Friday, September 28, 2018, Mark MacLachlan

Title: Ironing in, not out.

Welcome to my first write-up of fall and the third LAT for another Mark making his mark in puzzledom. They say you should write about what you know, and Mark is a professor from Canada as was revealed in his DEBUT here. His specialty is chemistry, more specifically Materials Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Porous Materials, Polymers, Cellulose. In today's challenge we have FE (the chemical symbol for Iron) added to the first word in three two-word phrases and explained in a well chosen reveal. Two are 2 grid-spanners, giving us 54 spaces in the theme. This is an example of less is more; instead trying to squeeze in more theme fill, we have a nice balanced puzzle. Mark also used the periodic table in his first NYT publication. In addition to the themers, we have some nice long fill. ARMLOAD, E-READER, GALILEO, GARDENS, OLD SALT, ON EMPTY, INNER EAR and SAFE BETS.  On to the theme...

17A. Bronzed My Little Pony figurines?: HOOFED ORNAMENTS (15). I have had two cars with nice hood ornaments, a Jaguar. That one was stolen. I also bought a Cadillac for my then wife with a nice gold one. That was stolen. This is my favorite image of themeres.

27A. Hawkers of thin cookies?: WAFER MONGERS (12). You have 2 meanings: denoting a dealer or trader in a specified commodity. e.g. "fishmonger"; or, a person who promotes a specified activity, situation, or feeling, especially one that is undesirable or discreditable. "rumormonger." War mongers are worse.

45A. Balls for cats?: FELINE DANCES (12). My wife loves line dancing, but this was very hard because I was thinking about play toys for kitty cats, not them dancing.

58A. GNC offering, and a chemical hint to three long puzzle answers: IRON SUPPLEMENTS (15).

Across:

1. Dishonor: ABASE. An old word, like last week's abash.

6. Stored in a cask, say: AGING. For our oenephiles.

11. Stick in the water: OAR. A nice clue/fill combo.

14. __ panel: SOLAR.

15. Violet in a bed: PANSY. Now this is a stretch, they may be cousins but they are not the SAME.

16. Itsy-bitsy: WEE. Teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini.

20. Sport with electric weapons: EPEE. A very common fill, but there are details you may not know. READ UP.

21. Auto pioneer: OLDS. Ransom E.

22. Nota __: BENE. Nota bene is a Latin phrase meaning 'note well'. The phrase first appeared in English writing c. 1711. Often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature, the phrase is Latin for "note well" and comes from the Latin roots notāre and bene. wiki.

23. Golden Age TV star: BERLE. Old time TV from when I was too young to have a TV.

25. Test subject with whiskers: LAB RAT. The term is ofr the actual rats and those who work there.

31. Give an address: ORATE.

32. Wobbly table stabilizer: SHIM. This is a wedge (or something) to fill up (a space)

33. Home run path: ARC. Even a line drive home run has a bit of arc.

36. Seasoned seafarer: OLD SALT. An actual position in our NAVY, did you know?

39. Renaissance immortal known as the "Father of the Scientific Method": GALILEO. Rather like the terms the greatest or the father of, inventor of the scientific method is an attribute that has been applied to a myriad of scholars down through the ages, Aristotle, Archimedes, Ibn al-Haytham, Galileo, Bacon (both Roger and Francis), Descartes and Newton are just some of the more prominent historical figures who invented the scientific method. Makes for kind of a crowded field doesn’t it?
LINK.

41. It might go for a buck: DOE. Such a deer clue.

42. "__ arigato": Japanese "thanks a lot": DOMO.

44. Without a break: ON END.

48. Celebrity socialite: IT GIRL. Not my cup of tea, but you can see a  RETROSPECTIVE.

51. Openly display: EXUDE. He exuded unflapable confidence.

52. Noble gas: NEON.

53. In the thick of: AMID.

54. Took off: ROSE. A rose by any other name; the shares of Google took off.

62. Letters on a returned check: NSF. Non-Sufficent Funds.

63. What drama queens do: EMOTE.

64. Hall partner: OATES. Some MUSIC.

65. Composer's choice: KEY.

66. 2018 awards event hosted by Danica Patrick: ESPYS. Did you watch? Not me.

67. Sneak preview, say: PROMO.


Down:

1. Tennis great with three Grand Slam titles: ASHE.

2. Jazz Age toon: BOOP.

3. Wound application: ALOE.

4. They're low-risk: SAFE BETS.

5. "... __ the set of sun": "Macbeth": ERE. Our Friday quick Shakespeare quote. Act I, Scene 1.

“That will be ere the set of sun.”

6. Landmark Manhattan theater: APOLLO.



7. Marvin __: GARDENS. A yellow property in monopoly. Marven Gardens is a portmanteau derived from Margate City and Ventnor City, because it lies on the border of Margate City and Ventnor City in Atlantic City. Wiki.

8. Holiday and Days: INNS.

9. Surveillance org.: NSA. National Security Agency

10. Floor hockey venue: GYM.

11. Titlist?: OWNER. Sugar Ray Leonard owned three different titles.

12. Blue Cross rival: AETNA.

13. Trip odometer control: RESET.

18. Colgate feature: DORM. Not the makers of the toothpaste, but the college. Hamilton, N.Y., was still a frontier settlement in 1817 when 13 men met to found the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York. The university eventually was named Colgate in grateful recognition of the nearly 70 years of interest and service shown by members of the Colgate family.

19. Wanes: EBBS.

24. It may be loaded with books: E-READER. I like the clue, it is both literal and fun.

25. Luke's sister: LEIA. They were twins, don't you know?

26. Laundry unit: ARMLOAD. Eh.

27. Misnomer for a modern golf driver: WOOD.

28. Name on the "Alice's Restaurant" album: ARLO. I have railed on him for years.

29. Gradually get tired: FADE.

30. Paris Agreement subj.: GHG. If you are not up on your environmental issues, this about Greenhouse Gases.

33. Baldwin brother: ALEC. Alec Baldwin (born 1958); Daniel Baldwin (born 1960); William Baldwin (born 1963) and Stephen Baldwin (born 1966).

34. Artist Magritte: RENE.

35. Some UPS deliveries: CODS. Not the tasty whitefish, but Cash On Delivery.

37. Put one's feet up: LOLL.

38. "More than I wanted to know": TMI. Too Much Information.

40. Cochlear transplant site: INNER EAR. A cochlear implant is an electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants do the work of damaged parts of the inner ear (cochlea) to provide sound signals to the brain. Various.

43. Bad way to run: ON EMPTY.

45. Sawyer's pal: FINN. Tom and Huck.

46. Kicks out: EXILES.

47. Surfer's greeting: DUDE. When my youngest was an early teenager, I had to forbid him to use that term.

48. Confident way to solve crosswords: IN INK. Somewhat stubborn and arrogant but it feels good when your get 'er done.

49. Compact: TERSE. Sorry, I just cannot do a terse write-up.

50. Mickey's pal: GOOFY.

53. For one: A POP.

55. Aware of: ON TO.

56. Apple stalk: STEM. I did not know the stem is also called the pedicel or stalk.

57. ExxonMobil trading name: ESSO. It is a trading name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. The name is an acronym for Eastern States Standard Oil, a post-Standard Oil-breakup company that started as Standard Oil of New Jersey, and as it acquired other Standard Oil-heritage companies, they shortened it in 1932.

59. Date: SEE.

60. Brief interjections: UMS.

61. Challenge for a stylist: MOP.  1 : an implement made of absorbent material fastened to a handle and used especially for cleaning floors. 2 : something that resembles a mop especially : a thick mass of hair.


We traveled all over and I had fun without swearing, which is always good on Friday. Thank you Mark  and keep those chemicals coming. Come by and say hello. Happy birthday Harper and many more. Lemonade out.

P.S. I have been debating if a bigger grid would be a good thing; what do you think?

Thursday, September 27th 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme:  Golf Fever - it's the Ryder Cup beginning tomorrow, Tiger's back to winning ways, and we have an aptly-timed theme for this Thursday.

1A. *Top selection: TEE SHIRT. You can't wear a t-shirt to play golf on most courses in the UK, they're very sniffy about dress code. You used to not be able to wear sneakers, but now that all the latest golf shoes look like sneakers, it mush be causing must angst and "what is the world coming to?" wailings from the old buffers in the clubhouse.

Nike have recently been dressing Tiger and Rory McIlroy in collarless shirts - I wonder if they'd be tossed off the course? I highly doubt it.

22A. *Preliminary sketch: ROUGH OUTLINE

36A. *Overly defensive stance: BUNKER MENTALITY. Bunkers on golf courses were originally natural depressions in the links that sheep used to scratch out to huddle from the wind whipping in over the dunes.

45A. *Newbie: GREEN RECRUIT

63A. *Stud poker element: HOLE CARD. From whence "ace in the hole".

and the unifier:

54D. What a sequence of single strokes from the start of each starred answer to the next often adds up to: PAR.

So, on a par-4 golf hole, you skew a tee shot into the rough, muscle it out into a bunker, splash a sand wedge onto the green and make the putt. Not a bad par save.

I once played a par 4 when my ball never even touched the grass. I teed it up, drove straight into a bunker, found a greenside bunker with the next shot and chipped straight into the hole without touching the green. Sheer fluke. I bought drinks.

Nice go from Jeffrey, slick work with the stacked 8's and 6's top and bottom and solid themage. Nothing particularly to cringe about in the fill either.

Let's examine further:

Across:

9. Bring pleasure (to): APPEAL

15. Horror film line that usually gets its speaker in trouble: I'LL GO SEE

16. With conviction: FIRMLY

17. Final Yahtzee roll, e.g.: LAST TURN. Took me a moment. The player who rolls "Yahtzee" has the final roll of the game.

18. Defies: FLOUTS. One of those words often mis-replaced, in "flouts" case by "flaunts".

19. Omaha-to-Milwaukee dir.: ENE

20. Epidermal flaw: ZIT

21. Its practice doesn't make it perfect: LAW. Odd clue, I think I must be missing something punny about "perfect" law?

28. Cowboy leggings: CHAPS

30. Quite small: WEE

31. __ culpa: MEA. My bad!

32. Indian noblewoman: RANI

33. Utopia: EDEN

35. Degrees of creativity, briefly: BFA'S. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. Two or more of these degrees are BFA's, two or more degree holders are Bachelors of Fine Arts - what would they be - B's.F.A? We should be told.

39. Track calculation: ODDS

40. Very long time: EONS

41. Support for a stroller: CANE

42. Seminarian's subj.: REL. Not nuclear physics? I'm surprised.

43. __ bran: OAT

44. Stun gun brand: TASER

49. Kareem, once: LEW. Lew Alcindor, UCLA basketball legend. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as an LA Laker.

50. Interoffice PC connection: LAN. Local Area Network.

51. Vehicle that really moves?: VAN

54. Canal zone: PANAMA

57. "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" trilogy author: ANNE RICE. I'd not heard of the trilogy, but it didn't take me long to slot her name in. I read her "Interview with a Vampire" and loved it.

60. Video game figure: AVATAR

61. Agonize about: STEW OVER

62. Deal with a bounced email: RE-SEND

Down:

1. Roofing unit: TILE

2. Vigorous spirit: ELAN

3. "Got anything __?": ELSE

4. Mil. three-striper: SGT.

5. High on the Scoville scale: HOT. Chili heat scale. I've got some fresh ghost peppers in the fridge, I chop them wearing latex gloves. They are not to be messed with!

6. Rodeos, e.g.: ISUZUS. Made me pause for a few seconds. It's an SUV from Isuzu.

7. Equip anew: RE-RIG. A couple of "re"-dos today.

8. Back nine opener: TENTH. More golf!

9. Wealthy: AFFLUENT

10. "Ecce homo" speaker: PILATE. "Behold the man".

11. Hunt stealthily: PROWL. Here, Kitty Kitty!

12. Source of lean red meat: EMU.

13. PC key: ALT

14. Fleur in heraldry: LYS. Lys vs. Lis. Let the debate re-begin.

22. Assigns relative value to: RANKS

23. Mayberry kid: OPIE

24. 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Terrell: OWENS. Known simply as "T-O" for a lot of his career.

25. "It's just a scratch": I'M FINE. I remember reading a quote from a claim form submitted to an Australian auto insurance company. "I told the other motorist I was not injured, but on removing my hat I discovered I had fractured my skull". There's stoic for you.

26. Not as messy: NEATER

27. "Nothing to it!": EASY

28. Less refined: CRUDER

29. Deal with: HANDLE

33. Put on quite an act: EMOTE

34. Cubs' digs: DEN

35. Heck of a party: BLAST

36. Swedish tennis great: BORG. Björn. He was fast around the court. I hear he was "Björn To Run".

37. Astern: REARWARD

38. Amazon berry: ACAI

43. Kind of band: ONE-MAN

44. Mine feature: TUNNEL

46. Please mightily: ELATE

47. Be at loggerheads: CLASH

48. Cost: RAN TO

51. Brawny rival: VIVA. I get Brawny from Costco. They do the job for me. I do go through a lot of them, though.

52. Big name in PCs: ACER

53. Bookish sort: NERD

55. Thoroughfare: Abbr.: AVE.

56. "Life Is Good" rapper: NAS. Grammy Award-nominated album in 2013.

58. Farm girl: EWE

59. Dungeons & Dragons bird: ROC. Muscle car: I-ROC. Fast food billionaire: KROC. LA-based music station: K-ROQ.

Rocking or not, here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme:  SPELL IT OUT. Otherwise unrelated answers each contain a stand-alone letter.  These letters, taken in order, spell a word.

20. *Niacin and riboflavin: B VITAMINS.   A class of water soluble, chemically distinct naturally occurring compounds, often found together in the same foods.

28. *Twenty Questions question: WHO AM I?  Animal, vegetable or mineral.

36. *Earth, Wind & Fire hit album whose title means "everything considered": ALL  'N ALL.  Their 8th studio album, released in 1977, which was certified triple platinum in the U. S.

43. *Fighter pilot's sensation: G FORCE. A measurement of the type of acceleration that causes a perception of weight. 

47. *Bravura performance reaction, briefly: STANDING O.  The audience shows their appreciation with a STANDING OVATION.

46. Winning exclamation aptly arranged and spelled by the standalone letters in the answers to starred clues: BINGO.  Also a classic game in which sections of a 5x5 matrix printed on a card are covered with tiles in designated patterns.  The first person to achieve the desired pattern shouts, "BINGO." and receives a prize.  There are many variations.

BINGO

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here.  I'm not the greatest speller, but I think I can get us through this.  Note that the stand alone letters alternate from beginning to end of the fill, except for the middle one, where it is in the middle.  Nice touch! Now, let's sit for a spell, and see how we can do filling in our 15 x 15 matrix.

Across:

1. Muslim pilgrimage: HAJJ.  A pilgrimage to Mecca in the last month of the year, a goal for every Muslim.

5. Made docile: TAMED.

10. Valley with a Wine Train: NAPA.  In California

14. Melville's "Typee" sequel: OMOO.  Both novels are narratives of adventures in the south Pacific, based on the author's experiences.

15. Limber: AGILE.  Lithe and flexible.

16. Malicious: EVIL.   Characterized by bad intent

17. Bandit band: GANG.   Or crossword puzzle solvers - right, gang?

18. Jackrabbits, e.g.: HARES.  Leporids in the same family as rabbits, having characteristically longer ears.

 Albrecht Dürer, 1502.

19. Minimum __: WAGE.  The least amount an employer can legally pay a full time employee per hour of work.

23. 7UP competitor since 1961: SPRITE.  Lemon-lime flavored soft drinks.

25. Harbinger: OMEN. An OMEN is an event of prophetic significance.  A harbinger announces or precedes the arrival of something.  Not equivalent at all.

29. "I could be wrong": MAYBE NOT.

33. Knocks firmly: RAPS.  As on a door.

34. Pseudonym: FALSE NAME.   Like, for instance - JazzBumpa.

35. Part of LACMA: ART.  Los Angeles County Museum of ART.

38. "Nothing to shout about": MEH.  Reaction to mediocrity.

39. Some llama herders: PERUVIANS.  In the Andes Mountains of South America.

41. Nuclear reactor component: CORE.  The location in the reactor containing the fuel components and where the nuclear reactions occur, generating heat.

42. Ceylon, now: SRI LANKA.  An island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean, famous for it ancient Buddhist ruins.

45. Kikkoman sauces: SOYS.  A liquid condiment made of soy beans, grains, and brine, fermented with an aspergillus fungus.

46. Medical lab specimen: BIOPSY.  A tissue sample examined to detect the presence of a disease.

51. Copies: APES.  Mimics.

54. Pogo stick sound: BOING.  Sound of a spring recoiling.

55. Pac-12 team since 2011: UTES.  University of Utah.

59. Mule team beam: YOKE.  A brace joining a pair of animals across the neck and shoulder area so that they can pull a load together.

60. The way we word: USAGE.  The habitual or normal practices in spoken and written language, such as not using the word "word" as a verb.

61. Snapper rival: TORO.  Lawn and garden tools.

62. Baaing mas: EWES.  Mothers of lambs.

63. Domingo, for one: TENOR.  José Plácido Domingo Embil, [b 1941] known as Plácido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, conductor and arts administrator.

64. Whack: STAB.   Emulate Lizzie Borden

Down:

1. Ungenerous sort: HOG.  One who wants it all.  The opposite of 23 D.

2. Physicians' gp.: AMA.  American Medical Association.

3. Trevor's predecessor on "The Daily Show": JON. Messrs. Noah and Stewart, respectively.

4. Women's sportswear: JOG BRAS.  Sturdier than the normal bra, they prevent movement and reduce the potential for damage to chest ligaments during vigorous physical activity.

5. South Seas island: TAHITI.  Shaped like a figure 8, it is the largest island in French Polynesia.

6. Striped quartz: AGATE.  A silicate rock containing mixtures of different crystal structures and physical forms, often with a variety of colors. 

7. Actress Sorvino: MIRA.  Mira Katherine Sorvino [b 1967] has won both Academy and Golden Globe awards.

She too

8. Grade sch. level: ELEMentary, my dear Watson.

9. Lucie's dad: DESI. Arnaz.

But who was her mom?

10. Rather and Cronkite: NEWSMEN.  TV news journalists.

11. Gardner of the silver screen: AVA. Ava Lavinia Gardner [1922-1990] was an American actress and singer.  She was nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards, but never won.

Wikipedia

12. Sty denizen: PIG.  Farm animal, also, another name for 1 D.

13. Tavern offering: ALE.

21. Vitality: VIM. Vigor's partner.

22. Prestigious prize: NOBEL.  Established by the will of Swedish scientist Alfred NOBEL and first awarded in 1901.  Prizes are offered annually in six categories for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics (since 1969), and the promotion of peace

23. They're not selfish: SHARERS.  Opposites of 1 D and 12 D.

24. The Supremes, e.g.: POP TRIO.  Group of 3 singers performing commercial popular music.

26. Captivates: ENAMORS.  To attract and hold attention vs to fill with feelings of love.  Not a good match.

27. What the ruthless show: NO MERCY.  Or what a crossword blogger might show for inexact cluing.

28. Gets a present ready to present: WRAPS.  Uses tape and decorative paper.

29. Exodus sustenance: MANNA. An edible substance miraculously supplied to the Israelites during their 40 year ravels in the desert.

30. "That's a shame": ALAS.  An expression of grief, pity or concern.

31. Fashion initials: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent.  I've never seen the appeal of wearing clothing with somebody else's initials on them.

32. Giggle: TEHEE.  Comic book laugh.

34. Reactive criticism: FLAK.  A hard time given to someone, perhaps with NO MERCY.

36. Salt's "Halt!": AVAST.  Stop or cease, generally associated with a naval context.

37. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN. [b 1980]

40. Once-banned James Joyce novel: ULYSSES.  I'm not sure why anyone thought it would be necessary to ban a book that is so unreadable.

41. Weak excuses: COP OUTS.  More generally, taking an easy way out of difficult situations.

43. __ snap: GINGER.  A sharply flavored cookie made with GINGER.

These are awesome

44. Mariner's hazard: FOG.  Impairs visibility.

48. Adjoin: ABUT.  To touch or lean upon.

49. Bridge site: NOSE.  This is the bony upper part of the NOSE, above the nostrils, where eyeglasses rest.

50. Primatologist Fossey: DIAN.  [1932-1985] An American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups from 1966 until her death. 

51. Pro vote: AYE.  All in favor  .  .  .

52. Comics punch sound: POW.  Sometimes KA-POW, or BANG.

53. Scrape (out): EKE.  To just manage to get by in some tough situation.

56. Little kid: TOT. A small child, possibly a moppet.

57. Historical period: ERA.  A distinct time with particular identifying characteristics.

58. Cry out loud: SOB.  Wah!

And so we reach the end of another Wednesday.  Were you spell-bound?

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, September 25, 2018 C.C. Burnikel

"Broken Promise"

16. Player getting paid: PRO ATHLETE.

23. "Wait just a minute!": WHOA THERE.

46. Docking aids: BOAT HOOKS.

53. Closet accessory: COAT HANGER.

32. Unfulfilled campaign pledge ... and a hint to what 16-, 23-, 46- and 53-Across all contain: BROKEN PROMISE.

Oath is broken in each answer.   When I first edited the review, I noticed that the first answer had the break after the first letter, the second answer after the second letter, the third answer after the third letter.  I was momentarily disappointed that the fourth answer wasn't broken after the fourth letter.  Then quickly realized that if it had been, then oath wouldn't have been broken.  Very nice puzzle C.C. !

"You made me promises promises
Knowing I'd believe
Promises promises
You knew you'd never keep " - Naked Eyes, 1983 -  British synthopop.

Across:

1. The one here: THIS.   The one there: That.   Neither one: Other.

5. Group of cronies: GANG.   Group of crones: Hags.

9. Natural wound protection: SCAB. 

13. Discard: DUMP.  In computing,  a dump (as a noun) is the contents of a storage area, especially after a system failure.  As a verb it means to store to another location, such as another library, volume,  disk or other media.   So, as Ol' Man Keith was commenting about on Friday's blog, a contronym, because dump = discard,  and dump = store.   Probably not as common as cleave.

14. Prohibited activity: TABOO.

15. "What a shame!": OH NO.

18. Sound from a snout: OINK.

19. Counsel: ADVISE.

20. "Am I the only one?": IS IT ME ? 

22. Move stealthily: SLINK.  I think of cats.  And ninjas. 

26. "Told you": SEE. 

27. Rogers Centre city: TORONTO. A gimme for Canadian Eh.

29. Oil field sight: RIG.

30. Cartographer's dot, maybe: ISLET.

31. Food truck snack: TACO.

37. James of "The Godfather": CAAN.  Plays the role of Sonny Corleone.  Spoiler alert:  He gets offed.  Michael Corleone becomes the Don and avenges his brother's death.   The Godfather has been the top rated film of all time in many polls, but so have GWTW, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Vertigo. 

38. Herbert Hoover, by birth: IOWAN.  31st President.  You can read about him at History.com 

39. O'Hare's airport code: ORD.  O'Hare was originally Orchard Field.

40. Great pains: AGONIES.

43. Bobs and waves: DOs.  Hairstyles.  Short for hairdos.

48. "Rashomon" director Kurosawa: AKIRA.  The Rashomon Effect

50. Christmas door decoration: WREATH.

51. Health facility: CLINIC.

52. Tech sch. grad: ENGR.  Yours truly. 

56. "Start __": Rolling Stones hit: ME UP.   1981 Pop Rock hit single from the album Tattoo You.


57. Mandel of "America's Got Talent": HOWIE.  A gimme for Bill G and Lemonade.

'America's Got Talent' Judge Howie Mandel Defends Courtney Hadwin

58. Melody: TUNE.  That girl can sing.  As can Kellie Pickler.  For those that don't solve the Saturday puzzles, take a look at Husker Gary's review and watch, as he so aptly wrote, "Her heartwarming backstory, American Idol audition and emotional reaction".

59. Coffee servers: URNS.

60. "If I may intrude ... ": AHEM.  "Ahem, this review is getting to be too long."

61. Founded, as a co.: ESTD.

Down:

1. QB-to-receiver six-pointer: TD PASS.  QB = Quarterback and TD = Touchdown.  "A touchdown is worth six points, and is scored when a team crosses the opposition's goal line with the ball, or catches or collects the ball in the end zone."  Topend Sports - Football Basics

2. Running track obstacle: HURDLE.  In preseason practice, Coach Carlson said I had the best form on the freshman track team.  I placed last in the first meet.  Ran the "2 mile" in meets after that. Never won at that event either. 

3. Apple video-editing app: IMOVIE.

4. Madrid's country: SPAIN.   Madrid is the third largest city in the European Union.

5. 128 fl. oz.: GAL. 

6. Grandpa Simpson: ABE.  Abraham Jedediah Simpson II  Click his name to read about him at Fandom.



7. Vague idea: NOTION.

8. Charges toward: GOES AT.

9. Apt Shakespearean rhyme for "truth": SOOTH.

10. Fire-breathing monsters: CHIMERAs. 

11. "Interview With the Vampire" novelist: ANNE RICE.  Click her name to read a summary about her at Britannica.com.

12. __ choy: stir-fry veggie: BOK.

14. With 37-Down, what corn is on: THE and  (37. See 14-Down): COB.  Four Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob - Wikihow

17. "For shame!": TSK TSK.

21. Skater Midori: ITO.


23. Little songbird: WREN.

24. Color of some Hello Kitty products: HOT PINK.

25. Self-esteem: EGO.

28. Fútbol cheer: OLE.

30. Charged particle: ION.

31. Altoids container: TIN.  Also, our hypocorism for Tinbeni.

32. Saloonkeeper: BAR OWNER.  e.g. Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke, or Moe on The Simpsons.

33. Trooper's speed-checking device: RADAR GUN.

34. Versailles rulers, once: ROIs.

35. Have bills to pay: OWE.

36. Indian spice blend: MASALA.

40. Finder's cry: AHA.

41. "Fooled you!": GOTCHA.

42. Overeager student's cry: OOH OOH.  Obligatory Horshack:


43. Thingamajig: DINGUS.  Gadget.  Thingamabob.  Whatchamacallit.  Gizmo.  Doodad.  Doohickey.  You know what I'm talking about ?  

44. Set in the right direction: ORIENT.

45. Like some cows and vows: SACRED.

47. Maryland team, briefly: TERPS.  The Maryland Terrapins of the B1G conference.  Stylized logo of the Big 10 Conference that has 14 universities as members.  Take the link to see who they are.

49. "Roots" role Kunta __: KINTE.

51. Rebel Guevara: CHE.  Spent a couple of hours reading and learning about him.

52. Big bird from Down Under: EMU.

54. Stunned state: AWE.

55. Comical Conway: TIM.  Played Ensign Parker on McHales Navy.  He was a guest on a Johnny Carson rerun early Sunday morning. 

Monday September 24, 2018 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: Unless I miss something, it's just a set of "What To What" answers.

17. How canvassers usually work: DOOR TO DOOR.

27. How page-turners are often read: COVER TO COVER.

48. How apartment leases sometimes run: MONTH TO MONTH.

62. How pistol duelers typically stand: BACK TO BACK.

Boomer here.  

My feel good story of the week.  I help coach the varsity and JV bowling teams of my alma mater high school.  We have four members who are on student visas from China, so I asked C.C. if she could give me a "Nice shot" or "Way to go" in Chinese language.  C.C. gave me a short phrase that sounds like "hen hoa" and I used it a few times and you should see the smiles I lit on the young folks faces. (They also won their first match on Friday).

Across:

 

1. Answer with attitude: SASS.

5. Female WWII gp.: WAAC.  This is the Women's Army corps.  They dropped the A for Auxillary sometime after WWII. 

9. Ink cartridge color: CYAN. A fancy name for Turquoise.

13. " ... calm, __ bright": "Silent Night": ALL IS.  If you had trouble with this clue, you have no mistletoe in your home.

15. Stone of "La La Land": EMMA.

16. Revolutionary spy Nathan: HALE. He was hanged by the British during the Revolutionary War.

19. Correct a script, say: EDIT.

20. Satisfied sounds: AHS.  The sound you may hear when new Vikings kicker Dan Bailey kicks a field goal.

21. Golf's "Big Easy" Ernie: ELS.  High trains in Chicago.

22. Raised-baton strokes, in music: UPBEATS.  I would much rather have upbeats than be beat up.

24. Sauce with falafel: TAHINI.

26. Desk tray words: IN OUT.  Yes and no matter what, "IN" always has a higher pile.

32. Prop for Chaplin: CANE. "Ain't no more cane on the Brazos, we done ground it all in molasses, Oh, Oh, Oh."

35. Lodge logo animal: ELK.  A brotherhood organizations that advances organized youth activities, And a good place to buy pull tabs.

36. Total failures: LOSERS.  Those who bought pull tabs at the Elks Lodge.

37. Novelist Tolstoy: LEO.  Not to be confused with Sven's buddy "Ole".

38. Tallahassee sch.: FSU.

40. Thanksgiving mo.: NOV.  Sometimes Monday clues are easy,  Oops, I said that last week.

41. Blows volcano-style: ERUPTS.

45. "Double Fantasy" collaborator Yoko: ONO.  Oh No, Why is her surname not Lennon.

47. At the peak of: ATOP.  Old Smokey was covered with snow.

51. Prepare (oneself), as for a jolt: BRACE.

52. Hebrew greeting: SHALOM.  Sometimes good by or Peace.

56. "Definitely!": NO DOUBT.

59. "__ the ramparts ... ": OER. "Were so gallantly streaming."

60. Org. that publishes the newsletter GoGreen!: EPA.  Had some problems this year.  Director Pruitt considered the US Treasury his personal bank account.

61. Fictional estate near Atlanta: TARA.

65. Close tightly: SHUT.

66. At any time: EVER.

67. Count who composed "One O'Clock Jump": BASIE.

68. Depresses, with "out": BUMS.  Mindful of the old Brooklyn Dodgers.

69. Boxer Oscar __ Hoya: DELA.  I never was a boxing fan, but I have heard of Oscar.

70. Catches on to: GETS.

Down:

1. 1978 Egyptian co-Nobelist Anwar: SADAT.

2. "Welcome to Maui!": ALOHA. In Hawaii, I believe this greeting is similar to "Shalom".

3. Wade noisily: SLOSH.

4. Round Table title: SIR.  "To Sir with Love", Sidney Poitier grossed over $42 Million.

5. Ties the knot: WEDS.

6. Latin "I love": AMO.  I think that was the first Latin I ever learned, but I did not love it.

7. Invoice figure: AMOUNT.

8. Use the HOV lane: CARPOOL.

9. Frito-Lay snacks with a speedy cat mascot: CHEETOS.  The punch line in a lot of "turned orange" jokes.

10. When said thrice, "and so on": YADA.  Did "Seinfeld" start this or just make it popular??

11. Touched down: ALIT.  So if Tom Brady completes a pass in the end zone, is it alit?

12. Hockey targets: NETS.  Also basketballs, soccer balls, and butterflies.

14. Courtroom transcript pro: STENO.

18. Antipasto morsel: OLIVE. Ms. Oyl, Popeye's girlfriend.

23. Osso __: veal dish: BUCO.

25. Cooler cubes: ICE.  Sheets for Zamboni to repair every 20 minutes.

26. Annoying: IRKSOME.

28. Keebler sprite: ELF. A good old Santa helper.

29. Blow off steam: VENT.

30. Suffix with switch: EROO

31. Answer the invite, briefly: RSVP.  French acronym for "Are you coming or not?"

32. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM.  I miss "Ol Red.  He was a classic entertainer.

33. Prefix with dynamic: AERO.

34. Grammar, grammatically, e.g.: NOUN. Knock, Knock, "Who's there? … No Un.

39. Crazy Eights cousin: UNO.

42. WWII vessels: PT BOATS. Most famous was JFK's PT109

43. No __ traffic: THRU.  Turn around.

44. Pierced with a fork: STABBED.  Met her on a mountain, there I took here life.  Hang down your head Tom Dooley.

46. Initial stage: ONSET.

47. "Eureka!": AHA.

49. E to E, in music: OCTAVE.  So an Octave is eight notes, and an octagon has eight sides.  So why is October the tenth month?

50. Pulsate: THROB.  Be still my heart.

53. Car dealer's offering: LEASE.  Sometimes this will fit your budget better than a purchase, but it usually better for the dealer than the consumer.

54. Ref. to a prior ref.: OP CIT.

55. Manufactures: MAKES.  Sometimes I manufacture a mess.

56. Govt. accident investigator: NTSB.

57. Island near Maui: OAHU. Island location of Pearl Harbor.  I lived through the assassination of JFK, and 9/11/2001.  I was not yet born on December 7, 1941, and happy to say.

58. Percussion instrument: DRUM.  Come they told him pa rum pa pum pum.

59. Pod in gumbo: OKRA.

63. "Snow White" collectible: CEL.

64. Grocery sack: BAG.  Paper or plastic?  Some cities are now prohibiting plastic bags. All Right!  Back to the fifties!!

Boomer

Sunday September 23, 2018 Gail Grabowski

Theme:  "Go Figure"- ADD spans across each theme entry.

23. Usually retrospective assessment: BAD DECISION.

25. Cop (to), as a lesser charge: PLEAD DOWN.

35. Brazen crime time: BROAD DAYLIGHT.

46. It's often designed to rise: BREAD DOUGH.

65. South Beach, say: FAD DIET.

79. Tire measurement that can be checked by the "penny test": TREAD DEPTH.

92. Place to buy a train ticket: RAILROAD DEPOT.

106. Buffet stack item: SALAD DISH.

Reveal:

108. Combine ... and a hint to what's hidden in eight long answers: ADD TOGETHER

This puzzle has a perfect reveal and perfect title!

Gail is my crossword hero. Her themes are always so simple yet never-been-done. So much hard work and thorough Cruciverb database search behind Gail's puzzles.

Across:

1. Abacus unit: BEAD. I'm probably the only one who used abacus in primary school.

5. Brother of Lucrezia Borgia: CESARE. Wiki says "Lucrezia Borgia was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei."

11. Lipstick shade: RUBY.

15. Insignificant: MERE.

19. Drivetrain component: AXLE.

20. Rhododendron variety: AZALEA. Augusta!

21. Sport with masks: EPEE.

22. "Cake Boss" competitor, at times: ICER.

27. Service that manages network messages: EMAIL HOST. So who hosts Gmail?

28. Ingenuous one: NAIF.

29. Kemper who plays Kimmy Schmidt: ELLIE.

30. Feed a line: CUE.

31. "About time!": AT LAST.

34. Grabs with a toothpick: SPEARS.

40. Palate-cleansing serving: SHERBET. Never had sherbet.

41. Way to go: ROUTE.

42. Winds into rings: COILS.

43. Common scale extreme: TEN. Oh, on a scale of one to ten.

44. Cathedral section: APSE.

45. Shade of pink: CORAL.

53. Pull in: NET.

54. Zebra mom: MARE.

55. Sound quality?: SANITY. Nice clue.

57. First Nations tribe: CREE.

58. Cash or credit, e.g.: NOUN. NOUN and VERB are always fun to clue.

59. California county or its seat: NAPA. Also the cabbage in Kimchi.

60. Pub orders: STEINS.

62. Kilt features: PLEATS.

68. Ribs: TEASES.

69. It isn't negotiable: SET FEE.

70. "That's not true!": LIAR.

71. Go over: SPAN.

72. Barcelona-born muralist: SERT. MIRO too.

73. Lightly washed: RINSED.

75. Comedy club sound: ROAR.

76. Old school dance: HOP.

82. "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" author: EBERT.

84. "Arbitrage" actor: GERE.

85. Apples run on it: IOS.

86. Bush, for one: PLANT. Great mislead.

87. Where van Gogh painted "Sunflowers": ARLES. We have this on our wall.

88. Letter writing, sadly: LOST ART.

95. Fifth-century conqueror: ATTILA.

96. Washington airport: SEA-TAC. Seattle–Tacoma.

97. Sushi bar offering: ROE.

98. Put away for later: STORE.

99. Unveiling shout: TA DA.

100. Showbiz honors: OSCAR NODS. Sparkly fill.

110. Had to fork over: OWED.

111. Letters before a viewpoint: IMHO.

112. Lowlife, slangily: CREEPO.

113. Actress Watson: EMMA. Argyle loved her.

114. Pollster's enc.: SASE. I do take on-line poll from time to time. Not other forms.

115. Ravioli filling: MEAT.

116. "Hear me out": LISTEN.

117. Resale caveat: AS IS.

Down:

1. Sonny & Cher's "I Got You __": BABE.

2. Class struggle?: EXAM. Another fun clue.

3. "Same Time, Next Year" actor: ALDA.

4. Inscribe personally: DEDICATE.

5. Hidden: CACHED.

6. Basso Pinza: EZIO.

7. Fresh words: SASS.

8. Carrier with a hub in Fiumicino: ALITALIA. Fiumicino is the home of  Da Vinci Airport. Learning moment for me.

9. 1906 Runabout, e.g.: REO. Looks like this.

10. Suffix with Jacob: EAN.

11. Meal: REPAST.

12. Illuminated indirectly: UP-LIT.

13. Complaint: BEEF.

14. Word of support: YEA.

15. "The Rose" singer: MIDLER.

16. Big name in food safety: ECOLAB. Headquartered here in St. Paul, Minnesota.

17. Do some electrical updating: REWIRE.

18. Gallo family brother: ERNEST.

24. Lose, as a tail: ELUDE.

26. Be contingent (on): DEPEND.

28. "Doubt it": NAH.

32. Cash holders: TILLS.

33. Some HDTVs: LGS.

34. Place for a rototiller: SHED. This "roto" makes me sad. Don't ever use Roto-Rooter!

35. Fiber source: BRAN.

36. Boxing ring boundary: ROPE.

37. Kick out: OUST.

38. Nut with a hat: ACORN. Such a visual clue.

39. Time long past: YORE.

40. Stick it out: STAY.

45. Protest principle: CAUSE.

46. __ B'rith: B'NAI.

47. Smelly: RIPE.

48. Nouveau-Mexique, par exemple: ETAT.

49. Vast expanse: OCEAN.

50. "Topaz" novelist: URIS (Leon)

51. Code carrier: GENE.

52. Company with toy trucks: HESS.

54. Sunbeam floater: MOTE.

56. Watts at a keyboard: ANDRE.

58. 1990s trade acronym: NAFTA.

60. Annual parade VIP: ST PAT.

61. Sign of remorse: TEAR.

62. Subtle summons: PSST.

63. Look the wrong way?: LEER.

64. Raison d'__: ETRE.

65. Wig out: FLIP.

66. "It __ Necessarily So": Gershwin song: AIN'T.

67. Smidgen: DASH.

71. More or less, informally: SORTA.

73. Interval of inactivity: REST.

74. "Don't You Know?" singer Reese: DELLA.

75. City near the California-Nevada border: RENO.

76. Pitch in: HELP.

77. Cookie with a Thins Bites variety: OREO. Look at these new flavors in Asia.

78. Bug or brat: PEST.

80. Increased in intensity, with "up": DIALED.

81. Kid-vid explorer: DORA.

83. Lines at the grocery: BAR CODES.

84. Beverage with antioxidants: GREEN TEA. And 92. Sizzling: RED HOT.

86. Sizable hole: PIT.

87. Really fancy: ADORE. Verb "fancy".

88. Catchers on the range: LASSOS.

89. North American capital, or its river: OTTAWA.

90. Some wraps: STOLES.

91. Vehement speech: TIRADE.

93. Battery choice: AAA.

94. Jackie Paper's imaginary friend is one: DRAGON. "Puff, the Magic Dragon".

96. Recent White House daughter: SASHA.

99. Smartphone display: TIME. I chuckled reading last Sunday's comments. Those who still own flip phones are super-cool. Like Irish Miss, Yuval Noah Harari does not even own a cell phone.

101. Newsroom cancellation: STET.

102. Roll with the punches: COPE. Boomer still coaches the kids at his old high school despite his intense back pain. He's just incredible. 

103. Electrical units: OHMS.

104. Patrick's "Ghost" co-star: DEMI. The unforgettable "Ditto".  I like "As You Wish" better though.

105. Ladies of Sp.: SRAS.

107. Barely lit: DIM.

108. Knee injury initials: ACL.

109. Nike's __-FIT fabric: DRI.