Monday November 19, 2018 Jerry Edelstein

Theme:  HORSE AROUND (59A. Engage in tomfoolery ... and a hint to what goes with each part of the answers to starred clues, but not in the same way) - Horse precedes the first word and follows the second word in each theme entry.

17A. *Kids' recreational garb: PLAY CLOTHES. Horse play. Clotheshorse.

23A. *Two-person log cutter: WHIP SAW. Horsewhip. Saw horse.

36A. *Soar: FLY HIGH. Horsefly. High horse.

49A. *Daytona 500, e.g.: CAR RACE. Horse car. Race horse (Horse race as well).

3D. *Economic conflict often involving tariffs: TRADE WAR. Horse trade. War horse.

38D. *Hiker's carryall: BACK PACK. Horse back. Pack horse.

 

Boomer here.  

A wonderful time of the year.  I just want to wish each and every one of you that frequents this blog, a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a great kickoff to the holiday season.  Please do not call it "Turkey Day", and please do not patronize stores that open on Thursday evening. Trust me, they will all have stuff left on the shelves on Friday. And whoever started the expression "Black Friday"?  Go if you like, but usually, the best deals run from December 23-24. 

Across:

1. Fast plane: JET.  Don't know when I'll be back again.

4. Sultan's group: HAREM.

9. Prickly seedcase: BUR.  Not Perry Mason, and not it's cold outside

12. Organ with a hammer and anvil: EAR.

13. Puts money away, as for retirement: SAVES UP.  Tax season is coming soon.  Time to save down.

15. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  Clue is easy, so easy.

16. Actress Longoria: EVA. He had a girl, Eva Braun, hair as red as flame

- Ah, ja, ja.

He papered walls for many years till his moment came

- Of course!  

Check with Desper-Otto for detail

19. Revolutionary British soldiers: RED COATS. Bill Cosby did a skit about how in the Revolutionary War, American soldiers would hide while British soldiers must wear red and march in a straight line.

21. John of "Fawlty Towers": CLEESE.

22. __ lot: stuffs oneself: EATS A.  Do we need this clue three days before Thanksgiving ?

24. Little chess piece: PAWN.  History channel shows a lot of Pawn Stars reruns.  Still not sure if Chum Lee is still employed there.

26. Genetic initials: RNA.

28. UFO passengers, presumably: ETS.

29. On the house: GRATIS. Yup, Latin for "no charge".  (Does not apply to dead batteries though.)

32. Elicit: EDUCE.

35. Put on TV: AIR.

38. Dickens pen name: BOZ.

41. City hall bigwig: MAYOR. Lots of new ones were elected this month.

42. Opposite of cruel: HUMANE.

44. Artist's deg.: MFA.

46. Moscow's land: Abbr.: RUS.  Fools rush in, where wise men never go.

48. App symbol: ICON.

52. Practical joke: PRANK.

55. Inexact lunch time: ONE-ISH. By one o'clock?? ISH my lunch is cold.

56. Mom's and dad's dads: GRANDPAS.

61. Set a price of: ASK. And you shall receive

62. Miners dig it: ORE.  I've seen this nearly every week, and no clue ever asks for the state where D.B. Cooper bailed out.

63. Sides of an issue: ASPECTS.

64. Michael of "SNL": CHE.

65. Snake's sound: SSS.  I've never heard a hiss.  Maybe a rattle?

66. Bogs: MIRES.

67. London's __ Gardens: KEW.  How much is five Kew Gardens plus five Kew gardens?  "Ten Kew" gardens.  You're welcome!

Down:

1. Boo: JEER.  Sounds like a laundry soap Blue Cheer

2. Roof overhang: EAVE.

4. "Papa Bear" of football: HALAS.  Incredible story.  George was owner AND coach of the Chicago Bears when I was a kid.  I think he won five championships.  (Before the Super Bowl era.) The Bears now display his initials on their uniform sleeve out of respect.  If he knew he would be in this puzzle, he may have named his Chicago team the "Horses."  

5. Gamer's game face: AVATAR.  Featuring faces worse than "The Exorcist".

6. "Curious George" creators Hans and Margret: REYS.

7. Corner PC key: ESC.  Upper left.  (I had to check)

8. Chips in a garden: MULCH.  We use the cedar kind and they tend to fly around.  But C.C. doesn't like the reddish brown and neither do I.

9. Order: BEHEST. So you're at McDonald's and the person at the window says "May I take your behest?"

10. Repurposes to replace, as a tool: USES AS. Sounds like a slogan for Scandinavian Airlines.

11. Stitch again: RESEW.

13. Pick out in a crowd: SPOT. If you're picking out a dog, then you spot Spot.

14. __ sci: college major: POLI.

18. Conical home: TEPEE.  We don't see these much anymore.  But Minnesota was home to many Native Americans.  They had to be tough to live in an unheated tent in these winters.

20. Ray Charles' "I __ Stop Loving You": CAN'T. "I've made up my mind.  To live in memories of these lonesome times."

23. Dry riverbed: WADI.

24. Links gp.: PGA.  I've been watching the Georgia event this weekend. Charles Howell has been on the tour forever with only two wins. C.C. and I remember seeing him at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in 2002.  Yesterday,  Charles survived three dropped shots on the first two holes in the final round. Congrats to Mr. Howell on his third PGA win !

25. Radio host Shapiro: ARI.  Not familiar with this radio guy. But I do watch Ari Melber on MSNBC

27. India's first prime minister: NEHRU. I wonder if he ever really wore those jackets with funny collars.

30. "__ tree falls ... ": IF A. And no one is around to hear it, does it still make a noise ??

31. Underhanded: SLY. And the family Stones.

33. "Yuck!": UGH.

34. Former Energy secretary Steven: CHU. Nobel Prize winner.  Served under President Obama.

37. Days long gone: YORE.

39. Beatle bride: ONO. Oh No!  She never changed her surname to Lennon?

40. Buddhist discipline: ZEN.

41. Roger who hit 61 in '61: MARIS.  He never got the credit because two new expansion teams

were added so pitching was weaker.  Besides, he was from North Dakota, and Nodakians never get credit for anything.

43. Take care of: MIND. Over matter.

44. Estate homes: MANORS.

45. Bordeaux brothers: FRERES. Frere Jacques, Morning bells are ringing, Ding Dang Dong.

47. Neaten (up): SPRUCE. These will be decorated in homes next month.  Neatening up will need to take place after they have served their purpose.

49. Silver salmon: COHOS.

50. On the ocean: ASEA.

51. Deep depression: CHASM.

53. Raves' companions: RANTS.

54. Added conditions: ANDS. Ifs or Buts.

56. Suffix with movie: GOER. This seems like a made up word to me.

57. 1975 Wimbledon winner Arthur: ASHE.

58. Twist, as facts: SKEW.  you will need a SKEWER to close the Turkey so the stuffing won't fall out

60. Troy, N.Y., school: RPI.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Husker Gary and I made today's Puzzle Society Crossword, edited by David Steinberg. Click here to solve our "Golden Words" (great title, Gary!). Click here to see the answer grid and constructor note. 

2) Boomer has been writing a column for MN Bowling since 2007. Turkey of the Year is an annual feature. Read here for his thoughts this year.