Kitchen Patrol is a common stereotype of punishment in the armed services. As most other military terms, like MP and AWOL, it has acquired an acronym - KP. No character better represents a soldier who is in constant trouble than our favorite buck private Beetle Bailey who is on KP seemingly interminably.
Theme entries:
17. *Freebie with fries : KETCHUP PACK - Are they easy to open for you?
38. *Spicy Chinese dish with chicken and peanuts : KUNG PAO - Or how a Superhero would order it
37. *Beer pong venue : KEG PARTY - In this Beer Pong game, somebody on the other team must now drink that cup of beer perhaps drawn from a KEG.
50. Mil. grunt work, and a hint to the answers to starred clues : KP DUTY - In the Navy too! Spitz?
1. Tatum O'Neal played one in "The Bad News Bears" : TOMBOY - Her character was also a GRIFTER, a word from last Thursday's puzzle.
7. Burn a tad : CHAR - A CHAR-broiled Clearwater, Nebraska steak. Can't do better!
11. Keystone bumbler : KOP - Mack Sennett's wacky silent-movie police force
14. Running by itself : ON AUTO - Otto Pilot appears in my funniest movie ever
15. Drought-ridden : SERE - Not ARID this time
16. Suffix with infant : ILE
19. Woodworking tool : ADZ
20. Kosher deli offering : LATKE
21. Sipped sherry, say : HAD A NIP
23. Nails, as a test : ACES
24. Baptism receptacle : FONT
25. How some Bibles present Jesus' words : IN RED - Jesus had a lot to say in Matthew 11 and 12
30. Stool pigeon : RAT FINK
32. Barrister's topper : WIG - London Lawyer's Fake Coif
33. Playing card symbol : PIP - Go ahead and count 'em all. 364 pips + 1 joker = 365 days in a year and + 2 jokers = 366 days for leap years
34. Chief Valhalla god : ODIN - Valhalla is the Norse Hall Of The Slain ruled over by ODIN
35. Whiskey barrel wood : OAK - Aging in CHARred OAK barrels give whiskey its color
41. Big name in ice cream : EDY
42. It may be gray : AREA
44. In medias __ : RES - "Into The Middle Of Things" For example the start of the movie The Da Vinci Code has Jacques Saunière being pursued and killed in The Louvre by Silas and we don't find out what that's about for a while
45. Dr. Mom's forte : TLC
47. Source of early clothing? : FIG TREE - I wonder what size Adam wore
49. With 56-Across, blamed for : CHALKED paired with 56. See 49-Across : UP TO
53. Antique photo : SEPIA - So named because the the ink sac of the cuttlefish SEPIA was originally used in photography
54. Heavy hauler : DRAY - Add to our Cartage discussion this month
57. Recognition : ACCLAIM
59. Fund : ENDOW
60. Part of dpi : PER - Resolution quality in Dots PER Inch
62. *Of its species, only the emperor is larger : KING PENGUIN
64. 747, e.g. : JET
65. Cyberzine : EMAG - Here's some EMAG's you can try online for 2 weeks for free
67. Wily : SLY
68. Very best : TOPS - Baby if I'm the bottom, You're the TOP(s)! Can't go wrong with Cole Porter
69. Verne __, Mini-Me portrayer in Austin Powers films : TROYER - Verne and his ex-wife Genevieve Gallen.
1. Gertrude Stein confidante Alice B. __ : TOKLAS
2. Like Chekhov's "A Marriage Proposal" : ONE ACT
3. "As a __ of fact ..." : MATTER
4. Firewood-sizing tool : BUCKSAW - Here's a cute one on a whirligig
5. Will-wisp link : O THE - Problematic Musical Maria - A flibbertigibbet! A will-O'-THE wisp! A clown!
6. Thou, now : YOU
7. Political channel : C-SPAN
8. Intellectually stimulating experience : HEAD TRIP
9. Conquistador's chest : ARCA - Same root for the item Indiana Jones was seeking.
10. Weave anew : REKNIT
12. Antique : OLD
13. Brick-shaped candy : PEZ
18. Unit of loudness : PHON - Number of dB's at 1,000 Hz. You're welcome.
22. It may be supplied at a booth, briefly : INFO
24. Work (out) : FIGURE
26. Writer Bagnold : ENID - A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again. Guilty as charged, ENID!
27. Seventh Avenue fashion initials : DKNY - Donna Karen New York or
29. Water__: oral irrigator : PIK
31. "So what?" feeling : APATHY
33. Family-friendly ratings : PG'S
35. Big galoots : OAFS
36. Grammy winner India.__ : ARIE - She added the period because she liked how it looked
39. "Ready for forty winks?" : NEED A NAP - Everyday at 1 pm when I sub!
40. Portuguese hi : OLA
43. Symptom ending : ATIC - My brother was ashthmATIC
46. Held fast : CLUNG TO
48. Dishonest activity : RACKET - After all his RACKETEERING, this sent him to Alcatraz
51. French star : ETOILE - You can probably translate this children's song: Brille, brille, petite ÈTOILE
52. Real drag : DOWNER
55. Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" role : RIGGS
58. Stretch __ : LIMO - I'm trying to get my mind around what group would use this one
59. Cabinet dept. : ENER
60. Nightcap complement : PJ'S
61. Sushi fish : EEL
63. CPR pro : EMT - Because of declining populations, required training time and necessary availability at a moment's notice, some small towns no longer have EMT's
All in all, a very nice mid-week exercise but now I've got a few taters to peel! Looking forward to your comments which I hope you will Keep Positive. Dismissed!
