Sunday August 25, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme:  "Literal Literature" - "Each what book" phrase is defined literally.

 21. Pop-up book?: HOW TO MAKE PERFECT TOAST.

 33. Match book?: ONLINE DATING PRIMER.
  

 64. Blue book?: A HISTORY OF THE SMURFS.

 94. Text book?: MESSAGING DONE RIGHT.

 
112. Address book?: BEST SPEECHES OF ALL TIME.

We normally have 7 theme entries. Today we have 5, but all of them are very long. Rich's minimum theme material is 84 squares.

I chucked at these theme entries. Quite convincing book titles.

Take a look at the book titles of today's constructor Pam Amick Klawitter.

Across:

1. It can have pins at the end of it: LANE. Bowling alley.

5. El __: CID.

8. Pop's Mama: CASS.

12. Printer handle: EPSON.

17. Declare to be true: AVER.

18. Math class ratio: SINE.

19. Metz man: HOMME. Just French for "man". UOMO in Milan. We did have an Italian word: 91. Eros, in Rome: AMOR.

20. __ Khan: "The Jungle Book" tiger: SHERE. Voiced by Idris Elba.

25. Tool usually pluralized: TWEEZER.

26. "According to whom?" retort: SAYS ME.

27. "Don't be __!": A HERO.

28. Haifa's home: Abbr.: ISR.

29. Pleasingly dated retail adjective: OLDE.

31. Post-WWII pres. monogram: DDE.

32. Black cat, to some: OMEN.

40. Woodard of "Passion Fish": ALFRE. Unaware of the movie.

43. "The Voice" host Carson: DALY.

44. One eliciting yawns: BORE.

45. Diagnostic aid: X-RAY. And 37. Diagnostic aids: MRIS.

46. Silver finish?: WARE. Silverware.

47. King Minos' land: CRETE.

49. Does the 96-Down for: CATERS. And 96. Things to do after dinner: DISHES.

51. Sussex suffix: ISE. Like "realise". Also 65. End of a believer?: IST. Like "realist".

52. Has regrets about: RUES.

53. Hill helper: AIDE. Capitol Hill.

54. Over-the-shoulder garment: SARI.

55. Battery parts: TESTS. Had to ask Boomer. He said "a battery of tests", a new phrase to me.

57. They're defined by revolutions: Abbr.: YRS. Liked the "revolutions".

58. Bit of work: ERG.

59. Some HDTVs: RCAS.

61. Swiss Miss product: COCOA.

70. Sign of vacancy?: STARE. Vacant stare.

71. Tempe neighbor: MESA.

72. St. Louis summer hrs.: CDT.

73. Leave in the dust by overtaking?: LAP. Like in a track meet. 

75. Pool table slab: SLATE.

78. Fivers: ABES.

80. "The Lion King" villain: SCAR.

82. Almanac fodder: DATA.

83. Facebook chuckle: LOL.

84. Removes for good: ERASES.

87. Bygone royals: TSARS.

88. "The Haj" novelist: URIS.

89. "Get on it now!": ASAP.

92. Didn't let out, as one's breath: HELD.

93. Chanel product: SCENT.

99. Picasso output: ARTE.

100. Recipient of much Apr. mail: IRS.

101. Morales of "Ozark": ESAI. And 41. Linney of "Ozark": LAURA.

102. "Leaves and Navels" artist: ARP.

105. Schoolyard pal in a Paul Simon song: JULIO. OK, this song.

107. Short-legged hunter: BASSET.

110. Rudolph Valentino's "Blood and Sand" co-star: LILA LEE. Unfamiliar to me.

115. Zellweger of "Cold Mountain": RENEE.

116. Lions' prides: MANES.

117. Gobs of: MANY.

118. "Yeah, yeah, I get it": OK OK.

119. Practices in a ring: SPARS.

120. Small strings: UKES. "Somewhere over the rainbow. Bluebirds fly. And the dreams that you dream of. Dreams really do come true ..."

121. Put in: ADD.

122. Litter cries: MEWS.

Down:

1. Christine of "The Blacklist": LAHTI.

2. Declares: AVOWS.

3. More up-to-date: NEWER.

4. Art Deco icon: ERTE.

5. Dante translator John: CIARDI. Another unknown figure.

6. Tats: INK.

7. Shoddy pair?: DEES. Shoddy.

8. Tummy-tightening garment: CORSET.

9. Clock radio toggle: AM FM.

10. Barrie's bosun: SMEE.

11. UGA's conf.: SEC.

12. Book before Job: ESTHER.

13. Fifth-most populous U.S. city: PHOENIX. So many in Texas. Minneapolis is way behind.

14. Scorch: SEAR.

15. Relative of -ish: OR SO.

16. Cousin of com: NET. Did you once have a Prodigy web page? We had a few pictures there. All gone.

18. Dog attractor: SMELL.

19. Period of great popularity: HEYDAY.

22. Thinning layer: OZONE.

23. Striker of a polymer ball: PADDLE.

24. Mess (with): TAMPER.

30. Was discontinued: ENDED.

32. Fiona or Shrek: OGRE.

33. Finds in mines: ORES.

34. Grill, maybe: EATERY. Sure miss these. If you visit Xi'an, you've got to go Muslim Quarter. Incredible food. Susan was there.

35. Flanged girder: I-BAR.

36. Pay attention to: NOTICE.

38. Steinbeck's "__ of Eden": EAST.

39. Deli selections: RYES.

40. Out of whack: AWRY.

42. Caught this morning: FRESH. Fish.

47. Magna __: CARTA.

48. Hardship: RIGOR.

49. Treatments for breaks: CASTS.

50. Pub pick: STOUT.

54. Burglars' targets: SAFES.

56. Unit of wheat: EAR.

58. First name in the beauty aisle: ESTEE. Vowel-rich, hence its frequent appearance.

60. Word with clean or unglued: COMES.

62. Richard's songwriting partner: OSCAR (Hammerstein). Richard Rodgers.

63. Starfleet VIPs: CMDRS. Commanders. Spitzboov was a commander before he retired.

66. "Because," to a kid: REASON.

67. Pain in the neck: HASSLE.

68. Highway alert: FLARE.

69. Attended as an observer: SAT IN.

74. It's behind you: PAST. We also have 87. Reacts to trouble: TENSES.

75. __ dunk: SLAM.

76. Misplace: LOSE.

77. Worry word: ALAS.

79. North Atlantic hazard: BERG.

81. Tight-knit squad: CADRE.

82. Conveyer of tears: DUCT.

85. Slangy convertible: RAGTOP.

86. Grenoble gal pal: AMIE.

90. Hymnal that's often richly illustrated: PSALTER. I can never remember this word.

92. Oater regulars: HORSES.

93. Con man's cohort: SHILL.

95. Surfaces: ARISES.

97. Kitchen work spot: ISLAND. This looks nice.

98. In a carefree manner: GAILY.

102. How great minds think: ALIKE.

103. Cut again, as grass: RE-MOW.

104. Cheats at blind man's buff: PEEKS.

105. Wrangler, e.g.: JEEP.

106. Middies' sch.: USNA.

107. Toucan's pride: BEAK.

108. Teen breakout: ACNE.

109. Detective show that spawned "Baretta": TOMA. Never heard of it.

111. Chem class model: ATOM.

112. Real estate ad abbr.: BRS.

113. Bird in some Australian place names: EMU.

114. Fidget spinners, evidently: FAD.

C.C.

Saturday, August 24, 2019, Ed Sessa

Saturday Themeless by Dr. Ed Sessa

A breakfast favorite takes center stage today as we celebrate National Waffle Day. A beautiful waffle covered with maple syrup and and some strips of bacon? Yum, yum!

Of course this prompts the story of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair when an ice cream vendor ran out of little dishes in his booth but Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire in the booth next door, saw the solution. Using his waffle-like pastry - zalabias, he formed a cone, put the ice cream in it and, voila, a new treat was born - The Waffle Cone!

Our constructor, Dr. Ed Sessa featured a triple 13-stack in the middle like our Postlandia constructor Evan Kalish did two weeks ago. Now let's see what else Dr. Sessa has prescribed for us. A spoonful of sugar (gettable long fills) made this go down very nicely. 

Across:

1. Karate match exchanges: BOWS.

5. Nickname for Chicago's Ernie Banks: MR CUB - Ernie is always listed as one of the greatest (and nicest) players to have never been to a world series with his then hapless Cubs.

10. Gradually decrease: WANE.

14. Chamber phenomenon: ECHO.

15. Campaign suspensions: CEASE FIRES - Neither a CEASE FIRE, a truce or an armistice  is a peace treaty.

17. Biting: ACID.

18. Gadgets with small rotary blades: CAN OPENERS - A lost art?

19. Pub nibbles: NUTS.

20. Corrida shout: OLE - The barbarity of bull fighting repulses me

21. Christmas hymn start: ADESTE - Former students at big box stores tell me the Christmas stuff is filling up their storage areas. (ADESTE shoppers - O Come All Ye Shoppers)

22. Vent opening?: PRE -Late Middle English (in the sense ‘act in anticipation of’): from Latin praevent- ‘preceded, hindered’, from the verb praevenire, from prae ‘before’ + venire ‘come’. (etymonline.com)

23. One in a gun show?: GYM RAT 

25. Ax wielder, at times: BOSS - Well, he/she is the BOSS...

26. Lover of Euridice, in a Gluck opera: ORFEO (Italian for Orpheus) - If you must know

28. Anaheim stadium nickname: BIG A.

30. 1843 story narrated by a murderer, with "The": TELL TALE HEART - Poe's short story of a guilty conscience that became a 56.
Heavy burdens: MILLSTONES around the murderer's neck

35. Finger in the dike, so to speak: DAMAGE CONTROL - What my [insert candidate] meant to say...

37. Out until tomorrow: GONE FOR THE DAY - A NASA guy might be "Out To Launch"

39. Essential nutrient: SALT.

40. Split for a union: ELOPE - This cluing flummoxed me

41. Gush: SPEW.

44. Meteorological line: ISOBAR - ISOBARS connect points of the same pressure. It was a windy day in Delaware below

48. Units for many staples: Abbr.: LBS 

49. Blowup sound: KABOOM.

51. Bumped into: MET.

52. Didn't make it through committee, as a bill: DIED - Bills to legalize casino gambling have DIED year after year in our unicameral 

53. Beyond reason: INORDINATE - This summer's INORDINATE number of butterflies are very welcome

55. Land in a lake: ISLE.

57. Wonder Woman gal pal __ Candy: ETTA.

58. Pompano kin: SCAD.

POMPANO                                 SCAD

59. Black-necked shorebird: STILT - Like SCAD, this is wildlife out of my ken 

Black Necked Stilt

60. World power initials until 1991: USSR.

Down:

1. Slow cooker associated with Boston: BEAN POT - My friend said Bostonians hate "Beantown" as much as San Franciscans hate "Frisco"

2. Went down, in a way: OCCURRED.

3. Yield sign?: WHITE FLAG - One sports writer called a bad relief pitcher a "human WHITE FLAG"

4. Puts down roots: SODS.

5. "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer" doctor: MCCOY.

6. King's domain: REALM.

7. Worker with rattan: CANER - We had this in a daily puzzle recently

8. "For the Boys" org.: USO.

9. Advice for the itchy: BE PATIENT - Nebraskans are itchy for the start of football season

10. Port vessel: WINE BARREL - BARRELS full of Cockburn's Port WINE near Porto, Portugal 

11. "You __ lucky!": ARE SO.

12. "Fiddlesticks!": NERTS.

13. Pair of shoes?: ESSES - Yes, ShoeS has two ESSES

16. Ness, for one: FED - FED accountants did more to put Al Capone away than FED (g-man) Elliot Ness

23. Was a whiz on a quiz: GOT AN A - Curve wrecker!

24. Can't stand: ABHOR.

27. "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S WORLD.

29. Round up: GATHER.

31. Certain eligibility rules: AGE LIMITS - Alcohol AGE LIMITS for every country (scroll down below map)

32. Ali hooks, at times: LEFTS - Ali was not only good at throwing LEFT hooks he was incredible at avoiding them

33. "The Name of the Rose" author: ECO - If you must know

34. Work plans: TO DO LISTS - Mine grew from one to four last week due to my cell phone availability 

36. Safety features that have evolved since their inception: LAP BELTS - Neither mom nor baby seem safe here in these early models

38. Spousal consent: YES DEAR - "A soft answer turneth away wrath"

41. Works on pools: SKIMS.

42. __ attack: PANIC - Tony Soprano's Achilles Heel. The ducks he had bonded with flying away triggered this one

43. Target of a new vaccine: EBOLA.

45. Spender of rials: OMANI - This bucket would cost an OMANI 3.8 OMR (OMani Rials) or $9.78

46. Stimulating nut: BETEL - Chewing this nut can have horrible consequences. Google at your own peril

47. '50s headline event: A-TEST - The first A (bomb) -TEST was conducted in 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico as a successful conclusion of the Manhattan Project

50. Takes in too much, for short: ODS - See BETEL nut above

52. Spirit of Notre-Dame: DIEU - Que DIEU bénisse Notre Dame (May God bless Notre Dame)

54. "__ my problem": NOT - A mantra for some of us at this popsicle stand

Now don't waffle (you had to see that coming), we'd love to read your comments:

                                                                                                                                             

Friday, August 23, 2019, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: I must P!

Hi, Lemonade here back with my Friday foil, Jeffrey Wechsler. It was fun to read Tom's slant on JW's last two Fridays. It reminded me of when marti was reviewing Jeffrey's Thursdays when he first appeared here at the LAT. But now I am back on the clock with another over-sized offering that no doubt was the product of (my guess) the inspired 16 letter fill - PART APPRECIATION (16). With Jeffrey's background as a  curator, I am betting that was where this gem started. Of course, he had to then make the rest of the themers grid-spanners, the middle two at 15 spaces and the outside two 16 spaces. He also introduced some unused fill, one with one prior appearance in any mainstream puzzle (ICY HOT), and AHIAHI brand spanking new. We also get to reveal EXTERNS, HOE CAKE, NYMPHET,  TITULAR, HANDKNIT, and PURLOINS.  There are some very fun words there.

17A. Gratitude for a well-played role?: PART APPRECIATION (16). A literal but funny clue/fill.

27A. Crackin', peelin' and fadin'?: PAINT MISBEHAVIN' (15). By far my favorite, as I could hear the music in my head as this filled.

45A. Couples therapist?: PAIR CONDITIONER (15). How many have ever tried couples therapy?

55A. Extreme example of layering for cold weather?: PANTS IN ONE'S PANTS (16). This is absurd which is its charm, though the second P is distracting.

Time to solve...

Across:

1. Irrigation need: PIPE.

5. '90s trade pact: NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement.

10. "Go no further!": HALT. Reminds me of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

14. Heart: CRUX. The heart of the matter. Hey marti, hope you are well.

15. "... __ player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage": Macbeth: A POOR. Jeffrey's Shakespeare quote.

16. Lake near Carson City: TAHOE. It may be the perfect place on Earth.

20. Papal messenger: LEGATE. Now it is an ecclesiastic delegated by the pope as his representative. Historically it was a provincial governor of senatorial rank appointed by the emperor in ancient Rome.

21. On the other side of: Abbr.: ACRoss.

22. Enzyme suffix: ASE.

23. Unscrupulous: AMORAL. As opposed to Anthony Gael Moral.

25. Youthful maiden of myth: NYMPHET. I think of Lolita and Nabokov's words, "Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as 'nymphets.' " - Part One, Chapter 5." Please no Jeffrey Epstein comments.

31. Clean, as greens: RINSE.

32. Newton honorific: SIR. Isaac.

33. LGBT History Mo.: OCTober.

34. '60s campus gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

35. Start growing: SPROUT. Add an "S" and you have the newest grocery chain coming to my neighborhood, LINK.

37. Hem partner: HAW. Hee.

40. Asian language: LAO. Like THAI, just the beginning of the land.

42. Hammer site: EAR. The ear bones - the malleus, or hammer, the incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup.

43. Kofi Annan's birthplace: GHANA. His BIOGRAPHY.

49. Like Macbeth in "Macbeth": TITULAR. Like eponymous. A bonus Shakespeare reference.

50. Jumpy: ON EDGE.

51. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra

52. HP product: INK. Funny, not technology.

53. Hit: STRUCK. No violence, please.

60. Discrete things: ITEMS.

61. Poetry Muse: ERATO.

62. Fruit with fuzz: KIWI.

63. First name in Latin bands: DESI. Arnaz.

64. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Yipes?

65. Venerable college that owns a river island: ETON. Did you know? Queen's Eyot (pronounced 'eight') is an island on the River Thames close to Windsor. The island has been owned by Eton College since 1923 and has a beautiful clubhouse used for weddings etc.

Down:

1. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. Phencyclidine.

2. Investment option, briefly: IRA.

3. Misappropriates: PURLOINS. There was a famous letter.

4. Nonresident doctors: EXTERNS. Intern ≠ extern.

5. Controversial combat material: NAPALM. This is a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasoline thickened with special soaps.

6. Cal. entry: APPT. Calendar - appointment.

7. Golf alert: FORE. Mini-clecho.

8. Golf club part: TOE.

9. Understood by few: ARCANE. Jeffrey's middle name?

10. Seuss title top: HAT. Cat in the...

11. "Aloha __": Hawaiian "Good evening" that sounds like a repeated fish: AHIAHI. Not to be confused with AHI AHI. Timing so soon after the lovely Jimmy B. C.C. puzzle.

12. Ease: LOOSEN.

13. Principle: TENET.

16. Lighting area?: TARMAC. My guess is this refers to the runway lights at airports. Very Friday clue/fill.

18. Patterned mineral: AGATE. This one is for sale at $4,200.00

19. Lidocaine brand endorsed by Shaq: ICY HOT. The second appearance of this brand, It was introduced to the LAT and all major newspapers by one C.C. Burnikel July 25, 2017.

23. Car loan nos.: APRS. An annual percentage rate (APR) is the annual rate charged for borrowing.

24. Hotel employee: MAID.

26. Mil. rank: PVT.

28. Comcast, e.g.: Abbr.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.

29. Warning sound: SIREN.

30. Wide-ranging: BROAD.

35. "You're not the only one!": SO CAN I.

36. Ocean State sch.: URI. The University of Rhode Island.

37. Like some homemade sweaters: HAND KNIT. We have a friend who gives Oo something she knitted every time we see her. I am not sure she should have retired.

38. Rare blood type, briefly: A-NEG.

39. Word with hard or soft: WARE.

40. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Dr. Watson.

41. Bygone HBO series about a sports agent: ARLISS. You can now stream this series.

43. Generate: GIN UP. Not a phrase I know. The idiom gin something up means to increase something, to get something going, to stir something up, to agitate or perhaps make a little trouble, sometimes through less than honest means. grammarist.com

44. Southern cornmeal fare: HOECAKE. A hoecake is cornbread made minimalist—a thin, unleavened round made from the simplest batter (cornmeal, water, and salt).

45. "Ecce homo" speaker: PILATE. His Latin name was Marcus Pontius Pilatus. As a child, I heard him called Pontius Pilate (Pilot). It should have been said like the exercise.

46. Makes up (for): ATONES. A continguous clue with religious overtones.

47. Scottish archipelago: ORKNEY. You can READ ALL ABOUT. More arcane knowledge about Great Britain.

48. Ancient statuary fragments: TORSOS.

49. Unenthusiastic: TEPID.

53. Cinch: SNAP.

54. Parisian bean?: TETE. Bean as noggin or the like in French.

56. "That's quite enough": TMI. Too Much Information.

57. "Do it, __ will!": OR I. Sounds ominous.

58. What a V-sign probably means in a restaurant: TWO. I love this clue. Very visual.

59. Envy, say: SIN. One of seven supposedly deadly ones.

Where do all the Fridays go? Another gone, but not before some good old fashioned Jeffrey Wechsler challenge and humor. My two granddaughters are now going to school after a very fun summer. Labor Day approaches. Thank you, Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

Here are a few cute pictures of Lemonade's grandchildren Charlotte, Harper and Owen. You can see more pictures here. 

2) Happy birthday to the always cheerful and happy Tinbeni, who's been with our blog for a long long time. Hope it's a day full of adventure and fun, Tinbeni!

Thursday, August 22nd 2019 Winston Emmons

Theme: EPI-penned - the letters EPI appear in the theme entries as the reveal explains:

65A. Quake's origin, and a feature of the answers to starred clues: EPICENTER. Very common word on the news around these parts. There have been a few pretty big shakes over the last few weeks.

So we get:

17A. *Watch: TIMEPIECE

24A. *Jazzman Fats Waller, style-wise: STRIDE PIANIST.  I was not familiar with this term at all.

40A. *"Boulevard Montmartre" series painter: CAMILLE PISSARRO

Here's the boulevard "on a Winter's Morning":

52A. *Understand: GET THE PICTURE

Straightforward enough theme, nicely executed. Note that the "EPI"s in each theme entry are the middle three letters of each answer. I struggled a bit with the STRIDE/W.C. HANDY/AZO/DYNES region but the crosses eventually pulled it together.

Across:

1. Suggestions, informally: RECS. Recommendations, I presume.

5. Many 40-Across works: OILS. A cross-reference clue right off the bat to annoy those who don't like them!

9. Supplement: ADD TO

14. Monsieur's mine: À MOI

15. Champagne designation: BRUT. Driest of the champagnes. The others, from dry to sweet, are Extra Sec, Sec, Demi Sec and Doux. Some purests split "rut" into "Extra Brut", the driest, and "Brut Nature".

16. React to a loss: MOURN

19. Palestinian leader Mahmoud: ABBAS. Thank you, crosses

20. Childish comeback: ARE SO!

21. Increase, with "up": REV

23. Simian: APE

29. "St. Louis Blues" composer: W.C. HANDY. Unknown to me. A very influential musician, I come to find.

31. Huntsville's home: Abbr.: ALA. Handy briefly taught at the now-named Alabama A&M University near Huntsville, and quit when he found that a pipe-fitter made more money. See what I just learned?

32. Nitrogen-based dye: AZO. Another unknown.

33. Turow book set at Harvard: ONE L. "One L" refers to a first-year law student, not just at Harvard but all law schools.

36. Quaking tree: ASPEN

44. Krispy __: KREME

45. Room in una casa: SALA

46. __ bran: OAT

47. Corn unit: EAR

49. Sisters on whom "Little Women" was loosely based: ALCOTTS

57. It may be inflated: EGO

58. Not bright: DIM

59. Dreadlocks wearer: RASTA

62. Golfer with an "army": ARNIE. Arnold Palmer, nicknamed "The King". He was one of the first golf superstars with the arrival of televised tournaments.

68. Walks unsteadily: REELS

69. Make over: REDO

70. "Star Trek" creator Roddenberry: GENE. There's a building on the Paramount lot named for him. He's made them quite a bit of money over the years.

71. Sore throat cause: STREP

72. Word with dash or happy: SLAP

73. Novelist Ferber: EDNA

Down:

1. Female rodent, to Fernando: RATA. You need a gato to chase her off.

2. Arab chieftain: EMIR

3. Returns: COMES HOME

4. Afternoon break: SIESTA

5. Kimono sash: OBI

6. Anger: IRE

7. "Filthy" moolah: LUCRE. Is all lucre filthy?

8. Expensive: STEEP

9. Physicians' gp.: A.M.A.

10. Bio info: D.O.B.

11. City with the world's tallest building: DUBAI

12. Snares: TRAPS

13. Kickoff: ONSET

18. Dirty work?: PORN. Rich has been getting a little more lenient over the years with "acceptable" entries.

22. By way of: VIA

25. Object of much reverence: IDOL

26. Newton fractions: DYNES. This was part my problem area, crossing "STRIDE" and "HANDY".

27. Rueful word: ALAS

28. Voyager org.: N.A.S.A.

29. Eccentric: WACK

30. Überauthority: CZAR. What, he arrived in Russia in a ride service? Maybe Otis was a Lyftauthority?

34. "Learn about the UV Index" org.: E.P.A.

35. Pastel shade: LILAC

37. Voiced one's opposition: PROTESTED

38. Logician's "E": ERAT. "Quod Erat Demonstrandum", "QED".

39. Forget-me-__: NOTS

41. "How __ Your Mother": I MET

42. "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology" memoirist Remini: LEAH. I remember hearing about the book, I never got around to reading it.

43. Brine has a lot of it: SALT

48. Signal to stop: RED

50. Virologist's goal: CURE

51. Creamsicle flavor: ORANGE. How funny, just last Friday I had my first "Orange Julius" at a Dairy Queen in Westminster Mall. It was surprisingly good!

52. Gets ready, with "up": GEARS

53. Long-billed wader: EGRET

54. Copier cartridge: TONER

55. Places to tie up: PIERS

56. Drive: IMPEL

60. Miss. neighbor: TENN.

61. Plane measurement: AREA

63. Martinique, par exemple: ÎLE. Caribbean island, part of the French West Indies. Here's La Plage des Salines - beautiful!

64. Clairvoyant's claim: E.S.P.

66. Journalist Tarbell: IDA

67. Steal, in slang: COP

I think that about does it for me today. Hasta la Jueves!

Steve

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Jim Bordoni and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: Say HI to the islands - but in their own language.  Here we have an initial theme, i.e. one where the first letter of each of two theme entry words combine to form the abbreviation for the most remote of the 50 states in the U.S.A.  Let's check it out.

17. *British-owned American hotel chain: HOLIDAY INN.  The first HOLIDAY INN was opened in 1952.  It and the next two were on roads to Memphis.  The name was a play on the title of a 1942 Christmas movie starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  The chain is now owned by InterContinental Hotels Group, and has 1173 active locations.

22. *Went on foot: HOOFED IT.  Traveled by shank's mare - the horse with 10 toes.

33. *Wind chill factor relative: HEAT INDEX.  A combination of heat and humidity which puts stress on the human body.  Read about it here.

38. *Three-time U.S. Open champion: HALE IRWIN. [b 1945] He became the oldest ever Open champion in 1990 at age 45.

46. *Subject of much debate: HOT ISSUE.  Pick a side.

56. With "The," one of 50 since 8/21/1959, as hinted at by the answers to the starred clues: ALOHA  STATE.  Which is, of course HAWAII, our most recently admitted state. It's abrv is HI.

So HI, or alternatively, ALOHA, Gang.  JazzBumpa here to guide today's tour.  This puzzle is brought to you by our own C. C. and Corner denizen Jim.  I'll admit it took me a bit of time and mental energy to suss this theme.  We have miles to go before we sleep, so let's get moving.

Across:

1. Half of a stiff price to pay: ARM. Along with a leg.  Better than "Half a fly," in my opinionated opinion.

4. Chinese food additive: MSG. MonoSodium Glutamate.  Flavor enhancer that gives some people a headache.

7. Breed from Honshu: AKITA.  Dogs originating in the mountainous regions of northern Japan that now come in two varieties.

American Akitas [left] and Japanese Akitas [right]

12. Sob story makeup: WOES.  General ills and misfortunes.

14. __ Nui: Easter Island: RAPA.  An extremely remote island, 2182 miles of the coast of Chile, which annexed it in 1888.  First inhabited ca 1200 A.D., it is the most southeastern point of the Polynesian Triangle, and famous for its unusual stone artifacts.

Why the long face?

15. Jell-O flavor: LEMON.  One of many

16. Food for the kitty?: ANTE.  Price of entry for a poker hand.  The kitty is the accumulation of bets to be won.

19. Robert the Bruce, for one: SCOT.  He was King of Scotland from 1306 until his death in 1329.  At the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 he defeated a large English army and won independence from England.

20. Speak with style: ORATE.  Give a formal address or speak pompously and at great length.

21. Latin "to be": ESSE.

24. Boys: LADS.  Young fellas.

26. Actress Longoria: EVA.  Eva Jacqueline Bastón (née Longoria) [b 1975] is an American entertainer, business person and activist.

She got her star last year, and her baby, Santiago, this year.

27. Substitute for: RELIEVE.  Usually in a work setting or on a pitcher's mound.

30. Cat Deeley's role on "So You Think You Can Dance": EM CEE.  Master of Ceremonies. Never watched it.

35. Jobs title, once: CEO.  Steven Jobs [1955-2011] was, among other things, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc.  Slightly misleading clue.

36. Represent inaccurately: BELIE. Deceive by lying.  Current usage is from the 17th century, but the word has solid old Anglo-Saxon roots.

37. Web access co.: ISP.  Internet Service Provider.

41. "Semper fidelis" is one: MOTTO.  A phrase that captures the beliefs or ideals of an individual or institution.  This one belongs to the U. S. Marine Corps, and means "always faithful/loyal." Mine is "What I lack in youth, I make up for with immaturity."

43. Veterans: OLD PROS.  Experienced experts.  In contrast, I am an old amateur.

44. Refuge for couples?: ARK.  Animals, two by two.

45. Italian automaker: FIAT.  Owner of Chrysler.

51. Golfer's transport: CART.  Gets you from tee to green.

53. Night calls: HOOTS.  Owl calls.  Assuming you give a HOOT.

55. Radius neighbor: ULNA.  Bones of the forearm, in case you weren't forewarned.

58. Eyeglass frames: RIMS. Lens holders.

59. Have more People come to the house?: RENEW.  Re-up a subscription to People magazine.  Took me a minute.

60. City near Anaheim: BREA.  This is not the home of the La Brea tar pits, which are about 40 miles to the northwest, within the city of Los Angeles.  It is an important retail center and home to an extensive public arts program.

61. Dueling sport: EPEE.  For sword play.

62. Midler of "Hello Dolly": BETTE.  The divine miss M [b 1945.]

63. Leb. neighbor: SYR.  Lebanon is on the coast of the Mediterranean. SYRIA surrounds it on the east and north.

64. Cap initials at Busch Stadium: STL.  Cardinals baseball team.

Down:

1. Knee-deep (in): AWASH.  Flooded by.

2. Chop-O-Matic maker: RONCO.  Former American company founded in 1964 by Ron [no relation] Popeil.  In 2005, he sold the company to Fi-Tek VII, a Denver holding company.  After a couple Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings, the company refiled under Chapter 7 in 2018, to be liquidated and shut down.

3. Anti-harassment movement: ME TOO.  A movement begun in 2017 to demonstrate the wide spread prevalence of sexual harassment, especially in the workplace

4. New Zealand settler: MAORI.  Eastern Polynesians who arrived in NZ by canoe in several waves from ca. 1320 to 1350.  Over several centuries of isolation, they developed their own culture, language, arts and mythology.

5. Paint spill sound: SPLAT.  Or generic cartoon falling sound.

6. Stable pace: GAIT.  One's manner of walking.

7. In the style of: ALA.

8. Entered, as data: KEYED IN.

9. "That went right over my head": I MISSED   IT.  As almost happened to me with today's theme.

10. Truckloads: TONS.   Non-specific large quantities.

11. Heche of "Psycho" (1998): ANNE. [b. 1969]

13. Fixed charge: SET FEE.  A stated amount paid for work or service that does not depend on time spent or how much the service is used.

14. Valerie Harper sitcom: RHODA. The original run on CBS was from September, 1974 to December, 1978.

18. Get rid of: DELETE.

23. Christmas __: EVE.  'Twas the night before.

25. Boxer who beat Frazier twice: ALI.  Muhammed Ali [Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, 1972 - 2016] was also an activist and philanthropist.

27. Ball game delayer: RAIN.  Baseball.  Football plays through blizzards.

28. Tuxedo part: VEST.

29. Former Canadian MLBer: EXPO.  The EXPOS, based in Montreal, played in the NL East Division from 1969 to 2004.

30. Repeat: ECHO. Literally - sound bouncing back from a solid surface.  Figuratively - a repetition of something.

31. Happy __: MEAL.  Kid's fare from McDonald's.

32. Leading edge of cooler temperatures: COLD FRONT.  Just exactly this.

33. Cuts down: HEWS.  With an ax, pick or other tool.

34. Yale alum: ELI.  For Elihu Yale, founder of the University.

36. Thin soups: BROTHS. Savory liquids in which bones, meat or vegetables have been simmered.

39. Peter the Great, e.g.: EPITHET. An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality or characteristic on a person or thing.

40. 401(k) kin, briefly: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

41. CT scan relative: MRI. Magnetic Resonance Image.

42. "Sounds good": OK, SURE.  Fine by me.

44. Utterly confused: AT SEA. Baffled.

46. White with frost: HOARY.  Grey or white, as if with age.  I'm taking this one personally.

47. Furry swimmer: OTTER.  Carnivorous mammal with a diet based on fish and invertebrates, related to weasels, badgers, minks and skunks.  The 13 existing species are all aquatic, semi-aquatic or marine.

48. Berth places: SLIPS.  Docking spots adjacent to wharfs or piers.

49. Not yet achieved, as a goal: UNMET. Work in progress, or have you given up?

50. Art class item: EASEL.  Support for your item to be painted.

51. Atkins no-no: CARBohydrates - starches and sugars.

52. Toward shelter: ALEE.  Protected from the wind.

54. Some parlors, for short: OTBS.  Off Track Betting Sites.

57. Stun: AWE.  Amaze.

That wraps up today's adventure. We met movie stars and extensively traveled the pacific basin.  Plus, of course, there were some baseball references.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Cool regards!
JzB

Notes from C.C.:

As Ron mentioned earlier, Jim is from our Crossword Corner. He used to comment regularly with the avatar JimmyB. His mom and Chickie (Leah) were classmates, if I recall correctly.

Jim proposed this idea to me in early 2018. He and his wife Diane go to Hawaii for vacation every year. Jim and I met in 2016 when he visited Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational. It was lots of fun working with him. He's so resourceful and efficient. Thanks for making this puzzle happen, Jim!

Diane, Jim and C.C., 9/25/2016

2) Owen had another surgery yesterday, but he's back on line now. I still have not figured out the numbers in his 1:28 pm post. Anyone, anyone? Stay healthy for your fans, Owen!


3) Look what I just got. Fresh Lei from Hawaii! Holy smokes. Thanks, Jim!