Monday July 27, 2020 Matt McKinley

Theme: Even Numerical Order

17. Chicago-based improv group, with "The": SECOND CITY.

23. Imagined barrier between actor and audience: FOURTH WALL.

34. Beethoven's "Pastoral" or Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique": SIXTH SYMPHONY.

45. Musical symbol also called a quaver: EIGHTH NOTE.

56. When Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, in a classic 1990 bout: TENTH ROUND.

Boomer here.  

TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT,  Who do we appreciate?  Monday puzzles are GREAT.  I checked with Tony the Tiger while he was eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes.

Across:

1. Really easy task: CINCH.  Will the Twins win the AL Central ?

6. Serious cut: GASH.  Remember the old golf balls?  you could GASH them with a 9 iron and peel the cover and unwind the rubber band.  Not anymore. 

10. Sect. on a concert ticket: ORCH. Orchestra.

14. In flames: AFIRE.

15. Brink: EDGE.  Reminds me of EDGErton Minnesota.  A very small town where the High School basketball team won the state championship about 40 years ago.

16. Dodgers or Cubs: TEAM.  Twins or White Sox?

19. Semester: TERM.

20. Bit of memorabilia: KEEPSAKE.  Last Friday was opening day for the Twins and many other major league teams. On a shopping trip to Target, I wore my Justin Morneau T-shirt and my Twins baseball cap which I have adorned with many KEEPSAKE stadium giveaway pins and buttons.  I probably have $150.00 worth of collectors items on the hat and it's fairly heavy to wear, but "BATTER UP"!

21. Bee secretion: WAX.  The Hollywood WAX museum has many notables, including: Robin Williams, Johnny Cash, Elvis (Who needs no surname), Frank Sinatra, and James Dean.

22. Camera type, for short: SLR.

28. Old fast fliers: SSTS.  Super Sonic Transports.  Sometimes when they flew overhead we could hear a loud BOOM.  I suppose you could call them a loud Boomer, which others have sometimes called me.

30. Dallas region inset on a Texas atlas page, e.g.: AREA MAP.  An unfortunate area now dealing with many coronavirus cases.

31. Really tiny: WEE.  Michelle Wie is not so tiny.  Now a Mom named Michelle Wie West.

32. Photographed: SHOT.

33. Fingers in a lineup: IDS.  The IDS Center is a 57 story tower and a landmark of Minneapolis.  I remember when it was built around 1970.  Now other skyscrapers are not allowed to go higher than the IDS.

38. Philip of "Kung Fu": AHN.

39. Regrets: RUES.

40. Barely make, with "out": EKE.  I know many of you solvers barely EKE out crosswords, but usually not on Monday.

41. Pool stick protector: CUE CASE.  A lot of pro pool cues are two pieces screwed together, and need to be separated to fit in the case.

43. Lat. and Ukr., formerly: SSRS.  Maybe so, but I see Super Seniors which is my level in bowling tournaments.  I am still waiting for a vaccine before rolling the ball again.

47. Hoopla: ADO.  Much ADO about nothing.

50. Fairway position: LIE.  Also what some of my golf friends do about their score.

51. Mattress you can "float" on: WATERBED.  Never had one of these. Since our bedroom is in an upper floor, I would be afraid the weight would crash through the floor and we would be sleeping in the garage.

54. Fellow, to a Brit: CHAP.  Sometimes my lips in the winter in Minnesota.

58. Fastening device: HASP.

59. "Not a __": "No idea": CLUE.  I think it was done by Miss Scarlet with the rope in the kitchen.

60. Pasta sauce herb: BASIL.

61. Online craft shop: ETSY.  Never used it.  I get my Boondoggle from Kwik Crafts.

62. Conks on the head: BOPS.

63. Outlaw, to a sheriff: ENEMY.

Down:

1. Oak containers: CASKS.  Minnesota passed a mandatory mask law last week.  "Mask it or Casket"

2. "It's my opinion ... ": I FEEL.  "I feel Pretty and Witty and Wise"  Julie Andrews

3. More kind: NICER. A Zamboni is a NICER ICER.

4. Farm yield: CROP.  We had a late Spring but I think the farmers are doing fine now.  Your farm girl C.C. has tomatoes and cucumbers growing high as an elephant's eye.

5. Farm cluckers: HENS.  I know I mentioned this before, but my uncle in Siren, Wisconsin had dozens of noisy HENS.

6. Lizards like the Geico mascot: GECKOS.  "Just kick it back to over 75 years of sales and service"

7. French farewell: ADIEU. I will hang my heart on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee..

8. Cpl.'s superior: SGT.  We're SGT Pepper's lonely hearts club band, We hope you will enjoy the show! The Beatles, of course.

9. "Psst!": HEY.  Hey, Hey Paula!

10. Canada's capital: OTTAWA.  AKA OTTAWA EH.  USA Covid outbreak scared off the MLB.  The Blue Jays are playing in upstate New York.

11. Check out again, as a patient: RE-EXAMINE.  I used to be examined every three months.  Now, due to Covid, my doctor just examines my blood draw.

12. Train unit: CAR.

13. "I'm thinking": HMM.

18. Bonkers: DAFT.

21. If: WHETHER.

24. Obama chief of staff Emanuel: RAHM.  After a big win at Memorial ten days ago, I did not see Jon RAHM at our 3M Open this past week.  His tax bracket must have gone up.

25. Stadium in St. Pete, with "The": TROP.  Tropicana Field, home of the RAYS.

26. Gaga or Godiva: LADY. "Seventeen, a beauty queen, she made a ride that caused a scene in the town."  Peter and Gordon.

27. Record albums, briefly: LPS.  Wow, I only have about 8.  They are collector's items.  I have nothing to play them on.

28. Census datum: SEX.

29. Unvarying fee: SET RATE.  A lot of investment firms no longer charge for trades.

31. Cabernet holder: WINEGLASS.

32. NES part: Abbr.: SYS.

34. Feng __: SHUI.  Not my language.

35. "Quiet!": HUSH.  "Hush, Hush sweet Charlotte." Patti Page.

36. Observed: SEEN.

37. Approves: OKS.

38. Royal flush card: ACE. I have only hit one royal flush on a casino poker machine.  It was at Treasure Island in Southern Minnesota. Playing five nickels and won $200.00.

42. Marked by contentiousness, as a game: CHIPPY.  Also a bit of a short shot near the greenie.

43. Idaho and Iowa: STATES. I think we forgot INDIANA and ILLINOIS.

44. Actor Rogen: SETH.

46. Admit (to): OWN UP.  I admit it.  While you are doing this puzzle, I am playing golf.

47. Seriously overdo, as a privilege: ABUSE.

48. Dungarees fabric: DENIM.  I used to call them blue jeans. I did not wear them - never comfortable.

49. "Strange to say ... ": ODDLY.

52. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I.": ERBE.  ODDLY, I do not watch Criminal Intent.  I only like the original Law & Order.

53. Equine hue: ROAN.  Maybe we will see one in the Kentucky Derby in September ?

54. Michael of "SNL": CHE.

55. Stetson __: HAT.  Named after John B. Stetson and only seen on "In the Heat of the Night".

56. Getting the job done, initially: TCB.  "Takin' Care of Business".  Bachman, Turner, Overdrive.

57. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:
 
In case you were not here the past two days, Husker Gary has updated our Crossword Corner map. Please email Gary (gschlapfer@gmail.com) if you want your name to be added or removed from the map.

Thanks for your hard work, Gary! You're just incredible!