Monday December 20, 2021 Dan Schoenholz

Theme: MIDDLE SCHOOL (56. Junior high ... and what each set of circles is?) - The middle words are four colleges.

19. Dome-shaped frozen areas at the two ends of the Earth: POLAR ICECAPS.

27. One in charge of a depot: STATION AGENT.

37. Cognac, crème de cacao and cream cocktail: BRANDY ALEXANDER.

45. Over an extended period: IN THE LONG RUN.

Boomer here.  

Not your famous football schools.  However Elon is Time "Person of the year".  Not sure if I agree with that either.  An electric vehicle seems like a questionable investment.  Although I will submit to its anti- pollution value, it costs about $2000 to set up an electric transformer in your garage, and that will only give you about 170 miles.  I welcome any comments from all you crossword friends who have or thought about or have an electric vehicle.

 

Across:

1. Get ready, as for surgery: PREP.  Also a school that could make you ready for any of the above.

5. Dada lover?: MAMA.

9. Breathe like a hot dog: PANT.  So if you have two hot dogs, is that a pair of pants??

13. Trevi Fountain city: ROME.

14. "Yeah, right!": AS IF.

15. Stomach woe: ULCER.  I have had stomach woes last Friday.  I do not think it's an ulcer though.  I think I ate something that my stomach did not like.

16. "In memoriam" bio: OBIT.

17. Shout: YELL.

18. Caulking need: PUTTY.  Jerry Seinfeld's mechanic.  Or was his name PUDDY?

22. Distinctive manner of writing, say: STYLE.

23. Sit-__: protests: INS.  We have had a lot of this type of demonstration in MN.

24. Bro's sibling: SIS.  I have three.

32. Throw in: ADD.

35. Zip, in soccer: NIL.  I have heard Zip in most sports.  Or a way to tighten up your pants.

36. Slow musical movement: LENTO.

42. Swahili's language group: BANTU.

43. 1950s prez: IKE.  Dwight was President for eight years.  Then folks had the opportunity to vote for a president with hair.

44. On the __: sneakily: SLY. And the family Stones.

50. Scratch (out), as a living: EKE.  Even in retirement, there is still some EKEing going on.

51. Smidgen: TAD.

52. Harbor cities: PORTS.  Ours is Duluth.  You cannot believe how beautiful Lake Superior is up there.

60. "__ Secretary": Téa Leoni title role: MADAM.

63. Ultra-modest skirt: MAXI.

64. Microsoft browser: EDGE.  And a Ford SUV ??

65. Banishment: EXILE.

66. Enthusiastic: AVID.

67. Big jump: LEAP.  Next LEAP year is 2024,  But it's just a small jump of one day.

68. Came's opposite: WENT.

69. Basketball Hall of Famer Archibald or Thurmond: NATE.  I have not been much of an NBA fan since the Lakers left town.  I did graduate from the same high school as Devin George though.  Not the same year.

70. Share on Facebook, say: POST.  Is there still a Saturday Evening Post ??

Down:

1. Yorick's skull in "Hamlet" and the dagger in "Macbeth," e.g.: PROPS.

2. Automaton: ROBOT.  Many assembly factories have them now to save labor costs. 

3. Poet Dickinson: EMILY.

4. Rose features: PETALS.  We keep trying ROSES in our flower garden, but they don't seem to do well.

5. Polite request: MAY I.  Yes you may.

6. "Just __ ... ": A SEC.  Yeah, what takes only one 60th of a minute.

7. 1,760 yards: MILE.  Walk a MILE in my shoes.

8. Merged union: Abbr.: AFL-CIO.

9. In addition to: PLUS.

10. Assume a role: ACT.  I assumed the role of NOAH in Noye's Fludde.  Spelled badly by Benjamin Briton.

11. Bottom line: NET.  My former employer Graybar had a decent Bottom Line this year.

12. Give it a go: TRY.  If at first you don't succeed, TRY, TRY, again.

15. Swedish university city: UPPSALA.

20. Like a prof. emeritus: RET.  "Jeopardy" concluded its Professor tournament last Friday.

21. Columnist Landers: ANN.  "Dear Abby's Sister".

24. Transmits: SENDS.

25. Major chip maker: INTEL.  Old Dutch did not fit.

26. Kid's bedtime request: STORY.

28. "... have you __ wool?": ANY.  "Baa Baa Black Sheep"

29. Andalusian aunt: TIA.

30. Messin' around, in rap slang: ILLIN. I don't know rap slang.

31. With 41-Down, boomer's kid: GEN.  About time I made it into a clue. Also 41. See 31-Down: XER.

32. "Steal This Book" author Hoffman: ABBIE.

33. Had a beer, say: DRANK.  Sorry I never liked beer.  Now I am not allowed to mix with my meds.

34. "Divine Comedy" poet: DANTE.

38. Utmost degree: NTH.

39. Eventually and aptly, after "in": DUE TIME.  We get most of our bills on line and are paid automatically in DUE TIME.

40. Heart test: Abbr.: EKG.  I will be getting Bone tests this week.  I guess my heart is still okay but my bones are getting older.

46. Young fellow: LAD.

47. Extra guy who's "out": ODD MAN.

48. Scanned bars: Abbr.: UPC.  Universal Product Code.  That block of different stripes that the cashier scans so you get the right price.    With ......

49. Of little value: ,,,,,, NO HELP.

53. Wyoming's state sport: RODEO.  Wyoming is a fairly large state without a huge population.  I wonder how they deal with COVID?

54. Roman wraps: TOGAS.  Party in "Animal House".

55. Took a nap: SLEPT.  I tried this last Friday, but it did not help much.

56. Brewer's need: MALT.  Maybe, but I need ice cream to make mine.

57. Etna output: LAVA.  "Only one way to get those hands clean !"

58. Leave the room: EXIT.

59. One of a cube's six: SIDE.  Easy clue for a Craps player.

60. Kitty's sound: MEW.

61. Lumberjack tool: AXE.  Minnesota once had a wrestler - Larry "The Axe" Henning.

62. Terrible racket: DIN.

Boomer