Monday May 11, 2020 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: JUMP START (61A. Battery boost ... and what the first part of the answers to starred clues can literally be) - Jump can follow the first part of each theme answer.

17A. *Internet connection touted in the '90s as faster than dial-up: BROADBAND. Broad jump.

38A. *Extended engagement: LONG RUN. Long jump.

11D. *Diamond defensive rarity: TRIPLE PLAY. Triple jump.

29D. *Vegas spender: HIGH ROLLER. High jump.

Boomer here.

Happy Monday! I had a friendly phone chat with Al, aka "Spitzboov" this past week and compared life in upstate New York with the "Land of 10,000 lakes". Not much difference. Wear a face covering if you leave your home to go grocery shopping and maintain at least a six foot social distancing from others. 

A couple of  differences were in New York, gasoline is about 40 cents higher per gallon. In Minnesota, over 100,000 fishermen hit the road to the lakes for the fishing opener.  Good grief, temperature Saturday morning here was 35 degrees! Golf courses have opened in Minnesota, and I was able to get in a couple of rounds.  I do not have to worry about social distancing on the golf course because all of my tee shots are about 40 yards behind my playing partners, and my putts on the greens are about 20 feet longer. 

Across:

1. Spaces between teeth: GAPS.  C.C. has found several GAP stores in town.  They are not open for business at the present time.

5. Comedian Foxworthy: JEFF.  If you are smarter than a fifth grader, you might be a redneck.

9. Flat finish: MATTE.

14. Gershwin's "__ Rhythm": I GOT.  "I got music, who could ask for anything more.

15. Diva's delivery: ARIA.  There is a huge ARIA casino on the Las Vegas Strip. C.C. really liked it because it had nice decor honoring Chinese New Year.

16. Skylit courts: ATRIA. The NBA will not be using skylit courts for awhile.

19. Leaks: DRIPS.

20. Bill for beers: BAR TAB.  Bars are still closed in Minnesota.  Not a big deal for me.  I have not touched a drop since the doctor gave me the strong cancer pills, and told me not to drink to it!

21. Barbie's beau: KEN.  My favorite was Mr. Griffey Jr.

23. Church recess: APSE. My church has a high one.  I am not sure why they choose to heat all that air space in our cold winters.

24. 4 x 4, for short: UTE.

25. Brontë and Post: EMILYS.

27. 1987 Beatty/Hoffman bomb: ISHTAR. What you might say when you have your driveway redone.

30. Flammable gas: ETHANE.

32. Andy's son in Mayberry: OPIE.  Ronnie Howard shows up in crosswords frequently.

33. Decorate: ADORN.

34. ASAP relative: PDQ. People Dedicated to Quality.  Like all of the crossword constructors we encounter.

37. Move back and forth, as a tail: WAG. Sometimes the tail WAGS the Dog.

40. Baseball great Gehrig: LOU.  The guy was incredible!  I wish I had been able to see him play.

41. Remains of the tray?: ASH.  I gave up smokes years ago.  I think they are about $10.00 per pack now.

42. Building addition: ANNEX.

43. Mideast strip: GAZA.  Long and narrow strip.

44. Toronto NBAer: RAPTOR.  Not sure what the NBA is planning. I am pretty sure that if they open the season, tickets will be limited to about 10%. About what our Timberwolves drew before the crisis.

46. Remained: STAYED.

48. Beach Boys "Help Me" title girl: RHONDA.  "I wish they all could be California girls."

50. Whirling toon devil: TAZ.

51. Slippery: EELY.  I m sure that some of our fisherman were disappointed when they landed an eelpout.

52. Bosom buddy: PAL.

55. Pricey watches: OMEGAS.  I thought a spendy watch was a Rolex.  An OMEGA is an "Older More Energetic Graybar Associate."

59. Bravery: VALOR.  I think it takes a lot of VALOR to face another day of Covid-19 and stay home and keep your spirits up.

63. Happening: EVENT.  Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Best wishes to all Moms out there and I hope you had a great day! My Mother's name was HOPE.

64. Fronton game word: ALAI.

65. Scrabble piece: TILE.  On "Jeopardy" the other day, one of the clue answers was that the word "FUZZY" was worth 29 points.  Impossible - one of the "Z"s would have to be a blank.

66. Stringed instruments of yore: LYRES.

67. Jalopy corrosion: RUST.  Years ago, I owned a 1955 Oldsmobile. Great car but a bit rusty. I think they use different "Salt" on the roads nowadays.

68. Historic British school: ETON.

Down:

1. "Shadow Dancing" singer Andy: GIBB.  Andy was the brother of Bee Gees' BARRY.  Andy only made it to age 30.

2. Indian tourist city: AGRA.

3. Below average: POOR. Not sure if I want to touch this. The government sent everyone a substantial subsistence last months, but I am afraid many are hurting.  I always feel very fortunate to have had a stable career.

4. Law: STATUTE.

5. Go on and on: JABBER.  Sounds like Kareem Abdul's last name.

6. MLB pitcher's stat: ERA.  I think all of the pitcher's ERA's are 0.00 so far this year.

7. Stool pigeon: FINK. Tony Bennett passed away and went up to the pearly gates.  St. Peter issued him wings and a harp.  Tony asked about a friend of his named Sam Fink.  St Peter said he was not up here but maybe check the other place.  So Tony went down and found that Sam had opened a Disco and was living quite well. Later Tony returned to St. Peter and wished to enter the pearly gates but St. Peter told him he forgot something.  "Oh my gosh!", uttered Tony, "I left my Harp, in Sam Fink's Disco!" I knew I told the story before, but it bears repeating.

8. Lose luster, as colors: FADE.  Or to hit a golf ball in the trees off to the right.

9. Fit to be tied: MAD.  I remember the "MAD" magazine back in the 60s.  Are they still around?

10. Subway immortalized in an Ellington song: A TRAIN.  Ella Fitzgerald joined the Duke in one of the productions.

12. Slightly inebriated: TIPSY. Sorry - Bars are still closed. Interestingly however, our Governor designated liquor stores as "essential".

13. Subsides: EASES.

18. Spreadsheet info: DATA.

22. India's first prime minister: NEHRU.  I think he invented jackets with funny collars.

26. Herbie of jazz: MANN.  Minnesota had a friend of mine, Leo Mann.  A great friend and bowler.  Tried a few pro tournaments and cashed in a US Open around 1970.  He passed last fall at age 93.

27. Hawkeye's state: IOWA.  Just south of us. I have been there a few times. Mostly famous for pig farms, corn, and first presidential primaries.

28. Health resorts: SPAS.

30. Lawn care tool: EDGER.  I hate replacing the nylon string in these things.

31. Six-pointed star-shaped screw head: TORX.  I'm sure my Phillips screwdriver won't work on these.

33. Part of A.D.: ANNO.

35. Catch a few z's: DOZE.  Instead of the EDGER, just use a Bull DOZER.

36. Campus courtyard: QUAD.  The yard can only have four sides.

38. SoCal cop force: LAPD.  I wonder if their mascot is a LAP DOG

39. Like much bar beer: ON TAP.  You won't find this in too many states.  You need to visit an essential liquor store.

43. Montreal daily: GAZETTE.  GAZETTE eh?

45. "Tennis, __?": ANYONE.

46. "Cut that out!": STOP IT.  Tell it to the virus!

47. Scottish toppers: TAMS.

48. Whoop it up: REVEL.

49. Hard to lift: HEAVY.  "He ain't heavy, He's my Brother."  Neal Diamond and others.  Regards a logo from Boy's Town Nebraska. 

53. Not quite closed: AJAR.  "When is a glass not a glass??"

54. Humdinger: LULU.  "How can you thank someone who has taken us from crayons to perfume?" "To Sir with Love"

56. Canter or gallop: GAIT.

57. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO.  "Walk right in, it's around the back, Just a half a mile from the railroad track.  You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant." 

58. British weapon acronym: STEN.

60. ACLU concerns: RTS. Rights.

62. Pas' partners: MAS.  Happy Mother's Day yesterday, and Do Not call your Mother MA.

Boomer

Monday December 23, 2019 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Whistle-blowers.

17A. Whistle-blower in the street: TRAFFIC COP.

53A. Whistle-blower on the court: NBA REFEREE.

11D. Whistle-blower during phys ed: GYM TEACHER.

28D. Whistle-blower at obedience school: DOG TRAINER.

Boomer here. 

Hello everyone. I am looking forward to the big game tonight in the NFL. Packers vs. Vikings - SKOL. Back in the 1960s, (Yes I am that old) the Packers came to town and stayed at a hotel in Hopkins, MN. As it happens, I am from Hopkins and I delivered pizzas for a restaurant there. The Packers would order 2 or 3 large pizzas delivered to the party room where about 30 Packers were having a good time. Paul Hornung, who turns 84 today, always paid and a $10.00 tip was not out of the question - probably the largest tip I received in my four year career.  I never witnessed Bart Starr or Vince Lombardi however, I guess they preferred to stay sober for tomorrow.s game. Later in life, as part of my district responsibility, I visited the Graybar branch in Green Bay. The bay is an extension of Lake Michigan and guess what ??  It is NOT green.  Go Vikings! 

Happy Birthday, Paul Hornung!

Across:

1. Burning: AFIRE.

6. Do some angling: FISH.  A favorite pastime in Minnesota.  C.C. and I used to try our luck at a nice lake in Annandale, MN.  Not so much anymore.  C.C. is too busy and I hate cleaning the catch.

10. __ Benedict: brunch choice: EGGS.

14. Like some clock numerals: ROMAN.  Clue number XIV across.

15. Dealer's request to a poker player: ANTE.  You cannot win if you don't get in.

16. Harp constellation: LYRA.

19. In the thick of: AMID.

20. Rainbow site: SKY.  I will be looking for a sleigh with 8 tiny reindeer, and a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

21. Indian or Arctic: OCEAN.

22. Blackjack player's request to a dealer: HIT ME.  In Las Vegas, you just brush your cards on the table or maybe signal by bouncing your finger off the felt.

23. The "P" in POTUS: Abbr.: PRES.

24. "8 Mile" rapper: EMINEM.  Makes up a name that sounds like candy.  Boo hiss.

26. Kidnap: ABDUCT.

29. Beltway region, briefly: DC AREA.  Okay but there are many, many cities that have a "beltway".

30. Hooch: BOOZE.  I gave all of mine away last year.  It does not go well with my pills.  But go ahead and make your Christmas merry!

31. Frontier explorer Daniel: BOONE.  My sister and I used to like Pat Boone back in the late fifties.  Now he sells walk-in bathtubs on TV.

32. Network with an eye logo: CBS.  I have a bone to pick with CBS. Last Sunday they showed hours of commercials, and once in a while they would interrupt the commercials for a few minutes of a Viking's football game.

35. Therefore: ERGO.

36. Singer Simon once married to James Taylor: CARLY.

37. Visit the mall, say: SHOP. The season is almost over.  C.C. and I could not believe the skill needed to find a parking spot, and the long, long lines at the checkout registers.

38. Vietnam holiday: TET.  Not my favorite.  Once upon a time in 1968 the Government called me in January to neutralize TET.

39. Three-dimensional: SOLID.

40. Good, in Guadalajara: BUENO.

41. Fights off: REPELS.

43. Boo from the stands: JEER AT.  You won't hear that at U.S. Bank Stadium tonight, but you might hear "SKOL".

44. Rio Grande city: LAREDO.  I am terrible at U.S. Geography.  Maybe Desper-Otto can help with this.

45. Dryer fuzz: LINT.  This really builds up in the screen that every dryer has. We used to play with it like a blanket only smaller.

46. Strange: WEIRD.  Al Yankovic.  Not sure why he chose that adjective.

47. Treasure stash: TROVE.

49. Mischief-maker: IMP.  IMPossible

52. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.  My sister has been to Italy, not me.  But I have heard that ETNA is a volcano that erupts frequently.  Don't build a house by it.

55. "Yes!" in church: AMEN.  In my church I believe AMEN means "So be it".  I think it is Latin.

56. RC Cola alternative: COKE.  I drink Diet Pepsi but in my younger days sometimes we would drink Coke.  Never Never Royal Crown.

57. "Not possible": I CAN'T.

58. Social oddball: NERD.  Learned about them in "Animal House" Movie.

59. Plow-pulling team: OXEN.  OXEN is one of the few plural words that do not end in "S".

60. Chef's hat: TOQUE.

Down:

1. Martial __: ARTS.  Linkletter and Garfunkel.

2. Tined utensil: FORK. Favorite for eating peas. They just won't stay on a knife.

3. "Possibly":  I MAY.  "Captain MAY I?  Yes you may"

4. Brit. pilots' squad: RAF. Royal Air Force.

5. Make sure people obey, as laws: ENFORCE.

6. Turns toward: FACES.

7. Ancient Peruvian: INCA.  "Inca Dinca Do".  Jimmy Durante.

8. Totally, as sober: STONE-COLD.  Steve Austin of the WWE

9. Cool, like a cat: HEP.  "For a long time now I've been aware, that I'm so Hep the rest of the world is square,"  (Chad Mitchell and friends.)

10. Julia's "Seinfeld" role: ELAINE.  I watch the Seinfeld reruns frequently.  I like Elaine, but I cannot stand George or Kramer.

12. Fairy tale brother: GRIMM.

13. Marquis de __: SADE.

18. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE T.  Don't forget Mariska Hargitay. She is Jayne Mansfield's daughter, but I suppose you knew that.

22. Add to the staff: HIRE.

23. "The Godfather" novelist Mario: PUZO.

25. Multitudes of: MANY.  "How MANY roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man."  Minnesota's own Robert Zimmerman, You may know him better as Bob Dylan.

26. Help in a heist: ABET.  Something you place at the Kentucky Derby.

27. Yawn inducer: BORE.  Sorry if you nodded off.  I am doing the best I can.

29. Actress Day: DORIS.  Born Doris Kappelhoff.  No wonder she changed it to DAY.

31. Polling place receptacle: BALLOT BOX.  We are sneaking up on 2020.  Funny I never see a ballot box any more.  We make our selections on a huge sheet of paper, then one of the volunteer judges slides it into a big computer and the vote is counted.  (I hope).

33. __ fide: BONA.

34. Dalmatian mark: SPOT.  There were 101 dalmatians in a movie I once saw and none of them were named "SPOT"

36. Like dorms for men and women: COED.  Years ago, my High School was all males.  Now it is COED.

37. Sheep fat: SUET.  Remember we used to hang it on Christmas tree branches to give the tree shape.

39. Zoomed: SPED.

40. Be of help to: BENEFIT.  SO many commercials this time of year asking for money.  I'll support the Salvation Army bell ringers, but I wonder how much of a potential donation from some of these non profits go for advertising and administration. I have heard that DAV wounded warriors is suspect.

42. Quick trip to the market, say: ERRAND.  We have gas stations with convenience stores attached called "Kwik Trip".  I guess fourth grade spelling was a problem.

43. Nonsense: JIVE.

44. "I'll do it": LET ME.  "Open the door and LET ME in. Not by the hair of my Chinny chin chin".

45. Actress Sophia: LOREN.  Alive and well and living in Italy.  She was 13 years old when I was born.  That makes her a senior senior citizen.

46. Gradually withdraw: WEAN.

48. Garden tool: RAKE.  I think there might be some leaves left on our yard, but we do not rake snow.

49. Baghdad's country: IRAQ.

50. Diner handout: MENU.  Some of the Diners in St, Paul are adding about 3% to the menu price for employee health insurance.  They are in trouble now.  I think it would be easier just to raise the prices 3% .

51. Basketball Hall of Famer "Pistol __" Maravich: PETE.  A shooting guard with a clever nickname.  Sadly left us at age 40 of congestive heart failure.

53. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.  Do NOT call him "Sir", he works for a living.

54. Green prefix: ECO.

Enjoy the hectic today and tomorrow and have a happy and solemn Christmas.  "All is calm, All is Bright.

Boomer 

Note from C.C.:

Happy 75th birthday to dear Misty, who's always so caring and kind towards all regulars. Here is a picture of Misty and her husband Rowland celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in 2009.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019, Robert E. Lee Morris

Are You a Mensa Genius?  The first word of each theme answer can describe a high IQ.

17-Across. Optimistic viewpoint to "look on": BRIGHT SIDE.

58-Across. Samsung product: SMART PHONE.

11-Down. Hothead's trait: QUICK TEMPER.

24-Down. Wicked wit: SHARP TONGUE.

Across:

1. Desert Storm missile: SCUD.  During Desert Storm, journalist Arthur Kent (b. Dec. 27, 1953), gained fame for reporting on the war and was dubbed The Scud Stud.

5. Jed Clampett portrayer Buddy: EBSEN.  Before becoming Jed Clampett, Buddy Ebsen (né Christian Ludolf Ebsen, Jr.; Apr. 2, 1908 ~ July 6, 2003), had been cast in the role as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.  He had to be replaced after he became ill due to a reaction to the aluminum dust that was an integral part of the costume.

10. Newspaper ad meas.: SQ. IN.  As in Square Inches.

14. Greek liqueur: OUZO.  An anise-flavored aperitif.  It's a clear liquid that turns cloudy when ice is added.

15. Like much snack food: SALTY.

16. German wheels: AUDI.

19. "The Way You Love Me" singer Faith: HILL.  Faith Hill (née Audrey Faith Perry; b. Sept. 21, 1967) is married to fellow musician, Tim McGraw (né Samuel Timothy McGraw; b. May 1, 1967).

20. Comfort: EASE.

21. Medieval clubs: MACES.  Bludgeoning weapons.

22. Vampire played by Cruise: LESTAT.  Tom Cruise (né Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV; b. July 3, 1962) played the Vampire LESTAT de Lioncourt in the 1994 movie Interview with the Vampire, which was based on the novel of the same name by New Orleanian, Anne Rice.

26. Offhand comment: REMARK.

29. Breathed out: EXHALED.

31. Connects (to): RELATES.

34. Eastern neighbor of Tenn.: N. CAR.  North Carolina is Tennessee's eastern neighbor.

35. "FBI" actress De La Garza: ALANA.  Alana De la Garza (b. June 18, 1974) recently joined the cast of the FBI.  She previously was in the cast of several of the Law & Order shows.

37. "Strange Magic" rock band: ELO.  The Electric Light Orchestra was a band that originally formed in 1970!

38. California's Big __: SUR.

39. Know-it-all: WISE GUY.

41. UFC sport: MMA.  As in Mixed Martial Arts.  I let the perps fill in this answer.

42. Psychic's "gift": ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

43. "Gesundheit!" evoker: ACHOO.

44. For each unit: A POP.

45. Emancipate: SET FREE.

47. Middle of __: remote area: NO WHERE.

50. Restaurant chef's workload: ORDERS.

52. Came close to: NEARED.

53. Singer Joplin: JANIS.  Janis Joplin (née Janis Lyn Joplin; b. Jan. 19, 1943 ~ Oct. 4, 1970) was born in Port Arthur, Texas.  Tragically, she died of a heroin overdose at age 27.

55. Taste defeat: LOSE.

57. Strong desire: URGE.

64. Any thing, say: NOUN.  Not keen on this type of cluing.

65. Bamboo muncher: PANDA.  China owns and leases all the Giant Pandas.  Bei Bei, the Panda that was at the National Zoo, was sent back to China last month.  They are such cute little critters.

66. Black stone: ONYX.

67. Pigged out (on), briefly: OD-ED.  As in Over-Dosed.

68. Fur tycoon: ASTOR.  John Jacob Astor (né Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 ~ Mar. 29, 1848) was born in Germany, but immigrated to the United States shortly after the American Revolution  He was an astute businessman and quickly entered into the fur trade.  He became the first multi-millionaire in the United States.

69. Designer Chanel: COCO.  Coco Chanel (née Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel; Aug. 19, 1883 ~ Jan. 10, 1971), led an interesting life.

Down:

1. Cry noisily: SOB.  //  And: 49-Down. Blubber: WEEP.

2. Many a stray 4-Down: CUR.  //  And 4-Down:  Hound: DOG.

3. Special forces weapon: UZI.  The Uzi was designed by Uziel Gal (né Gotthard Glas; Dec. 15, 1923 ~ Sept. 7, 2002), a German-born Israeli gun developer.  He was horrified that this weapon was name after him.

5. Sprawling property: ESTATE.

6. Barbershop quartet member: BASS.

7. More underhanded: SLIER.

8. Flight board abbr.: ETD.  As in Estimated Time of Departure.

9. "Bill __ Saves the World": science talk show: NYE.  As in William Sanford Nye (b. Nov. 27, 1955).  Is he a Scientist or a Comedian?

10. Arid African expanse: SAHARA.

12. Wait in traffic: IDLE.

13. Rock's Lofgren: NILS.  Nils Hilmer Lofgren (b. June 21, 1951) is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

18. Get better: HEAL.

21. Southeast Asia's __ Peninsula: MALAY.

22. Camera attachments: LENSES.  This one is just a bit too large for the average tourist.

23. Reason for absence: EXCUSE.

25. Driveway surface: TAR.

27. Jeremy Irons film based on a Christopher Paolini fantasy novel: ERAGON.  Eragon was apparently a fantasy-action film.  Rotten Tomatoes listed it as the 10th worst film of 2006.

28. Bill of fare: MENU.

30. One of Santa's reindeer: DASHER.  Can you spot Dasher?

32. "Get Shorty" novelist __ Leonard: ELMORE.  Elmore John Leonard, Jr. (Oct. 11, 1925 ~ Aug. 20, 2013) was born in New Orleans.  He wrote many novels that were adapted into movies.  Get Shorty was a very funny movie, but I had trouble with the book.

33. Lathered (up): SOAPED.

Not a happy camper

36. Late July zodiac sign: LEO.  Leo is the Zodiac sign from July 23 to August 22.

39. City districts: WARDS.  There are 17 wards in New Orleans.

40. Slushy treat: ICEE.  The Polar bear is its logo.

44. "I understand now!": AHA!

46. Ally: FRIEND.

48. GM security system: ON-STAR.

51. Point of view: SLANT.

53. Roman queen of the gods: JUNO.  Juno was the chief goddess and was the female counterpart to Jupiter.

54. Retired MLB slugger: A-ROD.  As in Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (b. July 27, 1975).  He had a long career in professional baseball.  He played 7 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, three with the Texas Rangers and 12 with the New York Yankees.

56. Word on a dollar: ORDO.  The Latin phrase Novus Ordo Seclorum is found under the pyramid on the One Dollar bill.  It means A New Order of the Ages.

58. Place for TLC: SPA.

59. Humanities degs.: MAs.  As in Masters of Arts.

60. Ad __ committee: HOC.

61. Lennon's love: ONO.  Yoko Ono (b. Feb. 18, 1933) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

62. Grand Central Sta. site: NYC.

63. Skeleton prefix: EXO-.  Critters with Exoskeletons:

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  See it all.  See it fairly.  Be truthful, be sensible and be careful with language.  When nothing depends upon man, everything depends on him.  ~  Henry A. Grunwald (né Heinz Anatole Grünwald; Dec. 3, 1922 ~ Feb. 26, 2005); Austrian-born American journalist and editor