Tuesday, January 8, 2019 Mark McClain

A M Words

17. National Portrait Gallery, e.g.: ART MUSEUM.

24. Freebies for tourists: AREA MAPS.

49. Rosary recital: AVE MARIA.

61. Puzzle solver's breakthrough, e.g.: AHA MOMENT.

3. Film often with chase scenes: ACTION MOVIE.

25. Inflatable bed for a guest: AIR MATTRESS.

38. Medium for many talk shows ... and an apt place to discuss six puzzle answers?: AM RADIO.

Mark is back to get some airtime with these A&M words.  The AM in AM RADIO is for Amplitude Modulation.  Talk radio is full of words and fills many of the AM frequencies.

My favorite is Aha Moment. 

Across:

1. Winter warm spell: THAW.

5. Simon & Garfunkel's "El Condor __": PASA.


9. Sneer (at): SCOFF.

14. Texas home of Baylor University: WACO.   In case you missed it, the # 8 Baylor Lady Bears knocked off the # 1 Connecticut Huskies on Jan 3rd in Waco by a score of 68 to 57.  It was the first regular season loss by the Huskies in 4 years and ended a 126 game winning streak.   Hondo Hurricane is a huge fan of the Huskies.  Please be sure to send your condolences. 

15. CPR pros: EMTs.

16. Jazz clarinetist Shaw: ARTIE.   54 Minutes of Swing and Jazz.


19. Ugh-inducing: NASTY.

20. Observes secretly: SPIES ON.

21. 67-Across exile: ADAM.
67. Genesis paradise: EDEN.

23. Dollar bills: ONEs.

28. Soda container: CAN.

30. List-shortening abbr.: ET AL.

31. The Emerald Isle: EIRE.

32. Ideology suffix: ISM.

33. Little fluid holder: VIAL.

35. Altered, as voting districts: REDREW.   Possibly gerrymandered.

37. Merged labor org.: CIO.   Congress of Industrial Organizations.  Created in 1935 under a slightly different name, broke away from and became a rival to the American Federation of Labor in 1938, and rejoined again in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO.

40. "Give __ break": ME A.  of that KitKat bar.

41. Soldiers' support gp. since 1944: AMVETS.  We donate.

43. Sign gas: NEON.

44. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG.

45. "How ya __?": DOIN.   Joey on Friends: "How YOU doin'?"

46. Not __ snuff: unsatisfactory: UP TO. 

48. "Cats" poet's monogram: TSE.  The poet, Thomas Stearns Eliot, more commonly as T.S. Eliot.    Also, an abbrv for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.  One example would be mad cow disease.

51. Conveyer of tears: DUCT.  You say conveyer,  I say conveyor.  

54. Taiwan-based laptop giant: ACER.

55. Spanish island, to locals: MENORCA.  The four largest islands in the Islas Baleras archipelago east of Spain in the western Mediterranean are Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.   Many minor islands and islets are close to the larger islands, including Cabrera, Dragonera, and S'Espalmador

58. Deep cleft: CHASM.

63. Tickle: AMUSE.

64. Dorothy's dog: TOTO.

Dorothy and Toto:

Also, a group of session musicians that gathered together and recorded prior to having a band name. According to legend, the drummer wrote "Toto" on their demo tapes only to differentiate them from other bands recording in the studio.  They decided to stay with the name. 


65. Tiny fraction of a min.: MSEC.  Millisecond.   One thousandth of a second.  Much much longer than a nanosecond. 

66. Jabs with a finger: POKES.

68. Concerning: AS TO.

Down:

1. First word of "A Visit From St. Nicholas": TWAS.

2. Large plucked instrument: HARP.  Our friend Laura playing one of her harps. 

4. Alumnae, e.g.: WOMEN.

5. Cuban coins: PESOS.

6. Blessing conclusion: AMEN.

7. Good name for a cook: STU.  Homophone of stew.

8. Eritrea's capital: ASMARA.

 Country Profile - BBC News

9. Yemen's capital: SANAA.

 Country Profile - BBC News

10. Hit the books at the last minute: CRAMMED.

11. Extra NBA periods: OTS.  Overtimes.

12. In top form: FIT.

13. "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" actress Tina: FEY.

18. Put in the game: USE.

22. Texas border city: DEL RIO.  Went to school with a guy from Del Rio.

24. Home of the Braves: ATLANTA.   The Atlanta Braves of MLB.

26. Grooms, bird-style: PREENS. 

27. Municipal waste: SEWAGE.

28. Noisy summer insect: CICADA.

29. "I, Robot" author: ASIMOV. Isaac.

30. Organ with a lobe: EAR.

33. Napa Valley vessel: VAT.

34. "There's no doubt!": I'M SURE.   Lisa: I'm positive.  Vinny: How can you be so sure ? Lisa: Because there is no way that these tire marks were made by a '64 Buick Skylark convertible. These marks were made by a 1963 Pontiac Tempest.

36. Long, long time: EON.

39. "Gloria in Excelsis __": DEO.

42. All together: EN MASSE.   En bloc.   In toto. 

47. Illicit video producer: PIRATE. 

50. High points: ACMES.

51. Evil spirit: DEMON.

52. Card game inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2018: UNO.

53. Pause-causing punctuation: COMMA.  Commas are important people.

55. Hand on deck: MATE.

56. Tech news site: CNET.

57. "I Got You Babe" label: ATCO.

 Link to a video of Sonny and Cher singing it for Big Easy

58. Ballplayer's hat: CAP.  These New Era baseball caps are in order.  Baseball fans will see it.

59. Managed care gp.: HMO.

60. Arctic seabird: AUK.

62. Coal scuttle: HOD.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Patti Varol, editor for the Crosswords Club and Daily POP and Rich's assistant at LA Times. Whether a puzzle is accepted or rejected, Patti always gives constructive feedback. She's also a super crossword constructor and solver.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019 Derek Bowman

"A Classic to Start the Year"

21. With 27-Across, 50-Across classic: THE CATCHER.

27. See 21-Across: IN THE RYE.

45. 50-Across work featuring the two youngest Glass siblings: FRANNY AND ZOOEY.

50. Author born 1/1/1919: JD SALINGER.   CSO to a member of our California Coven contingent,  JD !

68. Title heroine in one of 50-Across' "Nine Stories": ESME.

Great start to the New Year !   It is also the 100th anniversary of the JD Salinger's birth.

I must admit that I've never read The Catcher In The Rye, nor any other of JD Salinger's work.   I knew of Catcher, and have learned that the main character was Holden Caulfield, but that was about it.  I learned of Esme as a crossword staple, but never heard of Franny and Zooey.

See where The Catcher In The Rye ranks on various Ranker listings.  You can add your vote on the various lists.

Across:

1. Language of southern Africa: BANTU.

6. City west of Tulsa: ENID.

Enchanted Learning

10. Gas station machines: PUMPS.  Fuel dispensers.   Tokheim was a leading manufacturer of fuel dispensing systems and point of sale (pay at the pump) that began in Cedar Rapids, grew to dominance while based in Ft Wayne, and fell to bankruptcy in the early 2000s.
  

Petroliana

15. Bran benefit: FIBER.

16. Traditional teachings: LORE.

17. Undersea WWII threat: U-BOAT. English for the German U-boot.  Undersea boat.   On June 4, 1944, the first enemy warship captured by the U.S. Navy since the War of 1812 was the German U-boat 505.   She was captured off the coast of West Africa and towed to Bermuda.    The U-505 is on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.   There are also some neat videos on YouTube such as showing her being moved into her final resting place,  as well as a video tour taken by someone that visited the museum and the U-505 exhibit.   Spitzboov might have read about this before, given his background and interests.

18. Pre-euro coin: FRANC.   As in France, Belgium, Luxembourg.   The Swiss franc, not the Euro, is still the official monetary unit of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.  Fair warning: Euros will be accepted, but your change will be given in francs, and you probably won't get a favorable exchange rate.

19. Historical times: ERAs.

20. Email back: REPLY.  

24. "Star Trek" captain Jean-__ Picard: LUC,  looking exasperated here.  Maybe Data just told him he did a Reply All, rather than a Reply.    Crossword shout out to Santa Barbara Picard.

Jean-Luc Picard at FANDOM

28. Dean's list no.: GPA.  I'd wager there were some pretty high ones by the regulars here. 

31. Number that's a square of itself: ONE.  Squaring a number means multiplying that number by itself.  The result of squaring is a square.  For example, squaring 2 (2x2) is 4.  4 is the square of 2.  Squaring 1 would be (1x1) which results in a square of 1.  One is the loneliest number.

Let's do a little more algebra.  Cubing a number means to multiply a number by its square or to multiply a number by itself twice.  So, 2x2x2=8.   Let's try it with a larger number, say 26.   26x26x26=17,576.   Not coincidentally, that result represents the finite number of all possible letter combinations in an English language non-Rebus crossword puzzle three-letter answer.  All you have to do is remember all 17,576 three letter abbreviations and words from AAA to ZZZ, and you'll be on your way to crossword solving stardom. Or maybe not.

(Fermatprime and Bill G subconsciously checked my math on that one.)

32. "Neither snow __ rain ... ": NOR will keep C.C.s blogging team from blogging the daily puzzle.  An occasional mental lapse or technical difficulty might, but not snow nor rain nor holiday.

33. Tags on bags: IDs.  We know that Steve's luggage tags are current.

34. Fishy bagel topper: LOX.

35. Play sections: ACTS.  Hahtoolah is a patron of the arts, enjoying the opera and the theater.

37. Words repeated after "Whatever" in a Doris Day song: WILL BE.  The lovely Doris Day sings Que Sera Sera

40. Halloween garb: CAPE.  Supeman and Batman weren't as big this year, and there were a few other caped characters that sadly I did not recognize, yet still so cute !

41. Because of: DUE TO.  I guess it was due to not having any big Batman or Superman blockbusters in the last few years. 

43. With 59-Across, liver delicacy: FOIE. 
59. See 43-Across: GRAS.

44. Tear up: SHRED.  Dash T would have wanted me to embed a video of Alex Lifeson of Rush shredding his guitar playing Working Man, but I'd already channeled CrossEyedDave.

That cat is keeping time with Alex's guitar and Neal Peart's beat.   Must have an unseen IPOD Air in the far ear.

48. "La Cage aux Folles," for one: FARCE.  A musical play and movie.   Never heard of it.  Just learned that it was the basis of the American remake, The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams.


49. Come up: ARISE.

55. "Assuming that's true ... ": IF SO.

58. John Roberts' group: Abbr.: SCOTUS.  Supreme Court Of The United States.

63. Having regrets about: RUING.    "When tomorrow comes, and we regret, the things we said today"  are lyrics you'll hear in the video at 26D. 

65. Corn cover: HUSK.   Once dried, the traditional wrapping for Mexican style tamales.  I believe Lucina and family use these.  On Saturday, my friend that hails from Honduras brought us some of his mother's Honduran style tamales wrapped in banana leaves.  Chicken, potatoes, rice and an olive encased in the masa. So good !

66. Kitchen strainer: SIEVE.

67. Come to terms: AGREE.  Fair enough. 

69. Trip around the sun: ORBIT.

Planet Facts - The Solar System

70. Adventurous expedition: QUEST.

71. Like pink hair: DYED.

72. And/or divider: SLASH.   Guns N' Roses guitarist: SLASH. 

Down:

1. Bud 4 life: BFF.  Buddy for life / Best Friend Forever.

2. Broadcast: AIR.  Not sure what genre of music aired at KHAK in Cedar Rapids when Desper-otto worked there, but it is now "#1 In Country".   JzB wouldn't be a fan.  He doesn't care for Country music.  

3. Cavs' org.: NBA.  The Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association.   Not getting as much national broadcast air time now that LeBron has packed his bags and moved to L.A.    PK is an NBA fan. 

4. Camp shelter: TENT.   Yellowrocks said she is now past her tent pitching days.  Me too.  A cabin with a fireplace and a comfortable bed appeals to my older bones.  

5. Sea __: spiny critter: URCHIN.  Seems that puffer fish can be spiny as well.  See 56D.

6. Really amaze: ELECTRIFY.

7. "CBS This Morning" co-anchor O'Donnell: NORAH

8. Infuriated: IRATE.   I know of a certain thespian who has been infuriated with the recent delivery  performances of the Los Angeles Times. 

9. Gave details of: DESCRIBED.   Remember when Dudley described one of his contractors as "Ed the Enthusiastic Blaster" ? 

10. Baby food options: PUREES.  Oas traveled last week to see his newest grandchild.

11. Ride-sharing app: UBER.  Husker Gary is a satisfied user of this app, based on his comments upon returning from his trip to Washington D.C.

12. Messy hairdo: MOP.

13. Bud: PAL. Clecho w/ 1D.    Gal Pal: Tinbeni's significant other. 

14. Farmyard pen: STY.

22. Plenty, in old poems: ENOW.  This means ASAP in the internet era, along w/ email, e-tail, eCommerce...

23. Jekyll's bad side: HYDE.

24. "Get a __ of this!": LOAD.

25. Release from shackles: UNCUFF.

26. Part of etc.: CETERA.  Et's brother Peter was a singer, songwriter and bassist for the rock band Chicago, before launching his solo career.   Here's Peter singing a song he wrote when he was still with Chicago:


28. If-looks-could-kill looks: GLARES. I'd probably be a goner from all the glares of the Peter Cetera fans.

29. Olive Oyl's guy: POPEYE.  They were played by Shelly Duvall and Robin Williams in the 1980 musical comedy. 

30. Used a hatchet on: AXED.

36. Original co-host of "The View": STAR JONES.

38. Hawaii's Mauna __: LOA.  Michael Sherline can probably see it from his lanai.

39. "Mary Poppins Returns" actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.    inanehiker will have have nailed this one.  She wrote on Sunday that she saw it last week !   BTW,  Miranda is also the name of one of Uranus' 27 moons.   Miranda means "worthy of admiration."

 5 Lessons on Creativity From 'Hamilton' Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda

40. Miss singing on Sunday?: CHOIR GIRL.   Boomer sang in the church choir, but as a choir boy.

42. Like some audiobooks: ON CD.

44. Irritated: SORE.  I think Irish Miss was irritated when she discovered her Discover Card had a fraudulent charge for a airline flight.  An unneeded hassle, for sure.

46. Bitter end?: NESS.   Canadian end ?:  Eh.   She's never shown any bitterness.

47. Turns abruptly: ZAGS.  Some of OKL's lines take abrupt zags that I didn't see coming !

51. Throbbed: ACHED.  Long suffering  Red Sox fans like Wilbur Charles ached for a World Series Championship ring, and were finally rewarded in 2004.

52. Crummy: LOUSY.  Wally, Beaver and Eddie Haskell used the word crummy quite often.

53. "I'm here": IT'S ME.   Pretty song.  Love the piano and horns.


54. Microwaved: NUKED.

55. Baghdad's country: IRAQ.  Abejo worked next door in Iran. 

56. Japanese pufferfish: FUGU.  Almost looks unreal.   Jinx, what say you ?

57. Colt's father: SIRE.

60. Country's McEntire: REBA.   If you look at that graphic of Oklahoma above, she was born and raised southwest of Lake Eufala and northeast of Lake Texoma.  The city of McAlester and town of Kiowa respectively.  


61. Rental car choice: AVIS.   Their catchphrase was, "We try harder."   I had a Hertz gold card.  It was really nice when flying into Minneapolis or New York in the winter months.  The car was always warmed up and running.  Their motto was "Hertz puts you in the driver's seat."   After Hertz failed me, I started renting from Enterprise.   "We'll pick you up" is their slogan.   

62. Actor Rogen: SETH.

64. Understand: GET.

66. Distress letters: SOS.    Save Our Souls (or Ship).   If you didn't care for Reba above, perhaps Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid are more to your liking ?


Here's the grid.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018 Mark McClain

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"


17. Film character #1 (played by George C. Scott in 1984): EBENEZER SCROOGE.


25. Film character #2 (played by Leo G. Carroll in 1938): JACOB MARLEY.

43. Film character #3 (played by Kermit the Frog in 1992): BOB CRATCHIT.


55. Novella that introduced the three film characters: A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Why Does Charles Dickens Use Staves Instead of Chapters in A Christmas Carol ?

An appropriate puzzle for the day. 

Across:

1. Clever or stylish: SMART. 

6. October gem: OPAL.

10. Most eligible, draftwise: ONE A in crossword puzzle answers.  1-A in the Selective Service classification system that was used from 1948 - 1976.  

14. Temple scroll: TORAH.

15. "The X-Files" agent Scully: DANA.

Dana Scully at FANDOM

16. Gym specimens: BODS.

20. Non-commercial TV commercial: PSA. Public Service Announcement


21. Order (around): BOSS.

22. Canadian province with a French motto: QUEBEC.  Figured Quebec, but didn't know the motto.  It is "Je me souviens" which translates to "I remember."

23. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.

24. Little bears: CUBS.

29. Polished off: ATE.

32. Go along (with): AGREE.

33. Spot for an AirPod: EAR.

 An audiophile review

34. The Grinch's dog: MAX.

35. Meadow bleats: BAAS.

36. Fronts of hands: PALMS.

38. __ torch: party light: TIKI.

 Mele Kalikimaka

39. Commercial URL suffix: BIZ.  Phonetic abbreviation for business.  This Top Level Domain ( TLD. e.g. .com, .edu, .gov, .net etc), was introduced in 2001 to relieve some of the demand for the .com (commercial) TLD. 

40. Sac fly result: RBI.

41. Makes simpler: EASES.

42. No particular one: ANY.

46. Like many breakfast bars: OATY.

47. Resound: ECHO.

48. Long-eared dog: BEAGLE.  "Large dogs in small packages"


51. Height: Pref.: ALTI. Altitude

52. Fed. law known as Obamacare: ACA. Affordable Care Act.

58. Shade provider: TREE.

59. Jog: TROT.

60. Geometric truth: AXIOM.

61. Totals: SUMS.

62. Drink with sushi: SAKE.

63. Plumbing issues: LEAKS.

Down:

1. How-to instruction: STEP.

2. Unruly crowds: MOBs.

3. Geometric product: AREA.

4. Sought office: RAN.

5. George Herman Ruth's nickname: THE BABE.

6. Ukrainian city: ODESSA.

7. Golf scorecard numbers: PARs.

8. Q&A part: Abbr.: ANS.

9. Glossy coatings: LACQUERs.

10. Orchestral reeds: OBOEs.

11. Rookie, in gaming: NOOB.

12. Sharp part of a sheet of paper: EDGE.

Why Paper Cuts Are the Worst

13. "Just __!": A SEC.

18. Repeated Mazda ad word: ZOOM.

19. Shade of red: RUBY.

23. Wiggled digits: TOES.

24. Chowder morsel: CLAM.

25. Hutt in "Star Wars": JABBA.

26. "Time and __": illustrated Jack Finney novel: AGAIN.

27. Outlandish, as an idea: CRAZY.

28. Artifact: RELIC.

29. Barn-raising sect: AMISH.


30. "Oh Myyy!" memoirist George: TAKEI.

31. Be real: EXIST.

36. Some public demonstrations: PROTESTS.

37. First name in advice: ABBY. "Dear Abby..."  Syndicated advice column started in 1956.  

38. Tex-Mex snack: TACO.

41. Principled: ETHICAL.

43. Indonesian resort island: BALI.

44. "I can __": words of empathy: RELATE.

45. Doesn't just sit there: ACTS.

46. Fairy tale beasts: OGRES.

48. Dugout rack items: BATS.

49. Earth tone: ECRU.

50. "Excuse me ... ": AHEM.

51. Run __: go wild: AMOK.

52. Puccini solo: ARIA. Let's have some Bach instead


53. Kitchen worker: COOK.

54. Help for the poor: ALMS.

56. Refrain syllable: TRA.

57. Firefighter's tool: AXE.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Yellowrocks (Kathy), whose strength and persistence have been a source of inspiration for me over the years. Thanks for being here for us, Kathy!

Yellowrocks and son David, Sept 2016

2) Happy 80th Birthday also to Lorraine (Fermatprime), who's been with the blog since Nov 2009. 

Thanksgiving, 2015

3) Have to share with you this sweet picture JD sent me last night. JD lost her Blogger password and could not get back to the blog. If any of you know how, please let us know in the Comments section.

Brothers and Cousins: Truman, 11, Dylan, 5, Cameron, 8, Grady, 9

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Gerry Wildenberg

"FIRE SIDES"

17. *Entrance protection from the elements: STORMDOOR.  Firestorm and Fire door.

24. *Monopoly utility: WATER WORKS.  Firewater and Fireworks.

35. *Lotto America, since 1992: POWERBALL. Firepower and Fireball - Never heard of Lotto America, but am aware of Powerball. 

51. *Home security system: HOUSE ALARM. Firehouse and Fire Alarm

60. Warm, cozy places ... and a hint to what can precede both parts of the answers to starred clues: FIRESIDES.

Across:

1. Zsa Zsa's older sister: MAGDA.  Two of the three Gabor sisters.  The other of course was Eva.  "Between the three of them, they had 20 marriages, 19 husbands, and one child."    19 Husbands ?  Oh, Magda married one of Zsa Zsa's ex-husbands. 

6. NYC winter hours: EST.

9. Italian city known for its cheese: PARMA. We're getting our fill of PARMA lately. Husker Gary had Prosciutto di PARMA Saturday. Kraft and other dairy product makers create their own "Parmesan Cheese", but the real deal Parmesan is Parmigiano-Reggiano. Prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan, and Parmigiano-Reggiano are PDOs in Europe.

14. How French fries are fried: IN OIL.

15. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.

16. Knight's horse: STEED.

19. Moneyed group: HAVES.

20. "You're asking too much": IT'S A LOT.

21. Yankee or Oriole, for short: AL'ER. American League baseball player.

22. __-deucey: ACEY.

27. Metal fuel holder: GAS CAN.  I had to replace the gas tank on my 5 y.o. snowblower a few weeks ago.  It was leaking at the seam where the two halves are joined.  The cap on the new tank says no E-85 fuel.  Perhaps the corrosive action of the ethanol destroyed the seal.  IDK.

29. "Honestly!": I SWEAR.  Also, a pretty country song: John Michael Montgomery - I Swear

30. John at a piano: ELTON.  'Classically trained, but married to rock’n’roll"



31. Winter wear: COAT.  Winter coating: hoar.

34. Wall and 42nd, in NYC: STS. Streets.   Also a couple of movie titles.   42nd Street and Wall Street

39. Egyptian snake: ASP.

42. They're drawn in pubs: ALES.

43. Western law group: POSSE. 

47. Shallow sea areas: SHOALS.  Muscle Shoals is a city in Alabama on the Tennessee River.  Learned about it from lyrics in this song by Lynyrd Skynyrd, mentioned about 3 minutes in.


50. Trouser measure: INSEAM.

55. Furry "Star Wars" creature: EWOK.

56. Chicago daily, familiarly: TRIB une.

57. Pigged out: OVERATE.

59. Pierce, as an hors d'oeuvre: SPEAR.

63. Slowly, in music: LARGO.

64. Fla. neighbor: ALA.

65. Love, Italian-style: AMORE.  Love American Style


66. Director Welles: ORSON.

67. Light brown: TAN.

68. Cylindrical pasta with pointed ends: PENNE.   It's best with a good ragu or Bolognese and cheese.

Down:

1. Prefix with print: MIS. Misprint.

2. Hill crawler: ANT. 

3. Most sticky, as a sweet treat: GOOIEST.

The Recipe

4. Corrupt policeman: DIRTY COP.

5. Donation to the poor: ALMS.

6. WWII bomber __ Gay: ENOLA.

7. Dart: SCOOT.

8. Rich cake: TORTE.

9. Disbelieving cries: PSHAWS.

10. Having bottomed out, as prices: AT A LOW.

11. Worships: REVERES.

12. Kalahari mongoose: MEERKAT.

13. Much of the Sunday paper: ADS.

18. Rooster's wake-up time: DAWN.

22. Have more birthdays: AGE.

23. Berkeley sch.: CAL.

25. Actress Hayworth: RITA. The Love Goddess


26. H.S. grads-to-be: SRS.

28. Year, in Yucatán: ANO.

31. Disney collectible: CEL.

32. Iron source: ORE.

33. Tummy muscles: ABS.  The abdominal (and oblique) muscles. Abdominal Muscles Location and Function

36. Ice Cube's "It __ Good Day": WAS A. 

37. Hosp. staffer: LPN.  Licensed Practical Nurse

38. Get stuck in traffic, say: LOSE TIME.

39. Campfire residue: ASH.

40. Had a good day on the links: SHOT PAR.

41. Sommeliers, often: POURERS.

 A Master Sommelier Explains The Rationale Behind Each Component Of Wine Presentation

44. Attached by thread: SEWED ON.

45. __ Paulo: SAO.

46. Longtime Mass. senator's monogram: EMK. Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy. 

48. Italian cheese: ASIAGO.  More Italian cheese !  Asiago can range in texture from soft and creamy to dry and crumbly.  Here's a quick primer on Parmesan, Asiago and Romano.

49. James of the Lakers: LEBRON.  Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, and still active.

50. '50s Hungarian premier Nagy: IMRE.  Perps.

52. Diet-friendly: LO-FAT.

53. Hometown of St. Teresa: ÁVILA.  - "The City of Saints and Stones"  - A UNESCO World Heritage site.  Ávila de los Caballeros.

Where it's at:

Essence of Spain Tour

54. Showed once more: RERAN.

58. On the double, in memos: ASAP.

59. __-mo: SLO.


61. Suffix with west: ERN.   You might have got a hint to this answer with the clue at 43A.

62. Set eyes on: SEE.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Michael Krebs & Theodore Krebs

"TWO FIRST NAMES"


1. With 18-Across, R.E.M. guitarist: PETER.  PETER BUCK - You might recall his guitar work in this song.

18. With 35-Across, 10-time "SNL" host who was Belushi's straight man in samurai routines: BUCK. BUCK HENRY playing the straight man opposite John Belushi

35. With 44-Across, hitter of 755 home runs: HENRY. HENRY (Hank) AARON.  Historic # 755.

44. With 57-Across, "Breaking Bad" actor: AARON. AARON PAUL - Played Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad.

57. With 68-Across, Garfunkel's partner: PAUL. PAUL SIMON.  You're Breaking My Heart

68. With 1-Across, one of the Twelve Apostles: SIMON. SIMON PETER.  Saint Peter.

39. What six people in this puzzle might be said to possess: TWO FIRST NAMES.

Very clean puzzle.  I liked how the names wrapped.  It must have taken quite a bit of effort to find the right names to make this puzzle work out so well.


Across:

6. Microscope glass: LENS.

10. All snuggled in: COZY.  A nice place to be, perhaps with a blanket in a comfy chair and a good read.

14. Support piece: BRACE.  Hopefully Abejo is getting accustomed to his. 

15. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA.

16. Black-and-white cookie: OREO.

17. Anglo-__: SAXON.

19. Restaurant handout: MENU.

20. Gritty film genre: NOIR. So many great films.  Fritz Lang directed this noir with Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Broderick Crawford. The story line and cinematography evoke grit.


22. "We are gathered __ today ... ": HERE.  Because of the pleasure we derive solving crossword puzzles and for sharing our experiences with like-minded friends. 

24. "Say that's true ... ": IF SO.  "If your supposition is correct, then..."

27. Speedway event: RACE.

29. Entertainment award quartets, for short: EGOTs.  New to you too ?  I think it's fill that I've forgotten.   Fifteen People Have Won Them

33. Swiss skiing spot: ALP.  How about the Jungfrau or Grindelwald ?

 Holidays to Switzerland

34. Pops, to tots: DADAs.

36. "Perhaps I'm wrong": MAYBE NOT.  I was certain I was correct, but perhaps I'm wrong.  You may be right.

38. Takes effect: SETS IN.

41. Climbs, as a cliff: SCALES.

42. Staggered: TEETERED.

45. Gives (out) sparingly: DOLES.

46. Passé TV accessory: VCR.

47. Sediment layer: DREGS.

48. Courtroom cry: OYEZ.

49. Big Apple team: METS.

50. Weak end?: NESS.  Elliot's end ?

52. Anti-cruelty org.: PETA.

54. Green gemstone: JADE.  Jade Gemstone Information

59. Zest: OOMPH.

63. Big Aussie birds: EMUs.  Someone was asking about the size of big birds the other day.

Big Birds Can’t Fly

64. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

65. Worker, briefly: PROLE.

66. Ocean motion: TIDE.  A dangerous rip tide

 67. Depend (on): RELY.

Down:

1. "Arthur" TV station: PBS.  American / Canadian educational cartoon aimed at children 4-8 years.  I had no idea this series has been running for 21 years ! 

2. Notable time: ERA.

3. Withholding __: TAX.

4. Lodge opening?: ECONO.  This one is in Des Moines, IA.

A brand in the Choice Hotels lodging chain.

5. Nevada casino city: RENO.

6. Chocolate dog: LABRADOR.


7. Emory email ender: EDU.  Peter Buck of R.E.M. attended Emory University for a short while.

8. Wall recesses: NICHES.

9. "For heaven's __!": SAKE. More points off my man card.


10. Impatient after-school text to a parent: COME GET ME. Mom, where are you ?!!!

11. Salem is its cap.: ORE.

12. Buddhist sect: ZEN.

13. "__ busy?": YOU.

21. Tehran residents: IRANIs.

23. Warms up, as leftovers: REHEATS.

24. Dr. Seuss' Sam-__: I AM.

25. Sideless train unit: FLATCAR.

26. Invasive computer program: SPYWARE.

28. Scratching-post attachment: CATS TOY.

30. With no breaks, as a tennis set: ON SERVE.  In tennis, a "break" is when the receiving player or team has won a game in a match against the serving player or team.  "On serve" describes a match were neither opponent has broken the other's serve.  Big Easy, can you have Dianne vet my statements ?

31. Cut into four-inch pieces, as a footlong sub: TRISECT. 

32. Dict. entry: SYN onym.

34. Pass rusher's team: DEFENSE. American rules football.

37. Meaty spaghetti sauce: BOLOGNESE.   J. Kenji López-Alt  of Serious Eats offers his version:



38. React to dust: SNEEZE.

40. Script for TV: TELEPLAY.

41. Down or blue: SAD.   There's a prescription for that.

43. Rx writers: DRs.

45. Rx quantity: DOSAGE.

49. New Zealand native: MAORI.

51. Prepare for a boxing day?: SPAR.

53. A++: TOPS.

54. Airbus product: JET.   Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Cessna, Gulfstream...

55. French buddy: AMI.

56. Failed firecracker: DUD.

58. Clickable link: URL. Uniform Resource Locator

60. Boo-boo kisser: MOM.  Moms are the best !

61. Gaza Strip gp.: PLO.

62. "An egg's way of making another egg": Samuel Butler: HEN.  He's too deep for my current station in life.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Humerus Homophones

16. Hesitation from Sylvester?: CAT'S PAUSE. Sylvester the cat.  "Sufferin' succotash!"  Cats Paws.

20. Accomplishment by Porky?: PIG'S FEAT. Porky Pig.  Pigs Feet.

37. Affirmative from Tony?: TIGER'S AYE.  Tony the Tiger. “They're grrrrrreat!”   Tiger's Eye.

59. Story from Remy?: RAT'S TALE.  Remy the rat.  Rats Tail.   Remy was the star of the Disney Pixar animated film Ratatouille.

63. Water source for Simba?: LION'S MAIN. Simba the lion.  Lion's Mane.


    If my count is correct, this is the  18th  LA Times crossword puzzle by this duo !     “They're grrrrrreat!”



Across:

1. Fights (for): VIES.

5. "Whip It" rock band: DEVO.  "When a problem comes along, you must whip it."

9. __-slapper: funny joke: KNEE.    A guy saves a frog from a forest fire. The frog turns out to be a magical frog, and is very grateful to the man for having saved its life. So the frog offers to grant him three wishes. The man says, “Great. So I want: 1. Lifelong access to any cinema, 2. I want to be 10 years younger and 3. I want a highway that goes straight from here to Hawaii. “I’m happy to help you but the third wish is really difficult. You'll have to wish for something else instead of that third wish,” says the frog. “OK,” agrees the man reluctantly, “in that case I’d like to finally understand women.” - The frog looks at him for a while: “And should the highway be a three-lane or a four-lane one?”!

13. On the road: AWAY.

14. Biblical paradise: EDEN.

15. Dr. Hahn on "Grey's Anatomy": ERICA. Dr. Erica Hahn at FANDOM

18. Center of activity: LOCUS.
   Merriam-Webster Definition # 1
       a : the place where something is situated or occurs
       b : a center of activity, attention, or concentration

19. Fireplace receptacle: ASH CAN.

22. Former Fox TV series set in Newport Beach: THE O.C.    Originally aired 2003-2006.    "A slick hit about a troubled L.A. teen taken in by an idealistic lawyer and his family in affluent Orange County. The series filled the youth-soap hole left by the departed '90210,' but quickly proved itself far more gritty---and witty. In addition, early plots set up an appealing balance between the kids and grown-ups, who were portrayed as real people with real problems, instead of sounding boards for the unblemished Romeos and Juliets." - Rotten Tomatoes. 

23. Curly cabbage: KALE.

24. Minor flap: TO DO.   I started w/ Tiff

25. Ringing organ, at times: EAR.  Tinnitus - Understanding the Facts

26. Detergent brand: ERA. 

28. '60s hallucinogen: LSD.

 16 Interesting Facts About LSD

30. Pierre's negative: NON.

31. Near-failing mark: DEE.

33. Reach its destination, as a trip: END.

35. Slim candle: TAPER.

40. Royal crown: TIARA.

42. Slim fish: EEL.

43. Tech sch. near Albany, N.Y.: RPI.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.   The first civil engineering degrees in the United States were granted by the school in 1835.  CSO to Spitzboov and Irish Miss !

46. Win, place or show: BET.

47. Seasonal shelf sitter: ELF.   The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

49. __ moment's notice: AT A.

51. Curved shape: ARC.

53. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.  And 68A. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.

55. Charged particles: IONS.

57. One of Crayola's hundreds: COLOR.  120 current colors.  50 have been retired through the years.

61. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA. "She's just a girl, she's a bomb"



62. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" musical: EVITA.

65. Fainthearted: TIMID.

66. Fairy tale heavy: OGRE.

67. Out of the wind: ALEE.

69. "That was close!": WHEW.

70. Scottish monster's loch: NESS.

Down:

1. Obey an eviction notice: VACATE.

2. "He scammed me!": I WAS HAD.

3. Neon diner sign: EAT HERE.  OK, this is a billboard rather than a neon sign...

Buc-ee's Advertising

4. Food service giant: SYSCO.  Headquartered in Houston, Sysco is the global leader in distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare, and educational, and hospitality locations.

5. College faculty head: DEAN.

6. End of a professor's URL: EDU.

7. Italian scooter: VESPA.  Mike Wolfe of American Pickers tends to go gaga and to extremes when he finds one.


8. Playwright Eugene: O'NEILL.

9. Emmy winner Steve of "60 Minutes": KROFT.
      9-time Emmy Award winner including a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2003
      3-time Peabody Award winner

10. "Good shot!": NICE ONE.

11. Quito's country: ECUADOR.  Quick !  What's their currency ?

12. Crayola Factory's Pennsylvania home: EASTON.  Now known as The Crayola Experience

Crayola.com

15. Trains over the street: ELS.   NYC's EL lines are alphabet coded.  Chicago's EL lines are color coded, and reflecting the difference, you might hear Chicago commuters riders singing NO L in December.

17. Running rate: PACE.

21. Unified whole, in psychology: GESTALT.  "...the whole of anything is greater than its parts."

23. Film title "Citizen": KANE.

27. Trappings of royalty: REGALIA.

29. One of a calendar septet: DAY.

32. Incoming flight info: ETA.

34. "The Chronic" rapper, familiarly: DRE.   Dr. Dre, formally.  DRE is short for Digital Rectal Examination.

36. Each: PER.

38. Rage: IRE.

39. Red and Yellow: SEAS.

40. Israeli port on the Mediterranean: TEL AVIV.

lonely planet - Tel Aviv

41. "The hour has arrived": IT'S TIME.

44. Brewpub draft: PALE ALE.

45. Unexpected turns of events: IRONIES.

46. Special Forces headgear: BERETS.

48. Abide by: FOLLOW.

50. Plays a part: ACTS.

52. Construction site sights: CRANES.


54. "The Lord of the Rings" actor Sean: ASTIN.

56. Horse's mouthful?: NEIGH.

58. "Not again!": OH MAN.

60. Smidgen: TAD.

61. From the top: ANEW.

64. Portland's st.: ORE.