Theme: Vowel Movement - A, E, I, O, U between B and N.
17. Extreme-weather restriction, perhaps: TRAVEL BAN.
25. Title bear of '60s TV: GENTLE BEN.
37. Brit's trash can: DUST BIN.
51. Classic French song whose title means "It's so good": C'EST SI BON.
61. Frank holder: HOT DOG BUN.
Boomer here.
Hello
all. Just got back from an annual trip to Las Vegas. Graybar Electric
hosts a retiree reunion at the Orleans. At the banquet on Monday,
President Kathy Mazzarella reports on the previous year's successes. I
give a little stand up comedy, and first I thank President Kathy for
hosting the fine banquet, and then thank her for letting us know that
the people they hired to replace us are doing a helluva lot better than
we ever did. I did pretty well in the casinos this year. I like to play
for low stakes and I found a draw poker machine where you can play 100
hands at the same time for 1 cent per hand. Also played a little low
minimum craps on the machines.
Below
is a photo C.C. took of me at the flower display at the Wynn on the
Strip. The lunar New Year of the Pig is celebrated everywhere in Las
Vegas. C.C. and I were both born in pig years. (Not the same year of
course,)
I
may have turned a corner Thursday, After a couple of ordinary games of
bowling, I decided to resurrect an old Storm "Virtual Gravity" bowling
ball out of the bag and nailed a 235 game with 7 strikes. (two doubles
and one turkey !). Guess what ball I will be using this morning.
You can see more pictures here. Connie is my sister, who lives in San Francisco.
 |
| Boomer and the Pig, Wynn |
Across:
1. Class-conscious gp.: PTA. Harper Valley's is most famous.
4. Big name in underwear: SPANX. Never heard about this brand. Are you sure it is not just BIG underwear?
9. Near-sighted Mr.: MAGOO. Voiced by Jim Backus who became more famous as Thurston Howell on Gilligan's Island
14. __-de-sac: CUL.
15. Conical home: TEPEE.
Minnesota was historically the home for many Native Americans. I often
wonder how they survived Minnesota winters like the one we are having
this year. Minus 25 a couple of weeks ago, followed by around two feet
of snow. Brings to mind that famous song, "I'm dreaming of a white
Groundhog Day."
16. Do penance: ATONE.
19. Dwindled: WANED.
20. Krispy __ doughnuts: KREME.
These guys came to Minnesota about 10 years ago and cars were lined up
at the window, but eventually they failed. I don't see any stores around
any more. Maybe because the spelling was poor.
21. Chat room chuckle: LOL. I see this all the time but I never hear "out loud".
23. Japanese computer giant: NEC.
24. 18-wheeler: SEMI. Another interesting connotation. I always see the whole truck, doesn't SEMI mean "Half"?
28. A flirt may bat one: EYELASH. Be careful if you are in the on deck circle.
31. Mount McKinley, now: DENALI.
32. '60s "acid": LSD. LBJ took the IRT in the USA, What did he see? The youth of America on LSD. (An old acronym song in my youth).
33. Like baggy pants: LOOSE.
36. Bewilder: ADDLE.
39. Paris' river: SEINE. When will I again, See you there, on the moonlit banks of the Seine.
43. Boxing's "Iron Mike": TYSON. I lost interest in boxing when he bit Holyfield's ear.
44. Yahoo! rival: MSN. Add "BC" and get the news.
47. Obtain through intimidation, as money: EXTORT. It is Tax season.
49. Attached, as hotel rooms: EN SUITE.
54. Unexpected thing to hit: SNAG. Or sometimes a centerfielder will snag a hit away.
55. Cornfield sound: CAW. Cannot scare a crow without a brain.
56. Suffix with iso- or poly-: MER.
57. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT.
59. Sci-fi author Verne: JULES. Very deep works. "Twenty thousand leagues under the sea", and "Journey to the center of the earth."
64. Leaning: ATILT.
We have all seen or ridden on a Tilt a Whirl. I used to call on the
company that made them, Sellner Manufacturing in Faribault, Minnesota.
65. Battery post: ANODE.
66. Absorbed, as a loss: ATE.
67. Fishing line holders: REELS. They make really hi tech reels now. Guaranteed to catch fish.
68. What a rooster rules: ROOST. When I was young, in my house my Mother ruled the roost.
69. Like seven U.S. flag stripes: RED.
Down:
1. Cut for an agt.: PCT. Not a cut for Matt Kuchar's caddy, but he is trying to atone.
2. Thanksgiving birds: TURKEYS. This clue is so easy even I can figure it out.
3. Fearful: ALARMED. Okay, but if you ALARMED your home, you should not be fearful.
4. Flower part: STEM.
5. Brazilian soccer legend: PELE. Only one name and everyone has heard of him.
6. Msg. for a cop car: APB. All Points Bulletin
7. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" novelist Zora __ Hurston: NEALE.
8. Arc lamp gas: XENON.
9. Animal's gullet: MAW. Also Mrs. Kettle.
10. Finished: AT AN END. If it's at the end of a rope, you are finished.
11. (Having) spoiled: GONE BAD.
12. Like amoebas: ONE CELL. I think the largest single cell is an Ostrich egg
13. Wordsmith's ref.: OED. Oxford English Dictionary.
18. Wedding wear: VEIL. "Here comes the Bride"
22. Inc., in Toronto: LTD. Also a big old Ford
24. French salt: SEL.
25. White-sheet wearer, on Halloween: GHOST. Dangerous costume, do not trip and watch out for cars.
26. Singer Rimes and soaps actress Hunley: LEANNS.
27. Never, in Neuss: NIE.
Do we like foreign words in puzzles? Personally, I don't think it's
fair. Like getting Canadian money in change. Sorry Ms. Eh
29. Birch family trees: ALDERS. Are Older Alders Elders ?
30. Not worth a __: SOU.
34. Hog's home: STY. I think pigs live in stys. Hogs live in stylish stys.
35. "Barnaby Jones" star Buddy: EBSEN.
Famous as Barnaby, but also as Jed Clampett in the "Beverly
Hillbillies". But his bad luck was he was cast as the Tin Man in "Wizard
of Oz" but had to withdraw because the metallic face makeup made him
sick.
38. + or - particle: ION.
39. "Just a __!": SEC.
40. Carry out, as a task: EXECUTE.
41. "Don't believe that!": IT'S A LIE. You are correct. Sometimes I cannot believe where my golf ball ends up.
42. Ailing: NOT WELL.
44. Hotel room amenity: MINI BAR.
We did not have one of these at the Orleans. But I'll bet those who
have them pay more for an ounce than I lose at the tables.
45. It's a law: STATUTE. I wonder if there is a statute of limitations on the number of statutes we can have.
46. Opposite of pos.: NEG. Yup, we have a pretty negative Post Office in our city.
48. Comic Conway: TIM. Ensign Parker in McHale's Navy, but also appeared on "Laugh In" quite a bit.
50. Maritime safety gp.: USCG. Hope they are all paid and back to work.
52. Joy of "The View": BEHAR.
53. Maine college town: ORONO. We also have an Orono city in Minnesota. Lots of well-to-do folks have homes there.
57. Sports betting numbers: ODDS.
Here are your craps odds when the point is: 4 or 10 Two for one, 5 or 9
- three for two, and 6 or 8 - six for five. Once the point number is
established, you can place double your pass line bet behind the line
(some casinos offer more). It is not marked on the table because casinos
rarely show a bet that has no house advantage.
58. Browning or Burns: POET. You're a poet and you don't know it, but your feet show it. They're Longfellows.
59. Pickle container: JAR.
60. Ave. crossers: STS. Okay, but where do lanes go? In bowling centers
62. As well: TOO.
63. Beatty of "Deliverance": NED. I loved "Dueling Banjos"
Boomer
