Monday May 11, 2020 Robert E. Lee Morris

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

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

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

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

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

Boomer here.

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

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

Across:

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

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

9. Flat finish: MATTE.

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

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

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

19. Leaks: DRIPS.

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

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

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

24. 4 x 4, for short: UTE.

25. Brontë and Post: EMILYS.

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

30. Flammable gas: ETHANE.

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

33. Decorate: ADORN.

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

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

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

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

42. Building addition: ANNEX.

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

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

46. Remained: STAYED.

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

50. Whirling toon devil: TAZ.

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

52. Bosom buddy: PAL.

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

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

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

64. Fronton game word: ALAI.

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

66. Stringed instruments of yore: LYRES.

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

68. Historic British school: ETON.

Down:

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

2. Indian tourist city: AGRA.

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

4. Law: STATUTE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13. Subsides: EASES.

18. Spreadsheet info: DATA.

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

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

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

28. Health resorts: SPAS.

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

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

33. Part of A.D.: ANNO.

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

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

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

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

43. Montreal daily: GAZETTE.  GAZETTE eh?

45. "Tennis, __?": ANYONE.

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

47. Scottish toppers: TAMS.

48. Whoop it up: REVEL.

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

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

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

56. Canter or gallop: GAIT.

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

58. British weapon acronym: STEN.

60. ACLU concerns: RTS. Rights.

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

Boomer