Theme: CODE SWITCH (60. Say "See you mañana," e.g. ... and a hint to each set of circles)
18. Coen Brothers' "Best Original" Oscar-winning output for "Fargo": SCREENPLAY. Penal code.
24. Weather warning on your cellphone, e.g.: TEXT ALERT. Tax code.
39. Informal name for the classic painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1": WHISTLER'S MOTHER. Morse code.
50. Sleight-of-hand swindle: SHELL GAME. Legal code.
Boomer here.
In Minnesota, CODE rhymes with COLD and that's what we get in the North Star State. I have a couple of visits to the VA this week for sessions in physical therapy and occupational therapy. I am pretty sure I can limp through the first one, and since the only occupation I have now is the Monday blog, we will see how the therapy works. Next week ---- Radiation !
Across:
5. Honking birds: GEESE. I do remember these guys honking up at North Star Lake.
10. U.S. state that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics: UTAH. Famous for the Mormon religion.
14. Declare openly: AVOW.
15. Comparable to a beet: AS RED. Or as a radish.
16. Prefix with physics: META.
17. Like collectible coins: RARE. Like a sirloin steak too.
20. Roll with the punches: ADAPT. Cassius Clay was the Greatest.
22. Egypt's Mubarak: HOSNI.
23. Before, to a bard: ERE. "And I heard him exclaim ERE he rode out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,"
26. Lukewarm: TEPID. That would be me, using my walker.
28. Detroit labor gp.: UAW. United Auto Workers. They get a lot of attention. Prices of cars are going through the roof right now.
29. Amtrak express: ACELA. I have never been on Amtrak.
31. Add, as to a list: APPEND.
35. To's counterpart: FRO.
36. "__ girl!": encouraging words: ATTA.
42. Ships' records: LOGS. Need a few for our fireplace.
43. Yalie: ELI.
44. Like favorite car radio stations: PRESET. I have one station
PRESET, but mostly I listen to Simon and Garfunkel, courtesy of Desper
Otto. Our new Santa Fe does not have a CD player.
45. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. Or Ms. Hopper.
47. Actor Stephen: REA.
48. Siri counterpart: ALEXA. Ask and she will tell you where to go.
56. Green expanse: LEA.
57. Greek i's: IOTAS. Too small to count.
59. Shipwreck site: SHOAL.
63. Rice-like pasta: ORZO.
64. Small bills: ONES. The first ONES were issued in 1862 with a Salmon Chase photo
65. Freeze over: ICE UP. I am sure that every lake in Minnesota had this feature today
66. Resign, with "down": STEP. I can think of a name or two, but nooo politics.
67. Senator's helper: AIDE.
68. Mississippi quartet: ESSES. YESSSS indeed.
69. Stun with a zapper: TASE.
Down:
2. Sidestep: EVADE.
3. "I speak for the trees" Seuss character: LORAX.
4. Won every game: SWEPT.
5. Fuel from a pump: GAS.
6. Abstain from: ESCHEW. If you had trouble with 68 across, maybe you might CHEW on a few ESSESS
7. There's one in "beleive": ERROR. I before E, except after C or when sounded like A like in Neighbor and Weigh. 4th grade spelling.
8. Reel from a bang on the head: SEE STARS. Too cold here to sleep under the STARS.
9. Biblical garden: EDEN. Home of previous Vikings Coach Bud Grant, EDEN Prairie Minnesota.
10. Strike caller: UMP. Casey at the Bat was dealing with a blind one.
11. Mind readers: TELEPATHS.
12. Gaming brand since 1972: ATARI. I wasted many hours playing on mine.
13. Cut and collected in bales: HAYED.
19. After-dark period, in ads: NITE. Crossword spelling. Can't you write NIGHT??
21. Tease: TAUNT.
25. Served, as soup: LADLED. I just tip the pan into the bowl.
27. Delight to the max: ELATE.
30. Force, as to do something: COMPEL.
31. Boring tool: AWL. We sold these at Graybar but I was never sure why an electrician needed one.
32. Vietnamese soup: PHO.
33. Stubborn in a porcine way: PIG-HEADED. Again NOOOO politics.
34. Southeast England county: ESSEX.
35. Thu. follower: FRI. The end of the work week for many.
37. Golf driving aid: TEE. I have hundreds in the bag. I use wood, not plastic.
38. Part of MoMA: ART.
40. Stretchy things: ELASTICS. In the hospital the VA gave me
STRETCHY socks that had little pieces of rubber sewn into them for a
grip on the floor. They did not work! I had to be very careful getting
out of bed.
41. Grad school grillings: ORALS.
46. Speaker's stand: DAIS.
47. Save: RESCUE.
48. Big name in foil: ALCOA. I am sure everyone uses aluminum foil. But there is also a market for huge diameter Aluminum Wire.
49. "Madam Secretary" star Téa: LEONI.
51. Despises: HATES. Not a word in my vocabulary. Unless you are talking about Cancer.
52. Halloween sheet wearer: GHOST. Bad for trick-or-treaters, They need to SEE where they are going.
53. Big blood vessel: AORTA. Thankfully mine still works. I cannot say that for my other body parts.
54. Lab rats' challenges: MAZES.
55. Say "I do" without the ado: ELOPE.
58. Bruise, to a tot: OWIE. I seem to have an OWIE in my left instep.
61. Opposite of WNW: ESE. "East is East and West is West"
62. Some PCs: HPS. Short for HICCUPS?
Boomer