Wednesday July 3, 2019 Debbie Ellerin

Theme: STIR CRAZY (61. Having cabin fever ... and a hint to this puzzle's circles) - Anagram of STIR is hidden in each theme answer.

 

16. Mullet or mohawk: HAIRSTYLE.

23. Cartoon boy voiced by Nancy Cartwright: BART SIMPSON.

38. One of many that begin with "Honk": BUMPER STICKER.

50. Where attorneys Darrow and Bryan faced off: SCOPES TRIAL.

Boomer here again, filling in a blogging gap.

The weather forecast is all STIRRED up for the 3M Open PGA golf tournament. At least I do not have to water the garden this week.  Happy and safe holiday to all on the July 4 birthday of the USA!!

Across:

1. Calamine target: ITCH.

5. It may be a stretch: LIMO.  Fancy and expensive.  I think most are rented for a special night.

9. "Amscray!": SCAT.

13. Old King or Nat King: COLE. Unforgettable, that's what you are. 

14. Exiled Roman poet: OVID.

15. Quench: SLAKE.  Minnesota has many thousandS LAKEs

18. Like one who errs?: HUMAN.  Shortstop did not fit.

19. Tech gurus: IT PROS.  C.C. is the IT PRO of our house.  I am an IT AM.

20. Overwhelm: SWAMP.  Thoughts run to Beetle Bailey's Camp Swampy.

22. Prefix with "-phyte": NEO. 

28. Trait transmitter: GENE. These Genes are not made by Levi

30. Actor McGregor: EWAN.

31. The Beatles' "__ Just Seen a Face": I'VE.  "When I was younger, so much younger than today." Help!! 

32. Kenyan tribe: MASAI.

35. Frittered away: WASTED.

41. Make a contribution: DONATE. Church is having a garage sale the end of this month. I have pledged to donate my entire basement, except the TV.

42. Pinto-riding sidekick: TONTO. Jay Silverheels. He was born in Brantford Canada, (not TOroNTO.

43. Donkey: ASS.  I'm a Don Lock and you're a  ___

44. Personal bearing: MIEN. 

46. Fleeces: ROBS.

55. FDR agency: NRA. Not the national gun lobby, this NRA stood for National Recovery Administration from the Great Depression.

56. Colorful Danish blocks: LEGOS. I've mentioned before, the Mall of America is unique with its huge display of Lego blocks.

57. Seasoning blend from Maryland: OLD BAY.  I have not heard of this.  Sounds like a cologne for senior citizens. 

59. Skin care brand: NIVEA.

64. Improve: AMEND.  Sometimes just say AMEN and it could fix itself. 

65. "__ No Sunshine": Bill Withers hit: AIN'T. Got a barrel of money either.

66. Aha moment remark: I SEE.  Said the blind man, but he really didn't.

67. Eponyms of seven planets: GODS.  I have to admit I did not know what an eponym as so I Googled it.  It has something to do with being named after a person.  Which leads me to wonder, who was Uranus named after?? 

68. Comedian Carvey: DANA.  Really Really a great skit as "The Church Lady"  "Isn't that special'"

69. Desk drawer items: PENS.  Don't forget Post-It notes, batteries, paper clips, Sharpies, and Scotch tape.

Down:

1. Chinese book of divination: I CHING.

2. Exactly: TO A TEE.  I always think of golf when I see TEE.

3. Like some earrings: CLIP-ON. Remember when men's ties used to be clip-ons?  I never owned one.  Seemed to be cheating. 

4. Münster mister: HERR.

5. Tons of, casually: LOTSA.  Shots for me on the golf course. But how about Nate Lashley in Detroit? The last guy to be entered in the Rocket Mortgage Event. And the last guy off the green on the 18th on Sunday.  Worth a little over 1.3 Million.  He's entered in the 3M.  Bring your rain jacket, Nate !

6. One of a collegiate octet: IVY.  Yeah, Harvard, Yale and six others.

7. "Cool" sum: MIL.  See Nate Lashley above.

8. Texas or Ukraine city: ODESSA.

9. Batter's rough patch: SLUMP.  Twins have Miguel Sano.  Slump is his middle name.

10. Pitcher's spot?: CAMPSITE.  Pitch a tent, then bring out a pitcher of your favorite beverage.

11. Letters in a BOLO alert: AKA.

12. Midmorning time: TEN.  Time for a nap.

15. Bogus: SHAM.

17. Lament loudly: SOB.  Also an acronym for ... never mind.

21. Best type of situation: WIN WIN.

24. "Cracked __ View": Hootie & the Blowfish debut album: REAR.

25. Party game inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2015: TWISTER.  Not in my book.  I always thought it was a stupid game.

26. "Get __ it!": OVER.

27. Neighbor of 23-Across: NED.  I am not really a Simpsons' fan but I recognize Mr. Flanders.

29. Austen novel that inspired the film "Clueless": EMMA.

33. Apropos: APT.  Makes me think of Apartment,  There are many many multiple living buildings going up all over Minneapolis suburbs.

34. Appear to be: SEEM SO.

36. Make a move: ACT.  I was professor Harold Hill, and River City's going to have a a boys' band.

37. Hershey toffee bar: SKOR.

38. Pear type: BOSC.  Kind of brown and ugly.  I like the yellow ones, but I do not know what they are called.

39. Like some mysteries: UNSOLVED.

40. Novelist Morrison: TONI.

41. Prosecutors: Abbr.: DAS.  The first one on Law & Order was Adam Schiff. Interesting California has a congressman with that name.

45. "How tragic": IT'S SAD.  The story of Angel Pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

47. Hoping to make it home: ON BASE.

48. Shamelessly bold: BRAZEN.  There was a lady in River City who made Brazen Overtures.  I think it may have been Marion the Librarian nut I am older now and cannot remember 1964.

49. Accept a proposal: SAY YES.

51. Hammer heads: PEENS.  I actually think the head is the flat striker and the peen is the ball behind the head.

52. "Jeepers": EGAD.

53. Major artery: AORTA.  I think we just had this Monday.

54. Partners' legal entity: Abbr.: LLC.

58. Coffee brewing choice: DRIP.  When I was a kid we had regular grind for the percolator, and drip grind for the once through the grounds coffeemakers.  I don't see too many percolators any more.

59. Back-seat driver, e.g.: NAG.  

60. "Here's what I think," in texts: IMO.

62. Madre's hermana: TIA.

63. Hampton __: INN.

Boomer

Tuesday, July 2, 2019; Emily Ludoph & Jeff Chen

Oh, Say Can You See ...   

Invisible Tape

18-Across. Invisible impediment in the workplace: GLASS CEILING.  A Glass Ceiling is an unofficial barrier to advancement in a profession.  This especially impacts women and minorities.

58-Across. Invisible impediment in the sky: SOUND BARRIER.  Here is an explanation and some  photographs of jets smashing the Sound Barrier.

12-Down. Invisible impediment in the theater: FOURTH WALL.  The Fourth Wall is the conceptual barrier between the actors and the audience.  The audience can see "through" the wall, but the actors are oblivious to the wall.  The television sit-com show, The Office, would allow the actors to break through the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience.

29-Down. Invisible impediment in science fiction: FORCE FIELD.

Across:

1. Former NFL running back Jennings who won "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017: RASHAD.  I didn't get off to a good start with today's puzzle, as I am not familiar with RASHAD Jennings (né Rashad Andre Jennings; b. Mar. 26, 1985).  In 2009, he was drafted by the Jackson Jaguars.  He later played for the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants.  In 2017, he was on Dancing with the Stars.  The following year, he joined the show as a judge.

7. Cuban dance: RUMBA.  Origins of the Rumba:

12. Govt. Rx watchdog: FDA.  As in the Food and Drug Administration, which is housed within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

15. Give in (to): ACCEDE.

16. Thorny plant: BRIAR.

17. Belonging to us: OUR.  This Blog is OUR Happy Place.

20. The Pac-12's Trojans: USC.  As in the University of Southern California.

21. Solar phenomena: SUN SPOTS.  Sun Sports are the darker areas that appear in the sun's surface. They are the "cooler" areas on the sun.  You can learn more from The National Weather Service.

22. Kooky traits: QUIRKS.

One of these birds has a quirk.

24. Flub it: ERR.

25. Able to speak easily, as a language: FLUENT.  How many languages can you speak?

27. Badly mistaken: OFF BASE.

31. Average schlub: JOE SCHMO.  I think of a Joe Schmo as being a bit of a jerk.

34. 53-Down noise: CROAK.  //  And 53-Down:  Pond critter:  FROG.

35. Not worth debating: MOOT.  //  And 11-Down. Participates in a debate: ARGUES.

36. Is in the red: OWES.

37. Civil suit cause: TORT.  A tort is just a civil wrong.  Not to be confused with the dessert, which is spelled with an "e".

Sacher Torte.

38. Predators in pool halls: SHARKS.

40. Designer Jacobs: MARC.  Marc Jacobs (b. Apr. 9. 1963) is probably best known for his line of handbags.  They are a tad out of my price range.

41. Set in stone, say: ETCH.

42. Benevolent: KIND.

43. Hägar's wife: HELGA.  A reference to the comic strip Hägar the Horrible.

44. Paul Newman caper film: THE STING.

46. Comedian Elayne: BOOSLER.

Elayne Boosler (b. Aug. 18, 1952)

48. Full of moxie: FEISTY.

49. Theater segment: ACT.  Tricky.  I initially thought we were looking for a section of seating in the theater.

50. "Reservoir Dogs" co-star Harvey: KEITEL.  Harvey Keitel (b. May 13, 1939) has starred in a number of films.  He usually portrays a tough-guy.  I never saw Reservoir Dogs, but it is known for its violence.

52. Find at a dig: ARTIFACT.  Here is an artifact recently discovered from an excavation in the City of David in Jerusalem.

57. Blackjack eleven: ACE.

61. Twitter guffaw: LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.  Jimmy received the following text from his mother:  "Your professor called to say you failed your math exam.  LOL.  Mom".  He called his mother and said, "What's with the LOL?"  She replied, " I just wanted to sent you Lots of Love, because I knew how disappointed you would be with failing the test."

62. Chose (to): OPTED.

63. Bit of ramen: NOODLE.  Several years ago, Blue Iris, one of our Blog members, provided a recipe for a Bird Seed Salad that uses Raman Noodles.  I make this salad on occasion when I need to bring something to a potluck dinner.

64. Football lineman: END.

65. Prerequisites: NEEDS.

66. "Communist Manifesto" co-author with Marx: ENGELS.  Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 ~ Mar. 14, 1883) and Friedrich Engels (Nov. 28, 1820 ~ Aug. 5, 1895) wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848.  Engels died of laryngeal cancer at age 74.

Engels and Marx

Down:

1. Garb for many a Dickens waif: RAGS.

2. Rights-defending org.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union.

3. Read quickly: SCAN.

4. Gas brand with toy trucks: HESS.  I initially tried Esso, but that didn't fit well with the perps.

5. Marketing jargon: AD SPEAK.

6. Interior designs: DECORS.

Star Wars Living Room Decor

7. Grand slam quartet, in baseball shorthand: RBIs.  As in Runs Batted In.

8. Internet address letters: URL.  The Uniform Resource Locator makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

9. 1002, in old Rome: MII.  Roman Numerals.

10. Regal meals: BANQUETS.

13. Nightfall: DUSK.  Dusk technically applies to that period between the darkest twilight and complete darkness.

14. Curved sections: ARCS.

19. French "to be": ÊTRE.  Here it the verb conjugated in the present tense:

           Je suis  //  Nous sommes
           Tu es  //  Vous êtes
           Ils / Elles est  //  Ils / Elles sont 

23. Workers' earnings: INCOMES.

25. Scandinavian cruise sight: FJORD.  Some beautiful sights of Norway.

26. "Please understand ... ": LOOK.

27. Eight-member ensemble: OCTET.  A String Octet typically consists of 4 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos, but I will give you an example of an octet for wind instruments.

28. Suds: FROTH.  I had _ROTH, and all I could thing of was Broth, but that didn't make sense.  Then the lightbulb went on.

30. Packaged buy including shower curtain, towels, etc.: BATH SET.

32. Join the flow of traffic: MERGE.  In the ideal world ...

33. Basketball Hall of Famer Robertson: OSCAR.  Oscar Palmer Robertson (b. Nov. 24, 1938) had a long career in the NBA, first playing for the Cincinnati Royals, then the Milwaukee Bucks.  He was also the plaintiff in the 1970 anti-trust lawsuit, Robertson v. National Basketball Association.  The lawsuit settled in 1976 and resulted in today's current free agency rules.

35. Like some stray mutts: MANGY.

38. Slalom setting: SKI SLOPE.

39. Clue: HINT.

43. Producer of curls: HOT IRON.  My hair is just wash and wear.

45. Attaches with rope: TIES ON.

46. Cutting remark: BARB.

47. Number on a pump: OCTANE.  Think gasoline.

50. Curly leafy green: KALE.  Hubby is not a fan.  I could take it or leave it.

51. Micro or macro subj.: ECON.  As in Micoreconomics or Macroeconomics.

52. Tacks on: ADDS.

54. Staff helper: AIDE.

55. Phone in a pocket: CELL.

56. "__ chic!": TRÈS.  More of today's French lesson.

59. Sporty truck, briefly: UTE.

60. Nancy Drew's beau: NED.  Ned Nickerson was Nancy Drew's beau.  They used to get around in a roadster.  I loved this mystery stories when I was a in grade school.  The stories were so exotic to this 4th grader.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Prohibition didn’t work in the Garden of Eden.  Adam ate the apple.  ~  Vincente Fox (b. July 2, 1942), President of Mexico

Monday July 1, 2019 Brock Wilson

Theme: CHECKLIST (62. To-do items to tick off ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues comprise) - The first word means "check" in a different way.

17A. *Cold one from a tap: DRAFT BEER.

38A. *Nuclear restraint pact: TEST BAN.

11D. *"Ghostbusters" co-star: BILL MURRAY.

28D. *Attractiveness when viewed from the street, to a Realtor: CURB APPEAL.

Boomer here.

Can anyone explain how "Draft" belongs to a "checklist"?  My guess is that if you write a check I suppose it could be called a bank draft.  However when I see draft, I think of closing a window,  We FINALLY are realizing summer in Minnesota. After a long cool spring, weather forecasters are issuing heat warnings and keeping me off the golf course.

Speaking of golf, The 3M Open is at the TPC Blaine this week. The Senior PGA used to have a tournament there ((3M Championship) about this time of year. C.C. and I attended many days. However, they have shunned the seniors and now the regular PGA Tour has the first stop in Minnesota in 50 years.  The Champions Tour stop was no charge.  Now there are pricey tickets.

Boomer, 3M, 2016

Across:

1. Six-legged picnic invaders: ANTS.  I never counted the legs on an ant.

5. Nasty film: SCUM.

9. Like a mad dog: RABID.  You don't want to mess with any animal with rabies.

14. Bossa __: dance: NOVA.  Blame it on the Bossa Nova.

15. Really bugs: IRKS.  I have to listen to Bert Blyleven's comments on Twins telecasts for about 50 of them.

16. Fail to pronounce, as the "g" in an "-ing" word: ELIDE.

19. Room in le chalet: SALLE. De La Salle High School was our arch rival in High School.

20. Disdainful glance: SIDE-EYE.  If you got that from a teacher, you knew you were in trouble.

21. "Something wrong?": PROBLEM.  No problem here.

23. Hesitates: BALKS.  Sometimes a pitcher will fake home and throw to first.

25. Economist Smith: ADAM.  Thinking more of Adam Sandler, "Happy Gilmore" !

26. Playground time at school: RECESS.  Yup, I remember in grade school they would send us out in freezing cold weather.

29. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.

31. Call to the sled dogs: MUSH.  Remember Cream of Wheat or Malt-O- Meal ?

34. Like two right-triangle angles: ACUTE.  This does not seem to be A CUTE clue.

35. Poker pot promises: IOUS.  I would not play poker with anyone who has no money.

36. __-Navy game: annual football rivalry: ARMY.  Many of these players become Generals or Admirals.

37. Road surface goo: TAR.

41. Fabric flaw: RIP.  Mr. Van Winkle fell asleep for 20 years.  They did not have alarm clocks in the early 1800's.  Only roosters.

42. Sun circlers: ORBS.

44. Dieter's count: FATS.  "I found my thrill, on blueberry hill." His real name was Antoine Domino.  I don't think it's kosher to call anyone "Fats" anymore.

45. Make deliveries to large groups?: ORATE.

47. Bismarck's st.: N DAK.  One of my favorite movies was "FARGO".  Probably because of the local flavor.

48. Whiskey sour whiskey: RYE.  I am not a whiskey expert.  I think I remember that a whiskey sour was any kind of whiskey with a lemon sour mixer.

49. Game competitor: PLAYER. "The Black Knight"  Mr. Gary Player.

50. Flammable pile: PYRE.

52. Show shown over: RE-RUN.  Like "Law and Order" on about three cable channels.

54. Oft-framed college memento: DIPLOMA.  If you have one, does that make you a diplomat ??

57. Alan who played Snape: RICKMAN.

61. Fitness motto opening: USE IT.

64. Large Dallas suburb: PLANO.  I think the Southfork Ranch is near Plano, making TV's "Dallas" location famous.

65. "Have a __ day": NICE.  A bit overused, but still pleasant. 

66. Yale students: ELIS.

67. Pursuer of snakelike fish: EELER.  If you catch one, you will need a feeler for your peeler. 

68. Ambulance staffers, for short: EMTS.

69. Hunk of beef: SLAB.  Beef is something to eat, but I have heard of a slab of concrete.

Down:

1. "No ifs, __ or buts": ANDS.

2. Sushi seaweed: NORI.

3. Prime-time spot: TV AD.  Doesn't matter if it's prime time or not.  I think I sit through 100 or more every day.

4. Sure thing: SAFE BET.  There's really no such thing, unless you cheat.

5. Old Greek prophets: SIBYLS.

6. Small stream: CREEK.  Lots of creeks in Minnesota,  They name golf courses after them.  C.C. and I used to play at "Cedar Creek".

7. Luau strings: UKE.  I am so old that I remember Arthur Godfrey playing his on TV. (black and white of course).

8. Car sticker no.: MSRP.  I wonder who makes these up.  Every new car has one, and no one pays that price.

9. Fill in, as a lawn bare spot: RE-SOD.  Normally I just use seed.  Sod is heavy and dirty. 

10. Gulf of Mexico state: ALABAMA. A red state with a blue senator.  But I don't think we have heard the last of Roy Moore.
 

12. Not working: IDLE.  "An idle brain is the devil's workshop."  Professor Harold Hill.

13. Regard: DEEM.

18. Service with cups and saucers: TEA SET.  I think all three of my sisters had one when we were kids.  Or maybe they shared the same one.

22. Gorbachev's wife: RAISA.

24. Helper during gym practice: SPOTTER.

26. Boca __, Florida: RATON.  Looks inviting, on the eastern beach on the Atlantic.

27. Online b'day wish: E-CARD.

30. Central airports: HUBS.  Still have not heard much about the 737 MAX.  I saw that Dallas has a new Airbus 220.  Take a ride?

32. Whack, biblically: SMITE.

33. Bursting with energy: HYPER.

35. Dr. Watson exclamation: I SAY. Elementary.

39. Violinist Zimbalist: EFREM.  Interesting name.  I used to think he played the cymbals.

40. Frustrated searcher's news: NO LUCK.  Should have made a SAFE BET.

43. City panorama: SKYLINE.  Used to be one of my favorite JIGSAW puzzle themes.

46. Irritates: RANKLES.

49. What shoppers compare: PRICES.  Maybe - but sometimes the better watermelons cost a little more.

51. Copter blade: ROTOR.

53. Standing upright: ERECT.  I used to have an Erector set that came in a red metal case.  Are they still on the market??

54. Put one over on: DUPE.

55. Site in shipwreck cartoons: ISLE.  The skipper, the movie star, the Billionaire and his wife.  The professor and Mary Ann here on Gilligan's Island.

56. Clearasil target: ACNE.

58. Pepper grinder: MILL. The ONLY way to add pepper to your food!

59. One side of the Urals: ASIA.

60. Govt. crash investigator: NTSB.  These are always sad.  Last week we had a medical helicopter go down in bad weather and we lost a nurse and the pilot.

63. That guy: HIM.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. Boomer prepared our special occasion meal: baked Canadian walleye and wild rice (perfectly cooked: chewy and tender). I also had a plate of mini cucumber salad topped with the additive Target Crazy Fresh Pico de Gallo. And some fresh lychees, which Boomer declined to taste. He's not an adventurous eater. He had some fruit salad and a few slices of the sweet watermelon. Just a perfect meal on a very hot humid day.