Wednesday, April 22, 2020, Bruce Haight & Richard Lederer

Theme: LINGUINE MEENIE MINEY MO

17. Strict prerequisite: SINE QUANON. Latin, literally ‘(cause) without which not.' Definition = an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.

22. Powerful force for innovation: ENGINE OF CHANGE.

35. Spoke frankly: LAID IT ON THE LINE.

43. Trattoria seafood dish: SHRIMP LINGUINE. A trattoria is an Italian restaurant.

52. Aquarium collection: MARINE LIFE.

54. Common word-ending letters that can be pronounced five ways, as demonstrated in five long puzzle answers: INE.

Bruce Haight wrote this about his co-constructor Richard Lederer: As you might know, his syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. I'm pretty sure one of his articles is in the LA Times every week, and I know he is in the San Diego paper. He is the author of 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current book, The Joy of Names. Rich lives about a mile from me.

 

Melissa here. Today's puzzle toys with the inconsistency of the English language and spelling. The comedian Gallagher had a memorable bit about this.

Across:

1. Tablet compatible with Apple Pencil: IPAD.

5. Just short of the A-list?: B PLUS.

10. Entice: BAIT.

14. "Yikes!": OH NO.

15. Snorkeling spots: REEFS.

16. "Marriage Story" actor Alan: ALDA. Vanity Fair interview about the movie.

19. Telegraph taps: DITS. Learn Morse Code.

20. Circus prop: STILT.

21. Good dog's reward: TREAT.

26. Softly hit hit: BLOOP. Baseball term. From Wikipedia: A blooper or bloop is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder. Also known as a bloop single, a dying quail, or a duck snort. A fielding error. Also, this bloop.

27. Senior advocacy group: AARP. The organization was originally named the American Association of Retired Persons, but in 1999, it officially changed its name to "AARP" (pronounced one letter at a time, "ay ay ar pee"), to reflect that its focus was no longer American retirees. AARP no longer requires that members be retired, and there are no longer any age restrictions even for a full membership.

28. Spanish eight: OCHO.

29. Certain Muslim: SHIITE.

32. Part of an all-in-one printer: FAX.

38. Go (for): OPT.

39. Like pop tunes: CATCHY.

40. __ collar: ETON.

41. Shiny fabric: LAME.

42. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT IDA. In northwestern Turkey, some 20 miles southeast of the ruins of Troy.

49. Seismic event: QUAKE.

50. Certain believer: DEIST. A deist believes in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism), Deism is belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.

51. Push: URGE.

57. Hawkish god: ARES. God of war in Greek mythology.

58. Set straight: ALIGN.

59. Playing to break a tie, briefly: IN OT. In overtime.

60. Newbie: TYRO.

61. Full of gossip: DISHY.

62. Some hosp. scans: EEGS. An electroencephalogram is a test used to evaluate the electrical activity in the brain.

Down:

1. Platform for 1-Across: IOS.

2. Honor society letter: PHI. As in Phi Beta Kappa.

3. New England cape: ANN.

4. Makes the world a better place: DOES GOOD. Tricky two-word answer.

5. UCLA player: BRUIN. Dutch for "brown," is used in English as a folk term for brown bears. UCLA Bruins.

6. Washington portraitist Rembrandt __: PEALE. American artist and museum keeper. Painted the famous portrait of George Washington, among others.

7. Slow, musically: LENTO.

8. Eerie sky sight: UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.

9. W-9 or W-2 ID: SSN. Social Security Number.

10. Often unjust accusation: BAD RAP.

11. Presumed 8-Down pilot: ALIEN.

12. Baggage requirement: ID TAG.

13. Hint: TASTE.

18. Makeup-removing swab: Q-TIP.

21. Preakness horse's age: THREE. Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Held on the third Saturday in May each year, part of horse racing’s Triple Crown, had been scheduled for May 14-16. At a news conference Tuesday morning, Gov. Larry Hogan said the race will likely be moved to September but no date has been set.

22. Yosemite climbing spot featured in "Free Solo," for short: EL CAP. 3,200ft El Capitan.

23. Like four Koufax games: NO HIT. List of Los Angeles Dodgers no-hitters.

24. Belief system: FAITH.

25. Cartoonist Guisewite or her title character: CATHY. Ran for 34 years. The strip focused on a career woman facing the issues and challenges of eating, work, relationships and having a mother—or as the character put it in one strip, "the four basic guilt groups." 
 

26. Western neckwear: BOLO. 

29. Passport mark: STAMP.

30. Suite spot: HOTEL. Nice clue.

31. Fortune rival: INC. Magazines.

32. Belong: FIT IN.

33. Cell terminal: ANODE. An anode is the electrode in a polarized electrical device through which current flows in from an outside circuit.

34. TV ally of Hercules: XENA.

36. Part of an ancient boast: I CAME. I came, I saw, I conquered, or Veni, vidi, vici, in Latin. First uttered by heavyweight of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar.

37. "Don't make waves": LET IT LIE.

41. In this way: LIKE SO.

42. Ponder: MUSE.

43. Stocky: SQUAT.

44. Get a move on: HURRY.

45. Wild party: RAGER. Heard of RAGE party, but not RAGER.

46. "Luther" actor Elba: IDRIS.

47. Bay sound: NEIGH. Horse.

48. Weasley sister: GINNY. Harry Potter.

52. Ticked off: MAD.

53. Journalist Velshi of MSNBC: ALI.

55. Highway hazard: FOG.

56. Presumed 8-Down crew: ETS.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Chase Dittrich

I'm so Dizzy from Running in Circles!  Although this appears to be the dreaded circle puzzle, the circles here are actually an integral part of the theme.  A word describing "run" is literally found in the circles.

20-Across. Stretched wall hangings: CANVASPRINTS.  Sprint.

27-Across. Semi-casual garment named for an Atlantic island: BERMUDA SHORTS.  Dash.

42-Across. Major blood vessel in the neck: CAROTID ARTERY.  Dart.

48-Across. Waste one's time ... or what 20-, 27- and 42-Across contain?: RUN IN CIRCLES.

Run in Circles

Across:

1. Seer's card: TAROT.

6. On __: without a contract: SPEC.

10. No. on an invoice: ACCT.  As in Account Number.

14. When directed: ON CUE.

15. Downtime: LULL.

16. Cub or Brave, briefly: NLER.  The Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves are both National League baseball teams

17. Lawman Earp: WYATT.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) also makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  This is at least the 4th time he has visited when I provide commentary.  Interesting fact:  He was elected to be the constable of Lamar, Missouri in 1870.  Within a year, however, he left that job and somewhat aimlessly, began roaming the West.  He was arrested for stealing horses in Indiana territory.  He fled to Kansas to escape prosecution.  He was ultimately hired to be a police officer in Wichita, Kansas.  He was let go from that position after beating up a candidate for county sheriff.

18. Armory contents: AMMO.

19. Like a slick garage floor: OILY.

23. ... __ to grow on: extra birthday cake candle: AND ONE.

26. Severe anxiety: ANGST.

32. See 25-Down: BREES.  //  And 25. With 32-Across, record-setting New Orleans Saints quarterback: DREW.  These clues give us Drew Brees.  Drew Brees (né Andrew Christopher Brees; b. Jan. 15, 1979) gives back to  his community in many ways, including assistance during the current pandemic.

33. Words of empathy: I CARE.

34. Cries of pain: YOWS!.

35. Leaves out: OMITS.

36. Bottom of a ship: HULL.  Hi, Spitzboov!

40. Cause abrasion: CHAFE.

41. Leg bone: TIBIA.

45. 21st-century president with a Nobel Peace Prize: OBAMA.  President Barak Obama (b. Aug. 4, 1961) was the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

47. Sparkly headwear: TIARAS.

53. "My goodness!": EGAD!

54. Dueling blade: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

55. Take potshots: SNIPE.

59. Early automaker: OLDS.  Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 ~ Aug. 26, 1950) was a pioneer in the American auto industry.  The Oldsmobile was named after him.  The Oldsmobile ceased production in 2004.

Ransom Olds driving his Oldsmobile.

60. Billionth: Pref.: NANO-. Think of the nano-second.  Opps!  You took too long!

61. Raptor's claw: TALON.

62. Senate spot: SEAT.

United States Senate

63. Citrus drinks: ADES.  Hi, Lemonade!

64. Leered at: OGLED.

Down:

1. AAA job: TOW.

2. At least one: ANY.

3. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  Color televisions have changed a bit since they first came out.

4. Results: OUT COMES.

5. The "T" in DPT: TETANUS.  The DPT is a vaccine that fights against 3 infectious diseases that were once common in childhood: Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), and Tetanus.

6. Croat, for one: SLAV.

7. Mountain cat: PUMA.

8. Shade trees: ELMS.  Sadly, many Elm trees have succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease.

9. Trotting sound: CLOP.

10. Bless with oil: ANOINT.

11. Holds on tight: CLINGS.

12. Boston NBAers: CELTS.

Boston Celtics from the 1980s.

13. Private rendezvous: TRYST.

21. Actor Beatty: NED.  Ned Beatty (né Ned Thomas Beatty; b. July 6, 1937) is a retired character actor.  He made his film debut in the 1972 movie Deliverance.

22. Like Flying Eagle pennies: RARE.  The Flying Eagle penny was in circulation in 1857 to 1858.  A little before my time.

23. First name in advice: ABBY.  Think of Dear Abby (née Pauline Esther Friedman; July 4, 1918 ~ Jan. 16, 2013).  She was known professionally as Abigail van Buren and wrote an advice column called Dear Abby.  Interestingly, her identical twin sister, Esther Pauline Friedman (July 4, 1918 ~ June 22, 2002) also wrote an advice column under the name of Ann Landers.  The Dear Abby column continues, but is now written by Abby's daughter, Jeanne Philips.

24. Fiddling emperor: NERO.

28. Set one's sights on: AIM AT.

29. Jules Verne genre: SCI-FI.

30. Couldn't stand: HATED.

31. Hosp. areas: ORs.  As in Operating Rooms

35. "Gotcha!": OHO!

36. Ran into trouble: HIT A SNAG.

37. Lyft alternative: UBER.  Both are ride services.

38. Turkish money: LIRA.  Very colorful.

39. Potato chip brand: LAYS.  If I am going to eat potato chips, I want just the plain chips ~ not one of those weird flavors.

40. Prefix with berry: CRAN.  A brief history of the CRANBERRY.  It's not just for Thanksgiving.

41. Gives it a go: TRIES TO.

42. Country with the longest coastline: CANADA.  My first thought was Chile, but that country doesn't have enough letters.  I had forgotten about those long northern coastlines of Canada.  Hi, CanadianEh!

43. In the thick of: AMIDST.

44. World's busiest airport, on luggage tags: ATL.  As in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

45. Layered cookies: OREOS.  A crossword staple

46. Taps horn: BUGLE.

49. Wrestler John: CENA.  John Felix Anthony Cene, Jr. (b. Apr. 23, 1977) is not only a wrestler, but also a rapper, actor  and television personality.  His birthday is on Thursday.

50. Tablet with Siri: iPAD.

51. "The Son of Man" painter Magritte: RENÉ.  René Margritte (Nov. 21, 1898 ~ Aug. 15, 1967) was a Belgian Surrealist artist.

52. Corp. bigwigs: CEOs.  As in Chief Executive Officers.

56. Under the weather: ILL.

57. "Annabel Lee" poet: POE.  As in Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849).

58. Coincidentally and aptly, it was also yesterday's last Down answer: END.  This must have been Rich's clue.  You have to do yesterday's puzzle to "get" this clue.

QOD:  Advice is like castor oil, easy enough to give but dreadfully uneasy to take. ~ Josh Billings (né Henry Wheeler Shaw; Apr. 21, 1818 ~ Oct. 14, 1885), American writer and humorist

Monday April 20, 2020 Joe Kidd

Theme:  MAD SCRAMBLE (59. Frantic rush, or a hint to each set of circles)

17. Like a versatile wardrobe: MIX AND MATCH.

28. Partner for the big high school dance: PROM DATE.

 

35. Seafood-based party bowlful: CLAM DIP.

38. Chess game blunder: BAD MOVE.

48. Dined: HAD A MEAL.

Boomer here. 

I am not "MAD" at all. Our Minnesota governor, Tim Walz decided that the golf courses in Minnesota may open up.  Covid-19 rules apply. One person per cart, no ball washers, no rakes in bunkers, and modified holes so you can retrieve your ball without touching the pin. We had a 60 degree day Saturday here in the land of 15,000 lakes and the courses were busy.  I talked with one of my golf buddies on Saturday and we decided to wait a couple of weeks and let the grass turn green.  Six feet distancing still applies.

Across:

1. Open spaces: GAPS.  We have a GAP store in Maplegrove and C.C. also found one a few years ago in Las Vegas.

5. Ancient Roman orator: CICERO.

11. Tablet download: APP.

14. "This doesn't look good!": UH OH.  A 7-10 split ?

15. "The old-fashioned way" to make money, in an old ad: EARN IT.  Or stay at home and wait for your stimulus $$$ to show up.

16. Hawaiian welcome: LEI.

19. Implore: BEG.  Excuse me for saying this, but I really do not like the ASPCA ads on TV.

20. Mark of Zorro: ZEE.

21. Gloomy thinkers: BROODERS.

23. Sub detection device: SONAR.  You can detect a submarine or also find out how deep is the water.

26. Devious: SLY.  "And the family Stones."

27. The "E" in Q.E.D.: ERAT.  Latin for "WAS".  I have no idea about Q and D.

30. Full of pluck: GRITTY.  Is this NITTY ??

32. Place for a bud or a plug: EAR.  What?  I can't EAR you.

33. Solves, with "out": FIGURES.  Sorry, I just cannot FIGURE OUT these puzzles.

42. Hastily donned: THREW ON.  Sure would like to watch a new MLB game this summer.

44. Geese flight formation: VEE.  We have a grocery chain from Iowa called "Hy-Vee". Last Monday they were out of milk!!

45. Alabama seaport: MOBILE.

51. 2010 Apple debut: IPAD.

52. Butter serving: PAT.  A name for Patrick or Patricia, or a tap on your behind.

53. Young women: GIRLS.

54. Sell for: RETAIL AT.  The Mall.  They have high rent, they have to gouge you.

57. Bikini top: BRA.

58. Little hill crawler: ANT.

64. Hair-stiffening stuff: GEL.  Wow, it's been years since I used that stuff.  "A little dab'll do ya".

65. Not ready to eat, as fruit: UNRIPE.  I am not so old...I still buy green bananas.

66. Fairway club: IRON.  I carry a 3,5,7,and 9 Callaway metal woods.  I only use irons when I get within about 75 yards.  I know it sounds crazy, but I am old.

67. Before, in verse: ERE.

68. Up-and-down playground fixture: SEESAW.  Teeter totter, bread and water ...

69. Auction-ending word: SOLD.  Going Once, Going Twice ...

Down:

1. Chewing __: GUM.  Did you know that Judy Garland of Grand Rapids Minnesota, (Not Michigan) was named Frances Gumm ?

2. Sushi tuna: AHI.

3. Quaint curse: POX.   Sounds like a TV network.

4. Captain Marvel's magic word: SHAZAM.

5. Formally hand over: CEDE.  I give up!

6. Beatles' "__ the Walrus": I AM.

7. Seafood item needing to be cracked: CRAB LEG.  I have never tried them.  I usually have shrimp for lunch on Fridays.

8. Way to get in: ENTRY.  Or a lottery chance to win a dollar. That's all we ever win.

9. Puerto __: RICO.  I have not heard much about Covid-19 from Puerto Rico.  They got whacked by a hurricane a couple of years ago.  I hope they are all safe.

10. Roman emperor for three months: OTHO.

11. Physicist Einstein: ALBERT.  Was he FAT??

12. View with interest: PEER AT.

13. Pen for porkers: PIG STY. I seem to remember my Mother using that name to describe my bedroom.

18. Unhip type: NERD.  Lambda, Lambda, Lambda got their revenge

22. Reason-based faith: DEISM.

23. Blueprint detail, briefly: SPEC.

24. Daunting exam: ORAL.  Open wide.

25. Romance writer Roberts: NORA.  Crummy DA on Law and Order.

26. R.E.M. frontman Michael: STIPE.

29. Blazing: AFIRE.  Jack London wrote a story about how not to build one.

30. Three-legged piano: GRAND.

31. Color of Hester Prynne's "A": RED.

34. WWII naval threat: U BOAT.

36. Crete's highest pt.: MT IDA.  Remember Charley Weaver from Mount IDY ??

37. UPS competitor: DHL.  Maybe so, but I do not think UPS is worried.

39. Mind-matter link: OVER.

40. __ marsala: Italian restaurant choice: VEAL.  I am stuck on pork chops and hamburger.  Worried about all the processing plant closures in the U.S.

41. Sniggler's catch: EELS.

43. Doodad: WHATSIS.

45. Desert illusion: MIRAGE.  Nice hotel in Las Vegas.  Expensive buffet though.

46. First game in a series: OPENER.  Still waiting for the MLB.  Of course we will need to see 6 feet of distance between fans.

47. War movie scene: BATTLE.  "In 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississippi."

49. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

50. Great Lakes natives for whom an Ohio county is named: MIAMIS.

52. Mission priest: PADRE.  San Diego MLB player.

55. Irreverent Don of talk radio: IMUS.  Never listened to him.

56. Turnpike division: LANE.

57. Make, as tea: BREW.  Milwaukee Baseball team, "The BREW Crew".

60. Tax whiz, briefly: CPA.

61. Sis' sib: BRO.

62. Online "Ha-ha!": LOL.  Not funny.

63. Come to a close: END.  This is it.  We made it.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Dear Agnes lost another sibling. Her sister Mary passed away last Monday. Here is the obit page. Thanks for the Legacy page, Spitzboov!. Here are the happy sisters at St Patrick's Day in 2019.

L-R: Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mary, and Peggy.