Theme: OPEC MEETINGS (57A. Major oil conferences (they're found, in a way, in 20-, 34- and 42-Across) - OPEC (in different combos) spans each two-word theme answer.
20A. Best Supporting Actress winner for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" : PENELOPE CRUZ
34A. General's level : TOP ECHELON
42A. Quaint storage pieces : HOPE CHESTS
"A young man rode with his head held high, under the Texas sun
And no one guessed that a man so blessed, would perish by the gun.
A shot rang out like a sudden shout, and heaven held its breath
And the dreams of a multitude of men, went with him to his death.
The heart of the world lays heavy, in a helplessness of tears
For a man shot down, in the Texas sun, in the summer of his years."
from "That Was the Week that Was" - November 1963
Boomer here. I had just turned 16 - if you lived that week with me, you understand.
On to today's puzzle. The clues made it tougher than normal. The references to OPEC, made me think of gasoline here in Minnesota - I saw a sign today at 3.04 for a gallon of regular unleaded. In November of 1963, I think gas was about 25 cents and it still had the lead in it. Times change. By comparison, the Thanksgiving turkey in 1963 was around 29 cents per pound. Monday we paid 58 cents. Too bad GM and Ford can't make a car that runs on turkey.
Best wishes to all Crossword Corner readers for a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Across:
1. Co. that makes Motrin and Tylenol : J AND J - Not fond of abbreviations in puzzles. I checked my bottle of Motrin to get this answer.
6. In __ land : LA LA - Matt Kemp will be there for at least 8 more years. 2nd in the MVP voting, I liked Ryan Braun. I think the writers got it right.
10. Flew the coop : LEFT
14. Happen next : ENSUE
15. "Doctor Zhivago," e.g. : EPIC - "Although the snow covers the hope of Spring".
16. __ Lackawanna Railway : ERIE - I've seen ERIE in puzzles twice a week, but this clue is unusual to say the least.
17. Home of the City of 1,000 Minarets : EGYPT - The city would be Cairo, but I wonder who counted all those mosque domes?
18. Ben Stiller's mom : ANNE MEARA - Now in her eighties, I remember her most as an airline hostess in "Rhoda".
22. Beehive St. capital : SLC - Another Acronym, - sigh.
23. Aqua Velva alternative : AFTA - Neither are very good. Get out the old bottle of Avon Windjammer.
24. Military division : BRANCH - I always considered a military division to be within a branch of service, like a battalion, regiment, or the like. A branch of service is like the Army or Marines. I think I might have clued as Thompson's role in "Law and Order."
28. Classic sports cars : MGS - another no vowel abbreviation. When I was young, the TR-6 was in vogue.
29. Casino area : PIT - The gaming area with 21, craps, and roulette. And the stuffy looking guy in the suit that stands and watches everything.
30. The Columbia R. forms much of its northern border : ORE - The post office changed states abbreviations to two letters around 1963, but puzzle constructors never got the message.
31. Edit menu command : UNDO
38. Night sounds : HOOTS- Well, these sounds are day or night time at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.
40. Kilmer of "The Saint" : VAL
41. __ flu : ASIAN- Everyone wants to blame Asia for the flu. I bet they have flu in Iceland and Nova Scotia also, but you never hear about those.
45. Animal rights org. : PETA
46. Arles "A" : UNE
47. "__ Day Will Come": 1963 #1 hit : OUR - I think Ruby and the Romantics recorded it first in 1962. They never reached the popularity of the Beatles or Stones. I do remember the Carpenters version some years later.
48. Set down : LAY
50. Household attention getter : HEY MOM - What really gets the attention is when you turn 16 and start saying "Hey Ma".
52. Ancient Dead Sea land : EDOM
54. Org. offering motel discounts : AAA - My first thought was AARP. With the internet, I don't think any of these organizations offer true discounts. Just more of the same as "get a discount at a hotel dot com".
60. Where many tests are given : CLASSROOM - This puzzle was a test at my kitchen table.
63. Indian princesses : RANIS
64. Lie low : HIDE - See 29 Down
65. Price-limiting words : UP TO - Absolutely!! One of my major pet peeves. Take your AAA membership card to a hotel and get UP TO 40% discount. What does that mean? They can give you a nickel off the price and fall within the "UP TO" range.
66. Playing marble : AGATE - Agates, Peeries, Cats eyes, Steelies, Shooters, but agates and Steelies are the ones that show up in puzzles.
67. Countercurrent : EDDY
68. Noticed : SEEN
69. Nuts for sodas : KOLAS - I think they also use them for chocolate. Now I'm thirsty for an old fashioned chocolate soda.
Down:
1. Wranglers and Patriots : JEEPS - Patriots made me think. I wanted to put TEAMS, Wranglers made me want to try JEANS, (Brett Favre was here). Wish they would have clued Cherokees instead.
2. Theater supporter : ANGEL - I was not aware of this term for a theater supporter.
3. Backstreet Boys contemporary : 'N SYNC - I've heard of them but my musical interest remains in the 60's. Bob Zimmerman was from Hibbing, Minnesota.
4. Con : DUPE
5. Long-distance flier's complaint : JET LAG
6. Jumped : LEAPT - Spell check questions this, but it is a word. I like leaped better, but you know how puzzles are.
7. Sleep disorder : APNEA - sleeping without breathing can be a problem.
8. Omar's "Mod Squad" role : LINC - This threw me a bit. As an old guy, I remember Clarence Williams III playing Lincoln Hayes on TV in the 60s. Omar Epps had the role in the 1999 movie.
9. Harsh, as criticism : ACERBIC - Even the word itself sounds harsh.
10. 2007 "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Gibbons : LEEZA - Sorry, I never watch this show and never will.
11. Horse and buggy __ : ERA
12. Christmas buy : FIR - Or it could be a FUR to please the wife. But then there are those PETA animal rights activists. We used to buy a spruce for Christmas decorating, and a goose for the table. I guess you could call it a Howard Hughes Christmas.
13. Afternoon cup : TEA - The most consumed beverage in Asia and Europe. My afternoon cup is usually a hole on the green of the local course.
19. Longtime Pennsylvania congressman John : MURTHA - One of my favorites. He had very strong opinions about the Middle East wars when appearing on talk shows.
21. Spirit __ Louis : OF ST. - Used to be a plane that Charles Lindbergh flew. Now I think it is Albert Pujols.
25. "Honest!" : NO LIE
26. Zagreb native : CROAT
27. Natural dye : HENNA
28. Bit of dust : MOTE
29. Skin : PELT - Although you skin an animal to get a pelt, I never considered a pelt as skin. Most are used to make a fur you buy for your wife at Christmas. I guess you might call a pelt a hide, but HIDE is laying low up north in this puzzle. But if you do get your wife a FUR made of PELTS for Christmas, you better HIDE it for a while before putting it under the fir, ... or spruce.
31. "Sure" : UH HUH
32. Nary a soul : NO ONE
33. Beardless Dwarf : DOPEY - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, sorry if I seemed a bit Grumpy about this puzzle.
35. Partner of out : OVER - Okay, I get it, but I would prefer Peter Graves role in "Airplane". I still chuckle when I think of Captain Over saying "Over" over the radio.
36. Ballerina's step : PAS
37. Glimpse : ESPY - We now have awards on ESPN called ESPYS, so we could use that as a clue now and then.
39. News exclusives : SCOOPS
43. Funny-sounding bone : HUMERUS - Makes you wonder just how much whiskey was consumed at the table when the Gray's Anatomy writers sat down and started naming bones. I think they picked a bone, like the arm bone; then selected Scrabble tiles until they had enough to make what looked like a word. Tibia, Fibula, Ulna, Scapula, - or maybe they just used words that were left over after they finished naming the Greek mythology gods and goddesses.
44. Plumlike fruit : SLOE - I never knew this was like a plum. All I remember is that it was the Gin choice of many before we turned 21 and discovered Scotch.
49. Pacific Surfliner operator : AMTRAK - I kind of miss the days when more people traveled by train than airline. And you could board the train without being X-rayed, patted down, or told to remove your shoes. "Northern Pacific, really terrific, that's what everyone who rides it says."
51. Walk casually : MOSEY
52. Overact : EMOTE
53. Mischievous kid : DEMON - I don't like this clue. We were all pranksters at times as kids. No reason to call us demons. That term is reserved for Beelzebub, and CC Sabathia.
54. Year's record : ANNAL - I call these Annuals, but once again the puzzle constructors have to make words fit because of construction need. I get it.
55. Tums target : AGITA. Hmmmm, Tums target is a stomach ache. Are you going to step away from Thursday's feast and say "Oh, I have a bit of AGITA."??
56. Beasts of burden : ASSES - Also people who call stomach aches "agita".
58. Make do : COPE
59. Rival of Cassio : IAGO - Not a Shakespeare lover here. This guy was in Othello. I only read "The Merchant of Venice" and learned about Shylock. You know, the guy the Wall Street protesters are DEMONstrating against these days.
60. Ally of Fidel : CHE - Or could it have been Clay Shaw??
61. It may be flipped : LID
62. Insert : ADD
Answer grid.
Boomer
20A. Best Supporting Actress winner for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" : PENELOPE CRUZ
34A. General's level : TOP ECHELON
42A. Quaint storage pieces : HOPE CHESTS
"A young man rode with his head held high, under the Texas sun
And no one guessed that a man so blessed, would perish by the gun.
A shot rang out like a sudden shout, and heaven held its breath
And the dreams of a multitude of men, went with him to his death.
The heart of the world lays heavy, in a helplessness of tears
For a man shot down, in the Texas sun, in the summer of his years."
from "That Was the Week that Was" - November 1963
Boomer here. I had just turned 16 - if you lived that week with me, you understand.
On to today's puzzle. The clues made it tougher than normal. The references to OPEC, made me think of gasoline here in Minnesota - I saw a sign today at 3.04 for a gallon of regular unleaded. In November of 1963, I think gas was about 25 cents and it still had the lead in it. Times change. By comparison, the Thanksgiving turkey in 1963 was around 29 cents per pound. Monday we paid 58 cents. Too bad GM and Ford can't make a car that runs on turkey.
Best wishes to all Crossword Corner readers for a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Across:
1. Co. that makes Motrin and Tylenol : J AND J - Not fond of abbreviations in puzzles. I checked my bottle of Motrin to get this answer.
6. In __ land : LA LA - Matt Kemp will be there for at least 8 more years. 2nd in the MVP voting, I liked Ryan Braun. I think the writers got it right.
10. Flew the coop : LEFT
14. Happen next : ENSUE
15. "Doctor Zhivago," e.g. : EPIC - "Although the snow covers the hope of Spring".
16. __ Lackawanna Railway : ERIE - I've seen ERIE in puzzles twice a week, but this clue is unusual to say the least.
17. Home of the City of 1,000 Minarets : EGYPT - The city would be Cairo, but I wonder who counted all those mosque domes?
18. Ben Stiller's mom : ANNE MEARA - Now in her eighties, I remember her most as an airline hostess in "Rhoda".
22. Beehive St. capital : SLC - Another Acronym, - sigh.
23. Aqua Velva alternative : AFTA - Neither are very good. Get out the old bottle of Avon Windjammer.
24. Military division : BRANCH - I always considered a military division to be within a branch of service, like a battalion, regiment, or the like. A branch of service is like the Army or Marines. I think I might have clued as Thompson's role in "Law and Order."
28. Classic sports cars : MGS - another no vowel abbreviation. When I was young, the TR-6 was in vogue.
29. Casino area : PIT - The gaming area with 21, craps, and roulette. And the stuffy looking guy in the suit that stands and watches everything.
30. The Columbia R. forms much of its northern border : ORE - The post office changed states abbreviations to two letters around 1963, but puzzle constructors never got the message.
31. Edit menu command : UNDO
38. Night sounds : HOOTS- Well, these sounds are day or night time at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.
40. Kilmer of "The Saint" : VAL
41. __ flu : ASIAN- Everyone wants to blame Asia for the flu. I bet they have flu in Iceland and Nova Scotia also, but you never hear about those.
45. Animal rights org. : PETA
46. Arles "A" : UNE
47. "__ Day Will Come": 1963 #1 hit : OUR - I think Ruby and the Romantics recorded it first in 1962. They never reached the popularity of the Beatles or Stones. I do remember the Carpenters version some years later.
48. Set down : LAY
50. Household attention getter : HEY MOM - What really gets the attention is when you turn 16 and start saying "Hey Ma".
52. Ancient Dead Sea land : EDOM
54. Org. offering motel discounts : AAA - My first thought was AARP. With the internet, I don't think any of these organizations offer true discounts. Just more of the same as "get a discount at a hotel dot com".
60. Where many tests are given : CLASSROOM - This puzzle was a test at my kitchen table.
63. Indian princesses : RANIS
64. Lie low : HIDE - See 29 Down
65. Price-limiting words : UP TO - Absolutely!! One of my major pet peeves. Take your AAA membership card to a hotel and get UP TO 40% discount. What does that mean? They can give you a nickel off the price and fall within the "UP TO" range.
66. Playing marble : AGATE - Agates, Peeries, Cats eyes, Steelies, Shooters, but agates and Steelies are the ones that show up in puzzles.
67. Countercurrent : EDDY
68. Noticed : SEEN
69. Nuts for sodas : KOLAS - I think they also use them for chocolate. Now I'm thirsty for an old fashioned chocolate soda.
Down:
1. Wranglers and Patriots : JEEPS - Patriots made me think. I wanted to put TEAMS, Wranglers made me want to try JEANS, (Brett Favre was here). Wish they would have clued Cherokees instead.
2. Theater supporter : ANGEL - I was not aware of this term for a theater supporter.
3. Backstreet Boys contemporary : 'N SYNC - I've heard of them but my musical interest remains in the 60's. Bob Zimmerman was from Hibbing, Minnesota.
4. Con : DUPE
5. Long-distance flier's complaint : JET LAG
6. Jumped : LEAPT - Spell check questions this, but it is a word. I like leaped better, but you know how puzzles are.
7. Sleep disorder : APNEA - sleeping without breathing can be a problem.
8. Omar's "Mod Squad" role : LINC - This threw me a bit. As an old guy, I remember Clarence Williams III playing Lincoln Hayes on TV in the 60s. Omar Epps had the role in the 1999 movie.
9. Harsh, as criticism : ACERBIC - Even the word itself sounds harsh.
10. 2007 "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Gibbons : LEEZA - Sorry, I never watch this show and never will.
11. Horse and buggy __ : ERA
12. Christmas buy : FIR - Or it could be a FUR to please the wife. But then there are those PETA animal rights activists. We used to buy a spruce for Christmas decorating, and a goose for the table. I guess you could call it a Howard Hughes Christmas.
13. Afternoon cup : TEA - The most consumed beverage in Asia and Europe. My afternoon cup is usually a hole on the green of the local course.
19. Longtime Pennsylvania congressman John : MURTHA - One of my favorites. He had very strong opinions about the Middle East wars when appearing on talk shows.
21. Spirit __ Louis : OF ST. - Used to be a plane that Charles Lindbergh flew. Now I think it is Albert Pujols.
25. "Honest!" : NO LIE
26. Zagreb native : CROAT
27. Natural dye : HENNA
28. Bit of dust : MOTE
29. Skin : PELT - Although you skin an animal to get a pelt, I never considered a pelt as skin. Most are used to make a fur you buy for your wife at Christmas. I guess you might call a pelt a hide, but HIDE is laying low up north in this puzzle. But if you do get your wife a FUR made of PELTS for Christmas, you better HIDE it for a while before putting it under the fir, ... or spruce.
31. "Sure" : UH HUH
32. Nary a soul : NO ONE
33. Beardless Dwarf : DOPEY - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, sorry if I seemed a bit Grumpy about this puzzle.
35. Partner of out : OVER - Okay, I get it, but I would prefer Peter Graves role in "Airplane". I still chuckle when I think of Captain Over saying "Over" over the radio.
36. Ballerina's step : PAS
37. Glimpse : ESPY - We now have awards on ESPN called ESPYS, so we could use that as a clue now and then.
39. News exclusives : SCOOPS
43. Funny-sounding bone : HUMERUS - Makes you wonder just how much whiskey was consumed at the table when the Gray's Anatomy writers sat down and started naming bones. I think they picked a bone, like the arm bone; then selected Scrabble tiles until they had enough to make what looked like a word. Tibia, Fibula, Ulna, Scapula, - or maybe they just used words that were left over after they finished naming the Greek mythology gods and goddesses.
44. Plumlike fruit : SLOE - I never knew this was like a plum. All I remember is that it was the Gin choice of many before we turned 21 and discovered Scotch.
49. Pacific Surfliner operator : AMTRAK - I kind of miss the days when more people traveled by train than airline. And you could board the train without being X-rayed, patted down, or told to remove your shoes. "Northern Pacific, really terrific, that's what everyone who rides it says."
51. Walk casually : MOSEY
52. Overact : EMOTE
53. Mischievous kid : DEMON - I don't like this clue. We were all pranksters at times as kids. No reason to call us demons. That term is reserved for Beelzebub, and CC Sabathia.
54. Year's record : ANNAL - I call these Annuals, but once again the puzzle constructors have to make words fit because of construction need. I get it.
55. Tums target : AGITA. Hmmmm, Tums target is a stomach ache. Are you going to step away from Thursday's feast and say "Oh, I have a bit of AGITA."??
56. Beasts of burden : ASSES - Also people who call stomach aches "agita".
58. Make do : COPE
59. Rival of Cassio : IAGO - Not a Shakespeare lover here. This guy was in Othello. I only read "The Merchant of Venice" and learned about Shylock. You know, the guy the Wall Street protesters are DEMONstrating against these days.
60. Ally of Fidel : CHE - Or could it have been Clay Shaw??
61. It may be flipped : LID
62. Insert : ADD
Answer grid.
Boomer
