Sunday September 4, 2022 Zachary David Levy

 

Theme: "I Oughta Be in Pictures" - I is added to each movie.

22. Film remake about a student who finally finds the right martial arts teacher?: THE SIXTH SENSEI. The Sixth Sense.

37. Film remake featuring a spooky archaeological site?: MIDNIGHT RUIN. Midnight Run.

51. Film remake heavy with art metaphors?: MONA LISA SIMILE. Mona Lisa Smile.

69. Film remake featuring broken raga instruments?: THE FAULT IN OUR SITARS. The Fault in our Stars.

89. Film remake that tries to prove all unmarried men are created equal?: BACHELOR PARITY. Bachelor Party.

99. Film remake featuring spa treatments that are no joke?: A SERIOUS MANI. A Serious Man.

123. Film remake that documents soapbox sites?: TIRADING PLACES. Trading Places.

We've had I addition theme in the past, but no extra film layer. Tight and elegant.

I only know "tirade" as a noun. Spellcheck does not like tirading. I just noticed that all the other new "I' words are nouns.

Across:

1. Device that may catch a private remark: HOT MIC.

7. Enemy of ancient Athens: SPARTA. "This is Sparta!"

13. Comfortable: AT HOME. Where's Leeza?

19. First MLB player inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame: ICHIRO. He was just inducted into the Mariners' Hall of Fame.

20. More hackneyed: CORNIER.

21. Unlike automobile gasoline: LEADED.

24. Earnings: INCOME.

25. Breath mints that contained Retsyn: CERTS. Google shows that "Retsyn is a trademarked name for a combination of copper gluconate and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil".

26. Mend: HEAL.

27. Jerky spot?: KNEE.

29. Goodyear city: AKRON.

30. Realm from 800 to 1806: Abbr.: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

31. NASA scientist Geoffrey who won a Hugo for his short story "Falling Onto Mars": LANDIS. Learning moment for me.

33. "Finished!": DONE.

35. "The Coldest Rap" rapper: ICE-T.

44. Etched art: ENGRAVING.

49. Comes up: ARISES.

50. Molecule central to many vaccines: RNA.

53. Choice: OPTION.

56. Wharton degs.: MBAS.

57. __-dried tomatoes: SUN.

58. Lighthouse view: SEA.

60. Grounation Day celebrant: RASTA. From Wikipedia: Grounation Day (April 21) is an important Rastafari holy day, second only to Coronation Day (November 2). It is celebrated in honour of Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to Jamaica. 

61. "Affirmative": YES.

62. Got: ATTAINED.

67. JD-to-be's exam: LSAT.

75. Hue: TINT.

76. Result of a sincere compliment: EGO BOOST.

77. Vitals checker, briefly: EMT.

79. Speed reader?: RADAR. Good old clue.

82. Cul-de-__: SAC.

85. "Uh-uh!": NOT.

86. Chris of Vampire Weekend: BAIO. Turns out he's the first cousin once removed of actor Scott Baio. 

87. Magic charm: AMULET.

95. First mo.: JAN.

96. Audrey Tautou title role: AMELIE. Lovely movie.

98. Holds dear: TREASURES.

103. Sign of neglect: DUST.

104. Emcee: HOST.

105. Yiddish word meaning "little town": SHTETL.  Like the town in "Fiddler on the Roof".

108. African viper: ASP.

111. Sign on: LOG IN.

114. Petrol brand: ESSO.

118. Region: AREA.

119. Food distribution giant: SYSCO. I think Jeannie used to work for them.

121. "Leave that to me": I'M ON IT.

126. Nod off: SNOOZE.

127. With a keen eye: ALERTLY.

128. "Blitzkrieg Bop" surname: RAMONE.  The Ramones.

129. Tree decor: TINSEL.

130. Number with 100 zeroes: GOOGOL. Count yourself.

131. Raw bar choice: OYSTER.

Down:

1. Catch: HITCH.

2. Earth tone: OCHER.

3. "Finished!": THERE.

4. Visibility reducer: MIST.

5. Grammy-nominated folk singer DeMent: IRIS. What's her most famous song?

6. Crew leader, briefly: COX.

7. "What a shame": SO SAD.

8. Early tourney match: PRELIM.

9. Fashion's __ Taylor: ANN.

10. Underwriter's assessment: RISK.

11. Many an Olympic gymnast: TEEN.

12. "Acoustic Soul" singer India.__: ARIE. Hi there, Splynter, tell others about your clue.

13. Journalist Velshi of MSNBC: ALI.

14. Rent payer: TENANT. How I wish our HOA could cap the number of rental units.

15. System infiltrator: HACKER.

16. Litter box concern: ODOR.

17. Exec's note: MEMO.

18. Fall setting: EDEN.

20. Chinese-American chef and restaurateur Joyce: CHEN. Gimme!

23. "I mean to say ... ": THAT IS.

28. Border: EDGE.

31. Strauss of denim: LEVI.

32. Thailand, once: SIAM. "One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble... Siam's gonna be the witness" Whatever your interpretation, I like the song.

34. Extremely: OH SO. Really like this curtain D-Otto found for us. So easy to install. Blocks out the sun nicely.

35. Funds for later yrs.: IRAS.

36. Ore. neighbor: CAL.

38. Soft & __: DRI.

39. Guitarist Lofgren: NILS.

40. "Good to know": I SEE.

41. Novelist Leon: URIS. He wrote "Exodus".

42. Going past the fourth qtr., say: IN OT.

43. Grams: NANA.

44. "Fleabag" award: EMMY.

45. Poker player's "pass": NO BET.

46. Grind, as teeth: GNASH.

47. __ cavity: NASAL.

48. NASA garb: G SUIT.

52. Navel type: INNIE.

54. "Parks and Recreation" actor Chris: PRATT. Son-in-law of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

55. Part of TTFN: TA TA.

59. Besides: ALSO.

62. Going up in smoke?: AFIRE. For real.

63. Beach souvenir: TAN.

64. Sounds of reproach: TUTS.

65. Lang. of Jamaica: ENG.

66. Lorna __ cookies: DOONE.

68. Female sib: SIS.

70. Abbr. after many names: ET AL.

71. Two-headed fastener: U BOLT.

72. Turbine blade: ROTOR.

73. Run over: RE-AIR.

74. Strike down, biblically: SMITE. Root of smitten.

78. Little dogs: TOYS.

79. Indian noble: RAJA.

80. Middle of a Latin trio: AMAS.  Amo, amas, amat.

81. __ buggy: DUNE.

83. Fivers: ABES.

84. Period of inactivity: CALM.

86. Like dry champagne: BRUT.

88. Artists' mecca near Santa Fe: TAOS.

90. Spy-fi org.: CIA.

91. Coop group: HENS.

92. Sale indicator: RED TAG.

93. Epistle apostle: PAUL.

94. Braying beast: ASS.

97. Remote button: MUTE.

100. Savanna beasts: RHINOS.

101. Give a charge to: IONIZE.

102. "Sorry! Couldn't resist!": I HAD TO.

106. Bird call: TRILL.

107. Bitty: EENY.

108. Neckwear named for a British racecourse: ASCOT. The Ascot Racecourse.

109. Tableau: SCENE.

110. Conundrum: POSER.

111. Tilt: LIST.

112. Potent start?: OMNI. Omnipotent.

113. "Keep talking": GO ON.

115. Unaccompanied: STAG.

116. Rural tower: SILO.

117. After-lunch sandwich: OREO.

119. Crack up: SLAY.

120. Sweet tubers: YAMS.

122. __ Aviv: TEL.

124. Braz. neighbor: ARG.

125. In favor: PRO.

J.D. sent me this picture of his grandkids. She said this: Below are my 4 grandsons. Truman is now 15. Fourteen years ago I found your tiny blog and started doing puzzles…best thing I did in my retirement. I do continue to donate my time in the boys' classes. This year I’m in Dylan's 4th grade.

We had a follow-up with the ortho doctor. All's good with Boomer's left shoulder. The doctor asked for one thing: no more falls.

Lots of VA appointments ahead, starting with Tuesday morning's blood draw. If the platelet number is good, then Boomer will get a freshly-made bone strengthener cocktail. Hoping for a miracle that his PSA (742) will go down or at least stabilizes, as this oral chemo is our last hope.

C.C.

Friday, July 22, 2022, Zachary David Levy

Title: 

Doctor Doctor, gimme the news; I got a bad case of lovin' you. No pill's gonna cure my ill; I got a bad case of lovin' you...

Happy Friday and your most loving host is back on track  alternating with C Moe. Today we have a classic add two letters (in this case DR the accepted abbreviation for Doctor) to create new and amusing puns and fill. It is also standard symmetry beginning with 17A. The distribution is 11/13/11/13 with no reveal needed. ZDL also laces the puzzle with some extra sizzle with four 10 letter fill packed into the down fill -  STOLEN KISS, PRETTY SOON, I NEED SPACE,  and BALD EAGLES. There are some challenging clues and some very witty ones but it is time to add more. The theme:

DR is added to the beginning of four phrases:

17A. Medical pro who avoids the rear of the ship?: DRAFT DODGER (11). If you picture a man in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck who will not go to the rear (AFT) of the ship you get what is going one.

26A. Medical pro who holds a pal's hand in a tattoo parlor?: DRINKING BUDDY (13). Now we have a friend who accompanies another about to get a new Tattoo and is nervous.

42A. Medical pro who engineers hairpin turns?: DRESS DESIGNER (13). Ess curves are what makes driving a real challenge and a doctor who  lays out the route for a Formula 1 race to make it scary, you have gotten it all.

55A. Medical pro who is a sick chess player?: DRILL MASTER (11). Chess masters are their most successful players, and one who is not well and plays on would  be an ill master.

In retrospect, very easy; now to review the rest.

 
Across:

1. Luxurious: PLUSH. Etymonline says "soft fabric, cloth having a softer and longer nap than that of velvet," 1590s, from French pluche "shag, plush..."

6. Bubble tea insert: STRAW. Very tricky and amusing since you must put in a straw to drink the tea. 

11. Sweet sandwich, for short: PBJ. Peanut Butter and Jelly. I am Jelly, Oo is Peanut Butter.
                    
14. A Marx brother: HARPO. Since their stage names were all 5 letters ending in O, this required the perps.  Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo

15. Small crown: TIARA. I never thought of it that way, but it is obvious.

16. Grammy winner Corinne Bailey __: RAE. Norma has clearly lost her place; I did not know this singer.

19. Approximate fig.: ESTimate.

20. Actor Mineo: SAL. This is a dated fill though he was famous as an actor in Rebel Without a Cause and getting murdered. If you do not know this story here it is. LINK.

21. Yarns: TALES. Growing up in New England, the spinning of Yarns were the words not the cloth.

22. Key near Alt: CTRL. There are a few.

23. Farmers market buy: KALE. I still think of it as a garnish, not food.

24. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. My sweet wife orders this when a cocktail is appropriate but they seldom come out as the same drink. The original RECIPE.

31. Actress Zellweger: RENEE. Anyone watching The Thing About Pam? 

32. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA. According to National Geographic Koalas are not bears—they're marsupials.

33. Plant juice: SAP. Good for so many things including making maple syrup.

36. Peak: APEX. ACME, you pick.

37. The Good Book: BIBLE. There is much debate about the books and the history of the bible, a religious topic which I will not weigh in on.

38. Top-ranked: A-ONE. A sauce? 

39. Sorrow: WOE. A quick double header, with...

40. "What a pity": SO SAD.

41. Aerial photography craft: DRONE. Doctor one is not a themer.

45. ABCs: BASICS. What you learn first in school, maybe.

47. Plus: ALSO. Rhymes with...

48. Big trade show: EXPO. 

49. Noncommittal: VAGUE. Exactly describing the clue/fill.

51. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA. A pioneer of women and black women's rights. LINK.

54. Long of "Empire": NIA. She has starred in many movies and TV shows. Her IMDB.

58. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Seattle-Tacoma. A niece of mine just moved there. 

59. "Cross my heart!": NO LIE. Meh.

60. Title holder: SPINE. Very fun, as the part of a book where the title is embossed is the spine. Also where many tattoos appear.

61. Estadio cheer: OLE. Spanish lesson - stadium and cheer.

62. Lies for, maybe: ABETS. Helps someone get away with something.

63. Snap course: EASY A. 

Down:

1. Many profs: PHDS. More doctors. 

2. "The Secrets We Kept" novelist Prescott: LARA. Some BACKGROUND.

3. River to the Caspian: URAL. This famous body of WATER.  43D. __ Grande: RIO. Another river dividing countries.

4. Sunblock letters: SPF.  Sun Protection Factor, is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays.

5. Quick, provocative opinion: HOT TAKE. Part of the end of true journalism IMO.

6. Unexpected smack?: STOLEN KISS. Very nice as a clue and an act.

7. Laundry brand: TIDE. This HISTORIC product changed doing laundry.

8. Old T-shirts, maybe: RAGS. Is there a man among you who has not lost a favorite shirt to this scourge?

9. "__ we good?": ARE. I hope so, I love you.

10. Simple card game: WAR. This is even played in casinos.

11. In the not-too-distant future: PRETTY SOON.

12. Iraq port city: BASRA.  All you need to KNOW.

13. Actor who plays the Emperor in 2020's "Mulan": JET LI. The famous action hero appeared in the live action version of this anime classic.

18. "The Persistence of Memory" painter: DALI. Who doesn't love Salvador.

22. Spain's El __: CID. He was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain, made famous by this movie...

23. "Where creativity clicks" construction toy: K-NEX.
HISTORY.

24. Slip-on shoe: MULE. I cannot imagine these asses staying still long enough to wear.

25. Programming pioneer Lovelace: ADA. The abandoned daughter of poet Lord Byron. LINK.

26. Sketch: DRAW. 

27. Forfeited auto: REPOsession.

28. "Please give me some alone time": I NEED SPACE.
Greta Garbo anyone?

29. Sour: GO BAD. Milk anyone?

30. Birds of prey that were once endangered: BALD EAGLES. This is proof of what we can do if we commit as a country, oops never mind that sounds political.

34. Basketball Hall of Famer Donovan: ANNE. She died of heart failure apparently being 6'8" tall is hard on the body. This is not an issue for Friday bloggers.

LINK.

35. Social equal: PEER. Or a man by a urinal? 

37. Bigwig: BOSS. Have any of you watched the Horrible Bosses movies? Rachel, why did we lose you?

38. Best Picture winner set in Iran: ARGO. This revived Ben Affleck's career and now he got to marry J-Lo. Hollywood is grand.

40. Jiff: SEC. Not more Peanut Butter.

41. Pathology study: DISEASE. What does the study of paths have to do with illness? 

44. Run-down area: SLUM. I do not think this is a politically acceptable word. Pre-gentrified maybe?

45. Box lunch?: BENTO. The word “bento” was actually derived from the Southern Song Dynasty slang term biàndāng, which means “convenient.”  Timeline.com.

46. The first "A" in CAT scan: AXIAL.  CAT scan stands for Computed Axial Tomography. 

49. Dreadful: VILE. 

50. Came to rest: ALIT. This bugs me. 

51. Terse affirmation: IT IS. Make it so!

52. Turn down: DENY. Not the bed, but the offer.

53. Painter's calculation: AREA. Hopefully a calculation made by all who are working on your house.

55. Genetic info carrier: DNA.

56. Director Reiner: ROB. Most famous for the scene with his mother and Meg Ryan.

57. Mani-pedi place: SPA. How fun to end with a complete shout out to our own super hero Lucy.

Another struggle with technology but we made it to here. Thank you all for coming, reading and writing. I also send a big THANKS  to Zachary for the entertainment and  we would look silly if we had no puzzle to discuss. 

Be well all.

Monday March 14, 2022 Zachary David Levy

Theme: GO-BETWEEN (61. Intermediary ... or a hint to 23-, 35-, 42- and 52-Across)

23. Ride with wooden horses: MERRY-GO-ROUND.

35. "Let's change the subject": DON'T GO THERE.

42. St. Patrick's day shout: ERIN GO BRAGH.

52. Without a care in the world: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY.

Boomer here. It's go time!

St. Patrick's Day will arrive with some spring weather this Thursday.  Irish eyes will be smiling.

Across:

1. South America's westernmost mainland point is in it: PERU. Punta Pariñas is the westernmost point in mainland Peru. 

5. Not that: THIS.

9. James of "The Blacklist": SPADER.

15. "Sign me up!": I'M IN.  Toss in your ante.

16. Call at third base: SAFE.  The "Greedies" of major league baseball have finally settled the argument between the billionaire owners and the millionaire players.

17. Printing mistakes: ERRATA.

18. Remark that may elicit "None taken": NO OFFENSE.  We'll see if the Vikings can make some up.  They are still in the same division as Aaron Rodgers. 

20. Line dance step: TOE TAP.

21. Coffee dispensers: URNS.  We just use a glass pitcher (pot).

22. Garnish for a margarita: RIM SALT.  No thank you.

28. Singer with numbered albums: ADELE.

29. Advance to repay: LOAN.  You may need one to buy gas.

30. Check no.: ACCT.

34. Drips started by RNs: IVS.  Oh yeah, I am familiar with that.  Surprise, the VA moved my next chemo to a smaller VA clinic north of our home. About 20 miles and a much easier drive. Next IV is March 24.  We will see how it goes.

38. Network with science shows, familiarly: NAT GEO. National Geographic.

41. Listened to, as advice: HEEDED.  I need proof with advice,  Sorry.

47. Clean-up hitter's stat: RBI.  On STRIKE did not fit in the grid.

48. Walgreens product: DRUG.  Actually, I think Walgreens just sells DRUGs.  Other companies produce them.

49. Gaseous: Pref.: AERI.

50. Short: BRIEF.

55. President Hoover: HERBERT.  Served from 1929 - 1933.  I don't think the stock market crash was his fault.

59. Company that's "calling": AVON.  Used to be ladies setting up parties and giving a sales pitch.

60. Picture next to a username: AVATAR.

66. Poet Pablo with a Nobel Prize: NERUDA.

67. Real hassle: PAIN.  The last chemo infusion was a little tougher than the first. About 7 days of pain followed. 

68. Wheel shaft: AXLE.

69. Formal, as an affair: DRESSY.  High School proms are coming soon.

70. Crafts partner: ARTS.

71. Oxen connector: YOKE.  Not the center of an egg.

Down:

1. Wrestling win: PIN.  Ten of them on a bowling lane.  You might need two tosses to get them all down.

2. Moody genre: EMO.

3. Carnival city: RIO.  Home of the big statue.

4. Roll out, as a flag: UNFURL.  Next holiday is Memorial Day.  We will UNFURL the flag we received from Spitzboov.

5. Former LPGA #1 golfer Yani __: TSENG.

6. Jabba the Hutt foe: HAN SOLO.

7. Conditions: IFS.  Along with ANDS and BUTS

8. "Understand?": SEE.  "I SEE" said the blind man when he really didn't.

9. Take effect: SET IN.

10. High school corsage wearer: PROM DATE.  It's been a long time since I was in High School.  Very memorable.

11. Greek war god: ARES.

12. Facts and figures: DATA.  Use to be on paper.  Now stored in a computer somewhere.

13. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.

14. Unable to look away: RAPT.

19. Boots brand: FRYE. Minnesota is a land of Boots, but I have never heard of this brand.

22. Ladder step: RUNG.  If you fall, you may get your bell RUNG.

23. Stephen King's home state: MAINE.  I think MAINE is the only state in the continental US that is only bordered by one other state. New Hampshire.

24. "The Scream" artist Munch: EDVARD.

25. Mix again: RE-STIR.

26. Harry's pal Weasley: RON.  Mr. Howard.  An actor for 60 years.

27. Cheerios bit: OAT.  Bears eat oats and does eat oats but little lambs eat ivy.

31. Michael of "SNL": CHE.

32. __ the Entertainer: CEDRIC.

33. Beloved "Jeopardy!" host: TREBEK.  Now he has a TV studio named in his honor.

35. __-wop music: DOO.  I don't think I am old enough to remember this.  Can you?

36. "I get it now": OHH.

37. Enlighten: EDIFY.

39. Wildebeest: GNU.  What's GNU?  Nothing, what's GNU with you?

40. Brainiacs: EGGHEADS.  Easter is about a month away.  Somehow EGGS are a tradition.

43. Protestant denom.: BAPT.

44. Dem.'s foe: REP.  I know they battle frequently but the actions from Russia have created strange bedfellows.

45. Suffix with custom: ARY.

46. Data transfer measure: GIGABIT.  I think that is a million bits.

50. Inky stain: BLOT.

51. Model's sashaying path: RUNWAY.  It's amazing how airport control can keep all the traffic safe.

53. Wide assortment: ARRAY.

54. Appliances that may be Dutch: OVENS.

55. "Give me a __": "Help!": HAND.

56. At any time: EVER.

57. Like many collectibles: RARE.  My main collectable is baseball cards.  The RAREST of these is a complete set on 1955 Topps double headers.  I also added an update 15 card set of 2004 double headers.

58. A/C units: BTUS.  We have a new air conditioner coming if the snow ever melts.

61. 3.0, e.g.: Abbr.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.

62. Rowing tool: OAR.  Yes I remember those when I was young.  Then we bought a 5 horse Johnson.

63. Prefix with skeleton: EXO.

64. Deer in a lodge logo: ELK.   I once coached a Little League team sponsored by the ELKS.

65. Hillary Clinton, __ Rodham: NEE.

Boomer

Friday, May 28, 2021, Zachary David Levy

Theme: Synonyms

At least I think that's the theme! Hello, Cornerites. As you'll see when I insert the picture of the grid, it not only took me awhile to figure out the puzzle, (I FIW in two spots and needed red-letter help) but also to figure out the theme based on the five entries. Our constructor du jour chose five entries (count 'em!) whose first words were synonyms of "rotate", and then used a clue for each of these whose second words were the inverse synonym of the answer.

Still not getting it? Let's look more closely . . .

17-Across. YENOH: INVERT SUGAR. YENOH is HONEY spelled backwards. And HONEY is another word/synonym for SUGAR. Meh. The use of terms of endearment are getting a bit passe in our "politically correct" world

26-Across. GOC: REVERSE GEAR. GOC is COG spelled backwards. And COG is another word/synonym for GEAR

36-Across. TAR: TURNED TRAITOR. TAR is RAT spelled backwards. And RAT is another word/synonym for TRAITOR

50-Across. CBA: BACK CHANNEL. CBA spelled backwards is ABC. And ABC is the name of a TV CHANNEL

60-Across. NEMO: COUNTERSIGN. NEMO is OMEN spelled backwards. And OMEN is another word/synonym for SIGN

So, was I a fan of this puzzle? Not really. And that's not a rap on Mr. Levy. Was it clever? Somewhat. And again, that's not a rap on Mr. Levy. As I review the entries/clues, YENOH and GOC are not normal "words". But TAR and NEMO are. And CBA --> ABC is an abbreviation for American Broadcasting Company. That's my primary "nit". Could he have chosen other vague clues? Perhaps. LANAC (which is CANAL spelled backwards) could've replaced CBA for CHANNEL; SADUJ (JUDAS spelled backwards) could've replaced TAR for TRAITOR; and KRAM (MARK, spelled backwards) could've replaced NEMO for SIGN.

OK, rant over! On to the other clues and fill . . .

Across:
1. Hardly inept: ABLE. I was finally ABLE to solve this puzzle once I turned on the red letters. Still kicking myself for not knowing 34-Down. "Incidentally," in texts: BTW, and 33-Across. Q neighbor: TAB (OH! The "TAB" key on your keyboard, which sits just to the left of the letter "Q")

But ABLE in 1-Across fits nicely with (42-Across. Formerly held the position of:) WAS. How about a palidrome? ABLE WAS I ere I saw Elba. And with all of the backwards clues, a palindrome is quite appropriate!

5. Informal get-together: MEET UP. MEET UP is a new website app which encourages you to join a group to meet people, make friends, find support, grow a business, and explore your interests. Thousands of events are happening every day, both online and in person. Check it out!

11. UFO occupants: ETS. Extra TerrestialS. Folks from outer space

14. Law enforcement tactic: RAID. This kind of "law enforecment"??

15. Midsize Kia: OPTIMA. As you saw, I missed this one completely. I think I had ULTIMA before the red letters corrected me

16. Howard who directed "Willow" (1988): RON. Better known as Opie in the Andy Griffith sitcom of our youth

19. Pretend to be: APE. A crossword staple with many clues

20. Slangy denial: NAH. Nope? NAH

21. __ Plaines: DES. A suburb of Chicago, close to O'Hare aiport.

22. Eponym for a Queens stadium: ASHE. Arthur ASHE was an iconic tennis player. The tennis stadium in Queens, NY where the US Open Tennis Tournament is played is named for him

23. Support wear: BRA. Does anyone recall the sophmoric description for this? "Over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder". I don't envy women who need to wear these

29. Engine leak-preventing device: OIL SEAL. Not a widely used clue/answer, but effective

31. Arranges meaningfully: SORTS. Also a laundry day task

32. Storied bear name: POOH. As in Milne's Winnie the POOH

35. Greek T: TAU. And a letter used in many fraternities and sororoties on college campuses

41. McKellen knighted in 1991: IAN. This guy. Knighted in 1991 and recently famous for his role as Gandalf in LOTR, and he also played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. But his early years were spent acting in Shakespeare plays

43. E-reader option: iPAD. Kindle didn't fit

45. Basket willow: OSIER. Here is an old crossword answer! And since I've been solving crossword puzzles a long time, this one came easily. OSIER(n.) Synonyms: wicker, withe, willow twig.

48. "You can come out now": IT'S SAFE. But in baseball you can't be safe AND out at the same time

54. Spot for burners and beakers: LAB. As in Chemistry LAB. Not the canine

55. GPS displays: AVES.. Abbr for AVEnueS

56. Dating initials: BCE. Why is BC now called BCE? BCE/CE usually refers to the Common Era (the years are the same as AD/BC). ... The simplest reason for using BCE/CE as opposed to AD/BC is to avoid reference to Christianity and, in particular, to avoid naming Christ as Lord (BC/AD: Before Christ/In the year of our Lord). I hope this definition doesn't violate our blog's "no religion" rules

57. "__ Is Rage 2": Lil Uzi Vert album: LUV. LUV is also the ticker tape symbol on the NYSE for this airline

59. Needy cry from the playroom: MOM. But at 2:00AM when this cry comes from the bedroom, it's often DAD that gets up to see what's the matter! But in the movie "Wedding Crashers", it was an adult who cried out. Oddly, Will Ferrell was not shown in the credits for this movie

65. Altar constellation: ARA. This

66. Goes along: AGREES. And those who wish to be opposite can AGREE to disAGREE

67. Approve: OKAY. Yes! An easy Friday clue and answer!!

68. Case, for example: Abbr.: SYN. OK, Cornerites; help me out here, please! I had no clue what this clue was referring to

69. Crows: BOASTS. "MURDER" fits if it were relating to a group of the birds; but in this case, it refers to the mimicking of the sound a crow makes when it calls out in a squacking manner - as if to BOAST

70. Hall of Famer known as "O Rei do Futebol": PELE. PELE, "The King of Soccer". Another old-school crossword word/name

Down:
1. NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI. CSO to those of us who live in the Grand Canyon State. Star WR played his college ball at my alma mater. He should've won the Heisman Trophy in 2003. He lost to Jason White. Yeah, remember him?

2. Prohibit: BAN. I'm guessing that they coined the eponymous deodorant that name because it prohibited a bad aroma?

3. Actress Tyler: LIV. Had this one before when I blogged

4. Paradise: EDEN. As in "The Garden of EDEN"

5. Full of holes: MOTH EATEN. Rarely seen in puzzles; nice clue and answer

6. Short mus. releases: EPS. Extended PlayS was all I could find for a musical reference to this clue, but "extended" doesn't mean "short", does it? Am I missing yet another clue??

7. Piece for practicing technique: ETUDE. Now THIS is a musical reference I get!

8. National animal of Malaysia: TIGER. THIS cat

9. It has a med school in Worcester: U MASS. U MASSachusetts has a main campus in Amherst and a med school in Worcester (pronouned "Wooster")

10. Expected result: PAR. What Phil Mickelson shot on his last hole to cement his PGA victory this past weekend

11. Writing tool: ERASER. Nice clue. Not one used by C Moe as he always solves in pen

12. Accessory for Mr. Monopoly: TOP HAT. And a token used in the board game Monopoly

13. Nasty looks: SNEERS. This? Harry Potter's foil

18. Not seen much: RARE. As opposed to this level of doneness that "finish" most of my steaks

22. Rabbitlike rodents: AGOUTIS. The AGOUTI or common AGOUTI is any of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies. Wikipedia

23. Rap on the head: BOP. Here's that word "BOP" again! BOP has been a popular "visitor" in our LA Times puzzles of late. But this definition is different; and what you do to score points in this arcade game

24. Real hoot: RIOT. When someone or something is a "real hoot", or funny, it's a RIOT. But a RIOT also has a negative connotation when referring to an insurrection. No politics, please

25. Baseball family name: ALOU. Another "Flashback Friday" clue and answer. Felipe, Manny, and Moises ALOU were MLB baseball players, all related, back in the day

27. Guerrero or Guerrero Jr. of baseball: VLAD. Not cool for those of you who dislike frequent Friday sports' names in our puzzles. Back-to-back baseball proper name clues. VLAD (short for VLADimir); Vladimir Guerrero Ramos Jr. (born March 16, 1999) is a Canadian-Dominican professional baseball first baseman and third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. He made his major league debut in April 2019. Wikipedia

28. Morales of "Criminal Minds": ESAI. More of the old, stale crossword fill. But constuctor's LUV having four-letter proper names with 3 vowels

30. High-pitched cries: SHRIEKS. Have your computer or smart phone's volume turned down to listen

35. Unseasoned, maybe: TASTELESS. Salt and pepper works for me for most dishes, including my RARE steaks

37. Undercover figure: NARC. The use of the word "NARC" spiked in the 1970's; presumably with the increased use of illegal drugs/narcotics

38. Pour, say: RAIN. Remember this? "When it RAINs it pours"

39. Milky white kind of glass: OPAL. Also a reference to the milky white gemstone

40. "The King of Clay," familiarly: RAFA. Mohammed Ali - formerly, Cassius Clay - is known as the "King" in boxing circles. But today's "King of Clay" refers to the master of the clay court surface in tennis. Rafael "RAFA" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is ranked world No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals, has been ranked No. 1 in the ATP rankings for 209 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. His record of victories on clay surfaces is unmatched. RAFA Nadal has been the most successful player in history on clay courts. He has a 62–8 record in clay court tournament finals and has lost only twice in best-of-five-set matches on clay. He has won 13 French Open titles (and is unbeaten in finals and semifinals), 11 Monte-Carlo Masters and 10 Rome Masters, and won at least one of the three clay-court Masters Series tournaments every year between 2005 and 2014. Wikipedia

44. Ball honoree, perhaps: DEB. Short for DEBuntante, defined as an upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society

45. 2000s first family: OBAMAS. TRUMPS also fits, believe it or not; as does BIDENS and BUSHES. Take your pick!

46. Food Network adjective: SAVORY. Yet another "spicy" clue/fill in today's puzzle! SAVORY: (of food) belonging to the category that is salty or spicy rather than sweet

47. Nickname for a clutch player: ICEMAN. This guy was known as a "clutch player", but MAVERICK was equal to the task - remake due out this summer

49. Speak indistinctly: SLUR. As in SLURRED words. Was this guy the most famous one for doing that?

51. Former U.S. streaming option: HBO GO. HBO GO is an international TV Everywhere video on demand streaming service offered by the American premium cable network HBO for customers outside the United States. Launched in 2010. Unknown to me. I use ROKU now instead of cable. You?

52. Upscale auto: ACURA. ACURA is the "upscale" model of automobile created by Honda

53. Tijuana tots: NENES. Aren't these the state birds of Hawaii??

58. Cognac designation: VSOP. Ahh! A clue that's right up C Moe's alley! The designations you see on Cognac labels—VS (Very Special), VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and XO (Extra Old)—are a guarantee of how long a Cognac has been aged. VS indicates that the Cognac has been aged at least two years, VSOP at least four years and XO (Extra Old) at least six years. Here is more info on Cognac

60. Lyft alternative: CAB. UBER didn't fit, but who takes a CAB anymore? The only CAB I take is one poured in a wine glass

61. Hanoi holiday: TET. First popularized during the Vietnam War. TET Offensive

62. 34th prez: IKE. We are at #46 now. I was born when #34 was in office - early in his first term

63. "Wonder Woman" actress Gadot: GAL. GAL Gadot - a 36 year old Israeli actress - portrayed Wonder Woman in the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Gadot received swordsmanship, Kung Fu, kickboxing, capoeira and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training in preparation for the role. Gadot's performance as the superhero, which was the character's first appearance in film, was singled out as one of the best parts of the film. She was also Miss Israel in 2004 and stands 5'10" tall. Wikipedia

64. Emmy-winning scientist: NYE. Funny clip from TBBT

And while we're at it, here is yet another clip with an equally renowned scientist

That's all I got. Comments are always welcomed. See ya in a couple weeks . . .

Wednesday July 22, 2020 Zachary David Levy

Theme: Colorful Creatures 

17. Whodunit misdirection: RED HERRING.

25. Bovine-named pet food brand: BLUE BUFFALO.

37. Costly possession that's no longer useful: WHITE ELEPHANT.

50. Diamond in a 1963 Peter Sellers film: PINK PANTHER.

Reveal:

60. Where this puzzle's "animals" might congregate?:  IN THE SHADE.  

Boomer here again, filling in another blog slot.  

I am not sure about this theme.  Red herring may be in a shady pond but the only time I might see a buffalo, elephant, or panther would be in the zoo.  If someone has figured it out, rattle my cage.  

Please everyone stay as safe as possible.  C.C. and I are okay, but the numbers coming in on the news are very concerning.

Across:

1. Frankie who played Malcolm in "Malcolm in the Middle": MUNIZ.

6. Forensic CBS episodes: CSIS.

10. Urban pollution: SMOG.  We are pretty lucky here in Minnesota.  First we don't have much fog, and secondly, most of our businesses control their pollution.

14. In unison: AS ONE.

15. Hyatt competitor: OMNI.  I have never stayed at an OMNI nor have I ever driven a Dodge OMNI.

16. Own: HAVE.  Or HAVE not.

19. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM.  I've seen it, but I prefer shredded cheddar to add on my pizza.

20. "Look what __!": I DID.

21. Poetic adverb: OFT.

22. Kind of green: NILE.  Silly me. I thought it was an African River.  I know it is odd, because it flows south to north.

24. __ Cabos: Baja area: LOS.  Means "The" in Spanish.  I am thinking of Los Angeles - home of the L.A. Times, the Rams and Dodgers, and many problems with a virus that is plaguing us all.

29. Straighten, as hair: UNCURL.

31. Online addresses: Abbr.: IPS. Internet Protocol addresses.

32. "Tubular!": RAD.

33. Burst in on, maybe: RAIDED.  When the Oakland (now Las Vegas football team) comes to play our Vikings.

36. Bit of misdirection: RUSE.

41. Cross shapes: TAUS.

42. Dugouts, e.g.: CANOES.  Many, many CANOES on our Minnesota lakes in the summer.

43. "We the Living" writer Rand: AYN.  Born in Russia, died in New York. Authoress of many quotes.

44. Wedding vow: I DO.  I DID.

46. Melonlike tropical fruit: PAPAWS.  We like watermelon.

54. Pose for a portrait: SIT.

55. Chinese currency: YUAN.  Last I checked, a YUAN was equal to about $.14 US.

56. Tofu source: SOY.  I do not care for Tofu, but I like soy sauce on some things.

57. Thin smoke trail: WISP.

58. __ Crunch: CAPN.  I pretty much stick to Chex and Grape Nuts.

63. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.

64. Polite sneeze: CHOO.  No,  a polite sneeze would be to go outside and blow your nose off.

65. __ Meunier: Champagne grape: PINOT.

66. Court do-overs: LETS.  Tennis Anyone?

67. Swiss landscape highlights: ALPS.  "The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music!"

68. Set up: FRAME.

Down:

1. Henner of "Taxi": MARILU.  Ricky Nelson once sang "Hello Mary Lou".

2. Applied to: USED ON.

3. DVD player error message: NO DISC.  Mine never worked right, I gave all my movies away.

4. Aired with sharper resolution: IN HD.  I think most TVs are HD now.

5. Letter akin to omega: ZEE.

6. Ionian Sea island: CORFU.  A bit of a tourist resort of Greece.

7. Strike, biblically: SMITE.

8. Roadside stop: INN.  My favorite is the C'mon Inn in Billings MT.

9. Enlist: SIGNUP.  I did not sign up, I was drafted.  But I did not mind giving two years to my country.  It's given me a lot back now.

10. Bookcase part: SHELF.  Ours are very full.  C.C. loves books.

11. Attempted to win, with "for": MADE A RUN.  Many are MAKING A RUN this November.

12. Lab eggs: OVA.

13. 50-Across, e.g.: GEM.

18. Baseball Hall of Famer Fingers: ROLLIE.  Made his name with the Oakland A's but also spent time with the Padres and Brewers.

23. Conditions: IFS.  Along with ANDS  or BUTS.

25. Hot dog relative: BRAT. There are some in our freezer now.  They should be gone near the end of August.

26. Six-term Delaware senator: BIDEN.  I think I have heard about him.

27. Final: LAST.

28. Tribute in verse: ODE.  My favorite is the "Ode to Billie Joe".  Bobbie Gentry.

30. "Trinity" novelist: URIS.

34. Hazardous material cleaning, briefly: DECON. Decontamination.

35. She, in Lisbon: ELA.

36. Utter harshly: RASP.

37. "The __ see it ... ": WAY I.

38. Pooh's pride, as Pooh would spell it: HUNNY POT.

39. Sailor since 1929: POPEYE.  Strong to the finish cuz' he eats his spinach.

40. Learn: HEAR.

41. Keg part: TAP.  Not a fan of beer so I never had to deal with one of these.  Now if you toss one in the pocket and leave a ten pin, that's a TAP.  7 pin for lefties.

44. Keg filler, briefly: IPA.

45. Patrick of NASCAR fame: DANICA.  She was Packer QB Aaron Rodgers' girlfriend for a couple of years but then they broke up.  Good girl Danica, I never liked Aaron much either.

47. South Korean carrier: ASIANA.

48. What may be dispensed in pearls?: WISDOM.  First you have to open an oyster.

49. Neighbor of Tampa, Fla.: ST PETE.  I visited Tampa once while I was employed by Graybar.  Never got farther south.  Florida has its problems now.

51. Mila of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall": KUNIS.

52. Metro station, in Boston: T STOP.  Well let me tell you a story 'bout a man named Charlie on a tragic and fateful day.  He put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family, went to ride on the MTA.

53. Hostess products: HOHOS.  When I was a kid, Mom would give us a dime to buy cupcakes or Twinkies for our bag lunch.  HOHOs came later.  It's been a long time since I was a kid.

57. Fan sound: WHIR.

58. Animation unit: CEL.

59. Part of 44-Down: ALE.  I am downing Canada Dry Diet Ginger ALE as we speak.

61. Org. with Sharks and Predators: NHL.  We used to have the Minnesota North Stars but they left for Texas.  Now we have the "Wild".

62. Beach meas.: SPF.

Boomer