L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Robert E. Lee Morris

Showing posts with label Robert E. Lee Morris. Show all posts

May 2, 2022

Monday May 2, 2022 Robert E. L. Morris

Theme: I SEE (57. Words of comprehension, and a phonetic hint for the answers to the starred clues) - each theme entry is in the pattern of I* C*.

17. *Chilled caffeinated drink: ICED COFFEE.

28. *Cold War barrier: IRON CURTAIN.

44. *Close-knit, influential group: INNER CIRCLE.

60. *English name of a West African republic: IVORY COAST.

Boomer here.

I had a little pratfall this past week and broke my left shoulder. C.C. is helping me around the house but I am pretty sure that I can drive with my right hand. Spring is almost here. No ICY CONDITIONS.

Across:

1. Former Yankee slugger, familiarly: A-ROD. I have many baseball cards of this guy.

5. Barrel of laughs: RIOT. Our weather broadcasts.

9. "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer: IRMA.

13. Take away: MINUS. Yes, MIN is in the US.

15. Skeleton prefix: ENDO.

16. Is sorry about: RUES. I RUE the day I broke the arm. It still hurts.

19. __-lock brakes: ANTI. I think most models have these now.

20. Pt. of HDTV: DEF.

21. __ facto: IPSO.

22. "Moby-Dick" ship: PEQUOD. The ships captain was Ahab but I don't think he let Moby steer.
24. Slim woodwind: OBOE.

26. Not well: ILL. That would be me but you all know that. Chemo coming on Thursday

27. "Star Wars" pilot Dameron: POE.

32. Blueprints: PLANS. Very hard to read.

33. Orderly: NEAT. C.C. keeps our home this way. My job is the garden if winter ever ends.

34. Comply with: OBEY. I did not obey the ER doctor.

38. Frying liquids: OILS. Also paintings.

39. Holy book: BIBLE.

40. Small valley: DALE. Racer Mr. Earnhardt as well.

41. Ward on "FBI": SELA.

42. Brazilian berry: ACAI. Some fruit I have never tried

43. Medicinal units: PILLS. I keep the VA Pharmacy busy.

47. Legal org.: ABA. Yankee Aaron's batting average

50. Lummox: OAF. Yankee Aaron J.

51. Peters out: DIES.

52. Tearjerker featuring Anna Chlumsky in her feature-film debut: MY GIRL. Also a song by The Temptations.

54. Ceramics oven: KILN.

56. "__ the season ... ": TIS. To be jolly!

59. Radar screen spot: BLIP. I do not have radar, but sometimes my TV blips at me

63. Refrain syllables: LA LA. Starts with FA

64. Majorino of "Veronica Mars": TINA.

65. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE. Big name in smelly stuff.

66. Meadow moms: EWES.

67. Affirmative votes: YEAS. Lots of politics going on out east.

68. Pass (through) slowly: SEEP.

Down:

1. In the thick of: AMID.

2. Risotto grain: RICE. A Roni. the San Francisco treat.

3. Part of the Three Musketeers' credo: ONE FOR ALL.

4. Lemon: DUD. I disagree. I like lemon on walleye.

5. NFL officials: REFS.

6. The 411: INFO.

7. "__ of Girls' Things": poem by Sharon Olds: ODE.

8. Metal tab that protects a shoe: TOE PLATE. Pitching rubber.

9. Baghdad's country: IRAQ.

10. Accumulate, as charges: RUN UP. We did some of this last week.

11. "Same here!": ME TOO.

12. "All kidding __ ... ": ASIDE. Sorry, I can never stop kidding.

14. Descendants: SCIONS.

18. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC. So, I wonder how much these guys are making when fill ups are $4.00 per gallon or more.

23. "Riverdale" actor Goree: ELI.

25. Tiny potted tree: BONSAI.

26. Slanted, as a typeface: ITALIC. It means PAY ATTENTION .

28. 1970s tennis star Nastase: ILIE. I never paid much attention to tennis.

29. Worldwide humanitarian gp.: UNICEF. Right now they are devoting time to kids in Ukraine.

30. Concrete-reinforcing rod: REBAR.

31. "Sorry, can't help ya": NO DICE. You will never hear this at the craps table in Vegas.

32. Spots to buy stamps: Abbr.: POS. Most are forever stamps now.

35. Mid-American Conference university in Indiana: BALL STATE.

36. Actress Fanning: ELLE.

37. "Of course!": YES. We have no bananas.

39. Triteness: BANALITY.

43. Royal son: PRINCE. Six years since his death, Minnesota is still honoring his memory.

45. Fin. neighbor: NOR. Many of us transplanted Norwegians are here in MN.

46. In a lazy way: IDLY.

47. Saunter: AMBLE. At my age that is called walking.

48. Internal regulation for a club: BYLAW. I only know 1 to 5 wood and 3 to 9 iron.

49. Nimble: AGILE. At my age, this word is not used.

53. Hoppy brews, briefly: IPAS.

54. Beer company based in Hawaii: KONA. Silly me, I thought all beer came from Germany.

55. Some nest eggs, for short: IRAS. Graybar took care of me however mine has money, not eggs.

58. Dance move: STEP.

61. "C'est la __!": VIE.

62. CIA predecessor: OSS.

Boomer

Nov 22, 2021

Monday November 22, 2021 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: POTATO HEAD (54. Toy that can be either Mr. or Mrs. ... and what the first part of the answers to starred clues can literally be)- The first word can precede "potato" (Thanks, YooperPhil!)

17A. *Arkansas resort known for its geothermal waters: HOT SPRINGS. Hot potato.

37A. *FDR recovery program: NEW DEAL. New potato.

11D. *Affectionate bedtime words: SWEET DREAMS. Sweet potato.

24D. *Silky-coated bird dog: IRISH SETTER. Irish potato.

Boomer here.

Happy four days before Thanksgiving to one and all! Time to decide which kind of potato you may be adding to your dinner table. C.C. and I have a 20 pound turkey which I will be stuffing with carbs called stuffing and so no potato is necessary on our table.

Across:

1. The Grateful __: rock group: DEAD.

5. Odometer units: MILES. Many will be traveling MILES to be with family and friends who are thankful to be together.

10. Ukr. and Lith., once: SSRS. Bowling tournament designation for Super Seniors. I am one.

14. Wrinkly fruit: UGLI. I am not sure if those will show up on Thanksgiving day tables.

15. Arabian Peninsula resident: OMANI.

16. Scrape, in tot-ese: OWIE. Careful slicing the bird.

19. Great Smokies st.: TENN. I spent time at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Oddly most of it was in Tennessee.

20. Trolley sound, in an old song: CLANG.

21. Top of a wave: CREST. Toothpaste.

22. Ill will: ANIMUS.

25. On one's way: EN ROUTE. Might be a bit safer to be EN ROUTE to holiday greetings on Tuesday.

28. SoCal NFL team: LA RAMS. Looking forward for a matchup with Vikings on the day after Christmas.

29. Put on television: AIRED. Yup, I am sure the game will be on TV.

30. Thor's father: ODIN.

31. Dividing membranes: SEPTA. Plural of septum.

33. Letter between pi and sigma: RHO. It's Greek to me.

36. Bath towel word: HIS. I guess we are simple folks. We have no words on our towels.

39. Musical ability: EAR. What ???

40. Sound of contentment: AAH. CHOO !!!

41. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP-EDS. I only scan the section. I guess I am not too interested in others' opinions.

42. "__! The Herald Angels Sing": HARK. "Glory to the new born King"

43. More than gratified: SATED.

45. Garlicky shrimp dish: SCAMPI.

47. Film critic with a cameo in 1978's "Superman": REX REED. Not interested in his opinion either.

49. Holmes' friend and flatmate: WATSON. "Elementary"

50. Adorable one: CUTIE. Q T

51. Muslim religious leaders: IMAMS.

53. Palo __, Calif.: ALTO. A bit lower than a Soprano.

59. Abound: TEEM.

60. Baking tray of cookies: BATCH. Not here - Only pumpkin pie.

61. Paris airport: ORLY.

62. Makes a mistake: ERRS. "And nobody left on base."

63. Cropped up: AROSE.

64. The "P" in IPA: PALE.

Down:

1. "How silly of me!": DUH. That's why I changed to Boomer. DUH is too close to Doug.

2. Freud's "The __ and the Id": EGO. Start with an "L" and you have a huge display of plastic blocks at Mall of America.

3. Space bar neighbor: ALT.

4. Sony audio product unveiled in 1984: DISCMAN.

5. Marshy tract: MORASS.

6. "You can count on me!": I'M IN. It may cost you in a poker game.

7. Oscar winner Jessica: LANGE. Famous lady from Cloquet, Minnesota.

8. The "E" in ESL: Abbr.: ENG. English.

9. Family nickname: SIS. I have three, and no Bro.

10. "I totally agree": SO TRUE.

12. Lather, __, repeat: RINSE. And Conditioner?

13. In the mail: SENT. Stupid PNC Bank claims the mail lost my September payment.

18. Professor in Clue: PLUM. With a Rope in the Kitchen?

21. Reef material: CORAL.

22. Honolulu hello: ALOHA. I have never been to Hawaii so I just say Hello

23. 1976 Olympic great Comaneci: NADIA. Incredible! Although those games were scarred by boycotts and a debt to Canada.

26. Places where moms grab puppies when they pick them up: NAPES.

27. Actress Hayworth: RITA. Lovely RITA Meter Maid. Nothing can come between us. Beatles.

31. Stockholm native: SWEDE. Never been there but I have been called a Swede. Blonde hair and blue eyes.

32. Advanced teaching deg.: EdD. Doctor of Education.

34. Silent Marx brother: HARPO. He was not silent. He had a horn.

35. Pest control biggie: ORKIN.

37. __ Dame: NOTRE.

38. Fencing tool: EPEE. One sport that never attracted my interest.

42. Milliner's store: HAT SHOP. Can a store survive by just selling hats??

44. Algebraic givens: AXIOMS.

45. Wrap snugly: SWATHE.

46. Army garb, for short: CAMO. Short for CAMOFLAGE and pretty drab.

47. Head of state: RULER. A piece of wood. 12 inches long.

48. "Same here": DITTO.

50. Actress Blanchett: CATE.

52. Brits' raincoats: MACS. You can get a BIG one at McDonald's.

54. Kegler's org.: PBA. Finally a bowling clue. I bowled in one Senior Professional tournament in a center about one mile from our home. I averaged 207 in the 10 game qualifying and did not make the cut. I learned that the PBA is very fussy about bowling balls, but mine passed the regulations. Also this tournament was in 1997 and I was on the lanes with a guy named Dick Weber.

55. Dory propeller: OAR.

56. MLB hurler's stat: ERA. Earned run average.

57. Every one: ALL.

58. Salon coloring: DYE. Never used it. I am still blonde with gray mixed.

Boomer

Oct 17, 2021

Sunday, October 17, 2021 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: "Scrapper's Delight" - Anagrams of 9 metals are hidden inside each theme entry.

23A. Attorneys' firm offering: LEGAL SERVICES. Silver.

29A. With no one behind you: DEAD LAST. Lead.

38A. Potential soldier: ARMY RECRUIT. Mercury.

54A. Drumstick: CHICKEN LEG. Nickel.

72A. Provider of much change: COIN RETURN. Iron.

87A. Chatty Cathy is one: TALKING DOLL. Gold.

95A. Mid-20th-century First and Second Lady: PAT NIXON. Tin.

37D. N.W.A's debut single: PANIC ZONE. Zinc.

50D. Coal train component: HOPPER CAR. Copper.

Reveal:

104. Scrapyard commodity ... and what's hidden in the nine other longest puzzle answers: RECYCLED METAL.

No circles in this grid, not that they're needed to solve the puzzle.

Anagrammed themes seem to be popular these days, esp with LAT and Universal. Quite impressive to have MERCURY and COPPER anagrammed.

Across:

1. Check alternative: PAYPAL. My PayPal account is just my email address. So simple.

7. Sacred beetle: SCARAB. The Egyptian beetle.

13. Tijuana pair: DOS. Two in Spanish.

16. It can be natural: GAS.

19. Creed in Rocky films: APOLLO.

20. Winter melon: CASABA. This is what Chinese "winter melon" looks like. Popular soup ingredient in winter.

21. MPG-testing org.: EPA.

22. Wordsworth work: ODE.

25. "Day __": 1965 hit: TRIPPER. The Beatles.

27. Way out: EXIT.

28. Put on a pedestal: DEIFY.

30. Capital NW of Boston: OTTAWA. Let's see.

33. Secure at the pier: LASH. New meaning to me.

34. Pooch in pictures: ASTA. "The Thin Man" .

35. Backtalk: LIP.

42. Storage unit: BYTE.

43. In hot water: UP A TREE.

45. Prefix with gender: TRANS.

46. Sorento or Soul: KIA. Minority owned by Hyundai.

47. Cocktail party snacks: CANAPES.

48. Tommy who teamed with Cheech: CHONG. Cheech & Chong

49. Queen's "__ One Bites the Dust": ANOTHER.

53. "Cool, dude!": I DIG IT.

56. Buckeyes of the Big Ten: OSU.

57. Handy sack: COT.

58. Sham sawbones: QUACK. And 81. Snake oil, allegedly: PANACEA.

59. Lubricate: OIL.

60. Church recess: APSE.

61. Bird voiced by Rowan Atkinson in "The Lion King": ZAZU. The 1994 film. Voiced by John Oliver in 2019 remake. Google shows Zazu means "Movement" in Swahili.

63. Road annoyances: BUMPS.

64. Complete: TOTAL.

66. Navy NCOs: CPOS. Also 84. Veteran on the briny: OLD SALT.

67. Oodles: A LOT.

68. Thor Heyerdahl craft: RAI. Old regular.

69. Auspices: AEGIS.

70. Pool tool: CUE.

71. "Little Birds" author Anaïs: NIN.

75. Cracker-__: homespun: BARREL. I only know the restaurant Cracker Barrel, where I first heard of catfish.

78. Everlasting: ETERNAL.

80. Deliver a stem-winder, say: ORATE.

82. Multivolume set in the reference sect.: OED.

83. African capital: CAIRO.

85. Green Bay Packers coach LaFleur: MATT. No idea. Lots of Packers fan in Minnesota.

90. Deli choice: RYE. Our local Asian store sells freshly made bánh mì. I like their pickled carrots & daikon.

91. Many opera highlights: SOLI. Solos more common.

92. "National Velvet" author Bagnold: ENID.

93. Site of a major part of the Bible?: RED SEA. Oh, parting of the red sea.

97. Shoulder wrap: SHAWL.

99. Snippet of dialogue: LINE.

103. Hold back: INHIBIT.

108. Charge: FEE.

109. Infant suffix: ILE. Infantile.

110. Alphabetically first U.S. national park: ACADIA.

111. Catholic devotion: NOVENA. Nine-day ritual.

112. OTC drug agency: FDA.

113. __ Plaines: Chicago suburb: DES.

114. Homer, in baseball lingo: GO DEEP. Tiny dupe with 16. Overtake: GO PAST.

115. Tarzan, e.g.: APE MAN.

Down:

1. Ashen: PALE.

2. High point: APEX.

3. "Smarter than the average bear" bear: YOGI.

4. "Republic" philosopher: PLATO. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". He said.

5. Word with caps or clear: ALL.

6. Spanish article: LOS.

7. Off-the-wall: SCREWY.

8. Pricey delicacy: CAVIAR. Have you tried caviar on toast?

9. "Keep dreaming": AS IF.

10. Risqué: RACY. So odd about Blogger/Google algorithm. They send you to spam if you mention EROTIC in the comment. Thankfully TTP noticed that. Thanks to those who helped us test last Monday.

11. Former Japanese prime minister: ABE. Universally disliked in Japan.

12. __-relief: BAS.

13. Abhor: DETEST.

14. Part of OWN: OPRAH.

15. Common word in a novel's dialogue: SAID.

17. "__ Fideles": ADESTE.

18. Maker of iComfort mattresses: SERTA.

24. Mingo portrayer on "Daniel Boone": ED AMES. He's still alive. 94 years old now.

26. Dabble in: PLAY AT.

29. Where many speeches come from: DAIS.

31. La Brea attraction: TAR PIT.

32. Brand similar to Spam: TREET. Never had this or Spam.

33. Fencing maneuver: LUNGE.

35. '60s White House daughter: LUCI. Heard of her only because Boomer likes to sing Luci Baines. He's been having a sore throat since last Monday. He could hardly talk yesterday. He's not coughing. Just feeling weak.

36. Apple offering: IPAD.

39. Focus of some committees: ETHICS.

40. Bit of stoneware: CROCK. Not sure if you guys know about the kimchi wars between China and South Korea. When I grew up, we called pickled napa cabbage/daikon as "pao cai", and we called Kimchi as "Korean pao cai".

41. Arrange in sequence: RANK.

42. Library sect.: BIOG. Biography.

44. Retire at home, say?: TAG OUT. Home plate. Also 75. Calls at home: BALLS.

46. Solemn sound: KNELL.

48. Lad: CHAP.

49. Bit of checkpoint deception: ALIAS.

51. Exxon, once: ESSO.

52. Feels bad about: RUES.

54. Seasoning in Indian cuisine: CUMIN. Also key ingredient in Xinjiang (Uygur) lamb skewers, popular street food in Xi'an. Lots of Muslim food. Lots of Korean food in our neighborhood. As I said before, they're just two of the ethnic minorities in China.

55. At lunch, say: NOT IN.

58. California state bird: QUAIL. Ours is Loon. The nickname for our soccer team Minnesota United is "The Loons". Guess what, PK, their mascot is called PK.

60. TLX autos: ACURAS.

61. Western writer Grey: ZANE.

62. Came down: ALIT.

63. In __ daylight: BROAD.

64. Ancient German: TEUTON.

65. Storybook fiend: OGRE.

69. Vintage video game name: ATARI.

70. Symbol of a year, perhaps: CANDLE. Boomer turns 74 on Oct 27!

72. Tech news site: CNET.

73. Explorer Amundsen: ROALD. Norwegian explorer. I only know Dahl, who was named after the explorer, according to Wikipedia.

74. Estrada of "CHiPs": ERIK.

76. Hard to grasp: EELY.

77. Running behind: LATE.

79. Helix-shaped pasta: ROTINI.

81. Curly-haired pet: POODLE.

83. Genesis brother: CAIN.

85. Sounded like the wind: MOANED.

86. Tennis great Gibson: ALTHEA. First Black Grand Slam winner.

87. Govt. securities: T NOTES.

88. __ Mansion, NYC mayor's residence: GRACIE. Current mayor and his wife.

89. Lizard feature: DEWLAP.

91. Calvin's spaceman alter ego, in comics: SPIFF. Unknown to me.

92. Force to leave: EXILE.

94. Motrin alternative: ALEVE.

96. Footnote abbr.: IBID.

97. Whole bunch: SCAD.

98. "Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred": HYDE.

100. List member: ITEM.

101. Family nickname: NANA. We call "nei nei" in Chinese.

102. Flair: ELAN.

104. Common cleaning supply: RAG. 107. Common cleaning supply: MOP.

105. Tourism opening: ECO.

106. Target of a cheek swab: DNA.

A few extra notes:

1) When I emailed Agnes on Thursday, she's still coughing and she just could not get a good rest in the evening. Poor Agnes also can't tolerate Robitussin, which relieved my coughing ordeal a few years ago. Get back to us soon, Agnes! Been too long.

2) Happy birthday to Wilbur Charles! When did you join our blog, Bill? 2014?

C.C.

Apr 27, 2021

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Robert E. Lee Morris

Poker Face and Aces Up.

6-Down. Doctors rarely make them these days: HOUSE CALLS. Our family pediatrician made house calls when we were little. Once my sister was too sick to make the trip to the doctor's so my mom asked the doctor to make a house call. When the doctor arrived, my sister was hiding under the bed and wouldn't come out. Mom was not amused.

11-Down. Artillery metaphor for a volatile sort: LOOSE CANNON.

25-Down. First major leaguer to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season: JOSE CANSECO. In 1988, Jose Canseco (né José Canseco Capas, Jr.; b. July 2, 1964) became the first member in the 40-40 club.

30-Down. Asian feline breed: SIAMESE CAT.

And the Unifier:

63-Across. Hickok's last hand, it's said ... and what's literally found in four Down puzzle answers: ACES UP. In each of the 4 theme answers, the word "Aces" is spelled "up".

Legend has it that Wild Bill Hickok (né James Butler Hickok; May 27, 1837 ~ Aug. 2, 1876) was holding a poker hand consisting of the Ace of Spades, the Ace of Clubs, the Eight of Spades and the Eight of Clubs when he was shot and killed. The term "Aces Up" apparently refers to having 2 pair, with Aces being the higher pair, hence the reason that Aces is spelled "up" in today's puzzle. [Thanks, Joseph! I couldn't have fully understood today's theme without your help.]

You would have thought he would have combed his hair before getting his picture taken.

I am placing the grid here today so you can see the Aces.

Note the nice symmetry of the word "Aces" in the theme answers. The first word in each phrase ends in "SE" and the next word begins with "CA".

Across:

1. Disappear: PERISH.

7. Pop star Lady __: GAGA. Lady Gaga (née Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; b. Mar. 28, 1986) may have gotten her stage name from the Queen song, Radio Ga Ga.

11. "__ Miz": LES. Les Miz is the musical version of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. I read the book years ago (in an English translation). I have also seen the musical numerous times. It is a fabulous story.

14. Not against hearing, as a suggestion: OPEN TO. I am open to an alternative theory on today's theme.

15. Amo, __, amat ...: AMAS. Today's Latin lesson.

16. Mork's home planet: ORK. I never undestood the attraction of Mork and Mindy. It was too crazy for me. The show ran from the Fall of 1978 through May 1982.

17. Martin of "Mission: Impossible": LANDAU. Although Martin James Landau (June 20, 1928 ~ July 15, 2017) appeared in numerous movies and television shows, he is probably best known for his role as Rollin Hand, the "Man of a Million Faces", in Mission: Impossible.

18. Excuse designed to elicit sniffles: SOB STORY.

20. Happening soon: IN STORE.

22. PDQ: ASAP. Pretty Darn Quick and As Soon As Possible. Not to be confused with PDQ Bach, the infamous 21st child of Johann Sebastian Bach.

23. Mexicali's peninsula: BAJA. Also known as Baja California.

The entire peninsula.

Portion of the peninsula showing Mexicali.

26. Roof overhang: EAVE. Soffits are under the Eaves.

27. Dole (out): METE.

28. Angsty music genre: EMO.

29. The "A" in RAM: ACCESS. As in Random Access Memory.

31. The "A" in USNA: Abbr.: ACAD. As in the United States Naval Academy.

32. USO show audience: GIs. Did you know that the term GI might have originally stood for Galvanized Iron, which was the material used to make military buckets? By World War I, the term was expanded to include all things army related, and later became used to describe soldiers.

33. Ball game delayer: RAIN.

34. Mallorca, por ejemplo: ISLA. Today's Spanish lesson.

36. Make potable, as seawater: DESALT.

38. Not yet visible, as a fingerprint: LATENT.

40. Con's place of confinement: CELL.

41. Robin Cook medical thriller: COMA. This novel was first published in 1977. I read it many years ago. Robin Cook (né Robert Brian Cook; b. May 4, 1940) is a physician and many of his books focus on medical issues. Coma explores the black market of organ donation.

42. Currently: NOW.

44. Compact Chevy SUV: TRAX.

46. Elon Musk company concerned with travel to Mars: SPACEX.

48. Italian hour: ORA. Today's Italian lesson.

49. Payment in Monopoly: RENT.

50. LAX landing hrs.: ETAs. Estimated Time of Arrival has become a crossword staple. Where did the X come from?

51. Fort full of gold: KNOX. Fort Knox is Maine's largest historic fort. This was one of the last places I went with my mother before she died. The gold is not stored at this fort, however. You have to go to Kentucky for that fort.

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

53. Grime-fighting P&G mascot with folded arms: MR. CLEAN.

55. Evil: FIENDISH.

57. Lowlife, slangily: CREEP-O.

61. Inc. relative: LLC. As in a Limited Liability Company.

62. Melville novel: OMOO. Omoo is the sequel to Typee. Both books make occasional appearances in the crossword puzzles. Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 ~ Sept. 28, 1891) spent much of his early years as a sailor on merchant ships. Both Typee and Omoo are based on Melville's experiences in the South Pacific. Of course, Melville is best known for Moby Dick. I wonder if anyone other than scholars ever reads these books.

64. "Evil Woman" rock gp.: ELO.

65. Nashville's st.: TENN.

66. Until now: TO DATE.

Down:

1. D.C. pro: POL.

2. Govt. pollution watchdog: EPA. As in the Environmental Protection Agency.

3. Stimpy's sidekick: REN. Ren is the sociopathic Chihuahua and Stimpy is the dim-witted Manx cat.

4. Nepal neighbor: INDIA.

5. Comics icon Lee: STAN. Stan Lee (né Stanley Martin Lieber; Dec. 28, 1922 ~ Nov. 12, 2018) was the primary creative leader of Marvel Comics. He makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

7. Kitchen appliance: GAS OVEN. A brief history of the oven.

8. Loves, in Spain: AMORES. More of today's Spanish lesson.

9. Comedian Kaplan: GABE. Gabe Kaplan (né Gabriel Weston Kaplan; b. Mar. 31, 1945) is best known for his role as the teacher on the 1970 sit-com Welcome Back, Kotter. I never watched this show.