17. Mortgage check, say: PERIODIC PAYMENT.
23. Brit's sausage-with-potatoes dish: BANGERS AND MASH. The only one of the three that might need an explanation. Bang is another word for the exclamation point in the lexicon of print terminology. Also know as a screamer to some printers. My BIL was one.
49. 42-7, say, in an NFL game: COMMANDING LEAD. At this point, let's give pause before moving on to the reveal.
58. What ends many a line, and what begins each of the puzzle's three other long answers: PUNCTUATION MARK.
Across:
1. Senegal's capital: DAKAR. On the west coast of Africa.
6. Website for techies: CNET. "CNET tracks all the latest consumer technology breakthroughs and shows you what's new, what matters and how technology can enrich your life. "
10. Talk show runner: HOST. Run as in manage. Johnny Carson kept things moving along but frequently had to reschedule guests that were to appear at the end of the program.
14. 2018 romaine lettuce concern: E. coli. Last time it was a Yuma, Arizona grower. This time it was linked to a grower in Santa Barbara County, California. As of January 9, 2019, the FDA continues to investigate, while the CDC reports that the current outbreak appears to be over.
It's not just you: There are more food recalls these days.
15. Drinking glass edges: RIMS. As shown in this double walled tumbler:
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| No Coaster Needed |
16. "What's gotten __ you?": INTO. You have a burr in your britches ?
20. Italian three: TRE. Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, setto, otto (desper-), nove, dieci.
21. Classified ad abbr.: EEO. The Commission stresses that Equal Employment Opportunity is the law in the U.S. The law provides for protection from certain discriminations.
22. "How exciting!": OOH.
30. Benelux locale: Abbr.: EUR. Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg location: Europe.
31. Furniture chain also known for Swedish meatballs: IKEA.
32. Wash. Nats' div.: NLE. The Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball are in the National League East division.
33. "Encore!": AGAIN.
36. Barbara of TV's "Mission: Impossible": BAIN.
37. Patriarch from Eden: ADAM.
38. Calls on for help: TURNS TO. Relies on. Sometimes a family member or trusted friend, sometimes an advisor or subject matter expert.
40. Stash out of sight: SECRETE.
42. Highland caps: TAMS. The traditional cap worn by Scottish men.
43. Blockheads: OAFS.
45. "I don't mind eels / Except as meals" poet Nash: OGDEN.
46. __ nutshell: briefly: IN A. Brief and to the point. Some are allergic to this concept. To further elaborate, I can provide a comprehensive and thoroughly detailed explanation that extensively expands on this notion of brevity, from a to z or from top to bottom, upon request.
47. Had on: WORE.
48. Évian water: EAU. A natural mineral water drink.
54. Consume: EAT.
55. Eggy drink: NOG. I only know it as eggnog.
56. Key lime __: PIE.
64. Citizenship recitation: OATH.
65. Bad day for Caesar: IDES.
66. Intrude rudely, with "in": BARGE. A barge is a somewhat awkward vessel. Hard to steer and prone to bumping into things. Like that unyielding fellow that interrupts an exchange of pleasantries to lecture on the "real" reasons for the current weather conditions.
67. Cancún cash: PESO.
68. Whirling current: EDDY.
69. Pretended to be: ACTED.
Down:
1. Cabinet div.: DEPT. A structure of U.S. government. "The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General." - Whitehouse.gov
2. Biting: ACERB. Is Key Lime pie acerbic ? I've never had it. Oh wait, the sarcastic and stinging kind of acerbic. Never mind.
3. South __, 2018 Olympics site: KOREA.
4. Boxing legend: ALI. "The Greatest" was full of bravado.
5. 2016 Olympics city: RIO. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Kia Rio is a model of a car, as some of us learned in Susan Gelfand's crossword last Wednesday.
6. Colonial news source: CRIER. The employment outlook for town criers waned as literacy rates improved. Now pretty much ceremonial.
7. Capital of Cyprus: NICOSIA. Thank you perps.
8. Old Rom. ruler: EMP eror.
9. Airport screening org.: TSA. Transportation Security Agency. Created after the Sept 11 attacks. First placed in the Department of Transportation, but moved to the (then) newly created department of Homeland Security in 2003.
10. Greeting mouthed to a stadium cam: HI MOM.
11. Like home-run-robbing catches: ONE HANDED. Mike Trout demonstrates.
Pitchers and catchers report in about a month.
12. RR stop: STN.
13. Typical Nick Jr. watcher: TOT. Programs like these:
18. Venison source: DEER.
19. "Patience you must have" Jedi master: YODA.
24. Bundestag nos: NEINS. The German Bundestag is the equivalent to the U.S. House of Representatives.
25. Tries hard (for): GUNS.
26. Part of SWAK: A KISS. Sealed With A Kiss. This song reminds me of a 53. Mournful song: DIRGE.
27. Endangered Hawaiian goose: NENE.
28. Bluish gray: SLATE.
29. Studly dudes: HE MEN. and: 50. Like 29-Down: MACHO.
He-Man and Battle Cat
33. Heirloom storage spot: ATTIC. If your attic exhaust fan is running in the winter in northern climates, it's probably the humidity sensor turning the fan on. Heat escaping into the attic causes condensate against the cold roof. Mold ensues. The fan should turn on at 45 to 50 % relative humidity to exhaust the moist air. The fix is to eliminate the heat escapes and to better insulate.
If your HVAC fan is running constantly, change the fan switch on the thermostat from the On to the Auto position.
34. Organic fertilizer: GUANO.
35. Arsenal contents: ARMAMENTS. The Rock Island Arsenal Museum has an extensive collection of armament. It's open to citizens of the U.S. with free admission but you must secure a pass at the Moline gate as it is located on an active military installation. The Rock Island Arsenal is the second oldest military museum in the U.S.
Can you name the five Quad Cities ?
36. Lumber unit: BOARD.
37. Bicker: ARGUE.
39. SpongeBob, e.g.: TOON.
41. What Frosty's eyes are made of: COAL. His base may be a surprise...
44. Made a misleading move: FEINTED.
47. "W" on a light bulb: WATT. Ex Wisconsin Badger and current Houston Texan JJ Watt saying "Hi Mom"
48. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.
51. Clamorous: NOISY.
52. In different places: APART.
57. Barely managed, with "out": EKED.
58. Drop by, with "in": POP.
59. Federation in OPEC: UAE. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries : United Arab Emirates.
60. One-eighty: UIE. How do you spell U-Turn ? How do you spell food on a skewer K-B-BS ?
61. Do simple math: ADD.
62. Org. with Nets ... and nets: NBA. Great clue with the "...and nets" added in. The Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association.
63. Dude: MAC. We'd barely parked the car, and the eager young salesman was rushing out the door to greet us. Within minutes, he was guiding us to a round table just off the showroom floor. I think he wanted to skip the part about showing showing us any vehicles and answering any questions, and jump right into a purchase agreement. Urged to "grab a seat" I declined because of my back; standing sometimes helps. "Whatever you want dude !" came the response. My wife still chuckles when I say that phrase.
Note from C.C.:
Happy
73nd Birthday to our constructor and friend John Lampkin, who always delights us with his superb crosswords and amazing nature photos. Thank you for the joy you've brought to us all these years, John!
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| Lemonade and John |
