Wednesday, September 6, 2017, Samuel A. Donaldson

TITLE: A CURRENT WAR

Husker Gary on the scene for this report of one of the great technological battles of the 19th century between two scientific giants. Nikolai Tesla who favored transmitting electric power using Alternating Current and Thomas Edison who wanted to use Direct Current. 

In the end Tesla's AC method proved superior as it could be transmitted great distances and is still used today. Tesla sold most of his patents to George Westinghouse and died in poverty while business savvy Edison made millions with his (and others') inventions.

The gimmick was pretty easy if you had the circles in your puzzle as was true in my Omaha World Herald. Once the AC/DC coupling was obvious, the remaining circles were pretty much  fish in a barrel.

The reveal:

56. Influential pairing, and a hint to the circles in four puzzle answers : POWER COUPLE

which was fitting for these two bitter rivals as they were a COUPLE, albeit not an amiable one. Samuel chose to split the DC across the last two words as you will now see in his theme fills.

17. Tennessee whiskey cocktail : JACK AND COKE - I wonder if Tinman has this setup?

23. Fruity dessert : PEACHES AND CREAM - The summer solstice of June 21st also serves as this tasty holiday.

35. One above criticism : SACRED COW - or traffic tickets

49. Pre-employment investigation : BACKGROUND CHECK - Mine might put the investigators to sleep

BTW, AC/DC's Australian brothers Malcom and Agnus Young took the name for their band from their sister after she saw AC/DC on a sewing machine.

Here are the rest of Samuel's current entries:

Across

1. One taken for a fool : DUPE - Edison reneged on a $50,000 payment to Tesla and it was all downhill after that

5. Question at a reunion : MISS ME? -And your name is...

11. Game show hosts : MCS

14. Camped in a trailer, for short : RVED - Hey, if you're gonna live in an RV...

15. Sort of : IN A WAY

16. Spoil : ROT

19. MLB's Indians, on scoreboards : CLE

20. __ Alamos : LOS

21. Groundbreaking tool : HOE

22. Aquatic plant : ALGA

28. "My package has arrived!" : IT'S HERE - In The Music Man it was via the Wells Fargo Wagon

29. "Darn it!" : OH RATS

30. Fun time, in slang : GAS

31. "Othello" antagonist " IAGO - "I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad, That 'twixt my sheets 'Has done my office." Iago intimates that Othello is "Officing" his wife under his own sheets.

34. Unsurpassed : A-ONE

38. Good opponent : EVIL

40. Fair-to-middling : SO SO

41. MMDX ÷ V : DII - 2,510 ÷  5 = 502

44. Actor Estevez : EMILIO

46. Stump speech : ORATION - Edward Everett talked for two hours at Gettysburg but Abe's two minute ORATION is what every school kid learns

52. Morsels : BITS

53. Conditions : IF'S - If IF'S and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

54. Done with one's career: Abbr. : RET - Everyday is Saturday now!

55. Yale alum : ELI

61. President pro __ : TEM - Orrin Hatch is the President Pro TEM of the senate and is therefore third in line for succession to the presidency

62. __ Jug: British Open trophy : CLARET - Jordan Spieth hit this incredible shot over that mound from a parking lot/driving range to help win this year's British Open.

63. Take a long bath : SOAK - Did it seem easier to get out of the tub a few years ago?

64. Most GRE takers : SRS

65. Iran, once : PERSIA

66. Holy recess : APSE - The Chair Of St. Peter in the APSE at St. Peter's Basilica

Down

1. Hall of Fame Sixer, familiarly : DR. J - Back when they used to win

2. Charlottesville sch. : U.VA. 

3. Course that makes you sweat, briefly? : P.E. CLASS 

4. "How'm I doing?" New York mayor : ED KOCH

5. Hr. segment : MIN

6. Swing voter: Abbr. : IND

7. Actor __ Baron Cohen : SACHA  and 36. Alter ego of 7-Down : ALI G - Not my cup of comedic tea

8. Faint : SWOON

9. Get by : MAKE DO

10. Pupil's place : EYE

11. Magic Eraser spokesman : MR. CLEAN

12. Palmolive's corporate partner : COLGATE

13. Cooks, as broccoli : STEAMS

18. Tennis legend who wrote "Days of Grace" : ASHE - Athletic and elegant

22. Traffic light symbol : ARROW - Huh?

23. Sty dweller : PIG

24. LAX posting : ETA

25. Lindros in the Hockey Hall of Fame : ERIC

26. Blackens, as tuna : SEARS

27. Former Labor secretary Elaine : CHAO - If you are into politics at all, you know Elaine is married to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

32. Prefix with caching : GEO - This device says it is 31' away from the goal of 28.170N and 48.175W which is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

33. Uses too much : OD'S ON - I may be approaching that as I have watched six of the fourteen seasons of NCIS in two months

35. Jockey's wear : SILKS

37. Wood measure : CORD

38. Screen writer? : E-MAILER

39. Con targets : VICTIMS - This kitty can't be conned!

41. Sugar-free soft drink : DIET POP - Diet Dr. Pepper is big around here

42. Summer Games org. : IOC - Look up "corrupt" in the dictionary and you'll find this organization

43. Tattoo, in slang : INK

44. __ Field: Brooklyn Dodgers' home : EBBETS - It greatly upset my dad when they left

45. Colorful songbird : ORIOLE


47. Height: Pref. : ACRO and 51. Operators : USERS - I have always wanted to Operate one of these tower cranes but I'm afraid my ACROPHOBIA would get the best of me

48. Where Springsteen was born? : THE U.S.A.

50. Tug __ : OF WAR

56. Angel dust, for short : PCP

57. Outdoor gear retailer : REI - Not for me if I can use the luxury RV above!

58. Transp. group in the Loop : CTA - I'll bet most of you know what will be found near this stop if you catch the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train in the loop

59. Scale syllables : LA'S - After the Do's, Re's, Mi's and Fa's

60. Squeeze (by) : EKE

Now, no matter how you are wired, you may comment!