Monday April 11, 2022 Kathy Lowden

Theme: PPS (71. Second addendum to a letter ... and a hint to 18-, 34-, 44- and 62-across) - Each theme entry is in the P* P* pattern.

18. Petite Mattel doll with her own Netflix TV series: POLLY POCKET.

34. Guy featured in "Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation": PETER PIPER.

44. Porky's girlfriend: PETUNIA PIG.

62. Animated feline in Inspector Clouseau films: PINK PANTHER.

Boomer here. Another LA Times debut. Congratulations, Kathy Lowden!

PPS: Most of us have probably followed the news about Mark Vande Hei.  He is the astronaut who became famous for floating around in space longer than any other person.  The only reason I mention this is that he graduated from Benilde St. Margaret's high school in the mid 1980s. A baby boomer you may know is also a Benilde alumni from 1965, and a BSM Bowling coach.

 

Across:

1. Bar passer: Abbr.: ATT. Attorney - with my medicine. I am not allowed any spirits.  So I pass the bar every day.

4. Donkeys: ASSES.  "I'm a gold lock, I'm a gold key.  I'm a don lock ..."

9. Silly: INANE.

14. Heckler's word: BOO.  Major League baseball is now open.

15. Kind of milk one shouldn't cry over: SPILT.  Leslie Gore.  "It's my party and I'll Cry if I want to."

16. Luxury watch: ROLEX.  Most of us exchange the ROL wit TIM.

17. CPR expert: EMT.  This is also known as thinwall conduit.  Electrical Metallic Tubing.

20. Put on a peg, as a golf ball: TEED.  Hoping I can knock it off soon.  We still are getting a bit of snow here.

22. Carp in a pond: KOI.

23. WWII subs: U BOATS.

24. Rich as Croesus, e.g.: SIMILE.

26. Lire replacers: EUROS.  I bought some of these once on eBay.  It was a mistake.

28. Person, place or thing, in grammar: NOUN.

30. Irish or English dogs: SETTERS.

38. MSN competitor: AOL.  The battle that never was.

39. Ooze with: EXUDE.

40. Silent assent: NOD.  I get it.

41. Main blood vessel: AORTA.  Very important to us all.

43. World Wide __: WEB.  A home for spiders.

46. Wand symbolizing royal authority: SCEPTER.  Hail to the king!!

49. Snow pea holders: PODS.

50. __ & Young: accounting firm: ERNST.  A little high class for most of us.

52. Places for belts: WAISTS.  Or at a bar?

56. Séance contact: SPIRIT.  Jet Blue tried to buy Spirit Airlines recently but I heard that the deal fell through.  They were trying to eliminate a low cost competitor.

59. Firepit residue: ASH.  Ash Wednesday is in the past.  Easter is coming soon.

61. Avoid completely: SHUN.

65. "... butterfly ... bee" boxer: ALI.  Louisville KY was Mr. Ali's home.  Much memorabilia there.

66. Broadway backer: ANGEL.  Los Angeles baseball team.

67. Road one-eighty: U TURN.  Better not do it on a highway.

68. Dangerous tide: RIP.  Mr. Van Winkle.

69. Aptly named novelist: READE. Charles.

70. Digital units: BYTES.  Do not get bitten by a BYTE.

Down:

1. Aids in illegal activity: ABETS.  Sports betting is starting up everywhere.  I heard that the odds on Tiger winning the Masters was 700 to 1.

2. Actress Marisa: TOMEI.  George Costanza made friends with her on "Seinfeld".

3. Tribal symbol: TOTEM.

4. Cleopatra's snake: ASP.  When I think of Elizabeth Taylor, what kind of life is that.  Chad Mitchell Trio.

5. Did not remain silent: SPOKE UP.

6. Cylindrical barn neighbor: SILO.  The hogs do not need a fridge.  They have a SILO.

7. Kimmy Schmidt player __ Kemper: ELLIE.

8. Hog's home: STY.  Yeah, but they have a SILO !

9. Will Smith film suggested by an Asimov classic: I ROBOT.

10. Free, after "at": NO COST.  Beware of stuff with "NO COST"

11. __-Seltzer: ALKA.  Spee Dee.

12. Nair rival, once: NEET.

13. Phone no. go-withs: EXTS.  I think extensions are a thing of the past.

19. More pristine: PURER.

21. Had an evening meal: DINED.  Have you seen the new stacked burgers from Dairy Queen.  They would not fit in my mouth.  And I have a BIG Mouth.

25. Stuff of legends: LORE.

27. Depleted: USED UP.  I think my chemo will be USED UP in about seven weeks.

29. NorCal NFL team: NINERS.  Forty of them.

31. Wyatt of Dodge City: EARP.  I remember the show starring Hugh O'Brien.

32. Naan relative: ROTI.

33. Refinery by-product: SLAG.  Ugly stuff.

34. Church benches: PEWS.  Of course our church has them.  No kneeling kneelers though. 

35. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.

36. Boob __: TV: TUBE.  I watch a lot of TV.  What does this make me ??

37. "... like the __ calling the kettle black": POT.  Smoking the "M" word.

41. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA.

42. Watering place: OASIS.  This used to be a cigarette brand.

44. Prefix for "five": PENTA.  The PENTAgon has five sides.

45. Remote area known for its middle?: NOWHERE. Middle of nowhere. I've been there now and then.

47. Livened (up): PERKED.  Made coffee.

48. Almost a homer: TRIPLE.  We have a guy named Buxton who may hit a few of these this year.

51. Badly worn: TATTY.

53. Musical symbol: SHARP.

54. Dutch flower: TULIP.  Tiptoe through them with Tiny Tim.

55. Little scissors cuts: SNIPS.  Save your scissors.  I really do not have enough hair left.

56. Box for practice: SPAR.

57. Tree with needles: PINE.  At least you do not have to rake the needles in the fall.

58. "Young Frankenstein" Fräulein: INGA.

60. Close, as a door: SHUT.  or UP, as a mouth.

63. Well-worn pencil: NUB.

64. OR attendants: RNS.  Many great ones at our VA facilities.

Boomer