Sunday Janaury 13, 2019 John Lampkin

Theme: "Beta Blockers" - B is removed from the start of each theme entry.

 

23A. Defeat decisively in an annual Nathan's contest?: EAT THE PANTS OFF. Beat the pants off.

 

46A. Cutlery causing boo-boos?: OWIE KNIFE. Bowie knife.

69A. Explore à la an aging Captain Kirk?: OLDLY GO. Boldly go.

97A. Roleo official?: UMP ON A LOG. Bump on a log. This ump prefers to stay dry.

 

122A. Farm workers' coffee setup near a fence post?: URNS AT THE STAKE. Burns at the stake.

17D. One who sniffs out good investments?: ASSET HOUND. Basset hound.

36D. Painfully off-pitch Jewish diva?: OY SOPRANO. Boy soprano.

58D. Sampling from Quaid's vineyard?: RANDY WINE. Brandy wine. Randy Quaid.

75D. Carpet made from corn husks?: EAR SKIN RUG. Bearskin rug.

Super consistent theme set & fun clues from John, who's known for his humor and superb wordplay.

He's just so observant and pays so much attention to every one of his grid entries. His clue echoes often leave me in awe. They would have escaped my notice completely.

John is also legendary for his grid design. Just look at today's grid. Theme entries are spread everyone and you get a bite wherever you go.

Across:

 

1. It's usually spotted in a game: DOMINO. Each tile has spots.

7. Prolong painfully: DRAG OUT.

14. Pablo's putting-off word: MANANA.

20. Heat-sensitive patch: IRON-ON.

21. 1982 Toto hit: ROSANNA. Wiki says it won 1983 Grammy Record of the Year.

22. Twist counterclockwise, as a nut: LOOSEN. Or as a stubborn tension rod.

25. Hardly modest: BRASSY. And 26. Hardly quick: SLOW.

27. Steamed dumplings, e.g.: DIM SUM. I love shrimp dumplings the most. Yes, egg rolls are real Chinese food, Picard!

28. Oft-mispunctuated word: ITS.

30. Plane angle symbol: THETA.

31. Alley Oop's love: OOOLA. Nailed it.

33. Diplomacy: TACT.

35. Tribute with bent elbows: TOAST.

37. Best-liked, in texts: FAV. Do you know what OOT stands for?

40. Flabbergast: AWE.

41. One in line for what's left: HEIR. 68. 41-Across, often: SON.

42. For instance: SAY.

43. Whale-tale captain: AHAB.

49. Cell dead spot indicator: NO BARS. 126. Consequence of only getting close?: NO CIGAR. Close by no cigar.

51. European capital: ROME.

52. Many misses: GIRLS.

53. Ripped: TORN.

55. Super: PRIMO.

56. __ fu: KUNG. Its Chinese characters are like this:

57. Amer. fliers: USAF.

58. Ripped off: ROBBED.

60. Handle change: ADAPT.

62. Actress Peeples: NIA.

63. Bird on LSU's seal: PELICAN. John sent me below picture with this caption: "A Laughing Gull waits patiently for the Brown Pelican to catch a fish so that he can steal it for himself. Such kleptoparasitism is widespread throughout the animal kingdom."

65. Is for all: ARE.

66. Apply, as butter: SPREAD ON.

72. Director Lee: ANG.

73. "Enough already!": I'VE HAD IT. 127. "Enough already!": QUIT IT.

77. Vague opening?: VEE. Vague.

78. 98, but not 98.6: INTEGER.

82. Bird hunted to extinction by the Maori: MOA.

83. Easygoing sort: TYPE B.

85. The boy well-known in meteorology?: EL NINO. Fun clue.

87. California roll ingredient: NORI. You can get roasted nori at Trader Joe's or any Asian grocery store.

88. Bat head?: ACRO. Acrobat.

90. Cardiff's country: WALES.

92. Galileo's birthplace: PISA. Gary & Joann were there.

93. Give __: A DARN.

94. Last-__: desperate: GASP.

95. Greening up: IN LEAF.

99. Actress Sommer: ELKE.

100. Revival prefix: NEO.

101. Some reddish deer: ROES.

103. Place to stay when you're out, ironically: INN.

104. Many retirees: Abbr.: SRS.

105. Against a thing, at law: IN REM.

107. Utah national park: ZION. Probably closed due to this government shutdown.

108. Bury: INTER.

110. Eager kids' plea: CAN WE.

112. Heady quaff: ALE.

114. War zone excavation: TRENCH.

116. GI no-show: AWOL.

120. Achieve success: ARRIVE.

125. "We can't hear you!": LOUDER.

128. "The Communist Manifesto" co-author: ENGELS. This picture was everywhere when I grew up.

129. Sign off on: AGREE TO.

130. Govt. securities: T NOTES.

Down:

1. Conks out: DIES. 6. Dies in this puzzle?: ONE DOWN. Literally.

2. Verbal: ORAL.

3. Con __: musical tempo: MOTO.

5. Japanese 7-Down: NOH. 7. See 5-Down: DRAMA.

4. Halved: IN TWO.

8. Pitchers Darling and Guidry: RONS. Also14. Org. with minors: MLB. Minor leaguers.

9. Quick-witted: ASTUTE.

10. Pilot feeder: GAS MAIN.

11. Palindromic celeb: ONO.

12. Not suitable: UNFIT.

13. First presidential swinger, golf-wise: TAFT. Unknown to me. Interesting trivia.

15. Critical ticker valve: AORTA.

16. Where even termites were welcome, presumably: NOAH'S ARK. Great fill/clue.

18. Tree house: NEST.

19. "Dragonwyck" novelist Seton: ANYA.

24. Criticize to death: PILE IT ON. Another great fill.

29. Astronomer's aid: STAR MAP.

32. Kentucky __, event before the Derby: OAKS.

34. Trim, as a pic: CROP.

37. Get all misty: FOG UP.

38. "__ woman wishes to be no one's enemy (and) ... refuses to be anyone's victim": Angelou: A WISE.

39. Like some memes: VIRAL.

41. Kind of tea: HERBAL.

42. "Because I __!": SAID SO.

44. OB/GYN test: AMNIO.

45. Set off: BEGAN.

47. Into shenanigans: ELFISH. Not a word I use.

48. "The Gift of the Magi" gift: FOB.

50. Support wear: BRA.

54. Comic-Con attendee: NERD.

59. Dig deeply: DELVE.

61. Sleeping bag site: TENT.

64. Lab __: COAT.

67. Ax to grind: AGENDA.

69. Verdi opera based on a Shakespeare tragedy: OTELLO.

70. TripAdvisor rival: YELP.

71. Einstein: GENIUS.

73. Photoshop fodder: IMAGE.

74. Outspoken: VOCAL.

76. Beach in a classic bossa nova hit: IPANEMA. The Girl from Ipanema.

78. If all else fails: IN A PINCH.

79. Ends: GOALS.

80. Misjudgment: ERROR.

81. Smartphone options: RINGS.

84. Pollen-packing petal pusher: BEE. Another fantastic picture from John: "Sweat bees don’t have pollen baskets on their legs like honey bees. They transport the pollen to their nests on electrostatically charged hairs on their abdomen."

86. Surreal ending?: ISM. Surrealism.

89. Dentist's directive: OPEN WIDE.

91. Mumbai wrap: SARI.

93. Designer Klein: ANNE.

96. It's played secretly under the table: FOOTSIE. And 98. Secretly: ON THE QT.

102. More than irk: ENRAGE.

106. Celebrate wildly: REVEL.

107. Cause of temporary weight loss?: ZERO G.

108. 101 course: INTRO.

109. 1:1, for one: RATIO. So very Lampkin!

110. NASCAR's Yarborough: CALE.

111. Elvis' middle name: ARON.

113. Moon goddess: LUNA.

115. Coup target: ETAT.

117. Power eponym: WATT.

118. "The Grapes of Wrath" character: OKIE.

119. Rents: LETS.

121. Defib settings: ERS.

123. Big name in ATMs: NCR.

124. Radiation source: SUN.

1) Boomer Updates:

Boomer had another blood draw last Wednesday. His alkaline phosphatase continues to be high, though better than before. His creatinine is still low. The good news is that his PSA has dropped to 1.3. These days he often gets 3 solid hours' sleep at a time.
 
2) Dave 2 Updates:

I talked to him last week. He's doing great and secretly enjoys the Snickers bars his friend Lynn snuck into his room. He does not have a computer in the rehab place, but he does solve our crossword every day. He said he would be back to his apartment in early February. You can send him a card to below address. Thanks, Agnes, for getting me the address.

David Hoskin

Wesley Manor

5012 East Manslick Rd.

Louisville, KY 40219

C.C.