Monday September 20, 2021 Steve Faiella

Theme: The Four Seasons

18A. It follows 35-Down: SPRING. Symmetrical partner: 66A. In 2021, it begins September 22nd: AUTUMN. This grid has a left/right pattern.

28D. It precedes 66-Across: SUMMER. Symmetrical partner: 35D. It follows 66-Across: WINTER.

48A. Semiannual occurrence that begins 18- and 66-Across: EQUINOX. Intersecting 26D. Semi-annual occurrence that begins 28- and 35-Down: SOLSTICE.

Boomer here. Good Morning to one and all.  

This theme reminds me that WINTER will be here in chilly Minnesota in a couple of months. I cannot say I am looking forward to it however after the 85 degree plus days of the past several months up here in the northland, new weather will at least offer us a change of clothes. 

Across:

1. Simon __: kids' game: SAYS. Do this.

5. Not for kids, moviewise: RATED R.  I never understood who does these rating systems.

11. Small amount: DAB.  A little one will do ya. Brylcreem,

14. Shopper's memory aid: LIST.  Yes I always keep a LIST but then when we go to the grocery store, sometimes I forget it at home.

15. Aviator Earhart: AMELIA.  I don't believe she needed a Covid test before she got on the plane.

16. Skating surface: ICE.  We will have plenty of this here in MN in a few months. 

17. "I had no __!": IDEA.

19. Milk grain: OAT.  Mares eat them and Does eat them but little lambs eat ivy.

20. Imitative bird: PARROT.

22. Pioneering game consoles: ATARIS.  Yup, I played for hours back in the nineties.

24. Reaction to a strange object: WHAT'S THAT?  It's a bird, No it's a plane,.... No it's a bird.

28. Lengthy tales: SAGAS.

31. e__: online instructional guide: HOW.

32. Shoot well under par, in golf lingo: GO LOW.  I have never had to use that lingo.

36. App purchaser: USER.

37. Serious criminal: FELON.  "His capacity for innocent enjoyment, is just as great as any honest man."

39. Actress Anderson: LONI.  Burt Reynolds and LONI lasted about 5 years.  Obviously two millionaires cannot get along.

40. Everest and K2: Abbr.: MTNS.  "To the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam... God Bless America." 

41. Out of practice: RUSTY.  My first try back on the lanes a couple of weeks ago, but I'm getting a little better.

42. Lender's claim: LIEN.

43. Stick-in-the-__: MUD.

44. Make like new, as old furniture: RESTORE.

46. Tater __: deep-fried potato morsel: TOT.  One of my favorites, but I cannot eat just one.

47. Parisian season: ETE. Summer.

49. Opposite of WSW: ENE.  Could it also be WNW or ESE ??

50. Showed again: RERAN.

52. Bandage brand: ACE. Is the place with the helpful hardware man.  -  I watch too much TV and it has way too many commercials.

53. Less adulterated: PURER.

55. Summoned, as the fiddlers three: CALLED FOR.  "Beer, Beer, Beer said the privates, happy men are we.  There's none so fair as can compare to the fighting infantry."

58. Comfy shoe pad: INSOLE. "Where my SUV was hatched??"

61. With milk, as café: AU LAIT.

65. Crystal ball gazer: SEER.  Was Crystal related to Lucille ??

70. Place to de-stress: SPA.

71. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.  Chickens did not fit in the grid.

72. In twos, like socks: PAIRED.  One for each foot.

73. Nosh: EAT.

74. Fathers' boys: SONS.  MacMurray had three of them, I only have one.

75. Gets hot on Twitter: TRENDS.

76. Many pop-ups: ADS.

Down:

1. Lose one's footing: SLIP.  Did I mention winter was coming?  It happens.

2. Musical based on an opera: AIDA.

3. Belgian river: YSER.  Y'Sir lieutenant.

4. Movie with R2-D2: STAR WARS.  On the trivia shows they ask for the star closest to the earth.  The contestants always answer Alpha Centauri, but of course the correct answer is the good old SUN.

5. Dreads sporter: RASTA.

6. Excite, with "up": AMP.  A little bit of electricity.

7. Thrice, in Rx's: TER.  Take, Eat, Regurgitate.

8. New Haven alum: ELI.  Mr. Whitney invented Cotton Gin.  It made the Martini taste terrible.

9. Kitchen dweller of song: DINAH.  "See the USA, in your Chevrolet!"  Okay Ms. Shore.

10. Motley: RAGTAG.  My first week of bowling.  I played so much golf this summer that I forgot the object of the bowling game is to go high.

11. Designer Christian: DIOR.

12. Smoothie berry dubbed a superfood: ACAI.

13. Wagers: BETS.  We bet a quarter on the poker game every Monday.  A card for every mark, High hand wins. 

21. "I see" words: OHS. and AHS

23. Ring-shaped reef: ATOLL.

25. "Same drink as always": THE USUAL.  Same meal at the Ballpark? Hot Dog.

27. Black-and-white, e.g.: TWO-TONED.  A Newspaper, Black and White and Read all over.

29. Sharp-witted: ASTUTE.

30. Word with role or identity: GENDER.  There's always a 50/50 chance of being right.

33. Hang around: LOITER.

34. Common soccer deadlock: ONE ONE.  Also true of Hockey and Baseball.  Never Football though.

37. MHz measure: FREQ. Frequency.

38. "Eli's Coming" songwriter Laura: NYRO.

44. Kidney-related: RENAL.

45. Describes in detail: EXPOUNDS.

51. Squirrel's haul: ACORNS.  Interesting - We have those doggone squirrels all over the backyard and yet there is not an oak tree within miles of our home. 

54. Web address letters: URL.

56. Jumped: LEAPT.

57. Widely known: FAMED.  From Babe Ruth to Albert Pujols.

58. Wife of Osiris: ISIS.   Say that fast three times.  ISIS OSIRIS ?

59. Fiddling emperor: NERO.

60. Actor Connery: SEAN.  Goldfinger.

62. Away from port: ASEA.  If you are writing about Prince Harles, you need to add ASEA.

63. Apple tablet: IPAD.

64. Body art, casually: TATS.  "TATS ALL FOLKS !"

67. Former Mideast org.: UAR.

68. Deadlock: TIE.

69. Keats' "Ode on a Grecian __": URN.

Boomer