Tuesday September 17, 2019 Evan Mahnken

Theme: EASY ON THE EYES. (33. Pleasing to look at ... or a phonetic hint to a two-letter sequence in 16-, 20-, 51- and 56-Across ) - Each theme entry contains EZ. (Edited later: Each Z is on top of letter I. Thanks, Anon and Mark S.)

16. Amazon founder: JEFF BEZOS.

20. Very focused, as an athlete: IN THE ZONE.

26. Voices one's view: OPINES.  We got a lot of OPINES from the last debate in Houston.

51. Expatriate American poet arrested for treason in 1945: EZRA POUND.

 

55. Had a smoke: LIT UP.  Not me for the last 18 years.  What does everyone think about these relatively new flavored Vapers?  We have had one death in Minnesota.

56. Aztec emperor: MONTEZUMA.

62. Dog food brand: IAMS.

Boomer here again. Tough last Sunday in the Minnesota world of sports.  After the Twins took two from Cleveland on Saturday they looked like the bad news bears on Sunday.  The Vikings looked careless and stupid at Lambeau Field on Sunday also. They were certainly not IN THE ZONE.

Across:

1. Activist Parks: ROSA.  Very famous lady.  I would not call her an activist though.  She was just sitting in the seat that she to which was entitled.

5. First bird to attack in "The Birds": GULL.  Seagulls are beautiful birds with white feathers and gray trim.  I seem to remember the Hitchcock birds were black like crows.

9. "¿Qué __?": PASA. What??

13. Overly neat, say: ANAL.  I decided not to touch this answer. And no photo. 

14. Irish New Ager: ENYA.

15. Deep sleep: SOPOR.

18. 2001 bankruptcy headliner: ENRON. I still have some Pinnacle golf balls with Enron logos.  I know I have mentioned it before. But the same answers keep coming up in these puzzles.

19. Corn serving: EAR.  I hear with my ear but get my corn out of a can.

22. "Of course!": AHA.

24. Some dadaist art: ARPS. Jean Arp or Hans Arp.

27. Scolds: BERATES.

29. Clear dirty dishes from: BUS. "Just hop on the bus, Gus, Make a new plan Stan.  There must be fifty ways to leave your lover."  (Paul Simon) 

30. HS promgoers: SRS.  Yup, I remember a senior being someone who is 17 or 18 years old.  Now I think you need to be over 62,

31. Tops of waves: CRESTS.  I have never tried surfing but I am amazed by those that can.

32. Small batteries: AAS.  We have been searching for 9 volts for our smoke detectors.  Not in stock or very expensive.  Next stop Target.

39. Bash into: RAM.  This is an LA Times Crossword.  Shouldn't the clue be "Player at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sundays?"

40. Rapscallions: KNAVES.

42. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.  Standard Operating Procedure.

45. Halves of qts.: PTS.  A field goal will get you three.

46. Look over again: RE-CHECK. I would usually double-check.

47. Like Goldilocks' first bowl of porridge: TOO HOT.  Yeah, I remember the story, but I am pretty sure that bears do not eat porridge.

49. Send to the canvas: KAYO.  Famous for Ali opponents.

50. Code-breaking org.: NSA.

53. Tiresome grind: RUT.  Named after an ugly road.

60. One-eyed "Futurama" character: LEELA.

61. Earnest request: PLEA.

63. LAX landing list: ARRS.  Arrivals.

64. Some 35mm cameras: SLRS.

65. Open-handed hit: SLAP.  Also a wild hockey shot.

Down:

1. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ.

2. Common bill: ONE.  George Washington got that one because he was President number one.

3. Low-crime part of town: SAFE AREA.

4. __ Romeo: sports car: ALFA.  You better have 40 to 80 grand lying around if you want to own one.

5. "Gosh!": GEE. Whiz!

6. Opens, as a parka: UNZIPS.

7. Rhone cathedral city: LYONS.  Sue Lyon was "Lolita" but I really enjoyed her with George C. Scott in "The Flim Flam Man".

8. At the back of the pack: LAST.

9. Swindler with a scheme named for him: PONZI. There were a lot of these going around in the eighties.  I think folks have wised up a bit now.  I was approached but I am not quite that stupid.

10. Cooks' wear: APRONS.  Yes but there is also one at the end of my driveway.

11. Earlier: SOONER. "Oh Oh Oh klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."

12. "Gunsmoke" actor James: ARNESS.  Marshal Dillon was born in Minneapolis in 1923.

15. Leaks slowly: SEEPS.

17. Like an overtired child, perhaps: BRATTY.

21. One may be hidden under a welcome mat: HOUSE KEY.  I cannot believe that people do this.

22. "Grey's Anatomy" network: ABC.  I am old enough to remember when our choices were NBC and CBS.  ABC came along a bit later.

23. "__ goes nothing!": HERE.

25. Fall back on: RESORT TO.

28. Beast of burden: ASS.  I will also leave that answer alone.  Sorry.

29. Scroogean scoff: BAH. Humbug!!

32. 20s dispenser: ATM.  I have said this before.  In Las Vegas the ATMs dispense Benjamins.  Then you go back to the tables and turn them into 20s.

34. "Old Town Road" rapper Lil __ X: NAS.

35. Cry after a stunning performance: ENCORE.  When I performed solo in the Benilde H.S. Glee Club, no one ever "ENCORED" me.  But I did once bring the house town when I rode on the MTA at a parish in Crystal.  "Poor Old Charlie"

36. Slangy assent: YAH.  "She loves you Yah Yah Yah."  Beatles on Ed Sullivan's Show, circa 1963.

37. Happening later: EVENTUAL.

38. Moments, briefly: SECS.  60 of them equals a MIN.

41. Caribbean music: SKA.

42. __ Artois: Belgian beer: STELLA.  I have never liked beer. Lucky me. However my short hitch in Germany rated German beer as the worst.

43. More slimy: OOZIER.

44. Stout relative: PORTER.

45. Dad: POPPA.  This seems old.  I never heard anyone call their dad Poppa.

46. Original "SNL" cast member Gilda: RADNER.

48. Lugs: HAULS. I have three bowling balls and two pairs of shoes I lug into the bowling centers.

49. Small hill: KNOLL.

52. Baseball's "men in blue": UMPS. I am not able to understand why Joe West and Laz Dias are still holding this job,

54. Guns from Israel: UZIS. I know nothing about guns - Nor do I want to know.  Thank you.

57. Univ. aides: TAS.

58. UFC fighting style: MMA.

59. Egyptian snake: ASP.  She gets what she wants irregardless of price, Yeah did you see her ring that was some hunk of ice!  She has 30 minks that she's never worn twice, What kind of life is that?  Would you take that kind of life it it was offered to you?  You can bet Cleopatra's ASP you would.  (Chad Mitchell Trio).

Boomer

Monday September 16, 2019 Paul Coulter

Theme: START OF PLAY (63. Opening kickoff, say, and what both parts of 17-, 30- and 47-Across can be) - Both words in each theme entry can precede PLAY.

17. Football non-passing offense: RUNNING GAME. Running play. Game play.

30. Get one more card for twice the bet, in blackjack: DOUBLE DOWN. Double play. Downplay.

47. Car engine measure: HORSE POWER. Horse play. Power play.

Boomer here.  Hello from the Land of 10,000 lakes. We had a deluge of rain last week but the good news is a return to summer today and all week. I will be hitting the golf links tomorrow but I am pretty busy bowling which ignores the weather. 170-191-214-575 last Thursday.  Maybe it's coming back.

Across:

1. Really big hit: SMASH.  "The game of life is hard to play".  It'S M*A*S*H

6. Numero uno, with "the": BEST. We have a "Best Buy" near our home. Not sure if it is a really Best Buy.  C.C. and I stopped in last week. I saw refrigerators priced at over $3500.00!

10. One always ready with quick comebacks: WIT.  So's your old man !

13. W.C. Fields persona: SOUSE. Sorry, I've heard of W.C. But I am not old enough to remember his antics.

14. Strand during a sleet storm, say: ICE IN.  Sleet is a bit of a mixture of rain and snow.  We don't see that much in MN.  We get only lots of snow.

16. Green prefix: ECO.

19. Fish eggs: ROE.  Does not appeal to me. I have heard that you can turn some of it into caviar with a little curing and salt. You can have it.  Earlier some kids in Edina MN pulled a 70 year old sturgeon (and about 7 feet long) out of a creek that was about 3 feet deep.  Not sure if it had ROE.

20. __ the table: arrange silverware and such: SET.  6 wins in a tennis match.

21. MBA or MFA: Abbr.: DEG.

22. Behind, or hit from behind: REAR END. My Van got whacked two years ago in St. Paul.  Amazing Abra found a perfect rear bumper assembly on their network and had it fixed in one day.

24. Farm song refrain: EIEIO.  "Old McDonald had a farm"  "And on this farm he had a hamburger, French fries, and a chocolate shake."

26. Hasenpfeffer, e.g.: STEW.

27. Open-and-__ case: SHUT.

34. 36-Across skunk Pepé: LE PEW.  Mel Blanc took leave of Bugs Bunny to be Pepé's voice.

36. Warner Bros. creation: TOON. Yes he is in Warner Brothers CARTOONS. Th Th That's All Folks!

37. Author Tolstoy: LEO.  Astrological sign. We left behind on August 23 I think.

38. European peak: ALP.  It's a big mountain but also an Electric Utility in Alexandria MN.

39. "Gosh, look at the time": IT'S LATE. "You better get on home"  (Ricky Nelson)

42. Sundial seven: VII.  How do they tell time with these things above the Arctic Circle??

43. You, to Goethe: SIE.

44. "Peter Pan" dog: NANA.

45. Sediment: DREGS.

51. Arthur of tennis: ASHE.  I was never much of a tennis fan, but this man was the Tiger Woods of tennis.  The first and only African-American to win a bunch of titles and awards in his chosen sport.  Sadly passed away at age 49,  RIP Mr. Ashe.

52. "Unforgettable" singer: COLE.  His real name was Nat Adams Coles.  But to me he was a King!

53. Peter, Paul or Mary: SAINT.  I get it but I do like their music.  Especially "Right Field".

55. Philosophy school with no classes?: MARXISM.

58. Biol. or geol.: SCI.

59. "Bingo!": AHA.

62. Australian bird: EMU.  Electrical and Mechanics Union.

66. Sailor's "Help!": SOS. Dot Dot Dot  Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot.  Thank you Mr. Morse.

67. Woodsy path: TRAIL.  "Happy Trails to You."  Roy Rogers.

68. Deed: TITLE.  I remember that "Title Deed" was printed on all of the Monopoly property cards.  Thank you Parker Brothers.

69. Gallery hangings: ART.  Paul's pal, Mr. Garfunkel.

70. Bldg. with a pool: YMCA.

71. "I Am of Ireland" poet: YEATS.

Down:

1. Lat. and Est., once: SSRS.  Super Seniors.  You have to be over 70 to bowl in the "Super Senior classification" in the Midwest Senior Classic tournaments. Now that I made the age, my bowling went over the hill. 

2. Grimace: MOUE.

3. Em, to Dorothy: AUNT.  "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz".

4. Nine-digit ID: SSN.  I have had the same number for 60 years. Plus I think my card is 40 years old.

5. Alpine heroine: HEIDI.

6. Astros Hall of Famer Craig __: BIGGIO.  Played 19 years for the Astros. Inducted into Cooperstown in 2015.

7. Cardio readout: ECG.  I am going to assume that my heart is okay.  They check my BP and pulse when I go in but I don't remember getting a stethoscope treatment at all.

8. Blacken: SEAR. Add an "S" and a Roebuck and you have a failed retailer.

9. Schedule opening: TIME SLOT.

10. Human/canine shape-shifters: WEREWOLVES.  Minnesota Basketball team We are.

11. Screen symbol to click on: ICON.

12. Open-__ shoes: TOED.  I have a pair of Under Armors but I rarely wear them.  What if I dropped a bowling ball on my foot??

15. Tidied, as a room: NEATENED.

18. Require: NEED. "Do you NEED anybody"? (Beatles Sgt. Pepper's) They got by with a little help from their friends.

23. Cabernet color: RED.  Cincinnati baseball player.

24. Summer in Lyon: ETE.

25. Western bad guys: OUTLAWS. I kind of miss the old Spaghetti Westerns.

27. Cut drastically, as prices: SLASH.  "Black Friday" is less than two months away, BUT the best deals usually come around December 23.

28. Prefix for "sun": HELIO.

29. Elite group: UPPER CRUST.  My favorite is "No Upper Crust"  Pumpkin Pie.  On the day before Black Friday.

31. Fancy neckwear: BOA.  A big snake.

32. Mull over: WEIGH.  Oh, that's the first think the clinic does before the BP and pulse.  I am at 184 but my old 38" waist pants are too big, but I have trouble fitting into 36.  Why don't the pants guys make a 37" waist.  Or is that just in the upscale Men's wear that charges $5.00 per inch??

33. Bam, bang or boom: NOISE.

35. Sommelier's menu: WINE LIST.

40. Complex woven textile: TAPESTRY.  "Season's change with the scenery, weaving time in a TAPESTRY, won't you stop and remember me?"  (Simon and Garfunkel)

41. __-Caps: candy: SNO.  Last week it was mountains.

46. Backstabber: RAT.

48. Fenway team, familiarly: SOX. Also a team at Guaranteed Rate Field. South side of the Windy City.

49. SoCal Latinx neighborhood: EAST LA.

50. Puerto __: RICO. I'm sure we all are relieved that Dorian missed that poor island.

54. Really cool: NIFTY.

55. Big butte: MESA.  Butte is a city in Montana.  Mesa is in Arizona.

56. Love, in Lima: AMOR.

57. Hat-tipper's word of address: MAAM.

59. Opposite of baja: ALTA.

60. "Stop right there!": HALT.  Gimme your Dough.

61. Shipboard yeses: AYES.  I still maintain these are "AYE AYES".

64. Rocker Ocasek: RIC.

65. Dessert pastry: PIE. I used to work at a restaurant named after Matt Perkins.  They served decent food and excellent desserts.  Many of them are closing around here. Do you have one where you live?  They still advertise on TV.

Boomer

Sunday September 15, 2019 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "It's a Plus" - Six Greek letters (ETA, CHI, PHI, TAU, PSI & RHO) form six plus signs (crosses) in this puzzle. - I'll just list the long theme entries as they all span across various words. But as you can see from the Answer Grid, more theme entries are involved. This grid is very demanding.

22A. Wall Street threat: HOSTILE TAKEOVER.

 

47A. "Way to go!": HIP HIP HOORAY.

 

86A. Puts an early stop to: NIPS IN THE BUD.

115A. Buttery Boston bread: PARKER HOUSE ROLL.

14D. Preemptive action, proverbially: A STITCH IN TIME.

53D. Popular charity event: SILENT AUCTION.

 

Reveal:

 

65. With 67-Across, what appears in each set of circles: GREEK.

67. See 65-Across: CROSS.

Such a creative theme. As I said earlier, this grid is very challenging to fill due to the three Across & three Down theme material. Pam have little maneuver room.

 

Across:

1. Roadie's burden: AMP.

4. It isn't meant to be taken seriously: FARCE.

9. Fateful day for Caesar: IDES.

13. Control: TAME.

17. Like Richard of Almanack fame: POOR.

19. Schools of thought: IDEOLOGIES. 26. Amber and silver: ALERTS. Both parts of the ETA crossing.

21. "Carmen on Ice" Emmy sharer Brian: ORSER.

24. With 98-Down, Broadway's first Evita: PATTI. 98. See 24-Across: LUPONE.

25. Sharply focused: INTENT.

27. Emmy winner for 1997's "George Wallace": SINISE. Unaware of the film. He'll always be Lieutenant Dan to me.

28. Brutus' 551: DLI.

29. What gym members try to get in: SHAPE.

31. Medical screening tool: TB TEST.

33. Occupy, as a bar: SIT AT.

35. Overseas seas: MERS.

37. Source of sticker shock?: THORN. Stick-er.

39. Some window units: ACS. And 73. Freeze over: ICE UP.

41. Sandal feature: T STRAP. A few other letter openers: 45. Program blocker: V CHIP. 50. Rock memoir: I TINA. 108. F equivalent: E SHARP.

43. Google __: CHROME.

51. "Oh, and another thing," on a ltr.: PPS.

54. Market section: DAIRY.

55. Idaho exports: RUSSETS. Boomer makes terrific potato salad. The key is the Spin Blend, which is only available at Walmart in our area.

57. Its "C" once stood for "cash": NCR.

58. Crop up: ARISE.

60. Match play?: ARSON. Nice clue.

62. Spoke from memory: RECITED.

64. Corn Belt sight: SILO.

70. Spanish painter who influenced Pollock: MIRO.

71. Ballet need: TOE SHOE.

75. Red Sea nation: YEMEN.

76. South end?: ERN. Southern.

77. Dangerfield's "There goes the neighborhood," e.g.: EPITAPH.

80. Refuse: SAY NO.

83. RNs' workplaces: ERS.

84. Soda purchase: LITER.

89. Rusty with a bat: STAUB. Wiki says "He was the only major league player to have 500 hits with four different team."

90. Retro photos: SEPIAS.

91. Mercedes subcompact: A CLASS.

94. "No prob": YUP.

95. Word in a White House title: FIRST. Oh, OK. First Lady.

96. Leatherwork tools: AWLS.

99. Exams for future 88-Downs: LSATS. And 88. See 99-Across: DAS.

101. Winter driving aids: CHAINS.  Followed by 103. They're driven: AUTOS.

105. Collar wearer, often: PET.

106. Celebrate an anniversary, say: EAT OUT. Boomer and I will be celebrating our 20-year anniversary next May.

112. Take-home: NET PAY.

114. Drum major's move: TWIRL.

118. Sci-fi figure: DROID.

119. "Agnes Grey" novelist: ANNE BRONTE. Involved in the RHO crossing.

120. Galleria filler: ARTE.

121. Match: SYNC.

122. De-grayed?: DYED. I like this clue also.

123. Hard rain?: SLEET.

124. Astonished cries: OHS.

Down:

1. Ladybug snacks: APHIDS.

2. Like a romantic evening: MOONLIT. Last Thursday was the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. People all ate mooncakes. Chinese myth says that there's lady lives in the moon. Her picture is often on the mooncake tin, which often contains four mooncakes.

3. Sticky-edged squares: POST-ITS.

4. Gunk and grime: FILTH.

5. Gator follower?: ADE.Gatorade.

6. Wrap again, as an ankle: RE-TAPE.

7. Fossil fuel freighter: COALER.

8. Paul's "The Prize" co-star: ELKE. Sommer.

9. "__ that": "On me": I GOT.

10. League parts: Abbr.: DIVS.

11. Shoe box spec: EEE.

12. Armenia, once: Abbr.: SSR.

13. Do, as business: TRANSACT.

15. Team with a skyline in its logo: METS.

16. Buffalo's county: ERIE.

18. GPS suggestion: RTE.

20. Anthem contraction: OER.

21. TV kid in Miss Crump's class: OPIE.

23. Good way to take things: IN STRIDE.

27. RR map dot: STN.

30. Theater opening?: AMPHI. Amphitheater. Hahtoolah is in Sicily right now. She just sent me this Greek theater pic. Hello, ODEON!

31. Maier with a swimwear label: TOMAS. No idea. Wiki says that "From 2001 to 2018, he served as Creative Director at Italian luxury lifestyle brand Bottega Veneta".

32. Maker of CarbSmart ice cream bars: BREYERS.

34. Part of NCAA: Abbr.: ATH. And 36. Part of the NCAA: Abbr.: SCH.

37. Whip: TROUNCE.

38. __ d'oeuvres: HORS.

40. More genuine: SINCERER.

42. Org. for shrinks: APA.

44. Prefix with scope: HORO.

45. Tom Cullen's title on "Downton Abbey": Abbr.: VISC. OK, Viscount.

46. Excuses: PARDONS.

48. Wrath, in a hymn: IRAE.

49. Ceremonial pile: PYRE.

51. Muted colors: PASTELS.

52. Job that takes precedence: PRIORITY.

56. Parisian possessive: TES. Your.

59. "Mamma Mia!" song: SOS. Here is the song most Chinese are familiar with. I was unaware that it was a copy of their "Gimme Gimme Gimme" until a few months ago. That singer was so popular when I was young.

61. Decides not to go: SKIPS IT.

63. "__ Mine": George Harrison book: I ME.

65. Red letters?: GOP. We're a solid blue state.

66. Checks: REINS IN.

68. Sign of neglect: RUST.

69. Deep-water beauty: OPAH.

72. Kitchen additive: HERB.

74. Novelty "pet": CHIA.

75. "Just wait ... ": YOU'LL SEE. Great fill.

78. Levels: TIERS.

79. iPhone downloads: APPS.

81. Bakers get a rise out of it: YEAST.

82. "Manifest" airer: NBC.

85. Over the moon: EUPHORIC.

87. CIA relative: NSA.

92. Largest city on the island of Hokkaido: SAPPORO. Known for their ramen. 

93. Cat burglar's asset: STEALTH.

95. Tailor's concern: FIT.

97. Pop artist from Pittsburgh: WARHOL.

100. Individual manners: STYLES.

102. "__ Lang Syne": AULD.

104. When it all started: ONSET.

106. LAX postings: ETDS. 109. LAX posting: SKED. Schedule. Also 111. LAX postings: ARRS.

107. Off the mark: AWRY.

108. Shore bird: ERNE.

110. Right-to-left lang.: HEB. Hebrew. Traditional Chinese is read from right to left also.

113. __-la-la: TRA.

115. Increase fraudulently: PAD.

116. "__ luck?": ANY.

117. Sporty ride, for short: UTE.

Here are a few more pictures from Hahtoolah. The place is Taormina, Sicily. What's that tree behind her? I see some fruit.

 

C.C.

Saturday, September 14, 2019, Greg Johnson

Saturday Themeless Puzzle by Greg Johnson 

Today we celebrate an item that goes by many different names depending on where you live. Around here we call this a sub sandwich but I know it is also called a hoagie, grinder, poor boy, hero or what have you. I really like them but when I get one for my lovely bride and I to split, I can only have black olives put on my end.

Today's constructor is our old Saturday friend Greg Johnson. I include his grid at the top of the write-up because two triple-stack grid spanners looks pretty cool to me! Those ninety cells filled in pretty quickly and gave me a fast finish time when coupled with what seemed to be a lot of familiar fill for this solver.

O.K. let's see what Greg, like Jimmy Johns, has delivered for us today:

Across:

1. Suggestion for stress relief: TAKE SOME TIME OFF - Coupled with the next clue



16. Enjoying a solo walk in the woods: AT ONE WITH NATURE - I never felt this more than in the Oregon Redwoods, some of which have been growing for thousands of years

17. It makes a good point: PENCIL SHARPENER - One Redwood can make 50,000,000 pencils to be sharpened

18. Big boat: ARK - The bible said Noah used gopherwood not redwood

19. Needs to remit: OWES - Thus endeth the redwood references 

20. Trick: CON.

21. Yellowy insides: YOLKS.

24. Farm structures: PENS - My wife lived on a farm where the pigs' quarters were call a PEN, never a sty

25. Enters unnoticed: SLIPS IN.

28. Paratha roti ingredient: GHEE (highly clarified butter) - What is the difference between a roti, naan, paratha and chapati?

31. Showed joy, ironically: WEPT - An emotional response either way

32. Tricky hoops move that's often an assist: NO LOOK PASS - More commonly seen in basketball (hoops) but Patrick Mahommes uses this in football. 58. Super Bowl IV MVP Dawson: LEN - Was not as exciting as Patrick but started for the 1969 Super Bowl Champs in K.C. and was the MVP of that game.

37. In the past: AGO.

38. Supporters: RETINUE - He always had a lovely one

39. Summary usually including a photo: BIO.

40. Treatment for dry skin: BODY BUTTER - There doesn't seem to be any in my medicine cabinet

42. It's just above street level: CURB - I just loved this clue

43. Road game: I SPY - with my little eye...

44. Ancient French region: ALSATIA (old name for Alsace) - For more than 300 years, from the Thirty Years' War to World War II, the political status of Alsace was heavily contested between France and various German states in wars and diplomatic conferences.

46. Summer hire: TEMP - I hired over 300 "TEMPS" in the summer to work in the cornfields for 23 years

49. Check for fit: TRY ON.

50. Chemical suffix: IDE.

51. Vegas hotel with an operatic name: ARIA - I had A _ _ _  and AIDA neither worked for fill nor existed as a hotel

54. Hosp. tubes: IVS.

56. Pasta for vegetarians: MEATLESS LASAGNA 

62. "Pass": I'M NOT INTERESTED - At one time I had several "friends" try to get me into Amway

63. Scopes Trial site: DAYTON TENNESSEE - Like me, John Scopes was a substitute teacher and he wasn't sure he even taught evolution but agreed to be a test case for the ACLU. He was prosecuted by Nebraska's most famous politician William Jennings Bryan, was found guilty and fined $100 (which was later reversed on a technicality).

Restored Court Room In DAYTON, TENNESSEE
Now A Tourist Attraction

Down:

1. Dancing suitable for radio: TAP - Cool clue! I can at least hear the rhythm which I lack.

2. Put away: ATE.

3. Hawaiian coffee district: KONA - This part of the Big Island has many coffee growing areas that offer tours and tastings not far from our cwd friend Mauna Loa.

4. Protect from theft, in a way: ENCRYPT - If somebody wants to break your code badly enough...

5. High-end watches: SEIKOS.

6. Barn __: OWL - A woman put on a show from a raptor recovery program and told my kids, "A raptor can never be your friend!"

7. Appropriate prefix for an embezzler?: MIS - MISappropriation is a fancy euphemism for what Bernie Madoff did.

8. Guiding beliefs: ETHOS.

9. Spring harbinger: THAW 

10. Memo opener: IN RE - The "IN" is omitted but the sentiment is real below

11. Guides with scales: MAPS - If you look carefully below, you can see the scale for how far it is from Xi'an where C.C. was born to Guangzhou where she worked before coming to America

12. Tanning time on the Riviera: ETE - Knowing the French word for summer is de rigueur  in Crosswordland

13. Smidgen: OUNCE - A smidgen of prevention is worth a lot of cure

14. Trademarked refrigerant: FREON - The EPA has mandated that the manufacture of FREON must be halted by 2020

15. Decorative greenery: FERNS.

22. Pregame managerial decision: LINEUP - This 1961 LINEUP was powerful. Can you name the Yankees pictured here with the number of HR's they hit that year? (*Answer at bottom of write-up)

23. Complicated: KNOTTY - Along with being Dr. Seuss, Theodore Geisel was also a political cartoonist as seen in this 1942 example

24. Cheerleader's asset: PEP.

25. Makeup-applying aid: SWAB.

26. Toy brand with a Taj Mahal set: LEGO - $370 at Amazon

27. 2001 Apple debut: I POD - I still have mine but don't 28. Approach: GO NEAR it anymore 

29. Like most labor rates: HOURLY.

30. Squeak (out): EKE.

33. Short stories?: LIT.

34. Border on: ABUT.

35. "Hey" assistant: SIRI - I could say this into my iPhone, "Hey, SIRI, what's the name for a four-letter Japanese noodle?" She would probably suggest UDON or SOBA

36. Polite-to-slurp Japanese noodle: SOBA - All you need to know

38. NFL ball carriers: RBS - Besides Running Backs, the NFL has QBs, FBs, HBs, DBs and CBs (Pluralizing acronyms)

41. Pup squeak: YIP.

42. Solicit support from, as voters: CANVASS - Part of my granddaughter's job

45. "Indeed": SO I SEE.

46. Hardly outgoing: TIMID.

47. Swelling: EDEMA - Is using ice to reduce EDEMA the wrong thing to do?

48. Not-so-nice sort: MEANY.

49. Sample: TASTE - Don Fanucci had a different way of saying he wanted a TASTE of illegal activity 

51. Vocal range: ALTO.

52. Bit strap: REIN 

53. "And __ it ironic": Alanis Morissette lyric: ISN'T - A fun listen!

55. Mil. ranks: SGTS - From the world of fiction: Friday, Bilko, Schultz, Snorkel, Stryker...

57. Day care attendee: TOT - Day care is a cash cow for many churches in our town

59. Valiant's boy: ARN.

60. Formerly named: NEE.

61. Drink suffix with Power: ADE.

Order a sub to be delivered and then comment on Greg's puzzle. 

*Yankee LINEUP (l to r) was Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard, Moose Skowren, and Johnny Blanchard.