Saturday, May 23, 2020, Sheryl Bartol

Saturday Themeless by Sheryl Bartol

Debbie Ellerin                  Sheryl Bartol

Today's constructor is Sheryl Bartol and in my search to contact her, I ran across the fact that she had co-authored a puzzle with Debbie Ellerin who is a frequent LA Times Saturday constructor. So I contacted Debbie and got the wonderful reply that SHERYL IS DEBBIE'S SISTER! Here is Sheryl's response to my note:

Hi Gary,

   Thanks for reaching out.  By way of background on me, I live in Evanston, IL and learned to construct puzzles from my sister (and sometimes co-constructor) Debbie Ellerin.  In retirement, in addition to constructing an occasional puzzle, I spend my time working with a homeless agency in my community “to end homelessness, one person at a time”. I also love traveling with my husband and three kids (and look forward to getting back to it post-pandemic), and competing in my family’s fantasy football league. 

I am excited about my debut LA Times puzzle and my first themeless puzzle.  I started the puzzle with the entry PROMPOSAL after being intrigued by the elaborate prom invitations devised by my children’s high school classmates. Other early longer entries were FORCEQUIT and MANOAMANO, which I thought were unique phrases. As I completed the fill, I was drawn to some words with personal connections. I am not sure if these clues survived the editing process, but I associate UPPER with the area of Michigan, that was home to my husband’s family. CREPE and EDAM were related to some of my travels, and I clued DESPERADO and HER with references to favorite Eagles and Beatles songs. The clue for APU came from my son Andrew who is a big Simpsons fan! All those hours of Simpsons watching finally paid off :)

Take care,

Sheryl

Now let's explore what the other of these two lovely sisters has to offer today with her LA Times and themeless debut:

Across:

1. Program shutdown of last resort: FORCE QUIT - If I push Command + Option + Esc, I get this window that allows me to FORCE any open program to QUIT if I choose it and hit Return

10. Like hair needing more rinsing: SUDSY - Not SOAPY it turns out

15. Shares secrets with: OPENS UP TO - Kids who do this to teachers can put the teacher in a difficult position 

16. Champs-Élysées lunch choice: CREPE - Shown below is the Crêpe salée chèvre miel et crêpes sucrées Nutella et spécialité banane (Savory Crêpe with goat cheese and honey and a sweet specialty Nutella and banana Crêpe) from the Creperie Framboise Champs-Elysees (White circle on map just off the Champs-Elsysse)

The CREPE dish mentioned above          The restaurant very near the Champs-Élysées

17. Spring roll wrapping: RICE PAPER - The steps showing the ingredients placed on RICE PAPER and rolled up with the finished product at the top

18. "The Tetons and the Snake River" photographer Adams: ANSEL - The master of b/w photography

19. Hardware item: T-NUT - 65 of them at Menards

20. "The Office" actress Ellie: KEMPER - Her IMDB

22. Zip in your step: PEP.

23. "__ Majesty": "Abbey Road" track: HER - A 23-second "throwaway" song that was "hidden" 14 seconds after the last track on Abbey Road. 

24. Hung in there: PERSEVERED.

26. Cool: RAD - The verb synonym  FAN didn't cut it

27. Rewards: DESERTS - Get what you deserve as "just DESERTS"

29. Pan flying: PETER - I was watching this at Grandma Opal's house the night my youngest sister was born

32. Aquatic diver: LOON.

34. Hawaiian staple: TARO.

35. Iowa college town: AMES - A 3-hr drive from my home to AMES for a Husker FB game (Huskers are 86 - 17 -2 against the Cyclones)

36. Hills complement: DALES - For me the Army Song will always start, "Over hill, Over DALE" but I'm not sure any more.

37. Cylindrical cheese: EDAM.

38. Word on a door: PUSH - Don't you all know the classic Far Side cartoon about this?

39. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" singer: IVES - Can you OD on a song? 

40. Wed on the sly: ELOPE.

41. Home of the Curve, the Pirates' Double-A team: ALTOONA 

43. Milk purch.: GAL.

44. "Bye!": SEE YA LATER - Yeah, we all know the next word in the Bill Haley and The Comets' song

47. Clean Water Act org.: EPA.

50. Support: AID.

51. Ill-__: like a poor clay model: SHAPEN.

52. Cultivated: GREW.

53. Ruler's domain?: ROOST - I know who rules the ROOST here!

55. In direct competition: MANO A MANO - Below #94 is going MANO A MANO with #79 which will 3. Come again: RECUR  all game long

57. Get used (to): INURE - How do you INURE yourself to this violence?

58. Senior's elaborate ask: PROMPOSAL - Last week it was 21. Down in Erik and Leslie's puzzle

 School dance invite portmanteau: PROMPOSAL - It appears Brooke said Yes

59. Notable Titanic casualty: ASTOR - John Jacob ASTOR was the richest passenger aboard the RMS Titanic and was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time with a net worth of roughly $87 million when he died (equivalent to $2.3 billion in 2019).

60. Crumbly toppings: STREUSELS - Cinnamon coffee cake with STREUSEL topping!

Down: 

1. Tenth word of the Gettysburg Address: FORTH - Yeah, I had to figure out if Fourscore is one word or two

2. Speak up: OPINE.

4. Tech review site: CNET - CNET's best products for 2020

5. Medium claim: ESP - A medium with true ESP would be, uh, rare

6. Shook: QUAKED - The building on flexible pads doesn't SHAKE/QUAKE as much

7. Michigan's __ Peninsula: UPPER - You take the 5-mile long Mackinac Bridge, as seen here from the International Space Station, to get there from the lower Michigan peninsula 

8. They may follow bullets: ITEMS - This is an actual Power Point slide with bullet ITEMS that appeared sequentially (with sound of course) as I talked on planets with 7th graders. 

9. Undermines: TORPEDOES - A principal that didn't like me TORPEDOED a proposal I was making to the school board at the last minute. It passed anyway.

10. Close ones: SCARES - Wow!

11. Item near a sugar bowl, perhaps: URN.

12. Eagles title antihero: DESPERADO - Elaine's boyfriend was a huge fan of this song

13. Cop's surprise: SPEED TRAP - Hey, you were warned!

14. Site with many pans: YELP.

21. Ties up: EVENS - Carlton Fisk would not have gotten to hit his historic, game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 in the 1975 World Series if pinch-hitter Bernie Carbo had not hit a 3-run home run to EVEN the score in the 8th 

24. Putt-putt standard: PAR - PAR is 2 on every Putt-Putt® golf hole

25. Share around the campfire, say: RETELL.

26. Work on hooves: RESHOE - My farrier friend also works on giraffe hooves

28. "Have __": SOME.

29. Tevye, to Tzeitel: PAPA - She and her sisters don't want PAPA or Yente to make a match for them

30. Mayonnaise and salad dressing: EMULSIONS - A definition and a picture of EMULSIONS

31. Tried: TESTED OUT.

32. Illumination with a blob: LAVA LAMPS - They do a great job of showing how the heat inside the Earth melts rock to a liquid or LAVA which makes the LAVA rise to the surface and erupt. Plus the kids think they are cool!

33. Bullfight holler: OLE.

36. "Empty Nest" actress Manoff: DINAH  Her IMDB

40. Cup handle: EAR.

42. World metaphor, in Shakespeare: OYSTER - I doff my hat if you know the play and the speaker of this line: "Why then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open" (*answer below the grid)

43. Mapping subject: GENOME - Here 'ya go!

45. Disassembled: APART.

46. Domingo, e.g.: TENOR - A wonderful three minutes of the Three TENORS singing Nessum Dorma (A wonderful 50. Bizet's "Habanera," for one: ARIA from Puccini's Turandot). Left to right - Placido, Jose and Luciano.

47. Remove entirely: ERASE.

48. Correctional: PENAL.

49. Some mil. absentees: AWOLS.

52. Scientifically engineered crops, for short: GMOS - A good cartoon explanation 

54. "Sold out" sign: SRO - The Husker VB sellout streak is at 268 at the 8,000+ seat Devaney Coliseum and the Standing Room Only tix ain't cheap!

56. Toon shopkeeper who once worked a 96-hour shift: APU - Apu Nahasapeemapetilon - The Kwik-E-Mart proprietor in The Simpsons.

*Pistol speaks the line to Falstaff in The Merry Wives Of Windsor

Friday May 22, 2020 Kevin Christian

Theme: "Before and After" by Kevin Christian 

(Kevin is a veteran constructor, and he appears here often. C.C. interviewed him back in 2015.)

TTP emailed me last week asking if I'd be willing to sub for him this morning. That could mean only one thing – everyone on his a-list had already turned him down. I don't often get a shot at late-week puzzles, so I was happy to take this opportunity to make a fool of myself.

Methinks Kevin may be a Wheel of Torture fan. Each 3-word themer is a mash-up of two common phrases. The middle word can cleverly be expressed as a word or as a single letter. That gives us…

17a. One studying the waters near England

IRISH SEA STUDENT – Irish Sea / C Student (I can relate!)

27a. Communication device with a fancy patterned case

TIGER EYE PHONE – Tiger Eye / iPhone (I cannot relate.)

47a. Part of a Chinese restaurant’s expenses?

OOLONG TEA BILL – Oolong Tea / T-Bill

62a. Nutrition for a leading insect?

QUEEN BEE VITAMIN – Queen Bee / B Vitamin

As an added bonus (at least for me), there is no reveal that someone might miss in his haste to solve.

Here’s what else Kevin served up for our breakfast crunch today.

ACROSS:

1. Conference giveaways: SWAG

5. Tampa NFLers: BUCS   I was thinking “Bucks” but nope, “Buccaneers.”

9. Place for a phone no.: ID TAG

14. Capital of Cuba: PESO

15. Drama honor: OBIE

16. “Odyssey” enchantress: CIRCE

20. Cool kin: NEATO

21.Loud sound:ROAR.
 

22. Comprehends: GETS

23. Jackson of country: ALAN. You might remember Midnight in Montgomery.

25. Namesake of a speed ratio: MACH. Named for Austrian physicist Ernst Mach (1838-1916). Mach I is the speed of sound – about 767 mph. Of course, 0 mph is known as “Mach’s nichts.”

32. Benefit: AID

33. Equine parent: SIRE

34. People pairs, say: ITEM. People magazine. Didn’t last.

36. Dinner party insert: LEAF.  in the dining room table.

38. There are two pennies in a classic one. ADAGE

41. Word with wing or life: SPAN

42. Value system: ETHIC. I’m never sure if it’ll be Ethic or Ethos. Perps will decide.

44. Irritated: SORE

46. Be indisposed: AIL

51. Unpleasant look: LEER. Sometimes it’s OGLE.

52. Bloom support. STEM

53. Radio switch: AM/FM

56. Lush: WINO. The noun, not the adjective.

58. Swindles: REAMS. I was not familiar with this usage. Now I am.

65. Old Northwest competitor: US AIR

66. Nixon or Agnew, once: VEEP

67. Storage structure: SILO. In my ute, dairy farmers filled them with chopped corn stalks.

68. Insurance giant: AETNA. Named after our old cw friend, Mt. Etna.

69. Misses the mark: ERRS

70. “That hurts!”: YEOW. I thought of several colorful possibilities for this 4-letter answer.

DOWN

1. Public relations specialty: SPIN

2. Are in the past?: WERE. Tense answer.

3. “Heat of the Moment” band: ASIA. You Tube’s got it, if you’re interested.

4. Attend alone: GO STAG

5. Only 21st-century four-time World Series champs, on scoreboards: BOSton. (C.C. would’ve known this immediately. Moi, not so much.)

6. Geekiest of geeks: UBERNERD. I believe it’s a single word.

7. “Buh-bye!”: CIAO

8. Street on TV since 1969: SESAME

9. IV site: ICU (I tried ARM first.)

10. Imbibed in small doses: DID SHOTS. I learned many years ago that this can be a recipe for close-range sidewalk inspection.

11. Playhouse locale, perhaps: TREE

12. Unwanted spots: ACNE. Could’ve been SPAM.

13. Comprehends: GETS (I tried SEES first.)

18. Donut features: HOLES

19. Speed ____: TRAP

24. “Nessum dorma,” e.g.: ARIA. I’m not much of an opera fan (surprise, surprise), but I found Nessum Dorma to be particularly moving near the end of The Sum Of All Fears as the co-conspirators get their comeuppance.

26. Antepenultimte Greek letter: CHI. I first became acquainted with this 64-dollar word back in ‘61 when the Limeliters performed Have Some Madeira, M’Dear. You’ll hear “antepenultimate” – second from last -- at the 4:21 mark. If you’ve never heard the song, it’s a real treat. If you have heard the song, it’s still a real treat.

27. Connect with: TIE TO

28. State with a Sawtooth Range: IDAHO (I suspect Ray-O-Sunshine will have some fun with this one.) Looks pretty.

 

29. Beer-making ingredient: YEAST (I thought it was just grain, water, malt, and hops.)

30. Country between China and India: NEPAL

31. Office chore: EMAIL (I don’t think of it as a chore.)

32. Newcastle Brown ___: ALE

35. NBC show with many Second City alumni: SNL. Saturday Night Live. From day one. Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd to name a few.

37. “I’d like to know more.” FILL ME IN

39. Peruses: GOES OVER

40: Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT  What was to be shown.

43. Iowa campus: COE. It’s in Cedar Rapids on First Avenue S.E., just up the street from the former KHAK studios. Now how did I know that?

45. Roeper’s former partner: EBERT. Richard Roeper became the co-host after Gene Siskel died.

48. Rookie, briefly: NEWB. I think it’s pronounced “Noob,” though it could be New-B.

49. Lament: GRIEVE

50. “Whatevs”: I’M EASY

53. Ocean shade: AQUA

54. Erato, for one: MUSE

55. Exploit: FEAT (Could’a been DEED.)

57. “In thy dreams!” NEER. “Thy” clues us that it’ll be old-timey.

59. Parisian friend: AMIE

60. “The Phantom Tollbooth” protagonist: MILO. Not a clue! Plus, I misread Tollbooth as Toothbrush.

61. “The Hunger Games” president: SNOW. Donald Sutherland played him in the movie.

63. FDR “fair practices” agency: NRA. No, not that NRA, the National Recovery Administration.

64. URL addresses: IPS. The only IPS I’m familiar with is “Inches Per Second“ from the old tape-recorder days. Feel free to educate me in the comments.

That does it! C.C. will now make the completed grid magically appear. Desper-otto out.

Thursday, May 21st 2020 Ross Trudeau

Theme: Mat-chmaking - the cross-refererenced theme entries have both a clue component and a back-reference component to the solution.

17A. What the unalert might 61-Across to take: COLD SHOWER. Great when you expect it, heart-attack-waiting-to-happen when you don't.

30A. What a gracious host might 61-Across to give: WARM WELCOME

37A. What a devout Muslim might 61-Across to perform: AFTERNOON PRAYER

45A. What a tight pair might 61-Across to do: COUPLES YOGA

and the unifier:

61A. Struggle vigorously ... and what four other long answers' ending words can do?: GO TO THE MAT

Nicely done by Ross - in order to properly solve the theme entries you need guidance from the reveal at 61A, then you can complete the theme phrases - shower mat, welcome mat, prayer mat and yoga mat.

This one firmly in the Thursday category for the "toughness" metrics, but once you got past the theme and the reveal, some of the fill seemed a little automatic.

No matter. Entertaining and let's go see what we can find to talk about:

Across:

1. Fifth pillar of Islam: HAJJ. There is talk that this year's Hajj may be cancelled due to Covid-19. It's quite the spectacle in a normal year:

5. Air Jordans, e.g.: NIKES

10. Peel: RIND

14. "Arrested Development" actress Shawkat: ALIA, Never seen the show. Thank you, crosses.

15. Between, poetically: 'TWIXT. If you're in the middle of some annoying early adolescents, are you "'Twixt Tweeners"?

16. Grenoble gal pal: AMIE

19. Skier Lindsey with a record 20 World Cup titles: VONN. Lindsey has a career record of 82 World Cup wins. She has 20 Crystal Globes which celebrate the overall champion in a particular discipline each season.

20. __ One vodka: KETEL

21. Title king in a Mozart opera: IDOMENEO. Totally unknown to me, although the solid crosses meant it didn't hold me up too long. I discover that Idomeneo was a King of Crete.

23. Granny: NANA

26. Patronize, as a restaurant: DINE AT. Not at the moment, for many.

27. Amigo: PAL. Friendly puzzle today, Amigo, amie, pal.

33. Climber's asset: GRIP

35. Yours, in Tours: À TOI, Tours is a beautiful city, but then most French cities and towns are, at least to my eye. If the Tour de France doesn't go ahead this year I'll miss the glorious aerial shots from the helicopters.

36. Pole worker: ELF. Nicely done. Elves at the North Pole.

42. Sports doc's pic: M.R.I.

43. "I'm __ hurry": IN NO

44. Sported: WORE

49. Women of Troy's sch.: U.S.C. A certain Woman of Troy cheerleader celebrates Vince Young's winning touchdown for Texas in the 2006 BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. This picture never fails to amuse me.

50. Pick up, in a way: ANSWER

51. Employment: WORK

53. Say when?: SET A DATE. Nice clue/answer combo.

56. Potter's supply: GLAZE

60. Biblical brother: ABEL

64. Enjoy some rays: BASK

65. Broadcasting: ON AIR

66. Rascals: IMPS

67. Music and theater: ARTS

68. "Country Grammar" rapper: NELLY

69. Asking too many questions: NOSY

Down:

1. Talentless writer: HACK. Actually, being a hack is something of a talent. It's a perjorative, but writing rushed articles to a short deadline isn't easy. Quality obviously suffers, but when you've got ten minutes to write a hatchet-piece you can't get everything!

2. Natural healer: ALOE

3. Leave high and dry: JILT

4. Smith of "After Earth": JADEN. Will Smith's son. He's got some peculiar views.

5. Last in a series: NTH.

6. Iconic WWII island, briefly: IWO

7. Auckland native: KIWI

8. Struck (out): EX'ED. This is an example of fill that annoys me. You can find "X'ED" in crosswordland a hundred times a year, but you can't just add letters to suit yourself. I know it's a phonetic spelling, but it's like the ARGH/AARGH and the similar variants. EX'ED OUT is not an expression in the language. Try a Google search. The first thing that comes up is "Did you mean X'ED OUT?" I'd X that out of my fill right away.

9. Marched confidently: STRODE

10. Hogwarts house with a corvine name: RAVENCLAW. Potter, Harry.

11. "We all have the same values": I'M ONE OF YOU. Difficult to parse at first, but solid.

12. When 51-Across starts, for many: NINE A.M. I think "for some" might be more appropriate in these strange times.

13. Signify: DENOTE

18. Diner side: SLAW

22. Distance runner: MILER

24. Indian bread: NAAN

25. Stella __: beer: ARTOIS. This has been cropping up a few times recently. "The Star of Artois". Here is the brewery that used to make a special version for the Netherlands. Apparently the Nederlanders were not fans of Belgian brews. The current brewery in Belgium is no oil painting, so I'll skip that.

27. Org. whose fans follow the links: P.G.A. Golf. Is anyone interested in the Woods/Manning and Mickleson/Brady "event" this weekend? I have my views on that, which I'll keep to myself.

28. Lab report?: ARF. Dog bark.

29. Chemistry exam?: LITMUS TEST. Acid or Alkali. We used Universal Indicator Paper at school, which had degrees of acid/alkali color. What do they use nowadays? I'm pretty sure you should be able to point your cellphone at a beaker of something and get the complete chemical breakdown of composition and PH levels.

31. Dreamy: MOONY

32. Separate grain from chaff: WINNOW

34. Controversial pretrial police practices: PERP WALKS

38. Ticked off: RILED

39. Possum pal of Porky Pine: POGO. Never heard of him. The comic strip ceased publication in 1975, so that might have something to do with it. Here's a porcupine panel which is cute.

40. Trauma ctrs.: E.R.'S

41. __ room: REC

45. Winter melon: CASABA

46. Sign of bad service?: ONE BAR. Cellphone coverage, although there's more than one bar I can point you towards where you get terrible service. I do this research in the public interest, of course.

47. Christopher Paolini fantasy best-seller: ERAGON

48. "Gah!": ARGH! How funny - my "take your pick" of ARGH/AARGH crops up right here.

52. Designer Calvin: KLEIN

54. Mood: TONE

55. List-ending abbr.: ET AL.

57. Rifle filler: AMMO. What do you call an expert office assistant who can find the right place for a document quickly? A riffle filer. Ba-dum! I'll be here all week, thank you thank you.

58. Tases: ZAPS

59. DIY site: ETSY. I've never used Etsy but it comes up a lot when I'm searching for hobby stuff on Google.

62. Alaskan resource: OIL

63. Taste: TRY. I'm willing to taste pretty much anything as long as it doesn't look like an insect. Which is totally irrational, because lobster, shrimp, langoustine and crawfish are as insect-like as they come. Except they're not insects. Same concept, but they live underwater. Which makes it OK. I said it was irrational.

With that appetizing thought, here's the grid!

Stay safe, especially any of you are in the "we're open!" states.

Steve

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Jesse Goldberg

Theme: Vivisection.  Various body parts are unpleasantly severed, figuratively speaking.  Have a look, if you're not too squeamish.

17. Give 110% effort: WORK ONE'S BUTT OFF.  No matter how hard I've worked, my BUTT has always still been there.  I cry foul!

27. Be excessively verbose: TALK ONE'S EAR OFF.  Do your ears ever get tired?  Have they fallen off?

49. Mourn at length: CRY ONE'S EYES OUT. When the tears flow, to no end, taking the eyeballs with them.

63. Worry to an extreme degree: PULL ONE'S HAIR OUT.  To look at me, one might think I've been doing this. But, no - it's just old age.

Hi gang, it's the tattered remains of JazzBumpa here.  Let's see if we can get through this puzzle without further abuse. 

Looks like this is Jesse Goldberg's premier appearance in the L.A. Times.  Nice job, Jesse, and congrats.  Hope to see more of your work in the future.

Across:

1. __ Springs: PALM.  Palm Springs, a city in the Sonoran Desert of southern California, is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses and spas.

5. Word with base or boot: CAMP.  A base CAMP is a main encampment providing supplies, shelter, and communications for persons engaged in wide-ranging activities, as exploring, reconnaissance, hunting, or mountain climbing.  A boot CAMP is a military training camp for new recruits, with strict discipline.

9. National Poetry Month: APRIL.  Also the cruelest month, according to a poem.

14. Six-time MLB All-Star Moisés: ALOU.   Moisés Rojas Alou Beltre [b1966] is an outfielder who played for several teams in the major leagues over 17 years with a .303 batting average.

15. Curved molding: OGEE.

16. Water under the Pont de Normandie: SEINE.  French river.

20. Publicity photos from movies: STILLS.  Stationary shots extracted from a movie scene.

21. Swedish pop quartet: ABBA.  I can't get away from them.

22. Day care charge: TOT.  Young child

23. Illegal freeway maneuvers, for short: UIES.  A 180 degree arc to reverse course.  Sadly, the spelling is nonstandard and arbitrary, so perps are always needed.

25. Meat cut: LOIN.  The part of the body on either side of the vertebrae adjacent to the hip bones.

33. Santa __ winds: ANA. These are strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin.  One theory is that they are named for the Santa ANA canyon.

34. Brood: STEW.  Worry, not necessarily with hair tearing.

35. Wild child: TERROR. Little trouble maker.

37. Syndrome after a life-threatening experience, briefly: PTSD.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

39. Title for tennis great Andy Murray: SIR. [b 1987] He is a British professional tennis player from Scotland. Murray represents Great Britain in his sporting activities and is a three-time Grand Slam tournament winner, two-time Olympic champion, Davis Cup champion, winner of the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals, and former world No. 1.

41. Selfish shout: MINE.

42. __ Club: conservation group: SIERRA.  An environmental organization founded in 1892 by John Muir.

45. Carpet type: SHAG.  Carpet with a deep pile, giving it a shaggy appearance.

48. QB stats: TDS.  TouchDowns.

52. Unlikely, as a chance: SLIM.  Curiously, FAT chance means the same thing.

53. Carrie-__ Moss of "Jessica Jones": ANNE.  She [b1967] is a Canadian actress who has also appeared in several movies.

54. Dedicated poem: ODE.

57. "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA. The crazy life.

59. Herbal cough drop brand: RICOLA.  From Switzerland.

66. Falcon's claw: TALON. Raptors are TALONted.

67. Boris Johnson's alma mater: ETON.  British School, 4 letters - you know what to do.

68. "The Snowy Day" Caldecott winner __ Jack Keats: EZRA.

Buy it Here

69. Tons: SLEWS.  A whole bunch. Cf 2D

70. Ran out of juice: DIED.  As a battery, or battery powered device.

71. Ready to drive: TEED. Ready to play a hole of golf, or a whole bunch of golf.


Down:

1. Cats play with them: PAWS.  They don't have hands.

2. Loads: A LOT.  Tons.  A bunch.  Mucho.  Cf 69 A.

3. Greiner of "Shark Tank": LORI.  [b 1969] An American entrepreneur, television personality, and inventor.

4. Arctic footwear: MUKLUK.  A high, soft boot that is worn in the American Arctic and is traditionally made from sealskin.

5. Agree: CONSENT.  Go along with.

6. It's just a number, so they say: AGE.  Don't let your age be a boundary or a limitation.

7. Elevated landform: MESA.  Table-land: an isolated flat topped hill with steep sides.

8. Little rock: PEBBLE.  A small, rounded stone, especially one worn smooth by water action.

9. Rogers' partner: ASTAIRE.  Ginger and Fred. They were pretty good.

10. Favorite: PET.

11. Hilarious one: RIOT.

12. The 411: INFO.  From the telephone number for directory assistance n the U.S. and Canada.

13. Took off: LEFT.  That's right.

18. Hodgepodges: OLIOS.  Confused mixtures.

19. WWII sea threat: U-BOAT.  Undersea boat: submarine.

24. Views: SEES.  Observes.

26. Typical behavior: NORM.  The usual.

27. Brewpub array: TAPS.  Devices for controlling the flow of liquids.

28. Bit of foolishness: ANTIC.  A grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.

29. Surgical tool: LASER. A high energy light beam that vaporizes soft tissue with high water content.

30. Havarti alternative: SWISS.  Types of cheese.  Havarti is Danish.  My favorite Swiss cheese comes from Norway.

31. Corn chip: FRITO.  Brand name

32. Ballet bend that sounds like a cheese dish: FONDU.  After this demonstration, you can have fun doing it.

36. Enjoy an easy chair: REST.

38. Prohibitionists: DRYS.  Those opposed to the consumption of alcohol.

40. Ostrich relative: RHEA. Distant cousins from distant continents.

43. Deodorant choices: ROLL ONS.

44. Negative particle: ANION.  An atom or molecule with an extra electron.

46. "Atlas Shrugged" novelist: AYN RAND.

47. Bottled spirits: GENII.  Spirits of Arabian folklore, as traditionally depicted imprisoned within a bottle or oil lamp, and capable of granting wishes when summoned.

Would the drys object?

50. Hosted: EMCEED.  To have been the Master of Ceremonies.

51. Like passwords, ideally: SECRET.  Not known or seen by others.

54. Declines, with "out": OPTS.  To OPT is to make a choice.

55. Twofold: DUAL. Having two parts or aspects.

56. Fashion magazine since 1945: ELLE.  Founded n Paris.  The name is a French female pronoun.

58. Italian wine region: ASTI.  A provence in Piedmont, northern Italy.

60. Move like a blob: OOZE.  Slowly seep.

61. Bait: LURE.  Enticement.

62. Somewhat: A TAD.

64. Close to the ground: LOW.

65. Manual weed whacker: HOE.  A long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding and breaking up soil.

OK.  We had some fun and survived with our remaining body parts intact.  Hope the rest of your Wednesday is enjoyable and harmless.  Stay home.  Stay safe.  Wash your hands.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Adrian Kabigting

Computer Keys.  The last word of each theme answer is a key found on a PC Keyboard.  Placement on your keyboard may vary.

17-Across. It may provide arch support: SHOE INSERT.

22-Across. First house: STARTER HOME.  See above.

45-Across. Skill of elite WNBA players: BALL CONTROL.  Often abbreviated as CTRL.

59-Across. Emergency exit with a ladder: FIRE ESCAPE.  Often abbreviated as ESC.

And the Unifier:

37-Across. Internet troll, slangily ... and a hint to the ends of 17-, 22-, 45- and 59-Across: KEYBOARD WARRIOR.  I am not familiar with this term for internet trolls.

And two bonus computer references:

47-Down. Enter one's credentials: LOG ON.

54-Down. Screen image: ICON.

Across:

1. "__ my best": I DID.  I did my best to make the commentary amusing.

5. Like many action film stunts: RISKY.

10. SpongeBob SquarePants' boss, e.g.: CRAB.  A reference to a television cartoon.

14. Noblewoman: LADY.

15. Remove, as a knot: UNTIE.

16. Cut with a beam: LASE.

19. Leave out: OMIT.

20. "Good Hands" company: ALLSTATE.  //  And 58-Across: 20-Across' hands symbol, e.g.: LOGO.

21. Ready to swing: AT BAT.  Think baseball.  //  And 45-Down: Pitching miscues: BALKS.  Another baseball reference.

25. Big name in electric cars: TESLA.

29. Corp. bases: HQs.  As in HeadQuarters.

30. Badges worn by conference attendees: ID TAGS.

32. Letter after sigma: TAU.  It's Greek to me.

33. Grammy winner Erykah: BADU.

40. "Need You Tonight" band: INXS.

41. __ Angeles: LOS.

42. Give false hope to: LEAD ON.

43. Fertilization targets: OVA.  Plural of Ovum.

44. Petri dish gels: AGARS.

52. Stay away from: AVOID.

53. Reclusive: HERMITIC.

61. Tae __ do: KWON.

62. Personal belief system: CREDO.

63. Lustrous gem: OPAL.

64. IDs on 1040s: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

65. Salad green: CRESS.

66. Hatchling's refuge: NEST.

Down:

1. Rick's love in "Casablanca": ILSA.

2. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" author Roald: DAHL.

3. Winner of a TV talent show: IDOL.  A reference to American Idol.

4. Tints: DYES.

5. Attack on foot: RUN AT.

6. Photo-sharing app, briefly: INSTA.

7. Take the wheel: STEER.

8. White wine apéritif: KIR.  This liqueur appears with some frequence in crossword puzzles.

9. At this time: YET.

10. Dishrag, e.g.: CLOTH.

11. Stallone's one-man army: RAMBO.

12. 2007 Alicia Keys album that won three Grammys: AS I AM.

13. Actress Midler: BETTE.

18. "We're on!": IT'S A GO.

21. Horror trio?: ARs.  As in the letter "R".

23. Remove from the deep freeze: THAW.

24. Fifty-fifty: EQUAL.

25. __ torch: party light: TIKI.

26. Biblical paradise: EDEN.

27. Underworld river: STYX.

28. Yellow or chocolate dogs: LABS.  As in Labrador dogs.

31. Cannon barrage: SALVO.

32. Many "NFL Live" highlights: TDs.  As in Touch Downs. 

33. Speak highly of oneself: BRAG.

34. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA.

35. Opportunity metaphor: DOOR.  When one door closes, another door opens.

36. Coffee vessels: URNS.

38. Dappled horse: ROAN.

39. Emperors' domains: REALMS.

43. Neatnik's possible condition, briefly: OCD.  As in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

46. Promises with gusto: AVOWS.

48. Pride members: LIONS.

49. Midafternoon hour: THREE.  As in 3 o'clock.

50. Marsh grasses: REEDS.

51. Sandwich cookies: OREOS.

55. UPS Store supply: TAPE.

56. Bitter craft beers, briefly: IPAs.  As in India Pale Ales.

57. Irish person, e.g.: CELT.

59. TV monitor: FCC.  As in the Federal Communications Commission.

60. Like some vbs.: IRR.  As in Irregular.

Here's the Grid:

QOD:  The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything ~ or nothing.    Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor (née Nancy Witcher Langhorne; May 19, 1879 ~ May 2, 1964)

Monday May 18, 2020 Matt McKinley

Theme: What THE Road

20. Discards as useless or obsolete: KICKS TO THE CURB.

35. What people are saying: WORD ON THE STREET.

49. Through many experiences: AROUND THE BLOCK.

Boomer here. 

A long, long time ago, I can still remember ... a visit to Great America Amusement Park near Lake Michigan and a few miles north of Chicago. I used to play Pacman (mostly in bowling centers) and Great America had a machine in the open air of the park.  I popped in a quarter and ran up a score of 208,000.  When I finally lost, there were about a dozen people behind me watching me run up that score. No applause.  The reason I bring this up, and since most of us are safely in our homes for more hours than we would care to admit, I found a Pacman game on the internet.  Just Google Pacman on Google and it will appear.  It's not the same as the original screen, and of course there is no joystick.  You need to move Pacmann with the directional arrows on the keyboard.  My high score is 54,710 and you're not allowed to use any of those nasty four letter words when a ghost gobbles your Pacman.  C.C. rules, not mine.  Enjoy!

Speaking of home confinement, I had a nasty fall a week ago which created an injured left leg.  C.C. was a very great help in getting me through this and I can walk now without a limp, and playing golf today. I had to skip last Monday. 

Across:

1. Parson's home: MANSE.  Parsons is a very famous national electrical contractor based in Minnesota.  I have a great hoodie they gave me at their Christmas banquet.

6. Wall St. hedgers: ARBS. Arbitragers. I heard that there was a U.S. Senator or four that fooled around on Wall Street sometime in February.

10. Seize with a quick motion: GRAB. I guess they were GRABBING a profit or avoiding a loss.

14. Carne __: burrito filling: ASADA.

15. Anklebones: TALI.  "The shin bone's connected to the anklebone."

16. Piece that starts next to a knight: ROOK.  Bishop didn't fit. The ROOK is supposed to look like a castle (for the King and Queen.)

17. Set of blank pages for notes and doodles: SCRATCHPAD. A little different than a SCOTCHPAD, which can sooth what itches you.

19. Rowboat pair: OARS.  "Gently down the stream".  My dad purchased a boat for our lake cabin and it was "Oar powered".  (Guess who got to pull.)

22. Bro's sibling: SIS.  I have three, but no BROS.

23. Ones elected to office: INS.

24. Make illegal: BAN.  I wish we could BAN Covid-19.

25. It comes before the ques. on "Jeopardy!": ANS. Answers. I wonder if Alex is doing okay.  There is nothing but reruns on recently - maybe due to the fact they cannot have a studio audience.

26. Unfilled calendar slot: OPEN DATE.  Lots of OPEN DATES for professional sports these days.

31. Desire: WANT.  "If you want it here it is, come and get it, but you better hurry 'cause it's going fast.  (Badfinger).

33. Going __: fighting: AT IT.  I believe I'll skip this one.

34. Mangy mutts: CURS.

38. Deuce topper: TREY.  Deuces and Treys are worthless.  I believe we remove them from the deck for a game of 500.

39. Riles up: IRES.

40. Snakelike fish: EELS.  I really would not call an EEL a fish.

41. Diminutive two-seater: SMART CAR.  We own a dumb van.

43. Morning moisture: DEW.

44. Furniture wood: OAK.  I believe that most of our furniture is particle board.

45. Come out on top: WIN.  "Root, root, root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame.  Because they are all going to play in Arizona and Texas.

46. Musical gp. that performs summer programs at Tanglewood: BSO. Boston Symphony Orchestra.

54. Persia, now: IRAN.

55. Car showroom site: AUTO DEALER. Not sure if they are open around here. They are all advertising free delivery.  Are they selling cars or pizzas??

56. Route-finding app: WAZE.

57. Baseball Hall of Famer Willie: MAYS.  Willie played for about a month for our minor league Minneapolis Millers, farm club of the Giants. I was very young, but the Giants returned to Minneapolis to play the Millers around 1957 for an exhibition and I saw Willie hit one about 500 feet.

58. Appliance brand: AMANA.  Based in a city of  the same name in Iowa. 

59. Do as ordered: OBEY.

60. Fashion monthly: ELLE.

61. Battery components, to a doctor: TESTS.

Down:

1. Surgeons' protection: MASKS.  We were able to find some for our use when we go to a grocery or Target. I am still seeing a few people without. I have a VA appointment coming up in a couple of weeks and I am curious to see how strongly they have adapted the medical center.  They cancelled two of my blood draws in April and May but June is a bit more important.  Last time we were there, the blood draw area was a zoo. 

2. Computer data acronym: ASCII. American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

3. Feds busting dealers: NARCS.  I think our governor closed down our drug dealers with a stay-home order.  He hasn't opened them up again.  Sorry, I should not create sarcasm about these worst of times.  I apologize.

4. State known for 60-ft.-high presidents' faces: S DAK.  I was on my way one day, but it was really foggy.  So I turned around.  I've been to Deadwood, but I regret never having been to Mt. Rushmore.

5. Erodes, as profits: EATS INTO.  I cannot imagine what has happened here in the U.S. Airlines traveling at 10% capacity, Restaurants, bars, and bowling centers shuttered.  And Las Vegas must be going crazy!!

6. Musketeer pal of Aramis: ATHOS.

7. Engrossed: RAPT.

8. Uninteresting: BLAH.  A woman from the supermarket ran to call a cop. "He must be high on something someone said."  Though it never made the New York Times, in the Daily News the caption read - and Blah Blah Blah.

9. Auxiliary wagers: SIDE BETS.

10. Airplane maintenance group: GROUND CREW.  They are not too busy these days.

11. Lion's warning: ROAR.  In the old days it was the ROAR of the crowd when the LIONS came to U.S. Bank Stadium to play the Vikings.

12. Choice of two: A OR B.  I'll take "B".

13. Novels and such: Abbr.: BKS.

18. Amazon delivery boxes: Abbr.: CTNS. We get a few of them on our doorstep since all of the local stores are closed.  Except grocery, drug, Target, Costco and Walmart.

21. Recycled container: CAN.

25. Longtime "60 Minutes" closer: ANDY ROONEY.  I write a column on mnbowling.com.  I used a pen name "Randy Ooney" out of respect for this grumpy old man.

26. Significant __: OTHER.  The most important person in my life, C.C.  I hope all of you and your "significant others" are safe and healthy.

27. Crusted desserts: PIES.  My favorite is still pumpkin.

28. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean: AUEL.

29. "__ chic!": TRES.

30. N.J. winter hours: EST.  Eastern standard time, an hour ahead of Minnesota.  I remember when the East Coast had Daylight time and we did not.  Then the TV shows were all out of whack.

31. Wriggling bait: WORM.  Sometimes C.C. and I would dig a dozen or two from our garden.  Sometimes we would buy them at a bait store.  Probably the best fish bait you can find.

32. General vicinity: AREA.

33. Gillette razor: ATRA.  I like the BIC product better.  5 blades!!

35. Lb. and kg.: WTS.

36. "Stevie" for Stevie Nicks, e.g.: NICKNAME.  Why not just call him NICK ??

37. Former magazine aimed at adolescents: TEEN BEAT.

42. Greek cross: TAU.

43. Conked out: DIED.

45. Start of a question of possession: WHOSE.

46. Gauchos' weapons: BOLAS.

47. Bloodhound's pickup: SCENT.  There was a report that men are trying to train dogs to see if they might be able to sniff out Corona virus.  I can see them now standing next to the TSA agents at the airport.

48. Gumbo vegetables: OKRAS.  Gumbo is a strange name for soup.

49. Speedy steed: ARAB.

50. Level, as an abandoned building: RAZE.  It's amazing to watch a skyscraper come down.

51. For two countries, as citizenship: DUAL.

52. "Chat soon," in texts: TTYL.

53. Unconvincing, excuse-wise: LAME.  There does not seem to be any excuse for the virus.

54. __ Jima: IWO.

Boomer

Sunday May 17, 2020 Adam Vincent

Theme: "Illegal Tender" -  Phrases are humorously rephrased as "what money".

22. Mad money?: STEAMED CLAMS. Fit for Jim Cramer.

28. Grant money?: WISHBONES.
 
40. Hot money?: BUFFALO BILLS. Hot money "is capital that investors regularly move between economies and financial markets to profit from highest short-term interest rates", according to Investopedia.

52. Ransom money?: SPRING ROLL.

76. Old money?: STALE BREAD.

87. Paper money?: EDITOR'S NOTES.
 
100. Bad money?: SOURDOUGH. What is bad money?

109. Smart money?: SHARP CHEDDAR.

Looks like this Adam's debut Sunday. Congratulations! A sparkly 140-worder to boot.

We've seen various money theme over the years, like this CASH UPFRONT puzzle. Adam added an extra complexity and difficulty to clues, which are all in- the-language "what money".


Across:

1. "Please stay": DON'T GO. And 19. "I swear!": NO LIE. 60. "What else could it be?!": DUH. 83. "What are you gonna do about it?!": SUE ME. Quite a few spoken phrases.

7. Fallopian tube neighbor: OVARY.

12. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.

15. Just peachy, in old slang: OKE. Never heard of Boomer uses this slang.

18. Tool for winter fishing: ICE SAW.

20. Royal problem?: PAIN. Royal pain.

21. Superhero sound effect: POW.

24. Lingerie brand: OLGA. The malls here will be reopened next Monday.

25. Chapter in history: ERA.

26. Close-knit team: CADRE.

27. Navel type: OUTIE.

30. Takes too much, briefly: ODS. Overdoses.

31. The OED's 21,728, e.g.: PAGES.

33. Australian rockers __ at Work: MEN.

34. Shoot for: AIM AT.

35. Voice below soprano: ALTO.

36. French toppers: BERETS.

39. NFL pass rushers, as a unit: D LINE. Defensive line.

45. They're used for emphasis: ITALICS.

47. Olympian Bolt: USAIN.

48. Bit of info: DATUM.

49. Nasty type: MEANIE.

50. Social media pic that may go viral: MEME.

51. Intrinsically: PER SE. Also the pricey restaurant.

56. Amtrak track: RAIL.

57. Talk Like a Pirate Day word: ARR.

58. Undoing: BANE.

61. Go head to head: VIE.

62. From sunup to sundown: ALL-DAY.

64. Afterwords: EPILOGS.

67. Greek goddess of wisdom: ATHENA.

69. Hawaiian staple: POI. I miss taro. Will venture out to that big Asian store once things get better here.

70. Gamer's complaint: LAG.

72. Arrived at, as a conclusion: DREW.

73. BuzzFeed reaction button: LOL.

75. Wears on: IRKS.

79. Dishes out incautiously: SLOPS. These umeboshi will be in my mouth next Saturday, hopefully.

81. Sister of Rachel: LEAH.

82. Mercedes-Benz sedan line: E CLASS.  Dennis' car. Not sure what class his is. We also have 17. Discarded old PCs, say: E WASTE.

84. Put on: STAGE.

85. Should really: HAD BEST.

89. Type of drum or dance: CONGA.

90. Cassock wearer: PRIEST.

92. Long, long time: AEON.

93. Heavenly body?: ANGEL. Great clue.

94. Bear in Baja: OSO.

95. Seder staple: MATZO.

97. Pres. when Sputnik was launched: DDE.

103. Hindu teacher: SWAMI.

105. Rumble in the Jungle setting: ZAIRE.

107. Celtic Sea land, to the IOC: IRL. Ireland.

108. Hard end?: WARE. Hardware. TTP's domain.

111. Wonderland drink: TEA.

112. "I would consider __ honor": IT AN.

113. Backwoods type: YOKEL.

114. Self-referential "Don't you think?": AREN'T I.

115. Fizzy prefix: AER.

116. Flyers' org.: NHL.

117. Witherspoon of "Wild": REESE.

118. African pest: TSETSE. Hey, full name.

Down:

1. '70s music genre: DISCO.

2. Pie slices, often: OCTAD.

3. Water and air, e.g.: NEEDS. Really dislike the hard water here in Minnesota. But the air is so clean. I often take pretty cloud pictures and make my friend Lesley jealous.

4. Peter the Great, e.g.: TSAR.

5. Strategy: GAME PLAN.

6. Be indebted to: OWE.

7. As expected: ON CUE.

8. Battery count: VOLTS.

9. Jai __: ALAI.

10. Ancient mariner's story, e.g.: RIME.

11. Positive answer: YES.

12. Besties: PALS.

13. Runner's __: HIGH.

14. Unfavorably: IN A BAD LIGHT. Partner with 63. Tina Fey's boss on "30 Rock": ALEC BALDWIN.

15. Feature of club nights for comic wannabes: OPEN MIC.

16. Main cast of "Parasite," e.g.: KOREANS. Just won Best Picture this year.

20. Finer-tipped: POINTIER.

23. Well-intentioned humanitarian: DO-GOODER.

28. Like a bairn: WEE.

29. Fried foods, vis-à-vis baked ones: OILIER. Popular breakfast fast when I grew up. Jayce loved You Tiao also.

32. Georgia airport code: ATL.

33. Dash in a spice rack?: MRS. Mrs. Dash.

35. Word rarely used without "far": AFIELD.

36. Living symbol of happiness: BLUEBIRD. "Blue birds singing a song. Nothing but blue skies from now on."

37. State tree of Massachusetts: ELM.

38. No-nonsense: STAID.

40. Undeserved punishments: BUM RAPS.

41. Rely heavily on: USE A LOT.

42. Hermanos, primas, etcétera: FAMILIA. Family. We also have 89. Bolivian bungalow: CASITA.

43. Ballet-inspired workout method: BARRE.

44. Oft-mispunctuated word: IT'S.

46. Time Person of the Year et al.: ANNUALS.

49. Compressed file format: MPEG.

51. Accounts __: PAYABLE.

52. Ski slope apparel: SNOWSUIT. Thought of Marti.

53. Stuff oneself silly: OVEREAT.

54. Connection: LINKAGE.

55. Pet control aids: LEASHES.

59. Tavern mugful: ALE.

65. Devices made largely obsolete by smartphones: PDAS.

66. NFL ref's review aid: SLO-MO.

68. Multinational hotel chain: HILTON. Hilton Xi'an.

71. Understand: GRASP.

74. Like many La Scala productions: OPERATIC.

77. Bookkeeper's book: LEDGER.

78. Ovarian hormone: ESTROGEN.

80. Rent: LET.

83. '60s protest gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

84. Big bores: SNOOZERS.

85. Special guest, perhaps: HONOREE.

86. Like many Cubist paintings: ANGULAR.

87. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.

88. "__ me!": SEZ.

91. Sorta cousin: ISH.

95. Former fillies: MARES.

96. More than enough: AMPLE.

97. "__ We Almost Have It All": DIDN'T.

98. Mildly annoyed cries: DRATS.

99. Unnerving: EERIE.

101. Swear words?: OATH.

102. River through Orsk: URAL.

103. Pump, e.g.: SHOE.

104. Aftermath: WAKE.

106. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah": A-DEE.

109. Home of many 2010s refugees: Abbr.: SYR.

110. Magician's source of surprises: HAT.

C.C.