Theme: "Special Ops" - OP is added to each theme entries.
27A. Like soup cans to Andy Warhol? : PERFECT FOR THE POP ART. Perfect for the part. Jeffrey started his first themer at Row 4.
45A. The musical "1776" reworked with arias? : COLONIAL OPERA. Colonial era.
55A. Astaire/Rogers 1935 boast? : I MADE TOP HAT. I made that.
67A. Pace of a runaway horse? : UNMITIGATED GALLOP. Unmitigated gall.
83A. Why the kennel closed? : NO PET PROFIT. Net profit.
92A. Vespa newbies? : MOPED STUDENTS. Med students.
112A. #1 rodeo competitor? : THE LORD OF THE ROPINGS. The Lord of the Rings.
I
hope you guys have the chance to meet with the legend Jeffrey someday.
His creativity & passion are unparalleled. Look at what he did with
27A, 55A and 83A, changing one word into two. So imaginative.
Jeffrey's
grid design is also very imaginative. He's never daunted by a first
14-letter first themer in a 15*15 grid, or a 13-letter middle row
themer, regardless how many theme entries he has. Of course, you have to
have an imaginative brain to dream of and execute THE X-FILES. We're so lucky to enjoy his creations regularly.
Across:
1. Crisscross pattern : GRID
5. Whole alternative : SKIM
9. Religion that may involve a moon goddess : WICCA. Learning moment. Hinduism also has a moon goddess, correct?
14. Tolerate : ABIDE
19. Sticks figure : RUBE. Read as "Stick figure".
20. Common conifer : PINE
21. Many a South Pacific isle : ATOLL
22. Kosher : LEGIT
23. __ in the Pod: maternity brand : A PEA. Unfamiliar with the brand.
24. It won't fly on the Sabbath : EL AL. Hahtoola never uses her computer/tablet on Saturdays. We also have 32. Traditional meal : SEDER
25. Get rid of : SCRAP
26. Freetown currency : LEONE. I've never seen a $500 bill in person.
31. New York natives : ERIES
33. Join : ATTACH
36. Position : STANCE
38. More extensive : WIDER
40. Mid sixth-century date : DLI. 551.
42. For two, in music : A DUE
43. "The rules __ the rules" : ARE
48. Courtesy to parents of a child flying alone : GATE PASS. Debut entry! Also 54. Carrier renamed in 1997 : US AIR. Eventually merged with American Airlines.
53. Refuses : WON'T. This type of clue always gets me. I thought the answer would end in *S.
59. Their areas are arias : DIVAS. Nice clue.
61. Auction unit : LOT
62. Taunt : GIBE
63. Ballerinas' supply : ROSIN. Not TUTUs.
65. Saltpeter : NITER
73. Traffic stopper, perhaps : SIREN
74. Capital SW of Brussels : PARIS. Plenty of daily trains between the two cities. Also 18. 74-Across season : ETE
75. Sculptors' degs. : BFAs
78. "Lou Grant" production co. : MTM
81. Like some strays : MANGY
87. Flew into __ : A RAGE. You won't see our Gary flies into one. He's always so understanding and gracious.
102. Absorb, as with toweling : BLOT UP. Never used this phrase.
107. Brief outline : APERCU. Not SKETCH.
109. Produce chapter and verse? : WRITE. Another great clue.
111. Development areas : UTERI
118. 1995 Cecil B. DeMille Award-winning actress : LOREN (Sophia)
120. Marilyn's birth name : NORMA. Norma Jeane. One of the flea market guys loves Marilyn to death. He collects everything about her.
121. Swear : AVOW
122. Gp. that includes Venezuela : OPEC
123. Golf shoe feature : CLEAT
124. Like some construction sight markers : CONIC. He meant "site".
125. Current : TIDE
126. Geometry function : SINE
127. Accomplishments : DEEDS. Not FEATS.
128. Act with passion : EMOTE
129. Acorn, essentially : SEED
130. Laryngitis docs : ENTs Down:
1. Ones pressed for drinks : GRAPES. I never juice grapes or Honeycrisp apples. Too precious to juice.
2. Grint who plays Ron in Harry Potter films : RUPERT. Here he is.
3. Portugal's region : IBERIA
4. Overwhelm with noise : DEAFEN
5. What manuscripts may be submitted on : SPEC. Crossword puzzles too, unless it's Sunday. Then you can send a theme query to Rich first.
6. Caber toss garb : KILTS
7. Shortly, casually : IN A FEW
8. Songlike : MELODIC
9. Scrooge's opposite : WASTREL. This is a new word for me.
10. Craving : ITCH
11. Crux : CORE
12. Show appreciation, in a way : CLAP
13. Boxer's brand? : ALPO. Dog food.
14. With 113-Down, precipitously : ALL AT. And 113. See 14-Down : ONCE
15. Draft providers : BEER TAPS. I've been hoping that TTP and Abejo would meet again soon.
16. Savvy shopper's cry : I GOT A DEAL. This reminds me of Jeffrey's I WAS MAD. He debuted lots of entries.
17. Ruckus : DIN
28. Fire __ : ESCAPE. Not ENGINE.
29. Makeover : RE-DO
30. Swabby's need : PAIL
34. Collector's item : CURIO
35. Compassion : HEART. Stole this lovely picture from dear Misty's Facebook.
Dusty & Misty
37. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT
39. Ticket word : ROW
40. Home furnishing purchase : DINING SET. I use "Dining room set".
41. Estonia neighbor : LATVIA
44. Paul Anka's "__ Beso" : ESO
46. Silent affirmation : NOD
47. Montana's __ Falls : OUSEL. Never heard of it. Looks like a nice hiking spot.
48. Band performance : GIG
49. "__ dreaming?" : AM I
50. "Forbidden" perfume : TABU
51. Ideal places : EDENS
52. Appears suddenly : SPRINGS UP. Also 86. Prepare to store, as a blueprint : ROLL UP
56. Harley, e.g. : HOG
57. "Make it quick!" : ASAP
58. Industry VIP : TITAN
60. Bermuda's ocean: Abbr. : ATL
64. Successor to Claudius : NERO
66. High-tech worker : ROBOT. Look at the receptionist in this Japanese hotel.
68. Emulated a street performer : MIMED
69. Investment acronym : IRA
70. Guiding principles : TENETS
71. Decline : DIP
72. [It disappeared!] : PFFT
76. Require meds, maybe : AIL. As
TTP predicted, my doctor asked me to take salt liberally. I've made
progress. Reached 103/63 at the doctor's office. I normally hover around
90/60.
77. Sault __ Marie : STE
78. Dangerous African biter : MAMBA
79. Military unit : TROOP
80. It might be tapped : MAPLE TREE
82. Since Jan. 1, in P&L reports : YTD
84. Article in rap titles : THA
85. "No __!": "Easy-peasy!" : PROB
88. Under-the-hood type : GEARHEAD. DearSanta is one.
90. Slim swimmer : EEL
93. Novelist Bellow : SAUL
94. Church greeter's target : NEW FACE
95. Like small star fruit : TART. Any of you drinking tart cherry concentrate/juice?
96. Slope apparel : SKI HATS
101. Wonder on stage : STEVIE
103. Lazy : OTIOSE. OK, then, I've been otiose the past few months.
104. Half of bowling's worst split : TEN PIN.
Or SEVEN PIN. By the way, PK, Boomer does wear sneakers when we walk
inside the mall. He thinks you're right about the sucking effect of the
rubber soles. Thanks for the analysis.
105. Of immediate concern : URGENT
106. Compassionate, creative, submissive sort, it's said : PISCES. True?
108. Small change : CENTS
110. Undercut : ERODE
114. Den, for one : ROOM
115. Bond adventure with Honey Ryder : DR. NO
116. Drop : OMIT
117. Was in the red : OWED
118. Clock readout abbr. : LCD. I wonder why they don't make silent wall clocks.
119. "Good one, matador!" : OLE
Anon T(Tony) sent me below map with a note. Peg lives in League City. Stay safe, everyone.
"This is the traffic map. All the little "water droplets" are flooded freeways. For some reason, people are still on the road (see yellow & blue). Reports of abandoned cars abound.
TxMs is inside the inner loop near where 59/I69, Westpark & 610 meet (in the SW). DO is way up north-east @ 59/I69 (past IAH airport), and I’m down where 99/529 crosses 59/I69 in the extreme SW quadrant (just a bit NOT on the bottom of the map). I don’t know where Peg is. So far, we’re all OK and hunker’d down."
Happy birthday to dear Lemonade (Jason), our Friday Sherpa since March 2010. He's been through quite an ordeal this past year, but he's always cheerful and positive. Thank you for being here for us, Lemonade. Thanks for taking good care of Lemonade, Oo!
Mike
Buckley's last Saturday puzzle was back in April, with his clever
spiral galaxy theme and grid design. Today it's a quotation/speaker
theme, and I blew right through this one, in record time. Did not look
promising with a lot of blanks on the first pass, and when I saw the
circumreferential clues, thought we were in for a long one. But then
the Down clues were practically gimmes, and that gave me so many
perpendiculars that I had no trouble on the second Across pass. Just to
be clear, I know the 'theme' title is a play on a famous quote, which
is famously misquoted; see here. The irony of a sex symbol crossword
this week, following some of the comments last week is not lost on me,
either. The theme fills;
19. See 38-Across : LOOKED OVER
38. She said, "It's better to be 19-Across than 55-Across" : MAE WEST
1. One who's often over a barrel? : COOPER - the technical term for one who makes barrels
7. Band member with a vihuela : MARIACHI - I have never heard of a vihuela, so I went to Wiki for more. Mariachi can be found on the golden record of Voyager - see below
15. Use a combine : THRESH
16. Tiny orbiter : ELECTRON
17. Not shrink from : RISE TO
18. Maintain control : RIDE HERD - since we had this in a Saturday puzzle this year, it has become crosswordese for me
21. "The Owl and the Pussycat" poet : LEAR
22. Watched : SEEN - I watched a show on the Voyager spacecraft Thursday night -
fascinating stuff. Some facts: both missions were launched 40yrs ago;
as of Aug 2012, the Voyager I officially left our solar system and became the first man-made object to reach interstellar space; it is traveling at 38,000mph; more here
23. Chocolate-flavored spread : NUTELLA - hey, I knew this one~!
25. Gets misty : STEAMS UP - ah, reminds me of a line from a Tom Jones remake;
@ 0:48
29. Welcome item? : MAT
30. Online shopping offer : CHAT - yeah it pops up, I knock it down, but the little button lingers there on the side....annoying
31. Testimony opener : I SAW
33. Glitterati member : CELEB
37. IV sites : ORs
40. Bedazzlement : AWE
41. Rwandan ethnic group : TUTSI - had to 'guess' just the "S"
43. One of Pop's partners : SNAP - Snap, Crackle & Pop, Rice Krispies
44. "Roast beast"-eating people : WHOS - of Whoville
45. Adobe file format : PDF
47. Shelley dedicated an ode to one of them : SKYLARKS - what, to a Buick~?
49. Musical star who received a 1949 Honorary Award Oscar : ASTAIRE
53. Big heads? : EGOS
54. Split hairs? : PART - I used to part my hair; now I go for the Giorgio Tsoukalos look
60. Blathered : PRATTLED
62. Current quantity : AMPERE
63. Antlion relative : LACEWING
- didn't know what an antlion was, but once the answer filled, I sensed
it was some sort of dragonfly-type insect; the antlion larva is vicious
- a video here
64. Squanders, perhaps : SPENDS
65. Dramatic break : ENT'R ACTE
66. American of Japanese descent : SANSEI - I had NISsei, which is 100% 50% correct
DOWN:
1. PC key : CTRL
2. Its state quarter displays the Wright Flyer : OHIO
3. "... __ it seems" : OR SO
4. Gives a sidelong glance : PEEKS AT - OGLES did not work, but the ----S AT part I left
5. Respect : ESTEEM
6. Onetime Botswana neighbor : RHODESIA - now Zimbabwe
7. "Jeopardy!" first name : MERV - dah~! NOT Alex, not Jack; Merv Griffin, the creator. I'd like to see a real
version of the original concept - that is, one word answers in a
category, and you have to come up with the question. e.g.; Category US
state capitals: answer; $200 Oklahoma City - - - - $1000 Albany
8. Sci-fi staple : ALIEN
9. Shining example of mirror-writing? : REDRUM - ah, the Shining - Stephen King's novel, Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny", and the word 'murder' written on a door
10. Curling surface : ICE - curling has been popular on Saturday lately
11. Shoe endorser : ATHLETE
12. Angler's wicker basket : CREEL
13. Every 60 minutes : HORAL
14. Hindu weather deity : INDRA
20. Responsibilities : ONUSES
24. Diplomatic asset : TACT
25. Kilt wearer : SCOT - it was brought to my attention that I have neglected my women commenters, so I will post a picture of a man in a skirt this week
26. No __ traffic : THRU
27. Right in the atlas? : EAST - we had "point in the right direction?" two weeks ago
28. Potential queens : PAWNS
- ah. I forgot about this chess rule, known as promotion - a pawn that
reaches the eighth rank ( the far end of the board ) can be 'promoted'
to one of the more powerful pieces. I do not have an equivalent rule in
my game, and thus I will have to consider adding it in. I am on
vacation this week, and it is one of my goals to have the board game completely ready for play by four people by Labor Day weekend
32. Not so potent : WEAKER
34. Memorable big cat portrayer : LAHR - the cowardly (ant)lion~?!?
35. Furry Endor native : EWOK - such a gimme for a Star Wars nerd like me
36. Catfish Row heroine of opera : BESS - only had to guess the last "S"
38. Modest skirt : MIDI - and now for the woman in skirt
39. Pirate's viewing aid : SPYGLASS - such a cool word, and the name of a street in my old neighborhood - Spyglass Lane
42. "CSI" evidence : SPATTER - well, not so much evidence as a place to collect it, so to speak
44. Showed willingness to listen (to) : WAS OPEN
46. Cavort : FROLIC
48. Oompa-__: Wonka worker : LOOMPA - not much leeway in cluing for a word like this
49. Big __ : APPLE - I left it blank - and yet probably should have been my first answer, being that I live in New York
50. Leftovers cover : SARAN
51. Political essay : TRACT
52. Ceremony, e.g. : EVENT
56. Border : EDGE
57. Guy dolls : KENS - been keeping in shape~!
and TWO hunks this week~!
58. Mahler's earth : ERDE - I had no idea, so I went and looked it up after it filled via perps - the Wiki
59. '50s sitcom name : DESI
61. Longtime Howard Hughes asset : TWA - I didn't know; so again, the Wiki
Splynter
Notes from C.C.
1) Happy Birthday to dear Montana, an extraordinary courageous mom and grandma. Hope your eyes are getting better. We think of you often.
Montana and her 5 children celebrated her birthday in 2014, Vail, CO2)
2) Anon T (Tony) sent me this "Huge" image. He said below. He lives in Houston. Stay safe and update us when you can, Tony, Peg, TX Ms & D-Otto!
"I've never seen a storm like this outside of Jupiter's "spot." (I'm exaggerating; a bit)
What's somewhat disconcerting is the projection (zoom in and look for
the 'line') that this goes back to sea and strengthen before making a
bee-line to HOU."
Theme: The Doors - all the words on the edges of the grid are types of doors as the hint has it:
38A. Not alfresco, and what this puzzle is vis-Ã -vis its border answers : INDOORS
The Corner's own C6D6 Peg is the constructor-in-residence today. Great word-play with the theme - all the non-theme answers are "Indoors" Artfully done and some nice fill - EXCELLED AT, COOK STRAIT, KEYNOTE and my favorite MALINGER. Good job.
We were having a discussion last week about people's different solving methods - I tend to go once across and once down, then fill in what's left, so I thought you might like to see my first pass across. I used to be a lot more careful about checking crosses when I solved on pen and paper, but now there's no inkblots I just have at it. You can see the central east was going to cause some rework, but nothing slowed me down too badly.
Let''s see what else Peg cooked up for us, or rang the bells:
Across:
1. Support financially : BACK
5. Hurricane, e.g. : STORM. Here's Rory Storm and the Hurricanes playing at the Jive Hive in 1960. That's Ringo Starr on the drums.
10. Drainpipe section : TRAP. P-Trap, not for what you might think. It's shaped like a "P"
14. Face cream additive : ALOE
15. Medicare component : PART A. Fill in PART and go back for A/B
16. Leaping critter : HARE
17. Depend (on) : RELY
18. Had superior skills in : EXCELLED AT
20. Word on really bright Crayolas : NEON. Brightens up your day:
21. Jazz great Montgomery : WES
22. Helen Reddy's "__ Woman" : I AM
23. Commentary page : OP-ED Someone asked last week what OP-EDS meant, I didn't really explain. Opinion pieces opposite the editorial page of a newspaper.
25. Turned out to be : ENDED UP
29. Blew hard : GUSTED
32. Way back when : AGES AGO. I progressed from LONG thru EONS to AGES. Got there in the end. The long way around.
33. Helped start the pot : ANTE'D
34. Comic Johnson : ARTE. See "almost Natick'ed" at 25D
36. Big __ : MAC. Oh, not SUR then. Darn. I confess that I recently ordered a Big Mac and Fries via Uber Eats when I'd spent the evening out with some friends and was home and had the munchies. It was either get back in an Uber and go get it myself, or save myself the Uber ride back and forth. Sometimes, junk food is just what you need. Delivered to your door.
37. Regret : RUE. I didn't rue the Big Mac.
41. Craft built in the 2014 film "Noah" : ARK. I tried "Bagel Delivery Van" but it didn't fit.
42. Nile snake : ASP
43. Yemeni seaport : ADEN
44. Speed : HASTE
46. Become resentful : GET SORE
49. Vampire's bed? : CASKET. Corrected my COFFIN misstep.
50. Painter Manet : EDOUARD Started to fill this in and then hesitated about the spelling; I think my first thought was right. This is "A bar at the Folies-Bergère" in London's National Gallery. Back when I was impoverished and making a pittance at my first real job, I was amazed to find that London's public galleries and museums were free. I spent quite some time looking at this painting trying to figure out if the off-kilter reflection of the server was the result of a warped mirror or just playful imagery by Manet.
51. Sketch material : GAGS
52. Commuter org. in the Loop : C.T.A. Chicago Transit Authority.
53. __ Butterworth : MRS
54. "Wild Blue Yonder" mil. group : USAF
58. Waterway between the major islands of New Zealand : COOK STRAIT. I couldn't pull this out of my brain bank on my first pass across the puzzle. I've sailed in the Cook Strait - on an America's Cup yacht. The decks were teflon-coated, not easy to stay in one place!
62. Leg-covering skirt : MAXI
63. Green Gables heroine : ANNE
64. Boardroom prop : EASEL
65. Part of FEMA: Abbr. : EMER. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Came in for a lot of criticism in the afterrmath of Hurricane Katrina
66. Caboose place : REAR. Back of the train. We call them guard's vans back in the old country. Because they were vans. And they had a guard in them.
67. Broadway platform : STAGE. All the world is one.
68. Fries, for instance : SIDE. Big Mac. Fries. Uber Eats. Yay!
Down:
1. Silo neighbor : BARN
2. Toward protection, at sea : ALEE. Also the side of the boat to be if you feel a touch of the mal de mer.
3. Great Sand Dunes National Park st. : COLO. rado. Can't you ski down them? Yes, apparently you can:
4. Pinnacle of a lecture series : KEYNOTE
5. Erupted : SPEWED. I'd make a connection to 2D but it's breakfast time for many.
6. Strained : TAXED
7. Tolkien henchmen : ORCS. Not exactly men. Hench-things.
8. GPS suggestion : RTE
9. Feign illness to avoid work : MALINGER. Great word. My mom used to accuse us of malingering when we tried to skip a day of school. She was right most of the time, until the time I came down with measles and she wouldn't hear a word of it.
10. Motifs : THEMES
11. "Far out, dude!" : RAD!
12. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA
13. Kennel guest : PET
19. Put on board : LADE. I think it's a 17th-century typo that no-one bothered to fix.
24. Spa treatment : PEDI
25. Big name in stationery : EATON. I was almost Natick'ed with T here. I did a full alphabet run until on the second pass EATON almost sounded familiar. It was my best guess so in it went.
26. Ornamental fabric : DAMASK
27. Lorre's "Casablanca" character : UGARTE. Thank you crosses, I always forget this.
28. Pita feature : POCKET Food! The gyro is one of my favorite sandwiches.
29. Tech company's origin, perhaps : GARAGE. Apple, HP and Microsoft all started off in garages. Dell started off in Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas
30. On the shelf : UNUSED
31. Move in the direction of : STEP TO
34. Threw in : ADDED
35. Sushi roll topping : ROE. Food! I like to top my sushi rolls with Sujiko roe, from the salmon, and the tiny Tobiko roe from flying fish.
39. Tells a story : NARRATES
40. Layered do : SHAG
45. Takes for granted : ASSUMES
47. Lollipop : SUCKER
48. Feed bag feed : OATS
49. Once-per-player chess move : CASTLE. King side or Queen side if I recall from my youth. I haven't played chess for years.
51. "Norwegian Dances" composer : GRIEG
53. Tamale dough : MASA. I buy mine from the local Vallarta market, it's much lighter than when I tried to make my own.
55. Scandinavian language : SAMI. Nailed it! Remembered this from a little while ago. The road signs need a lot of lettering:
56. Used a hatchet on : AXED
57. Cause for alarm : FIRE
58. Honda or Hyundai : CAR. My current car is a Hyundai. It's the Genesis brand, so it doesn't actually have a Hyundai badge on it.
59. Pepsi product that's also its calorie count : ONE
60. Springsteen's "Working __ Dream" : ON A. Not sure I know this one from The Boss.
61. Scoundrel : RAT
That was fun, thanks Peg! Here's the grid and I'm done!
Theme - We interrupt regular programming to bring you this hot news item - AKA: STORY. The word STORY is devided into bookends in the 3 theme entries, and revealed in the unifier. Them's the BREAKS, I guess.
20. Come out on top : SCORE A VICTORY. Win an athletic contest.
34. Retail showcase : STORE DISPLAY. Where merchandise in on view, to make you want it. Here's a famous one.
41. Particle physics concept : STRING THEORY. This is a theoretical framework which posits dimensional objects called strings, and describes their interactions. It is a theory of quantum gravity.
56. Reporter's delivery ... and what 20-, 34- and 41-Across are literally doing? : BREAKINGSTORY. Fresh from the news room to the on-screen anchors desk. Mostly these things are political, so no more than that I will not say.
Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to BREAK down the STORY of this puzzle, and report on what our investigations can uncover. Hope it's not too shocking.
Item 1 - the constructor is our own hostess, C. C. Perhaps she will become the most prolific constructor ever.
Item 2 - STORY is broken at the first letter, the last letter, and then as close as you can get to the middle in a 5-letter word. Nice, elegant touch.
Across
1. Sporty British cars, for short : JAGS. Jaguars.
5. Omelet option : HAM. I usually get the veggie omelet with feta cheese.
8. Reef material : CORAL. Bad news. Sadly, they are under attack from star fish and the increasing acidity of the oceans. Some day there may be none left atoll.
13. Power co. output : ELECtricity. Zap!
14. Shaped like an avocado : OVAL. This is mandatory.
Found somewhere on the internet.
16. Dig deeply? : ADORE. Love, respect, worship, venerate. Clever misdirection with the clue. You are digging with your emotions, not a shovel, and the depth is into your soul, not the ground.
17. Fey with many Emmys : TINA. Known for her political satire - not gonna do it.
18. Baltic port : RIGA. The capital of Latvia, on the Baltic sea at the mouth of the river Daugava.
19. "Unbroken" director Angelina : JOLIE. A 2014 movie about Louis Zamparini, a U.S. olympic athlete and bombardier in WW II, who survived on a raft in the ocean for 47 days, and then was in PoW camps. In addition to her fame appearing on the silver screen, she has also directed several films.
23. Intends to hit : AIMS AT. Use your good eye.
24. Sushi roll fish : EEL. Any of 800 species of elongated fish lacking pelvic fins. Many also lack pectoral fins. It has a single fin ribbon running down the back for most of its length. They swim by generating body waves, and can swim backwards by reversing the wave.
25. "NewsHour" channel : PBS. Public Broadcasting System.
28. Novelist Rita __ Brown : MAE. [b 1944] Prolific author of novels, mysteries and screen plays, including the Mrs. Murphy mystery novel series.
29. [I give up!] : SIGH. AKA: SMH.
32. Vacation location : RESORT. Would you resort to staying in such a place?
36. Per item : EACH. Unit pricing.
39. Area for critical patients, briefly : Intensive Care Unit.
40. Diamond great Sandberg : RYNE. Played 2nd base for the Phillies, briefly in 1981, and then with the Cubs from 1982 until he retired mid-season in 1994. He came back and played for the Cubs again in 1996-7. He won 9 gold gloves and made 10 consecutive all star appearances. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2005.
46. Pub quiz fodder : TRIVIA. Unimportant bits of information.
47. Red Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO.
48. Bit of toy "ammo" : CAP. A paper or plastic disk containing a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive compound. In a toy gun this simulates the noise and smoke of a real fire arm.
51. Gentle touch : DAB. As in blotting with a napkin.
52. Okay mark : CEE. I never felt they were OK.
54. Knuckleheads : IDIOTS. In slang, a generic term for stupid people - or perhaps those you don't agree with.
60. Humdinger : BEAUT. A particularly fine example of something, or sarcastically, the opposite.
62. Kitchenware brand : EKCO. They make all sort of kitchen gadgets: basters, peelers, knives, cutting boards, measuring spoons and cups, etc.
63. Blueprint detail : SPECification.
64. Subject of a certain management class : ANGER. There's a movie about it that I'm pretty glad I didn't see.
65. They may be choppy : SEAS. In high winds or stormy weather.
66. Fit together nicely : MESH. Hand in glove.
67. High-maintenance : NEEDY. Said of a person who requires an excess of emotional or monetary investment in a relationship.
68. "That's the spot" : AAH. You scratch my back . . .
69. Art Deco luminary : ERTE. Romain de Tirtoff [1892-1990] a Russian-born French artist known as ERTE from the French pronunciation of his initials*, was a pioneer in art deco.
* Hey, I could be ERTE, too!
Down
1. Goods thrown overboard : JETSAM. Things that have been jettisoned from a ship at sea, frequently to lighten the ship's load. Not to be confused with flotsam - things lost from a vessel due to shipwreck or accident. The difference is significant in maritime law. Flotsam may be claimed by the original ship, JETSAM is the property of whoever finds it.
2. "Girl on Fire" singer Keys : ALICIA.
3. Biological mapping subject : GENOME. The complete set of genes present in an organism.
4. Permanent marks : SCARS.
5. Fictional captain Hornblower : HORATIO. A fictional officer in Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars in the novels of C. S. Forester.
6. Tel __, Israel : AVIV. Major city on the Mediterranean coast.
7. Christmas trio : MAGI. The three wise guys --- er . . . men.
8. Persuades with flattery : CAJOLES.
9. Air Wick target : ODOR.
10. Short and chubby : ROLY POLY. Obese - but we are not into fat shaming here. Also, a terrestrial crustacean of the order isopoda, also known as a pill bug or doodle bug, with the ability to roll into a ball.
12. Jack Reacher creator __ Child : LEE. Pen name of British author James D. Grant [b 1954.] Reacher is a fictional character who is a former army officer who drifts around the country getting into dangerous situations.
15. Doily fabric : LACE. A small ornamental mat of embroidery, lace, or paper that is placed under an item.
21. __ Los Angeles : EAST. An unincorporated area in Los Angeles County. At 96.7% Latino, it is the least diverse community in the county.
22. Actress Polo : TERI. Theresa Elizabeth Polo [b 1969] is an American TV and movie actress.
27. Eye problem : STYE. Inflammation at the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection of the gland at the base of an eyelash.
30. Determination : GRIT. It's true.
31. Anne of "Wag the Dog" : HECHE. Anne Celeste HECHE [b 1969] is an American actress, director and screenwriter.
33. Nimble : SPRY. Usually spoken of older people - maybe it's unexpected.
34. Improvised blade : SHIV.
35. Fight that may involve drawing : DUEL. Using drawn swords or pistols.
36. Started, as a co. : EST'D. Established.
37. Gillette brand : ATRA. Introduced in 1977, the first razor to feature a pivoting head.
38. Pegboard game : CRIBBAGE. A game played with cards in which a peg board is used to keep score. You can read about it here.
42. "So close, yet so far" : NICE TRY. A good, but unsuccessful effort, or, ironically, an attempt that was either not good or not a good thing to do.
43. Mother Earth, in Greek mythology : GAEA. The earth goddess who gave birth to both the Titans and the first humans.
44. "Holy cow!" : OMIGOSH. Oh my gosh - nice try!
45. Curtain supports : RODS. Devices used to support curtains, above windows or along showers.
48. Writer for whose father the National Baseball Hall of Fame city was named : COOPER. Cooperstown, New York is the municipality in question. Dad from the clue was William Cooper, who founded a village on Otsego Lake in the 1780's. His son, James Fenimore Cooper wrote many novels, including The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans.
49. Idle : AT REST.
50. Freudian analyst's concern : PSYCHE. The soul, mind or spirit that inhabits a human body. To Freud, the the structural model of the mind, or "psychic apparatus" comprises the id, ego, and super ego.
53. __ out: barely makes : EKES.
55. "Who's there?" answer : IT'S ME.
57. Was sorry about : RUED.
58. Furniture chain popular in dorms : IKEA. Purveyor of furniture you can assemble, miselaneous household items, and lingonberry jam. Our oldest granddaughter is a fan.
59. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA. The National Collegiate Athletic Association sponsors and organizes a single-elimination basketball tournament each spring, involving the 32 champions of division I conferences and 36 at-large teams chosen by a selection committee. The "Sweet Sixteen" are the teams winning early rounds that winnow the field down to 16 contenders.
60. Prohibit : BAN.
61. Suffix with ethyl : -ENE. This chemistry suffix indicates a double bond between the 2 carbon atoms in the molecule. Since your eyes are already glazing over, I'll leave it at that.
OK, folks - that's the end of this STORY. Hope you found it news worthy.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Happy
Birthday to Tinbeni, who joined our blog in 2009. We'll all be toasting you at sundown!
56. Beaujolais or Burgundy: WINE. 39-Down. 56-Across choices: REDS
57. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS
62. "The Mammoth Hunters" novelist Jean: AUEL. I transposed the E/U but almost got it first time.
63. Dictator Amin: IDI
64. Rain or snow, briefly: PRECIP. (precipitation) The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail. The term graupel comes from the German for soft hail or snow pellets.