Theme: SECRET SAUCE (55. Subtle element in a success story ...
and what's revealed by each set of circles) - Five type of sauces are
hidden in the theme answers.
20A. Like civilizations that antedate written records: PREHISTORIC. Pesto.
30A. Pop singer's list of recordings, e.g.: DISCOGRAPHY. Soy.
46A. Sourced locally, as a menu: FARM TO TABLE. Mole.
11D. Official inspection spot: CHECKPOINT. Hot.
29D. Diver's rotation: SOMERSAULT. Meat.
Boomer here.
Well, I have certainly had SOY sauce over the years and I can also say I have enjoyed HOT sauce now and then. PESTO, MOLE, and MEAT are not enjoyed in our house.
Happy to say so long to February which contributed about a dozen days where the thermometer hit a mark below zero. Add that to January and we had about a total of 30 minus days. I think it is a new record of minus for the land of 10,000 lakes.
Across:
5. Yawn-inducing: BANAL.
10. Dull pain: ACHE. Attacks my left leg frequently.
14. Racetrack shape: OVAL. Kentucky Derby is coming soon. Place
your bets. Minnesota has "Canterbury Downs" where they show a video of
Churchill downs and betting is open.
15. Fruit whose oil is used in cooking: OLIVE. Popeye's girlfriend.
16. Onetime Ralston cereal now owned by General Mills: CHEX. My
favorites are simple Wheat and Corn Chex. I see a lot of sugary Chex in
the cereal aisle and cinnamon are not too bad. Most of the others have
lots of sugar. Except Rice which are not a favorite.
17. Wine lover's prefix: OENO. As in "oenophile".
18. Nine-piece combo: NONET.
19. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP. Short for Terrapin.
23. Pigeon sound: COO. We do not see many Pigeons. They are known to make a mess.
24. "SNL" alum Gasteyer: ANA.
25. Armored vehicle: TANK. We have one that holds about $60.00 worth of gasoline. Of course that is this week. Who knows about next week.
27. Tres menos uno: DOS. Three minus one.
36. Traditional piano key wood: EBONY. Blacker than the Ace of spades.
38. Root for a luau: TARO.
39. Pâté de __ gras: FOIE.
40. Covert ops outfit: CAMO. I used to have some Camo stuff left over from Uncle Sam. It's gone now.
41. "Chopsticks __ fork?": OR A. Fork for me, sticks for my dear wife.
42. Fey with nine Emmys: TINA. I could never stay up late enough to watch Saturday Night Live.
43. Part of BSA: Abbr.: AMER. The Boy Scouts of America.
44. Ponder (over): MULL. I'll think about it.
45. Hunger signs that hurt: PANGS. Not me. I always eat before the PANGS show up.
49. Vietnamese New Year: TET.
50. Articulated: SAID.
51. Tiny colonist: ANT. Driveway is covered with snow right
now. Amazing how these little bugs can dig holes in the tar and create a
home in the spring.
53. Reggae relative: SKA.
62. Unseating plan?: COUP. I don't know. There is usually enough room in the back.
64. Avoid, as duty: SHIRK.
65. Broadway event: SHOW. "SHOW me the way to go home. I'm tired and I wanna go to bed."
66. Adept: ABLE. I have not been ABLE to bowl for awhile. Working on PT rehab.
67. One of the senses: TASTE.
68. Joint above the ankle: KNEE.
69. Greek B: BETA. Alpha, BETA, Gamma, Delta. Only one Airline in the Greek Alphabet.
70. "Oof!": YIKES.
71. Abel and Cain, to Adam and Eve: SONS. Don't forget SETH.
Down:
2. Mind-matter link: OVER. "Why don't we stop fooling ourselves. The game is OVER, OVER, OVER." Simon and Garfunkel.
3. Scourge: BANE.
4. Hawaiian greeting: ALOHA. Also can be "See you later".
5. Dwarf planting: BONSAI.
6. Very much: A LOT. Where I park at the grocery store.
7. Barcelona boy: NINO.
8. Declare: AVER.
9. "Time to stop obsessing on this": LET IT GO. Aaron Rodgers - are you listening?
10. Play a part (in): ACT.
12. One who comes to the rescue: HERO. A big sandwich.
13. Montreal MLBer before 2005: EXPO. Montreal left Canada and
became the Washington Nationals. The Minnesota Twins were the Senators
that left Washington in 1960.
21. "500" race, familiarly: INDY. This OVAL track race is also coming soon. Around Memorial Day.
22. Automobile: CAR. These Fast, Faster will be at INDY but never in my garage.
26. Tripartite commerce pact acronym: NAFTA. North America Free Trade.
27. Pre-bedtime coffee, often: DECAF. I am enjoying this now. I guess Chemotherapy patients are not supposed to have caffeine.
28. President with degrees from Columbia and Harvard: OBAMA. I remember him.
31. Dark beer: STOUT. I have never liked beer.
32. Diane's "Cheers" co-server: CARLA. Where everybody knows your name.
33. Colgate rival: ORAL B.
34. Depend (on): HINGE. Depends on keeping your door in place.
35. Brewery need: YEAST. Also needed for pizza dough.
37. __ Rae, Sally Field role: NORMA.
44. "Aw shucks" quality: MODESTY.
45. Writers' tools: PENS. Pigs lived in them on my Uncle Bill's farm in Siren, Wisconsin..
47. Apt "it's" anagram: TIS. The season to feel jolly.
48. Hanukkah pancakes: LATKES.
52. Duties: TASKS. The physical therapy lady gives me a few tasks.
53. Wound cover: SCAB. I cover with a Band Aid. The SCAB comes later.
54. Asian beef city: KOBE. Mr. BRYANT was a great LA Laker Basketball player, before he went down in a helicopter.
56. Indian spiced tea: CHAI.
57. Take a chance on: RISK. I think Kramer played RISK with Neuman in Jerry's Apartment.
58. Art Deco artist: ERTE.
59. "Hmm ... doubt it": UH NO.
60. Ethan or Joel of film: COEN.
61. Fleecy females: EWES.
63. Podded plant: PEA. C.C. likes all kinds of veggies.
Boomer
