So you think doctors won't make a Saturday house call. Well, Dr. Ed Sessa has arrived here at our crossword stand with his little black bag full of cleverness and learning (e.g. 1 Across) to help ease the winter blues for those of us north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Bringing along his faithful companion is a further boost for us!
Just for fun I found out how far it is from my town here on the frozen steppes of eastern Nebraska to Ed's home on Sanibel Island, Florida. BTW, I see they do have three golf courses on the island.
Let's check out what Dr. Ed has for us on his rounds today:
Across
1. Indian anna, e.g.: COIN - An anna (or ānā) was a currency unit formerly used in India and Pakistan, equal to 1⁄16 of a rupee. I'm sure the word play similarity to Indiana did not escape Ed.
A 1919 mint condition 8 anna coin worth $400 |
5. Baked potato topping: CHIVES.
11. Billy the Kid preceder?: AKA - "Also Known As" is "Better Known As" below
14. It's tossed into a pot: ANTE.
15. Play with Freudian implications: OEDIPUS REX - Freud - "It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father" 18. Freudian component of 15-Across: PRIMAL URGE - You're on your own here
17. Result of spilling the beans: MESS.
19. Catering preparation: PLATTER.
21. Whale fare: KRILL - They can eat millions per day
22. Jam-packed: FILLED - NFL stadiums are not necessarily FILLED anymore
23. 1989-'90 Broadway one-man show: TRU - Robert Morse as TRUman Capote
26. Gift-wrapping occasions: EVES.
27. Arm of the sea: INLET.
28. Serial standout: SOAP STAR - The longest serving American SOAP STAR
30. Short rules?: REGS.
31. Enjoyed a parlor game: SHOT POOL - When Fast Eddie SHOT POOL with Minnesota Fats, it was in a pool hall not parlor. "Like he's playing a violin"
32. Stumble: ERR.
33. Market research pioneer: NIELSEN - According to the NIELSEN Ratings, The Bob Hope Vietnam Christmas Show was the highest rated TV show this week 50 years ago
34. Suitable for family viewing: TV-G.
37. Actress who voiced Duchess in "The Aristocats": EVA GABOR - Movie also from 50 years ago
39. Cry over spilt milk?: MEWL - It'll be fine kitty!
40. Contemporary of le Carré: DEIGHTON - Spy novelist Len's first name is standard fare here
41. Movie character who might say 3-Down: ZORBA and 3. "No clue": IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME.
42. Facebook nudge: POKE.
43. Texting nicety: THX - YW seems to be the apt reply
44. Finalized, with "up": FIRMED - We finally FIRMED up the sale of MIL's house last month
45. Join the cast of: ACT IN - I'll bet all of you know what TV show these ladies joined to ACT IN after the previous one moved on
47. Propaganda tactics: BIG LIES - It's been done for centuries
48. It's usually stuffed on planes: STORAGE BIN
52. Suspicious of: ONTO.
53. Garden support: TOMATO CAGE - It's hard to see the CAGES that are holding up my wife's lush TOMATO and cucumber plants. Daughter, niece and nephew are harvesting from her bounty!
54. Storm preceder, at times: CALM.
55. "I kissed thee __ I killed thee": Othello: ERE - In English and in, uh, English
56. Govt. savings vehicles discontinued in 1980: E BONDS - Initially offered in 1941 to finance WWII. They became known as "War Bonds"
57. "Red Balloon" painter: KLEE - As it hangs in the Guggenheim
Down:
1. Hand warmer only used outdoors: CAMP FIRE.
2. Little crack: ONE LINER - The King!
4. Settles softly: NESTLES - So many to choose from online ("from which to choose" for the grammar police 😏)
5. Managed to get by: COPED.
6. German title: HERR.
7. Forest's Oscar role: IDI - A Scottish doctor on a medical mission becomes entangled with this brutal dictator who declared himself to be the title of this movie
8. Drive: VIM.
9. Acid Rain Program org.: EPA.
10. Have a pouty face: SULK.
11. Carousel location: ARRIVAL TERMINAL - Michael Richards hurt himself sliding onto this carousel but finished this Seinfeld scene
13. Eponymous jumps: AXELS - Named after its Norwegian creator AXEL Paulsen
20. Hanoi holiday: TET.
23. Hobbyist's organizer: TOOL BOX - I'd call this a deluxe model
24. Fingers: RATS ON.
25. __ deck: UPPER - In the UPPER deck at Yankee stadium you are 7 stories up and about 180' from home plate
28. Scabbard: SHEATH.
29. Dad bud, often: SON.
31. Tourist attraction: SIGHT - Old Yankee Stadium was on my bucket list as a SIGHT to see that I checked off
33. Badger or hound: NAG - Yeah right, I was the only one who put DOG first
35. "Punch buggy" in a car trip game: VW BEETLE - We called it "slug bug" and it gave you license to punch a sibling after yelling out "slug bug" upon seeing a VW BEETLE. Hey, we didn't have glowing screens to occupy us!
36. Full of joy: GLADSOME - Makes sense. Use over time:
38. "25 Words or Less" host Meredith: VIEIRA - A play-at-home game published in 1996 and put on the TV in 2018
39. Wells predator: MORLOCK - Here they attack Sheldon in a dream he has while sitting in the prop used in the H.G. Wells movie The Time Machine
40. Who on TV, with "the": DOCTOR - All you wanna know about one of aforementioned Sheldon's favorite TV characters
41. Turn sharply: ZIG.
42. It holds things together: PASTE - Haute cuisine in Kindergarten
44. Ticket prices?: FINES.
46. Archibald of the NBA: NATE - NATE is the second from the right standing on this team that split time between the two cities
47. Cowboys' city, familiarly: BIG D - Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews sing this fun song from Most Happy Fella
49. Lump: GOB.
50. Green opening: ECO.
51. Taboo: BAN.
Thanks for the visit, Dr. Ed. Comments?