Saturday, September 28, 2019, Ed Sessa

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Ed Sessa

Today Dr. Ed Sessa makes a house call to our little literary popsicle stand and prescribes a very challenging exercise. This one took me a little longer than most Saturdays with OLA_/A_ILA being my last fill (wouldn't you know that our old Scandinavian friend OLAV/OLAF would be in the mix). I did choose correctly because I knew of Cleveland Indian second baseman Bobby Avila much more than I did where Isabella I was born.

Let's see what else the good doctor has for us today:

Across:

1. Little more than a drop: THIMBLEFUL. 

11. Gossip: DISH - Some in the teacher's lounge can really DISH the DIRT

15. Simile for "luve" in a classic poem: RED RED ROSE - Robert Burns

16. "__ the valley of Death ... ": Tennyson: INTO - Now Lord Tennyson's poetry makes an appearance but on a far rougher note

17. C.S. Lewis, for one: ALLEGORIST - Continuing in the literary vein, some say his The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a Christian ALLEGORY

18. High seas adverb: THAR - THAR, she blows! Where? THAR!

19. Declared one's innocence, say: PLED 23. "I'm innocent": NOT ME - It means either I didn't do it or you can't prove I did.

20. Over and done with: PAST - American generals started fighting the Civil War using Napoleonic tactics of the PAST despite new weaponry  

21. Trio in H2O: ATOMS - Two hydrogens and one oxygen

22. Varnish option: MATTE.

24. __ Brava: Spanish tourist site: COSTA - What does it cost to rent this vacation home along Spain's COSTA Brava (wild coast)?

28. Emailers, e.g.: USERS.

30. Bentley of "American Beauty": WES - Thora Birch and Mena Suvari were also in this movie and have appeared in our crosswords 

31. Nadya Suleman, in 2009 headlines: OCTO MOM - Public opinion turned against her when it was discovered that she already had six children and was on public assistance

33. No-frills flight feature: LOW FARE - Probably has a very limited wine list

35. Martial artist/musician Steven: SEAGAL - Here ya go! So tough, he doesn't even use a pick on this fun tune

36. Straighten up: NEATEN.

37. Instruments also called rumba shakers: MARACAS - Just in case you don't know

39. Genetic identifiers: MARKERS - Your saliva, uh, speaks

40. Connections: INS - When boss's son gets a job for which someone else is much more qualified

41. Isabella I's birth city: AVILA - She was born in the Castilian town of  Madrigal de las Altas Torres, ÁVILA and married Ferdinand of Aragon. Of course they are most famous for financing a certain sailor from Genoa, Italy 

43. To the point: TERSE - I'll take TERSE over TMI anytime!

44. Snake targets: CLOGS.

46. Factor of diez: CINCO - Si, CINCO veces dos es igual a diez (Yes, five times two equals ten)
48. More than just eats: DINES.

49. Texter's "May I say": IMHO.

50. "__ Before Chanel": 2009 film: COCO - Meh...

54. Military group: UNIT.

55. "Sgt. Pepper" collectible: ALBUM COVER - Here's the cover and who's on it

57. Shakers, but not movers: SECT - Shakers are a millenarian nontrinitarian restorationist Christian SECT founded circa 1747. Huh?

58. Workers behind bars: LION TAMERS - They prefer being called LION TRAINERS as LIONS can not really be tamed

59. Deuce topper: TREY.

60. Connect with by nailing, say: FASTEN ONTO.


Down:

1. Yap: TRAP -Two crude mouth references 

2. Inferno: HELL.

3. Not occupied: IDLE.

4. '60s role for Bamboo Harvester: MR ED - His real name of course, of course. He seemed to have more 14. Stable judgment?: HORSE SENSE than the other characters in this sit com

5. Entreat: BEG.

6. Parkinson's drug: L DOPA - An intriguing, touching movie about L DOPA

7. Post-printing problem: ERRATUM - Computers make correcting an ERRATUM (uptown word for an error) much more doable

8. Palms off (on): FOISTS 

9. Company co-founded by J.P. Morgan: US STEEL - A captain of industry/robber baron

10. Reason for a court replay: LET - To see if the tennis serve touched the net (called a LET). If it did the point is replayed. Volleyball has changed the rule so that a serve that hits the net is in play 

11. Likewise: DITTO - He couldn't bring himself to say the word

12. Like a stereotypical cannibal captive: IN HOT WATER 

13. Claudius and Porky Pig: STAMMERERS - King George (corrected) VI also

21. Be called: ANSWER TO.

22. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" singer: MAMA CASS - "She had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his (Mamas and Papas) arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his." Yeah, she was the odd one!

24. Matter of space: COSMIC DUST - If you're interested 

25. Port-to-port connector: OCEAN LINER.

26. Scott Hamilton venue: STARS ON ICE.

27. Cover-up in Nero's time: TOGA.

29. Novelist Jaffe: RONA - Here 'ya go

32. Scandinavian patron: OLAV.

34. Art buyer's concern: FAKE - Which one is real? (answer at bottom of blog)

38. Strait of Messina isola: SICILIA - An image from space of where the two-mile bridge connecting isola of SICILIA (island of Sicily) with the Italian region of Calabria might be built over the Strait of Messina

39. It often follows a breakout: MAN HUNT - The movie and TV show The Fugitive traced the MAN HUNT for Dr. Richard Kimble

42. Transitional situations: LIMBOS - I'm sure Dr. Ed would consider "Pole dances" as a very marginal clue 😏

45. Big name in oil: GETTY.

47. Title in a Dumas title: COMTE - Yeah right, I was the only one who put in COUNT first instead of this French word for Count. My wife's maiden name was Christo (nee Christo) and she had a cousin named Monte.

50. Lake of Lombardy: COMO - Lake COMO is in the northern Italian administration district of Lombardy which abuts Switzerland

51. Spot for pots: OVEN.

52. Marriage doc.: CERT - Not LISC it turns out

53. Roughly: OR SO.

55. Loser to Franklin in '36: ALF - Uh, what does a landslide look like...

56. Spam holder: CAN - My city of Fremont, NE makes a lot of Spam and in 2011 its citizens built the world's largest open-faced sandwich (Guinness) using that product

Add a comment and then take two aspirin and call Dr. Ed in the morning!

The real American Gothic is on the right.

Friday, September 27, 2019 David Alfred Bywaters

"Z Replacementz"


17. Really terrible wine?: UNPARDONABLE ZIN.  Sin.

27. Dad jokes?: POP ZINGERS.  Singers.

46. Hardware store window feature?: DISPLAY ADZ.  Ads.

56. Power nap?: MAINTENANCE DOZE.  Dose.

Across:

1. Doing something: BUSY.  Do something:  Get busy.  Now there's a word where the S really sounds like a Z.

5. Infatuated, old-style: SMIT.   Raging dopamine levels clouding one's judgement.

9. "The Goldbergs" actor George: SEGAL.

 

14. Corner: TREE.  I first read the clue as a noun, but had to read it as a verb for it to make sense.

15. First-rate: A-ONE.

16. Hardly in the dark: AWARE.  Andre Ware (A Ware ?) would be known to longtime college football fans.  He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who played for the University of Houston Cougars.   He was the first African American quarterback to win the honor.

20. Master's degree seeker's assignment: THESIS.  Thesis title: “Membership of Subculture as Made Evident Through Referential Verbal Cues”  Translated title: "Nerds say nerd things to other nerds."

21. Evaluate: ASSESS.

22. Hosp. area for critical cases: ICU. 

24. Truck unit: TON.

25. PreCheck org.: TSA.  TSA Pre✓®  - Transportation Security Administration

26. Focus word in a Scripps logo: BEE.

30. Extensive periods: EONs.

31. "See ya": SO LONG.


32. Pork cuts: LOINs.

34. Beethoven wrote just one: OPERA.  My eyes deceived me.  I read "Beethoven just wrote one" and thought, "What ?  That can't be right!"

35. Academic growth: IVY.

36. Indian silk region: ASSAM.

40. Trumpet sound: BLARE.  To "blow one's own trumpet" is to talk openly and boastfully about one's achievements.  

42. Mrs. King on "Scarecrow and Mrs. King": AMANDA.  Kate Jackson starred as a divorced mother of two opposite Bruce Boxheimer as a spy.  "Goodbye, PTA...hello, foreign intrigue!"

43. HUD financing gp.: GNMA.  Ginnie Mae.  The Government National Mortgage Association in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

48. Tanning line: RAY.

49. Mag. listing: EDs.

50. Some PCs: HPs.

51. Kitty alternative: KAY.   Both can be short forms of Katherine. 

52. Pertaining to a heart chamber: ATRIAL.

54. Facial feature named after an animal: GOATEE.

60. Location: PLACE. 

61. Innocent, for one: PLEA.

62. Keypad predecessor, in some cases: DIAL.

63. Rent-a-car choice: SEDAN. Alamo ? No.   Hertz ? No.    Aha, now I see !

64. Cabs and the like: REDs.  Wines.   Other reds might be Medoc and Merlot.  I learned they were reds in a USA Today puzzle last week.  Wine Folly

65. Multinational range: ALPs.   Eight Alpine countries: France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.

Down:

1. A/C measure: BTU. Air Conditioning. British Thermal Unit.

2. Caterer's item: URN.

3. 35 to 5, say: SEPTUPLE.   You know.   Single, double, triple, quadruple etc.  Do the math.   This may be a debut for septuple.  Crossword history ?

4. Slangy assent: YEAH.

5. "Teen Angel" or "Leader of the Pack": SAD SONG.   Teenage tragedy songs of the early 60s era.  Here's another:


6. Sounds from the pasture: MOOING.

7. Holiday places: INNs. Holiday Inns.

8. English cuppa: TEA.

9. Spicy condiment: SALSA.  Spicy dance: Salsa.

10. Farm moms: EWEs.

11. Summerhouse: GAZEBO.

12. Out of bed: ARISEN.

13. They can make things clearer: LENSEs.

18. __ scan: ID method: RETINAL.

19. Soprani opposites: BASSI.

22. __ facto: IPSO.

23. Farm home: COOP.

Nice digs from the folks at Chicken Coop Mansions

25. Helen's home: TROY.  We have an Irish Miss of Troy. 

28. Kazantzakis title hero: ZORBA.  Time magazine book review from 1953

29. Fabled mischief-makers: ELVEs. The Keebler elves make Uncommonly Good cookies with elfin magic in the Hollow Tree.

30. Montaigne work: ESSAY.

33. Yoga class greeting: NAMASTE.  "... a respectful greeting said when giving a namaskar."   That clears it up.

35. Greek rainbow goddess: IRIS.

37. Charlatan's curative: SNAKE OIL.

38. "__ pinch ... ": recipe direction: ADD A.   A pinch of patience,  a dash of kindness, and a spoonful of laughter.

39. Labyrinthine: MAZY.

41. Disorient: ADDLE.

42. Andean animals: ALPACAs.

43. Dad's dad: GRAMPS.

44. Italian Christmas: NATALE.

Top 6 Italian Christmas Traditions

45. Many: MYRIAD.

47. Contacted, in a way: PHONED.

49. Gobbled up: EATEN.

53. Ancient Peruvian: INCA.

54. Wind warning indicated by two red flags: GALE.

 55. Icelandic poetic work: EDDA.

57. "Morning Edition" airer: NPR.  National Public Radio.  A number of fans here at the Corner.

58. Nuke: ZAP.  Both slang for microwave.

59. Little League leaders?: ELs.  Little League trailers: Ees.

Check your grid against this one:

Thursday, September 26th 2019 David Poole

Theme: Spooked: Two government agencies facing off across the great idealogical crossword divide.

As the reveal, diplomatically placed in the center tells us:

23D. Long-running Mad feature suggested by this puzzle's circled letters: SPY VS. SPY

A great theme from David, the circles reveal CIA, appropriately on the West side of the puzzle, and KGB, aptly, on the East.

There's a lot to like about this theme, simple on the surface, but a little more when you dig down. The theme entries are placed pleasingly symmetrically, the letters for the agencies aren't just the first or last letter in the theme entries, they stand alone in each name or phrase, and the placement of the reveal dead center between the two is very neat. Good job.

Let's see what the fill holds for us:

Across:

1. Indian food option: MILD. I lean towards the more hot/spicy dishes, but there are many Indian dishes which are spiced, but not with chili or cayenne, the spices are there for aroma and flavor. Two classic examples are the korma, which is a mild, creamy curry, and the biryani, which is Indian cuisine's one-pot rice dish, a relative of paella, jambalaya and others. Here's my chicken biryani with coconut and yoghurt green raita.

5. "4x2=8" rapper from Korea: PSY. The "Gangnam Style" dude. I'm not sure any of us would be able to name any other Korean rapper.

8. Blood component: PLASMA

14. Et __: and others: ALII

15. Troy, N.Y., school: R.P.I. I tried to guess this, I got the "Institute" part, I could have guessed "Polytechnic", but there was no guessing "Rensselaer".

16. Trojan War hero: AENEAS

17. Delivery method: C-SECTION

19. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, familiarly: COACH K

20. Fall: AUTUMN

21. Boats and gravy boats: VESSELS

22. Stockpiled: AMASSED

24. Tigers, on scoreboards: DET.

25. "Miracle on Ice" winners: Abbr.: U.S.A. One of the most famous moments in sports, and that goes for non-US fans - I remember this from the 1980 Winter Olympics long before I moved to the States and before I knew much at all about hockey. "Do you believe in miracles? YES!"

28. Pours carelessly: SLOPS

29. Start of el año: ENERO

31. Quick bite: NOSH

33. Chef's collection: FRY PANS. I've literally worn out a couple of my Cuisinart skillets, I'm thinking about replacing them with cast iron.

35. Siri device: IPHONE

37. Pointed facial features: VAN DYKES. This dude rocks a great Van Dyke.

41. Morris Buttermaker's "bad news" team: THE BEARS

43. Big name in smooth jazz: KENNY G

44. Spray can output: AEROSOL. I thought the aerosol WAS the can. The output is deodorant, paint, olive oil, you name it.

46. Like some U.S. mail: CERT. ified.

47. African antelope: ELAND

50. Binge: SPREE

52. Montgomery of jazz: WES

53. Part of UCLA: LOS

54. Due: PAYABLE

56. Easy marks: PATSIES

59. __ del Fuego: TIERRA. I met a bartender in New Orleans who was from Tierra del Fuego; she said when she was a kid, her mom would point at the moon and tell her that was the closest place to where they lived.

62. Angular abode: A-FRAME

63. Complex containing thiamine and niacin: VITAMIN B. My Doc told me to take B3 supplements, apparently I'm not getting enough sun, that seems difficult to pull off in Southern California. (Edit - he told me to take D3! - Steve]

65. Close tightly: SEAL UP

66. Half of eleven?: ONE. Nice clue. Double-1 makes 11.

67. Spots at the prom?: ACNE. Sad, but true.

68. Discount phrase: OR LESS

69. Farm sci.: AGR.iculture. Seems hard to imagine studying farming without it.

70. Mower holder: SHED. If you're mowing the grass for silage on the farm, your agriculture class probably tells you the size of shed you need for the mower.

Down:

1. Brit's raincoat: MAC. Have you seen the ad currently running for the Microsoft Surface? It features a real Brit called Mackenzie "Mac" Book who points out the differences between the Surface and the Mac Book. It made me laugh, very clever.

2. Rick's love in "Casablanca": ILSA

3. In __ of: LIEU

4. Decrees: DICTA

5. 1996 Richard Gere/Edward Norton thriller: PRIMAL FEAR

6. Spot buyer: SPONSOR

7. Half a cosmic whole: YIN

8. Walked nervously: PACED

9. Some summer babies: LEOS

10. Santa __: dry winds: ANAS. Fierce debate in my neck of the woods as to whether they are called "Santa Anas" or "Santanas". I'm firmly with the latter. "Santa Ana" is a corruption of the original name perpetrated by out-of-state weather forecasters. In Richard Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" he references "the devil wind Santana", well known to sailors in these parts. Santa Ana is a small city in Riverside County, and the winds neither originate from there or are funneled through there. OK, got that off my chest!

11. Withdraw formally: SECEDE

12. "Resurrection Symphony" composer: MAHLER

13. Invites for: ASKS TO.  Invites for lunch/asks to lunch.

18. Antacid brand: TUMS

21. Italian scooter: VESPA. Here's a young Sting riding a Vespa GS in the Who's "Quadrophenia" movie. Goodness knows what that scooter would be worth now, they're getting very hard to find.

25. Yard, say: UNIT

26. Junior-to-be: SOPH. Shouldn't it be "Jnr." in the clue? Last time I looked, you were properly a sophomore.

27. Tennis immortal: ASHE. Arthur. The stadium in Flushing Meadows, home of the U.S. Open is named for him. The Australian open has the Rod Laver Arena, The French Open has "Stade Roland Garros" and Wimbledon has - Wimbledon. I rather like that. You're pretty much one and done with naming. Imagine the uproar if the French decided to replace Roland with Yannick Noah or Suzanne Lenglen.

29. "The Neverending Story" author: ENDE. A German novel, originally.

30. Acronymically named boy band: 'N SYNC. The last letters of the first names of the band members. Who knew? I think it's just a happy coincidence.

32. White House architect James: HOBAN

34. Rug rat: ANKLE BITER

36. More than want: NEED

38. Had down cold: KNEW

39. Thornfield Hall governess: EYRE

40. Capt.'s subordinates: SGTS.

42. Bouquet for a señorita: ROSAS. Second Spanish class of the day. Roses in January?

45. On the soapbox: ORATING

47. West Texas city: EL PASO. According to TripAdvisor, the best restaurant in El Paso serves Greek and Mediterranean food. Somehow I'm a little unsure about that.

48. Preppy shoe: LOAFER

49. Celestial: ASTRAL

51. Zeno's home: ELEA

54. Coterie members, in slang: PEEPS

55. "Aunt __ Cope Book": ERMA'S

57. Black Friday event: SALE

58. Controversial radio host: IMUS. It's difficult to have any kind of respect for this man, I'll leave it at that.

60. Like chocolate cheesecake: RICH

61. Actress Hathaway: ANNE

63. Intl. news broadcaster: V.O.A. Voice of America. A shadow of its former self. The BBC's World Service is now the largest international broadcaster.

64. Rest area?: BED

That about does it for me. Here's the grid, and it's time for 64D!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Dennis, who helped me greatly in the first few years of this blog. Dennis (the Marine) is now fighting another major battle. He'll probably let you know more later. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: ECO ECHOES. Famous persons who have the letter sequence E CO spanning their names are called out.  In each case, the letters are split E in the first name and CO in the last.  Not sure how ready any of them might have been to do battle, but had they been warriors their ECO ECHO was ready to go.

17. Former "CBS Evening News" anchor: KATIE COURIC.   She held this job from 2006 - 2011.  As a TV personality, she's done many other things, both before and since.

23. "School's Out" rocker: ALICE  COOPER.  Vincent Damon Furnier (b. 1948) in an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over 50 years.  He is regarded as the Godfather of shock rock.

36. "You Are So Beautiful" singer: JOE COCKER. John Robert Cocker (1944 – 2014), better known as Joe Cocker, was an English singer known for his gritty voice and spasmodic body motions.

51. Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" partner: IMOGENE COCA.  (1908-2001) She was an American comic actor who started in vaudeville as a child acrobat.  Her TV carer ran from the '40's to the '90's.

60. Based on a common feature of their names, what 17-, 23-, 36- and 51-Across are well-suited to be?: ECO WARRIORS.  These are people actively involved in preventing damage to the environment.

Like her or not, agree with her or not, Greta Thunberg is the real deal

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here with our own C.C.'s latest effort.  You don't often see a theme built around people's names, so this is a creative effort.   Let's dig in and see what else our gracious host has created for us.

But first, a reminder: today's theme reveal could be a hot button issue, with overt political overtones.  So - in keeping with the rule of this blog - let's not go there.

As I say on my own blog, play nice and we'll all have fun.  So - onward.

Across:

1. "I'm so stupid!": D'OH.

4. Lobbying orgs.: PACS.  Political Action Committees.

8. Dr. Oz's faith: ISLAM.  He is a surgeon, university professor and television personality who promotes pseudo-science and alternative medicine.

13. Craft beer initials: IPA.  India Pale Ale.

The best, from right here in Michigan

14. Material for tatami mats: STRAW.  These mats are traditional Japanese floor coverings, and are made with an exact 2:1 aspect ratio.

15. Disney princess from Motunui: MOANA.

16. FedEx alternative: DHL.  An American-founded German company which is now the international courier, parcel, and express mail division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL. [Wikipedia]

19. "I'll take it from here": LET  ME.

21. Twistable cookie: OREO.  Of course

22. Like a thick, green lawn: LUSH.  Teeming with thick, healthy growth.

26. Go out with: SEE.  He is SEEING her and should be discrete if they don't want to be SEEN.

27. Papier-mâché fiesta item: PINATA. A construction of mashed paper over a skeleton frame, usually brightly decorated, and often in the form of an animal, filled with candy or toys.

28. Magnified atlas image: INSET. A small map set next to or within a larger map to show more detail.

30. Give a little: SAG. Droop.

31. Item in a folder: FILE.

35. Garden tool: SPADE.  A type of shovel with a sharp rectangular metal blade and a long handle.  Can you dig it?

39. Biblical hymn: PSALM.  A sacred song used in worship.

42. Breakfast brand in the freezer aisle: EGGO.  Toaster waffle.

43. Grounded jet: SST. Super Sonic Transport.  Due to technical issues, as well as economic factors, limited range, and high fuel consumption, these planes are no longer in use.

46. Hayride invitation: HOP ON.

47. Allergic reaction: AHCHOO.  Sneeze.  This past week was the peak season for pollen related allergy and asthma difficulties.

50. Capp and Gore: ALS.Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner, which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (with help from assistants) drawing until 1977.  [Wikipedia]

Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Gore was Bill Clinton's running mate in their successful campaign in 1992, and the pair was re-elected in 1996. [Wikipedia]

56. __ puppet: SOCK.  1) a simple hand puppet made from a SOCK. 2)  A false online identity used for purposes of deception.

58. Cowhand's chow: GRUB.  Slangy meal.  Hope it's more appetizing than it sounds.

59. Objects of adulation: IDOLS. 1) Images or representations of gods used in worship.  2) Person or things that are greatly admired, loved, or revered.

63. Little kid: TOT.  Potential moppet.

64. In the country: RURAL. Non-urban.

65. Cruise stopover: ISLET. A small island

66. Find a place for: USE.  Deploy as a means of achieving something.

67. Dead tired: SPENT.  All used up.

68. Half-moon tide: NEAP.  The tide just after the first and third quarters of the moon, when the difference between high and low water is the least.

69. Each: PER.

Down:

1. Hit the pool: DID LAPS.  Swam repeated pool lengths.

2. "Hamlet" character who drowns: OPHELIA.  She had climbed a willow tree, and a branch broke, dropping her into a brook where she drowned.

3. Hesitant: HALTING.  Slow, hesitant, faltering.

4. Org. concerned with students: PTA.  The National Parent Teacher Association.

5. Threepio's buddy: ARTOO.  Bots in the Star Wars saga.

6. North African capital: CAIRO.  Egypt

7. Win every game: SWEEP.  In a short series during regular or post season play.

8. Letters before a viewpoint: IMO.  In My Opinion.  Opinions worth heeding have some basis in facts and reality.

9. Motown music: SOUL.

10. Tony who managed three World Series-winning teams: LARUSSA. [b 1944] Over a career of 33 years, he managed the Cardinals, A's and White Sox.  You knew there would be some baseball - right?

11. Ouzo flavoring: ANISEED. Also called ANISE; this is a flowering plant native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia that produces a licorice like flavor element.

12. Hacker's tool: MACHETE.  For LUSH jungle undergrowth, not computer mayhem.

14. Sport with clay targets: SKEET.  Dynamic aerial target shooting.

18. Iowa campus: COE.  This college is new to me

20. __ Nashville: country label: MCA.  Not sure what the MCA stands for.  You can read about it here.

24. Barista's workplace: CAFE.  A barista prepares and serves different kinds of coffee.

25. Go higher: RISE. Literally or figuratively in an organization structure.

29. "Planet Money" network: NPR.  National Public Radio.

32. Winter hazard: ICE.   It's slippery.

33. Piece of campfire fuel: LOG.  Wood fires are de rigueur at our lake-side vacations.

34. Lines at a hosp.: ECG. ElectroCardioGram - a graphic representation of electrical activity in the heart.

36. "World of Dance" judge, to fans: J.LO.  Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, dancer, fashion designer, producer and businesswoman.

Also, THIS.

Rounded bottom

37. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.

38. Zen paradox: KOAN.  Think hard, but don't think so hard.

39. "Star Trek" stunners: PHASERS.  Typical weapons used by the Starfleet personnel.

40. Popular beer pong choice: SOLO CUP.

41. Test result for a HS student: AP SCORE.  Advanced Placement test for prospective college students.  IMHO, a huge scam.

43. Grow dramatically: SHOOT UP.  Grow like a weed.

44. "You almost got it": SO CLOSE.

45. 42-Across cooker: TOASTER.  EGGO heater.

48. Bank holdup: HEIST.

49. Looped in on an email, briefly: CCD.  Originally Carbon CopieD, in the pre-email days.

52. Bus. bigwig: MGR.Abrv for Manager.

53. Former senator Hatch: ORRIN. [b 19340]  He retired in January of this year.

54. False front: GUISE. An external appearance that can conceal the true nature of something.

55. Deadly virus: EBOLA.  Cause of a rare and deadly disease, mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, for which there is no known cure.

57. Olympic skating medalist Michelle: KWAN.  History making.

61. Keyboard shortcut key: ALT.

62. Weight room unit: REP. Repetition of a lift.

There you have it.  Did you skate through?  Was it uplifting?  Did you find some headache relief?

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday September 24, 2019 Robert Fisher

Theme: SOLD (62. Auctioneer's cry after the starts of 20-, 36- and 49-Across)

 

20. Seeking an Olympic victory: GOING FOR THE GOLD.

36. Hardly ever: ONCE IN A BLUE MOON.

49. Zwieback, e.g.: TWICE-BAKED BREAD.

Boomer here again.

Just watching the magic number go down.  Sunday was excruciating 4 and a half hours with too many walks.  Vikings did well though. Fun to be a sports fan in Minnesota this year.  I have little interest in NBA or NHL.

Across:

1. Octopus octet: ARMS.  Also many MLB bullpens octets this time of year.

5. Read electronically: SCAN.

9. Stand in for: ACT AS.  Unless you are a pitcher or a quarterback.

14. Painful joint inflammation: GOUT.

15. "What'll ya __?": HAVE. Pabst Blue Ribbon.

16. Legendary crooner Mel: TORME.  I think we just saw this. Reminded me of the Seinfeld when Kramer made a fool of himself with Mel.

17. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI.  Speaking of basketball and hockey, I am reminded of the OMNI Arena in Atlanta.

18. From the start: ANEW.  If your golf driver fails you, get A NEW one!

19. Utter nonsense: TRIPE.  This is disgusting innards from animals.  Yuk!

23. Beach toy for a windy day: KITE.  Go fly one.  Keep away from trees and especially power lines.

24. Information technology giant: UNISYS.  My golf buddy Jorge retired from them years ago.

25. "Norwegian Dances" composer: GRIEG. Edvard.

28. Road curves: BENDS.  I suppose the ones at Daytona don't count.

30. More than a few: MANY.  Many's the times I've been mistaken, and many times confused.  (American Tune - Paul Simon)  It's all right, all right, I'm just weary to my bones.

31. Come into view: EMERGE.

33. Hosp. diagnostic procedure: MRI.  This is exactly the treatment that convinced the professionals that I had Cancer and not an arthritis problem.  The MRI got me back on the right track.

39. Jamaican music: SKA.

40. "Big Little Lies" actress Meryl: STREEP.

41. Frenzied way to run: AMOK.  I guess it was somewhat organized and God bless the kids who were protesting the lack of attention to climate change, which seems to be running AMOK.

42. Smelting waste: DROSS.

43. Like good pie crusts: FLAKY.  Actually, I prefer the graham cracker kind of crust.

44. Field & __ Magazine: STREAM.  My dad was an outdoorsman and we had a subscription coming to our home when I was a kid.

47. Beach toy: PAIL.  Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch one full of water.

55. Celebrate boisterously: REVEL.

56. Urge on: GOAD.  Sixty thousand purple clad fans packed U.S, Bank Stadium to GOAD on the Vikings last Sunday.

57. 220-by-198-foot plot of land, e.g.: ACRE.  Some may call it a bad tooth.

58. Farsi speaker: IRANI.

59. To be, in Tours: ETRE.

60. Not that: THIS.

61. Animal skins: PELTS.  Sorry but I think the collection of these is disgusting.

63. Enjoy some tub time: SOAK.  I take showers. No time to soak, I have to go bowling.

Down:

1. Visibly awed: AGOG.

2. CBS Sports NFL analyst Tony: ROMO.  Former Cowboy quarterback is now trying out the PGA golf venue.

3. Tax-free govt. bond: MUNI.  Put your money in a MUNI.

4. Disapproving look: STINK EYE.

5. Elevator passage: SHAFT.  Years ago when I started at Graybar, our warehouse was four stories with a rail access on the lower level.  I do not have room on this blog to tell you the horror stories created by this elevator.

6. Kayak-like boat: CANOE.  Also a men's cologne.

7. State unequivocally: AVER.

8. Former House leader Gingrich: NEWT.  Strange name for a strange looking guy.  But I would never pick on a House of Representatives Speaker.  I believe they have a tough job.

9. Conference-goer: ATTENDEE.

10. Welsh herding dogs: CORGIS.

11. Small music ensembles: TRIOS.  Kingston and Chad Mitchell are my favorites, but I suppose you already know that.

12. In a plentiful way: AMPLY.

13. Plants-to-be: SEEDS.  May have to try something different next year.  Our garden was the Detroit Tigers of gardens this year.

21. Booking on a band's tour: GIG.

22. Stuck (on): HUNG UP.  Also the way I keep my phone in the basement.

25. Scientifically engineered crops, e.g., briefly: GMOS.  Maybe I could get some of these for our garden.

26. __ and file: RANK.  I made it to Specialist E-5.

27. Ancient Cuzco dweller: INCA.

28. Spanish newborns: BEBES.

29. Author __ Stanley Gardner: ERLE.  He spelled his first name funny, however Perry Mason was one of my favorite TV characters.  I even read a couple of Erle's books years ago.

31. Bury: ENTOMB.

32. "Veronica __": teen drama starring Kristen Bell: MARS.  Snickers and Milky Way!  No more for me. Not a good snack for diabetics. I don't think the U.S will ever get a space probe to MARS either.  At least not in my lifetime.

33. NYC cultural center: MOMA.

34. Chess piece involved in castling: ROOK.  I used to play a little chess.  I used to laugh at people who called the piece a castle.

35. Like many a stained shirt pocket: INKY.  Was this not a Pac-Man character?  I once drew a crowd playing Pac-Man at Six Flags Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, Illinois.

37. Tel Aviv residents: ISRAELIS.

38. Ones habitually hanging out in retail complexes: MALL RATS.  There are no rats at our Mall of America in Minnesota, but not as much fun as the aforementioned Great America Park.

42. A step above "meh": DECENT.

43. White lie: FIB.

44. Remove paint from: STRIP.

45. Shakespearean contraction: 'TWERE.  "'Twere the nights before Christmas" sounds stupid.

46. Primary competitor: RIVAL.  Graybar used to sell RIVAL housewares to Target but then they went direct.

47. Oyster gem: PEARL.  PEARL Bailey was a legend.

48. Tacked on: ADDED.

50. Brings to maturity: AGES.  Some things get better with age.  Not my bowling or golf scores though.

51. Zither-like Japanese instrument: KOTO.

52. Canyon feedback: ECHO.  Toyota used to make a small car called an ECHO. I think they stopped around 2005 because nobody wants a small car anymore.

53. Opera song for one: ARIA.

54. Newsroom station: DESK.

Boomer

Monday September 23, 2019 Seth Bisen-Hersh

Theme: IT'S A DATE (54. "I'm there!" ... and hint to the first part of the answers to starred clues) - The first word can precede "date".

20. *Zero degrees, on a compass: DUE NORTH. Due date.

23. *Fiduciary entity whose holdings are unknown to its beneficiaries: BLIND TRUST. Blind date.

 

39. *Life insurance clause specifying twice the payment for certain situations: DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Double date.

 

47. *Wet wooded region: RAINFOREST. Rain date.

Boomer here. C.C. said this is another L. A. Times debut. Congrats, Seth!

Bowling is now in full swing.  The lanes will see me twice a week until April.  Golf season is running short in Minnesota. Courses close around November 1.  Crossword season is in play 12 months a year.

Across:

1. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT.  Happened to me six time last Thursday

6. River in western Belgium: YSER.  "YSER that's my babe, No Sir, I don't mean maybe."

10. "Quite contrary" gardener: MARY.  Silver Bells and Cockle shells.

14. Dog guide: LEASH.  I think most states require a leash now.

15. Paris currency: EURO.  I remember when EURO first hit the market I think I bought 25 coins in a set for about $20.00.  Later I sold them on eBay for about $10.00.  Story of my life.

16. Singer Adams: EDIE.  Mr. Grant's (of WJM TV) wife.

17. Bert's Muppet roommate: ERNIE.

18. Tiny bit of a min.: NSEC. Nanosecond.

19. "Bob's Burgers" daughter: TINA.  Or Tina Louise on Gilligan's Island.

22. Looks for: SEEKS. and you shall FIND.

26. Deli hanger: SALAMI.  Salami, Salami, Baloney.

31. Rivière contents: EAU.  I know this is French, but every time I see it in a puzzle, I think of our Wisconsin neighbor to the east, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Speaking of the big W, I watched the Badgers kick Michigan around today.  Too bad they had two players kicked out of the game for head butting.

32. Sun-dried brick: ADOBE.

33. Campus housing: DORM.  Never stayed in a dorm.  I carpooled to the U of M and parked in a lot in the Mississippi River flats. 15 cents per day.

35. Ceremonial shoulder-to-hip band: SASH.

42. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.

43. Pre-holiday nights: EVES.  I like Christmas Eve but I suppose New Year's eve is most rowdy.

44. Helped: AIDED.

45. Exist: ARE.

46. Opulent home: ESTATE.  Okay, we only have a town home on a small lot.  I imagine most of our Minnesota Twins might live on an estate.  That's okay though since they have to live in a hotel 81 days a year.

53. Early stage: ONSET.

60. Lab vessel: VIAL.

61. Therefore: ERGO.

63. Radamès in 36-Down, e.g.: TENOR. 36. Verdi opera: AIDA.

64. And others, in Lat.: ET AL.  Short for Et Cetera.

65. Author Roald: DAHL.

66. Wild West film: OATER.  Throw back to the early sixties with Oaters like Gunsmoke, Maverick,     Cheyenne, et al.

67. Provocative: RACY.

68. French "head": TETE.

69. Newspapers, collectively: PRESS.  I like MEDIA better.

Down:

1. Snow glider: SLED.  We all had one when we were kids. A nice friendly hill near my home helped too.

2. Lima is its capital: PERU.

3. Fictional reporter Lois: LANE.  Superman never got hit by a plane but Clark got hit on by a Lane.

4. "The doctor __": IS IN.  I have seen and heard this many times, but I never saw a sign like this at any doctor or dentist's office.

5. "God" prefix: THEO.  What follows THE N

6. Film in which Streisand plays a yeshiva boy: YENTL.

7. Japanese rolls: SUSHI.

8. Before, in verse: ERE.  I heard him exclaim ere he rode out of sight.

9. Mythical big bird: ROC.  Roc of ages, cleft for me.  Let me hide under a tree.

10. Usage measurer: METER.  "Lovely Rita, METER maid". The Beatles.

11. French farewell: ADIEU. Adieu, Adieu, my friends adieu. I can no longer stay with you.  I'll hang my harp in the weeping willow tree.  And may the world go well with thee.

12. Ice show venues: RINKS.  Yeah but also hockey games eh ?

13. Baker's dough raiser: YEAST. When I worked pizza, we always put in yeast when making the dough.  But then when making the pizza, we flattened the heck out of it.

21. Sac fly stat: RBI.  I think the major leagues are setting records for total RBIs among all the team.  they really tightened the strings on those baseballs this year.

22. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU.

24. Geeky-sounding candy: NERDS. Candy??  I thought those were the guys that lived in Animal House.

25. Knight's lady: DAME.  There is nothing like one.  Nothing in the world !

26. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE.

27. Kerfuffles: ADOS.

28. Lummox: LOUT.

29. __ The Museum: Stockholm exhibit honoring a pop group: ABBA.

30. Singer Tormé: MEL.  He was in a Seinfeld episode and I think Kramer fell on him.

33. Sunken ship explorer: DIVER.

34. __ of a kind: ONE.  It takes ONE to know ONE.

35. Peevish state: SNIT. Tobacco can spelled backwards.

37. Editor's "never mind that change": STET.

38. Jekyll's alter ego: HYDE.  Forget London, There is a Hyde Park in Chicago's South side near that big lake named after Michigan.

40. Gateway Arch designer Saarinen: EERO.

41. More, for Miguel: MAS.

45. Rearward at sea: AFT.  Also a period of time after MORN

46. Many "Star Trek" extras: ETS.

47. Mars explorer: ROVER.  "Red ROVER, Red ROVER send C.C. right over."

48. Friend of Maria in "West Side Story": ANITA.  "Tonight, Tonight, won't be just any night.  Tonight there will be no morning star."

49. Author Asimov: ISAAC.

50. Singer Furtado: NELLY.  "Hang on the bell Nelly, Hang on the bell.  You're poor daddy's locked in a cold prison cell."  (Chad Mitchell Trio.)

51. Octet count: EIGHT.  Crazy number

52. Swiped: STOLE.

55. Resting upon: ATOP.  Of Old Smokey

56. Honey alternative: DEAR.  Dear ABBY's Grandson (Dean Phillips) is our 3rd District Congressman from Minnesota.  (C.C. and I live in the 3rd district.)

57. Pot starter: ANTE.  Pretty much the same as a red chip on the Pass Line.  I don't play poker.  I'll let you guess the game I like.

58. Ballerinas dance on them: TOES.  Rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes.  Hey has anybody seen my sweet Gypsy Rose?

59. Makes a mistake: ERRS.  Can't blame those on the tight baseballs, or can they?

61. NYC summer hrs.: EDT.

62. Actress Charlotte: RAE.

Boomer