Tuesday December 24, 2019 Mark McClain

You Can Bank On It.  The word Bank can follow the first word of each theme answer to give us a new concept.

17-Across. *   Nutrition guide: FOOD PYRAMID.  A Food Bank is generally a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those in need.

24-Across. *  Comprehensive personal philosophy: WORLD VIEW.  The World Bank is an international financial institution whose mission is to end extreme poverty and to promote prosperity in a shared way.

34-Across. *   Horse breeder's concern: BLOOD LINE.  The first Blood Bank in the United States was established in 1936.

46-Across. *   Figuratively, whence some unexpected ideas: LEFT FIELD.  The Left Bank,  or La Rive Gauche, is a district of Paris.

And the unifier:

53-Across. 9:00 AM weekday event, typically ... and what the first word in the answers to starred clues can be: BANK OPENING.

Across:

1. Drains of energy: SAPS.

5. Pay with a credit card: CHARGE.

11. FDR's successor: HST.  Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972) became 33rd President of the United States following the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945).

14. Gillette razor: ATRA.

15. Alabama's cross-state rival: AUBURN.  On November 30, 2019, the Alabama Crimson Tide played against the Auburn Tigers in football.  Auburn beat Alabama with a final score of 48 to 45.

16. Par-three eagle: ACE.  The obligatory golfing clue and answer.

19. Big coffee holder: URN.

20. Battery terminals: ANODES.  The Anode is the negative electrode of the battery.

21. Chant for Real Madrid: ¡OLÉ!  ¡OLÉ!   Today's Spanish lesson.

23. Send (to) for treatment: REFER.

27. Disney CEO Robert: IGER.  Roger Allen Iger (b. Feb. 10, 1951) was the President of ABC Television before moving over to Disney.

Mr. Iger is on the left.

28. Cross-shaped Greek letters: TAUs.  I liked how this crossed with 28-Down: New Mexico art colony: TAOS.  The two words differ by only 1 letter.  But that one letter makes a world of difference!

Taus

Taos

29. Yardstick unit: INCH.  // And 44-Across: Yardstick units: FEET.

30. Grass farm roll: SOD.

31. Truth: FACT.

32. Small boat: DINGHY.  The word Dinghy comes from the Bengali word ḍiṅgi.  It seems to be a generic word that can describe a plethora of small boats.  I'll leave it to our resident seafarer, Spitzboov, provide us with his expertise on all things related to ships and boats.

36. Covent Garden productions: OPERAs.  The Royal Opera House in London is sometimes referred to as Covent Garden, although  Covent Garden  is so much more.

39. Driver's one-eighties: UIEs.

40. Gave birth to: HAD.

43. CBS legal drama "The Good __": WIFE.  I never watched this show, which ran for 7 seasons, from 2009 until 2016.

45. Novelist Caleb: CARR.  Caleb Carr (b. Aug. 2, 1955) appears with some frequency in the crossword puzzles.  He is best known for his novel The Alienist, which I read about 20 years ago.  It was a fascinating book and I really liked the author's style of writing.

49. Mint family herb: THYME.

50. Corkscrew pasta: ROTINI.

51. Rose impressively: SOARED.

52. Big name in ATMs: NCR.  The company formerly known as National Cash Register Company is known for producing Automatic Teller Machines.

56. To this moment: YET.

57. Lacking nothing: ENTIRE.

58. Falco of "Nurse Jackie": EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) also played Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos.  I never watched Nurse Jackie, but did watch The Sopranos.

59. Insured investments: Abbr.: CDs.  As in Certificates of Deposit.

60. Ready for more action: RESTED.

61. Run the show: LEAD.

Down:

1. African adventures: SAFARIs.

2. In a single try: AT ONE GO.  Not a phrase I would be apt to use.

3. Checked for errors: PROOFED.

4. More glum: SADDER.

5. Little isles: CAYS.

The Tobago Cays

6. "Ben-__": Heston epic: HUR.  The movie Ben-Hur was based on the novel of the same name by Lew Wallace (Apr. 10, 1827- Feb. 15, 1905).   The story line follows the life of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who was enslaved by the Romans at the beginning of the first century.  He later became a charioteer and converted to Christianity.

7. Org. with many judges: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.

8. Grapevine fodder: RUMORS.  I initially tried Gossip, which fit into the spaces provided.

9. Barbecue: GRILL.

10. Came to a close: ENDED.

11. Semi activity: HAULING.

12. With 36-Down, nocturnal bird with a shrill cry: SCREECH.  //  And 36-Down: See 12-Down: OWL.

13. Down-for-the-count count: TEN.

18. Part of mph: PER.  As in Miles Per Hour.

22. Like ewe, but not me: OVINE.  Cute clue.

24. City between Austin and Dallas: WACO.  There's lots to do in Waco.  Did you know the city was the home of Dr. Pepper?

25. Best in an épée match: OUT DUEL.  //  And 44-Down. Deceptive fencing moves: FEINTS.

26. Tot's query: WHY?

31. Home of the SEC's Gators: FLA.  The University of Florida's mascot are the Gators.

32. Nutrition regimen: DIET.

33. Officeholders: INs.  Because Elected doesn't fit.

34. One of hockey's Hulls: BRETT.  The only hockey Hull I am familiar with is Bobby Hull (né Robert Marvin Hull; b. Jan. 3, 1939).  Apparently, he is the father of Brett Hull (né Brett Andrew Hull; b. Aug. 9, 1964).  Brett played professional hockey for several teams, including the Calgary Flames and the Detroit Red Wings.

35. Stretched the truth: LIED.

37. Poked a hole in: PIERCED.

See 26-Down.

38. Concerted tries: EFFORTS.

40. Fall outing in a wagon: HAYRIDE.  Are you familiar with the Louisiana Hayride?

41. Country south of Georgia: ARMENIA.  The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian is a fascinating historical novel about Armenia in 1915.

42. Made deeper, as a shipping lane: DREDGED.  Here are some Dredging Projects in Louisiana.

45. Coco of fashion: CHANEL.  Coco Chanel (née Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel; Aug. 19, 1883 ~ Jan. 10, 1971) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.

47. __ optic cable: FIBER.

48. Completely absurd: INANE.

49. Low digit: TOE.  Funny!  Nice misdirection, but I wasn't fooled this time.

51. Went quickly: SPED.

52. Home of MoMA: NYC.  The Museum of Modern Art is located in New York City.

54. Hobbyist's buy: KIT.

55. Smelter input: ORE.  Smelting is the process of applying intense heat to ore for extracting the base metal.

Here's the Grid:

I wish all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas!

QOD:  If you want to be happy for life, love what you do.  ~  Mary Higgins Clark (née Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins; b. Dec. 24, 1927), American author

Monday December 23, 2019 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Whistle-blowers.

17A. Whistle-blower in the street: TRAFFIC COP.

53A. Whistle-blower on the court: NBA REFEREE.

11D. Whistle-blower during phys ed: GYM TEACHER.

28D. Whistle-blower at obedience school: DOG TRAINER.

Boomer here. 

Hello everyone. I am looking forward to the big game tonight in the NFL. Packers vs. Vikings - SKOL. Back in the 1960s, (Yes I am that old) the Packers came to town and stayed at a hotel in Hopkins, MN. As it happens, I am from Hopkins and I delivered pizzas for a restaurant there. The Packers would order 2 or 3 large pizzas delivered to the party room where about 30 Packers were having a good time. Paul Hornung, who turns 84 today, always paid and a $10.00 tip was not out of the question - probably the largest tip I received in my four year career.  I never witnessed Bart Starr or Vince Lombardi however, I guess they preferred to stay sober for tomorrow.s game. Later in life, as part of my district responsibility, I visited the Graybar branch in Green Bay. The bay is an extension of Lake Michigan and guess what ??  It is NOT green.  Go Vikings! 

Happy Birthday, Paul Hornung!

Across:

1. Burning: AFIRE.

6. Do some angling: FISH.  A favorite pastime in Minnesota.  C.C. and I used to try our luck at a nice lake in Annandale, MN.  Not so much anymore.  C.C. is too busy and I hate cleaning the catch.

10. __ Benedict: brunch choice: EGGS.

14. Like some clock numerals: ROMAN.  Clue number XIV across.

15. Dealer's request to a poker player: ANTE.  You cannot win if you don't get in.

16. Harp constellation: LYRA.

19. In the thick of: AMID.

20. Rainbow site: SKY.  I will be looking for a sleigh with 8 tiny reindeer, and a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

21. Indian or Arctic: OCEAN.

22. Blackjack player's request to a dealer: HIT ME.  In Las Vegas, you just brush your cards on the table or maybe signal by bouncing your finger off the felt.

23. The "P" in POTUS: Abbr.: PRES.

24. "8 Mile" rapper: EMINEM.  Makes up a name that sounds like candy.  Boo hiss.

26. Kidnap: ABDUCT.

29. Beltway region, briefly: DC AREA.  Okay but there are many, many cities that have a "beltway".

30. Hooch: BOOZE.  I gave all of mine away last year.  It does not go well with my pills.  But go ahead and make your Christmas merry!

31. Frontier explorer Daniel: BOONE.  My sister and I used to like Pat Boone back in the late fifties.  Now he sells walk-in bathtubs on TV.

32. Network with an eye logo: CBS.  I have a bone to pick with CBS. Last Sunday they showed hours of commercials, and once in a while they would interrupt the commercials for a few minutes of a Viking's football game.

35. Therefore: ERGO.

36. Singer Simon once married to James Taylor: CARLY.

37. Visit the mall, say: SHOP. The season is almost over.  C.C. and I could not believe the skill needed to find a parking spot, and the long, long lines at the checkout registers.

38. Vietnam holiday: TET.  Not my favorite.  Once upon a time in 1968 the Government called me in January to neutralize TET.

39. Three-dimensional: SOLID.

40. Good, in Guadalajara: BUENO.

41. Fights off: REPELS.

43. Boo from the stands: JEER AT.  You won't hear that at U.S. Bank Stadium tonight, but you might hear "SKOL".

44. Rio Grande city: LAREDO.  I am terrible at U.S. Geography.  Maybe Desper-Otto can help with this.

45. Dryer fuzz: LINT.  This really builds up in the screen that every dryer has. We used to play with it like a blanket only smaller.

46. Strange: WEIRD.  Al Yankovic.  Not sure why he chose that adjective.

47. Treasure stash: TROVE.

49. Mischief-maker: IMP.  IMPossible

52. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.  My sister has been to Italy, not me.  But I have heard that ETNA is a volcano that erupts frequently.  Don't build a house by it.

55. "Yes!" in church: AMEN.  In my church I believe AMEN means "So be it".  I think it is Latin.

56. RC Cola alternative: COKE.  I drink Diet Pepsi but in my younger days sometimes we would drink Coke.  Never Never Royal Crown.

57. "Not possible": I CAN'T.

58. Social oddball: NERD.  Learned about them in "Animal House" Movie.

59. Plow-pulling team: OXEN.  OXEN is one of the few plural words that do not end in "S".

60. Chef's hat: TOQUE.

Down:

1. Martial __: ARTS.  Linkletter and Garfunkel.

2. Tined utensil: FORK. Favorite for eating peas. They just won't stay on a knife.

3. "Possibly":  I MAY.  "Captain MAY I?  Yes you may"

4. Brit. pilots' squad: RAF. Royal Air Force.

5. Make sure people obey, as laws: ENFORCE.

6. Turns toward: FACES.

7. Ancient Peruvian: INCA.  "Inca Dinca Do".  Jimmy Durante.

8. Totally, as sober: STONE-COLD.  Steve Austin of the WWE

9. Cool, like a cat: HEP.  "For a long time now I've been aware, that I'm so Hep the rest of the world is square,"  (Chad Mitchell and friends.)

10. Julia's "Seinfeld" role: ELAINE.  I watch the Seinfeld reruns frequently.  I like Elaine, but I cannot stand George or Kramer.

12. Fairy tale brother: GRIMM.

13. Marquis de __: SADE.

18. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE T.  Don't forget Mariska Hargitay. She is Jayne Mansfield's daughter, but I suppose you knew that.

22. Add to the staff: HIRE.

23. "The Godfather" novelist Mario: PUZO.

25. Multitudes of: MANY.  "How MANY roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man."  Minnesota's own Robert Zimmerman, You may know him better as Bob Dylan.

26. Help in a heist: ABET.  Something you place at the Kentucky Derby.

27. Yawn inducer: BORE.  Sorry if you nodded off.  I am doing the best I can.

29. Actress Day: DORIS.  Born Doris Kappelhoff.  No wonder she changed it to DAY.

31. Polling place receptacle: BALLOT BOX.  We are sneaking up on 2020.  Funny I never see a ballot box any more.  We make our selections on a huge sheet of paper, then one of the volunteer judges slides it into a big computer and the vote is counted.  (I hope).

33. __ fide: BONA.

34. Dalmatian mark: SPOT.  There were 101 dalmatians in a movie I once saw and none of them were named "SPOT"

36. Like dorms for men and women: COED.  Years ago, my High School was all males.  Now it is COED.

37. Sheep fat: SUET.  Remember we used to hang it on Christmas tree branches to give the tree shape.

39. Zoomed: SPED.

40. Be of help to: BENEFIT.  SO many commercials this time of year asking for money.  I'll support the Salvation Army bell ringers, but I wonder how much of a potential donation from some of these non profits go for advertising and administration. I have heard that DAV wounded warriors is suspect.

42. Quick trip to the market, say: ERRAND.  We have gas stations with convenience stores attached called "Kwik Trip".  I guess fourth grade spelling was a problem.

43. Nonsense: JIVE.

44. "I'll do it": LET ME.  "Open the door and LET ME in. Not by the hair of my Chinny chin chin".

45. Actress Sophia: LOREN.  Alive and well and living in Italy.  She was 13 years old when I was born.  That makes her a senior senior citizen.

46. Gradually withdraw: WEAN.

48. Garden tool: RAKE.  I think there might be some leaves left on our yard, but we do not rake snow.

49. Baghdad's country: IRAQ.

50. Diner handout: MENU.  Some of the Diners in St, Paul are adding about 3% to the menu price for employee health insurance.  They are in trouble now.  I think it would be easier just to raise the prices 3% .

51. Basketball Hall of Famer "Pistol __" Maravich: PETE.  A shooting guard with a clever nickname.  Sadly left us at age 40 of congestive heart failure.

53. Sgt., e.g.: NCO.  Do NOT call him "Sir", he works for a living.

54. Green prefix: ECO.

Enjoy the hectic today and tomorrow and have a happy and solemn Christmas.  "All is calm, All is Bright.

Boomer 

Note from C.C.:

Happy 75th birthday to dear Misty, who's always so caring and kind towards all regulars. Here is a picture of Misty and her husband Rowland celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in 2009.