Monday February 21, 2022 Timothy Schenck

Theme: BODY DOUBLE (63. 1984 De Palma film, and a hint to five puzzle answers)

17. How a boat may rock: SIDE TO SIDE.

21. How boxers square off: TOE TO TOE.

27. How Fred and Ginger sometimes danced: CHEEK TO CHEEK.

48. How BFFs converse: HEART TO HEART.

55. How people may agreeably see: EYE TO EYE

Boomer here. 

Well the Rams fought the Bengals TOE to TOE last week, however it seems that Minnesota won also when the Rams offensive coordinator was hired as the Vikings head coach.  Kevin O' Connell was announced as the new coach of the Purple. He presented himself very well in a speech in front of several retired players and a guy named Bud Grant.

Across:

1. Skin growth: WART.  Oh I hate these.  They are a mess to get rid of. 

5. Learns via word of mouth: HEARS.  What?

10. Riot spray: MACE.  This will take your breath away!

14. Camera or eye part: IRIS.

15. Bates __: "Psycho" setting: MOTEL.  Alfred Hitchcock used to come up with really spine-tingling movies!!

16. Muslim holy man: IMAM.

19. Busting agent: NARC.  The only drugs I take are prescribed by a doctor.  But I see guys standing in the sidewalk of Lake Street that might as well have a "Drugs for Sale" sign on their shirt.

20. Ziti or rigatoni: PASTA.  All are yummy.  I really like "Angel Hair".

23. Generous slice: SLAB.  I could use a SLAB of cheese but I am not sure if my health allows.

26. Macho: VIRILE.  Not me anymore,  Maybe I ate too much cheese.

32. "The guy over there": HIM.

33. Stadium attendance counter: STILE.  It's amazing for the new football stadiums.  The Super Bowl packed SoFi in Los Angeles.  Vikings have a huge indoor facility.  Green Bay is still playing in the cold. 

34. Sports show rundown: RECAP.  About 40 of these in the day after the big bowl.

38. Not fer: AGIN.

40. Assumed name: ALIAS.  Smith and Jones?

42. Lotus position discipline: YOGA.  Not a Yankee Catcher.

43. Pulsate: THROB.

45. Furnish with a fund: ENDOW.

47. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. A great Wisconsin suburb a few miles north of Milwaukee and near Lake Michigan.

51. Division in a church: SCHISM.

54. Black gemstone: ONYX.  Who would have thought a black rock could be a gem.

58. Use elbow grease on: SCOUR.

62. Take __ the waist: alter: IN AT.  I just tighten my belt.  I could get fat again.

66. "__ Talkin'": Bee Gees #1 hit: JIVE.

67. Birch relative: ALDER.  Sometimes used in furniture.

68. Cosecant's reciprocal: SINE.

69. Cake decorator: ICER.  There's a job I would not mind having.  Or could it be a hockey player?

70. Video chat choice: SKYPE.

71. Abbr. at the end of a list: ET AL.  A good place for 71-Across. 

Down:

1. Thin trail of smoke: WISP.  Sorry, I do not see anyone smoking anywhere near the VA hospital.  It is just not allowed.

2. Mozart's "Il mio tesoro," e.g.: ARIA.

3. Frees (of): RIDS.

4. Scary African fly: TSETSE.  A real ugly bug.  Do NOT let it bite you!!

5. Managed care gp.: HMO.  Health Maintenance Organization.  Not the best plan.

6. Camera named for a Greek goddess: EOS.

7. Going __: bickering: AT IT.  My favorite was Billy Martin with any umpire.

8. Second effort: REDO.  Okay, They are going to REDO my chemo in two weeks.  I hope it works.

9. Place to hide a metaphorical ace: SLEEVE.  I will put a golf ball up my sleeve if I ever get a Hole in One !

10. Beethoven's Ninth is written in one: MINOR KEY.

11. Stradivari's tutor: AMATI.  Italian violin masters.

12. Christmas song: CAROL.  I like "Silver Bells".

13. Roast host: EMCEE.  They don't seem to have Roasts any longer.  But the Game Show Channel has a lot of EMCEEs.

18. Conversations: TALKS.  You can talk all you wanna but it's different than it was.  "No IT Ain't" but you gotta know the territory.

22. Bleacher feature: TIER.  There weren't bleachers but how about that SoFi Stadium!

24. "__ boy!": ATTA.

25. Water heater: BOILER.  Ours works well but it only heats water.  Never boils.

27. Chew the fat: CHAT.  I like Billy Martin with any umpire.

28. Tipsy from wine, say: HIGH.  HIGH apple pie in the SKY hopes.

29. Kuwaiti ruler: EMIR.

30. "Cry Macho" (2021) star Eastwood: CLINT.  I remember "Rawhide".

31. Set out for, as a destination: HEAD TO.  We "SET OUT FOR" a casino in Wisconsin last October.  For now I need to get my legs back in shape.

35. Pepsi, for one: COLA.  I like Diet Pepsi - especially the "No Caffeine" version now.

36. Food thickener: AGAR.

37. Agreement: PACT.

39. One of Nolan Ryan's seven: NO HITTER.  Nolan was a whiz.

41. "Any day now": SOON.

44. Kiss from Consuela: BESO.

46. "And your reason?": WHY SO.  WHY NOT?

49. One-celled pond dwellers: AMEBAS.

50. "The dog ate my homework" is a sad one: EXCUSE.  Nick Knack Paddy Whack, Give the dog a bone.

51. Conductor Ozawa: SEIJI.

52. Pessimist: CYNIC.  One thing I like about the VA - There are no cynics.  They pretty much tell it like it is with a little cream. 

53. Throw with effort: HEAVE.  Shot Put

56. Egg yellow: YOLK.  That's a YOLK on you !!

57. Drain swirl: EDDY.

59. Passing words?: OBIT.

60. Arm bone: ULNA.  Connected to the wrist bone.

61. Fishing rod attachment: REEL.  I sort of gave up fishing.  Spent a lot of time at North Star Lake in Northern Minnesota when I was a kid.

64. "You betcha": YEP.

65. Dr. of hip-hop: DRE.

Boomer