Wednesday, September, 20, 2017, Roger and Kathy Wienberg

TITLE: If I had a dime for every time I got distracted, I wish I had a puppy!

Roger and Kathy have given us assembled masses a lovely entry in the Wednesday sweepstakes. Their puzzle celebrates SCATTERBRAINS among us and who better to represent this stereotype than this lovable character who was a truly savvy business person but played her wacky alter ego to perfection.

How the Wienberg's physically did this is shown below as B  R  A  I  N is scattered among the long entries in the grid. I include the grid in the event your medium did not carry the circles.

The reveal shows the gimmick clearly:

53. Forgetful person literally indicated by this puzzle's circles : SCATTER BRAIN

Theme Entries:

19. Bulb that's more sweet than pungent : BERMUDA ONION - What a great home for one!

31. Basic two-element computation : BINARY OPERATION This $1.50 calculator has the four basic BINARY OPERATION keys neatly nested on the right. Those of us that had to use a slide rule rue the fact we never had one of these.

39. Concern for a marketing department : PUBLIC RELATIONS - Their job:

Now for the balance of Roger and Kathy's very focused humpday offering:

Across

1. Helps illegally : ABETS

6. "London Fields" writer Martin : AMIS - Friends in Paris too easy for Wednesday?

10. Serengeti grazer : GNU

13. French name meaning "born again" : RENEE

14. Goal-oriented suburban parent? : SOCCER MOM - Jennifer Lawrence's life before movies intervened

17. Mexican pyramid builder : AZTEC - I have difficulty even pronouncing Tenochtitlan

18. Late with one's payments : IN ARREARS

21. Scheming : SLY

22. Quarterback Dawson : LEN

23. Renewable fuel made from organic matter : BIOGAS - Collecting BIOGAS from a well drilled into a landfill

27. Crow's cry : CAW

28. Building guideline : SPEC

30. Tokyo, long ago : EDO

36. "Want the light __ not?" : ON OR

37. "Golly!" : GEE

38. Good-sized backyard : ACRE - One ACRE lots in Clinton, Utah

44. One of the Galápagos, e.g.: Abbr. : ISL. - Where Darwin changed the world

45. Fed a line to : CUED - ...or not to be! ...or not to be!

46. Cartoon frame : CEL

47. Balance precariously : TEETER

49. Justice Dept. division : DEA


50. Car stat with city and hwy. components : MPG - 8 MPG for a 1959 Caddy was no big deal with $.25/gal gas

57. Fundraising portmanteau : WALK-A-THON - I got swamped with requests at school

60. "You Don't Join Us, We Join You" insurance company : AETNA

61. "Monday Night Football" airer before ESPN : ABC SPORTS - When football morphed into show biz

62. Lingering looks : GAZES

63. Deleted, with "out" : XED - MLK advisor Wyatt King advised him to X OUT the "Dream" part of speech since it was so trite and cliche

64. Scheme : RUSE

65. Wade noisily : SLOSH


Down

1. Many Mideast natives : ARABS

2. Chisel's cutting edge : BEZEL

3. Contest submission : ENTRY

4. Abound (with) : TEEM - These signs are a hot property these days

5. Not connected to the church : SECULAR

6. From Thailand, say : ASIAN

7. Like old records : MONO

8. "__ See for Miles": The Who : I CAN 

9. Metal-marking tool : SCRIBER

10. "Today" rival, familiarly : GMA

11. Fish-fowl link : NOR

12. Hesitation sounds : UMS - Don't use it here!

15. Beethoven's Third : EROICA - Italian for hero

16. Nevada city near Tahoe : RENO - Lots of wedding rings got thrown in the Truckee River there 

20. Like morning grass : DEWY

24. Company with "save you 15%" ads : GEICO

25. Beautify : ADORN

26. Loudness units : SONES

27. Astronomer Sagan : CARL

28. Ignore the limit : SPEED 

29. Spa treatment : PEEL - Sounds painful

31. Hasbro game requiring quick reflexes : BOP IT
'

32. Unavailable : IN USE - Talk about yer IN USE!

33. Duke or duchess : NOBLE - Royal blood doesn't cut much for me

34. Fairy tale brute : OGRE

35. Elongated comet part : TAIL  - An astronomy prof once told me that the tail of a comet is as close to being nothing and still being something as there is

40. Arctic covering : ICE CAP

41. Museum manager : CURATOR

42. Big name in PCs : ACER 

43. Lipton pouches : TEA BAGS - Some on this site would never consider one of these methods

48. Disdainful clicks : TSKS

49. Like thick fog : DENSE

50. Passover cracker : MATZO

51. Needle bearers : PINES - Pine Wilt has killed millions of trees around here

52. Grind, as teeth : GNASH -The phrase "(there shall be) weeping and gnashing of teeth" (in the original Greek ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων) appears seven times in the New Testament as a description of the torments of the damned in Hell.

54. Drive-__ window : THRU

55. Youngsters : TOTS

56. Legitimate : REAL

57. Car wash extra : WAX

58. Prez in a stovepipe hat : ABE - Abe's stovepipe hat he wore to Ford's Theater on April, 14, 1865 with the black mourning ban for his dead son Willie. This hat was not put on display until 1893 at the Smithsonian 

59. Type of TV display : LCD

SCATTERBRAINS and regular ones are now welcome to opine:

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 - Adam T. Cobb

Theme -- Hey, what's in this drink?  Here we have a complex theme: circled letters [and good luck if you didn't get the circles, since the letters are scattered] within the theme entries are anagrams of hidden words.  And better yet, the hidden words are liquid assets [so to speak] of the things in which they are hidden. 

17. Name on a two-liter bottle (and what's inside) : ROYAL CROWN.   ROYAL CROWN, is, of course, a brand name and COLA is the generic name for the product variety.

23. Independently owned suds producer (and the suds in question) : MICROBREWERY.  MICROBREWERIES are independently owned and operated purveyors of craft BEERs and ales.  The quaffs that they offer typically have more flavor and character that what you find in mass produced products from the big, international BREWing companies.  I'm a fan of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale.

38. Where Starbucks began (and a product it popularized) : SEATTLE.  LATTE's are not unique to Starbucks, but you certainly can get one there.  Our wildly over-achieving oldest granddaughter is, among other things, a certified barista and trainer at Starbucks.  A LATTE is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk.

49. Pepperidge Farm treat (and its ideal companion) : MILANO COOKIE.  This is a sandwich COOKIE with a dark chocolate inner layer between two flat biscuits.  It's marketed to adults, but even they can enjoy a nice cold glass of MILK with it.

And the unifier -- 59. What's clued in parentheses for each of four answers, and found in corresponding sets of puzzle circles : MIXED DRINK.  This is an in-the-language phrase indicating a libation made with alcoholic spirits and some sort of mixer, such as some flavor of soda.   Here, the word MIXED is a hint that the letters of the respective DRINKS have been scrambled.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, your host for today's adventure in a glass.   Let's pop a few lids and see how this tastes.

Across

1. Green Angry Birds animals : PIGS.  I dunno.  Never played the game.

5. Salon style : PERM.   Short for PERManent wave.

9. "Jabberwocky" opener : 'TWAS.  This poem by Lewis Carroll is included in Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, from 1871,

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.

13. Les __-Unis : ETATS.  United States in French.

15. Eye layer : UVEA.  This includes the iris, which displays eye color.  Brown-eyed people like me have irises pigmented with melanin.  Blue eyed people have no little or no pigment in their irises.  They appear blue due to Rayleigh scattering - the same optical phenomenon that makes the sky appear blue.  Other colors are due to combination effects from various levels of melanin and collagen, which causes Mie scattering. 

You view the UVEA

16. "For __ jolly ... " : HE'S A. Good fellow, and I can't deny it.

19. Double-crossers : RATS. Figuratively speaking

20. Like microwavable meals : PRE-MADE.  

21. Valued caches : TROVES.  Have you ever seen the word TROVE not associated with some sort of treasure?

26. Parthenon goddess : ATHENA.  From Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom, craft and war..

29. "How cool!" : NEATO.

30. Length of most TV dramas : HOUR.

31. WWI battleship Graf __ : SPEE.  Read about it here.

33. Kin by marriage : IN-LAW.  

37. CIO partner : AFL.  The American Federation of Labor merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.  The organization is made up of 56 national and international labor unions.

40. __ snail's pace : A TA.   Moving slowly.

41. Note above A : B FLAT.  It's enharmonic equivalent, A Sharp is rare, but I have encountered it already this week.

43. Snoop (around) : NOSE.  Because that is what gets poked into a place, whether it belongs there or not.

44. Blockage : CLOG.

45. Slangy "It's cool" : NO BIG.  I guess the "DEAL" is implied.  Anyway it's not a problem.

47. Currently combusting : ABLAZE.  On fire, right now.

53. Novelist Waugh : EVELYN.  Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh [1903 - 1966] was a prolific English journalist, and author of novels, biographies and travelogues.

54. Scolds harshly : BERATES.  You could be BERATED if your behavior were less than A-rated.

58. Jones with a locker : DAVY.  The origins of the phrase are unclear.  DAVY Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea, where the remains of drowned sailors and sunken ships find their final resting place.

62. Don Juan's mother : INEZ.  I only know this from crosswords.

63. Just : ONLY.  Only this article can do it JUSTice,

64. __ protector : SURGE.  A device to shield your electronic items from potentially damaging power fluctuations.

65. Give a darn : CARE.  Be concerned. There is a lot to CARE about these days.

66. Horseshoes turn : TOSS.  Having your turn at the game of tossing horse shoes.

67. Dijon dad : PERE.  More French.

Down

1. Cop's quarry : PERP.  The PERPetrator of a crime.   Or, in Corner lingo, a word in a puzzle that is PERPendicular to a given word.

2. "Like __ lump ... " : IT OR.  Take it or leave it.

3. Marvin of Motown : GAYE. [1939-1984] He was a singer, song writer and producer who helped create the Mo-Town sound.  Sadly, he was killed by his own father who shot him when he tried to intervene in an argument between his parents.



4. Speech therapist's challenge : STAMMER.  Speech with involuntary pauses and repeated initial consonant sounds.

5. More virtuous : PURER.  Like even whiter snow.

6. President Morales of Bolivia : EVO.  Juan Evo Morales Ayma [b 1959] has been president since 2006.

7. DVR "back up" button : REWind.

8. Chanted word : MANTRA. A word or sound repeated as an aid in achieving a meditative state.

9. Add, as a shrimp to the barbie : THROW ON.  Aim carefully when adding a shrimp to the grill.

10. Go this way and that : WEAVE.   Zig-zag.

11. Autumn bloom : ASTER.  The name is derived from the Greek word for star, due to the shape of the bloom.

No - they are not daisies

12. Flip : SASSY.  Said of disrespectful back-talk.

14. "'And hast thou __ the Jabberwock?'" : SLAIN.  A bonus mini-theme.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
      He chortled in his joy.

18. Music box? : CD CASE.  Protective box for music medium storage.

22. Deal with, as loose laces : RETIE.  Which is why I prefer slip-ons.

24. "Almost there!" : ONE TO GO.  I associate this phrase with American football, in a situation when one one yard is needed for a first down.

25. Borscht veggies : BEETS.  I think it was on a long-ago Rocky and Bullwinkle episode when one of the characters said, "When it comes to borscht, you can't beat soup!"

26. Quaker captain of literature : AHAB. Pursuer of the great white whale, Moby Dick.  I didn't recall him being a Quaker.

27. Fashionable Brit : TOFF.  A derogatory stereotype for an aristocratic Brit is what I found.  Perhaps Steve can explain.

28. Ship frame : HULL.

32. Freak out : PANIC.

34. 2016 Best Picture nominee "__ Land" : LA LA.  2016 movie, 2017 Oscar nominee.



35. All-inclusive : A TO Z.  Everything from A cups to Zebras.

36. Salary : WAGE.  Not exactly.  Wages are based on actual hours worked, while a salary is a fixed amount per week or month, irrespective of actual time on the job.

38. Like a path that's cobbled together? : STONY.    My favorite way of thinking about a cobblestone path.

39. Allowed to get out : LEAKED.  As information, not caged animals.

42. Examine in detail : ANALYZE.

44. Go from cloudy to fair : CLEAR UP.  Better weather.

46. Wisecrack : BON MOT.

48. Tweeters : BIRDS.  Not stereo speakers.

49. Physician at the front : MEDIC.  In the military.

50. The first Mrs. Trump : IVANA.

51. Prying tool : LEVER.  A beam or rod pivoted on a fulcrum.

52. Acts like a good dog : OBEYS.  Sits, begs, and rolls over.

55. Lose steam : TIRE.  Get used up.

56. Elec. or mech. expert : ENGR.  Engineers.

57. __-Ball: arcade game : SKEE.   The game is played by rolling balls up an incline and scoring points by having the balls fall into holes with different values.

60. Suffix with concert : -INO.  A concertino is either a composition that is a smaller version of a concerto, or a subsection of an orchestra that is featured in a composition.

61. Big tee sizes : XLS.  Extra Larges.

That wraps another Wednesday.  With the libation of your choice, a toast to all.  It's always 5:00 somewhere.

Cool regards!
JzB

Wednesday, September 6, 2017, Samuel A. Donaldson

TITLE: A CURRENT WAR

Husker Gary on the scene for this report of one of the great technological battles of the 19th century between two scientific giants. Nikolai Tesla who favored transmitting electric power using Alternating Current and Thomas Edison who wanted to use Direct Current. 

In the end Tesla's AC method proved superior as it could be transmitted great distances and is still used today. Tesla sold most of his patents to George Westinghouse and died in poverty while business savvy Edison made millions with his (and others') inventions.

The gimmick was pretty easy if you had the circles in your puzzle as was true in my Omaha World Herald. Once the AC/DC coupling was obvious, the remaining circles were pretty much  fish in a barrel.

The reveal:

56. Influential pairing, and a hint to the circles in four puzzle answers : POWER COUPLE

which was fitting for these two bitter rivals as they were a COUPLE, albeit not an amiable one. Samuel chose to split the DC across the last two words as you will now see in his theme fills.

17. Tennessee whiskey cocktail : JACK AND COKE - I wonder if Tinman has this setup?

23. Fruity dessert : PEACHES AND CREAM - The summer solstice of June 21st also serves as this tasty holiday.

35. One above criticism : SACRED COW - or traffic tickets

49. Pre-employment investigation : BACKGROUND CHECK - Mine might put the investigators to sleep

BTW, AC/DC's Australian brothers Malcom and Agnus Young took the name for their band from their sister after she saw AC/DC on a sewing machine.

Here are the rest of Samuel's current entries:

Across

1. One taken for a fool : DUPE - Edison reneged on a $50,000 payment to Tesla and it was all downhill after that

5. Question at a reunion : MISS ME? -And your name is...

11. Game show hosts : MCS

14. Camped in a trailer, for short : RVED - Hey, if you're gonna live in an RV...

15. Sort of : IN A WAY

16. Spoil : ROT

19. MLB's Indians, on scoreboards : CLE

20. __ Alamos : LOS

21. Groundbreaking tool : HOE

22. Aquatic plant : ALGA

28. "My package has arrived!" : IT'S HERE - In The Music Man it was via the Wells Fargo Wagon

29. "Darn it!" : OH RATS

30. Fun time, in slang : GAS

31. "Othello" antagonist " IAGO - "I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad, That 'twixt my sheets 'Has done my office." Iago intimates that Othello is "Officing" his wife under his own sheets.

34. Unsurpassed : A-ONE

38. Good opponent : EVIL

40. Fair-to-middling : SO SO

41. MMDX ÷ V : DII - 2,510 ÷  5 = 502

44. Actor Estevez : EMILIO

46. Stump speech : ORATION - Edward Everett talked for two hours at Gettysburg but Abe's two minute ORATION is what every school kid learns

52. Morsels : BITS

53. Conditions : IF'S - If IF'S and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

54. Done with one's career: Abbr. : RET - Everyday is Saturday now!

55. Yale alum : ELI

61. President pro __ : TEM - Orrin Hatch is the President Pro TEM of the senate and is therefore third in line for succession to the presidency

62. __ Jug: British Open trophy : CLARET - Jordan Spieth hit this incredible shot over that mound from a parking lot/driving range to help win this year's British Open.

63. Take a long bath : SOAK - Did it seem easier to get out of the tub a few years ago?

64. Most GRE takers : SRS

65. Iran, once : PERSIA

66. Holy recess : APSE - The Chair Of St. Peter in the APSE at St. Peter's Basilica

Down

1. Hall of Fame Sixer, familiarly : DR. J - Back when they used to win

2. Charlottesville sch. : U.VA. 

3. Course that makes you sweat, briefly? : P.E. CLASS 

4. "How'm I doing?" New York mayor : ED KOCH

5. Hr. segment : MIN

6. Swing voter: Abbr. : IND

7. Actor __ Baron Cohen : SACHA  and 36. Alter ego of 7-Down : ALI G - Not my cup of comedic tea

8. Faint : SWOON

9. Get by : MAKE DO

10. Pupil's place : EYE

11. Magic Eraser spokesman : MR. CLEAN

12. Palmolive's corporate partner : COLGATE

13. Cooks, as broccoli : STEAMS

18. Tennis legend who wrote "Days of Grace" : ASHE - Athletic and elegant

22. Traffic light symbol : ARROW - Huh?

23. Sty dweller : PIG

24. LAX posting : ETA

25. Lindros in the Hockey Hall of Fame : ERIC

26. Blackens, as tuna : SEARS

27. Former Labor secretary Elaine : CHAO - If you are into politics at all, you know Elaine is married to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

32. Prefix with caching : GEO - This device says it is 31' away from the goal of 28.170N and 48.175W which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

33. Uses too much : OD'S ON - I may be approaching that as I have watched six of the fourteen seasons of NCIS in two months

35. Jockey's wear : SILKS

37. Wood measure : CORD

38. Screen writer? : E-MAILER

39. Con targets : VICTIMS - This kitty can't be conned!

41. Sugar-free soft drink : DIET POP - Diet Dr. Pepper is big around here

42. Summer Games org. : IOC - Look up "corrupt" in the dictionary and you'll find this organization

43. Tattoo, in slang : INK

44. __ Field: Brooklyn Dodgers' home : EBBETS - It greatly upset my dad when they left

45. Colorful songbird : ORIOLE


47. Height: Pref. : ACRO and 51. Operators : USERS - I have always wanted to Operate one of these tower cranes but I'm afraid my ACROPHOBIA would get the best of me

48. Where Springsteen was born? : THE U.S.A.

50. Tug __ : OF WAR

56. Angel dust, for short : PCP

57. Outdoor gear retailer : REI - Not for me if I can use the luxury RV above!

58. Transp. group in the Loop : CTA - I'll bet most of you know what will be found near this stop if you catch the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train in the loop

59. Scale syllables : LA'S - After the Do's, Re's, Mi's and Fa's

60. Squeeze (by) : EKE

Now, no matter how you are wired, you may comment!