Monday May 4, 2020 Craig Stowe

Theme: EYE OPENER (62. Shock to the system, and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be) - The first word can precede "Eye".

17. *Revolving tray: LAZY SUSAN. Lazy eye.

25. *1991 cult film based on a William S. Burroughs novel: NAKED LUNCH. Naked eye.

38. *1974 Harry Chapin hit that mentions Little Boy Blue: CAT'S IN THE CRADLE. Cat's eye.

49. *Rich exec's transport: PRIVATE JET. Private eye.

Boomer here.  

"The Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver spoon, Little Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon." Hello everyone.  C.C. and I seem to be safely dealing with "Stay at Home" and I hope all of you are also safe. We are a little bit confused that the number of cases keep increasing.  Not sure if it is caused by expanded testing. I have seen news clips of people crowding each other on beaches and public parks.  I guess they have not heard of social distancing.

Across:

1. Cream and ice cream: SODAS. Delicious!

6. Toronto Argos' org.: CFL.  Football eh

9. Pay to look the other way: BRIBE.

14. Pleasing smell: AROMA. I have lost my sense of smell.  I heard that it was a symptom but I could not smell long before anyone ever heard of Covid-19.

15. Comedian Wong: ALI.  Cassius Clay

16. Bat mitzvahs, e.g.: RITES.  Our Archbishop performs RITES.  He shut down all of our Catholic churches in Minneapolis.  Sounds RITE to me.

19. Apple app mostly replaced by Messages: ICHAT.  Many employees are using video conferencing from home.  I'm retired, I do not need to chat.

20. Summer on the French Riviera: ETE.

21. __ hash: served in a diner: SLUNG.

22. Maui memento: LEI.  Hawaii is so far away.

23. Tableland: MESA. Big city East of Phoenix.

29. Iranian money: RIAL.  I am happy to not have ever owned any.  I have heard that it takes less RIAL to buy a barrel of oil these days.

31. Brazilian hot spot: RIO.  Former Olympic City.  The virus has arrived there with over 6000 deaths.  I am pretty sure it hit there after the U.S. was invaded.

32. Mauna __: Hawaii's highest peak: KEA.

33. "Peer Gynt" playwright: IBSEN.  I was thinking of the guy who could not play the Tinman because his body did not like aluminum.  But his name was EBSEN.

36. "__ the season ... ": TIS. To be jolly, Fa,la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

37. Easter flower: LILY.  We got four inches of snow this Easter. It did not match the flower except at least it was white.

42. River of Spain: EBRO.

43. "__-hoo!": YOO.  I may have tried BOO.

44. Kindle download: EBOOK.  Those things put computers for rent in local libraries.

45. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE. United Arab Emirates.

46. Dudes: MEN.

47. "__ other time":  SOME.  No Thanks!

52. Hard times: LOWS.  I think the Dow Averages have hit them but are starting to recover.  Forget last Friday.

56. Ready-go link: SET.

57. Pub game: DARTS.  I don't play, but these are huge fun in most of the bowling centers I used to patronize.

59. "__ cares!": WHO.  I care! All the bowling centers are closed here.

60. Separated: APART.  Make sure it's at least SIX FEET and maybe wear a face covering.

64. Like pea-soup fog: DENSE.

65. __ Arbor: ANN.  They have virus problems like everyone else, but I do not understand the protest demonstrations in Lansing.

66. Chris of women's tennis: EVERT.

67. Tell the waitperson what you want: ORDER.  I don't think you can tell them anymore.  You need to call it in and either pick it up at the drive thru window or have it delivered.

68. Entry charge: FEE. I used to have to pay a FEE for a stock market trade, but most online brokerages have cut them out.  Ain't competition great!!

69. Peddler's assortment: WARES.

Down:

1. Witch trial town: SALEM.  I used to smoke them once and awhile if I couldn't find Marlboro Menthol.  No more, I got unhooked 18 years ago.

2. Give a speech: ORATE.  I get a few minutes at the Graybar reunion in February. Many of the big shots ORATE.  I come on last and tell jokes. 

3. Nods off: DOZES.  First name BULL ??

4. Minnesota senator Klobuchar: AMY. We are waiting to see if Joe Biden selects her as VP candidate.

5. Get smart with: SASS.  I've done that

6. Like some Friday work attire: CASUAL.  Graybar started CASUAL on Fridays in my last few years.  I just dressed without a tie.  Some guys showed up pretty sloppy looking.

7. Butcher's cut: FLANK.  We have had virus trouble in our meat processing plants in Minnesota, Iowa. and South Dakota.  They are starting to reopen but I am not sure they are safe.

8. Boudoir apparel: LINGERIE.

9. Scouring pad brand: BRILLO.  We use SOS.  Sorry Brillo.

10. Houston sch.: RICE U.

11. Tentatively positive response: I THINK I DO.  Remember the little engine that could?  "I think I can, I think I can."

12. Arthur of "The Golden Girls": BEA.  Most of the "Golden Girls" are gone.  Only Betty White is still with us.

13. Repair approx.: EST.  I am getting really tired of "Car Shield" ads telling me it won't cost much.

18. Bone parallel to the radius: ULNA.

24. "You __ lucky!": ARE SO.  I guess so.  I cannot bowl, but luckily I got to play 18 holes last week.  One person per cart and keep six feet away from others.

26. Part of DVD: DISC.

27. String quartet strings: CELLO.  HEE HAW !!

28. "Frida" star Salma: HAYEK.

30. Pasta suffix: INI.  ???

33. Frost over: ICE UP.  Can't remember if I mentioned - The Monday after Easter I did not notice that our driveway ICED UP.  I went to take our garbage can to the curb and down I went.  When C.C. saw me lying on the driveway, she came racing out and down she went.  We got up and are a bit smarter now.

34. Elephant of children's lit: BABAR.

35. Barbra of "Yentl": STREISAND. My sister spells it BARBARA.

36. However, briefly: THO.  THO neither lady spells it BABAR.

37. Designer __: LABEL.

39. Belarus denial: NYET.

40. Lacking a musical ear: TONE DEAF. WHAT?  I an nose deaf but I can hear you now!

41. Sleep acronym: REM.

46. Make a difference: MATTER.  "It really doesn't MATTER if I'm wrong I'm Right"  Beatles.

47. Peaceful: SERENE.

48. Bart's bus driver: OTTO.  Maybe I OTTO have watched "The Simpsons".

50. Poet's forte: VERSE.

51. Old-time actress Mansfield or Meadows: JAYNE.  Jayne Meadows was married to Steve Allen.  Jayne Mansfield died in a tragic car crash many years ago.  She is the mother of Mariska Hargitay who is Lt. Benson on Law and Order SVU.

53. Deed holder: OWNER.  I own several bowling balls and a set of golf clubs, but I do not have a deed for them.  I perform DEEDS with them.

54. In what place: WHERE. At a bowling center or a golf course.

55. Alphabetizes, say: SORTS.  I've spent HOURS sorting baseball cards, but never alphabetically.  They have numbers on the back and most of mine are in numerical order.

58. Eject, as lava: SPEW.  Remember Mount St. Helens ?  I do

60. Fuss: ADO.  Not ADO, I said I DO.

61. As __: according to: PER.

63. Longoria of "Overboard" (2018): EVA.

Boomer

Sunday May 3, 2020 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Get Moving" - Seven moving words are redefined.

22A. LEAP: ABRUPT PASSAGE.

36A. DASH: RECIPE AMOUNT.

68A. BOLT: ROLL OF CLOTH.

98A. HOP: FIFTIES DANCE.

118A. SKIP: ACT OF OMISSION.

16D. VAULT: ARCHED STRUCTURE.

44D. RUN: PANTY HOSE MISHAP. Husker Gary and I use HOSE MISHAP for RUN in our football puzzle two years ago.

This is a typical definition theme type. Clues are often in caps and answers are often made-up.

If you have seven entries for a Sunday puzzle, this is an excellent grid to model after.

Across:

1. One on a stroll: AMBLER.

7. Absolute: ARRANT. Is this a word you use?

13. Some recyclables: METALS.

19. Louisiana cuisine: CREOLE. Never had gumbo. I do like okra.

20. Gets the old gang together: REUNES.

21. Tapas bar libation: SANGRIA.

24. Acts as a self-appointed regulator of: POLICES.

25. Bit of a jam: BIND.

26. Glitterati groups: A-LISTS.

27. Film studio VIP: DIR. Director. My favorite director is Zhang Yimou. Xi'an native as well.

28. Tint: HUE.

29. Eccentric sort: GEEZER. Often old.

32. God, in Genoa: DIO.

33. Accept as true: BELIEVE.

39. Make anew, as a trench: RE-DIG.

42. Liquid from a trunk: SAP.  Maple!

45. Summoned, in a way: RANG.

46. Portable Asian shelter: YURT. Lots of them in Inner Mongolia.

47. Elliott of hip-hop: MISSY.

48. Half a frozen potato brand: IDA.

49. Keyboards with stops: ORGANS.

52. Forensic analysts, briefly: CSIs. Crime Scene Investigators.

54. Prefix with act or play: INTER.

55. Readied for impact: TENSED.

57. Figure __: EIGHT.

59. It may be fake: TAN.

61. Speed Wagon make: REO. What's in this boy's hand?

62. Some saxes: ALTOS.

63. Instrument in a piano trio: CELLO.

65. River craft for early French explorers: BATEAU. French for "boat".

67. Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George: REYS.

71. PC virus check: SCAN.

74. They may precede bat flips: HOMERS.

76. Bring joy to: ELATE.

77. Chips on the table: KITTY.

78. Love of Lennon's life: ONO.

80. Copy: APE.

81. DKNY label creator: KARAN. Donna Karan worked for Anne Klein in the 1960s and 1970s.

83. Wee: MINUTE.

84. Layer of bricks: MASON.

86. Sermon subjects: SINS.

88. One carrying a torch: WELDER.

91. Turncoat: RAT.

92. Billy Joel's songwriting daughter: ALEXA. Christie Brinkley is aging beautifully.

93. Thesis: Abbr.: DISS.

95. Ávila aunts: TIAS.

96. EMT destinations: ERS.

97. Dorm diet staple: RAMEN. Any been to Ichiran Ramen?

102. Queued up: IN A LINE.

104. Butte-to-Helena dir.: NNE.

105. E-flat equivalent: D SHARP.

108. More, in Mazatlán: MAS.

110. URL ending: ORG.

111. "Being and Nothingness" author: SARTRE.

113. Drive-__: THRU. Here in Minnesota, the banks only provide drive-through services. Our stay-at-home ordered is extended to May 18.

115. Reach: ACHIEVE.

121. Sir __, nickname for the NBA's Barkley: CHARLES.

122. Safer on TV: MORLEY. Such a gentle soul.

123. Baum's good witch: GLINDA.

124. Flower features: SEPALS.

125. Golf course design features: SWALES. Google shows it's "a small hill or depression on a golf course." I just call them hills. Uphill lie. Downhill lies. Also 37. Gp. for good drivers: PGA. And 64. 37-Down's Ernie: ELS.

126. "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS.

Down:

1. Hail __: A CAB.

2. Head honcho: MR BIG.

3. Suisse capital: BERNE.

4. Call from the back: LOUDER.

5. '70s supergroup, initially: ELP. Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

6. Like many AARP mems.: RET. I'm going to be eligible next year. I know Spitzboov is a member. Anyone else? Is it worth the annual fee?

7. Depleted sea: ARAL.

8. Make a home (in): RESIDE.

9. Cosmonaut's home: RUSSIA.

10. Pre-med subject: ANATOMY.

11. Strips in a darkroom, briefly: NEGS. Negatives. Also 14. Blowup: Abbr.: ENL.

12. "Cats" monogram: TSE.

13. New Zealand settler: MAORI. I saw haka dance when a New Zealand factory had a grand opening in Guangzhou. Very noisy.

15. Letters before Fridays: TGI.

17. Place: LIEU.

18. Postpaid encl.: SASE.

21. Word in a "What's done is done" proverb: SPILT.

23. Kitchen prep job: PARING.

27. Teeth: Pref.: DENTI.

30. 2/3 of 100?: ZEROES. Oh, OK. 100.

31. Online greeting: E-CARD.

33. Like a ruined balloon: BURST. So the mouthwatering kelp I had been waiting for over a month never came. Amazon has refunded me. The package probably never left Japan.

34. White fur: ERMINE.

35. Marble characteristic: VEIN.

38. Cry from a sting: OUCH.

40. "Got it": I SEE.

41. Greek sandwich: GYRO. Never had one.

42. Bollywood soundtrack strings: SITAR.

43. Singer with numbered albums: ADELE.

50. Jodie Foster title role: NELL.

51. Rural skyline feature: SILO.

53. Orally report: STATE.

56. Barely worth mentioning: SO SO.

58. Errand runner: GOFER.

60. Part of NCAA: Abbr.: ATH.

63. Apple leftovers: CORES. Peach and nectarine season should be here soon. And watermelon. I'm tired of apples.

65. Tweet creator, at times: BOT.

66. A-apple link: AS IN. A as in apple. 

68. Brief sign of status: REP.

69. __ hammer: CLAW.

70. Place with pins and balls: LANE.

72. Rose extract: ATTAR.

73. Russian rejections: NYETS.

75. Sábado, on viernes: MANANA. Saturday, to Friday. Googled afterwards.

77. Cherry-flavored brandy: KIRSCH.

78. "A Jug of Wine ... " poet: OMAR.

79. Animated queen: NALA. "The Lion King".

81. Word with bread or butter: KNIFE.

82. Little helper?: ASST. Assistant. Little suggests Abbr.

83. Stands for: MEANS.

85. Yoked pair: OXEN.

87. Picking from a mug book: ID'ING.

89. Part of LLC: Abbr.: LTD.

90. Royal headwear: DIADEM. Not CROWNS.

94. Rat Pack leader: SINATRA.

98. Sacks: FIRES.

99. Sign up: ENROLL.

100. Fixed rate: SET FEE.

101. Uses HelloFresh, say: EATS IN.

103. Can't get enough of: LOVES. I can eat these every day.

106. Cologne's river: RHINE.

107. Nudges along: PRODS.

108. "Big" fast-food orders: MACS.

109. Tylenol target: ACHE.

111. Garbage hauler: SCOW.

112. Rob __: cocktails: ROYS.

114. Some, in San Juan: UNAS.

116. Nest egg acronym: IRA.

117. Bracket shape: ELL.

118. Early hrs.: AMS.

119. Franchise-based supermarket chain: IGA.  Independent Grocers Alliance.

120. Photog's choice: SLR.

Happy 76th birthday to Dave (D4E4H), who told me that his friend "Carol's daughter, Patty sent me an amazing Lemon cake this year.  Carol and I are behind on our Cruciverbalism, so we solved the CW from Wed. 4-29, early this morning, after cake.  We FIR in 33:49 min."

Saturday, May 2, 2020, Trent H. Evans

Themeless Saturday by Trent H. Evans

Today we have an LA Times first-time constructor Dr. Trent H. Evans, PhD, who is a psychologist after graduating from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and has been practicing for 19 years. Today he is in Catonsville, Maryland. 

Here we see him pictured with his good friend Donut and below is part of his generous response to my email:

As far as the puzzle goes, I constructed this one in May of 2019 when I had not yet done very much themeless constructing [Husker note: My note to him was the first he knew that the puzzle was going to run today]. I don’t recall very much about the process. I know I slapped down PEDAL TO THE MEDAL to start with and after roughing out a grid, the next thing I put down was FRED SANFORD. Sanford and Son was one of my favorites as a kid, and my high school band director seemed to have an anecdote from a specific episode of Sanford and Son to cover almost any life lesson he wished to impart. By the way, if you haven’t seen the YouTube clip of Fred wearing a mask and trying to socially distance from a sick Lamont, it’s worth your time [Husker note: Picture is in the write-up]. See, I told you there’s a Sanford and Son episode for all situations!

Since I made this puzzle, I started a crossword blog at gridtherapy.com and among the puzzles on the site are 15 themelesses as of now. I call them ‘Free Association’ puzzles in keeping with the ‘therapy’ motif (I am a psychologist as you said). Looking back on this LA Times puzzle, I’m still fairly pleased with it, but I hope I’ve improved with more practice. As of this writing, the most recent puzzle on Grid Therapy is titled “Addled” which coincidentally enough makes an appearance at 9-down in this LA Times puzzle. 

I hope you and yours are as well as can be expected during these difficult days. Me, my wife Beth, and our four (!) teenagers have refrained from any acts of violence against each other over the course of our six or so weeks in lockdown, which I am going to call a win!  

Take care Gary. 

Trent 

Now let's do some "Free Association" with the good doctor on this first Saturday in May

Across:

1. Groom like a groom, maybe: MANSCAPE - Everything below my neck remains, uh, ungroomed. TMI?

9. Is in store: AWAITS.

15. Green getaway: ECO HOTEL - This one is in South Africa

16. "Crud!": DARN IT.

17. Beneficiaries of preferential admission: LEGACIES - Youngest daughter followed oldest one into this Pi Beta Phi house on 16th Street at UNL

18. Delightful: DREAMY.

19. Texas congressman who ran for president as a Libertarian in 1988: RON PAUL - He got  about 1/2 of the green section here:

21. Nice refusal?: NON - A Nice, en France, je dirais NON à manger des escargots (In Nice, France, I would say NO to eating snails)
22. When things just don't click: OFF DAY 

25. Aide-__: mnemonic device: MEMOIRE - An easy to understand French loanword. I taught ROY G BIV for decades as a mnemonic device.

28. White wine cocktails: KIRS - made with Creme de Cassis and named after Félix Kir (1876–1968), mayor of Dijon in Burgundy. If champagne is the chosen wine, the cocktail is called Kir Royale

29. Gets stuck: BOGS DOWN.

32. Let go: AXE and 33. Let go: FIRE - Somebody's losing their job here.

34. Air freshener deliveries: MISTS.

37. High-speed metaphor: PEDAL TO THE METAL - Trent's seed entry. I remember it as CB lingo.

41. Give out: ISSUE.

42. Colorado tributary: GILA.

43. "So you admit it!": AHA.

44. "Star Wars" film subtitle: A NEW HOPE - I really liked the first Star Wars movie, went to sleep in the second one and have not returned.

47. Classist type: SNOB.

48. Breath-freshening brew: MINT TEA.

50. Board game conduits: CHUTES - A guy is offering this complete original game for $50 on eBay

52. Storied shelf occupant: ELF.

53. Lawmaker: ENACTOR - Not lately

56. Barked: WOOFED.

59. Pregame party site: TAILGATE - Husker pre-game activities have graduated from the TAILGATE of pickups to elaborate affairs that are noted for inviting fans of opposing teams to join in

63. Tee off: ENRAGE.

64. Pavarotti classic: O SOLE MIO - Sherrill Nielsen with O SOLE MIO and then The King follows with It's Now Or Never

65. Father figure?: DAD BOD - Uh, DAD, you're not 18 any more, how 'bout at least wearing a t-shirt?

66. Broad Eastern cuisine category: PAN-ASIAN - A extensive PANASIAN menu 


Down:


1. Harris of "thirtysomething": MEL - Then (1987) and now for "MEL" - Mary Ellen Harris 

2. Flying phenom: ACE.

3. Eggy drink: NOG.

4. Fragments: SHARDS.

5. __ butter: COCOA.

6. Not very much: A TINY BIT.

7. Single animal-shaped candy?: PEEP - More than A TINY BIT of sugar!

8. "Let It Go" singer in "Frozen": ELSA.

9. Mystified: ADDLED.

10. Serious declaration: WAR.

12. Before you know it: IN AN INSTANT - How the WAR declarations above seemed to occur in 1914

11. Is for many: ARE - Groucho is funny, the Marx Brothers ARE hilarious 

13. Divided island north of Australia: TIMOR - The west end of the island is Indonesia that is also known as West TIMOR

14. "Don't Rain on My Parade" composer: STYNE - I'll bet most of you know 1) What musical had this song and 2) Who belted out this Jule STYNE anthem 

20. Speaker's pauses: UMS.

22. Beast known as the zebra giraffe: OKAPI - The only members of this family

23. Rigs: FIXES - Some think pro rasslin' matches are FIXED. 🤯

24. Junk dealer in a '70s sitcom: FRED SANFORD - Here's a picture from the Sanford and Son episode Trent mentioned

26. Family nickname: MOMMA.

27. Tot's scrape: OWIE.

30. Peru panning target: ORO - The tragic story of mining gold in Peru (11:00)

31. Outset: GET GO - I liked Trent's puzzle from the GET GO

33. Speedy: FLEET.

35. Nevada tourist mecca: TAHOE - Michael and Fredo had a conversation in Michael's home on Lake TAHOE before Fredo went on a fatal fishing trip

36. Foundation pieces: SLABS - A cool, dry basement is very desirable in Arizona but most houses are build on concrete slabs because the rock hard caliche (kuh LEE chee) soil, made up of calcium carbonate and granite, means digging a basement can add thousands to the cost of a house

38. Bee or Em: AUNT - Opie Taylor's and Dorothy Gale's

39. With it: HIP.

40. Choice event: ELECTION 

45. Prepared a bed, maybe: WEEDED - SEEDED got, uh, WEEDED out

46. Solo pilot?: HAN - HAN Solo and Princess Leia are frequent visitors in our crossword universe 

47. Swells: SURGES.

48. Spoke Burmese?: MEWED - Our Lily prefers Siamese

49. Actress Massey: ILONA - Here she plays the Baroness Frankenstein in 1943's Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman

51. Casual greeting: HOLLA - "Hey dude, give me a HOLLA when you get home"

54. Perched on: ATOP.

55. 61-Down's dwelling: CASA and 61. Familia member: TIA - Nos encanta que TÍA Rosa visite nuestra casa (We love to have Aunt Rosa visit our home)
57. __ Four: FAB - The name of this tribute band

58. One may be bruised: EGO.

60. Challenging retort: AM I? - "Gary, you're going to eat that liver!"

62. Word that's sometimes an exaggeration: EON - I haven't seen my California cousins for EONS!


I also found this picture of Trent who  plays trumpet in an Alumni Jazz Band that just recently toured Europe. I'll leave it to you to find Trent with his trumpet in hand. He's a real renaissance man!

Any comments for Trent?

Friday, May 1, 2020, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Y did we wait so long?

It is May Day as well as being a new month. WhiteRabbit. After an absence, our all-time Friday puzzle maker is back. Jeffrey has offered a traditional add-a-letter for humor theme. The letter is "Y." To which all I can say is Y Not? Of course, there are always added layers to his work. 1) Each vowel in the word to which the Y is added changes its sound from short to long. 2) The first two change the "I", the next two change a "U."  3) The first two have the change in the beginning of the phrase, the next two in the last word. And he continues to stuff the grid with much sparkly fill. APROPOS, CLEAVER,  FLORIST, HOSTESS, SOMALIA, TIME LAG, HAIRINESS, and LIMEWATER which makes its LAT debut.

18A. Escargot gatherer's bounty?: SLIMY PICKINGS (13). Escargot is snails and they really do leave a slimy trail as they travel. They also make a loud pop when you step on one after heavy rain.

21. Harvest worker needing a bath?: THE GRIMY REAPER (14). A bit of a downer clue both before and after the Y.

40A. Much ado about nothing?: ARTIFICIAL FURY (14). Jeffrey sneaks in a Shakespeare reference. The Fur has led to an odd SUBCULTURE.

44A. Successful gem seeker's cry?: THERE'S THE RUBY (13).
More Shakespeare, the original comes from Hamlet. "To die, to sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub.

On that note, on to the rest.

1. Declare: ASSERT.

7. Domestic power connection, briefly: AC PLUG. Alternating current. DISCUSS.

13. Large envelope: MAILER. I think Boomer's stream of conscious comments have gotten to me. How else can I explain this?

14. One working on arrangements: FLORIST. This fooled me the first time I saw it.

15. Feature of communication with space probes: TIME LAG. I leave this topic for HG to explain better but will give you all this LINK.

17. Relevant: APROPOS. A morphed word from the French. 
20. Quebec neighbor: MAINE. A CSO  to Hahtoolah and our Canadian readers.

30. Chewbacca trait: HAIRINESS.

31. Club usually numbered: IRON. A CSO for our Golfers, Big Easy, Husker Gary and so many more.

33. Frisée is its curly variety: ENDIVE. I am not a fan.

34. Digestive aid: SALIVA. I need whenever I eat any type of endive.

36. Your alternative: ONE'S.

37. Flavored thirst quencher: LIMEWATER. This is an aqueous solution of slaked lime, used in medicine, antacids, and lotions, and to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Nothing to do with the lime juice and water my wife gives me in the morning.

43. Study aids: NOTES.

52. Butcher's staple: CLEAVER. I am not keen on this choice, but I guess it related to the usage of a regular and important part or feature of something. The black dress was an enduring staple of Diana’s wardrobe.

54. Horn of Africa country: SOMALIA. Traditional Somali food is determined by a socioeconomic context. In a nomadic settlement, camel or goat meat and camel or cow milk are common staples.

55. Little Debbie competitor: HOSTESS. The showdown.

56. Blinker, e.g.: SIGNAL. Which almost no one in Florida uses.

57. Many a Sunday magazine: INSERT.

58. Kindly: PLEASE. Let's go to the downs.

Down:

1. Tsp. and tbsp.: AMTS. All abbreviated measures.

2. Sloop feature: SAIL. This is a one-masted sailboat with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a jib. Or...

3. __ Valley, Calif.: SIMI. Home of the Reagen library. A cost of living index above 100 means Simi Valley, California is more expensive. Simi Valley's cost of living is 149.9, almost 50% higher.

4. Pre-K follower: ELEM. I do not care for the fill, nor the clue. Kindergarten follows Pre-k.

5. Be dependent: RELY. A negative way to look at it.

6. Kisser: TRAP. Shut your trap or I will bust you in the kisser!

7. Type of skiing: ALPINE. Would you like to learn? Visit Montana (hi Darlene) or try THESE.

8. Natural light refractor: CORNEA. CSO to me.

9. Sophisticated rock genre, briefly: PROGressive.
Progressive rock (often shortened to prog or prog rock) is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility."

10. Kissers: LIPS. See above.

11. It offered soldiers Hope: Abbr.: USO. Just prior to the onset of America’s involvement in World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to unite several service associations into one organization to lift the morale of our military and nourish support on the home front. Those entities – the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board - became the United Service Organizations or, the USO.

12. Some hot rods: GTS. GranTurisimos.

14. Muslim ascetics: FAKIRS. A Muslim religious ascetic or religious mendicant, especially one who performs feats of magic or endurance. Origin of fakir. From Arabic faqīr.

16. Easy putt, in casual golf: GIMME. I can hear all the players practicing.

19. Low isles: CAYS. A cay (also spelled key; both pronounced alike as "key" English pronunciation: /kiː/) is a small, low island consisting mostly of sand or coral and situated on top of a coral reef. The English word cay comes from the Spanish word cayo and this from the Taíno word cayo meaning "small island". Go visit Cay West.

21. Religious prefix: THEO. HISTORY.

22. Big-name in animation: HANNA. More than you ever wanted to know about the Hanna-Barbera legacy.

23. Down for a pillow: EIDER. Somehow this makes perfect sense next to...

24. Mill fill: GRIST. This is the grain that is ground to make flour.

25. Snake or Gila: Abbr.: RIVer.

26. Analogue for -like: INE. The fun part is that this suffix has two distinct pronunciations. LINK. Unless you are British or maybe Canadian? Eh?

27. Rice dish: PILAF. Not in my house. We have jasmine rice, sweet rice, sticky rice, and blue rice.

28. Verdi baritone aria: ERI TU. Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi.

29. Relative of Fido: ROVER.

32. "You ain't gwyne to drink a drop--__ single drop": Twain: NARY. I am unfamiliar with the passage, though I have read HUCKLEBERRY FINN many times.

34. Word with lion or horse: SEA. Oo's mother's great-great-grandson's name translates to SEA.

35. Leather punch: AWL. A well-timed CSO to

37. Gallon's 3.785: LITERS. Almost another Canadian CSO, but spelled wrong.

38. Summer treats: ICES. Not for our missing Tinbeni.

39. They may drift over valleys: MISTS.

41. "You have some crust!": I NEVER. Well! I never! I hear Groucho Marx telling Margaret Dumont, "With your face, you never will!"

42. It may have many ashes: FOREST. A slight misdirection.

44. Nickname for Esther: TESS. I did not know: Tess is a given name, typically a diminutive form of Theresa or Esther.

45. __-watch: continue viewing a show you no longer like: HATE.
I have not heard of this term to watch (a television program) for the sake of the enjoyment one derives from mocking or criticizing it. It makes no sense to me.

46. ICU or ER site: HOSP.ital.

47. Expressionist painter Nolde: EMIL. My only UNKNOWN.

48. All the __: popular: RAGE.

49. Radius neighbor: ULNA. Arm bones.

50. Slant: BIAS.

51. School since 1701: YALE. It has a long HISTORY if you want to read up.

52. X as in Xerxes: CHI. It is all Greek to me.

53. Chaney of film: LON. There have been two. The father born LEONIDAS  and his son Creighton, who became LON Chaney Jr.

How nice to start the new month and the gradual return to business with a 66 word !?! puzzle from Jeffrey. Be careful, be safe. lemonade, not out in hibernation.