Monday April 6, 2020 Norfleet Pruden

Theme: BROADWAY (52. Where the answers to 20-, 24-, 36- and 46-Across have appeared in lights) - Places that are also Broadway plays.

20. Where Will Rogers was born: OKLAHOMA.

24. Where Bulls and Bears are cheered: CHICAGO.

36. Where the Beverly Hills Hotel is located: SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Boomer here.  

24A. did not mention the White Sox or Cubs. I told C.C. today that I really did not mind being stuck in the basement with the TV. However, I wish there was a Twins game or a golf tournament to watch.  I am stuck with reruns. But I am proud of my state's governor because his early action regarding closing of non-essential business (Bowling centers not essential???) seems to have people in their homes and the Covid-19 has not devastated our population as seriously as other parts of the US.  And of course I realize that this Crossword Corner has visitors from all over our country and I hope all of you are safe and we can get by this pandemic.

Across:

1. Worshipped one: IDOL.  My vote is for Buddy Holly.

5. Outer garments for Batman and Superman: CAPES.  Don't tug on Superman's CAPE, don't spit into the wind, and Don't mess around with Jim Croce.

10. Kite stabilizer: TAIL.  Brings back old times.  My Mom used to say "Go fly a Kite", and I did.

14. Congregation area: NAVE.  Not any Congregations here in the places of worship.  First time that I can remember Easter being "Stay at home". 

15. Popeye's main squeeze __ Oyl: OLIVE.  "I'm strong to the finish 'cuz I eat my spinach."

16. Meat safety agcy.: USDA.

17. Boring party, say: DRAG.  How about a quarter mile race??

18. Light measure: LUMEN.  Graybar sold GE Lamps by the watt, not by the LUMEN.

19. D.C. MLB team: NATS.  Short for Nationals. Our Twins used to be called Senators when they played in Washington D.C.

22. King with a golden touch: MIDAS.  I used them once for brakes and it was not a great experience.

23. Ripped: TORN.

26. Parisian parting: ADIEU.  "I'll hang my heart on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee."

29. Capital of Greece: ATHENS.  Capital of grease - Kentucky Fried Chicken.

31. Goes down to defeat: LOSES.

32. Reddish-brown horse: ROAN. ROANs will be running in Louisville in September this year. Maybe.

33. Color variant: HUE.

40. Decide (to): OPT.

41. Sabrina portrayer Melissa Joan __: HART. "Sabrina the Teenage Witch".

42. Noncom nickname: SARGE.  Beetle's boss SARGE Snorkel.

43. Quagmire: MORASS.  I'll leave this one alone.

45. Bygone: OLDEN.  Mets Pitcher - an Olden but a Gooden.

46. Where Arthur ruled the court: CAMELOT.  It's where you park your camel when you are going shopping at the mall.

49. Against: ANTI.

51. Make one's case: PLEAD.  I PLEAD NOT Guilty.

56. What no centipede has exactly 100 of, oddly: LEGS. I never counted a centipede.

57. Roles on 52-Across: PARTS.  I was Noye in a play by Benjamin Britten.  I built a boat and sailed it in a fludde.  Best part about it was it was in an all girls school so all the animals in the cast were girls. God was from De La Salle.

59. First-rate: A ONE.  "A One and A two"  Lawrence Welk.

60. Eurasian border river: URAL.

61. Erupt, as tempers: FLARE.  This is what I miss a lot, when Ron Gardenhire (Now in Detroit) comes out of the dugout to visit with an umpire.

62. Skipjack or yellowfin: TUNA.  I've only heard of StarKist.

63. PlayStation maker: SONY.

64. Formally gave up: CEDED.

65. __ out a living: barely manages: EKES.  Many people are in this predicament.  I hope the stimulus helps my fellow Americans.

Down:

1. Prefix with Chinese: INDO.  C.C.'s friends in China are mostly Outdoor.

2. __ horse: long shot: DARK.  "DARK STAR" was a thoroughbred that won the 1953 Kentucky Derby.  I had a friend who called himself Dark Star and he was a handicapper at our own Canterbury Downs track.  I never knew his real name but he was a customer at my baseball card store and a great friend.  He had a membership at our Interlachen (home of a Solheim Cup) and also at Riviera in California.  RIP Dark Star.

3. Shaped like the president's office: OVAL.  Also the track at Indy.  Not sure if the 500 is still scheduled for Memorial Day this year.

4. Inheritors: LEGATEES.

5. Red, white or blue: COLOR.

6. Wellesley grad: ALUMNA.  I get it.  You need to be female to be an ALUMNA.

7. Fine cotton: PIMA.

8. Mother of Cain and Abel: EVE.  I have heard of them but no one has ever told me what year they lived.  My faith tells me that if EVE never took a bite out of that apple, we would not be dealing with the coronavirus this year.

9. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN.  Our Senator Amy Klobuchar (Last four pronounced "SHAR") has a husband who contracted Covid-19.  He has recovered and is taking it easy at home.

10. Forum garments: TUNICS.  Similar to some religious vestments.  Not being used too much recently.

11. Carne __: taco filling: ASADA.

12. Luggage label: ID TAG.  We have tags that slip into holder on the outside of our luggage.  Not sure if we'll be flying too much any more.  MSP is a Delta parking lot.

13. Rodeo rope: LASSO.

21. Social unit sharing the same dwelling: HOUSEHOLD.  Sounds more like holding down a house, which we are doing to comply with our governor's direction.

22. State nicknamed the "Land of 10,000 Lakes": MINNESOTA.  Shame on anyone who did not get this on the first try.  Actually it's a lie - we have over 15,000 lakes, but who's counting.

24. __ En-lai: CHOU.

25. Recover from injury: HEAL.  Go away virus.!!

26. In addition: ALSO.

27. Make spiffy: DO UP.

28. Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely": ISN'T.  "Life and Love are the same."

30. Harness race paces: TROTS.  "Not a wholesome trotting race, NO, but a race where they set down right on a horse!!  Like to see some stuck up jockey boy sittin' on Dan Patch?  Makes your blood boil what I should say.  Professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man".

33. Difficult: HARD.  We used to have an AWA pro wrestler named Hard Boiled Haggerty.

34. Strong desire: URGE.

35. 8-Down's first home: EDEN.  Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant's home is in EDEN Prairie MN.

37. Tropical root vegetable: TARO.  I think if you add a "T" you have fortune telling cards.

38. Babysitter's bane: BRAT.  My son's name is BRET.  I used to tell friends that I named him right, but I spelled it wrong.

39. Bear out, as feelings: VALIDATE.  My handicapped parking permit has been validated.  I have a temp right now but I am supposed to get the official rear view mirror hanger by June.  Not holding my breath, our DMV is at minimum duty.

43. Pitifully small: MEASLY. So many folks with MEASLY unemployment insurance.  I hope the stimulus helps them out.

44. Existentialist Jean-Paul: SARTRE.

46. Not quite a B: C PLUS.  Oh yeah!  I am familiar with that grade.

47. Last Olds model: ALERO.  I used to love Oldsmobiles in my younger years.  I owned a 1957 - 98 and a 1961 - 88 with a 394 engine.  Yes, I got a few tickets.

48. Mullally of "Will & Grace": MEGAN.

50. Snooped (around): NOSED.  Reminds me of Pete Nokio in the GEICO commercials.

52. Slim nail: BRAD.  Remember Seinfeld's Elaine's Mr. Pitt ?  Well this Mister BRAD Pitt is no longer married to Angelina or Jennifer.

53. "The Caine Mutiny" author Herman: WOUK.

54. Diarist Frank: ANNE.

55. Affirmative votes: YEAS.  The Senate approved the Stimulus 96-0.  That vote tally is unheard of in this day and age.

57. Rank below cpl.: PFC.  I was there once.  I ended up a Specialist 5.  Not bad for an Army rookie.

58. Lager alternative: ALE.  I like the Ginger kind.

Boomer