Theme: What THE Road
20. Discards as useless or obsolete: KICKS TO THE CURB.
35. What people are saying: WORD ON THE STREET.
49. Through many experiences: AROUND THE BLOCK.
Boomer here.
A
long, long time ago, I can still remember ... a visit to Great America
Amusement Park near Lake Michigan and a few miles north of Chicago. I
used to play Pacman (mostly in bowling centers) and Great America had a
machine in the open air of the park. I popped in a quarter and ran up a
score of 208,000. When I finally lost, there were about a dozen people
behind me watching me run up that score. No applause. The reason I
bring this up, and since most of us are safely in our homes for more
hours than we would care to admit, I found a Pacman game on the
internet. Just Google Pacman on Google and it will appear. It's not
the same as the original screen, and of course there is no joystick.
You need to move Pacmann with the directional arrows on the keyboard.
My high score is 54,710 and you're not allowed to use any of those nasty
four letter words when a ghost gobbles your Pacman. C.C. rules, not
mine. Enjoy!
Speaking
of home confinement, I had a nasty fall a week ago which created an
injured left leg. C.C. was a very great help in getting me through this
and I can walk now without a limp, and playing golf today. I had to
skip last Monday.
Across:
1. Parson's home: MANSE.
Parsons is a very famous national electrical contractor based in
Minnesota. I have a great hoodie they gave me at their Christmas
banquet.
6. Wall St. hedgers: ARBS. Arbitragers. I heard that there was a U.S. Senator or four that fooled around on Wall Street sometime in February.
10. Seize with a quick motion: GRAB. I guess they were GRABBING a profit or avoiding a loss.
14. Carne __: burrito filling: ASADA.
15. Anklebones: TALI. "The shin bone's connected to the anklebone."
16. Piece that starts next to a knight: ROOK. Bishop didn't fit. The ROOK is supposed to look like a castle (for the King and Queen.)
17. Set of blank pages for notes and doodles: SCRATCHPAD. A little different than a SCOTCHPAD, which can sooth what itches you.
19. Rowboat pair: OARS. "Gently down the stream". My dad purchased a boat for our lake cabin and it was "Oar powered". (Guess who got to pull.)
22. Bro's sibling: SIS. I have three, but no BROS.
23. Ones elected to office: INS.
24. Make illegal: BAN. I wish we could BAN Covid-19.
25. It comes before the ques. on "Jeopardy!": ANS.
Answers. I wonder if Alex is doing okay. There is nothing but reruns
on recently - maybe due to the fact they cannot have a studio audience.
26. Unfilled calendar slot: OPEN DATE. Lots of OPEN DATES for professional sports these days.
31. Desire: WANT. "If you want it here it is, come and get it, but you better hurry 'cause it's going fast. (Badfinger).
33. Going __: fighting: AT IT. I believe I'll skip this one.
34. Mangy mutts: CURS.
38. Deuce topper: TREY. Deuces and Treys are worthless. I believe we remove them from the deck for a game of 500.
39. Riles up: IRES.
40. Snakelike fish: EELS. I really would not call an EEL a fish.
41. Diminutive two-seater: SMART CAR. We own a dumb van.
43. Morning moisture: DEW.
44. Furniture wood: OAK. I believe that most of our furniture is particle board.
45. Come out on top: WIN.
"Root, root, root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame.
Because they are all going to play in Arizona and Texas.
46. Musical gp. that performs summer programs at Tanglewood: BSO. Boston Symphony Orchestra.
54. Persia, now: IRAN.
55. Car showroom site: AUTO DEALER. Not sure if they are open around here. They are all advertising free delivery. Are they selling cars or pizzas??
56. Route-finding app: WAZE.
57. Baseball Hall of Famer Willie: MAYS.
Willie played for about a month for our minor league Minneapolis
Millers, farm club of the Giants. I was very young, but the Giants
returned to Minneapolis to play the Millers around 1957 for an
exhibition and I saw Willie hit one about 500 feet.
58. Appliance brand: AMANA. Based in a city of the same name in Iowa.
59. Do as ordered: OBEY.
60. Fashion monthly: ELLE.
61. Battery components, to a doctor: TESTS.
Down:
1. Surgeons' protection: MASKS.
We were able to find some for our use when we go to a grocery or
Target. I am still seeing a few people without. I have a VA appointment
coming up in a couple of weeks and I am curious to see how strongly they
have adapted the medical center. They cancelled two of my blood draws
in April and May but June is a bit more important. Last time we were
there, the blood draw area was a zoo.
2. Computer data acronym: ASCII. American Standard Code for Information Interchange.
3. Feds busting dealers: NARCS.
I think our governor closed down our drug dealers with a stay-home
order. He hasn't opened them up again. Sorry, I should not create
sarcasm about these worst of times. I apologize.
4. State known for 60-ft.-high presidents' faces: S DAK.
I was on my way one day, but it was really foggy. So I turned around.
I've been to Deadwood, but I regret never having been to Mt. Rushmore.
5. Erodes, as profits: EATS INTO.
I cannot imagine what has happened here in the U.S. Airlines traveling
at 10% capacity, Restaurants, bars, and bowling centers shuttered. And
Las Vegas must be going crazy!!
6. Musketeer pal of Aramis: ATHOS.
7. Engrossed: RAPT.
8. Uninteresting: BLAH.
A woman from the supermarket ran to call a cop. "He must be high on
something someone said." Though it never made the New York Times, in
the Daily News the caption read - and Blah Blah Blah.
9. Auxiliary wagers: SIDE BETS.
10. Airplane maintenance group: GROUND CREW. They are not too busy these days.
11. Lion's warning: ROAR. In the old days it was the ROAR of the crowd when the LIONS came to U.S. Bank Stadium to play the Vikings.
12. Choice of two: A OR B. I'll take "B".
13. Novels and such: Abbr.: BKS.
18. Amazon delivery boxes: Abbr.: CTNS.
We get a few of them on our doorstep since all of the local stores are
closed. Except grocery, drug, Target, Costco and Walmart.
21. Recycled container: CAN.
25. Longtime "60 Minutes" closer: ANDY ROONEY. I write a column on mnbowling.com. I used a pen name "Randy Ooney" out of respect for this grumpy old man.
26. Significant __: OTHER. The most important person in my life, C.C. I hope all of you and your "significant others" are safe and healthy.
27. Crusted desserts: PIES. My favorite is still pumpkin.
28. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean: AUEL.
29. "__ chic!": TRES.
30. N.J. winter hours: EST.
Eastern standard time, an hour ahead of Minnesota. I remember when the
East Coast had Daylight time and we did not. Then the TV shows were
all out of whack.
31. Wriggling bait: WORM.
Sometimes C.C. and I would dig a dozen or two from our garden.
Sometimes we would buy them at a bait store. Probably the best fish
bait you can find.
32. General vicinity: AREA.
33. Gillette razor: ATRA. I like the BIC product better. 5 blades!!
35. Lb. and kg.: WTS.
36. "Stevie" for Stevie Nicks, e.g.: NICKNAME. Why not just call him NICK ??
37. Former magazine aimed at adolescents: TEEN BEAT.
42. Greek cross: TAU.
43. Conked out: DIED.
45. Start of a question of possession: WHOSE.
46. Gauchos' weapons: BOLAS.
47. Bloodhound's pickup: SCENT.
There was a report that men are trying to train dogs to see if they
might be able to sniff out Corona virus. I can see them now standing
next to the TSA agents at the airport.
48. Gumbo vegetables: OKRAS. Gumbo is a strange name for soup.
49. Speedy steed: ARAB.
50. Level, as an abandoned building: RAZE. It's amazing to watch a skyscraper come down.
51. For two countries, as citizenship: DUAL.
52. "Chat soon," in texts: TTYL.
53. Unconvincing, excuse-wise: LAME. There does not seem to be any excuse for the virus.
54. __ Jima: IWO.
Boomer
