Theme: BLOOD TYPE (62A. Classification suggested by the beginning of 17-, 25-, 37- and 53-Across)
17A. Dean's list honorees : A STUDENTS. C.C. told me Neville Fogarty is a young math professor.
25A. Thiamine and riboflavin : B VITAMINS.
37A. Two-variable marketing experiment : A/B TESTING. Never heard of this experiment.
53A. First novel in Willa Cather's Great Plains trilogy : O PIONEERS!.
Hello
everyone, Boomer here.
A typical puzzle for me. I struggled with a few
answers. I did get 1-Across immediately. Speaking of 1-Across, I heard
on the radio yesterday that each World Champion ring awarded to Cubs
players and staff will contain 108 diamonds to commemorate 108 years of
futility ! I realize that diamonds come in all sizes and you may need a
microscope to see all of them but it still seems excessive. I wonder
how many packages of Wrigley gum could be purchased for what one ring
cost.
Across:
1. They broke their 108-year World Series drought in 2016 : CUBS
5. Medical picture : X-RAY -I think former Twin Oswaldo Arcia is now an Ex-Ray.
9. Gives out : EMITS - I think Oswaldo had an "E - Mitt" (E-9)
14. Lustrous gem : OPAL - October birthstone
15. "Bloom County" reporter : MILO - Bloom County does not appear in the Minneapolis paper. Google helps.
16. Very small : MICRO - Could be the size of the Cubs ring diamonds.
19. Pasture sound : BLEAT - If you keep your goats and lambs in the pasture, not in the kitchen.
20. Add to the pot : STIR IN - my first thought was RAISE.
21. Electronic sci-fi antagonist : HAL - If the clue was Barney Miller, I would have got it right away.
23. "¡Dios __!" : MIO
24. Cannes cup : TASSE
28. FBI operative : AGT Of course this is abbrev. for AGENT. What is Special about them, I don't know.
29. Number before vier : DREI - I was never good at foreign stuff.
31. Spring bloomer : AZALEA - Mindful of the hours we spent watching Augusta National last weekend.
32. Flip (through) : LEAF - Okay, leaf can be a verb. I rake the nouns plenty though.
34. Son of Zeus and Hera : ARES
36. In tune : ON KEY - Hopefully "America the Beautiful" is sung that way in the 7th inning on Sundays.
40. Diving bird : GREBE - Not familiar with this bird.
43. Way out yonder : AFAR - Does anyone ever use the word "Yonder" anymore ?
44. Inscribe : ETCH - If you have an Etch, Scretch it.
48. After morays, say : EELING - This word threw me. I am Minnesotan and some folks fish for eelpout. That might be called eeling, I don't know.
50. Mined matter : ORES - Sorry but I always thought that the plural of ORE is ORE.
52. Mexican gold : ORO
55. Apartment sign : TO LET - This has changed to "Now Leasing" here in the North.
57. Go bad : ROT
58. Under the weather : ILL
59. Javier __, first Spanish actor to win an Oscar : BARDEM. Husband of Penelope Cruz.
60. "Good __!" : GRIEF - Famous words of Charlie Brown.
65. Not always helpful reply to "Who's there?" : IT'S ME
66. Like bad fried food : OILY - Some people like greasy French fries, which makes it good fried food.
67. Shed tools : HOES
68. Early fur trader : ASTOR-
The original John (Johan) Jacob Astor abandoned fur trading around 1830
and made a fortune investing in real estate in New York City. Hmmmm
Remind you of anyone?
69. Ties the knot : WEDS
70. Joint possession word : OURS
Down:
1. Like beachfront property : COASTAL
- Of course, here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have miles and miles
of beachfront property, but nothing coastal. And the only Tide we have
is in the grocery store in a red plastic jug.
2. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE
3. Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro : BATISTA -
Wow, there's a name out of the past. I was nine or ten years old. No
one had ever heard of Fidel. I wonder when we will be able to by those
great cigars again.
4. Nasty remarks : SLURS
5. Marvel Comics mutants : X-MEN - I remember when Comics were 10 cents.
6. __ Tin Tin : RIN - Everyone remembers a TV dog, but tell the truth - how many of you remember Fulgencio Batista ??
7. PC key : ALT - Of course my first thought was ESC.
8. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI - The lovable character from the original Nintendo. Everybody had one. Heck I had one and I was 40 years old!
9. Decorate elaborately : EMBLAZON - I always thought "emblazon" meant fire.
10. End of a general's URL : MIL
11. Low-fat frozen dessert : ICE MILK - Let's all go to the Dairy Queen.
12. Many a new hire : TRAINEE - Do you suppose a railroad engineer was ever a trainee ?
13. "If you will" : SO TO SAY - Must be a California clue, I have never said "So to Say".
18. Fizzled out : DIED
22. __ crossroads : AT A
25. First interracial coed college in the South : BEREA
- An interesting school South of Lexington, KY. I think C.C. and I may
have passed through Berea on I-75 one time on a trip to Myrtle Beach.
All Berea students are on scholarship.
26. Tries to win : VIES FOR
27. Canine ailment : MANGE - This is bad stuff. I once had a Cocker Spaniel inflicted with it.
30. Chinese zodiac animal : RAT - I am sure C.C. can tell you when the year of the Rat will be. (or was)
33. One-named Italian male model : FABIO - This guy made millions by wearing other peoples clothes. Nice job !!
35. "The Fault in Our __": 2014 film : STARS
38. Nickname for a 2000s tabloid item : BENNIFER. Ben and Jennifer.
39. Anger : IRE
40. Black Sea republic : GEORGIA
41. Police paperwork : REPORTS
42. High-and-mighty sort : ELITIST - One more "T" and you have an anagram of a golf ball.
45. "Just like I said" : TOLD YOU
46. Climbing plant : CREEPER - Since 1-Across was Cubs, check out the outfield walls at Wrigley for creepers.
47. Disordered yet appealing person : HOT MESS - Sorry I did not get this one, hope you did.
49. Salon application : GEL - Maybe hair Gel for Bryce Harper ??
51. Dutch town : STAD
54. Nudge : ELBOW - I have seen elbow fouls called in the NBA. Trust me, they were not nudges.
56. Weed B Gon maker : ORTHO
- Nice title. I have tried many types, but the dandelions seem to
always win. No problem though - C.C. thinks they are pretty flowers.
59. School restroom sign : BOYS
- Not sure what the signs are in South Carolina, but they claim they
are fixing it. Money talks - the NCAA said "Fix it or we are gone". (Correction: North Carolina.)
61. Confessional rock genre : EMO - I was not aware however this is also an anagram of a Stooge.
63. Fabrication : LIE
64. Not up-to-date : OLD
Boomer
