Tuesday, June 18, 2019, Jeff Stillman

Something's Rotten in Puzzledom!  The last word of each theme answer can describe something that has SPOILED, or gone bad.

20-Across. *  Do something in a whole new way: BREAK THE MOLD.

While we don't want mold on our food or in our houses, Penicillin mold actually has therapeutic benefits.

34-Across.  *  Clever twists in a story: NEW WRINKLES.

41-Across *  Depressed, colorfully: IN A BLUE FUNK.

51-Across.  Movie reviewer's warning ... or what the last words of each starred answer can be?:  SPOILER ALERT.

Across:

1. Gallery event: SHOW.

George Rodrigue (Mar. 13, 1944 ~ Dec. 14, 2013)

5. 24 Hours of Le __: auto race: MANS.  The Le Mans is an auto endurance event.  The 87th race took place just this past weekend ~ Saturday, June 15 to Sunday, June 16, 2019.  Fernando Alonso's  Toyota team won for the second consecutive year.

9. Out in front: AHEAD.

14. __ Field: Mets' ballpark: CITI.

15. Frantically: AMOK.  Amok also a style of steam cooking in southeast Asia.  It is a traditional dish in Cambodia.

16. Prom queen's crown: TIARA.  Also the headgear of married royals, or maybe not.

17. Geological age: AEON.  A long, long time.

18. 10-Down princess: RANI.  //  And 10-Down: Diwali celebrant = HINDU.  Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and is a very important celebration.

19. Chipped in a chip: ANTED.  Think of playing a game of poker.

23. Chinese-born architect I.M. __: PEI.  I.M. Pei (né Ieoh Ming Pei; Apr. 26, 1917 ~ May 16, 2019) died just last month at age 102.  He was a very innovative architect.

24. Semisoft cheeses: GOUDAs.  Gouda is a mild cheese from the Netherlands, often wrapped in red wax.

28. Accomplish: ATTAIN.

31. Fish caught in pots: EELS.

33. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP.  Also the brand of a very expensive, luxury pen.

36. Sched. uncertainty: TBA.  As in To Be Announced.  It could just as easily have been TBD, which stands for To Be Determined.

37. Club used for chipping: IRON.  As in a golf club, not to be confused with a Flat Iron, which could help with today's WRINKLES.

38. Narc's org.: DEA.  As in the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is housed within the United States Department of Justice.

39. "Beauty __ the eye ... ": IS IN.

40. Line of work: Abbr.: OCC.  As in an Occupation.

45. Teachers' org.: NEA.  As in the National Education Association.

46. Like dried soil: CAKY.  More often this would be spelled as Cakey, but both are acceptable.

47. Dictation takers: STENOs.  Short for Steographer.  This is probably an occupation that is pretty much obsolete now.  There are still court reporters, but even they used electronic recordings.

48. Bourbon __: STREET.  New Orleans' most infamous street.

50. Summer in Lyon: ÉTÉ.  Today's French lesson.

58. "Prince Valiant" queen: ALETA.  Prince Valiant was a comic strip created in 1937 set in the days of King Arthur's England.  Apparently, Aleta was the love interest of Prince Valiant.

61. Most burger meat: BEEF.  Non-beef burgers are becoming trendy.

62. Scottish hillside: BRAE.  Today's Scottish lesson.

63. Trig function: COSEC.  Raise your hand if you remember all the trig functions from high school geometry.  Cosec is the abbreviation for Cosecant.  It's the reciprocal of sine.  I'm sure that clears things up.

64. Slight advantage: EDGE.

65. Not supportin': AGIN'.

66. Smooth and glossy: SLEEK.

67. Shock, as a perp: TASE.

Anatomy of a Taser®.

68. Doofus: DOLT.  Anyone else remember the old Goofus and Gallant cartoons instructing children on manners?  Goofus was a Doofus.

Down:

1. Natural wound protection: SCAB.

2. Yesterday, on the French Riviera: HIER.  More of today's French lesson.  Today is aujourd'hui, and tomorrow is demain.

3. Native Nebraskan: OTOE.

4. Capture the first piece in chess, typically: WIN A PAWN.

5. Bond order: MARTINI.  Shaken, not stirred.

6. Indian nurse: AMAH.  This word used to be a crossword staple.

7. __ of the above: NONE.

8. Take off the top: SKIM.

9. Completely flummoxed: AT A LOSS.

11. Consume: EAT.

12. "We __ Marshall": 2006 football drama: ARE.  Matthew McConaughey was one of the stars in the movie.

13. Pop: DAD.

21. Actor Dullea of "2001" films: KEIR.  The name Keir Dullea (b. May 30, 1936) did not immediately come to mind, but he played the astronaut Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

22. Look at creepily: OGLE.

25. Nissan brand relaunched in 2013: DATSUN.

26. One lacking pigment: ALBINO.  When I was in grade school, we learned about Snowflake, the albino gorilla.  He lived in the Barcelona zoo from the time he was a youngster until his death in 2003.  He was believed to have been about 40 years old at the time of his death.

27. Swats on the rear: SPANKS.

28. Negatively charged particles: ANIONS.

29. Half a sestet, in an Italian sonnet: TERCET.  According to Webster, a Tercet is "one of the two groups of three lines forming the sestet in an Italian sonnet".  All clear?

30. Like a good-sized garage: TWO CAR.  Is your garage attached to your house, or a stand-alone?

31. Barely manage: EKE BY.

32. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL.

35. Fargo's state: Abbr.: N. DAK.  As in North Dakota.  The 1996 movie, Fargo, however, actually took place in Minnesota.

39. Words of regret, perhaps: I FEEL BAD.  The opposite of how James Brown felt.

41. Treatment for swelling: ICE PACK.

42. Defense acronym: NATO.  As in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

43. Highway toll, e.g.: USER FEE.

44. Soul singer James: ETTA.  Etta and I have become good friends.  This is the third time she has been my guest when it's my turn to provide blog commentary.

49. Lauder with fragrances: ESTÉE.  Estée Lauder (née Josephine Esther Mentzer; July 1, 1906 ~ Apr. 24, 2004), was the founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name.

52. "Fat chance": I BET!

53. Mother of Castor and Pollux: LEDA.  They're all Greek to me.

54. Hosp. brain tests: EEGs.  As in the ElectroEncphaloGraphs.  These tests can detect electrical activity in the brain and are useful in diagnosing such things as brain tumors, strokes, and sleep disorders.

55. "Logically, then ... ": ERGO.

56. Train wheel guide: RAIL.

57. Camp shelter: TENT.  Roughing it in the wilderness.

58. Window cooling units, briefly: A/Cs.  As in Air Conditioners.  

59. "Gr8 joke!": LOL.  Textspeak.

60. Legal conclusion?: -ESE.  As in Legalese.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Every great film should seem new every time you see it.  ~ Roger Ebert (né Roger Joseph Ebert; June 18, 1942 ~ Apr. 4, 2013)

Monday, June 17, 2019 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: NO ENTRY (39. "Keep out!" sign ... or, in three parts, each answer to a starred clue)  - Each theme entry is in the pattern of N* O*:

17A. *Home of the NFL's Saints: NEW ORLEANS.

24A. *Dentist's "laughing gas": NITROUS OXIDE.

49. *Admiral, e.g.: NAVAL OFFICER.

 

62A. *Slipping into slumberland: NODDING OFF.

Boomer here. 

NO problem. I lived through another bone strengthener treatment. I assume my bones are stronger but my tee shots are still shorter. Last Saturday was Joe Mauer Day at Target Field and Joe's number 7 was retired by the Minnesota Twins. Well deserved Joe!!  One of my all time favorite players.  I began collecting Joe's baseball cards in 2002 and I own his rookie card as well as about 300 different Mauer cards, including the autographed one below.  

Across:

1. Number-picking bar game: KENO.  A Las Vegas favorite.  Years ago you could enter a casino restaurant and a young lady would take your ticket and money. Then the lighted board near your table would show you how your picks did.  I don't see too many Keno runners in Vegas anymore.

5. Story on a stand: ALIBI.  I didn't do it.  I was playing golf.

10. Smear (on): DAUB.  In some casinos the attendant would daub your Keno number picks.

14. '70s embargo gp.: OPEC.  I don't know about any recent embargo, but gas prices sure go up and down.  Recently, our Minnesota pumps are around $2.55 per gallon.

15. Family car: SEDAN.  Still around but many families now opt for SUVs.

16. Teen's skin woe: ACNE.

19. Cry hard: BAWL.  If you try hard it could be "BOWL"

20. Blue Cross rival: AETNA.

21. URL letters: HTTP.

23. Cartoon frame: CEL.  Some of the older Disney ones are collector's items.

28. Showy houseplant: BEGONIA.

31. Mideast's Dead __: SEA.  Pebble Beach is by the SEA. I saw a lot of SEAls there this past weekend basking and not worried about an errant golf ball.

32. Scent: ODOR.  Jake ODORizzi is performing well for the Twins this year.  Can you say "Cy Young Award"?

33. L.A. commuter org.: MTA.  I thought the MTA was in Boston.  "Let me tell you the story of a man named Charlie on a tragic and fateful day.  He put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and family, went to ride on the MTA."  the Kingston Trio.  - et tu Charlie?

35. Cause increasing bitterness: FESTER.  Reminds me of Uncle Fester on the Addams family.

38. Darth, as a youth: ANI.

41. '90s Indian prime minister: RAO.

42. Sought election to: RAN FOR.  A whole bunch of Democrat candidates are heading for their first debate soon.

44. "Gotcha!": AHA.

45. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

46. Yak it up: GAB.  I wonder if this was Gabby Hayes first name.

47. Insect colony with a queen: ANT NEST.  I have not heard of a queen ant.  I thought it was queen bee.  Then of course Andy Taylor and Opie had an Aunt Bee.

54. Sch. with a Providence campus: URI.

55. Christmas season: YULE.  Don we now our yuletide carols, Fa La La Fa La La La La La.

56. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.  Incredible performer. Holds five Olympic gold medals.

60. Very serious, as straits: DIRE.

65. Shifting choice: GEAR.

66. Take as one's own: CO-OPT.  Not sure I agree with this clue.  Our Homeowners Association is deemed a cooperative.  All they take is our money every month.

67. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

68. She, in Sevilla: ELLA.  I did not know this.  My Grandma's name was Ella.

69. Accounting giant __ & Young: ERNST.

70. Put in a hold: STOW.  Always worry about our luggage when we fly.

Down:

1. Hawaiian coffee region: KONA. Is Hawaiian coffee better than our South American stuff ?  Better than four bucks a cup Starbucks ?

2. Fencing weapon: EPEE.

3. Small salamander: NEWT.  Former House Speaker Mr. Gingrich.

4. Former justice Sandra Day __: O'CONNOR.  Retired from the court in 2006 at age around 75 years old.  Something I might recommend to some of the Geezers on the court now.

5. Syst. for the hearing-impaired: ASL.  What?? Hello??

6. Big name in jeans: LEE.  A big name in jeans was Lee Majors.

7. Montana neighbor: IDAHO.  Montana is a big state with many neighbors.  I wish someone could explain to me how a beautiful and huge state has such a sparse population. I have only been to Billings, but I feel it is a great place to live. Here is C.C. and me on our way to Billings, Montana for the USBC bowling tournament in 2002.

C.C. & Boomer, July 2002, Roosevelt National Park

8. Language of southern Africa: BANTU.

9. MIT and Brookings: INSTS. Located in Washington D.C. but has nothing to do with Brookings S.D. or Mel Brooks.

10. Little bit of gel: DAB. Famous line of Brylcreem.  A little dab will do ya. (If you are a greaser).

11. Giraffes eat its leaves: ACACIA TREE.

12. Not married: UNWED.  AVAILABLE did not fit.

13. Beauty at a ball: BELLE.  Beauty at a ballgame, Joe Mauer, number 7.

18. Reason for a ball game delay: RAIN.  OR 30 minutes of accolades for a former catcher.

22. Giants catcher Buster __: POSEY.  Here's another MLB catcher who may be headed to the Hall of Fame.

25. Island whose eastern half is a sovereign state: TIMOR.

26. Interest percent: RATE.

27. Ballot markings: XES.  In MN, we need to blacken a circle on the ballot.

28. Dull-sounding pig: BOAR.

29. "Show Boat" novelist Ferber: EDNA.

30. Spreading like crazy online: GOING VIRAL. It really appears that Amazon is trying to drive local retail out of business.

34. Santa __ winds: ANA.  Of course there was Santa Anna, a Mexican who led his army to the Alamo and killed Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.  But later, Sam Houston kicked his butt out of Texas so now Desper-otto has a safe place to live.

35. Old Marseille money: FRANC.  I guess it's all euro now.

36. Rabbits have big ones: EARS.  Back in the 50s and early 60s, rabbits had TV antennae named after their ears.

37. Rummage (around): ROOT.  Makes me remember Alex Haley's book and movie.

39. In a gallant manner: NOBLY.

40. Asian takeout option: THAI.

43. U.S. regulating org. with a wing in its logo: FAA. Still wondering what's happening with the 737 MAX.  It's gotta be killing the airlines that own them.  Imagine buying a Cadillac Escalade and being told you cannot drive it because it might crash.

45. Infuriates: ENRAGES.

48. Nashville's st.: TENN.  Home of the Grand Old Opry.

49. Gentle push: NUDGE. New York Yankee Aaron - Here comes the NUDGE, Here comes the NUDGE

50. Cartoon mermaid: ARIEL.

51. Part of a pound: OUNCE.

52. It may be tiled or carpeted: FLOOR. Chairs with wheels do not roll easily on carpeted floors. 

53. Made a meal of: FED ON.

57. Nincompoop: DOLT.

58. "In that case ... ": IF SO.

59. Some: A FEW.  Gesundheit !

61. Horse and buggy __: ERA.  What's wrong with a pitcher's stat??  too easy??

63. Two-outs-in-a-single-AB stats: DPS.  Double plays. Brutal for a hitter.

64. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.  A favorite of crossword constructors.

Boomer

Sunday, June 16, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Low-Tech Glossary"- Punnily rephrasing some computer software terms.
 
23A. Part of a parallel parking lesson?: BACKUP PROCEDURE.

46A. Cookie recipe?: BATCH FILE.

65A. Déjà vu?: VIRTUAL MEMORY.

87A. Spider-Man?: WEB MASTER.

112. What a jittery camera operator may be having?: TROUBLE SHOOTING.

32D. "I'll skip it, thanks"?: PASS WORDS.

35D. Poirot's note-to-self about locating the Orient Express murder weapon?: SEARCH ENGINE.

39D. Meteorologist's rainfall prediction measure?: CLOUD STORAGE.
  
57D. Tide table?: FLOWCHART.

I think there's no extra layer. Just software terms, right? TTP will explain the theme better than I do.

I like how the middle entry crosses two Downs. Often the ease up filling. Sometimes it creates expected knotty spots.

Across:

1. Next to nothing?: CENT. It's indeed next to nothing: 0.99

5. New newts: EFTS.

9. Trying to break a tie, briefly: IN OT.

13. Battle zone journalist: EMBED. Sebastian Junger stopped reporting on war after his partner died. Sebastian also wrote "The Perfect Storm" and "Tribe".

18. Courier alternative: ARIAL. Font.

20. Area below Greenwich Village: SOHO.

21. Equivalent of neener: NYAH. When repeated.

22. Weeper of myth: NIOBE. You can see her face at here at Turkey's Weeping Rock.

26. "I might": MAYBE.

27. Redundant modifier of "bit": TEENY.

28. Sealskin boot: MUKLUK.They don't look comfortable.

29. Castle defense: MOAT.

31. City west of Boise: NAMPA. Third-most populous city in Idaho.

33. "__ for Alibi": Grafton novel: A IS.

34. Sch. in Manhattan: KANSAS ST. Manhattan, Kansas.

38. One of Mary Stuart's people: SCOT.

40. When one might have a late lunch: AT TWO. We have lunch around 11:00am. How about you?

42. Pet store array: CAGES.

43. Lead-in for worm: EAR.

44. Hesitates: FALTERS.

48. 1977 Steely Dan album: AJA.

49. Pleasing application: ALOE. The fresh aloe juice stings.

50. Nonfiction piece: ESSAY.

52. Mayall of "Drop Dead Fred": RIK. Unknown to me.

53. Go right to the top?: PRAY. Ha.

54. Monetary promises: IOUs.

55. Pretty pitcher: EWER. Here is a Chinese ewer.

56. Starbucks order: DECAF.

58. Stats for NFL defensive linemen: SACKS.

59. Fishing __: ROD. And 45. Land with a 59-Across: REEL IN.

60. Tar Heel State campus: ELON. Our standard pre-Musk clue.

61. Corporate agreement finalizer: SEAL.

62. Basic security feature: LATCH.

64. USN rank: ENS.

68. Shore bird: ERN.

71. Graph's depiction: TREND.

73. Schulz's "psychiatric help" dispenser: LUCY.

74. Tot's scrape: OWIE.

75. New beginning: NEO.

76. Devious intentions: PLOTS.

78. Scrap: SET-TO.

80. Soft shoes: MOCS.

81. PC scrolling key: PGDN. Page Down.

82. Not often seen: RARE.

83. "What __ the odds?!": ARE.

84. Get clean: BATHE.

85. Board game with a lawsuit card: LIFE.

86. Org. with a two-leaved flower logo: EPA.

91. Best way to play, teamwise: AS A UNIT.

93. Wrinkly-faced dog: PUG.

94. Bars on the road: AXLES. Great clue. We have two more bars: 104. Springfield bar: MOE'S. "The Simpsons". Also 111. Bar order: BUD.

95. Actress Samantha: EGGAR.

97. Tax-evasion agts.: T-MEN. And 101. Not quite first-stringers: B TEAM. And 41. Skier's aid: T BAR. A few letter openers.

98. Deceptively convincing: SPECIOUS.

100. Bearded bovine: GNU.

103. Fords whose initials didn't actually stand for anything: LTDS.

104. West Coast surfing mecca: MALIBU.

106. Musical symbols: CLEFS.

109. Just not done: TABOO. In China, we never share a pear, homophone of "separation".

116. Candy heart words: I LUV U.

117. Barely made it, with "by": EKED.

118. Where Zeno taught: ELEA.

119. Cellphone group pic, in slang: WEFIE. Most still call selfie.

120. Military rookie: CADET.

121. Upbeat: ROSY.

122. Snippy return: SASS.

123. Macy's div., e.g.: DEPT.

Down:

1. Locomotive compartment: CAB.

2. Q.E.D. word: ERAT.

3. "Impressive!": NICE.

4. What most do in class: TAKE NOTES. Do kids still take notes by hand these days?

5. Medium power?: ESP.

6. Configuration: FORMAT.

7. Bank heist unit: THOU. Thousand.

8. Save, as money: SOCK AWAY.

9. Pakistan's longest river: INDUS. Originating in Tibet.

10. Stooge laugh: NYUK.

11. Row: OAR.

12. Travelers celebrated annually: THE MAGI.

13. How tour groups move: EN MASSE.

14. Mazda two-seater: MIATA.

15. Youngster: BOY.

16. Go out on the beach?: EBB. New clue angle.

17. Bad mark: DEE.

19. Crescent-shaped: LUNATE. Spell check does not like this word.

24. Poe title stowaway: PYM. Refers to "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket".

25. Jennyanydots' creator: ELIOT. Cats.

30. Turow memoir: ONE-L.

34. "The Trial" author: KAFKA.

36. "Solve or spin?" host: SAJAK.

37. Cafeteria staples: TRAYS.

38. Swinging-doors site: SALOON.

42. Gum source: CHICLE. Wiki says "The word chicle comes from the Nahuatl word for the gum, tziktli , which can be translated as "sticky stuff".

44. Renaissance __: FAIRE.

47. Like many shakes: CREAMY.

51. On its way: SENT.

53. Ms. __-Man: PAC.

56. Car battery pioneer: DELCO.

58. Apt rhyme for "eye": STYE.

60. Times to prepare: EVES.

61. Cooks in oil: SAUTES.

63. Happens: ARISES.

66. Michelob diet beers: ULTRAS.

67. Like arguments no longer worth having: MOOT.

69. European perch: REDFIN. With red fins.

70. A chamber work by Louis Spohr was the first to bear this title: NONET. No idea. Wiki says
"Spohr was a noted violinist, and invented the violin chinrest, about 1820."

72. W. Coast's 101, e.g.: RTE.

76. Jobs before the main job: PREPS.

77. Really enjoy: LAP UP.

79. Eponymous chair maker: EAMES. So low. Boomer won't be able to get up.

80. "CSI" actress Helgenberger: MARG.

81. Crashed: PLUMMETED.

84. Enchants: BEGUILES.

87. Bide one's time during, as a storm: WAIT OUT.

88. Bk. after Genesis: EXOD. Exoducs.

89. Much ado about nothing: BLUSTER.

90. Workout wt.: TEN LB.

92. As far down as it's been: AT A LOW.

96. Rule violations: ABUSES.

99. Garlic unit: CLOVE. Steve probably has tried black garlic.

100. Overly showy: GAUDY.

102. Prefix with tourist: ECO.

105. Composer Bartók: BELA.

107. Wind similar to a piccolo: FIFE.

108. Small cut: SNIP.

109. Involuntary habit: TIC.

110. Phrase on a menu: A LA.

113. "Top Hat" studio: RKO.

114. Already acquired: HAS.

115. Acquire: GET.
 

Here is the Pisa guy I was looking for last week. Once you meet Gary and hear his voice, you'll never forget him.

Husker Gary

Here is a picture of dear Bill G and his wife Barbara "at our favorite restaurant, Il Fornaio, celebrating our 54-year anniversary". Congratulations, Bill!

Barbara and Bill G

C.C.