Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Seth Geltman and Jeff Chen

Animal Crackers.  You'll crack up when you find the animals in each IDIOM (56-Across).

18-Across. Animal kingdom predator: FOX IN THE HENHOUSE.

29-Across. Animal kingdom traitor: SNAKE IN THE GRASS.

49-Across. Animal kingdom eccentricity: BATS INTHE BELFRY.

62-Across. Animal kingdom complication: FLY IN THE OINTMENT.

And two related theme clues:

56-Across. Figure of speech: IDIOM.

2-Down. Fanatic love of animals: ZOOMANIA.

Across:

1. HIV-treating drug: AZT.  Short for Azidothymidine.

4. Word with contracts or contractions: LABOR.  As in Labor Contracts and Labor Contractions.

9. More brooding: MOPIER.

15. Mauna __: LOA.  Mauna Loa is a Hawaiian volcano that last erupted in April 1984.

16. Frugal way to wed: ELOPE.  Fun new clue for this crossword staple.

17. Big blood vessels: AORTAE.  Plural of Aorta.  You should only have one.

21. Car radio letters: AM/FM.

22. Genius 8000 toothbrushes, e.g.: ORAL-Bs.

23. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Homer Simpson's neighbor.

24. Bakery draw: AROMA.

27. Most populous continent: ASIA.

28. Road Runner stills, e.g.: CELS.

32. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.  Lucy Liu (b. Dec. 2, 1968) played Joan Watson on the television crime series Elementary, which ran from 2012 ~ 2019.

33. Bark holder: TREE.

34. Absorb, with "up": SOP.

35. Speeder's undoing: RADAR.

37. Igor, to Dr. Frankenstein: ASS'T.  Igor was Dr. Frankenstein's assistant.  Dr. Frankenstein created the monster.  Does the clue indicate to you that the answer is an abbreviation?

40. Like Redbox films: ON DVD.

44. __ a plea: COP.

46. One removed by a wine lover: CORK.

48. Musical knack: EAR.

54. Enticement: LURE.

55. Space: ROOM.

57. Nonprofit URL ending: ORG.

58. Sheena who collaborated with Prince: EASTON.  Sheena Easton (née Sheena Shirley Orr; b. Apr.  27, 1959) and Prince (né Prince Roger Nelson; June 7, 1958 ~ Apr. 21, 2016) first met in 1984 and collaborated on several hit songs.

60. It can end on a high note: ARIA.

66. 1927 movie innovation: TALKIE.  It was also a Walkie.

67. Turkic language: UZBEK.

68. The Bosporus, e.g.: Abbr.: STR.  As in the Borporus Strait.  It is part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.  It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.  It is also known as the Strait of Istanbul.  In May 1766, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Bosporus.

69. Zooms: SPEEDS.

70. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Yummers!  I am growing some basil in my garden this year so hopefully I will be able to make some pesto later this summer.

71. PreCheck org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.  I am always happy when  I get the PreCheck mark on my plane ticket.  I have no immediate plans for flying now or in the near future, though.

Down:

1. Two before Charlie: ALFA.

3. It may involve cooking the books: TAX FRAUD.

4. Super Bowl IV MVP Dawson: LEN.  Len Dawson (né Leonard Ray Dawson; b. June 20, 1935) played in one of the early Super Bowl games.  The game was played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.  The Kansas City Chiefs (an AFL team) trounced the Minnesota Vikings (an NFL team) in a score of 23 - 7.

5. PC shortcut key: ALT.

6. __-chic: hippie-influenced fashion style: BOHO.  BoHo apparently stands for Bohemian Homeless.    Who knew?

7. Performs surgery: OPERATES.

8. Go over again: REHASH.

9. Guys' attaché alternatives: MAN BAGS.  Mmmm ... No.

10. Fireworks cries: OOHS!

11. Golf expert: PRO.

12. Apple music app: iTUNES.  I used to get my podcasts from iTunes, but the operating system changed.

13. Stands for oils: EASELS.

14. Clarinets, e.g.: REEDS.

19. "It's just a flesh wound": I'M OK.  I just ran amok.

20. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) was born in Sighet, Transylvania (now a part of Romania).  During World War II, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz.  His mother and sister were immediately killed, but Elie and his father were selected for labor.  They were later transported to Buchenwald.  His father died in Buchenwald, but Elie survived.  He went on to write over 50 book, several of which were about his experience in the concentration camps.  Probably his most famous book is Night, which was originally written and published in French.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian works.  When I was in college, I was fortunate to meet him.

25. Some undergrounds: METROs.  Think of the subway system in Paris.

26. It can be fresh but not insulting: AIR.  Fun clue and answer!

28. Crunch's rank: CAP'N.

29. 35mm camera type: SLR.  As in Single Lens Reflex camera.  We see this a lot in the puzzles, but what does it really mean?  Find out here.

30. Cultural funding gp.: NEA.  As in the National Endowment for the Arts.

31. Swindled: ROOKED.

36. Entr'__: ACTE.  Today's French lesson.  It literally means "between the acts".

38. Work a crowd: SCHMOOZE.

39. Digit for water testing?: TOE.

41. Clear-cut, as for lumber: DEFOREST.

42. Pesky critters: VARMINTS.

43. Parched: DRY.

45. Pittsburgh team: PIRATES.

47. Stat for the 45-Down: RBI.  As in Runs Batted In.  I think Hank Aaron (b. Feb. 5, 1834) still leads with the most runs with 2,297 RBIs.

49. Gunny sack fabric: BURLAP.

Burlap Tote ~ It's BOHO Chic.

50. Socks pattern: ARGYLE.  Why Argyle is a pattern for socks and not suits.

51. Enjoy a bagel, say: NOSH.  I had the plural of this word last week.  It comes from the Yiddish word נאַשן, meaning "to nibble on".

52. Add: TOTE UP.

53. Actor Neeson: LIAM.  Liam William Neeson (b. June 7, 1952) was married to Natasha Richardson.  He played Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler's List.

54. Artists' pads: LOFTS.

58. City west of Tulsa: ENID.  Enid make frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is the 9th largest city in Oklahoma.  Can you name the 8 largest cities in Oklahoma?

59. Pen points: NIBS.

61. First razor with a pivoting head: ATRA.

63. Pres. after Harry: IKE.  As is Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 1969), who was President immediately after Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972).

64. Site-seeing place, with "the": NET.  As in the Internet.

65. Ring ref's decision: TKO.  As in Technical Knock Out.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.  ~  Yogi Berra (né Lawrence Peter Berra; May 12, 1925 ~ Sept. 22, 2015), American baseball player and coach

Monday May 11, 2020 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: JUMP START (61A. Battery boost ... and what the first part of the answers to starred clues can literally be) - Jump can follow the first part of each theme answer.

17A. *Internet connection touted in the '90s as faster than dial-up: BROADBAND. Broad jump.

38A. *Extended engagement: LONG RUN. Long jump.

11D. *Diamond defensive rarity: TRIPLE PLAY. Triple jump.

29D. *Vegas spender: HIGH ROLLER. High jump.

Boomer here.

Happy Monday! I had a friendly phone chat with Al, aka "Spitzboov" this past week and compared life in upstate New York with the "Land of 10,000 lakes". Not much difference. Wear a face covering if you leave your home to go grocery shopping and maintain at least a six foot social distancing from others. 

A couple of  differences were in New York, gasoline is about 40 cents higher per gallon. In Minnesota, over 100,000 fishermen hit the road to the lakes for the fishing opener.  Good grief, temperature Saturday morning here was 35 degrees! Golf courses have opened in Minnesota, and I was able to get in a couple of rounds.  I do not have to worry about social distancing on the golf course because all of my tee shots are about 40 yards behind my playing partners, and my putts on the greens are about 20 feet longer. 

Across:

1. Spaces between teeth: GAPS.  C.C. has found several GAP stores in town.  They are not open for business at the present time.

5. Comedian Foxworthy: JEFF.  If you are smarter than a fifth grader, you might be a redneck.

9. Flat finish: MATTE.

14. Gershwin's "__ Rhythm": I GOT.  "I got music, who could ask for anything more.

15. Diva's delivery: ARIA.  There is a huge ARIA casino on the Las Vegas Strip. C.C. really liked it because it had nice decor honoring Chinese New Year.

16. Skylit courts: ATRIA. The NBA will not be using skylit courts for awhile.

19. Leaks: DRIPS.

20. Bill for beers: BAR TAB.  Bars are still closed in Minnesota.  Not a big deal for me.  I have not touched a drop since the doctor gave me the strong cancer pills, and told me not to drink to it!

21. Barbie's beau: KEN.  My favorite was Mr. Griffey Jr.

23. Church recess: APSE. My church has a high one.  I am not sure why they choose to heat all that air space in our cold winters.

24. 4 x 4, for short: UTE.

25. Brontë and Post: EMILYS.

27. 1987 Beatty/Hoffman bomb: ISHTAR. What you might say when you have your driveway redone.

30. Flammable gas: ETHANE.

32. Andy's son in Mayberry: OPIE.  Ronnie Howard shows up in crosswords frequently.

33. Decorate: ADORN.

34. ASAP relative: PDQ. People Dedicated to Quality.  Like all of the crossword constructors we encounter.

37. Move back and forth, as a tail: WAG. Sometimes the tail WAGS the Dog.

40. Baseball great Gehrig: LOU.  The guy was incredible!  I wish I had been able to see him play.

41. Remains of the tray?: ASH.  I gave up smokes years ago.  I think they are about $10.00 per pack now.

42. Building addition: ANNEX.

43. Mideast strip: GAZA.  Long and narrow strip.

44. Toronto NBAer: RAPTOR.  Not sure what the NBA is planning. I am pretty sure that if they open the season, tickets will be limited to about 10%. About what our Timberwolves drew before the crisis.

46. Remained: STAYED.

48. Beach Boys "Help Me" title girl: RHONDA.  "I wish they all could be California girls."

50. Whirling toon devil: TAZ.

51. Slippery: EELY.  I m sure that some of our fisherman were disappointed when they landed an eelpout.

52. Bosom buddy: PAL.

55. Pricey watches: OMEGAS.  I thought a spendy watch was a Rolex.  An OMEGA is an "Older More Energetic Graybar Associate."

59. Bravery: VALOR.  I think it takes a lot of VALOR to face another day of Covid-19 and stay home and keep your spirits up.

63. Happening: EVENT.  Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Best wishes to all Moms out there and I hope you had a great day! My Mother's name was HOPE.

64. Fronton game word: ALAI.

65. Scrabble piece: TILE.  On "Jeopardy" the other day, one of the clue answers was that the word "FUZZY" was worth 29 points.  Impossible - one of the "Z"s would have to be a blank.

66. Stringed instruments of yore: LYRES.

67. Jalopy corrosion: RUST.  Years ago, I owned a 1955 Oldsmobile. Great car but a bit rusty. I think they use different "Salt" on the roads nowadays.

68. Historic British school: ETON.

Down:

1. "Shadow Dancing" singer Andy: GIBB.  Andy was the brother of Bee Gees' BARRY.  Andy only made it to age 30.

2. Indian tourist city: AGRA.

3. Below average: POOR. Not sure if I want to touch this. The government sent everyone a substantial subsistence last months, but I am afraid many are hurting.  I always feel very fortunate to have had a stable career.

4. Law: STATUTE.

5. Go on and on: JABBER.  Sounds like Kareem Abdul's last name.

6. MLB pitcher's stat: ERA.  I think all of the pitcher's ERA's are 0.00 so far this year.

7. Stool pigeon: FINK. Tony Bennett passed away and went up to the pearly gates.  St. Peter issued him wings and a harp.  Tony asked about a friend of his named Sam Fink.  St Peter said he was not up here but maybe check the other place.  So Tony went down and found that Sam had opened a Disco and was living quite well. Later Tony returned to St. Peter and wished to enter the pearly gates but St. Peter told him he forgot something.  "Oh my gosh!", uttered Tony, "I left my Harp, in Sam Fink's Disco!" I knew I told the story before, but it bears repeating.

8. Lose luster, as colors: FADE.  Or to hit a golf ball in the trees off to the right.

9. Fit to be tied: MAD.  I remember the "MAD" magazine back in the 60s.  Are they still around?

10. Subway immortalized in an Ellington song: A TRAIN.  Ella Fitzgerald joined the Duke in one of the productions.

12. Slightly inebriated: TIPSY. Sorry - Bars are still closed. Interestingly however, our Governor designated liquor stores as "essential".

13. Subsides: EASES.

18. Spreadsheet info: DATA.

22. India's first prime minister: NEHRU.  I think he invented jackets with funny collars.

26. Herbie of jazz: MANN.  Minnesota had a friend of mine, Leo Mann.  A great friend and bowler.  Tried a few pro tournaments and cashed in a US Open around 1970.  He passed last fall at age 93.

27. Hawkeye's state: IOWA.  Just south of us. I have been there a few times. Mostly famous for pig farms, corn, and first presidential primaries.

28. Health resorts: SPAS.

30. Lawn care tool: EDGER.  I hate replacing the nylon string in these things.

31. Six-pointed star-shaped screw head: TORX.  I'm sure my Phillips screwdriver won't work on these.

33. Part of A.D.: ANNO.

35. Catch a few z's: DOZE.  Instead of the EDGER, just use a Bull DOZER.

36. Campus courtyard: QUAD.  The yard can only have four sides.

38. SoCal cop force: LAPD.  I wonder if their mascot is a LAP DOG

39. Like much bar beer: ON TAP.  You won't find this in too many states.  You need to visit an essential liquor store.

43. Montreal daily: GAZETTE.  GAZETTE eh?

45. "Tennis, __?": ANYONE.

46. "Cut that out!": STOP IT.  Tell it to the virus!

47. Scottish toppers: TAMS.

48. Whoop it up: REVEL.

49. Hard to lift: HEAVY.  "He ain't heavy, He's my Brother."  Neal Diamond and others.  Regards a logo from Boy's Town Nebraska. 

53. Not quite closed: AJAR.  "When is a glass not a glass??"

54. Humdinger: LULU.  "How can you thank someone who has taken us from crayons to perfume?" "To Sir with Love"

56. Canter or gallop: GAIT.

57. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO.  "Walk right in, it's around the back, Just a half a mile from the railroad track.  You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant." 

58. British weapon acronym: STEN.

60. ACLU concerns: RTS. Rights.

62. Pas' partners: MAS.  Happy Mother's Day yesterday, and Do Not call your Mother MA.

Boomer

Sunday May 10, 2020 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Trade School" - X is orderly changed into letters S/T/U/D/E/N/T.

 23. This year's hatchlings?: NEST GENERATION. Next generation.
 
37. Chopin virtuoso's self-assurance?: ETUDE CONFIDENCE. Exude confidence.
 
50. Greek cross in a company logo?: CORPORATE TAU. Corporate tax.

58. Opinion surveys on text changes?: EDIT POLLS. Exit polls.

80. Time to honor an aircraft manufacturer?: BOEING DAY. Boxing Day.

91. Shark's interim appendage?: TEMPORARY FIN. Temporary fix.

97. Ripening of a Mediterranean fruit?: OLIVE COMPLETION. Olive complexion.

Reveal:

120. Pupil with a phonetic beginning that hints at what the circled letters comprise: X CHANGE STUDENT.

BOEING DAY and OLIVE COMPLETION changes are amazing, long and unexpected.

No straying X'es, so all's good. Paul probably had plenty of theme choices. But once Rich OK'ed the final set, he had to grid the entries in the strict order. Not much gridding flexibility.
 
Across:

1. Noble, unselfish sort: GALAHAD. Son of Lancelot.

8. Copy: PARROT.

14. Language of the Quran: ARABIC.

20. Magnetite, e.g.: IRON ORE.

21. Port N of Pittsburgh: ERIE PA. N hints at an Abbr.

22. Examine in detail: PERUSE.

25. Influential groups: ELITES.

26. Quelques-__: a few, in French: UNES. 119. East, in Essen: OST.  And two Spanish references: 33. Acapulco aunt: TIA. And 34. Mayo is found in it: ANO.

27. One in a shell: TURTLE.

28. ER workers: RNS.

30. "Bellefleur" author: OATES. Wiki says Joyce Carol Oates has 58 novels published. Stunning.

31. Half a tuba sound: PAH.

32. Scrips: MEDS.

35. Quarterback Manning: ELI.

45. Highland hillsides: BRAES.

47. Attorney general after Sessions: BARR. He and Roseanne. Not many cluing options.
 
48. Tummy muscles: ABS.

49. Coal carrier: HOD. Looks heavy.

54. Exist: ARE.

55. Diva deliveries: SOLI. Plural of solo.

56. Formally commend: CITE.

57. Ancient assembly areas: AGORAS. Alliterative all the way.

60. Extend People: RENEW.

62. Santa feature: BEARD.

64. Kids' song refrain: E I E I O.

65. Some QB protectors: RGS. Right guards.

68. Alpine peasant dress: DIRNDL. Consonant-rich.

70. Sealed: UNOPEN. I use "unopened".

73. Animal house: DEN.

74. Skateboarding move: OLLIE.

76. Peak: CREST.

78. Lover of Silvio in "Pagliacci": NEDDA. We had this before. I forgot.

83. Jeered: HOOTED.

85. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA. Plenty in our local grocery stores. But no udon.

89. U.K. honors: OBES. OBE = Order of the British Empire.

90. Faller of 2001: MIR.  De-orbited in March 2001.

93. Bug: TAP.

94. Knock: RAP.

95. Q.E.D. word: ERAT.

96. Hoists: HEFTS.

103. UFO crew, in theory: ETS.

104. "One Mic" rapper: NAS.

105. Anaheim MLB team, in crawl lines: LAA. And 112. Baseball brother: ALOU. Korean baseball is on.

106. Meh: SO SO.

108. Film buff's channel: TCM.

111. Typical hole-in-one, e.g.: EAGLE.

113. Triage ctrs.: ERS.

114. Piggies' protector: BOOTIE.

117. "... __ saw Elba": ERE I.

118. White rat, e.g.: ALBINO.

123. Beach locales: COASTS. Lots of solid 6-worders in Paul's grid.

124. Bread maker: EARNER.

125. Heartfelt: EARNEST.

126. Most massive: HUGEST.

127. Heavy hammer: SLEDGE.

128. High houses: SENATES.

Down:

1. Generate: GIN UP.

2. Place to play: ARENA.

3. Become discouraged: LOSE HEART. Great fill.

4. Queen's offspring: ANTS.

5. Monopolize: HOG.

6. Mountain ridge: ARETE. Learned from doing crosswords.

7. Strip of vegetation: DENUDE.

8. Chipper: PERT.

9. Seriously shrunken sea: ARAL.

10. Baptism, for one: RITE.

11. Outdoor gear brand: REI. And 67. Item of camping gear: SLEEPING BAG.

12. Portugal's second-largest city: OPORTO.

13. Astringent in red wine: TANNIN. Also in tea.

14. "Tarzan" critter: APE.

15. Puts in more film: RELOADS.

16. French satellite launcher: ARIANE. No idea. Read more here.

17. Grabbed for a chat: BUTTONHOLED. Another great fill.

18. "Of course": I SEE. 42. "As if": I BET.

19. Prefix with pit: CESS.

24. At one time, at one time: ERST.

29. Apple browser: SAFARI.

32. Japanese soup: MISO. Just don't feel comfortable going to our Asian grocery stores. I really miss touching things that I don't intend to buy.

36. Sufferer healed by Jesus: LEPER.

38. Super, slangily: UBER.

39. Like some artifacts, thanks to radiocarbon: DATABLE.

40. Clear: ERASE.

41. French vineyard: CRU.

43. Border __: COLLIE.

44. Inventor of an early stock ticker: EDISON.

45. Discreetly send a dupe email to: BCC.

46. "Vive le __!": ROI.

51. Eastern royal: RANI.

52. New __: AGER.

53. Limo service vehicle: TOWN CAR.

54. Extend: ADD ONTO.

55. "... or __ thought": SO I.

58. Coastal flier: ERN. Sometimes it's ERNE.

59. Await judgment: PEND.

61. Sistine Chapel mural setting: EDEN.

63. Quaint coin-op eatery: AUTOMAT.

65. Surname in a 1983 Styx hit: ROBOTO.

66. Worldwide: GLOBAL. This picture is widely circulated in Chinese social media. The coronavirus is under control there. This is the price of victory.

69. Arid: DRY.

71. Equal: PEER.

72. Historic Icelandic work: EDDA.

75. "__ for Innocent": Grafton novel: I IS.

77. Sex educator Hite: SHERE.

79. So far: AS YET. My home town Xi'an has 12 million people. Total 123 coronavirus cases. 3 deaths.  No new cases for the past 10 weeks. But people still wear masks, fearing of second wave. You still have to have your temperature taken when you take a bus or go to a grocery store.

81. 2008 TARP beneficiary renamed Ally Financial: GMAC.

82. Simple radio antenna: DIPOLE.

84. Eye opener?: OPTI. And 92. Stat start: RHEO. And 101. Bone: Pref.: OSTE.

86. Like garage parking: OFF-STREET.

87. Modicum: BIT.

88. Reply to a ques.: ANS. Answer.

91. Bus. card info: TEL.

94. Is indignant about: RESENTS.

98. Carousel traveler: VALISE.

99. Funny brothers: MARXES.

100. Programming language named for a mathematician: PASCAL.

102. Sounds: NOISES.

107. Bristlelike parts: SETAE.

109. Perfume, as at High Mass: CENSE.

110. Hands, in slang: MITTS.

111. Apiece: EACH.

114. Boston or Chicago: BAND.

115. Blood type, briefly: O NEG.

116. Shrek, for one: OGRE.

117. "Giant" author Ferber: EDNA.

121. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr.: HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

122. Coffee hour vessel: URN.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms on our blog!

C.C