany is its cap.: NYS.  Capitol of New York State.

That wraps up our Wednesday - not too hard and not too EEzy.  Did you brEEze through it?

Cool regards!

JzB

Sunday October 31, 2021 Paul Coulter

Theme: "A&E Network" - A and E change position in each theme entry.

23A. Govern in Austin?: DIRECT TEXAS. Direct taxes.

25A. Set of rules for a jury?: PANEL CODE. Penal code.

38A. Volume subtitled "100 Good Excuses"?: BOOK OF DENIAL. Book of Daniel.

60A. Party garb for one going as a pollution inspector?: EPA COSTUME. Ape costume.

65A. Historic period with a lot of risks?: CHANCES ERA. Chances are.

90A. Cube-shaped stones for a fireplace shelf?: MANTEL BLOCKS. Mental blocks.

105A. Wizard's communications device?: MAGE PHONE. Megaphone.

107A. Braided Greek cheese?: TWIST OF FETA. Twist of fate.

This is more complicated than our normal change a letter gimmick, as it involves two letter changes. Is it hard brainstorming or did you write a script for the word search, Paul?

Across:

1. Leader who succeeded Muhammad: CALIPH. The state is called Caliphate. Muhammad founded Islam.

7. Tried to get home, say: SLID. Baseball.

11. Boiling state: IRE.

14. Beliefs: ISMS. My pal Lesley copies "Heart Sutra" every day to find inner peace.  Any of you familiar with the term? Vidwan? Not a lot of characters, so she can complete the whole text every day.

18. Keys on a piano: ALICIA. The singer.

19. 100 cents: EURO.

20. "I, Claudius" role: NERO.

22. Texter's "Then again ... ": OTOH. On the other hand.

27. Sault __ Marie: STE.

28. Throttle: CHOKE.

29. Pretentious: LA- DI-DA.

30. Anthem contraction: O'ER.

31. Group name derived from the Dutch for "farmer": BOERS. They lost to the British in 1902. The Boer War. China also lost the two Opium Wars to the British Empire mid-19th century.

 

 32. __ blanche: CARTE.

33. Like crazy: MADLY.

35. Graceful antelopes: IMPALAS.

40. Car bar: TIE ROD.

41. Bodies usually bigger than bays: GULFS.

43. Mercury Theatre co-founder Welles: ORSON.

44. Farm units: ACRES.

45. Lawyer's filing: BRIEF.

46. "The Texan" star Calhoun: RORY. Unknown to me.

48. The Eagle, e.g.: LEM. Lunar Excursion Module.

51. Eric the Red's son: LEIF.

52. Comedian Shecky: GREENE. Wikipedia says "He is known for his nightclub performances in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he became a headliner in the 1950s and '60s."

53. Currency exchange abbr.: USD.

54. Mozart's "__ Kleine Nachtmusik": EINE.

55. 17.2-million-square-mile area: ASIA.

57. __ metal: dark '80s-'90s music genre: DEATH.

59. Snakes' weapons: FANGS.

68. Bob of "Fuller House": SAGET.

69. Explode: BURST.

71. Full of slime: OOZY.

72. Breezed through: ACED.

73. Animation frame: CEL.

74. Family reunion attendee: NEPHEW. Looks like we can have a somewhat normal Thanksgiving this year.

77. Botch: MUFF.

81. "__ so you!": IT'S.

82. "No problem!": SURE.

83. Name of two presidents: ADAMS.

84. Privilege: HONOR.

85. Broadcaster: AIRER.

88. A lot: SCADS.

89. State bordering Baja: SONORA.

94. Overly optimistic: BLUE SKY.

95. "Chicago Med" pro: ER DOC.  Also 111. Blood type, briefly: O NEG.

96. Location: SITUS. Not a word I use.

97. Clamorous: NOISY.

98. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

99. H.S. exam for college credit: AP TEST.

101. Brownish gray: TAUPE.

102. Cacophony: DIN.

110. Biblical plot: EDEN. Also an organic food brand. Their umeboshi paste is pretty good.

112. Lash mark: WELT.

113. Shade: NUANCE.

114. Fit together compactly: NEST.

115. Classified ad abbr.: EEO.

116. Comply with: OBEY.

117. Slow-moving mammals: SLOTHS.

Down:

1. Bounders: CADS.

2. Settled (on): ALIT.

3. Euros replaced them: LIRE. Italian currency.

4. Coolers?: ICE.

5. Winds also called ottavinos: PICCOLOS.

6. Result of keeping a cap on too long: HAT HEAD.

7. Goes after: SEEKS.

8. Elegance: LUXE.

9. 401(k) alternative: IRA.

10. Big affairs: DOS.

11. Out of gear: IN PARK.

12. Entertain at bedtime, as a tot: READ TO.

13. "Sixteen Tons" singer whose nickname is his birth state: ERNIE FORD. Tennessee

14. Games gp.: IOC.

15. Waited, not always patiently: STOOD IN LINE. We used to stand in lines for hours to get Twin's bobbleheads.

16. Roadster in the Henry Ford Museum: MODEL A.

17. Crow with Grammys: SHERYL. Here with Lance Armstrong.

21. Brit. lexicon: OED. The Oxford English Dictionary.

24. High spots: TORS.

26. Metal-threaded fabrics: LAMES.

29. Golden Triangle country: LAOS.

31. Shameless: BAREFACED. Lie.

32. Eye-opening cupful: COFFEE.

34. Spanish span: ANO. Year.

35. Emphatic type: Abbr.: ITAL. Italic.

36. They actually prefer fruit and grains to cheese: MICE. Really? Maybe I should put ripe banana on the mouse trap then.

37. "Frasier" actress Gilpin: PERI.

38. Kitchen counter staple: BLENDER.

39. Cocktail order: DRY.

41. Coll. senior's test: GRE.

42. One-eighty: UIE.

45. Cookout choice: BRAT.

46. Babe with a bat: RUTH. Babe Ruth.

47. Dept. of Labor arm: OSHA.

49. Tech sch. alumnus: ENGR.

50. Big butte: MESA.

52. Base figs.: GIS. Military base.

54. Fast bucks: EASY MONEY. 62. Seemingly forever: AGES AND AGES. Great fill.

56. Barfly: SOT.

58. Represented oneself to be: ACTED AS.

59. Casbah headgear: FEZ.

60. Morales of "NYPD Blue": ESAI. Tony Rodriguez. All went weird after he his ex-wife came back.

61. Agreement: PACT.

63. Lyft rival: UBER.

64. Paragon of stubbornness: MULE.

66. Denials: NOES. Also 104. Dundee disagreements: NAES.

67. Dairy grazer: COW.

70. Light fare: SNACKS.

73. Street edging piece: CURBSTONE.

75. Crash site?: PAD. 91. Game keeper?: ARCADE. Nice clues.

76. Royal Navy initials: HMS.

78. Pizzeria chain, familiarly: UNOS.

79. Motorist's decision point: FORK.

80. Donnybrook: FRAY.

82. Frites seasoning: SEL. And poivre.

84. Holiday guests, maybe: HOUSEFUL.

86. 1995 court VIP: ITO.

87. Go over: RECAP.

88. Cottontail's tail: SCUT. Learned from doing crosswords.

89. They usually don't have laces: SLIP-ONS.

90. Mythical males with tails: MERMEN.

92. Homeowner, vis-à-vis the bank: LIENEE.

93. Cooperstown's lake: OTSEGO. How many of you have been to Cooperstown?

94. Attack, as of an illness: BOUT.

97. Foul: NASTY.

100. Saigon soup: PHO. Very similar to Cantonese rice noodle soup.

101. Word game piece: TILE.

102. Bit of progress: DENT.

103. Allergic reaction: ITCH.

106. Tolkien creature: ENT.

107. Wee hour: TWO.

108. Information source, with "the": WEB.

109. __ Schwarz: FAO.

Extra notes:

1) Agnes continues to improve. She enjoyed some lobster rolls last week. I think she has her appetite back! She also got her booster shot and flu shot last Friday. Thanks again to those who continue to think of her, send her emails and cards.

 2) Lemonade's youngest son Devin got married last Friday. Here are a few pictures. See here for more here. His oldest granddaughter Charlotte also turned nine yesterday.

 

C.C.

Friday, October 1, 2021, Paul Coulter

Rabbit, rabbit!

Welcome Cornerites to the first day of the last quarter of 2021. This year has seemed to fly by at a more rapid pace than 2020, don't you think? And perhaps for me it's because I made a resolution at the beginning of this year to TURN OVER A NEW LEAF! Be a better person; a better partner; a new "me"; a new Moe! So how fitting and appropriate that our good friend and frequent contributor, Paul Coulter, provided this neat puzzle for us today

I usually save the puzzle grid for the end of my recap, but I think it's appropriate today to see how the entries and "reveal" emerged, based on the clue for 67-Across: "Preceded by 1-, 9- and 65-Across, what each circled word literally suggests: LEAF. I've highlighted the reveal and entry words . . .

I was scratching my head trying to figure out this puzzle and its theme correctly. Apparently I couldn't see the forest for the trees, as I was focusing on how the circled words in the puzzle RELATED to the theme instead of just looking below them. Thanks to C.C. (who read my late night post on Wednesday) I got an email from her suggesting where I should focus my view. Et voila! There it was. As obvious as the nose on my face! Just below the words "SPIN", "BEND", and "EDDY" is an anagram of the word "LEAF"! And since the words SPIN, BEND, and EDDY all mean "TURN", then they do, literally TURN, OVER A NEW "LEAF". And since FLEA is the only recognized anagram of the word LEAF, all three of the ones highlighted in the puzzle grid are truly NEW. Wow!

Now, if your puzzle came with no circled letters for those 3 synonyms, then you'd probably be "SOL".

As Lemondade714 pointed out in a previous recap, Friday puzzles are most often ones with fewer "blocks" (the black squares) and a higher letter count. All 15x15 puzzles have a total of 225 squares to fill. But to use all four of the corners (NW, NE, SW, SE) for the reveal (each being a four-letter word), as well as having all three entries be four-letter words, and then having THOSE words fall on top of the anagrams of LEAF . . . Paul DEFINITELY used some construction "magic".

Yes, there are 46 blocks; pretty high number for a Friday, but the grid still looks "open". Which left 76 words and 179 letters to fill. 24 of these were 4-letter words, and 13 were 3-letter words. Again, a pretty high count. But as I look at the words he used, none of the 37 short words seemed forced or unusual; either as an abbreviation OR an actual word, with one or two exceptions. I doubt it was easy for him to design and fill this

Anyhow, let's visit the clues and answers to see how this all fits together! I'm sure that Paul will stop by and add his comments . . .

Across:
1. Go bad: TURN. First word of the reveal. A nice easy start to the puzzle. D-Otto must be pleased! ;^)

5. Heart: CRUX. #3 from our Thesaurussaurus

9. Finished: OVER. Second word of the reveal. Somehow the video clip below came to mind when I saw the word "OVER"

13. Successor org. to the Bureau of Labor Standards: OSHA.

14. Cooked: DONE. Finished; OVER

15. Follow: TRACK.

Runner who follows,
Not leads, just entered in a
TRACK and 'yield' event

16. Passes (by): GOES. Another unforced 4-letter entry

17. Public relations staple: SPIN. Were the letters in your puzzle circled? Mine were. A theme entry identifier; and if you rearrange the four letters below it, you have LEAF

18. Character in all but one "Star Wars" film, familiarly: AR TOO. Just heard from Ms. Moe that a new COVID variant has surfaced called R1. Guess the next one CAN'T be named R2, as that would thoroughly p**s off C3PO

19. Certain ranch: CATTLE FARM. These steers had other ideas . . .

22. Healthy-looking, in a way: ROSY. A popular phrase back in the mid-1800's, it's making a comeback. As Dictionary dot com defines: (especially of a person's skin) colored like a pink or red rose, typically as an indication of health, youth, or embarrassment. "the memory had the power to make her cheeks turn ROSY"

23. Unexpected result: UPSET. This could also be an "expected" result, as proved by this Moe-ku (here's hoping):

Coach Nick Saban's team
Was trounced by Ole Miss, and he's
UPSET with UPSET

27. Excise: CUT OUT. Similar to 23-Across, in that the word has two very different meanings depending on whether it's a verb, noun, adverb, etc. This one's the verb: "the precision with which surgeons can EXCISE brain tumors"

31. Cafeteria patrons: EATERS. This clue's OK; I might've used "Ant" or "Odor" followers

33. Playwright's vehicle: ASIDE. Similar to 23 and 27-Across. This one's the noun version: "Shakespeare's use of ASIDEs and soliloquies"; as opposed to the adverb: "they pushed their plate ASIDE"

34. Relent: BEND. 2nd of the theme entry identifiers; and if you rearrange the four letters below it, you have another LEAF! BEND is also a town in Oregon; with Mt Hood in repose

37. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. There it is! Just ENE of Cleveland, along the shores of Lake ERIE

38. Father's love, say: PATERNAL FEELING. Appears as though this word phrase was last used in a crossword puzzle 5 years ago, but it also served as a key phrase for solving the reveal

41. Many a newspaper one is written well in advance: OBIT. Does OP ED fit this clue? Asking for a friend . . .

42. Blue dye: ANIL.

Papa Smurf is quite
Fastidious. Because he's
ANIL-retentive

43. __ wrench: ALLEN. Also the name of this wrench-wrangler, aka "Tim the tool man":

44. Scheduled: SLATED. The device shown on his wrist in the cartoon below wasn't SLATED to appear (for real) until the 21st Century. But then again, Fred did work for a MR SLATE

46. Forceful words after "because": I SAY SO. Or perhaps this?

Seamstress and her boss
Argued, 'til the boss cried out:
"Because I say SEW!"

47. As a friend, to François: EN AMI. Splynter always referred to this as "Frawnch"

48. Christian Science founder Mary Baker __: EDDY. 3rd of the theme identifiers. It sits directly atop the letters FELA in 50-Across; another anagram for LEAF. With regard to Mary Baker EDDY, there's a lot of info about her here

50. Morning drink choice: CAFFE LATTE. My morning drink choice is caffè nero. My caffè nero mug:

55. Divert: AMUSE. First one listed!

59. Cinematic beekeeper: ULEE. Becoming a staple entry; crossword-ese?

60. Make: EARN. As in wages. As we progress through generations, the amount we EARNed then, compared to what the same jobs pay now, seems so deflating

62. Outdated: PASSE.

Football team drafted
Lots of running backs. Must feel
To pass is PASSE

63. Teri of "Mr. Mom": GARR. She too is quite popular in crossword puzzles

64. Charity: ALMS. ALMS is one of those words that reminds me of biblical times. One hardly ever hears the word now. Charity and charitable are more common. And being charitable isn't just a good thing to do; it really makes you feel good when you do it! So remember that, if this happens to be me in a few years . . .

65. From the top: ANEW. Part of the reveal

66. Salt Lake City team: UTES. The University of Utah UTES football team is currently 2-2, and in 3rd place in the PAC-12 South

Down:
1. Deck (out): TOG. Clothe

2. Summer Games org.: U.S.O.C.. United States Olympic Committee

3. Saturn's second-largest moon: RHEA. All perps. Has anyone of us BEEN to Saturn?? Or seen its moons? Picard, might you have any photos to share with us re: RHEA?

4. Tammany Hall caricaturist: NAST. Before CATTLE FARM emerged I thought it could be NASH. Always get those two mixed up

5. Input feature of many laptops: CD SLOT. Not anymore. CD SLOTs are becoming quite "62-Across" (PASSE)

6. What pros know, with "the": ROPES. This pro knew the ROPES very well; as in ROPE-a-dope

7. Ally: UNIFY. Verb form of ally: (to) combine or unite (UNIFY) a resource or commodity with (another) for mutual benefit

8. TV role for Lucy: XENA. Lucy Lawless; not Lucy (Lucille) Ball. Wonder what Lucille Ball might look like as XENA Warrior Princess? Any photoshoppers out there? To photoshop is above this blogger's paygrade . . .

9. Bruins legend: ORR. If ORR wasn't a legend in hockey, he'd certainly be one in crossword puzzles

10. Winery vessel: VAT. KEG and TUN also fit. Here is a link to the world's largest wine VAT

11. Tourism lead-in: ECO. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has quite the website

12. "Suspicion" studio: RKO. Offical trailer; movie was an RKO Radio release starring Cary Grant (IM's favorite!) and Joan Fontaine. Never watched it. Guessing it must be available somewhere on one of the streaming movie channels

15. Eastern Gulf Coast city: TAMPA. A CSO to both Wilbur Charles and Tinbeni who live close by this largest of the cities in Florida, population-wise

20. More loyal: TRUER. It fits

21. Paris's __ la Paix: RUE DE. According to Crossword Tracker, this two-word French reference to the beginning of a road name hasn't been seen in over a half a decade.

Isn't it great that crossword puzzles allow Frawnch, Spanish, German, Italian and Latin words? It definitely helps those who construct puzzles to get through some awkward corners

24. Stanley's wife in "A Streetcar Named Desire": STELLA. I'd be remiss if I didn't put in this iconic video clip

25. How a campfire story might be told: EERILY. This is a unique clue for EERILY. Paul, yours or Rich's?

26. Groups of three: TRINES. The only group of three that I can relate to are:

27. Mob leaders: CAPOS. The "evolution" of the word "capo" (plural, capos) started in the 1800's. Its origin is Italian (capo tasto) which translates to "head stop". The term CAPO can also refer to the clamp that fits across a stringed instrument to raise its tuning. The reference to CAPO meaning a "crime boss" has a North American origin, and whose popularity as a word has grown considerably through the end of the 20th C to the present

28-Down, Functional: USABLE, an adjective. 57-Down, Apply: USE, a verb

29. One-named Venetian master: TITIAN. Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio, known in English as TITIAN, was a Venetian painter during the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. During his lifetime he was often called da Cadore, 'from Cadore', taken from his native region. Wikipedia. One of his paintings:

30. One-named folk singer: ODETTA. Enjoy the classic ballad in the video below

32. Repeat symbol, in music: SEGNO. OK, Paul. I gave you plaudits for the fill of this puzzle; up until now, though! ;^)

The TRINE of TITIAN, ODETTA, and SEGNO certainly qualifies this as a "Friday" puzzle. Technically, it's "Dal SEGNO" which means "from the sign".

This sign:

34. Prohibition: BAN. I thought it meant those years when folks started making bathtub gin

35. Either Bush, in school: ELI. George Herbert Walker and George Walker Bush. Presidents 41 and 43, and Yale University grads in 1948 and 1968, respectively

36. Draft org.: NFL. SSS (Selective Service System) also fit. The SSS chose #47 as my lottery "draft position" number back in 1972

39. First name in 1970s gymnastics: NADIA. Didn't she score the first perfect "10" in Olympics history?

40. No-sweat class: EASY A. I never had a "no-sweat" class throughout my educational years. I didn't always work too hard to get an "A" grade, but I don't think many of them were "EASY"

45. Host: EMCEE. I've never been an EMCEE but think it would be a fun job

46. Goof-offs: IDLERS. I knew my fair share in school. I was always "goofy" but never a "goof-off"

48. Key of Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto: E FLAT. A little snippet for your listening pleasure: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat "Emperor", Op. 73 - Adagio un poco mosso

49. Caterpillar rival: DEERE. "Nothing rides like a DEERE"

51. Risky-to-eat puffer fish dish: FUGU. Add this one to the TRINE of TITIAN, ODETTA, and SEGNO, and voila: a QUARTET of unknowns are in the "down" position. Has anyone ever heard of the FUGU before this puzzle emerged? Looks like something I'd unhook and throw back if I caught it

52. Marsh duck: TEAL. And a favorite color of many. Kind of a greenish-blue IIRC

53. It may be a tall one: TALE. Related to Dad jokes, perhaps?!

54. Columnist Bombeck: ERMA. As with ULEE in 59-Across, ERMA shows up quite a bit in xword puzzles

55. Therapists' org.: APA. Abbreviated form of "American Psychological Association". This association is for therapists and psychologists, who can talk to and counsel you about your mental condition(s), but cannot prescribe any medication

56. Guy: MAN. Too easy!!

58. Capt.'s heading: SSW. Appropriate abbr. for that corner of the puzzle. Though the SSW corner had one glitch (for me) and that was the abbr "APA". Not as common as ADA or AMA. So Paul, might these two other ways of filling that corner have been any easier? Sorry Paul. I had to go in and look! Damn Crossword Compiler software!! ;^)

61. Troubling bank msg.: NSF. I vaguely recall this from a recent recap I did. L714 correctly advised me that it stands for "Non-Sufficient Funds"

Are we done already? Is it finally OVER??!! Thanks for adding to the blog with your comments! If I'm not here first thing this morning it's probably because I am out doing this (Moe hiking in the Superstition Mountains):

Sunday September 19, 2021 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Support Groups" - Words that can precede "band" turn backward and up. See this Answer Grid.

23A. *Hotel convenience: PARKING ARAG. Backed up to 7D. "Good grief!": EGAD. Parking garage. Garage band.

40A. *Address essential details: GET DOWN TO ARB TACKS. Backed up to 12D. Stand-up types: CLASS ACTS. Get down to brass tacks.  Brass band.

56A. *Wannabe lawyer's milestone: PASSING THE AB. Backed up to 54D. Dorm figs.: RAS. Passing the bar. Bar band.

85A. *Keep one's identity secret, say: STAY UNDER VOC. Backed up to 72D. Overhaul: REVAMP. Stay undercover. Cover band.

96A. *Prepare emotionally for, as something unpleasant: ETS ONESELF AGAINST. Backed up to 80D. Beat it: FLEE. Steel oneself against. Steel band.

Reveal:

118. Miami Sound Machine and others, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: BACKUP BANDS.

Complex theme from Paul. We normally just see back or just up approach. Not such a combo. 

I hope your local paper have circles. It would be too difficult to figure out the theme without circles. 

Across:

1. Part of a sea urchin's diet: KELP. Mine too. I use kelp for my miso soup broth. And wakame too of course.

5. Rest of the afternoon: SIESTA.

11. "Beat it!": SCAT.

15. Big first for babies: STEP.

19. Wellsian race: ELOI.

20. "Life of Pi" director: ANG LEE. We had him last Sunday.

21. "Boo'd Up" singer __ Mai: ELLA. Just not many ways to clue ELLA.

22. Mani mate: PEDI. And 25. Manicurist's assortment: NAIL FILES.

27. Beholden: INDEBTED.

28. George who plays Stokes on "CSI": EADS.

30. Minneapolis' Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. Home to the Timberwolves & Lynx. We also have Target Field for the Twins. Target is headquartered in Minneapolis of course.

31. Roger of "Cheers": REES.

32. Stand: BEAR. Can't stand it, e.g.

34. Hotel offerings: SUITES.

37. Cat's attention-getter, maybe: PAW.

45. Caspian feeder: URAL.

47. Novelist Rita __ Brown: MAE.

48. Pitcher John on three different MLB championship teams: LACKEY. Wikipedia says his career ERA is 3.92.

49. Bonanza find: ORE.

50. Scholars: LITERATI.

54. Roofing support: RAFTER. Always amazed to see guys working on the roof without some sort of support.

55. Really cool: EPIC.

59. Most clever: SLICKEST.

61. Brian of rock: ENO.

62. Evening affairs: SOIREES.

63. NYC congresswoman, in headlines: AOC. Her Met Gala dress.

64. Saint-Saëns's "__ Macabre": DANSE.

66. Paid informer: FINK.

67. EPA-banned chemicals: PCBS.

71. Swing site: PORCH.

75. RN workplaces: ERS. VA is offering Boomer a booster shot. We'll take it next week.

77. Nantucket arrivals: FERRIES.

79. "... __ he drove out of sight": Moore: ERE.

80. Board game bonus: FREE SPIN.

87. Big name in chips: LAY'S. Beijing duck flavor.

88. Enmity: ANIMUS.

90. Place for an anchor: NEWSCAST. Remember Harry Smith? My collaborator for a NYT puzzle.

91. Denver-to-Omaha dir.: ENE.

92. Eyepiece: OCULAR.

93. Reverence: AWE.

95. Kid's retort: AM SO.

102. What "/" may mean: PER.

103. Prepared for cooking, as corn: HUSKED.

104. Consort of Psyche: EROS. Aka Cupid.

105. Yours, to Yvette: A TOI.

107. Carry away: ELATE.

109. Biblical scribe: EZRA.

111. Exhibits unease, maybe: STAMMERS. Not STUTTERS. Remember Medavoy?

115. Harbormaster's chart: TIDE TABLE.

121. On deck, perhaps: ASEA.

122. High-tech workers: BOTS.

123. Words from behind a door, maybe: IN HERE.

124. Blue hue: CYAN.

125. Go on: LAST.

126. Acronym on a protective vest: SWAT. Special Weapons And Tactics. Daryl Gates of LAPD  created his SWAT teams after the Watts riot. 

 

127. Battery terminals: ANODES.

128. Back talk: SASS.

Down:

1. Visored French cap: KEPI.

2. Brio: ELAN.

3. Byron's title: LORD.

4. Stingy sort: PIKER.

5. Important coastal drainage river in South Carolina: SANTEE. Wikipedia says it's named after the  Santee tribe.

6. Swallow: INGEST.

8. 35mm camera type: SLR.

9. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

10. Sea at one end of the Dardanelles: AEGEAN.

11. Texter's button: SEND.

13. "Aladdin" prince: ALI.

14. 1960s chess champ Mikhail: TAL.

15. Ornamental shrub: SPIREA. Pretty.

16. Astronomer's tool: TELESCOPE.

17. Fall place: EDEN.

18. Galileo's birthplace: PISA.

24. "__ your pardon": I BEG.

26. Like many rich foods: FATTY. I like all kinds of pickled and fried food.

29. School room encouraging creativity: ART LAB.

32. Fancy neckwear: BOA.

33. Dolly, for one: EWE.

35. "Family Matters" nerd: URKEL.

36. Spain's peninsula: IBERIA.

37. Mashed, as oranges: PULPED.

38. Grande dame of pop: ARIANA. Ha. Dame.

39. Doyle's narrator: WATSON.

41. Composer Shostakovich: DMITRI.

42. Big galoot: OAF.

43. Singer Kristofferson: KRIS.

44. Breakaway group: SECT.

46. Arles article: LES.

51. Choir supports: RISERS.

52. Mayo is in it: ANO. Mayo the month.

53. "Hooray, the weekend!": TGIF.

55. Big name in kitchenware: EKCO. What does EKCO stand for?

57. Chick magnet?: HEN. Cute clue.

58. Distressed cry: EEK.

60. Thickets: COPSES.

65. Goes out with: SEES.

67. One in a pod: PEA. Have you tried wasabi peas?

68. Call out: CRY.

69. Asian sultanate: BRUNEI.

70. Cosecant's reciprocal: SINE.

73. Game stick with a net: CROSSE.

74. Jamie of "Bosch": HECTOR. Unknown to me.

76. "In the Bedroom" Oscar nominee: SPACEK (Sissy)

77. Some mil. bases: FTS. Forts.

78. One of eight Eng. kings: EDW. Edward.

81. Carry on: RANT.

82. Antiglare wear: EYE SHADES.

83. Occupied: IN USE.

84. Alexandria's area: NILE DELTA.

85. One often seen in curls: SURFER. OK, Google shows that curl is "The actual portion of the wave that is falling or curling over when the wave is breaking"

86. TV pioneer: RCA.

89. __ de mer: MAL.

92. Attack: ONSET.

93. Back: AGO.

94. Is no longer: WAS.

97. Best at putting things away?: OUTEAT. Another great clue.

98. World's largest peninsula: ARABIA.

99. Mother of note: NATURE.

100. Middle ear bone: STAPES. Also new to me.  I don't really know my ears.

101. Archaeological find: TOMB.

106. Apple varieties: IMACS.

107. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.

108. Three-time WNBA MVP __ Leslie: LISA.

110. Gusto: ZEST.

111. List of appts.: SKED. Schedule.

112. "Only Time" songwriter: ENYA.

113. Old food label nos.: RDAS.

114. IRS IDs: SSNS.

116. Sit-up targets: ABS.

117. Fiddle stick: BOW.

119. Taylor of fashion: ANN.

120. Sulu portrayer John: CHO. On the left.

In case you're not aware, MM & his girlfriend Valerie met with Picard and his wife last Tuesday in Santa Barbara. Here's the picture. Happy faces.

 

Left to Right: Valerie, MM, Merlie & Picard 9/14/2021

Chair Moe (Chris) made today's Universal puzzle, click here to solve.

C.C.